Howling Cavern 2

Rider
Kenny is terrified when a creature breaks into his house. The only thought on his
mind is protecting his grandfather, then two men show up and kill the thing.
Kenny threatens to call the police, but instead, he’s whisked away to the
mountains.

Rider is shocked when he discovers his mate in Howling Cavern, and being
attacked by a feeder no less. What stuns him further is the fact Kenny is so
accepting of everything. But a rumor going around has the shifters investigating a
possible land sale right next to their territory. Jesse and the sheriff are shot at,
men are coming into their woods, and what the pack finds out about the rumor
goes deeper than they thought.

All Rider wants to do is protect his mate and unborn child, and if starting a war
accomplishes that, then he’ll go up against a militia of humans to keep them safe.

Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Shape-shifters,

Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 30,389
 Rider

Howling Cavern 2

Lynn Hagen

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

Rider
Copyright © 2018 by Lynn Hagen

ISBN: 978-1-64243-220-6

First Publication: May 2018

Cover design by Melody Simmons

All art and logo copyright © 2018 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or
photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written
permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to
actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this

copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including
infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is
punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also
loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond
of a beautiful heart.
You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot
java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rider
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
 Rider
Howling Cavern 2

LYNN HAGEN
Copyright © 2018

Chapter 1
“So, I was thinking, we could go swimming in the creek later or drown
ourselves under the water hose.” Kenny licked his ice cream as he and his
best friend strolled down the street. “You got any ideas?”
The sun was already starting to set, painting the sky beautiful shades of
blue and pink. Too bad he couldn’t reach up and pluck the cotton candy from
it.
“We could hang out in the grocery store all day,” Felix suggested. He
tripped, turned, and glared at the uneven sidewalk as if it had tripped him on
purpose.
“We already tried that and got kicked out. The owner thought we were
being creepy in the produce section.”
Kenny gave his ice cream a long lick, ignoring the guy walking toward
him, who was checking him out.
“I told him I was squeezing the melons to see if they were firm, not
pretending I had boobs,” Felix complained.
“You’re such a liar.” Kenny snickered. “Anyway, I gotta get home. Let
me know what you want to do later.”
“Peace out,” Felix said before crossing the street and heading toward
Grant Street.
As Kenny passed trash cans on tree lawns, he dropped his cone into one
of them. Ice cream had been a great idea at the time, but now he was thirsty.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, wishing he could walk around naked.
He would if he didn’t think he’d be arrested for indecent exposure.
Howling Cavern was just too uptight. His neighbor, Mrs. Hattie, thought
Kenny scandalous when he walked around his backyard without a shirt on.
She always called Kenny’s grandfather and complained. Once, she’d even
called the cops on him.
Kenny might have a reedy body, but it wasn’t against the law to show off
his pale skin in the sunlight. Just as long as he kept his shorts on.
Little did Mrs. Hattie know that Kenny sat out in his backyard in the
middle of the night in the nude. He snickered to himself as he headed up his
driveway. Sure enough, Mrs. Hattie was on her porch, giving him the stink
eye.
He smiled and waved to her and her scowl deepened. Whatever. He
stepped into the house and groaned. The interior felt like a hotbox. Kenny
found his grandfather sitting next to a pedestal fan, wearing nothing but his
boxers. He’d gotten over seeing his grandfather with his beer gut hanging out
and the rug attached to his chest. The guy was as furry as a bear, and the
black had nearly turned fully gray.
“Hey, Pops.”
“Can someone turn hell down?” He waved a hand in front of his face.
“Why didn’t you turn the central air on?”
“Because it stopped working three years ago.” Kenny went into the
kitchen and grabbed the ice tray from the freezer. He split the ice into two
glasses, then filled them with water before taking one to his grandfather.
“Why can’t we get the central air fixed?” His grandfather drank his water
down in one gulp. “This tastes like shit.”
“We ran out of bottled water.” Kenny didn’t bother arguing for the
hundredth time that repairing the unit out back would cost too much. Pops
was on a fixed income, and Kenny’s job barely paid the bills. But he wasn’t
one to complain. He had a roof over his head and food on the table, which
was more than most had living in this poor town.
Kenny walked to the bathroom, then set his glass on the counter before
filling the tub with cold water. If he couldn’t go swimming in the creek, he
would drown himself in the bathtub. Just as he started to get undressed, Felix
called.
“It’s not later,” Kenny said when he answered his cell, sticking his legs in
the tub and wiggling his toes under the little bit of water that had so far filled
it. “I thought we’d meet at the creek after the sun went down.”
Though they probably wouldn’t. Felix had a strange reaction to mosquito
bites. His skin swelled in the spots where he’d been bitten, and he scratched
the bites until he bled. But Felix was lucky. He was a fox shifter and could
heal in an instant after he shifted. Kenny was only human, and the
mosquitoes at the lake loved attacking him.
Felix told him that was because Kenny had such sweet blood. He didn’t
believe him.
“I have to cancel on you,” Felix said. “My dad found out I was hanging
out with you, and now he’s throwing a fit.”
Felix’s dad didn’t like humans. Kenny found that out the first time Felix
had introduced Kenny to the man. Mr. Fox—yes, that was really his surname
—had kicked Kenny out and told him to stay away from his son. But their
friendship was more important than any threat, so they began sneaking
around just to see each other.
It would have made for a romantic story if Felix had been Kenny’s type.
But his best friend was just as skinny as he was, and Kenny preferred a manly
man—which Felix was not.
“How did he find out? We walked two blocks to the ice cream stand.
He’s usually parked in his recliner this time of day.”
“My mom decided to send him to the store. He saw us,” Felix whispered.
“I gotta go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Kenny tossed his phone aside, disappointed that they wouldn’t be
meeting up later, if for nothing else than to hang out in his backyard.
The tub was nearly halfway full. Kenny stood and undressed, then sank
deep in the water, wishing Felix’s dad would pull that stick out of his butt. It
wasn’t as if Kenny was a bad influence on Felix. If anything, he always
stopped his best friend from making boneheaded decisions.
Mr. Fox should be thanking him for his services.
Kenny closed his eyes and sighed as the cold water evaporated the heat
from his body. Outside the bathroom door he heard his grandfather moving
around. He was probably getting ready for bed, taking the pedestal fan with
him. Kenny had a box fan in his room and it was pathetic. It blew out hot air
and only worked on one setting. Low.
Just as Kenny started to doze off, he heard a thump outside the bathroom
window. Lately they’d been having problems with coyotes coming down
from the mountains and getting into the trash. They also terrorized the
neighborhood dogs, and tore up anything left in yards.
Kenny pushed from the tub and, dripping wet, looked out the window.
He squinted as he gazed into the darkening yard but didn’t see anything. He’d
turned away, ready to get back into the tub when he heard a strange clicking
noise.
What the heck?
He looked back out the window, straining to see what was making that
sound. Something moved in the growing shadows, and Kenny pinched his
nose when an obnoxious odor wafted toward him. With the stifling humidity,
he guessed it had to be the trash lined on the tree lawns up and down the
street that smelled so nasty.
Again, Kenny didn’t see anything in his backyard that didn’t belong
there. He stuck his leg in the tub and groaned. Just that fast his water had
turned warm. He pulled the plug and wrapped a towel around his waist, then
exited the bathroom.
“Hey, Pops. Did you hear something out back?”
“That’s probably Greta trying to spy on me,” Pops hollered from his
bedroom. “Woman can’t take no for an answer.”
Kenny doubted it was Mrs. Hattie. She had no interest in Kenny’s
grandfather, but Pops swore she was trying to get with him so she could steal
his monthly checks.
He stepped into his bedroom, closed the door, then let his towel drop.
Kenny’s room faced the backyard, and his window was wide open. He didn’t
worry about their house getting broken into. They didn’t own anything worth
stealing.
Plus, with the window open, he was able to catch a stray breeze during
the night. He flopped on the bed, spread his arms and legs, and wished for a
snowstorm.
Kenny closed his eyes, then flashed them open when he heard that
clicking noise again. It was the weirdest sound, and he couldn’t think of
anything that could make it. The only thing in his backyard was a soccer ball,
and he had no clue where it had come from. Some kids must’ve kicked it
back there, but no one had ever come to claim it.
On the other hand, Mrs. Hattie’s backyard was cluttered with yard
ornaments. Every time Kenny sat on the back porch, he swore the gnomes
and pink flamingos were watching him, plotting his demise. The gnomes’
smiles were sinister when the sun went down, and Kenny had expected them
to come alive.
He turned over to look out the window and gasped. One of the shadows
moved, swaying slightly as it crept closer to the house. Kenny jumped up and
cut the lamp off, bathing his bedroom in darkness. He crouched by his bed,
peeking over the bedding to see the shadow turn into…into…what the heck
was that? He’d never seen anyone so emaciated in his life. Its skin was
withered, its eyes sunken in, its ragged clothes hung loosely on its body, and
it kept making that chilling clicking noise. Its body was too skeletal to tell if
it was a man or a woman.
He ducked down when the thing turned its head toward his window,
cursing that he’d left his phone on the bathroom counter.
Kenny got onto his hands and knees and crawled to his door, where he
made a hasty escape, hurrying to fetch his phone before running to his
grandfather’s bedroom and quietly shutting the door.
“What’re you doing?” Pops turned over in his bed and stared wide-eyed
at Kenny. “Is the house on fire? I don’t smell smoke. Did Greta come
knocking at my door? Tell her I’m away on business.”
Kenny’s heart lodged in his throat when he heard something knock over.
The noise sounded like it had come from his bedroom. Had that creature
crawled through his window? Was it in his house? The floorboard outside his
grandfather’s bedroom creaked and Kenny rushed to the door and pressed his
back into the wood.
Pops sat up. “What in tarnation is going on?”
Kenny’s eyes rounded when the doorknob slowly moved back and forth.
He had to have fallen asleep in the tub and this had to be some bizarre
nightmare. Kenny’s mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that some zombie-
looking thing was on the other side of the door.
He yelped when the door jerked slightly open. He shoved his body
against it and the door slammed closed.
His grandfather paled. “Is someone breaking in?”
“Call the cops.” Kenny tossed his cell phone onto Pops’s bed. “Tell
them…tell them…” He was at a loss. He couldn’t very well tell his
grandfather to tell the cops a zombie was trying to get to them. “Tell them
some thugs broke into our house.”
 If that thing was still there when the cops arrived, they could shoot it.
Kenny didn’t care what they did, just as long as they got it out of his house.
His heart thundered when he heard another crash further down the
hallway. Was there more than one of those creatures? No way in heck was he
opening the door to find out. “Call them.”
“I’m trying,” Pops said. “I can’t unlock your phone.”
Pops had never caught on to technology. He was still confused about how
to work the microwave. And on occasion, when he made a call, he still tried
to dial an operator to ask for some phone number that started with a name.
Kenny never understood why he did that.
“Get it out of the house!”
Kenny didn’t recognize the voice coming from somewhere in the house.
Had the cops shown up already? Maybe they’d been after that thing and had
finally caught it.
“What the hell do you think I’m trying to do?” someone else said. “The
fucker keeps trying to bite me.”
His curiosity overcame his caution, and Kenny cracked open the
bedroom door. His jaw dropped when he spotted two large men trying to
tackle the zombie-looking thing. Those weren’t cops. For one, they weren’t
wearing uniforms. Two, cops weren’t that good-looking. At least, Kenny had
never seen any who were.
One guy came from behind and used a full nelson hold to immobilize it
as the other guy shoved his fist into the creature’s chest. Kenny had no idea
what happened next. He slammed his eyes closed as bile climbed up the back
of his throat. Not only was the sight of what those men were doing gross, but
the smell was about to make him vomit.
“Get it out of here,” one of the men said. “We need to make sure no more
feeders are around here.”
Feeders? What did that mean? Kenny opened his eyes and cracked the
door a bit wider. The hinges squeaked, and one of the men looked his way.
Kenny slammed the door closed and pressed his back against it again.
A soft knock sounded on the door. “Open up.”
Was this guy for real? Kenny was supposed to open the door for someone
who had broken into his house? “I’m calling the police!”
“I can’t let you do that,” the man said. “Open up. I promise no harm will
come to you.”
 Kenny was naïve about a lot of things, but he wasn’t dumb enough to
believe the guy.
The door handle turned. Kenny swallowed tightly as he pressed his feet
into the floor, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep the stranger out if he
truly wanted to get in. Both men were huge!
He squeaked and stumbled forward when the door swung open. He
nearly fell on his grandfather before the stranger caught him and steadied
Kenny.
“I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“What…what was that thing?” Kenny stared up into eyes the color of
blueberries. The guy’s hair was dark, shorn low, and he had a low-trimmed
beard and mustache. But the look in his eyes said he was telling the truth, or
at least Kenny was really hoping he was.
“Now see here,” Pops said as he pushed from the bed to stand. “I don’t
know who you are, but…” His brows wrinkled, as if he’d forgotten what he
was about to say.
Pops was in his seventies and wasn’t in the best of health. Kenny
constantly tried to get him to eat better, but healthy food was expensive. But
over the past two years, he’d grown senile, and his memory wasn’t all that
great.
The stranger cocked his head to the side, staring intently at Kenny. He
sniffed the air, and Kenny wondered if he smelled the awful trash. The smell
had grown stronger, and Kenny wished he could plug his nose.
The guy pulled his lips back, showing off two sharp teeth. “Mine!”
The stranger swiped at him, and Kenny ducked just in time.
“You promised!” Kenny grabbed his grandfather’s hand, trying to hurry
from the room, but Pops was slow-moving, making their escape impossible.
The other guy came into the room and grabbed the one who’d tried to get
his hands on Henry. “Whoa, slow the fuck down, Rider!”
“He’s my…” Rider shook his head, grabbing his temples. “I can’t leave
him here with feeders combing the town.”
“Are you sure?” the other guy asked.
Rider dropped his arms, giving his friend an incredulous look. “What the
fuck kind of question is that? My wolf is going apeshit and I want to bite
him.”
His wolf? Felix hadn’t told Kenny there were more kinds of shifters in
the world than just foxes. He was gonna kick his best friend’s butt when he
saw him.
Kenny held up his hand. “I would prefer not to get eaten.”
The stranger laughed. “He’s not gonna eat you. I promise.”
“No offense,” Kenny said, “but Rider promised he wouldn’t harm me,
and from the way he’s acting, he was lying. I’m not gonna believe another
word he has to say.”
“I’m Avery,” the guy said, “and you can trust my word.”
Kenny snorted. “Do I look like I was born yesterday? I don’t even know
you.”
“We need to get out of here.” Rider took a step back, staring at Kenny
with hunger in his dark blue eyes. “I need to get him home.”
Avery waved a hand toward the bedroom door. “That was a feeder out
there. If we hadn’t been tracking it, that creature would have drained you dry.
More are here, in your town, and we can’t let you stay.”
Kenny felt dizzy. He looked at his grandfather, who was staring at both
men with curiosity. He scratched at his furry chest, burped, then grinned.
“I’m Adam Webb.” Pops stuck out his hand, and Kenny grabbed it, stopping
his grandfather from shaking Avery’s hand.
“Pops, they just broke in. They’re not human. One of them wants to eat
me. Stop being so polite.”
“Gather some things,” Rider said as he turned to leave the bedroom.
“You won’t be coming back here.”
Kenny grabbed his phone from Pops’s hand. “I’m calling the police. You
can’t come in here being all scary and expect me to listen.”
Avery narrowed his eyes. “I’m trying to be nice because this is a fucked-
up situation, but you’ll do as Rider says and pack some things.”
“You expect me to listen to some stranger, to leave my grandfather
behind while I go god knows where with you?”
Avery looked Pops over. “You’re right. We can’t leave him behind. Do
you have any relatives he can stay with?”
None Kenny ever wanted to think about. “No.”
Avery growled. “Then he comes, too.”
Kenny tried to dial his phone, but Avery snatched it from his hand and
tucked it into his back pocket.
“Give that back!” Kenny tried to grab for his phone, but Avery easily
dodged him.
“You got five minutes, then you’re leaving, whether you’ve packed or
not,” Avery said.
This was unreal. Kenny stood there fuming as Avery left the bedroom. If
Kenny lived here alone, he would crawl out a window and take off, but he
couldn’t drag his grandfather with him.
Kenny stormed out the bedroom, then came to a hard stop when he saw
that thing on the floor with a big hole in its chest. Now he knew where that
awful smell was coming from. He skirted around the body and followed
Avery into the kitchen.
Rider stood by the back door, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Where exactly are you taking us?” Kenny asked.
Rider turned, the tips of his canines showing. “Into the mountains.”
Kenny swallowed. He’d heard of men living up there. Men who lived by
their own set of rules. Men who were nothing more than savages.
He jutted out his chin as he squared his shoulders. “I’m not going
anywhere with you.”
Rider was across the room before Kenny could blink. He tossed Kenny
over his shoulder and stormed out the door as Kenny punched Rider’s back
and screamed his head off.
 Chapter 2
The higher they climbed into the mountains, the deeper the foliage
became. Kenny tried to remember the route so he could escape later, but it
was too dark, and from what he saw from the backseat, the road branched off
into too many directions.
Okay, so maybe he wouldn’t try to escape. The forest looked too
dangerous to walk through, let alone try to run with wolf shifters pursuing
him. Also, Kenny was willing to bet all kinds of scary creatures were hopping
around out there.
He sat next to his grandfather as Avery drove with Rider in the passenger
seat. Neither shifter had spoken since they drove away from Kenny’s house.
And Kenny’s heart hadn’t stopped thumping. He sat there ready to wet
himself as he bounced his leg, staring into the darkened woods. The only
thing he was grateful for was the cool interior of the Jeep. His sweat had
dried on his skin, and now it itched as Avery made multiple turns, climbing a
steep road.
Kenny slapped a hand over his eyes when he saw how far the drop was.
“Please tell me you’re an excellent driver.”
Pops was snoring loudly beside him, a touch of drool at the side of his
mouth. Kenny grimaced when his grandfather started scratching at his
privates. That was a sight he never wanted to see.
“It’s not my driving skills you need to worry about. Never let Corky get
behind the wheel.”
Kenny had no clue who Corky was. “So does that mean you’re good?”
“You have nothing to worry about,” Avery said.
Kenny looked at the back of Rider’s head. Although he didn’t trust the
guy, something about him made an ache throb in Kenny’s chest.
He curled his hands in his lap, refusing to give in to the urge to touch
Rider’s hair. He would be insane to do that. The guy had bared his sharp teeth
at Kenny, for goodness sake!
“Besides,” Avery said, breaking Kenny’s weird little urge, “we’re here.”
Kenny snapped his head around and smashed his face and hands against
his window. He inhaled sharply as a lavish house came into view.
The front yard was made of colorful stones and had a fire pit in the
middle with wooden benches surrounding it. To the left of the house was a
small hill covered in blossoming flowers. To the right was a stone pull-off
where a few trucks were parked.
The first floor of the house was stone and glass with wood pillars every
ten or so feet. To the right was a set of wooden stairs that led to a wraparound
balcony on the second floor that extended past the first floor. The top of the
house had five A-frame sections.
Avery pulled his red Jeep off to the right and parked next to a dark blue
Toyota Tundra.
“You live here?” Kenny asked.
“I’m gonna take your grandfather inside.” Avery cut the motor and got
out, then opened the back door. “He’ll be safe. I promise.”
Kenny bit his bottom lip. “You do anything to him and I’ll pop you on
the nose, got that?”
Avery grinned. “Loud and clear, squirt.”
Kenny frowned. “Don’t call me that.” He hated when people called him
demeaning names.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to be left alone with Rider. If Avery was a
good guy, why would he leave Kenny alone with a man who wanted to eat
him, and why on earth was Kenny willingly staying behind? As soon as
Avery helped Pops from the backseat, Kenny eased his door open.
“Don’t,” Rider said. “We need to talk.”
“Can’t we do that with other people around?” Kenny pushed his door the
rest of the way open. When he got out, Rider was right there, blocking him
from moving toward the house.
Rider pressed his arm on the roof of the Jeep. God, he was tall. Kenny
had to strain his neck just to look up at him. “So, uh, what did you want to
talk to me about?”
“Rider!”
Kenny spun to find an equally tall man with deep blue eyes heading right
for them, looking as though he was ready to kill someone. Kenny hurried
behind Rider’s back, unsure if this wolf shifter would threaten to eat him, too.
“I just got a call from Valentino who got a call from Sheriff Gilmore. He
tells me some guy was hauled from his house, screaming his head off, and
you fit the description of the kidnapper.”
“I had to get him out of there,” Rider argued. “A feeder broke into his
house and tried to go after him.”
“Did you kill the feeder?” the guy asked.
“Yeah, but—”
“Then that should have been the end of it. Sheriff Connelly plays by the
book. We don’t need any eyes on us.”
“Sheriff Connelly is in Grizzly Ridge, Jesse,” Rider said. “He doesn’t
have jurisdiction in Howling Cavern.”
“You think that matters?” Jesse’s voice had gone deep and low. “He’s
looking for any excuse to send in the National Guard or whoever else he can
convince to invade our territory. I fucking ordered everyone to keep their
heads low.”
Kenny stuck his head from around Rider. That deep blue gaze landed on
him. Were all wolf shifters gorgeous, because the three he’d seen so far were
stunning. Rider being the best looking of the three.
“Is he?” Jesse asked.
“Yeah, he is,” Rider said. “No fucking way was I leaving him behind,
and he wasn’t leaving his grandfather.”
Is he what? Kenny had no idea what they were talking about.
“You could have gone about this in another way,” Jesse said. “Why’d
you have to kidnap him?”
“I didn’t have time to calm him down,” Rider argued. “Declan and Bruno
already reported spotting two more feeders. I had to get him out of there.”
“Avery is heading back into town and he’s taking Heath with him. I’m
sending them to your mate’s house to lock things up and clean up the mess
you two left behind. You’re damn lucky Sheriff Gilmore knows about feeders
or this could have been a disaster.”
Kenny felt like he’d been hauled into a hidden war. He knew men lived
on the mountains, but he didn’t know all this was going on. He’d heard of
Sheriff Connelly. He was a hard-nosed man but a fair guy, too. Not like
Sheriff Blake who’d ruled over Grizzly Ridge before he disappeared.
What shocked Kenny was that Sheriff Gilmore knew about all of this.
Kenny had known the sheriff his entire life, and all he’d ever heard from the
folks in town were good things.
He needed to call Felix. His best friend would flip when he found out
feeders existed, as well as wolf shifters. First, Kenny needed to learn what
exactly a feeder was.
Kenny looked at the house again, amazed by its beauty. He just hoped
they had central air, because he was sweating his butt off as he stood there
listening to these two argue.
“Why don’t you take—” Jesse eyed Kenny. “What’s your name?”
Rider turned and looked at Kenny, as if just realizing he’d never asked.
Kenny was used to people ignoring him. Felix was the only person who went
out of their way for him.
“Kenneth Webb, but everyone calls me Kenny.” Kenny would have
demanded to know what was going on before he handed out his name, but
these two looked scary as all get-out and Kenny didn’t possess a brave bone
in his body.
He still wasn’t sure that either man wouldn’t eat him.
“Get your mate inside,” Jesse said, scrubbing a hand over his unshaven
jaw. “And explain everything to him before he tries to take off and makes this
even more complicated.”
When Rider grabbed his hand, Kenny hurried alongside him to keep up,
praying he wasn’t headed to his death.

****

Jesse had pulled his phone free, ready to call Sheriff Gilmore to let him
know that Kenny was okay when his phone rang. It was Lazarus, the snow
leopards’ alpha. This couldn’t be good. Jesse and Lazarus had spoken only a
handful of times, and every single time their conversations revolved around
business.
He was pissed at how Rider had handled the situation, but he didn’t
blame the guy. Finding one’s mate was rare, and no way in hell would Rider
have simply walked away. Things had been too damn complicated since
those hunters had invaded the mountains, and Jesse had killed two men
because they’d shot Trigger Rising.
But on the mountains, the shifters lived by their own set of rules. It had
been that way for generations, and Jesse would be damned if he allowed
humans to get involved in their lives.
Any more than they already had. From what Sheriff Gilmore had told
Jesse, Clint Rising, the eldest brother, had threatened to shed blood if any
more humans invaded their lands.
It wasn’t a secret that the bears and wolves didn’t quite get along, but
Jesse had a new level of respect for Clint after he’d issued that kind of threat.
Clint might be done playing nice, but Jesse not only had a pack to run,
but a town to protect. Howling Cavern was more preternatural than human,
and it was up to Jesse’s pack to keep the residents safe.
“This really isn’t a good time,” Jesse said when he answered.
“I’m hearing a rumor that land developers are looking into your neck of
the woods,” Lazarus said.
That was the first Jesse had heard of it. He couldn’t understand how
someone from Cat Creek had heard about it when Lazarus’s town was a
hundred miles away from Jesse’s territory. “Do you trust the rumor?”
“Not sure if I do,” Lazarus said. “But I thought you should know in case
it’s true.”
Jesse didn’t trust gossip. Especially when it came from an unknown
source. But it was odd that the story hadn’t come from Howling Cavern. How
on earth did someone know who was so far away? Just in case it was true,
Jesse asked, “Do you have the name of the company looking into the area?”
If Jesse got a name, he could look the company up, make some inquiries,
and lay the rumor to rest. Hopefully.
“No,” Lazarus said. “You might want to get in touch with your local
sheriff. If anyone would know the politics at play, he would.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” Jesse said.
Lazarus hung up without a good-bye.
Jesse dialed Hal.
“Sheriff Gilmore.”
“It’s Jesse Callahan.”
“Knew you’d be calling,” Hal said. “Want to tell me why one of your
men kidnapped one of my residents?”
“Kenny is Rider’s mate.” There was no use hiding the truth when Hal
already knew about mates. Plus, divulging that information would make
things go a little more smoothly. A part of Jesse was glad the sheriff knew.
They could cut to the chase without having to come up with a lie.
“And Adam?”
“Who?” Jesse asked.
“Kenny’s grandfather.”
“He’s here, too. They’re both safe, Hal. A feeder broke into their home
and tried to attack them.”
Dealing with feeders had been hard enough when they were simply
invading the mountains. Now they were migrating to the town, and Jesse
would be damned if unsuspecting residents got their throats torn out by those
things. He had to find a way to eradicate them. But until then, he sent men
from his pack to keep an eye on things in Howling Cavern.
Hal sighed. “I really hate that my eyes were opened to your world. My
life was already complicated enough without having to watch out for those
nasty things.”
Jesse moved to the fire pit and took a seat on one of the benches. He’d
left his mate and son inside, intending on going for a short run, but that would
have to wait now. He needed to make sure things were sorted out with Kenny
and Rider.
And what the hell were they going to do with the old man? Seriously.
“You hear anything about some developers looking into my land?” Jesse
asked. He spotted Avery and Heath heading his way. His beta slowed, eyeing
Jesse.
“You know I would’ve called you right away if I’d heard anything like
that,” Hal said. “But I’ll look into the matter, if there is one.”
“Appreciate it,” Jesse said. “Gotta go.”
He hung up and stood, telling Avery and Heath about his phone call with
Lazarus.
“Just when we thought things were starting to settle down,” Avery said.
“I swear we can’t catch a fucking break to save our lives.”
“For now track down any feeders you can and eliminate them. We don’t
need Howling Cavern turning into a buffet.”
Since the Risings didn’t live too far from Jesse, he decided to call Clint
and warn him about the rumor. If it was true, it would affect the bears, too.
Jesse held the deed to the land around him, but if developers were looking
into building something, they could use the land right next to his, and Jesse
would be damned if he allowed humans to invade his mountains. Not only
would that be bad for them, an influx of people with the feeders haunting
their woods would be even worse.
But he’d make that call to Clint later. Right now Jesse wanted to get back
inside and make sure Rider was telling Kenny about their world. Hopefully
Kenny didn’t freak out the way Corky had. Jesse had chased after his mate
for months, and it hadn’t been pretty. Not until Jesse had reassured Corky he
wouldn’t be in this alone.
With a deep sigh, Jesse headed inside.

****

Rider checked out Kenny’s backside as they ascended the stairs. When
they reached the second floor, Rider waved to the right. “Last door at the end
of the hall.”
“Are you sure you’re not luring me up here to eat me?”
Rider wasn’t sure how he was keeping his wolf under control. His gums
were burning and his canines hadn’t retracted. The need to bite him was
overwhelming, but it wasn’t what Kenny thought. One bite from Rider and
Kenny’s body would go through the change, readying him for conception.
But Rider wasn’t about to bite Kenny without him fully understanding
what he was getting into. Rider was close with Avery, whose dad had forced
Avery’s mother into mating. She’d hated him with a passion, and Brutus had
ended up killing her. After that, Avery had joined Jesse’s pack back when
Jesse’s mom and dad were still alive.
After hearing that horrific story, Rider had promised himself that if he
ever found his mate, he would let him decide whether or not they mated.
It wasn’t easy, though. Rider’s wolf was close to the skin, snarling to get
free, anxious to claim Kenny.
He stood back as Kenny entered his bedroom, then joined him. Kenny
looked around, his lips slightly parted. “This has to be the nicest bedroom
I’ve ever been in.”
Rider stood by the door, his arms folded, watching as Kenny explored.
His little mate hurried toward the balcony door, yanked it open, and went
outside. “Oh my god! Look at this view. I can see for miles.”
Rider thought for sure he’d have a battle on his hands when they were
upstairs. Kenny hadn’t been particularly willing to leave his home and had
been pretty much silent the entire ride there. Now he was exuberant.
“It is a nice view.” Rider closed the door and took a seat on his bed. He
pulled off his boots and tossed them aside, then turned his head and stared at
his mate who was smiling from ear to ear as he gripped the wooden railing.
Rider hadn’t had time to process the fact he’d found his mate. There he stood,
slim, with pretty blue eyes and short, wavy auburn hair, looking so edible, but
not in the way Kenny feared. Rider wanted to eat the man up, but in a sexual
way.
His gaze slid over Kenny’s backside, his cock hardening as he pulled his
shirt over his head and tossed it aside. When Kenny turned, his eyes widened.
“I know what a mate is,” he said as he moved slowly toward the balcony
door. “I have a friend who is a fox shifter, and his parents are mates.” He
stepped back into the bedroom, licking his lips. “You called me your mate. Is
that true?”
Rider braced his hands against the window frame, staring out into the
woods. “I have to tell you, my wolf wants to bite you, and I’m finding it hard
to stop it.”
“I thought we were past the whole eating thing?”
Rider turned his head to gaze at Kenny, knowing he had to look
frightening. His canines hadn’t retracted, and he felt his eyes glowing. “Not
to eat you. If I bite you, your body will go through a change.”
“To become a wolf like you?” Kenny’s eyes rounded. “I have to tell you,
I don’t think I’d be a good wolf.”
Rider chuckled. The boy was adorable. “Not to change you into a wolf. A
bite won’t do that. But it will get your body ready for conception.”
Kenny pressed his hand against his stomach. “You’re lying.”
He said it a joking way, but Rider’s smile faded. He looked intently at
Kenny to let his mate know just how serious he was.
“Oh, boy.” Kenny scratched his head. “That’s uh…I mean…I don’t even
know you. We can’t have a baby together.”
Rider cocked his head. Kenny wasn’t flipping out over the fact a man
could conceive, only that they didn’t know each other. He was definitely a
peculiar guy. Rider crossed the room and pulled Kenny into his arms,
fighting back his wolf as his beast pushed harder and harder to get free. “We
could get to know each other.”
“Okay, you know what?” Kenny squirmed until Rider released him. “I
need to call my best friend. I make the worst decisions ever and he usually
helps me when I’m confused.”
“Your fox-shifter friend?”
“The only friend I have.”
“He can’t help you.” Rider moved behind Kenny to close the balcony
door.
“Why is that?”
“Because,” Rider said, turning to face him, “he knows nothing about our
ways on the mountains. He won’t be of any help to you, and I can’t have you
telling him about male pregnancy.”
A burp of laughter escaped Kenny’s throat. He held up a hand. “I’m
sorry. I don’t mean to laugh. I do that when I’m nervous.”
“Aw, sweetie, you don’t need to be nervous.” Rider lay horizontally
across the bed, on his stomach, tucking his hands under his chin. “We can
just talk if you want to. You know, getting to know each other.”
Kenny scooted in beside him, his feet dangling off the side. Rider closed
his eyes, trying his best to slow his breathing. His heart hammered and his
teeth ached, and fuck, keeping his hands to himself wasn’t easy. He not only
scented Kenny’s nervousness, but his arousal.
His mate wanted him. There was no doubt in Rider’s mind. He just had to
find a way to convince Kenny to let his guard down before Rider lost his
damn mind.
 Chapter 3
Kenny must’ve fallen asleep. He hadn’t meant to because the
conversation he’d had with Rider had only just begun before Kenny found
himself dozing off. He turned over and stretched, noticing that Rider wasn’t
in the bed. When Kenny turned over the other way, he saw Rider standing on
the balcony.
And he was butt naked.
Good Lord! His butt had to have been sculpted because it was nicely
flared and muscled, and Kenny had to bite his lower lip to stop from
moaning. If only Kenny could burn the image into his mind of Rider standing
on the wooden balcony naked, the leaves rustling just beyond him, the sun
just rising and creating light shadows that perfected his outline.
Kenny closed his eyes when Rider turned. He didn’t want the guy to
catch him ogling his naked body. That would just be rude, and Kenny didn’t
want Rider to make him go home for being rude. He liked it here, the
peacefulness, the central air, and Rider’s bedroom that was simply stunning.
But most of all he liked the man standing naked outside.
“Do you want some coffee?”
Kenny cracked one eye open. “How did you know I was awake?”
Rider was facing him, and Kenny got a good eyeful of his cock. And
what a nice, thick beauty it was. He shut his eye, telling himself not to get
hard, but it was impossible not to.
“I heard your pattern of breathing change.”
Kenny opened his eyes. “You can hear me breathing?”
With a nod Rider sat on the edge of the bed. “I can also smell your
emotions.”
Rider had sat by Kenny’s head, so Kenny was staring at his butt. Kenny
sucked in his bottom lip as he turned his head, feeling his face catch fire.
Except on the internet, Kenny had never seen a naked man before. And Rider
was all man, intimidating Kenny as he tried to think of an excuse to leave the
room.
“Breakfast?” Rider asked.
That would be the perfect reason to get out of there. Kenny pushed to a
sitting position, brushing his hand over his cheek, wishing the heat in his face
would die down. “Let me slide my shoes on, then we can—”
“The tray is on the table.” Rider stood and walked past Kenny, showing
off his beautiful cock again. How had Kenny not noticed the tray on the table,
or the succulent scent of sausages?
Because you’ve been too busy checking his sausage out.
With the food already in the room, that meant he was still trapped with
Mr. Naked. “I need to go check on Pops.”
“I checked on him before I brought breakfast up.” Rider removed the lids
from the plates. Steam rose from the eggs and hash browns, making Kenny
sniff the wonderful aroma. “He’s enjoying watching television in the living
room.”
“You went downstairs naked?” The thought made Kenny want to bare his
blunt teeth. The reaction shocked him, though. Was it because they were
mates? Was that why he wanted to knock out everyone who’d seen Rider’s
naked backside?
A grin spread across Rider’s face, as if he knew that Kenny was jealous
and liked it. “No, I was wearing clothes. I took a shower after I got back to
the room. I like to air-dry.”
Kenny’s gaze immediately dropped to Rider’s groin. The man’s cock was
half-hard. He looked away and concentrated on an interesting piece of string
hanging from a tear in the knee of his jeans.
In any other aspect of his life, Kenny was somewhat confident, but when
talking to men, he floundered horribly and usually rushed away.
He couldn’t run this time, and Rider wasn’t making this easy on him. The
wolf shifter moved around the room with no shame in being naked, flashing
his gorgeous cock like it was no big deal.
“I need to use the bathroom.” Kenny hopped up from the bed and rushed
around it, tripping over his own feet. He would’ve crashed to the floor, but
Rider caught him and pulled Kenny close to his nude body.
“Careful.” Rider’s voice was deep, husky, and Kenny forgot how to
breathe as all those hardened muscles pressed against him.
 Rider turned him around, and now Kenny was staring into his blue eyes.
Only they weren’t the same blue as Kenny’s. They were darker, hypnotizing,
and Kenny tried his best to remember how to think. His body seemed to have
forgotten what to do when this close to such a sexy man.
Then again, one part of his body had a mind of its own. His cock
hardened as Rider lowered his head and sniffed along Kenny’s shoulder. He
panted heavily against Kenny’s skin, his tongue tracing the collar of Kenny’s
shirt.
A moan escaped before Kenny could stop it. The sound whispered
between them as his arms ached to coil around the man’s neck. Rider’s hand
slid up Kenny’s back, bringing him closer as Rider nibbled along his neck.
Kenny barely registered when Rider turned and placed him on the bed.
He knelt as Kenny stared at the ceiling, trying to blink away the fog wrapped
around his mind. He gasped when Rider pulled Kenny’s pants and underwear
down and tossed them aside.
Kenny felt real stupid having his socks still on, but Rider didn’t seem to
care.
He had seconds to realize what Rider had done before Rider took
Kenny’s cock into his mouth. His mouth fell open as his eyes rolled to the
back of his head. Raw pleasure pulsed through him as he whined, curling his
fingers into his palms, the nails biting into his skin.
Kenny heard a drawer open, and a moment later, a wet finger poked at
his hole. He simply lay there, frozen, unsure what to do as Rider’s finger
pushed inside him.
Oh hell. Rider must’ve sucked Kenny’s brain out through his cock,
because he couldn’t string two thoughts together. He shoved to his elbows,
then dropped back down, crying out his release as Rider added another
finger, milking Kenny’s cock as his orgasm wrung him dry.
He shuddered as Rider kissed his inner thighs, but his fingers were still
lodged in Kenny’s ass. He kissed a path up Kenny’s body until he reached
Kenny’s neck.
“Touch me,” Rider whispered against his jaw. “I want you to know how
badly I want you.”
Kenny curled his fingers around Rider’s cock. The flesh was hard and hot
as he stroked it. Rider hissed, closing his eyes before he buried his face in
Kenny’s neck.
 “Don’t bite me,” Kenny warned. He wasn’t sure about any of this, but he
knew he needed time to process everything without having to deal with male
pregnancy.
The muscles in Rider’s neck grew taut, his canines proof that Kenny
needed to take this slow. When Rider flashed his eyes open, the blue glowed
like twin incandescent flames.
Kenny released Rider’s cock and rolled away just in time. Rider bit the
air where Kenny’s shoulder had been, then punched the mattress. Kenny
backed up to the headboard, watching, scared out of his mind.
“I’m sorry.” Rider clenched his jaw. “It’s my instinct that’s making me
half-crazy. You’re safe. I promise.”
“I trust you.” Where in the blue blazes had those words come from? With
the way Rider looked, Kenny would have to be insane to take him at his word
—especially when Rider growled.
He scooted off the bed and hightailed it into the bathroom, slamming the
door behind him.

****

Rider rolled from the bed and got dressed, cursing the entire time. He
hadn’t meant to scare Kenny, but fighting to keep his wolf at bay was the
hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
He stepped to the bathroom door and knocked. “Your breakfast is getting
cold.”
To his surprise, Kenny opened the door. Rider thought he’d have to stand
there for hours trying to convince Kenny he was safe. But his mate strolled
out, grabbed his pants and underwear from the floor, and dressed.
“Can we eat on the balcony?” He smiled up at Rider and those blue eyes
sparkled, sucking Rider in.
“We can do whatever you want, sweetheart.” He took the tray and headed
outside. Already the morning was humid, but Rider liked the heat, and Kenny
didn’t seem to mind as he sat on the wooden floor and crossed his legs.
After setting the tray down, Rider joined him, and they enjoyed their
breakfast as the sun rose higher. But the house was tucked deep against the
woods, and the shade and stray wind felt good.
“I’m sorry I freaked out,” Kenny said before biting into his muffin. “I
hope you’re not mad at me.”
Rider stared incredulously at him. “Why would I be mad at you? I’m the
one who nearly lost control.”
Kenny shrugged. “You said you were acting on instinct. How can I blame
you for that?”
Rider chuckled. God, this was unreal. How had he ended up with such a
sweet and understanding mate? After the way Kenny had acted at his house,
Rider thought he would have a stubborn, hardheaded man on his hands.
He’d been wrong.
“So, explain to me about this male-pregnancy thing. I want to know
everything before I make an informed decision.” Kenny had jelly on the side
of his mouth, and Rider couldn’t resist leaning over and licking it off.
Kenny blushed, and Rider thought it adorable how easily flustered his
mate became. “I bite you, which won’t be painful, and release a chemical into
your body. Unfortunately I’m told the change does hurt, but not for long.”
“Then my body is ready to carry a baby?” Kenny’s brows rose as he
stared in disbelief at him.
“It is.” Rider scooped some eggs onto his fork and fed them to Kenny.
“But you might not conceive right away.”
He wasn’t sure if he should tell Kenny about the heat he would go
through if he didn’t conceive right away. But his mate wanted full disclosure,
so Rider explained it to him.
“So I’ll be super horny?” Instead of looking stricken, Kenny smiled, as if
the thought was funny. “I guess if I’m gonna give up my cookies, my mate
would be the best choice.”
Rider’s jaw dropped. “You mean you’ve never had sex?”
Had Kenny just referred to his hole as cookies or was that a reference to
his virginity? Rider wasn’t sure, but he was blown away by the revelation.
“Does my hand count?” Kenny blushed as he snickered.
Fuck me sideways. Rider fed him another forkful of eggs as his gaze slid
over Kenny’s body. Knowing that no man had ever touched his mate, Rider
knew he had to take his time.
“No.” Rider chuckled. “Your hand doesn’t count.”
“So, how long would I have a bun in the oven?” Kenny took another bite,
leaving behind jelly again. This time Rider used his thumb to wipe away the
mess.
 If he kept licking his mate, he might not be able to stop, and Rider
wanted Kenny to fully understand what would happen before he pulled him
back into bed.
“Three months.”
“That’s all?” Kenny twisted his lips to the side, as if seriously
considering it. “How do I know I’ll be a good dad?”
“I’ll be there to help you. Corky will be there for you, as well.”
“Who’s Corky?”
“The alpha’s mate. They already have a son.”
Kenny slid a sausage link between his lips, and Rider bit back a groan.
“Let me think about it. I really do want to call my best friend, though.”
Rider threw Kenny’s words back at him. “Let me think about it.”
Kenny kept nibbling on that damn sausage, making Rider get up and
head back into their bedroom. He hadn’t gotten off earlier and felt like his
skin was too tight for his body.
Maybe a cold shower was in order. He left Kenny on the balcony as he
stepped into the bathroom and cut the shower on. Rider stripped, then stepped
under the cold spray, stopping the shout from leaving his throat.
As cold as the water was, his dick wasn’t coming out anytime soon. He
closed his eyes and pressed his palms against the tiles, sticking his head
under the frigid spray. He hoped Kenny made his decision soon, because
Rider’s entire body was one pulsing need. He’d hoped the cold shower would
help, but his dick was still hard and he was still fighting to keep his wolf at
bay.
“I need a shower, too.” Kenny stood there completely naked as he looked
up at Rider. “Mind if I join you?”
“The Devil sent you, didn’t he?” Rider’s voice was hoarse as he stared at
Kenny’s flaccid cock. “I’m being tortured for how I lived my past life, aren’t
I?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. So is that a yes or no?”
Rider made the water warmer so Kenny wouldn’t shrivel up under the
cold assault. “Come on in.”
“Oh my god,” Kenny said with a groan as he stepped inside. “This feels
fantastic.”
Rider stood there with a hard-on from hell, staring down at his mate as
Kenny lathered up. Either the little human was clueless about how badly he
was torturing Rider, or he was an evil imp who was out to kill him.
Rider was trying his best to behave, to not let his wolf win, but Kenny
was making it hard as fuck for Rider to play nice.
“Can you get my back?” Kenny asked, holding the soapy cloth. “I can’t
reach it.”
Rider inhaled deeply as he took it. Kenny turned, pointing to his back
from over his shoulder. “Right there, please.”
The shower stall was becoming unfocused. Rider’s wolf was getting
closer. His canines ached so badly they felt like they would burst from his
gums at any second.
He glided the cloth down Kenny’s back, making circular motions,
drawing it lower and lower until he was at the small of Kenny’s back.
Kenny snickered. “That tickles.”
Rider gripped the cloth tighter. He blew out a breath as he soaped one of
Kenny’s ass cheeks, then the other, purposely avoiding the middle.
When Kenny moaned, Rider dropped the cloth and gripped the right
cheek, massaging the soft, pliable skin as he hissed.
“I’ll get that.” Kenny bent over, reaching for the fallen cloth, and Rider
got an eyeful of his wet, soapy hole.
He’d never rushed from the shower stall so fast in his life. Rider slid
across the stone floor, nearly falling on his ass as he escaped.
“Where’re you going?” Kenny called out as Rider made a hasty retreat to
his bedroom. He stood by the window, counting, trying to calm his raging
need.
A moment later, Kenny ambled from the bathroom, dripping wet. “Is
something wrong?”
Rider closed the distance, grabbed Kenny under his arms, and lifted him
off his feet, and tossed him onto the bed. Kenny laughed as he tried to wiggle
his way off the mattress.
“You’re killing me, sweetheart.”
Kenny stopped moving and stared wide-eyed at Rider. His gaze lowered
to Rider’s heavily-pulsing hard-on. When his mate’s tongue slid over his
bottom lip, Rider almost came.
“I never got to do you,” Kenny said. “Is that what you want? For me to
suck your prick?”
Rider slapped a hand over his eyes, blocking out how seductive Kenny
looked lying there, wet and naked, anxious to suck him off. His good
intentions were gonna fly out the window if Kenny came anywhere near him.
“I don’t know if I’ll be as good as you, but I’ll try.”
Rider went rigid when he felt Kenny’s lips at the head of his cock,
licking tentatively, and his hand curling around Rider’s prick. His legs shook,
his wolf howled, and Rider dropped his arm to watch as Kenny engulfed him.
Kenny gagged and pulled back, his eyes watery. “That’s a lot to take in.”
Curling his hand around his cock, Rider covered a good four inches.
“Better?”
He took Rider back into his mouth. How the fuck was he supposed to—
“Shit, Kenny. You have to stop. I want to bite you too badly.”
But Kenny kept sucking and licking, then he reached between Rider’s
legs and tugged at his balls.
Rider snarled as he came, stroking his cock furiously as his cum shot
down Kenny’s throat. Kenny coughed and pulled back, and Rider’s spunk hit
his face.
With a growl, Rider took him down to the bed and licked his face clean
as he struggled not to sink his canines into Kenny’s shoulder.
This mating was gonna be the death of Rider.
 Chapter 4
As Rider dressed, he kept his gaze away from Kenny. His mate was a
temptation he was finding harder and harder to resist.
Kenny padded around the room with only his underwear on, then stopped
to use the remote for the television, his tongue touching the side of his mouth.
That mouth. Rider gave a quiet moan as he sat on the bed, pulling his
boots on.
“Where’re you going?”
“Downstairs.” Rider needed a moment away from Kenny before his
resolve crumpled and he claimed the little imp.
“Are the batteries dead in this thing?” Kenny shook the remote as if that
would help. His tongue stuck out the side of his mouth again while he pressed
various buttons.
Rider stood, grabbed the remote, and tossed it aside. “Why don’t you get
dressed? You can come downstairs with me and check on your grandfather.”
Kenny’s blue eyes sparkled. “Yes, I need to check on him. Sometimes
Pops has a hard time with reality.” He moved around the room, collecting his
clothes, and Rider went to the bag they’d brought with them and rummaged
through it.
“Here, put on some clean clothes, sweetheart.” He tossed Kenny a pair of
jeans, a shirt, and some underwear. As Rider hunched by the bag, trying to
find socks, his gaze kept wandering back to his mate. Kenny had pulled his
underwear off, and his cock dangled as he stood by the bed, smoothing his
clothes out.
Rider usually prided himself on his self-restraint, but damn…he ripped
his gaze away and found some socks for Kenny. Rider gripped them tightly
in his hand. “We should hurry up.”
If Kenny didn’t cover himself soon, Rider wasn’t sure he would be able
to control himself. Thankfully Kenny stopped running his hands over his
clothes and dressed.
Rider brushed his hand over his hair, blowing out a slow breath. He
stood, then grabbed Kenny’s hand and led him downstairs.
“I love this house,” Kenny said as he followed behind Rider.
“Thank you.” Rider stopped at the bottom of the stairs, noticing the entire
pack was in the living room. He cocked his head and looked Jesse’s way.
“What’s going on?”
It wasn’t unusual for them to hang out like this, but judging by the
somber look on everyone’s face, something was going on.
“Where’s my grandfather?” Kenny asked as he looked around.
“He’s still asleep,” Jesse said. “He has the guest bedroom just beyond the
kitchen if you want to go check on him.”
Rider didn’t want to let Kenny out of his sight but released his hand and
let his mate wander away. His wolf snarled, telling Rider to go after Kenny,
but he resisted as he leaned against the banner of the staircase and crossed his
arms.
“I got a call from Lazarus yesterday.” Jesse paced in front of the floor-to-
ceiling windows. “He told me there’s a rumor going around about some
developer looking into the land around us.”
Snarls erupted. The first thing that came to Rider’s mind was his father’s
company. But Marcel Real Estate and Development was located in
California, and he doubted Ross Marcel would be interested in building
anything this deep in the mountains, but Rider couldn’t help the knee-jerk
thought that his father would be greedy enough to raze a part of the
mountains if it meant lining his pockets.
Jesse held up a hand. “It’s just gossip so far. I called Sheriff Gilmore, but
he hasn’t heard anything about it. I just wanted to keep you men abreast.”
“We did a full sweep of the town,” Avery said from the couch he was
seated on. “We only found one more feeder besides the one at Kenny’s
house.”
“And we still haven’t found where they rest during the day,” Bruno said.
“Every shifter on these mountains has been searching.”
“But there’s too much land to cover,” Jesse added. “It’ll take us years to
search every cave. We just need to stay vigilant. Try and map out where
they’re spotted when the sun goes down. If we can figure that out, we might
have a chance of finding at least one of their locations.”
 “You think there’s more than one?” Heath asked.
“Right now I don’t know.” Jesse shook his head. “We know very little
about these creatures. I mean, they just started appearing over the past year,
so they have to have some kind of feeding cycle, but if they do, we don’t
know how long that cycle lasts, and we don’t need any more incidents in
town, or any more hikers killed.”
Rider was listening, but his mind kept going back to the rumor. His father
had made his fortune from shady deals, uncaring who got hurt to pad his bank
account.
He knew his father had been involved in the scheme to drive out the
residents of a small town in Southern California, displacing at least two
thousand people to raze the town and put up high-end waterfront
condominiums for the rich. He’d even heard rumors that his father had hired
thugs to kill a few people who had resisted.
Of course, there had never been any proof to take to a prosecutor. His
father never got his hands dirty. That was one reason Rider had left home.
Ross Marcel was too fucking corrupt, and Rider couldn’t stand by and watch
him crush innocent people—including members of his own family.
Rider had tried once to take his father down, and nearly lost his life. His
brakes had “mysteriously” given out while he’d been driving down a steep
street in Los Angeles. If Rider didn’t possess supernatural healing powers, he
would have died in the wreck.
Again, he didn’t think his father would be interested in land this far
away, but Rider’s gut churned at the thought.
He pushed away from the stairs to search for Kenny. He found his mate
in the guest bedroom, sprawled on the bed while watching television. His
grandfather was still fast asleep.
Kenny looked at him when Rider entered. God, that smile was like a
punch to the gut. “I thought I’d hang in here while you had your meeting.”
Rider folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “You’re family
now. Pack business is your business, too.”
Kenny turned his head but not before Rider saw the tears in his eyes.
“Kenny, what’s wrong?” he asked, baffled.
Kenny pushed from the bed and tossed the remote aside. He cleared his
throat and wiped at his eyes before facing Rider. “Nothing.”
He pulled Kenny into the small hallway, then shut the bedroom door.
“Tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart.”
“Nothing.” Kenny bit his bottom lip.
Rider tucked his fingers under Kenny’s chin and made his mate look at
him. “Lie to me again and I’m gonna spank your bottom.”
Kenny’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t really do that, would you?”
“Try me.”
With a deep sigh, Kenny said, “My mom died giving birth to me, and
when I was six, my dad dropped me off at my grandfather’s house for a
weekend visit, but he never came back. It’s just been me and Pops all these
years. He never even batted an eye at raising me, but I’ve always wanted a
big family. And now—”Kenny wiped at his nose as tears fell—“and now
you’re telling me I can have a big family.”
He enveloped Kenny in his arms. “A family that’ll protect you.”
Kenny pulled away and squinted at Rider. “What do I need protection
from?”
“Besides the feeders?”
His brows shot up. “Oh, yeah. Them.”
“You’re a breath of fresh air, sweetheart.” Rider grabbed his hand,
opened the door in Pops’s bedroom that led to the backyard, and headed
outside.
“Where’re we going?”
“For a walk,” Rider said. “I want to show you just how beautiful these
mountains are.”
With the sun shining brightly across the mountains, Rider knew the
feeders weren’t a threat, and he could handle wild animals. He wanted to
show Kenny why he loved the mountains so much, and why every shifter
who lived on them would die to protect their lands.
“So,” Kenny said as he tried but failed to climb over a large fallen tree.
Rider picked him and pulled him over it before setting him on his feet. “I
want to know more about becoming a daddy.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you.” They came to a clearing with a large
lake surrounded by woods. On the other side was Rising territory, but Rider
didn’t plan on walking that far.
Bears and wolves didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye, but Rider had his mate
with him, so if he ran into any of the Rising men, he knew they wouldn’t start
any shit.
 Shifters on the mountains might not get along, but they all knew—
including the lions and snow leopards—that mates were sacred.
“Oh my god!” Kenny looked at the lake with wide eyes. “This is so much
better than the creek I never swim in. The water here isn’t muddy. I can see
fish!”
“Care to go for a swim?”
Rider hadn’t gotten the words out before Kenny was stripping down to
his underwear. He moved toward the edge and tested the water with his toes.
“It’s nice and cold.”
Across the lake, Rider saw a rowboat in the water. It looked as if Clint,
his mate Dane, and their son were inside. The shifters not only knew that
mates were sacred, they fiercely protected them. As long as Rider and Kenny
didn’t go too far out, they would avoid any confrontation.
Then again, the lake was so huge, Rider doubted they would swim that
far out.
He stripped down to his boxer briefs, grabbed Kenny around the waist,
and rushed forward, splashing as they went into deeper waters.
“I can’t swim!” Kenny’s nails dug into Rider’s back.
“Don’t worry.” Rider gave Kenny a quick kiss. “I won’t let you go.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” They were only in four feet of water, but Kenny held on to
him as if they were in the middle of the deep lake. But that didn’t bother
Rider. He liked how Kenny was damn near wrapped around him. It brought
Kenny closer to him, enabling Rider to hold his mate.
He slid his hand over Kenny’s slim back,
“Can I get on your back while you swim?” Kenny asked.
Rider moved his mate behind him. “Hang on tight, sweetheart.”
Rider’s feet were still touching rocks. He wouldn’t go too far now that he
knew Kenny was afraid.
“This is so fun!” Kenny whooped.
Rider chuckled. “Want to go underwater?”
“I’m not ready for that,” Kenny said. “Um, Rider?”
“Yeah?”
“Is that large cat supposed to be swimming toward us?”
Rider looked to his right, then his left and spotted the wild mountain lion
swimming their way. The large cats were usually stealthy, lying in wait
instead of attacking head-on.
He pulled Kenny from his back and hauled ass from the water. The
mountain lion slowed, then turned and headed in the opposite direction.
“That was…” Kenny held a hand over his heart. “Maybe the lake isn’t so
fantastic after all. It wasn’t a shifter, was it?”
“No, it was a wild animal.” Rider looked around, but the mountain lion
was gone. Not that he was afraid of the creature, but Rider didn’t want to hurt
it if it had gotten any closer to Kenny. “You’re right. We should head back to
the house.”
“That’s a good idea.” Kenny’s eyes were still wide as he scanned their
surroundings.
They dressed and Rider led his mate home. His plan to seduce Kenny
hadn’t worked out, but they still had the rest of the day.

****

Hal strolled into city hall. For a town with two thousand residents, it
wasn’t a very big building. Not only did it house the mayor’s office, but
public utilities, too. The only reason it didn’t have the police department
attached to it was that the town had nearly burned down in the eighteen
hundreds. The officials had decided back then to keep the police station
separate so all government employees wouldn’t be at risk in case of another
fire.
Hal liked it that way. It kept him as far from politics as he could get,
though he couldn’t escape them entirely.
“Good morning, Sheriff Gilmore,” Cindy said as Hal entered the waiting
area outside the mayor’s office. “Do you have an appointment?”
“Nah.” Hal pulled off his hat and scratched at his hair. “Just seeing if
James has a minute to chat.”
She was young enough to be his daughter, but every time Hal came to
visit the mayor, her coy looks and deep blush told him she liked older men.
That was why he tried his best to keep his distance from Cindy.
“Let me check.” She blushed as she smiled at him, and Hal moved across
the office and took a seat. He wasn’t there for long before James emerged
from his office, grinning.
“Hal, come on in.” He waved toward the open door. Mayor Preston was a
short, portly man with a barrel stomach that made his suspenders stretch over
the expanse. He still had a head full of rich, brown hair, but the sides held a
touch of gray. No doubt he had his expensive suits tailor-made to fit his oddly
pear-shaped body.
As soon as Hal entered, James closed the door. “What brings the fine
sheriff of Howling Cavern to my office?”
James went to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. He pointed to an
empty glass, but Hal held up a hand. He wasn’t sure if James was that
forgetful or he didn’t give a shit that Hal had been on the wagon for almost
twenty years.
Hal sat in the chair across from the desk, where a fat cigar burned in a
glass ashtray. It was against the law to smoke in government buildings, but
what was Hal gonna do, write the man who presided over Howling Cavern
and Grizzly Ridge a ticket?
James was old money, and well-liked by the high-end residents of both
towns who were no doubt large campaign contributors. Hal tried his best not
to make waves, so he overlooked the burning cigar.
And the drinking.
“I was wondering if you could help me put a rumor to bed,” Hal said as
James sat behind his desk.
James’s thick brows drew together, making him look like he had a long
unibrow. “I’ll try.”
“I’m hearing that some land developer is looking into some parcel land
on the mountains.”
James’s bushy brows rose before they fell back into place. “That’s the
first I’ve heard of it.”
The man was lying through his teeth. For years the mayor and a lot of his
pals had pushed for progress in both towns, but the residents—and the
shifters on the mountains—had fought back, voting against malls and
expensive housing and a Starbucks on every corner. They liked their sleepy
towns just fine.
If the story was true, then James and his buddies stood to make a mint off
the deal. The towns would flood with new residents, more businesses, and
increased revenue, but that also meant congested streets, mom-and-pop stores
going out of business, and more crime.
Hal already had his hands full keeping the existence of feeders a secret.
More people could potentially mean more feeders, and he wasn’t going to
have that.
“I just wanted to see if the buzz was true.” Hal stood and shook James’s
hand. Anger flashed in James’s eyes for a second before he grinned.
“Sorry I couldn’t be of more service.”
Hal released the mayor’s sweaty hand. “You enjoy the rest of your day.”
He put on his hat and strode from the office. Since James had
stonewalled him, Hal would have to hit the streets to find out more. He had a
good relationship with most of the residents, and they would tell him if
anything hinky was going on.
Hal looked back at the building as he walked to his patrol car. He saw
James looking at him from his office window before he pulled back.
Yep, something hinky was definitely going on.
 Chapter 5
Kenny crept onto the balcony when Rider went into the bathroom to take
a shower. He gripped his phone, making sure to peek around the doorframe to
keep an eye out for Rider as he dialed Felix.
“Are we gonna get ice cream?” Felix said as soon as he answered.
“I can’t,” Kenny whispered. “I’m kinda in the mountains. But you can’t
tell anyone.”
“Did Pops wander off again? I can help you look for him.”
“No, Pops isn’t in the woods. I mean, he is, but not because he wandered
off. Something happened at my house that I’m not supposed to tell you
about.”
Regardless of what Rider said about keeping secrets, Felix was Kenny’s
best friend and he didn’t hide anything from him. Besides, Kenny needed to
warn Felix about those things. If one broke into Felix’s house, he doubted
Mr. Fox could kill it. The guy was as short as Kenny, and although he was
mad enough to kick Kenny out the first time they’d met, from what Felix had
said, Mr. Fox wasn’t exactly the fighting type.
When Kenny looked around the doorframe, Rider was coming out of the
bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
“You better call me,” Felix said just as Kenny hung up. He shoved his
phone into his back pocket and hurried into the bedroom.
“What were you doing out there?” Rider asked as he sauntered across the
room.
Kenny’s gaze swept over Rider’s body, and his mind went blank as he
drooled over Rider’s perfect, muscular, sexy frame. “Uh, talking with the
birds and squirrels?”
Rider chuckled as he let the towel fall to the floor. Kenny nearly
swallowed his tongue. “Communing with nature?”
 “Okay, I wasn’t doing that.” Kenny couldn’t stop staring at Rider’s thick
cock or his nest of wet curls. His eyes widened when Rider’s prick jerked.
“See something you like?”
“I see a lot of things I want.” Kenny pressed his lips together. That
wasn’t what Rider had asked, but holy moly he wanted to feel Rider pressed
against him, feel his cock doing naughty things to him.
But it was more than that. Kenny felt a strange need to curl into Rider, to
be as close as he could to him. An ache thumped in his chest as Kenny closed
the distance.
Rider pressed his hand against Kenny’s back, drawing him to the man’s
chest. Kenny had to tilt his head back to look into Rider’s pretty blue eyes.
His hand felt hot against Kenny’s skin, those eyes bored into him, making
Kenny feel like he was falling into a deep well.
He was so mesmerized by how gorgeous Rider was that he hadn’t noticed
the man’s hand moving downward until he cupped Kenny’s butt. “You
should be naked, too,” Rider said in a deep voice that made Kenny shiver.
Kenny’s face heated as he took a step back and pulled his shirt over his
head. He tossed it aside, then wrestled with the button on his jeans. His hands
wouldn’t stop shaking. Stupid button.
With a rumbling chuckle, Rider moved Kenny’s hands aside, released the
button, and pulled the zipper down. Then he stepped back and sat on the bed.
“Go ahead, finish undressing.”
Kenny frowned. “You’re just gonna watch?”
Rider’s eyes were heavy-lidded as he licked his lips. “Yep.”
Talk about pressure. Kenny kicked his shoes off, remembering to bend
over and remove his socks this time. After shoving his jeans and underwear
off, he felt awkward and covered his groin as Rider simply lay there and
looked him over with a heated gaze.
“Now what?” Kenny looked toward the balcony door, embarrassed that
Rider was staring so hard at him.
“Now you can stop hiding yourself from me.” Rider pulled Kenny’s
hands away.
Kenny inhaled sharply when Rider pulled him close to the bed and
engulfed his cock. His ass cheeks clenched, his toes curled, and his hands
landed on Rider’s strong shoulders as his mate sucked his prick.
He whimpered as his fingernails dug into Rider’s skin and his hips jerked
back and forth. The buildup came fast, and so did Kenny. He cried out,
clinging to Rider.
With a deep growl, Rider pulled Kenny off his feet and placed him on the
bed. He hovered over Kenny, his eyes glowing, his sharp teeth showing.
Kenny had no idea where Rider had gotten the lube, but he watched his mate
wet his fingers, then press them between Kenny’s legs. He gasped as they
entered him. They were thick, and Kenny felt so full.
He wiggled, groaning, still feeling the tiny aftershocks of his orgasm as
Rider kissed along his neck. He had one arm tucked under Kenny’s head, and
the other worked magic as his fingers moved in and out of Kenny’s hole.
Kenny’s entire body was buzzing, his prick already coming back to life.
He tilted his head to the side as Rider continued to kiss his neck, scraping his
sharp teeth over his skin.
Kenny arched his back, whining because the pleasure was becoming too
much. Heat infused his body, and sweat gathered over every inch of him.
Rider nipped his earlobe and Kenny hissed.
Then Rider settled between Kenny’s legs, his strong thighs keeping them
parted. Kenny’s gaze dropped to Rider’s cock as his mate pressed the head
against Kenny’s hole.
Their eyes met and Kenny bit his bottom lip as Rider looked at him with
raw need. He grabbed Rider’s biceps, hissing, his nails once again digging
into Rider’s skin as his mate slowly entered him.
“Breathe, sweetheart,” Rider whispered and Kenny obeyed. He loosened
his hold on Rider’s arm as he spread his legs wider, staring into the blue
depths of the man’s eyes.
The passionate kiss Rider gave him was Kenny’s first ever. The quick
peck on the lips Rider had given him at the lake didn’t count. Rider’s lips
distracted Kenny from the pain and had him greedily sucking the man’s
tongue into his mouth. His mate’s taste was manly and warm and Kenny soon
forgot again to breathe.
He jerked his head to the side, gasping for air and noticing that Rider had
stopped moving. When Kenny looked up at him, his mate started moving
again, leaning back and tossing Kenny’s legs over his arms. He pulled Kenny
closer, sweat beading his brows as he punched his hips, driving in and out of
Kenny’s hole.
“Oh my god!” Kenny arched his back again, writhing as Rider pounded
into him. He kept hitting a spot inside Kenny that made him scream as he
curled his fingers into the bedding.
“Wrap your legs around my waist, sweetheart.” Rider let Kenny’s legs go
and Kenny did as he was told. Rider dropped forward, his arms landing on
either side of Kenny’s head.
He gave Kenny another toe-curling kiss, and the pain morphed into
pleasure as their bodies drove against one another’s.
Rider broke from the kiss and nibbled down Kenny’s shoulder. He knew
what Rider wanted. Kenny felt the tension in Rider’s body as he scraped his
canines along his skin.
Kenny gasped and shuddered.
“I need to bite you, sweetheart.” He teased Kenny’s collarbone with his
teeth.
One hard thrust from Rider and Kenny was crying out, “Bite me!”
Regardless to what Rider had said earlier, Kenny thought the experience
would be painful, but it wasn’t. Rider sank his teeth deep as Kenny came for
the second time. He clutched at Rider’s back, calling out his mate’s name as
Rider moved faster, then pulled his teeth free, roaring his release.
Kenny struggled to breathe as Rider eased out of his body and curled
next to Kenny, pulling him in close and nuzzling him.
Sex was amazing but exhausting. Kenny closed his eyes, sighed, and fell
right to sleep.

****

After going through the painful conversion, Kenny spent the next few
days having more sex than he could count on his fingers and toes. What had
Rider called it? Being in heat? What was Kenny, a freaking cat? But every
time the urge slammed into him, Rider was right there to relieve the buildup.
By day four, Kenny felt wrung out. Cold showers didn’t work. Walking
around naked didn’t, either. And having sex made the heat go away for only
so long.
Kenny was ready to shoot himself. He wasn’t even allowed out of the
room, and anytime someone knocked on the door, Rider got all snarly.
It was the morning of the fifth day of hell before the heat finally went
away. Kenny opened his eyes and raced to the bathroom to throw up his guts.
Again, Rider was at his side, wiping Kenny’s mouth with a wet rag, telling
him everything would be okay.
“How will everything be okay when I just worshipped the porcelain
god?” Kenny whined. “I hate throwing up.”
“I don’t think anyone likes to.” Rider helped Kenny to his feet and
carried him to bed. “But at least the heat is gone.”
There was that.
“That means I got a bun in the oven, doesn’t it?” When Rider set Kenny
on the bed, he got up and moved to the balcony door. Kenny loved being
outside—just sitting there, listening to the breeze ruffle the leaves. He also
liked the different sounds of nature. Rider’s home was way better than living
in Howling Cavern, and Kenny never wanted to leave.
Rider sat next to Kenny and rubbed his hand over Kenny’s stomach.
“Yes, it means you’ve conceived.” He traced his finger from Kenny’s navel
to his groin. “A conception line will start to appear. The darker it gets, the
closer you’ll be to giving birth.”
Kenny groaned and batted Rider’s hand away. “My stomach is too achy
to be tickled.”
“Is there anything you need?” Rider scooped Kenny off the wooden floor
and cradled him in his lap.
“Anything?”
“Anything,” Rider repeated.
Kenny tapped his finger on his chin. “A million dollars.”
“Cash or check?”
Kenny’s brows shot up. “Are you serious?”
“Were you?” From the sparkle of humor in the man’s eyes, Kenny saw
his mate was teasing him. Still, he wondered if Rider was really that rich. Not
that it mattered to Kenny. He just liked being around Rider, talking to him,
and cuddling close—like they were now.
The world could crumble all around them and Kenny wouldn’t care. Just
as long as no kids got hurt. Or animals. Or old people. Okay, so maybe he
would care, but for now, Kenny was content just sitting on Rider’s lap.

****

Jesse pulled to the curb when he spotted Hal coming out of the diner.
 “Hey, Jesse.” Hal smiled as Jesse got out of his truck and joined the
sheriff on the sidewalk. “Never knew you to eat in town. Special occasion?”
“I’ve eaten here.” Jesse shook his hand. “But I stopped to talk to you.”
“About what?” Hal pulled off his hat and scratched at his hair. “If it’s
about the rumor, I’m being stonewalled.”
Jesse scanned the streets before crossing his arms and staring intently at
Hal. “What do you mean stonewalled?”
Hal told him about his visit to the mayor, and how the residents of
Howling Cavern had no clue that a developer was interested in the area. “If
something is going on, there’s a tight lid on it.”
A bad feeling stuck in Jesse’s gut. If the mayor was hiding something,
and everything was being done in secret, Hal asking around wouldn’t sit well
with those not wanting the news to spread.
“Maybe you should stop asking,” Jesse suggested. “I don’t want you
getting hurt.”
Hal snorted. “Who the hell would hurt me just for asking some simple
questions?”
No sooner had Hal spoken than a black pickup slowly rolled down the
street toward them. The passenger window lowered and a guy in a black
hoodie hung out the window, holding a rifle.
“Get down!” Jesse shoved Hal to the ground as a spray of bullets ate up
the building behind them. Jesse grabbed Hal’s gun and raced toward the
street, returning fire, but the truck sped around a corner.
“Are you okay?” Jesse hurried back to Hal as the sheriff pushed to his
feet. He snatched the gun from Jesse and holstered it.
“I fired those shots, got that?” Hal wiped a shaky hand over his mouth. “I
guess you were right about upsetting someone.”
Jesse scowled as he stared at the holes in the brick behind them.
Thankfully no one had been hurt, but he was sending his men into town to
track that truck down. Jesse hadn’t gotten a license plate, but he’d seen the
small stickers of fake bullet holes and shattered glass on the back window.
The attempt on Hal’s life only told him that the sheriff was on the right
track. “This is getting too dangerous. I want you to back off.”
“You think some young punk with a gun scares me?” Hal looked
incredulously at Jesse. “I’ll just make sure I wear my vest from now on.”
“Damn it, Hal,” Jesse growled. “Digging deeper isn’t worth your life.”
 “And something tells me there’s more going on than just land if someone
is willing to kill me over poking around,” Hal snapped. He jabbed a finger at
Jesse. “You’re the one who needs to back down. This is sheriff business. You
stick to killing as many of those feeders as you can.”
Jesse wanted to whack Hal’s head into the wall until common sense
rattled around in there. But Hal’s expression said he wasn’t budging on his
decision. “You’re a stubborn old bastard.”
“I’m old and set in my ways,” Hal said. “If something is brewing in
Howling Cavern, I want to know about it, especially if it concerns the
residents.”
“You’re gonna make me go gray before my time.” Jesse carded a hand
through his hair. He noticed Hal’s hat on the ground and bent to pick it up,
then dusted it off before handing it over.
“I seriously doubt that.” Hal popped it on his head. “If anything, your
world will be the death of me. Now get. The deputies no doubt got a call
from those shots, and I want you long gone before they get here.”
Scowling, Jesse got into his truck and pulled away, scanning the streets
as he drove back to the mountains. Whoever was in that pickup had just
declared war.
 Chapter 6
Kenny went downstairs to explore the rest of the place. As nice as
Rider’s room was, he was tired of being in it. He was also dying to take
another walk in the woods, only this time he didn’t want to see a mountain
lion up close.
He made it downstairs, Rider right behind him, to find the men talking
quietly in the kitchen.
“I want three of you to go into town and track that fucking truck down,”
Jesse snapped. “When you find the man who shot at me and the sheriff, I
want you to bring him to me. Bring me the fucking driver, too”
Kenny stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at Rider. “Is he
ordering a hit?”
Rider stared intently at the kitchen. “I don’t know what’s going on,
sweetheart. I’ve been with you all morning.”
He took Kenny’s hand and led him into the kitchen. Jesse stopped talking
and smiled at Kenny. “How’re you feeling?”
“Not horny” came to mind, but Kenny caught the words before they
slipped free. “Better.” His face heated because these men were aware of why
he was locked up in Rider’s room. They probably even heard Kenny’s loud
cries over the past few days.
“Just came to get my mate something to eat,” Rider said.
The men parted as he went to the fridge. Bruno grabbed a plate from the
cupboard, and Heath tore some paper towels off the roll and handed them to
Rider. Jesse reached in the fridge and gave Rider a plastic bowl, then reached
back in and grabbed a pitcher of something that looked like lemonade, which
he handed to Declan. Avery grabbed a glass from a cupboard next to the one
Bruno had been in and set it on the counter for Declan to pour.
They’d moved like a well-oiled machine as Rider stuck the plastic
container into the microwave. Kenny sat at the table, putting his back to the
wall as he eyed each man.
Without a word, Jesse pointed to Avery, Bruno, and Declan, then
chucked his thumb over his shoulder.
Kenny snickered. “It’s like watching a silent movie.”
Heath chuckled. “We’re good like that.”
“So was the quiet thumb-chucking a way of telling your men to make the
hit?”
Rider coughed as Jesse frowned. “Hit?” Jesse asked.
“Well.” Kenny scratched his head. “I guess it wouldn’t be a hit since you
ordered them to bring the men to you. Are you gonna execute them when
they get here?”
“What do you expect them to do, have tea?” Pops asked as he strolled
into the kitchen with an armful of dirty dishes. “Someone left these in my
room.”
“You did,” Kenny said. That was the only logical explanation since
Kenny couldn’t be sure. He’d been upstairs for nearly a week.
Pops looked down at his arms. “I didn’t eat this much.”
Jesse snorted. “Yeah, you did. Every time I turn around you’re in here
grabbing something.”
Kenny’s heart quickened. Was that Jesse’s way of saying Pops was
wearing out his welcome? Rider looked at Kenny, his brows furrowed.
That was right. Rider had said he could smell Kenny’s emotions. He
wondered what emotions smelled like as he wrung his hands in his lap.
“What’s wrong, Kenny?” Rider asked.
Kenny didn’t like that everyone in the room turned toward him. His hand
shook as he waved it at his grandfather. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t eat so
much.”
Jesse looked disbelievingly at Kenny. “We have more than enough food,
Kenny. I’m not complaining about your grandfather’s appetite. I was merely
making a point that he was the one who left all those dirty dishes in his
room.”
Kenny inhaled sharply when Rider pulled him from his chair, lifted him,
then sat, placing Kenny on his lap. He felt foolish sitting on a grown man’s
lap in front of others.
“You and your grandfather are more than welcome here,” Rider said.
“You two can also eat whatever you want. Don’t ever think that either of you
are a bother.”
After depositing his dishes in the sink, Pops turned and stared at Kenny
in a funny way. Kenny guessed it was because he’d never told his grandfather
he was gay, and Pops must’ve been confused—more than usual—about why
Kenny was sitting there.
“I’m gonna head out,” Jesse said. “I have to go pick Corky and Sam up
from Deloris and Abe’s.”
“I’m gonna…” Heath looked around. “I’m just gonna go.”
Pops stopped staring and headed back to his room. Kenny was able to
finally breathe again. “Your friends are intimidating.”
Rider set him on his feet to get the plastic container from the microwave.
It was spaghetti, one of Kenny’s favorite dishes.
“They can be,” Rider said. “But not toward you. Mates are the safest
people in not only this house, but in these parts of the mountains.”
“Except from mountain lions,” he reminded Rider.
Rider gave a soft chuckle. “Don’t worry, love. I’ll protect you from those
pussycats.”
Kenny beamed. He loved how protective Rider was acting toward him.
“And I’ll wrestle an alligator for you.”
“There aren’t any alligators around here.”
“Exactly.” Kenny dug into his bowl, twirling his fork and shoving a
mound of spaghetti into his mouth. No sooner had he finished eating, he was
racing to the bathroom to throw it all up.

****

Later that evening, Kenny was finally able to go for a walk. Rider hated
to see him so green, but his mate insisted they get out of the house and enjoy
some fresh air. Since the sun hadn’t set yet, Rider agreed.
He just couldn’t believe he’d caved so easily to the little imp. But one
smile from his mate—along with those damn puppy-dog eyes—and Rider
had given in.
Not that he didn’t want to go outside. After nearly a week of fucking,
Rider had feared his dick would shrivel up. He was sore in places he never
knew existed, and getting out of the bedroom had been a nice idea.
Until he started walking. He was still young, but damn if his back and ass
muscles weren’t protesting. Thank fuck the heat hadn’t lasted any longer.
They were about a mile from the house when Rider heard a car. He
turned and looked up the dirt road, where he recognized Forest Ranger Burt
Valentino’s Yukon driving toward him. He slowed when he pulled up next to
Rider.
He didn’t know Valentino too well. He’d seen him a handful of times and
never spoken to him. Why was the forest ranger stopping?
“Who’s that?” Kenny poked his head around Rider, curiosity in his baby
blues.
“Just stay behind me.” Rider crossed his arms as Valentino sauntered
toward him.
“Is he a bad guy?” Kenny whispered. “Should I run for help?”
Rider grabbed Kenny’s hand to make sure his little mate didn’t take off.
They were far from home, and no doubt Kenny would get lost twenty feet
from Rider.
“You need something?” Rider asked Valentino.
“I see you wolves are just as grumpy as the bears.” He held his hand out
and Rider shook it. “I don’t mean you or your mate any harm.”
“I’m Rider.”
“You can call me Valentino.” He placed his hands on his hips. “And I
was on my way to see Jesse. Got a hiker missing in these parts and was
wondering if he wouldn’t mind lending a hand.”
“The pack is spread pretty thin at the moment,” Rider said. “The only
able body at the house right now is Heath.”
“One’ll do just fine,” Valentino said. “Don’t like canvasing these woods
at night by myself, and forming a hunting party is out of the question after
Clint’s threat.”
Rider had heard about that. Clint had basically told the sheriff from
Howling Cavern and the one from Grizzly Ridge that the gloves were off.
The shifters on the mountains didn’t like strangers, let alone strangers with
guns.
“You can head on down there, but I’d call ahead if I were you.” It was
time Rider took his mate home. The sun was beginning to set and he didn’t
want to be out in the woods with Kenny.
“How’s the problem in Howling Cavern?” Valentino asked. Rider looked
him over. He was a handsome man. Bright hazel eyes, blondish-brown hair,
and a nice body. He’d be a good catch for someone.
“We’re keeping it under control.”
“Are you talking about those creepy things?” Kenny asked. “Like the one
that crawled into—”
“It’s under control.” Rider narrowed his eyes at his mate but Kenny
didn’t seem fazed.
His mate made a motion with his fingers like he was zipping his lips.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything in case”—Kenny chucked his thumb at
Valentino as if the forest ranger couldn’t see him—“that guy doesn’t know
about them.
Rider rolled his eyes as Valentino chuckled. “I’m fully aware of the
feeders.”
Faint wrinkles formed between Kenny’s eyes. “Then why do I have to
hush up?”
“I’m gonna head home.” Still gripping Kenny’s hand, Rider turned back
the way they’d come.
“Need a lift?” Valentino asked.
“No, we’re good.” Rider was already feeling edgy with the ranger being
so close to his pregnant mate. His wolf was ready to attack, but Rider kept it
at bay as he and Kenny walked home.
“Why couldn’t we let him drive us?” Kenny asked.
“Weren’t you taught not to take rides from strangers?”
Kenny snickered. “What am I, five?”
His mate couldn’t be that gullible, could he? Granted, Valentino was a
forest ranger and was safe, but he didn’t want Kenny trying to get friendly
with the guy.
“Let’s just say that while you’re carrying my cub, strangers are off-
limits.” And even after that. The wolves might appear human, but they had
animal hearts, and Rider was driven by his baser instincts when it came to
protecting Kenny and their unborn child.
He’d kill anyone—even a pack mate—if they got to close.

****

On the outskirts of town, Bruno cut the headlights of his black Nissan
Titan truck and parked across the road from the derelict house where the
pickup Jesse had described sat in the dirt driveway.
“All the lights are on,” Bruno said. “Do you want to storm the place or
draw them out?”
Avery ran his fingers over his jaw. “We don’t know how many people
are inside.”
“They’re human,” Declan scoffed. “Don’t matter the number.”
While Declan favored brute force, Avery liked to use his head. Although
the neighboring houses were far enough away, a shootout would be best to
avoid.
“We draw them out.” Avery glared over his shoulder when Declan
uttered a protest. “Dude, we want to handle this as quietly as possible.”
“Why?” Declan furrowed his brows. “They weren’t discreet when they
pulled that drive-by in town. They’re just some fucking yahoos with probably
a single brain cell between them.”
Avery sighed. Sometimes dealing with Declan was like dealing with a
petulant child who wanted his way, regardless of the consequences. Declan
held no love for humans, but that didn’t mean he and Avery could go in there
claws blazing, ready to rip them to sheds.
“Jesse said he wanted them brought to him. You go in there starting shit,
and I know you, you’ll kill them both.”
“He’s right,” Bruno said.
“Seriously?” Declan asked Bruno.
“What?” Bruno shrugged. “It’s true. You have no restraint when it comes
to fighting. All common sense and logic fly out the window.”
Declan grumbled as Avery turned off the dome light and opened the
passenger door. He moved quickly across the road and up the driveway until
he was by the side of the house. The television was playing loudly, but Avery
heard muffled voices.
Bruno moved past him, disappearing around the house. Avery winced
when he heard metal squeaking. Bruno must’ve opened the back door, but as
loud as the television was, he doubted the men inside heard anything. But
why in the fuck was he going inside? Didn’t anyone listen?
Declan strolled up the driveway, clearly uncaring that the humans might
see him. Avery wanted to smack them both. If shit got funky, Jesse could
hand them their asses because Avery was covering his.
He leaned up and looked inside the curtainless window. One guy sat in a
recliner, a beer can in his hand. Another sat on the couch, cleaning a
handgun. Avery looked right and saw Bruno in the kitchen, easing toward the
living room.
With a deep growl, Avery hurried toward the back just as Declan went
inside. Damn it. He pulled the metal screen door open, no longer caring that it
squeaked. He joined the two by the stove.
“What the fuck?” he mouthed.
Declan gave him a shitty grin. Bruno shrugged, splaying his hands. “I
don’t want to be here all night,” Bruno said, not bothering to keep his voice
down. “Let’s get this shit done. There’s a new episode of Hillside Bay, and I
gotta get my fill of Dr. Hamilton. That bastard is sexy as fuck.”
Avery looked incredulously at Bruno. “You’re rushing this so you can
drool over some guy on television?”
All three turned when the guy with the beer sauntered into the kitchen.
He was of average height, had dull brown eyes, wore a mullet, and had an
overgrown goatee. His brows shot up as he crushed the beer can in his hand,
but Bruno grabbed him and covered his mouth before he could shout a
warning.
Avery peeked around the corner. He didn’t need the other guy shooting at
him. He looked at the stove, grabbed the dirty pot, and banged it on the
burner.
“What the fuck’re you doing, Gary?” the human hollered. “I said to get
me a beer. Don’t tell me you’re too wasted to stand on your own two feet.”
Bruno dragged Gary to the back door, but he didn’t leave. Avery heard
floorboards creaking and slapped a hand over his eyes, growling when
Declan charged past him.
The other guy shouted, then Declan appeared, dragging him by the back
of the shirt. He shoved the back door open and headed out.
“You gotta like his style.” Bruno chuckled.
“I’m working with fucking idiots,” Avery snapped as he exited the house,
Bruno right behind him.
Declan had the man hemmed up against the black truck in the driveway
as he whacked the human’s head onto the hood.
“What the fuck’re you doing?” Avery shouted. Blood covered the lower
part of the guy’s face, and he looked dazed. He had to be because he wasn’t
fighting back.
 “Jesse said to bring them to him, but he didn’t say I couldn’t pay this son
of a bitch back for shooting at our alpha.”
“Just get him into our truck.” Avery stormed past Declan. He heard
something whizz past him seconds before the guy in Declan’s hands’ head
snapped back. Avery moved to the hood of the truck and ducked. The human
crumpled in Declan’s grip, a bullet hole in his head.
Declan snarled as he dropped the guy and looked around.
Another shot was fired.
“Son of a bitch!” Bruno shoved Gary away from him. The human had a
bullet hole in his head, too. Bruno jumped back, moving until he was hidden
by the back of the house. Dumbass Declan still stood there, as if he were
bulletproof.
“Who the fuck is shooting at us?” Bruno asked.
“I don’t think they’re aiming for us,” Avery said.
“Looks like someone didn’t want these two talking.” No sooner had
Declan spoken than tires screeched as a dark SUV raced down the road.
The three headed back to their vehicle and Bruno cursed when he saw the
tires had been slashed. Hell, Avery was cursing, too.
Declan got on the phone with Heath. It wouldn’t bode well for them if
someone happened by two dead bodies in the driveway and the three of them
standing across the road.
Avery placed his hands on his hips, scowling. “Just what exactly are we
really dealing with?”
“If our shooter hadn’t gotten shot by a shooter, we would’ve found out,”
Declan said.
Avery rolled his eyes and took a seat under the large tree while he waited
for Heath to come get them.
 Chapter 7
“I’m not going back there,” Felix complained. “He’s pigheaded and I
don’t have to listen to him.”
Kenny was sitting on the balcony, his legs crossed, picking at a string on
his shorts. “He’s your dad. You have to do what he says. It’s the law…I
think.”
He heard Rider moving around in the bedroom. His mate didn’t like
Kenny going onto the balcony at night because of those creepy feeders, but
Kenny loved the fresh air and the pretty glow of the moon. Besides, he was
right by the door. If he heard that weird clicking sound, he was hauling ass.
“It’s not a law,” Felix argued. “And no, I don’t have to deal with him. I
decided to hang out at your house until I—”
“What?” Kenny hadn’t meant to yell. Rider was outside in a flash, giving
him a strange look. “Are you there now?”
“Yeah, and let me tell you, this place stinks. What kind of air freshener
did you use, skunk?”
Kenny hopped to his feet and gripped the railing. “You have to get out of
there, Felix. It isn’t safe.”
“Why, you think someone’ll break in?” He snorted. “I doubt it. You ain’t
got nothing to steal.”
“Because I told you why.” Kenny didn’t want Rider to know he’d spilled
the beans to Felix about the feeders.
“I doubt those things will hit someplace twice. Is that what stinks? I take
it back. It doesn’t smell like skunk in here. It smells like rotting corpses.”
“And how would you know how that smells, smarty-pants?”
“Hey, you got food in the cupboard. Mind if I help myself?”
Kenny smacked a hand over his face. Why wasn’t Felix taking this
seriously? Probably because he hadn’t laid eyes on a feeder. The image of
that nasty thing was burned into Kenny’s memory.
 “You need to go home.”
“Okay, I’m gonna smash this can of soup.” The cupboard slammed shut.
“You got any crackers?”
Kenny turned and stared up at Rider. The only way to save his best friend
was to tell Rider what was going on and beg his mate to take him home.
“I’ll call you right back.”
“Okay. Hey, can I eat those snack cakes?”
With a groan, Kenny hung up. He tucked his phone into his pocket and
grabbed Rider’s hand. “Promise not to get mad at me?”
They were just starting out as a couple and Kenny didn’t want to have
their first argument about his idiot best friend.
Rider leaned an arm on the doorframe, staring quizzically at him.
“Depends on what’s going on, sweetheart.”
That wasn’t the answer Kenny had been looking for. Crossing his fingers,
he told Rider about his conversation with Felix where he might have
mentioned feeders and how one had broken into his house, and how Felix
was there now, being stupidly stubborn.
“We have to go get him.” Kenny squeezed Rider’s hand. “Please. If one
of those things attacks Felix, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Rider scowled, making Kenny swallow. “You weren’t supposed to tell
anyone.”
“Well, technically you didn’t say I couldn’t.” He let Rider’s hand go and
moved around his mate to get into the room, where he starting searching for
his shoes. Where the heck had he put them?
“Don’t try to pull that technical stuff on me.” Rider turned and crossed
his arms. God, he was so sexy. If Felix wasn’t in such danger, Kenny would
have begged the man to have sex with him. Then again, he was still trying to
recover from nearly a week of Rider fucking him to death.
His backside was still sore.
“Can we discuss this later?” Kenny bounced from foot to foot, biting his
nail as he thought about Felix being attacked and killed. That couldn’t
happen. He wasn’t going to let that happen. They’d been best friends for six
whole months, but he couldn’t imagine his life without Felix in it.
“You want me to take you to town to do what, chase your friend from
your house?”
Kenny gave a tiny growl as his slapped his right fist onto his palm.
“That’s exactly what I want us to do. He’s being thickheaded, and unless I
make him go home, he’ll stick around for days, maybe even weeks.”
Kenny doubted that, but he had to make Rider see how desperate this
situation was. If his mate didn’t take him, Kenny wasn’t sure what he would
do.
Rider’s eyes became heavy-lidded. “You’re sexy as fuck when you get
demanding.”
Kenny’s brows shot up. “Um…thanks?”
“Fine, I’ll take you, but we’re not staying long and if your friend refuses
to leave, just so you know, I’m duct-taping him and tossing him in the back
of my truck.”
Kenny furrowed his brows as he stared at Rider, trying to imagine him
chasing a fox all over the house. He snickered at the image. “Okay.”
In truth, Kenny kind of hoped Felix refused.
But that wasn’t funny. Not when there was a chance his friend could get
hurt by one of those things breaking in and killing him. “I’m ready.”
Rider pointed to Kenny’s feet. “You might want to put some shoes on.”
“Dang.” He scratched his head. Where the heck had he put his sneakers?
“Under the bed,” Rider said with a wink. “I kept tripping over them, so I
tossed them under there.”
Pops had always complained about Kenny leaving his things all over the
house. He couldn’t help if he was a messy person.
After fetching his shoes and pulling them on, he followed Rider to his
truck. Kenny looked around at the shadows. It was one thing to sit on the
balcony in the dark, but being on the ground out here was much spookier.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll protect you.” Rider gave him a quick peck
on the lips, making Kenny’s face heat. His mate was such a gentleman. He
opened the passenger door, then closed it when Kenny crawled into his seat.
He made sure to buckle himself in. It was dark out, and from what Kenny
remembered of the roads, they were treacherous. If Rider accidentally slipped
over the side of the mountain, Kenny wanted his seat belt on.
Rider navigated the terrain like a boss.
“How do you drive so well at night?”
Rider tapped the skin just under his eye. “Shifters have exceptional night
vision, as well as hearing and smell.”
Kenny wasn’t sure that knowledge comforted him.
 The made it to Howling Cavern a little after ten. The streets were quiet,
except for a few residents walking past or driving. Even before he knew
about the feeders, Kenny tried his best to stay in at night. He didn’t live in the
best part of town, and being out late was only asking for trouble.
They pulled into his driveway and Kenny was surprised to see Mrs.
Hattie’s lights out. She usually didn’t go to bed until around midnight. She
also wasn’t looking out her living room window to see who had pulled in.
Kenny had unbuckled himself and was ready to hop out when Rider
grabbed his arm. “Not so fast. Let me get out first.”
Kenny pulled his hands back and settled them in his lap. “Okay.”
As Rider walked around the hood, Kenny’s gaze strayed back to Mrs.
Hattie’s house. He frowned when he noticed her cat, Naboo, sitting on the
front porch, meowing at the door.
She never let him outside.
When Rider opened his door, Kenny said, “I think I need to check on my
neighbor,” and explained why.
“Get back in the truck,” Rider said. “I’ll go check, sweetheart. I don’t
want you walking into danger.”
Kenny hoped there wasn’t any danger. Mrs. Hattie might be a pain in the
butt sometimes, but she was elderly, and elderly people shouldn’t have to
worry about intruders.
If only the world really worked that way.
That was one reason Kenny never put Pops into one of those old folks’
home. He’d heard horror stories about how they were treated, and the thought
of anyone hurting his grandfather made his blood boil.
Kenny moved over to the driver’s seat, staring out the window as Rider
approached the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited, but no one
answered.
Then Kenny looked at his house. The lights were off, too. Oh boy. This
wasn’t good. Not good at all. His heart pounded wildly when he spotted a
flashlight beam slicing through his living room.
He looked back at Mrs. Hattie’s house, but Rider was nowhere in sight.
Now what should he do? Rider was gonna kick his butt if he got out of the
truck, but Rider was busy next door. What if something was happening to
Felix right now?
With a trembling hand, Kenny opened the door and slid out.
 ****

With his fingertips, Rider eased the door open. The fact it hadn’t been
locked disturbed him. The first thing he noticed as he entered the living room
was that Kenny’s neighbor had way too many fucking knickknacks. Most
were porcelain cats arranged on the mantel, as well as on her bookcase, on
shelving mounted on the walls, and in a glass cabinet.
He had a feeling she liked cats.
The one that had been meowing at the door rushed in and disappeared
down a hallway. Rider crinkled his nose at the strong odor of menthol. No
doubt the smell was from some kind of medicated cream.
The cat shot back into the living room, scaring the crap out of Rider.
Thank fuck no one had seen him jump. He would’ve never lived that down.
“Scat.” He shooed the damn thing with his hand, but the cat simply
hissed at him. Rider gave a low growl, but it was unfazed. It sat there licking
its paw, ignoring Rider’s inner wolf.
That was when Rider noticed the red stain on the cat’s white fur. He blew
out a deep breath and headed down the hallway. If the elderly woman was
dead, Rider prayed it was from natural causes. He didn’t want to walk in on a
gruesome scene.
Unbeknownst to his pack members, Rider always became queasy when
he saw guts and throats ripped out. Some badass he was.
As soon as he entered the hallway, the stench sucked up his nose and shot
down his throat. Rider gagged, pressing his arm against his nose as he pushed
the bedroom door open.
There was no mistaking that foul odor. Death. Rider had smelled it too
many times not to recognize its pungent scent.
He didn’t bother stepping into the room. He didn’t have to. Kenny’s
neighbor was laid out on the floor, her throat shredded.
Rider bumped into the wall as he hurried from the house. Gasping in the
fresh air, he placed his hands on his knees, coughing out the wretched smell.
When he felt composed enough, he called Jesse to tell him about the body.
When he hung up, he looked toward his truck and his heart froze. Kenny
wasn’t in it. Rider snapped his head around, scanning the street before
rushing next door.
 ****

“Ah!” Kenny fell to the floor and threw his arm up as a bright light
blinded him. Was this the light at the end of the tunnel that he’d heard about?
Was he dying? Kenny didn’t remember being attacked, though.
“Oh my god!” Felix said as he lowered the flashlight. “You are such a
drama queen.” He grabbed Kenny’s hand and helped him off the floor, then
held the flashlight under his own chin. “What did you think, I was a ghost?”
“You’re not funny.” Kenny shoved his shoulder. “I told you what
happened here.” Felix had been right. The house smelled like rotting corpses,
though Kenny had no idea what that smelled like. But this had to be the smell
because he gagged a bit, terrified he’d throw up.
“The power went out about an hour ago.” Felix dropped into Pops’s
recliner, slinging one leg over the arm. “Luckily I found this flashlight in
your hallway closet.”
Kenny patted his chest, telling his heart to slow, but it wouldn’t listen.
“You’d be really mad if you’d given me a heart attack.”
Felix swung the flashlight back and forth as Kenny sat on the couch. His
legs had turned to noodles, and he felt unsteady on his feet. His gaze zeroed
in on the spot where the feeder had been killed, but it was no longer there,
and Kenny wasn’t about to ask Rider what happened to the body. No thanks.
He could keep that information to himself.
“So what brought you down from the Lonely Mountain?”
Kenny rolled his eyes at the reference to The Hobbit. He had to have
watched both trilogies at least a hundred times. He’d once told Kenny he
wished the Shire was real and that he had a house under one of those hills.
Kenny thought his friend needed his head examined. Who would want to
live under a hill?
“You brought me here.” Kenny lay on the couch, tossing one arm over his
forehead. The house was stifling, and just that fast he was beginning to sweat.
Already he missed Rider’s central air. “I told you to go home, but you
won’t.”
Felix stopped swinging the flashlight and glared at him. He’d tried that
look on Kenny a hundred times, but it never worked. Felix was just as
harmless as Kenny. “I know you didn’t come here to take me home.”
 He jumped up from the recliner and crossed his thin arms over his narrow
chest. Kenny also knew that look. Felix was about to throw a fit and Kenny
really wasn’t in the mood. His head was throbbing, his stomach flip-flopping,
and god, this heat. Kenny wanted to throw himself into a tub filled with ice.
If he had that much ice, but he didn’t.
“Nothing will happen to me,” Felix argued.
“Says a guy who’s standing in a murder scene.” How had Felix stood the
sweltering heat? Kenny knew he had central air at home. Who would be
crazy enough to give that up over an argument?
“I don’t see a body.” He dropped back into the recliner, his bottom lip
sliding out. “Don’t make me go home, Kenny.”
Felix knew how to sucker him in, and Kenny was falling for it. He hated
to see his friend so upset. “Tell me what the argument was about.”
“My dad said working at a diner wasn’t a real job and that I needed to
assert myself, make goals, have some sort of life plan. I tell you, that’s crazy
talk. Only old people have life plans. What’s wrong with living in the
moment, having fun while I’m still young?”
Kenny pressed his hand over his stomach, wondering if he should tell
Felix about the baby. Running his mouth about those creatures was one thing,
but he wasn’t sure if Rider would get really, really mad if he said something.
Kenny contemplated what he should do for all of five seconds before he
said, “Listen, I gotta tell you something, but you gotta promise not to say a
word to anyone.”
Felix sat forward, looking intrigued.
“When me and Rider had—”
Felix shouted and hit the floor when the front door burst open. He shifted
and his fox leapt from the chair and took off down the hallway. Kenny
wanted to run with him, but he didn’t because Rider picked him up off the
floor and crushed Kenny to his chest.
“Didn’t I tell you to wait in the truck?” He looked a bit pale and he was
just as sweaty as Kenny was. But the panic in his dark blue eyes made Kenny
afraid.
“What’s wrong?” He thought about Rider going next door. “Did Mrs.
Hattie threaten to call the cops because you knocked on her door?”
Rider looked past Kenny’s shoulder. “Where’s your friend?”
Kenny became lost in Rider’s voice, his hold, even his breath that
skittered across Kenny’s cheek. He’d had sex with Rider a hundred times—or
it had felt like that many times—yet this felt much more intimate. Kenny was
carrying his baby, they’d created a life together, and the thought had tears
welling up in his eyes.
Pops was all Kenny had ever known or loved, and now Kenny had others
in his life who would protect him, and a man who would cherish him, and
Kenny felt like he didn’t deserve such happiness. He had no clue why he felt
that way, but as the tears leaked from his eyes, and Kenny tried to wipe them
away without Rider noticing them, he knew he could love this man with all
his heart.
He might’ve already fallen in love with him, in fact. And now here Rider
stood, holding Kenny, worrying about him, looking panicked because he’d
thought Kenny had been in trouble.
He threw his arms around Rider’s neck, holding on for dear life and
trying his best to stop himself from crying like a baby.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Rider slid his large hand down Kenny’s
back.
“Nothing.” Kenny tried to wiggle free, but Rider wouldn’t let him. “I
need to go after Felix.”
Rider didn’t look happy about putting Kenny down, but he set him on his
feet. “Make it quick. I want to drop him off and head home.”
Kenny stared at his mate, and his brows shot up at the hungry way Rider
looked at him. He’d looked at Kenny that way numerous times while they’d
had sex, and Kenny knew exactly what was on Rider’s mind.
“I’ll…um…I’ll hurry.” Kenny hurried down the hallway and rushed into
his bedroom. The window was wide open and Felix wasn’t anywhere in the
room.
Dang it. He’d taken off.
 Chapter 8
They’d searched hours for Felix but hadn’t spotted him. Rider doubted
they would. By two in the morning, he called it quits. Kenny was fast asleep
in the passenger seat, his lips slightly parted as he gently snored. Rider
grabbed his mate’s hand and held it in his as he climbed the road that would
lead them home.
Rider was still trying to figure out how to tell Kenny his elderly neighbor
was dead. He didn’t want to start off their relationship by keeping secrets, but
no way in hell was he telling his mate how she’d died.
When they reached the house, Rider carried his sleeping mate inside.
Rider’s mind was still blown by the idea that he would be a father, and he
vowed he would be ten times better than his old man. Ross had been busy
making millions, and Rider had never been a part of that equation.
His life wasn’t as fucked-up as some of his pack members’, but growing
up with a cold, distant, and sometimes verbally abusive father had been hell.
They were wolf shifters. Wolves needed a pack, needed someone to follow or
men to lead. Rider had had no one until he’d met Jesse.
And that was why Rider would lay down his life for his alpha. Jesse and
Jesse’s parents had made Rider a part of their family, wanting nothing in
return but his loyalty and trust. He’d given Jesse’s parents that in spades, and
now that Jesse was in charge, Rider would kill for him.
But now his family was expanding. He had Kenny and his unborn child
to love and care for.
A father.
Hell, Rider never thought this day would come.
After tucking Kenny in, Rider went out onto the balcony and debated
whether or not to call his father. He needed to know if Marcel Real Estate and
Development was behind the land development deal.
Even if it wasn’t, the shifters on the mountains would put an end to
anyone encroaching on their territory. This was their land, had been for
generations, and Rider would stand at Jesse’s side, killing anyone who
thought to tear down their forests.
Scrubbing a hand over his head, Rider dialed, his heart speeding as he
paced.
“Why are you calling me so late?” his father groused. “Do you have any
idea what time it is?”
Rider should have been used to Ross’s nasty attitude, but a small part of
him still held on to the useless hope that someday his father would snap out
of whatever asshole universe he lived in and be kinder to his only son. That
was never gonna happen, though.
“I need you to be honest with me.” Rider rubbed his fingers over his
forehead as he paced. “Are you looking into land development near Howling
Cavern?”
His father made a grunting noise that sounded close to disgust. “You
called me this late to talk about business?”
Rider knew his father well. Ross had used a question to answer a
question many times to dodge around something he didn’t want to talk about.
Rider’s stomach shrank. “Just tell me.”
“You don’t call me demanding anything.” He hung up.
Rider had his answer. But why was his father keeping everything so
hush-hush? Why had he sent henchmen to kill the sheriff for poking around?
None of it made any sense.
He growled as he pocketed his phone. He didn’t care how powerful his
father was. The deal wasn’t going to go through.
The shifters would make sure of that.
Rider headed to his bedroom door, ready to find Jesse. He didn’t have to.
Jesse was on the other side of the door, his hand raised, as if ready to knock.
Stepping into the hallway, Rider closed the door behind him.
“Your gut tells you it’s your dad, doesn’t it?” Jesse placed his hands on
his hips. “I saw the look you had when we were talking earlier.”
His alpha knew all about Ross Marcel. “I always suspect him when it
comes to real estate deals.”
“You know he can’t purchase any land,” Jesse said. “These forests are
protected.”
“And if there’s a loophole, my father will find it.” Rider pressed his back
into the wall, crossing his arms as he looked at his feet. “I just called him.”
“And?”
“He dodged my question. I can’t be one hundred percent sure it’s him,
but if the rumor really is true, my gut tells me he has a hand somewhere in
this.”
“How’d things go in town?”
Rider sighed. What happened to the good old days when their only
problem was the bears? Things were getting complicated, and he hated
complicated. “Kenny’s neighbor was killed by a feeder, and his best friend
took off. I know when my mate wakes up, he’s gonna want to go find Felix.”
Jesse told him about the murder of the two shooters.
Rider furrowed his brows. “I’m trying my best to figure out what’s really
going on, Jesse. None of this makes sense. What is so important that someone
is willing to kill to keep a secret?”
“I’m gonna put a call into Valentino,” Jesse said. “Maybe he’s heard
something.”
His alpha headed down the steps before Rider turned to go back into his
bedroom. His heart froze when he heard Kenny scream.

****

Kenny jumped from the bed, pressing his hand over his heart as the
bedroom door burst open. Rider rushed in, glancing around, his canines bared
and his claws showing.
“What’s wrong?” Rider snarled.
Kenny blinked a few times, staring at the sharp teeth before lowering his
gaze to his mate’s hands. “I, uh, saw a shadow on the balcony.”
He wasn’t sure what scared him the most, the shadow or the way Rider
looked.
Rider swung the door open and stepped outside. Kenny slipped from the
bed, his heart still lodged in his throat. He tiptoed toward the door, unsure if
he should go out there.
Seconds later Rider came back inside, holding a red fox by its scruff. The
fox wiggled and hissed, trying to scratch Rider’s wrist.
“Felix?” Kenny’s brows rose. “Is that you?”
Kenny had seen Felix shift a few times and knew what he looked like in
animal form. The white patch on his butt told him he was looking at his best
friend.
The fox shifted and dropped to the floor. Felix lay there glaring up at
Rider. “You didn’t have to be so rough with me,” he snapped. “I was just
peeking through the door to make sure Kenny was home safely.”
“How did you find this place?” Kenny was glad to see he was okay, but
the trek here had to have been torturous. Heck, Kenny wouldn’t be able to
remember the way if he had to travel to Rider’s place from town.
Felix grabbed a pillow off the bed and covered his groin. “Give me some
underwear and I’ll talk.”
Rider growled. “How the hell did you find my home?”
“Underwear,” Felix singsonged.
Kenny stomped to the dresser and opened one of the drawers Rider had
given him to use. He extracted a pair of boxers and tossed them to Felix, who
caught them and slid them on. “Much better.”
“Why did you take off from my house?” Kenny demanded. “Do you
know how scared I was? We looked for you all night.”
As far as Kenny knew. He’d fallen asleep an hour into searching, which
he felt bad about. But now that he knew Felix was okay, he wanted to
strangle him.
“I followed you here.” Felix dropped on the bed and leaned back on his
elbow. Rider yanked him off the mattress, snarling at him.
“Why are you so damn aggressive?” Felix whined.
“I’m a wolf,” Rider stated. “It’s my nature.”
“Well, Mr. Growly, did you know someone else followed you?” Felix
gave Rider a smug look, his voice a little too casual. “I even got the license
plate number.”
A frown puckered between Rider’s eyes as he slowly shook his head.
“What’re talking about? No one followed me.”
Felix rolled his eyes. “Black SUV, tinted windows, two men inside. They
stayed a ways back, so you probably didn’t see them. But I did.” He looked
proud that he knew something Rider didn’t.
Rider whipped out his phone and dialed. Kenny pulled Felix into his
arms and hugged him, then pulled back and slugged him on the arm. “You’ll
get enough of scaring the daylights out of me. You shouldn’t have taken off
like that.”
 “Jesse, we got a problem,” Rider stepped out onto the balcony as Felix
looked around the room.
He gave a low whistle. “You did good for yourself. And this place has
central air. Does Rider have a cute brother?”
“If he did,” Kenny said, “I wouldn’t torture him by introducing you.”
Felix stuck out his tongue. “I’m a darling catch and you know it.” He
rubbed his stomach and looked around. “Tell me you got some food in this
joint. I’m starving after running all the way here.”
Kenny doubted Felix had run the entire way. He was too lazy for that.
“Come on so I can feed you.”
He took Felix’s hand and led him into the hallway, shutting the bedroom
door before they went downstairs. When they entered the living room, men
were rushing out the door.
“I guess they’re going to look for that SUV,” Felix said. “Maybe I
should’ve told your fella it stopped half a mile back.”
Kenny looked toward the steps. He really didn’t want to climb all of
them. His mate was smart, and so were the other wolves. They’d figure out
where the strangers were.
Now that he was in the kitchen, his stomach growled. He stuck his head
in the fridge and pushed things aside until he found some deli meat. Kenny
pulled out the bag, along with mayonnaise, lettuce, and a jar of pickles.
Felix searched the kitchen and came back with a huge bag of chips.
“Looks like we’re about to pig out.”
“We can grab what we need and take the stuff back to my room,” Kenny
said. “I’m sure there’s something on the television to watch.”
“See, coming here was a smart plan.” Felix grinned. “I’m always full of
smart plans.”
Kenny looked toward the back of the kitchen. “I’m gonna go check on
Pops.”
“Tell him I said hi.” Felix grabbed the loaf of bread and starting making
the sandwiches.
Kenny knocked on the door, but his grandfather didn’t answer. He prayed
Pops wasn’t naked as he eased it open. Kenny crinkled his brows as he
looked around, then checked the bathroom.
Where on earth was his grandfather?
 ****

Heath crept behind the SUV, keeping low. When he looked left, he saw
Avery tucked behind a tree toward the front of the vehicle. Bruno was also to
Heath’s left. Heath pushed up slightly and looked into the back of the vehicle.
The strangers were in the front seat, their binoculars trained on the house. An
assortment of weapons were in the back storage compartment.
What the hell had they planned? To burn the house down? To shoot it up
until the wood was nothing more than kindling and the glass littered the
forest?
Heath dropped to his stomach and quietly crawled under the SUV until
he was near the driver’s door. The undercarriage was hot, but he managed to
keep himself from touching it.
When he looked to his right, Avery had moved from out of the shadows.
Heath looked to his left, and Bruno had moved as well. He quietly scooted
from under the car, then slowly rose to his feet.
The driver’s eyes went wide as he reached for the handgun on the
dashboard. Heath shattered the window as Bruno attacked the passenger. The
driver used the door to try to shove Heath away, but Heath used his superior
strength and yanked the bastard out through the empty window frame.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Heath wrapped his hand around the
human’s throat. “Why are you watching my house?”
The guy sputtered and tried to knock Heath’s hand away, but all he
managed to do was scratch Heath. “Get the fuck off me,” the guy snarled.
Heath reached into the window and grabbed the gun. He pressed the
barrel into the man’s head. “You’ll give me answers or I’ll leave pieces of
you scattered all over these fucking mountains.”
He felt someone move in behind him. With his hand still wrapped around
the bastard’s throat, Heath spun, only to find Rider standing there, his lip
curled as he advanced toward them. He started wailing on the driver, his fist
cracking against bone.
“Don’t fucking kill him.” Heath tried to pull Rider off the human, but
Rider was unstoppable.
Until Jesse arrived and yanked Rider free, shoving him toward the back
of the SUV. “You’re not even supposed to be here,” he shouted at Rider.
“Get home to your mate.”
 “He’s a threat to Kenny,” Rider argued. “I thought we eliminated threats.
Hand him over to me and I’ll teach him what happens to those who invade
our territory.”
“Not until we have the answers we’re looking for,” Jesse snapped. “You
damn near killed him.”
When the driver scrambled to his feet and tried to take off, Heath jerked
from surprise, then went after the human. He caught the guy and dragged him
back by his throat.
He watched Rider storm away before turning to Jesse. “I think we’ll have
to get inventive,” he said. “This guy seems too stubborn for his own good.”
Jesse held up his hand in front of the driver, and the claw on his index
finger slid free. Jesse tapped the tip against the guy’s cheek. “Are you sure
you don’t want to talk?”
“Kill me.” The human grinned, showing off bloody teeth. “I’m not telling
you jack shit.”
Jesse sliced the man’s cheek. Heath held him place as he howled,
writhing as he tried to get free, but Heath kept a firm hold on him as blood
oozed from the cut.
Jesse dropped his hand. “That’s just a taste of what I’m gonna do to you
unless you tell me what you’re doing here.”
The driver slid his tongue over his teeth. His grin was downright evil as
he looked at Jesse. “Do your worst.”
Jesse matched the man’s grin. At times like this Heath remembered just
how lethal his alpha truly was. Even he shivered from the way Jesse looked at
the driver.
“Oh, I plan to.” He waved toward his truck. “Put them back there, but
make sure you tie them up first.”
Heath hauled the human toward Jesse’s Toyota Tundra. He saw silver
duct tape in the back, along with two burlap blankets.
“When we reach the cabin, keep them separated.”
Fuck. The cabin. Heath hadn’t been there in forever. The rickety place
was nothing more than four walls and a door, but whenever Jesse went there,
blood was always shed.
“Should I dig two graves?” Heath bent the human over the tailgate as
Bruno snagged the tape and started securing both men.
“No, I want you to get rid of their ride,” Jesse said. “Take it to the
highway and set it on fire. I want nothing to remain but the frame.”
Heath nodded. “You got it.” He headed to the SUV, then got inside. He
had to readjust the seat to accommodate his large size, then got the vehicle
turned around and started downhill.
From the rearview, he saw Bruno and Avery loading the men, tossing the
burlap over them. Heath wouldn’t wish that kind of torture on anyone. He’d
seen Jesse at his worst, and those memories were forever etched in Heath’s
brain.
When he reached the highway, he pulled over onto the emergency edge
and put the SUV in Park.
Now how the hell was he supposed to cause such a hot fire? Maybe
Heath should have thought of that beforehand. He checked the back and was
shocked and pissed when he found a few hand grenades.
Just what in the fuck had those two been planning, a world war?
Heath opened the back-window hatch, then grabbed three grenades. “Oh
my god. I’m gonna have so much fun with these.”
He moved far enough away to throw them while still giving himself time
to get the fuck out of there.
After checking the road to make sure no one was coming, Heath pulled
the pins and tossed all three. His heart nearly gave out when the third hit the
frame of the hatch and bounced back toward him.
“Fuck!” He spun and raced away as the explosions ignited behind him.
Heath turned and grinned. “Job well done if I do say so myself.”
Then he scratched his head. “Now how in the hell am I supposed to get
home?”
 Chapter 9
Kenny had no idea where Rider had taken off to, and he wasn’t waiting
around. Pops was missing, and he had to find him. He raced into the kitchen
and waved his hands around. “We have to go.”
The sandwiches were sitting on their individual plates, and Felix had just
shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. “Go where?” he asked, pieces of
chips shooting from his mouth.
“Pops is gone. I think he wandered out his back door.” Kenny bounced
from foot to foot, biting his nails. “You have to sniff him out for me. One of
his shirts in lying on his bed if you need his scent.”
Felix furrowed his brows. “Dude, do I look like a damn bloodhound to
you?”
Kenny threw his arms up. “Will you just do it?”
With a grunt, Felix held up his finger. He grabbed a few sections from
the paper-towel roll and wrapped the sandwiches. “In case we get hungry.”
“How’re you gonna eat and be a fox at the same time?”
Felix scowled at him. “Fine. Let’s go.”
When he set the sandwiches down, Kenny grabbed one and followed him
into his grandfather’s bedroom. His best friend removed his clothes, then
shifted and ran out the door. Kenny hurried to catch up to him. Maybe he
should call Rider and tell his mate where he was and what he was doing.
It wouldn’t hurt to have a wolf shifter next to him. The last thing Kenny
wanted was to get eaten by a mountain lion. Then he thought of all the other
animals that could be roaming around the forest. Imagining sharp teeth and
claws almost made him turn around, and he would have if his grandfather
hadn’t been missing.
Kenny wasn’t sure how long they’d been out there, but they’d traveled a
good distance. Just how far had Pops gone and how long had he been out
here? Minutes, hours, years?
 He slowed when Felix did. The fox tilted his head back and sniffed the
hot night air.
“Do you have his scent, boy?”
Felix shifted. “I’m not a damn dog,” he growled. “And no, I don’t have
his scent, but I smell something rotten.”
Kenny snapped his head around when he heard that ominous clicking.
His heart hammered as his body stiffened. He dropped the sandwich as he
spun, looking around.
“What the hell is that noise?” Felix looked left, then right. “It doesn’t
sound like crickets.”
“I-It’s not.” Kenny backed away. “We need to go, now.”
“But what about your grandfather?”
Kenny stopped moving, unsure what he should do. He pulled his phone
from his back pocket and dialed Rider.
“I’m on my way back,” Rider said. “I just had to step out and take care of
some business.”
“I’m not at home,” Kenny said. “I’m in the woods, looking for Pops, but
I think some feeders found me instead.”
“What!”
Kenny winced. Boy, his mate sounded downright livid.
“Tell me where you’re at.”
“Uh, the woods.” Duh. That was all that was around Rider’s house. It
wasn’t like there were corner stores or street signs.
He spun when he heard the clicking again. It sounded closer this time.
Felix grabbed his arm, digging his fingernails into Kenny’s skin.
“What the fuck is that noise?”
“Feeders,” Kenny said. “Those things I warned you about.”
Felix’s eyes went super wide. “You’re telling me we got zombies out
here?”
“They’re not zombies,” Kenny argued. He could deal with zombies. They
were slow and he would be able to outrun them.
“Make your way back to the house.” Kenny jumped at the sound of
Rider’s voice. He had forgotten his phone was pressed to his ear.
Okay.”
“I’ll find you,” Rider said. “And when I do, I’m spanking your ass for
leaving.”
 “But Pops is out here somewhere,” Kenny argued. “He wandered off. I
couldn’t just leave him in the woods by himself.”
“I’ll send one of the other men to find him,” Rider said. “Just get
moving.”
The fear in Rider’s voice only amplified Kenny’s.
“I have to hang up,” Rider said. “I can’t talk and shift into my wolf. But I
promise I’ll find you.”
“O-okay.” Kenny didn’t want the connection to Rider to be lost. He was
terrified enough already and Rider’s voice had brought him a measure of
comfort.
After tucking his phone away, he walked arm in arm with Felix, scanning
his surroundings and listening for that sound.
He wanted to be relieved that Rider was sending a wolf to hunt Pops
down, but he wouldn’t be until his grandfather was safely back in his
bedroom.
“It’s gonna be okay,” Felix murmured.
“I know.” No, he really didn’t, but Kenny had to tell himself that so he
wouldn’t run off screaming through the woods.
“I was telling myself that,” Felix said. “That smell is making me want to
throw up.”
Kenny didn’t smell anything foul and was glad. His nerves were already
stretched thin. There was a squeezing sensation in his chest and his breathing
had become raspy. If he didn’t get home soon, he’d pass out from
hyperventilating.
He’d seen what those creatures looked like, knew how nasty they
smelled, and had seen those really sharp teeth. Kenny never wanted to see
one of those things again.
“The smell is getting stronger,” Felix whispered. “I think we’re being
followed.”
Kenny tried to swallow but his throat was bone-dry. “Should we make a
run for it?”
“No.” Felix shook his head. “That might make it chase us. We need to
keep a steady pace until Rider gets here.”
“What if he doesn’t get here in time?”
“I’m trying really hard not to think about that.” Felix gripped his arm
harder. “Just stay positive.”
 How the heck was Kenny supposed to do that when one of those things
was close by? It wasn’t like they were near the house. Kenny had no idea
where they were, how close they could be to home, or if they were even
going in the right direction. He just had to trust that Rider would find them,
and maybe get a locator chip stapled to his ass for the next time he did
something this stupid.
They froze when twigs snapped to their right. Kenny was seconds away
from peeing his pants. But it wasn’t a feeder that emerged from the darkness
surrounding them.
It was a large white cat, crouched and looking ready to pounce on them.
“We’re gonna die,” Kenny squeaked. “It’s been nice knowing you.”
“I-I don’t think we’re gonna die.” Felix released his arm and took a step
toward the cat.
“Are you nuts?” Kenny snapped. “Even if you were in your fox form, no
way could you beat that cat up. Get back here.” Kenny grabbed for him, but
Felix jerked his arm away and took another step closer.
The cat shifted and Kenny gasped as a handsome man took its place. And
he was completely naked, just like Felix was.
“Why are you two out here?” the stranger demanded. “Don’t you know
there’re at least a dozen feeders surrounding you?”
A dozen? Kenny felt light-headed as a primal scream became trapped in
his throat. He spun in circles, trying to spot them, but he only saw darkness.
If the moon hadn’t been hiding behind clouds, he might have seen them.
Then again, maybe not having moonlight was a good thing.
“We’re just waiting for Rider to get here,” Kenny said.
Two more large cats stepped forward, but they didn’t shift. They simply
stayed by the stranger’s side, their ears pinned back and their sharp teeth
bared.
“So you belong to the wolves?” the guy asked.
“Yes, they do.” Rider stalked toward them, just as naked as the others. If
Kenny hadn’t been in such a dire situation, being surrounded by handsome
men would have made him drool all over himself. Well, handsome except for
Felix. He was like a brother to Kenny and didn’t flip any of his sexual-
fantasy triggers. But Felix was good-looking.
The stranger dipped his head. “Rider.”
Rider did the same. “Lazarus. Mind explaining why you’re in wolf
territory?”
Lazarus spread his arms. “Don’t you smell the stench? We’ve tracked a
group of feeders for quite a few miles. I tried calling Jesse, but he isn’t
answering his phone.”
“He’s busy.” Rider looked around, then scented the air. His eyes
narrowed as the points of his canines slid toward his bottom lip. So far Kenny
hadn’t been afraid of him, at least not one hundred percent, but the savage
expression on his face made Kenny take a step back.
“I’ll send what men I can,” Rider said, “but we’re spread pretty thin and I
have to get these two home.”
Kenny’s gaze kept dropping to Rider’s cock. He licked his lips and
looked away, but his gaze strayed right back to the impressive sight. He
shouldn’t be getting turned on right now, but Kenny couldn’t help it. He’d
experienced firsthand what Rider could do with his dick, and Kenny felt hot
and bothered as he tried to keep his mind on the problem at hand.
Felix shoved his shoulder into Kenny. “I can smell your lust,” he
whispered. “Tone that shit down.”
Kenny slapped a hand over his heating face, embarrassed. If Felix could
smell it, no doubt the others could. “I can’t help it,” he whispered right back.
“There’re studs standing here, totally naked. I have a pulse, you know.”
Rider slowly turned his head, glaring at Kenny. “We need to go.”
“I’ll deal with the feeders,” Lazarus said.
Judging by the look on Rider’s face, he wasn’t too fond of Lazarus. “And
I’ll let Jesse know you’re in our territory.”
Lazarus turned and headed into the woods behind him. The two cats
followed.
“Just what kind of cat is he?” Kenny asked.
“Snow leopard,” Rider said. “And if you look at his cock again, I’ll…”
He swiped a hand down his face. “Just don’t do it again, got it?”
Kenny saluted him. “Loud and clear, boss.”
Felix snickered.
Rider gave him the evil eye. “This was your doing, wasn’t it?”
“I was minding my own business, eating your food, when Kenny pulled
me out here. Don’t try to blame me for this shit.”
“Just shift,” Rider grunted. “My retinas are burning looking at your
naked ass.”
 With a huff, Felix shifted into his fox. Rider led them home, thankfully
without any feeders attacking them. When they entered through his
grandfather’s door, Kenny was stunned to see Pops slouched in his recliner,
holding the television remote.
“Where have you been?” Kenny hadn’t meant to shout, but the terror
he’d felt at losing his grandfather in the woods had suddenly taken hold. He
wanted to yell at Pops and hug him at the same time.
“We’re out of coffee,” Pops said.
“So what?” Felix asked. “You ran to the local grocery store?”
Pops guffawed, slapping his naked knee. All he had on were his ratty
boxers. Kenny would have to remember to throw them away later. “Ain’t no
store around here, son. I just went to the side of the house to take a leak.”
Kenny scratched his head. “But you have your own private bathroom.”
“Ain’t the same as communing with nature.” Pops looked Rider and Felix
over. “Some kind of naked party I’m missing out on?”
Kenny shivered at the thought of his grandfather getting up and stripping
his boxers off. “No, and stop using the bathroom outside. You scared me half
to death. I thought you’d wandered off.”
“Pfft.” Pops waved a dismissive hand at him. “I was an Army Ranger
back in the day. I know how to find my way around.”
That was a damn lie. The cops had brought Pops home twice because
he’d forgotten where he’d lived. But Kenny was too tired and scared to argue
that point. He locked his grandfather’s back door and headed out of the room.
When Rider joined him in the kitchen, Kenny bit his lower lip. “Just how
much trouble am I in?”
Rider’s nostrils flared. “You have no idea. I’d suggest you go to our
room.”
“So, where can I crash?” Felix asked.
“In your own damn bed,” Rider said.
Felix narrowed his eyes. “You’d send me out there with those feeders
lurking close by?”
Rider shrugged. Kenny slapped his mate on his stomach. “Don’t you
dare.”
“Fine,” Rider groused. “You can curl up on the couch in the living
room.”
Grabbing his sandwich off the table, Felix stormed away.
 Shoulders sagging, Kenny stomped up the stairs.

****

Jesse walked into the house, covered in blood and stopped short when he
saw a fox curled up on the couch. At first, he thought a wild animal had
gotten in, but when the fox lifted its head and stared at him, there was
intelligence in his eyes.
“Who the hell are you?”
The fox shifted, and a short and slim man sat there blinking at him. “I’m
Kenny’s best friend. Felix.”
It took a second for Jesse to recall who Kenny was. The grueling
interrogation of the two humans had gone on for hours, but Jesse had gotten
the information he’d been after. He was exhausted now, and all he wanted
was a shower and to curl up in bed next to his mate.
With a grunt, he headed to the third floor. Jesse hated that Corky would
see him like this, but there was nothing he could do about the blood. Just as
long as their son was asleep, he was sure his mate could handle his condition.
Corky was seated on the couch in their room, his phone in hand when
Jesse entered. Corky looked up and scowled. “Did you question them or eat
them?”
“I’ll be right with you.” Jesse went into the bathroom and walked right
into the shower stall. He cut the water on and stuck his head under the spray.
From what the humans had told him, the land-development rumor had been
started to hide the real reason the territory on the mountains was being looked
at.
Howling Cavern’s mayor and some of buddies had found out about
shifters. Instead of calling in reinforcements—which was every shifter’s
worst nightmare—they’d decided to form a militia who would secretly
invade the forests and kill anyone they found.
The two humans they’d caught had been scouts, sent to gather proof that
Jesse and his men could really shift.
The militia’s plan was a dumbass one, considering that hikers frequented
the mountains and forest rangers lived here, too. But humankind’s inability to
act on good judgement instead of fear never surprised Jesse. Now they had to
worry about armed men stalking their territories—humans who were being
paid to wipe out the nonhuman population.
Little did the mayor know just how many preternatural beings lived in
Howling Cavern. If he ever discovered the truth, Jesse was sure a lot of the
residents would go missing. They were his people to protect, and with such a
small pack, he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep the residents safe from
trigger-happy assholes.
When he finished his shower, Jesse wrapped a towel around his waist and
stepped into his bedroom. Corky still sat there, his face in his phone, but set it
aside and faced Jesse. “So, what happened?”
Jesse’s love for Corky was deep, and he would be beyond devastated if
anything happened to him or their son, Sammy. They were the most
important people in the world to him, and if he came across any of the militia,
Jesse would tear them apart so badly, there would be nothing left to identify.
He needed to call Clint, Lazarus, and Dominic to let them know what
was really going on. The mayor might start out sending his men into Jesse’s
territory, but he doubted the man would stop there.
Besides, as much as Jesse hated to admit it, if the operation was really
this large, he would need help from the bears, snow leopards, and lions.
Nobody was running them off their land, or killing them. Jesse would die
to protect what was his, and he knew the other leaders would do the same.
 Chapter 10
Rider scrubbed a hand over his head while trying to get his racing heart
under control. He never wanted to receive that kind of phone call again.
Worse, he hadn’t known where to find Kenny, which put him into an even
more fucked-up panic until he’d finally caught his human’s scent.
And finding Lazarus standing there with two of his leap members at his
side had made Rider murderous. The fact the alpha had been naked and
standing close to his pregnant mate hadn’t helped matters.
Rider had come that close to starting a war on the mountains, but he’d
needed to get Kenny home as fast as possible.
“You’re not in trouble,” he said.
“But you’re mad.” Kenny wrung his hands as he stood in front of the
floor-to-ceiling windows. “How am I not in trouble?”
With a deep and resigned sigh, Rider sat on the bed, then pulled Kenny
onto his lap. He pressed his hand against Kenny’s stomach. “You’re carrying
our pup. I don’t ever want you to put yourself in danger again. We might’ve
just met, Kenny, but I’d be distraught if anything happened to you.”
“I wouldn’t purposely put myself in danger,” Kenny argued. “But my
grandfather was lost, or so I thought, and after all the sacrifices he’s made for
me, and with how much I love him, I couldn’t just leave him out there.”
“You should’ve called me first,” Rider chastised. “I would’ve gone
looking for him. You can’t run out of here half-cocked.” He tapped Kenny’s
temple with his finger. “You have to think, sweetheart. What if something
had happened to you? What if one of those feeders had attacked?”
Kenny shuddered. “Trust me, I was scared enough for both of us.”
Rider kissed his mate’s hair. How could he be mad at Kenny? He was
filled with such innocence and he’d only been trying to protect his
grandfather. Rider just prayed his mate didn’t scare him that badly again.
“What am I going to do with you?”
 Kenny smiled shyly at him from under the fall of his thick lashes. Rider
saw in his pretty blue eyes what was on his mind. He started out kissing
Kenny’s temple, then moved lower, until Kenny moaned and tilted his head
to the side.
Rider turned and placed Kenny beneath him, sliding his hand down
Kenny’s side. His mate squirmed, grabbing Rider’s shoulders as Rider kissed
across Kenny’s neck.
God, Rider couldn’t get enough of him, especially knowing Kenny was
carrying his child. That made him the most precious person to Rider.
As they slowly kissed, Rider worked open Kenny’s pants, then slid them
down, breaking the kiss long enough to get them off. As he pulled the
material free, Kenny yanked his shirt over his head and let it fall from his
hand.
Rider glided his hand down Kenny’s slim chest, tracing his fingers over
the faint conception line. “You’re so beautiful.”
When he looked up, Kenny was blushing. He slid his teeth over his
bottom lip, looking so innocent that Rider wanted to do some very naughty
things to him.
Kenny grabbed at the hem of Rider’s shirt and tugged it upward. Rider
helped, pulling it the rest of the way off. Then Kenny’s hands landed on his
pecs.
“You have an amazing body.”
Rider grinned. “Glad you like it.”
He cupped Kenny’s face, staring into those pretty baby-blues. His chest
constricted and a lump formed in his throat. Rider was looking at the man
who would spend the rest of his life with him, the man who would bear his
children, and the man whose happiness meant everything to him.
Kenny might be a bit naïve, but he was brave. He’d not only stormed into
the forest looking for his grandfather, even knowing about the dangers out
there, but he’d readily accepted Rider and his world.
How could he not love the man for that?
Rider lay on his back when Kenny started fumbling with the button of his
jeans. He tucked his hands behind his head, smiling. His mate might have
been a virgin when they met, but Kenny didn’t seem to have a problem taking
what he wanted.
He lifted his hips just enough to allow Kenny to pull the material down to
his thighs. Rider watched with heavy-lidded eyes as Kenny lay on his
stomach and took Rider into his mouth.
“Fuck,” he hissed. He could tell right away that Kenny had no idea what
he was doing, but hell if Rider would stop his mate from practicing on him.
He liked the fumbling and noisy sucking, even the hesitation as Kenny
explored him.
Rider had to curl his hands into fists to stop himself from touching his
mate, but his gaze stayed glued to what Kenny was doing. “Feels good,
sweetheart.”
Unable to stand it any longer, Rider ran a hand over Kenny’s hair as his
mate squeezed his balls. Shit. Kenny might not be experienced, but Rider had
no problem shooting to the edge. He traced the pad of his thumb over the side
of Kenny’s mouth as his breathing quickened.
Rider threw his head back and shouted his release, grabbing Kenny’s
head as he pumped into his mouth and his seed splashed down his mate’s
throat.
He shoved his jeans the rest of the way off and crawled onto bed as
Kenny scooted all the way back to the headboard. Rider was still hard, and
seeing Kenny wipe at his mouth only turned him on even more. He reached
under the pillow, pulled the bottle of lube free, and wetted his fingers as he
stared at Kenny’s hard cock.
Rider settled between his legs and returned the favor, sucking Kenny into
his mouth as he slid his fingers into his mate’s ass.
God, he was so fucking sexy. Rider glided his hand up Kenny’s chest and
splayed it over his mate’s stomach.
Kenny whimpered, writhing, hissing, and groaning beneath Rider’s
assault, his fingers digging into the bedding.
When his mate was stretched, Rider reared back, lubed his cock, and
pressed the head to Kenny’s slick hole. They both moaned as Rider entered
him. Kenny’s tight grip made Rider clench his teeth.
“Faster.” A deep blush stole over Kenny’s cheeks.
One of Rider’s brows rose. “I think I’ve created a monster.”
Kenny snickered. “Just move faster.”
“As you wish, sweetheart.” Rider gripped the backs of Kenny’s knees,
pushed his mate’s legs back, then pounded into him. Kenny wasn’t a quiet
lover. He cried out so loudly Rider was sure everyone in the house heard him.
 He thrust fast and deep until his orgasm neared, and Kenny grabbed his
own cock and stroked himself. The sight was Rider’s undoing. For the second
time in ten minutes, he came.
His balls actually ached as he pulled free and collapsed next to his mate,
curling around Kenny as he sighed. “Let that be a lesson to you not to go
wandering around outside.” He kissed Kenny’s neck.
Kenny looked over his shoulder, furrowed his brows, then laughed, and
the sound embedded deep in Rider’s heart.

****

Rider went with Jesse into town and they met up with Sheriff Gilmore.
The guy looked haggard as he ran a hand through his rumpled hair with a
long sigh.
“I just want to know how Mayor Preston found out about the shifters.”
He scowled. “And I’m ten kinds of pissed that he discovers your kind, and
what does he do? He forms a group of nutjobs to wipe you guys out. What
type of person does that?”
“I’m wondering why he had the rumor about land started in the first
place,” Rider said. “What did that accomplish?”
“Keeping us off the trail of what he was really up to,” Jesse said. “But I
don’t think he expected Hal to dig so deeply.”
“I’m still looking over my shoulder,” Hal admitted.
Rider was just glad the rumor wasn’t true and that his father hadn’t been
involved. That was one situation he hadn’t wanted to deal with. He hadn’t
seen Ross Marcel since leaving home at a very young age, and if Rider could
help it, he wanted to keep it that way. If these two thought the mayor was a
bag full of crazy, they had no idea the bullet they’d just dodged where
Rider’s father was concerned.
“So we find out who is in this militia and deal with them,” he said.
“I don’t think it’ll be that easy,” Hal said. “If my gut’s right, Mayor
Preston’s friends hired the men, and with the money they have, for all we
know, these guys could be the kind of ex-military that won’t be so easy to
find.”
“I’m letting you know right now,” Jesse said with a deep growl. “I find
any of them on my mountain, they’ll disappear.”
 “Jeez.” Hal shook his head. “Can you not discuss murder while I’m
standing here? I don’t want to know what you men are planning. Got that?”
Rider noticed a truck two blocks down just sitting at the stop sign. He
couldn’t see through the tinted windows, but he had a feeling whoever was
inside was watching them.
“I think we’re way past that,” Jesse said.
Rider recalled the day when Jesse had killed two humans on bear land.
Hal had seen the dead guys, had seen Jesse covered in blood.
“I think we’re being watched,” Rider said so low only Jesse had heard
him. His alpha glanced down the street, then gave a slight nod.
“We’ll handle the militia,” Jesse said. “But you better keep me posted
about what the mayor is up to.”
Hal tossed his hat on his head and walked to his patrol car. He didn’t look
happy about Jesse’s demand, but Rider knew that the sheriff would do
whatever Jesse told him to. He might be the sheriff, but Hal was starting to
realize who ran this town.
And it wasn’t the humans.
“They’ll probably try and follow us,” Jesse said as they headed to his
truck. “As soon as we’re deep enough into the mountains, I want you to get
out and follow them. They’re not gonna boldly park by the house, so I need
to know where they’ll be laying low.”
Rider was anxious to get back to Kenny, but he had to do whatever it
took if he wanted to keep their territory safe so they could raise their pup.
When they pulled away, Rider looked in his side mirror and spotted the
maroon truck drive away from the stop sign. It stayed back but was clearly
following them.
Jesse navigated the steep inclines, the narrow edges, and the fast slopes.
When Rider didn’t see the truck after they’d moved around a corner, he held
up his hand. Jesse stopped long enough for him to jump out and duck behind
a thick clump of trees. Not even a minute after Jesse drove on, the maroon
truck came into sight.
Rider shifted into his wolf and rushed up the ridge so the men wouldn’t
see him in their mirrors. It wasn’t hard to keep up considering they were
driving slow as fuck. Rider would bet Pops could drive faster than they were.
When it stopped, Rider pressed his belly to the ground, staying hidden in
the foliage. He was no longer on the ridge, but the humans wouldn’t be able
to see him.
The driver got out, then pulled a rifle that had been hidden under a
canvas tarp from the bed of the truck. Rider suppressed a growl.
“I guess we shoot any predatory animals we see,” the driver said when
the passenger exited and slammed the door. The sheriff had had it wrong.
These two weren’t ex-military, as far as Rider could tell. They were yahoos
who looked as though they liked to hunt for sport and got a thrill out of
killing.
Rider eased back before taking off for the house.

****

“We need to open a goddamn salvage yard or something,” Heath said as

he, Rider, and Avery crept toward the maroon truck. “I can’t keep setting
them on fire on the side of the highway.”
Though, damn, playing with grenades had been awesome—except when
the third one had rolled back toward him. Even so, that had been a fucking
rush. Heath wouldn’t be against tossing more of them, either.
“We’ll figure out what to do with their truck just as soon as we put these
two bastards out of their misery,” Rider said. “I just want to get this over with
so I can get back to Kenny.”
Heath scowled at him. “Go ahead and rub it in that you found your
mate.”
Rider chuckled. “Damn right I am.”
Avery snickered. “And he came with his very own grandfather.”
“Don’t remind me.” Rider shuddered. “I found Pops in the kitchen eating
a bowl of cereal. He used water instead of milk, and his boxers were so holey
I saw his wrinkly nuts. I hope like hell my nuts don’t hang that low when I
get old.”
“Can we stop talking about old people’s nuts?” Avery asked. “You’re
creeping me out.”
“You brought him up,” Rider argued.
Heath held up his hand. They quieted as they neared where the men were
camping out. The humans were roasting marshmallows over a small fire.
Seriously? They were out here to kill, yet they acted like they were on a
camping trip. The humor Heath had just felt drained as he moved steadily
closer, keeping his steps quiet. His gaze fell to the rifle propped up on the
log. They needed to disarm the two before they could shove those rifles up
their asses.
Heath recalled the trouble the bear shifters had had a while back with a
posse invading their land and men on a hunting party who had stumbled onto
them.
It seemed the humans just wouldn’t leave them alone.
Heath gave the signal, and Avery and Rider nodded. He counted to three,
then stepped from behind the tree so fast, the guy sitting closest to him didn’t
have time to react. Heath snatched the rifle and tossed it aside as Avery and
Rider descended on the second guy.
Four guys in two days. This shit was insane.
“You’re one of them, aren’t you!” the guy shouted as Heath grabbed him
from the log and threw him against the tree. He growled when he saw a dead
mountain lion a few feet away. It was just lying there, as if the human
intended on wasting his kill.
Heath understood killing for food and using the pelt for warmth. But not
this.
“And you’re one of them,” Heath snarled. “You’re one of those
motherfuckers who has no care for life. It’s all fun and games for you, isn’t
it?”
Heath had a feeling he’d broken the guy’s back. The human had his hand
pressed behind him as sweat gathered on his face. He wasn’t trying to get-up
(outfit), either.
“And you freaks shouldn’t even be here,” the man snapped.
Heath wasn’t about to get into a debate with this guy. He rushed over and
snapped his neck. When he looked up, the other guy was dead, too.
“I’m heading home,” Rider said. “I’m pretty sure you two can handle
things from here.”
Heath looked over at Avery as Rider took off. “So, you want to bury the
bodies or get rid of the truck?”
Avery chuckled. “Dude, I’m going to get the shovel.”
Damn. Heath was pissed he hadn’t grabbed more grenades before he’d
blown up the last vehicle. He looked the truck over. It was nice. Maybe he’d
call a friend of his and see if he wanted it.
It would be a real shame to destroy such a beauty.
 With that in mind, Heath put out the fire and jumped into the pickup, then
headed away from the mountains and Howling Cavern.
 Chapter 11
Kenny stood in front of the bathroom mirror, turning from side to side,
checking out the faint line that ran from his belly button to his pubic hairs.
Rider had mentioned a baby line—he couldn’t honestly remember what Rider
had called it—and was amazed it had shown up so soon.
“What’re you looking at?” Felix asked as he strolled into Kenny’s
bathroom.
“Haven’t you ever heard of privacy?” Kenny quickly pulled down his
shirt.
“What were you looking at?”
Kenny batted Felix’s hands away when his best friend tried to lift his
shirt. “It’s none of your business. Stop!” He laughed when Felix tickled him.
“Show me what had you so interested and I’ll stop,” Felix promised.
“And don’t tell me it was your dick.”
Kenny snorted. “How do you know it’s not that long?”
Felix rolled his eyes. “What were you looking at?”
Kenny bit his lip. He wasn’t sure he should show his friend. He trusted
Felix with his life, but this was an intimate thing between him and Rider. But
soon he would start showing, so he couldn’t keep his secret from Felix
forever.
He slowly lifted his shirt and Felix’s eyes widened. “Dude, you got a
baby baking in there.”
“It’s not a loaf of bread, dummy.” Kenny dropped his shirt. “You gotta
promise not to tell anyone.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll announce it to all my other best friends,” Felix said. “Like
I’d tell anyone. Besides, I already know about the conception line. I just
never saw it on a guy before.” Felix poked at his stomach. “Where’s the baby
supposed to come out?”
“You don’t want to know,” someone said from the doorway.
 Kenny looked over Felix’s shoulder to see Corky standing there. “Um…
hi.”
Corky leaned against the doorframe. “You’re not gonna freak out about
this, are you? I know I did. I fought against my mating with Jesse for
months.”
Kenny’s brows shot up. “You did? But why? Jesse’s the alpha, and he’s
handsome, too.”
Felix snorted. “I’d do that stud anytime.”
Kenny scowled as he elbowed Felix.
“What?” Felix asked. “It’s true.”
“Just don’t freak out about it,” Corky said. “It’s really not as bad as it
seems.”
“I’m not freaking out.” Kenny pressed his hand over his stomach. “I like
that I’m carrying Rider’s baby. But, uh, where exactly does the baby come
out?”
“A stork brings it.” Corky winked at him. “Jesse sent me up here to let
you guys know we’re going into town for dinner.” He held up a hand. “Yeah,
it’s dangerous, but I begged until he caved. One can only stay cooped up for
so long.”
Kenny wasn’t so sure he wanted to go. Rider had told him some men
were out there who wanted all shifters dead. Some of them had even shot at
Jesse and the sheriff. If they were bold enough to shoot at a law enforcement
officer right there in town, what chance did they have?
“Do all of us have to go?”
“Are you kidding?” Felix asked with wide eyes. “You’re gonna pass up
on a free meal?”
“Why can’t we have a meal here?” Kenny asked. “I saw the fire pit out
front. We can make some side dishes while the others grill the meat.”
Corky tapped his finger on his chin. “That does sound good.” He looked
at Kenny. “My best friend lives with the bears, and I don’t get to see him
often. It’ll be nice to get to know you two and have someone to hang out with
besides testosterone-filled wolves.”
“How about a fox with no spine?” Felix chuckled.
“Or a human with chicken blood?” Kenny asked, grinning just as widely
as Felix.
Corky patted his own chest. “Or an ex-slacker?”
 Kenny liked Corky and saw they would be fast friends. “Okay, so go talk
to Jesse and I’ll see what we have in the kitchen.”
“Just hope Rider doesn’t go all organic on you like Jesse did with me.
When I was carrying our son, I wasn’t allowed to eat anything fried. By the
end of my three months, I was ready to murder someone for a piece of fried
chicken.”
The three headed out of Kenny’s bedroom. Corky split off to go talk to
Jesse while Kenny and Felix hit the kitchen. Kenny was glad Corky had
come to him, because he wasn’t really any good at making friends. Felix had
been the one to approach him.
If that was what one wanted to call it.
More like Kenny turned and ran into Felix, smashing his ice cream cone
into the guy’s shirt. Felix had offered to buy him another cone, and they’d
been friends ever since.

****

“Will you stop?” Kenny batted Rider’s hand away. “I’m trying to finish
this potato salad.”
“I think you look sexy as fuck in that apron.” Rider squeezed Kenny’s ass
as he pinned him against the counter. “Come on, we can have some quick sex
before anyone comes in here.”
Kenny scowled. “If it’s gonna be that quick, I’m not sure I want it.”
“Oh, you want me and you know it,” Rider teased. Seeing Kenny in the
kitchen really did turn him on. He had no clue his mate could cook. Some of
the other pack members could, but trying to get those lazy fuckers in here
was like bending an arm backward.
Kenny ducked under Rider’s arm, grabbed the bowl of potato salad, and
stuck it in the fridge. He bit his lip and looked around, then grabbed Rider’s
hand and yanked him toward the back hallway.
“We gotta make this quick.”
“Fuck yeah.” Rider chuckled. As soon as they slipped around the corner,
he was all over Kenny. He boxed his mate into the corner by the downstairs
bathroom, then pulled him into the room and closed the door.
Kenny crinkled his nose. “We’re gonna have sex in a bathroom?”
“Sweetheart, I’d have sex with you anywhere.”
 Rider spun him and leaned Kenny over the sink, then shoved his mate’s
jeans and underwear down his legs. Kenny wiggled his butt, laughing as
Rider reached into the medicine cabinet and pulled a bottle of lube from one
of the shelves.
“You keep lube around the house?”
“Nah,” Rider said as he wet his fingers. “I just stashed it in here before I
came into the kitchen.”
He slid two fingers inside his mate’s tight ass and shuddered. Kenny
mewled, and Rider didn’t stop him from being so loud. He didn’t care who
heard him, and Rider liked the fact he could work his mate up so easily.
He nipped Kenny’s ear as he added a third finger. “Do you know how
much you turn me on?”
“Enough to have sex with a toilet behind us,” Kenny whimpered.
Rider grinned. “Yeah, that much, sweetheart.”
He pulled his fingers free, lubed his cock, and tried to work his way
inside Kenny, but his mate was short as fuck and he needed a better angle.
Rider turned Kenny and lifted him. “Wrap your legs around me, babe.”
When Kenny did, Rider pressed him against the wall. He lined his cock
up and drove inside his mate. Kenny cried out as someone knocked on the
door. Kenny slapped a hand over his mouth, staring wide-eyed at Rider.
“What?” Rider snarled.
“Can you two hurry up?” Felix said from the other side of the door. “I
have to use the bathroom.”
Rider growled. “Your friend has the worst timing.”
“I heard that,” Felix snapped. “And you two have the worst timing with
your horniness. I’ll just go take a piss outside.”
Why hadn’t Felix done that in the first place? Rider shook his head,
putting the fox shifter from his mind as he grabbed Kenny’s hips and thrust
deep. His mate clawed at him, rolling his head back and forth against the
wall.
God, Kenny was so fucking erotic when he was being fucked. Rider
loved everything about him—the way he cried out, the faces he made, and the
way he wiggled on Rider’s dick.
He smashed his lips against Kenny’s, devouring his tongue as he punched
his hips faster. Kenny rode up and down the wall as his nails dug into Rider’s
arms.
 Someone knocked at the door.
“Go the fuck away!” Why the hell did everyone decide to use the
downstairs bathroom now? Rider stilled, his cock pulsing in Kenny’s ass.
“Okay, you don’t have to be a dick about it,” Avery said. “I’ll just go
outside.”
“Do you guys have an outhouse or something?” Kenny asked.
“Who cares?” Rider went back to kissing his mate, tightening his hold on
Kenny’s body, getting lost in him once more.
Kenny gasped, trying his best to bounce on Rider’s dick, but in this
position, he wasn’t getting very far, so Rider quickened his pace, then snaked
a hand between them and curled it around Kenny’s erection.
“Yes!” Kenny hissed. “Don’t stop doing that.”
Rider kissed his way to Kenny’s shoulder, lapping at his salty skin,
sucking up a bruise on his neck. Kenny’s hole gripped his dick so tightly that
Rider was already close to the edge.
Kenny’s cum splattered between them as he cried out his release. His
hole clamped around Rider’s cock, making it almost impossible to move.
The smell of his release, and the pure rapture on his face did it for Rider.
As he came, he bit into Kenny’s shoulder, which made Kenny cry out even
louder.
Rider pulled his canines free, then rested his forehead against Kenny’s.
“We need to have bathroom sex more often.”
“We should try sex outside next,” Kenny said, panting and sweaty.
“I like how you think.” Rider gave him a quick kiss while easing out of
Kenny’s body. He set his mate on his feet, and Kenny looked like he’d fall
over. Rider steadied him. “Are you gonna be able to walk?”
“Just give me a second.” Kenny licked his lips. “I’m still all tingly.”
With a grin, Rider helped his mate straighten his clothes before he put
himself back together. When they headed out of the bathroom, he swatted
Kenny’s ass. “Now go cook for us.”
“Caveman,” Kenny teased. The blush that stole over his cheeks made
Rider want to take him back into the bathroom. Instead, he grabbed Kenny’s
wrist and pulled his mate to him, enveloping Kenny in his arms.
“I think I’m in love.” He kissed Kenny’s jaw.
“Tell me who the guy is so I can beat him up,” Kenny demanded in
teasing voice.
 “That guy would be you.” Rider slid his hands down Kenny’s back and
cupped his ass.
“Is it too soon for me to tell you that I love you, too?” Kenny asked, his
eyes glazed and his cheeks red. “If it is, I’ll wait until the baby is born.”
Rider threw his head back and laughed. “Nah, sweetheart. It’s never too
soon for my mate to tell me he loves me.”
He planned on telling Kenny as often as possible.
He’d make sure of it.
“Okay, so can I go finish making the side dishes?” Kenny asked. “I have
a pack of hungry wolves to feed.”
“Baby, you can do whatever you want.” Rider pressed his hand over
Kenny’s belly as he kissed him.
When Kenny walked away, he had a dreamy smile on his face. Rider
grinned. Yeah, he felt the same way. He couldn’t wait until their pup was
born, and to spend the rest of his life showing Kenny just how much he loved
his sexy little ass.
When Rider stepped outside, the fire was blazing, music was playing, and
everyone seemed to be having a good time. He didn’t care if they had to start
a war with the militia. Rider planned on helping to keep their mountains safe
and raising the pups born into their pack without that threat hanging over
their heads. Keeping the feeders away would be bad enough, but hopefully
soon they would find where those creatures slept and eradicate them.
This was his home, his family, and whatever it took, Rider would cherish
and protect them.

THE END
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