Moon Pack 4: Denying Dare

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Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Chapter One

"So, how long have you been in love with my best

friend?"

Dare Moon dropped the bottle of alcohol he was

twirling. Luckily the expensive top shelf vodka landed on

the anti-fatigue mat. The spongy rubber prevented it from

shattering on the cement floor.

"What are you talking about?" he gasped, trying to

still his pounding heart. "I'm going to tell Silver to cut back

your alcohol limit." There was no way he was going to

admit any attraction. Not when the man he was interested

in showed no sign of returning his affections.

Anthony gave a graceful shrug as he sipped his

fruity alcoholic drink. "Silver's not overly concerned about

my alcohol limits. I don't drink all that much." He batted

his stunning amber eyes at Dare. "Now, about Steven. If

you're not in love with him, why do you stare at him like

you want to pounce and take him down like a squeaky

mouse?"

Sighing, Dare gazed across the room where the

dark-haired wolf trolled for someone to take home;

someone not him. "Nothing's going on with Steven, and

looking is as far as I'll ever get. He's made it clear he

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

doesn't want a cat."

Fuck if that didn't break his heart. He couldn't

change the fact he was a weretiger, even if he wanted to,

any more than he could help pining for the handsome

werewolf.

Anthony looked unimpressed by Dare's heartache.

"As much as I love him, Steven's an idiot. In the past three

months none of those pieces of ass he's picked up have

touched a fraction of his heart. He's only determined to

have a wolf mate because his adopted parents are human

and he wants to belong to a pack."

Dare blinked back tears, dipping his head so the

empathetic alpha mate wouldn't notice. "I can't give him a

pack, weretigers only meet to mate."

"Shit, Dare. I can give him a pack if he wants a

pack. What he needs is a soul mate and it's my job, or so

Silver keeps telling me, to watch out for the packs' best

interests. Well the pack's best interest is for its fabulous

bartender to be happy."

Small bolts of lightning flashed in the beautiful

blond's eyes; a sign of a storm of the worst sort, an

Anthony storm. Shit. It took a lot to upset the sweet-natured

alpha mate but he was an unstoppable force when he was

crossed. Dare looked nervously at the wall of bottles. He

hoped he wouldn't have to explain to Silver what happened

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

to them. Anthony's anger had been known to shatter glass.

Before he could say anything else, Anthony slid off

the bar stool and marched across the busy dance floor.

Using some strange, mystical ability he walked directly to

Steven while everyone moved out of his way in a smooth,

natural style as if they were never even there. Dare shook

his head. Although he'd seen the phenomenon many times,

the process still amazed him.

Dare watched the smaller man approach his friend.

He briefly got a glimpse of Anthony pulling something out

of his pocket, but by then it was too late.

* * * *

Fury followed Anthony's every step. How could

Steven not see what was right in front of him? Every

weekend he came to the club and picked up a different

wolf. Every Monday he mourned to Anthony about how

that wolf wasn't 'the one', and yet here was this sweet-

tempered man with sable hair and stunning green eyes

Steven completely ignored. Well no more, he was done

with this.

"Steven," Anthony shouted over the crowd.

The familiar dark-haired head turned towards him,

away from the were-twink he was talking to. What Steven

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thought he'd have in common with a skinny submissive

growing something on his chin that should've been allowed

to die gracefully, Anthony didn't know. The kid was at least

ten years too young and thirty IQ points too stupid.

"What?"

"I've got something for you."

Steven looked at Anthony's empty hands, searching

for his present. "What?"

Anthony slipped the envelope out of his pocket.

With deft fingers, he popped open the flap and dumped the

contents into his hand.

"This." Taking a deep breath, Anthony blew the

entire handful of green powder onto Steven's blue silk top

and brown leather pants.

"Shit." Steven tried to brush the stuff off but it

clung like mad to the silk, just as Anthony planned when he

recommended the shirt earlier. "What the fuck did you do?"

He glared at Anthony, his blue eyes bristling with ire.

"Enjoy your night." Giving his friend a wide grin,

Anthony turned on one booted heel and sauntered off,

letting the crowds swallow him up.

* * * *

Steven watched his best friend ditch him after

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Amber Kell

ruining his outfit.

What the hell?

Members of the Moon pack might be fooled into

considering his best friend sweet, but Steven knew the

ruthless manipulator that lived behind that innocent smile.

If Anthony thought something was good for you, it was

best to either sit back and take it like a man or run like hell.

And usually running didn't work for long.

"Shit, man. What does the alpha mate have against

you?" The twink looked at him with suspicious eyes, as if

Steven was marked for death and he didn't want to get

involved.

A loud roar snapped his attention to the bar. Dare,

the cute bartender with pretty green eyes, looked ready to

shift. Steven searched the area wondering who could've

upset the even-tempered man. He usually kept away from

the sexy weretiger because he was incredibly attracted to

the man. Something drew him to Dare like a magnet to

metal, a sensation stronger than any he felt for the many

men he bedded each month. He searched the room for

whomever was giving the sexy man a hard time, ready to

take the bastard out. He might not want Dare for himself

but he wasn't going to let some asshole bother him.

Then the smell hit him. Catnip. That devious little

bastard had doused him in catnip powder like a damn chew

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toy.

Shit!

He barely had the time to curse before his back hit

the floor as four hundred pounds of white Siberian tiger

knocked him over. Luckily, the tiger splayed over him with

only his front paws on Steven's chest. Once he was down, a

soft chuffing noise blew his hair away from his face.

Looking into those amazing green eyes, Steven

realized the sweet bartender had given himself completely

over to his beast and probably wouldn't be surfacing

anytime soon.

Damn it to hell.

Anthony was so going to pay for this. Steven would

have to be crafty so Silver didn't rip him apart.

"Hello, Dare," he said cautiously, hoping he could

reach the man hiding inside the enormous beast.

"Remember me, Steven? We're buddies." Not a complete

truth; he tried to avoid the cute kid because he was so

fucking tempting. He wanted a wolf mate, not a cat, no

matter how gorgeous, kind, and sexy…

He was so screwed.

A long tongue swiped up one side of his neck

leaving a streak of scraped skin behind.

"Ouch."

He got another amused chuff for his comment.

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

"Dare, get off of me. There's a good kitty.

Remember, you like me. Eating me would be bad." He

hoped like hell the cat understood him. The feral tiger

didn't give him much hope. In the corner of his eye he saw

Ben approaching the white tiger with slow, careful

movements. Sweat beaded his forehead as the young man

continued walking towards them.

Dare growled, crouching over Steven like an animal

protecting its kill.

"Back off, Ben," Steven hissed. "He's not going to

hurt me." He knew deep in his bones the bartender wouldn't

harm a hair on his head. Two pairs of hands reached out

and yanked Ben out of the way, Dillon and Thomas pulling

their mate to safety. He knew the younger man would get a

good scolding when he got back to his apartment. His

mates took Ben's security very seriously.

Confident the young werekin was protected, Steven

turned his attention back to the tiger pinning him down.

Another tongue lick bathed the other side of his neck,

sending a shiver of pain through his body.

The tiger's tongue hung out of his mouth, giving

him a dopey expression. He looked cute if you overlooked

the fact the big cat could rip a person apart with very little

effort.

"Listen, pal, Anthony has weird sense of humor. He

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didn't mean anything by this."

"Mine."

The word floated into his mind, a word not his.

"No. I want a wolf," he protested. The objection

sounded weak even to him. At night, alone, he dreamed of

the sexy weretiger, but he wasn't about to admit it. There

was still a chance he could find a wolf.

"Tough."

"What do you mean, tough?"

Steven was afraid he knew exactly what the

weretiger meant. Dare was done dancing around their

attraction and had decided to keep Steven. He couldn't do

that. Could he?

Dare moved to the side and clamped his wide

mouth around Steven's arm. With a gentle hold at odds with

his mouthful of sharp teeth, the cat dragged him backwards

across the dance floor towards the elevators. Their audience

moved out of the way. Not one of them offered to help

Steven out. Most of them looked amused.

Fuckers.

The damn cat was taking him to his den and no one

was going to do a damn thing about it. He knew a lot of it

was because they knew Anthony doused him in catnip and

no one was going to interfere with Silver's mate without an

engraved invitation from the alpha.

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Digging in his heels, Steven tried to slow their trek

across the floor. Unfortunately, at this angle he was literally

in no position to stop the large cat. He couldn't get enough

traction to slow their progress and he didn't want to do

enough that the big cat thought he needed a better hold and

actually sank his teeth further into Steven.

"Third floor?" Anthony's voice was smooth and

clear as if they were discussing the weather.

"You fucker. Get me out of this!" Steven spluttered,

looking up at his former best friend.

"Why would I want to do that?" The sparkle in

Anthony's eyes showed he was enjoying himself

immensely.

Steven felt the bump against his back as they went

from hallway to elevator. He saw Anthony push a button

before stepping out into the club, leaving him at the big

cat's mercy.

"Have a good night, you two." His last view was of

Anthony waving goodbye as the doors closed.

If there were a chance he would survive Anthony,

and Silver, he'd beat the hell out of his best friend the first

opportunity he got.

With a sigh, Steven resigned himself to the situation

and relaxed beneath Dare. Anthony may be a little shit

sometimes, but he wouldn't leave his best friend in real

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danger.

"So what are you going to do with me now? Take

me to your lair?"

He got another painful lick for his efforts. "If you're

going to lick me, I'd prefer it be in human form."

Didn't that thought make him harder than marble.

Another chuff had him looking up at the enormous

beast. Damn, Dare was beautiful no matter what form he

took. Months of frustration evaporated as he stroked the

soft fur. "If you let me up I'll follow you as docile as a

lamb."

The cat cocked his head to one side as if

considering his offer.

"Promise." He blinked, trying to look innocent, but

right then the elevator bell dinged and the doors opened.

Large jaws gripped his right leather boot and dragged him

down the hall.

"Shit. I just bought those boots." Rug burn was

going to be a bitch tomorrow.

The tiger stopped right outside apartment 341,

dropping Steven's foot. Dare reared up on his back paws

and scratched a panel by the door.

As soon as he was released, Steven stood up and

found himself face to face with the huge animal. The tiger

flattened his ears.

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"I'm just standing, honest." He wasn't stupid enough

to think he could outrun the enormous cat.

The panel popped open, revealing a computer

screen. One giant paw pressed against the screen. A few

flashes and the word reading appeared before there was a

click and the apartment door opened.

"Clever. I could use something like that at my

house." All he had was an extra big dog door, but if he was

going to be entertaining giant cats in the future he'd make a

few modifications.

Where had that thought come from?

The big cat led the way inside. Steven followed,

closing the door behind him. His nerves swirled through his

stomach as if they were butterflies in a tornado-like frenzy.

Dare sat in the middle of the living room, looking at

him with a tilted head like a dog seeking approval. Or a cat

expecting something. Steven looked around in surprise at

the rich colors and tasteful collection of blown glass

decorating the room.

The bartender had sophisticated tastes.

Now, the question was how to get the man of his

jerk-off dreams to shift back. Most werekin needed a

trigger to shift from their animal form. The moon, a

powerful emotion, or certain drugs all worked depending

on the person and what they desired. Catnip obviously

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

served as a trigger for Dare to shift. Maybe the sight of

Steven without clothes would do the reverse.

Watching the big animal for signs of distress or

anger, Steven slowly unbuttoned his shirt, slipped it off his

shoulders, and let it slide to the floor. The cat sat on his

haunches, licking his chops. Hoping this meant he liked the

show and not that Dare was planning on how to eat him for

dinner, Steven slipped off his boots and socks as well.

"Now I'm going to take the rest of my clothes off.

Don't bite anything."

He got another agreeing chuff, or maybe the beast

was laughing at him. Deciding to focus on the man inside

the cat, Steven made his movements as smooth and slinky

as possible, hoping to entice the younger man back to his

other form. He knew he had nothing like the bartender's

sexy kitty grace but he wasn't chopped liver, either.

Though, if he had some liver it might trigger a shift, too.

Focused on sliding off his tight leather pants in the

sexiest manner possible, Steven was startled when a

calloused finger slid up his arm.

"Fuck, you're the sexiest thing ever," Dare said.

Steven barely finished removing his pants before

warm hands gripped him and yanked him up against acres

of hot, naked bartender.

Steven's mouth was taken in a kiss so carnal he

Denying Dare

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went from nothing to full arousal in the blink of a tiger's

eye. Who knew cats were so fucking hot? Coherent thought

was burned away by the flames flaring high with the

contact of skin against skin.

Memories of every other encounter before melted

beneath the searing heat of the weretiger's touch. Never

again would he consider the fast couplings of other wolves

an acceptable substitute.

Steven knew that once he succumbed to Dare,

things would never be the same.

Fuck.

He wrenched free. "Just a minute."

Dare lunged. Steven tripped over his boots and went

down.

A warm naked body slid on top of him, holding him

firmly to the plush carpet.

"Got you." Dare's eyes glowed bright green, telling

Steven the other man wasn't completely in charge of his

cat, and he'd be damned if the thought of being prey didn't

make him hard enough to hurt.

Steven reached up to stroke the werecat's hair only

to have his hands pinned beside his head on the carpet. As

many times as he'd imagined being in Dare's arms, it was

always with him being the aggressor. He was used to being

the man in charge, the one who called all the shots.

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Dare rubbed noses with him before sliding his

cheek against first one side of his face and then the other in

a feline gesture of affection. The slight rasp of a five

o'clock shadow sent shivers down Steven's spine,

everything in his body seizing. His toes curled from the

sensation and his cock grew hard enough he was almost

certain he could pound nails with the thing.

"Fuck." He almost came from nuzzling alone. There

was no way he was going to last much longer. "This first

one's going to be fast."

"As long as it's only the first." The bartender's deep,

rough voice sounded as if he hadn't completely let his cat

go. Playful eyes looked down at Steven seconds before

Dare's large hand gripped both of their cocks together,

tugging and rubbing until Steven forgot how to speak, how

to form words, that there was even an oral language that

didn't completely consist of moans, whimpers, and satisfied

sighs.

The room blurred before his eyes as he came so

hard he was certain his soul poured out into the other man's

hand. Dare soon followed with a shout of his own before

collapsing on top of Steven.

The other man's weight pressed him into the plush

carpet and for the first time he didn't mind the weight or the

stickiness. Usually, he was quickly ushering his wolf

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partner to the door and calling Anthony to gripe about the

lack of emotional connection. Instead, he snuggled Dare

closer, content to lie without breathing, because fuck Dare

was heavy.

"Shit, Steven," Dare said, moving off of him. "I

didn't mean to crush you."

"No worries, babe." Steven slid his fingers through

Dare's amazing sable hair. It was soft and tumbled down to

the base of the younger man's neck. "Why isn't your hair

white?" His mind floated after the best orgasm in his life,

fixating on little details. Most shifters reflected their

coloring when they shifted. Orange tigers had auburn hair,

it was curious that Dare didn't have white locks.

The weretiger shrugged. "Just one of those odd

magic things. Want a shower?"

Steven nodded. "I'd love one. Did you want me to

head out afterwards or do you want to get a bite to eat?"

Dare was ahead of him, walking to where Steven

assumed the bathroom was, but at his words the weretiger's

head snapped around and he found himself facing one

pissed off feline shifter. He could tell his lover was barely

holding onto his human form. The tiger's eyes could light

up the room with their glow.

"Go?" he growled.

Steven held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I

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was just checking. I didn't want to impose."

Dare rolled his shoulders as if trying to shove the

tiger back under his skin. His big body shook with the

effort. After a few minutes he was able to speak. "Sorry,

my tiger wants you to stay pretty bad. If you don't mind

spending the night, I'd appreciate it."

"Of course. I'd be happy to." He hoped he sounded

more nonchalant than he felt.

Steven never stayed the night. He must've sounded

more sincere than he thought because he could almost feel

the tension leave Dare as the other man gave a soft "thank

you" and continued walking.

Moving from a pretty, green painted hall that

reminded Steven of a lush forest, they entered the prettiest

bathroom he'd ever seen. It wasn't rich and masculine like

the rest of the place. It was actually pretty. A pedestal sink

in pale blue and an old claw foot tub with flowers painted

on the sides dominated the room.

He saw Dare blush at his surprised stare. "It was

like this when I moved in. I thought it was nice."

"It is," he assured his lover. "It is." When Dare

turned to start up the shower he let his smile out. The kid

was so sweet he could eat him up with a spoon.

His cock took interest in that idea.

"The water's ready," Dare said, pulling out two

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towels from a beautifully carved wooden cabinet in the

corner. He slipped into the bath, leaving the shower curtain

open for Steven to join him.

Without hesitating, Steven followed that fine ass

inside. "I guess I'll have to thank Anthony instead of

kicking his butt," he mused as he watched the handsome

man get mouth-wateringly wet.

Dare laughed. "You couldn't kick Anthony anyway,

not and still make it out of the bar alive."

Steven laughed. "True. I slapped Anthony on the

back one day and Silver almost ripped off my arm."

A low growl came from Dare, his eyes glowing

again. "He better not harm you."

"Shhh. No, babe. I'm fine." He ran soothing circles

around Dare's shoulders, cradling him close so he could

reach his back. The two men were near to the same size,

making it easy for Steven to cuddle Dare close and give

him gentle kisses. "Easy, babe. I'm good."

Is this what Anthony had to deal with on a daily

basis? For a moment he felt sympathy for his friend.

Dare shook his head. "Shit, I'm sorry. I don't know

why I'm so touchy today. Maybe that catnip hasn't

completely worn off. Usually, it just makes me a little

loopy," he said as he snuggled closer. "Having it on you

turns me into a possessive jerk."

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

The pair of them stood in the heated stream of water

as if trying to wash away their worries.

Steven pushed aside his own concerns to reassure

the trembling bartender. "Come on, babe, let's finish

washing and go back to bed." He was a little worried at

how comfortable those words sounded, like they'd been

long-time lovers. Shaking his head, he gave into the

inevitable. The beautiful weretiger was his and he would

have to learn to adapt.

Affection, more than passion had them rinsing each

other off. Then, with smiles and gentle touches, they dried

and then headed towards the bedroom.

* * * *

Dare woke up warm, sated, and wrapped in the

arms of his dream man. Sighing he nuzzled in closer,

wishing for the first time he was the kind of cat that could

purr.

"Morning, kitty." A large, warm hand stroked his

head, causing an involuntary sigh to pour from Dare's

mouth.

"Morning, wolf man." He tilted his mouth for his

morning kiss.

"I have morning breath," Steven warned.

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Amber Kell

"Two morning breaths cancel each other out." Dare

latched onto Steven's mouth like a drowning man grabbing

a life preserver. If this was the only encounter they were

ever going to have, he wanted to take advantage of it. He

didn't bother hoping the wolf saw this as a step towards

their future. If the man hadn't wanted him before, he wasn't

going to change his mind now. However, that didn't mean

Dare couldn't enjoy their time together now, even if it was

short-lived.

Their two hard pricks rubbed together, leaking

copiously.

"Oh, like that, babe." Steven's hands gripped Dare's

ass, pulling him tighter against him. "Oh, yeah. Just like

that."

It didn't take long before one cry followed another

as the two men gave over to passion in each other's arms.

"Mmm." Dare licked a path up Steven's neck before

worrying a mark into his skin, a mark that would show high

above any collar.

"Marking me, baby?" Steven asked, his eyes

sparkling with amusement.

Dare jerked back. "Oh, god. I didn't mean to." Well

consciously, subconsciously he was all about marking the

man lying beside him. Scent, bites, anything to leave a sign

the sexy wolf was taken.

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Steven laughed. "That's all right. I'm not ashamed of

having sex with you."

Having sex.

Dare averted his head as he blinked back the sudden

watering of his eyes. "I'd better brush my teeth and get

dressed. I have to get to work." He stumbled out of bed and

headed for the bathroom door. He didn't want the man in

his bed to know that while Steven was having another bout

of meaningless sex, Dare was making love.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Dare shook his head, not slowing his stride. "I-I just

need to go."

"You work nights." He heard Steven sliding out of

bed to follow.

He resisted the temptation to look. "Not the rest of

this week. I'm working with Dillon and Parker to look for

those mutant werewolves."

"What do you mean, you're working with those

two? You're a bartender, not an investigator."

Dare finally turned around, glaring at the intense,

blue-eyed man before him. "I'm also a four hundred pound

tiger. I'm good in a fight. If they find those other wolves I

can keep them safe."

"And who's going to keep you safe?"

Dare rolled his eyes. "Did you want a shower?"

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Amber Kell

Walking away from Steven before he said anything

he'd regret, he headed for the bathroom.

* * * *

As Steven watched the fine ass of his lover walk

away from him, Dare's back was straight and his shoulders

stiff with anger.

Shit.

It didn't look like he could say anything right today.

First something he'd said in bed had hurt his lover's

feelings, now the cat was angry with him for being

concerned. He could feel Dare's emotions as if they were

his own and the entire experience was unsettling.

Damn, who knew werecats were so high

maintenance?

Steven entered the bathroom cautiously, uncertain

of his reception. Dare was already in the shower, the

shadow of his beautiful body tantalizing in the morning

light. Well, this was something they could agree on.

They both wanted the others' touch.

Steven moved the curtain aside and stepped into the

tub, wrapping his arms around the stiff figure. "I'm sorry if

I hurt your feelings, baby. I just don't like the thought of

you going against bad guys. Hell, last time Anthony got

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shot, and he's damn near indestructible."

"I'm sorry you don't think I can protect myself," was

the sniffled reply.

"No. No. Babe." He stroked the younger man in all

the right places until Dare melted against him like the

boneless kitty he was. Steven sifted the water through the

man's hair to rinse out all the conditioner. He didn't want

his lover's beautiful hair damaged. "I just don't want you to

get hurt. I could help." Steven owned a computer

investigation business where he used research to retrieve

background information on people for companies and

individuals alike.

Dare shook his head. "Silver wanted to keep this to

pack only."

Steven jerked away like he'd been struck. "You're

not pack," he pointed out.

"I might not be a wolf but I'm a member of the

pack. Anthony declared me pack last full moon."

Jealousy bit deep. Anthony, who didn't have any

wolf heritage, and Dare, who was a fucking cat, could

belong to the wolf pack while Steven was left out in the

cold. "I'm sorry I'm not good enough to join your little

club."

Dare's eyes widened. "I didn't mean it like that! You

just have to petition. I'm sure Silver would take you if he

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knew you were interested, but it's been a while and you

haven't said anything, so I guess we all assumed you didn't

want to belong to the Moon pack. You're Anthony's friend

and a shifter, I'm sure he would make you pack if you

asked."

Steven bit his lip. He hadn't talked to Silver about

joining because he kept hoping he would mate into the pack

like Dillon and Ben. He'd even tried dating wolves in other

packs, but he kept coming back to this one. It wasn't just

that his oldest friend helped run it. He felt an odd pull to the

Moon pack. Now he wondered if he'd just been fooling

himself and it wasn't the pack, but Dare, who was the pull.

Could a wolf really mate with a cat permanently?

The pair finished their shower in thoughtful silence.

Dare loaned him some clothes since they were

similar in height and build. Steven got a secret pleasure

from wearing his clothes. He knew any wolf near him

would smell the tiger's scent covering him from shirt to

socks. He felt giddy inside, like an adolescent girl with her

boyfriend's letterman jacket.

He shared none of that with the weretiger as he

followed the other man out of the apartment and into the

elevator.

"It looks different when I'm on my feet," he teased,

enjoying the flush that colored Dare's cheeks.

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"Sorry about that."

Steven shrugged. "I'll talk to Anthony. That little

stunt was his fault."

Dare smiled. "Yeah, but I liked how it ended so

don't be too hard on him."

Leaning over to place a kiss on those lush lips,

Steven had to agree. "I'll take it easy on the little shit

because I really enjoyed last night." He gave the tiger

shifter another kiss before breaking apart when the elevator

doors opened.

In the early afternoon the bar was mostly empty.

Dare turned to look at Steven. "I'll catch up with

you later. I told Dillon and Parker I would meet them at

Parker's house."

Steven growled. "You're not going alone to meet an

unmated were at his house."

"What's your problem?" The confusion on Dare's

face told him the other man had no idea Steven was making

a claim. Parker was one of the few werekin who had a

house of his own instead of staying with the pack. He'd

inherited the house from his mother and refused to part

with it or live with the others. Rumor had it he got special

dispensation from Silver and had to take extra training to

prove he could protect himself.

There was no way in hell Steven was going to let

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his mate go into that bachelor den alone.

Mate?

Fuck.

Staggering under the weight of his new knowledge,

Steven stabbed a finger in the direction of an empty table.

"Wait for me there." He got a pissed off expression from

his kitty, but Dare did what he asked.

Good. It would help their relationship for Dare to

realize who was in charge from the beginning.

Without another look he headed for Silver's office.

Knocking, he waited for the bid to enter before he opened

the door. Silver's office was large and decorated with lots

of seating for impromptu meetings with staff and pack

members.

Looking up, Steven received a half smile when

Silver saw him; the biggest expression the man ever gave

outside the sphere of Anthony.

"Anthony's at his office downtown."

"I didn't come to see Anthony. I came to see you."

"Oh." Silver gave a shrug. "If it's about the catnip

incident, I already talked to Anthony about that."

Steven laughed. "And I'm sure he was properly

repentant and begged forgiveness on his knees."

A blush covered the cheeks of the tough alpha. "He

did something on his knees that made me forget my name,

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but I did try to scold him."

Shaking his head, Steven let the alpha off the hook.

"That's okay, it doesn't do any good to scold Anthony, I

know from past experience. Besides, he did me a good

turn."

"You and Dare?" Silver's raised brows caused a

wave of trepidation in Steven's chest.

"What? You don't think we'll make good mates?"

"You just cost me a diamond ring. I told Anthony

there's no way you'd go for a cat."

Steven shook his head sadly. "You should know

better than to bet against Anthony."

A sheepish smile crossed the alpha's face. "Yeah,

but this was one bet I was hoping to lose. Sometimes he

wears turtlenecks where no one can see his collar. I need to

have him wear something even a standard human can

understand. Marking him with my scent doesn't do any

good if the other men can't smell it."

Steven laughed so hard he had to hold onto the desk

as tears filled his eyes. "Poor you. Mating with a beautiful

man is such hard work."

"You know it. It's not easy staying one step ahead

of my man, but he's worth every bit. Want to see his ring?"

It was almost sweet how the large man doted on

Anthony. In that so-much-sugar-your-teeth-will-rot kind of

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way.

"Sure," he said. After all, if he wanted to get on the

alpha's good side he didn't need to piss him off at this

juncture. If keeping Silver happy took admiring his best

friend's new bauble, it would be well worth it.

Silver pulled a desk drawer open and handed over a

black leather ring box. Opening the jewelry box, Steven

caught his breath. He wasn't a man given to jewelry but he

knew his friend would adore this. Inside the box lay a

heavy, gold man's ring with a giant square amber stone and

two rows of pavé diamonds circling the band. Steven bet

that if the ring was held up to Anthony's face it would

exactly match his friend's eyes.

"I've never seen a yellow diamond before."

Silver smiled. "They're very rare, just like

Anthony."

Would puking ruin his chances? Who knew the big

alpha was a big softy inside? He wisely refrained from

commenting on the fact. "It's beautiful and I'm sure he'll

love it." Really, he just couldn't resist. "You know, you

could just pee a circle around him. The werekin will know

you're marking him and the humans will be disgusted

enough to leave him alone."

Laughing, Silver shook his head. "Somehow, I don't

think my mate would appreciate the sentiment."

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Steven smiled at the image of Anthony that sprang

into his mind. It was best Silver didn't follow his advice

because he didn't want to think about what Anthony would

do in retaliation.

Silver frowned at the ring a moment before sliding

it back inside his desk. "He'd better like it; I had to contract

with weremoles to get a rate I didn't have to sell the

building for."

"You know Anthony would love you even if you

didn't give him a ring." Steven didn't want Silver to fall into

the same trap many men did when trying to keep a

beautiful lover interested. As much as Anthony loved gifts,

he wouldn't care if his lover couldn't afford them. Steven

was confident his friend loved Silver with or without the

trinkets.

"I know," Silver sighed. "But I want his parents to

know I can take care of him. His father didn't seem

convinced we are fated to be mates. At least the ring will

let everyone know my man is loved and appreciated and to

back the hell off." The alpha gave a self-conscious shrug.

"Enough about me. What did you come here for?"

Steven took a deep breath. "I'd like to join the

pack."

Shrewd eyes examined him. "Why now? You've

never shown interest in the pack before. Unless there's

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more to the story I heard about a big cat dragging you out

of the bar last night."

"Dare is my mate." Steven rushed the words out like

a run-on sentence. A ball of fear lodged in his throat as he

admitted the truth out loud. It was almost painful to give up

on the dream of a wolf mate, but he wouldn't give up his

weretiger for anyone. Tenderness filled him as he

remembered waking in the other man's arms.

"Are you sure? If he really is your mate I would've

thought you'd know earlier."

Steven blushed. "I kind of did. I just wanted him to

be a wolf."

"Ah. Well, I can't say I don't understand. My life

would be a lot easier if Anthony was a wolf. Less

interesting, but easier. Does Dare know you avoided him

all this time because he's a cat? Has he agreed to be your

mate?"

"He'll agree," Steven said with a low growl. "He

had better agree, but that's not why I came here. I want to

help you find the mutant pack."

Silver stood up. "I'll give you temporary

membership to assist the others. We can use all the help we

can get. However, until Dare accepts you fully I can't admit

you as a full pack member unless you want to enter as an

unaffiliated wolf."

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"What's that?" His werewolf lore wasn't the best

and he was still finding gaps in his knowledge when

dealing with werewolves who grew up in a pack.

"It would mean you joined without any affiliation

except the bonds of friendship. Your connection with

Anthony is enough to have you join as a lone wolf."

Steven shook his head. "I'll wait until Dare accepts

me. If I join as lone he might think that means I don't want

him and I did enough damage already."

"Then welcome as a temporary member."

He shook the alpha's hand, tilting his head to

acknowledge his pack submission.

"You're going to have to do that for Anthony also,

you know."

Steven let go of his new alpha's hand. "Shit."

Turning, he stomped out the door.

Dare was sitting where he left him, sipping a cola

out of a clear glass. A few members of the club sat with

him, chattering about something or other, Steven didn't pay

attention. What he did notice was they were all sitting too

fucking close to his man.

"Come on, babe. I'll take you to Parker's."

Dare gave the other men a nod and, after dropping

his glass off at the bar, let Steven lead him outside.

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Chapter Two

Parker's house was nice. Dare looked around, his

eyes bright and curious, taking in the plush chocolate

brown carpet and the sky blue walls. The house was ranch

style with wide, spacious rooms and a feeling of a home.

He could understand why the other man didn't want to give

up his house to have one of the pack apartments.

"Curious kitty," Steven whispered in his ear. Since

entering the home, the wolf was oddly attentive. He stayed

within arm's reach of Dare at all times and always put

himself between Dare and the other men whenever they

stood together. If he didn't know better he'd say the man

was possessive. It was probably wishful thinking on his

part.

The four of them sat around Parker's round dining

room table. Steven pulled Dare's chair as close to his as

possible without having the other man sit on his lap, which

would look stupid since they were the same size.

"Have we investigated Cindy's employer at the

construction company?" Dillon asked the group. Cindy was

a human who had been abducted by mutant werewolves.

Since the vampire, Alesandro, killed the first mutant they

encountered, they weren't able to question him.

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No one knew what talents this new breed might

have and it was a priority to find out what these enemies

could do. All they knew at the moment was that they had

gone through some sort of transformation, giving them

stronger wolf senses than most werekin but freezing them

in a human-werewolf form, unable to pass off as anything

other than a mutation. Right now, they were trying to

pinpoint where the other wolves were based so they could

capture a few for questioning. It was possible they weren't

all hunting Silver's pack, but until they knew for sure, all

the local packs were staying close and pulling extra

security around pack homes and businesses.

"Her boss, Richard Hale, smelled of corruption."

Parker said with a sneer on his handsome face. "I assigned

Sheila and Farro to watch their headquarters."

Steven frowned. "I don't think I've ever met Farro."

"He doesn't come to the club very often. His wife

died a few years ago and he hasn't recovered. He spends

most of his time raising his little boy," Dillon said.

This time it was Dare who showed his curious kitty

side. "I didn't think wolves could survive the loss of their

mate."

"She wasn't his mate, she was his wife. Farro is

bisexual but sensed his mate would be male. He wanted a

cub so he married a human woman. They might not have

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been a mated pair but he loved her. She died in a car

accident a year ago, leaving him alone to take care of their

five-year old boy."

"That's so sad." Dare's eyes glistened with tears.

"Shh. Babe, it's okay." Steven stroked his head in a

soothing manner. Dare resisted the urge to rub against him

like a cat in heat. There was something compelling about

the werewolf touching him. It calmed him down to his toes.

The other two wolves looked at them curiously.

"Is there something you two want to tell us?" Dillon

asked.

"Dare's my mate," Steven said.

Dare jerked out of his hold. "What do you mean,

I'm your mate? I thought wolves could sense their mate? If

I was yours, you would've known months ago."

He saw Steven swallow and he knew the truth. The

man had known they were mates when he was fucking

around. Nausea churned in his belly.

"I need to go call Ben," Dillon said, jumping from

the table.

"I need a cold drink," Parker followed the other

werewolf with what Dare considered unseemly haste.

Bastard.

"You knew." Dare jumped to his feet with quick,

feline grace. Steven watched him warily. "All this time,

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while I was lusting after you and you slept with every piece

of wolf tail you could find, you knew we were mates. You

bastard!"

"No. It wasn't like that." Steven grabbed Dare's

arms to stop his pacing. Dare flashed his fangs at the other

man but the wolf held on tight. "I thought you might be my

mate, but I didn't know for sure. I never got close enough to

be certain."

"Because I wasn't wolf," Dare hissed. The pain

caused by the idea that his mate thought he wasn't good

enough knifed through his chest. Having a mate who didn't

want to be yours was a special kind of hell. Every shifter

dreamed of finding the one fated to be theirs; unfortunately,

as Steven proved, it wasn't always a happy event.

Steven

nodded,

confirming

Dare's

terrible

statement. "I won't have secrets between us. I wanted to

mate with a wolf, I can't deny that, but I didn't have sex

with all the wolves I left with. Sometimes we just went out

for a meal to see if we were compatible. Now that I know

for certain you are my mate, I wouldn't trade you for

anything." He gave Dare a little shake. "Or anyone. You.

Are. Mine. And I will kill anyone who tries to take you

away from me."

Dare's eyes searched Steven's eyes. All he saw was

honest need. He couldn't blame the wolf for wanting one of

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his own species, but it hurt to know he was only wanted by

default. If they weren't fated mates, the wolf would never

have wanted to see him again. He could keep the pain close

to him and make them miserable for the rest of their lives

or he could acknowledge his mate made a mistake and be

happy with what they had now. Looking up he saw the

anxious expression in the wolf's face and knew he only had

one real choice.

"All right."

A wide smile crossed Steven's handsome face.

"You'll be mine?"

Dare nodded. The lump in his throat made it too

difficult to do anything else. The joy on his mate's face

went a long way towards resolving any resentment he felt.

Steven wrapped him in his arms and gave him a

tight squeeze before placing a bone-melting kiss on his lips.

"Come on, baby. Let's go hunting."

* * * *

They sat in their car outside the main office of the

construction company, watching people come and go.

Sheila and Farro had left an hour before to get some rest.

Typical of a small company, the office was a yellowish two

story building with the name of the company plastered on

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the outside and nothing else in the way of decoration. A

steel chain link fence surrounded the machine yard housing

the expensive construction equipment. At this time of night

there were no signs of movement.

"Maybe we should send Cindy inside to spy for us,"

Steven said, watching the guards check an incoming car.

"Yeah. I'm sure Alesandro will take it really well

when his mate becomes upset because we're endangering

his sister."

"Hmm. Vampires can be touchy," Steven agreed.

"Would you really do that?"

"Do what?"

"Endanger that girl in order to find out

information."

Dare wasn't certain how he felt about this ruthless

side of his mate.

Steven nodded. "I wouldn't like it, but if it's a choice

between traumatizing one girl to find out who's trying to

kill the pack or letting these mutants destroy us, I'd toss her

to the enemy in a heartbeat."

Although he appreciated the honesty, Steven's

answer made Dare queasy. He understood the need to

protect the pack, but he'd met Cindy and couldn't imagine

any situation where he would feel comfortable letting her

go back to the brutes who had kidnapped and beaten her.

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There was silence between them, a heavy sensation

with none of the easiness of moments before. Finally,

Steven broke the stillness. "I've upset you," he said in a

quiet voice.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it's wrong to throw a fragile female

human to a pack of mutant wolves who can snap her neck

like twig. Cindy is a sweet, beautiful girl who doesn't

deserve that fate."

Steven gave a low growl. "When it comes to the

safety of my mate, I'd sacrifice the whole fucking world.

Those damned wolves could break into the club and harm

you. I don't care how pretty she is, if it's between you and

her there is no contest."

He shouldn't be flattered. He really shouldn't.

Luckily, a red car they'd identified as the owner's peeled

through the gates at that moment, distracting them from

their talk.

"Here we go," Steven said, pulling away from the

curb and positioning them a few cars back. "Let's see where

this guy is going."

Dare sighed. Pushing Steven's ruthlessness to the

back of his mind, he focused on the car up ahead.

Steven weaved in and out of traffic, expertly

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keeping far enough back that the other man didn't spot

them. When the red car pulled off the street and headed to a

rougher part of town, Dare felt a rush of excitement.

"Where do you think he's going?"

"Hopefully to meet with those mutant bastards."

Steven flashed a quick look at Dare. "If we find out he's

meeting with them we'll call the others for backup. You are

not to go in there at all."

"I'm not going to sit back while you face those

things," Dare said in a low voice. "I might not be a wolf but

I'm not a wimp. I'll be your backup."

"Babe, you're a bartender not a fighter," Steven

protested, "and as your mate it's my job to protect you."

Dare rolled his eyes. "I'm a white tiger. I have a

better chance of getting you out of there alive than any of

the others. The odds of me taking out a mutant are much

better than yours."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Steven frowned at Dare. "I want to wrap you in bubble

wrap and keep you safe. I don't want you rushing into a

room of psychopathic mutant werewolves. You may be

bigger, but if there are enough of them they can take you

down like they do in the wild. These are beings with no

remorse. They have already kidnapped and beaten up a girl

just to get a chance at Silver."

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"I know," Dare said, growling. "I've seen how

dangerous they are. Which is why you're not confronting

them by yourself." There was no way he was letting the

wolf face the mutants on his own.

They said nothing else as they followed the other

car down a series of narrow alleys, almost losing him when

he made a particularly tricky turn. Trying to stay a safe

distance away was a complication with the route they were

following. Eventually, the car pulled up beside a

warehouse. It looked abandoned. Windows were broken on

the upper stories and the building was a grim, faded grey as

if the spirit had been sucked out of the place years before.

Richard got out of the car and headed towards the building,

not bothering to look behind him. Either the man was

confident no one bothered to follow him or he didn't worry

about being caught.

Steven unbuckled his seatbelt. "We need to find out

what's going on in there. I'm going to go see what I can

hear. Stay put. If they grab me, call Parker and Dillon.

Don't come inside until you get backup." Steven gripped

Dare's chin turning the other man to face him. "Look at me.

Don't you go in there without the others. I want you to

promise me."

Dare felt his eyes shift and his fangs drop down. "If

they take you, I make no promises. I'll call the others, but I

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will come and protect what's mine. If they grab you there is

no way I'm leaving you alone."

"I just knew you were going to be difficult." Steven

pulled out his cell. Pushing a few buttons he spoke in the

receiver. "Parker, it's Steven. We followed Hale to a

warehouse on Brenner Street. We think he's meeting with

the wolves. I'm going to go and see what's inside and verify

who he's meeting with. Dare is in the car and I would like if

it you could send a couple more people for backup. I can't

count on Dare to stay put."

He listened for a while before laughing. "Yeah,

that's what he said."

After a few more words he hung up. "Parker and

Dillon are on their way."

Dare nodded. "I'll wait here as long as I can."

Steven laughed. "My curious kitty." The wolf

leaned over and placed a kiss on Dare's cheek. "Stay put,

puss, I'll be right back."

* * * *

Steven looked around as he approached the

building. Even if the other man wasn't meeting the wolves,

there was no good reason for a businessman to go to an

abandoned warehouse in the middle of the night.

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Inspecting the large building, he searched for a

good spot to look and listen. There were some broken

windows up above that might be useful. He just needed to

get up there without making a bunch of noise.

A wooden barrel about twenty feet from the

entrance caught his eyes. It looked aged, but strong; it

might hold his weight.

Deciding to chance it, he hopped on the barrel and

used it to leap onto the roof. He landed quietly, almost like

a cat, he thought with a smile. For the first time, he

wondered if Dare was appalled to be mated with a wolf.

Would he have preferred his own kind? Steven had to pull

back a snarl as he thought about his mate in another's

hands. Too bad. If his sexy man wanted another feline, he'd

just have to get over his disappointment. No one else was

going to touch his weretiger.

Stepping carefully across the metal roof, Steven

slowly shuffled to one of the many shattered windows,

crouching at the frame. Richard Hale stood in the middle of

the room, a dozen mutant werewolves surrounding him.

Steven bit back a growl at their appearance, his wolf half

rebelling against the unnatural sight. Confronted by the

horror for the first time, his stomach churned. Alesandro

and Calvin had tried to explain to him what the creatures

looked like, but even their description fell short of the

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horrors in the warehouse.

Dirty, matted hair covered their naked chests and a

pair of denim pants was their only clothing. Elongated

snouts sprang from humanlike faces, while jagged teeth

jutted from their jaws like those on a wild boar. Feet too

misshapen for footwear were bare, exposing clawed paws.

Fuck, how many of them were there? Cindy could

only recollect two or three during her abduction. There

were at least a dozen mutants milling below. Was this the

entire force, or just the tip of the iceberg? Were there

dozens more hiding somewhere?

Steven scooted closer to the edge of the window in

time to see the largest mutant hand over a suitcase to Hale.

"That's the last of it," the monster said in a gravelly

voice pitched so low Steven had to lean carefully over to

hear. "Make sure the poison makes it to the alpha. Since we

failed with Silver, his pack will be too vigilant. Kill Madros

and make sure the evidence points to the Moon pack. If

they fight among themselves we'll have less to do when we

take over." The malicious smile was frightening. Shit, they

were smarter than they looked. Now the Moon pack had

two jobs: to find out where the mutants were

headquartered, and to alert the other alphas of the pending

danger. He'd leave the warning to Silver and Anthony. If

anyone could get the other packs to talk, it would be those

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two.

En masse, everyone left the warehouse. Steven

stayed still and quiet, not wanting to draw their attention.

He hoped his mate was as wise. It was a while before he

heard all sounds fade.

Slowly rising, he bit back a shout of pain as he

straightened and a leg cramp bolted up his thigh.

A low whistle sounded below him like a person

calling their dog. "Here, boy. Here, boy." Dare's voice

sounded below. Stephen was going to kill him.

Soundlessly, he crept to the end of the eaves, spotting Dare

directly beneath him. Without thought, he leapt.

A soft oof came from the feline as he hit the asphalt.

Dare made a nice surface, he thought dreamily as he heard

the air leave the weretiger's body.

"Hi, honey. You called?" he asked with a teasing

smile.

Instead of growling at him like another wolf would

for daring to tackle him, Dare gave him a delighted smile.

"So I did." His big kitty wrapped Steven in his arms and

damn if he didn't feel completely, totally cherished. In that

moment he didn't care if the world was overrun with

mutant werekin as long as his tiger was safe.

"I adore you," he choked out over the ball of

emotion filling his throat.

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Dare grinned.

"Let's get the hell out of here. We need to go see

Silver."

"You're on top," his ever helpful mate said, with

another breathtaking smile.

Steven held back a sigh. He would have to turn in

his manly card if he were caught sighing like a love-struck

fool every time his mate smiled. There was no question the

weretiger was a beautiful man; Steven was a fool to have

ever wanted him to be anything other than what nature

created.

"So I am," he agreed. Placing a quick kiss on his

mate's lips he rose to his feet and offered a hand to help

Dare up. "Come on, beautiful, let's go talk to the alpha."

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Chapter Three

Silver threw his glass across the room. It made a

satisfyingly crash as it hit the wall.

"You know, when I do that you call it a snit,"

Anthony said from his seat on the couch, sipping red wine

from a crystal glass.

Dare watched the alpha go from intense fury to

amusement in the space of a second.

"That's because I know it makes you angrier when I

say you're having a snit," the alpha said with a toothy

smile. "And you're beautiful when you're angry."

Leaning down, the alpha gave his mate a kiss so hot

Dare could swear he felt the heat from across the room.

Parker cleared his throat. The alpha pair broke

apart, both of them with high color on their faces.

"Sorry," Anthony said with a blush.

Silver stroked a hand over his mate's brilliant blond

head. "Never apologize for loving me, sweetness."

"Can we focus on the problem?" Parker said, a

touch of impatience in his voice. Despite his tone, the wolf

was careful to keep his gaze averted, not wanting to trigger

his alpha's dominance. He was impatient, not stupid.

"Silver and I will go and talk to the other alphas,"

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Anthony announced.

"I will go and talk to the other alphas." Silver said.

"You are not to go near them."

Anthony stood up, his eyes flashing. "Are we mates

or not?"

There was a stampede to get to the door. Dillon,

Parker, Dare, and Steven rushed out of the office, slamming

the door behind them.

Parker let out a deep breath. "Shit. I hate it when his

eyes do that lightning thing."

Dare nodded his agreement. "I adore Anthony, but

sometimes he's freakin' scary."

"I'll get everyone something to drink." Dare headed

for the bar, quickly filling glasses with ice and soda and

bringing them back to the table. The men chatted while

they waited for their alphas.

"So what does everyone think Alesandro will do

with Calvin?" Dare asked.

"I heard they got back together," Dillon said with a

smile.

"Is Calvin going to be converted? I can't imagine

what it would be like to be a vampire," Dare said, his eyes

bright with interest.

"And you never will," Steven growled.

Dare shouldn't find that so hot, he really shouldn't.

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"I think they're going to wait until Cindy is out of

school and starting a life of her own. I heard Alesandro tell

Anthony they wanted to cement their relationship before

they went any further," Parker offered, taking a drink of his

soda.

"That's a good idea," Dare said with a sidewise

glance at Steven. "Mates should get to know each other

well before making any irreversible decisions."

Steven opened his mouth to speak when the alpha

pair entered. Anthony's lips were pouty and Silver had a

definite bite mark on his throat. "Anthony and I are going

to go warn the other alphas. Parker, you and Dillon stake

out the construction owner's house tonight. See if anyone

shows up there. Dare and Steven, I want you two to go

back to the warehouse and look for clues. If they meet there

regularly, they probably live close. I can't imagine it's easy

for them to get around looking like they do."

All four men nodded and went their assigned ways.

Dare left with Steven hoping in his heart they could

find a way to stop these creatures.

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Chapter Four

The warehouse was echoingly deserted as Steven

followed his mate's fine ass into the abandoned building.

The scent of wrongness filled his nose as soon as they

entered. A low growl sounded to his right. He glanced at

his mate and saw Dare's eyes had changed, the pupils

elongated, the iris's glowing.

"Keep it together, babe," he said in a low voice. "I

don't have any clothes for you to change into."

"I know," Dare's voice was deeper than Steven had

ever heard before. He could tell his mate was having

difficulty not switching to his tiger form with the scent of

so many mutants in the air.

Steven's eyes swept the warehouse. The thick dust

showed multiple footprints from earlier, but nothing else he

could see. He slowly released his humanity, his eyes

shifting to their sharper wolf form. Inhaling deeply, he

sneezed, his eyes watering from the combined scents of

dust, mouse droppings, mold, and a strong scent of the

other creatures.

The smell of something twisted and unnatural had

overwhelmed all the other scents before.

"You can't miss that scent trail," Dare said beside

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him.

"Let's follow it. Silver said they couldn't be too far

from the warehouse."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. What if they

find us first?"

"Then we'll have to be careful. I don't want anything

to happen to you." That was the prime thought in Steven's

mind. Nothing could happen to his mate. "I'll call the others

and let them know where we're going."

"All right." Dare waited until he'd made the phone

call before they continued tracking the stench of mutant

werewolves.

The smell led them out the other side of the building

and through a handful of abandoned warehouses that

looked empty from the outside and felt hollow within. As

they moved down to where the river flowed wide and high,

just over the ridge where they crossed, unease churned

Steven's stomach. If the mutants had hidden this long, he

wondered, why would they leave such an obvious path

back to their hideout?

Dare's nose twitched. For a moment Steven thought

he saw a shadowing of whiskers. "What's wrong, kitty?"

"I don't like this."

Steven froze where he was. Cats had good instincts.

"What is it?" Did Dare sense the same trouble making his

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spine itch?

He didn't get another word out before a sharp sting

pierced his arm. His vision went blurry as he reached a

hand towards his lover. Blinking, he watched a silvery dart

embed itself into Dare's arm.

"No," Steven whispered. He knew he would be fine

if they captured and tortured him. He was tough. The

thought of the same people tormenting his gentle mate was

a pain greater than any he'd felt before. Dare might be a

large weretiger but he had a kind soul. He blinked again,

trying to see what was happening, but his muscles were

frozen and moments later his vision went black.

* * * *

Steven came back to awareness on a tide of pain.

Fire seared across his back. He gritted his teeth to hold

back the scream trying to burst out. He wouldn't give them

the satisfaction of either making him beg for relief or cringe

from pain. Stretched and bound above him, with cold,

heavy chains, his arms burned from the strain of supporting

his entire weight. The tips of his shoes barely brushed the

ground. The position afforded him no traction and served

its purpose of keeping him off balance. With the way the

chains were wrapped around his wrists there was no hope

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of shifting to get out of their tight hold.

Knowing he was only putting off the inevitable,

Steven opened his eyes, pleased when his vision cleared

after only a moment. A large mutant wolf came to stand in

front of him, a beast so tall he met him eye to eye even

though Steven hung suspended a good foot in the air. The

creature's yellow eyes were narrow, mean, and the mutant's

expression of deep-seated hatred sent him into a cold sweat.

He made a silent prayer that his lover escaped even as he

knew, deep inside, he hadn't. If Dare had escaped, Steven

would already be free. His tiger-love wouldn't leave him to

be beaten by mutant werekin. He knew that bone deep.

Now, he could only hope that Dillon and Farro discovered

where they went and came to their rescue before it was too

late.

"So you've decided to wake up." The mutant's voice

was so low it was almost subvocal. Steven could feel the

vibration in his chest. He watched with morbid fascination

as the creature walked closer.

What had created these things?

He knew his revulsion showed on his face but he

didn't try to stop it. There was no reason to be polite. These

creatures were as ugly inside as they looked on the outside.

Cruel, perverse creatures that should never exist outside of

a horror movie, they were a crime against nature. It didn't

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reassure him when he saw the bullwhip in the monster's

hand.

Since they tried to kill Anthony to get to Silver and

were plotting to kill the other alpha wolves, he doubted

they were going to tell him it had all been a mistake and set

him free.

"Where's Dare?" He focused on the mutant's face

instead of the whip in his clawed hand.

"Dare?"

"The other man I was with?" It was too late now to

cover up. He was frantic to find out what happened to his

mate. What if they killed him? What if his beautiful mate

was gone and he didn't ever get the chance to make up to

him for all those nights he'd left with another wolf?

"You mean the non-wolf? He's down the hall

keeping company with my friends. What is he?"

Steven was shocked, though he tried not to show it.

It was obvious to most shifters when they encountered one

of the big cats. Maybe the mutation had more

disadvantages than advantages. But then, he wondered, if

he'd never met a weretiger, would he know the smell?

The bullwhip slashed across his back. His attention

snapped back to his captor.

"Have your attention now?" the creature growled.

"It doesn't matter what he is, we're going to kill him

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anyway."

It took all of Steven's willpower to stop the scream

building in his throat. The whipping hurt, but the threat to

his mate was more painful than a thousand whippings.

Unable to prevent it, a snarl broke free.

"Oooh. Don't like that do you. I didn't know the two

of you were so close." Contempt dripped from the mutant

as he stared at Steven with dislike. "A pair of fags. It will

be my pleasure to kill you both for your unnatural ways.

Which weak alpha do you show your belly to? Soon, we

will be the only alphas and you will all be converted or

dead."

Looking at the disgusting mutation, he was almost

certain he'd take option two. It was preferable to be dead

than to turn into the creature before him; merciless, cruel,

and a freak of nature.

Steven kept silent, watching the mutant beast and

waiting for a chance to attack. Shaking the chains only

drew laughter from the thing before him. "Who are you?

What do you want?"

His captor laughed; a low, unpleasant sound.

"That's easy enough. I'm the last thing you'll ever see and I

want your death." The mutant looked at him thoughtfully.

"I'm not going to waste time converting a fag. I don't want

you in my pack. It's best to kill you now before you become

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strong enough to be a real problem."

Steven snarled. If he got out of here he was going to

make it a priority to kill this asshole.

The deep chuckles of his tormentor stabbed at him

sharper than spikes. "What? You thought I was going to

spill all my plans like some sort of super villain in an old

spy movie. No, there's nothing I want from you, little wolf.

You're not anyone of power. Your job is to die for my

cause. Now, tell me who your alpha is so I know where to

send the body and I'll kill you quicker."

Steven saw his death in the creature's eyes. There

was no way he was getting out of here alive. The only thing

he regretted was never telling Dare how much he loved

him. As sappy as he found the pack alpha, at least Anthony

knew he was adored. Guilt rode him. A better werekin

would never have let his mate be captured.

Another bite of the whip jolted his body.

"You… are… the… most… inattentive… wolf…

I… have… ever… met." The bite of the whip followed

each word until Steven hung there, limp and gasping for

breath. He could feel blood soaking through his shirt. As a

shifter, the marks would heal before he bled to death, but

he might hope for death before the mutant was finished.

Once again, his mind went to Dare. He hoped his

sweet, gentle man passed out before his torture was

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finished. He regretted not completing their mating bond. If

they were properly bonded he could read his tiger's mind

and know how he was doing. The only thing worse than

dying in this hellhole was dying not knowing what

happened to his mate.

A loud roar echoed in the hall as screams filled the

air.

"What the hell…?" His torturer turned towards the

doorway just as an enormous tiger ran into the room. Blood

coated the fur so completely that if Steven hadn't known

Dare was a white tiger before, he wouldn't have known

then.

The mutant turned towards the sound but it was too

late for him. A gurgle, a crunch, and a gush of blood ended

his existence. When it was over, the tiger leaned back on its

haunches and licked his lips. Green eyes turned towards

Steven.

He froze.

There was no humanity in that expression. His

beautiful mate had gone feral.

"Hello, Dare," Steven said in a soothing, singsong

tone. "Time to come back to me. Come on, babe. Turn

human." It was dangerous for a shifter to stay in their

animal form too long. Especially without a mate to ground

them. A feral shifter could stay an animal forever without

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someone to pull them out of their wildness. He hoped they

had enough of a bond that he could pull his lover back.

The tiger circled Steven as if deciding what to do

with the dangling temptation.

"You don't want to eat me. I'm your mate,

remember?" Maybe, if he kept talking, Dare would find his

human half. The gorgeous weretiger should identify his

mate, even in his current condition. Steven's greatest fear

was that Dare would stay this way. They didn't have

enough of a bond yet that he could force his mate's shifting.

Maybe, if he took him back to the pack, Silver could do the

job. It hurt that he wasn't able to pull Dare away from the

edge of madness by himself. If he'd been a good mate all

along, he would've been able to. This was what he got for

rejecting the wonderful man the gods gave him and trying

to find a wolf instead.

Steven's heart pounded against his chest when the

massive creature stood on its back feet. Paws the size of

saucers planted on his shoulders. For a moment he hung

there, face to face with a man-eating tiger. Dare smelled of

blood and death, but he was still the most beautiful thing

Steven had ever seen, because he was alive.

From one breath to another, tiger shifted to man, fur

sank into skin, and elongated pupils rounded into humanity.

"Mate," Dare whispered, his eyes dazed from the

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change.

"Mate," Steven echoed in an unsteady voice. "Do

you think you could get me down?"

Dare looked up at the hook Steven dangled from.

With a flexing of lean muscles, the weretiger lifted him up,

flipping the chains off of the hook. A few minutes of

tugging broke the links binding his wrists.

Shock and relief coursed through Steven's body as

he wrapped his newly freed hands around his mate. "I

thought I'd lost you."

"Never gonna happen," Dare said, holding him

tight. "I'll always come back to you." He looked around as

he released his hold on Steven. "We should see if we can

find any clues. That is the reason we came here in the first

place."

"There's a lab coat." Steven said pointing to a coat

draped across a chair.

"Find my nakedness distracting, do you?"

"Always."

Despite the blood caked across his face and

splashed across his body, Dare was still the most beautiful

thing Steven had ever seen. "Best get dressed or we won't

find any clues."

He got a brilliant smile before the man slipped on

the lab coat and proceeded to help search the warehouse.

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Like the one where Anthony was shot, there were no clues.

"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way,"

Dare mused.

"Yeah, what are you thinking?"

"They're careful. We're not going to find something

here. This is where they wanted to lure us so we could be

captured. This isn't their home. It's only a temporary

torture-the-prisoner hideout. We need to follow the money,

check on Cindy's former employer, and discover his

connection to the mutants. That's where we'll find our

leads."

Steven searched the body of the dead mutant, not in

the least surprised when there was nothing in the man's

pockets and no identification. "I think you're right. Let's get

back to the pack house and tell Silver what we've learned

so far."

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Chapter Five

Silver threw a glass against the door, shattering it

beautifully.

"You really need to stop doing that," Anthony said

from where he sat on the couch.

The alpha growled.

"You did not just growl at me," Anthony jumped to

his feet.

Everyone in the room stilled.

Dare sat stiffly next to Steven, watching the alpha

mates scowl at each other.

After a second of glaring, Silver scooped up his

beautiful mate and nuzzled his neck. "Sorry sweetness.

This whole thing has me so angry."

"I know, and that poor little glass paid the price. At

least the other alphas were sweet."

Silver gave a shout of laughter. "They were too

dazzled by you to even think about arguing about their

safety." Silver turned to the other werekin. Dillon, Parker,

Dare, and Steven watched the alphas with wide eyes. "You

should've seen their expressions when Anthony walked into

the room. He had them eating out of his hand, and I swear

every one of them was straight. I thought Moira, the alpha

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of the Sandstone pack, was going to slip in her own drool."

Anthony blushed. "She was very nice."

"Uh huh. I heard she ripped the head off of the last

guy who challenged her."

Shrugging Anthony gave a small smile. "I wasn't

challenging her, though you got awfully close."

Silver flashed a canine. "If you hadn't made it clear

you were into men I think she would've poached you in a

second." He nuzzled Anthony again, more possessively this

time. "Anyway, we still don't have any clue as to where the

mutants are staying or how they plan to take over the packs.

Madros said he'd be careful and double-check his food for

poison. They must have someone helping them from the

inside, so we need to look for anyone who would benefit

from the pack's dissolution."

"I didn't get the feeling the other alphas were

involved," Anthony said. Silver nodded his agreement.

"What do we do now?" Parker asked.

Silver sighed. "We keep our eyes open. We make

sure the pack stays close. Parker, I would appreciate it if

you would move into the pack condo."

"No."

Silver's eyes glowed. "Are you challenging me?"

Parker averted his gaze and tilted his head

submissively. "No, sir. I just can't leave my house. I can

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feel my mate is getting closer and I have my home prepared

with everything I need."

Silver raised an eyebrow.

"He means he's a Dom and he's waiting for his

proper little sub. And he'd prefer not to deal with that while

the entire pack looks on," Anthony offered.

"It's not like we're going to judge him," Silver said.

Dare could see the confusion on his alpha's face. "Hell, we

have all kinds of people coming through the club.

Remember Lyle? He used to come in with his sub's cock on

a leash. If that's what you want, then feel free."

Parker cleared his throat, his face beet red. "I prefer

to have my relationship private. I don't think my mate

would appreciate being brought in on a leash."

"Have you met him?" Anthony asked, his eyes

bright with excitement. The alpha mate loved seeing

members of his pack matched up. Remembering the other

man's intervention with Steven, Dare hoped Parker knew

what he was in for.

"No. But I've been having mating dreams, so I

know he's close."

Silver sighed. "All right, have it your way. Keep a

careful eye on things, and if you sense any danger pack up

your stuff and haul your ass over here."

Parker nodded. "I don't know when we'll meet, but

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the dreams are getting stronger."

The other pack members nodded in respect.

"Do wolves always dream of your mate before

meeting?" Anthony asked.

"No. It's a sign of a re-mating. It means that they

were mates in a previous life and are reconnecting in this

one." Silver offered, placing a soft kiss on his mate's cheek.

"Does it happen very often?" Anthony asked, tilting

his head for another kiss.

"No," Silver smiled at Parker. "It will be a strong

mating. Congratulations, Parker."

"Thanks."

"In the meantime, I want everyone to make a list of

different factions who might be interested in seeing the

werekin fail as a community. We'll brainstorm tomorrow. If

anything comes up before then call Anthony or me. Dare,

that's a good idea about tracing the money. I'll get our tech

people on that."

The shifters nodded and cleared out the room.

Dare turned to Steven. "Are you going to join the

pack?"

Steven stopped walking and turned to him, surprise

evident in his expression. "I thought we were mates."

Dare nodded, looking down at the floor.

Steven put a hand under Dare's chin tilting his head

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so their eyes met. "I'm sorry if I resisted you before, my

sweet kitty. I'm done denying you. We are forever mates. I

know things won't always be calm between us, but I'd like

to try." Dare smiled as he felt the love pouring from his

mate.

"Come live with me and join the pack. I know

Anthony would approve you."

Steven snorted. "Don't you mean Silver?"

Dare smiled. "And I thought you were Anthony's

best friend," he teased.

"Good point. I have enough dirt on Anthony I can

make him let me in. But I won't join the pack unless you're

part of the package."

Dare hoped his eyes conveyed the love he felt.

"Then I guess we'd best start negotiations. I think my

bedroom would be the best place to discuss the future."

Steven gave him a wicked smile. "Yes, I do believe

you're right."

The two men headed for the elevator in perfect

accord.

Dare's apartment door barely closed before Steven

slammed him against the surface.

"When we were captured, all I could think about

was how I never told you how much I love you."

The words enflamed Dare as much as the kisses did.

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He never thought he'd hear Steven say the words he'd

dreamed of since he'd spotted the dark-haired wolf.

"You love me?"

Steven's blue eyes lacked their usual teasing light.

"You are everything to me. When that creature said they

were going to kill you, part of me died."

Dare's heart beat faster in his chest. He couldn't

believe the man of his dreams was saying exactly what he

wanted to hear. Hoping he was still awake, Dare pinched

himself.

"Ouch."

Steven laughed. "What did you do that for?"

Dare gave him a sheepish smile. "I was hoping this

wasn't a dream."

"It's not a dream, beautiful. It's reality. I know I've

been an idiot in the past, but I'm through with all that. All I

want is for you to be my mate and for us to spend the rest

of our lives together. I want to move into this apartment

and argue with you over what to have for breakfast,

grumble about pack dynamics, and investigate the mutants.

I don't want to go home alone and long for you to be beside

me when I wake up in the morning." Steven brushed Dare's

cheek gently as if checking to make sure he was real. "I

almost died earlier, and all I could think about was you."

Dare blinked back the tears. Shit he was turning into

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a girl. "I'd like that too."

"Good."

Before he could say anything else, Steven kissed

him.

It wasn't the hot, controlling mastery of his other

kisses. This one was about gentle sharing and love. It was

soft, sweet, and made Dare wanted to throw the man down

and fuck the hell out of him.

A low growling filled the room. It took Dare a few

minutes to realize it was coming from him.

Steven pulled away to stare at him. "That is so hot."

Dare laughed. "I don't usually growl like a dog. I

guess your possessiveness is wearing off on me."

The wolf captured Dare's head between his hands,

forcing him to meet Steven's gaze. "I don't care how many

creatures come after us. I'm never letting you go again.

There isn't a wolf in the world that is a better match for me

and I was an idiot to think there was."

"I know," Dare said, snuggling Steven up close.

"My heart broke a little more each time you took one of

those wolves home. I was about to give up and start dating

again when Anthony pulled his stunt."

It was Steven's turn to growl. The wolf's grip

tightened around the weretiger. "I'm glad you resisted, I'd

hate to have to take out an innocent man for touching what

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is mine."

Dare gave a wide grin to his mate. "I'm not yours,

yet. You haven't claimed me properly."

"Trust me, honey. When I'm done tonight you'll feel

officially claimed."

A low rumble rolled from the weretiger's chest.

"I thought you didn't purr?"

"I didn't," Dare said indignantly. "I'm not a house

cat."

"Of course not." Steven said, smiling. "I don't know

what I was thinking."

* * * *

Steven stroked a hand through his mate's hair. His

heart ached with the love he felt for the sweet tiger. The

reasons for resisting Dare were inconsequential compared

to the benefits of bonding with this wonderful man. That

split second he thought Dare was dead was the worst

moment of his life. It was when he realized the beautiful

man in his arms was the only one for him.

Wolf or not, Dare was his.

For the first time, he understood Silver's

determination to make sure everyone knew his mate

belonged to him. Maybe it wasn't such a silly compulsion,

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after all. Steven knew tagging Dare like Silver did to

Anthony wouldn't be possible, but he would have to see

what they could do.

"How do you feel about tattoos?" he asked between

passionate kisses. His cock was granite hard and yearning

to sink into his mate. They'd never discussed who would

bottom; Steven would take whatever position got him

closer to his mate. He usually topped but he was willing to

reconsider when it came to his beloved tiger.

"Tattoos?" Dare leaned back to look him in the

eyes. "I'm ready to ravish you and you want to discuss

tattoos?"

"I don't want to discuss them. I was wondering if

you were opposed to getting one."

"What did you want me to get? Property of

Steven?"

That thought glowed like a shining star for one brief

moment but it quickly dispersed it when he got a glare from

his mate.

"What? You brought it up?"

"I was kidding! You started in with the tattoos."

Steven could feel the blush rising on his cheeks. "I

want something to symbolize the fact we're together."

Dare's sea green eyes widened with surprise. "You

don't think the fact that we're mated is special enough?" He

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pulled out of Steven's arms, pacing the small living room,

his distress evident in his every motion.

"No! No, that isn't what I meant." Steven grabbed

Dare, holding him still. He knew this misunderstanding was

all his fault. If he hadn't tried to deny their bonding in the

beginning, his mate would have more confidence in him

now. "I wanted something that will tell other people we

belong together. I didn't think you'd go for a ring."

"So you thought tattoos." Dare finished for him. A

wide smile crossed the weretiger's face. "That's so sweet."

"I'm not sweet," Steven growled. He was positive of

that fact. He'd certainly never been accused of sweetness

before, and he definitely didn't want Dare spreading that

around. "I'm practical. It will save me time having to kill

your groupies if I have my mark on you."

"Groupies?" Dare frowned at him like he was the

one with a legion of fans.

"Yeah, you know, those people who come and fawn

all over you every night."

The weretiger laughed. "I call them customers."

"Trust me, half of them don't even know what

they're drinking." He'd seen the looks the club babies gave

Dare. He would've done something about them if anyone

had crossed the line. He might not have wanted to claim the

tiger at first, but his wolf wouldn't tolerate others touching

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his bartender.

Just the thought made his fangs twitch.

Dare was still looking at him, amusement shining in

his beautiful eyes. "If it will make you feel better you can

have a tattoo put on me. What were you thinking about?"

The word 'taken' stamped across one cheek was a

tempting thought, but he resisted the urge. He didn't want

his tiger to think he wasn't taking this idea seriously. He

wanted a permanent mark on his lover more than he wanted

his next breath. "How about a wolf paw on your neck,

above your collar. I want everyone to know you're

claimed."

"I don't know, Steven. If I decide to change jobs I

might need to cover it up. How about on my upper arm and

I'll wear sleeveless shirts to the bar?"

Silver's stupid ring idea was starting to have merit.

"Fine. I don't want to narrow your future career choices.

Did you have something else you wanted to do?"

"Nope," Dare said cheerfully, "but you never know

what might happen tomorrow."

"If you get a job where you need to cover up, we'll

think of something else then."

"Deal. I want a tiger paw on your arm, too."

Steven nodded. Fair was fair. "Deal. I think we

should fuck to seal the deal."

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"Handshake not good enough?" Dare asked, peering

at him through his thick sable lashes.

Steven smiled. "Handshakes are so last year."

"Ah, I'll keep that in mind."

He grabbed the weretiger and slammed their bodies

together until a piece of paper couldn't slide between them.

"Only keep it in mind with me. It's a mate thing."

"I'll remember that." Dare nipped Steven's lip

between his teeth. "I want you." His voice was low and

growly, much lower than his normal voice.

"Excellent. I want you back." In fact, Steven could

barely concentrate on their conversation. His cock was so

hard it was pressing at his fly. Good thing he put on

underwear that morning or he would have the impression of

a zipper on a very sensitive part of his body.

"Let's go and be mates," Dare whispered against his

lips. Feeling the tiger's breath against him made his gums

tingle, his fangs itching to burst out.

With a growl, he pulled out of his mate's arms,

grabbed Dare's hand, and dragged the weretiger down the

hall.

"In a hurry?" Dare laughed.

"Yes. If I don't get inside you right now, my dick is

going to explode."

The tiger's body shook with laughter as he

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obediently followed. "That would be a tragedy."

"Yes it would."

Reaching Dare's bedroom was an exercise of

remarkable control. At the end of his patience, Steven lifted

the weretiger up and tossed him onto the bed. Steven

quickly stripped off his clothes before turning his attention

to his still clothed lover.

"I didn't know this was a race."

"Now you do." Steven turned his attention to

removing Dare's clothes. The sound of ripping filled the air.

"Oops." He tossed the weretiger's pants over his shoulder.

"Hey, I liked those pants."

"I'll buy you new ones." He didn't care how

expensive they were. It was worth any cost to see that big

body naked as soon as possible.

With hungry eyes, he looked Dare up and down.

"You're gorgeous," he said in awe. His mate was truly a

beautiful man. A beauty that went far deeper than the

surface. "I was an idiot."

"True." Dare gave him a wicked smile.

Steven barely had a chance to let out a yell before

he found himself pinned by his sexy, laughing mate.

"Do you want to top or bottom?"

"I usually top but I'm willing to be flexible." Hell he

was willing to be anything if it got him inside Dare's ass or

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fucked by him. The need to bond with his mate was

clawing at him as his wolf snarled his disapproval of the

wait.

* * * *

Dare couldn't stop smiling. True, he'd spent the day

ripping apart mutant werewolves, a memory he was trying

hard to forget, but now he was home with his mate. A home

he hoped would be theirs for many years to come.

"Choices, choices," he teased his desperate mate.

Steven's cock hardened against his stomach and the rapid

beating of his mate's pulse lured him like a siren song.

Leaning down, Dare licked a long line from collarbone to

ear, savoring the taste and smell of the man below him.

"Will you stop that?" Steven groused.

"Nope." He did it on the other side.

"You have the roughest tongue, even when you

aren't in your tiger form," his mate complained.

Dare pressed his nose to the nape of Steven's neck.

The smell of sweat and arousal filled his nostrils. "It doesn't

smell like you mind."

"Cheater."

Laughing, he nipped at Steven's neck, enjoying the

spike in his lover's pulse. "I'm going to take you and

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

everyone will know you're mine." For the first time,

possessiveness filled him. When he had watched Steven at

the bar it was with a gentle kind of longing. Now it was

with a fierce need to claim this man as his own.

Steven was his and he challenged anyone to try and

take his mate away.

He didn't realize he was snarling until soothing

hands tried to pull him back from the brink.

"Easy, love, I'm fine. I'm right here."

Dare blinked to bring his eyes back into focus. He

hadn't realized they'd gone tiger until that moment. "Sorry.

I was thinking about how I almost lost you today."

Steven's fingers clutched him painfully. "I know. I

don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

Leaning down, Dare took his mate's mouth in a

possessive kiss. Pressing hard against the other man, he

slipped his tongue inside and tasted all the complex flavors

that made up his mate. Damn he tasted good. No one had

ever felt so right beneath him.

Fumbling with the drawer, he pulled out a container

of lube. His hands felt clumsy as he struggled to pop open

the cap. Warm hands covered his. "Easy, baby. You don't

have to be nervous. We have years to get this right."

Dare didn't want it to take years. He wanted it to be

right the very first time. They were mates, shouldn't it

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Amber Kell

always be perfect?

"You're thinking too much." Steven's amused voice

snagged his attention. "Don't put so much pressure on

yourself. We will always be together."

Dare took reassurance from his mate. Taking a deep

breath he coated his fingers with lube and took his time

circling Steven's hole.

"Fuck me now!"

"Patience." He couldn't hold back a smile. The man

writhing below him was everything he'd ever wanted. He'd

had dreams about Steven that weren't half as hot as the

reality.

"Now!" Wow, that guttural growl was extremely

sexy.

Sliding in one finger, then another, he stretched his

lover until he was certain Steven was loose enough to take

him. Lining up, he slid into paradise.

"Ahh." Feeling the werewolf wrap around him

soothed something deep in his chest. Home. This man was

his home. Never had he felt this close to a lover, and he

knew no one else would ever make him feel this way. For

him, this man was it.

"Show me who I belong to." Steven's blue eyes

speared him with his need.

Leaning close, Dare breathed in his mate's scent.

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

Growling, he moved in and out of the man who was

quickly becoming his entire world.

"Harder," Steven gasped.

Dare nipped at his lover's lips before sliding his

tongue in, imitating with his mouth the motions of his

body. The whimpering against his lips was all the hotter

because he knew the man below him wanted him as much

as he wanted Steven.

"I'm going to mark you, fuck you, and make you

mine," he said, locking gazes with his mate.

"Do it," Steven urged. "Make me yours."

With a roar, Dare wrapped his hands around his

lover's hips and pounded into his mate. Knowing he

couldn't harm the other shifter gave him license to be

rougher than he ever would be with a human lover.

When he felt Steven getting close, he licked a spot

on his mate's neck before plunging his fangs into the

werewolf and marking him as taken. His tiger half was

pleased when he lifted his mouth to see a large mark

marring the man's smooth skin. The smell of spunk filled

the air as Steven came from Dare's bite.

"You are mine," he declared, looking down into

those beautiful blue eyes.

"I was yours before."

In that moment he understood why Steven would

Denying Dare

Amber Kell

want a more permanent mark. "I'll get that tattoo as long as

you get one also."

"Deal." Steven gave him a loopy grin, his eyes

sleepy with satisfaction.

"Deal." Dare cuddled his mate close. They would

have to get up soon and shower and check with Silver

about what to do next but for now he was happy lying there

snuggled up to the most important person in his world.

The End

About the Author

Amber Kell is a dreamer who has been writing stories in

her head for as long as she could remember.

She lives in Texas with her husband, two sons, two cats and

one very stupid dog. To learn more about her current books

or works in progress, check out her blog at

http://amberkell.wordpress.com. Her fans can also reach

her at amberkellwrites@gmail.com.

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/people/Amber-Kell/1772646395

Email:

amberkellwrites@gmail.com

Blog:

http://amberkell.wordpress.com

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/amberkell

Also by Amber Kell:

Available at Silver Publishing:

Blood Signs

Xavier's Xmas

Soldier Mine (Sept 17)

Blood Signs 2: Samhain's Kiss (Oct 15)

A WIZARD'S TOUCH

Jaynell's Wolf

Kevin's Alpha (Apr 30)

Kellum's Wizard (Sept 9)

HIDDEN MAGIC

William's House

DRAGONMEN

Mate Hunt (June 25)

Mate Test (July 23)

Mate Dance (Aug 20)

FAE

Heart Connections (Oct 1)

MOON PACK

Attracting Anthony

Baiting Ben

Courting Calvin

Denying Dare

Enticing Elliott (Apr 16)
Finding Farro (May 14)

Getting Gabe (May 28)

Hunting Henry (June 11)

Inflaming Inno (June 9)

Available at Total-E-Bound:

Hellbourne (May 2)

Taking Care of Charlie (June 20)

COWBOYS

Tyler's Cowboy

Robert's Rancher (coming soon)

SUPERNATURAL MATES

From Pack to Pride

A Prideful Mate

A Prideless Man (coming soon)

Reviews:

Literary Nymphs Reviews gives Jaynell's Wolf 5

Nymphs!

Jaynell Marley arrives at Mayell Wizard Academy to

complete his training. Jay had already had years of

advanced private tutoring, therefore his school enrollment

is more to honor his father's wishes. Joining his new dorm

roommates for pizza, Jay literally bumps into werekin

Thomas Sparks. A sniff at Jay's neck has Thomas

proclaiming that Jay is his mate.

Jaynell's Wolf is the first book in the Wizard's Touch

series. The plot is well written plus vastly entertaining. The

main characters are impressive, along with amusing

secondary characters. Jaynell is a powerful wizard who

wonders why his father insisted that Jay attend a school

when it is clear Jay surpasses everyone in magical skills.

However, Jay has an unpretentious personality. Thomas is a

considerate protector, as long as others keep a respectful

distance from Jay. The secondary characters include

Gnomes, dragons, half elf, wolf pack in addition to a

variety of wizards in training. I thoroughly enjoyed

Jaynell's Wolf. Amber Kell has created a fantastic flight of

the imagination that is laugh-out-loud hilarious, interwoven

with heartwarming moments as well as rousing scenes of

intimate passion. I look forward to the next addition to the

Wizard's Touch series.

* * * *

Lisa at Joyfully Reviewed — "Blood Signs is captivating"

"Deliciously dark at times and delightfully wicked as well,

Blood Signs is pure entertainment… [T]he plot will hold

you, the characters are engaging, and Blood Signs is hard

to put down once you start. Blood Signs is captivating.