Catting Around

On the Road: Sometimes, learning to get past your
own problems, means focusing on someone else.

As an orphan, Chip had never really had a home
or even much to call his own. After being adopted,
he’d hoped he’d found acceptance. Unfortunately,
a year later, he shifted into his bobcat for the first
time  and  his  new  parents  had  thought  him
possessed. Forced to run, Chip lived mostly as an
animal  for  decades.  Having  grown  up  alone  in
foster  care,  it  hadn’t  been  much  different  and  he
hadn’t thought it too bad…until the day he’d been
captured  and  tortured  by  scientists.  Rescued  by
Kontra and his gang, Chip finally sees the light at
the  end  of  the  long,  lonely  tunnel  of  his  life.
Scarred,  malnourished,  and  suffering  from  panic
attacks,  Chip  struggles  to  get  his  body  and  mind
back under control. When the gang  visits a  pride
of  lion  shifters,  Chip  meets  Grimes,  who  claims
they  are  mates.  Can  he  manage  to  get  past  his
hang-ups  and  grab  onto  the  happiness  Grimes
offers him?

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Catting Around

ISBN: 978-1-77111-794-4

Cover art by Angela Waters

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Catting Around

Kontra’s Menagerie, Book Sixteen

Charlie Richards

Chapter One

eople moved outside Chip’s room. He
shivered as he listened to the stomping of

booted feet and rumbles of masculine voices. He
knew all the activity meant the men consisting of
Kontra’s gang packed up their stuff so they could
head east. Never in a million years did Chip think
he’d be part of a shifter biker gang, but here he
was.

Hell, six months before, Chip hadn’t even

known so many  shifters were out there, let alone
that  there  were  wolves  and  bears  and…well,  so
many more than just cats. Now, he was on his way
to meet a whole pride of cats. Lions! Lions were a
hell  of  a  lot  bigger  than  Chip’s  bobcat,  and  they
were both nervous.

A soft tap on the door drew Chip’s attention.
He lifted his head from where he’d rested it on

his crossed arms, which were wrapped around his
knees. From where he sat, curled up on the room’s
window seat, he all but whispered, “Come.”

Still, it was loud enough. He’d learned so much

from Kontra and his new friends…like shifters

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had  better  hearing  than  humans,  as  well  as
increased  strength,  speed,  and  healing  abilities.
That’s  also  why  the  human  scientists  had
kidnapped  him—to  run  experiments  so  he  could
integrate Chip’s abilities into humans.

He shivered at the memory of his time there.

More than once, he’d wished for death. Now, he
had a new chance at life.

The door swung open and a big, broad-

shouldered  man  with  pale  blond  hair  and  warm,
chocolate  eyes  slipped  into  the  room.  Another
man  followed  the  first,  this  one  several  inches
shorter,  leanly  muscled,  with  sparkling  blue  eyes
and messy auburn hair.

Chip smiled at them both. “Hey, Emmett,

Caleb,” he greeted quietly. “Are we all about set?”

Although he figured he should be out with the

rest of them, offering to help, Chip couldn’t seem
to  manage  being  around  all  those  big,  dominant
shifters  all  at  once.  After  several  weeks,  it  still
intimidated him and his bobcat. He trusted them,
really he did, and if there were only two or three,
he  was  fine.  If  there  were  more  than  that,  Chip
struggled against waves of debilitating fear.

Emmett swept a worried gaze over him. “Yeah,

how are you holding up? You ready?”

Chip pointed at the small duffle bag on the bed.

“Yep.”

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He didn’t have much, but what he did have,

he’d  gotten  from  the  other  shifters’  generosity.
Kontra, the group’s alpha—a massive, grizzly bear
shifter—appeared as intimidating as hell with his
towering  stature,  shaggy  brown  and  silver  hair,
goatee, tattoos, and thickly filled out black biker’s
leathers.  However,  the  man  genuinely  seemed  to
care  for  those  under  his  protection  and  quickly
included Chip into those numbers.

Over the last couple of weeks, Emmett and

Caleb  had  spent  hours  explaining  how  their
motorcycle  gang  was  actually  a  pack  of  shifters.
He’d been shocked to learn that Caleb turned into
a chameleon, but had nearly fallen out of his chair
when  he’d  learned  they  were  headed  to  visit  a
pride of lion shifters.

Chip had seriously considered not going, but

after much assurance and encouragement from his
friends,  plus  Kontra  and  his  mate,  Tim,  he’d
agreed  to  stay  with  the  pack.  What  had  truly
swayed  his  decision,  though,  was  the  craving  of
his  cat  to  remain  with  those  that  could  keep  him
safe from not only scientists, but also others who’d
attempt  to  abuse  him.  Hell,  he’d  been  held  and
abused by the humans for almost two years. Chip
sure  as  shootin’  didn’t  want  to  be  among  them
anytime  soon.  Chip  found  that  even  being  in  the
same  room  as  the  humans  mated  to  his  fellow

Catting Around

shifters remained difficult, and he often found an
excuse to slip away.

Thinking on his behavior, Chip remembered his

conversation with Kontra the evening before. His
alpha  had  sat  him  down  and  warned  him  of  the
danger  of  his  behavior.  He’d  wanted  to  know  if
Chip  would  be  able  to  hold  it  together  in  a
restaurant  or  if  they’d  need  to  leave  him  at  a
motel.

Chip hadn’t been certain how he’d react, but he

remembered  occasionally  going  to  restaurants
when  he  could  scrape  up  enough  money.
Sometimes,  even  he  craved  interaction  with
others. For decades, he’d lived in the mountains as
a bobcat. It was just easier. Unfortunately, that had
all ended when the scientists caught him.

Not wanting to disappoint Kontra or his new

friends—they’d done so much for him already—
Chip had assured his alpha that he’d be okay.
Somehow, he had to make certain that happened,
too. Besides, it wasn’t as if they could drop him off
on the side of the highway before going into town
to get gas. Chip knew he needed to suck it up and
grow a set.

“You okay?” Caleb asked this time, right before

the chameleon shifter lightly touched his shoulder.

After sucking in a deep breath, Chip smiled up

at his friends. “Yeah. I’m, uh, this is an adjustment
for me, but I appreciate everything you all are

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doing for me. I won’t let you down,” he tacked on,
pushing to his feet.

Emmett settled a big hand on his shoulder and

squeezed  lightly.  “We  don’t  think  you’ll  let  us
down,” the large man rumbled. “We know you’ve
been  through  a  lot.”  A  grimace  crossed  his  face,
then  he  added,  “More  than  you’re  willing  to  tell
us,  yet,  I  wager,  but  we  just  want  you  to  be
happy.”

Caleb took up the speech, adding with a grin,

“And safe. Maybe comfortable with your pack
mates, too. That’s always a nice thing to be.”

Chip couldn’t help but chuckle. He nodded.

“I’m working on it, Caleb. Really.”

“By hiding in your room?” Emmett pointed out,

his tone kind.

Sighing, Chip crossed to the bed and scooped

up his backpack. “I played chess with Dorian last
night while everyone was at the going away party.
Ben and Mutegi were even in the room the whole
time.” He’d been proud of himself. Sure, it had
only been the four of them, but Ben was a human.
After talking with Kontra, he felt so pleased by the
small progress.

“Wow. Dorian didn’t shift last night? I woulda

thought he’d have taken this last evening to hunt,”
Emmett commented. “Especially since, now, he’s
going to be stuck as a human for at least three
days.”

Catting Around

Caleb nodded, although a smile toyed at the

corner of his lips. When he spoke, Chip
understood why. “Unless he wants to flap around
his hotel room,” he said with a snicker.

Chip chuckled, unable to help himself. He

knew what his buddies were talking about. Dorian
was a California condor. He hadn’t told them how
long the scientists held him, but for the first week
with  Kontra  and  the  gang,  he’d  refused  to  shift.
The  talk  of  the  evening  certainly  was  when  a
strange,  whipcord-lean,  dark-haired  male  had
appeared at the top of the stairs.

Kontra, and Eli, their pack doctor, had

immediately risen and crossed to the man and led
him into the dining room. After a few minutes of
hushed whispers, they’d returned, introduced the
shifter as Dorian. Then, they’d all refocused on the
movie. Dorian had settled on a chair near the fire,
watched for maybe an hour, before heading back
upstairs.

Slowly, over the course of the next few weeks,

he’d come out more and more. The condor shifter
said little about himself, but he was always polite.
For  the  most  part,  any  true  interaction  between
Dorian and others involved chess. The man loved
it,  and  his  ability  at  the  game  of  strategy  quickly
proved  unparalleled.  Chip  appreciated  that  the
other man had been willing to teach him.

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In fact, now that Chip thought about it, last

night when Dorian had won three chess games in
a row, it’d been the first time he could remember
seeing the other shifter smile. Evidently, Chip
wasn’t the only one who needed to learn to loosen
up.

“All right,” Chip murmured, getting back on

track. “Let’s go. Maybe there’s still something I
can do to help.”

Emmett nodded, then headed toward the

doorway.

Caleb wrapped an arm around Chip’s

shoulders, and—tucked safely between his two
friends—he found himself guided out of his room
and down the stairs. After they all pulled on
sweatshirts, leather jackets, and heavy boots, Chip
followed them outside.

The brisk air almost instantly chilled Chip’s

clean-shaven  face.  He  quickly  yanked  from  his
pocket  a  black  neoprene  ski  mask  and  pulled  it
over his head, covering his sandy-colored hair. He
liked  it  covered  anyway,  hiding  the  black  hairs
that  swirled  with  no  particular  pattern  through
the lighter locks. The odd characteristic happened
from  time  to  time  with  shifters—like  Kontra’s
silver tipped hair.

Except, while the alpha was a big, biker, bad-

ass who’d had parents who loved him and had
given him a confident sense of self, Chip hadn’t

Catting Around

had that. Instead, he’d grown up in an orphanage.
He’d been so excited to be adopted just before his
twelfth birthday. For nearly a year and a half, he’d
really thought his new parents loved him. The
second he’d shifted, that had all changed.

Banishing those thoughts, those memories,

Chip took in the nearly a dozen motorcycles, some
Harley’s,  some  not.  Hell,  Payson—an  exuberant
hyena  shifter—zipped  around  on  a  bullet  bike.
The  shifter’s  mate,  Land,  stood  by  Payson’s  side.
The  human  rolled  his  eyes  at  something  Payson
said,  and  waved  a  hand,  keeping  the  grinning
male from pulling him into an embrace.

Chip bit back a smirk. Yeah, he’d slipped out of

more than one room when the pair  started going
at  it.  They  normally  didn’t  care  who  was  around
when  they  started  groping  each  other.  Evidently,
Land found the chilly morning air a deterrent.

Of course, just then, Kontra appeared on the

steps  behind  him  and  roared,  “We’re  out  of  here
in  twenty.  Be  ready!”  Then,  without  missing  a
beat,  the  alpha  strode  over  to  Chip  and  stated,
“You ride with Luc. That work for you?”

Although disappointment flooded Chip, he

nodded anyway. “Yes, Alpha.”

Luc, evidently having heard his name,

appeared at his side. He rested his hand on the
small of Chip’s back and leaned close to say,
“Don’t worry, mon ami. You are safe with me.”

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“Thanks,” Chip replied, dutifully allowing

himself to be guided to the big, dark green Honda
Goldwing that Luc drove.

Once at the bike, Luc opened the left side

saddlebag, then turned to Chip. The man’s hazel
eyes softened as he peered at him. “I know I’m not
your first choice to ride with. We haven’t had a
chance to get to know each other. I will do what I
can to make our travels comfortable.”

“I didn’t mean any offense,” Chip murmured,

uncertainty flooding him. He hadn’t had a shifter
parent to help guide him in understanding the
emotions he could often scent. It was like being
given a map without a compass.

Luc took Chip’s bag and slid it into the

saddlebag. He carefully tucked the shoulder straps
inside, then latched the lid into place.
Straightening, Luc reached out and cupped Chip’s
jaw in one hand. Knowing the other man wouldn’t
hurt him—well, at least not right in front of the
others—Chip didn’t fight the eagle owl shifter.

“You don’t understand what my scent means,

do you?”

The blunt question took Chip by surprise, but

he couldn’t lie to the more dominant—even if only
by a little—shifter. “No,” he admitted.

“Your parents didn’t teach you?”
With Luc holding his jaw, Chip couldn’t

manage to turn away. He had nowhere to hide.

Catting Around

Swallowing hard, he whispered, “I didn’t have
parents.”

“Ah, Chip.” Luc’s voice lowered to a soothing

croon. “Did you know Tim is my son?”

Chip did know that. His buddies had given him

general information about the shifters in their
pack, letting him know who shifted into what,
who was mated to who, and even a bit about some
of their friends they’d left behind.

That was how Chip knew that the big bleach-

blond  man  he  saw  just  on  the  peripheral  of  his
vision was Adam, a white tiger shifter. The shifter
hugged  his  long-time  friend  Yuma,  a  penguin
shifter. Neither man bothered to hide the tears in
their  eyes  as  they  said  good-bye.  Adam  was
staying behind, having opened a mechanic’s shop
so he could stay near his mate’s family. Yuma, on
the  other  hand,  had  chosen  to  continue  to  travel
with  the  biker  pack.  Fortunately,  both  men  had
mates  that  would  be  able  to  soothe  the  sadness
caused by the change in their friend’s lives.

“Yeah,” Chip replied, refocusing on Luc. “I

know who you are.”

Luc grinned, his hazel eyes twinkling. “Then

you must know that I taught my son to
differentiate scents. That means I can do the same
for you.”

Charlie Richards

Chip’s brows crinkled in confusion. “Why

would you do that?” No one ever did something
for nothing. “What do you want in return?”

Sliding one hand down to the back of his neck,

Luc used the other to tug Chip into a hug. “Come
here,” he urged.

As Chip returned Luc’s loose embrace, he

suddenly  feared  what  the  other  shifter  would
want  in  return.  He’d  chosen  to  live  as  an  animal
rather  than  become  a  street  rat.  Would  Luc  want
the one thing he’d never given anyone?

“Shhh, Chip,” Luc crooned, stroking up and

down his spine in a soothing caress. “Whatever
popped into that head of yours was wrong. All I
want is to help you. You getting better will be all
the reward I need.”

Chip realized his body shook. Deciding he had

to  start  trusting  somewhere,  he  sank  into  Luc’s
embrace,  taking  the  offered  comfort.  When  he
finally  got  himself  under  control—and  didn’t
think  his  voice  would  come  out  an  unmanly
squeak—he  finally  lifted  his  head  and  asked,
“Why would you do that?”

Luc smiled down at him, a softness around his

mouth  that  Chip  didn’t  understand.  “Once  a
father, always a father.” After those cryptic words,
he  shrugged  and  eased  away.  “As  we  drive,  I’ll
have  plenty  of  time  to  simulate  different
emotions.”  He  winked.  “Don’t  worry.  I  have

Catting Around

enough memories from the last couple of centuries
that I can get close to most of them. You’ll be able
to understand in no time.”

Finding himself—for the first time—actually

looking forward to the trip, Chip smiled shyly.
“Thank you.”

Charlie Richards

Chapter Two

hey’re here.”
Grimes lifted his head and blinked at his

alpha. Perrin—a tall, brawny, six-foot five African
American black lion shifter—stood on the porch in
human  form  and  peered  down  the  driveway.
Turning  to  follow  his  alpha’s  gaze,  Grimes
realized  that  the  soft  buzz  that  had  nudged  him
from his doze had been the approaching rumble of
motorcycle engines.

If they hadn’t already expected Kontra and his

biker gang, Grimes would have shifted and put on
the sweats and t-shirt folded on one of the nearby
rocking chairs. Instead, he remained in lion form,
but did rise and move to sit beside his alpha.

Terence, Perrin’s mate, stood on the alpha’s

opposite side, with their beta, Patrick, on his far
side. Carlton—the pride’s other enforcer—stood a
bit further away, leaning against the railing with
his arms crossed.

“T

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Soon, the roar of the motorcycles drew several

other  shifters  from  the  house.  A  glance  over
Grimes’  shoulder  showed  him  one  of  them  was
Samson  Crumb,  a  young  lion  shifter  who’d  gone
and  gotten  his  mate,  Helena,  pregnant  first  thing
right  after  mating.  Evidently,  Helena  loved  the
idea of a whole passel of cubs, and Samson loved
Helena,  so  he’d  do  whatever  made  her  happy.
Unfortunately,  their  pride’s  midwife  had  passed
away  a  couple  of  years  before,  which  brought
them  back  to  asking  Terence’s  old  alpha,  Kontra,
for  help.  The  grizzly  bear  shifter  not  only  had  a
doctor, Eli, but Eli’s wolf shifter mate, Sam, was a
nurse.

Lucky pack.
Samson had one thick arm wrapped around

Helena, holding her tucked close against his side.

Helena peered over Grimes’ head where he sat

in front of her.

At his peripheral vision, Grimes noted the

appearance  of  a  number  of  motorcycles,  ranging
from  large  highway  cruising  models  to  a  bullet
bike,  which  he  knew  the  hyena  shifter  Payson
rode.  He  mentally  smiled  at  the  memory  of
meeting the guy.

Payson wasn’t shy by any means. When Perrin

had innocently asked what a Jacob’s Ladder was,
the hyena shifter had whipped open his pants and
showed off his pierced dick. While Perrin had

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paled at the sight of the metal balls embedded up
the underside of Payson’s penis, Grimes’ own cock
had thickened and he’d really wanted to explore.

Too bad Grimes had never gotten the chance,

and he sure as hell wouldn’t now. He’d heard
through Terence that Payson had found his mate.
Grimes was happy for the shifter…sort of. He
really wished he’d run across his own mate.

Maybe I need to be more proactive. Go out and find

him, as Kontra’s pack does. Maybe it’s time for a

change.

The sudden quiet yanked Grimes back to his

current surroundings. Over a dozen men—a few
he recognized, most he didn’t—were lowering
kick stands and swinging off their bikes.

Grimes watched Kontra cross to stand at the

bottom of the stairs. The big, goateed man grinned
up at them. “Greetings, Alpha Perrin. You’re
looking well. Pride life suits you.”

“Greetings, Alpha Kontra,” Perrin responded

formally.  Then,  the  huge  African  American
grinned.  “Thank  you.  You’re  looking  well
yourself.  Mated  life  must  agree  with  you.”  He
winked, then added, “Make yourself at home.”

“My thanks,” Kontra replied, then bounded up

the steps and wrapped Terence in a hug, which he
wisely kept extremely brief. Stepping back, he
grinned at the alpha-mate. “How are you,
Terence? Keeping this big lug in line?” He jerked a

Catting Around

thumb toward Perrin while winking back at the
lion alpha, showing he teased.

Terence chuckled, even as he wrapped his arm

around Perrin, who stopped the low rumbling
he’d been emitting. “I hardly have to do anything.
This guy keeps himself in line better than anyone
ever could.” He smiled fondly at his lover.

Kontra nodded. He turned and held out a hand

to a slender, sandy-haired man. “This is Tim
Laurent, my mate.”

Greetings were exchanged, then Kontra waved

at a tall, bronzed, dark-haired man and a shorter
African American male. “And this is Doctor Eli
Raetz and his mate, Sam Bailey. He’s a nurse.”

Turning toward Helena, Kontra smiled at the

woman. “Congratulations.”

Helena blushed even as she grinned. She

glanced up at Samson, then stated, “Thanks.”

The door behind them opened and Grimes

scented Raven—an altered human soldier—and
his arctic fox shifter mate, Liam, step out onto the
porch.

“Ah, so this is where everyone wandered to,”

Raven commented idly. “Dinner’s ready.”

The pair had been living with them for months

now,  and  they  cooked  once  every  other
week…which  constituted  to  Liam  cooking  and
Raven taking instruction from the cute shifter. For
the  most  part,  meals  and  the  occasional  game  of

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pool were the only interaction Raven had with the
group. He’d lurk in the corner of whatever room
Liam  was  in,  since  the  little  shifter  loved  playing
board  games  with  several  others.  Raven  paid
room and board for himself and his mate,  doting
on the fox.

“Raven!” called a guy Grimes hadn’t been

introduced to, yet. “I didn’t know you were here.”

The dirty, blond haired stranger—who’d been

standing with several others of Kontra’s biker
gang—strode toward the gathering on the porch.
A tall, broad, dark-haired man followed.

“Ryan, fancy meeting you here,” Raven

responded, smiling wryly. “Roped in with them,
too, are you?”

Ryan chuckled, even as he wrapped his arm

around the bigger man following him. “Yep,” he
stated, looking extremely happy about it. “This is
Sam Abbott. He’s my mate.”

“Congratulations,” Raven murmured. Slowly,

he turned his head and focused on Eli. “Hello,
again, Eli.” His smile turned almost creepy. “Not
happy to see me?”

Grimes followed Raven’s gaze and if he’d been

in human form, he knew his jaw would have
sagged open.

Eli had positioned himself in front of not only

Sam, but also Helena.

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Samson glanced between them in confusion,

keeping his arm around her.

Eli gave a low rumble, then snarled, “You!

What the fuck are you doing here?”

Raven wrapped his arm around Liam’s

shoulder,  who  snuggled  against  him  while
glancing  between  his  lover  and  Eli  uncertainly.
“Same  as  you,  really,”  Raven  commented  dryly.
“Living and loving. Pleasing my mate.”

“Your mate?” Eli sounded completely thrown.
“Eli, Sam, meet my mate, Liam,” Raven replied

smugly. He tightened his arm a bit before
releasing. Cocking his head to the side, Raven
focused on Sam. “I wouldn’t have hurt you. I was
bored and really just wanted to talk to Miach.”

Grimes wasn’t certain of what Raven spoke, but

he could guess it had something to do with his
time working for the scientists. He knew Raven
had been one of their men before teaming up with
a wolf pack in Colorado and bringing down most
of the organization.

Terence held his hands and stepped toward Eli.

“Raven is here under our protection, Eli,” he told
him, his voice quiet, soothing. “Please. I’m asking
you to let the past go.”

While Terence spoke, Perrin followed, placing

himself between the two antagonists.

Eli’s jaw clenched as he drew in a slow deep

breath. Sam wrapped his arms around Eli, rubbing

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his hands over his chest. Finally, Eli nodded once,
then he turned in his mate’s embrace and buried
his face against the smaller man’s neck.

Grimes imagined the shifter needed to reassure

himself that his mate was safe.

Just then, the wind kicked up, and a citrusy

sweet scent made his senses sing. Arousal warmed
him, similar to the effect of good whiskey. He
initiated his shift, unmindful of all those around
them. He needed to talk to his alpha, then find the
source of that delicious smell.

By the time Grimes finished returning to

human  form,  his  dick  had  hardened  to  half-mast
and  he  found  several  of  the  shifters  around  him
smirking.  He  shrugged,  unabashed,  and  took  the
two steps to the chair where he’d left his clothes.
Looking  at  his  alpha,  he  saw  Perrin  and  Terence
exchanging an amused glance.

While pulling on the sweats, Grimes revealed,

“I just caught scent of something delicious.” No
sense beating around the bush. “Permission to leave
you and find the source?”

Perrin’s black brows shot up. He glanced

around at the shifters crowding the deck.
Returning his focus to Grimes, he smirked. “I
think we can manage for a bit.”

Grimes didn’t wait around. Ignoring the

chuckles from several men, he jogged down the
stairs, pausing at the bottom. He inhaled,

Catting Around

searching for that scent again. Humming with
appreciation, he started moving.

A niggle of suspicion formed as his steps took

Grimes toward the group of men milling around
the motorcycles. Most of Kontra’s gang had stayed
back, waiting and watching the proceedings.

Sweeping his gaze over the men, Grimes

recognized Payson. He gave the hyena shifter a
smile. “Hey, Payson, good to see you again.”

The wiry, red-haired shifter grinned largely,

even as he wrapped an arm around a slender
black-haired human. “Hey, Grimes. Is it your job
to show us to our rooms?”

“I can certainly do that,” he replied. “I just need

to know who’s with whom?”

Payson nodded. “This is my mate, Land

Zimmerman.”

After Grimes greeted the man, Payson started

pointing at the others. “That’s Yuma and his mate,
Hunter. Lamar and his mate,  Rueben. That’s Vail
and  Draven.  There’s  Caleb  and  Emmett.  And
there’s  Mutegi  and  Ben.”  Then  he  turned  and
waved  at  a  group  of  four  others.  “Over  there  is
Luc, Chip, Dorian, and Diego. They’re not mated,
so they can decide who they want to pair up with
or  if  you  have  enough  rooms,  I’m  sure  they’d
appreciate their own space.”

“You don’t need to give me a room,” Dorian

stated. “I’ll sleep on the roof.”

Charlie Richards

That threw him. Grimes brow lifted. “The

roof?”

“Or in a tree.” Dorian smirked, then started

stripping, revealing a darkly tanned body without
a hint of tan lines. “I’m tired of being human.
Gonna shift for a few days.”

Diego snickered. “I’ll toss your bags in my

room.”

“Thanks.” Without another word, Dorian

shifted.

Grimes’ second brow shot up to join the first as

he  watched  the  maybe  six  foot,  whipcord  lean
man’s  body  contort  and  change.  Less  than  a
minute  later,  a  huge  bird—some  kind  of  raptor,
perhaps—spread  foot-and-a-half-long  wings  and
soared into the air. Seconds later, Dorian was out
of sight.

Realizing the sight of the shifter’s body didn’t

interest him in the least, Grimes turned back to the
remaining unmated men. As he stepped forward,
getting closer so he could scent the strangers, he
stated, “I’m Grimes Medina.”

The man in the middle, Chip, who actually

stood a few feet back, gasped.

Grimes instantly focused on him. He swept his

gaze  over  the  guy,  admiring  the  lean  legs  under
black  chaps.  The  black  leather  jacket  seemed  to
hang a bit on his slight frame. As Grimes watched,
a  flush  turned  the  man’s  pale  cheeks  to  a  lovely

Catting Around

shade of pink, accentuating the odd black swirls in
the man’s sandy colored hair.

Does Chip dye his hair? Or is that natural?
Wanting to find out, Grimes held Chip’s gaze as

he drew several steps closer. His six foot two inch
height  seemed  to  tower  over  the  smaller  shifter’s
approximately  five  foot  ten  frame.  The  cock-
flooding  scent  intensified,  telling  Grimes  that  he
was on the right track.

“You’re Chip, right?” Grimes crooned, his voice

lowering a bit with lust.

Chip’s big blue eyes widened even more and

even while he nodded, he stumbled back a step.
That put his butt against the side of a motorcycle,
making him stop.

Recognizing the scent of uncertainty and

confusion,  even  on  top  of  the  arousal,  Grimes
lifted  his  hands,  palms  out.  As  he  slowly  moved
closer, he soothed, “Easy there, cutie. I got a funny
feeling  you’re  my  mate,  and  I  just  want  to  scent
you.”

Grimes tried to school his expression into a

reassuring smile, but it was tough. So close to the
shifter  he  knew  was  his  mate,  Grimes  struggled
against  his  urge  to  pounce.  He  wanted  to  sweep
the man into his arms, ravish him. Nothing would
make  him  happier  than  laying  the  smaller  man
down,  stripping  him  naked,  and  exploring  every
inch  of  his  lean  body.  Was  he  pale  all  over?  Was

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he a vocal lover? How would it feel to slide his
cock into the man and drive them both out of their
minds?

“N-Never smelled anyone like you.”
The admission, whispered in a breathy tenor,

nearly ripped a moan from Grimes’ throat. He
forced it back, and instead, smiled at Chip. “That’s
because I’m your mate, Chip,” he murmured.
“Shifters know mates on scent.”

Sweeping his gaze over the man again,

something clicked. He’d learned from Terence that
Kontra and his group had recently raided a facility
and saved several shifters. From the lean frame
and loose-fitting jacket, Grimes suspected Chip
might be one of them.

Grimes pushed back the anger he felt at

whatever  mistreatment  had  befallen  his  mate,
realizing  Chip  might  need  some  gentle  handling.
He lifted his hands again, then softly asked, “May
I  touch  you,  Chip?  Just  at  your  waist.  That  way
it’ll be easier for me to lean down and scent you.”

Chip licked his lips, his pink tongue flicking

out. Grimes wanted nothing more than to suck
that appendage. Holding himself barely in check,
he waited.

Finally, Chip nodded. “Okay.”
“Thank you,” he responded. Never had he

meant his words more.

Catting Around

Keeping a sharp eye on Chip’s wide eyes and

tense figure, Grimes lowered his hands and settled
them  on  the  shifter’s  sides.  The  sharp  jut  of  hip
bones  surprised  him,  but  that  didn’t  stop  him
from  slowly  lowering  his  head.  Grimes  nuzzled
first Chip’s shoulder, waiting, waiting. Finally, the
other shifter tilted his head.

Grimes took that as acceptance, submission,

and  it  made  his  blood  race  in  his  veins.  His  cock
jerked  in  his  sweats.  Fucking  hell,  he  wanted  to
take a bite. Sink his canines in and taste the other
shifter’s  blood,  bond  them,  so  they  could  spend
the next several centuries pleasuring each other.

His canines tingled at the idea.
“Well, shit, Chip.”
Payson’s exuberant voice cut through Grimes’

lust-fogged brain.

“Congratulations, guys!” Payson crowed. “Hey,

guys! Grimes is Chip’s mate!”

Suddenly, Chip stiffened in his arms. Grimes

lifted his head and found himself surrounded by
Kontra’s shifters. Several hands patted not only
him on the back, but Chip as well. Except, instead
of smelling happy, the sharp, acrid scent of panic
flooded the area…originating from his mate!

The man in his arms vibrated and shuddered.
Grimes lifted his head. His jaw sagged open as

he realized Chip was shifting. And, fuck! Chip’s
shift didn’t take long. Within half a minute, a

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large, skinny bobcat crouched at his feet. The cat
swung his head this way and that, obviously
looking for escape.

Realizing—for whatever reason—Chip felt

cornered, Grimes yelled, “Back up!” Although he
wanted to hold the guy close, soothe him,
something—maybe the mating instinct—told him
Chip wouldn’t take well to that right then.

Holy hell! What has he gone through to react like

this?

“Easy, Chip,” Grimes crooned. “You’re okay.”
Chip peered around the group. For an instant,

he looked straight at Grimes, then the shifter
turned and fled.

“Chip?” Grimes whispered, unable to imagine

what had caused his cute bobcat to flee.

A hand landed on his shoulder as a strange

voice stated, “He doesn’t do well with crowds. He
panicked.”

Grimes looked over his shoulder to see the

shifter introduced as Caleb had spoken.

Another man grabbed his shoulder and yanked

him around. He found Luc scowling at him. “Is he
really your mate?”

Growling low in warning, Grimes jerked away

from the shifter. “Fuck, yes, he’s my mate. What
the hell happened to him?”

Catting Around

“None of us know for sure,” Emmett

responded, his deep voice gruff. “But you better
go after him. Calm him down.”

“Yeah, good idea.” Caleb gave him a

sympathetic smile. “We can find our own rooms.
Just be patient with Chip. I’ve got a feeling he’s
seen a hell of a lot more pain in his life than
anyone ever deserved.”

Glancing around the group, all Grimes saw was

sympathy and understanding. Nodding, his heart
in his throat, Grimes kicked off his sweats and
shifted. Seconds later, Grimes bounded after his
mate.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Three

anic flooded Chip and he could think of only
one thing…getting away from all those

people.  He  knew  it  was  irrational—hell,  this  was
his  pack—but  he  couldn’t  seem  to  help  himself.
Between  the  confusion  from  his  response  to
Grimes—namely  wanting  to  cuddle  up  to  the
huge man—and having his buddies converge had
just been too much.

Chip’s paws pounded the ground, digging in,

propelling  him  forward.  He  ran  hard,  weaving
between trees. Still recovering from years of abuse
in  captivity,  he  found  himself  tiring  quickly.
Slowly,  rational  thought  returned,  and  Chip
slowed.

Peering around, Chip took in the large trees.

They weren’t the pines of his old mountain home.
Still, the gentle breeze that caressed his heated
flesh felt nice. Chip took a minute just to sit and
enjoy, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

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A scent tickled his senses. Instantly recognizing

Grimes’  earthy  feline  scent,  Chip  snapped  his
eyelids  back  open.  Ten  feet  in  front  of  him  sat  a
large,  dark-maned  lion.  The  shifter’s  dark  eyes
peered  steadily  at  him,  and  Chip  found  himself
pinned.

Ever so slowly, Grimes rose and prowled

toward  him.  Chip  tensed,  uncertain.  Grimes
rumbled  softly,  the  sound  deep  in  his  throat.  To
Chip, it didn’t sound threatening, but he knew the
lion  was  larger  and  far  more  dominant.  Chip
knew,  even  if  he’d  been  at  full  health,  if  Grimes
wanted to hurt him, he could. Only Grimes’ scent,
coupled  with  his  admission  that  they  might  be
mates, kept Chip from attempting to flee again.

Chip mewled and hunkered down, trying to

figure  out  protocol.  He  hadn’t  been  with  a  pack
very  long,  and  Caleb  had  admitted  that  their
hierarchy  was  pretty  informal.  Memories  of
running  with  Kontra  and  Diego  popped  into  his
head. Chip had watched, Diego—an ex-alpha wolf
shifter—bow  his  head  in  submission  to  the  bear.
Chip wondered how cats did that. He rolled to his
back  and  showed  the  bigger  cat  his  throat,
attempting to express submission.

Grimes whined. Then, instead of wrapping his

jaws around Chip as he’d seen Kontra do to Diego,
Grimes nuzzled his throat. Next, he swiped his big
tongue over Chip’s furred cheek. Settling next to

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him, Grimes placed one big paw on Chip’s
shoulder and started grooming his head.

Reveling in the other cat’s touch, Chip

remained still. After a minute, he couldn’t help but
purr with appreciation. Between the male dousing
him  in  his  scent  and  the  tender  affection,  he  felt
his  blood  heat.  He’d  never  been  aroused  in  cat
form  before,  but  he  felt  his  cock  thicken,  sliding
from his sheath.

Evidently, Grimes scented it, too, for he stepped

away.  At  first,  Chip  worried  he’d  offended  the
other shifter, but then the big cat  shuddered. His
skin  rippled  as  his  fur  receded  and  his  body
reshaped. Soon, a human Grimes knelt before him.

Grimes reached out and threaded his fingers

through  Chip’s  fur,  massaging  behind  his  ears.
Running  his  fingers  up  Chip’s  ears,  he  even
tugged lightly on the slight tufts at their tips. Chip
would  have  been  offended  at  the  petting,  except
he  couldn’t  seem  to  get  enough  of  the  man’s
touch.

It felt so nice to be touched like that, almost

reverently, as if he mattered.

“You’re a beautiful cat, Chip,” Grimes crooned.

“But, I’d like to talk to you. Will you shift for me,
my pretty?”

Chip hesitated. He’d never been naked with

another for any length of time. Before and after
shifting didn’t really count, since it was only for a

Catting Around

few seconds. He’d never considered himself vain,
but…his time with the scientists hadn’t been kind
to his body.

“Please, pretty?”
Sighing, Chip rolled to his belly. May as well get

this over with. It wasn’t like he could hide in animal
form forever. If Grimes really was his mate, he’d
eventually see his scars. If having a pretty mate
were a deal breaker, it’d be better to discover that
now.

Chip initiated his shift. He shivered as his limbs

cracked, his tendons popped, and his skin rippled.
It didn’t take long for Chip to regain his human
form. Staring at the ground, his legs tucked under
him, he tried to gather enough courage to glance
up at the other man.

Grimes’ hissed breath didn’t surprise Chip. He

knew what his back looked like. He’d been too
malnourished to heal properly and ended up with
quite the criss-cross of scarring along his back
from several beatings with a whip. There’d been a
guard at one of the facilities who’d been especially
fond of that form of discipline.

What he didn’t expect was the light caress of

Grimes’ calloused fingertips along the skin of his
back. He shivered and bowed his head, waiting
for the man to say something. Grimes worked his
way up Chip’s back, gently tracing line after line,
before he finally reached Chip’s neck. Resting one

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hand flat over Chip’s bony shoulders, Grimes
finally leaned close and murmured, “I can’t
imagine what you’ve been through, my pretty, but
I hope you’ll allow me to help you heal.”

Chip’s eyes widened and he peered over his

shoulder, stunned. Meeting Grimes’ gaze, he
whispered, “I’m not pretty.”

Grimes’ gaze softened. He lifted a hand and

traced a couple fingertips along his jaw line. “You
are  pretty.”  He  reached  up  and  threaded  his
fingers through Chip’s hair, probably fondling the
black  strands  interspersed  through  his  sandy
locks.  “These  scars  don’t  change  that,”  Grimes
continued. “They just show your inner strength.”

Tightening his hold, Grimes urged, “Roll over

for me, Chip. Let me love you. Let me show you
how much pleasure being with your mate can
bring.”

After licking his lips, Chip swallowed hard.

“There are more on my front.”

Grimes used the way he cupped Chip’s head to

massage, gently, his temple with his thumb.
“Then, I’ll just have to kiss all those, too.”

“Never been kissed before,” Chip blurted out.
For an instant, Grimes’ fingers tightened in his

hair. The next second, a low moan rumbled from
the man as he shivered. The scent of arousal
thickened the air, igniting Chip’s own desire. His
erection thickened, bobbing beneath him.

Catting Around

Grimes closed his eyes and muttered, “So

fucking sexy, pretty.”

Although pheromones flooded the small

clearing,  Chip  couldn’t  help  but  asked,  “What?
Why?”  That  made  no  sense.  How  was  he
supposed  to  know  how  to  please  his  lover  if  he
had no experience?

Tucking his face against the crook of Chip’s

neck,  Grimes  gently  nipped  his  neck.  The  bite,
although light, still caused Chip to shudder. Then,
the  other  shifter  lifted  his  head  and  crooned,  “It
means  we’ll  be  able  to  share  in  exploring  your
every desire...together.”

Grimes rubbed his lips up and down the

tendon of Chip’s neck, then mumbled against his
skin, “We’re driving each other crazy with need,
Chip. Let me please you.”

Said like that, not asking for anything but to

give  him  pleasure,  Chip  lost  the  fight—one  he
wasn’t  certain  why  he  fought  to  begin  with.
Giving  in  to  desire,  Chip  rolled  to  his  back,
sprawling  on  his  back  and  exposing  his  aching
prick.  His  hard  flesh  slapped  against  his  abs,  the
tip leaking pre-cum.

Growling his pleasure, Grimes rolled forward

and half covered him. To Chip’s surprise, Grimes
didn’t move in to ravish him. Instead, he once
again cupped his jaw in a gentle hold. He leaned

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down and lightly pressed his lips against the
corner of Chip’s mouth.

“Do you admit, then, that I am your mate?”
Chip almost missed the softly spoken question.

“I never knew such a thing existed until being
rescued by Kontra and his men,” he admitted.

Grimes’ dark eyes rounded, expressing his

disbelief.

Scoffing faintly, Chip hurried to add, “There’s a

lot  I  didn’t  know,  Grimes,  but  I  can  tell  you  that
I’ve never reacted to another how I react to you.”
His brows drew together at that acknowledgment
and  he  struggled  to  put  his  feelings  into  words.
“I’ve never kissed anyone or lain with them as we
are  now.  I’ve  rarely  even  wanted  to,  and  never
with the intensity I feel right now. I can’t seem to
deny it. I don’t want to deny it. I feel like I need to
hold you tight and never let go.” Chip swallowed
hard.  No  longer  able  to  meet  the  other  man’s
intense  gaze,  his  turbulent  emotions  too  close  to
the  surface.  “I  don’t  know  if  that  means  I  think
you’re my mate or not.”

Sighing, Grimes lowered his head and pressed

his forehead against Chip’s. Their breaths mingled
as  he  told  him,  “You  just  summed  it  up  pretty
damn  well,  my  pretty.”  He  kissed  the  opposite
corner  of  Chip’s  mouth  again,  then  warned,  “We
do  this,  I’m  not  gonna  let  you  go,  Chip.  I’ve
waited  too  long  to  find  you.”  He  lifted  his  head

Catting Around

and leveled a solemn gaze on Chip. “I get the
feeling there will be plenty of things to explain,
and that time will come.”

Grimes’ eyes lit up, his smile turning feral. “Just

not right now.”

As he relayed that last sentence, Grimes levered

up on his elbow. The promise of pleasure glittered
in his eyes. “Right now, I’m going to make your
body sing.”

Chip’s breathing hitched. His pulse spiked in

his veins. “A-Are you going to kiss me?”

“And more,” Grimes’ murmured.
His fingers trembling, Chip reached out with

one  hand.  Sliding  them  along  first  Grimes’  tense
forearm, then up his shoulder. He peered through
his  lashes  at  Grimes,  judging  his  responses  as  he
traced  up  the  man’s  arm  and  over  his  shoulder.
He  almost  drooled  at  the  feel  of  the  hard  muscle
beneath smooth, silky skin.

Chip trembled. “Oh.”
A smile slowly curved Grimes’ lips. “Is that a

yes?”

Knowing this decision would change his life

didn’t change the fact that Chip knew there was
only one answer. “Yes.”

“Oh, Chip,” Grimes growled. “You won’t be

disappointed.”

Swallowing again, Chip forced a smile that he

knew must appear tremulous. “I know.”

Charlie Richards

Grimes didn’t waste any more time. He

lowered  his  head  and  pressed  his  lips  to  Chip’s,
this  time  fully.  He  licked  along  Chip’s  lower  lip,
then wedged his tongue inside and thrust in deep.
Chip  moaned  at  the  taste  of  his  lover’s  tongue,
heavily earthy, and opened wider, wanting more.

The other shifter didn’t disappoint.
Grimes took control, using his hold to urge

Chip to tilt his head. Doing so gladly, he
welcomed Grimes’ tongue as he thrust deeper into
his mouth. Sweeping it around, Grimes teased his
taste buds, traced along his gum-line and tickled
his palate.

Chip whimpered, his blood heating his veins.

He wriggled his body, sidling closer, as he opened
wider. He wanted…needed more of this man’s
taste, his touches, his hot, hard body pressed close.

Grimes seemed to know all of that. Growling

low, the vibration rumbling through his chest, the
big  shifter  pressed  a  knee  between  Chip’s  knees.
Chip  spread  his  legs,  welcoming  the  pressure
against his aching balls. Grimes didn’t stop there.
With  practiced  finesse,  he  slid  his  body  between
Chip’s  thighs.  He  spread  his  own  legs  a  bit,
pushing  Chip’s  legs  wider  as  he  positioned  their
cocks against each other’s.

Moaning at his first feel of another man’s hard

cock against his own, Chip shuddered and his
balls drew tight. The fact that this was his mate—

Catting Around

someone  who’d  always  be  there  for  him—only
made  it  that  much  better.  Within  seconds,  Chip
felt the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine. He
wanted to protest, to beg for a second to compose
himself,  to  make  this  moment  last,  but  with
Grimes’  tongue  down  his  throat,  that  was
impossible.  Instead,  all  Chip  could  do  was  moan
wantonly, the sound swallowed by the other man.

Grimes sucked his tongue, and the pulls

transferred  straight  to  his  aching  cock.  His  balls
rolled  in  their  sacks.  Chip  couldn’t  stop  himself
from rocking against Grimes, rubbing his sensitive
shaft  against  the  other  man’s,  desperate  for
friction on his throbbing  penis. He reveled in the
knowledge  that  his  soon-to-be  lover  was  just  as
hard as he was.

That knowledge fired through his veins, giving

him that last push. Chip yanked his mouth away
from Grimes. He arched his neck. His back bowed.
His testicles throbbed and his cock spurted. Chip
yowled as cum shot up his dick and coated both
their stomachs. Heady endorphins pinged through
his system, wave upon wave of bliss, with each
spurt.

Lifting his head just a bit, Grimes’ peered down

at him, watching him through heavily lidded, lust-
glazed eyes. “So fucking sexy,” he rumbled. Chip
saw Grimes’ canines lengthen just before he
lowered his head again.

Charlie Richards

Pain spiked through Chip’s shoulder, causing

him to gasp. Then, the pain morphed into tingles
of pleasure and goose-bumps spread down his
arms. He gripped Grimes’ upper arms even
tighter as a second orgasm bowled through him.

Grimes bucked against him, grunting. More

warm seed oozed between them. Floating in
afterglow, Chip peeled his hands off Grimes’
biceps and swept his hands over his lover’s back.
When the other shifter pulled his teeth free of his
shoulder, he shivered at the odd sensation.

Humming, Grimes licked Chip’s shoulder. He

lifted  his  head  and  smiled  down  at  him.  “Wow,
Chip,” he murmured. “I haven’t come that hard in
decades.”  Keeping  his  weight  on  one  arm,  he
threaded  the  fingers  of  his  other  hand  through
Chip’s  hair.  “Can’t  wait  to  get  you  to  a  bed  and
love you properly.”

When Grimes winked, Chip grinned back. “You

mean it gets better?” He couldn’t imagine
anything feeling better than the pleasant buzz
pinging through his system.

“Oh, my pretty bobcat. It does,” Grimes

crooned. He pressed a soft, all-too-brief butterfly
kiss to Chip’s lips. Then, his mouth twisted wryly
as he stated, “Although, at the moment, we have
an interesting problem.”

Chip cocked his head. “We do?”

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Grimes lifted his body a bit and peered between

them. “Yep. We’re a mess and have nothing to
clean up with except leaves.”

“Oh.”
“Although,”

Grimes

added,

his

voice

deepening. “I do love having you covered in my
scent.”

Not knowing how to respond to that, Chip

nibbled  his  bottom  lip.  As  Grimes  drew  back,
Chip  pushed  to  a  sitting  position.  He  focused  on
the  trees  around  them,  wondering  if  there  was  a
stream nearby.

Grimes growled, redrawing Chip’s attention.

Meeting  the  man’s  gaze,  it  took  him  a  second  to
realize  what  the  other  shifter  focused  on.
Instinctively,  Chip  covered  his  groin  with  one
hand  as  he  used  the  other  to  shove  backward,
putting  space  between  him  and  Grimes.  Shame
flooded him. How could he have been so stupid?
He  should  have  told  the  other  shifter  that  the
scarring  extended  to  his  genitals.  The  ache  in  his
shoulder—reminding him that Grimes had started
the bonding process—mocked him.

Growling again, Grimes grabbed his ankle and

hauled him close.

Chip froze, his shoulders tensed, and waited,

all the while praying that Grimes wasn’t a violent
man.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Four

rimes gritted his teeth, forcing back a snarl of
frustration. Fear and panic practically rolled off

Chip in waves…again. After what they’d just
shared, it blew Grimes away that his lover, his
mate, would fear him.

Reining in his frustration, Grimes reminded

himself  that  he  had  no  idea  what  Chip  had  been
through.  He  eased  his  grip  on  the  other  man’s
ankle.  Leaning  over,  he  reached  for  the  smaller
shifter’s hand, pulling  it away from Chip’s groin.
He  lifted  the  hand  and  gently  kissed  his  lover’s
fingers.

“Please calm down, Chip,” he urged. “I’m not

certain what I did to freak you out. Please talk to
me.”

Grimes just managed to keep his focus on

Chip’s  eyes  when  all  he  wanted  to  do  was  lean
over  and  kiss  the  silver  balls—and  the  scars—
lining  his  mate’s  cock.  He’d  always  loved

Catting Around

piercings, but easily admitted his fear of needles
kept him from getting any of his own.

“I’m sorry my body isn’t, um, pretty,” Chip

mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

Shit, I made a mistake with that endearment.
Ignoring the drying, itching cum on his

stomach, Grimes sprawled onto his back. He
crooked his finger and urged, “Come here, Chip.”

Although Chip still didn’t meet his gaze—

instead,  it  seemed  he  focused  on  Grimes’
collarbone—at  least  he  moved  toward  him.
Grimes  guided  the  smaller  man  onto  his  lap,
leaning him against his raised knees.

“Look at me,” Grimes demanded softly. When

Chip didn’t immediately obey, he raised one hand,
cupped his lover’s jaw, and urged him to lift his
gaze. Finally, once he peered into Chip’s shuttered
blue eyes, he stated, “We can’t get to know each
other if we don’t talk. How did I upset you?”

Chip opened and closed his mouth. His brows

drew  together.  Finally,  he  whispered,  “I  thought
you  were  mad  that  I—”  He  paused  and  nibbled
his lip. Grimes waited, trying to be patient as Chip
worked through whatever he was thinking.  “You
growled,”  Chip  pointed  out,  rushing  through  his
next  few  words.  “I  thought  you  were  upset  that
my dick is all scarred.”

Grimes watched a pink hue flush over Chip’s

face, neck, and chest. It reminded him of Chip’s

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inexperience in bed and it occurred to him that his
behavior proved he was also inexperienced—or
perhaps just out of practice—in interacting with
others.

Squeezing the bony hip he held once, Grimes

finally  lowered  his  gaze  to  Chip’s  cock.  He
released his lover’s jaw and moved his hand to the
man’s flaccid dick. He slid his fingers over the soft
flesh, lifting it to reveal the three balls. He rubbed
his  finger  over  first  one,  then  another,  then  he
reached  an  impressive  scar  that  indicated  where
another ball had been—mostly likely—ripped out.

He shuddered, which caused Chip to tense. He

shook his head. “Awe, Chip. I  growled because I
love  piercings.  I  find  your’s  sexy  as  fuck  and  I
can’t  wait  to  play  with  them.”  As  he  spoke,  he
moved his thumb up further to the ball embedded
in the sensitive wrinkled flesh just below the head
of Chip’s dick.

Grimes watched, feeling smug, as Chip’s penis

plumped. Chip shifted restlessly on his lap,
rubbing his ass over Grimes’ own stiffening prick.
Grunting, he shifted his own hips a bit, enjoying
the friction.

“I-I’m new at understanding scents,” Chip

mumbled. His eyelids lowered to half-mast as his
Adam’s apple bobbed. “But I’m pretty sure you
were angry.”

Catting Around

Grimes’ brows shot up, surprised by the

admission. He lowered his thumb back to the scar.
“Of course, I was angry,” he replied gruffly.
“Someone hurt you. I hate that you were hurt.”

“Oh.”
Grimes liked how breathy Chip already

sounded, especially after coming just a few
moments before. Then, the other part of what his
mate said hit him. “You’re new to understanding
scents? How is that possible?”

Chip turned scarlet again, but this time for a

different  reason.  Grimes  could  scent  his  unease.
Damn, had he been raised in captivity like Grimes’
alpha?  Perrin  had  managed  to  escape  their
clutches,  then  ran  across  their  pride’s  ex-alpha
attempting  to  kill  Terence.  Perrin  had  saved
Terence,  then  the  alpha’s  mate  had  taught  him
about the world of humans and shifters so Perrin
could take over the pride.

“I was an orphan,” Chip admitted softly. “I

don’t remember my real parents, and when I
shifted for the first time, the people that adopted
me freaked out. They thought I was possessed.”

Chip wrapped his arms around his torso and

his  erection  flagged.  Grimes  felt  bad  for  asking,
but  he  knew  he’d  probably  need  to  know  to
understand the other male. Evidently, Chip hadn’t
had  it  too  good,  even  before  the  scientists  got  a
hold of him.

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To Grimes’ surprise, Chip kept talking, “They

locked me in my bedroom and went to get a
priest. I climbed out the window.” He shrugged
and stared vacantly at Grimes’ chest. “It was just
easier to live as a bobcat after that.”

Running his hands over Chip’s torso, Grimes

attempted  to  soothe  his  mate.  At  least,  that
explained  his  bobcat’s  inability  to  be  around  so
many others. He’d lived as a recluse for who knew
how  long.  After  a  few  minutes,  the  tension
drained  from  Chip’s  body  and—in  response  to
Grimes’ urging—he draped over him.

Enjoying the moment, Grimes reveled in just

being able to hold the man.

After a while, a scent tickled his senses. He

recognized the smell of Amy Crumb, Samson’s
mother, and her friend Gina. The women took
catty to a whole new level. Grimes knew Samson’s
mother hadn’t liked her son mating a human and
they often found ways to remind Helena that she
was just human.

Bitches.
Evidently, Chip smelled the approaching

shifters, too, for he stiffened in Grimes’ arms and
peered in their general direction. Grimes pressed a
quick kiss to his lover’s temple. Having no desire
to run into the female shifters—and mindful that
his lover had just completed a long journey—he

Catting Around

murmured, “Let’s shift and head in. I’m sure
you’re tired. You’ve been through a lot recently.”

Chip lifted his head and scowled at him. “I’m

not weak.”

“I didn’t say that, Chip,” Grimes scolded

gently. He rubbed his hands over his lover’s
prominent ribs. “You’re recovering.”

Nodding, Chip eased away from him. “Yeah,

okay.”

“Besides,” Grimes teased, bumping shoulders

with his mate. “I’m ready for a shower and I can’t
wait to get you wet and soapy.”

That had Chip flushing again and Grimes

fought  back  a  moan  as  the  heady  perfume  of
arousal  filled  the  air.  “Damn,  sexy,”  Grimes
muttered. “Let’s get moving.” Without waiting for
a response, he shifted. Once in cat form, he arched
and  stretched,  then  sat  down  and  waited  for  his
lover.

Chip only took a few seconds longer,

impressing Grimes with his speed. As an enforcer,
he’d worked hard to have a swift, seamless shift,
so that the bobcat was almost as quick surprised—
and pleased—him.

Once Chip shook out his fur, Grimes stood and

began  padding  back  toward  the  house.  He’d
begun to skirt a wide path around the two female
shifters  when  Amy’s  shrieked  words  of,  “Of
course,  I’m  serious.  Dead  is  better  than  being

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mated to a human. How could Fate do this to
me?”

Grimes froze and cocked his head. After a

glance at Chip, he padded closer, just in time to
hear Gina’s conciliatory, “You’re right, of course.”
Then, she tacked on, “How are you gonna do it?”

“I don’t know,” Amy grumbled. “But mark my

words. I’ll find a way.”

Exchanging a look with Chip, Grimes noted his

bobcat’s  wide,  shocked  eyes.  He  bumped  his
lover’s  head  with  his  own,  then  turned  and
bounded  toward  the  manor.  A  glance  over  his
shoulder told him Chip followed.

Grimes bypassed the front and rounded the

structure  to  the  back  porch.  He  spotted  Kontra
and  Perrin  seated  at  a  table,  their  mates  next  to
them.  Several  other  shifters—from  both  prides—
lounged on lawn chairs.

Kontra spotted them first, since they were

directly in his line of sight. His gaze moved from
Grimes to Chip, back again, then lifted one dark
brow.

Grimes padded between the shifters, heading

toward  the  alpha’s  table.  He  was  halfway  across
the  deck  when  he  realized  Chip  no  longer
followed.  Pausing,  Grimes  peered  over  his
shoulder.  He  discovered  Chip  crouched  at  the
edge of the deck. The much smaller cat’s stumpy
tail  jerked  back  and  forth  and  his  claws  dug  into

Catting Around

the earth underneath him. They were ten feet
apart, and Grimes could still scent the anxiety
rolling off the bobcat.

Turning back, Grimes returned to Chip and

nuzzled his head and neck. A shadow fell over
them, and he looked up to find Caleb and Emmett
standing nearby. Seconds later, they were joined
by Perrin, Kontra, and their mates.

After shifting, Grimes noted that Chip didn’t do

the same. It pleased him, because until he claimed
the little shifter, he knew he was going to be a
possessive asshole. He wasn’t too proud to say he
didn’t want anyone else to see his little shifter
naked until he’d completed their bond.

He rested his hand on Chip’s neck and—giving

him a quick massage to get his focus—he gave
him an appreciative smile. Chip turned his head
and licked his hand. Grimes chuckled lightly.

Focusing on his alpha, Grimes stated, “I have

good news and bad news…and I need a private
audience to relay the bad news.”

Perrin exchanged a glance with Terence, then

smirked. “Let me guess. The good news is that
you’ve found your mate.” The big lion shifter
smiled

understanding

Chip.

“Congratulations.  After  the  ordeal  you  went
through,  you  deserve  to  find  a  measure  of
happiness.” At that, Perrin gave Terence a loving
smile,  as  if  sharing  something  intimate.  Then,  he

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returned his focus to Grimes and stated, “And
now you want to beg my forgiveness while asking
Kontra if you can join Chip and travel the country
with him.”

Grimes’ brows shot up and he glanced at Chip,

who  appeared  and  smelled  equally  stunned,  to
Kontra,  then  back  to  Perrin.  Quickly,  he  lowered
his  head  and  peered  at  his  alpha  through  his
lashes. “Although, it may not be such a bad idea,
that isn’t what I need to discuss with you.”

Looking down, Grimes smiled at Chip.

“Traveling is something I’d considered even
before I realized you were my mate.” He winked.
“Some of Terence’s tales of his old gang’s
adventures had me a bit jealous.”

Kontra gripped the back of Grimes’ neck,

drawing his attention. He didn’t lift his gaze, but
he straightened, letting the other shifter know he
paid attention to him. “We’ll discuss that later.”

After nodding his thanks, Grimes returned his

focus to his current alpha. “Please, Alpha Perrin, if
I may have a moment of your time?”

“Of course,” the big African American

answered.  He  crooked  a  finger  and  motioned
toward  the  sliding  glass  doors  at  the  back  of  the
house.  Then,  he  sniffed  the  air  and  grinned,
showing  off  even,  white  teeth.  “My  study  in
fifteen minutes.”

Catting Around

Grimes fought back his grin and nodded.

“Thank you, Alpha.”

Chip bumped his head into Grimes’ hip. He

looked down at his bobcat and laid his hand on
top of the cat’s head. He glanced toward the door.
The route would take them between several lion
shifters as well as a few of Kontra’s people.

Returning his focus to Chip, Grimes urged,

“Just  focus  on  me.  Okay?”  He  started  walking
backward as he crooked his finger. He focused on
his  mate’s  wide  blue  eyes  and  held  his  breath,
wondering  if  Chip  would  obey.  After  a  quick
glance  around,  Chip  tucked  his  tail  and  butt,
focused on him, and started creeping forward.

“That’s the way, my sexy bobcat,” Grimes

crooned. “Just follow me.”

Grimes knew it really didn’t take long, but it

still felt like it did. Twice, Chip froze mid-step and
shivered. Through it all, though, his bobcat never
took his gaze off of him. Finally, Grimes crossed
over the threshold and backed into a massive
dining hall. Grinning, he winked at Chip. “That’s
the way, sexy. Follow me to my suite and we’ll get
cleaned up.”

Chip pressed close, glancing around warily, as

Grimes led the way through the large house. They
didn’t run into anyone, for which Grimes felt
grateful. Upon reaching his suite of rooms, Grimes
headed into the bathroom.

Charlie Richards

Grabbing a washcloth, Grimes ran it under

warm  water,  all  the  while  watching  Chip  shift.
Once  his  mate  returned  to  human  form,  he
reached  for  him.  Chip  came  willingly,  pressing
close  and  angling  his  head.  Grimes  didn’t
disappoint  the  man  and  settled  his  lips  over  his
lover’s.  He  dipped  his  tongue  into  the  smaller
shifter’s  mouth,  sweeping  deep  for  several
seconds,  tasting  the  citrusy  sweet  flavor  that
seemed  to  be  all  Chip’s  own.  His  cock  instantly
took  interest,  and  Grimes  groaned  as  he  pulled
away.

Chip whimpered and tried to press closer.
It took every ounce of self-control Grimes

possessed  to  grip  his  lover’s  hips  and  keep  their
groins  apart.  His  already  hard  cock  wanted
nothing  more  than  to  tug  Chip  close  and  rut  to
completion.

“Wait, please, lover,” Grimes grunted. “I wanna

love you right, but I gotta talk to my alpha first.”

Huffing a breath, Chip grimaced. “Do you have

to?” he asked, the hands he rested on Grimes’
upper arms clutching tightly. “I want you.”

Grimes smiled with understanding, his own

desire  to  complete  their  bond  nearly  undeniable.
“I’m  an  enforcer,  Chip,”  he  stated.  “That  means
the  pack’s  safety  comes  before  pleasure.  I’m
sorry.”

Catting Around

Chip smiled, although it appeared a bit

strained. “I understand. I don’t mean to get in the
way of your duties.”

“You’ll never be in the way.” Grimes leaned

down and pecked Chip’s lips before drawing back
and  winking.  “Just  a  bit  distracting  at  the
moment.”  After  a  second,  he  added,  “I’ll  make  it
worth the wait,” before he pointed at the shower.
“Get cleaned up and comfortable. Feel free to raid
my  dresser  or  stay  naked.”  He  winked.  “I’ll  be
back as soon as I can.”

“Okay.”
Grimes cupped Chip’s jaw and gave him a

quick, hard kiss before releasing him and stepping
back. “I’ll be back soon,” he said again, even
knowing he was repeating himself.

After swiping the cloth he still clutched—now

cold—across his groin, chest, and abs one more
time, Grimes hustled from the bathroom. He
grabbed a pair of sweats from his dresser, yanked
them on, then headed out of his room.

Just as the door shut, Grimes heard the shower

start. He groaned, anticipation rolling through
him at the knowledge that his mate would be
waiting for him upon his return.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Five

tanding in the middle of the room, a towel
wrapped around his hips, Chip peered around

the  bedroom.  He  knew  from  following  Grimes
through  the  space  that  there  was  a  large  sitting
area out front, complete with a fireplace and large
screen  TV.  The  bedroom  sported  a  massive
California  king  bed,  but  that  was  understandable
considering  Grimes’  broad-shouldered,  six  foot
two inch frame.

Everywhere Chip looked, he saw comfort and

extravagance. This shifter pride had money. When
Grimes  had  commented  that  he’d  thought  of
asking Kontra to join the gang, Chip had been so
hopeful.  Now,  though,  now  Chip  wondered  how
the  guy  would  give  up  all  this  for  a  life  on  the
road.

Chip slowly crossed to the bed and settled on

the  mattress.  Fear  flooded  him  as  he  thought
about  trying  to  fit  in  here.  He’d  found  trying  to
walk  across  the  back  porch  impossible  until

Catting Around

Grimes had been next to him, forcing him to focus.
With the man working as an enforcer, there was
no way in hell his mate would be able to hold his
hand like that all the time.

Grabbing the throw blanket off the foot of the

bed  with  one  hand,  Chip  tossed  aside  his  towel
with  the  other.  Then,  he  wrapped  the  blanket
around  his  shoulders.  He  instantly  felt  himself
settle as Grimes’ scent surrounded him.

He curled up on the nearby window seat and,

instead of dwelling on his own problems, thought
about how nice it’d felt to be held, to be touched.
He couldn’t wait for Grimes to come back. Would
the  other  shifter  want  to  finish  the  bonding
process?  His  cock—which  had  begun  to  plump
when  he’d  wrapped  the  blanket  around  him—
thickened to half-mast. His asshole clenched. He’d
never  had  anything  but  his  own  finger  in  his
chute, but for some reason, he couldn’t wait to feel
his  lover  slide  into  him,  possessing  him,
completing him.

Chip moaned in frustration and leaned his head

on  the  window.  He  felt  tempted  to  jack  off,  but
since  he  didn’t  know  how  long  it’d  be  until
Grimes  returned,  he  held  off.  Although  he didn’t
consider himself a prude—hell, he’d walked in on
Payson and Land going at it more than once—but
that  didn’t  mean  he  was  ready  to  be  watched,
even by his mate.

Charlie Richards

Sitting on the window seat, curled up warm

and comfortable, the long ride, the run in the
woods, and the great orgasm finally caught up
with him. His eyelids slid closed and he drifted off
to sleep.

A jostle to Chip’s body roused him. Feeling

something slide around his legs and body—his
eyes still closed—panic set in and Chip started to
struggle. His movements restricted by something,
he whimpered and flung his arms, trying to get
free.

“Hey, easy, easy, Chip.”
Grimes’ soft croon snapped Chip out of his

panicked haze. Finally, he remembered the events
of the last few hours as well as where he was.
Plus, Grimes’ scent hit him. His heart rate calmed
and he heaved a relieved sigh.

Chagrined, Chip met his lover’s gaze. “Sorry,”

he whispered. Now that he could think, he
untangled

his

arms

from

the

blanket.

Embarrassment flooded him. “I, uh, the scientists
used to tie me up and—”

“No need to explain,” Grimes quickly stated.

Gently  tracing  the  lines  of  Chip’s  jaw,  Grimes
smiled  apologetically.  “I’m  the  one  who  should
apologize.  I  should  have  known  better  than  to
grab you like that. You looked uncomfortable, so I
was  gonna  move  you  to  the  bed.”  He  leaned

Catting Around

forward and pressed a soft butterfly kiss to Chip’s
lips. “We’ll learn each other’s quirks eventually,
right?”

“Yeah,” Chip replied, more than relieved by

how understanding his lover seemed. “I look
forward to that.”

Returning the smile, Grimes straightened and

held  out  his  hand.  “Sorry  it  took  me  a  bit  longer
than planned. Samson came in while I was talking
with  Perrin  and  Terence.”  His  lips  curved  into  a
wry  smile.  “It  seems  Helena’s  birthday  is
tomorrow and he wants the party a bit bigger than
planned.  He  wants  to  dance  with  her,  so  wanted
to discuss the logistics of hiring a band.”

Chip took Grimes’ hand and allowed his mate

to  help  him  stand,  letting  the  blanket  drop  as  he
moved. The scent of Grimes’ arousal filled the air
and  his  own  dick  responded  eagerly,  quickly
thickening.  In  the  past,  when  he’d  thought  about
his  first  time  having  sex,  Chip  always  assumed
he’d  feel  self-conscious.  Now,  though,  all  he  felt
was lust and desire, and a burning need to couple
with the bigger man.

Evidently, with all his blood in his dick,

nothing was left in his brain, for he mumbled
absently, “That’s nice of him. I don’t know how to
dance.”

Grimes grinned. “Oh, then I think I should

teach you.” He stepped away and stripped off his

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sweats, then turned and pulled Chip back into his
arms.

Chips brows shot up as Grimes grabbed his left

hand with his right, then guided Chip’s right hand
to his shoulder before gripping his waist with his
left hand. “Now?” Chip squeaked. How the hell
was he supposed to concentrate when all he could
think about was getting the other man’s hard
bobbing cock into his ass.

“Of course,” Grimes stated, as if it were the

most natural thing in the world. Gently, he urged
Chip to move, using his hold to guide his
movements.

While struggling to follow Grimes’ gentle

prodding, Chip tried another tactic. “I don’t know
why  I  need  to  learn.  I  won’t  be  able  to  dance
around  a  bunch  of  other  couples  anyway,”  he
admitted. That fact saddened him, since he had to
acknowledge  that  his  mate  was  a  good  dancer.
“I’ll  panic.”  As  he  said  the  words,  he  felt  his
erection  begin  to  flag  with  his  encroaching
disappointment.

“No, you won’t,” Grimes instantly denied

softly.

Chip’s brows shot up and he snapped his gaze

to Grimes’ face. He spotted the heat in the man’s
dark eyes, and just that quickly his erection began
to renew. “Why?”

Catting Around

Grimes’ grin turned feral. His eyes glittered.

“Because  you’re  going  to  be  focused  on  me,”  he
crooned.  “You’re  going  to  be  thinking  about  this
moment,  right  now.  While  we’re  dancing  in  a
crowd  of  shifters,  you’re  going  to  remember
learning to dance with me. Naked. You’re going to
glance  down  at  my  covered  groin  and  wish  you
were seeing what you can see now.”

As if drawn by Grimes’ words, Chip glanced

down. His throat felt suddenly dry as a desert, his
gaze riveted to Grimes’ cock. Standing thick and
long, Grimes’ erection jutted from a thatch of dark
curls to point at Chip’s belly button. Pre-cum
oozed from the tip.

Licking his lips, Chip fought the urge to drop to

his knees and lick the bead of moisture from
Grimes’ cock head. The need to taste his mate rode
him hard.

Grimes tightened his grip and kept them

moving. Chip stumbled a few steps, before
regaining the rhythm. He couldn’t seem to tear his
gaze from the bobbing, swinging dick only inches
from his own suddenly hard and aching shaft. As
he watched, Grimes stepped closer and the other
man’s dick slid along his own.

Groaning, Chip’s hips bucked of their own

accord, his body searching for more stimulation.
His lover didn’t disappoint. As Grimes continued
to lead them in a slow waltz, he rocked and rolled

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his hips. Every few steps, their cocks would tap or
slide against each other, appearing like two
dueling, gleaming-tipped rapiers, colliding over
and over.

Sparks danced up Chip’s spine at the delicious

ache  the  dick-sparring  created  on  his  sensitive
erection.  He  wanted  to  grab  both  their  cocks  and
yank  them  to  completion.  On  the  other  hand,  he
enjoyed  watching  Grimes’  hard  bronze  penis
move along his own much paler flesh.

“Grimes,” Chip whimpered. “T-That’s…oh!”
He gasped when Grimes stepped closer,

removing the distance between them. He slid the
hand on Chip’s hip around his waist. Twisting the
hold he had on Chip’s fingers, Grimes adjusted
their clasped hands so they were tucked between
their chests.

His eyes gleaming, he began a slow grind as he

all  but  growled,  “So,  when  we’re  dancing  at  the
party,  all  you’re  gonna  be  able  to  think  about  is
this.  Our  bodies  touching,  rubbing  together.”  He
lowered his head, so he could whisper into Chip’s
ear.  “Soon,  I’m  gonna  lay  you  down  on  my  bed.
I’m  gonna  suck  your  cock,  play  with  those  sexy
balls  imbedded  in  your  dick  until  you  scream.
Would you like that?”

Every word out of Grimes’ mouth caused

Chip’s blood to pound harder through his veins,
driving his need higher. “P-Please,” he hissed,

Catting Around

barely able to get his mouth to work, his
anticipation so great.

Chip found himself guided backward. With his

cock aching, it was all he could do just to follow
his lover’s prodding. When Chip felt the bed
against the back of his thighs, he almost tumbled
backward.

Instead, Grimes held him steady. He smiled

down at him. “Last chance to stop if you need
more time. Otherwise, I’m gonna claim you,
Chip.”

While he appreciated the man’s willingness to

give him an out, Chip wanted nothing more than
to belong to this man. He slid the hand that had
been resting on Grimes’ shoulder up his neck and
over his jaw. Chip used a couple of fingertips to
trace Grimes’ lips, rubbing over the thin upper lip.

“I woke up in the middle of the night once and

went to the kitchen to make a cup of cocoa,” Chip
told him.

Chip knew from the slight cocking of Grimes’

head, his mate wondered at the comment. Smiling,
he continued. “I heard a noise from the living
room. I got curious.” He fought a flush as he said,
“The TV was on, playing some porn movie. Land
was tied to a chair and Payson was feeding him
his dick.”

Charlie Richards

Swallowing hard, Chip whispered, “I don’t

want to tie you up, but I desperately want to feel
your lips wrapped around my cock head.”

A large smile curved Grimes’ lips. He opened

his mouth and nipped the pad of Chip’s fingers.
Tingles vibrated over his skin at the contact,
making him shudder in his lover’s arms.

“I’d love to do that for you, sexy,” Grimes

rumbled.

Wasting no time, Grimes lowered his hand and

palmed Chip’s  ass. He used his hold to lift Chip,
then  inserted  a  knee  between  his  thighs.  Chip
lifted his leg, hitching  it over Grimes’ hip, giving
him  more  room.  Grimes’  hairy  thigh  rubbed
across  the  sensitive  skin  of  his  balls,  drawing  a
moan from Chip’s throat.

“Mmm, I do love that sound,” Grimes rumbled.
Pressing forward, Grimes lifted Chip and

moved him backward. Grimes settled him on the
bed, positioning him in the middle. Laying one
broad hand on Chip’s thigh, Grimes urged him to
spread them.

Chip obeyed the unspoken command. He

watched  as  Grimes  knelt  on  the  bed  between  his
legs,  pinning  him  with  a  feral  gaze.  Without
looking  away,  Grimes  leaned  over,  pulled  the
nightstand  drawer  open  and  fished  around  for
something.

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Seconds later, Grimes lifted out a tube of lube.

With  practiced  ease,  he  popped  the  cap  and
drizzled  some  on  his  fingers.  After  he  tossed  the
tube  aside,  Grimes  rested  his  clean  hand  on  the
comforter  by  Chip’s  hip,  leaning  over  his  groin.
His smile seemed to contain so much wickedness.
He  lowered  his  head  and—while  watching  for
Chip’s  reaction  through  his  lashes—Grimes
swiped  his  tongue  ever-so-slowly  up  the
underside of his dick.

Then, Chip discovered—it wasn’t Grimes’ smile

that  was  wicked,  but  his  tongue.  The  warm
moisture  left  behind  by  his  mate’s  mobile
appendage  interacted  with  the  cooler  air  of  the
room.  That  sensation  coupled  with  the  way
Grimes’ tickled and massaged the bead embedded
in  the  wrinkled  flesh  just  under  his  cap.  Chip’s
dick  jerked,  almost  dislodging  that  wonderful
tormentor.

Grimes somehow managed to appear to smirk,

even around his tongue. Then, he slid his tongue
up and over Chip’s cock head, swirling it around
his glans, and scooping up his pre-cum. This time,
when his dick twitched, Grimes responded by
lowering his head and sucking the cap into his
mouth.

Warm, moist heat surrounded his head. Tingles

travelled straight down his stalk and his back
bowed. He tangled his fingers in the comforter,

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holding on tight. He would have bucked up, but
just then, Grimes rubbed one blunt finger over his
muscled entrance, causing him to freeze.

Sucking just the cap like a lollipop, Grimes

distracted  Chip  from  his  finger.  With  his  lover
working  the  bead  under  his  dick’s  head,  Chip
barely  felt  it  when  Grimes  breached  his  opening
and slid his finger in deep.

Chip felt the walls of his channel stretch to

accommodate  his  lover’s  fingers,  first  one,  then  a
second.  Instead  of  hurting,  all  he  could  focus  on
was  the  hot  pressure  on  his  dick  and  the  tingle-
pleasure of his lover’s tongue massaging first one
bead,  then  another.  Grimes  lowered  his  head
further,  taking  him  all  the  way  in  until  his  head
lodged  in  Grimes’  throat.  Then,  his  lover
swallowed, squeezing him. At the same time, Chip
felt the man’s talented tongue move up and down
his dick, working the Jacob’s Ladder in earnest.

“G-Grimes, oh!”
He hissed through his teeth. Sparks shot

through his rectum as Grimes rubbed his prostate.
He’d heard about how much pleasure touching
there caused, but had never successfully found it.
Now, though, he realized he’d been completely
missing out.

Sparks teased at the base of Chip’s spine and

his thighs trembled, heralding his impending
orgasm. His balls pulled tight. His entire groin

Catting Around

warmed as he lost himself in anticipation of the
impending bliss.

Grimes’ calloused hand cupped his balls, gently

gripping them and pulling them away from his
body. At the same time, he lifted up off Chip’s
cock.

“N-No! Please!” he begged. “N-Need!”
“I know you do, my mate,” Grimes crooned.

“Hold on just a little longer. Gonna make you fly,
sweet Chip. You’ll feel so good.”

Just then, Grimes slid a third finger into Chip’s

channel, and he finally felt the stretch and burn
work through his chute. Grunting, Chip shifted
restlessly.

“Easy, sexy,” Grimes murmured, easing his

fingers out, then back in.

This time, Grimes pegged Chip’s gland just as

he released his hold on Chip’s testicles, rolling the
orbs in their sacks, instead. Once again, he
lowered his head and sucked on the head of
Chip’s dick, hard.

Chip’s released balls immediately pulled flush

to his body. His cock throbbed, then pulsed, and
he screamed. Cum spurted up his dick, filling his
lover’s mouth. Grimes swallowed it down, all the
while peering at Chip from beneath his lashes.

Gasping, Chip met his lover’s gaze, unable to

look away from his groin. Never had he seen
anything so erotic, or felt anything so amazing.

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Grimes continued to suckle his dick’s head. His
lips moved just a bit over Chip’s skin as he felt his
lover swipe his tongue around and around the
glans.

The man now rested his weight on one arm as

he peered down at him. His other arm moved
rhythmically, and Chip felt Grimes’ fingers still
massaging his interior lining, loosening him.

With what was probably a goofy smile on his

face, Chip slurred, “Your mouth is fucking
fantastic.”

Grimes gently released his suckling of Chip’s

penis,  allowing  the  softening  head  to  slip  from
between  his  lips.  He  lifted  his  head  and  grinned
ferally  at  him.  “I’m  glad  you  agree,  sexy.  You
ready for me?”

That’s when Chip noticed the lines of tension

around  his  lover’s  eyes  and  mouth.  The  self-
control  the  guy  exhibited  warmed  Chip.  Grimes
had  to  be  on  the  edge.  His  heart  swelled  with
gratitude  and…something  else,  something  too
early to put a name on.

Chip offered the other shifter a wide smile, then

rolled over. He fought back a hiss when Grimes’
fingers pulled free of his chute. Getting his knees
under him, Chip peered over his shoulder at his
mate. “Make me yours.”

Catting Around

Chapter Six

rimes’ lion roared in his mind, urging him to do
just that. He moved behind his mate and

guided his dick to Chip’s well-stretched hole.
Digging deep for the last traces of his self-control,
he resisted the need to ram into the man. Instead,
Grimes pressed firmly until his cap breached his
lover’s guardian muscle, then froze.

Lying over Chip’s back, Grimes shuddered. He

rested  his  weight  on  one  hand  while  using  the
other  to  lightly  stroke  over  the  tense  muscles  of
Chip’s chest and abs. He gently tweaked first one
nipple,  then  the  other,  before  tracing  the  side  of
his  hip.  Moving  his  hand  down,  he  threaded  his
fingers  through  Chip’s  pubic  hairs,  gently
massaging the sensitive skin underneath.

Feeling the intense pressure on his cock head

and  the  tension  vibrating  through  his  lover,
Grimes  crooned,  “Easy,  sexy.”  He’d  heard  Chip
gasp  and,  knowing  the  pain  of  the  first  time,  he

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wanted, needed to do everything in his power to
transform the experience into bliss.

“Just relax, my sweet mate,” Grimes

murmured. “Take deep breaths for me, okay? The
pain will ease.”

Grimes nipped and nibbled his way up and

down  Chip’s  neck.  His  teeth  ached,  his  canines
extending  in  preparation  for  biting  the  man,
tasting—claiming—him  again.  He  scraped  the
elongated  teeth  over  the  flesh  of  his  lover’s
shoulder.

A shudder worked through the slight body

beneath Grimes as he heard Chip whimper softly.
Slowly, the intense pressure on Grimes’ dick
eased. That was the signal he’d been waiting for,
and he started moving his hips, thrusting forward
and back in tiny increments.

Sweat beaded on Grimes’ temples, neck, and

back. He felt like it took forever, but finally he
bottomed out. His balls nestled against his lover’s,
hot pressure encasing his length. Once again, he
managed to pause.

“My mate,” Grimes muttered. “You feel so

good, Chip. Love being buried inside you.”

Chip grunted, then—to Grimes’ surprise—

glared at him over his shoulder. “Then fuck me
like you mean it,” he demanded.

First, Grimes’ brows shot up, then a grin slowly

stretched his lips. Chip’s gaze flickered over his

Catting Around

mouth  and  Grimes  realized  he  stared  at  his
canines.  “Oh,  don’t  you  worry,  sexy,”  Grimes
stated,  before  sliding  his  tongue  over  his  teeth
provocatively. He liked the way Chip’s breathing
hitched and his mouth opened on a gasp.

“When we’re dancing tomorrow, this is what

you’re gonna be thinking about,” he stated gruffly
as he slowly eased his cock nearly all the way out
of Chip’s clenching channel. Once his head
stretched the ring, he reversed directions and
pressed back in.

Continuing to slowly saw in and out of Chip’s

chute,  Grimes  growled  low  in  his  throat  at  the
massage  to  his  stalk.  The  hot,  slicked  channel
encasing  him  felt  better  than  anything  he’d  ever
felt before. He reveled in his mate’s heady citrusy-
sweet scent.

Grimes moved his hand from playing with

Chip’s pubes to cradling his balls. He rolled his
lover’s sensitive orbs in their sacks with his palm
while massaging the base of Chip’s erection with
his thumb, tracing as much of the thick vein as he
could.

Nipping Chip’s shoulder, Grimes started to

pick up his pace as he rumbled, “You’ll remember
this, me sliding in and out of you, possessing you.
I’ll be holding you on that dance floor and you’ll
be too busy craving my cock to panic. You’ll be
begging with those pretty blue eyes for me to take

Charlie Richards

you  back  to  our  room  and  mount  you  again.”
Snapping his hips forcefully,  Grimes adjusted his
angle  and  began  pegging  his  lover’s  prostate  in
earnest.

“G-Grimes!” Chip moaned. His body bucked.

His back arched. Lowering his shoulders, Chip
started rocking back into Grimes’ thrusts. “M-
More. Oh, God. More.”

Chip’s begging cries caused Grimes’ blood to

surge through his veins. Feral need sparked
through his veins. “You’re mine, Chip. All mine!”

“O-Oh, yes,” Chip whined, shuddering and

twitching beneath him. “Yours.”

Releasing his lover’s balls, Grimes gripped

Chip’s  shaft.  He  stroked  once,  twice  and  his
bobcat  yowled  wildly,  screaming  his  pleasure  as
his body jerked. Chip’s chute clamped on Grimes’
dick,  encasing  him  in  a  stranglehold  of  pleasure-
pain.

Grimes’ balls drew flush to his body as his

orgasm  bowled  through  him.  Acting  on  instinct,
he  snapped  his  head  forward  and  sank  his  teeth
into  the  flesh  of  Chip’s  shoulder.  Blood  flowed
over  his  tongue  and  he  moaned  at  the  exquisite
flavor  bursting  across  his  taste-buds.  Contented
bliss  rolled  through  him  as  he  drank  his  lover’s
life-blood down, completing their bond. Knowing
that he held his mate, had connected with the one

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Fate meant for him, almost felt better than the
endorphins pinging blissfully through his system.

Humming, Grimes carefully extracted his teeth,

then  laved  his  tongue  over  Chip’s  bitten  flesh,
sealing  the  mark.  He  released  his  hold  on  Chip’s
softening  prick  and—ignoring  the  cum  covering
his  hand—gently  traced  his  fingertips  over  his
lover’s ribs, caressing his lover’s flesh.

Grimes thought just holding Chip, his softening

satisfied  cock  still  encased  in  his  lover’s  warmth,
was almost as good as the sex itself. Keeping them
connected,  Grimes  rolled  sideways,  spooning
Chip’s  back  to  his  chest.  He  nuzzled  his  shifter’s
neck.

“Wow,” Chip mumbled, his words slightly

slurred. “N-Never felt—”

When his lover didn’t finish his thought,

Grimes grinned against Chip’s flesh. “Exactly,” he
whispered.

Holding Chip tightly, Grimes sighed. “Want

you to be happy, sexy mate.”

Chip tilted his head and peered back at him.

His brows were drawn down and concern
reflected in the man’s blue eyes. “Want you
happy, too.”

Grimes tightened his arms in a gentle squeeze

for a second, then asked, “I know you never had a
home…not like a normal one.” He felt Chip tense,
which wasn’t really what he wanted, especially

Charlie Richards

after such pleasure, but he needed to know what
plans he’d need to make.

What will make my sweet bobcat happier?
Nuzzling Chip’s neck with his nose and

rubbing his fingers over Chip’s lean torso, Grimes
asked, “I want you to know I’ll be happy
wherever you are, Chip.”

Turning his head a bit, Chip peered back at

him.  “Since  you  know  I’ve  never  had  a  normal
home  life,  I  hope  I  don’t  offend  you  when  I  tell
you  that  if  you’re  trying  to  ask  me  something
subtly, I’m not getting it.”

Just then, Grimes’ softened prick finally slipped

from Chip’s channel. His mate’s brows creased
and he let out a hiss. “Geez, that feels weird.”

“Let me get something to clean us up, then I’ll

answer your question,” Grimes stated, easing
away from Chip. He leaned down and pecked a
quick kiss to his lover’s lips before pushing off the
bed and heading to the bathroom.

Grimes quickly wiped himself down, then

rinsed the cloth and headed back to his lover.
Seeing the pale, lean shifter curled up on his dark
blue comforter, a wave of affection rolled through
him. That little slip of a shifter was his destiny,
and he’d do anything to please him.

Knowing Chip wasn’t raised by shifters, so

didn’t understand mating urges, Grimes prayed
he could find the right words. He hadn’t ever been

Catting Around

pegged as particularly eloquent. Still, he had to try
to explain his desire to care for his mate without
coming off as him thinking Chip needed a keeper.

As Grimes approached the bed, Chip’s smile

faltered a bit. That was when Grimes realized he
scowled at his thoughts. Quickly, Grimes eased his
expression, suffusing as much warmth into his
eyes as he could.

“Sorry, got lost in thought for a sec there,”

Grimes explained. He held up the cloth. “Can I
clean you, my mate?”

Chip didn’t look too keen on the idea, but at

least he rolled to his back. As gently as he could,
Grimes  wiped  down  Chip’s  stomach,  abs,  groin,
and  hole.  When  Grimes  rubbed  the  warm,  damp
cloth over Chip’s balls, he liked the way his lover
grunted,  shifted  his  hips  almost  restlessly,  and
spread  his  legs  wider.  Meeting  his  lover’s  gaze,
Grimes smiled smugly and did it again, a bit more
slowly.

The scent of renewed arousal floated to his

nostrils. Like a heady perfume, Grimes felt his
own body respond, his cock plumping at his
groin. “Oh, fuck, Chip,” he mumbled, tossing the
washcloth aside and climbing onto the bed. “You
smell so damn good.”

An appreciative gleam entered Chip’s eyes as

he watched Grimes crawl up the bed. He spread
his legs and held out his arms. Grimes—powerless

Charlie Richards

to  resist  his  mate’s  obvious  invitation—settled
over Chip and aligned their groins. He rested his
arms on either side of his lover’s head, holding his
torso’s  weight  off  of  the  other  man.  Although
Grimes  knew  his  lover  was  a  shifter,  Chip  still
remained  on  the  road  to  recovery  and  he  didn’t
want to do anything to jeopardize that.

“Hello, mate,” Grimes whispered. With his

elbows by his shifter’s head, Grimes lifted a
forearm and traced Chip’s lips with his fingertips.

Chip smiled up at him, looking way too shy for

what they’d just done together. “Hi, mate.”

Moving his other hand’s fingertips to Chip’s

eyebrows, Grimes traced the sandy-colored hairs.
After a second of admiration, he murmured,
“When Kontra’s people rescued you, did they
explain shifter dynamics to you?”

“Mostly,” Chip replied, his voice just as soft. He

kissed the fingertip tracing his lips. “I know it’s
considered a gift, the other half of your soul, and
that some people wait centuries to find that special
someone.” His brows lifted. “How old are you?”

Grimes lifted one brow at the unexpected

question, but answered anyway. “I’m two
hundred and seventeen.”

Chip’s eyes widened. His jaw sagged open.

“Wow!”

“Shifters live upwards of five centuries, Chip,”

Grimes told him, wondering if that little tidbit had

Catting Around

been omitted somehow. “I’m only middle aged.”
He cupped Chip’s jaw. “What about you? How
old are you?”

After nibbling his bottom lip for a moment,

Chip admitted, “Thirty-nine.”

Gods above. To shifters, that was practically a

cub. Still, Chip had seen and experienced more
than anyone should ever have to in the short
number of years he’d lived on this earth.

Leaning down, Grimes sipped gently at Chip’s

lips.  He  ended  by  suckling  his  lover’s  plump
bottom  lip  for  just  a  second,  worrying  the
succulent  bit  of  flesh.  Lifting  his  head,  Grimes
murmured,  “I’ve  waited  a  long  time  to  find  you,
Chip. I don’t want you to think that I think you’re
weak  because  I  want  to  take  care  of  you.”  He
grimaced  at  how  convoluted  that  sounded,  but
forced  himself  to  continue.  “Mates  want  to  take
care of each other. That’s how we’re wired. I want
you  happy,  so  I  need  to  know  how  to  make  you
happy.”

“Uh…”
Not really the answer Grimes was looking for,

but with such a broad statement, he’d left it a bit
open-ended. Sighing, he lowered his head and
pressed his forehead to Chip’s and stared him in
the eye.

“Chip,” he began. “I saw you standing out with

the rest of the shifters that arrived today.” Gods

Charlie Richards

above,  had  that  really  only  been  a  few  hours
before?  It  felt  like  forever.  “You  might  not  have
been  standing  among  them,  but  you  appeared
comfortable  with  them.  You  couldn’t  even  walk
on  our  deck.”  He  shrugged  before  finishing.  “I
want—”  He  paused  and  shook  his  head  sharply.
“I need you happy and comfortable. If you want to
live here, with this pride, I’ll support you and try
to  help  in  any  way  to  make  you  comfortable.  If
you want to stay with Kontra’s people, I’ll petition
to  join  his  pack.”  He  moved  his  hands  from  his
lover’s  face,  wiggling  his  arms  a  bit  so  he  could
sink his finger into Chip’s hair. He already loved
the  feel  of  his  mate’s  soft  multicolored  strands
beneath  his  fingers.  “Whatever  you  want  will
make me happy.”

Chip’s brows furrowed. He licked his lips and

swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Finally, he
asked, “W-Well, which would make you happy?”

Grimes couldn’t help but grin at that. Although

Chip might not understand his instinctual urge to
make  him  happy,  he  still  went  along  with  it.
Grimes knew that  was why  the small bobcat had
followed  him  across  the  deck  and  through  the
house. His mate had wanted to please him.

“To be honest, I’d love to travel and see the

country,”  Grimes  told  him,  wanting  honesty
between  them.  “I’ve  been  with  this  pride  for  the
last  eighty  plus  years.  I  went  through  a  stretch

Catting Around

where  I  couldn’t  go  into  town,  and  I  kinda  like
Kontra’s  idea  of  always  traveling.  True,  no  one
really knows you but your gang-members, but on
the  other  hand,  you  don’t  have  to  pretend  you
died  or  moved  away.  You  don’t  have  to  lie  to
humans you might come to care for, either.”

Chip’s eyes widened at that. “Oh, that’s…” He

swallowed hard. “Horrible. I’m sorry.”

Shaking his head once, Grimes smile down at

Chip.  “I  didn’t  tell  you  that  to  upset  you.  I  just
wanted to explain why I liked Kontra’s lifestyle.”
He lowered his head and pecked a kiss to Chip’s
lips. “However, I’ll understand if you want to stay
here.”  He  shrugged.  “You’ve  never  had  a  home
before,  and  if  that’s  something  you  want,  I’ll  do
my best to give it to you.”

To Grimes’ surprise, Chip actually chuckled

and rolled his eyes. “Uh, I don’t even know what a
family is. I lived alone as a bobcat for years. I don’t
give a shit about that kind of thing.” He smiled
wryly. “I’d much rather be traveling with you and
my friends than stuck worrying about who might
recognize me in thirty years.”

Grimes actually felt relief at Chip’s admittance.

He nodded and smiled. “Okay. I’ll petition Kontra
to join his pack and we’ll explore together. How’s
that sound?”

“Perfect,” Chip whispered.

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Chip stroked his hands down Grimes’ back,

down  to  his  ass,  and  gripped  his  cheeks  and
squeezed.  He  humped  his  hips,  rubbing  his
thickening  prick  against  Grimes’  own  hardening
cock.

Grimes rumbled his pleasure and rocked his

groin, grinning at his mate.

“So,” Chip murmured, his eyelids lowering to

half-mast. “What do I gotta do to get your cock
back in my ass?”

Growling low in his throat, Grimes stated, “Just

ask, sexy. Just ask.”

Next, Grimes captured Chip’s lips, thrusting his

tongue deep, mapping his mate’s mouth. Then,
after sucking his lover’s tongue lightly, he released
Chip’s appendage and proceeded to use his mouth
to explore and map Chip’s body, too.

Catting Around

Chapter Seven

hip sat curled up in a large chair situated
against the wall. Emmett sat to his left, Caleb

on his lap. The chameleon shifter leaned toward
Chip, grinning widely. He sniffed exaggeratedly,
then winked. “So, how you liking mated life?”

Feeling heat suffuse his cheeks and neck, Chip

knew he blushed. “Mmm-hmm,” he muttered,
peering at the gathering of shifters and humans
milling about the room.

“Stop teasing him, baby,” Emmett scolded

gently.

Chip pushed back his embarrassment and

smiled.  “It’s  okay.”  Glancing  toward  his  friends,
he stated, “Grimes is super sweet and loves my—”
He  paused,  flushing  harder  as  he  thought  about
the  sweet  and  thorough  loving  he’d  received—
multiple  times—yesterday.  Grimes  had  kissed,
licked, and touched just about every inch of him.
At  his  friend’s  expectant  looks,  Chip  grinned—
probably  goofily,  if  the  looks  exchanged  by  his

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friends were any judge. “Well, let’s just say my
scars aren’t a deterrent to the man.”

“Well, of course they’re not,” Caleb replied

swiftly. “Scars mean you’ve lived through
hardship.” He reached out and laid his hand on
Chip’s forearm, giving it a squeeze. “They’re proof
of your inner strength.”

Nodding—remembering that Grimes had said

something similar—Chip found his gaze drawn to
his mate. He watched the lion shifter chat with the
people  he  passed  as  he  moved  through  the
throngs  of  partiers.  He  carried  several  plates  of
food in one hand and a couple cups in the other.
Grimes laughed and joked, grinning and nodding,
amicably  accepting  the  pats  to  his  back.  A  few
others, however, peered over at Chip with obvious
disdain in their expressions.

“Ignore them,” Luc stated, his accented words

announcing his presence.

Chip looked toward the man, finding him

leaning against the wall on the other side of Caleb
and Emmett. “Huh?”

The French European eagle owl shifter smiled

wryly at him. “I saw that frown. I saw who you
were looking at. Ignore them,” he repeated the
order.

Taking Luc’s advice was easier said than done.

Grimacing, Chip mumbled, “They know I’m not
good enough for him.”

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“That’s enough of that talk,” Emmett snapped,

his deep voice rumbling with obvious displeasure.
“You’re a better man than most of these lions.”

Chip didn’t know about that, but he smiled at

his  friend’s  pep  talk.  Before  he  could  respond,
three  women  parted  from  the  crowd  and  stalked
toward them. All were lithe, toned women in the
five  eight  range—give  or  take  an  inch.  They
directed  all  their  attention  on  Chip  and  none  of
them looked happy. They stopped in front of him,
their arms crossed over their ample bosoms, their
eyes narrowed.

The tallest, a willowy brunette, scowled down

at him. “So you’re the little bitch Grimes is leaving
us for. What a waste,” she sneered.

His jaw sagging open in shock at her cruel

words, Chip struggled to formulate a response.

Caleb had no such trouble. He flicked his

fingers toward the trio, glanced between Chip and
Emmett and stated, “I am so glad I’m gay. Can you
imagine  having  to  deal  with  catty  comments  like
that on a regular basis?” He smirked and lowered
his voice to a sultry tone while blatantly palming
his  crotch.  “Besides,  jealous  much?  We’ve  been
able to practice on the equipment for years, so we
know  how  to  please  our  men  better  than  any  of
you could.”

The smaller shifter’s taunts were met with a trio

of hisses. The brunette curled her lip and looked

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him up and down. “As if we’d touch you with a
ten foot pole, cocksucker.”

Snorting, Caleb rolled his eyes. “Honey, I

wouldn’t let you touch me if you got a sex change
and were the last man on earth.”

“Why you little—”
“Something wrong here?” Grimes announced

his arrival with the gruff question.

Chip couldn’t even begin to express how

grateful he felt upon seeing his big lion. Smiling
with relief, he tilted his head up to see Grimes
glaring at the three women. Still, he took a second
to turn toward Chip, lean down, and plant a quick
peck to his lips. Chip’s smile widened at the little
display of affection.

“Grimes,” the brunette greeted, although her

eyes were hard. “Nothing’s wrong. We’re just
saying hello to your mate.”

Another woman, this one a blonde, stepped

close to Grimes and laid a hand on his chest.
“Won’t you introduce us?”

Growling low in his throat, Chip jumped to his

feet and shoved the woman away. “Back off.
Grimes is my mate!” Realizing what he’d done,
Chip flushed and glanced uncertainly at Grimes.

Surprise flooded him when he found Grimes

grinning at him, an expression that resembled
pride on his face. Wrapping his arm around Chip,

Catting Around

Grimes confirmed Chip’s claim, saying, “That I
am, my sexy little mate.”

Chip found himself flushing, again, at the

compliment and endearment. Still, he leaned into
the other shifter, loving the contact.

Once again, the blonde stepped close.

Although, this time, she didn’t attempt to touch
Grimes. Instead, she focused a megawatt smile on
Chip and said in a tone probably meant to be
provocative, “I understand you’re mated now, but
how about a threesome?”

“Hussy,” Caleb mumbled just loud enough to

hear.

The blonde shrugged and smirked over her

shoulder at the chameleon shifter. “What can I
say? Cats are sluts.”

Chip frowned, shocked at her blunt, direct

approach. She’d be willing to sleep with him just
to get Grimes’ cock in her? Oh, hell no!

“Not happening,” Chip snarled, glaring at the

woman. “I don’t share!”

Then, it suddenly occurred to him that maybe

Grimes would have liked to accept the woman’s
invitation.

Fortunately, Grimes quickly put that fear to rest

by growling, “Damn it, Donna. You wanna get
yourself hurt?”

Chip looked up to see Grimes curling his lip at

the woman. His body vibrated with tension and

Charlie Richards

Chip realized the scent rolling off his mate was
rage. The arm around him tightened as Grimes
held him close.

“You know mates don’t share. No one touches

Chip but me!” Grimes practically roared.

Relieved his lover felt the same way, Chip

rubbed the man’s chest. “It’s okay,” he murmured.
“Calm down, Grimes.”

Heaving a sigh, Grimes peered down at Chip.

“The idea that anyone would touch you makes me
see red,” he admitted. He brought his free hand
up and cupped Chip’s jaw. “Can’t wait to get you
upstairs again.”

Chip grinned up at his lover. “That would be

rude.”

“I know,” Grimes stated.
That didn’t stop him from leaning down and

capturing Chip’s mouth. He opened to his lover,
enjoying the man’s deep masculine taste with just
the hint of beer. Grimes swept his tongue into his
mouth, thrusting deep. Chip sagged against his
lover, enjoying the attention.

“All right, all right,” Luc stated from beside

them. “Stop making us single guys jealous.”

Grimes took his time ending the kiss, cradling

Chip’s head so he couldn’t pull away—not that he
was inclined to do that anyway. Finally, after
sucking Chip’s bottom lip for a few seconds,
Grimes released him.

Catting Around

Smirking, he stated, “Mmm, I do love how you

taste, Chip.”

“I think you’ve made that quite apparent,”

Chip  softly  replied.  He  glanced  around  furtively,
saw  Luc  smirking  and  Caleb  and  Emmett
grinning.  At  some  point,  the  women  had  slinked
away, although the scent of disappointment hung
in the air. “To everyone,” Chip added.

Chuckling, Grimes stated, “Good.”
Grimes released his hold on Chip’s face as his

arm around his waist loosened. “You ready for a
burger? I added bacon to it.”

Chip’s stomach growled right on cue and both

he  and  Grimes  laughed.  After  releasing  his  hold,
Grimes  turned  toward  the  side  table  where  he
must  have  left  the  plates  before  announcing  his
presence,  for  several  were  laying  upon  it.  Two
each  held  heaping  burgers.  The  third  plate  was
piled high with some kind of potato casserole dish
with  a  couple  carrot  sticks  and  cherry  tomatoes
scattered around the edges.

After picking up his burger and chewing a bite,

Chip  gave  into  curiosity  and  asked,  “What  is
that?”  He  pointed  at  the  potato  casserole  thing.
The  shredded  potato  slices  were  swimming  in
some  kind  of  cream  sauce  and  something  that
appeared to be corn flake bits scattered in there.

Grimes grinned and winked. He picked up one

of the forks and scooped some of the concoction

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onto it. He held it to Chip’s lips, saying, “This is
Rochelle and Delila’s funeral potatoes. Everyone
loves them, so there are never any leftovers.” His
lips took on a rueful twist. “Even once when they
made a quadruple batch.”

Chip felt his brows shoot up. “You’re lions and

you love potatoes?”

“Don’t knock it ’til you try it,” Grimes replied,

smirking. He wiggled the fork in front of Chip’s
mouth. “Come on, sexy. Open up.”

After releasing a put upon sigh, which made

Grimes  chuckle,  Chip  did  as  he  was  told  and
accepted the mouthful of warm casserole. Creamy,
cheesy  flavors  burst  over  Chip’s  tongue,  mixing
wonderfully  with  the  natural  starchiness  of  the
potatoes,  their  insides  warm  and  soft.  For  some
reason,  the  slight  crunch  from  the  corn  flakes—
wow, there really is cereal mixed in here—just seemed
to tie it all together.

Chip hummed in appreciation as he chewed

and swallowed. “Wow, I’m a believer,” he
muttered. Quickly, he picked up the second fork
and scooped up another bite.

Grimes laughed, then took a forkful for himself.

After he’d swallowed, he stated, “Told ya.”

Grabbing one of the red cups, Chip swigged the

beverage. He wrinkled his nose at the beer, but
swallowed anyway. Once again, Grimes chuckled.
“Not a fan? I got it from the keg.”

Catting Around

“Guess not,” Chip replied. “Must not be my

brand.”

He grabbed his burger and took a big bite of the

bacon  and  cheese  laden  patty,  attempting  to  get
the  taste  out  of  his  mouth.  Luc  leaned  over  him
and picked up his cup of beer. “I  don’t mind the
keg,”  he  quipped,  winking.  “And  I  better  go  get
some of those potatoes before they are gone.”

“You’d better,” Grimes returned grinning.
Luc chuckled, then looked at Chip, adding, “I’ll

bring you back a new drink, oui?”

After swallowing his food, Chip answered, “I’d

appreciate  that.”  After  three  days  traveling  as
Luc’s  motorcycle  companion,  Chip  had  faith  the
other  man  would  bring  him  something  he’d  like.
They’d done a hell of a lot of talking on their trip.
While  he’d  shared  with  the  Frenchman  that  he
was  a  virgin,  Chip  had  learned  that  while  Luc
traveled  with  Kontra’s  gay  motorcycle  gang,  he
enjoyed  bedding  women  just  as  much  as  men.
There were even rumors in the pack that he’d been
with  Diego’s  daughter,  Adriana.  For  the  sake  of
keeping the peace, Luc and Diego didn’t speak of
it.

“Sorry about the beer, Chip.”
Grimes’ softly spoken apology drew Chip’s

attention. His brows shot up as he took in Grimes’
chagrined expression. Realizing he frowned at his
burger, Chip eased his expression. He set down

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his food and reached out to his mate. Touching the
creases of Grimes’ brows, he soothed their tension
with a touch.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chip told him. “We just

met yesterday. How could you know I’m a little
picky about my beer?”

That earned him a smile. “There is that.”
Chip leaned forward and tilted his head.

Grimes didn’t leave him hanging. He leaned down
and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Chip stepped
back, keeping it brief, not willing to make another
spectacle.

When Grimes stepped forward, a feral gleam in

his dark eyes, telling Chip what his mate planned
without words. Chip held up his hands, one
holding the fork and one holding his half eaten
burger. “Can I finish my supper first?” he teased.
“Gotta keep my strength up for what you probably
have planned.”

Grimes laughed and backed off. “You’re right

about that.” After waggling his brows, he returned
his attention to his own food.

They stood together next to the small side table,

eating  in  companionable  silence.  From  time  to
time people stopped by and chatted a few minutes
with Grimes. They’d congratulate them both, then
move  on.  Chip  enjoyed  watching  the  people
interact,  but  felt  no  real  desire  to  join  them.  He
looked  toward  Grimes,  wondering  what  he

Catting Around

thought of standing off to the side instead of
moving amongst the shifters.

“Look there,” Grimes murmured, leaning close

and pointing to the right. “They’re setting up for
the entertainment. Gonna get to dance soon.”

Just the mention of dancing caused Chip’s heart

to  pick  up  speed  and  his  cock  to  plump  as
memories  of  yesterday’s  foreplay  instantly  came
to  mind.  Grimes  chuckled,  husky  and  low.  He
leaned  close  and  crooned,  “And  I  wonder  what
just popped into your head, sweet sexy mate.”

Chip turned his head and smiled, fighting back

a flush—this time not caused by embarrassment.
“I bet you already know.”

“Indeed I do,” Grimes replied smugly.
Turning back, Chip watched several people he

didn’t know set up some drums while another guy
tuned a guitar. A group of others cleared chairs
and folding tables out of the way, making space in
the great room for dancing.

Raised voices caught Chip’s attention and he

turned to see Samson glaring at a blonde woman
with blue eyes similar to the male lion shifter’s.
“Don’t you talk about Helena that way, mama,”
Samson snarled, confirming Chip’s suspicion that
the woman was indeed, Amy, Samson’s mother.

“I’ve allowed this travesty to go on long

enough,” Amy screeched. Suddenly, the woman

Charlie Richards

launched herself at Helena, starting to shift as she
went.

Samson roared and leaped after his mother,

tackling  her.  While  they  grappled,  Helena
screamed  as  another  woman  tried  to  take  up
Amy’s  crusade.  The  brunette  grabbed  Helena’s
arm and yanked her close.

Patrick, the pride’s beta, grabbed the woman

and freed Helena.

“Damn,” Grimes muttered. “It never occurred

to me that she’d try something in so open a
setting.” He tossed his plate to the table and
started across the room.

Chip stared after him, hating that his lover’s

pride position forced him into the fray—even
though, if asked, he knew Grimes would consider
it an honor. Chip was man enough to realize he
just wasn’t that dominant.

About that time, two other women—the bitchy

brunette  who’d  insulted  Chip  as  well  her  silent
friend, a black-haired female—began to shift. They
were  behind  Grimes,  so  he  didn’t  see  them.
However,  Chip  saw  the  hatred  burning  in  their
gaze  as  they  watched  Grimes  cross  the  room.
Shifting  during  a  party  as  they  did,  their  intent
was unmistakable.

The need to help his mate couldn’t be denied.
As he called Grimes’ name, Chip yanked his

shirt over his head and kicked off his shoes. His

Catting Around

lover peered at him over his shoulder, a question
in  his  eyes.  Except,  by  then,  Chip  had  already
shoved  off  his  jeans  and  began  shifting.  His
tendons  popped,  muscles  contorted,  and  bones
slid  beneath  his  newly  growing  fur.  His  ass
tingled as his short tail sprouted and his head felt
the push and pull as his skull turned feline.

Once done, Chip blinked and looked around.

He spotted Grimes, who’d turned around and
started back toward him. He also saw the lioness
leap at his confused and concerned mate.

Yowling, Chip lunged, intercepting the much

larger cat.

Charlie Richards

Chapter Eight

rimes watched in shocked horror as Chip
engaged Theresa, the lioness who’d been

taunting his mate earlier. “Son of a bitch!” he
snarled. As soon as he kicked off his shoes, Grimes
shifted, unmindful of the tearing of his clothes.

About halfway through his change, pain

erupted  through  Grimes’  back.  He  flopped
sideway, hoping to dislodge whoever had latched
onto  him.  Seconds  later,  the  feline—by  scent  he
recognized  as  Tory,  Theresa’s  sister—toppled
from  his  back.  Grateful  for  the  reprieve,  his  shift
complete, Grimes crouched and peered around the
room.

Grimes snarled at what he saw. Tory swiped at

Chip,  her  large  paw  connecting  with  his  haunch,
sending  him  sprawling.  Scratched  and  bloody,
Chip  slid  and  rolled  across  the  hardwood  floor.
While Chip lifted his head and shook it, the bigger
cat went after him again.

Catting Around

Tuning out the snarls, roars, screams, and

shouts  of  others,  Grimes  pounced  the  short
distance.  He  focused  on  taking  down  the  lioness
who’d  dared  to  lay  a  paw  on  his  bobcat.  Grimes
landed  on  the  lioness,  wrapped  his  paws  around
Tory’s torso, and used his momentum to flip her.
She  hissed  in  surprise—and  probably  a  little
pain—as Grimes tossed her sideways, scraping his
claws down her body as he released her.

Quickly getting back to his feet, Grimes peered

around  for  Chip.  Instead,  all  Grimes  saw  was
chaos.  On  the  far  side  of  the  room,  Carlton  and
Patrick fought with Amy and Gina while Samson
helped  a  wailing  Helena  to  a  chair.  Eli  and  his
mate  clustered  close  to  the  woman,  and  a  sickly
sweet scent suddenly hit Grimes’ senses.

Helena had gone into premature labor.
A few feet away, a massive grizzly bear that

Grimes

recognized

Kontra

stood

over…something  cream,  orange,  and  black.  A
lioness—Theresa—circled  the  bear,  her  ears
pinned and her canines exposed. Kontra rumbled
in  clear  warning.  Just  as  she  crouched  to  leap,  a
large  black  lion  bounded  across  the  room  and
bowled into the smaller cat.

A flash of movement redirected Grimes’

attention. Seeing Chip safe beneath the paws of his
alpha—even though it rankled some that it was

Charlie Richards

another who guarded his mate—Grimes turned to
face the cat’s resumed attack.

Tory stretched out a paw, aiming for his face.

To many, it would appear an almost playful move,
batting  at  his  head.  However,  Grimes  knew  as  a
lioness—the  natural  hunter  of  a  pride—she
gauged  his  attitude.  Would  he  attack,  defend,  or
break? Grimes crouched low and turned his head,
snarling  in  warning  as  he  waited  for  her
impatience to get the better of her.

It didn’t take long.
Lunging at him, Tory reached her claws toward

him, probably intending to sink them into Grimes’
shoulders. Grimes rolled to his back and counter-
attacked, kicking out with his powerful hind legs.
He raked his claws across her belly as he used his
front legs to grip her shoulders. Using Tory’s
momentum, he rolled them, finally kicking her
away.

Grimes—instantly back on his feet—pressed his

advantage.  Pouncing  swiftly,  he  landed  on  her
back  and  wrapped  his  forelegs  around  her
shoulders.  He  sank  his  teeth  into  her  neck.  She
yowled  and  twisted  under  him,  but  he  hung  on,
using  his  larger  mass  and  greater  weight  to  keep
her pinned.

Just as Grimes tightened his jaws around the

lioness’s throat, a black human hand settled on his
shoulder and the scent of his alpha wafted over

Catting Around

his senses. Grimes paused in his actions, waiting
for his alpha to say something.

“If you wish to kill her, by all means, do so,”

Perrin stated gruffly. He lowered to his knee
beside the pair, looking Grimes in the eye, his gaze
hard. “Hell, if someone touched Terence, I
wouldn’t show any mercy.”

Although Grimes knew he had his alpha’s

blessing,  now  that  the  heat  of  the  battle  had
passed, he couldn’t do it. Instead, his gaze sought
Chip.  Relief  flooded  him  upon  seeing  his  mate
rising slowly, aided by a couple of his friends, one
of which whispered in his ear and pushed  a pair
of jeans into his hands.

Smart friend.
Wanting only to get to Chip, Grimes eased his

hold  on  the  other  shifter’s  neck.  He  loosened  his
claws.  Slowly,  Grimes  backed  away  from  the
lioness.  He  growled  low  in  his  throat,  warning
her.  She  lowered  her  gaze  in  deference  and
mewled.

Although he wanted to question her, he wanted

to  hold  his  lover  more.  He  needed  to  reassure
himself  that  Chip  was  truly  well.  He’d  watched
his  lover  take  quite  the  tumble.  Before  long,
Grimes crouched on the floor in human form.

“No, Alpha. I’ll leave her fate in your hands,”

Grimes stated gruffly.

Charlie Richards

Perrin actually sighed. “Just what I need,” he

replied dryly, his lips twitching.

Grimes glared at Tory. “If you ever come near

my mate again, I won’t be nearly as forgiving.”

Turning away, Grimes peered around the room

again. He noted Patrick sitting in lion form next to
Samson’s  mother.  The  lioness  lay  still  and  from
the odd angle her neck rested at, she wouldn’t be
getting  back  up.  Next  to  them,  back  in  human
form,  Gina  sat  with  her  arms  around  her  naked
knees,  her  head  bowed.  With  the  way  her
shoulders shook, Grimes guessed she wept.

Carlton—also in lion form—sat nearby

watching  Theresa and Tory. Perrin ordered those
two  lionesses  to  shift.  Grimes  guessed  the  three
living lionesses would be banished, but as he was
leaving  the  pride,  too,  it  was  no  longer  his
concern.

Samson, Helena, Eli, and Sam were nowhere in

sight. He hoped the human and the cub would be
okay, but couldn’t worry about that now.

At that moment, the only thing that mattered to

Grimes was getting to Chip. He needed to hold his
mate, confirm that he was alive and well. Grimes
dismissed  everything  and  strode  past  Kontra,
murmuring  his  thanks  as  he  did  so.  Kontra
grunted in response, but didn’t move from where
he  had  one  arm  around  his  own  mate  while
glaring at the shifting lionesses.

Catting Around

As soon as Grimes stepped in range of Chip, he

grabbed him. With one hand, he cupped the back
of his bobcat’s head. With the other, he circled his
lover’s waist. Using his hold, Grimes pulled Chip
flush against him and tucked his mate’s head
beneath his chin.

“Damn it, Chip,” Grimes grumbled. “What the

hell were you thinking?”

Chip sank into his embrace, his arms going

around  him  and  clutching  at  his  shoulder  blades
tightly.  “They  were  going  to  attack  you.  You
didn’t  see  them.”  Chip’s  breathing  hitched,  then
he whispered, “I couldn’t let them hurt you.”

Grimes struggled to control his urge to demand

that Chip never put himself in danger again. He
knew it’d be the mate-pull talking and would only
anger Chip. His little bobcat had been on his own
for decades. Although Grimes knew that,
rationally, it didn’t make it any easier to calm his
racing pulse.

Tucking his face against Chip’s sandy brown

and black locks,  Grimes inhaled his lover’s scent.
The faint trace of blood that hung in the air made
slowing  his  racing  pulse  difficult.  After  a  few
minutes,  Grimes  became  aware  of  Chip’s  hands
stroking  his  back,  soothing  the  tense  muscles
there.  He  nuzzled  his  cheek  across  Chip’s  hair  a
few  times,  then  lifted  a  bit  and  pressed  a  kiss  to
the top of his head.

Charlie Richards

Finally Grimes felt like he had a bit more

control over his tongue. He raised his head and
used his hold on Chip’s skull to urge him to tilt his
head back. Forcing a slight smile, he told him,
“You scared the shit out of me, Chip.”

A corner of Chip’s mouth twitched up. “I could

say the same about you.” Then, the man scowled
and peered down Grimes’ body. “And you’re
standing naked in a room full of people.”
Frowning up at him, he asked, “Why the hell am I
bothered by this?”

“Because our relationship is new,” Grimes

explained. He slid his hand around Chip’s head to
cup his jaw. “We’ll always be a bit protective of
others seeing each other nude, but once we’re
more secure in our bond, some of that will ease.”

Chip nodded. “Okay. Can you put on some

pants or something, then?”

After everything that had just happened, for his

mate to seem only worried about others seeing his
naked  ass,  tickled  something  inside  him.  Grimes
threw  his  head  back  and  laughed.  Happiness
suffused him and he clutched his lover tight to his
chest.  Once  more,  he  became  aware  of  Chip
petting his back.

Grimes grinned down at his shifter, reading the

concern on his face. Leaning down, Grimes
pressed a soft butterfly kiss to Chip’s upturned

Catting Around

lips. He didn’t deepen it, having no desire to
sprout a boner in the middle of his pride.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he

turned to see Carlton standing there holding up a
pair of jeans. His friend smirked at him, and
Grimes chuckled as he took the offered clothing
and pulled them on over his legs.

Unable to allow his mate out of sight—or

contact, for that matter—for any length of time,
yet, Grimes swiftly zipped and buttoned the jeans.
Then, he grabbed Chip’s arm and reeled him back
in so he could slide that arm around his lover’s
waist and tuck him against his side.

Chip chuckled as he wrapped his near hand

around Grimes’ back and settled it on the opposite
side of his waist, gripping a belt loop there. Tilting
his head, Chip grinned up at him. “Am I close
enough?”

Grimes grinned down at him. “I guess. You

okay?” He nodded his head toward where Sam
bandaged a few scratches some of the others had
sustained. “Do you need anything patched up?”
He swept his gaze over Chip’s chest, but didn’t see
anything but a bit of red scratches here and there.
No blood.

Shaking his head, Chip replied, “Just a few

scratches on my legs from when I didn’t move
quite fast enough. Nothing a shower won’t cure.”

Charlie Richards

He winked. “Maybe we should go take care of that
now.”

Although extremely tempted, Grimes shook his

head. “I believe I owe you a dance, my sexy
mate.”

Chip’s eyes glowed, suddenly, the citrusy-

sweet scent of arousal flooding the air around
them. His eyelids lowered to half-mast. “You just
had to mention dancing,” he murmured, a rosy
glow flushing up his chest to his neck.

Now that the ruckus was over, the band had

begun,  although  Grimes  noted  there  were  no
dancers  yet.  He  had  every  intention  of  changing
that. He turned and eased away from Chip just a
bit,  then  growled  in  frustration  and  pulled  him
close again.

Snickering, Chip welcomed his embrace as

Grimes crushed their chests together, mingling
their scents. Next, he rubbed his cheek along first
one side of Chip’s face, then the other. He added a
couple nips and licks along both sides of his
mate’s neck for good measure.

That earned Grimes a soft moan from Chip as

he whined, “You gotta stop if you wanna dance.”

Grimes lifted his head and stared smugly at

Chip.  He  took  in  his  mate’s  slightly  opened
mouth,  the  way  his  chest  rose  and  fell  swiftly  in
quick  pants,  and  his  half-lidded  eyes.  The  sexy

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look was almost enough for him to change his
mind about that dance…almost.

“Mmm,” Grimes hummed appreciatively. He

took  Chip’s  slight  disorientation  as  the
opportunity he needed to draw his lover onto the
dance  floor.  As  he  loosened  his  arms  into  the
proper  waltz  position,  he  leaned  a  bit  closer  and
crooned, “Now that you’re once again covered in
my  scent,  me  and  my  cat  will  be  able  to  settle
down.”

Straightening, Grimes grinned at his man.

“Dance with me.”

As he whisked his lover around the dance floor,

Grimes  flooded  with  pride.  Chip  focused  on  him
and  followed  him  easily.  He  even  smiled  and
blushed, his dilated eyes and the occasional glance
down  giving  away  the  direction  of  his  thoughts.
Happiness  looked  good  on  Chip,  and  Grimes
vowed to make it his goal to see that look there as
often as possible.

They’d managed to get through three songs

before Grimes gave in to his need to do more than
hold his man. As he led Chip from the dance floor,
he leaned down and crooned, “And you didn’t
panic once.”

About the Author

Charlie  started  writing  fantasy  when  she  was
eight,  and  after  stumbling  onto  her  first  erotic
romance  at  age  nineteen,  she  realized  her  true
calling.  She  now  focuses  on  writing  gay  erotic
romance, normally of the paranormal variety, with
heroes of all kinds. With the help and support of
her  husband,  Charlie  finally  fulfilled  one  of  her
life-long goals…move to acreage with her horses.
You can often find her curled up with her laptop
and a cup of tea or glass of wine, creating her next
adventure. Charlie enjoys exploring the mountains
of her new Oregon home on horseback, 4-wheeler,
or motorcycle.

She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

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