by Lynn Hagen
“If you don’t mind,” Max said, pulling Orlando’s attention back to him. “I’d really like to put some clothes on.”
Newt gave Orlando a warning glare before he stepped from the room. He returned with a pair of jogging pants and tossed them at Max.
“I really liked my fucking dog,” Orlando snapped.
“I can still be your dog.” Max slid the pants on. He looked at Orlando with puppy-dog eyes. Orlando wanted to slap him for it. “Unless you’re kicking me out.”
“No one is getting kicked out,” Newt said.
“The hell?” Orlando looked at his mate as if Newt had lost his mind. “The bastard’s been duping me.”
“He’s in trouble.” Newt slapped his hands on his hips. “We can’t just turn our backs on him.”
“There goes your bleeding heart,” Newt’s mom said. “Always ready to save hopeless cases.”
“I can’t help it,” Newt argued. “That’s who I am. Mr. Bleed Heart.”
Max’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t want to cause any problems. I’ll leave.” He looked at Orlando. “And by the way, just so you know, Baby Girl is the one who causes all the problems around here. That bitch is just mean.”
Orlando cocked a brow. “Please don’t tell me she’s a shifter, too.”
“No.” Max narrowed his eyes. “She’s just a pissy-attitude cat.”
When Max walked out of the room, Newt scowled. “You better not let him walk out. He needs our help.”
Orlando should let him go, but his job was to serve and protect, and he couldn’t in good conscience let Max walk away knowing there was someone after him. I’m the one with the bleeding fucking heart. I should have idiot tattooed on my forehead.
Orlando’s problems just seemed to keep growing. “Go stop him.”
“No need,” Max stuck his head into the room. “I’m right here.” He hurried back in and hugged Orlando. “Thank you for letting me stay.”
Orlando shoved Max off him. “Shift back into your dog and take your ass to the den.”
With a salute, Max shifted and padded from the room.
“Did he just…”
Orlando looked at Newt’s mom. This was gonna be an even longer night. “I think we need to talk.”
Chapter Ten
Newt’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as Orlando slid his thick cock inside him. This was exactly what they needed, a reprieve from the insanity of the world.
He clung to Orlando’s biceps, gasping as his mate thrust hard and deep, and tried his very best not to cry out his pleasure since they weren’t alone in the house.
“I need deeper.” Orlando pulled from Newt’s body, flipped him to his hands and knees, and drove back inside, blanketing Newt’s back with his broad chest.
The new position gave Newt the perfect opportunity to shove his face into the pillow and cry out his pleasure. He stuck his ass higher into the air, curling his fingers into the bedding.
Orlando kissed along his shoulder. “Do you know how much I love you?”
The confession stunned Newt and made his heart melt. He tried to pull away so he could turn over, but Orlando grabbed his wrists and kept Newt right where he was.
Instead of demanding that Orlando let him go, Newt groaned as his mate’s thick cock pounded harder into him, taking Newt’s pleasure even higher. His balls drew close to his body as Newt buried his face into the pillows again, whimpering at how good his mate felt pistoning into him.
“Orlando!” Newt shouted as his mate grabbed his hips and pounded into him even faster. Newt’s head swam with the sensations racking his body. Orlando hit that sweet spot every time he pulled back. Newt’s cock ached for release. He didn’t care about his parents being across the hall or that Max was down the hallway. None of that mattered because his mate was rocking his damn world.
Grabbing Newt’s cock, Orlando matched his rhythm with his thrusts. Newt clawed at the bedding as his mate shot his pending orgasm higher.
Then Orlando bit him, and Newt exploded. He came so hard he felt lightheaded. Orlando growled into Newt’s shoulder before pulling his canines free and licking the wound. He thrust a few more times before his cock pulsed in Newt’s ass.
Orlando hissed as he pulled free and dropped next to him. Newt climbed onto his mate’s waist and smiled down at him. “You said you loved me.”
“And I meant it.” Orlando rested his hands on Newt’s hips, his thumbs tracing circle patterns on his skin.
“We have been through a lot together in such a short amount of time.” Newt leaned forward and gave Orlando a sweet, heart-stopping kiss. “And you’ve been my savior more than once.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Newt.” Orlando teased him with quick kisses, making Newt smile. “I’ll always protect you.”
“That’s why I love you, too.” Newt rested his hands on either side of Orlando’s head. “You’re my real-life knight in shining armor.”
Orlando pulled Newt to his side, tucking him in. “And this knight needs some sleep.” He yawned. “It’s been a very long and draining day.”
A moment later, Orlando was asleep.
But Newt wasn’t tired. He slipped from the bed, dressed, and then padded down the hallway to the den. Max lifted his head and looked Newt’s way. He tossed a pair of pajama pants at him. “Shift and get dressed.”
Newt was still getting used to the act of shifting. Seeing someone change from man to animal, or vice versa, still wigged him out a bit. Max stood and slipped the pants on before taking a seat on the couch. “Are you sure Orlando isn’t going to kill me for being in human form?”
“He’s asleep.” Newt sat beside Max and curled a leg under him.
“I’m sorry for fooling you guys.” Max played with the string on his pants. “I wasn’t doing it to be a dick. I really do have trouble on my heels.”
“I’m not gonna pry.” Newt squeezed Max’s knee, hoping the man felt reassured. “It’s Orlando you have to talk to, tell him what’s going on, but in the meantime, are you hungry?”
“God yes!” Max rubbed his flat stomach. “Do you know how hard it is to stay out of the kitchen when Orlando isn’t here?” Max asked. “I’ve been dying for steak and eggs for two damn years.”
“Then let’s go make it for you.”
“You’re gonna make me fall in love with you,” Max teased.
“Don’t let Orlando hear you say that.” Newt thought about his mate’s declaration in the bedroom and felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He’d been attracted to sheriff since first laying eyes on him and felt like the luckiest man in the world. He wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve such a kind, sweet, and sexy man, but Newt was thankful.
And totally in love.
“Trust me,” Max said as they walked through the dining room, “I’m tiptoeing around him right now. I know he wants me gone, and I feel bad for deceiving him, but I really didn’t do it on purpose. As far as being a pet owner, he’s the best.” Max laid a hand on Newt’s arm to stop him from walking. “But Dillon, he’s the one who makes my heart pound.”
“He is good-looking,” Newt admitted.
“He’s my mate,” Max blurted out. “Now I’m afraid to be around him. I know Orlando’s gonna tell him about me, and I don’t want Dillon angry with me.”
The guy looked like he was gonna pass out. Newt grabbed Max’s upper arms. “Breathe.”
“But I can’t lose Dillon,” Max whined. “I can’t stand the thought of him hating me.”
“He won’t hate you.” Though Newt couldn’t be sure. Dillon seemed like a nice guy, but this was different. Max was his mate, and Max had tricked everyone into thinking he was just a pet. “Just tell him everything you told Orlando. I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Max bit his lip. “Do you think so?”
Newt could either crush Max’s world by telling him he wasn’t sure or lift the guy’s hopes and pray that didn’t backfire. “I believe in miracles.” Newt dodged giving Max any real
answer.
“Then let’s go cook that steak.” Max grabbed Newt’s hand and led him into the kitchen.
They both came up short when they spotted a wolf standing by the back door.
“Is that you, Orlando?” Newt had seen his mate shift only one time and couldn’t recall the coloring of his fur.
“That’s not Orlando.” Max squeezed Newt’s hand. “He smells like the guy who was here the other night, the one who disappeared before Orlando saw him.”
The wolf shifted, and Newt recognized the man. He’d been at the police station earlier. He was one of the gunmen.
“Where’s the orb?” the guy demanded. “Give it to me now!”
Newt had no clue what the guy was talking about. What orb?
Max shifted and snarled as he moved in front of Newt, taking a protective stance.
“Hand over the orb and I won’t kill your little doggy,” the guy said. “Refuse and I’ll kill every damn person in this house.”
“I can’t give you what I don’t have.” Newt took a step back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The stranger lunged at Max, but Newt and Max shot into the dining room, Newt screaming his fool head off as Max barked. The stranger had shifted back into a wolf because Newt heard the howl in the kitchen.
They raced down the hallway as Orlando burst from the room, naked, his gun in his hand.
“The bad guy is here!” Newt ran into the guest room—Max right behind him—and slammed the door closed.
His parents were already out of bed, staring wide-eyed at him. Crap. Newt couldn’t leave Orlando to handle the hired gunman on his own.
He yanked the door open, but Max shifted and grabbed Newt’s arm. “You can’t go out there.”
“The hell I can’t.” Newt fought to get Max’s hand off him. “That’s my mate out there, and I’m not letting him face the wolf on his own.”
“And how are you gonna help?” his mother argued. “Are you going to get between two wolves fighting? You’ll split Orlando’s attention and could get him killed.”
“Listen to your mother,” his father said. “Let Orlando handle this.”
“Okay, you’re right.” Newt sighed. “I’ll stay in here.”
When Max let his arm go, Newt raced from the room, determined to help his mate win this fight. Before he could make it into the hallway, the sound of a gun going off echoed through the house.
* * * *
“You son of a bitch,” the stranger yelled as he clutched his shoulder, blood spreading between his fingers and down his chest and arm. “You don’t understand what you’re dealing with. Just give me the goddamn orb. I need that orb.”
Orlando hadn’t the first clue what the guy was talking about. He would’ve bet his last dollar that this had been about the jewelry, but he would’ve lost.
“Tell me what you’re talking about and maybe I can help you,” Orlando lied. He wasn’t going to help this piece of shit, but he wanted answers. He needed to know why men were hired to go after Newt. He’d fallen in love with his little human, and if Orlando had to torture the bastard in front of him to keep Newt safe, then that was what he would do.
But the guy would tell Orlando what he wanted to know.
The stranger snarled. Orlando felt someone behind him. Afraid it was another gunman, he turned, only to find Newt at the hallway entrance.
The split-second distraction was all the perp needed. He lunged at Orlando, and the two wrestled for his gun. It fell from Orlando’s grip, and the only way to stop the stranger from getting to it was to shift.
Orlando’s wolf emerged and attacked. The guy shifted, too. They battled with claws and canines, toppling over the coffee table but never losing their hold on one another.
A deep snarl vibrated inside Orlando when he felt claws gouge his side. Pain shot through him, but he refused to go down. He was fighting to keep not only his mate safe but everyone in the house.
And that included Max.
Orlando might still be pissed that the guy had deceived him, but Max had been right. Orlando had grown to care about him, and he didn’t want anything happening to his German shepherd.
The stranger yanked away from Orlando and went for Newt. His mate screamed and raced toward the kitchen, Orlando hot on their heels.
He wished to god Newt had stayed in the bedroom. Now his attention was split as Orlando tackled the wolf before he made it out of the dining room.
Chairs toppled, and the table was knocked toward the wall as Orlando tried to latch onto the wolf’s throat.
Power shimmered in the air. Orlando felt the currents like waves that coursed over his fur. When he looked up, he saw a set of burning eyes in the corner of the dining room.
Panahasi emerged and waved his hand. A vortex appeared to one side. With renewed strength, Orlando shoved the wolf toward it. The wolf yelped as he stumbled backward and fell into it. With another wave of Panahasi’s hand, the vortex closed.
Orlando shifted and held his side. He hadn’t been in his wolf form long enough to heal from the attack. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what the hell are you doing here?”
Orlando panted and pressed his back against the wall, trying to catch his breath. The wound burned and ached, but at least he’d healed enough that he wasn’t bleeding.
“I know what he was looking for, and I had to stop him from getting his hands on it,” Panahasi said.
“What the hell is going on?” Orlando demanded, still winded.
“The orb is a portal key to the demon realm,” Panahasi explained. “The thugs were hired by Taren Haynes. A demon who is hell-bent on destroying the demon warriors. He was banished two decades ago and is seeking to regain entrance into my realm.”
Orlando could no longer stand up. He slid down the wall and sat on his ass as he winced. He could shift and end his pain, but he needed answers, and he wouldn’t get them in his wolf form.
Newt appeared in the kitchen doorway and stared up at Panahasi. He didn’t blame his mate’s fascination. The demon leader had shoulder-length hair that was tied with a leather cord, whiskey-colored almond-shaped eyes, was nearly seven feet tall, and gorgeous.
But power bled from him and could be felt in the room.
Newt walked a wide berth around the guy before he rushed to Orlando and dropped to his knees. “How badly are you hurt?”
“I’ll live.” Orlando hissed as he clutched his side.
“Where is the orb?” Panahasi asked.
“What damn orb?” Newt turned and looked up at the guy. “Everyone keeps talking about an orb, but I have no clue what that means.”
“It’s as small as a marble,” Panahasi said. “It also holds great power.”
Newt turned his attention back to Orlando. “The marble my cousin gave me when we were kids?”
“That would be the one,” Panahasi said.
Newt straightened and faced the demon leader. “I don’t get it. It’s just a marble. Why would Doug have something so powerful? How did he get it?”
“Happenstance.” Panahasi shrugged. “I haven’t the first clue how a child came into possession of such a powerful orb, but in order to ensure no one else tries to use it, I’ll need you to give it to me.”
Why did Orlando have a feeling Panahasi knew more than he was telling?
“First”—Orlando grunted at the pain—“was that the last man after Newt? I need to make sure my mate is safe.”
“If he hands the orb over, no one else will come after him,” Panahasi said. “I’ll make sure word spreads that it is in my possession.”
“I threw it away,” Newt said.
Panahasi’s features darkened. “You threw it away? Do you have any idea…” He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “Tell me where, little one.”
Newt looked at Orlando.
Orlando nodded. “Tell him.”
“It’s in the trash can in Orlando’s office at the station.”
Panahasi walked
into the shadowy corner and disappeared. Newt blinked several times, the skin under his eye twitching. “I don’t ever want to run into him again.”
Orlando knew the feeling but was glad this was over.
Max appeared in the hallway entrance. “Did he say Taren Haynes?”
Orlando nodded as he pushed to his feet. He needed to shift and lie down. His side was killing him. “Why?”
Max visibly swallowed. “Because that’s the guy after me,” he said. “I was the one who stole the orb, but then I lost it. I’ve been running from Taren for two decades.”
“But that tall guy has it now,” Newt said. “He said he would spread the word that he has it so no one will come after me, which means Taren will know you don’t have it.”
Max shook his head. “You don’t know Taren. He’ll still want my life for taking it in the first place.”
“Did you take your masking potion?” Newt asked.
“Not today,” Max said. “I was kind of interrupted when your mom woke up and freaked out.”
“Then you need to take it.” Newt left them and walked down the hallway.
Orlando spun when he heard someone behind him. “Goddamn it, Dillon. Are you trying to make me kill you?”
Dillon looked at Orlando’s side. “I healed and wanted to come by and check on you. It looks like I missed one hell of a fight.”
Orlando frowned when Max backed away.
Dillon’s gaze shot to Max just as Max shifted into his dog form and ran after Newt. Now that Orlando knew Max was really a shifter, he understood why his dog had acted so strange a lot of times.
But why had he just taken off? Dillon wouldn’t care that Orlando’s dog was a shifter. He’d probably get a kick out of it.
When he looked at his deputy, Dillon’s head was cocked to the side. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
“What?” Orlando asked.
Dillon’s nostrils flared as he spun on his heel and walked out the kitchen door, slamming it behind him.
Orlando was too tired and in too much pain to ask what the hell was going on. He pulled his mate from the guest bedroom where Newt was grabbing the small potion bottle from on top of the dresser and hauled him into their bed but not before closing and locking his bedroom door.