“Coincidence, my ass,” Evin spouted.
Landry chuckled. “Yeah,” he drawled. “That's what I thought.”
“Give me a second, and I'll get something to bind them with.” Evin darted into the bedroom, snagged a coil of rope from a bin under the bed, and returned to the kitchen. “Once I have their wrists tied, release the guiding rods from the halo. The silver will keep their strength suppressed enough that along with the bindings, it'll keep them in place.”
Evin grabbed the first man's hands and went to work. Once the knot was cinched tight, he glanced up at Landry. “Okay, this one's secured.” The enforcer met his gaze with a knowing grin. “What?”
“You keep your rope in there?” He tilted his head in the direction of the other room.
Evin lifted his brows and hit him with a glare that said you gotta problem with that? Landry got the hint, cleared his throat, and proceeded to wipe the grin off his face.
With both men secured to their seats, Evin circled around and stood in front of them. “Know that if you ever want to see Gregorson land again, you'll tell me where the hell my mate is.”
“We don't know what the fuck you're talking about,” the one on the right spit. “You've got nothing on us besides making a wrong turn in the forest at night.”
Before the bastard could flinch, Evin wrenched the other male’s head back by a fistful of dirty red hair. The intruder gasped under the hard tug at his roots, his mouth agape. In a dramatic display of imprinting the trespasser’s scent, Evin inhaled deeply along his neck.
“You don't think that I'd forget a stench like yours, do you, asshole?” Evin growled in his ear. “You were all over my home. What the hell were you after?” The alpha released his hold and shoved the male’s head away.
“I don't have to tell you shit,” Red snarled. “The Gregorson pack will never submit to you and your old man.”
“Never,” the other one joined in with equal venom.
“Submit to me?” Evin straightened. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Both men's mouths clamped shut.
“Someone's tongue better start wagging and telling me where Mason is, or I swear...” Evin lunged for Red's throat.
“Whoa! Evin!”
The sound of Mason's voice sent an electric jolt through Evin's veins, and he pulled his arm back. The back door slammed, and Evin spun around.
“What's going on?” Mason flung his keys onto one of the counters.
“Mason!” Evin marched toward his mate. “Where the fuck...?” He didn't wait for an answer. No way in hell. Evin had to touch him. Feel his mate and know he was alive. He reached out, grabbed him by his biceps, and hauled him against his chest. “Thank God,” he groaned. Damn, he felt so good in his arms. Evin sighed. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to breathe without each breath clawing its way past a fist of dread camped out behind his sternum. The one formed by the endless loops of what-ifs that had cycled inside his mind every second Mason had been gone.
“Hey, there. Missed you too,” Mason mumbled in his ear. “As much as I love you holding me—anytime—and for as long as you want, would you mind easing up for a moment and telling me what the hell is going on?” He grunted and squirmed. “You're about to crack a rib.”
“Oh... Sorry.” Evin released him, raked his gaze over his mate—and swung. His fist landed with a whack into the other man's shoulder.
“Shit!” Mason bellowed and grabbed his arm. “Damn. That hurt.” He glared at Evin. “What was that for?”
“Son of a bitch. What were you thinking, disappearing on me like that?” Evin speared his fingers through his hair, spun, and addressed the enforcers. “Stand guard. I'll be right back.” Evin pivoted around, grasped Mason by his wrist, and ushered him toward the bedroom.
“Evin...” Mason tugged at his hold. “Evin, wait. I—”
As soon as they crossed into the room, Evin slammed the door and whirled Mason around. “Christ sakes, man, I thought you'd been kidnapped—or worse. Dead.” The word came out croaked. He couldn't help it. The last hour of constant fear had caught up with him. He cupped Mason's face. “Do have any idea what losing you would do to me?” Evin slammed his mouth onto Mason's.
Their teeth clicked; tongues licked and dueled for dominance. God, he was starved. Ravenous for the taste of his mate. Someone growled—Mason? Him? Who the fuck knew. But his partner gave back as good as he got. And judging by the coopery taste of blood in Evin’s mouth plus the raging hard-on grinding against his own, his mate was hungry for a piece of Evin as he was for Mason. Lust, adrenaline, and the blinding need to re-mark his mate had his head spinning like a fucking carnival ride.
Shit. They couldn't do this. Not right now. Evin tore his mouth from Mason's and pushed back. “Don't. You. Move,” he growled.
“I'm not going anywhere.” Mason reached down and repositioned the significant bulge in his pants.
“Good.” Evin leveled his gaze on his partner and placed his hand on the doorknob. “See that you don't this time. We have some things to straighten out once I take care of the situation in the other room.”
“What is going on out there? You never did answer me.”
“Two males from the Gregorson pack broke in here earlier and trashed the place.”
“That explains a lot.” Mason’s gaze flicked around the room. “I was wondering if a damn tornado or something had come through here while I was gone.”
“Anyway. I'm planning to return one of them, but with a message for his alpha. If he wants the male back, Gregorson’s going to have to ask nicely—in person.”
“Shit. You think he'll come?”
Evin tossed Mason a smirk. “An alpha can't resist a challenge. This has gone too far, and we need to get to the bottom of this mess before it blows up in both our faces.”
Chapter Four
Mason sank onto the edge of the bed. How had things gotten so insane? He'd never seen Evin that rattled before. Christ. He would have never left to see his human family if he'd known how this would have affected his mate. But he'd left a note. Why hadn't he seen...? Shit. The break-in. Mason dropped his head in his hands and rubbed his face. The bastards had ripped their home apart, and Mason bet the note he'd left on the table along with it.
Ten minutes later, Evin stepped back into the room. “All right, that's been handled.” His gaze locked with Mason's. “Now you and I need to talk, Brown Eyes. Where were you? With all that went down last night, why would you ever leave without letting me know where you were going?”
“If you would have given me a moment to explain, I'd have told you I left a note on the table before heading out.” Mason stood, walked over to the dresser, and shoved one of the drawers shut with a bang. Evin's tone threatened to piss him off. In his head, Mason knew his mate’s reaction came from a place of fear for his safety. But still...
“I never saw a note. What note?”
Mason turned and faced Evin. “I'm sure it got buried in all the disaster that's now our kitchen.”
“Where did you go? And why didn't you just text or call me?” Evin moved closer.
“Because you had more important things to handle this morning. You didn't need to be interrupted or worried about what was going on with me.”
“Don't ever say that,” Evin growled. “Nothing matters more to me than you.” He grabbed Mason by the arms, forcing him to meet his gaze. “Do you get that?”
“But—” Mason shook his head.
“Stop!” Evin snapped. “You will always come first. I want to know and understand everything that's going on inside your head. Now tell me what's going on?”
Mason swallowed hard, his heart clogging his throat. “Damn,” he croaked. “I love you so much. You’re my world. Don’t ever doubt that.” He didn't want his partner to get the impression he wasn't happy living with the pack. But he'd had to see his mother and sister today. Even if from a distance. The urge to do so had been more than he could resist after what had occurred
the night before with the Gregorson pack. “I want to share everything with you, Evin. Really, I do. But today...today was something I needed to handle on my own.”
He pulled away from Evin's hold, turned, and walked to the window. The sliver of moon above the trees cast a soft glow across the back deck, but failed to light the dense woods surrounding them. “That's why I'd decided to slip out through the remote gate today. With my being the alpha's mate and given the other pack’s threat, I knew the guards would track my every move. I didn't particularly care to share my destination with them.”
“And where was that, exactly?” Evin's deep voice caressed the back of Mason's neck, lifting every hair on his nape.
“To see my family.”
“What?”
Tension spiked in the air. “They didn't see me,” he added in an attempt to calm his mate. “I just wanted to know if they were okay. Mainly my sister and mother. I knew the odds of catching a glimpse of my dad outside of the office would have been a long shot.” Mason turned toward his partner. “I don't know where the unrelenting urge came from. Call it homesickness. Needing closure. Who knows? But I just had to see them one more time.”
Evin stroked the side of Mason's face with his fingertips, concern overriding the anxiety in his blue depths. “And were they well?”
“Yeah.” Mason nodded. “My sister looked happy, and my mom seemed okay. It felt good to see their faces.”
“I'm glad.” Evin dropped his hand, backed away, and his gaze darkened. “But if you ever pull a stunt like that again... Why didn't you call me when you were on your way home?”
Mason pulled his cell from his pocket and wiggled it in the air, the display dark. “Battery's dead,” he said with a cringe. “You know how bad I suck at remembering to charge the damn thing. And I left my car charger in the Chevelle the last time I drove it.”
“Dammit, Brown Eyes.” Evin ran his hand through his hair and whirled, putting his back to Mason. “I was ready to kill one of those men. I knew someone in the Gregorson pack had you. It was the only logical explanation for your disappearance.”
“I'm so sorry. I just didn't know how to tell you about this when you were dealing with so much.” Mason edged closer to his mate. “How can I make this up to you?”
Evin froze.
He snapped his head in Mason's direction, lifting one eyebrow. “Never.”
His voice lowered, sending a chill up Mason's spine. “Ever.”
Then he was moving—like a predator slinking toward his prey. He closed the few inches separating them, bringing them chest to chest. “Keep anything from me again or leave without making sure I know where you are.”
God, Mason loved it when his lover went all Dom. He couldn't help the slight grin he knew curled one corner of his mouth with the words that were about to fall from his lips.
“Make me.”
A low growl vibrated off Evin's chest.
Shit. Excitement raced through Mason's veins.
Evin lunged.
Mason ducked.
And shifted.
The pop of threads and ripping seams filled the space around them. Mason dropped to all fours and dashed from the room, Evin hot on his heels. The heavy thump of eight padded feet scrambling across wood floors and toward the screened back door reverberated off the walls. Mason leaped, tore through the covering of the lower half of the door, and bound straight for the grass.
Cool night air filled his lungs, and the thrill of the chase surged him forward. Pushed him harder. And he knew Evin loved it as much as he did.
Back and forth they darted between the moss-covered trees for what had to be a mile. Suddenly, a large fallen tree loomed in front of Mason, blocking his path. He jumped, jerked right, then doubled back. Evin came out of nowhere, having anticipated his move. But Mason's momentum proved too much to reel in, and he slammed into his mate, knocking them both to the ground.
Air sawed through their muzzles filling his ears. Mason surged to his feet and shot in the direction of the cabin. He glanced back. Oh yeah, Evin was up and coming for him. His pulse raced.
By the time their home came into view every muscle burned. The garage’s rear door stood open, and Mason hauled his ass inside. Damn. He'd forgotten he'd closed the main door to the house when he'd parked his Bimmer. He scurried toward the left and the far end of the building, gravel scattering under his large paws. A low rumble resonated from the other side of the vehicle. A tremble of anticipation rolled through Mason's limbs. Evin had him cornered.
And his mate knew it.
“Are you ready for me, Brown Eyes? There's no way out. Except for when I'm done with you and decide to let you go.”
Mason closed his eyes and allowed his human form to overtake him, matching the shape his mate had already assumed. Crouched, Mason peered around the hood of his BMW, searching for a glimpse of his partner.
“Let me go?” Mason grinned. “And here I thought that was the last thing you wanted to do.”
“You're absolutely right.” Evin's deep voice sounded. But this time, he was right behind him.
“Damn!” Mason jerked forward, but he wasn't fast enough. Evin seized his arms and hauled him in reverse. One of his hands clamped Mason's wrists behind his back, and his cock surged to a rock-hard state.
“Got you, baby,” Evin whispered at his ear.
“Yes. You definitely do.” Mason managed to force out through a series of hard pants. His head swam, and he staggered. Probably due to rapid blood loss, since all of it had gone straight to his dick, based on how much it now throbbed.
Evin steered him forward and around the hood of the car. He pressed his torso over onto the metal, his hard cock pressed downward between his legs. The car’s engine hadn’t cooled down yet after his long drive back from Seattle, and the hood warmed his chest.
“Don't move,” Evin commanded, followed by the sound of thick tape tearing behind him.
“Duct tape?”
“That's right,” he said and circled Mason's wrists with the material, binding them tight. “You were bad tonight, Brown Eyes—keeping stuff from me, disappearing, then running... I think it's about damn time I spanked this fine ass of yours.” Evin's wide palm glided over Mason’s butt cheek, and it was all he could do not to squirm and press into the sensation. “Don't you?”
“Yeah,” Mason groaned. “I was so bad.” He turned his head and glanced at his mate. “I think you should teach me a lesson.” Mason’s gaze fell to Evin's erection. His mate’s shaft stood at full attention, thick, flushed, precum already beading at the slit. Mason squirmed and licked his lips at the sight.
Before Mason could take his next breath, a smack landed across his rear end. Heat raced up his spine, forcing a gasp into his lungs. Mason moaned and tucked his chin, bracing for another. Whack! Evin's palm landed once more—then again—repeating the process on the left, then right cheek.
“Shit!” Mason cried out. “Evin...” His bottom was on fire, and he'd never been hotter in his life. “Fuck me already.” Mason spread his legs wide in invitation. “Please.”
“Not yet, baby,” he said, but Mason could have sworn he'd heard a low groan roll from Evin right before a light smack stung his shaft and balls.
“Oh God.” His scrotum drew tight, and his cock threatened to blow. “Can't take any more,” Mason mumbled into the car's hood and shook his head. “Evin... I'll come.”
“Turn around.” Evin grasped his shoulder and guided him till they faced each other. He reached low and grabbed Mason by the ankles. “Up on the hood.” Evin lifted Mason’s legs, and Mason scooted his bottom onto the metal. With his wrists still bound, all Mason could do was balance himself with his fingers as Evin proceeded to help him in performing a three-sixty. With Mason's feet now resting at the top of the hood near the windshield, Evin moved in behind him. “Lie back,” he ordered. “It's my turn.”
Mason did as instructed, and his mouth watered in anticipation. Oh yeah, he could almost taste the salty, wild f
lavor of his mate's cock. Mason’s head hung low off the hood, and he drank in the heady site of Evin's shaft flexing in front of him.
“You want it, baby?” Evin growled and stroked his thumb once across Mason's lower lip.
Mason licked at the tingle he'd left behind. “Give it to me,” he breathed.
Evin wrapped his fingers around his length and placed the thick head at Mason's mouth. “Lick it.”
A large bead of precum had welled at the end of his lover’s crown. Mason reached out with his tongue, curled the tip, and dragged it through the slit. Evin hissed.
“Yes... Fuck. Open.” Evin nudged Mason’s lips with his rod, and Mason stretched his jaw wide, allowing Evin's cock to slide deep.
“That's it,” he groaned. “Take it, baby.”
The shaft rammed the back of his throat, and Mason swallowed, working the muscles along the other man's length.
“So. Damn. Good,” Evin moaned and pulled out slightly before pistoning inside once more. Yes. And it was good. Mason loved everything about Evin. Loved his taste, his scent—loved him.
In and out, Evin pumped his cock into Mason's waiting mouth. He couldn't see his mate's face from the angle he lay in, but the ragged sound of his breathing told him it wouldn't be much longer. Mason tightened his lips around mate’s girth, and each time Evin withdrew, he sucked hard on the shaft's crown. God, he wished his hands were free so he could sink his fingertips into Evin's ass cheeks. Feel his muscles tighten under his palms right before he blew.
“Enough,” Evin cried out and jerked back. “Want inside you.”
Christ. Yes. Even better.
Evin grabbed Mason's shoulders and assisted him into a sitting position. The next thing he knew, Evin had the duct tape shredded from his wrists, and a few hairs along with it.
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