Wolves Of Stone Ridge 08 - Loving the Enemy

Miach Coleman can’t believe the turn his life has taken. He’d worked hard to take control of his

life after being shoved into foster care when his mother died. The minute he’d turned eighteen, he’d
joined the military. Learning that shapeshifters are real and what a threat they could be to humanity, he
moved to the private sector, working for the Crystal
allowed the scientists to

Lake Corporation. He use their research to increase his agility, strength, and healing so he could

combat these creatures. Now, having spent three weeks under shifter’s care, he’s begun to question
everything he’s learned about them. They treat him far better than the scientists treat shifters. No
experiments. No neglect. No torture.

It took Nick Greely three long, sexually frustrated weeks, and a heart-to-heart with his alpha, to

finally admit that Miach could be his mate. But there’s a reason Miach is their prisoner. He’s been
brainwashed by the scientists to think that all shifters are abominations. Between the experiments
done on him in the name of science and the fact that the wolf pack has had to keep him prisoner for so
long because he’s a threat to their pack, Nick has no idea if he can reach the man, mating pull or not.

Miach is amazed at the camaraderie he sees between the wolf shifters, proving that they’re not

just instinct driven killing machines. And Miach can’t deny the attraction he feels for Nick, one of his
sexy guards. When Nick hits on him, he takes what the wolf offers, changing his life in a single night.
But Miach quickly discovers there’s no happily-ever-after written in his stars. If he wants to keep
Nick, Miach will need to keep him safe from another shifter who wants him dead, get away from a
fellow mercenary trying to rescue him, and prove to the wolf alpha he’s sincere, all while keeping his
integrity intact.

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Loving the Enem y

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Chapter One

alking out of Dagus Whitton’s home, Nick Greely took a deep breath of fresh air and let it out

slowly. All the tension in that home had been oppressive and his wolf was only too relieved to get out
of there. Nick understood the bear shifter’s frustrations at being used, and he felt bad that he’d had to
do that to him and his mate, but he’d needed to catch Cameron in the act of attacking shifters of other
breeds. He was just glad neither had been injured in the altercation, and he looked forward to Brad
opening a bakery. Declan had been right. Many wolf shifters had a sweet tooth, and he was no
exception. Speaking of food… Nick glanced at his watch and nodded. I have time. “Nick, are ye
headed out to the cabin?”

Nick turned and gave his attention to his alpha. “Yes, sir, after I pick up dinner. My shift starts in

just about two hours.”
Declan nodded and motioned to his SUV. “Toss yer keys to Shane and have a seat. I need a word
about Cameron.”

He nodded and obeyed, digging his keys from his jeans. Shane caught them one handed and

grinned. “Why is it the only time I get to drive your ride is when you’re ordered to give me the keys?”

“Because I’ve seen how you drive,” he replied with a smirk.

Shane growled, but they both knew it was in play, which was good. Otherwise Nick’s wolf would be
cowering  in  his  mind  right  now.  Nick  was  a  tracker,  and  had  no  desire  to  be  anything  more  in  the
pack. Shane was the pack beta, and far more dominant than Nick would ever be. Nick climbed into
his alpha’s vehicle and clicked his safety belt into place.
“Where are ye picking up dinner?” Declan asked as he brought the vehicle to life.
“Uh, Dave’s Ribs,” he answered, already thinking of what he’d pick up.
“Good place,” Declan commented, getting them on the road. “Ye did a good job working with Sam.
He’s a very submissive wolf, so for him to let us know about Cameron’s attacks on other shifters is a
step in the right direction.”
Nick  nodded,  thinking  about  his  new  friend.  He  liked  Sam,  but  the  tall,  slender African American
shifter definitely had self-confidence issues. “I definitely agree on the submissiveness. I wonder what
he’s been through,” he mused.
Declan  shrugged.  “If  ye  find  out  and  there’s  some  way  I  can  help,  let  me  know.  It  nearly  killed  me
when I had to punish him for siding with Russell six months ago.”
Nick nodded, remembering the incident. Russell had ordered Sam to attack Lark, Declan’s mate, as a
diversion while Declan and Russell fought. Russell had died for his audacity, but Sam had still had to
be punished for following the foolish wolf.
“I’ve sent Carson to pick up Cameron, but if he misses him at his home, where do ye think he’d go to
hide?” Declan asked.
He shook his head. “Other than hiding at Simon’s, I’m not sure. For that, you may need to talk to Sam.
I only hung with the asshole a couple days, thank the gods,” he grumbled. Cameron had convinced the
two wolves to attack a fox shifter traveling through the area. Sam hadn’t wanted a repeat of getting in
trouble  like  he  had  six  months  ago,  so  he’d  told  Shane  about  it.  The  beta  had  notified  Declan,  who
arranged for Nick to befriend Sam and help catch the bastard.
“Keep yer eyes open just in case the bastard holds a grudge,” Declan warned.
Nick nodded. “I will, Alpha.”
Declan  pulled  into  the  parking  lot  and  parked  his  SUV.  Nick  waited  to  be  dismissed,  so  he  could

collect  his  dinner,  but  instead  Declan  turned  toward  him  and  frowned.  “I  have  three  other  wolves
sharing  guard  duty  of  Miach,  but  ye’re  the  only  one  who  hasn’t  complained  about  the  man.  Why  is
that?”
Something in Nick’s chest tightened and he had to swallow around his suddenly dry throat. He didn’t
want to talk about their charge with Declan, because he worried his alpha would finally decide it was
more trouble than it was worth to keep the nearly silent enemy prisoner. And just the idea of having
Miach gone sent Nick’s pulse racing.
Over the last few weeks, they’d held the man against his will, locked in a fortified cabin deep in the
woods  that  could  only  be  accessed  by  quads  or  in  animal  form.  Nick  rotated  guard  duty  with  three
other  wolves.  So  far,  none  of  them  could  get  much  out  of  Miach  except  his  name  and  that  he  was
allergic to peanuts.
Declan  must  have  scented  his  sudden  anxiety,  because  he  reached  over  and  squeezed  his  shoulder.
“Ye’re the only one he hasn’t tried to escape on. Why is that, Nick?”
He glared at the dash, knowing his alpha needed an answer. He remembered hearing from his fellow
guards each time Miach had tried to escape, once on each of the other three guards. Nick sighed and
shook his head. “His comments don’t seem to bother me nearly as much as the others,” he said with a
shrug.
“Does he insult shifters quite a bit still?” Declan asked.
Nick grimaced. “Not to me. I hear things every once in a while second hand from the others, but when
I’m with him, he’s pretty quiet. Miach just… well, watches me,” he admitted, running a hand through
his strawberry locks, blowing out a breath in frustration.
His alpha squeezed his shoulder again, regaining his attention. “Tell me what’s going on in that head
of yers.” This time, his alpha’s Irish lilt held a clear command.
“I’m not certain why, but I feel attracted to him,” he admitted. “I mean, he’s a good looking guy, so
that I feel something isn’t really surprising, but even my wolf wants him.”
Declan’s dark eyes widened in what could only be shock. It wasn’t an expression Nick had ever seen
on his alpha’s face before and his wolf whined in his head. He hunched his shoulders and dropped his
gaze.
“By the gods,” Declan whispered. “Is Miach yer mate?”
Grimacing, Nick shrugged forlornly. “I don’t know. I can’t really get near him, ya know?”
“He still keeps away from all of ye?” Declan questioned. “That’s not the impression Kade gave me.”
Nick smiled and scoffed. He’d heard the most complaints from his best friend. Miach always seemed
to be in a bad mood when it was the older wolf’s turn to watch him. “Yeah, they don’t get along at
all.”
Declan turned and focused on the restaurant. After a moment of silence, a smile curved his features.
“Ye  know  what  they  say,  right?”  Nick’s  confusion  must  have  shown,  grin  widened.  “The  way  to
through his stomach.” He waved a hand toward the restaurant. “Take him supper.”
That had Nick’s brows lifting and he blinked. “You think I should try to woo him?”
Declan  cocked  a  head  and  his  eyes  narrowed.  “Do  ye  hesitate  because  the  scientists  got  to  him  or
because he’s a man?”
“Oh.” Nick realized what his alpha could think about his reluctance and wanted to quickly put that to
rest. He’d been with both men and women throughout his life and couldn’t care less that Fate would
choose  a  male  mate  for  him.  “It’s  because  the  scientists  have  practically  brain-washed  him.  I’m
worried  I’ll  spend  the  rest  of  my  life  chasing  after  a  man  who  will  never  want  me,”  he  finished
dejectedly.

Declan sighed. “Do ye want me to talk with the other shifters who stand guard? I can let them know to
keep a lid on their tempers.”
“Not yet,” Nick said, forcing a smile. “I’ll try your idea of food first and see if I can’t get a response
from the guy.” Letting his relief and appreciation show in his eyes, he stared at his alpha. “Thank you
for the support.”
because Declan’s a man’s heart is
Declan nodded and one side of his mouth turned down in a grimace. “Of course. I’m thinking ye may
need it.” He moved his hand to the key in the ignition and restarted the SUV. “Let me know if ye need
anything else.”
Taking the dismissal for what it was, Nick nodded and slid from the vehicle. He was deep in thought
when Shane met him a few steps from the door of the restaurant. The beta slapped his car keys into
Nick’s palm with a grin. “Don’t forget these,” the bigger wolf teased.
Nick smiled. “Thanks.”
He ordered eight racks of ribs, each in a different flavor rub plus extra BBQ sauces in four different
flavors.  Next  he  chose  the  sides  of  mashed  potatoes  and  gravy,  Caesar  salad,  and  cole  slaw,  all  in
quadruple  portions.  Kade  was  waiting  for  Nick  to  relieve  him,  and  food  would  hopefully  probably
captive.
Armed  settled  into  the  passenger  seat  of  his  1972  Ford  mustang,  Nick  headed  out  of  Colin  City.  It
didn’t  take  him  long  to  reach  the  turn  off,  and  he  carefully  navigated  the  narrow  trail,  conscious  of
what the trees could do to his custom metallic dark blue paint job. His car was his one reminder of
his father. They’d spent years restoring the classic car, returning it to its former glory. Nick perk up
his friend after what was a stressful day watching their surly

with three bags of food, which he was meticulous in keeping it in pristine condition, which often

made others think of him as obsessive. He shrugged. They were probably right.

He parked his car, slid out and crossed to a small, locked shed. Normally, he shifted and ran to

the place as his wolf, while carrying a backpack in his teeth. It worked well to tire his wolf, making
him easier to handle around the tempting human. This time, though, he had too much to take to the
cabin, plus he needed to find a way to get through to the man, and maybe a more aroused scent would
help. A guy could wish.

He rolled a quad out of the shed, relocked the
He rolled a quad out of the shed, relocked the wheeler’s racks. After pulling a cover out of his

trunk and tucking it around his mustang, he swung onto the quad and brought it roaring to life.

Tonight he had the overnight shift, something he’d managed to avoid over the three weeks they’d

entertained their guest because of how attracted he found himself to Miach. But because of the other
job he’d just finished for Declan, he’d had no chance to find a switch. Now he hoped that’d be a good
thing.

He and three others, Kade, Steve, and Riker, each chosen because they were incredibly light

sleepers, took twelve hour shifts, eight a.m. to eight p.m., or the reverse. It kept them from running the
risk of fatigue, and they only had to make this trip every other day. A dozen wolves would come near
the cabin at various times in wolf form and howl to them. If they didn’t get a response, they’d know
there was a problem. If it was during the night, they’d peek in the window and confirm that their
charge was still there.

Now Nick wondered if he could get an extra shift or two, so he could spend more time with

Miach. Gunning the engine and maneuvering between trees, he hoped his alpha’s suggestion had
merit. Forty-five minutes on the trail had the cabin coming into view and he rolled to a stop in front of

the building. He shut off the quad, swung his leg over the bike and stared at the cabin. After taking a
deep breath to get his wolf under control, he tossed his satchel over his shoulder, picked up the bags
of food, and headed toward the cabin.

Juggling the bags, he searched for his keys. The click of the lock had his head jerking up. The

door swung open and Kade’s glowering face appeared. “You never ride the quad. What’s up?”

He held up the bags. “I brought dinner.” Kade sniffed, his eyes lighting up. “Ribs! Oh, hell, yeah,

that’s just what I need! Get in here.” Kade grabbed two of the bags and Nick laughed at his eagerness.
After stepping into the building, procedure had him quickly locking the door behind him. Once done
with that, he turned around and saw that Kade had the contents of both bags spread across the table.
“Find anything you like,” he teased.
Grinning, Kade didn’t bother looking at him as he pulled a rib from a box, dipped it into a bowl of
sauce, and then wrapped his teeth around the meaty bone. Nick turned his back on his exuberant friend
and  glanced  around  the  room.  He  spotted  Miach  sitting  on  one  of  the  two  full-sized  beds,  his  gaze
focused out the nearest barred window.
As  if  sensing  his  stare  on  him,  Miach  switched  his  pale,  blue-eyed  gaze  to  Nick.  Nick  sucked  in  a
breath,  taking  in  the  man’s  light  brown  hair,  high  cheek-bones,  straight  nose,  and  full  lips,  lips  he
desperately  wanted  to  taste.  Instead,  he  smiled  warmly  and  motioned  toward  the  table.  “I  bought
plenty. Come on over and help yourself.”
Miach  stared  at  him  for  several  seconds,  and  Nick  stood  stock-still,  letting  him  look  his  fill,  just
keeping  his  gaze  open  and  warm.  Miach  returned  to  staring  out  the  window  and  muttered,  “Maybe
later.”
Nick’s  wolf  whined  in  his  head  at  the  dismissal,  wanting  his  mate’s  attention  again.  Instead,  he
nodded slowly, keeping the smile on his face, and replied brightly, “Of course. There’s plenty here,
but its best eaten warm.” He strode to the kitchen and grabbed several plates from the cupboard. He
bumped Kade’s hip with his own and said playfully, “You’re not an animal. Knock that shit off.”
For a second, Kade froze, then he made a grab for the offered plate while snapping, “That’s not what
our friend thinks.”
Nick’s eyes closed briefly as he struggled to calm his initial reaction to defend his mate. Resting a
hand  on  Kade’s  shoulder,  he  squeezed  lightly  to  get  his  attention.  “Why  don’t  you  head  out,”  he
whispered. “I got this.”
Kade stared at him for several seconds before saying, “You sure?”
He  smiled,  suddenly  craving  a  few  moments  alone  with  Miach.  “Yeah.  I  know  you  still  have
accounting to do for your garage. Get out of here, buddy.”
“Thanks.”
He  reached  for  several  ribs,  preparing  to  make  a  plate  to  take  with  him,  but  Nick  stopped  him.  He
held up the third bag of food he still held. “Take this. There’s some of just about everything in there.
Go home,” he whispered.
His  friend  wrapped  him  in  a  quick  hug  and  took  the  offered  bag.  “See  you  tomorrow  morning,”  he
replied with a sigh.
Nick frowned, leaning close as he whispered, “I thought it was Steve’s turn.”
Kade frowned, explaining, “Yeah, but his mate is expected to have their baby in the next few days.
Riker and I thought we could pick up his shifts so he could be home with her.”
“Oh, that’s understandable,” he murmured, his brain working quickly. “Hey, why don’t you stay home
in the morning? I can do a double.”
“Really? You sure?”

Chapter Two

iach watched the two wolves converse in whispers. They were touching each other’s arms,

passing intimate looks, and all Miach could feel was jealousy. He didn’t understand it. Every time the
sandy-haired man appeared, his blood raced to his cock, and the need to touch burned through his
system. He didn’t see Nick and Kade together often, but whenever he did he wanted to tear Kade limb
from limb for touching the man that he could not. There was no way the wolf would welcome his
touch, no matter how nice Nick was to him. Miach knew he was the enemy.

A sense of relief filled him when Nick finally showed Kade out. At least he wouldn’t have to

continue struggling to stop himself from attacking the man. His gaze strayed back to the window
where stars winked at him between the trees. He had to admit, as far as prisons went this was a nice
one, far nicer than the ones the scientists gave the shifters, but it was still a prison.

The bed dipping next to him shook Miach out of his thoughts and shock filled him to find Nick

sitting so close to him. He jerked away from the shifter on instinct before managing to control his
urges. To his relief, Nick didn’t seem surprised or offended by his reaction. The man held out a plate
piled with ribs, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes.

His lips twitching into a smile he couldn’t hold back, Miach took the plate. His stomach growled,

giving away his hunger. “Thanks,” he muttered.

Nick’s answering grin caused Miach’s heart rate to increase and his mouth to water. The wolf

shifter was fucking sexy, with his shaggy strawberry blond hair, twinkling hazel eyes, and killer
dimples. It took everything in Miach to keep from touching the man, especially since having him sit
next to him on the bed gave Miach so many wicked ideas. He’s just a few inches away. All I have to
do is move my hand just a little and I could touch him!

The thoughts whispered through his mind, plaguing him with needs he hadn’t felt this strong in

years. He’d always been in control, of everything, from his military-turned-independentcareer to his
body’s urges. He’d had no choice, what with how the military treated gay men. And now, as a
prisoner of the wolves, nothing was in his control.

Focusing on his ribs, he scraped the meat from the bone with his teeth. The succulent meat pulled

away easily, almost melting in his mouth. He grunted in appreciation at the juicy pork’s taste.

“Good, huh?” Nick said, grinning. “They’re from Dave’s Ribs & BBQ. It’s my favorite for ribs,

but I don’t get to Colin City often.”

Miach took another bite, buying time as he thought about the man’s words. Was Nick trying to

start a conversation with him? He had to admit, of the four men that rotated shifts to watch him, this
one was the only one who ever tried to connect with him. He never reacted to Miach’s curt responses
or derogatory remarks that he used to keep the wolves at arm’s length. He’d watched how they
interacted with each other, and couldn’t help but feel impressed by their warmth. They didn’t seem at
all like the animals the scientists always described them as. It confused Miach, made him question his
beliefs, which in turn, pissed him off.

“Do you like spicy?” Nick asked, and without waiting for an answer, he held up a bowl of sauce.

“Try this. It’s honey BBQ flavor with a kick.” He winked and had the audacity to just reach over and
pour a glob onto one of the ribs on Miach’s plate. “It’s my favorite. I always get extra.”

For a second, he just stared at Miach, and Nick met his gaze levelly, waiting. “I like spicy food,”

he finally whispered. That earned him another grin, which in turn sent blood flowing south to Miach’s
cock. Miach returned his focus to his food, suddenly glad for the plate of ribs to hide his illtimed

erection. He lifted the bone to his lips and scraped off the sauce-covered meat. The honey BBQ
flavor immediately burst across his tongue, followed swiftly by a mild burning sensation as the spice
took over. “Oh, god, that’s good,” he moaned, eagerly devouring the rest of the meat on the bone.

He glanced over at Nick and found the man staring at his mouth. Nick lifted a hand toward his

face and Miach froze. The other man hesitated, letting out a breath through his teeth, then smiled.
“You have a bit on your chin there.”

Miach lifted his hand to his face, wiping the dab of sauce from his chin. He sucked his finger into

his mouth, watching Nick through his lashes. He knew he didn’t imagine the heat that flashed through
Nick’s eyes as he watched him suck his finger clean. Is the wolf just as attracted to me? Even if
that’s the case, will either of us do anything about it?

Swallowing, Nick looked away, and Miach found disappointment coursing through him. He

frowned down at his plate and picked up another rib, mentally berating himself for his reaction. Hope
had no place in his life.

The cup of sauce appeared in this line of sight. “Here.”

Does he sound breathy? He glanced over at the shifter and took the cup of sauce. “Are you sure? I
don’t want to take all your favorite.”
That brought back Nick’s grin — god the man must smile more than anyone Miach had ever met —
once again showing off those sexy dimples Miach wanted to lick. “I told you. I always get plenty of
it.” Nick picked up a cup sitting on his own plate and lifted it as if in toast. “Enjoy.”
For the first time in a couple years, a chuckle escaped Miach. The sound surprised both of them, but it
earned  Miach  another  sexy  grin  from  Nick.  Then  the  man  surprised  him  further  by  bumping  his
shoulder  into  Miach’s  before  refocusing  on  his  plate  of  food.  He  didn’t  know  what  to  make  of  the
shifter, so Miach focused on his dinner instead.
After finishing everything, he stood and headed toward the table. He stared at the heaps of food still
spread across the table and picked up a smaller, unopened Styrofoam box. He turned to look at Nick,
only to find the man had set his plate on the floor at his feet and now leaned back on his elbows on the
bed.  With  his  legs  splayed  and  his  tshirt  molding  to  every  ridge  of  his  six-pack  abs,  Nick’s  jeans
caressed  his  toned  legs  and  did  nothing  to  hide  the  large  bulge  behind  the  man’s  fly.  The  delicious
view had Miach’s mouth watering for a completely different kind of meat.
Nick’s  heated  smile  and  lifted  brow  had  Miach  clearing  his  throat.  “What’s  in  here?”  he  asked,
holding up the box, uncertain how he managed to keep his voice steady.
Nick replied, “Open it up.”
The  man’s  sultry  tone  sent  a  shiver  working  down  Miach’s  spine.  He  swallowed,  trying  to  wet  a
suddenly dry throat. Forcing his attention to the box he held, he discovered two pieces of still warm
apple  pie.  He  stared  at  it  for  a  second.  “Why  didn’t  you  send  one  of  these  with  your  friend?”  he
asked, his confusion clear.
“Because they weren’t for Kade.” His frown must have tipped Nick off that Miach’s brain was still
off-line. Nick grinned. “Those are for us, Miach.”
If  Miach  didn’t  know  the  man  was  a  wolf  shifter,  he  could  have  sworn  the  guy  actually  purred  the
words. His confusion turned to wariness, wondering what game Nick played. He hoped this wasn’t a
ploy for information, not wanting his gilded image of Nick tainted. This shifter was the one guard that
had  always  been  kind  to  him,  which  was  probably  why  he’d  never  found  it  in  him  to  try  escaping
while he was on duty. It really had nothing to do with the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to injure
the man, even to escape.
Drawing  close,  he  handed  Nick  the  fork  and  box  before  settling  back  on  the  bed,  carefully  keeping

plenty of space between them. Nick put the box between them and sighed. Leaning forward, Nick ran
a  hand  through  his  sandy  hair,  and  even  through  his  wariness,  Miach  still  wanted  to  touch  those
shoulder-length locks.
Nick glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and frowned. “I’ve done something to upset you,” he
stated bluntly. “I just don’t know what it is.”
Miach’s hand paused half way to his mouth, a piece of apple pie perched precariously on the tines of
his  fork.  He  wasn’t  certain  what  had  given  away  his  tension,  or  even  why  Nick  cared.  His  brows
creased of their own accord as another thought struck him. Maybe he’s not trying to pry information
out of me with seduction or food.
He opened his mouth, but the bite of apple pie on his fork took that moment to drop off the utensil and
onto his lap. “Shit,” he hissed, heat blooming in his cheeks as he reached for a napkin.
Nick beat him to it. The wolf shifter dropped to his knees next to him and pressed the napkin to his
jeans, picking up the bit of uneaten pie. Mesmerized by the sight before him, that the man he’d lusted
after for three long weeks was on his knees before him, Miach could only watch as Nick folded the
paper around the bit of food and set it aside.
Their  gazes  locked  together.  Nick  eased  the  fork  from  his  fingers  and,  confused  by  how  difficult  it
was  to  even  breathe,  not  to  mention  being  overwhelmed  by  Nick’s  amazing  cologne,  Miach  let  the
implement go. Nick slid the tines into the pie and came away with a large bite of the apple dessert.
Miach watched as Nick lifted it to his lips. Miach opened his mouth, taking in the warm, sweet pastry.
His gaze flitting between Miach and the pie, Nick ate a bite, before offering another to him. He took
it,  and  Nick  smiled  slightly.  “I  bet  you’re  wondering  if  I’m  doing  this  to  try  to  pump  you  for
information,” Nick said softly, but Miach’s mouth was full and he couldn’t answer. Nick didn’t wait
for one, saying, “I am.” Disappointment stabbed through Miach, surprising him with its intensity. Nick
didn’t stop there. “But not the kind of information you’re thinking of. I want to know about you, not the
scientists. If you’re ever ready to share about them, then fine, but it’s you I’m interested in, Miach.”
Nick ended his blunt statements by taking another bite of the food.
Miach’s brows crinkled and the squeeze of his chest eased, to be replaced with a racing pulse and
anticipation, but what he was anticipating Miach didn’t know. It was as if three weeks in and out of
this man’s company had worn away any resistance to his sudden advance. “How do you even know
I’m gay?” he asked, truly curious.
Nick  grinned  while  feeding  him  another  bite  of  pie.  “Because  if  you  weren’t,  you’d  already  have
landed a fist to my face.” Then he shrugged. “Besides, over the last year, I’ve seen enough to know
Fate doesn’t make a mistake.”
He had no clue what the man’s comment about Fate meant, but, oddly enough, Miach’s first instinct
was  to  tell  him  he’d  never  hurt  him.  Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  maybe  he  already  had.  He  didn’t
really  know  what  the  guy  looked  like  while  a  wolf.  He’d  seen  fleeting  glances  of  him  through  the
window when Nick had shifted before entering or after leaving the cabin. All that tanned, tone skin
called  to  him,  stirring  his  dreams  until  it  became  a  regular  occurrence  to  jack  off  in  the  bathroom
before bed so he didn’t wake in a puddle of his own cum.
A sudden regret at even the possibility that he might have injured this man made it hard to think, and
he had to know. “Have you been held or hurt by me or the scientists?”
Nick grimaced and looked away. “No, not me. Others I know, but not me.”
Letting out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, Miach whispered, “That’s good.”
For  a  second,  a  confused  expression  crossed  Nick’s  face,  but  then  he  erased  it  with  a  small  smile.
“Enough talk of the scientists, Miach.”

Pressing forward, Nick rested a hand on his arm while the other hand landed on Miach’s thigh. He
swallowed hard as the shifter he’d lusted after for the last couple weeks closed the distance between
them. Nick’s hand on his arm slid up to gently massage the nape of his neck, sending heated sparks of
awareness through Miach’s body.
His mouth opened slightly in anticipation of quenching the burning heat he saw in Nick’s hazel eyes.
Then the other man’s lips were on his, pressing lightly, brushing sensually. Nick’s tongue flicked out,
and Miach couldn’t stop his own from meeting it. The dark, masculine, and earthy flavors of the other
man burst over his tongue, everything a man should be.
He shivered when Nick’s hand slipped around and cupped his jaw, the thumb pressing at the corner
of  Miach’s  mouth,  asking  for  him  to  open  wider,  give  the  shifter  more  access.  He  knew  this  was
wrong, he shouldn’t be making out with his jailer, no matter how sexy he was, no matter how much
his aching prick wanted to take this further. He should use this to his advantage. From this position
there were at least a dozen ways he could knock out the clearly distracted wolf, but Miach couldn’t
seem to think of a single one.
Then the pressure of Nick’s lips eased, and Miach nearly whimpered at the loss. “You’re thinking too
much, Miach,” Nick whispered, his breath mingling with his own. “Just forget everything for a while
and feel.”
With a groan, Miach gave in to the need coursing through his body. He opened his mouth wide and
greeted Nick’s tongue with his own. That first, full contact acted like a flash fire in a pan, blazing hot
lust  shooting  through  him.  Miach  brought  his  hands  up,  one  twining  in  those  silky  strawberry  locks
he’d been dying to feel, the other arm wrapped around Nick’s torso. He opened his legs and pulled
the shifter between his thighs, liking how the slightly smaller man felt pressed against him, all hard
planes and firm flesh.
Miach  needed  more.  He  needed  skin,  and  friction,  and  sweaty,  grunting  bodies  striving  toward
completion. A gripping desire like nothing he’d felt before took hold of Miach, and moving one hand
to Nick’s ass, he lifted and flipped the man onto his back on the bed.
A low growl sounded from the shifter, Nick’s eyes alight with lust, and something else that Miach’s
blood-deprived  brain  couldn’t  hope  to  process.  The  sound  went  straight  to  Miach’s  balls,  and  he
pounced, taking Nick’s mouth in a demanding kiss and giving in to the urge to cover this man and rut
against him.

Chapter Three

ick found himself buried under two hundred pounds of horny, dominant male. When he’d come on

to his mate, he hadn’t expected this reaction, but evidently he wasn’t the only one feeling the mate
pull. He knew he’d have to explain it eventually, but right now all he wanted to do was enjoy the feel
of Miach in his arms.

At first he’d been surprised by suddenly being tossed on the bed, but when he’d growled and it

had turned Miach on, Nick couldn’t have been more thrilled.

He returned Miach’s kiss with fervor. His hands shoved up under the other man’s shirt, allowing

Nick to run his palms over hard back muscles and firm ribs. He enjoyed the opportunity to knead the
toned skin he’d admired for weeks.

Miach shuddered in response to his touch, his body writhing and thrusting. Nick planted his feet

on either side of Miach’s legs, cradling the man between his thighs. Rocking his groin up, he felt the
hard ridge of his mate’s cock rubbing against his own. The friction sent shards of pleasure through his
body as Miach rutted against him, seemingly mindless in his pursuit of his pleasure.

Feeling his balls pull tight, Nick knew he was only a moment away from coming in his jeans like

an untried cub. He groaned as he tried to still Miach’s thrusting hips by gripping the man’s ass and
holding tight. Miach growled in frustration, his hips stuttering in Nick’s grip. Nick nipped and nibbled
at Miach’s lips and tongue. The man gasped, and Nick took it as the opening he needed to break the
kiss and trail a line of open-mouthed kisses along Miach’s jaw.

“Easy, stud,” he crooned into his ear. His hands, still stroking Miach’s back, were now meant to

soothe instead of incite.

Miach lifted his head slightly, meeting his gaze with wide blue eyes, his irises darkened with

passion. Nick saw doubt and fear in that look, bringing his lust to a screeching halt. But even through
his confusion, Miach still struggled to keep thrusting his hips. He buried his face against Nick’s neck
and groaned. “I need—Argg, fuck, I need so bad.”

“I can give you what you need,” Nick promised. “Just trust me.”

For a second, Miach stilled in his arms, and it was then that Nick realized what he’d said. Instead of
drawing  attention  to  it,  Nick  slid  his  hands  lightly  down  the  other  man’s  back.  He  maneuvered  his
hands  between  them  and  began  opening  the  man’s  jeans.  Miach  lifted  his  hips  slightly,  making  it
easier  for  him  to  work  the  button-fly.  When  he  finally  had  it  open,  he  shoved  down  the  man’s
underwear and was rewarded with the feel of hard, silky flesh.
He wrapped the fingers of both hands around his mate’s prick, measuring his girth and length by feel.
The man was good sized, almost eight inches long with a respectable girth, matching Miach’s six foot
one  inch  frame.  Pumping  firmly,  he  felt  more  than  heard  the  moaning  vibrations  rumbling  through
Miach’s chest.
When  he  swiped  his  thumb  over  the  plump  head  of  his  new  lover’s  cock,  Miach’s  body  shuddered
and he cried out. Warm cum soaked his fingers and the fabric of both their shirts. Nick continued to
stroke  his  mate’s  dick,  heightening  his  pleasure  and  reaming  every  last  shot  of  seed  from  him.  He
loved the feel of Miach’s shivers against him, knowing it was he who brought his mate pleasure.
Miach grunted and shifted his hips, and Nick released the now-softening member. He pulled his hands
from  between  them  and  lifted  his  cumcovered  fingers  to  his  lips,  licking  the  fluid  from  his  fingers.
The salty essence burst across his tongue and he moaned, his still hard erection jerking in his jeans.
His  mate  lifted  his  head,  staring  down  at  him.  Holding  his  gaze,  Nick  continued  to  lick  his  fingers

clean, one hand, then the other, letting Miach see exactly how much he enjoyed the taste of him. Miach
shifted  his  body,  and  Nick  jerked  as  pressure  slid  across  his  dick.  Miach’s  eyes  narrowed  and  a
smile curved his lips as he pressed his pelvis against Nick’s groin again.
Nick  groaned,  his  head  falling  back  and  his  eyes  sliding  to  half-mast.  “Oh,  gods  that’s-  Fuck!”  He
cried out as a hand not his own suddenly situated itself between their bodies and cupped him through
his jeans. Pleasure so sharp it almost hurt coursed through him and his body bucked convulsively as
he sought out more. Miach didn’t disappoint and massaged his dick through the thick fabric.
He  felt  his  balls  pull  tight  and  he  struggled  to  widen  his  hips  and  thrust  up  into  the  wonderful
pressure. His eyelids dropped closed, panting breaths escaping his slightly parted lips, and he hardly
noticed when Miach shifted down his body, but when the tight confines of his jeans disappeared to be
replaced by warm, sucking heat, Nick’s eyes snapped open and his body arched violently. His mate
sucked him deeper, and Nick looked down at the heady sight of Miach servicing his cock.
The strong pull on his crown combined with Miach’s tongue massaging his glans sent him straight to
the edge. “Close,” he growled. No longer able to control his hips, he started rocking. He tangled his
fingers  in  the  comforter  to  keep  himself  from  gripping  his  mate’s  head  and  holding  him  still  so  he
could fuck the man’s mouth properly. He had no way of knowing how Miach would respond to that
and refused to do anything that could jeopardize the wonderful blowjob. Then Miach probed his slit,
and Nick could hold back no longer. His cock swelled and exploded, his balls pumping stream after
stream  of  seed  into  Miach’s  willing,  sucking  mouth.  His  body  jerked  and  bucked  as  waves  of
euphoria swamped his senses and a long, low groan escaped him.
He lay panting, his eyes hooded as he watched Miach lick up the last traces of his cum as it oozed
from  his  slit.  Finally,  Miach  lifted  his  head  and  stared  back  at  him,  his  blue  eyes  intense  and
unreadable.  Now  that  the  lust  had  been  sated,  Nick  didn’t  know  how  the  man  would  behave,  and
uncertainty filled him. Would Miach be angry at what had just occurred? Would he want to talk about
it, cuddle, or pretend it never happened?
Miach didn’t seem to share those uncertainties. He quickly shucked his t-shirt, jeans and boxerbriefs,
giving Nick a delectable view of toned muscle and hard flesh. Miach used his t-shirt to clean up the
mess  from  his  earlier  spill,  and  Nick  used  the  opportunity  to  admire  the  man’s  sculpted  pecks  and
abs, long, lean legs, and impressive cock, even while lying flaccid against his thigh. Since there were
no  waxing  supplies  in  the  cabin,  at  least  none  he  knew  about,  he  felt  certain  Miach  was  naturally
hairless. Even the crinkly hair at Miach’s groin was short and thin.
To his pleasure, Miach caught him looking and grinned. The other man swept his gaze down Nick’s
body,  stopping  to  admire  his  still  visible  cock.  Nick  felt  his  organ  twitch  under  the  scrutiny.
Chuckling, Miach slid Nick’s boxers and jeans down and off his legs, taking his sneakers with them.
Next, Miach leaned forward and lifted Nick’s soiled shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
Miach reached for the comforter. “Come on. Let’s get more comfortable,” he said softly.
Smiling,  Nick  maneuvered  around  until  the  blanket  was  at  his  feet  and  a  pillow  under  his  head.
“Sounds like a plan,” he replied, pleased at least that Miach wasn’t forcing him out of his bed.
They curled up together on the bed. Miach pulled him close, and Nick found his head resting on his
mate’s pecs. “Why the hell did it take us so long to do this,” Nick muttered, leaning over and licking
the dusky nipple near his lips.
Miach grunted. He remained quiet for a moment, before letting out a sigh and nuzzling Nick’s head.
“Because this is a really bad fucking idea.”
His  words  stung,  but  Nick  knew  from  where  they  stemmed.  He  teased  the  nipple  he’d  just  licked,
watching the wet bud pucker into a hard point under his fingertips as he gathered his thoughts. “Let’s

leave the problems of the world outside for the night,” he whispered.
“Nick—”
“I grew up around here, ya know,” he cut in, refusing to let Miach voice his concerns. At least, not
yet.  “I  love  running  through  the  woods.  It  doesn’t  even  matter  what  form,”  he  added.  “I  think  that’s
why  I  work  for  the  Forest  Rangers.  I  always  get  to  be  outside.”  He  stopped  talking  and  waited,
wondering how Miach would respond. It took so long for him to speak, Nick thought he would ignore
him, since he could tell by Miach’s breathing that he wasn’t asleep.
“How long have you worked for the Forest Rangers?”
Nick smiled, relief flooding him. His mate was interested. “Twenty-two years.”
“Really? That would make you… how old?” Miach asked, his surprise evident.
Grimacing, Nick realized there was no way to keep all outside problems away. “I’m fifty-eight,” he
admitted. “I served twelve years in the military first.”
“Really?” Miach couldn’t have sounded more shocked if he’d tried.
“Yeah.  A  lot  of  us  do,”  he  whispered.  “We  respect  this  country’s  ideals,  and  want  to  uphold  the
freedom  of  the  Republic  for  future  generations.”  He  didn’t  add  that  since  they  lived  for  several
centuries, their future generations normally overlapped far longer than humans.
“That’s— I had no idea,” Miach whispered.
Nick lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Why would you? That’s why we’re getting to know each other,” he
said, trying to lighten the moment.
“Wait a minute. Republic? We’re a damn Democracy,” Miach stated firmly. “What military were you
in?”
Nick rolled his head to stare up at Miach and grinned. “Oh, man, are you in for a rude awakening,” he
teased. “Go over the Pledge of Allegiance. What does it say?”
Miach’s brows furrowed, but from his slightly glazed expression, Nick knew he was doing it. It only
took  a  couple  seconds  for  Miach’s  eyes  to  widen.  “Well,  shit,”  he  hissed.  “You’re  right.”  Miach’s
gaze shifted to Nick. “I wonder why everyone automatically thinks we’re a Democracy.”
Chuckling,  Nick  shrugged.  “Maybe  because  the  news  is  always  spouting  about  how  we’re  trying  to
uphold Democracy in other nations. It’s gotten our own people confused.” Deciding a subject change
was  needed,  he  asked,  “What  about  you?  I  know  you  were  in  the  military  before…  well…  your
current job,” he finished lamely.
Snorting, Miach lifted a brow. “How do you know I was in the military?”
“Your bearing, stud,” Nick replied. He smiled, trying to take any accusation out of his next words. “It
takes training to always be on your toes like you are. Even sitting on this bed in the cabin, you’re still
watching everything that goes on around you.”
Silence  stretched  between  them.  The  hand  rubbing  idly  over  his  back  pleased  Nick,  even  though  it
looked answer. Fatigue happened to him that day began to catch up with him. He’d helped Cameron
track down a polar bear shifter, then stopped the larger wolf when he’d ordered the others with them
to attack the bear and his mate. He’d had to give a report and sit through a rather tense meeting. Then
he’d come here to take his turn as jailer for his mate, and the blow-job had left him drained. Literally,
he  thought  with  a  smile.  The  explosive  chemistry  between  him  and  Miach  pleased  him,  almost  as
much as Miach’s responses to his advances.
“I grew up in Nebraska.”
The  low  words  roused  Nick  out  of  a  doze.  “Yeah?  What  part?”  he  muttered,  still  not  completely
focused.
Miach chuckled. “Does it matter? If you’ve seen one part of Nebraska, you’ve pretty much seen it like

Miach wasn’t going to from everything that had all.”
Nick snickered. Rubbing his cheek against Miach’s chest, he muttered, “That bad?”
The  shoulder  under  his  head  shrugged.  “My  mom  died  when  I  was  twelve.  I  never  knew  my  dad.  I
was put into the system and shuffled around from one foster home to the next.”
“Wow!” Nick whispered, his heart going out to his mate. “I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t get abused or anything, which is more than I can say for some. I considered the military my
ticket out of there.” Nick could hear the dry amusement in his tone when he said, “I turned eighteen on
a Thursday and enlisted on a Friday. I never looked back.”
Nick had no idea what to say to that, so he simply rubbed his palm over the firm muscle of Miach’s
chest. “My alpha encourages us to join some division of the service for several years, even if it’s not
military.  He  just  wants  us  all  to  experience  some  job  that  requires  us  to  serve  the  community,  you
know? Firefighters, police, military, even the postal service,” he added with a chuckle.
The body under him tensed slightly at the mention of his pack, but it didn’t stop Miach from asking,
“Why?”
He smiled, hoping his words would give Miach a better view of shifters. Well, of his pack at least.
He’d  heard  from  other  shifters  passing  through  over  the  years  that  Declan’s  open  policy  and
encouragement of the young to serve the human population was not the norm. Some shifters even held
themselves above humans, even going so far as to refuse to allow human mates into their packs. Damn
foolishness,  if  anyone  asked  Nick.  “It’s  not  mandatory,  mind  you,  but  he  wants  us  all  to  know  the
value of our community, our way of life.”
“Way of life?” Miach asked gruffly.
“Sure,” he replied. “As an American.”
“Oh.”
Nick knew that hadn’t been what Miach’s mind immediately jumped to, but he wasn’t going to call his
mate  on  it.  It  was  enough  that  they  could  talk  about  shifters  without  him  making  some  derogatory
remark.
“I  was  in  Special  Forces,  the  Green  Berets,”  Miach  whispered.  “I  did  that  for  eight  years  before
being approached by someone in the private sector. I guess they liked my extraction techniques.”
Nick frowned. Is he being sarcastic?“What do you mean?”
Miach sighed. “No one ever knew I was there,” he admitted. “I was a ghost. I guess the skill came
from  growing  up  with  too  many  kids  under  one  roof.  I  could  walk  into  a  room  and  no  one  would
notice me.”
Nick found himself at a loss for words for the second time that evening. It sounded like such a lonely
existence,  first  in  foster  care  and  then  in  the  military.  He  wished  he  could  just  blurt  out  that  Miach
was  his  mate,  and  Nick  wanted  to  be  the  family  he’d  lost  at  twelve,  but  he  knew  that  would  cause
even more problems.
Evidently, Miach must have felt his tension, for one arm pulled him tight to his chest while the other
hand cupped his jaw and tilted his head up to face him. “I didn’t tell you that to make you feel sorry
for me, Nick. My life is what it is.”
Miach lifted his head and pressed a soft kiss to Nick’s lips, his tongue flicking out at the end to taste
his lips. “I’m just sorry we met under these circumstances,” he admitted.
Nick  smiled  slightly.  “Me,  too,  stud,”  he  whispered. After  a  second,  he  added,  “But  circumstances
can change.”
“Go to sleep, Nick,” Miach ordered gently.
Nick smiled. He’d heard the wistfulness in his mate’s tone.

Chapter Four

iach woke slowly, letting the sounds and smells sink into his consciousness. God it felt good just

to let his body adjust from sleep to wakefulness. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t jerked
awake, instantly alert. But with his face buried in Nick’s neck and the man’s incredible scent soothing
his senses, everything in life seemed so easy. Unwilling to lose the moment just yet, Miach inhaled
deeply, taking in Nick’s bed-warmed flesh and the earthy musk that was all Nick’s own. God, he
could so easily become addicted to this.

That was a sobering thought, and a glance at the clock told him his time alone with Nick was

nearly at an end. After letting out a sad sigh, he nibbled the skin on the back of Nick’s neck. His
efforts elicited a mutter of appreciation from Nick, and the wolf shifter rocked his ass back against
Miach.

Grunting in surprise, he thrust automatically. Pleasure radiated up his shaft, reminding him of how

nice it felt to have something other than his own hand rub against his morning erection. Last night had
been almost surreal. Once he’d gotten a taste of Nick, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from doing
everything in his power to get more, and this felt no different. He could quickly feel his control
slipping as Nick rocked against him again, and from the change in Nick’s heartbeat and breathing,
Miach knew the shifter was awake.

“Shit, you gotta stop,” he growled, somehow finding the will to still his own hips. It didn’t stop

the twitching of his cock, though, or lessen his desire to keep thrusting his rock hard shaft between
those sexy mounds Nick called an ass.

Nick glanced over his shoulder at him, his warm hazel eyes full of lust. “Now that would ruin the

whole pleasure of waking with someone else,” he murmured.

For a second, jealousy shot through Miach at the very idea of Nick waking in the arms of another

man, which was completely ridiculous considering the shifter’s age. Shit, I didn’t realize they lived
longer than humans.

Another rock against his groin had his brain fogging. “Wait,” he muttered, struggling to focus.

Miach gripped Nick’s movements. “Wait.” He put as much command into his voice as possible.

Nick shivered under his hands, and if that wasn’t the sexiest fucking thing Miach had ever felt, he

didn’t know what was. “Why?” The word almost sounded like a whine, which had Miach grinning,
thrilled that Nick wanted his touch that much.

“It’s quarter to eight. Your replacement will be here shortly,” he whispered. The words acted as a

bucket of cold water on his libido, reminding him of why he was in this place to begin with. “Do you
really want to be found in such a compromising position?”

Okay, so he was being a bit bitchy now, and he knew it, but the idea that he was being used again

surged through his thoughts.

Nick’s growl had him refocusing on the man, and with a twist of his hips and a roll of his body,

Miach found himself pinned under a scowling wolf shifter. “Being in bed with you is not now nor
will it ever be a compromising position,” he snapped, punctuating his words with a snap of his hips.

Miach’s breath escaped in a hiss as Nick’s hard shaft rubbed against his own. Any loss of his

erection he’d experienced at his thoughts of facing his other jailers disappeared as his blood flowed
south again. “Argg,” he grunted through clenched teeth, trying to control his desire to grab this man’s
hips and thrust to completion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I like you, Miach,” Nick whispered, his lips and tongue dancing over his chest in a sensual, skin-

tingling glide. “I don’t care what anyone else has to say about that.”

Nick continued to thrust, his silky hardness rubbing against Miach’s again and again. It felt like

heaven, and he no longer wanted to resist, but there was one more thing he needed to know. “And
when your replacement arrives in just a few minutes?” he hissed out.

To his surprise, he received a smoldering grin from Nick. “That’s the great thing,” Nick replied,

while he continued to rock his hips. “No one is coming,” he whispered. “I’m your next shift.”

“What?” he snapped, confused about the man’s words. In the three weeks they’d held him, no one

had ever worked a double shift. He could hardly think past the exquisite pleasure suffusing his body
in heady, tingling waves. “Why?” he managed to grunt out.

Nick paused in his slow, sensual thrusts and Miach groaned in disappointment at the loss. It took

several long breaths, but finally he was able to focus on the deep hazel eyes above him. Nick smiled
down at him. “Because I want to spend time with you. Because you’re worth getting to know. Because
you’re sexy as fuck, and I want to know everything about you.”

The last sentence was growled and then Nick started thrusting again, this time in short, hard

movements that sent Miach’s thoughts scattering to the four winds. His hands landed on Nick’s hips,
and Miach pulled him more firmly against his body. Hard dick rubbed against hard dick. Precum
leaking from both their slits eased the way between them, creating a smooth, sensual glide that had his
balls pulling tight and the base of his spine tingling. Growling ferally, he felt his nails dig into Nick’s
skin. Pleasure filled him at the thought of marking the shifter, even in such a small way.

Suddenly, Nick’s head dropped to land on the crook of his neck and a slight bite of pain shot

through Miach’s shoulder. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he realized Nick had bit him. Not hard
enough to break skin, just enough to send that extra jolt through his system, down his spine, and into
his balls. He let out a pleasure filled groan as his cock swelled and shot, cum slicking up both him
and Nick. As his second stream shot between them, he felt Nick shudder. Additional warmth soaked
their skin as the man’s body bowed in his arms and Nick cried out. His hazel eyes were wide, filled
with pleasure, as his body convulsed.

Miach petted the man’s back, smoothing his palms over Nick’s skin. He relaxed, relishing the

natural endorphins pinging through his system. His eyes at half-mast, he let out a sigh as he looked at
his lover. Nick tilted his head from where it rested on his chest, looking up at him. He grinned. “Good
morning,” the wolf shifter whispered.

Chuckling, Miach nodded. “Yeah. Yeah it is.” The best morning I’ve had in a long, long time.

He could admit it to himself, but expressing the sentiment wasn’t as easy. He was still trapped in a
cabin in the middle of the woods, and even though the list of available activities had just increased,
Miach still felt tension.

“How about we take a shower and then eat leftovers for breakfast?” Nick whispered.

“Do you think they’ll be any good?” he asked. At Nick’s confused look, he added, “We left them out
all night.”
Nick shook his head as he pushed away. “Naw. I put them away last night.”
“You did?” he asked. Sitting up, Miach looked toward the dining area. To his surprise, the table was
clear. “When?”
Grimacing, Nick murmured, “I have a touch of OCD. I can’t sleep with a mess, so I got up and put it
away.”
Miach smirked and followed Nick’s naked, flexing ass toward the bathroom. “No underwear left on
the floor of your bedroom?” he teased.
Nick glared over his shoulder at him. “Shut up,” he muttered, his shoulders tensing.

Suddenly feeling better, he grabbed the man, spun him around, and pulled him into his arms. Miach
landed a quick kiss to Nick’s lips while massaging the firm ass he really wanted to tap. “I was just
teasing. I don’t care about that,” he whispered, realizing he truly didn’t. “I’m sure you have a chair by
the bed I could leave my clothes on.”
Nick’s brows shot up at his words, and it took a second for Miach to realize what he’d said. Yeah, he
did want a relationship with the guy, outside of their jailer / jailed roles. It had been a long time since
he felt this comfortable so quickly with anyone, and he wondered what he could do to make it happen.
Resign from Crystal Lake Corporation, obviously, but how can I keep my integrity as a soldier and
a man and still make amends for the damage I’ve caused to Nick’s friends and family?
He had no idea.
“I’ll make certain there are two chairs,” Nick whispered, refocusing Miach’s thoughts. “One for each
side of the bed.”
The smile reached Miach’s eyes as he stared down at this man who had managed to get under his skin
so quickly. “That sounds like a fantastic plan.” His stomach took that moment to growl, and he
laughed. “Let’s get cleaned up,” he said, steering Nick ahead of him. “I’m hungry.”

They spent the day seated on the small couch, sipping cups of coffee, and talking about their

childhoods. It was odd, and interesting, and… strangely comfortable. For not having said much of
anything for three weeks, hell, it had been years since he’d really had a conversation that didn’t
include a work assignment, Miach was sure making up for it now. The coffee was mainly to keep his
throat from drying out.

Miach’s gaze flicked to the small TV, a DVD playing for background noise, as he thought about

Nick’s last question. Did he ever think about having kids of his own? He shook his head. “No. Kids
have never crossed my mind,” he admitted.

What could only be surprise crossed Nick’s features before he could hide it. “Really? Never?”

Shrugging, he eased forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I don’t know what to tell you, Nick.
I’ve  known  I  was  gay  since  I  was  fourteen,  then  I  joined  the  military,  then  moved  to  private  work.
Kids were never even a blip on my radar.”
“Wow, yeah, I can see how it wouldn’t be something you’d consider,” Nick mused. “My mom talks
about grandkids quite a bit, so I guess it’s been drilled into me that she expects offspring from me.”
“Oh,” Miach muttered. “Is she not accepting of you being gay?” Nick had only told good memories of
growing up with his parents, mentioning how much closer he and his mother were since the death of
his father, even though it sounded like the woman may have become a bit eccentric.
Nick’s  shifting  uncomfortably  caught  his  notice,  and  he  focused  his  full  attention  on  the  man.  It
suddenly occurred to him that one day together did not a relationship make. Maybe Miach was being
presumptuous.  Just  because  he’d  taken  an  extra  shift  to  spend  time  with  him,  and  Nick  said  he
wouldn’t be ashamed of being seen with him, it didn’t mean he wanted something long term. Why the
hell  did  that  thought  send  his  pulse  racing?  Miach  had  to  take  a  slow  breath  to  keep  sweat  from
popping out on his forehead.
“No,  my  mom  knows  that  I  enjoy  the  attentions  of  men,”  Nick  finally  said,  “but  I’ve  also  dated
women. She’s always welcomed both into her home when I introduce them.”
Miach’s eyes widened. “Oh.” Well, shit. What could he make of that? “So, your mother just expects
you to end up with a woman?” he asked warily.
Letting out a sigh, Nick shook his head. “No.” His hazel eyes held worry, but he smiled anyway. “My
mom  has  armed  me  with  enough  information  on  adopting  and  artificial  insemination  to  teach  a
seminar.”

“Oh,” he muttered again. Was Nick telling him what Miach thought he was telling him?  You want a
relationship with me, be prepared for kids?  He was an only child, and then growing up six years in
over-crowded foster homes, Miach had learned to value his privacy and solitude.
He liked this guy, really liked him, more than all of his past flings combined. Nick was easy to talk to,
hardworking,  dedicated,  funny  and  thoughtful.  He  had  a  body  made  for  touching,  with  long,  toned
lines of muscle covered by smooth bronze skin. Nick’s natural scent drew him like a moth to a flame.
He  just  wanted  to  bury  his  nose  in  Nick’s  neck  and  breathe  him  in.  His  laughing  eyes  made  Miach
want to smile, and his easy-going personality and engaging humor had him laughing. In fact, as he sat
there and processed Nick’s revelation, Miach realized he’d laughed more in the last day that he had in
the last two years. God, what did that say about him?
Suddenly, Nick rose from the couch next to him. Turning to Miach, he grinned. “Let’s go for a hike.”
“A hike?” Miach asked, rising to stand next to him. “As in outside?”
Nick  chuckled  and  slid  his  hand  up  Miach’s  arm.  “That  is  where  you  normally  hike,  isn’t  it?”  he
teased.
Miach  shivered  under  the  contact,  still  amazed  that  he  enjoyed  being  touched  so  much  by  this  wolf
shifter. He didn’t remember ever reacting like this to anyone. He certainly didn’t want to be touched
by any of the other shifters. “I didn’t think that was allowed.” He hadn’t been outside in nearly three
weeks. The idea of a hike filled him with anticipation. Miach hadn’t realized how much he’d missed
his daily runs.
“I can trust you not to bash me over the head with a tree branch and run off, right?”
Smiling back at Nick, Miach nodded. “Yeah. No bashing you over the head.”
That earned him a beaming smile, complete with dimples, and Miach felt his pulse pick up and blood
rush to his shaft. Fucking hell! This guy has me by the balls!
Shoving the disturbing thoughts away, he gave a mental admonishment to his cock. Glad to already be
wearing sweats, he headed to the corner to get his sneakers. He grabbed his coat and met Nick at the
door. The man pulled the cabin keys from his pocket, opened the door, and led the way outside.
For the first time in three weeks, Miach inhaled deeply and filled his lungs with fresh, mountain air.
The pungent aroma of spruce and evergreen trees flooded his nostrils, mixed with the scents of moss,
earth,  and  Nick.  It  was  a  heady  mixture  and  he  smiled,  knowing  it  wouldn’t  take  much  to  want  to
experience this again and again.
He grinned at Nick and trotted down the couple steps. “Let’s go.”
Nick nodded. “Sweet.” He headed down the stairs and east into the woods. “I love the way these blue
spruces smell,” Nick started talking as they hiked. “It became the state tree in 1939.”
As  they  walked,  Nick  spouted  off  facts  about  the  flora  and  fauna  they  hiked  through,  and  Miach
couldn’t help but grin. The shifter was showing off his enthusiasm for the world around him. Miach
loved it. The fact that Nick’s melodic tenor was easy to listen to was just an added bonus.
After walking for fifteen minutes, Nick asked, “Are you ready for a jog? You’ve got to be in need of a
real run after being cooped up for so long.”
Relief  at  having  the  man  anticipate  his  needs,  Miach  nodded.  “Yes.  Please!  I  used  to  run  ten  miles
every day. I’d love a run!”
“Cool. Then let’s go!”
Nick took off, and Miach laughed, giving chase. He noticed that Nick led him on a wide, circuitous
route that took them around the cabin. When he estimated that they were around three quarters of the
way around the cabin, maybe a mile away from the actual building, a dark brown wolf came barreling
out of the trees. At first, Miach thought the growling, snapping animal was headed toward him. But a

Chapter Five

ick whipped his head around at the sound, and he spotted Cameron’s large brown wolf. Before he

could react, the shifter slammed into him. The force of the hit carried him to the ground. His head
slamming against the ground was almost as painful as the claws digging into the backs of his
shoulders.

Saliva dripped from Cameron’s snarling jaws, dropping on the back of his neck, and Nick

growled. He bucked his body, trying to dislodge the larger wolf, but the move had no strength behind
it. With his head still ringing too much from his temple hitting the firm, moss-covered ground beneath
him, he couldn’t seem to gather enough strength to dislodge the bigger shifter.

Then the weight was gone from his back. He rolled halfway over in time to see Miach, one hand

gripping the wolf’s scruff, the other hand holding thick fur at the base of Cameron’s spine, hurl the big
animal into the woods.

Cameron let out a yelp as he struck a large treetrunk. He didn’t stay down long. For several

seconds, Cameron stalked toward them, his belly low to the ground and his teeth bared. Nick rolled to
a crouch, ready to meet the shifter’s next attack. Cameron stopped, his angry brown eyes flicking from
Nick to Miach and back again. It was then that Nick realized his mate was still beside him, ready to
aide in the event of a second attack. Cameron must not have liked the odds, because he turned and
disappeared into the forest.

Miach pulled Nick into his arms and kissed his temple before growling, “What the hell was that

about, Nick? That shifter targeted you, not me.”

“That was Cameron,” Nick replied, a shiver working down his spine.

“Okay…?” Miach replied, his voice still rough. Oddly, it touched Nick that Miach would feel such
emotion from his life being threatened. All doubt about Miach feeling the mate pull vanished.
“Why the hell did another shifter just attack you?”
“I stopped his attack on a polar bear shifter and reported his misbehavior to Declan.” He shook his
head. His alpha had warned that this might happen, but he hadn’t really believed that Cameron would
track him down in the middle of the woods to… “Oh, shit! Sam!”
Miach’s growl, along with the hands tightening on his shoulders, returned Nick’s focus to his mate.
“Why would the guy attack another shifter? Who’s Sam? What’s going on?”
Nick  took  a  deep  breath,  getting  his  racing  thoughts  under  control.  “Shifters  have  territories,”  he
admitted. “Declan is pretty accepting of strange shifters coming into his territory, either to visit others
or just because they need to pass through. Some alphas territory a admitted. “Declan only cares if a
shifter  plans  to  stay  for  an  extended  period  of  time,  or  if  it’s  a  big  group.”  He  shrugged.  “He’s  a
powerful shifter and comfortable with his authority. I’ve only seen idiots actually get it in their head
to challenge him, and he shuts them down pretty quickly. He’s a fair leader.”
“Then why is this Cameron guy attacking others?”
“Because he’s a bigoted ass, who thinks he’s better than he is,” Nick growled.
Miach straightened his shoulders. “Do you run into that a lot?”
Nick shrugged. “Bigots of one thinking or another? As often as humans do, I suppose. No community
is without its assholes.”
That had his mate’s brow lifting and a couple seconds passed before he nodded. “Okay. I can see that.
What about this Sam? Who is he?”
“Shit,”  Nick  hissed,  pulling  away.  He  watched  require  that  to  even  enter  their  shifter  needs

permission,”  Nick  Miach’s  expression  harden,  and  realized  what  impression  he  was  giving.  “It’s
nothing  like  that,”  he  assured,  lifting  a  hand  to  Miach’s  chest  and  rubbing  lightly.  “He  helped  me
reveal Cameron’s crimes. If Cameron is willing to come after me in the middle of the forest, then he’s
willing to go after Sam, and Sam is an extremely submissive wolf. Cameron could kill him easily,” he
admitted with a grimace. “I’ve got to warn Declan.”
He pulled his keys out of his pocket and handed them to a still confused Miach. He yanked his shirt
over his head next and dropped it on the ground. “Look, I’ve got to go. I—” He nibbled on his lip,
looking in the direction where he knew the cabin was. “Can you get back to the cabin on your own?”
Miach’s  brows  shot  up  and  the  man  actually  took  a  step  back,  jingling  the  ring  of  keys  nervously.
“You trust me to just return to the cabin? Why? I’m the prisoner, remember? I could lie and then just
take off.”
Nick  swallowed,  trying  to  figure  out  how  to  put  his  feelings  into  words.  “You  could  do  that,”  he
replied  softly,  knowing  he  had  to  be  completely  honest  in  this  area.  “But  I  don’t  think  you  will.
You’re a soldier, a man of honor. I admit that I think you were duped by scientists with a lot of money
who have lied to you about shifters.”
Miach opened his mouth, and Nick held up a hand, not wanting to possibly hear the guy speak up for
the scientists at this point in their fledgling relationship. “I also think that if you planned to run, you’d
be honest with me and tell me. I think if you say you’ll return to the cabin then you will.”
After a tense moment, a smile curved the corner of Miach’s lips, and he whispered, “I’ll go back to
the  cabin,  but  I  want  to  see  you  again  before  I  have  to  deal  with  whichever  jailer  is  relieving  you
tonight.”
“That  would  be  Riker,”  Nick  whispered.  He  stepped  close,  a  smile  playing  across  his  face  as  he
traced Miach’s lips. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he promised and pecked a quick kiss to Miach’s lips.
Before he could think better of it, Nick stepped back, pulled off his slacks, called to his wolf, and let
the change take him.
As  the  pop  of  tendons  and  crack  of  bones  realigning  filled  the  clearing,  it  occurred  to  Nick  that  he
should  have  warned  his  mate.  He  opened  his  eyes  and  gazed  up  at  Miach,  seeing  that  the  man  had
backed away several steps. Taking a chance, he fluffed out his fur, settled on his haunches, and stared
up to meet Miach’s gaze.
The lines of tension in Miach’s neck and jaw worried Nick. He lowered to the ground and whined,
thumping his tail on the ground in the classic friendly dog greeting.
Miach’s  eyes  narrowed  as  he  stared  at  him.  Even  though  he  knew  he  needed  to  report  Cameron’s
attack  to  his  alpha,  Nick  waited.  Some  instinct  told  him  this  was  more  important.  Finally,  Miach
whispered, “Nick? Are you in there?”
Nick sat up and thumped his tail twice more.
“Can you understand me?”
He dropped his nose in a nod of acknowledgement.
“You’re not going to hurt me if I touch you, are you?”
Nick whined and lay back down. To his pleasure, Miach slowly approached him. He settled into a
crouch  a  few  feet  from  him  and  watched  him  for  several  seconds  before  reaching  out  a  hand  and
stroking his fur. Nick shivered in pleasure. His mate was touching him, in wolf form. He turned his
head slightly and licked Miach’s hand.
“My god. Are you actually sentient when you’re an animal?”
Those words gave Nick pause. His mate thought he wasn’t himself when he turned into his wolf? By
the gods, what rubbish had the scientists filled his head with?

Knowing he couldn’t waste any more time, he licked Miach’s hand one more time before rising and
bounding away. He paused a few yards down the trail and gave a soft growl. Miach actually smirked.
“Right. I’m going. You be careful, Nick. That bastard may still be out there.”
Giving a yip in response, Nick bounded into the trees. He wasn’t one of Declan’s best trackers for
nothing. In this form, he could smell exactly which direction Cameron went. He followed the trail for
a few hundred yards, confirming that the other wolf had headed away from the deep forest, then Nick
bounded toward his car, all the while being careful of all the scents around him. No way did he want
to get ambushed by Cameron a second time. At least as a wolf, his nose leveled the playing field.
He reached his mustang without mishap. After a quick glance around—no need to scare any hikers—
he returned to human form. He snagged the hide-a-key, opened the car, and climbed into the passenger
seat. Grabbing his cell phone from the glove box, he hit the on button and waited. To his relief, he had
a signal. Two bars, not much, but it will do. He punched three on his speed dial.
“Declan McIntire here,” came through the phone after three rings.
“This  is  Nick  Greely, Alpha.  I  was  just  attacked  by  Cameron.  I  think  he’s  headed  Sam’s  way,”  he
quickly rushed out.
“Nick! Ye get a signal at the cabin? And how did Cameron get in to attack ye? Do ye need me to send
up someone to repair a window or door?”
Nick closed his eyes and stared at the roof of his car. Shit! I should have known my alpha would find
it odd that Cameron could get to me.“No, Alpha. No repairs needed. Miach and I were jogging in
the woods. I got a little… distracted by my mate’s scent and didn’t realize Cameron was around until
too late.”
“Are ye all right?” Declan asked, his darkening tone left Nick uncertain if he was angry about letting
Miach out of the cabin or about Cameron attacking him.
“Yes, Alpha,” he assured. “A few scratches, but nothing serious. Miach came to my aide,” he added
with pride.
Declan remained silent for several seconds before he murmured, “Did he now? I suppose I should ask
just how well it’s goin’ with ye and yer mate, then?”
“Pretty well. I took on a double shift so I could spend time with him,” he admitted.
“Aye, Kade let me know,” Declan replied. “How much have ye told him about shifters and mates?”
“Nothing,” Nick admitted. “I didn’t want to scare him off just when I’d gotten him to start opening up
about  himself.  I  haven’t  asked  him  anything  about  the  scientists,  either,”  he  admitted.  “I  don’t  want
him to think I’m using him to try to get him to talk.”
“That’s understandable, but I think ye better explain about mates sooner rather than later. Safer that
way, so he understands yer desire to claim him.”
Nick sighed, not looking forward to that conversation. “Yes, Alpha,” he replied. “What about Sam?”
he asked, trying to focus on why he’d originally left Miach in the first place. The quicker he took care
of this call, the quicker he could get back to his mate.
“Sam  is  staying  with  Shane  and  Caroline.  He’ll  be  safe  there  until  Carson  can  locate  Cameron  and
bring him in.” Declan paused.
Nick nodded, even though he knew the alpha couldn’t see it. Relief flooded him that his new friend
was safe. He just hoped Shane’s natural dominance didn’t make Sam even more submissive than he
already  was.  The  slender  wolf  needed  confidence,  not  more  control.  Knowing  he  had  to  voice  his
concern he tentatively asked, “Um, Alpha? Does Shane know to go easy on Sam?”
Declan  chuckled  softly.  “Aye,  Nick.  I  let  Shane  know  to  tone  it  down  around  Sam.  I  think  all  the
larger  shifters  in  the  area  have  made  him  a  bit  more  defensive  of  his  station,”  Declan  mused.  “I’m

sure he’ll settle back down once he realizes the others in the area will defer to him.”
Nick hoped his alpha was right, because ever since Gordon had moved to Stone Ridge, Shane had
become more dominant. “I’ll check in this evening after Riker relieves me,” Nick murmured, hating
the idea of leaving his mate in another’s hands even more now that he’d connected with the man.
“Good luck with yer mate, Nick,” Declan replied before hanging up.
Nick shoved the phone back into the glove box, relocked his car, and hid the key. After recovering his
mustang, he took a deep breath and once more called on his wolf. Thirty minutes of running had Nick
stopping in the clearing. He lifted his nose to the breeze and inhaled, but only found his own scent,
mingled with Miach’s floating on the wind. Relief filled him. He changed back into his human form
and headed toward the door, surprised to find the knob turn easily. Nick pushed open the unlocked
door and stepped into the quiet cabin. “Miach?”
It only took him a moment to realize the cabin was empty. His mate was gone.

Chapter Six

iach jogged through the forest. He’d been moving for the last hour and a half, sometimes slow,

sometimes fast, depending on how difficult it was to track over the mountainous terrain. He’d
followed the trail that had drawn his attention easily enough as it circuited the cabin twice, and thirty
minutes later he shoved open the door to the cabin. He saw his lover standing in the middle of the
room, facing away from him, naked. Miach grinned. “Hello, there.”

Nick whipped around, his eyes widening. “Miach!”

The man’s response surprised him, and then he realized the problem. He smiled slightly. “I said I’d
come back to the cabin,” he whispered. Nick’s eyes flickered, disbelief filling them. “I just didn’t say
when,” Miach pointed out.
“Where did you go?”
Nick’s cool question made Miach swallow hard. He didn’t like the disappointment he heard in Nick’s
tone,  and  that  realization  concerned  Miach.  He  wanted  to  please  this  man  too  much,  which  wasn’t
good, but he had no clue how to back off now. Especially with the sexy man standing naked in front of
him, Nick’s hands fisted on his bare hips, making Miach’s cock thicken and swell in his sweats. All
he wanted to do was close the fifteen feet between them, wrap the shifter in his arms, and kiss him
until Nick’s ire dissipated and the guy melted against his chest.
He took a deep breath and forced his shoulders to relax. “I smelled the scent of someone familiar and
I  wanted  to  make  certain  it  was  who  I  thought  it  was.”  At  Nick’s  confused  look,  Miach  relaxed
further. At least he no longer looked disbelieving or irritated. He crossed to the couch and waved a
hand toward the seat next to him. “Gonna have seat?”
Nick let out a breath and gave a jerky nod. “Yeah, just lemme…”
Miach watched Nick cross to a small dresser where he knew spare sweats and t-shirts were kept. He
figured it was because shifters never knew when they’d end up naked. He had to admit, it was a good
practice.  When  Nick  settled  next  to  him,  he  focused  on  the  situation  at  hand.  Leaning  forward,  he
settled his elbows on his knees and said, “The scientists have figured out where you’re keeping me.
The  signs  are  fairly  fresh.  I’d  say  Raven  found  me  thirty-six  hours  ago,  probably  when  Kade  was
watching me.” He tried to say the guy’s name without a sneer, really he did.
Nick’s lips quirked. “Ya really don’t like the guy,” he whispered.
“I don’t like the way he touches you,” Miach snapped before he could control his tongue. “Shit!” He
leaped to his feet and paced the floor for a minute. Less than forty-eight hours ago, this news would
have made him feel ecstatic. Now? Not so much. “Raven was within fifty feet of this place. He’s the
guy who smells like sage and moss,” he added, running a hand through his hair.
“What!” Nick roared. “You’re not going anywhere!”
Miach froze, for a second thinking Nick was reacting because someone threatened his prisoner, but
the guy’s next words set that idea to rest.
“You’re not leaving me now, damn it!”
He quickly dropped to the couch and pulled Nick into his arms. “Do you think I would have told you
if I planned to escape with him?” he whispered into the man’s sandy blond curls.
Miach  shuddered  in  his  arms  before  stiffening.  “Shit.  I  guess  we  both  have  things  we  need  to
discuss,” he whispered.
From his reaction, a seed of doubt grew in Miach’s chest. “I guess so.” He eased the tight hold of his
arms, letting Nick settle into the cushions of the couch, though he kept one hand on Nick’s thigh. “Let

me ask one thing.” He waited until he had Nick’s full attention. “When you’re a wolf, do you know
who I am?”
Nick’s  eyes  slid  closed  for  a  second,  the  look  making  Miach  nervous,  before  the  man  said  firmly,
“Yes, I know exactly who you are. A shifter is perfectly cognizant while in their animal form. I like
you as a man, and my wolf would defend you with its life. We are one and the same.”
Nodding,  Miach  whispered,  “It  took  me  a  few  seconds,  but  I  could  see  it  in  your  eyes.  The
intelligence in your wolf’s eyes,” he clarified with a smile. Taking a deep breath, he admitted, “The
scientists always told us that when shifters changed into their animal, they became a mindless killing
machine. Since every time I came into contact with a shifter
attacked me, I had no
in animal form, they reason to doubt their words.” He grimaced, adding ruefully, “I guess since we
were trying to capture them, they were only defending themselves.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. We may turn into an animal, and enjoy doing certain things while in animal
form,  like  running  through  the  forest  and  chasing  game,  but  the  human  intelligence  is  still  in  there,
too.” Nick shrugged. “It’s hard to explain that.”
Squeezing  the  thigh  under  his  fingers,  Miach  smiled.  “I  appreciate  you  taking  the  time  to  explain
things to me. I know I haven’t made it easy on you and your friends.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “As far as captives go, you’ve been pretty easy on us, other than those escape
attempts and some of the things you’ve said, anyway.”
Miach  had  the  decency  to  grimace.  “I’ll  have  to  make  a  point  of  apologizing  to  them.”  When  Nick
didn’t  say  anything,  he  turned  to  look  at  the  man  and  asked,  “What’s  with  all  the  howling  you  guys
do?”
Nick frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, a wolf would howl outside and you guys walk onto the porch and howl back. Why?”
To his surprise, Nick grinned. “To tell the shifter that everything is okay. Didn’t you wonder how you
were recaptured so easily?” His stricken look must have given his surprise away, because Nick took
his hand and elaborated. “To make certain everything was fine in the cabin, a wolf shifter would run
through the area every two or three hours and howl. If one of us didn’t respond, they knew something
was wrong.”
“Oh,” Miach murmured, taking a moment to absorb that. It made sense and he had to smirk at his own
stupidity.  Shaking  his  head,  actually  pleased  that  he  hadn’t  been  able  to  get  away,  he  asked,  “You
mentioned something you wanted to tell me?”
Nick nodded. “Because of our long life, uh, we can live up to about five centuries,” he admitted.
“Wow!” Miach whispered. “That’s amazing.”
He grimaced, waving his hand. “Yeah, anyway, to make the time bearable, Fate grants each shifter a
soul mate, a fated mate, the other half of our soul, someone who completes us,” he rambled, clearly
nervous. “It’s explained to every shifter once they hit puberty, and they spend the rest of their lives
searching for them.” He swallowed audibly, and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Miach. “When
we find them, we’ll do anything to be with them, even forsaking family or existing relationships.”
Miach opened his mouth, then snapped it shut, uncertain what Nick was telling him. Then it hit him
like a ton of bricks, and he leaped to his feet. “You’re telling me that this between us will only be a
short fling for you, is that it?” Pain flared through his chest at the idea that this man would leave him
once he found whoever Fate had decided was perfect for him. Shit! Why am I so upset? How did I
come to care for him so much, so quickly? He glared at the surprised look on Nick’s face. “Why did
you have to seduce me if you knew you’d be moving on eventually? What the hell, man?”

He strode away again, mumbling to himself about how ridiculous this whole situation was.
“Wait! No, I—”
“No,” Miach snapped. “You wait. You could have explained the things about shifters without making
me care about you so much.” Realizing what he’d just admitted, he growled in anger, at himself and at
Nick. “Whatever this is between us stops here,” he growled, waving a hand between them. “I’ll share
information  I  can  about  the  scientist’s  operation  with  your  alpha,  things  that  won’t  compromise  my
integrity  as  a  soldier  and  as  a  man,  but  after  that,  I’m  gone!”  He  glared  at  the  floor,  whispering
hoarsely, “After the shit you pulled, you owe me that much.”
So  consumed  in  his  own  raging  thoughts  and  emotions,  Miach  didn’t  see  Nick  move.  Suddenly,  the
guy was in front of him. Nick gripped his face, forcing Miach to stop his frustrated pacing and meet
Nick’s hazel eyes. “You are my mate, Miach,” he snapped. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, damn
it!”
His brain froze, not comprehending. “What?”
The hands on his face slid up to scrape across his scalp, threading through his shortly cropped hair,
and Nick’s earnest expression softened. He leaned forward and up, brushing a soft kiss over Miach’s
lips.  “You,  Miach,  are  my  mate.  I’ve  been  trying  to  figure  out  for  the  past  three  weeks  how  to
approach  you,  or  even  if  you’d let me approach you. You cannot begin to  understand  my  relief  that
you responded like you did last night,” he admitted.
“You’re saying you want to spend the rest of your life with me?” he whispered. “But you hardly know
me. How does Fate decide?” Now that he knew Nick thought he was his life-mate, it raised a whole
new round of questions and concerns. Nick’s earlier comment about Fate suddenly made sense.
Nick shrugged, seemingly uncaring. “She hasn’t made a mistake yet,” he said with a grin. “There are
plenty of other things for me to tell you, but for a few minutes there I thought you’d left me, and right
now  I  want  to  feel  your  hands  on  me.  Please,  reassure  me  that  you’re  still  here,”  he  admitted,  his
voice dropping with need.
Miach settled his hands on Nick’s waist. Feeling the smooth, firm skin under his palms, he couldn’t
think of any good reason to resist, and his cock agreed. Nick’s earthy scent called to every one of his
senses, filling his dick with blood, the organ tenting his sweats. He wrapped his arms around Nick,
splaying his fingers over the sexy shifter’s spine and pulling Nick flush to his body.
He brought one hand up and tangled it in Nick’s hair, and he tilted the shifter’s head back and brought
his  lips  firmly  down  on  the  shorter  man’s.  Nick  immediately  opened  to  him,  and  Miach  swept  his
tongue  inside,  enjoying  the  dark  flavors  of  Nick’s  mouth.  He  pressed  his  thumb  into  the  corner  of
Nick’s mouth, encouraging him to open wider. He delved in deeper, mapping Nick’s teeth, gums, and
the roof of his mouth.
Nick shuddered in his arms, clinging to his shoulders as he tried to press closer, as if trying to figure
out a way to share his skin. Miach felt Nick’s erection, hard and long, pressed against his own. He
rocked his hips, pressing his erection against Nick’s fabric-covered shaft. He jerked his head up and
groaned. “Shit, I need skin.”
“Yesss,” Nick hissed. He jerked out of his arms and crossed to the bed, stripping his sweats and tshirt
as  he  went.  Miach  followed,  his  mouth  going  dry  as  he  stared  at  the  bronze  skin  he  was  about  to
touch. Nick glanced over his shoulder at him. He knew he showed his open appreciation at the view
when Nick leered and winked. He crawled onto the bed, backside in the air, wiggling his sexy ass at
him.
“Do you have lube?” he growled as he stalked toward Nick.
A look of disappointment crossed Nick’s face. “No.”

Crossing to the kitchen, he searched through the pantry. Miach held up the bottle of olive oil, the look
of  triumph  on  his  face  making  Nick  laugh.  He  liked  seeing  that  joy  in  Nick’s  eyes,  and  prayed  he
could figure out a way to keep it there, but for now…
He hurried back to the bed with his prize, setting the opened bottle on the nightstand. Then he stripped
his clothes and crawled up onto the bed behind Nick. He sucked in a breath at the beautiful view of
those twin mounds, so nicely on display for him. Reaching out both hands, he palmed the firm flesh
and pulled the cheeks apart, revealing the pretty pink star he wanted access to. Nick moaned, pushing
back into his grip.
“Easy now,” he crooned. “I’ve got you.” Miach leaned forward, breathing warm air over Nick’s most
intimate area. Nick tried to push back into his face, but Miach held him steady.
Nick actually whined as he trembled under Miach’s touch. “Please,” he whimpered.
It amazed Miach that any man would need his touch that badly. Any of the quick hand jobs and fast
one  night  stands  he’d  done  in  the  past  didn’t  even  compare  to  the  pleasure  he’d  gotten  just  from
rubbing off on the other man this morning. He couldn’t imagine the pleasure he’d feel at tapping this
man’s ass. His cock jerked and flexed, tapping against his stomach in anticipation. The very idea had
any hesitation ceasing, and Miach leaned forward to swipe the flat of his tongue from balls to anus.
Nick cried out, groaning wildly as he shuddered and twitched. Miach felt the goose bumps break out
on  Nick’s  flesh,  and  he  went  in  for  a  second  taste  of  the  musky  flesh.  He  worked  his  tongue  over
Nick’s guardian muscle, getting it good and wet before straightening his tongue and pressing it into the
shifter. Nick dropped to his elbows, spread his legs wider, and tilted his ass higher. Miach tongue-
fucked him slowly, letting Nick feel every push and twist of his tongue.
When he added first one finger and then two, Nick started babbling, cussing, and groaning. Beads of
sweat popped out on his back as he tried to stay still. Wanting Nick to lose all control, Miach reached
around him and palmed Nick’s impressive erection. The hot rod pulsed in his grip and he gave it a
firm squeeze before pumping it slowly, swiping his thumb over the oozing slit on every up-stroke.
To  Miach’s  pleasure,  it  only  took  four  strokes  for  Nick  to  howl  his  pleasure  to  the  four  walls,  his
enjoyment  ringing  clearly  in  the  sound.  Miach  rubbed  Nick’s  prostate  and  added  a  third  finger,
fucking him through his orgasm, refusing to allow Nick’s dick to soften.
“More,” Nick pleaded. “Oh, fuck, I need more, Miach. I need your cock in me. Now, please!”
Unwilling to deny his own throbbing dick any longer, Miach gave in to Nick’s pleas. He grabbed the
improvised  lube  and  poured  a  generous  amount  directly  onto  his  dick  and  then  more  onto  Nick’s
prepared hole. Pressing the red crown of his engorged shaft to Nick’s opening, his own body shivered
at  the  tingles  just  that  touch  caused.  Taking  a  deep  breath,  he  pushed,  popping  the  head  of  his  shaft
into the warm, tight heat of Nick’s body.
“Yessss,” Nick hissed, his body opening beautifully as Miach worked his cock forward until he was
seated balls-deep in him.
Lying  over  the  other  man,  Miach  pressed  his  chest  to  Nick’s  back.  He  paused  and  relished  the
sensation  of  being  squeezed  by  this  man.  Tucking  his  head  against  the  back  of  Nick’s  neck,  he
whispered, “I’ve never barebacked before. God, you feel amazing.”
“You  can’t  catch  anything  from  me,  and  you  can’t  pass  anything  on  to  me,”  Nick  assured,  although
Miach  had  to  admit  that  was  the  last  thing  on  his  mind.  Nick’s  next  words  had  his  brain  melting.
“There’s  nothing  that  can  compare  to  the  feeling  of  my  mate  connected  with  me,”  Nick  murmured.
Turning his head, Nick pressed a kiss to Miach’s temple. “Now fuck me, mate,” he ordered.
Growling  at  the  command,  Miach  narrowed  his  eyes.  “You  want  it? You  got  it!”  With  one  hand  he
gripped  Nick’s  hips,  the  other  he  placed  on  the  mattress  next  to  Nick’s  hand,  keeping  most  of  his

weight off the other man.
Miach slowly drew his dick out of Nick’s ass, feeling the muscles contract as if trying to keep him in.
Once almost all the way out, he slammed forward. Miach quickly set up a swift rhythm, plowing his
dick  into  Nick’s  welcoming  ass  again  and  again.  The  grip  Nick’s  rectum  had  on  Miach’s  shaft,
especially  since  Nick  had  some  way  of  contracting  his  muscles,  massaging  his  dick  every  time  he
tried to pull out, had tingles of pleasure dancing along his spine and settling in his balls. Miach felt
his testicles pull tight to his body, and knew his orgasm wasn’t long in coming.
He reached under Nick, taking his cock in hand again. “Are you ready to come again, Nick? Are you
going to come for your mate?” he crooned into his lover’s ear.
Nick  shuddered,  his  hole  clenching  around  Miach’s  buried  cock,  obviously  liking  the  sound  of  his
words. He wondered if it was the idea of coming again, the feel of Miach’s hand around his dick, or
Miach  calling  Nick  his  mate  that  had  the  shifter  reacting  that  way.  But  as  the  shifter  groaned  and
jerked  in  his  arms,  Miach’s  brain  shut  down  and  it  no  longer  mattered. All  he  felt  was  the  bliss  of
sinking his dick in this man’s intense heat, the need to bury his seed deep in this man, and the desire to
mark him in some way.
Growling  in  feral  delight,  Miach  hauled  Nick  upright  on  his  knees,  one  arm  banding  tight  around
Nick’s chest as he worked the man’s cock with the other. torsos slip and pounded into his man. Liking
the  idea  of  marking  this  man  so  everyone  would  know  he  was  taken,  he  gripped  the  fleshy  part  of
Nick’s  shoulder  in  his  jaw  and  bit,  hard.  Too  hard,  he  realized  suddenly,  as  the  metallic  flavor  of
blood trickled between his teeth and into his mouth.
Their sweaty skin made their slide against each other as he
Nick  threw  his  head  back  and  howled,  cum  streaming  from  his  pulsing  dick  as  Miach  continued  to
stroke it. His ass clamped down on Miach’s shaft, and his balls exploded, sending shot after shot of
seed into Nick’s rectum. He moaned happily as his orgasm made his senses swim. Feeling moderately
bad for biting Nick so hard, he licked the blood clean, pleased to see that it wasn’t too deep, and then
nuzzled Nick’s neck. He sighed. “If sex with you is always going to be like this,” he whispered, “it
just may kill me.”
“But what a way to go, huh?” Nick murmured back, his own relaxation clear in his warm words.
Miach chuckled. “Oh, yeah.”
He eased his softening cock out of Nick’s ass and settled down onto the bed next to him. For some
reason  he  wasn’t  willing  to  examine  too  closely,  he  was  unwilling  to  lose  all  connection  with  the
man. “You okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” Nick grunted. “Except I’m in the wet spot.”
Laughing, Miach pulled Nick over a foot. “How’s that?”
Nick shifted on the bed to look at him and smiled. “Much better.” Just as suddenly, his smile faded
and his forehead creased. “Miach?”
He paused from where he was using the sheet to clean them both up a little bit. “Yeah, babe?”
The corner of Nick’s mouth quirked up, and the worried expression softened slightly. “You, uh, you
bit me,” he whispered, touching the mark on his neck lightly.
Embarrassment warred with pride in Miach at the sight of the mark on Nick’s neck. “Yeah, uh, sorry
about  that.  I’ve  never  gotten  that  carried  away  before,  but…”  he  shrugged.  “Sorry,”  he  finished
lamely.
Nick  shook  his  head.  “I  don’t  mind,”  he  said,  “at  least  not  like  you  think.”  Nick  looked  down  at
Miach’s hand resting on Nick’s waist where he’d unconsciously laid it, and now created imaginary
circles  on  Nick’s  skin  with  his  thumb  and  forefinger,  then  without  moving  his  head  Nick  looked  at

Chapter Seven

iach blinked and blinked again. Nick wondered if his mate was trying to process his words and

think of a way to deny what had happened. It had shocked the hell out him to feel Miach sink his teeth
into him. Nick knew the other guy was more dominant than him, but he’d never heard of the human
giving the mating bite to the shifter before. He thought he’d have to broach the subject of topping
Miach at some point.

It was a few minutes after the ecstasy of his orgasm faded that Nick realized the bite had actually

mated them. His wolf was happily curled up in his mind, sated and content. Normally the shifter had
to bite the human, but because the scientists had added some components of shifter DNA to Miach’s it
must have changed the man enough to work the other way around, too. Miach had given in to an
instinct, the need to mark his mate, and Nick knew the altered human didn’t understand its meaning.

Now, staring at Miach’s blank look, Nick worried he was about to lose his mate before their

relationship really had a chance to get off the ground. “I never in a million years thought you’d bite
me,” he whispered, trying desperately to figure out what Miach was thinking.

“I—I did it because I wanted to mark you,” Miach whispered. “I didn’t realize it carried such

meaning for shifters.” Miach frowned, his gaze straying over the pensive look Nick knew must be on
his face. “Perhaps you should tell me what it means that I claimed you,” Miach urged gently.

Okay, Miach was willing to talk about this. That was a good sign, right? “When shifters find their

mates, and decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together, one shifter, the dominant one,
will claim the other by biting them.” Nick smiled faintly as he said, “It’s done during sex, and what
other shifters have told me about the pleasure of the mating bite wasn’t exaggerated.”

That had a corner of Miach’s mouth curving up. “Good, huh?”

Nick  nodded,  feeling  his  skin  heat.  Shit,  when  was  the  last  time  I  blushed?  Knowing  he  had  to
explain  the  rest,  Nick  went  back  to  his  explanation.  “It  also  means  that  your  life  will  be  extended.
That happens so the shifter doesn’t outlive a human mate by a couple centuries.”
Miach’s eyes widened. “A couple centuries!” he hissed.
Licking  his  lips,  Nick  swallowed.  “Yeah. A  shifter  lives  for  several  hundred  years  until  they  pass
from old age. It’s harder for a shifter to get pregnant, phases of fertile at different times, so they will
only overlap every once in a while,” he added. “And you can only get it up for your mate,” he hurried
and added.
Miach jerked back. “What was that last part?”
Nick cringed. “Yeah, uh, sorry about that. A male shifter, once mated, can only get it up for their mate.
I don’t know if it will be the same for you or not,” he admitted.
“Oh my god!” Miach whispered. “That— That sucks!”
The door of the cabin slammed into the wall and bounced back, only to be stopped by the forearm of a
sneering Cameron. “Well, isn’t this interesting. Does Declan know you’re sleeping with the enemy?”
“Yes, Cameron,” Nick answered automatically. Instinct had him responding to the more alpha wolf,
but  his  gaze  was  fixed  on  the  gun  Cameron  held.  The  weapon  could  be  just  as  lethal  to  shifters  as
humans if the wielder knew where to hit. Nick tensed on the bed, his wolf desperately wanting to leap
at the bigger man and eliminate the threat to his mate, but his human logic reminded him that and has
something to do with the the moon. Each shifter will become any sudden movements would increase
the threat to Miach. Evidently, his mate had a similar idea, because a glance from the corner of Nick’s
eye showed Miach remained just as still.

Cameron shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “Doesn’t matter. The old fool has led too long and times
are  changing.”  His  smile  turned  predatory.  “He’ll  learn  that  soon  enough.  As  for  you,”  Cameron
turned his attention on Miach and grinned. “It’s your lucky day, killer. I’m in the mood to let you go.”
His words had relief flooding through Nick, but then Cameron lifted the gun and pointed it straight at
Nick’s head, and at this range, it would be a little hard to miss. “You, on the other hand, need to die.”
Miach  shoved  Nick  sideways  just  as  the  crack  of  a  gunshot  filled  the  cabin.  Seconds  later,  Nick
realized the compared to shoulder and chest. He tried to lift an arm and pain shot through his body,
black spots dancing behind his eyes, and he couldn’t hold in the cry.
“Easy, babe, easy. Just relax. I’m gonna take care of you.”
Miach’s  soothing  voice  eased  something  in  Nick’s  mind.  “Miach,”  he  whispered.  Keeping  still,  he
forced open an eye. He needed assurance that he wasn’t dreaming, that Miach was still nearby.
ringing in his ears was nothing the pain radiating through his
“I’m here.” Miach’s voice came again, followed by a hazy face.
That’s when Nick realized the pain shooting like wild licks of fire through his body was due to Miach
pressing cloth against his upper chest.
“Just hang in there, babe. I’m taking you to Declan. His mate is a doctor, right?”
Why did his mate sound so far away? Nick knew he was right there. He wanted to respond, but all
that  came  out  was  a  groan.  Jostling  sent  a  fresh  wave  of  agony  through  him,  and  those  black  spots
converged into a sea of darkness.
* * * *

After yanking on a pair of sweats, Miach silently cursed himself for not remembering to lock the

door behind him when he’d entered. Nick had already been attacked once by this guy. It should have
been automatic instinct to protect his lover, instead, when he walked into the small cabin, he’d seen
Nick’s naked backside and all thought fled.

Miach tugged the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around an unconscious Nick, checking the

man’s pulse in the process. Slow, but steady. For just a second, Miach thought about trying to dig the
bullet out himself, but not knowing anything about how shifters healed, he figured his best bet would
be to get Nick to some professional help. That meant figuring out where Nick’s ride was hidden.
Miach hoped it didn’t prove too far away.

He shoved his feet into his sneakers before lifting Nick into his arms and cradling him to his

chest. Nick grunted, then let out a soft groan, then curled into Miach’s chest, all while still
unconscious. Miach found he loved how Nick felt held in his arms, but he sure didn’t like how it had
happened this time.

Stepping out on the porch, Miach took a long, slow inhale. Nick had just come from somewhere

with a phone, since he’d told Miach that he was going to call his alpha. He walked slowly around the
tiny clearing in front of the cabin and let his senses find Nick’s back trail. It only took a few seconds,
though it felt like an eternity with Nick’s fragile life held in his arms. Knowing time was of the
essence, Miach jogged as swiftly as he dared, following the scant traces of Nick’s arrival not too
long ago.

Running steadily, it took him over an hour to get to a clearing with a covered car and a locked

shed. Miach carefully laid his precious cargo on a thick blanket of pine needles and pulled the cover
off the car. He couldn’t stop the low whistle of appreciation when he revealed a metallic blue 1972
mustang. His mate was just full of surprises.

He prayed Nick had enough foresight to keep a key hidden on the vehicle, and breathed a sigh of

relief when he located a spare under the rear wheel-well on the driver’s side. He moved Nick to the

passenger seat and checked the wound. He didn’t know if he should be relieved or concerned that the
blood had nearly stopped flowing, since Miach knew a doctor would have to reopen it to dig the
bullet out.

Settling behind the wheel, it took him a moment to locate the phone in the glove box. After turning

it on, he hit one on the speed dial, hoping it would connect with someone that could help.

“Hey, man. Riker isn’t supposed to relieve you until eight. What’s wrong?”

For a heartbeat, Miach closed his eyes and mentally groaned. He recognized this man’s voice, and it
was the last person he wanted to ask help from.
“Nick? Talk to me.”
Miach’s gaze settled on Nick and unclenched his jaw. “Kade? This is Miach.”
Before he could get out more, Kade interrupted with a roar. “You son-of-a-bitch. What did you do to
Nick? If you harmed so much as one hair on my friend’s head I’m going to—”
“Shut the fuck up and listen to me,” Miach ordered. “I didn’t harm Nick. Some wolf named Cameron
did. He stormed into the cabin and shot him. Now, the bleeding has started to stop but the bullet is
lodged in his shoulder and needs to be removed.” He was actually surprised Kade had stayed silent
for that long. “Where is the nearest hospital?”
The  reply  was  immediate.  “He  can’t  go  to  a  regular  hospital.  Take  him  to  Declan’s.  I’ll  tell  him
you’re  coming.” After  a  moment  of  committing  the  directions  to  memory,  Miach  started  the  car  and
followed Kade’s advice, hoping he wasn’t jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
A  thirty  minute  drive  had  him  bouncing  down  another  rutted  driveway,  this  one  opening  up  into  a
large clearing with a massive, two story, stone and wood structure that looked more like a lodge than
a cabin. A man he recognized as Declan appeared on the porch. This guy was the alpha of the wolves,
and he had dropped by the cabin on several occasions to try to talk to Miach.
He thought this could be the biggest mistake of his life as he climbed out of the car and rounded the
hood. “Miach,” Declan’s deep voice rumbled across the clearing. “Bring Nick in.”
Obeying, Miach eased Nick back into his arms and strode briskly toward Declan. To his surprise, the
bigger man didn’t try to take Nick from him. Instead, he tilted his head and inhaled deeply. One dark
brow lifted, but Declan gave no other indication of emotion. What is it with shifters and sniffing?
“This way,” Declan ordered. The guy turned his back on Miach and led him inside. Although, from
the way he carried himself, Miach knew Declan was keeping an eye on him over his shoulder. Miach
was impressed, because he’d do the same thing with someone he didn’t trust at his back.
Miach followed through a dining room, up a set of stairs, down a hall, and into a bedroom. Inside was
a  small,  blond  man  in  green  scrubs,  who  stood  at  a  small  table  covered  in  instruments.  The  doctor
barely spared him a glance as he leaned over Nick, who Miach had placed on the bed, and unwound
the make-shift bandage.
The guy grimaced, finally sparing him a glance. “You did good to keep pressure on it. Too bad you
guys heal so fast and I’m going to have to reopen it,” he muttered.
Miach didn’t bother commenting. He just stood at the head of the bed and watched as the little guy got
to  work.  He  was  impressed  with  the  blond’s  sure  hands  and  steady  movements.  He  even  had  no
trouble ordering both Miach and Declan around, telling them where to hold a cloth to catch blood or
grab  Nick’s  wrists  as  he  thrashed  an  arm.  Miach’s  heart  clenched  at  the  look  of  pain  on  his
unconscious  lover’s  face.  If  he  could  have  somehow  spared  Nick  this  agony,  Miach  realized  with
some surprise that he would have done it in a heartbeat.
Finally, Lark finished the last butterfly stitch and started clearing away his utensils. Declan stood at
the foot of the bed, watching carefully, his dark brown eyes unreadable. Finally, Miach found himself

the recipient of that penetrating gaze.
Miach turned and spoke to the other man instead. “Will he recover okay, doc?”
The slender man paused and looked at him over his shoulder. “He’ll be fine. He should even avoid
infection since you got him over here so quickly.”
“Good,” Miach whispered.
“Have a seat,” Declan said, waving between the bed and a chair nearby.
Protective urges still coursing through him, Miach opted
carefully on
to  stay  close  to  Nick.  He  settled  the  mattress,  back  against  the  headboard.  He  threaded  his  fingers
through Nick’s tangled, sweaty curls, the contact calming Miach for some reason.
“How did this happen?”
The man was direct. Miach appreciated that. “A guy came into the cabin. Nick called him Cameron.
I’d forgotten to lock the door behind me when I entered,” he admitted. “Cameron had a gun, made a
comment about how it was my lucky day, that he was freeing me, then shot Nick and left,” he added
bitterly. “When I get my hands on that wolf—” Realizing to whom he spoke, Miach cut the sentence
off.
“That is within yer right,” Declan said.
That confused Miach. “What?”
The big alpha cocked his head, staring at him. “Ye’re mated to Nick. As the mate of a member of the
pack, it’s within yer right to seek retribution on the wolf that attacked yer mate.”
Miach’s eyes widened in shock. “How do you know we’re mated?”
Declan chuckled. “I can smell it.” He tapped his nose and gave him a knowing smirk. “And ye smell
like sex. There’s a shower next door to yer right. Clean sweats and towels are under the sink. After ye
get cleaned up, I think we have some things to discuss.”
He wasn’t certain how he managed to contain the blush, but he did, and Miach knew Declan wasn’t
asking. Miach nodded once. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Come down to the study,” Declan ordered.
At that, Miach frowned, his gaze falling to Nick. “I’d prefer to remain close to Nick.”
Declan’s brow lifted, and for a second, Miach thought he’d refuse. But then the small blond settled a
hand on Declan’s forearm and smiled up at him. “You didn’t want me out of your sight when I was
injured, remember?” he whispered.
The alpha’s eyes softened in what could only be called a look of love as he stared down at the guy.
“Thanks  for  the  reminder,”  he  murmured.  Declan  leaned  down  and  pecked  a  soft  kiss  to  the  other
man’s lips, and Miach found himself once again fighting the urge to blush.
He couldn’t ever remember seeing a couple of men so open with their desire for each other. Miach
cleared his throat and stood. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he muttered. He took a step away from
Nick  and  paused. After  a  quick  glance  toward  the  watching  couple,  Miach  dropped  a  quick  kiss  to
Nick’s forehead. He lost the battle against the blush and hurried from the room.
Miach gripped the sink in the bathroom and took a deep breath. He’d met Declan several times, and
each time the big alpha had seemed hard and cold, unwilling to bend, always leaving with the words
that  Miach  would  remain  in  that  cabin  until  he  was  ready  to  talk.  In  that  bedroom,  he’d  actually
seemed, well, human.

Chapter Eight

he need to get back to the injured man in the bed had Miach hurrying through a shower, scrubbing

mechanically. He toweled off before pulling on fresh sweats and a t-shirt. With so many rooms, and a
doctor for the alpha’s mate, Miach wondered at the wolf pack’s obvious preparations. Just how many
shifters were in the area? On second thought, Miach didn’t want to know. Then, if word ever got out,
it couldn’t be blamed on him.

He heard voices he didn’t recognize through the door, first a shout from downstairs somewhere,

then Declan answering, telling the strangers to come upstairs. After quickly toweling dry his short
hair and scalp, he tossed the towel over his cotton-covered shoulder and opened the door.
A gasp echoed through the hall, followed by a wailing, “Nooooo!”

“What the hell?” another man snapped as he caught hold of a small, fleeing figure.

Miach  watched  a  five  foot  nothing  albino  man  flail  against  the  hold  of  a  dark  haired,  five  foot  ten
man. It wasn’t the fact that the taller man was only trying to hold the albino in place, not harm him, or
the fact that the guy was glaring daggers at Miach, it was the fact that the short white-skinned man was
staring at Miach with such terror in his pink ringed eyes.
Not  certain  what  else  to  do,  he  backed  a  few  steps  away  from  them  and  lifted  his  hands.  “Easy,
there,” he whispered. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
That  had  the  small  man  freezing.  Still  enfolded  in  the  other  man’s  arms,  he  turned  accusing  eyes
toward Miach. “But you’re one of them!”
Miach had no idea what that meant.
The  little  guy  wasn’t  done.  He  turned  accusing  pink  eyes  to  the  man  who  held  him.  “You  said  the
wolves wouldn’t sell me! I trusted you!” A visible shudder worked through the little guy’s body.
Those words had the slender human growling out, “You will not be sold. Declan! What’s the meaning
of this? Who is this man?”
Something  in  the  guy’s  hazel  eyed  glare  had  Miach  bristling,  even  as  his  blood  ran  cold.  This  guy
wouldn’t have any trouble fighting to the death. The lean build held more than enough hidden muscle
to be a challenge, and if the guy had any training, Miach knew he didn’t want to face him in a dark
alley.
“What’s going on?” The blond appeared in the doorway to Nick’s room. His blue eyes widened and
he hurried to the albino’s side. “Just breathe, Casey.” The doctor ran his fingers through Casey’s hair
and cupped his face. “Easy. Just breathe. You’re just fine. Nothing will happen to you. I promise.”
The man’s soothing tone must have finally reached the panicking man, because the albino whispered,
“But he’s with the scientists. I saw him!”
The gut wrenching agony in the guy’s words touched Miach. Before he could think of anything to say,
a growl of anger erupted from the other man. “You’re one of them?”
The  words  were  spoken  with  such  venom  and  malice,  the  tone  shocked  Miach  into  indecision.  The
guy leaped forward. A clip and zip echoed through the hall and Miach brought up his hands in self-
defense. Good thing he did, otherwise a leather belt would have been expertly wrapped around his
neck. Yup, he never wanted to meet this guy in a back alley.
A heavy weight landed on top of them, and then both weights disappeared. Miach jerked his head up
and spotted his tawny wolf rolling across the floor. The blood trailing after Nick had an anguished
cry erupting from his lips. Miach leaped to his feet and jumped forward, landing between his snarling
mate, who couldn’t quite hide the pain in his tones from Miach, and the human who seemed to enjoy

acting first and asking questions later.
“Stop. That’s enough! All of ye!” Declan snapped. The command in the alpha’s tone had all of them
freezing  where  they  were.  “Casey,  no  one  is  going  to  be  sold.  Jared,  stand  down,  we  need  Miach
alive. And Lark, will ye take Casey into the other room? He needs a few minutes to calm down while
the rest of us discuss what just happened.”
“I’m  not  leaving  Casey’s  side,”  Jared  snarled.  “Especially  with  an  agent  of  the  scientists  in  the
house.”
“I’m not with them anymore,” Miach whispered. “I’m so sorry for anything that happened to you or
your friend.” And to his surprise, he felt his words deep down to his soul. Whatever through, without
consent.
He  turned  his  attention  to  Nick  when  his  mate’s  whimper  caught  his  attention.  Without  conscious
thought,  he  slid  his  arms  under  the  tawny  wolf’s  body  and  lifted  him.  The  two  hundred  plus  pound
animal  didn’t  struggle,  instead  resting  a  head  on  Miach’s  shoulder  as  he  carried  him  back  into  his
room.
“I’ll  be  right  back,  love,”  he  whispered,  rubbing  the  scientists  no  one  should  had  put  the  little  guy
have faced their tests his mate’s head gently. “It looks like I have some explaining to do.”
Before his eyes, Nick’s body shuddered. He watched as the fur disappeared, the jaw reshaped, and
the bones and tendons popped and snapped. Seconds later, his human lover once more lay in the bed.
“You touched me, held me, as a wolf,” Nick murmured, his eyes blinking open to stare at Miach in
wonder.
Settling  on  the  side  of  the  bed,  Miach  smiled  fondly  at  the  man  he  was  quickly  coming  to  care  for.
“You did say you knew who I was while a wolf. You tried protecting me, even while injured. I trust
you,  love. You’ll  never  hurt  me.”  He  leaned  forward  and  brushed  a  soft  kiss  over  his  man’s  lips.
Cupping his jaw, he eased away for a second and whispered, “Just as I’ll strive to never hurt you.”
Nick  whimpered,  but  it  was  a  sound  of  need,  not  of  pain.  Then  clutching  hands  gripped  Miach’s
shoulder and neck, bring his head back down to Nick, who quickly claimed his mouth in a much more
heated and demanding kiss. Miach let his man lead for a moment, relishing the enthusiasm and talent
of his mate’s tongue. Finally, knowing he still had people waiting to speak with him, he eased the kiss
to an end.
“Just relax a moment. I need to talk to Casey and that other guy.”
“Jared.”
He frowned. “What?”
Nick  sighed,  easing  back  on  the  bed.  “His  name  is  Jared.  He’s  mated  to  Carson.  He’s…  well…
dedicated to stopping the scientists,” Nick finished with a blush.
Miach knew there had to be an interesting story there, but wasn’t going to push Nick to learn it right
now. Instead he nodded. “Fair enough. I’ll go try to set his mind at ease, huh?”
“You’ll be back?”
He saw the fear in Nick’s eyes and his heart melted just a little bit more. “Ah, love, I’ll always return
to you. I don’t know how you did it in less than twenty-four hours, but I don’t want to live without
you.”
Fuck! Could I sound any more sentimental? When did I turn into such a fucking girl?
Fortunately, his still pained and drugged mate didn’t seem to think his words were too far out in left
field. He smiled goofily and nodded, nuzzling into his palm. “Hurry back,” he whispered. “I want to
be held.”
“You got it,” he replied.

He pecked one more kiss to Nick’s forehead before making his way across the hall. He didn’t miss
the way Casey tensed on the bed when he paused in the doorway, and who could miss Jared’s cold
glare? He wasn’t certain he deserved it. After all, he hadn’t really known better. The scientists either
didn’t know the truth about these creatures, or didn’t care. Either way, he’d been lied to.
Miach took a deep breath, knowing what he needed to do. “I can’t give you the scientists’, names,” he
stated.  His  announcement  had  Jared  sneering.  He  ignored  him.  “For  one,  my  conscience  wouldn’t
allow  it.  Two,  all  the  scientists  called  each  other  Mr.  Smith  whenever  I  was  around. And  last,  but
most important, you wouldn’t respect me if I turned on them like that. And neither would I,” he added.
Declan’s eyes narrowed. “I see.”
“With  that  said,”  Miach  added,  smirking,  “it  is  time  to  put  a  stop  to  them.  I  won’t  give  you
information, but I can get a few of you into one of their labs. What you find on your own,” he shrugged
and grinned, “well, that’s your business.”
For a second, it looked like Declan wasn’t too pleased with his offer, then the big alpha wolf gave
him a feral smile. “Ye’re right. No one wants a traitor in their pack. Yer offer shows integrity and the
ability to accept, to learn the truth and admit when ye’ve been wrong. I can respect ye for yer choice.”
Relief flooded Miach, surprised by how much he liked getting Declan’s endorsement. “Thank you.”
Declan  grinned.  “I  hope  the  lab  ye  want  to  sneak  us  into  isn’t  the  one  near  Colin  City.  Jared,  here,
already blew that one up. It’s where we found Casey,” he added.
Moving  his  focus  to  the  tiny  man  in  the  bed,  something  in  Casey’s  scared  pink  eyes  struck  a  nerve.
Miach’s jaw dropped. “You’re the bunny,” he whispered. “Oh, shit, man. I’m so sorry for what they
did to you.” It didn’t even matter if Casey hadn’t been a sentient creature, the way they cut up the poor
man’s hip and took out a chunk of muscle, just to see if it would grow back, made Miach sick. He’d
managed to sneak extra food into the guy’s cell a few times, but Casey wouldn’t know that. He’d been
pretty  heavily  sedated  at  the  time.  His  eyes  softened  as  the  fear  slowly  seeped  from  Casey’s  look.
“Will you regain full use of your hip?” he asked softly.
Casey swallowed, managing a tremulous smile as he shrugged. “No. I’ll always have a limp.”
“I am sorry,” he whispered.
“I know,” Casey replied, surprising him. “I can smell the truth in your words.”
That had him scoffing lightly, but a smirk curved his lips. “Damn shifter noses.” Then he frowned as a
thought  occurred  to  him.  “Raven  found  the  cabin  you  were  holding  me  in,  probably  yesterday
according to how fresh the tracks were. He’ll have reported back to his superiors by now.”
“Who are his superiors?” Declan asked.
Miach crossed his arms and frowned. “I’ll give you one guess.”
“Those damn scientists,” Jared snarled.
He wondered about the venom in the man’s voice, but considering how their initial introduction had
gone,  Miach  didn’t  want  to  antagonize  the  volatile  human.  Needing  a  subject  change,  he  said,
“There’s another facility outside Boise, Idaho. That’s where I was, uh, it’s where I was worked on,”
he admitted. “I have my old passcard locked in a safe deposit box in a bank near there.”
Declan nodded once then turned to Jared. “It looks like you, Cliff, and Miach are taking a trip,” he
said.
“I want to go, too,” Nick stated from behind him.
Miach  turned.  He  saw  the  white-knuckled  grip  Nick  had  on  the  doorframe  and  quickly  wrapped  an
arm  around  his  mate  and  pulled  him  close  to  his  body.  “No,  babe,  you  can  barely  stand,”  he
admonished tenderly.
Nick  shook  his  head,  his  eyes  narrowing.  “You  don’t  understand,  Miach.  I’m  a  shifter.  I’ll  be  well

enough for duty in two days, completely healed within a week. I was in the military for twelve years,
remember?” he added, his voice hard.
Miach swallowed. “I remember.” His stomach  balled  into  a  knot  of  tension  at  the  idea  of  this  sexy
man anywhere close to the scientists.
The muscular man in his arms reached up and cupped his jaw, drawing him down for a tender kiss.
Miach couldn’t resist him, capturing his mouth in a teeth-clacking, mouth-plundering kiss. When they
came up for air a couple moments later, they heard Declan chuckle.
He  grinned  at  them.  “The  mate  bond  is  still  new. Yer  wolf  would  drive  ye  nuts  to  be  away  from
Miach right now, Nick. Ye may go,” he allowed.
Jared swallowed hard at those words, even blushed, making Miach wonder why the alpha’s words
would affect him that way. Then the human cleared his throat and asked, “What about Carson?”
Declan  grimaced.  “I’m  sorry,  Jared,  but  yer  mate  still  hasn’t  tracked  down  Cameron  yet.  I  just
received  word  that  he  wasn’t  at  Simon’s,”  he  added,  addressing  Nick.  “I’ll  send  Kade  with  ye
though.”
Miach  couldn’t  stop  the  thinning  of  his  lips  at  that  news.  Declan  caught  his  look  and  a  brow  lifted.
“Would ye like to know why ye don’t get along with him?”
He didn’t really like the alpha’s smirk, but Miach gave him a curt nod. Maybe the wolf could shed
some light on why he felt like he did.
“Because  he’s  a  touchy-feely  guy  and  good  friends  with  yer  mate.”  He  winked  and  turned  to  Nick.
“Now that yer mated, ye can’t be huggin’ Kade whenever ye want. It pisses yer mate off.”
Nick frowned up at him. “It does?”
“Help Nick to the chair there, Miach, and then come here,” Declan ordered.
Curious as to what Declan had in mind, Miach obeyed. Declan gave his own mate a wink, and Lark
rolled  his  eyes  and  crossed  his  arms  over  his  slender  chest.  Declan  moved  behind  Miach  and
wrapped his arms around his shoulders. Miach couldn’t stop his body from stiffening, or the frown
that  creased  his  brows,  at  having  the  dominant  wolf  at  his  back,  but  Declan  just  chuckled. At  first,
Nick just glared at them, but then Declan slid his hands up and began massaging Miach’s shoulders.
A low snarl erupted from the smaller wolf, and Nick lunged toward them.

Chapter Nine

eedless of his aching shoulder, Nick launched out of his chair. A warning growl erupted from

Declan’s chest as Miach wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Nick immediately
backed down, cuddling into his mate’s embrace. He shuddered, shocked that he’d just tried to
challenge his alpha. His wolf whimpered in his mind.

“Relax,” Declan’s deep voice rumbled. Nick felt his alpha’s hand land on his neck and squeeze.

“Now ye see what it’s like to watch yer mate in the arms of another man,” he warned.

Nick nodded, his wolf relaxing at his alpha’s acceptance, relieved that he got away with nothing

more than a warning growl. “I understand, Alpha,” he replied.

He felt Miach’s hands stroke down his back, soothing him. When he looked up, he saw Lark in

Declan’s arms, accepting a deep kiss. The whole scene seemed surreal. He knew that Declan would
never stray from Lark. He loved that man more than his own life. But someone else had been touching
his mate, massaging his shoulders, even though Nick could spine, proving his touch. He’d still lost it.

Nick lifted his face to Miach and whispered, “I didn’t even realize that you felt that way. I’ll be

more careful.”

Miach pecked him softly on the lips, warmth filling his gaze. “Thank you.”

“Get some rest,” Declan ordered. “I’m going to contact Kade and Cliff. Plan to leave at seven
tomorrow morning.”
After giving nods of understanding, Nick’s mate led him back to his bedroom. His shoulder had begun
to really throb and he was ready to rest. At first, Miach dropped onto the chair by the bed, but Nick
would have none of that. It took some coaxing, but finally, Miach joined him in bed. Nick settled into
his mate’s embrace, his body finally relaxing. It didn’t take long for the day’s events to catch up with
him, sleep taking him. see the tension in Miach’s mate didn’t appreciate the

His shoulder still ached, and his range of motion was limited, but Nick refused to let that stop him

from joining the other four men in the SUV. Cliff drove, with Kade riding shotgun in the passenger
seat. His friend had given him a stiff congratulations, and it didn’t take a genius for Nick to realize
Kade was offended that Nick hadn’t confided in him about his suspicions that Miach was his mate.
He’d already apologized and couldn’t do anything to change it now, so he hoped Kade would get over
it soon. He didn’t like his friend upset with him.

Jared sat in the seat behind them, and Nick and his mate were in the middle seat. For most of the

thirteen hour drive, Nick dozed, his head resting against Miach’s shoulder. He felt content in his
mate’s arms, even in the uncomfortable vehicle.

Kade’s deep rumbling voice broke through his light doze. “You’d better not hurt him, Miach,” he

warned. “And this had better not be a trap.”

Nick almost smiled, almost, that his friend was more worried about his heart than about getting

caught by the scientists. “I’ve been falling in love with Nick for the last three weeks, Kade. I won’t
do anything to jeopardize his safety.”
Kade grunted, but didn’t say anything more.

He felt Miach lean over him. The man murmured, “And I know you’re awake, wolf.”

Nick heard the smile in his mate’s voice and cracked an eyelid and grinned up at him. “You love
me?”
Miach blushed faintly and cleared his throat. “Yeah, Nick. I love you. If anything happens to you, I
have no reason to live, so don’t be a hero. Got it?”

“I love you, too,” he whispered. At Miach’s still stern look, he added, “No hero stuff. Got it.”
Miach grunted. “Good. Go back to sleep, wolf. There’s still another couple hours before we reach
our destination.”
Knowing he needed the rest to mend, Nick obeyed.

He woke again when Miach jostled him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Miach said.

“I’ll go with you,” Kade immediately replied.
Miach lifted a brow, but didn’t respond. He pecked a kiss to Nick’s lips and slid from the SUV. Nick
watched Miach and Kade disappear into a bank.
“Did  ye  have  something  going  with  Kade  before  ye  met  yer  mate?”  Cliff  asked  curiously,  turning
around in his seat to stare at him.
Nick  shook  his  head.  “No.  That’s  him  acting  like  a  protective  older  brother,  not  a  lover,”  he
explained. “He’s twelve years my senior and when I was fourteen, he came home from the military. I
idolized him. He was good to me, let me tag after him and his friends. When I was sixteen, my father
died.  He  helped  me  pick  up  the  pieces,  and  when  I  was  ready,  taught  me  how  to  finish  fixing  the
mustang I’d started restoring with my dad.” Nick smiled at the memories. It was no wonder Kade was
his best friend, and he understood why the big wolf was acting this way.
“So you’re not currently lovers then, but you were.” Jared smirked, leaning over the seat to look at
him with those eerie hazel eyes that seemed to see everything.
Nick blushed. “Once, a long time ago,” he admitted. They’d figured out very quickly they were better
friends than lovers. It had just felt… wrong.
Jared  chuckled.  “Kade’s  happy  for  you,”  he  said,  settling  back  in  his  seat.  “Jealous  that  you  found
your mate, though.”
That  had  Nick’s  brows  lifting  and  he  looked  at  Cliff.  The  other  tracker  lifted  a  shoulder  in  a  one
armed  shrug.  Before  he  could  think  up  a  response,  the  SUV  doors  opened  and  Miach  and  Kade
rejoined  them.  “Get  what  you  need?”  Jared  asked  from  where  he  once  more  sprawled  in  the  back
seat.
“Yeah. All set. Did everyone bring a black turtleneck and camo pants?” Miach asked. Once everyone
nodded, he said, “Good. As trite as it sounds, that’s the uniform for their guards. I’m going to lead you
all in, telling them you’re new recruits. We’ll go to a briefing room. It will have a computer.”
He turned in his seat to look at Jared, who grinned. “Yes, I should be able to hack into their system
from there. Do you have a map of the place?”
Miach shook his head. “No, but I know the layout is similar to the one you blew up in Colin City.”
“What if we find injured shifters? Are we going to rescue them?” Nick asked.
“Hell, yeah!” Kade snapped.
“No,”  Cliff  countered.  When  all  eyes  rested  on  him,  he  looked  sad,  but  firm.  “Those  are  not  our
orders.”
Even  though  he  didn’t  like  it,  Nick  found  himself  instantly  deferring  to  the  more  dominant  wolf’s
words. Jared had no such compulsion. “Fuck you, man! We didn’t get explicit orders about that. If we
find any and can get them out safely, I say we do it!”
Looking between the two, it was a toss-up as to who was higher ranking in the pack. Jared was the
mate of Carson, their enforcer. Cliff was their lead tracker, recently taking over the position from his
father.  Cliff  was  wolf,  but  Jared  was  a  bloody  scary  human.  Nick’s  wolf  whined  in  his  head  as  he
watched the two more alpha men face off.
“Guys, I know I don’t have much say here, but there might be a way to get them out of there without
rousing suspicion,” Miach murmured, trying to diffuse the situation.

Cliff took a deep breath and focused on Nick’s mate. “What way would that be?”
“Well, if Jared is as good on the computer as he claims to be, he could print us out a transfer form,”
Miach said.
“Transfer form?” Jared lifted a brow. “As in a document to transfer merchandise?”
Miach ran a hand through his closely shorn, light brown hair and nodded. “Yeah.” He shrugged.
“Sorry, guys, but they treat you like just another animal.”
“We know,” Nick said softly, taking his hand and massaging it gently in an attempt to soothe him.
Jared chuckled. “Paperwork can be forged,” he stated. “We’ll get the shifters out.”
Cliff grunted, but didn’t comment. Nick hoped that meant the dominant wolf was considering the plan.

Nick took several, slow deep breaths as he peered through the window, trying to keep his wolf

calm. Cliff parked the SUV. “Remember,” Nick’s mate cautioned, “don’t speak unless spoken to,
don’t make eye contact with anyone, and don’t attack anyone.”

Jared snorted, but refrained from commenting. They all piled out of the vehicle and fell into step

as Miach led the way to a side door and swiped his card. Nick didn’t think he was the only one that
held  his  breath  as  they  waited  for  the  beep  and  the  green  light.  Relief  flooded  him  when  the  card
worked and Miach pulled the door open.
He led the way through, stopping at a security desk and grinning at the man behind it. “Jason! How are
ya doing, man?”
“Hey, Miach. Long time no see. There’s been some rumors going around about you, but since you’re
here, they must not be true!” He reached across the desk and shook hands with the man.
“Awe,  there’s  always  rumors  flying  around  here,”  Miach  said  with  a  smirk.  “I’ve  just  been  busy
training  a  few  new  guards.”  He  motioned  over  his  shoulder  at  the  group  of  shifters.  “I’ll  swing  by
later and catch up,” he added before heading past the guy.
“Sounds good, man,” Jason replied. He smirked at the shifters as they passed. “Have fun, guys.”
Nick and Kade nodded to the guy, but the rest ignored him as they followed Miach. He led them into a
conference room. Not hesitating, he opened a cabinet and revealed a computer monitor. He pulled out
a  drawer  holding  a  keyboard.  Stepping  back,  he  warned  Jared,  “If  you  don’t  disable  security,  we
won’t get far.”
“Not a problem,” the human answered calmly and began typing. Nick’s agitation grew, and he started
pacing.  Miach  pulled  him  to  a  stop  and  tucked  him  against  his  chest.  He  breathed  in  his  scent,
allowing his mate’s lemony smell to soothe his wolf.
“Ha!  Got  it,”  Jared  crowed  triumphantly.  He  motioned  for  them  to  gather  round  and  pointed  at  the
map on the screen. “They’re holding a wolf on floor two, sector three, a lion on floor three, sector
ten, and a fucking rhino on floor three, sector eight.”
“How the hell are we supposed to get shifters that large out?” Kade whispered.
Cliff frowned, focusing on Miach. “Is there a garrison or someplace uniforms or clothes are kept?”
“Maybe,”  he  said  slowly,  obviously  thinking.  “There’s  a  small  gym,  so  you  might  be  able  to  find
some clothes in the locker room.”
“Good. Jared, get on creating transfer forms for them. Kade stay and watch his back. Miach, show me
and Nick this gym.” Everyone obeyed without question, and as they walked down the hall away from
the other two, Cliff spoke softly, “Can ye still here me, Kade? Jared?”
“Loud  and  clear.”  Kade’s  voice  sounded  clearly  in  Nick’s  ear,  compliments  of  the  communication
equipment provided by Jared.
Miach  led  the  way,  Cliff  and  Nick  flanking  him.  They  found  one  pair  of  camo  pants,  two  black
turtlenecks, a white t-shirt, and a pair of blue shorts. Cliff shook his head, but said, “It will have to

do. Where’s the elevator?”
“This way.” They again followed Miach.
“Is it normally this quiet in here?” Nick murmured, looking around warily.
“At night, yeah,” Miach replied. “Lab techs normally leave at six, but you may find one or two work-
a-holics down there.” They stopped at a bay of elevators and Miach hit the button. “Only guards here
regularly this late at night.”
When the doors slid shut and he hit the button of the third level, Cliff asked, “Why isn’t the elevator
secret like at the place in Colin City?”
“I couldn’t begin to tell you that, Cliff,” Miach replied. “I’m just a soldier.”
Silence  fell,  only  to  be  broken  by  the  ding  of  the  elevator.  Miach  exited  and  turned  left,  striding
steadily through the halls. He stopped at a door and ran a hand through his hair before turning to Cliff.
“Look.  The  rhino  is  supposed  to  be  in  here.  The  rooms  on  this  floor  are  fifty  by  a  hundred  feet.
There’s a tank of water, and that’s about it. If it’s not sedated, it may attack.”
“The shifter is a he or she, not an it,” Cliff snapped.
Miach held up his hands. “I’m sorry.” He lifted his keycard and looked at the dominant wolf. “Are
you ready?”
Cliff stepped in front of the other two and nodded. Miach opened the door, and Nick followed Cliff
slowly into the room. The rhino rested in the corner of the room. It shifted and grunted, but made no
move to rise. Cliff moved toward the animal slowly. Nick couldn’t catch the shifter’s scent until he
was within fifteen feet of the creature, the smells of the soiled room too powerful.
The shifter must have finally scented them, too, because it groaned and turned its head. “Easy now,
friend,” Cliff murmured, crouching beside him. “We’re here to help. Can ye shift?”
A shudder went through the rhino’s massive body. It was slower than it should have been, but the man
managed to shift. A guy who could have passed as a body builder sprawled on the floor at their feet.
It took some work, but Cliff and Nick managed to get the pants and turtleneck on him, both too small,
but it was all they had. Propping the shifter between them, Cliff and Nick helped the man to his feet
and out of the room, Miach locking the door behind them.
They followed Miach to the next room, the lion shifter’s room. It went much the same way, and soon
they were back on the main floor, helping two drooping men toward the conference room.
“Kade,  I  need  ye  and  Nick  to  get  these  two  out  to  the  van,”  Cliff  ordered.  “Jared,  do  ye  have  the
transfer form prepared for the wolf, yet?”
“Right here,” he answered, holding up several papers.
“Good.” Cliff grabbed them and turned  to  Miach.  “Are  there  cages  or  something  we  need  to  use  to
carry the shifter?”
“Yeah,” Miach replied. “This way.”
Before they could get far, Nick grabbed Miach and pulled his head down for a kiss. “Be careful,” he
whispered.
“You, too,” Miach whispered.
Kade and Nick levered the two drugged shifters out of the conference room chairs and headed back
toward  the  side  doors.  They  spotted  Jason  still  lounging  at  the  security  desk  and  Nick  muttered
several curses under his breath.
“I got this,” Kade muttered.
Nick nodded once, watching his six foot four friend smirk at Jason. “These guys had a fight with the
weight bench in the gym. Miach told us to take them to the emergency room to be checked out.”
Jason lifted a brow, his gaze sweeping over them dubiously. “Uh huh. I’ll need everyone’s passcards,

“I

can’t believe that worked,” Nick muttered, snuggling into Miach’s side in the extremely cramped
SUV.

Miach smiled, but he had to admit that it had been far too easy. “Shit! Stop the vehicle!” Miach

shouted.

“What the hell?” Kade snapped, turning to look at him from where he sat in the passenger seat.

“That was too easy,” Miach insisted. “There’s gotta be something we’re missing.”
“Like what?” Cliff asked from the driver’s seat.
“He’s right. That was too easy,” Jared agreed. “They’re probably tracking us.”
“Well, how do we find out?” Nick piped up.
“Let me make a phone call,” Jared replied. “I have a scanner at home. I’ll have my buddy bring it out
to  us.  Head  to  the  ruins  of  their  facility  near  Colin  City.  We  should  be  able  to  get  there  by  ten  this
morning.”
Cliff got the car moving again. “Why there?” Miach wanted to know the same thing.
Jared  grinned.  “Because  they  already  know  where  it  is.  No  sense  letting  them  know  where  we  all
live, now is there?”
Before they could respond, a shudder rolled through the ground, rocking the vehicle. An orange and
red ball of fire exploded behind them, consuming the massive facility they’d just left.
“What the fuck?” Miach growled, twisting in his seat to take in the now burning building.
“Jared?” Cliff growled. “What did ye do?”
The human snorted, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “Just giving the pack a gift.”
“Blowing up the building is a gift?” Miach asked askance.
Nick sighed. “He’s talking about safety,” his mate replied. “Safety for the pack.”
Miach scraped a hand over his head, scratching his scalp. “I understand how that makes sense, but do
you even know how many people you just killed in there?”
“Somewhere between ten and fifteen would be my guess,” Jared replied coolly.
His jaw dropped in surprise. He’d seen the icy glimmer in Jared’s eyes at the alpha’s house, and now
he knew what it meant. The guy had very little in the way of conscience. “You don’t even care, do
you?” he whispered.
For  a  second,  Jared  stared  at  him,  then  he  leaned  forward,  and  his  hazel  eyes  appeared  soulless
where the light of the moon played across his face. “We are at war, Miach. War with a corporation
that is killing yours and my mate’s friends and family. Do I care that I killed some of their soldiers?
Soldiers that would happily hunt down and capture or kill the man I love just because he can turn into
a  wolf?  No.  No,  I  don’t.”  That  said,  Jared  settled  back  into  his  seat  and  turned  his  gaze  out  the
window.
Miach  returned  his  focus  back  to  the  front  and  found  everyone  watching  their  exchange.  Even  Cliff
watched  through  the  rearview  mirror.  He  blew  out  a  breath,  and  Nick  rubbed  his  arm.  The  warmth
from his mate’s touch eased some of the chill that had seeped into his bones at Jared’s words. They
were entrenched in a silent war, and Miach realized he’d just jumped sides.
He wrapped his arms around Nick and pulled him tight to his chest. Inhaling the man’s earthy aroma,
he let it soothe him, and tried not to think about anything else that night.
Miach  woke  to  jostling  and  realized  Kade  was  now  driving  the  vehicle  and  they  were  bouncing
through the woods on something that couldn’t possibly be considered a dirt track. They stopped in a

small clearing where several other cars were already parked, and Nick opened the door and slid out
of the vehicle.
He followed, and then helped the two shifters from the back seat and to the ground. He was pleased
that  they  appeared  to  be  more  alert  now,  whatever  drugs  they’d  been  given  wearing  off.  When  he
looked  up,  he  was  surprised  to  see  a  massive  chocolate  colored  wolf  standing  at  the  edge  of  the
clearing.
He took an involuntary step back when the animal started trotting toward them, but Nick’s hand on his
back  settled  him.  The  female  wolf  that  had  been  curled  up  on  the  floorboards  of  their  SUV
immediately offered her belly chocolate wolf sniffed her neck, then took a step back.
His shift was smooth, seamless, and extremely quick. It was only seconds later when Declan McIntire
rose  to  a  crouch,  seemingly  oblivious  to  his  nakedness.  He  rested  a  hand  on  the  wolf’s  head  and
asked gently, “Can ye shift, little girl?”
The words confused Miach. He looked down at the light brown animal and watched a slow transition
progress  from  wolf  to  woman,  and  then  he  understood.  The  shifter  couldn’t  have  been  more  than
sixteen  and  bile  filled  his  mouth.  The  scientists  had  kidnapped  a  child  away  from  her  parents  to
experiment on! Cliff appeared and draped a blanket around her shoulders.
“We’ll contact yer family, let them know ye’re safe,” Declan assured.
“No! Please, no!” she gasped, her eyes lowered to the ground and to the bigger animal. The widening
in panic.
Declan’s brows lifted. “Yer not of age, young one. I’ll need ye to tell me why I’m not to contact yer
pack.”
“Because they’re the reason I was there!” she whispered.
Miach paled. Surely she didn’t mean what that sounded like.
Declan exchanged a look with Cliff. “Are ye from around Tucson, Arizona?”
She nodded, her eyes widening. “How did you know?”
“Because ye’re not the first shifter they’ve sold to the scientists,” Cliff answered. The shifter looked
at Declan. “I can take her to me place, if ye’d like. She may feel more comfortable around Lisa.”
“Probably,” Declan said with a nod. “I’ll visit her in a few days. I think I’m going to contact Brad and
see if his old gang is heading to that area any time soon. It’s time to see what’s going on down there.”
Declan’s cold tone softened as he refocused on the girl. “Ye’ll be safe here in me territory until we
figure things out. Lisa is Cliff’s mate. She’ll take good care of ye.” Lifting his gaze to Cliff, he said,
“Yer keys are in the car.”
A redheaded man walked over to the girl. She cringed from him, but Cliff offered reassuring words.
“This  is  Raul,”  the  tracker  told  her.  “He’s  going  to  see  if  ye  have  any  tracking  devices  or  other
implants inserted by the scientists.”
Lark  walked  over  with  a  bundle  of  clothes  and  handed  them  to  Declan.  “Do  you  have  to  show
everyone your ass, stud?” he teased dryly.
Declan just smirked and pulled the clothing on. Next Lark held up a phone. “Carson’s on the line,” he
told him.
Miach heard Raul give an all clear to Cliff and the girl. As the wolf helped the teenager to her feet
and headed toward a blue sedan tucked between the trees, Raul headed toward Miach, Nick, and the
other two shifters sitting on the ground at his feet.
“Well, let’s see about you two,” Raul said.
He held up a device and started running it over the rhino shifter’s body. Raul’s eyes narrowed as the
machine started making chirping noises. “Lark,” the guy called. “We got a bug.”

Miach stepped back to make more room, hugging Nick against his side. Declan followed Lark over to
them  and  Miach  became  aware  of  his  conversation.  “Thank  ye,  Carson.  We’ll  keep  an  eye  out  for
him.” He shoved his phone into his pocket and turned to Miach and Nick. “Carson has tracked down
Cameron. The wolf is headed this way.”
He  found  himself  glaring  into  the  trees  and  pulling  Nick  tighter  against  his  side.  With  his  sharp
eyesight, he almost immediately spotted a brown shape creeping through the trees toward them. To his
surprise, Declan lifted his face and inhaled. Then he turned and glared at the approaching shifter.
“Cameron, enter the clearing,” he ordered while stepping between the rogue wolf and his mate and
the injured shifters still resting on the ground.
Miach  found  himself  impressed  with  the  way  Lark  ignored  what  was  happening  around  him  and
focused on extracting the bug from the shifter’s shoulder. Nick’s low growl brought his focus back to
Cameron, who now stood in human form several feet from the forest’s edge.
“You’re bringing the pack to ruin with your ridiculous acceptance of other shifters into the area. It’s
time for your rein to come to an end, Declan,” Cameron sneered.
Declan  crossed  his  thickly  muscled  arms  over  his  broad  chest  and  smirked.  “And  who’s  gonna  do
that, Cameron? You?”
Cameron’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”
“As much as I’d love to put ye in yer place, rogue, ye’ve attacked Nick, a member of me pack, and
Miach has requested restitution for his mate,” Declan stated, adding with a smirk, “And he wants to
tear apart yer hide.”
Cameron barked out a laugh. “You think that freak is going to beat me in a fight? I’ll rip him apart!”
He immediately dropped to his knees are started to shift.
Declan looked over his shoulder at Miach. “Ye have the option of fighting, or ye can request he be
banished from the pack for his crimes against yer mate.”
His lip lifting in anger, he let out a growl. “He’s mine,” he snarled and stalked forward.
“Miach!” Nick’s worried tone had him turning to glance back at his mate. “Be careful, love.”
He nodded once, then gave his full attention to the shifter before him. Cameron had finished shifting
and  prowled  toward  him,  his  belly  low  to  the  ground  and  his  jaws  open  in  a  feral  growl.  Miach
watched  the  animal  move,  judging  his  strengths,  gauging  his  abilities.  He  knew  he’d  have  to  be
careful, because he didn’t have the fangs and claws that the animal did, but he had military training,
patience, and a will to survive for his mate.
Cameron leaped forward, his jaws gaping. Using his increased speed, Miach shuffled to the left. He
slammed  his  fist  into  the  side  of  Cameron’s  head  as  he  flew  past.  He  didn’t  think  it’d  do  a  lot  of
damage, but perhaps it’d disorient him for a few seconds. Miach drew a knife from the sheath on his
thigh and watched the shifter shake off his counterattack.
They  circled  each  other,  the  wolf  growling  threateningly  and  eyeing  him  maliciously.  This  time
Cameron didn’t leap, instead he rushed in, keeping low to the ground. Miach struck out with his knife,
driving the shifter back. Cameron’s jaws snapped and he danced sideways, trying to find an opening.
He managed to hit the creature’s left front leg, the knife slicing across furred flesh, drawing blood.
Instead of retreating like he thought Cameron would do, the animal lunged forward. The two hundred
fifty pound wolf slammed into his chest, knocking him to the ground, and the knife slipped from his
hand. Miach managed to bring his arms up and grab the animal’s neck. He kept Cameron’s snapping
jaws away from his neck, but he felt the shifter’s claws sink into his chest.
Miach drew on every bit of strength the scientists gave him and shoved. Cameron flew ten feet and
slammed into a tree trunk, letting out a surprised yelp. He rolled to his feet, grabbing the knife as he

Chapter Eleven

ick hated watching his mate fight for him, but he understood why Miach needed to do it. The

genetically altered human had to find his place in the pack. His help rescuing the shifters and
gathering information against the scientists was a great start, but proving he would put his mate above
all else was just as important.

He scented the wind, and a smell he recognized tickled his nostrils. Simon! A low growl escaped

him and he whipped his head around, searching for the wolf in question. He knew Simon had been
only too happy to back Cameron and help him attack other shifters. Nick also realized the shifter was
next on Carson’s list to locate, but it looked like they wouldn’t have to worry about that, because the
blond wolf was close.

Spotting the other shifter creeping through the trees, a wave of apprehension rolled over Nick.

Simon watched the fight between Miach and Cameron, steadily creeping closer. And because
Miach’s focus was on Cameron, he didn’t notice the other wolf.

Nick peeled off his clothes. His action garnered a lifted brow from his alpha. He pointed at

Simon. “I’m worried.”

Declan nodded. “Understandable.”

It  was  close  enough  to  permission  for  Nick,  and  he  dropped  to  his  knees  and  initiated  his  shift.  He
shook  out  his  fur  before  starting  toward  the  fighting  pair,  struggling  not  to  interfere  when  Cameron
managed to get his mate on his back. To his relief, Miach tossed the wolf away in a move that looked
surprisingly easy. Cameron hit a nearby tree and Nick’s mate rolled to his feet.
That’s when Simon surged forward and attacked his mate. Nick leaped, barely managing to come to
his mate’s aid in time. His jaws gaping, he wrapped them around Simon’s foreleg as he barreled into
him, knocking Simon off his trajectory, and giving Miach a chance to shoulderroll out of harm’s way.
Simon  rolled,  the  move  dislodging  Nick’s  hold.  But  before  the  bigger  wolf  could  get  to  his  feet,  a
brown blur streaked toward them. Nick recognized Carson’s wolf, and the enforcer gave a warning
growl,  his  meaning  clear. Stay  down.  Simon  obeyed,  offering  his  belly  to  the  aggressive  Native
American shifter.
Nick  returned  his  focus  to  his  mate  just  in  time  to  see  Miach  sink  the  blade  of  his  knife  into
Cameron’s torso. The animal howled in pain, the sound suddenly cut off by Miach slicing the blade
across Cameron’s neck. Nick felt no remorse as he watched the life drain out of the wolf’s eyes.
Miach heaved out a breath and slowly rose to his feet. He looked around, his gaze landing on Nick,
and  he  smiled.  Trotting  to  his  mate,  relief  washed  over  him  when  Miach  dropped  to  one  knee  and
sank his hands into his ruff. “Thank you, my mate.”
Nick  nuzzled  into  Miach’s  hands  for  a  moment,  before  initiating  his  shift.  Once  human,  he  threw
himself  into  Miach’s  arms,  hugging  his  mate  close.  “I’ll  always  be  there  to  watch  your  back,”  he
vowed.
Miach  nodded,  then  waved  a  hand  at  the  other  two  wolves.  “Who  are  they  and  why  did  the  blond
attack me?”
“The  blond  is  Simon.  He  agreed  with  a  lot  of  Cameron’s  opinions,”  he  explained.  “The  brown  is
Carson, our pack enforcer.”
Declan crossed to the wolves and ordered Simon to shift. Once a slender man was lying prone before
them, Declan glared at him. “Ye’ve been found guilty of attacking innocent shifters, Simon. How do
ye plead?”

Nick  picked  up  the  scent  of  nervous  tension  from  the  other  shifter,  even  as  Simon  frowned  at  his
alpha. “They weren’t innocent. They were invading our territory.”
“That is not for ye to decide, Simon,” Declan replied calmly. “I’ve never condoned attacking a shifter
in me territory, and ye know it.” Simon opened his mouth as if to protest, but Declan growled low in
his throat, and Simon’s teeth clacked as he shut up.
His arms crossed over a broad chest, Declan stated, “Now, ye have a choice, Simon. Ye can leave
me territory and be labeled a rogue, or ye can accept punishment in the form of fifty lashes and ten
hours of guidance.”
Simon paled, options were harsh, but Declan had to send a message. This kind of behavior would not
be tolerated.
“The lashes and pack service,” Simon whispered, baring his throat and stomach to Declan, showing
his submittal to the alpha.
Declan  nodded  once.  “Carson,  take  him  to  Shane’s.”  The  alpha  turned  to  Nick  and  Miach.  “Allow
Lark  to  check  yer  wounds,  then  go  home  and  get  some  rest.  I’ll  bring  someone  in  to  take  care  of
Cameron’s body.” Then he smirked, his gaze shifting between them. “Ye’ve earned a few days off,
Nick, and I’m certain ye’ll want some time to get to know yer mate better.”
“Yes, Alpha,” Nick responded instantly, seeing Miach grin out of the corner of his eye.
pack service under Shane’s
and Nick swallowed. Both

Miach received medical attention for the claw marks on his chest. Nick was impressed that those

were the only injuries he’d sustained after a run-in with a vengeful shifter. Lark handed Nick his keys.
“Nice ride, Nick. Thanks for letting me drive it.”

Nick chuckled. “Yeah, glad you liked it,” he stated, leading the way to his mustang.

Once in the vehicle, Miach turned a questioning gaze toward Nick. “Was he making fun of you?”
Shrugging, Nick replied, “Not really. He just knows that my car is my baby.” He fought back a blush.
“My father and I were working on it when he passed. It reminds me of him,” he admitted.
Miach reached over and squeezed his thigh. “It’s a nice car.”
Nick  nodded,  sending  the  vehicle  moving  toward  home.  “I  guess  I  really  should  have  asked  where
you call home.”
Miach shrugged. “I have a condo in New Orleans. Why? You trying to get rid of me already?”
He squelched his initial urge to snap at the man for even mentioning that he’d leave Nick, hearing the
underlying tension in Miach’s voice. He recognized Miach’s uncertainty. He took a deep breath and
then glancing toward his mate, gave him a wink. “Nope. Just wanted to know where we need to go to
pick your stuff up from, so we can move you in with me.”
His  grip  tightened  on  the  wheel  when  he  saw  Miach’s  sexy  grin.  “You’re  not  moving  too  fast,  are
you?”
Chuckling,  Nick  kept  his  hands  to  himself  even  as  his  cock  jerked  at  the  sight  of  his  mate’s  teasing
smile. “Not at all. I gotta move you in before introducing you to ma, that way you can’t get away.”
Miach placed his big hand on Nick’s thigh and squeezed. “If the idea of kids didn’t scare me away,
you really think meeting your ma will bother me? I admit I’m nervous, but you’re it for me. You’re my
mate. My one and only. I love you.”
Nick’s  brows  shot  up,  and  his  heart  sped  up  in  his  chest.  He  felt  grateful  he  was  pulling  into  his
driveway. Otherwise, he’d have whipped the car over on the side of the road so he could get at his
mate.
He  unclipped  his  safety  belt  and  straddled  his  mate’s  lap  in  the  uncomfortable  confines  of  the  car.

Gripping his mate’s jaw with both hands, Nick stared deep into those beautiful blue eyes. “You love
me?”
Miach’s hands landed on his hips and pulled him close. “I love you, Nick. I’m not going anywhere.”
Nick sighed against Miach’s lips. “I love you, too,” he murmured before sealing their mouths
together. He nibbled the other man’s lower lip before pushing his tongue inside to feel Miach’s warm,
wet heat. Their tongues tangled together as they fought for dominance of the kiss. Their bodies rocked
against each other and their hands roamed under shirts and overheated flesh.
Their groins pushed together, sending fabulous heat through Nick’s body and up his spine. He didn’t
even realize he was close until the orgasm bowled through him. He moaned into Miach’s mouth, his
body jerking as he filled his camo pants with hot jizz. A shudder passed through the body underneath
him and Miach grunted. The scent of his mate’s seed filled the car, and Nick’s dick jerked.
His chest heaving, Nick rested his forehead against Miach’s, content to just feel the man’s arms
holding him as their breaths intermingled.
“Wow,” Miach said with a grunt. “I don’t think I’ve ever come from just kissing and grinding.”
Nick grinned, immensely pleased he affected his mate so much. “I think I’m ready for a shower. Want
to join me?”
Miach chuckled. “There’s no way you could stop me.”
Nick eased out of the car and took Miach’s hand. He didn’t release him even as he unlocked the door
and led Miach into his home and into their new life.

About the Author

Charlie lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her handsome, supportive husband. She started

writing fantasy when she was eight, and after stumbling onto her first erotic romance at nineteen, she
realized her true calling. She now focuses on writing erotic romance, often of the paranormal variety,
with heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled up with her laptop and a cup of
tea or glass of wine, creating her next story, which could pair a sexy hero with an adventurous
heroine… or maybe with another handsome hero. horseback riding, jump lessons watching movies
with her husband, and listening to her muse tell her about her next project.
Charlie enjoys with Apache,
She can be reached at
ch.richards2010@yahoo.com Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

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