Just Like Cats & Dogs - 1 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and 
incidents either are the product of the author's 
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to 
actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living 
or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of 
either the author or the publisher. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs 
TOP SHELF 
An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers 
PO Box 2545 
Round Rock, TX 78680 
Copyright  2011 by BA Tortuga 
Cover illustration by Alessia Brio 
Published with permission 
ISBN: 978-1-61040-560-7 
www.torquerepress.com 
All rights reserved, which includes the right to 
reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form 
whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright 
Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO 
Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680. 
First Torquere Press Printing: September 2011 
Printed in the USA 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 2 

Just Like Cats and Dogs 

BA Tortuga 

Chapter One 

"Julianne, I swear by all you hold holy, if you don't 

hold your arms up through the end of the phrase, I will 
tear your hair out!" 

Sam snarled softly, baring his teeth at the girl until 

she nodded. He had three more days with this show --
just three, and then he had a well-deserved sabbatical. 
Three months with nothing to do but nap and eat, 
possibly travel. Have Ma and Pop out to the city for a 
long weekend. No pouty dancers, no bitchy directors, no 
issues with injuries or costumes or lighting. 

Just him and the world. 
Luscious. 
"No, Ben. Not like that. On three, do you understand? 

This is not brain surgery. You've been performing it 
right for eight weeks, why stop now?" 

Assholes. 
"Sam? I'm sorry to interrupt." The director's second 

assistant, Flavio, knew him well, knew he hated to be 
thrown off. "You have a call. Family emergency." 

"Yeah? Okay. Work through the next few bars, 

people. I'll be right back. " 

Family emergency? Shit. Had to be one of the ones 

he liked, to know he never turned his cell on at work. 

He stalked to the phone in the office, grabbed it up. 

"Hello?" 

"Samuel?" His mother. She sounded... Well, she was 

crying, which never happened. "I need you to come 
home, sweetie." 

"Okay, Ma. What happened?" He grabbed his iPhone, 

started searching. Flights. Car. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 3 

"Pop... He's. He. Oh, God, Samuel. He died this 

morning." 

The world stopped, going gray around the edges. 

"No." 

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I -- there was no time to get 

everyone here. It just happened so fast..." She gulped. 

"What happened?" His pop? Gone? The man was the 

center of the world to his mom and all of their widely 
varied kids. He found a flight into El Paso leaving in 
two hours and booked it, then started texting people. 

"Doc thinks it was a stroke. A really big one. He 

never even felt it." He heard someone murmuring in the 
background, the voice a low rumble. His baby brother, 
Ben, he'd bet. "Oh, God. Your sisters are already wailing 
and gnashing, Sam." 

"I'll be there by early morning. My flight gets in at 

midnight. I'll take care of it." He headed for his satchel, 
then hit the door, not even bothering to say goodbye in 
person. 

"I know you will, sweetie. I'm so sorry. That I had to 

call like this, I mean." 

"Don't be. I'll be there soon. I love you, yeah?" No 

matter what other weirdness there was, there was always 
that. 

"I love you, Samuel. I'll see you soon." 
That was his mom. Solid, steady, even when she was 

hysterical. Now it was just her. 

Well, her, him and his twelve sisters and five 

brothers. 

God. 
He flagged down a cab. He had to get home, grab 

clothes, then get to the airport. 

Now. 
His mom needed him. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 4 

Chapter Two 

Gus watched his mom and brother packing up 

casseroles and soup bones and all manner of shit to take 
over to Mona's. Jesus, he couldn't believe that Pop Finn 
was dead. The man was a fucking fixture in their neck of 
the woods, and everyone loved the guy, even if they 
disagreed with him. 

"Are you coming, Gus?" His mom pushed her crazy 

red hair behind one ear. She was that way as a wolf, too, 
with a deep, reddish coat and one floppy ear. Pete was 
just the same way, and it used to pissed Gus off, when 
they were kids, that he looked like Dad, all shaggy and 
brown and shit. 

"I'm not sure, Mom." He smiled wryly. "I didn't 

always get on with all the Finns." 

"You don't say." Her lips twisted in a half grin. "It's 

been fifteen years. You're coming." 

"Yeah." He shook his head. This wasn't about his 

issues. Pop Finn had been a good man, a solid man. 
Hell, that family had adopted every fucking stray that 
came across their land for the last forty years, up to and 
including a bunch of rowdy pups who just needed a 
place to blow off steam. He wasn't sure turkey casserole 
was an adequate expression of how they all felt, but he 
guessed it would do. He helped his mom carry 
everything out to the truck, getting it packed so it 
wouldn't slide around and spill. 

"I'll take my truck, too, in case one of us needs to stay 

or something." Right, because baby brother Pete had a 
serious hard on for Lizzie -- the second to the youngest 
of Finn girls. 

"Asshole." He grinned when Pete flipped him off. 

Gus did love fucking with people when he was home. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 5 

"You two behave or I'll beat you both." Mom hopped 

into the truck. "Get your ass in here, son." 

Gus climbed into the driver's seat, bumping off 

toward the Finn's place. 

"I want you to be nice to that boy while we're there." 
"What boy?" All of the Finn kids were too old to be 

boys and girls. 

"Augustus..." 
"What?" He grinned. "Oh, you mean the pussy." 
"Augustus Fieri, I will beat your heinie!" 
"Yeah, yeah. I'll be good." He would. Unless pussy 

boy was an ass. In which case, he'd kick the lanky little 
fuck into next week. Yeah, the beating sounded like a 
good plan. He grinned, which made his mom pop him 
on the arm. "Ow!" 

"Stop it. You have evil in your eyes. That poor boy 

was Pete's best friend, even if he was different." 

"You know, I want to know why everyone assumes it 

was my fault we didn't get along." It was offensive. 
Really. 

She just looked at him. A lot. With her eyes. 
Okay, so he'd bitten Sam. Chased him. Growled. 

Treed the little fuck once. They'd been boys. Boys did 
that. Just like Sam had scratched his leg so bad once that 
he'd had to get stitches. Had shredded Gus' favorite 
jacket in high school. 

And that didn't even count the time someone who'd 

never been caught had put Nair in his conditioner. 

God, he didn't want to do this. He hated funerals and 

gatherings for funerals and planning shit like that. He 
could be in a tourmaline mine somewhere... 

"Thank you for coming out with me. I can't believe 

Michael died during the gathering." 

"Yeah." Gus rolled his eyes. The gathering. It made it 

sound like a movie. They all got together during the 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 6 

harvest moon, once a year. It wasn't sinister or anything; 
it was a damned family reunion kind of thing. 

"Do you... You and Petey, you'd be okay without me, 

right?" 

"Don't even think it, Mom." He wasn't going to 

ponder it too hard. 

"It's going to happen sometime, son." 
"I know, Mom, but I could just as easily get 

smooshed in a cave-in." He shrugged. "We'd survive, 
but I won't lie and say it would be easy." 

She vocalized softly, petting his arm. "Well, I hope 

not. You ought to miss me a little." 

"Stop it." Gus couldn't help but growl some. It had 

been him and Petey and Mom against the world for a 
long time. He'd miss her like a lost limb. 

"I think we should go to Burger King after we pay 

our respects." 

"I think that's a great idea." Meat. Ketchup. Yum. He 

even liked fried potatoes. 

"Me, too. Pete will be busy sniffing after that pretty 

little girl, so we can duck out." Mom winked at him. 

"There you go." He patted her leg, knowing she 

needed contact as much as he did. "I'd miss the hell out 
of you, Mom." 

She nodded, sighed softly. "Poor Mona." 
"She has all those kids, huh?" What, eighteen? Lord. 
"Yeah. Sam sends money home to her, so do Gray 

and Helena." 

"She'll make it." She had to. The greater pack really 

wouldn't know what to do without Mona Finn. 

They pulled into the drive, the place filled with trucks 

and cars and SUVs. Everyone had turned out. Gus felt a 
little queasy, but Petey was right there in front of them, 
and he came to help their mom out of the truck. "I'll be 
along in a minute, okay?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 7 

"Sure, honey. I'll be inside with Mona." 
He walked around the side of the house, needing 

some air, something. He turned the corner and ran 
smack dab into someone, the two of them crashing 
together. 

"Shit!" He stumbled, but instinctively tried to catch 

whoever it was. Gus knew he was big. He could do 
some damage. "Sorry." 

"No problem." The voice was soft, slinky, pure sex 

somehow, making his hair stand up on end. 

He stepped back to look at the man, because it was 

definitely a male, and his eyes widened. "Pussy boy?" 

One black eyebrow arched impossibly over a bottle 

green eye, then he was flying, back hitting the ground 
before his fucking chin started hurting from the kick it 
had received. 

Shiny black boots appeared by his head, only for a 

second. "Indeed." 

Then they were gone. 
Holy fuck. Gus sure didn't know where Sam Finn had 

learned to kick like that, but damn. That was something. 

Kinda hot, too. 
Somehow, the whole funeral thing had just gotten a 

lot more interesting. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 8 

Chapter Three 

Sam headed inside, finding a smile for his mom as he 

saw her. 

"You okay, son?" She was sitting, holding Hallie 

Fieri's hand, eyes wet. 

"Fine. Nice to see you, Hallie. Is Pete around?" 
"He went to find Lizzie, I think. He doesn't know 

you're here, honey." Hallie nodded, giving him a fond 
look. 

"If you see him, let him know to say hello." 
Pete had been his best friend the entire time he was 

growing up. Goofy, dorky, and the world's biggest 
puppy -- the man had been a hoot. Too bad his older 
brother was a blithering moron with the class of a 
toothless hillbilly. Sam had really hoped not to see Gus. 
Or, if he had to, that he'd discover Gus had become a 
balding, paunchy, one-eyebrowed Neanderthal knuckle 
dragger. 

Too bad neither one had happened. 
"Oh, he's here somewhere." She waved her free hand 

and went back to talking to Ma. 

Sam wandered, pondering how unfair it was that Gus 

was a stud. Just the short glimpse he'd had before trying 
to kick the man's teeth in had proved that -- stacked, 
dark and hot as hell. 

The kick had felt pretty damned good, though, really. 

Almost as good as the shock on Fuzzy's face. 

His sister Helena grabbed his arm, blue eyes wide. 

"Sam, all these men are sniffing around me. I thought 
everyone knew I don't change." 

He wrapped one arm around his sister, bared his teeth 

at the pup at her heels. "They're opportunists, lovely. 
I've got you." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 9 

"Thanks." She nuzzled in, scenting him. "It's good to 

see you, Sam." 

"Same here, lovely. How's Chicago treating you?" 

They were the closest in age -- him and Helena, with 
Gray immediately following -- and one of Sam's fondest 
memories was Pop bringing Helena in for the first time, 
a tiny, red headed girl holding his finger. 

"Good. Good. The newspaper is going more and 

more electronic, so I'm all the rage now." Helena did 
something very complicated with information 
technology. Sam was incredibly proud in that I don't 
understand a bit of it way. "How's the show coming?" 

"Exceptional. The director's wailing and gnashing his 

teeth, but I'd done my work. I'm about to take a three 
month sabbatical." A long vacation away from the 
drama and the fighting and the city. He sighed, the 
sound purely internal. Who was he kidding? He was 
planning to lock himself up in his apartment and watch 
hours of television -- he thought he'd start with Mad 
Men, then Criminal Minds, ending with a long marathon 
of True Blood. The idea of Southern vampires made him 
smile. 

"Well, that's good. You have some time." She leaned 

and sighed, watching people mill about. 

"Yeah." The twins were still in full wailing and 

gnashing of teeth mode, and both still furious at them --
them being him, Helena, and Gray, the only logical, 
rational children out of eighteen. 

Then there were all the strangers. Pop just had to die 

during full gathering. 

"Sam!" His best friend detached from a group that 

did not include Lizzie. "How's it hanging, man?" 

"Petey!" He braced himself for the pounce, the hugs. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 10 

He got them, Pete still like an overgrown puppy that 

way. Otherwise, he was all man now, as broad and 
brawny as his asshole brother. 

Sam slapped Pete on the back, chuckling softly. 

"How's it going, asshole?" 

"Good. I mean, it was. I'm sorry, man. About your 

dad." 

"Yeah." He wasn't going to get into it, not here, not 

now. 

"How's the big city?" Pete asked. 
"Big. Bright. You should come visit me." 
"I should come see a show." Pete had come to New 

York once, back when Sam was a starving artist living 
in a garret. He'd never come back. 

"Any time, man. You still working at the mine?" 
"Yeah. Yeah, I've actually taken over operations here. 

Gus has itchy feet." 

"And a bruised chin." And didn't that make him 

happy? 

"Huh?" Pete raised a brow. 
He grinned, tickled down to his bones. "Nothing. 

You married yet?" 

"Huh?" Had Pete forgotten how to say anything but 

'huh'? "God, no. I mean, I'm working on it." 

"Good for you." He met Helena's eyes. God, he really 

needed to get out of here. Really. 

"Why don't you go see if Ma needs anyone to run to 

the store?" Helena smiled, pushing him a bit toward the 
kitchen again. 

"Yeah. See you, Pete." He headed out for his rental 

car; he'd call Mom from the store. 

He almost ran someone down again, the acrid smell 

of cigarette smoke stinging his eyes. Gus again. His 
growl was deep, immediate, but he stopped it as soon as 
he could. Just get to the truck. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 11 

"I'm sorry about your dad." The words stopped him 

in his tracks. They were probably the most sincere Gus 
had ever said to him. 

A yowl built up inside him, but he didn't let it out. He 

wouldn't. Not here. Not yet. Sam nodded, swallowing 
hard so that he could speak. "Thank you." 

"You need anything? I was gonna head out, go to the 

store. Mom wants Puffs and waterproof mascara." 

"I'll get some. Ma has a list." He couldn't do this. 
"I could go with you." 
The offer left him staring, his mouth hanging open a 

bit. "Why would you want to?" 

"Because I hate this shit." 
"Yeah." He didn't say more than that; he just walked 

to the driveway and tried to remember which rental car 
was his. 

The Lexus, the Infiniti, or the... Well, the SUV was 

definitely Helena's. 

Gus followed. "My truck's just over here." 
"Yeah? Okay." Weird, but okay. 
Gus didn't say much, which he was grateful for. The 

man just drove. The cab of the truck smelled strongly of 
man and wolf, gamey and yet not offensive. All he 
needed to do was sit, keep his mouth shut, and not have 
a meltdown. Easy. 

"So, you look different, man." That was the 

understatement of the year. 

He sighed. "I grew up." 
"You did." Gus shrugged, not looking at him. "Good 

on you." 

"I was hoping you'd gone bald." Gotten warts, lost his 

teeth… 

That seemed to surprise Gus, but in a good way. The 

man laughed right out loud. "Sorry to disappoint." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 12 

He chuckled softly, hand rubbing the back of his 

neck. Shit, he was tired. 

"Pete's after your sister, you know." 
"I have twelve of them. Three of them have fucked 

the man. I'm not surprised." 

"My brother, the skanky ho." Gus chuckled some 

more, and Sam had a feeling he'd just handed over a 
goodly bit of brotherly ammunition. 

"You married?" He grabbed his phone, texted Helena 

for his grocery list. 

"Hell, no. I'm queer, man. I always have been." 
"Oh." Huh. No wonder the man had been such a 

fucker. It was tough to be so manly and growly and be 
queer, right? 

"Yeah. I figured you knew. You were the gayest 

thing in the world." 

"You don't know that I don't have a wife and ten 

kids." Asshole. 

Now Gus did glance over, the look one of complete 

disbelief. "Oh, right." 

"Are you suggesting I'm not the paragon of manly 

virtue?" This was almost fun. 

"No, I'm saying you had a mouth made to suck cock 

even then." 

Sam stared. Well, what the fuck was he supposed to 

say to that? 

Gus snorted. "I was the one in denial, Puss." 
"Well, good for you. I would have thought you'd be 

shooting for alpha." 

"Shit, no. I'm never here, really." 
They were out on the highway now, and Gus still 

drove too fast. He found himself tensing; he didn't even 
own a fucking car in the city. 

"You okay?" Asshole knew how tense he was. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 13 

"Fine." His nails were digging into the palms of his 

hands. 

"Cool." Gus took the big curve on the way into town 

on two wheels, and a low, scared snarl started growing 
inside him. Was the crazy son of a bitch trying to get 
him killed? 

They hit the straightaway, and Gus was grinning like 

a fool. 

Sam focused on calm. Breathing. 
Not committing murder. 
Fucker. 
"So, are you gonna call and get a list or hold your 

phone all day?" 

"I'm going to hold my fucking phone." 
Asshole. 
Fuckhead. 
Dickmonkey. 
"'Kay." That grin got wider. Now he knew why Gus 

had wanted to drive him into town. Too bad for Gus he 
wasn't a teenager anymore. 

Helena sent him a list of random shit, and he forced 

himself to text her back, ignore Gus altogether. He could 
do this. 

They made it to the Wal-Mart without anyone dying, 

so that seemed good. 

Sam slipped out of the truck as soon as it swung into 

the space, stalked into the store, teeth bared at the little 
greeter. He was not in the mood. 

"Hey, Barbara Ann." 
"Hey, Gus. Wasn't that Finn's weird one?" 
Sam spun around, his growl tearing out of him, and 

he backed the wee pup up three steps. "Indeed. Is there a 
problem?" If there was, he could just tear her throat out 
now and deal with it. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 14 

"No, honey. You just didn't say hi, so I wasn't sure." 

The old lady smiled at him before her face slipped into 
sympathy mode. "I'm sorry about your daddy." 

"Everyone is." 
Potatoes. Tissues. Toilet paper. Chips. Doritos, 

olives, and chocolate for a quiet, private stoner party 
with Helena and Gray late tonight. 

Gus didn't chastise him, which surprised him. The 

man just followed, putting stuff in a separate basket. 

He did his shopping without a word. No one spoke to 

him, either. No surprise, really. He thought he'd spent 
eighteen years in town without any of these fuckers 
acknowledging him. Gus everyone spoke to. Gus mostly 
growled in return. Looked like Mr. Perfect wasn't so 
socially adept. 

Sam paid for the groceries, his hackles raised, his 

teeth actually pushing at his lips. 

"Come on." Gus yanked him out of the store. "You 

live in a city?" 

"Yes." And he needed to go back where he was just 

another dark haired asshole. 

"If folks make you that mad, how do you do it?" 
He looked over, confused. "Do what?" 
"Live around all of them? I mean, you obviously hate 

people." 

About a dozen answers tried to claw their way up his 

throat, but he clawed them back. "No. I just have a 
problem with close-minded, prejudicial asshole fucks so 
lost in the pack structure that they can't manage an 
original thought." 

"Well, don't hold back, Puss. Tell me how you really 

feel." Gus was laughing at him. Laughing. 

He placed the bags in the back of Gus' truck, 

carefully, the animal in him desperately close, in true 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 15 

agony that went beyond any physical pain he'd ever felt. 
How he really felt? 

"I miss my father, you classless piece of shit." 
The change took him hard, and he let it, leaving Gus, 

the Wal-Mart, his clothes. 

Everything. 
He just let the beast have him, and he ran. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 16 

Chapter Four 

"He'll be back, Mom." Gus had shown up at the Finn 

house with all of the groceries and Sam's clothes, but no 
Sam. He was being roundly chastised for it. 

Helena snapped restlessly. "I swear, Gus, if I find out 

you thrashed his ass again, I'll have your balls, no 
offense, ma'am." 

"I didn't touch the little fuck." He'd wanted to. Oh, he 

had wanted to, just before the little shit had gone feral. 
God, Sam had grown up so fucking fine. He'd just 
stared. 

Now he was paying the price. If one more woman 

shook the naughty boy finger at him, he might just run 
off howling himself. 

"He'll be fine. Y'all just leave him alone." Gray 

walked in, the dark glasses hiding the man's white eyes. 
"Helena, go let the twins out of the storm cellar and tell 
them the wailing stops now." 

"Sure." Helena headed out, and the other women 

drifted off, save his mom. 

Gus rolled his head on his neck. "I didn't touch him." 
Gray grunted. "He's not a child, Gus. At this point, I'd 

bet against you in a fight, and I'd stake my life on the 
fact that you'd have more than the bruise Helena tells me 
you have on your chin if you did tie it up with him." 

Gus grinned a little. "You haven't seen how well I 

grew up, Gray." Sam was good, he'd grant that. Fast. 

"Don't worry about him. He'll come home, and me 

and Helena will have his back." 

"I know that." Gus sighed. "Tell Petey he has to drive 

my mom home, will you? I'm going to the mine." 

"Sure. If he can't, someone will." 
"Thanks." He turned on his heel and left. Gus knew 

that the truth was that he was the one who didn't like 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 17 

people. They didn't particularly like him, either. He was 
much better at digging up pretty rocks. 

He headed out, growling at the misfits who thanked 

him for coming. Jesus, why couldn't they have adopted 
normal cubs? Eighteen of them and not a whole, normal 
one in the bunch. Even Lizzie changed on the new moon 
as well as the full. 

He climbed into his truck for the umpteenth time that 

day, needing to be gone. Alone. 

Until he saw a black figure streak through the 

underbrush, moving faster than his eyes could really see. 
Hello, kitty. Gus sat and watched, waiting to see if a 
human Sam appeared. It would be worth it to see the 
fool naked again. 

He heard the low yowl, the sound tearing through the 

air. A mourning call. The urge to howl in return rose in 
him, and Gus gripped the steering wheel, fighting it. It 
wasn't his family. 

Howls filled the air, though. Dozens of them. 
Yeah. Yeah, it was the whole pack's loss, wasn't it? 

Gus stepped out of his truck, tipping his head up and 
joining the song. He let the change take him with it. 

Suddenly his pack -- all of them -- surrounded him, 

mourning and howling, crying out. In the doorway of 
Mona's house there were her human children, her pups 
caught between wolf and man. All of them surrounding 
their mother. All of them but Sam. 

Gus scented the air, which was hard as surrounded as 

he was. Still, a cat would stand out. 

Sam was there, down-wind, out of sight of the others. 
How much did it suck for the man to not even feel at 

home with his own family? 

Gus left the truck for his mom, left his clothes, and 

went past Sam like a shot. He barked an invitation on 
the way. Run. Run with me. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 18 

He didn't hear anything following him, but his 

instincts insisted he was being hunted, followed, chased. 
Letting his tongue loll, he put on a burst of speed, 
veering off into the scrub brush and desert, leaping an 
arroyo. He heard the wild screech behind him, the sound 
echoing deep in his spine. 

Gus knew how it felt to lose someone, even if no one 

in the pack really knew it. He knew that sometimes the 
only way to beat back the rage was to run it out of your 
body. He also knew that Sam was the eldest child, the 
first, and that the man had loved his father. Adored him. 

So they ran. 
They ran, Gus changing directions and heading to the 

mine. He had food there. Water. Blankets. Sam followed 
him, claws digging into the earth as they moved 
together. It felt amazing to stretch his legs. Most of the 
pack couldn't keep up with him, couldn't understand 
why he didn't challenge the alpha. Like he wanted that 
load on him. 

Sam could keep up, though, the black, sleek form 

moving like the wind itself. 

Gus barked his joy, leaping over rocks and small 

mesquite, the dry air starting to take its toll. The mine 
was only a few more miles. The feline scent was 
intriguing, so mixed with canine, with pack, that it 
smelled right. 

He put on a final burst of speed, daring Sam to be as 

good at this as he was, to try to best him once. Or once 
more, when he thought about his chin. When the shadow 
running with him passed him by, he wanted to howl. 
Look at that tail... 

Sam leapt atop some rocks, snarl splitting the air, 

triumphant. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 19 

Gus rose up on his hind legs and barked, 

acknowledging the feat. Then he turned and headed for 
the mine. Meat. Water. 

Sam followed him, carefully, staying out of range of 

his muzzle. 

He led the way into the small bolthole entrance to the 

mine, not wanting to take a chance on running into 
someone. 

Sam got to the entrance, sniffed, stared at him. 
He barked, encouraging. He'd share. 
Sam followed, cautious, slinking into the darkness. 
He led the way, knowing Sam would be able to 

follow easily. He had a little place set aside in the mine, 
a little bit of only him. He led Sam to his den, the place 
good-smelling, home. There were blankets on the floor, 
cushions, a cot for when he was a man. There was water. 
Food. 

Sam stretched, long and sleek and black. 
Gus resisted the urge to go and have a sniff. He didn't 

figure that would go over well. 

Sam's nose twitched, green eyes heavy on him. There 

were clothes. He wondered if maybe he should go 
human, let Sam see he was ready to eat. Sam stepped 
closer, whiskers tickling him. 

He yawned, the sound loud and surprising. Well, at 

least he hadn't sneezed. Sam chuffed softly, then 
plopped to the ground, tail over his nose. 

Well, that answered that. Gus gave Sam a lupine grin 

before going to one of the piles of blankets to curl up. A 
nap sounded good. 

Sam's purrs sounded, filling the air as he fell asleep. 
Maybe the guy could get some rest. 
Gus snorted, wrapping his tail over his nose, just like 

Sam had. If he found it ironic that he was the one to help 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 20 

Puss out, well, there was no one there to notice but 
them. That was okay with him. 

And he knew Sam. The man could keep a secret. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 21 

Chapter Five 

He woke up suddenly, shivering and bare, bitterly 

cold. Fuck. Fuck. He hadn't gone feral in years. 

Sam changed, sure. Like clockwork. In the comfort 

and glory and safety of his apartment. His apartment 
was a playground for a werekitty. 

Not like this. 
The place was underground, only a tiny light 

glowing. It smelled like wolf, but it wasn't offensive. He 
rubbed his skin, trying to warm up. Man, he needed his 
fur back. 

"There's blankets. You want a drink of water?" He 

almost jumped out of his skin; he'd forgotten about Gus. 

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. Please." His teeth were 

chattering. "Where are we?" 

"In the mine. We came in the back way." Gus 

wrapped a blanket around him, then handed over a bottle 
of water. 

"Thanks." He drank deep, belly so empty he could 

hear the liquid hitting his stomach. A mine. Cool. 

"No problem. There's some snacks, too, when you're 

ready." 

"I think I probably could eat an entire deer." Whole. 

Raw. 

"Yeah? We could hunt, but that would take awhile." 

A lamp got turned up, throwing light on Gus, who wore 
sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt. "I have a bunch of 
cold chicken, though, and some turkey casserole stuff 
my mom made." 

"Sounds good." It was a little unnerving, Gus being 

nice to him. 

"You run really well." That sounded a little grudging, 

making him smile. 

"I weigh less than you and have bigger paws." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 22 

"Yeah, yeah. I have more stamina, though." Gus 

winked, the expression so friendly it almost knocked 
Sam over. 

"You all do." He'd not been allowed to run with the 

pack, of course. "But I have the leaping thing." 

"True." Gus grinned, the expression pure evil. "You'd 

get the jump on me, for sure." 

He finished off the water, stretching out a little. "I 

would." He still wasn't exactly sure how he'd ended up 
here. 

"Here." He got a hunk of meat handed over, cold 

chicken, but it tasted like heaven. The cat surged up in 
him again, surprising him, and he pushed it back. Easy. 
Easy. 

One of Gus' heavy brows climbed on his forehead. 

"You okay?" 

"Yeah. I just... I'm cool." Cucumber cool. 
"Well, I'm not picky. If you want to play feed the 

kitty, let 'er rip." 

He shook his head, focused on the food, feeling his 

tail swish, deep inside him. 

"Here, man." Gus gave him a whole plate of meat, 

along with some casserole, and he wolfed it down. So to 
speak. 

God, that was good. Damn. He caught himself 

purring again, the sound pouring out of him. 

"Mmm." Gus was munching away, too, licking 

crumbs from the casserole off his lips. 

He licked his fingers clean, getting every bit. 
"Damn, that was pretty good." Gus nodded, 

stretching, the sweats riding low on his hips. 

"It was." His voice had gone all raspy. 
"You want a beer now that you're feeling human?" 

Gus was looking at him again, this time with no smile, 
no frown. There was just this... Heat. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 23 

"Yeah. Do you know what time it is?" 
"No clue." Gus shrugged. "I doubt anyone will be 

looking for you. That was a dramatic exit." 

"No. No one will. They know I can take care of 

myself." 

"Yeah." Gus rubbed his jaw. "I know." 
He chuckled softly. "That was fun." 
"Fuck you, Puss. It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch." 
"Good." Sam let himself smile. 
"Asshat." Gus came over with a beer, flopping almost 

as bonelessly as a cat next to him. 

"Fucker." He sucked the beer down. 
"Occasionally. When I get to town." 
Wait. What? He couldn't help his stare. 
"What? A bigger town I mean. I don't advertise, 

man." Gus shrugged, like that was perfectly reasonable. 

"Advertise?" He wasn't following. 
"In the pack. That I like dick." Gus smiled. "They 

want me to alpha up." 

"I can see that. You could have a couple of babies 

and then do as you wanted." It was the path of least 
resistance, that was for sure. 

"I could. I'm just not good at doing what they want. 

Babies mean staying around." 

"True." Not that he knew anything about that. 
Gus nudged him. "Not that you care, huh?" 
"Care about what? Babies?" He blinked. "Not my 

thing." 

"No, about what I do, Puss. I think this might be the 

longest conversation we've ever had." 

"It's definitely the longest one without you hitting 

me." 

"Or vice versa." Gus rolled an eye in his direction. 

"Are you really a dancer?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 24 

He chuffed softly. "I'm a choreographer now. My... 

talents were beginning to show." People had started 
asking questions, becoming suspicious, so he faked an 
injury and changed directions. 

"Leaping kitty." Gus seemed to think that was 

hilarious. 

"Don't make me bite you." He snapped the air. 
"Oh, I might like that." One heavy brow went up and 

down again. "Cats have way more bacteria, though." 

"Uh-huh. Spiked penises, too." Not that he had one, 

but it was fun to tease. 

Gus turned his head slowly and stared at Sam. "No 

shit?" 

"Yeah. I mean, you guys have that... knot thing." 
Gus blinked, then laughed. "One more reason not to 

date girls." 

He let an eyebrow arch higher. "I would think that's 

more challenging for a guy. I mean, maybe it's like 
fisting, but..." 

Now Gus was all but rolling, howling with it. "I've 

never fucked a guy furry, Puss." 

"Amateur." He let himself grin, chuckle. 
"Uh-huh. Cautious." 
Somehow cautious and Gus seemed mutually 

exclusive. It really wasn't his place to say, though. 

"Do you have a mate here? Ma and Pop never said." 

He brought them to the city at least once a year for a 
long visit. It was one of his favorite... Had been.... Shit. 

"No." The word came out flat and hard. 
"Sorry." He really wasn't. It wasn't like he had one. 

The others of his kind shunned him; he smelled of dog, 
no matter how long he lived away, and he wouldn't deny 
the wolves that raised him, loved him. 

Gus sucked down the last of the beer. "I have Hostess 

cupcakes." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 25 

"Go for it." He couldn't taste sweet. It was a feline 

thing. 

"You don't like cupcakes? Dude." Gus shook his 

head. "You want more casserole?" 

"Thanks." He took the meat, the salt and spice good, 

the rice filling. Dogs. 

"No problem." Two cupcakes disappeared in short 

order. 

God, Gus was pretty. No. Studly. Big and broad and 

toothy and strong. Lickable. Whoa. Where did that come 
from? No licking. 

"You're staring at me." 
"Sorry. I'm a little wild eyed." 
"Yeah. I get that." Licking his fingers, Gus moaned a 

little. "Your loss." 

He shook his head. "Not really." 
"No? Is this like a cat deal?" Gus ate one more 

cupcake. The man could put away the food. 

"Yes. We can't taste sweet." 
Gus raised a brow. "The human thing doesn't 

override it?" 

"Nope. I mean, I can tell it tastes different than spicy, 

but I don't get sweet." 

"Weird. That sucks." 
Sam chuckled. Actually, it helped in the sucking 

arena. He had a thing for salty and bitter. 

"What?" Gus was the one staring now. 
"Hmm? I was just thinking about sucking." Wait. 
"Yeah? Do tell." Now Gus was staring at his mouth. 
"Now, now. You are too much of a pup for that 

information." 

"A pup?" Gus snorted. "Bullshit. I been all over 

town, Puss." 

He chuffed softly. Like this town was a challenge. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 26 

"I don't mean our town." Slapping his back, Gus rose 

and stretched. Uhn. Pretty. 

Sam stood himself, spine popping as he arched. 
"You about ready to head back?" 
"Yeah. Yeah, I'd better. Mom will need me." He 

sighed. "I don't suppose there are any clothes I can 
borrow?" 

"Yeah. I got some. They'll be a little big." Gus looked 

him over with a surprisingly expert eye. 

"That's okay. I can handle that." He tried not to preen. 
"I bet." There were some sweats and a t-shirt, and 

Gus handed them over. 

He only hoped there was transport. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 27 

Chapter Six 

Gus grabbed the keys from the office, leading Puss 

out to one of the old trucks they used to haul shit around 
the mine area. He was kind of amazed that he and Sam 
had gotten along for the whole time they'd been 
together. Sam had to be stunned by grief. That was the 
only explanation. 

He'd never actually seen Sam furry before. 
Naked? Sure. They'd stripped the man down and 

tossed him in the pond a lot when they were teenagers. 
Sam would just yowl, hissing and spitting and cussing 
them. Cats hated water, after all. At least, sudden 
immersion water. 

He'd have to try it again one day. Maybe. Oh, damn, 

that would be fun. Naked Sam, lots of sunshine... Shit, 
when did naked Sam become a good thing and not 
something to be mocked? 

Sam curled into the truck, so lean, so fine. Gus shook 

his head. No thinking of the kitty as fine. No. 

"What?" 
"Huh? Nothing. Back to your mom's place, huh?" He 

started up the truck, easing out on the dirt road. 

"Yeah. The service is tomorrow night during your 

Gathering." 

"Okay. Did I say I was sorry?" He was. Really. 
"You did. He was a good man." 
"He was." Well, that used up all of his conversational 

skills that went beyond 'suck me.' 

They headed back to the farm, and Sam's eyes got 

bigger and bigger as they drove. Gus kept glancing at 
the man, finally unable to hold it in. "What? I'm driving 
good this time." 

"Huh?" Sam jumped, looked at him. "Oh. No. You're 

fine. It's just... we went so far." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 28 

"We did?" Maybe he was used to roaming. The mine 

was a run he made a few times a week, honestly. At 
least when he was home. 

"I did." 
"Oh. Oh, okay." Yeah, he guessed he got that. Of all 

of them, Sam was the homebody, sorta. Then there was 
the whole thing where Puss lived in the city. Really, 
what did he do during the moon? Did the kitty just crate 
himself? "How do you deal with it? The change? I 
mean, in the city?" Whoa, way to blurt it out. 

Sam chuckled. "Just like I always have. I just have a 

much bigger space. I have a lovely loft, tons of room 
and places to jump and climb." 

"Ah. Like a kitty tower." 
"Yeah. Safe, comfortable." Sam chuckled softly. 

"Incredibly expensive." 

"No shit. I can't see how you do it. The smells must 

drive you crazy." 

"Sometimes. Yesterday was wild." 
"You need to get out more." He winked over. 
Something flashed in Sam's eyes -- something fast 

and angry and ugly and pained -- but it went quick and 
then it was good. "Moon's coming tomorrow. No one 
will have a choice then." 

"True." Gus tilted his head. "You need someone to 

run with, you holler. I can keep the pack straight." 

"Thanks." 
They pulled into the driveway and parked, the place 

mostly empty. Gray was on the porch, strumming a 
guitar, with a half dozen puppies milling around him. 

"No problem. Look, it looks like my people went on 

home, so I guess I'll head out." He didn't want to get 
snarled at by the brother again. 

"Thanks for the ride, man. I appreciate it." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 29 

"No problem." What was he supposed to say? Call 

me? Gus watched Sam get out of the truck and go to 
stand next to his brother on the porch. 

Then he peeled out of the Finn's drive in a 

spectacular cloud of dust, like only a rebel would. 

He had a reputation to live up to, after all. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 30 

Chapter Seven 

The Pack was coming as soon as the moon came, so 

Sam went to the barn, rested his hand on the coffin. The 
wolves would mourn Pop tonight, bury him tomorrow 
before the moon turned again. He needed his minute to 
say goodbye. 

"Gonna miss you, Poppy. You and Ma are the best of 

your kind, and you raised some good pups." 

"Some shitty ones, too." Helena's hand landed on his 

back. "I hate the full moon." 

He nodded. "Me too." 
"I can't believe he's gone." 
He nodded again, his head hurting so badly. "Me, 

either." 

She rested her forehead against his shoulder, sniffling 

a little bit, and they stood there. Sam wasn't surprised at 
all when Gray wandered in, slow and careful. 

"Knew I'd find you together." 
Sam smiled. "Knew you'd come find us." 
Gray's arms wrapped around them both, the man 

huge, strong, and so gentle. "Where else would I go? 
You're my sibs." 

Helena sobbed once, then stomped her foot, refusing, 

as always, to show weakness. "I need a beer, boys, in the 
worst way." 

Sam nodded. "Let's do it, then, before the sun sets. 

They'll all expect you to be out there with them." 

Gray growled under his breath, teeth baring. "You're 

his oldest son. You, Sam. Not me. You're the first. You 
should have always been allowed to be there." 

It was an ancient argument, one that had left Gray 

bleeding from a bite more than once. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 31 

"I'm not, though, and you know it." Not with the 

Pack, not with his own kind. Three nights a month, he 
was an outcast. He was used to it. Mostly. 

"This is not getting me a beer." Helena sniffed again, 

but this time it was more of a snort. 

"Picky old bitch." They laughed together, and he kept 

one arm around each of his sibs, sparing one last look at 
the coffin. 

Gonna miss you, Poppy. Tons. 
Then they headed inside. 

*** 

The pack Gathered at the Finn place, all of them 

silently padding into the clearing behind the house, the 
moon shining down on them like the mother she was. 
Gus tucked his ears a little, curling his lip at a big male 
he'd hated since they were pups. He didn't want any one 
sniffing around tonight. He was feeling uncomfortable 
in his fur. 

The family was standing around the coffin, wolves 

and humans and some caught in-between, mourning. 
Gus stayed back, making his own peace with it, saying 
goodbye to the wind instead of the corpse. 

The Alpha went to Mona, touched her muzzle, then 

touched Gray's, acknowledging the male as the head of 
the family. Gray's muzzle turned away from James, 
toward the house, toward where Sam was locked away. 

Gus almost howled. The urge surprised the hell out of 

him. 

Gray did howl, the sound sharp, angry, fierce. Gus 

answered, drawing surprised stares. He got it. Sam was 
the oldest son. It wasn't fair. 

The Alpha growled, and Gray bristled, his family 

surrounding them. It was Helena that snapped, her still-

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 32 

human voice flashing out. "Stop it. Right now. You're 
hurting Mom's feelings." 

Everyone backed down, Gray still bristling but going 

to put his muzzle against his mother's. Gus couldn't 
handle any more. He wandered off around the back of 
the house. 

He could smell Sam, on the porch, on the door, 

everywhere. His nose vibrated, and Gus started to follow 
the smell, just wandering. Inside, through the kitchen, up 
the stairs. He wandered deeper into the old house, paws 
padding on the floor. In the back, down a long hall. 
There. A door. 

A heavy, scratched door. 
He'd never been up here. Unlike Pete, he'd never 

been in the charmed circle of the Finn oddball kids. He'd 
always been the bully. The scent of Sam was strong, 
sunk deep into the wood, and he heard a low, warning 
growl. 

Gus gave an answering bark, not aggressive, just a 

greeting. The sound of claws on the door hit him, then 
Sam's voice, calling to him. 

They'd locked him in. Or maybe they'd locked 

themselves out. Didn't matter. Puss shouldn't have to be 
alone. 

A heavy, heavy black paw pushed under the door, 

claws stretching. 

Tongue lolling, Gus laughed a lupine laugh. There 

was no way he was going to be able to change back right 
now, not during the Gathering. He could surprise the 
kitty, though. He pounced on that paw a little, growling 
playfully. The paw disappeared, the wild, rolling purr 
making him bounce. His butt went up, his head went 
down, and he wagged, waiting for the paw to reappear. 
Gus saw the shadow of the motion before the paw itself. 
Oh. Playing. He loved playing. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 33 

Barking like mad, he bounced some more, then 

nibbled at the offered paw. Fun! 

Sam yowled, claws scrabbling on the floor, reaching 

for him. He slammed against the door without thinking 
about it. He wanted to chase that tail. The door trembled 
on its hinges, and Sam yowled again, paws slapping the 
inside. Gus threw himself against the door again, just 
howling. The wood was going, he could hear it ripping. 
Sam was yowling, making these guttural, amazing 
sounds. He could hear those big paws battering at the 
other side. 

Out! Out! Play! 
He hit again, and the door splintered, the huge, sleek 

cat standing there, covered in wood bits. 

Gus chuffed out a wolfy laugh before pouncing Sam's 

head. Bam. The sleek body twisted under him, then 
disappeared, appearing again on his back. Oof. 

Gus shook, sending Sam flying. Then he took off, 

tearing into the room that had just opened up to him. 
The feline smell was everywhere, and he ran around, 
sticking his nose in corners, jumping on the big bed. 

Ew. 
Dust. 
Sneeze. 
He barked, looking back beyond his tail to see where 

Sam had gone. He heard Sam's yowl just a heartbeat 
before the huge, black flash jumped him. 

Oh! Oh, too fun. They rolled off the bed, banging 

into the wall. Gus nipped at that lashing tail before 
taking off. He heard Sam's pads chasing him around the 
room, then there was a huge thump on the tall wardrobe. 
Gus blinked, turning to look, hoping Sam hadn't run into 
it and hurt himself. 

Where was he? He sniffed, frowned, searched for 

Sam. The scent was too strong everywhere. Gus couldn't 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 34 

figure it. He caught the flicking tail in the corner of his 
eye. 

Up. The bastard had gone up. Gus backed up, his butt 

right against the wardrobe. The angle would be bad that 
way to jump him. 

He looked up into a wedge shaped face peering 

down. "Rowl." 

Gus barked, taunting a little, his tail waving like a 

flag. Those eyes latched on to his tail, watching it. Gus 
turned in a full circle, letting Sam get a three-sixty view. 
Silly Puss. 

He saw those muscles tense, felt the buzz on the back 

of his neck that meant that he was being hunted. Gus 
wiggled, pushing the limit of any cat's patience. The 
sounds Sam made were amazing -- wild and huge and 
fierce. 

He finally sprang out of the shadow of the cupboard, 

giving kitty a target no one could resist, and Sam hit him 
square on, slamming into his flank and taking him 
down. A yelp slid from his throat before he could hold it 
back, and his butt hit the floor with a thud. He tried to 
get up, but someone was gnawing on him. 

It was more meditative than aggressive, Sam's huge 

paws wrapped around him. 

If he was his human self, he would probably like it. 
He wasn't, though, so he spun and pounced, growling 

happily as he nibbled on Sam's soft belly fur. Pretty 
kitty. Tasty, too. 

Heavy paws swatted his ears, batting at him, playing. 

They spilled back out into the hall, both of them rolling 
to their feet. 

A sharp warning bark sounded, two of the big males 

standing there in the hallway, bristling. Sam went still, 
staring, a low, eerie sound filling the air. Gus' hackles 
rose, and he pushed his way in between Sam and the two 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 35 

wolves, growling low. Sam was allowed to fucking play 
in his own family house. 

He heard Sam's momma howling, heard Gray's big 

voice answering her. This was fucked up. 

Terrance bared his teeth, eyes intent on Sam. Another 

growl came from behind, then a yowl and a screech as 
someone attacked Sam from the opposite side of the 
hall. 

Shit. Shit. Gus set up a howl, calling for the family, 

before he laid into the one who had Sam in his teeth. 

Fur was flying, teeth and claws and howls, the entire 

pack in an uproar. The Alpha waded in, along with Gray 
and the others, and suddenly Sam leapt, settling on the 
top of the wardrobe. Terrance yowled when the Alpha 
took him down, and silence fell on them like a ton of 
bricks. Everyone but their Alpha went deathly quiet. 

Bright green eyes stared down, and Sam screamed, 

the sound making his hackles raise. 

Goddamn, but it was ugly until Sam's momma 

walked into the room, human as anything, wearing her 
bathrobe, cheeks streaked with tears. "Out. All of you 
who are not my children. I want you out." 

Helena was right there, a shotgun in her hand, 

cocking it. "You heard her. You assholes go away." 

One by one, herded by James, they all left. Gus didn't 

want to go; he wanted to make sure Sam was okay. 

He went to the wardrobe, yipping. Come down, now. 

Sam looked at him, mewling softly. Gus barked sharply, 
his tail wagging. 

"Samuel, you come down. Gus? You need to let 

Helena patch your side." God, Mona was fierce. 

Gus turned to look at his side, and sure enough he 

was bleeding. Huh. 

Sam hopped down, a bite on the black face, another 

on the shoulder. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 36 

"Oh, son." Mona came to Sam, vocalizing softly. 
Gus had to fight the urge to growl at her a little. He 

wanted to go clean Sam's wounds, which was silly. 
Okay, ow. Helena was a sucktastic nurse. 

Sam danced away when Mona came at him with the 

peroxide, and Helena chuckled. "No biting, puppy." 

Puppy? Gus snorted, nudging her hard with his 

shoulder. Silly girl. Just like her brother. 

Helena rubbed his ears. "Thanks for taking up for 

Sam." 

Oh. Oh, that felt good. His eyes crossed, his back leg 

lifting to thump on the floor. 

"Oh, right there." Helena chuffed softly, kept petting 

him. 

Yeah. Yeah, there. A sharp bite to his tail had him 

yelping, and he turned whip fast to stare at Sam, who 
looked like a smug kitty. Sam chuffed softly, one huge 
paw brushing over the flattened nose. 

Gus let his tongue loll. Asshole. Pretty damned cat. 

No wonder Pete liked him so much. 

"I'm going to have to stitch your side up, son. I'll 

leave your face for the morning." 

Ouch. Gus let Helena have at him, finally, figuring he 

was lucky he didn't need stitches. He hated those. 

Sam sighed and slumped down, idly mouthing his 

tail. Gus rolled to his good side and let Helena work on 
him, his nose on the floor next to Sam's face. Those eyes 
were so big. Sam was talking to him, too, but he didn't 
get it. How bad did that suck? To grow up where no one 
could get you? 

Gus just went with it, murmuring in wolf in return. 

Poor guy was grumpy. A pink, rough tongue swiped 
over his muzzle. Gus chuffed, nipping at one bent 
whisker. He could make today easier, and that was 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 37 

something, right? It was the first time in their whole 
history together than Gus felt some kinship with the guy. 

"Okay. Pain pills for both of you, and napping. I've 

got to help Gray and the rest." Mona popped a horsepill 
in his mouth, held his muzzle closed, and rubbed his 
throat. 

He swallowed, his eyes crossing at the hugeness of 

the pill. Luckily, Mona gave Sam a whole different med. 

A blanket fell over him, and Sam was given a huge 

pillow. Puss rowled softly. Gus felt his eyelids drop, his 
vision going cloudy. Tired. He was so tired. Sam 
scooted closer, purring so loud that it was all he could 
hear. 

Gus snuggled with his brother's best pussy friend and 

decided not to think on it too hard. Tomorrow they 
might go back to kicking each other in the face, but 
today they were warm and safe and it was all good. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 38 

Chapter Eight 

He woke up sore as a boil, but at least he wasn't cold. 
Sam moved off the floor, making sure Gus was 

covered up, and padded to his wardrobe. He didn't 
remember much about last night, but he remembered 
enough to know he had to leave. Now. Before anyone 
else got hurt, including him. He found a pair of sweats 
that had to be from when he was a teenager, pulled them 
on, and went to do his business. He met Gray in the 
hallway, the man bruised and bitten; Helena dressed to 
go. 

"It's time, huh?" 
Helena nodded. "Yeah. We don't belong here." 
"None of us ever have, but I have to stay." Gray 

pulled him close. Sam hadn't seen Gray in human form 
so much. Ever. "Brother." 

Sam nuzzled Gray's jaw. "Brother." 
They all stood for a few moments, hugging tight, a 

close circle of outcasts. Then Helena pulled away. "I'll 
go first. Say goodbye to Mom." She touched his cheek. 
"You're going to scar." 

Sam shrugged. "It'll make me look rakish." 
"It'll make you wear pancake make-up on stage." 

Gray was such a bastard. 

"I don't perform anymore, you know that." People 

started noticing things. Like, oh, fuzzing out on the late 
performances. Unnatural flexibility. That sort of thing. 

"I know." Gray rubbed noses with him. "Be safe." 
"You, too. Don't bite at James." He rubbed cheeks 

with Helena. "Love you." 

"Hate you." Helena winked, kissed him. 
"Bitch." He smacked her butt. "Go on. I'll go last, 

huh?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 39 

"We'll both come, soon." Gray headed for the door, 

Helena for Mom's bedroom. He finally got to the 
bathroom, washed the blood off his face. God, it was 
going to be a good scar. 

He was on his way out when he met a naked Gus on 

the way into the bathroom, all wild hair and nut-
scratching goodness. 

"Bathroom's open." He offered Gus a half-smile, a 

nod. 

"Thanks." Gus smiled, too, brushing against him. 
Oh. Warm. That made him purr. Gus vibrated a little, 

but went in and closed the door. When did that man turn 
into a hottie? 

He went to get his suitcase packed, his side 

screaming at him, the stitches pulling. 

Gus came back out a few minutes later, wrapped in a 

towel. "You heading out?" 

"I think it's safest for Ma, yeah. Helena is going, too; 

Gray will go for a long run." 

"That sucks." Gus was looking all earnest and shit. 

That would never do. 

He chuffed softly, shook his head. "It's the way the 

pack is." 

"I know. Doesn't mean I like it." Gus grinned, those 

sharp canines bright. "Even if I've done just the same." 

Sam grinned. "Tell Pete I said goodbye, huh?" 
"I will. He really likes your sister." 
"She really likes him. They'll make pretty cubs." 
"Yeah." Gus raised a brow. "Not worried what the 

pack will say?" 

Why would he be? He wasn't Pack. He never would 

be. "She's one of you. She changes." A lot. 

"Yeah." Gus shrugged, looking so uncomfortable it 

was funny. "You think there are any clothes around that 
might fit me?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 40 

"I bet." It was sort of sad, really. He needed to go. 

Now. He found some of Gray's old clothes, handed them 
over. 

"Thanks." Gus glanced up, met his eyes. "You know 

Pete and Mom will look after your mother. Go on. Go." 

He nodded, leaned over, nuzzled Gus once, quickly. 
"Goodbye, Sam." Gus touched his cheek before 

turning away, and that was that. 

It was time to go. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 41 

Chapter Nine 

Jesus, the traffic in LA was a bitch. A lot of people 

loved it, saying it got their adrenaline pumping. Gus 
thought it was like hitting himself over the head with a 
big stick. Repeatedly. Still, he'd gotten a damned fine 
price for his double-terminated tourmaline at the gem 
show, which would keep him traveling for at least six 
months. That worked for him. 

He had no desire to go home unless it was for the 

mandatory gathering. 

Sighing, he rolled his head on his neck and headed 

for the In-N-Out Burger on foot. He was starving. 

There was a tall, lean man in the line in front of him, 

earphones in, body moving. Pretty. 

Gus watched for a bit, grinning at his body's 

predictable response. Yeah, it had been a long while, 
even longer thanks to Sam. Gus had thought a lot about 
that pretty puss, to the point where getting his one-night-
stand on had been hard. 

The man's nose twitched, almost scenting the air, 

then bright green eyes met his, a distinctive scar 
crossing the man's face. Sam. 

"Hey, Puss. I was just thinking about you." It was the 

truth, after all. 

Sam grinned at him, chuffing softly. "Gus. It is you. I 

thought I knew that scent." 

"Am I stinky?" He might be. He was sporting wood. 
"No. You smell like home." Sam's cheeks went red 

hot, and the kitty looked away, moved up in line. "What 
the fuck are you doing in California?" 

Gus smiled, moving up a little closer than he should, 

maybe, feeling Sam's body heat. "Gem show. You?" 

"Choreographing a television special." Edible. The 

man was maddening. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 42 

"Cool. Imagine that, huh?" He used to have the urge 

to kick this man's ass. Now he wanted entirely different 
things. 

"Yeah. You here long?" 
"I'm a free agent. I can stay if I need to. How long are 

you here?" 

"Another ten days." 
"No shit?" He moved up when Sam ordered, smiling 

at the girl behind the counter. "I've got his, too." 

He thought he felt Sam purr. This was the weirdest 

situation since... well, since Sam's dad's funeral. What 
was it about this kitty that turned his world upside 
down? 

"I'd like a triple burger, no fries." 
"Low-carbing it?" Gus had to chuckle at that. He was 

going to get two of the biggest burgers himself. 

"Just hungry." Sam nodded. "Tired of salads." 
"I bet. LA has to be harsh in your business." 
Sam grabbed a Styrofoam cup of coffee as he 

nodded. "A gem show, huh?" 

"Yeah. I was meeting up with a collector. 

Tourmaline." 

"That's a blue one or a green one?" 
"Pink and green. The one that goes from one color to 

another?" They sat, both of them breathing in the scent 
of burger. 

"Oh, that's cool. The collector -- are they making 

something from it?" He could see Sam's nose twitching, 
reacting to the mouth-watering smell. 

"I don't know. It was a big piece. They'll probably put 

it in a vault or something." Gus was a digger. He didn't 
really care what people did with them once he delivered 
and sold, he just liked to haul rocks out of the dirt. 

"How weird." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 43 

"It's worth a chunk of change, huh? If they want to 

squirrel it away, why not?" He dug into his food; why 
stand on ceremony? 

"I just don't get putting pretty things away where you 

can't play with them." 

Ah. The kitty was showing. "I bet you have lots of 

sparkly shit." 

"You know it. I'm a huge fan." 
He could just see that long, black kitty rolling around 

in a pile of pillows, batting at stuff dangling from the 
ceiling. It made him laugh. 

Sam's eyes twinkled for a second, then the big burger 

was engulfed. Chomp. Hungry kitty. 

"You want another one?" He waited to ask until Sam 

was done licking his fingers, which made Gus' eyes 
cross. 

"Nope. That was perfect." 
Gus loved how Sam said that word. Like Eartha Kitt 

in Batman. Rowr. 

Then there's the way Sam scented him, like he was a 

drug. Maybe he was. He wondered what Sam would do 
if he put catnip in his aftershave. 

"You're having evil thoughts." 
"Am I? How can you tell?" He grinned at Sam 

hugely. 

"You're awake?" Sam snorted, laughing at him. 
"Oh, you shit." It was probably true, but still. 
"Now, now, no claws, Puppy." 
"You're the one with the claws, Puss." He glanced 

down and all the food was gone. "You wanna go 
somewhere?" 

"I do. I have a one of those long-term hotel suites. I 

walked over." 

"Wanna show it to me?" He wanted Sam. Crazy as it 

was, Gus wanted Sam right now. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 44 

"Let's go." Sam stood up, and he followed, like there 

was a leash tugging his cock. Gus hummed a little, a 
happy wolf sound. Yeah. Damn. Sam moved like a 
dream, ass moving side to side, leading him down the 
street. Gus wanted to howl like one of those cartoon 
wolves. That was a fucking stunning sight. How the 
fuck did goofy, gangly Pussy Boy turn into that? 

Gus figured he should just be thankful right now. He 

could ponder the whole universe thing after. Maybe. He 
was not much of a ponderer. 

"We're on the third floor." 
Sam unlocked the door with his key card, started 

moving up the stairs. Gus trotted up behind, eyes never 
leaving that fine ass. Thank God he was sure-footed. It 
took fucking forever and no time at all to get into the 
room, the scent of Sam fucking everywhere. 

His whole body shook with the control it took just to 

reach for the man and not throw him down. 

Sam turned to him, nose twitching. "You smell like 

sex. Are you going to growl if I pounce?" 

"No." His hands flexed. "Please do." 
He didn't even see Sam move, but suddenly his arms 

were full of man, his lips covered in a wild, knee-
buckling kiss. His back smacked against the door, his 
breath leaving him in a rush. He held Sam up, lifting a 
little so they could rub together. 

Fuck. Fuck, he'd never been kissed like he was being 

devoured. Not until now. Gus held on for all he was 
worth, letting Sam have him, tasting what Sam had to 
offer. Yummy. 

Sam was all arms and legs, wrapped around him, 

clinging to him. Gus broke to breathe, but didn't bother 
to say anything. He just pulled Sam back in for another 
kiss, as scorching as the first, and Sam's tongue flicked 
inside his lips, moving quickly, fucking his mouth as 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 45 

Gus' hips started to move, his cock so hard he was 
starting to ache. 

Sam's body was like liquid sex, matching his 

movements, so frigging flexible. 

"Fuck. Could eat you alive." Oh. Yum. He tossed 

Sam toward the bed. 

Sam landed gracefully, sprawled out for him, and 

Gus ate the man up with his eyes, as promised, then 
moved to start on the clothes. Sam stripped down easy, 
letting him see the long, lean, scarred body. Gus 
frowned a little. Scarred. He traced one across Sam's 
belly. 

Sam arched, purred. 
"Pretty kitty." Just for shits and giggles, he bent and 

licked along the same path. 

"Rowl." Oh. Oh, that was a hot little sound. Hungry. 
He blew a stream of air across Sam's belly button. He 

watched those muscles quiver. He wanted to know if 
Sam would buck if he scratched the small of the man's 
back. Damn. He couldn't wait to find out. He flipped 
Sam like a cheese omelet and got his fingers down under 
the waistband of Sam's jeans. And he scratched. 

"Gus!" Sam's ass went up, back arching impossibly, 

and the man's fingers clawed the bed. 

Hot spot. Woo and hoo. Gus scratched harder, 

watching the gyrations with glee. 

"Fuck. Fuck..." The scent of pure, male need hit his 

nose, made him want to howl. 

"You. God. Sam." His cock jerked, his balls drawing 

right up, and he wasn't even naked yet. 

"Yes..." Sam twisted, that mouth landing on his again 

while those hands tore at his clothes. 

"Shit." He ended up on his back on the bed without 

any clue how it had happened so fast. Sam had his cock 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 46 

out of his fucking jeans, that tongue lapping at him, just 
a little too hard to be comfortable. 

"Sam." The single word came out broken, Gus' breath 

hitching. 

Too-green for color TV eyes sparkled for him, then 

his cock was engulfed in blazing wet heat, and Gus 
shouted, his hips jerking before Sam grabbed them to 
keep them still. He tangled his fingers in Sam's hair, 
panting. Everything about Sam was 'too' -- too hot, too 
rough, too good, too much. Good thing Gus could be a 
man of excess. Damn. He fucked Sam's mouth, that 
sandpaper tongue making him dance. 

Sam took every fucking inch of him, lips wrapped 

around the base and pulling hard. Gus pushed up and up, 
his belly like a board, his cock like stone. He was just 
gonna blow. 

One hand palmed his nuts, pushed them, rolled them, 

and that was all she wrote. Gus heard his growl ring 
through the whole room and hoped to hell no one called 
animal control. Hotels could be dicey when he was 
having the kind of night he was now. 

Sam's deep purr was lower, softer, but it vibrated all 

around his cock. 

"Oh, God. Sam. Puss. What do you need?" He 

stroked the soft, dark hair, his fingers moving idly. 

"Touch me. More." Sam nuzzled and licked his way 

up. 

"Yeah. I can do that." He could so do that. He stroked 

Sam's skin, learning its texture, the heat of it. 

The sounds Puss made were fucking amazing, almost 

as good as watching Sam writhe. There was something 
amazing about the way Sam moved, about how starved 
he was for touch. Poor kitty. The man was covered in 
scars -- old ones, new ones, scratches, bite marks -- not 
that Sam let him explore any one for long, the way Sam 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 47 

moved. Gus let his hands follow them, though, like 
connect the dots. God. Smooth where there were no 
scars. There was a tiny line of silky hair above the long, 
curved cock. 

His fingers felt damned rough in return, his calluses 

catching on the tiny hairs. Fuck. Look at Sam move. 

"Mmmhmm." Sam vibrated with purrs. 
Gus finally wrapped his hand around Sam's cock, 

jacking it a little, feeling the length and width of it. 
Fucking A. Pretty. 

"Oh. Good hands. So good." Sam's hips moved like 

the man was hearing music. Dancing. That was cool. 
Gus watched, tightening his grip a little, moving from 
tip to base and back again. 

Those muscles rippled, jerked and danced as Sam 

fucked his fingers. 

"I -- Jesus." He pushed down with his free hand, 

pressing his palm up against Sam's balls. 

Sam bucked, heat shooting up between them. Puss 

was wild, lost in pleasure, eyes wide, and Gus couldn't 
imagine how anyone on earth could resist this man. Gus 
moaned, bending to taste Sam's come, just to see how 
different it might be. 

Spicy. Sam was wild, spicy. Fucking hot. 
Gus groaned, his cock already recovered, the smell of 

Sam making him need, making him ache, and he pressed 
down for a full body rub. Sam hummed, nuzzled into 
him, and started grooming him, tongue sliding over his 
chin, his jaw. 

"Hey, now." That felt good, but Gus had to admit he 

needed more. 

"Hmm?" Sam rolled him, mouth on his belly. Gus 

stiffened for a moment, but there was no malice in it, no 
intent he could find beyond pleasure. The purring got 
louder, Sam's body rubbing against his. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 48 

"I need, man. I need you to touch me." He took Sam's 

hand, putting it where he wanted it. 

"Still needing?" Sam's hand was sure, the touch firm 

and so fucking warm. 

"Yes." He bucked a little, the feeling huge, amazing. 

He thought he might just explode. 

"Smells so good." Sam's hand worked him, tugging 

all along his prick. 

"Want. I... wow." The word didn't begin to describe 

it. Sam was focused, curious, exploring him thoroughly, 
and Sam nodded, kept up that steady, slow pressure. 

Gus couldn't keep his eyes open. He squeezed them 

closed, his jaw hard, his teeth gritting. Sam's free hand 
slid over his thigh, spreading him a little wider. His 
belly sucked in, his cock jumping, and Gus let Sam 
touch him in places where no one else had in a very long 
time. 

"Good." Sam bent low, nose tracing his abs, almost 

tickling him. 

He shook a little, both with laughter and need. "Don't 

tease the savage wolf, Sam." 

"Teasing assumes I won't blow your mind, Gus." 
"I'm ready to be blown." Wait. Had they done that 

already? 

"Good." That was a satisfied little smile, Sam's 

tongue finding the tip of his cock again, licking almost 
meditatively, and Gus chuffed, remembering Puss' 
fascination with gnawing his tail just so. 

"You make me feel that way, yeah." Sure, he'd 

always been able to go at a moment's notice, but this 
was special. 

"Won't hurt you." Sam touched him, so light that his 

body ached for more. 

"I know. I know, man. I'm just --" Not used to it? A 

wolf? 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 49 

The touch moved away, and Sam focused on his cock 

again, fingers pressing him down into the mattress. He 
made this noise that was half growl, half whine. He 
couldn't ever remember needing like this. Sam's fucking 
tongue was going to make him lose his mind, make him 
lose his humanity. He curled up around Sam's head, 
panting, holding on by a string. When that lightning 
quick tongue slapped the tip of his cock, it burned all the 
way down. 

Gus shouted, his body buzzing like he'd touched a 

live wire, and he shot over Sam's face, as uncontrolled 
as a kid. 

"You're damned good at that, you little tease." Gus 

felt like a million bucks. 

God, those eyes were dancing. Laughing at him. 
"How do you feel about snuggling, puss?" He was a 

fan, and he was ready. 

"I'm a cat. I nap like a master." 
"I bet you do." Gus pulled Sam up, wrapping both 

arms around the man. "Let's catch some zees then." 

Sam purred softly, nuzzled his collarbone, then went 

boneless, melting against him. He stroked Sam's spine, 
listening to what sounded like purrs. Weirdly hot. 

Everything about this man was weirdly hot. 
If he was smart, he'd run. 
Too bad he wasn't real bright. Not real bright at all. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 50 

Chapter Ten 

Sam woke up wrapped around a warm, naked, bare 

body. 

God. 
Gus. 
He'd lost his fucking mind. Good lord. 
He chuffed softly, nose buried against Gus' skin. 
"Mmm. Tickly." 
The man smelled good. Better than tuna. That was 

something. He liked tuna a lot. 

"Hey. Good..." He peered at the clock. Three a.m. 

"...morning." 

"Hey. It is good." Gus stretched a little, and it was 

like floating on a bumpy raft. 

"Mmmhmm. You have to leave early? It's my day 

off." 

"No, I'm good. I can stay a good while." 
"Good." He cuddled in, purring as Gus' arms 

wrapped around hm. 

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Gus sounded amused, maybe a 

little surprised. Those hands headed down his spine, 
toward the small of his back, toward that hot spot. The 
man was obsessed. It was glorious. Those fingers got 
closer, and his toes curled, his breath caught in his chest. 

"Love that." Gus chuckled. "Love what that makes 

you do." 

"Not fair." Those fingers were right there. 
"No? Wait until you get a chance to scratch my ears, 

man." Gus' laughter felt good on his skin, 

He brought one hand up, rubbing Gus' earlobe, 

teasing it, tugging it. 

"Stop it." The words held no weight, though, and it 

caused Gus to rub on him. He pinched this time. All was 
fair, right? "Fuck!" Gus jerked hard. "God." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 51 

"Mmm." Gus had forgotten to touch. Cool. Sam 

leaned down and bit. 

"You're evil." Gus finally remembered, scratching his 

back hard enough to make him yowl, and he bit down, 
hips rolling as his back arched. 

"Good thing I like evil." Gus rolled them, pinning 

him to the bed, 

"Good..." Yummy. He rocked up, sliding their bodies 

together. 

"Yes. So good." 
Sam nodded, humming to a song in his head. 
"You paying attention, babe?" Gus pressed that spot, 

massaging. 

"Yes..." His eyes crossed, his body shivering. 
"Just making sure. Wouldn't want to lose your 

attention." 

No. No, that wouldn't happen. He opened his mouth 

to retort, but he couldn't. That touch was huge. 

"God, that's hot." Gus kissed him, distracting him 

even more. Oh. Oh. 

He was caught between that hand and that mouth. So 

not fair. It was hard to get to an ear with his whole body 
shaking like it was. Gus was the big bad wolf, eating 
him up. His heart was slamming, his body beginning to 
buck and yowl. 

"Sam." Gus' growl went all the way to his toes. 
"Please." He needed more. He needed. 
"Yeah. Yeah." Gus rocked against him, covering him, 

kissing him like crazy. His lips swelled, threatened to 
split under the pressure of the kisses. "God." Gus finally 
got them lined up, got their cocks rubbing together. Sam 
nodded, teeth sinking into his own bottom lip as they 
moved. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 52 

They rocked harder and harder, both of them gasping, 

and Gus pulled up, yanking him up on the heavy thighs. 
That way they could rub and Gus could get to that spot. 

"Fuck!" Smart pup. So good. 
"Uh-huh. Smell you. Jesus." Gus' eyes were rolling, 

that body bucking for him. 

Gus' teeth grabbed his lip, tugged it, and that little 

sting was all he needed to shoot his brains out the tip of 
his cock. 

"Fuck!" The smell of Gus' spunk was sharp, a little 

bitter. The feel of it was hot and wet. 

He was going to smell like Gus for days. The thought 

wasn't bad at all. 

Gus slumped down against him, kissing his throat. 

"Gonna kill me, Puss." 

"Only..." He gulped in air. "Only if you ask nicely." 
"Oh, man." Gus laughed, deep and low and happy-

sounding. 

He traced the man's collarbone with his nose, 

chuffing softly. 

"So, what's the plan for food, man?" 
"Hmm. There's twenty-four hour room service. I 

want tuna." 

"Mmm. I want steak." Gus' stomach growled. 
"Two steaks. Two orders of tuna. Four big glasses of 

milk." He nodded, purred happily. "Anything else?" 

"Mmm. Something chocolate. Something salty for 

you. Like fries." 

Mmm. Crispy potatoes. He nodded and rolled up off 

the bed and grabbed the phone to order, adding coffee 
with extra cream to the order. Gus stretched out on the 
bed behind him, the sheets rustling. God, the smell was 
all hot male. He could feel Gus' eyes on him, and his 
body started moving, swaying to the music of his mind. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 53 

Gus growled a little, the sound tiptoeing up Sam's spine. 
It was like percussion. 

He approved. After the order was made, he turned on 

the iPod, bass filling the room. 

"You gonna dance for me, Puss?" 
He danced, always. It was what he was. "You like to 

dance?" 

"I'm kind of bad at it." Gus grinned. "I like to watch, 

though." 

He nodded and turned to a playlist from his newest 

show -- something sensual and feral and filled with bass. 
Then he started to dance. His body knew exactly what to 
do, how to connect with the music. Having Gus there 
was as good as, if not better than, hundreds of people in 
an audience. He could actually feel Gus watching him. 
That awareness lasted for a few bars, then Sam lost 
himself in the sounds. He danced, the whole room 
disappearing. Oh, that beat... right there. The cat purred 
all along his spine, vibrating his entire body. 

"No getting fuzzy, Puss. Food's coming, and you 

have to sign." 

"I won't. I don't, normally, if the moon's not full." He 

only had few times, and those had been full-on drastic 
situations. 

"No shit?" Gus sat up, elbows on knees. "And if the 

moon is full?" 

"Then I change." He winked. "I don't remember it, 

though, not much. It's like a dream." 

"Huh." Gus chewed a thumbnail. "I'm actually pretty 

much the same either way. More sniffy, maybe." 

He nodded. He'd noticed that with his sibs. Then 

again, he wasn't ever encouraged to change. 

"You were looking a little like you might go." Gus 

snorted. "It was hot." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 54 

Sam chuckled. "I could feel it, crawling on my spine. 

Crazy." 

"I like your spine." It was weird, how easy it was for 

them to get along. 

"I like the way you smell." 
"Yeah? I don't smell all weird?" 
"You smell like home." Jesus. Shut up, Sam. Don't be 

any more of an idiot than you have to. 

"Oh." It didn't seem to bother Gus. The man beamed 

at him, looking pleased and proud. 

The food came, and he grabbed a robe, heading for 

the door. Gus watched, covering up with a sheet. He 
signed, tipped, brought the table in. Oh, so good. The 
tuna smelled so good. 

"Mmm. Yeah, that's the ticket." Gus moved over to 

look at the steak. 

He took his tuna and leapt to the bed with it, purring 

happily. Tuna, then milk. 

"Such a kitty." Gus was all but drooling on the steak, 

though, wasn't he? 

"Rowr." Of course he was. Pup. 
"Your whiskers might be twitching." 
He chuffed softly, nibbling the firm, red flesh of the 

tuna. Yummy. 

"You're going to have fish breath." Gus bounced 

when he landed on the bed, before handing over a 
French fry. 

He 'accidentally' nipped Gus' fingertips. 
Gus hooted. "That almost hurt. Good deal." 
"You know, you're much more fun than I thought 

you'd be." 

"You mean when I'm not a self-righteous prig?" Gus 

licked the salt off a fry. "Yeah, I can be a laugh." 

He snorted. "You were a puppy; I was an easy 

target." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 55 

"I had to see how bad it was..." Gus trailed off. 

"Besides, it was totally hot when you kicked me." 

"You deserved that." And it had felt so fucking good 

to let Gus have all the years of pent-up frustration. 

"Yeah. I know." Well, that was decent of Gus, really. 
He stole another French fry. "How's Ma doing? Have 

you seen her?" Sam talked to her three times a week, but 
it was hard to tell over the phone. 

"Mom says she's good. I haven't seen her, but you 

know they're close." Gus fed him another fry. Not the 
one Gus had licked. 

"I do. Your brother still hunting my baby sister?" 
"He is." 
"Maybe he'll catch her. They’ll be good together." 
"They would." Gus tilted his head. "You want your 

milk?" 

"Uh-huh." Just the thought made him purr. 
"Cool." Gus rolled off the bed and grabbed his milk 

for him. God, it smelled amazing. 

He took the glass, dipped one finger in, and cleaned it 

off, while Gus watched him, standing right there, naked 
as a jaybird. He leaned over, trickled the cream on Gus' 
belly, then licked it off. 

"Mmm." Muscles jumped for him, Gus' cock rising. 
"Mmmhmm." He did it again, purring over Gus' skin 

as goosepimples rose. 

"Fuck." Gus bucked a little, breathing hard. 
"Maybe. I like that." He dribbled and lapped, 

vibrating with the pleasure. 

"Yeah?" Gus whined a little, a sound of pure need. 
"Yes." He nuzzled one nipple, sucked a bit. Yummy. 
"Feels so good." Gus knelt back on the bed, staying 

upright so he could reach. 

A couple of drips of cream fell on Gus' cock, and he 

swooped down, sucked it off. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 56 

"Oh." Time stopped a little, and he would swear his 

ears popped. 

"Yum." He sat up, licked his lips. 
"Hell, yes. More." Gus grabbed him and kissed him 

hard, then bent him back, fucking his lips. It felt so 
good, and tasted better than tuna. Sam moaned happily, 
opening up and letting Gus play Alpha. Gus moved, 
pressing him down. One of Gus' fingers pushed beneath 
him, teasing his hole. 

"Hot. God, you're hot." That finger pressed, circled. 

He yowled softly, his body rippling. Gus didn't know 
how hot he could get. "Pretty, too. The way you move. 
I'll dream about it." 

"That's good, yeah?" He leaned up, bit Gus' chin. 
"Fuck, yes. I just..." One finger slid inside him, 

pushing gently. 

"Mmm." He purred, from bone-deep, inside-out. 
"Want you." He could feel Gus' heat, right there, 

ready for him. 

"I'm right here." He licked again, nuzzled and nibbled 

Gus' jaw. "Right fucking here." 

"Good. Oh, God." Gus pushed him back, mouth 

slipping down over his prick, surprising the living shit 
out of him. He arched, cock sinking in deep. "Fuck!" 

"Mmm." That noise echoed right down to his balls. 
Gus' fingers kept prepping him, stretching him. The 

man was a wolfy machine, really working him over. 
That mouth. Oh, fuck, it felt good. 

"More." He twisted, touched, ground his body down 

on those fingers. 

"I got more for you, babe." Gus gave him another 

finger, a hint of teeth. 

"Uhn." Yes. Yes. He grunted, nodded. Moaned. Gus 

worked him until he wanted to scream, wanted to just 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 57 

scratch and yowl and hump. Then Gus was on him, 
pushing inside him.

 His entire fucking world hiccupped for a second, 

stopped as he let himself feel. 

"Oh." Panting, Gus stopped when those lean hips met 

Sam's ass. 

His teeth sank into his bottom lip, and he nodded, 

moaned. Yes. 

Gus began to move, starting to rock into him. He 

could feel it all along his spine. He felt every fucking 
inch, every motion, every pulse of that fat cock. Gus was 
wild now, slamming into him. The man never stopped 
looking at him, into him. Fuck. Fuck, yes. Sam growled, 
happy to the bone. 

Gus bent to kiss him, taking his mouth as surely as 

the man took his body. It felt like he was going to split 
apart, like his body was on the verge of explosion. It 
was like the moon was here, like he could change. The 
feeling had him soaring, his mouth open on a wild cry. 

His entire body rippled, jerking on Gus' cock as he 

shot all he had. 

"Fuck!" That had to be Gus' favorite word, because it 

came out three or four more times when Gus came 
inside him. 

He leaned up, licking and tasting and purring hard, 

the cat so close to the surface. Gus stroked his back, 
finding every bump along his spine. His eyes crossed, 
toes clenching and releasing, over and over. 

"Beautiful kitty." 
He nuzzled Gus, licked lazily, purring full-body. 
"Were we eating?" Gus sounded sleepy more than 

hungry. 

"Mmmhmm. It'll keep." He curled around Gus, warm 

and melted and all kitty. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 58 

"It will. Sleep." Gus held him, arms strong and good, 

making sure he wouldn't slip right off the bed in a 
puddle. 

His purr was his only answer. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 59 

Chapter Eleven 

Gus liked Sam a little. Maybe a lot. It was damned 

surprising. They'd finally decided to leave the hotel 
room, both of them needing to stretch their legs, and 
man, they'd been goofy. Tourists. Disneyland was 
fascinating to a shifter. All those smells. It was kind of 
like catnip to Sam. The guy was a little high, and it was 
hilarious. To Gus, anyway. 

He watched Sam climb things, explore, look at 

everything. Touch everything. 

"Don't you live in the city, man?" 
"I do. Not this one." Sam's green eyes were alight, 

pleasure and curiosity bright in them. 

"Uh-huh." Gus had to admit it was a little 

overwhelming to him. Sam just seemed to get more and 
more energized. It was dizzying, really. Made him want 
to snap, bite. Maybe hump a little. Hell, it made him 
want to hump a lot. Bang-bang. 

At some point, Sam was chasing a flock of birds, at 

least with his eyes, body vibrating next to him. Gus 
wanted to bark and run and scare the birds into full 
flight, just to see what Sam would do. Instead, he let one 
hand slide down Sam's spine, scratching a long line, 
watching Sam shiver and growl. That was so fucking 
cool. That whole hot spot thing just made Gus want to 
go back to the hotel and do things no one was allowed to 
do in an amusement park. 

There was nothing quite like this sexy, limber, eager 

man. 

Gus hated to admit it, but he might be smitten. A 

whole lot of smitten. It wasn't natural, damn it. Not at 
all. 

"Huh?" Sam's elbow knocked him out of his 

thoughts, jamming into his ribs. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 60 

"You want to eat? Ride? Go?" 
"I'm easy, man." He could go, take Sam back to the 

hotel. Or he could just hang out. 

"Then come on. Space Mountain." 
"Oh." Space Mountain rocked, and they were there 

early enough in the day -- and the season -- that the line 
wasn't awful. 

"Uh-huh. Like being high, but legal." 
"Yeah." Not that he was overly concerned with legal. 

He wasn't a city mouse like Sam. He tended to go where 
the rocks were. 

They headed to the line, Sam bouncing and purring 

all the way. Gus grinned, hiding it by tipping his head 
down. He couldn't wait to grope the man on their ride. 
Every so often someone would look at Sam, at the long-
limbed looseness of his puss, and Gus had to resist the 
urge to growl. His kitty. His, damn it. 

They stood in line, and if Sam had been changed 

those whiskers would have been twitching. It was 
bizarre to him that Sam didn't just change at will more 
often. The man obviously liked being a kitty. 

"You smell good." The words were rumbled softly. 
"Huh?" He glanced over to find Sam looking at him 

like he was a leg of zebra or something. Yum. The 
desire was right there, out in the open. Rowl. 

They were halfway through the line, so Gus figured 

he could wait until after Space Mountain. Then he was 
taking Sam somewhere and tearing that ass up. He could 
see the barest bite mark on the nape of Sam's neck from 
last night. 

His cock went woo-hoo, all up against his zipper. 

Ow. 

They managed to get on the ride without humping or 

biting or clawing anything. Gus found that a sign of 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 61 

success. They settled in the same car on the ride, scoring 
the front row. Sam was vibrating, purring loudly. 

"You been on Space Mountain before?" Gus never 

had. He'd been on some amazing roller coaster rides, but 
never a Disney one until today. 

"In Florida, yeah. I was in college, spring break." 
"Cool. I tended to go on trips to Turkey and shit." 
"I've never been there. Turkey. I..." The ride started 

to move. 

The thing accelerated pretty quick, and soon it looked 

like they were in space. It was a little nauseating, but 
Sam just kept making this ooooo noise. Up and down, 
they zoomed around, Sam's hand sneaking over to cup 
his balls. 

"Shit!" He yelped, his body pressing up against the 

bar. 

"Sorry!" Sam pulled away, eyes visible in the 

darkness. 

"No, you're not. Just don't make me jump out or 

anything, huh?" 

"You can't jump out. You're not that flexible." 
"You are." He groped a little, too. 
"I am." Sam wasn't worried at all, the man spread like 

butter. Gus figured he didn't have the element of 
surprise. Maybe Sam wasn't a little seasick. Did cats 
even get seasick? Carsick? Whatever. Wolves sure did. 
Man, every family trip they'd made, Pete had barfed all 
over. Whoa. No barfing. 

"You okay?" Sam grabbed his hand. 
"Uh-huh." He was, really, as long as he didn't think 

about it. He held on, though. 

"Watch my eyes." 
"You'll miss the ride." They'd waited in line... 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 62 

"Watch my eyes, Pup. I'll be your spotter." Those 

bright eyes were like lasers, holding his attention, giving 
him something to focus on. 

"'Kay." He could do that. He held Sam's hand and 

watched those glow in the dark eyes, ignoring the stream 
of blurred stars around them. 

"There. That's better." 
If it hadn't been so much better, he'd have popped 

Sam for that smug tone. 

"Fucker." He grinned a little, then grinned harder 

because Sam squeezed his hands. 

"Almost done. Keep watching." 
"I am." Sam was stunning. Just fucking mesmerizing. 
One of Sam's hands cupped his cheek, just as all the 

lights went out, and all he saw were green eyes. Gus 
stared into them until the ride ended, sliding to a stop on 
the platform. 

"Let's go." Sam slipped out, moving like liquid sex. 
Gus took a few moments to right himself before 

following, stalking that fine ass. That had been... damn 
near as intense as sex. Gus shook his head. You just 
never knew about kitties. 

Sam was waiting for him, perched on a railing. 
"You want to do anything else here at the park, 

Puss?" 

One eyebrow raised. "Pardon me, Pup?" 
"Any other rides? Shows?" He wanted to go back to 

the hotel. Now. 

"No. I want to ride something infinitely hotter." 
Well, okay then. That worked for him. He grabbed 

Sam's arm and started tugging. Sam's laugh tickled his 
ear. Kind of made him want to beat the man bloody. Or 
fuck him blind. Or both. Uhn. 

They hurried to the car, Sam slipping into the 

passenger seat, almost vibrating next to him. Gus pushed 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 63 

in behind the wheel, glancing around. The parking lot 
was huge and no one was paying him any mind, so he 
took a kiss. He chuffed at the surprised little sound he 
got. It wasn't often you shocked Puss. Hot damn. The 
kiss went hot for a moment, almost turning into 
something no one should do under a big, childlike 
mouse sign. 

"Hotel. Bed. Now, Pup." That snarl was pure sex. 
"Yeah. Now." Thank God traffic was moving once 

they got out on the highway. 

"I love LA. It's got such a different vibe from New 

York." 

"I bet it's less crazy than New York. More room to 

run, too." Gus loved to run when the wolf was on him, 
and he'd seen Sam go and go when they'd played chase. 

"I bet. I haven't noticed many shifters here." 
"No?" Gus hadn't even paid a bit of attention. "Are 

there a lot in New York?" 

"Yes." The word was clipped, short. 
That sounded ominous. Gus got off the interstate and 

headed toward their hotel. "Is that bad?" 

Sam chuckled softly. "I can think of a thousand 

things that are better." 

"Huh." He let it go, not wanting to spoil the mood 

completely. His cock was telling him there was still a 
mood. The way Sam's fingers traced the inseam of his 
jeans proved he wasn't the only one, either. 

"Don't crash us now, man. We're almost there." 
"I wouldn't do that. Focus." Those fingers kept right 

on touching. 

"Huh?" Oh, right. Look, there was the hotel. 
"Pay attention, Puppy." Fingertips brushed his balls. 
His legs drew up, his foot slipping on the pedal a 

little. Gus got it together long enough to park, though. 

"Very nice." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 64 

He was going to beat Sam's ass. "I'm going to tear 

you up, babe." 

"Promises, promises." 
"You know it. I've always made good on my 

promises." Okay, so he used to promise to kick Sam's 
ass, not do naughty things to it. Still, a promise was a 
promise. 

Grinning, Gus hopped out of the car, chasing Sam 

when he popped up and headed out at a run. The slinky 
little fucker was quick, sliding up the stairs at light 
speed. Gus bounded after, all but panting. He could 
damned near see Sam's tail. The only reason he caught 
up to Sam was because the man fumbled with the card 
key at the door. They tumbled into the room, hands on 
each other. Gus pulled Sam around and kissed him. 

Hands cupped his head, tugged him in to that wild, 

needy mouth, Sam sucking up his growl, and Gus 
humped a little, needing so bad, his body wild with it. 
Sam's cock was as hard as his; he could feel it, rubbing 
against him. Gus hummed, moaned, maybe whimpered 
like a puppy. Sam made him want to wallow a little. 

"Come catch me." Sam leapt onto the bed, the motion 

surprising, powerful. Gus wanted to howl, but he gave 
chase instead. He bounded on the bed, reaching for Sam. 
Their chests slapped together, Sam's legs twining with 
his, locking them together. 

Gus grunted, kissing Sam until he couldn't breathe. 

God. Yes. 

They rocked together like beasts, rutting, growling 

into one anothers’ lips. Gus touched Sam wherever he 
could, just wanting skin. He bit at Sam's neck, leaving a 
mark. 

That got him a low yowl, the lean body rippling for 

him. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 65 

"Mmm." He hummed, growled, wiggling and 

panting. 

"Toothy pup." Sam purred softly, cheek sliding on 

his. 

"Uh-huh. You like it." Someone was scenting him. It 

was stunningly hot. 

"I do." That too-rough tongue slid over his ear. 
His nipples pulled up, his hips rocking. "Do what?" 

He was losing the thread. 

"Like it. When you bite." Fingers pinched his nipple. 
"Oh, good." He bit down on Sam's shoulder, his skin 

alive with shivers. The low rowl split the air, and he 
chuffed softly, shook Sam a little, making sure to leave a 
mark. 

He needed to mark that fine skin for some reason. 

Needed to make Sam his, even for a little while. Sam 
whimpered softly, the sound pure sex, pure need, hands 
holding him there. His lips moved over dozens of scars, 
other bite marks, scratches. 

He filed that away to ask about later. Right now 

connect the dots was more fun. Sam's cock was like a 
brand, leaking against his thigh. He reached for it, 
pressing the heel of his hand against it. God, that felt 
good. 

"Mmm." Sam nuzzled him, claws digging into his 

shoulders. 

"Sweet kitty." He grinned, thinking how Sam might 

have tried to claw his eyes out for this not long ago. 
Now he was squeezing Sam's cock, ready to go off like a 
bottle rocket. 

"Puppy." Sam panted, tongue rough on his skin. 
"You make me feel like one, for sure." He rocked, 

hips moving. 

"Want you." Sam caught his earlobe in sharp teeth 

and tugged. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 66 

"You want to ride me, Puss?" Gus wanted it bad 

enough that his balls ached, his teeth gritting. 

"More than I fucking want my next breath. Get 

naked." 

He started stripping off, even though he had to let go 

to do it. Sam wasn't running, though. Sam bared that 
long, lean body for him, cock full, heavy. Gus reached 
out, pulling the man back in, needing contact. Sex was a 
full body sport. His hands were fascinated by Sam's 
body, and his skin ached where that rough tongue 
dragged over him. 

They twisted and turned, touching, tasting, and he 

finally got a good hold on Sam's body, sliding down. He 
needed to get the man ready to go. 

"Where are you going?" Sam reached for him, eyes 

heated, shining. 

"You'll see." He kissed one sharp hipbone, then the 

tip of Sam's cock, before he turned the man around. 

Sam's ass was tight, pale as milk, and so fine. Gus bit 

one asscheek, wanting Sam to feel the sting. Sam 
yelped, stilled for a second, then pushed back against 
him. Gus rubbed his cheek against the smooth skin, 
breathing deep. His hands spread Sam wide, opening the 
tight hole. 

He loved the way Sam shivered and rolled, muscles 

fucking amazing. Gus licked a hot line down from Sam's 
tailbone, starting to get the man wet. Lean thighs spread, 
Sam arching for him, begging for it, so Gus closed his 
eyes and went to work, pushing his tongue in. He 
needed that hot little hole good and wet. 

Sam let him in and in, rocking back with every 

fucking lick. Sensual man. Hot, hot, hot. Sam was 
burning up inside. He heard the sheets rip as Sam 
arched, pushed back against him. Gus chuckled, licking, 
holding those lean hips. He wanted more than 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 67 

movement; he wanted Sam crazy. He wanted Sam mad 
for him, begging for his cock. Gus licked and bit and 
really opened the man up, two fingers sliding in and out 
of Sam's hole. Fuck... 

Sam slammed back against him, took him to the 

second knuckle. 

"Fuck. Fuck, Sam." He panted against that sweet 

skin. "More." 

"Fuck me. Fuck me, Gus. Now. Hard." 
"Yeah. Yeah." He stood, pushing Sam face down, 

using a little more spit to prepare the way, and Sam took 
him in when he lined up, body hot and tight as fuck 
around his prick. 

His eyes rolled. Oh, fuck. That was like -- damn. 
"Yes. Deeper. Fuck." Sam yowled. 
"Yeah. Yeah, babe." Oh, man. He wasn't gonna last 

long. Gus grabbed Sam's hips, fingers digging in as he 
slammed in, giving Sam every fucking inch. His body 
shuddered, his breath coming hard and fast. Sam felt 
like the best thing he'd ever known. Like home. He 
leaned forward, bit Sam's nape, the act imprinted in his 
soul. Sam yowled for him again, and they'd be fucking 
lucky if no one called and complained about noise. 

He felt Sam's orgasm, the man's body rippling around 

him, and Gus shouted, his hips jerking madly back and 
forth. He came so hard his teeth rattled. They settled 
down on the mattress together, panting heavily. Sam's 
body kept working his cock, muscles jerking restlessly. 

"Gonna kill me, Puss." He patted one asscheek. 
"Nah. You're too fun to do that." 
"Better than Space Mountain, even." 

"Much, much better." He almost gagged, just thinking of 
it. He pinched Sam instead, laughing as Sam hissed 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 68 

softly, spine curling. "Mmm. Did we bring any food, or 
is my turn to get room service?" 

"Pick up the phone and dial, Pup." 
"'Kay." Gus got room service and made what he was 

starting to think of as their order. Tuna. Steak. Milk. 
Sweets. 

Sam cleaned them up, purrs rumbling in the lean 

chest. Gus could get to like this. It was a dangerous 
thought. An unnatural thought, really. Sam was a city 
dweller, a feline. Not someone to mate with. Gus hated 
it when reality intruded. He sighed, rolling his head on 
his neck. 

"You cool?" 
He swore he could see Sam's whiskers twitching. 

"Huh? Yeah. What are you doing this full moon?" 

"Hiding in my apartment." 
"Hiding..." Hell, Sam could do that back at their old 

homestead. "Come run with me. I'm going to Mexico." 

"Mexico? What's in Mexico?" 
"Lots of room to run. Some Mexican fire opals just 

waiting for me." He tickled Sam's belly, trying to reduce 
the tension. 

"Mmm. I haven't been to Mexico during the moon." 
"So come with me. There's not a lot out there." It was 

important, somehow. 

Sam nodded. "If I don't have any gigs. I have to 

check my schedule." 

How could the man work during the moon? "You 

work? Dude. I would go crazy." 

"Only during the day. I spend the nights at home." 
"Why?" Oh, he knew it was stupid to push, but it was 

unnatural, and he knew there was something there, some 
secret, like a stone wanting to be unburied. 

"Why what?" 
"Why hide? I mean, you should run." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 69 

He got an incredulous look. "I've lost enough skin, 

enough time. You can't trust us." 

"Us?" What the hell did that mean? 
"Shifters." Sam backed away a little. 
"You mean you can't trust me? Shit, Puss, I know I 

was crap when we were kids, but we've had some 
laughs." They'd done good together. 

"No. No, that's not what I mean." Sam shook his 

head. "You're not in the city." 

"No. I'm not." He couldn't see how Sam could do it, 

either. "I like it a bit more natural, Puss." 

"There's not a whole lot natural about me." 
"No. No, I guess not." Gus figured he was an 

anomaly, too, but he wasn't going to say that to Sam. 

Sam tensed, found some sweats to pull on, which was 

good. He was getting too attached to that ass. His kind 
didn't hook up with Sam's kind. He knew that. Sam 
knew that. 

Gus hunted down a pair of boxer briefs and pulled 

them on. "You gonna get all pissy on me, Puss? You 
know we're oil and water." 

"What does that mean?" Sam ran his hands through 

his hair, the dark mass standing straight up. 

"It means this is all good and well, but it's not like 

you're ever going to come hang with me in Mexico." 

"Like you'd welcome me there." Sam met his eyes, 

challenging him. "What are you going to tell your wolfy 
friends? I'm your pet pussy? Your friend? Your mate?" 

"Wolves don't mate with cats." Jesus. It was hard 

enough to be queer in his world. But to mate with Sam 
would be a disaster. 

"No, they don't." Sam's fingers traced a heavy set of 

scars on his chest, his cheek, then a t-shirt got tugged on. 
"Good thing we fuck pretty well, though. Either that or 
you're really good at faking it." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 70 

"I don't fake it. Hell, Puss, I like you." He shook his 

head. "It's not natural, but I do." 

"Don't worry. I promise not to tell Pete. You'd never 

live it down." 

"Oh, fuck off. You gonna take me to your next 

premiere? Show off the wolfy arm candy?" 

"I don't go to premieres." 
Uh-huh. Right. At least he was fucking honest. "No, 

you're just a hypocrite." Gus shook his head. "I need a 
shower." 

"You're right. Get the smell of me off of you. It sinks 

in, did you know? If you don't get it off you? It'll mark 
you forever." 

Gus glanced over his shoulder, raising a brow. "No, 

I'm just crusty. You want to be bitchy, though, you just 
go right ahead, Puss. Makes it easier to say goodbye 
when you go back to your own city." 

"Go shower, Puppy. The food will be here soon." 

Sam looked at him, and suddenly the man seemed old 
and tired. 

Gus wavered, wanting to go back and grab Sam in a 

hug and tell him it would all be okay. It wouldn't, 
though, so he slipped into the bathroom and closed the 
door. 

He pretended he didn't hear it when Sam left the hotel 

room. Someone wasn't sticking around for their tuna. 

Gus tried to tell himself it was for the best. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 71 

Chapter Twelve 

"I called a friend to meet us for lunch. I hope that's 

okay." Pete grinned at Gus, and Gus kinda wanted to 
whack his brother over the head with a pick-axe. Hard. 
After two long days of making nice at a gem and 
mineral trade show in the fucking city, he had no desire 
to be social. 

"What friend?" Gus growled, his hands clenching and 

unclenching. 

"Sam Finn. His mom has a bunch of stuff for him, 

things of his dad's. That's one reason I could meet you 
out here, huh?" There was wickedness in Pete's eyes. 

Shit. Shit, shit. "So, you go meet him for lunch, man. 

I'll finish shipping the stuff I need to ship." 

"Dude, don't be rude! I need you there to plead my 

damn case." 

There was no way. No way he wanted to see Sam 

with Pete there. What if Pete scented something? 
Noticed something off? 

Not to mention that he might not be able to control 

his body's reactions. Pete would be sure to see that, if 
Gus started getting physical. 

"Your case for what? Everyone knows you're 

boinking his sister." 

"Yeah, but he's like the oldest brother and shit, and I 

need him to say it's cool that Lizzie and I get married." 
Pete looked suddenly like he did when the man was a 
boy, all eyes and whining. 

"Married, huh? Pups on the way?" He wanted Pete to 

buck up; insulting the man generally worked. 

Pete turned red. "Shut up." 
Oh, man. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 72 

"Shit. I hate it when I'm right." He grinned a little. 

Pete really would need him to be there. Sam would eat 
his head. 

"She's it, man. I swear. I won't do her wrong, but 

Mona's mourning and Gray's wolfy and... Sam's my bud, 
bro, but I need backup." 

"Okay. When is lunch?" Maybe he'd have time to 

jack off until he was raw. Then his cock would stay 
down. 

"We're supposed to meet near his place around 

eleven." 

"Okay." Gus had no idea where Sam even lived. 

Weird. 

"Thanks, bro." He got a wink, a half smile. "Sam 

lives in a crazy scary place. I don't get it." 

Who the hell got anything about Puss? Ever? The cat 

was just maddening. He would look at the blue sky and 
tell you it was purple. 

"So, no time to go clean up, huh?" Gus sighed. That 

sucked. 

"He's sending a car deal, so yeah. Go ahead." 
"Oh, cool. Thanks." Gus ducked into bathroom to try 

to take care of his cock while he took a shower. 

There was no way he was going to be able to handle 

this. No fucking way. There was something about Sam 
that made him fucking stupid, made him do ridiculous 
things. He'd say something to make Sam kick him in the 
face, or Gus would try to jump the man and bite him... 

Something. 
Biting Sam sounded like a fabulous idea. Biting and 

listening to that yowl. 

Oh, God. He ducked under the water in the hotel 

shower and got busy, gripping his cock a little too hard. 
He needed it to behave. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 73 

Still, it was Sam he thought about when he stroked. 

The way Sam arched under his touch, the way the scar 
on the man's cheek tasted. He thought about that long, 
lean body and how strong those pretty legs were. Then 
he thought about Sam sucking his dick and he came like 
a teenager, so fast it made his balls ache. 

He slumped against the shower tile, little lights 

dancing before his eyes. Fuck. 

The pounding on the door almost made him slip and 

kill himself. "Are you done, man? Car's five minutes 
out." 

"I'll be right there. Shit. Keep your fucking shirt on!" 
"Get your ass in gear!" 
Man, Pete would only pull that shit when was Gus 

wet and naked and behind a locked door. 

He hopped out, slip-sliding across the fucking 

bathroom floor like a drunken bear, slamming into the 
sink and banging the fuck out of himself. Goddamn it. 
He cursed viciously, his mood souring even more. 

"Are you murdering someone in there?" 
"No! I'm trying to get my teeth brushed so they're 

minty fresh when I rip your throat out." 

"Don't be a jerk! We're going to be late." Pete was 

just fixin' to die. "You know, you need to put your jeans 
on, man." 

"I am, I am." He skinned on his jeans, wincing when 

the lack of underwear made for a little pulling and 
chafing. 

His t-shirt was tossed over, Pete holding a big box of 

stuff in one arm that smelled like home. "Slow poke." 

"I was busy." He knew he was snarling. Good thing 

his brother knew him well. 

"Bitch. We're having Italian." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 74 

Good thing his t-shirt was black, just in case someone 

chucked a plate at him. "It's not fancy, is it?" Gus asked, 
finally ready to head out. 

"Sam wouldn't do that. He's not a prick. Besides, Sam 

isn't the fancy food type." 

Like Pete knew. He'd spent a fabulous fucking night 

in bed with Sam eating three hundred dollars worth of 
steaks and fries, licking aioli off those long fingers. He 
wouldn't even go into Sam spending fifty dollars on a 
single piece of tuna. 

"Let's go." He rolled his head on his shoulders. Jesus 

Christ. He was so ready to get the fuck out of Dodge. 

Pete clapped him on the back, and they left the hotel. 

The car was nice, the driver this big dude, and the side 
of town they headed toward rough. Damn. 

He looked at Pete, eyebrow raised. "He lives here?" 
"Somewhere, yeah. He says the restaurant is really 

good." Pete sounded unconcerned, which emphasized 
how not city he was. 

"Good." This wasn't just dirty, this was dangerous. 

Maybe it was just that Sam wasn't home much, so he 
didn't care. Surely he could afford more. 

The car pulled over, idled. "Mister Finn says he'll be 

here in just a few moments. We'll just wait." 

Gus stared out the window, wondering if one of these 

buildings was Sam's. He sure hoped not. 

Why in the hell would anyone want to live here? 

*** 

"What are you doing out and about, you little bitch?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 75 

Sam heard the words, but refused to look, refused to 

act like he heard. The assholes were getting bolder, 
beginning to come up town, harass him. He stayed 
away. He had his flat, his place, he didn't engage. 

Not after the last time he'd fought back, that had left 

him flat on his back with Helena coming in from 
Chicago, saving him from bleeding out on his own 
balcony. 

"You smell like dog cunt, little bitch, like one of 

those stupid fucking pups." 

Just keep walking, Samuel. They're assholes. They 

don't have the sense of a goldfish. 

Pete was waiting for him so they could go to 

Pastori's, with a box of some of the things Ma wanted 
him to have. Silly pup didn't offer to stay with him this 
time. Dork. 

A bottle crashed at his heels and he did hurry, out 

into the sunlight, out where he could see Chris, the car, 
and wave. 

Leave me alone. Just leave me be. 
The others faded back when he reached the car, 

disappearing. When he slid inside, Pete was there, as 
was Gus. Great. 

"Hey. You didn't tell me you had company, Pete." 

This was going to get him killed. 

"Didn't I? I hope the restaurant is cool with three." 

His oldest friend was terrible at appearing innocent. Gus 
was terrible at appearing pleased. He looked like he'd 
swallowed a troll. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 76 

"Don't be a dork, Pete. They don't care. How's the 

jewel digging business, Pup?" 

Gus raised a brow. "Lucrative, this weekend. How's 

kicks, Puss?" 

"Good. Choreographing a TV special filming next 

week. Fun stuff." He winked, going for casual. God, this 
sucked. "How about you, Pete? What are you up to?" 

"I came with Gus to help deliver shit for his show." 

Pete grinned brightly, his eyes so much more green than 
Gus' gold-ish ones. "I need to talk to you, too." 

"Is she pregnant?" Ma had called two days ago. 
"Christ, does everyone know?" Pete rolled his eyes. 

"I -- I need your blessing, Sam. With your dad gone and 
all." 

"She loves you. You love her." He shrugged. "Go for 

it, man. Be good to her." 

"Thanks." Pete grinned hugely, elbowing Gus. "Did 

you hear that? You guys will be related." 

Gus snorted. "Oh, goodie." 
"Make sure he's your best man at the wedding." This 

was hell on Earth, sitting here and not looking, not 
touching. Fucking hell on Earth. 

He'd thought Gus was completely unaffected, that the 

man didn't care, but now he could see the tapping of 
Gus' fingers, the slight bulge growing under the zipper 
of Gus' jeans. 

Pete was, as always, oblivious. "I brought a bunch of 

stuff from your mom. She says she misses you." 

He nodded. It was too dangerous for her to come, at 

least right now. Ever since LA, it was just too much. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 77 

Too wolfy for the asshats to deal with. 
"We're here, sir." The car pulled up in front of the 

restaurant, thank God. 

"Thank you, Chris. Pick us up in an hour and a half." 

He left the box from Ma without looking at it. "Come 
on, guys." 

Pete climbed out of the car first, but Gus waited for 

him. He could swear he felt Gus' hand on his ass as he 
stepped out to the street. 

Sam didn't look around, didn't check to see if they 

were being watched. He just kept walking, leading them 
into the restaurant. "How long are you guys in town?" 

"I leave tonight," Pete said, standing aside so Sam 

could talk to the host. "Gus leaves tomorrow. He has to 
ship stuff." 

"Ah. Cool." Sam smiled at Gianni. "Gianni, my dear 

friend. Tell me there's a table for me." 

"Of course, signore. This way, si?" Gianni was a 

sixty-ish Italian immigrant with a terrible comb-over and 
a penchant for dance shows. 

They got the best seat, a quiet booth in the back, Sam 

settling in easily. A part -- a huge part -- of him was 
interested if Gus might be interested in a quickie, just 
for shits and giggles. 

Gus' nose was working overtime. "Smells good in 

here." 

"The food is amazing. I've been coming here for 

years." Almost since the beginning. Almost. 

"I'm starving. Gus made me work like a slave." Pete 

managed pathetic way better than he did innocent. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 78 

"Try the chicken parm. It's huge." He chuckled softly. 

"Did the big puppy make you carry boxes, Petey?" 

"Oh, man, you have no idea how much of a bastard 

he can be." Pete rolled his eyes when Gus growled. 

The sound sent a shiver down Sam's spine. 
"I can imagine." He met Gus' eyes. "I bet he's a 

taskmaster." 

Gus' lips curled in a tiny smile. "A regular slave 

driver." 

They actually grinned at each other, at least until Pete 

made a weird little noise and shifted and Gus looked 
away. 

Right. 
No smiling. 
Not where anyone could see. Especially someone 

who knew them as well as Pete. 

Gus reached for the bread basket. 
He watched the man's hands, remembering how good 

they'd felt on his skin, on his body. They were brown, 
callused, and had a few new scars. He wanted to feel 
them on him now, to suck those fingers and get them 
wet enough to slide inside him. He wanted to watch 
those oddly pale brown eyes go almost gold with heat, 
teeth bared as Gus thrust, filled him up. 

Gus paused in the act of buttering his bread, head 

lifting, nose flaring a little. Those eyes fastened on him, 
flashing with something dangerous. 

"If you two are going to have a fight, go into the 

damn bathroom. This bread is too good to waste." 

Sam was going to kill Pete. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 79 

Gus took a deep breath, looking away. "So, what's 

good besides the parm?" Gus asked, voice low and 
scratchy. 

"I like the beef roulade. I like the ravioli." He'd like 

to watch Gus eat spaghetti. 

"Hmm. Maybe pasta. Linguine." 
That would work, too. 
Pete got the parm, Gus a linguine with Bolognese. 

Gus ordered them wine, too, which was just downright 
dangerous. 

He licked the wine off his fingers, nibbled the 

anchovies from the Caesar salad. Gus drank one glass 
way too fast, and Pete just kept staring back and forth 
between them. 

"Are y'all okay? I mean... everyone heard you fought 

at the funeral, but..." 

Sam lifted one hand to his scar. "We didn't fight." 
"Sure you did. You were both tore up." 
"We ran together a little." Gus stared his brother 

down, which was hot. Really. 

"Fine. Don't tell me. Christ, you'd think you two were 

fucking." 

Sam stared at Pete, then slipped in before Gus' growl 

could get any louder. "Be serious, Pete." 

"Cats and dogs don't mix, right?" Gus was going to 

chew the scenery any moment. It was fascinating to 
watch. 

"Sam's not a cat. He's a Finn." 
Sam looked down, a sick feeling in his stomach. That 

was the whole point, wasn't it? He wasn't a wolf, and he 
wasn't welcome with the other cats. He was a Finn. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 80 

"Just shut up, Pete." 
Thankfully, the food came then, and they all had 

something else to focus on. Like watching Gus suck. 
Listening to Gus moan over the cheese. Having Gus lick 
sauce off his fingers. 

"Right, Sam?" 
He snapped back to the present, Pete's question 

taking him completely by surprise. 

"What? Sorry, I was off in my own little world." 
"I said you'll come back for the gathering soon, 

right?" 

Gus watched him like a hawk; not that Gus didn't 

know the answer. 

"No, Pete. Why would I? No one wants me there. I'm 

not Pack." 

"You are, too." Pete was stalwart that way, insisting 

he had a place. "It has to be better than here." 

"I'm locked in a room either way." He met Gus' eyes, 

wanting Gus to say something, to argue. 

Gus sighed. "He's right, Pete. You know James 

would put him away for his safety." Gus didn't look 
away, his eyes saying how sorry he was. 

"Still, you belong..." 
"Nowhere. Just drop it, Pete, huh? The Pack showed 

me for eighteen years that I didn't deserve to be there; 
I'm at best an irritation, at worst a frigging 
embarrassment." 

"Stop it." Gus' voice snapped like the steel jaws of a 

trap. "Leave it be, Pete. The pack was wrong, but they 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 81 

did it for the right reasons. To keep you safe, Sam. It 
sucks. Who wants dessert?" 

Pete stared. "I'll take cake." 
"Just coffee." He didn't know what else to say. The 

Pack would always win. Always. God, he was getting 
maudlin. 

"I think you need the cheese plate, too." Gus got 

cannoli. That was so not fair. 

"When are you and Lizzie getting married, Pete?" He 

played with his coffee cup while they waited for the 
dessert course, the urge to pounce Gus nigh unbearable. 

"I'm not sure. I guess I'll call. Maybe we'll do a 

destination wedding..." 

"You and your Pack on a cruise ship, howling under 

the moon." He couldn't help the tease. 

"Funny. No, I was thinking more that way I could 

invite who I wanted and not have the rest there." 

He smiled at Pete. The man was a good friend. 

Honestly. 

Gus clapped Pete on the shoulder. "Good man. You 

need to think about a cab to the airport." 

"Am I making you late for a flight?" Jesus, Pete was 

a bad traveler. 

"Huh? No." Pete checked his watch. "I mean, I 

wouldn't be too early if I went now." 

He shook his head. "Do we need to get you back to 

the hotel for your bags?" 

"Nah. Gus and I shipped my stuff today. You know I 

hate carrying shit. I have my iPod." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 82 

"Cool. I'll get you a cab." Gus was looking... toothy. 

Hungry, even though they'd just eaten. 

"Excellent." Pete grinned over at him. "Good to see 

you, man. Look for a wedding invitation, huh?" 

He clapped his best friend on the shoulder. "Will do. 

Travel safe." 

"Thanks." Pete leaned in when Gus went to talk to 

the maitre 'd. "If you are fucking, just wear a condom. 
Gus is a dog." 

Ouch. "It runs in the family." 
"Hey! I love your sister." Pete laughed, gave him a 

half hug, and Sam noticed the bill had disappeared with 
Gus. 

"Go on. Email me." He left a twenty on the table for a 

tip. 

"I will. Bye, Sam." Pete headed off, and Sam saw 

him stop to give Gus a rough hug on the way out. 

He moved slower, watching Gus on the way. 

Admiring his mate. 

Stop that. 
Just stop it. 
Gus waited for him, almost vibrating with tension. 

Those eyes flashed gold, though, so pretty, the spark of 
lust obvious. He purred, deep in his throat. His body 
screamed that this was right, this was what he wanted. 
This was his. 

Sam called his driver, wanting to get back to Gus' 

hotel, wanting a safe place to take what he needed. 

"Chris is coming to get us." He offered Gus a half 

smile. "You look good." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 83 

"So do you." Listen to that gravel-filled growl. Gus 

turned and made for the door to the street, ass swinging 
like crazy. 

Sam followed behind, the scent of Gus like a drug, 

like the best perfume, better than tuna. The man made 
him purr. 

They stood next to each other on the sidewalk, Gus 

giving him sideways looks. Those eyes... that stare 
might burn him alive. His cock was hard, aching, he 
couldn't look at Gus without needing, without touching. 
He reached out, fingers touching Gus' wrist. 

Gus started, skittering away, jumping like he'd been 

shocked. "Sam!" 

"What?" He blinked, stared at Gus. "Did I shock 

you?" 

"No." Gus lowered his voice. "No, it's just... 

Someone might see." 

"Oh." He pulled away, made sure there was space 

between them. Enough that he couldn't reach. "Right. I 
hear you." 

Even in California, there had been casual touches. 
Of course, that was before he'd... gotten attached. Gus 

must have figured it out, that he'd fucked up. 

"I -- you live here, huh? People know you." 
"Well, I live here. They all know I'm queer." 
Gus hunched his shoulders, pulled a pack of 

cigarettes out of his pocket and lit up, looking a little 
hunted. "I don't know, puss. It's weird." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 84 

"Yeah." Except it wasn't weird. He was, and didn't 

that piss him off. "Sorry, man. Didn't mean to..." What? 
Intrude? Touch? Try? "...fuck with you." 

Where was Chris? 
"I know." Gus rolled his head on his neck, looking 

tired. Sam might have tried to have sympathy if the man 
wasn't a giant asshat. "I'm sorry." 

"For what? I'm not your problem. Pete made you 

come to lunch." Gus didn't want to see him. Gus wasn't 
here for him. 

Gus had let him walk away. 
"I wanted to see you." The words were barely 

audible, and far worse than if Gus was just mean. 

He looked over. "But that doesn't matter at all. Here's 

the car." 

Chris pulled up to the curb, and he grabbed the door 

handle, held the door open. 

Sam waited until Gus got in, then he shut the door, 

nodding to Chris through the passenger side door. "Take 
him wherever he needs to go. Then bring me my box." 

"Yes, boss." 
He nodded, then headed down the street without 

looking back. Sometimes it didn't matter what you 
wanted, you weren't going to get it, so it was silly to try. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 85 

Chapter Thirteen 

Gus wondered, not for the first time, why he'd let his 

buddy Cole talk him into this trip. They'd been hunting 
lapis, and the trip plan they'd filed with the State 
Department said they were going to Uzbekistan, but late 
last night they'd crossed into Afghanistan, traveling 
light. 

As in traveling as wolves. 
The area they were heading for had native wolves, so 

they wouldn't stand out, Cole said. There was this guy, 
Fahran, who would stash clothes and tools for them, 
Cole said. 

God, he was an idiot. 
He was an idiot who'd been running from Sam, or at 

least the memory of Sam's face, which had been set in 
resolve when he'd put Gus in the car and sent him on his 
way. His mate, and he'd put that look on Sam's face. 

Hell, maybe he deserved everything he got. 
The barrel of the rifle pressed against his kidney 

stabbed at him, pushing him forward. He and Cole had 
gotten their stash of clothes, tools, and papers, gotten 
their second-hand Jeep, and headed into the mountains. 

Only to get stopped at the first security checkpoint 

they tried to pass through. 

They were shoved into a cell, the place dingy and 

gray and stinking of cigarettes and despair. So much for 
a diplomatic containment unit, which was what they'd 
been told they were going to. 

"Hey! Hey, you can't do this to us! We have papers." 

Cole hit the bars with one hand, snarling. 

The outer door to the cell area clanged shut, and Gus 

turned his head to stare at his friend. "Good papers. 
Don't worry about filing the actual plan." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 86 

"Oh, shut up." Cole slumped to the floor after 

examining the single cot and wrinkling his nose. "What 
about, well, if we get caught we'll just wait until they 
turn their backs and go wolfy?" 

Gus held up his hands, which showed the evidence of 

recently removed cuffs. "Hard to do when no one turns 
their backs." 

"Yeah." Cole rested his chin on his knees, looking 

totally puppy, which was hilarious for such a big dude 
with miner's muscles and shaggy hair. 

"When is the moon?" He couldn't feel it yet, but he 

knew it was coming. He'd planned to track it on the 
watch he'd had Cole's man put in the stash for them. 
That had been confiscated at the check stop. 

"I don't know, man. I'm all turned around on time. 

Jet-lagged." 

"You're an asshat, too." 
"Oh, fuck off, man. If we're here during the moon, 

we're screwed." 

"You think I don't know that?" Gus paced, looking at 

the window, which was high and tiny and covered with 
more bars than a Los Angeles jewelry store. "You got 
any contacts in important places here?" 

"No." Cole gave him a rueful grin. "Mine are all 

unsavory. You?" 

"Shit, no. I don't know anyone rich and famous…" 
Okay, that wasn't true. He might not know anyone in 

Asia, but he did know someone who had an astonishing 
number of high-placed acquaintances. If he could find a 
way to get a hold of the man. He wasn't sure he had a 
reliable number for Sam. 

"Do you have any cash?" His had been in his boots, 

which were also gone. Cole was more crafty than he 
was, though, and might have something in the clothes 
they'd left him with. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 87 

"How much do you need?" 
"How do I know? Enough to get a phone call." 
Cole grunted and started digging in his pants. They'd 

been searched, but not strip-searched, which considering 
the scars Cole had from that one wolf-smackdown in 
Mexico, they might have gone right to the sticking with 
needles and finding out Cole and Gus weren't human. 

Those scars were amazing. 
"Ha!" Cole came out with a small zipper bag, and 

Gus just wasn't going to think on that too much, as in 
where it had been. All he needed to know was that the 
wad of cash was impressive enough. Cole peeled off a 
couple hundreds, American. "You think that will be 
enough?" 

"For a phone call? Should be. These people are 

desperately poor." He grinned. "Put the rest of that back, 
though, huh?" 

"Yeah." 
Cole put the money away, and it was pretty damned 

quiet until someone brought them water and a bowl of 
some kind of… something. Maybe soup. Gus waited 
until the pimple-faced kid set down the trays and slid 
them through the long slot under the bars before he 
spoke. 

"You speak English?" 
The kid gave him a carefully blank look. Gus sighed, 

flicking his hand open to show the hundred dollar bills. 
"You speak American?" 

Now those eyes flickered with interest. 
Gus smiled and nodded. Then he made the universal 

sign for a phone, holding his pinkie and thumb out from 
his fist and putting his hand to his ear. "I get the phone, 
you get the money." 

He could see that the kid got what he was saying. The 

furtive, side to side look said a lot, as in the kid was 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 88 

weighing his chances. Sadly, Gus knew there wouldn't 
just be a cell tower floating around out here, so the kid 
would have to get him to a land line. 

"Shit." Cole cursed when the kid left, and Gus 

slumped back against the wall. 

He sniffed the food. "It's not drugged. Just potatoes 

and salt." 

"Cool." 
They sat there, staring at their toes, though. Gus was 

pissed that he might have lost his chance to get them the 
hell out of there. They were both dozing, heads bobbing, 
when the door opened, making them both scramble. 

The kid stood there, holding a weapon, some sort of 

sub-machine gun. Short but powerful. Gus thought for 
sure the guy was there to just steal the money, but the 
kid jerked his head at Gus, nodding for him to come 
with. 

Gus stood, hands up, and slowly went to the door. "If 

I don't come back, you know who to notify, man." 

Cole nodded. "I got your back, man." 
Gus went. He had to try. And sure enough, the kid 

led him through a series of dark halls to a small room 
with a phone and a table and chair. Damn. This was like 
some kind of movie. Where were all the rest of the 
prisoners? Maybe this was just an outpost or holding 
area or something. He'd expected the kind of shit he'd 
seen on that foreign drug and jail show. 

When no one popped out of the walls the minute Gus 

picked up the phone, he dialed. He knew the number he 
dialed by heart, and knew that the guy on the other end 
would have Sam on speed-dial. 

"Hello?" 
"Petey?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 89 

"Gus. I -- man, I been trying to get a hold of you. Shit is 
hitting the fan here." 

Crap. He hated to be the bearer of more bad news. 

"Petey, I swear I'll help when I get home, but I don't 
have much time. I need you to listen." 

"Okay." He could hear the focus in Pete's voice, 

knew his brother had caught the urgency in his voice. 
"What do you need?" 

"I'm in a holding center in Afghanistan. They're 

holding me on smuggling charges. My passport is in 
Uzbekistan, in a locker at Termez. My fake papers say 
my name is Gus Firestone. I'm somewhere near Khulm. 
I was stopped at a security checkpoint. The coordinates I 
checked last were 36.877277 and 67.461548 give or 
take. I need you to get a hold of Sam, get him to use his 
contacts…" 

"Gus. Gus, the moon is in like four days." 
"I know that. That's why I need you to get on this 

right away. I --" The sound of running feet, clad in 
heavy boots, came to him, moving fast. "Shit. Tell me 
you wrote it down, Pete. Tell me." 

"I did. I did. I'll get you out of there, Gus. I'll do it." 
The men attached to the boots came bursting into the 

room, then, three of them. One took out his young guard 
with a single blow. The other two came after him, 
hitting him with the butts of their guns. Gus went to his 
knees, grunting, his already bruised kidneys screaming. 

"Gus?" He could hear Pete shouting at him. "Gus, 

what's going on? Gus, talk to me." 

The last thing he thought before someone whacked 

him right in the head was that he'd never gotten to give 
that poor kid his money. 

*** 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 90 

"Sam?" 
He sat up in bed, rolling his shoulders, shaking his 

head and blinking at the phone. "What?" 

"Sam, it's Pete. You there?" 
He nodded. He was. He was sore from a week of 

hard-core rehearsals and a fucking party with some 
crazy-assed absinthe that had left him cotton-mouthed 
and stupid, but yeah. He was there. 

Really. 
"Sam?" 
"What, man. What the fuck time is it?" 
"I don't know. I don't know, two a.m. maybe? Shit's 

hitting the fan here." 

"Shit? What kind of shit? Is my mom okay?" He was 

up and moving before he thought, grabbing a robe and 
hitting On on the coffeepot. 

"Yeah. Yeah. Lizzie... she lost the pups, Sam, and 

then..." 

"Oh, fuck. I'm sorry, Pete." 
"They were..." Pete swallowed. "They weren't right." 
Sam sighed, wishing he had one of Gus' cigarettes. 

Pete had to know it was a chance. "I'm sorry, buddy. 
You know she..." 

"Hey, we'll try again. Doc says it's not her; it's just a 

miscarriage. She's fine. I'm marrying her, no matter 
what." 

"Well, good." Why that meant a phone call in the wee 

hours, Sam didn't know, though. 

"Yeah. Anyway, I need your help, man." 
"Getting married?" 
He heard Pete growl. "No! With Gus!" 
He shook his head, poured himself a cup of coffee. 

Gus? He hadn't heard a peep from Gus in months. "Gus 
doesn't have to be there to get you married." 

"Sam, are you drunk?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 91 

"No, asshole. I was asleep." And he was getting 

bitchy. 

"Gus is in trouble. Big trouble." 
Sam counted to ten under his breath; he swore, if 

Petey told him Gus had gotten some she-wolf knocked 
up... "What kind of trouble?" 

"The trouble where he's in Afghanistan and arrested 

and the full moon's in less than a week." 

Sam's coffee mug shattered where it landed on the 

floor. "He's where?" 

"Fucking Afghanistan. They've accused him of 

smuggling. He's hurt and he's trapped and the moon's 
coming. You get me? The full fucking moon. I have 
coordinates. I have. He's hurt, Sam." 

"Okay. Okay, Pete." Suddenly Sam was wide awake, 

eyes burning in his head. "You breathe. I need details. I 
need to know which favors to call in and where to send 
money." 

"Oh. Oh, God. I told Mom you'd be able to fix this. I 

knew it. Gus said to call you." 

"Uh-huh. Details, man. Now. I have shit to do." He 

wasn't leaving his mate to rot on the other side of the 
fucking world. He knew a lot of people with a lot of 
pull. There was no way Gus was stuck there hurt and 
wolfed out. 

No way. 
Never. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 92 

Chapter Fourteen 

He stood at the platform, waiting impatiently. They 

only had so many hours before sunset. This was the 
safest time for him to be out -- all the other cats would 
have gone to ground, and the way they were hunting 
him, that was a blessing -- but he still didn't want to be 
out with the shift happened. He didn't have a fucking 
death wish, after all. 

Sam couldn't fucking believe Gus was here, in the 

city, during the moon. He'd pulled strings -- pulled them 
hard -- to get Gus out of jail and into the country, but 
this was the closest they could get the man safely. 

When Gus finally did appear, Sam almost didn't 

recognize him. The man looked like hell: skinny, 
ragged, and heavily bruised along one cheek and the 
side of his jaw and neck. No wonder Gus had been 
desperate enough to call him. 

His nostrils flared; he couldn't help it. "Gus." 
Gus offered a slow, crooked grin, bruises showing on 

his face. "Hey, Puss." 

"I have a car to take us. We don't have long." He 

grinned back, nodded. "You made it okay. 
Congratulations." 

"Thank you." Gus touched his shoulder, following 

him when he turned to lead the way. "I couldn't -- no 
one else would have been able to get me out of there 
before the moon." 

"It's good to know a ballerina's mafia uncles." 
"I guess so." Gus laughed, the sound almost a rusty 

bark. 

"Did your friend make it to Paris?" 
"Cole? Yeah. Yeah, as far as I know. We decided it 

was best to cut off contact until after the moon, just in 
case." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 93 

The long, black car waited for them, and he held the 

door open for Gus. "Hop in. Chris, take us home, yes?" 

"You got it, boss." 
Gus sat next to him on the big seat, sinking back 

against the upholstery. "Oh, man. Nice ride. It's actually 
quiet in here." 

"You know it. Sometimes you just need to rest." He 

slid over to the minibar, poured two whiskeys and 
handed one over. 

"Thanks." Gus sucked it down, handing the glass 

back. 

"One more?" 
The scent of Gus was everywhere. Fucking 

everywhere. It was not as clean and fresh as usual, but it 
was his mate. 

"Yeah. Yeah. I --" Gus moved closer. "I'm sorry, 

Sam. For all the trouble." 

"No worries." He wouldn't leave Gus to that, he 

couldn't. Gus was... family. It was fucked up, but there it 
was. 

One big hand landed on his thigh. "Are you going to 

be okay with me here? For the moon?" 

"My house is safe, protected, and there's fresh meat, 

milk." Tuna. 

"Cool. Cool. I've never been that close to being 

fucked..." Gus was a little wild around the eyes. Sam 
couldn't have stopped his purr if he'd wanted to. Deep 
and low, it was the best comfort he could offer. That big 
body settled a little. "I've never been in a city this big on 
the moon, either." 

"I have a loft. It's perfect. There's a skylight." Toys. 

Cushions. 

"Perfect." Shaking his head, Gus snorted. "You're a 

city mouse, babe." 

"There's nowhere else for me." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 94 

"We'll see." There was something there in Gus' tone, 

but he really didn't have time to dwell on it now. 

They pulled into the basement of his building, and he 

tipped Chris. "Day after tomorrow, I'll need you to 
deliver groceries." 

"You got it, boss." 
"Thanks." Gus smiled at Chris, and it almost looked 

less than predatory. 

Sam got them in the elevator, moving up. The 

pressure to get them inside was bigger now. Inside. In 
the den. Safe. Locked away. 

Gus shifted from foot to foot, hands clenching and 

unclenching. 

"You're okay. We're at the top floor." All the way in 

the penthouse. 

"Wow. I guess it's defensible, huh?" 
"Yeah. There aren't any people for three floors 

underneath me, just storage." 

"Oh, good." That seemed to help Gus relax a bit. 
"I know this isn't perfect for you, but I promise you, 

you will be safe." 

"I know." He thought he felt Gus' fingers on his 

shoulder, a tiny touch. "Thank you." 

He shivered, purred softly. Mated with a wolf. God 

hated him. Hated him. All Sam could do was pray that it 
was only one-sided. 

They got to his penthouse, and Gus started chuckling 

the moment he turned the lights on. "Wow. Kitty 
heaven. I can see why you live in such a shitty 
neighborhood." 

Sam felt his cheeks turn bright red. The loft was... 

sparkly. Bright. Soft cushions covered every surface, 
and toys dangled from the ceiling. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 95 

"Hey, you've seen my bolt hole at the mine. Bones 

and blankets." Gus stroked his back, another fleeting 
touch. 

"You can run outside, though. Are you hungry?" His 

entire body arched. 

"I could eat, sure." Gus moved a little closer, hot 

against his back. 

His eyes crossed. Oh. Oh, God yes. His ass rubbed 

against Gus, the motion totally out of his control. 

"You're warm." Gus pressed right up against him 

now, nothing fleeting about it. 

"I am. You're safe. Safe now." 
"Yeah." Gus breathed the word against his neck. "I 

can usually take care of myself, you know? This was... 
bad. Stupid of us, and we probably deserved it, but I was 
fucking scared." 

"Yeah. Breathe." The sun was going down. "I have 

you, Gus. You're safe." 

Gus wrapped both arms around him, shaking a little. 

"I'm... It's almost time." 

"We should get naked. The steaks are on the counter 

already. There's water dishes, too." 

"I promise not to eat your tuna." Subdued Gus was 

almost painful. He wanted snarky Gus back. Gus moved 
closer, leaning a little. It was easy, now, with Gus here, 
with the scent of the man everywhere, to nuzzle and 
touch, lick. 

Gus held him, arms strong around him even as 

unsteady the big body was. 

"You're okay." He drew Gus over onto one of the 

cushions. "The moon's coming." 

"Oh, yeah. Even here I can feel it." Gus started to 

shake. Someone was an early changer. 

"The windows let her in." He rubbed his cheeks on 

Gus'. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 96 

"Mmm. The benefits of being on the top floor." Gus 

scented him, all over him. 

"Yes. Privacy. View. Windows." He purred loudly, 

his entire body on fire. 

"Meat." Gus' voice was nothing but a growl. 
"Yes. There's plenty for you." He tried to roll up to 

find some, but a mostly-clawed paw stopped him. Gus 
barked with laughter before that bruised body started to 
change. He backed off, half-focused on Gus, half-
focused on his own change. 

Gus howled, making him glad he didn't have those 

close neighbors. Anyone who might hear would think it 
was a nature documentary or something. He rowled back 
in response, the lines of his den going sharp-edged as he 
ran, leaping on one of his ledges to stare down. 

Gus barked, golden wolfy eyes staring up at him, 

tongue lolling from Gus' mouth. That tail wagged, just 
the tiniest bit. He peered down, whiskers twitching, the 
urge to play huge. His mate. Home. 

How exciting! 
Gus danced a little for him, more comfortable in the 

wolf, low noises coming from deep in that throat. Sam 
crouched, body vibrating, readying to pounce. Gus 
barked and ran, tearing around the room. A moving 
target. 

Oh. 
Oh. 
Oh. 
He yowled happily and sprang, getting nothing but 

tail as he landed. 

He spat out a mouthful of tiny hairs, his claws 

digging into a cushion as he took another leap. 

This time he overshot, landing right in front of Gus, 

and they went tumbling, rolling end over end on the soft 
floor. Gus chuffed, swacking him with one big front 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 97 

paw before pushing up and tearing around in another 
circle. He gave chase, head down, tail up. 

Gus turned on him all of a sudden, bouncing right at 

him. They crashed together with a howl and a yowl. 
They smashed against each other, paws batting together 
harmlessly. Gus' teeth glanced off Sam's shoulder. He 
swiped Gus' hindquarters, twisted to nip the fuzzy tail. 
Gus yelped, but there was no pain in the sound. Just joy. 

They bumped heads, then scented each other. Gus 

yawned, jaws almost unhinging to show healthy teeth 
and a long, pink tongue, and Sam sniffed, eyes crossing 
as the tongue unfurled. 

Gus bit him once, right on the ear, then tugged him 

toward the pillows sprawled in one corner. He purred 
happily, bounced over. Soft. Springy. Good. This was 
his favorite spot. 

Gus curled up, nose to tail, sighing hard. 
They would nap. Then they would eat. Then play. 
He licked Gus' nose, rumbling. Gus huffed a little, a 

happy noise, and nuzzled him before settling, one paw 
against Sam's chest. 

He took a deep breath, then settled, too, stretching 

lazily. Good. 

Somehow, he'd never thought he'd be able to say that 

about sleeping with a wolf. 

*** 

Gus woke up naked, human, and sore as anything. He 

and Sam had woke from their nap and played. Eaten. 
Then played some more. Sam's house was hilarious, 
magical, filled with the weirdest crap he'd ever seen. 

Sam rolled over, purring softly, tail thumping on his 

flank. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 98 

Still a cat, then. Someone changed late. As he 

watched, Sam slowly, slowly changed, becoming the 
lean, strong man. Those legs. Man, they could kick. 

Sam yawned, stretched, rolled for him, so he reached 

out and stroked that fine belly, fingers catching on the 
hairs. Bright green eyes flashed at him, laughing. 
"Mmmmmmorning." 

"Hey, babe." It felt good here. Settled. 
"Hey." Sam rolled over, nosing his belly for a second. 

"Smell good." 

He smelled like them, like wolf. Gus’ toes curled up 

a little, his hand sliding through Sam's hair. 

"Hungry?" 
"I could munch." He could nibble on Sam, too. 
"Mmm. I'll see what there is." Sam rolled up, motion 

liquid. 

"Cool." Rising up on one elbow, he watched that 

tight ass sway. 

It made his mouth water, made him growl deep in his 

throat a little. His body tightened, his scalp prickling. 
Yeah. He wanted that. Bright green eyes flashed back at 
him, challenging somehow. Gus sprang to his feet, 
shaking out his limbs a little, before following. 

Sam had grabbed steaks, coffee, and a carton of eggs 

by the time he got in there. 

Gus slid his arms around Sam's waist, nuzzling the 

back of Sam's neck. He could eat Sam alive, and his 
tongue came out to taste that bit of skin. Sam's purr 
vibrated him, mouth to thighs, his pretty puss starting to 
undulate. 

He let his hands wander, Sam's belly particularly 

fascinating. The skin there was soft, a little fuzzy, but 
the muscles were hard. 

"I was going to cook..." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 99 

His fingers traced each and every little ridge. "I 

know. I'm hungry, even. Want you more." 

He could feel, from that long, curved cock swelling 

up toward his hand, that Sam wanted him, too. He 
touched just the head, fingers tracing the flared edge. So 
hot. 

"Gus." The single word was the hottest thing he'd 

ever heard, Sam's legs parting. 

"Yeah. Need so bad." His cock ached, and he rubbed 

it against Sam's ass. Sam's hips started rocking, slow and 
steady, the lean muscles working his cock, making 
promises. 

Fuck. He wanted in. He also wanted to tease them 

both. He bit again, growling loud enough that he knew 
Sam felt it. Sam shifted against him, breath coming fast, 
and Gus reached down to touch the long cock waiting 
for him. He touched super carefully, fingers almost 
dancing over the tight skin. 

So pretty. Sam was just beautiful all over. Gus was a 

little awed. 

"Your hands are warm." 
"You're hotter, babe." 
Sam spread a little wider, bent in a clear offer, body 

stretched out for him. Oh, yeah. He needed some of that. 
Gus pressed forward and up, pushing a little. He got off 
on that little yowl, the low, deep purr. 

"God, babe. Hot." He pressed closer, his cock 

slipping inside Sam's body. Sam rocked back, taking 
him in to the root, like he fucking belonged there. 
Maybe he did. They were mates, no matter how much he 
hoped he was wrong. His mind skittered away from that 
thought. He couldn't mate with a cat. 

A cat couldn't mate with him. 
That was wrong. Right? 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 100 

Gus concentrated on his body, on how good it felt to 

slide in and take what he wanted. 

"Yes..." Sam's body squeezed and rippled, worked his 

cock like a fist. 

"Christ." He dropped his face against the crook of 

Sam's neck and shoulder. His hips moved faster and 
faster, his breath coming hard. 

"Good. Good. Soon." Sam met each thrust, growling 

deep, and he felt the rumble, all around his prick. 

"God, yes. I --" His thoughts skittered away, his brain 

shorting out. Gus came hard, his orgasm stealing his 
breath. 

Sam came for him in return, so pretty. So hot. The 

man smelled like his. 

He stuck his nose into the curve of Sam's shoulder, 

inhaling deeply. His. It didn't scare him as much to think 
it; it got better every time. 

"Much better than a jail cell." 
"Fuck, yes." 
Sam started cooking again, staying close. "You have 

to watch that getting arrested thing." 

"Tell me about it. They accused me of smuggling. I 

paid for those rocks." 

"I know." He heard Sam's belief in that voice. Gus 

thought Sam would have sprung him whether he'd paid 
or not. 

"Thanks, babe." He meant it. Sam had his back. 
The soft purr vibrated his chest. He stroked Sam's 

skin, fingers tracing all those little scars. How many 
fights could a dancer get in? Hell, how many fights 
could a cat get in? They were way more one cat per 
territory than wolves were pack animals. 

"Eggs are done." 
They smelled good, too. 
"No fish, right?" Sam would put tuna in anything. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 101 

Sam's laughter was low, tickled, made him smile. 

"Not this morning." 

"Smoked salmon on a bagel I can handle. Not tuna in 

an omelet." 

"I'll keep that in mind." Sam turned, nose sliding on 

his jaw. "Eat." 

"Thanks." He took a kiss before he took the food. 
Sam watched him for a second before following, 

curling into the cushy dining chair. Who the fuck had 
padded kitchen chairs? With arms. Lord. Gus settled in, 
though, and it felt good. 

Sam ate, licking and purring over the plate, still 

deeply feline. 

His body started to heat up, and damn, Gus wanted to 

know why this had to be his fate. Lone wolf with kitty 
fetish. It was like the most ridiculous want ad ever. 

"Is the food okay?" Sam was sucking his fingers 

clean. 

"It's great." He hadn't even noticed. Gus glanced 

down at his plate, which was empty. Damn. 

Sam nodded, the grin oddly knowing, then his slinky 

kitty headed over, pushed right against him, straddled 
his thighs. 

"Hey." He grabbed Sam's ass, holding him right 

there. 

Sam scented him, nose on his jaw, his ear. "Hey. 

Better." 

"Definitely." It was. Touching was good. "So what do 

you do for fun here?" 

"Here in the apartment? I dance. I play. I watch 

movies on the projector." 

"What do you do when you go out?" He nibbled a 

little, the skin he found so tasty. 

"I work." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 102 

"That's it?" He had the feeling they'd had this 

conversation before, but he wasn't good at touchy feely, 
wasn't good at remembering stuff. He had a feeling he'd 
be better at it with Sam from now on. 

"Basically." There was something odd in Sam's 

voice, something weird. 

"What?" Gus hated feeling stupid, and he really did at 

the moment. 

"What-what?" Sam's head tilted. 
"You just sound like you're not sitting in my lap 

getting a butt rub." He winked. They'd explore that 
whole learning shit about each other later. 

Sam purred happily. "Move your hand up a couple of 

inches and that won't be a problem. I won't be able to 
think at all." 

"Here?" He moved his hand up, scratching at the 

small of Sam's back. 

Sam's eyes crossed, lips parting immediately. "Uhn." 
Look at that. Gus growled a little, scratching harder, 

and Sam just twisted, the look in those eyes pure bliss. 

Such a kitty. It was ridiculously hot. He wanted to 

see if he could scratch Sam to orgasm, maybe. Sam 
leaned into him, mouth open, breath hot on his throat. 

"You can bite if you want." 
Gus wanted. Bad. He wanted to tussle. 
Sam's tongue hit his skin first, the flesh just a little 

too rough to be right. Then he got a sharp bite, right on 
his jaw. 

Bingo. That was going to leave a tiny bruise. Not for 

long, with the way he healed, but long enough to know 
it came from Sam. He pushed at that spot on Sam's back, 
needing his cat there with him. 

"Gus." Sam started to rock, the low sounds against 

his throat so fucking wild. "Don't stop." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 103 

No, he wouldn't stop. No way. This was way too 

damned hot. Sam was rubbing all over him, the scent 
making him dizzy. 

"Need." Nails scraped along his sides; Sam's hard 

prick left wet kisses on his belly. 

"Uh-huh. So bad. Need so bad, I mean. This is good." 
"Yes." One bite became two, then three, Sam's purrs 

filling the air. 

"Toothy kitty." Gus humped, his breath huffing in his 

chest. 

"Mmmhmm. More." Sam bit deeper, shaking Gus a 

little, making it sting. 

They rocked together, both of them moving faster. 

He stroked that sweet spot on Sam's back, digging in a 
little more. 

Sam's cock slid against his belly again and again, still 

wet at the tip, even harder now. Gus grabbed it, rubbing 
it hard against his skin, thumb scraping the tip. The yowl 
he got was fierce, making the glasses on the counter 
rattle. 

His Mate. His. He was through trying to deny it. 
Sam's eyes went wide, almost like the man heard 

him. "Again. Please." 

"Yes." Yes. Mate. He finally just pushed against Sam 

and said it out loud. "Mate." 

Heat sprayed between them, Sam staring at him, eyes 

wild. Gus felt every second of it, his breath catching, his 
cock and balls aching as he came. 

His lips were taken in a hard kiss, Sam taking his 

mouth like they both hadn't just come. Gus could live 
with that. He was always damned horny right around the 
moon. His balls might hate him later, but the rest of him 
was fucking tickled. 

Gus kissed Sam back, just as hard, pressing against 

that lean body, his hands under that fine ass. He felt 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 104 

every move, every little slide of the long spine. The skin 
there was so fine, even peppered as it was with rough 
hair. 

Sam's fingers brushed through his hair, petting him, 

nails scratching his scalp. Gus wanted to purr, but hey, 
he wasn't a kitty. He rumbled instead. 

"Good sound." Sam's cheek slid against his. 
"I feel good." He did, too. Whatever came later 

would come. This was right. 

He let Sam lean in, rest against him, purring loudly. 
"Your place is growing on me, babe." 
"It's safe, cozy. I love it here." 
Gus chuckled. He wouldn't go as far as love. He 

could feel the city pressing on him. 

Sam kissed his chin. "Come on. More food. More 

fucking. Then a nap." 

His kitty had his priorities straight. 
Gus nodded, stretching good and hard before going 

for food. The rest they would figure out, sooner or later. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 105 

Chapter Fifteen 

The moon. The moon. The moon. He sat at the 

window and stared, vibrating softly. It was coming. 
Soon. Sam could feel it, battering at him. 

He could also feel Gus, too. His lover was sleeping, 

but the bond was there between them, a constant, low 
hum. 

Sam wasn't sure how he'd managed it -- mating with 

a wolf -- but he had. And Gus felt it, too. Gus had said it 
out loud. God, what a trip. He chuffed softly -- at 
himself, at Gus. They couldn't be mates, could they? He 
was a city living freak; Gus was a rock hound. 

Rock hound. 
That was bad. 
He heard a loud, squeaky yawn and turned to find 

Gus staring at him. "Hey, Puss." 

"Pup." He smiled over, stretched lazily. "Moon's 

coming." 

"Uh-huh. Starving, Ready to run. You should come 

out with me tonight." 

"Out? Out there?" The fear he felt was immediate, 

undeniable. Was the man insane? "No. No, you can't go 
out there." It wasn't safe. 

It wasn't sane. 
"What? It can't be that bad with two of us to keep an 

eye out." Gus smiled, completely at ease. 

"There's nowhere to go, Pup. Only concrete and 

death." More teeth and claws than one man could fight. 

"There has to be a place where I can see the moon, 

Puss." The smile was fading, Gus shifting from foot to 
foot. 

This was never going to work. He had to get Gus out 

of the city, first thing in the morning. If he got Gus a 
flight out of La Guardia early enough, his mate would 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 106 

be home in the afternoon. Free. He opened the curtains 
wider, the huge bay of one-way windows bared to the 
sky, before heading to his computer and pulling up 
Travelocity. "Does that help?" 

Gus didn't understand. They were out there and there 

were more of them than even two of them could fight. 
Tonight, they were inside. 

"It does." But Gus didn't go to the window, he came 

to Sam, hands on Sam's shoulders. "What are you 
doing?" 

"Getting you a flight home first thing in the morning, 

so you can run." Giving his mate what was important 
and right. Necessary. 

"You're coming with me, then, right?" 
He looked up, wanting to more than breathing, but he 

wasn't a kitten anymore, wasn't footloose and fancy free. 
"So that you can lock me in a little room? Here I have 
some space. Security. There's no room for me there. I'm 
not Pack." 

The words were true; even Gus had said them. He 

didn't belong, not during the moon. It was the way of 
things. 

"Who said we had to go to the Gathering?" Gus 

squeezed his shoulders. "I know this mine in Nevada; I 
have a cache there. During the moon, it looks like an 
alien landscape." 

"Oh." He leaned into the touch, eyes crossing at the 

sheer, unadulterated pleasure that was huge. Vast. The 
biggest thing he'd ever felt. "I would, Gus, but I have to 
be here, the day after. It's the last week of rehearsals on 
the show. After... if you want?" 

Please want. Please? He'd told himself he didn't want 

Gus to need him, but he did. So badly. 

"Of course I want." One hand slid down between his 

back and the chair to hit that little spot. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 107 

He shivered, ass sliding on the leather chair. "Then 

I'll meet you. I have this one commitment and I'm free." 
Free. 

He could take his laptop, some important things, and 

let the rest go with the property. Hell, he could go and 
take his savings and buy anything they needed. 

Gus dug in harder. God, those fingers. They were 

rough and callused and yet gentle on his skin. His nerves 
were singing, his eyes crossing with pure bliss. Mate. 
Gus scratched a little, just like he was in full cat mode, 
just like he had his tail. 

His fingers hiccupped on the keyboard. "Trying to get 

you somewhere free, Pup." 

"It can wait." Gus turned him about in his chair, 

hands sliding up to his shoulders. 

He looked up, eyes trailing up the beautiful, ripped 

belly. 

"She's almost here, babe. Let's play, huh?" 
"Play." He leaned forward, let his tongue drag on 

Gus' belly. 

"Uh-huh. We can play chase. Keep away." Gus 

danced back, prick rising. 

"Mmm. Hunting." Stalking. His favorite game. He 

slipped out of the chair, nose twitching. "You'd better 
hide, Pup." 

Gus made a break for it, tearing around and making 

feathers and sequins fly. Then he seemed to just 
disappear. 

Sam rowled softly, mouth open as he scented the air. 

His lair. His den. His mate. He dropped low, kneeling 
down. He could almost feel his tail twitch. 

Gus was there. He could feel more than hear the man 

breathing. Still a man, yes. 

He slid to one side, then leapt up, muscles tensing 

and releasing as he landed on a ledge that looked over 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 108 

the flat. He searched carefully, watching for movement. 
Gus was sure to give himself away. The feathers and 
baubles bobbed and swirled, just outside his focus as he 
scanned. Couch. No. Bookcase. No. Table. No. 

There. Slipping out from behind the screen by the 

bed. 

He crouched, sprang, fighting to make it over the 

bed. Sam landed on Gus' left hip, just as his mate tried to 
turn and slide away from him. 

He grabbed Gus and squeezed tight, nibbling one 

shoulder. "Got you." 

"Mmm." Gus rumbled, a happy, settled noise. "Now 

what are you gonna do?" 

"Claim you." He bit a little harder, playing. 
"All yours." There was something growly and serious 

there. 

"You know how fucked up this is, right?" He bit 

again, hating to ask, but having to. 

Gus looked him right in the eye. "Why do you think I 

hated you so hard when we were kids, Puss? We knew 
back then." 

He purred -- he couldn't not, not with Gus looking at 

him, wanting him. He leaned in, scented Gus' jaw. His. 
Gus' fingers slid along his jaw, touching his cheek, his 
ear. Yes. His. His eyes crossed a bit, his hands 
fluttering, unable to decide where the fuck to touch, to 
explore. Gus kissed him, turning his head a little to get a 
good fit. Then everything clicked. 

They rolled together, bodies thumping on the padded 

floor, against cushioned furniture. Solid and hot above 
him, below him, everywhere, Gus felt right. It was 
insane, but he didn't care. As soon as the moon was 
over, then the rehearsals, they would find their place 
together. 

They would figure this shit out. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 109 

*** 

"Are you sure you can't just come with me, Puss?" 

Gus shifted from foot to foot, not really wanting to 
leave. 

Sam kissed the corner of his mouth, the touch 

feather-light. "I have to finish up the show, earn my 
paycheck. Then I'll come to you, and we'll figure things 
out." 

"Okay." Something was nagging at him, something 

almost like prescience, but Gus ignored it. "There's a 
tourmaline mine in California. I'll check in every couple 
of days." 

"Mmm. Sparklies." Sam groaned softly. "It was 

easier to leave when we were fighting." 

"Definitely." Gus knew he should just go. Make it 

easy. He just couldn't seem to do it. 

"I could call you a mangy cur, if you want." 
"Just don't kick me again. I'm almost recovered from 

those last beatings." He winked, then gave up and 
reached for Sam, kissing the man hard. "Call me if you 
need anything, okay? I may not have service down in the 
mine, but I'll check my phone a couple times a day." 

"I'll call. You have my word." Sam pressed close. 

"This is silly. We're being ridiculous. It's a fucking 
week. We've been apart years at a time." 

Yeah, but they hadn't let the bond set then, hadn't let 

it live. Still, he had to go. Had to, or he wouldn't, and the 
city was sucking his soul right out. Gus sighed and said 
it before he could think. "I love you." 

"I know. Go. You hate it here." Sam winked, scented 

him one more time, then pushed him out the door. 

"You're such a prick, Puss." I know, he said. Like the 

man was Han Solo and Gus was a princess or 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 110 

something. Gus left, though, because he had to. He 
pulled his phone out to call his mom on the way down in 
the elevator, cursing when he didn't get signal until he 
hit the street. 

Her voice was like a rush of home, though, as soon as 

he heard it. "Baby boy." 

"Hey, you. I'm back in the States. I'm headed for my 

dolomite mine." 

"You're okay?" 
He ducked an unsavory group of folks. God, how 

could Sam live here? He guessed it was the price Sam 
paid for the fancy-assed penthouse. 

"I'm good. Sam got me out before the moon." 
"That's good news. He always was a decent sort." 
"Yeah." He wanted to tell her about Sam, but he 

decided to wait and do it in person. She had enough 
going on with Pete and his girl. 

"You're okay, though? Coming back where you're 

safe for tonight?" 

"Oh, I'll make it to the mine. I'll be fine." He would. 

He was good to go in the States. He had bolt holes 
everywhere. It was places like Afghanistan that gave 
him issues when they put him in jail... 

"Good. I love you, son. I'm glad you're home. I 

worry." That was her job. She was a momma, after all. 

"I love you. Have Pete call Sam, will you? He'll need 

to chat." 

"Surely will." Her voice made him smile, almost as 

much as the car that pulled up next to him on the street, 
Sam's driver hopping out. 

His puss had sent him a car. 
It had to be love. 
"Okay, Mom. I'll call you from the mine. I have to 

go." 

"Be careful, son." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 111 

"I will. See you soon." 
He leaned back, closed his eyes. This was ridiculous. 
Insane. 
And it needed to be over soon. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 112 

Chapter Sixteen 

He headed upstairs, rolling his head on his neck. 

Three days Gus had been gone. 

Two long nights with the moon glaring down at him, 

making him ache. He'd woken up each morning 
exhausted, house a wreck, the bruises on his body from 
his panther needing out, needing to find his mate. 

It was insane. 
He'd done his job, though, and made an amazing 

amount of money doing it. Now all he had to do was 
clean, pack, and get a plane ticket. 

Funny, really, how he'd dreaded leaving the fucking 

city for years and now... now he knew Gus was waiting, 
knew there was a place for him and he was going to 
make it. Going to go and leave all this craziness and 
worry behind. 

The hairs on the back of his neck raised as he opened 

his front door. Weird, because his building was secure, 
right? Safe? There was nothing below him, and he had 
security alarms. 

There was something -- he wasn't sure what, he 

wasn't sure of anything, but... 

Something. 
He locked the door behind him, padded through the 

chaos toward the kitchen, dialing Gus. The phone rang 
and rang, finally going to voice mail. He waited through 
the greeting, then grinned, loving that he could tease 
Gus now, play with his mate. "Hey, you. Hope the moon 
was good to you. Everything's finished up here, and I'm 
at loose ends. Who knows, maybe I'll go on a long 
vacation. See the sights. Call me." 

There. If that didn't get him a phone call back, 

nothing would, right? 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 113 

He chuckled, shook his head, and tossed his phone at 

the sofa. He needed to pack a bag, the laptop, and a 
handful of other things. He grabbed Ma and Pop's 
picture off the mantle, plus his copy of his first playbill, 
popped them in his briefcase. 

He'd dealt with the bank, transferred money around, 

done the stuff he... 

What was that? 
Sam spun around, growling deep in his chest, nostrils 

flaring. "Who's there?" 

"Here kitty, kitty." The voice was unfamiliar, low, 

and unmistakably feline. 

"Get out of my house." He wrapped his hand around 

the fireplace poker. 

"Not a chance." Now that voice, sliding in from 

behind him, he did recognize. Al, pussy cat mobster 
wannabe extraordinaire. Jesus, this was so fucking trite. 
"You stink, traitor. We don't let traitors live here." 

"Not your building, Al. Trent owns it, and I've paid 

all I'm going to." He'd paid in flesh, in cash, and in time. 
He was done. Getting out. 

"Trent's no longer in business." A phone was held up, 

a blessedly silent video playing that showed a Jaguar 
screaming, both front paws gone, his teeth shattered. 
Shit. 

Shit. 
Sam made himself stay loose, kept the poker in hand, 

no matter how badly he wanted to gag, to scream. 
Control. This was about control. "Too bad for him. Take 
the place, then. I'm moving out." 

"Not with all that money you have in the bank, you 

aren't." 

Oh, no. That was his. His life. His and Gus', for as 

long as they needed it. "Fuck you, asshole." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 114 

He was tired of putting up with shit, damn it. Tired of 

this nonsense. 

He heard the motion behind him, and he struck out, 

the poker connecting with flesh, even in the dark. There 
was a satisfying cry as someone went down, and he 
swung again, body trying to decide whether he was 
more effective in his fur and claws or with the weapon. 

By the time that he noticed the two felines leaping at 

him from up above, it was too late to decide. 

Too late for anything. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 115 

Chapter Seventeen 

Sam hadn't called. 
Or rather, he had, but he hadn't called back after Gus 

had called him back. In fact, Sam's phone had gone 
straight to voicemail for days. 

Gus had been worried at first, calling around to see if 

Sam had let anyone know he was sick or out of touch or 
anything. As far as everyone knew, including Pete, Sam 
had been closing up his penthouse and finishing up his 
last job and all… 

Gus had to admit, it pissed him right off that Sam 

wasn't answering his calls. If puss had fucking second 
thoughts, the least he could do was call and let Gus 
know. He'd thought… well, he'd thought a lot of things. 

Now he was out of cell range anyway. Sam could 

have his long vacation alone, if that was what he 
wanted. Gus would go play in the dirt. As soon as he got 
back to the world, though, he was going to kick Sam's 
ass. Then he'd love the man into a puddle and explain 
how he'd pretty much assumed they'd had a date. 

Maybe he just hadn't made it clear. He'd said 'I love 

you', but had Sam believed it? Sam had been through a 
lot with the pack. Maybe he needed to be convinced to 
trust. 

Gus grumbled, the urge to wolf out and hunt strong. 

Instead, he lit a cigarette headed back down into the 
mine. He'd have to provision soon, go to the trading 
post. For now, though, he'd get back to work. 

That was his kind of vacation, after all. 
He wondered what kind Sam liked to take. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 116 

Chapter Eighteen 

"Kitty? Dude? Man, you need to eat. If you don't eat 

you'll die." 

Sam whined softly, the room spinning, swimming 

around him. He groaned as he tried to change, muscles 
fighting to get into the form that would heal the fastest, 
be the most mobile. 

"I'm serious, man. You have to wake up. You can't 

change. They've drugged you. You just need to eat." 

"Gus." Whoever that was smelled like wolf, like 

Pack, and Sam was praying they knew Gus. 

"No. No, I don't know a Gus. Come on, kitty. Please. 

If you don't eat..." A soft hand touched his cheek. 
"They'll kill both of us. I need you to open your mouth." 

Everything hurt -- his hands, his arms, his face, his... 

He couldn't feel his legs. 

His eyes popped open again. "My legs." 
"They're hurt, man, bad. I. They had someone in to 

make you stop screaming." 

No. 
No. 
No. He reached up, clawing at her, a wild yowl 

tearing from him, but the little blonde girl didn't back 
away, just grabbed his hands and held on tight. His legs. 

"Listen to me." She shook him as he fought, tearing 

at her clothes, her hair. 

His legs. 
He was a dancer. 
A dancer. 
No. 
"Listen to me, damn it!" She slapped him hard, and 

his head slammed into the wall behind him, making him 
see stars. "It's reversible. I asked. I made sure. It's 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 117 

reversible. You have to stick with me. I'm here to help 
you." 

"You're only a puppy." 
She snorted. "I'm old enough, and I'm not chained up 

like you are, kitty. I'll take it." 

"Who..." He shook his head, gagged. "Why?" 
She looked behind her, face pale. "Cedric took over. 

You're an example." 

"Why me?" He was harmless. Shit, he'd been leaving. 
"You've got cash, you've been there forever, and you 

smell like Pack. You're like a... species traitor or 
something, I guess." 

"And what are you?" She was obviously lupine, not 

feline, but she smelled of tomcat. 

"Fucked. Deeply. But I haven't given up, how about 

you?" 

"I have a mate." 
"Okay." She leaned down, stared him in the eyes, and 

it hit him, how young she was, really. "So eat and tell 
me about him, and I'll figure something out." 

Sam opened up, drank the broth, and tried to decide 

whether to believe. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 118 

Chapter Nineteen 

Gus wandered around the trading post, which was a 

fairly recent addition to the reservoir area. Gus hated 
that the cities encroached almost everywhere, but Barret 
could still be pretty remote, which made him damned 
happy. There were two other people in the store, and 
they both worked there. 

It was awesome. 
He wandered, popping this and that into his bag. He 

didn't need much -- well, he'd done a number on his 
supplies during the moon, but he was going to finish this 
dig and then go get his puss, damn it. The phone was 
still going right to voice mail, but Gus was sick of 
waiting. He had a big piece to pry out of the ground, but 
then Sam. 

The thought of Sam rushed over him in a wave, 

making him ache deep in his chest for a second. God, he 
missed the slinky son of a... 

"You bastard. What did you do to him?" The voice 

hissing in his ear was fierce, furious, and the pressure 
against one kidney was undeniably a knife. 

His hands automatically went up, the can of tuna he'd 

picked up rolling away. "Who the fuck..." 

"Don't move." That was Gray, Sam's brother, 

standing in front of him, white eyes eerie. "Helena is 
fierce and she'll let you bleed out, right here. Where is 
our brother?" 

"Which one?" What the hell were the blind one and 

the non-shifter doing off pack lands or out of the city? 
They could get themselves killed. 

"Which one? You fuck!" That blade dug in, piercing 

his shirt, Helena's growl as lupine as any shifter. "We 
went there to help him, and his place... Your scent is all 
over it!" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 119 

"I stayed there when I got back to the States!" What 

the hell? What was going on? "What's wrong with his 
place?" 

Gray growled. "Don't. Don't fuck with us. We know 

it's bad. We saw. We just want to help him." 

"Bad?" Panic started to grow in his chest. "Bad 

how?" 

Gray's nostrils flared. "He doesn't smell like he's 

lying, Sister." 

"He's always hated Sam." Helena snarled, the sound 

frustrated and angry. 

Gus backed off a step. "Sam... I have to. Shit." He 

turned and pelted out of the store, heading for his truck. 
If something was wrong with Sam and he'd just been 
ignoring it because he was pissy… 

He heard them following him, Gray's blindness not 

slowing the big body in the slightest. He didn't waste 
time trying to explain, though. He just slid behind the 
wheel, mind calculating the easiest way to get to Sam. 

"Don't you run from us!" Helena's hands slammed 

down on the hood of his truck, denting it. 

"Fuck you." He growled it out, barking at her. "I need 

to get to Sam." 

"Where is he? Is he here?" She looked frantic. 

"Goddamn it! What happened to him?" 

"I don't know. You tell me." He was going to run her 

down. "He was fine when I left. Supposed to call me. He 
never did." 

Gray reached through the window, hand on his arm. 

"He emailed about having to work. He emailed us." 

"What?" Gus had gotten that same damned email. It 

had pissed him off enough not to call. "He was supposed 
to be done. He called. Said he was taking a vacation. I 
thought he was joking." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 120 

"Yes, but he emailed us. Us. About work. He never 

does that. We see him in Chicago once a year. 
Together." 

Helena nodded. "That's why we went up. Because he 

obviously needed help." 

"Fuck. Either get in the truck or get out of my way." 

He was going to kill something. 

"Gray?" Helena asked, and Gray nodded. 
"In." 
They piled into the truck with him, and Gus peeled 

out, fishtailing just enough to make Helena white-
knuckled. "Tell me everything." 

"He emailed, and it was weird -- too weird, and 

things are so hard for him out there, so I talked to Gray 
and we went." Helena's fingers were tangled with 
Gray's. "The apartment is destroyed, there's blood 
everywhere, and your scent. We knew you two had... 
fought?" 

"Broken up," Gray offered. 
"Whatever. So we came here." 
"We didn't fight." Things were hard there? Sure, Sam 

had a bad neighborhood, and he didn't go out much, but 
damn. How hard could it be if he stayed inside like he 
swore he did? "You couldn't track him at all?" 

"Not outside, not in all that filth, and..." Helena 

shrugged. "There's a lot more of them than us." 

"Them?" He was going to go crazy, talking to these 

two. He should have left them. San Diego was closest. 
He'd go there, bully his way on the first flight. 

"The cats? In the city?" Gray looked confused. "The 

ones that hurt him?" 

"What are you talking about?" Goddamn it, why 

hadn't Sam told him? He'd been to Sam's place only 
once, and he'd hated it… Maybe Sam had tried. They'd 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 121 

talked a little about how Sam never did anything but 
work, but Gus had shrugged it off. 

"Jesus Christ, Gus, how stupid are you? Where do 

you think the fucking scars come from?" Helena could 
be a harpy. "Dancing isn't usually an art form with 
claws." 

"Oh, fuck off, bitch. I have scars from fighting with 

Pete that are that bad." How the hell was he supposed to 
know? He had scars from digging, from being beaten in 
Afghanistan. 

"Wow. Good thing he hooked up with your family." 

Helena growled back. 

Christ. He was so leaving her at the fucking airport. 

She was a harpy, and he didn't have time for this shit. 

"Helena, you're not helping." Gray sighed. "He 

always had trouble with the felines; he smelled like 
Pack, you know? Sam... sometimes I think it would have 
been easier for him if they'd left him to die as a cub. He 
doesn't fit anywhere." 

"I should have made him come with me." He should 

have fucking insisted. He shouldn't have doubted Sam 
for a minute. Guilt was a bitch. 

"He's a dancer. He stayed because he loved it." 
Gray growled at his sister. "He stayed because it was 

habit and he was fucking scared." 

"Okay, stop fighting with each other and tell me 

about these cats." 

"They run the city. Aren't many wolves there. They 

didn't like Sam." Gray sighed. "There was a lot of 
trouble, a lot of payoffs. Then less trouble the longer 
Sam stayed." 

"He means Sam got smarter, more careful." 
"I mean that Sam was a stubborn fuckhead who 

wouldn't come home!" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 122 

"Like either of us stayed home, asshole." Helena 

snapped. "You're only there because you're blind!" 

It sounded like a Broadway musical gone bad. Cats 

turns West Side Story. Bizarre. Gus knew where to look 
now, though. 

"Where are we going, exactly?" Gray asked. "I 

assume you have some idea where he is?" 

"I'm going to the airport. He's never left town, I can 

bet on it. He called me, and he was coming to me, and 
then someone got to him." 

Helena nodded, changing her tune a little on him 

being the bad guy. "We're coming with you." 

"You'll slow me down." Gus bit off the second 

sentence, which was 'he's my mate'. 

"Too fucking bad." She growled at him. "He's ours. 

Our brother. We have to help him." 

Oh, Gus didn't think so. "You're gonna have to share, 

honey. We mated." 

"What?" Helena stared, and Gray's head popped up 

between them. 

"Did he just say..." 
Helena nodded. "Uh-huh." 
"No fucking way." 
"Get used to the idea, kiddies." He needed to call 

Pete, too, get some help mobilized at home. He couldn't 
take Sam back to the pack lands to recover, that would 
just be a bad idea, but Pete could provision one of Gus' 
bolt holes. 

"You and Sam? But you're one of us..." 
It made Gus a little sick, that even the sibs who loved 

Sam the best, were the closest to him, didn't think of him 
as one of them. Hell, his family kind of felt that way 
about him. He guessed that made them perfect for each 
other. "Well, now he's one of mine." 

Helena shook her head. "Well, I. Wow." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 123 

Gray chuffed softly. "Does that mean I get to bite you 

now? Since you're family?" 

"Nope." No biting. Lord. They hit the suburbs in 

record time, and Gus took the airport spur, his tires 
squealing a little. 

Helena had been fucking with her fancy phone. "I 

have us flights that leave in four hours. Should I get 
hotel rooms?" 

Such a city girl. "Yeah. Gray will have to be our 

command center, and he'll need a place to hole up." 

"I have medical supplies back in the rental car, which 

is, unfortunately, back there..." Gray's nose wrinkled. "I 
don't suppose Pete will come deal with it?" 

Helena snorted. "Tell him to bring Lizzie and he'll 

come. She's his wife, after all." 

"No shit?" Huh. They'd actually gotten married and 

Pete hadn't invited him... "Pete will come." 

"Find us a medical supply place in the city that will 

deliver, Sister." 

Helena looked back at Gray, eyebrow arched like he 

could see it. "You mean we're not going to hospitalize 
him?" 

"I thought we'd just kill him and put him out of his 

misery," Gray shot back. 

Ah, siblings. Gus rolled his eyes. "Hospitals bad, 

kids." 

Helena actually laughed, chuffing softly. The sound 

didn't last long, though, before it faded. "He's okay, 
right? You'd know, if he was..." 

Gus tried not to rumble at her. "I'd like to think so, 

yeah. We didn't get to spend much time bonding. And 
I've been grumpy at him." 

"Are you sure? I mean, he's a cat, Gus. Can we do 

that?" Gray looked utterly confused. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 124 

"I'm sure." That he knew, deep down. It was fucked 

up, but it was his. 

"Well, good." 
Helena looked at Gray, wide-eyed. "Good?" 
"Yes. Sam deserves a mate." 
Jesus, Gray ran hot and cold. Of course, Sam's whole 

family were weirdos, so why not have him be a strange 
one? 

Helena rolled her eyes. "Mom will be so pleased." 
Gray nodded. "I think she will." 
"Only if we manage to get him back." He was ready 

to snarl. Maybe to ditch the truck and run across 
country... 

"We will. We have to." Helena growled low. "We 

have to, Gus." 

They did. He wouldn't accept anything else. He just 

needed to get to the East coast. Then he would track 
Sam down and never let the man go again. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 125 

Chapter Twenty 

"Sammy? Sammy, open your eyes." 
He growled softly, refusing to move. Gus was 

supposed to come, but it was taking so long. 

So long. 
He'd stopped trying to move, stopped fighting it. 
Marina came often, talking to him, cleaning him, 

feeding him. Sam wasn't sure, but he thought that he'd 
stopped breathing a few times. The big males had 
stopped coming when he started stinking. It was a 
blessing, he thought. 

Maybe. 
"Open your eyes. I found the antidote, so you can 

change. I'm saving it, though. I have to take the thing out 
of your back, so your legs have a chance, but it'll hurt. 
It'll hurt a lot." 

He tried to follow what she said. In the beginning, 

he'd talked to her, told her about Ma and Poppy, about 
Helena and Lizzie and Gray and Pete. About Gus. His 
Gus. 

Sam smiled, remembering the way his wolf growled, 

the way Gus bit and touched him, made him purr. He 
hadn't wanted to purr for so long. 

"Sam!" She held his nostrils closed until he gasped, 

blinked at her. 

"Bitch." 
"There you are. You were fading." She looked 

worried. Sam didn't blame her at all. He was worried. 

"Sorry. I was..." 
"Stoned. I know. Did you hear me?" She stroked his 

hair out of his face. "I don't want to do it, but it I'm 
going to get you out, I have to. I don't know if your Gus 
is coming, but you're not going to make it if I don't 
move soon." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 126 

"He'll come." Gus had to come. 
"Okay, then when he does, I'll be ready." She had 

tears in her eyes, and she smelled like regret. "I'm so 
sorry, Sammy. I hate this." 

He managed a grin. "Not as much as I will, I bet." 
Marina sniffled, nodded. "I know. Tell me you'll 

forgive me?" 

"Nothing to forgive, honey. Do it." Whatever it was, 

he would cope. 

She reached behind him, fiddling with something in 

his spine, and a fire started to build, down where his toes 
were covered by the filthy blanket. He winced, 
shuddered. 

"I'm sorry, Sam. It's going to get worse." 
He growled, deep in his chest. "Quit apologizing, 

girl. You're Pack. Act like it. I'll be fine." 

She stood, chin lifted as she looked down at him. 

"You're sure?" 

"Positive." A fresh wave of pain hit him, and he knew 

it was a lie, but she was about to have to go, so it didn't 
matter. 

Sam was beginning to believe nothing mattered. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 127 

Chapter Twenty-One 

Gus stared at the carnage that was Sam's glittery 

funhouse apartment. There were signs of a heavy-duty 
struggle, there was blood, and how Helena and Gray 
could say the place smelled like him was beyond Gus. It 
smelled like male cat spray. 

Luckily, this was a scent he could track, because it 

wasn't Sam. 

Something tickled his face, and he reached up, the 

feather that was dangling from the ceiling spattered with 
blood, and that made him want to howl. It wasn't right. 
None of this was right. He growled, the sound bubbling 
deep in his chest. He hated this not knowing, not being 
able to feel Sam in this place without the bad energy. 

"Where do we start?" Helena was ghost white, and 

Gray... Gray was barely holding it together. 

"We start with you putting your cell number in my 

phone, then taking Gray and getting us some sort of bolt 
hole and that medicine." He needed them away. 

"I can help." Gray's growl was near desperate, and 

Helena caught Gus' eyes, shook her head. 

"You can help more by being my command center, 

man. We need a place to bring Sam. If these kitties are 
as bad as you say, I need you on the horn getting us out 
of town." 

"Hand me your phone, man. Gray, should we hunt 

clothes for him?" 

"He'll want something soft..." Gray was tight around 

the mouth, but calmer. 

Helena handed him his phone back. "We're in there. 

We'll find a safe place -- unless you want me to clean 
this." 

"Not yet. I may need the scent again." Even if it made 

him gag. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 128 

"Okay. We'll find a suite somewhere." Helena's hand 

wrapped around Gray's arm. "We've got to get ready for 
him." 

"Yeah. Call me and let me know. I need you out; 

your scent is distracting." 

Helena nodded, dragging Gray out. "Find him." 
"Got it." He would. He so would. As soon as they got 

far enough away that their scent faded. Gus closed his 
eyes, letting his other senses take over. 

It was Sam that hit him first -- his mate's scent 

wrapped in pain and fury and fear. Underneath that were 
others -- strangers to him, more than one, males. They 
had been angry, violent, but not murderous. They had 
taken Sam with them. 

Someone wanted to make an example of Sam, he 

would bet on it. 

He couldn't decide if he was going to beat the living 

fuck out of Sam for not telling him -- telling someone --
that this shit had been going on, or be so proud of his 
mate's strength that he couldn't bear it. One way or the 
other, it wouldn't matter if he didn't start tracking. He 
figured in this instance he was glad he was more feral 
than his family, or his mate. He could do this. 

He headed outside, searching, but the trail only led 

him to the top of the stairs. So many people. So fucking 
many feet. Gus growled, heading back into Sam's 
apartment. He had to focus on one thing, on one scent, 
the strongest one. 

The scent of something new hit his nose on his third 

trip in and out. 

A wolf. 
A female. 
Not Helena. 
Okay. Okay, this one had a hint of fear and a ton of 

frustration, and she smelled like Sam, as well. A fresher 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 129 

scent than the apartment should have. This he could 
follow. 

He headed all the way down the stairs, turned left, 

her scent still there. Yes. He started moving faster, 
following the smell, imagining the click of her high 
heels. She was the kind of girl who would wear heels, 
with her lemony-floral undertone and her spicy natural 
scent. 

It was the frustration that drove him, led him. She 

had come back here, over and over. 

What the hell was she doing? What did she want? It 

had to be something he could use. 

He walked for hours, losing the scent and having to 

backtrack before finding it again, over and over. He 
followed her every damned where she'd been in the last 
week, probably, but he finally found a scent that led to 
the same place, over and over. Now he had to make a 
plan. 

He went to the restaurant across the street -- a dingy, 

all-night coffee shop that had seen better days, but was 
still in business, thank God -- and finagled himself a 
table by the window. He ordered himself a cup of 
coffee, a plate of eggs, then settled in to look. The sign 
above the door said Imports, but very little else. 

Imports. He didn't have to be a city boy to know that 

meant all sorts of unsavory things. He'd watched his 
crime TV as a kid. Hopefully Miss Frustrated would 
appear sooner rather than later and have all the answers 
Gus needed. 

He'd eaten his eggs, toast, a piece of pie, and drank 

four cups of coffee, when a pack of slinky, well-dressed 
men walked into the place and he saw a tall, leggy 
blonde lock the front door behind them. About twenty 
minutes later, those bright red heels were on the 
pavement, blonde hair covered by a black, hooded coat. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 130 

Gus slipped the waiter a couple of twenties and 

followed, keeping downwind as much as he could. She 
walked steadily for a few blocks, then started moving 
fast -- faster than he'd expect in those shoes. It was all he 
could do to keep up with her; she obviously knew the 
city. 

She disappeared about half a block in front of him, 

and he ran to catch her, yelping in surprise as he came 
face to face with the muzzle of a revolver. "What do you 
want?" 

"My mate." What else was he gonna say? I like your 

coat? 

"What the fuck are you talking about?" The hammer 

came back, that click sounding so fucking loud. 

"His name is Sam. He's a dancer. You go to his 

apartment once a day, at least." She could shoot him all 
she wanted; he had to get Sam. 

"Who are you? What's your fucking name?" 
"My name is Gus." He stared, not at the gun, but right 

into her eyes. "He's mine, and I came to get him back." 

"Oh, thank God. I'm Marina. Come on." The gun was 

slipped away, and those long legs started moving again. 

Gus shook off his stunned reaction and followed, 

hoping to god this wasn't a set up, but if it was, he would 
fight his way out. 

She led him on a wild goose chase, up and down 

alleyways, ending up climbing a set of stairs behind 
some weird tea shop. "This is a safe place. Did you 
bring help or is it just you?" 

"I have a base camp and someone who can help in a 

pinch." It looked seedy, not safe. 

"Okay. There's a lot of them. I've kept him alive, but I 

can't get him out, not without them taking me." 

Gus shook his head. "You're not one of them. How 

did you keep him alive?" It didn't make sense. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 131 

"Carefully. Lots of shitty drugs. He screams 

sometimes. It's loud, but it's the best thing I have." 

Yeah, but why? 
"Tell me who you are." It was time for quid pro quo. 
"Marina." She looked him in the eyes. "I already told 

you that." 

"No, that's your name. I want to know why a wolf is 

living with cats." That was important, somehow. 

"That's none of your business. Do you want to know 

where he is or what?" The air was filled with the sudden, 
tangy flavor of fear, of shame. 

"I do." He would help her, too, if he could. He'd had 

enough of the whole cats versus dogs bullshit. They 
could all work together. 

"I. They're keeping him in a cold storage room at the 

docks. There are a lot of them, though. I'm the only one 
they let in there alone." 

"Why would they do this?" It was a stupid question, 

and Gus knew it. It was one thing for Sam to live on 
their territory quietly. It was another entirely to be mated 
to a wolf. 

One blonde eyebrow lifted. "Don't be stupid. He 

reeks of wolf." 

"They don't keep you in a box," he snapped, trying 

not to tear something to pieces. Anything. 

"No. Not anymore." Her coat was opened, her 

neckline pulled aside to show scarred and mangled skin 
on one shoulder, down toward her breast. "I earned my 
way out." 

Fuck. That... Jesus. He'd thought those thugs who'd 

beaten him up in that fucking sand-flea ridden jail were 
harsh. This was... 

"Okay. So how do I get to him?" 
"There's one door, and it's big. They have guards that 

have shifts. I go three times a day -- six in the morning, 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 132 

two in the afternoon, ten at night. The guards at night, 
they're bored. They chase me a lot." 

"Just like kitties, huh?" He shared a look of perfect 

understanding with her for a moment. "We wait until 
tonight then," 

She nodded. "Do you want me to distract, then? I can 

go in, get him unchained, but he can't walk on his own 
anymore, I don't think. His legs are bad. They knew he 
danced." 

Gus bit back the howl that wanted to come out of his 

throat, nodding. "I'll call in the cavalry, which I admit, is 
one person. But that gives us a getaway driver." 

"I have a gun." She grinned, and suddenly Gus saw 

how fucking young she was -- twenty, maybe. "Which, 
you sort of know." 

"I do. I can tell you from experience, though, that 

guns make the penalties so much more severe." He tried 
to grin for her. "It also sounds the alarm. We'll use it if 
we have to." 

"I tried to help him." She stepped away from him, 

slipped her pistol into her pocket. 

"Hey." He reached out, but didn't quite touch, 

knowing his body language had to be non-threatening. 
"Thank you. I mean it." 

"I. They're going to kill me, when they find out what 

I've done. Sam... Sammy promised he'd help get me 
out." 

"Of course he did." Sam would absolutely do that for 

anyone who helped him. Or even anyone who needed 
help. It was his family's way. Gus stepped up sort of 
sideways, like he would if they were in their wolf forms. 
He put his hand on her arm. "We'll take you with us." 

"Okay." She met his eyes, trembling underneath his 

hand. "They're not good. What I don't understand is why 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 133 

they haven't killed him yet. He won't sign over his 
money. He won't cooperate." 

"Maybe he's just a challenge. Maybe they think he 

has a sugar daddy." Hell, he didn't know. He just knew 
he had to put it all on the line to get Sammy back. 

"I think Cedric is going to sell him." 
"Sell him..." His gut clenched, and he was going to 

kill something. 

"That's how they got me. I was eleven. There are 

people who want... exotic pets." 

Christ. He'd heard some seriously fucked up shit in 

his life, but this was something he'd never even thought 
of. He wanted to hug her, but figured it would be out of 
line. Gus cleared his throat instead. "So, we get both of 
you out." 

"Okay. Okay. Let's get inside somewhere; it's going 

to rain, and they watch." 

"Okay." He followed her inside the safe house, his 

nose working overtime. 

The place was tiny, the scent of wolf sharp. Besides 

the furniture, there was a duffle, a back pack. That was 
it. 

"Have a seat. I have a map. I can show you where 

they have him." 

"That works." They'd look, he'd call Helena, and that 

would keep them busy until dark. 

God, what was he thinking, staging a rescue with a 

stranger, a little slip of a wolf? He hoped to fuck they 
could pull this off. They would just have to see. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 134 

Chapter Twenty-Two 

Sam panted through his mouth, eyes rolling. Every 

fucking bone in his body hurt, and he was ninety-eight 
percent sure he wanted to die. 

Maybe ninety-nine. 
He thought about Gus a lot these days, dreamed 

about the warm eyes, the shaggy hair and hot body. His 
mate. It was a touch ridiculous that he'd lose his mate 
immediately upon finding him. Still, it made sense. No 
cat should mate with a wolf, and he was being punished 
for it, right? That and he'd made himself both a target 
and a curiosity. He should have kept his head down and 
done his job and... 

"Sammy?" Marina's voice sounded, low and scared. 

"Sammy, don't be dead." 

He tried to open his eyes, but maybe this time she'd 

kill him, let him free. 

She hovered over him, her lipstick a dark smear 

floating around in his swimmy field of vision. 

"Oh, good." She rumbled softly. She smelled so good 

today. Somehow, he thought she smelled like Gus. How 
weird was that? 

Sam made a soft sound, his claws retracting and 

pushing. No, not claws, fingers. 

"That's right. He's here. He came, just like you said. I 

need you to wake up, Sam." 

No. No, Gus was gone. This was a trick that Cedric 

had forced Marina to perform. He couldn't blame her, 
but he wanted to bite her anyway. 

She reached out to touch the cage, and he could smell 

Gus, right there on her arm. "You have to wake up." 

"Gus?" Was that his voice? 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 135 

"Soon, Sam. Soon. You have to be ready for him, 

now. Tonight." Her voice was an urgent, growling 
whisper. 

Sam blinked. "Tonight?" 
"Yeah. I have to go. I'm going to give you a little 

shot, which will be a boost, and unlock you. You get 
ready." 

"A shot." He was a cat. Did she know how to dose a 

cat? Shit. Gus was there? Really there? He might just 
fall over. "Please don't lie to me." 

"I haven't lied to you yet. Your mate says they'll 

bring me, too. That I'll come, too." Oh, sweet baby. 

"They?" His lips were so dry that every word felt like 

sandpaper passing over them, and he wanted to scream 
when the shot went in. 

"Your brother and sister. Please, get ready." The 

silver cuffs fell from his ankles, his wrists. "Soon. 
Minutes, okay?" 

He tried to answer, but his mouth wouldn't work. The 

room was beginning to breathe, expanding and 
contracting like his eyes were bulging or something. He 
might be able to walk. Maybe. Marina slipped away like 
smoke, and he was left wondering if he'd hallucinated it 
all. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 136 

Chapter Twenty-Three 

Gus waited what seemed like an eternity for Marina 

to get into position. She talked to Sam first; he could see 
that from his vantage point just inside the door to the 
main floor of the big building. The guards had sectioned 
off a comfy little set of chairs and couches and set up a 
TV. 

Thank God for the kitty need for creature comforts. 
She was wearing a tight little tank top, that was 

totally inappropriate for the weather, and a pair of jeans 
small enough that he could have read her pulse. Still, 
even Helena had to admit that Marina was a distraction, 
moving around the guards, rubbing on them. Gray had 
no idea. Too bad the guy couldn't see it. They had 
brought him along, though, because he'd refused to stay 
behind. He would be their ears for any approaching 
reinforcements. Guy had amazing hearing. And, in wolf 
form, Gray was huge and the fiercest bastard Gus had 
ever met. It made sense; god knew the man had had to 
fight for everything. The whole family was a cluster 
fuck. Honestly. Gus grinned a little, thinking how he'd 
tell Sam that. 

Sam. The grin faded. He could smell Sam, hurt and 

sad and desperate. 

One guard had Marina up against the wall, rubbing, 

and the other two were watching, pacing. 

Gus bit back his growl; he would take her with him, 

for sure, take her to the pack and let them teach her what 
freedom felt like. 

Marina's hand slipped to the back of one kitty, 

heading toward his gun, and Helena growled. "Get 
ready, boys. She's making her move." 

Gus tensed his muscles, then released, letting out his 

breath so his first burst of movement wouldn't fill his 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 137 

muscles with carbon dioxide. Then he pulled back up, 
ready to go. 

Helena made the first move, stumbling into the light 

with her pistol carefully hidden. "Excuse me? My car's 
outside, and I..." 

One kitty growled and stood, the one around Marina 

turned and Marina snatched the pistol, shooting the man 
between the shoulder blades. 

Fuck. It was on, now. That little girl had some rage. 

Gus sprang into action, churning up the distance 
between them and the guards, taking down the one on 
the right of Marina. 

Helena's shot rang out, taking out the third guy, the 

man going down like a lead balloon. So much for no gun 
play. Damn. 

Gus didn't have a gun, but he had plenty of oomph, 

and it didn't take much to break guard number two's 
neck. Not much effort at all. 

"Go get him, hurry." Marina was stripping the one 

guy's body, stomping his phone, grabbing the wallet. 

He would trust her to do the job on the guards. He 

barked at Helena to follow him. He'd need her help. 

The scent of urine and rot hit him when he opened 

the door, and he gagged, ducking as a huge, black mess 
scrabbled out of the room, dragging its back legs, 
hissing and spitting. 

"Sam!" He called out, putting every ounce of 

whatever it was he and Sam had together into his voice. 
Christ. He was going to just lose it if Sam didn't know 
him. 

Sam stopped short and spun around, huge, stoned 

eyes staring at him, searching his face. For a long 
moment he didn't think Sam was in there, then Sam 
started toward him. He caught his kitty just as Sam fell, 
hoisting up that too-skinny body. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 138 

"Come on, babe. Helena, watch our back trail. 

Marina, get your butt going!" 

"I'm right here. I have all their weapons." Marina 

grabbed a coat -- thank god, because she looked like 
Carrie on prom night. 

"Good girl." Sam didn't weigh near enough. His puss 

had always been deceptively heavy, but not now. Damn 
it. 

Sam yowled furiously, talking to him, making this 

wild noise. Yeah. Yeah, he got that. They had to get out. 
"Gray! Coming your way." 

Gray's bark answered him, the huge, white wolf at his 

calf as he turned the corner. Damn, that was a sight. No 
wonder no one had dared come to the guards' rescue. 
Those gunshots had been audible, but what kitty wanted 
to face tricked-out Gray? Blind or not, he looked like a 
berserker. 

Helena got to the van first -- and he suddenly 

appreciated the idea, even as much as he'd screamed 
earlier about them picking fucking Maine for their hidey 
hole instead of staying closer. Jesus. They could drive 
out of the city, just go and keep going. He tossed Sam at 
Helena, grabbed Marina, who was slowing down, and 
barked for Gray. Come on, come on. 

Gray leapt for the van, scrambling up, and he tossed 

Marina in, her body strangely light; she was agile, 
though, wrapping around Sam. "Go. Go. Go." 

They tore out, the late hour and the relatively 

deserted area making it easy for them to get the tires 
spinning. Helena was definitely a desert girl. She could 
flat out drive. 

Gray howled, licking at Sam, and Marina was 

growling, covered in blood, protecting Sam. Gus was 
going to bite someone. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 139 

He took a deep breath. "Gray, get a grip. I'll need you 

to help with the medicine. You, breathe." He glowered 
at Marina until she stared back, panting. 

Then he looked at Sam. "Hey, Puss." 
Sam's eyes met his, wild and unfocused and hurting. 

Jesus. This was... Those motherfuckers. He wanted to 
howl. He wanted to go back and find every cat that had 
hurt Sam and kill them. He couldn't. Sam needed him to 
hold it together. He touched his mate, fingers on the 
matted fur. There were bones grinding under there, 
scabs, raw spots. Rage built in him, and he pushed it 
back. Sam needed him, his care, not the anger. "C'mere, 
Puss. Let me hold you now." 

Sam yowled softly, crawled into his lap where he sat 

in the van. Marina grabbed one of the blankets and 
offered it over. Nodding his thanks, he wrapped it 
around them, ignoring the stench that rose from Sam's 
fur. 

Sam was muttering, talking to him hard, and while 

his brain didn't understand the mewls and chirps, his 
soul got it. He'd come and Sam had waited. Just like his 
puss had rescued him, he'd saved Sam. 

Gray was pushing Marina down, cleaning her, and 

she twisted, yelping. "Hey!" 

That gave Gus his first smile of the night. "He's just 

helping, honey. Grooming." 

Gray growled happily, tail thumping. This poor girl --

she had no pack structure, no kin, and she'd been 
brutalized. Gray, on the other hand, came from one of 
the most dysfunctional, yet normal wolf families around. 
It was going to be a fun trip. 

"The shot I gave him's going to wear off. He'll need 

pain killers." Marina squeaked. "That's my belly!" 

"He can't see it if you get naked." He stroked Sam's 

back. "Did you get the kit I asked for, Helena?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 140 

"Of course. We're heading up to Maine. There's 

enough remote area there. Did I tell you?" 

"Five times." Maine. Christ. He wasn't sure anywhere 

on the East Coast was going to be far enough away, but 
there were moose there or something, right? Jesus. 

"Gray, will you quit licking her!" 
Gray's huge head turned toward him, then the big 

wolf headed for Sam. 

"Nope. I got this. I promise." He wasn't going to 

change in front of Marina, but he would tend to Sam. 

Marina just stared. "He's wolfy. I mean, a lot." 
"He is. He grew up out in the open, you know?" Gus 

liked Gray all the more as a wolf, really. 

"Not really. I haven't changed in over three years." 
He stared, and even Sam roused a little at that, tail 

lashing. That was a relief. With those back legs that 
numb and not working, he'd been worried that 
something was wrong with Sam's spine. This looked like 
it was better. 

"Hey, Sammy. You're in there. I like the look." 
Sam yowled, plaintive and grumpy, and Gus laughed 

for sheer relief. Those green eyes met his, and another 
yowl split the air. Poor baby. Gus scratched between 
Sam's ears. 

"As soon as we're out of town, we'll stop, puss. Rest." 
Marina handed him a syringe. "Pain killers. It'll help, 

huh?" 

"Thanks." He took the shot and pushed it into the 

skin at the back of Sam's neck, boom. The dose had 
been pre-measured, so he didn't worry on it. 

Sam didn't even respond to the actual shot, the cat's 

muzzle on his free hand, asking for more touches. Gus 
gave them willingly, stroking the poor, abused body, 
happy that Sam was alive, if not kicking. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 141 

When the shot hit, for a terrible, terrible second Gus 

thought Sam had died on him, the huge body going 
boneless. Then Sam took a deep, shuddering breath, then 
another, before relaxing into the regular rhythm of sleep. 

Thank God. Who knew how long it was going to take 

Sam to heal, but he was safe now. Gus would make sure 
of it. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 142 

Chapter Twenty-Four 

He smelled snow, but he was warm. 
He hadn't been warm in days, but he was now. 
He liked it. 
Sam was fairly sure he was dead. More than fairly 

sure, even. How else could he explain the soft bed and 
blankets, the smell of Gus all around him? They were 
never going to let him go. 

Sam thought about curling in around the soft, heady 

scent of Gus, but that would hurt. Or would it? He tried, 
and yowled. That was no fair, to be dead and still hurt, 
damn it. 

"Shh. It's okay, babe. I have some pills. I ground 

them up and put them in clam juice. I know you like 
that." That was so not Marina. 

"Am I dead?" He started shivering as he tried to wake 

up. 

"No, babe. We stopped that process." Gus' breath 

brushed across his cheek. "Wake up, puss, and tell me 
hello." 

"You're real? You swear? Because I saw you a lot 

when I was in there." 

"Helena and Gray found me, babe." Gus bent, kissing 

his mouth, and oh. Oh, real. 

His eyes flew open, searching Gus' eyes. His Gus. 

Oh, God. Real. Real. Gus. GUS. 

"Hey, puss." Gus smiled, and there was relief in those 

dark eyes. 

"Hey." All he could do was stare. Well, stare and 

drink the juice Gus fed him. It was briny and raw and so 
good that he wanted to cry. Protein and juice. Woo. It hit 
his belly with a gurgle, making him gasp in air as he 
fought to keep it down. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 143 

"That's it, puss. Just breathe for me. I know. I know." 

Gus was a terrible nurse, but he was clearly trying. 

He eased back, staring, refusing to look away even 

for a second. "Where are we?" 

"Uh..." Gus glanced around, finally grabbing 

something off a table near the bed. "Maine." 

"Ah. Snow." The room turned a little blue around the 

edges. "Marina?" 

"She's with Gray and Helena in another cabin." Gus 

stroked his cheek. 

"You brought her. I said you would." His head was 

heavy. "Missed you." 

"I missed you, too. You're gonna kick me when you 

find out what I thought." Gus was petting him, easing 
him down into the place where the pain wasn't so bad. 

"You thought I'd left. I should have come, that day. I 

should have come to you." He'd been saying it over and 
over. 

"I should never have left without you." Gus laughed a 

little. "We were so new. Not leaving you now." 

"I don't know. They hurt my legs. Bad." He didn't 

remember much, didn't want to remember much, but 
what he did recall was harsh. 

"I know, babe. You're healing. Helena says she 

knows someone who can do acupuncture to help it 
along." He could hear the growl in Gus' voice, the rage. 

He nodded, thoughts scattering wildly. "Do you think 

they'll want to kill me at home? Since I'm broken?" 

"The pack, you mean?" Gus seemed to ponder that 

for a long while. "I think we need to wait awhile before 
a gathering, maybe. But no, I think they think you're 
pretty broken already." 

"Excellent point." A wave of sheer hysteria hit him, 

and he panted through it, the room spinning. "Did they 
hurt you?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 144 

"No. No, babe." Gus moved even closer, stretching 

out next to him. "It's the drugs, huh? Just breathe." 

He nodded, tried to breathe. It wasn't easy, though, 

and the only thing that kept him from panic was Gus, 
right there. Solid. Warm. Real, He'd dreamed of Gus, 
held onto the memory of their time together during all 
the torture. 

"I got you." 
"I thought..." Hell, who knew what he thought? 
"I know. You never even said you loved me." It 

wasn't blame. He could tell. It was more like 
commiseration. 

"I do. You know it. Mate. We're mates." Right? Still? 
"Yes. God, yes." That mouth pressed gently to his, 

Gus telling him more physically than verbally. 

The flavor of Gus hit him, and he did yowl then, 

crying out into the kiss. Gus held him while he shook, 
while everything that had happened sort of seemed to try 
to get out of him all at once. The cat wanted out, fought 
him, and he snarled and twisted, fighting it, the urge. 
The moon wasn't full. It wasn't full, damn it. Gus held 
him, which made it easier to hold it together, made it 
better. His. His mate. After what felt like years, but was 
probably seconds, he went boneless, panting through the 
jolts of pain. 

"Better. I can give you another pill in three hours. 

Why don't you try to sleep again?" 

"I'm okay." He didn't want to sleep. He didn't want to 

find out he'd been dreaming. 

"Okay, so, talk to me." Gus rubbed noses with him. 
"Did you find your rocks?" It had been something 

with a mite, Sam thought. 

"Yeah. I got one big piece that will go for maybe ten 

thousand." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 145 

"Good for you. I was hoping you did." That was a lie. 

He'd hoped Gus was miserable and coming to look for 
him. 

"You know I dig to escape shit, babe. I was worried 

that you'd changed your mind." 

"I don't think I can. You're mine." Balls to bones. 
"Yep." Gus seemed way more cheerful about it than 

he had been before he'd left. 

"I don't know what to do next, really." It felt like a 

confession. 

"Heal, babe. We're safe here. Helena has it all worked 

out how to cross into Canada if we need to." 

"I fought them." He hadn't, not for a long time, but he 

had this time. 

"You did good. Marina told us how brave you were." 
He shook his head. He didn't know about that, but he 

hadn't died, hadn't let them have anything. That would 
have to be enough. Right? Enough? He shook his head 
again, tried to clear it. Everything was... distant. 

"It's the drugs, Puss. Just try to go back to sleep." It 

was weird how Gus seemed to be reading his mind. 

"I don't want to dream. I don't want to wake up." 
"It's safe now, though." Gus tilted his head back 

gently to peer into his eyes. "I'm right here." 

"You're real?" He knew it was stupid, but... 
"I am. Right here, babe. Sleep." 
He tried to purr, but he didn't have any of those left. 

So he slept instead. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 146 

Chapter Twenty-Five 

Gus watched Sam sleep, still, and tried not to fret. It 

had been days, and usually guys like him and Sam 
healed better than this. Man, he wanted a cigarette. 

"They really did a number on him, huh?" He grinned 

a little at Marina, who handed him a cup of coffee. 

"They tried to break him, I think. I thought he'd die. 

The doctor said the thing in his back was..." She sighed. 
"Harsh." 

"He's stronger than he looks." Gus had found that out, 

over and over. 

"He is. They drugged him with something that kept 

him from changing, but when I gave him the uppers, he 
changed, and I thought it was all fixed. He'd heal faster 
as a cat, right?" 

"He would, yeah." At least Gus supposed he would. 

Who knew, with his weird catness? That made him 
chuckle. 

Marina smiled back, head ducking. "Thank you, you 

know? For bringing me." 

"You had to get out of there, hon." There was no way 

he could have left her. She felt like pack already. 

"I know." She met his eyes. "I saw him, and I 

couldn't let them kill him." 

"Thank you." He grinned. They had a mutual 

admiration thing. "I'll take you to Sam's mom. She's 
good at easing new members into the pack. Once you 
get used to being a wolf, you can go where you want, 
but I think you need to be somewhere safe." 

"He told me stories about her. His dad just died, 

huh?" 

"Yeah. Not long ago." He sighed. "They've had a 

rough time." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 147 

She nodded, and Gus wanted to growl, snarl at the 

assholes who'd hurt her. Instead, he patted her roughly 
on the shoulder. "You'll like their family, hon. I can't 
promise no one else will lick you." 

"Yeah, Gray's a little... licky." 
Helena came in, stomping snow off her feet. "You 

know it. I have to make plans to get back to Chicago 
soon, Gus. My firm is screaming. What do you need 
from me?" 

"I need to know we won't be bothered by a local 

pack, that we can stay here at least two weeks, and I 
need you and Gray to talk to your mom about Marina." 

"Gray's already spoken to her. She wants to come 

here and nurse Sammy. Alpha gave me the address for 
this place; the pack here is related to him -- a sister?" 
Jesus, the girl was preternaturally efficient. 

"No on your mother, yay on the pack." He didn't need 

Sam's mom here. Sam would freak out. 

Helena chuffed softly, the sound tickled. "That's what 

I told Gray. He's pouting." 

"As long as he quits licking people." Gray didn't get 

out much, poor guy. "He can stay." 

"He's still fuzzy, f.y.i." Gray had the hardest time 

switching back. "I fed him, but he's wanting to get in 
here to Sam." 

"So, let him in. Sam won't mind a grooming." He 

winked at Marina, who seemed fascinated. 

Helena opened the door and whistled, and Gray came 

running, the huge wolf's hearing remarkably accurate. 
Of course, he guessed the guy was blind, not deaf, right? 
You compensated for one with the other. 

Gray pounced on the bed, nosing Sam, tongue on the 

man's bandages, trying to get under them. 

"Gray, you're such a puppy sometimes." Helena 

sighed, rolled her eyes. "Turd." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 148 

Gray barked, but Sam didn't even jump, really, 

sleeping so hard. Healing. 

"You can't get the bandages off, man. They're 

important." Marina went over, fingers brushing through 
Sam's heavy hair. "You need to get better, kitty." 

Sam moaned a little, but didn't pull away. Gus 

thought it was amazing, the kind of loyalty his puss 
inspired. He'd felt it at the funeral, when he thought he 
didn't like the man. He found himself heading over, 
fingers on Sam's thigh. He needed to touch, needed to 
make sure Sam was still with them and breathing and 
not bothered by Gray, who was snuffling Sam's face... 

Sam growled softly, one swollen, bruised hand 

pushing Gray away. Gray snorted and headed for those 
ravaged legs. One had been broken but good; the other 
was just torn to hell. 

"Stop it, Gray. Not now." He knew that Gray's help 

would actually speed healing, but Sam needed rest. 
Sleep. 

Gray nibbled on Sam's fingers, then headed for 

Marina, who backed up. 

Gus bit back a chuckle, going for deadpan. "You 

need to smell like Pack..." 

"Nonsense. No more licking." 
Helena snorted. "He's harmless, sweetie. Trust me." 
Gray actually looked affronted. Gus could understand 

that. No dude liked to be called harmless. "I bet Gray 
can kick some ass." 

Helena's look was fond. "He is a warrior, our Gray. A 

little obsessive, but fierce." 

Gray barked happily, tail wagging, reminding Gus of 

the joy that came with being in wolf form. 

Sam's eyes popped open, rolled. "Love that sound." 
"Family, huh?" He stroked Sam's skin, wanting Sam 

to be back to normal. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 149 

"Family. Wolves." Sam moved toward him. "Mate." 
He caught Sam up against him, glancing at Helena, 

who nodded and pulled Gray and Marina out of the 
room. 

Sam pressed against him, a soft purr sounding. That 

lean body was already healing, already better. It was 
good to see, and he held Sam close. 

"Everything okay?" The rumbling voice vibrated 

against him. 

"As long as you are, yeah. Okay, I mean." He 

scratched Sam's back a little, up and down. 

"Trying to be." Sam rippled for him. "That feels 

good. I forgot about that." 

"You tend to forget how good touch feels after 

torture." He'd found that out in a much less horrifying 
way in the desert, where they'd beaten him down a little. 

"Yeah." Sam looked at him, eyes huge, lost, worried. 

"They fucked my legs up." 

"You'll heal. It's not permanent." He and Helena had 

made sure there was no spinal damage. Marina had done 
a damn good job, really. It was just going to take time. 

Those eyes closed again, Sam looking a little green 

around the edges. 

"I know. You need some more of the good meds, 

babe?" 

"Yeah. I. I don't know what to do." 
"You will." Gus had never had a long convalescence, 

but he'd been busted up once in a mine collapse, and he 
knew it took patience. It was hard. 

"I hope so. They were trashing my place, last time I 

saw." 

"It's a bit of a loss, puss. Helena and Gray pulled 

everything out that they could." 

Sam nodded, curling into himself, getting smaller, 

tighter. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 150 

Gus sighed. "We'll just have to get a new place, huh? 

You and me." He was never letting Sam out of his sight 
again. 

"Yeah? That's not crowding you too much?" 
"I may never let you go to the store alone again." He 

tried a grin. 

It must not have worked, because Sam touched his 

face with shaking hands. "I fought them. I swear to 
you." 

"I know, babe. I know you did. You don't give up." 

He took a deep breath, his chest tight. 

"I wanted to. By the end, I prayed she'd kill me. She 

promised she would, if she couldn't get me out. She's 
just a kid, you know?" 

Yeah, a deadly, hard as nails kid. What a fucked up 

mess. Gus bent and kissed Sam's forehead. "You're 
never going back." 

"No. I can't. They said I was a traitor." 
Gus snorted. "Bullshit. Who raised you? Who loved 

you? You were true to your family." 

"I was true to my mate." 
"You were." That was like a punch to the gut, and he 

kissed Sam again, lingering. 

Sam curled around him, a restless purr vibrating 

against him. 

"I got you." He didn't know what else to do but pet 

that too-skinny body. It seemed to give them both 
comfort. 

Slowly, almost painfully, Sam shifted, relaxing into 

him, going fuzzy. Oh, fuck. Thank God. That meant 
Sam would really start to heal now. He curled around his 
Puss, growling softly as his fingers worked through the 
heavy pelt. 

They would rest together, get Sam well. Then they'd 

find a place to call theirs. Just theirs. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 151 

That heavy tail landed on him, holding him close. 

Gus grinned. Who the hell was he kidding? Home was 
where Sam was. 

Period. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 152 

Chapter Twenty-Six 

He woke up to silence, dark, and for a long minute he 

stayed perfectly still before he panicked, tail lashing, 
claws digging into the mattress. 

Out. 
Out. 
OUT. 
Something, someone caught him before he fell, 

which he was about to do, sharp teeth closing on his 
neck, grabbing his ruff. 

He yowled, his body trying to draw up, relax, the 

motion instinctive. 

The one who held him shook him a little, then pushed 

him back down on the bed he'd been on, which was soft. 
The scent was so familiar, the big body warm... Then 
Gray barked, and Sam recognized his adopted brother. 

He mewled softly, pushing closer. Brother. Brother, I 

was so scared. 

Gray barked a little more, talking to him, just letting 

him know it was okay now. Sam was safe. 

Safe. He nuzzled into Gray's throat, purring hard. 

Gray licked his whiskers, missing a little the third time 
and getting his eyeball. Ew. 

He rolled off the bed, his back legs not working right, 

awkward and heavy and odd. He turned to bite at them. 
Gray barked again, biting his ear. Sam swiped at Gray, 
aggravated. They needed chewing. 

"Are you going to wake up the girls, too, or just me?" 

Gus came in, wrapped in a crazy flannel robe, hair 
sticking up all over. He had a cup of coffee in one hand, 
so Sam thought maybe Gus had been awake and had 
asked Gray to sit with him. 

He yowled and hissed, explaining clearly that he'd 

been asleep and now he wasn't. Now he needed his legs 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 153 

fixed. Gray barked along in chorus, and Gus rolled his 
eyes. 

"God help me. I thought it was you and Pete who 

were always trouble. Gray always seemed so quiet." Gus 
gave Gray a quelling look, which wouldn't help at all, 
since Gray couldn't see. 

He chuffed, leaning into Gray as his brother mouthed 

him lazily. 

"Better? You want something to eat, babe?" 
Sam pulled himself over to his mate, landed heavily 

on the man's legs, and bit Gus' thigh. Why hadn't he 
spent more time as a cat? 

Gus snorted. "I'll take that as a yes." Gus set the 

coffee on the rustic, wooden dresser and hauled him up, 
carrying him with an ease that belied the man's human 
body. Sam leaned, nose against Gus' throat, inhaling a 
scent that was... home. 

They didn't go back to the bed. They went out to the 

main room of the little cabin, where a soft couch was 
outfitted with quilts. Gus placed him on the couch 
before going to find him food. Sam curled up, nose to 
tail for a second before he started chewing on his legs 
again. Something tugged at his ear again, Gray hopping 
up next to him on the couch. 

He swatted one flank, purred, oddly happy. His 

family, or at least part of them, were there, and Gus was 
making something that smelled amazing, making his 
whiskers twitch. Every time he chewed his back, Gray 
stopped him, so he grabbed one leg, started gnawing. 
When he got a mouthful of Gray's jowl, though, he 
stopped. Oh, yuck. Slimy. Gray laughed at him, and he 
started grooming, cleaning Gray's face. They were well 
into an obsessive lick-fest when Helena came in, very 
human, wearing jeans and a sweater, looking tired but 
comfy. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 154 

"You two and the licking." 
Sam tried to lash his tail, which sort of worked, but it 

was Gray who pounced her, big body taking her down. 
Oh, Helena was going to scream. 

She did, grabbing Gray's ears and yanking. Gray 

howled, Helena growled, and Gus came over to swat 
Gray with a spatula. God, this was hilarious. Sam 
watched, his claws pressing in and out on his front paws. 
Oh, he wanted to play. 

"Don't you laugh at me, Sammy." Helena's growl 

snapped out, and that just made him more tickled. 

Sammy yawned, his teeth aching a little. Hungry. He 

yowled, batting at the air. 

Gus came out with bowls of food. "Everybody lose 

the fur. Time to eat." 

Right. Lose the fur. 
He concentrated. 
Nothing. 
"Sam?" Helena came over to stroke his ears. "Can 

you try?" 

He looked at her, at Gus, yowled. He was. He was 

trying. 

Skin. Legs. Human. Human. Dancing. He liked 

dancing, just like he liked food. He liked being human 
with Gus. Hmm. 

"Sammy?" Gray nosed him as Helena fretted, 

howled. 

"You leave him alone, huh?" Gus came over to stroke 

his ears. 

"He's fuzzy. He's never fuzzy when the moon's not 

full." 

"He's healing." Gus grinned, tugging the tip of his 

ear, making it twitch. "And he's never fuzzy when the 
moon isn't full, just like you said. I would bet his body 
isn't used to switching at will. He'll learn." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 155 

The ease in Gus' voice relaxed him. If his mate wasn't 

worried, he didn't need to be. He rubbed lazily on Gus' 
legs, letting his purrs out. 

"See? Comfy kitty." Gus scratched him a few more 

moments before heading off to cook some more. 

He cuddled back on the sofa, Gray sitting with him. 

Helena finally stopped fussing and joined them, curling 
up down at his feet. It was good, to be with family 
again, to be warm and happy. 

To be safe. He yowled softly, curious about Marina. 
"She's sleeping," Gus answered absently. "Don't 

worry." 

Silence filled the room until Gus looked up from his 

frying pan. "What?" 

Helena stared. "You can understand him?" 
Sam snorted, bared his teeth. Of course Gus could. 
Gus blinked. "Why shouldn't I? He's my mate." 
"He's feline." 
"Uh-huh." Gus was frowning now, taking the food 

off the heat. "We're still mates." 

Sam yowled softly. It smelled so good. So good. 
"Hungry, babe?" Gus grinned over at him, sliding 

stuff on a plate before bringing it to him. Yum. 
Sausages. He propped himself up on his forelegs, eating 
eagerly. Food. Real food. Good food. Gus was a good 
mate, providing for him. Gray tried to steal a bite, and 
he bit Gray's nose. 

Everyone got food, even Marina, who came 

wandering in, wrapped in blankets. She looked tired, but 
the hard lines of stress were fading from around her 
mouth. 

Before she ate, Marina settled next to him, smoothed 

his fur. She was sweet. So lonely, too. She was going to 
be so surprised to meet the pack. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 156 

He tried out some purring, but he was very busy 

eating, very busy lapping the bowl of milk Gus brought 
him. Milk was almost as good as tuna. Not quite, but he 
guessed tuna might be hard to come by in a cabin in 
Maine. 

He was full too soon and wanted his mate, wanted to 

touch, to snuggle. 

His head was bobbing a little when Gus finally came 

over, grinning down at him. "Okay. I fed you all. Now, 
get out so me and my mate can bond some." 

Helena flipped them off, and Gray harrumphed, but 

Marina led them out. "Please. Let's nap." 

"I have to go, Gus. Sammy." Helena came, scratched 

his ears. "I love you, brother. Don't scare me like that 
again." 

He yowled; he loved her. Dearly, but he just wanted 

Gus. 

Gus patted Helena awkwardly on the back. "We'll see 

you back home when we drop Marina off." 

"No you won't. I'll be in Chicago. You'll just have to 

come see me." 

"Right." Now Gus smacked her on the ass, the sound 

popping. "Grumpy." 

"Bitch." Helena snapped, then went to go, worry 

written in the lines of her shoulders. 

Gray barked and went to stand with his paws on her 

shoulders. That was a lot of licking. Puppies. 

Sam snagged Gus' ass with one paw, dragged him 

down. His. 

Gus hooted, falling beside him on the sofa, one arm 

wrapping around him. "Hey, Puss." 

He nuzzled Gus' jaw, purred. Pup. 
That had Gus laughing again, just rubbing his ears 

and snorting. "I am so not." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 157 

He wiggled up until he could put his paws on either 

side of Gus' face, start grooming. His pup. His mate. I 
knew you'd come for me. I knew. 

Gus nuzzled him, making these low noises. It was 

just what he needed to help heal. 

He spent long minutes grooming his Gus before 

settling down. It was harder to groom a human, but he 
managed. His belly was full, his brain slowing down, 
panic mode finally fading. 

He scented Gus' jaw, barely holding on, not even 

quite awake. Gus returned the grooming favor, hands 
sliding through his fur, rubbing his sore muscles. Even 
the scabs were stroked, the soreness fading fast. Maybe 
it was true, the whole healing faster when furry thing. 

There was a lot about being a shifter that he just 

didn't know for sure. He'd always been so regimented. 

It didn't matter. 
If nothing else, he knew that. Right now, it didn't 

matter. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 158 

Chapter Twenty-Seven 

Gus watched Sam sleep, watched the end of that tail 

twitch as his kitty dreamed. 

That was the problem, though. It had been a week. 

Sam's wounds were all but healed, aside from some 
lingering stiffness in his back end and one deep wound 
on his right back leg, near the badly set bone, that wasn't 
wanting to close up. The problem was that Sam hadn't 
shifted back into a human. At all. 

It wasn't near the moon, yet, so it should be easy. 
Sam just didn't seem to want to change. He could tell 

Sam was trying. It would be nice if he could talk to Sam, 
really talk. They were hearing random thoughts, but they 
needed to talk to each other, damn it. Gray and Marina 
were no help at all. 

He growled a little, walked over and tugged Sam's 

tail, maybe a little too hard. Sam popped up, yowling. 

"Sam! Yoohoo. Can you hear me, Sam?" 
Sam growled at him, stretched, showed him long, 

white claws. 

"Uh-huh. That's nice, puss. Come out and talk to me, 

damn it." He'd been nice. Sugary sweet. It was time to 
get back to his real ways. 

Sam swatted him, vocalizing furiously. He knew Sam 

was trying, but damn it, the man needed to try harder. 
He needed his mate, and if folks thought they were an 
odd couple as people, when they were furry it was 
worse. He tugged that amazing tail again. 

"Hu-man. Come on, Puss." 
He hated how awkward those back legs were. Gus 

thought that was part of why Sam hadn't come back to 
him -- if he hated it, they had to be making Sam crazy. 

"Come on, babe. Please." He hated begging, but he 

wanted to hear that sensual little voice, wanted Sam to 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 159 

touch him. Oh, they weren't ready to do the nasty; he 
just wanted to feel. He cupped Sam's face, fingers 
stroking Sam's whiskers. Pay attention. Wake up. Come 
to me. 

Sam shook, chirruping, trying so hard. 
"You can do it, babe. You can. Come on." He smiled, 

kissed the tip of that nose. He could see Sammy's face in 
there, see his mate. It shimmered, and Gus hoped with 
all his might. Please. Yes. Now. 

Sam screamed, the sound wild and fierce -- loud 

enough that Gus was afraid Gray would come running --
then his mate was there. Shaking, sweating, but there. 

"Oh, Jesus, babe." Gus grabbed Sam up in a hug, 

holding that lean body close to his. 

"Gus. Gus. Gus, I couldn't remember how." 
"It's okay, babe. It's okay." He stroked Sam's back. 
"It's not okay. This isn't fucking okay. My legs!" 
"Shh. They're healing, Puss. Just going slow." 
Sam shook his head. "They won't be right again." 
What was he supposed to say to that? It was true. Oh, 

Sam would no doubt have more mobility than most 
folks, but they would never be Sam's legs. "I'm sorry." 

Sam turned away from him, lurching off the bed 

toward the bathroom. 

He let Sam go for a minute. He would hear if Sam 

needed him, and sometimes a guy needed a moment. 

The water started running, then he heard glass shatter 

right before there was a thump, probably Sam staggering 
into the tub. Gus sprang up and headed into the 
bathroom, just to make sure nothing important was 
damaged. The mirror above the sink was gone, 
shattered, and Sam was hunched in the tub, face up 
toward the spray. 

"That might cost us extra, babe." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 160 

"I'll pay it." Sam wouldn't look at him. "I've got 

money." 

"Oh, fuck that." Gus sat next to the tub, his hand on 

Sam's arm. "I just missed you." 

"I'm fucked up. I don't like it." 
"Of course you don't." Still, it was good to see Sam's 

human face. "I like that I can do this, though." Gus 
pulled Sam over, out of the spray, and kissed him. 

The connection hit him like a freight train, slamming 

into his body and rocking him. Oh, fuck. This was what 
they needed. Their bond was so new; it wasn't fragile, 
really, just stronger when they touched. 

Gus wrapped his fingers around Sam's ass, keeping 

the touch gentle, light, but he couldn't let the contact 
lessen. He needed this so bad, wanted to feel Sam 
against him, needed to taste and touch and just be. He 
held Sam against him, letting one kiss melt into another 
and another and another, Sam pushing happy sounds 
into him. They didn't get all hot and heavy; well, Sam 
was heavy, but it was a good feeling. They just sort of 
wallowed in each other. 

"You smell good. Not like smoke." Sam lapped water 

off his jaw with a rough tongue. 

"So do you." It was true, now that Sam was smelling 

like him again, not like that place, or like medicine. 

"If we go back to bed and touch, we don't have to 

think." Smart Puss. 

"This is true." He turned the water off and rose, 

lifting Sam in his arms. Kitty needed a sandwich. A 
sandwich and a good vet. 

He chuckled a little before easing Sam down on the 

bed, bending to kiss that hot mouth again. Sam's hands 
wrapped around his shoulders, drew him down closer. 
He was all for not thinking, so he stretched out next to 
his lover, lips on Sam's chin. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 161 

"You're warm." That soft purring was starting again. 
Gus liked that sound. It was so happy, so much better 

than snarling, or the pained sounds Sam made when he 
chewed his legs in kitty form. Sam's fingers opened and 
closed, like his Puss was rolling dough. Kneading. 

"Feeling better, Puss?" Gus was. His cock was half 

hard, his body thrumming with the energy between 
them. 

"Yes. Stay with me." 
Gus swore he could feel Sam getting stronger. 
"I'm right here." He didn't want to be anywhere but 

where he was. This was too fine. 

His hands slid over Sam's body, pushing a little 

harder now, working the muscles a little deeper. He 
wanted to ease the pain, move the sore muscles a little, 
get the blood flowing. 

Sam moaned, the sound a mixture of sore and pure 

pleasure. Gus understood that. Sometimes it had to hurt 
to feel better. A man had to heal. 

"Don't stop." Sam arched, almost impossibly, body 

rippling. "Gus." 

That lean form was already more flexible, the angry 

red marks fading. So fucking fine. He flipped Sam, 
straddled the man's hips, hands on the bunched muscles. 
He could smell Sam now -- male and strong and good. 
That was so much better than the weak, medicine smell 
from before. When he found a knot, Sam gasped, but he 
didn't back off. This would heal. They would all heal. 
He could feel it, like Sam's body was telling his fingers. 
It made him want to purr, except he wasn't a kitty. 

He leaned down, nosed Sam's nape. He had to sniff 

there, let his tongue drag over that pale skin. Sam 
shivered for him, and Gus rubbed his cheek over the 
spot, sharing scent. 

His. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 162 

The more he touched, the better he felt, the more real 

the fucking world seemed. It was crazy, how fast this 
whole thing with Sam had happened, how easily he'd let 
his mate in once he realized they were meant to be 
together. He rubbed his nose along Sam's hairline, 
humming. 

Sam's purrs joined with his sounds, rolling between 

them as they melted together. Gus held Sam close, 
fingers digging into the flesh of Sam's hip. Time to get 
to the really tough part. Legs. Gus kept vocalizing, 
refusing to tense up, to give Sam warning or reason to 
stress it. Then he worked his way down, moving over 
Sam's ass, then to the tops of the long thighs. 

"I don't think..." 
He rumbled softly, fingers sliding over the 

hamstrings. No thinking. That was dangerous. No, Gus 
didn't think at all, he just started rubbing the skin, 
putting all his love into his touches. 

Sam groaned, and it took longer than he'd hoped, but 

those legs started to relax, the heavy, battered muscles 
shuddering under his hands. 

"That's it, Puss. Just let me make you feel better. Let 

me love on you." He knew it was working when Sam's 
legs started sliding on the sheets, moving almost 
normally, that sinuous grace starting to return. 

He could scent it when Sam's body stopped being all 

about pain and started edging into pleasure, into 
wanting. His body responded eagerly, his own happiness 
just bubbling right up. That wasn't the only thing up all 
of a sudden. Gus moaned, suddenly too hot for his own 
skin. 

"Gus." Sam groaned, one hand reaching back to 

touch his thigh. 

"Yeah. Puss." He stroked back up to Sam's hip, 

tugging them closer together. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 163 

"I can smell you." Sam pressed closer, vibrating 

against him. 

"Do I still smell like home?" Sam had told him that 

once, back at the beginning. 

"You are home." Sam sighed, but the sound was 

happy, settled. 

Thank God. They could do this. They really could. 

They just needed to be together. 

His hands trailed out along Sam's arms, his whole 

body covering his mate's. He needed this so bad, and so 
did Sam. They needed to sink into each other, feel 
nothing else. He bit at Sam's shoulder, teeth worrying 
the skin. 

"Mouthy pup." Sam's hips rocked under him, sweet 

ass sliding on his cock. 

"Mmm. Weaned early, maybe." Or maybe he just 

liked how Sam tasted. Wild, fierce. Yummy. 

Sam's chuckle bounced him around a little, and his 

cock settled in the crack of Sam's ass. Oh. Oh, yeah. He 
huffed, his belly pulling in with the pleasure. That felt so 
good he rocked, getting more pressure. 

His brain was sound asleep, his body knowing 

exactly what he needed. All he had to do was move a 
little more and his cock would be right there, pressing at 
Sam's hole. 

His Puss. 
His Mate. 
"Made for you." Sam's words made him nod. Weird, 

but true. 

"Sam." He breathed the word against Sam's ear, 

asking permission as much as anything. The dark head 
bobbed, Sam pressing back against him, letting him 
breach the tight hole. Oh, fuck, yes. It felt like it had 
been years instead of weeks. Sam also felt like coming 
home. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 164 

His teeth found Sam's nape, not digging in, not yet, 

but it was close. He wanted to bite down and mark that 
skin, to obliterate every other scar there was. He slid 
deeper into Sam's ass, his cock aching, his balls drawing 
up. 

He reached down, cradled Sam's hip with his hand, 

moving them together. He wanted more of that amazing 
skin, more of those sounds that made him pant. 

When he eased them onto their sides, one of Sam's 

legs drawn up to give him room, it was easier. Easier, 
and he could touch that fat cock, rub the tip, work it. 
Sam was hard for him already, and that made Gus want 
to howl with triumph. They were healing Sam. They 
were. 

They found a rhythm, slow and sure, Sam's body like 

a glove around him. It was a perfect fucking fit, and Gus 
started moving, pushing in and out, letting Sam set the 
pace. 

His hand moved on Sam, measuring the sweet cock 

from base to head, thumb nudging the slit over and over. 
He wanted Sam crazy, wanted his mate right there. 

"Pup." Sam's ass rippled around him. "Good." 
"Not a pup." He growled the words before biting 

down on that hot nape, letting Sam feel his teeth. 

The connection between them snapped, flooding him 

like the taste of Sam's skin, Sam's blood, and Gus shook 
Sam a little, getting a happy yowl in response. He 
growled and grunted and moved faster, knowing it was 
safe now. 

He kept working Sam's cock, kept touching and 

tugging, wanting Sam to feel it. He squeezed the slit 
shut, then tugged all the way down, right to the base, his 
hand meeting Sam's balls. Long and lean, like his mate, 
that sweet cock fit in his palm, hot and heavy and 
perfect. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 165 

Just like that tight ass closed around him like they 

were made for each other. God. He howled, his body 
losing control a little, slamming against Sam's. 

Things went wild around the edges, with the rutting 

and the humping and the biting and the snarling. Gus 
lost track of how many times he pulled back and pushed 
into Sam's body, lost track of how hard he was pulling 
and squeezing that hard cock. All he knew was want. 

All he knew was Sam. 
Sam's ass clenched around his cock, jerking and 

milking him for a fierce heartbeat before heat spread 
over his fingers. 

"Fuck!" Gus cried out, his body seizing up for a 

moment before he shot, his hips smacking Sam's ass. 

He wrapped around Sam, held on tight. His mate. 

His. Sam would be well again if it killed them both. 

It would be a hell of a way to go. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 166 

Chapter Twenty-Eight 

"Get up." 
Gus poked him in the ass, hard, and Sam growled, 

deep in his chest. "Sleeping." 

It was cold. 
"Too bad. Get up." 
"I'm sleeping!" He growled, snagged Gus' thighs. 
"Ow!" That hand came down on his ass in more than 

a poke, leaving a sting. 

"I was sleeping!" Sam rolled over, trying to hide in 

the covers. 

"You were. Now you're getting up and walking." Gus 

looked so mulish, jaw set. 

He was not. It was cold, and he was sore and tired. 
Gus poked his belly. "Up, damn it!" 
He sat up, scooted to the other side of the bed. "Stop 

it!" 

"Why. I'm bored. I want to go dig." Gus looked a 

little pouty. Deliberately. 

"So go. You have a truck. You're a smart Pup." Like 

he'd ever get to go home. Ever. 

"I didn't say I wanted to go home. I said I wanted to 

go dig. We need to get Gray and Marina home, but the 
world is our oyster." 

And what was he supposed to do? Follow Gus 

around, gimpy and broken? He'd be better off finding a 
place and hiding. 

"Goddamn it, would you get up and test your legs? 

Please?" Gus' eyes glinted with a kind of desperation, 
and only that had him trying to get out of bed. 

"If they don't get better, I'll find a place to hole up." It 

was weird enough, to be him, without adding the 
Frankenstein monster lurching around. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 167 

"Babe, I know they're better. I can see the scars have 

healed a ton." Gus was standing hands on hips now. 
Waiting. 

He stood up, muscles screaming as he headed for the 

bathroom with its shattered mirror, the amazing shower. 
He heard Gus make a sound of approval, heard the man 
padding after him. He wouldn't look at the scars --
wouldn't look at himself at all -- ever again. He was 
ruined. 

"Sam." Gus caught him, twirling him around like 

they were dancing. "You are not ruined. You're mine." 

His eyes went wide. "What?" Had Gus heard him? 
"I said you're not ruined." Gus' chest bumped his. 

"Suck it up." 

He slapped Gus' ass. "Get out of my head, Pup." 
"Why? Took me long enough to get there." Gus' cock 

rose between them, poking Sam's belly. 

"Horndog." He was trying to be in a snit, goddamn it. 
"Uh-huh. You're up and moving. I can do you now." 

Gus was grinning, not letting him wallow at all. 

He bit Gus' shoulder, hard enough to sting. Fucker. 

Beautiful bastard. 

"Mmm. Again." Gus put both hands under his ass and 

lifted, giving him better access. 

"Strong bastard." The scent of need was irresistible, 

strong, and Sam bit again, eyes closing with pleasure. 

"Yours, though. You can do whatever you want with 

me. Cool, huh?" Gus carried him to the shower, solid as 
a rock. 

Damn, Gus made him laugh. "You are." Every inch. 

It was annoying and maddening and wonderful and hot. 

He bit Gus again, testing the skin. It didn't break for 

him, but Gus moaned, hands clenching on his butt. It felt 
almost like a massage. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 168 

Don't stop. He hummed softly, moved his lips over 

and bit again, sucking softly. 

"Mmm." Gus moaned out loud and squeezed again. 

God, it felt amazing. 

His butt clenched, and he growled happily, pulling up 

a mark. 

Gus pushed against him, pulling so they could really 

feel each other. Sam resisted the urge to stare down 
between them at his cock, amazed at how hard it had 
gotten so fast. 

He hadn't even wanted Gus a minute ago. 
Now, though? Fuck. He turned his head, nipped Gus' 

ear. "Mine." 

"God, yes. All yours. Want you slick and wet and 

open for me." 

His whole body rippled, his balls going tight, just like 

that. He wanted that, too, with a sudden, desperate need 
that made him gasp. 

"Now. Now." He was awake -- viciously, violently 

awake. 

"Yeah, babe. Now. I got you." Gus pushed into the 

shower, letting him go for all of two seconds for the 
water to come on. 

He draped himself over Gus, biting and nibbling all 

the skin he could. The water made everything easy, 
made the sliding so simple. Made it easy for Gus to push 
right up under his ass. 

"Want." His tail wanted to lash. 
"Mmmhmm. Want you, too." Gus poked at him, cock 

against his hole. 

"I'm yours." That thick prick spread him, stretched 

his hole and let him feel every bit as the tip popped in. 

"You are. You're not broken. You're fucking perfect, 

you hear me?" Gus slid home deep, all the way in until 
their hips met. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 169 

He grabbed Gus' hand, put it on his twisted thigh. 

Never perfect. Not even close. Gus just petted him, that 
other hand holding him up, steady as a rock. "Mate. 
Nothing else matters." 

A purr started building inside him; he couldn't help it. 

It had to come. If Gus believed it so hard, maybe he 
could try. He cut off the motor-like sound with another 
kiss, Gus' mouth hot and wet. 

His back slid along the shower wall, the tile slick and 

cool against his skin, a huge contrast from Gus' rough 
heat. He had way more feeling in his legs now, a lot 
more mobility. 

Gus wasn't going to let him think about that, though, 

not at all. Gus was focused on his ass, on filling him up. 
His lover was good at that. Really good. That cock 
pushed into him, scraping madly. 

"Gus!" He pushed down, their hips rocking faster, 

that fat cock nudging his gland. 

"Babe. Please. Oh, God." Gus' teeth were bared, 

cords standing out in his neck. 

"Yes. Yes, more." He was more awake than he'd been 

in weeks. Hungry. His legs still felt off, but they didn't 
have that freakish heaviness, so he wrapped them around 
Gus hard. Gus' eyes went wide, and he got a wolfish 
smile, then those hands wrapped around his hips hard 
enough to bruise. It felt too good, too right, and he went 
with it, moving faster. 

They slapped together, he banged against the tile, and 

all the while they growled in unison, bodies fighting for 
pleasure. Gus was so hard inside him, so deep. His hole 
felt stretched to the limit, his balls pulling up tight. 

"Gus!" He yowled the word, body clenching tight as 

he shot hard enough that his bones rattled. All but 
howling, Gus came for him, filling him deep inside. 
Making him feel it. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 170 

They slumped together, panting, the water beating 

down on them. Gus nuzzled his neck, making this low 
noise. It was a happy sound. 

"You know... I was sleeping." He rubbed his cheek 

along Gus' temple. 

"You were. I get it. Kitties nap. Lazy bastard is right 

next to a picture of a cat in the dictionary..." 

He growled, bit Gus' neck, hard, squeezing that fat 

cock at the same time. 

"Uhn." Those pretty eyes crossed, and Gus started 

moving again, cock hardly softening at all. 

"Lazy what now?" He bit again, clinging. Yes. 
"Puss." Gus' skin started slapping his, water flying 

everywhere again. 

"Uh-huh. Harder. Now." He could do demanding as 

well as lazy. Maybe better, the way Gus started really 
giving it to him, in and out, stretching his already tender 
hole. Beautiful wolf. 

Gus' eyes glowed, teeth bared, deep growls filling the 

air and driving him wild, and he lifted his chin, offering 
Gus his throat. Gus struck like a snake, biting deep, 
sending shockwaves all the way to his toes. The crazy 
heat of it made him scream. 

Yours. Yours. Yours. Yours. The word just echoed 

through him. 

"Mine." Gus agreed, snapping against him one last 

time, coming deep and hard inside him. 

His cock responded, heat spraying from him, pulsing 

between them. They both shook, but Gus held him up, 
and once their breathing quieted, all they could hear was 
the water pouring down on them. 

"Damn." There just wasn't anything else to say. 
"Uh-huh." They barely made it back to the bed, Gus 

having turned off the water and grabbed a towel. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 171 

He ended up in Gus' lap, both of them rocking, 

leaning together. They touched all over, and it was just 
happy-making. Gus and him. Happy. Weird. 

He rested his cheek against Gus', spent some time 

breathing. He didn't smell the acrid traces of cigarette 
smoke he was used to from before. Maybe someone had 
quit. 

"What do we do next?" He nibbled Gus' ear. 
"We get Marina and Gray back to your mom. Then 

we go where we want." 

"I don't know what that means." He'd always been 

caught somewhere -- at Mom's, in the flat, in the studio. 

"Well, I'll show you." Gus stared into his eyes, 

serious as a heart attack. "It'll be good, Puss." 

"If you say so, Pup." He held Gus' gaze. "I suppose I 

can trust you." 

"I think so. Just like I can trust you not to kick me on 

the chin, right?" 

"Well, not today. Possibly if I heal..." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 172 

Chapter Twenty-Nine 

Gus watched Sam stretch out, the sunbeam hitting his 

lower legs. While they weren't healed up completely, 
Sam was getting around better, and they both knew they 
were just wasting time at this point. They needed to go 
home. They needed to start living again, start finding 
some way for Sam to stop hiding. 

He knew better than to believe that he and Sam could 

live with Sam's mom in New Mexico, that the pack 
would take them in. They could go and drop Gray off, 
get Marina settled. They could close that chapter right 
off 

Sam's people loved him, but the man was always 

going to be a freak there and during the moon that could 
be damned inconvenient. 

Gus rolled his head on his neck and went to find 

Marina. 

The gal was sitting on the front porch of her cabin, 

watching the road. Gus wondered if she'd been born in a 
city, or if she'd had room to run when she was a kid. 

"Hey, hon." 
"Gus." She smiled. "How's Sam?" 
"Hiding." He sat next to her, smiling back. 
"He had to live through a lot." 
"He did. We need to get moving, though." Gus 

frowned. "I got a bad feeling, honey. Can you talk to 
him?" 

"Sure." She looked at him, suddenly so worried. "I. 

When are you going?" 

"We're taking you and Gray back to Sam's people as 

soon as we can. Then we'll head off." 

Tension left her shoulders, like air out of a balloon. 

"For real?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 173 

"Yep. We won't leave you hanging, honey. I 

promise." Poor kid. He forgot over and over how young 
she was. 

"I just... Gray says no one there will hunt me." 
Gus wasn't so sure of that. She was young, pretty, 

strong... He winked. "Not in a bad way. Don't let my 
cousins get after you too hard." 

"I won't. Gray won't. Do you think they're coming for 

us? The cats?" 

"I don't know." He kept having this itch on the back 

of his neck. "I can't see why, but they might just." 

"Sam offends them. He smells like a wolf, acts like a 

cat. He's not in the pride structure; he doesn't bow to the 
Alpha. He just paid them." 

"Paid them?" That sharpened his interest. "So this is a 

loss of income for them?" 

"Yeah. He wouldn't give them his accounts." 
Shit. They might just come after Sam after all. They 

needed to get his money transferred. Pete took care of all 
that for Gus so he could just be mobile. 

"I'll go talk to him, get him moving." She shrugged. 

"Maybe he used up all his toughness. It has to build up, I 
think." 

Gus nodded slowly, watching her go. He'd never 

thought of it that way. Next he had to get Gray moving. 
He thought Gray was having a ball, sort of a grand 
adventure away from home. Gray was in the sunshine --
even as chilly as it was -- white belly to the sky, tongue 
lolling. 

Walking right up, Gus used his toes to scratch Gray's 

belly. "We need to move, man." 

Gray sighed, leaned over, gnawed his ankle idly. 
"I know. There's this money thing, though." Gray was 

such a good wolf. Gus wondered why he was always 
human at home. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 174 

Gray nodded, nose on his leg, the blank eyes looking 

sad somehow. 

"I bet you know more about it than me. All those 

scars, Gray. All those years. Why would he do that?" It 
still boggled his mind. Gus would have moved on. 

Gray shifted, slowly, one hand on his leg now. "What 

else could he do? He doesn't fit in anywhere. He isn't 
Pack. He isn't like them. You used to say it all the time, 
Gus. He's the queerest man on earth living a life where 
he couldn't have a partner. Part of him, I think, needed 
some kind of attention, someone that knew him, even if 
it hurt. He's never ever spent a moon not caged." 

Gus shook his head, reaching down to help Gray up. 

"You need clothes, man." 

"Yeah, yeah. I have some somewhere." Gray 

shrugged. "I like it here." 

"I know." He clapped Gray on the shoulder. "I'm 

sorry that you have to leave, but we need to get Marina 
to your mom." 

"We will. We need to get Sam out of here before they 

come for him. I would imagine they're pissed off." 

"Yeah. You're the second person to mention that 

today. Imagine no one saying it before." Not that he was 
bitter or anything. It would have been nice to know. 

"I heard the pup telling you just a minute ago. Don't 

snarl." 

"What? No one thought to tell me they might track us 

here? I thought we had all the time in the world." 

"How the hell would I know how they are? Why 

would they leave their territory? Even for money? We 
don't chase intruders more than out of our land!" 

Gus sighed. "Yeah, yeah, okay." He rubbed the back 

of his neck, watching the gulls circle. 

"Why didn't Sammy tell us?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 175 

"I don't know." He was just lost sometimes when it 

came to the kitty mind. 

"If only I could drive. I'd just stay here and bask." 

Gray snorted. "Maybe you should ask him. When are we 
leaving?" 

"As soon as we can get him moving. We can't fly. 

The girl has no ID." 

"The girl has nothing. Who are these assholes?" 
"I don't know." Gus grinned. "Man, if the rest of the 

pack was here we'd kick their asses, though, huh?" 

Gray's white eyes glimmered, the fury in them 

sudden, unexpected, a little terrifying, honestly. "We'd 
destroy them, remind them who is top of the food 
chain." 

"We would." He had no doubt that Gray would 

defend his family to the last bite. 

"I'll pack. You get Sam. We'll go back." Gray 

stretched. "I like it here. I like it a lot." 

"I know, man." Gus shook his head, wondering for 

about the thousandth time how he'd gotten into this. 

"Blame Sam." Gray's laughter followed him off. 
Dude. It was one thing to have Sam hear him. It was 

another to have Sam's family do it. Gus patted his 
pocket for a pack of smokes, remembering as he did that 
he'd forgotten to buy the damned things. 

"...stop pushing me!" Sam's roar split the air as he got 

close to the cabin. 

"Fuck off, man. They'll come for you. You know it. I 

know it. They lost your income, lost their errand girl, 
lost at least four soldiers. They'll have to come to save 
face, just so another pride doesn't run them out of the 
city. They want your head on a pike!" 

"Maybe they should have taken it!" 
The sound of the slap was as clear as a bell. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 176 

Gus fought the urge to go to Sam's rescue. This was 

exactly what the stubborn kitty needed. 

"Don't you say that! You... you fuck!" The wee pup 

could growl. "You lived. You did it. Don't you give up 
now when he came like you said!" 

Gus took a deep breath before going inside. "Sam, 

she's right. We have to go, babe." 

"Fine." The handprint across Sam's face was bright 

red. "Get the little bitch out of here." 

Marina's eyes went wide. "But you said..." 
Sam stared her down. "Don't be an idiot. We're 

fighting. I'm going to growl. You're going to get your 
shit. We're going to see Ma. I won't desert you. You're 
pack." 

Gus hid a grin. "Go on. honey. Get packed. I'll handle 

Mr. Kitty." 

Sam's bright green eyes landed on him. "Handle me?" 
God, that was hot. He approved. "You need a 

handler. Maybe I need a chair and a whip." 

"I will bite your face off and chew on you." 
"You can chew on me all you want, babe." Gus 

wandered to the bed and sat, his hand on Sam's side. 

It took a minute, but Sam leaned into him. "I don't 

want to go back. What am I supposed to tell them? My 
kind doesn't want me either?" 

"Puss, I told you we don't have to stay. We just drop 

the kids off and go." He knew Sam would want to see 
his mom, but there was no reason for Sam to stick 
around and feel like shit. 

"I know, but..." Sam was ashamed. He could smell it. 
"No. You have a place now. With me. We'll be 

misfits together." 

"I tried to be strong." Sam near whispered the words, 

then stood and staggered over to pack the handful of 
clothes they'd found for his Puss. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 177 

"You were. You were really strong. Verging on 

stubborn and possibly dumb." He let Sam do it. He knew 
the man needed to do shit on his own. 

Sam flipped him off, the move almost idle. "I told her 

you'd come for me." 

"I did, right?" He'd been a little dense about why Sam 

wasn't calling, but that was okay. He'd managed it and 
gotten to his mate before it was too late. 

"You did." Sam came to him, fingers in his hair. "I 

barely remember; it's like some fucked up dream." 

"More like a nightmare." He slid an arm around 

Sam's waist. "I was afraid for you, Puss." 

"I was, too." Sam petted him, sighed. "I'd given up." 
"Well, now we need to get strong again, huh? We 

need to move." They had to. That was that. 

"Let's go. I'm ready." 
Gus opened his mouth to say that he had a few more 

things to pack when he heard Gray's furious barking. 
What the fuck? This was not chasing ducks. 

Sam frowned. "Gray?" 
Then they heard a wild, pained scream. 
Gus ran for the door. He didn't know that voice, but 

that couldn't be good. 

Sam was behind him, as the scream came again. 

There were five cats -- huge and black, two on Gray, 
three attacking a half-changed Marina. 

"No!" Sam snarled, black body flying off the porch, 

shifting mid-air. 

"Fuck --" The word cut off when Gus changed, his 

challenging howl ringing out. No. Sam was right. Just 
no. 

Sam was all teeth and claws, diving for the ones 

attacking Marina, fangs sinking into the flank of one 
huge cat. So Gus went after the bastards fighting Gray, 
not that the big, blind wolf wasn't holding his own. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 178 

In fact, Gray had one down, muzzle buried in an open 

throat, blood flying. 

Gus flew into the fray, taking out a back leg. It was 

harder than he expected, the cat's bones seeming thicker 
than a wolf's. Gus wasn't letting go, though. Not one bit. 

Claws raked at his fur, the tips scoring his skin, but 

not digging in enough to catch, tear. He twisted, 
snapping at the cat who was trying to eat his ass. 

His mate was there before him, wild and screaming, 

sending the big male tumbling. God, it was beautiful. 
Sam was fierce and wonderful and perfect. Almost 
distracting, but Gus knew it wasn't time to stop fighting 
yet. 

He shook hard, feeling the bone snap in his jaws. His 

pack. His mate. His. 

Marina flashed by, finally fully shifted, insane little 

growls coming from her throat. She caught the cat with 
the broken leg by the throat and snapped until it stopped 
moving. 

Sam stood there, growling, and both Gray and 

Marina turned toward him, teeth bared. Gus moved 
between them, protecting his mate. In the heat of battle 
they might mistake a cat for a cat. 

Gray backed off first, then Marina, her little sounds 

confused, scared. 

Gus took a deep breath before surveying the 

battlefield. He had to make sure there were no more 
threats. 

Fur and blood and bodies covered the ground, 

scattered like raw meat. There was a savage sense of 
satisfaction to it, a heavy duty surge of pride in his pack. 

His. 
Gray came to him, muzzle bloody, and bowed, 

panting hard. Gus gave praise where it was due, 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 179 

nuzzling Gray's face, then neck. He sniffed, searching 
for injuries, but there was nothing life-threatening. 

Marina was next, her instincts clumsy, but there. 

She'd been torn up, and he licked the wounds, cleaned 
them, vocalizing to her, letting her know how good she 
was, how proud he was of her. 

When she relaxed, he turned to Sam, who yowled and 

swiped at him, then wrapped strong forepaws around 
him to groom him. Gus let his tongue loll, let his mate 
have at him until his eyes crossed and his back leg 
kicked helplessly. 

Sam nuzzled his belly fur, then dragged himself up 

on the porch, cleaning his dark, sleek face and heavy 
paws. Gus went to help, cleaning the back legs that were 
still so sore, so hurt. 

Gray had one paw on Marina, the two grooming each 

other quietly, letting him curl around his mate, tongue 
sliding over the heavy pelt. His brave Sam. Sam thought 
he wasn't strong anymore, but Gus knew better. His 
mate could stick kick ass. 

Sam purred for him, grooming his tail, smoothing his 

fur. 

He let it go on as long as he could. He wanted to stay 

right there forever. They had to move, though. 

It was Sam who shifted, cheek on his flank. "We 

need to go. Somewhere. Not here. Maybe not home, 
either, but we have to take them and go." 

Gus concentrated on his human body, the smell of 

blood almost making him gag when he changed. "I 
know, babe." 

"I'm sorry." Sam looked over at Gray, at Marina. "I 

didn't mean to get everyone fucking involved." 

Gray barked before going back to grooming, looking 

so happy it kind of hurt to look at him. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 180 

Gus shook his head. "I think everyone is pretty much 

involved." He looked at Marina, too. "I think we might 
just have our own pack." 

Sam arched one dark eyebrow. "I'm not calling you 

Alpha." 

"Uh-huh. Pussy." He started chuckling, the relief of 

winning the fight almost overwhelming. 

"Fucker." Sam swatted him. "I've never liked you." 
"I know. Good thing you love me." He could live 

with that. He really could. 

For the rest of his life. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 181 

Chapter Thirty 

They drove for hours, Gray vocalizing to Marina, his 

brother flat refusing to shift out of wolf form. 

Sam rolled his eyes as Marina groomed him. "You're 

going to spoil him." 

"I'm allowed to. He's hurt." 
"He had a bite on his furry butt." 
Gray farted, loudly. That was so gross. Stinky. Sam 

tried hard not to roll his eyes again. "Butthead." 

Gus chuckled. "More like stinky butt." 
"Maybe he's rotting from the inside." 
Gray snapped the air idly, the threat making him 

smile. It made Gus smile, too. Marina just whapped 
Gray on the muzzle. Those two were so made for each 
other. 

He stretched, his lower back aching, his legs tingling. 

They were heading home; it was the only thing anyone 
could think to do. Sam knew it was a bad idea, and he 
knew Gus knew that, too, but it would be like closure or 
something. 

At least they'd be able to get Gus and Gray's shit, 

possibly get some practical clothes for Marina. Him. His 
mom was sure to have some soft sweats. He and Pete 
were close in size if nothing else. Pete wasn't a hulking 
monster like his brother, Gus. Gus. Yum. 

He let himself look a little, admire the strong jaw, the 

way those hands wrapped around the steering wheel. 

Gus glanced at him sideways. "Everything okay?" 
"Yeah." He was a little horny, but yeah. 
"You sure?" Gus' mouth curved up on one side, 

letting him know it hadn't gone unnoticed. 

He growled softly. Bastard. "Positive." 
"Hmm. I mean, I could help you out. We could stop 

for a rest." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 182 

"Ew." Marina grunted at them from the backseat. "No 

nookie." 

He arched one eyebrow. "Can we just fuck then?" 
Impertinent girl. 
"No!" Marina laughed a little. "At least not while I'm 

in the car." 

His nose wrinkled. No. No, she was like a little sister. 

That was nasty. 

Gus laughed. "Gray's farts are ruining the mood 

anyway." 

"I just want to know who fed him jalapenos." He 

wasn't sure how they'd found jalapenos in New England. 
They were sure mild, and they'd come out of a can. 

Marina hid her face against Gray's fur. Ah, the 

culprit. 

"You have to stop letting him sweet talk you, 

girlfriend. Gray is the devil incarnate. He sold his 
eyesight for evil powers." 

Gray bared his teeth, tail thumping just at the tip. 

Sam did love the big goof. 

"I wondered about that," Gus murmured, making 

Gray growl even more. 

Sam chuckled, reached back and tugged the long, soft 

tail. Gray was a good one and had proved to be a heck of 
a fighter. 

"Anyone need to stop?" Gus rolled his head on his 

neck. 

"Please." That was Marina, and she sounded a little 

desperate. She probably needed some air. Sam couldn't 
blame her. 

Hell, he'd need some too if he was back there. Not 

only that, but she was a girl, right? They always had to 
pee more. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 183 

Gus pulled off at the next exit, slowing as they neared 

the cluster of roadside businesses. "Fast food or gas 
station?" 

Gray woofed, salivating a little, and Sam cracked up. 

"French fries, Gray? Still?" 

"Are they his favorite?" Marina grinned. "I like them, 

too. And cheeseburgers. Can we have cheeseburgers?" 

"Anything you want, honey." Every day Marina 

seemed a little happier, a little healthier. 

"Then cheeseburgers." She bounced, which made 

Gray's head loll. 

They pulled into the Burger King and parked toward 

the back. "I'll stay here with Gray." 

"Okay, babe." Gus gave him a look that told him his 

mate knew he was still hiding a little. "You want fries 
and what else?" 

"Carton of milk. Two." He really wanted tuna. A case 

of it. 

Gus' lips curled in a grin. "I'll run over to the 7-11 

once we get Marina's burgers." 

The temptation to lean over, lick Gus' jaw, was huge. 

The man took good care of him, and he was still horny. 
Maybe they should just get a room. No, two. Marina and 
Gray could have two doubles. 

Those pretty eyes landed on him. "Be good, Puss." 
"I'm always good, Pup." 
"Mmm. You are." Gus' fingers ghosted over his hip. 

"I'll be back in two shakes." 

"Ooh. Vanilla milkshakes." Marina hopped out of the 

car, and Gray woofed, watched them go, tail waving like 
a flag. 

"If you like her that much, you'll have to be human 

with her occasionally." 

Gray grunted, rolled over for a bellyscritch, and he 

reached back, scratching. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 184 

"She's pretty. I bet she smells good to you, hmm?" 
He got a little happy bark, but it was hard to tell if 

that was about Marina or the belly rub. Gray was such a 
dork. Sam hadn't seen him so stupid over a girl in 
forever. Those big paws batted the air, Gray rumbling, 
telling him all about it in wolf. 

"I think she's a darling. She saved my life. So did 

you, brother." 

Gray barked again, and Sam was glad the parking lot 

was fairly deserted. Gray drew attention. 

"Be good, you big baby. You've got to lose the fuzz, 

wear pants. Woo her or something." 

The snort Gray gave him was more human than wolf. 

At least the butthead didn't fart. 

"You know, flowers, dinners out, diamonds. Uh... t-

bones and rawhides? Squeaky bones?" Teasing Gray 
was the most fucking fun. 

Gray was just about to bite his head when Marina 

came back to the car, hands full of bags and cups. Gus 
was headed across the lot to get his tuna. 

Sam watched that tight ass move. Left. Right. Left. 

Right. 

Meow. 
He really was feeling better. His lower body was 

working just fine... 

Now if he could just get his legs to do their things. 

He glanced down at them, frowning. Yeah. They were 
slow healing. They'd gone faster when he was in cat 
form, but Gus liked him talking and shit. 

"You okay, Sammy?" 
"Yeah, just thinking." 
Her hand landed on his shoulder, surprising him. 

"They'll get better." 

He purred in thanks, rubbed her knuckles with his 

cheek. "I hope so, little sister." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 185 

"They will. The closer you are to Gus, the faster you 

heal, did you know?" 

"What?" Nonsense. Right? 
"It's true." She gave him a sideways look, sucking on 

her straw. "You really should get it on." 

"Don't. You sit back there and be pure and chaste." 
"Pure and chaste?" 
He growled. "I mean it." 
"Well, it's not like I want to watch." 
Gray chortled. If a wolf could chortle. 
"Pure and chaste. I'm going to tell Ma you're a 

virgin." 

Gray snapped at him, making him laugh like a loon. 

"What? For all you know she is, Fuzzy." 

Marina's eyes met his, and he winked, nodded. Some 

secrets, some shames, were just theirs to keep. 

Sometimes Gray was such an innocent anyway. He 

really wouldn't get it. Maybe that's what Marina needed. 
A lifetime of innocence. 

Sam grinned a little, sliding down in his seat to watch 

Gus' front as he came back from the store. There was 
nothing innocent there. 

His cock jerked a bit, more a happy little hiccup than 

anything, like it was giving him a cheer. It was bizarre. 
He'd been a loner a long time, but just the sight of Gus 
made him happy. He was turning into a sap. 

Or maybe he was just hungry. 
His eyes focused on the bag with the tuna. 
Really hungry. 
"Here you go, Puss. I got the kind in the bag so we 

wouldn't have to get a can opener." 

"Thank you." He couldn't help his grateful purr. So 

good to him. 

"Mmm. You know I love tuna breath." 
"So gross." Marina sounded almost happy. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 186 

He flipped her off, stomach growling loudly enough 

that Gus reached over, stroked his belly. 

"Eat, babe. I got you Slim Jims, Gray." 
Gray howled happily, tail thumping hard enough that 

Marina cracked up. Jesus, they were a bunch. He had a 
feeling they were going to make as weird a family as his 
mom and pop had ever conceived. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 187 

Chapter Thirty-One 

"Do you want some milk?" 
"Coffee, Ma. Please." Sam grinned over at her. She'd 

been in complete meltdown since they pulled in last 
night. First over Gray, then Marina and her scars. Then 
him. 

He'd sent Gus to bed hours ago, talking her through 

everything, trying to soothe her, which worked okay 
until he had to get up and walk around. That was a little 
disastrous. 

"You'll need to sleep. Milk it is." She was a stubborn 

woman. 

"Ma. Coffee. Put milk in it, but I need coffee." He 

tried not to growl, but it must not have worked, his 
mother snarling softly, baring her teeth. Fuck. 

"Hey, man." The back door opened, Gus' brother Pete 

coming in, looking like he just woke up. 

"Pete. How goes?" How's your life? I got mated, 

kidnapped, beaten, rescued by a stray, and formed a 
pack since we talked last. 

"Better than you, looks like." Pete nodded at Sam's 

mom, grabbing a cup of coffee. 

"Fuck off, fuzzy." 
"Watch your language, boys." 
They both ducked their heads. "Yes, ma'am." 
Pete smiled. "My wife says hello." 
"Yeah?" He grinned, teasing. "To who?" 
"Me." Pete rolled his eyes. "You're a dork. She 

caught with puppies again. Cool, huh?" 

"Yeah. You've been focused on trying for years." 
His mom nodded. "It's a good match. She's a good 

girl." 

"She's the best." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 188 

Pete beamed, and Sam had the terrible urge to say, "I 

mated your brother." He settled for, "Congrats." 

"Thanks! So, are you home to stay?" 
Sam saw his mom's gaze sharpen, her head tilting. 
"We'll have to talk to Gus." There. Let them chew on 

that. 

"Oh." Pete shrugged, not near as invested in the 

answer as his mom. 

"Gus? Why would you have to talk to him?" 
Sam shrugged. "Because I will." 
The man in question came out from the back room, 

too-big sweats hanging low on his hips, scratching his 
belly with one hand. "Did I hear Pete?" 

"Dude! Man! Why didn't you come home?" 
Sam couldn't stop looking at Gus' belly. He. That. 

Wow... That belly was a thing of beauty, and he knew it 
was honed from years of digging, not from crunches. 

Gus blinked. "My place is with Sam now, bro. We're 

mates." 

Everybody stared. Everybody but him. 
He went to touch, which, given the way Ma gasped, 

was probably not wise, but it happened. He couldn't help 
it. The belly was there, and Gus' easy words started a 
fire in Sam's lower half. 

Gus' arm wrapped around his waist, and he was 

suddenly bone tired, the lack of sleep and the driving 
and the needing to be touched caught up with him. 

He got a slight squeeze. "Good to see you, Pete. 

Ma'am. Sam needs some rest. You two can talk when he 
gets up." 

Pete made this noise -- sort of like when a puppy bit 

into tin foil. Gus just gave the man a look and steered 
Sam out of the room. None of the usual headaches that 
came with dealing with family and friends there. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 189 

He was led into his old room, the scent of Gus strong 

there. Heady. He purred with all he was, whimpering as 
he did. 

"Shh. I got you, babe. I promise, from now on I got 

you." Gus stripped his shirt off and pulled him down, 
holding him close, warm and perfect. 

He leaned in, mouth on Gus' skin, scenting and 

tasting. "Need you." 

Everything needed those hands, Gus' attention. 

"Mmm. You got me." That bass rumble, the light in Gus' 
eyes, told him that he could have whatever he wanted. 

He brought Gus' hands to his legs, as his mouth slid 

down Gus' hairy chest toward a nipple. The feel of Gus' 
skin was so amazing, and the taste was all salt and wild 
heat. Gus pulled his legs up, stretching him, rubbing 
them together. The muscles in his legs gave a little 
twinge, but it was really only a ghost of a pain. 
Everywhere Gus touched him felt better, so he twisted, 
purred, begged for more with all he was. 

Sam got what he wanted. Gus stroked and petted, 

kneading at his thighs, his hips. 

He twisted, his hips bucking up, rubbing that fuzzy 

belly with his hips. "Warm." 

"You got a little chilled, babe." Gus rubbed his belly, 

then reached under his sweats for his cock, stroking nice 
and hard. Sam's eyes rolled, and his lips parted. Oh, fuck 
yes. Yes. There was something about Gus' touch that 
went beyond physical pleasure. This went all the way 
deep, drawing up pleasure he'd never felt before. This 
was his mate. 

His lips wrapped around one nipple, pulling hard, 

sucking fiercely, drawing Gus' flavor in. 

Gus jerked against him, grunting a little, hands 

coming up to rest on his shoulders. "Sam... Puss. God." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 190 

"Need." He kept moving south, biting and sucking on 

the way, the scent of Gus making his eyes cross. It was 
all male, full of that tiny bit of hound smell, just a little 
dog. It wasn't unpleasant. It was home. The taste was 
more than home. It was everything. Well, except tuna. 

He chuckled at his thoughts, the laughter shattering 

as his tongue found Gus' cock. 

"Fuck! S'posed to be taking care of you." Gus petted 

his shoulders, his arms, fingers digging in a little. 

"Mmmhmm." His lips wrapped around the tip, 

tongue tracing the ridge. 

Gus growled, the sound seeming to correspond with 

the snapping of Gus' control. The man just let loose and 
started fucking his face. That fat cock stretched his lips, 
took him without any hesitation, anything tentative. It 
was like Gus knew just what he was capable of and was 
willing to give it to him. Everything. 

He swallowed hard, pulling on each thrust in, letting 

Gus feel teeth. 

"Christ!" Gus bucked, gasping, body doing that full-

on ripple. 

His hands stretched out over Gus' belly, dragged 

down along the strong muscles. He wanted all Gus had 
to give, and he wasn't above cheating to get it. Like 
pinching Gus' nipples and giving that amazing cock a 
little hint of teeth again. 

It was perfect, when Gus arched, pushed the tip of 

that heavy cock into his throat for him to purr around. 

"Oh." The sound was a loud breath, a moan that made 

his back arch like Gus was scratching the base of his 
tail. Then Gus came for him, pouring out right into his 
mouth. 

Salt and heat and a delicious, perfect bitterness. His 

mate. He purred happily, lapping up every drop. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 191 

Gus let him have his fun, but those hands were on his 

skin, rubbing and stroking, then yanking him up when 
Gus' tremors stopped. "I think you might be the devil or 
something." 

"My tail is infinitely more attractive." His cock slid 

on Gus' belly. 

"It is. Don't think I could do you furry, though." Gus 

sounded a like he was laughing. It was hard to tell. 

"Don't make me bite you again. I'm busy." 
"Busy getting off, huh?" Gus got a hold of his cock 

and started stroking. 

"Uh. Uh-huh." His eyes rolled. "More." 
"Fuck, yes." Gus scraped the head of his cock with 

the tip of that rough thumb. "More." 

Gus made him feel whole, made things feel like they 

would be right again, and that sensation was becoming 
more and more necessary, every time Gus touched him. 
Those hands just made everything make sense. 

And that mouth... Well, Gus could go all big bad 

wolf and eat him up anytime. 

Like Gus heard him, that mouth landed on his neck, 

teeth threatening his skin, teasing him. He arched his 
head back, his chest pushing up. Gus kept stroking him 
with one hand, the other coming up to his chest, fingers 
pinching his nipples. 

"Harder. Fuck, Gus." He was so fucking tired, so 

horny, so frustrated suddenly. 

"Soon. That might be a bit much in your mom's 

house." Gus bit him again, teeth sinking deep. 

His eyes rolled, his teeth snapping at the air. If his tail 

was there, it would be lashing. 

Gus shook him, head swinging side to side, the sting 

pushing him over the edge. He came over Gus' fist, his 
scent mixed with Gus'. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 192 

His entire body rippled, the waves of pleasure like 

the best kind of Morphine. Except he wasn't so much 
sleepy as relaxed. And sated. 

He nudged Gus' jaw lazily, purrs vibrating him. So 

good. 

So good, mate. 
Much better than fighting with his mom. 
Shit. This was better than anything. 

*** 

Gus shoveled hard, sweat pouring down his back. His 

mom had asked him to do this thing with her garden, 
which he didn't get, as Pete was there full-time, but he 
figured it was punishment. Everyone in the pack knew 
about him and Sam, now, after three days at home. If it 
wasn't for Marina, they'd be on the road, but she needed 
time to settle. 

He wasn't sure if he was in more trouble for mating 

with a feline or doing it in Maine. 

"When are you going?" James' voice was deep, low, 

and cut right through the air. 

"Huh?" He turned to face his pack alpha, who he'd 

always gotten along with. "Why?" 

James' eyebrow arched. "There's not room for two 

alphas, Gus. Not even close, and I'm not stepping down. 
My mate's having our babies." 

His mouth dropped open, and before he even thought 

hard about it he started laughing, his belly hurting he 
cackled so hard. Him? An alpha? 

James stared him down, waiting patiently while he 

had his hysteria. "When are you taking your pack?" 

Sobering, he stared back, unwilling to back down. 

"That depends on who you're qualifying as my pack and 
how far you expect me to go. We have family here." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 193 

"Samuel. The new female. Gray. You can take your 

family, if you want. This land is mine, though." The man 
was serious. 

A growl built in his chest. "This land has been my 

family's for three generations. If Pete wants it, it's his. 
This may be your pack, but this farm is ours." 

The Alpha's snarl was deep. "This farm is your 

family's, so long as the Alpha allows. You know Pack 
Law." 

Gus bristled, the hair on his neck standing up. "Don't 

fucking snarl at me, James. I didn't ask for this." 

"I didn't, either. I don't give a fuck. You can't stay." 
Everything in him drew up, his wolf wanting out. 

Wanting to fight James for the territory. His human side 
was a little horrified at the idea. "How long do I have?" 
He had shit to settle, people to talk to. Hell, he'd been 
planning to leave anyway. Just not with a little tent city 
in tow. 

"The moon is in four days." James nodded to him. "I 

will be your ally. It's not personal." 

No. No, it wasn't. It was who they were. 
He sighed, shook his head. "Okay. You have to give 

me a day to talk to Mom and all." 

"You have four." One huge hand was held out. 
"Thanks, man." He had to fight the urge to bite that 

hand, but that would have been stupid. Gus shook it 
instead. 

James offered him a half-smile. "Congratulations on 

your mating." 

"It's kinda freaky, huh?" 
"It is. I always thought you'd Alpha out, though." 
"No shit?" He was a loner. He'd always thought he'd 

die alone. "Well, I guess that's good." 

"It is." James offered him one more nod, then left, 

just like the big wolf hadn't just threatened his life. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 194 

Staring after him, Gus kind of stood there, holding 

the shovel. Then he swore and dropped it, heading 
inside. Time to confab with his mom. 

Mom met him at the door with a cup of coffee. "What 

was that about?" 

"James wants me and Sam to move on." With the rest 

of his pack. Lord. 

"What? Why? Where?" 
"He says we can't have two Alphas, mom." He waited 

for her response, just to see if she found that as 
hysterical as he did. 

She blinked, head tilting, then she smiled, the look 

incredibly proud, pleased. "Who are you taking with 
you? An Alpha needs a pack." 

Gus blinked back, but couldn't summon a smile. 

"Sam. Gray and Marina. He said you and Pete could 
stay." 

"I imagine Pete and Lizzie will want to go with you. 

Mona, too." She was not nearly shocked enough. Clearly 
she wasn't leaving with him, either. 

"Not you, huh?" 
"I... Well, I have a friend. A good friend. A..." She 

blushed. "A male friend." 

"Oh." He pondered that. "Well, good on you, Mom." 

He chuckled. "James had better let me come visit for the 
wedding." 

"He will. We have gatherings." She winced. "Your 

mate... That'll be different." 

"Yeah." He and Mom had not really talked too much 

on Sam. She'd always been nice to him and all, but 
mating with her gay son? Wow. Had to be a tough one. 
"I'll make sure you know how to keep in touch." 

"I'll come to you. I would hate for the pack to turn on 

him." 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 195 

"Thanks, Mom." Impulsively, he reached out and 

hugged her, needing her mom-ness for a moment. 

Her arms wrapped around him, and she sighed, the 

sound soft. "So proud of you. Always have been." 

"I love you." It seemed important to say it. 
"I know. I love you, baby boy. Don't move far." 
"I'll try to stay close enough, huh?" Maybe Nevada. 

He'd have to do some research, see where they'd be safe. 

She nodded, then let him go. "So, what do you need 

from me?" 

"I have no idea. Clean underwear?" They shared a 

smile at the old joke. "Maybe you could talk to Mona?" 

Her gaze sharpened. "Do you want me to encourage 

her to stay or go?" 

Damn, his mom was a smart lady. "James didn't say 

anything about her, but he wants Gray gone, and Sam, 
and I imagine he'd be happy to see Lizzie go, too. She 
should come with us. Mona, I mean." 

Mom nodded. "She's a good mother, one hell of a 

caretaker, and it's about time everyone in a pack was on 
Sam's side." 

He pondered that, and damned if she wasn't right. 

Sam deserved a home. Someplace he could be safe after 
all this time. Gus was going to give it to him. 

"You let me know what you need, when you know." 

She took his arm. "In fact, let's start a list." 

Gus nodded, following his imminently practical mom 

to the kitchen, letting her help figure this shit out. 

He'd never been a pack alpha before. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 196 

Chapter Thirty-Two 

Sam sat in the living room, staring at Gus, not sure 

what he was hearing. 

Was Gus asking Ma and all the crazies to come, too? 
He didn't want to live locked in a room alone for 

every full moon. He didn't want to be the outcast. Out 
cat, sure. Outcast, no. His stupid joke made him smile, 
even though happy was the furthest thing from his mind. 

There was no way, no way at all he could do this, live 

in a wolf pack. He'd thought... Shit. 

Maybe he should just go for a walk or a shuffle or 

whatever. 

He stood up, headed for the kitchen on his stupid 

fucking legs. He heard the low murmur of voices, then 
the pad of Gus' footsteps following him. 

"You okay, babe?" 
"Uh-huh." No. 
"Don't lie, butthead." Gus grinned, shaking his head. 

"I'm sorry, babe. James said I had to take Marina and 
Gray." 

Wait. What? 
"What?" He looked over, moving into Gus' arms 

without even thinking. 

"Alpha came today. His mate is pregnant. He told me 

we'd have to go." 

"We were going anyway, weren't we?" He shook his 

head. "How many wolves are coming?" 

There. Straightforward questions. 
"Me. Your mom and Gray. Marina. Pete and Lizzie. I 

think that's it." He heard the implied, 'for now'. 

He turned to the fridge. "Where are you going to take 

them?" 

Gray's hands landed on his shoulders, turning him so 

fast his head spun. "What do you mean, me?" 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 197 

"I just..." He stepped back, rumbled softly. "I'm not 

spending my life locked in a basement or a room for the 
moons so that the pack doesn't eat me." 

"The basement..." Gus stared. "I'll lock them up 

first." 

"What?" Sam stared back, mouth open. 
"You're the most important member of my pack, 

babe. We run under the moon, or they go somewhere 
else to live. You're my mate." 

Oh. 
"Yeah?" He stepped closer, vibrating with a mixture 

of relief and disbelief. 

"Yeah. If we go through the first moon, which is in 

like, four days, and they can't deal? I'll find them a safe 
place, and we'll live on our own." Gus stroked his cheek. 
"Dork." 

"I just. Shit, Gus. So many years in that fucking 

room, then in the loft." He'd never gotten a moon free. 
Ever. 

"I know." Gus drew him even closer. "I would never 

do that to you." 

He took a deep breath, then another, another, that 

horrible tension in his spine dissolving so quickly that 
he wanted to yowl, scream with it. "Mate." 

"You know it. All yours." Gus kissed him then, 

chasing away the rest of his worry. 

He climbed Gus' body, focus on that mouth, on 

letting Gus know how that had been the right thing to 
say. Gus grabbed his ass, effortlessly holding him up 
while they kissed again and again. Gus took his mouth, 
tongue pushing in, not giving him time to breathe. Sam 
dove into it, let his hunger, his cat come closer to the 
surface while he tasted Gus. A low groan was the only 
warning he got before Gus spun around and plunked 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 198 

Sam's ass down on the kitchen counter, pushing up 
between his legs. 

He would have protested, but it was too right, too 

good, and Gus was his now. 

His lover. His mate. Who was opening Sam's pants 

and getting his cock free. 

"Gus..." It wasn't a complaint. If they were 

interrupted he'd claw someone's face off. 

"Yeah. Oh, Puss. Look at you." Gus did a lot more 

than look. He pulled and stroked and tugged at Sam's 
cock and it felt like fucking magic, that touch. His balls 
drew up tight as he rocked forward, wordlessly begging 
for more. 

Gus gave it to him, pushing right back, giving him 

friction with that amazing, callused hand. Gus had 
strong hands. Digger's hands. 

"Yours. Want to hunt with you. Under the moon. 

Want to play..." His words trailed off, and he moaned, 
his head slamming back against a cabinet. 

"Uh-huh. Soon, babe. Four days. We can find a place 

by then." 

"Four..." He grabbed Gus' shoulders, that thumb 

rubbing the tip of his cock. "There!" 

"Right here?" That touch came again, then again, 

Gus' thumbnail stinging him a little. 

His spine jerked, his ass sliding on the counter as his 

balls tightened. That was it. That was the touch he 
needed. Gus did it again, then leaned to bite the still-
fresh bruise on his throat. 

Spunk sprayed from him, his teeth rattling with the 

force of it. 

"Fuck." Gus breathed the word against his skin, 

humping a little, kind of frantically. 

"Yours." He took Gus' lips, tongue fucking in time 

with Gus' hips. 

Just Like Cats & Dogs - 199 

"Mmph." Gus almost scrambled up on top of him, 

humping madly, kissing him back. Hard. 

One hand found Gus' ass, fingers digging in, pulling 

them tighter together. Gus took the friction he needed, 
rocking and rolling, biting at his lower lip. He figured 
everyone heard it when Gus came. The howl almost 
deafened Sam. 

He didn't mind, the scent of them together was 

perfect, overwhelming, and all he knew. 

Gus panted, face against his neck, hands clenched on 

Sam's hips. 

"Bed. Bed, together." They needed time, just to 

breathe. 

"Yeah." Gus lifted him and turned, brazening it out 

and carrying him. The front room was deserted, though, 
so everyone was giving them their privacy. 

He nuzzled into Gus' throat, purring with his entire 

body. 

Gus curled up with him after locking the bedroom 

door, humming a little. "God, you feel good." 

"I do." He got them naked, got them skin-to-skin. 

Sam hadn't believed Marina when she said time with 
Gus healed him, but damned if it wasn't true. Every time 
they touched he felt better. 

They settled, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, 

breathing. "We're going to go soon. Going to find 
another place." It wasn't a question. 

"We have to be gone before the moon. That's only a 

few days, and I want to be somewhere safe. Not 
permanent, maybe, but safe." 

He nodded. "Somewhere I can be outside." 
"Somewhere we can run." Gus smiled for him, like 

the thought was so cool. They had run together once, but 
never under the moon. 

"Together. I could hunt." Maybe. 

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"I think you could. I think you have great instincts." 

Gus nuzzled his throat. 

He let his chin lift, let himself purr. "Really? Is it like 

dancing, do you think?" 

Tilting his head, Gus shrugged. "I don't dance, babe, 

but I bet it is." 

"Good." He hoped so. He wanted it to be. 
"It's exhilarating, for sure." Gus chuckled again, 

shaking his head. "We'll have to make sure Gray doesn't 
go nuts." 

"Gray's an exceptional ratter." Not bad at herding 

puppies, either, come to think of it. 

"Well, as long as he doesn't follow his nose too far, 

we'll be okay." Pulling back a tiny bit, Gus stared at 
him. "Are we good?" 

"We're good." He nodded. "This is where I apologize 

for being a psycho, right?" 

"No. You have a right. You just have to remember I 

have your back." 

"Always. It's a good feeling." 
"Love you, babe." 
"I know. Freak." 
"Don't push it, Puss." Gus kissed him, curling up with 

him. 

He took one hand, lifted it to his mouth, bit the inside 

of Gus' wrist. "Me? Push? Why would I do that, Pup?" 

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Epilogue 

The northern edge of Nevada had everything they 

needed. Enough prey to keep them busy when the moon 
was full, enough room for all of them to run, not enough 
people to worry about, and no other wolves. 

Gus lifted his head, scenting the wind. He could 

smell each member of his pack, could tell exactly where 
they were. 

Mona was curled up near her house, grandmothering 

and herding pups. Marina and Lizzie had cycled 
together, given birth within days of each other, bringing 
their tiny pack's number from seven to twenty in a week. 
Gray was with his mate, the two of them running while 
Pete proved that he was still more of a horndog than a 
hunter. 

Gus' mate, though, was a ferocious hunter, graceful, 

deadly. 

Sam had taken to it as well as he had to dancing, 

maybe better. Sam's instincts were incredible. It had 
taken his mate less than a moon to find himself, to sink 
into the shadows and learn how to time the kill. Those 
back legs were never going to be like new, but they were 
strong again, letting Sam leap and run and do things to 
his mate that made Gus want to lick the air just thinking 
about it. 

The scrub brush seemed suddenly still, too quiet, and 

he knew Sam was close, crouching, watching. 

Gus' ears went up, his nose vibrating. What? What 

had Sam seen? 

He sniffed, eyes going wide. Elk. His mate was 

feeling ambitious tonight. He checked the direction of 
the wind. Sam needed direct line of sight; Gus could 
hunt by scent and sound, so he could move off and 
flank. 

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There was a small herd, with an older beast at the 

back, trailing behind. Sam's scream set the herd moving, 
the leap culled the older elk out. 

The chase was on, and Gus' instincts kicked in. Sam 

would go for the throat and the suffocating bite. Gus 
would go for the legs. 

Together they took the cow down, Sam dispatching 

her quickly, jaw clamping. Such a good hunter, so sleek 
and pretty. Gus barked his approval. 

Sam screeched happily, then started cleaning his face, 

so fastidious, so fine. They would have to eat their fill 
here and then work to get something back to the others. 
Sam would let him do most of that, though. He'd found 
it was way more cat-like to hide the kill and come back 
to it. 

Which as a human was whoa, ick. 
Sam did offer him the best parts, even letting him eat 

before holding him down and grooming him. That was a 
rough damned tongue. Gus had learned not to fight it, 
though. Those paws were huge and so damned strong. 

Bright green eyes glinted at him, catching all the light 

of the moon, right before Sam head-butted him, playful 
now. 

Gus snorted, tail lifting to wag. He could have a nap, 

but running under the moon was still new to Sam. Gus 
wouldn't deprive him of the fun. 

His muzzle was licked, then he got a glimpse of 

happy tail before Sam bounced off to hide. It was his 
kitty's favorite game. It was fairly easy for Sam to hide 
at night. The black fur just looked like another shadow. 
Thankfully, he'd know that smell anywhere. 

It was home. 

End 

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