“My love for her is precisely why I’m here,” the guy responded, obviously angry. “I’d never do anything to harm Megan.”
Jimmy gasped. He froze for just an instant as realization struck. He knew Zander’s story had sounded uncomfortably familiar. “Fuck,” he whispered. Suddenly, recognizing the scents outside made sense. Sprinting the last few steps to reach the hallway, Jimmy grabbed the sofa and swung around the corner. He faced the pair of men arguing in the hallway outside a closed door—probably the bathroom.
“Avery Bronson, you son-of-a-bitch!” Jimmy roared. He eyed the dark-haired, blue-eyed vampire with all the anger and loathing in his being. “What the fuck are you doing anywhere near my territory?”
“Tony?”
Jimmy sneered at the other man’s shocked expression. “I don’t go by that name anymore,” he snapped. “I haven’t in almost thirty years.” Clearing his expression, mindful that his mate was standing at his shoulder, Jimmy added, “I see Megan kept her name. She pregnant again?”
Licking his lips, the man Jimmy knew as Avery, but who must now be going by Juarez, jerked a nod. “Yeah.”
“Huh, I’d say congratulations, but you’re messing with a human under my pack’s protection,” Jimmy snarled, crossing his arms over his chest. “And, if I find out you’re living in my territory, I’ll report you to the Vampire Council.”
Juarez growled, low in his throat. “You know I’m on the run from them!” he roared. “Why would you do this to me?”
Jimmy grimaced. “You’re right, that was a bit low,” he mumbled. Yeah, he’d been allowing his emotions to do the talking on that one.
Suddenly, Logan appeared in his peripheral vision. He stopped and stood at Jimmy’s side. Wrapping one arm around Jimmy’s waist possessively, Logan glared as he stated, “I get that you and my mate have history, but that’s not gonna stop me from kicking your damn ass if you don’t leave my pal Zander alone.” Curling his lip, Logan continued, “You want blood for some fucking reason, find a blood bank.”
“It’s not that easy,” Juarez mumbled.
“Why not?” Logan snarled.
Jimmy wrapped his own arm around Logan, grateful his mate had come up on his left side. He turned and focused on his mate, allowing his human’s proximity to calm his ire. Damn, thirty-seven years and it felt like yesterday. “Juarez and Megan aren’t true mates,” he told Logan. “He gives her blood to remain alive, and in return, he drinks from both her and someone else. It’s not ideal, but he loves her.” Jimmy had to admit, he craved that kind of selfless love, and hoped to one day have it from Logan. “He’s been using this system for almost a century now, I guess.”
Juarez nodded once. “More or less.”
“And why doesn’t blood from a blood bank work?” Logan asked, not giving up on the idea. “If it doesn’t matter who’s blood you’re drinking, why should it matter?”
Jimmy grimaced, not liking that he was about to side with his ex, even in a small way. “It’d be like me going vegetarian to be with someone I love,” he admitted.
Logan lifted one brow speculatively. “Are you saying that, if I asked you to never eat meat unless I prepared it for you, you’d refuse me? I know a hell of a lot of ways to prepare soy burgers to taste just as good as hamburger.” His eyes narrowed. “In some cases, better, even.”
Jimmy sighed. Damn, if his mate actually requested that…yeah, he’d try. He’d do his best to go without actual meat for the rest of his life. “If that was what you needed,” he whispered.
“See,” Logan murmured, frowning at Juarez. “You still get to feed from living flesh, giving you pleasure, with your woman, your wife,” he pointed out. “Then, every once in a while, you drink warm blood from a glass, that way you and your wife remain healthy. What’s the big deal?”
Juarez blanched, his face turning pale. “I-I…oh, Gods.” He grimaced. “I suppose that could work.”
“Damn straight it could,” Jimmy grumbled, hating the idea of helping his bastard of an ex-lover, but knowing he couldn’t not do so. “And as it so happens, the wolf pack owns a nearby blood bank. Stay the fuck away from anyone but your wife, and we’ll give you the blood you need,” he promised.
Juarez’s jaw worked for a few seconds, then he jerked a nod. “Agreed. Do you need your alpha’s permission?”
Crossing his arms over his chest, ignoring the slight pain in his shoulder, Jimmy curled his lips and snarled, “I am the Tamang pack’s beta. Alpha Abbott will agree.”
“Of course he will,” boomed a deep voice from behind him. Jimmy turned to see Abbott striding into the room, Richard at his shoulder. “I have faith that you always have our pack’s best interest at heart.” He gave Jimmy a reassuring smile, before turning an assessing look onto the vampire.
“Well, then, vampire,” Abbott rumbled. “Why don’t you tell me why you’ve been coming into my territory to feed from our dear, traumatized Zander?” Without waiting for a response, Abbott stepped up to the bathroom door and knocked twice before saying, “Zander, this is Abbott. I’m here, as well as your friend Logan. You’re perfectly safe. Please come out.”
After a few seconds, the door cracked open and Zander glanced around warily. “I’m safe?”
Jimmy just fought back his grimace. Damn, no wonder Logan made certain to take any possible punishment for shooting him. This guy was clearly in over his head and not dealing with the appearance of paranormals well at all.
Alpha Abbott offered Zander a tight-lipped smile. “Yes. You are safe. Since you came to learn of our kind through my pack, you will forever be under my protection.” At Zander’s drawn brows, he explained, “That means, should you be threatened, even indirectly—” Abbott frowned at Juarez. “You may come to me for protection or help. I or my beta and enforcers will never turn you away in your hour of need.”
“Thank you,” Zander mumbled, clearly shocked. He swept his gaze over the assembled group. His focus hitched on Geoffrey, and if possible, his eyes widened even more. Zander stepped closer to Abbott and focused on Juarez, his face flushing. “You used me.”
“For which I do regret,” Juarez replied. “My wife is human, but our bond is incomplete because we are not fated mates,” he admitted. “I keep her alive with my blood, but because of that, I do not draw complete sustenance from her. I must supplement it. You—” He grimaced and shrugged. “You were lonely. I thought I could give you comfort. I didn’t know of the guilt you felt. I am sorry.”
Jimmy knew the vampire was sincere. He wasn’t a mean man by nature, but love made one do odd things at times. Glancing at his own mate, Jimmy finally understood what he hadn’t all those years ago. Still, it didn’t matter. He loved Logan, and no longer cared about lovers from the past, even if they did appear in his present or even his future.
He mentally grinned at his admission, even if he’d made it only to himself. How long would he have to wait until he could tell his human mate? If he said something that very evening would he scare Logan away? That week? That month? Humans could grow pensive about the oddest things, and they hadn’t been together all that long. Hell, he didn’t even know if Logan planned to stay once he’d healed.
Jimmy decided to play it by ear.
Still, he couldn’t wait until he could get a clean bill of health from Doctor Perseus. There were so many things he wanted to do with his lover.
Chapter Eleven
Logan paced the room. James was expected back from his doctor’s appointment within the hour. He was just finishing up at Perseus’ makeshift office, set up at Aaric and Crain’s place. Crossing the small living room over and over, he tried to decide if he had the guts to go through with his plan.
A snickering Crain had already called and told him that it was a go.
All Logan had to do was get up the nerve to follow through with his plans. Just as he turned to make another pass, Logan heard his cell phone beep. Within seconds, before he could even reach it, it beeped
again. He picked up the device, swiped the screen to open it, and smirked at what he saw.
Two text messages.
Tapping the screen, Logan opened the first, from Matthew.
Go get ’em, tiger!
Logan smiled at his friend’s words. The second text came from Marty. His best friend was a little more forceful.
Get your ass in gear and just do it. You know you want to. Everything else will fall into place.
Shaking his head, Logan chuckled. His friends were right. He needed to get his ass in gear and go after what he wanted…and that was James Noleander.
Logan shoved his phone into his pocket and grabbed the throw blanket off the back of the sofa. Next, he went to the bedroom and picked up the lube from the nightstand. He shoved it into his pocket, then grabbed one more item from his duffel bag…a little something from Raymond. When the little gargoyle had heard one of the wolf shifters in the area was his mate, he’d over-nighted a package containing a few happy mating gifts. Even while Logan shoved the small pouch into his back pocket, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Damn, never thought I’d use one of these.
Finally, Logan wrote a short note—Follow my scent. I’m out hiking—and taped it to the front door. Circling the small structure, he started hiking into the woods. It took Logan an hour and a half to reach the clearing beside the stream, but when he saw the area Aaric had given him directions to, Logan knew it was perfect.
The twilight illuminated the area beautifully, making the water cascading over the rocks seem to twinkle. The green of the grass appeared far darker than what Logan knew they were. Even the deepening pink and purple hues streaking across the sky seemed more…well, just more.
God, I’m turning into a fucking sap. Get on with it, Logan.
After finishing his internal smack upside the head, Logan did just that. He strode through the grass and stopped five feet away from the stream. Spreading out the blanket, he tossed the lube and the small drawstring pouch onto it, then proceeded to strip. Logan folded his clothes and placed them on the edge of the blanket.
Logan knelt and picked up the pouch. Tugging the strings, he opened it. He tipped the bag and a long, cylindrical object fell into his hand. After staring at the pale gray butt plug, Logan sighed and reached for the lube.
At least it’s not neon pink or something.
Logan couldn’t believe how hard he’d become while stretching himself. Lying on his back on the blanket, he panted softly and struggled to ignore his jutting, aching cock. Now he knew why men wore the damn things. If he were to go dancing with this thing in his ass, he’d be begging for a hard cock slamming into him, too.
Damn, twinks know what they’re doing.
A soft growl echoing through the forest drew Logan’s attention. He searched the tree-line and it took two passes to see the black wolf standing at the edge of the clearing. For just a second, it stared right back at him, and a fissure of nerves skated through Logan. He thought the wolf appeared much like the one from last week, but couldn’t be sure. At least, upon seeing the animal, Logan’s erection wilted a bit and he no longer felt like he’d blow at any second.
“Please, tell me you’re my James,” Logan murmured. Then, forcing a smile and putting a joviality he didn’t feel at that second into his tone, he added, “I’d hate to be lying here naked in front of anyone else.”
The wolf growled softly, then the shift began.
Logan watched the shifter’s fur recede, clearing his skin. His bones moved beneath his skin as his body realigned, causing his muscles and tendons to pop and crack. Within seconds, James crouched in the grass near the edge of the clearing.
Slowly, James stood. He swept his gaze over Logan, thoroughly taking in his naked prone form. A feral smile spread across James’ lips and he began stalking slowly toward Logan.
“I guess someone spilled the news to you already, then,” James growled.
“Yep,” Logan responded. His shaft hardened again, regaining the little bit of rigidity he’d lost upon seeing James’ wolf. “I remembered the story about your parents,” he admitted, glancing around the area. “I know it’s not the same place, but I figured—”
Logan paused and shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He looked away, toward the stretch of water that cascaded down the rocks, creating a kind of waterfall. Would James find it too cheesy, completing their bonding in a similar fashion as his parents? Hell, did the wolf even want to complete their bonding?
James lowered to his knees beside Logan’s hip, his jutting cock entering Logan’s peripheral vision, drawing his attention. Logan’s fingers twitched as he fought the desire to reach up and grip that hard, yet silky flesh, to stroke it, feel it beneath his fingers. Damn, but did he have it bad. He wanted to pleasure this man, his man, his mate. Logan wanted, needed, to know James felt the same.
“We still have plenty of shit to work through,” Logan reminded his lover. “But I want you to know that I’m committed to working through it. I want to figure out that shit with you.”
James swept his gaze over Logan’s form slowly, then fixed his focus on Logan’s eyes. His lips curved into a wide grin. “Oh, baby, this is truly the sweetest and hottest thing anyone has ever done for me.” He leaned over Logan and swung his leg over, so he straddled his hips, mimicking a move Logan had done to James many times over the course of the last week. “Working through our differences so we can be together sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard.”
Logan found his mouth suddenly dry, but he managed to croak out, “Do you want to claim me?”
Growling, James’ eyes seemed to glow and his penetrating gaze roved over Logan’s face, holding him in place. “Oh, yes, Logan McByrne. I want to claim you very much,” he whispered, reaching up and gently tracing the scar on Logan’s cheek.
While getting to know each other over the past few days, one of the stories Logan had told was the tale of how he’d gotten the scar…in a dumbass bar fight with some woman’s boyfriend—a woman he hadn’t even wanted to sleep with. Of course, being three sheets to the wind at the time, he might have used a few colorful metaphors when telling the boyfriend that Logan had been fending off the woman’s unwanted advances and not the other way around. Logan had ended up getting a broken beer bottle upside the face. Marty had rushed him to the emergency room.
At first, Logan had found it disturbing how James liked to touch the puckered lines. Now, though, Logan recognized James’ gesture for what it was…a show of affection. Logan turned his head and kissed James’ fingertips.
“Then you better lube up that thick cock of yours, James, because my ass can’t wait for a pounding.” He focused on his lover and offered a wicked grin. “My chute is gonna grip your cock so good, my mate. I’m gonna hold you tight and milk you, make you want the sensations to last forever but they can’t because it just feels so damn good.” Logan reached up and threaded his fingers through James hair. “You ready for that?”
“Hell, yeah,” James snarled.
Logan sensed the instant James’ aggressive shifter tendencies took over, and he reveled in being the cause of his lover’s loss of control. He couldn’t wait until his mate found his surprise, wanting to see what kind of reaction it caused.
James scooted down his body, until his knees were on either side of his calves. To Logan’s surprise, he leaned forward, opened his mouth, and swallowed down his prick. When James sucked hard, Logan’s body instinctively bucked into the warm, wet heat. He tightened his fingers in James’ hair, unable to help his body’s reaction when he was already so primed, and he started fucking his lover’s mouth in hard, sharp jerks.
Grinning obscenely around his mouthful of dick, James gripped Logan’s hips and forced them to the blanket. Logan moaned, thinking the action over. Then, James sank back down on his prick and continued blowing him, humming, making Logan’s shaft vibrate deliciously. Logan groaned loudly, his thighs trembling as he struggled to keep
still. His balls pulled tight to his body.
Between the sucking pressure massaging his cock, the vibrations tickling the sensitive tissue of his shaft, and the plug pressing against his prostate, Logan lost it. Cum burst from his dick as Logan’s body shuddered and shook. His legs shifted restlessly as he tried to open them wider, but found them trapped between James’ own. Even as pleasure swamped his senses, Logan found he wanted more, needed more. He wanted everything.
“God damn, you’re hot when you come,” James growled out after releasing Logan’s softening, still-twitching prick. “Gonna make you do that again.”
Logan moaned, liking the sound of that vow.
James used his hold on Logan’s hips to flip him onto his stomach. Between the fabric against his overly sensitive dick and the way his lover rubbed his calloused hands over his sides, hips, and globes, Logan felt his cock stiffening right back up.
When James gripped Logan’s ass-cheeks and pried them apart, he must have spotted the pale gray object Logan had inserted into himself, for he rumbled, “Oh, fuck, Logan. Look at that. All ready for me.”
Peering over his shoulder, Logan gruffly replied, “Yep. Now get your dick in my ass and claim me.”
James froze for several seconds. Without turning his head, he peered through his lashes at Logan. A slow predatory smile curved his lips. “Oh, don’t you worry, my mate,” James growled. “I’ll have my dick inside you soon enough,” he stated.
As James released Logan’s ass, he reached for his own erection with one hand and the lube with the other. He popped the cap and leaned forward, slapping his cock against first Logan’s left cheek, then his right. “I’m gonna paint you inside and out.”
Logan’s eyes widened, at the feel of James’ dick smacking him as well as the words his lover spoke. He’d never thought the idea of a man spurting his seed on him would turn him on, but the way his cock jerked was undeniable. “Yes.” Damn, did he suddenly want his lover to do just that.
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