by Lynn Hagen
“I’m a wolf.”
Newt chuckled. “A wolf from England. Right.”
“I’d prove it, but I don’t want you running scared after we’ve worked so hard on this meal.”
Orlando finished up the waffles. There were four in all. They were also huge, and Newt knew he would be able to eat only one. He was surprised Orlando hadn’t made a stack just for himself. The guy looked like he ate a ton of calories a day.
Orlando broke a small piece off one of the waffles and feed it to Newt. “Soft and delicious.”
Newt moaned as the taste exploded on his tongue. While he chewed, he thought about what Orlando had just said. The guy hadn’t cracked a smile, and there hadn’t been any humor in his eyes.
Still, a wolf? That was a little too farfetched. Orlando had to be messing with him.
“Ah, Baby Girl. I was wondering where you were.”
Newt turned to see an all-white cat prance into the kitchen. He bent to pet her, but she darted away.
“Max is a lot friendlier than she is,” Orlando said. “Baby Girl lets you pet her only when she wants to be bothered.”
“Any more animals roaming around here?” Newt helped Orlando set the table, and then they sat to eat.
“Just me.” Orlando winked.
“A wolf that owns a cat.” Newt chuckled. “I really like your sense of humor.” It took him all of five minutes to eat his breakfast. The waffles were the best he’d ever tasted, and the bacon had been cooked to perfection. Even the orange juice had him smacking his lips as he pushed his empty plate away.
“Glad you liked it.” Orlando was done, as well. “You can clean up while Max and I go for a run before I have to head into work.”
Newt didn’t have a problem cleaning the kitchen after Orlando had made him the best breakfast he’d ever had. He got up and started clearing the table when Orlando called Max to the back door.
“Ready, boy?” Orlando pulled his underwear off. Newt dropped the cup in his hand as he stared at the guy’s long and thick cock, and it wasn’t even hard.
Orlando opened the kitchen door, turned, and stared intently at Newt, and then he shifted into a wolf and the two took off.
The skin under Newt’s eye twitched. He stared at the empty doorway before he passed out.
Chapter Four
“There’re those pretty blue-gray eyes.” Orlando helped Newt to a sitting position. He was glad he’d decided to come back to check on his mate. He wasn’t glad to find him passed out on the kitchen floor.
Orlando checked Newt’s head for any lumps or bumps and was relieved not to find any.
His mate gave him a heart-stopping smile. “I had the craziest dream.” His gaze lowered to Orlando’s naked groin. “Tell me it was a dream.”
Orlando scooped Newt into his arms and carried him to the kitchen chair, where he sat him down and walked away. He went into his bedroom and dressed for work, although he didn’t have to be there for some time.
He was also giving Newt time to absorb what had happened and hopefully come to terms with the mind-blowing revelation. He winced when he heard a door slam. Either his mate was pissed or he was scared out of his mind.
“Newton,” Orlando said as he came into the hallway. They had to get things settled between them. Or, at the very least, get Newt past his fears.
“Get back in your room!” Newt shouted.
Confused, he tried the handle on the bedroom door, but it was locked. “Newt?”
“There’s someone in the house,” Newt hollered from the other side of the door.
Orlando raced into his room but remembered he’d left his gun on the guest bedroom dresser. When Orlando hurried back to the hallway, Newt yanked his door open and tried to pull Orlando in, and Orlando went, but only to retrieve his weapon.
“No, you can’t go back out there,” Newt begged as he tugged on Orlando’s arm. “There could be more than one!”
“Where’s Max?”
Newt pointed over his shoulder. Clearly Max had run into the room with Newt. Max stood on the other side of the bed, ducking his head down.
“I think he’s a bigger chicken than me.” Newt snapped his head around. “Where’s Baby Girl? She’s gotta get in here, too.”
“Both of you stay here.” Orlando moved down the hallway, already sending a text to Deputy Dillon Sloan who was supposed to be out front keeping an eye on Orlando’s house.
Orlando tucked his phone back into his pocket, not waiting for an answer as he crept closer to the kitchen, his gun gripped in his hand. He swept the rooms one by one, leaving the kitchen for last. When Orlando stepped into the room, no one was there. The back door was open, but he couldn’t recall if he’d left it open when he’d come in to check on his mate or if someone else had been inside.
He tilted his head back and inhaled the air. He smelled the remnants of breakfast and his mate’s rain and mint aroma, but he didn’t pick up any other odors.
Dillon charged in through the back door, gun drawn. The deputy looked around and then lowered his weapon. “I thought you said someone was in the house.” He sniffed the air. “You made your famous waffles and didn’t give me any?”
“Shut up and help me look one more time.” Orlando walked into the dining room and did a thorough check. He poked his head into the laundry room just off the dining room, but aside from what should be in there, the room was empty.
Dillon shook his head when they met back in the kitchen. “Are you sure someone was in here?”
“Hang on.” Orlando went down the hallway and into the guest bedroom. Newt was under the bed.
“The coast is clear. You can come out.”
“Are you sure?” Newt asked.
When Orlando dropped to one knee and looked under the bed, he wasn’t surprised to find Max under there with his mate. “I’m sure. Max, get your scared ass out from under there.”
His dog didn’t move until Newt crawled from under the bed.
“Did you catch him?”
“There was no one to catch,” Orlando said. “Why did you think someone was in the house?”
Dillon appeared in the doorway.
“I heard it,” Newt said. “Just outside the kitchen door.”
“Heard what?” Orlando asked.
Newt scratched his head. “I heard leaves crunching.”
Orlando groaned. “It was probably a wild animal.”
“Then it was a big wild animal,” Newt argued.
“I’ll go check,” Dillon said before he walked away.
“Was the back door open?”
Newt grabbed his backpack from the closet and tossed it on the bed. He dug through it, giving Orlando his back. “You think I’m making this up.”
Why was Orlando reminded of Mrs. O’Reilly? “I never said you were making things up. I just think you’re still spooked from last night and every little noise is making you jumpy. That’s understandable.”
Newt whirled and glared at him. “I’m not hearing things, and my mind isn’t playing tricks on me. I know something or someone was out there.”
His mate looked near tears. Orlando cursed and took a few steps toward Newt, but his mate backed away.
“He wasn’t making things up,” Dillon said when he returned. “I picked up a scent near the forest.”
“Picked up a scent?” Newt looked between them.
Orlando glared at Dillon. “You need to be more careful with your wording.” He turned back to Newt. “Deputy Sloan is a black panther.”
Orlando wanted to gently introduce Newt to his world, but pussyfooting around was getting old. Besides, he’d already showed Newt his wolf. There was no use hiding the fact that there were different species out there.
The skin under Newt’s eyes ticked. “He’s a cat?”
Dillon chuckled. “To put it mildly. I would be a soft cuddly one if I’d been fed waffles.”
Orlando gave a small growl. “Stop flirting with my mate.”
Dillon’s brows shot up as Newt wrinkled hi
s nose. “There’s that word again. You never told me what it meant.”
The deputy cleared his throat. “I’m gonna do a perimeter search while you work this out.”
Orlando checked his watch. “Get a shower and get dressed. We have to head to the station in a bit.”
“So you’re just gonna keep ignoring the question?”
“I’ll explain things in the car.” Orlando left the bedroom.
At least his mate was coming around. He hadn’t passed out when he’d found out that Dillon was a shifter, and he hadn’t freaked out that Max was still in the room with him.
Now all Orlando had to do was explain to Newt about mates and that he’d stepped into a whole other world and things between them could kick into gear.
Orlando hoped it went that smoothly.
* * * *
Newt took a long, hot shower, trying his best to scrub away the craziness that clung to him since last night. But no matter how much soap he used or how hard he rubbed the washcloth against his skin, the image of Orlando changing into a wolf wouldn’t go away.
“What have I gotten myself into?” Newt rinsed off and then got out, wrapping a towel around his waist. “I’m just gonna pretend none of this is real, and my mind won’t snap.”
He came up short when he opened the bathroom door to find Max sitting there waiting for him.
“And you.” Newt narrowed his eyes. “Stop following me around.”
Max padded off with his tail tucked. Newt felt bad as he headed to his room. The world was upside down. He was feeling bad for chastising a dog, and the guy he had the hots for wasn’t even human.
He dropped the towel when he was in his room.
“You want a cup of coffee to take with you?” Orlando asked as he appeared in the doorway.
Newt spun and stared wide-eyed at the guy. Orlando’s gaze dropped to Newt’s groin as heat burned Newt’s cheeks. His body reacted without his permission, his cock hardening under Orlando’s intense gaze.
He should cover himself, but Newt didn’t want to. Not when Orlando looked at him with hunger in his eyes. Not when Newt wanted to know what all those muscles would feel like pressing him into the mattress. Just thinking about Orlando touching him had his cock throbbing.
“Am I staying or going?” Orlando’s voice was rough and deep, and he’d yet to take his eyes off Newt’s cock.
When Newt lost the ability to talk, Orlando stepped farther into the room. He started to unbutton his shirt, but Newt held a hand up. “Don’t.”
Orlando backed away.
“No, I mean don’t take your uniform off.” There went Newt’s blush again, scorching his face.
A smile blossomed on Orlando’s delectable lips. “Got a thing for cops?”
“Got a thing for you,” Newt admitted. “The uniform is just a bonus.”
Orlando chuckled, and the sound slid over Newt like smooth silk. He wished Orlando would move closer. He felt exposed standing naked by the bed.
As if reading his mind, Orlando walked closer, using his knuckles to caress Newt’s chest. “Your skin is so soft.”
Newt glided his hands over Orlando’s firm and bulgy chest. “I’ve been dying to touch you.”
Orlando grinned. “Touch me anywhere you want, shorty.”
Not shy in the least, Newt glided his fingers over the bulge in Orlando’s pants. He groaned at the amount of length under his palm. Newt lowered to his knees, and while looking the guy in his gorgeous eyes, he unfastened the khaki-colored pants and fished Orlando’s cock out.
Oh god. He was staring at a python! He might’ve been exaggerating a little but not by much. Newt wrapped his lips around the bulbous head, groaning when the taste of pre-cum exploded on his tongue.
Orlando hissed as he slid his fingers through Newt’s hair. “Fuck that feels good.”
Newt opened his mouth wider, trying his best to take as much of Orlando’s cock as he could. He gagged a few times and had to pull back once, but he worked Orlando’s shaft with greed.
“That’s it, baby.” Orlando groaned. His eyelids fluttered shut for a moment, but he opened them and stared down at Newt as raw pleasure and need filled his eyes.
“Do you know how beautiful you look?” His fingers strangled Newt’s hair. “I want to fuck you so badly.”
Newt pulled back. “I want that, too.”
Orlando shook his head. “Not until I explain everything to you.”
Newt wanted to throw caution to the wind, to beg Orlando to take him, but the man’s expression said he wasn’t going to bend.
So Newt took Orlando’s cock back into his mouth, stroking the thick flesh as he licked and sucked, moaning at how good the man tasted.
“Shit, baby,” Orlando groaned. “Keep doing that. Don’t stop. I’m close.”
Newt backed off, slowing his efforts, not wanting this moment to be over so soon. He kept a firm grip on Orlando’s shaft and used his tongue to lap at the slit on the head.
“You’re a goddamn tease.” Orlando narrowed his eyes, but there was no heat behind his words. He was enjoying this as much as Newt was.
“I’m drawing this out because I love having your dick in my mouth.” To back up his words, Newt gave one long lick over the head.
Orlando sucked in air between his teeth. “You can put it in your mouth anytime you want, handsome.”
Newt smiled and gave Orlando’s cock another lick. “I wonder how long you can hold out.”
One of Orlando’s brows arched. “I have no problem calling off work to meet that challenge.”
Newt bet his sexy sheriff would do just that, but his jaw was already hurting, and there was no way—no matter how much Newt wanted to—he could he do this for hours on end.
“Maybe next time.” Newt doubled his efforts, pumping his hand while his own neglected cock throbbed heavily.
“Fuck!” The tendons in Orlando’s neck grew taut. He clenched his jaw and then let out a guttural growl as he came down Newt’s throat.
One moment Newt was on his knees—which, by the way, were hurting—and the next Orlando pulled from his mouth and tossed Newt on the bed, devouring his aching cock.
Newt cried out and thrashed around, spreading his legs as Orlando took him down to the root. He bucked, slamming his hands onto Orlando’s head. His hair was close-cut, with smooth waves that felt silkily under his palms, but Newt had no hair to grab hold of, so his fingers slid in every direction.
“Orlando,” Newt groaned as his lover worked his cock like magic. Sparks of fire shot through him, wrapping around his groin. His balls drew up tight just before Newt cried out Orlando’s name.
He collapsed against the bed, bone-weary and now ready for more sleep. Orlando crawled in beside him and curled around Newt, encasing him in mounds of muscle. “I’m not gonna call off, but I’m definitely getting a few more hours of shut-eye. You drained my energy, pipsqueak.”
“I’m not gonna argue with that.” Newt yawned and then closed his eyes. “We’ll talk about you fucking me when I wake up.”
Orlando chuckled and then pressed a kiss to Newt’s temple. “Bet.”
* * * *
“You have any idea who it was?” Vince asked as he and Dillon walked through the woods lining the back property of Sheriff Werth’s house.
Dillon shook his head. “The scent is faded. All I could tell was that it was a wolf shifter, but it wasn’t the boss’s scent.”
“Max’s?” Vince smirked.
Dillon frowned. “I know the difference between a wolf and a dog’s scent, moron. I can’t help it if snow leopards need help distinguishing the difference.”
Vince rolled his eyes. “Not again. Stop making this a contest between my leopard and your panther.”
“Everyone knows black panthers are superior.” Dillon moved through the thick foliage, but the farther away from Werth’s house they walked, the harder the trail was to follow. The scent was dissipating.
Matters weren’t helped that the wind had pi
cked up and a light rain had started, the smell of ozone interfering with Dillon’s sense of smell.
He held up a hand when he heard twigs snapping. Vince stopped just behind him. Instead of drawing his weapon, Dillon let his claws lengthen.
“Timber wolves,” Vince said.
Dillon cursed under his breath. They didn’t need the timber wolves prying into their business. There was law enforcement in Brac Village for a reason, and he didn’t like that the wolves from the Den were always close by. It made Dillon and the others look inept at their job.
Two wolves approached and then shifted. Remi and Storm stood twenty feet away, completely naked, as they looked Dillon and Vince over.
“No disrespect, but what’re you guys doing here?” Dillon asked.
“We’ve been patrolling the area since the break-in last night. We can’t have our town sheriff in trouble,” Remi said.
Dillon stared bug-eyed at him, and he waved a hand at himself and Vince. “We’ve got this. Don’t you guys have other parts of town to protect?”
Remi narrowed his eyes, but Storm looked amused.
“Can you howl for backup at a moment’s notice?” Remi argued. “I doubt anyone would answer your yowl.”
Vince made a low growling noise from behind him.
Maverick was fair and decent to the cops. He’d updated their station with all the latest technology and had even added on a few essential personnel they’d been lacking. But some of his pack still thought it their business to poke their noses in where they didn’t belong. The wolves kept the preternatural safe. Brac Village PD handled the human cases.
And Newton Bradley was a human case.
Would these two give a crap if Dillon pointed that out? Fuck no. Wolves were nothing if not arrogant.
“We’ll finish our patrol around here and then head out,” Storm said.
Dillon and Remi eyed each other.
“Come on.” Vince patted his shoulder. “We’ll check the front of the house.”
With one last withering glare, Dillon spun and headed toward the backyard.
“I don’t know why Maverick’s wolves didn’t become the police department. They’re always there when they’re least needed.”