Gus' Wild Wolf

by Marcy Jacks

  

  Wolf Souls 5

  Gus’ Wild Wolf

  Still trying to pick up the pieces of his life after a run in with hunters and shifters, Gus, a wolf's soul, thought he was prepared for anything.

  An alpha wolf bleeding all over his bathroom floor was not it. Nor being so attracted to the man it made him ache, and the more he touches the shifter the more he heals.

  Without a pack, hungry for vengeance and hunting wolves and hunters alike, Maddox came to Gus' apartment after smelling the spicy-sweet scent of his mate, but now there are hunters and shifters alike out to kill them.

  Of course, they couldn't just be evil, they have to be cock blocks, too. Figures.

  Maddox does everything possible to protect his mate, but when Gus is injured, he needs to rely on a pack. Trusting a pack will mean revealing his most terrible secret. Whether or not Gus will have him after he discovers Maddox's sins is another matter entirely.

  Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 25,643

  GUS' WILD WOLF

  Wolf Souls 5

  Marcy Jacks

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Gus' Wild Wolf

  Copyright © 2018 by Marcy Jacks

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-523-8

  First Publication: December 2018

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  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.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at legal@sirenbookstrand.com

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marcy Jacks lives and works in Ontario, Canada, with her loyal dog. She loves writing about hot guys, playing videogames, and most things crafty. You can read more of her work at Marcyjacks.com

  For all titles by Marcy Jacks, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/marcy-jacks

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  GUS' WILD WOLF

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  GUS' WILD WOLF

  Wolf Souls 5

  MARCY JACKS

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  Gus Simmons sighed as he unlocked the door to his little apartment. The tape was in place, so he knew if there had been a break-in, no one had come in through that way.

  He was tired. He was glad to be home, but some things needed to be taken care of before he could relax.

  That was fine. He’d had his conceal and carry with him, so he already had his gun on him. Even as he switched on the lights, making sure everything was nice and visible for him, he held his weapon in a steady hand, thumb away from where it could get ripped off when he pulled the trigger, his finger not on the trigger.

  Not yet.

  He went through everything he was supposed to know about weapons handling in his mind as he searched his apartment.

  He’d thought he would know how to handle a gun right away, just like those people in that zombie show, but he didn’t. His teachers were quick to correct him of that terrible assumption as soon as possible, and so, as Gus made sure there weren’t any hunters in his apartment, he went through those quick rules.

  He checked behind the doors as he came into each room, making sure the tape was still on the windows so he knew no one had come in, and then, only when he was satisfied there were no hunters or shifters in his place and everything was still locked up, he went back into the kitchen, dropped his messenger bag, and grabbed something out of the freezer to eat.

  He only allowed himself to relax when he knew there was, most likely, nothing to worry about.

  Gus threw his jacket onto the couch and locked up his weapon.

  His apartment was of the cheap variety, but there was a decent amount of space, and it wasn’t so run down that he couldn’t ignore the cracks in the ceiling. There were no roaches, so he was happy with it.

  Maxwell had offered him the chance to stay long-term in his pack, but after Gus’ health had improved, he’d declined.

  Gus grabbed something from the freezer, a microwave meal, tossed it into the microwave, then some thick slices of bread for his toaster oven, and then waited for his meal to finish.

  Depressing as all fuck.

  Nothing at all like his time with that wolf pack. It had been…nice there, and he didn’t have to keep a lockbox inside the old china cabinet to keep his gun safely stored away either.

  He was grateful to the alpha and his men for taking care of him when he’d needed it most, for rescuing him when he’d been taken by the hunters, but too many of the shifters in his pack had been looking a little too closely at him, standing too close, for his liking.

  They’d tried to pretend as though they weren’t inhaling his scent as though he smelled like fresh baked cinnamon rolls, but he knew better. Gus knew what they were doing, and he didn’t like it.

  Maxwell was a good alpha, but maybe he didn’t see the issue because his mate was just the same as Gus.

  Wolf souls.

  That was what the shifters called them. The wolf shifters, anyway. The bear shifters called them bear souls.

  The cats referred to people like Gus as just souls.

  Gus’ body apparently released a spicy sweet smell that was noticeable only to shifters.

  It attracted them like moths to flames, and some wolves refused to keep their hands to themselves.

  They weren’t even the worst of them.

  Gus had been around the worst of them. Shifters who worked with hunters, hand in hand, searching for the ones called wolf souls in the hopes of getting their hands on one.

  Which was how Gus ended up needing rescuing in the first place.

  He’d been taken by the hunters. Nabbed when they found out what he was.

  No doubt a shifter of some kind had to have told them about him. Otherwise, Gus didn’t understand how a bunch of human hunters would be able to pick him out of a group.

  The microwave beeped. Gus grabbed his meal and his toast then brought them into the sitting room to eat.

  The new season of Castlevania was out on Netflix. It was literally the only reason why he owned a subscription because he didn’t often watch TV. It relaxed him to be able to lie back and watch someone take care of the monsters in the night after a long day at the cash register.

  Working at the grocery store was pretty boring, but that was basically how he liked it.

  It was interesting, watching vampires, humans, and warlocks kill a bunch of wolves in anime format. It was kind of a miracle this show even existed, considering the protests that had gone on when it was announced.

  But it was awesome,
and even though he had to work early tomorrow, Gus couldn’t help but keep going with the just one more episode routine while he watched.

  He fell asleep on the couch, wishing Alucard and Sypha had been there to take care of business before he’d been taken, had been able to take him, Noah, and Sam out of that terrible place days before. Then maybe he wouldn’t have fallen ill in the first place.

  He still wasn’t entirely over his cough.

  He couldn’t even remember being rescued. He’d been so sick at the time…

  Falling asleep to the sound of battle was interesting. It was one of those rare times when Gus was aware he was dreaming. He saw Richter Belmont and Alucard going up against a small army of demonic-looking wolves in the snow, the only ones standing between him and the hunters and wolves who wanted to bring Gus back to their evil lair.

  Dracula’s castle.

  “I don’t want to go.”

  Something warm touched his face. Gus turned into it. He wanted to feel that again. He wanted more. He wanted so much more…

  But then that sweet warmth left him, and the dream was no longer something he could control. The demonic wolves, the hunters with them charged after him. Alucard and Richter were no longer there to stand in their way. Gus turned. He tried to run, but he couldn’t seem to force his way through the snow fast enough.

  Gus screamed. He shouted for help. He shouted for Maxwell, for Collin, even for Noah and Sam, who weren’t warriors at all. Anyone who could get him away from those reaching hands before they brought him back.

  He didn’t want to go back!

  Gus shot up off the couch, gasping for air just as lightning lit up the sky outside of his windows, and then the thunder rumbled in the distance.

  Gus blinked, trying desperately to remember where he was. He was home. He was safe. It had apparently started to rain.

  He looked at the clock.

  Three in the morning. He would have to be up in another three hours. He should go back to sleep, but he didn’t think he could while his heart pounded that fast.

  No one was here. He was safe. No one was coming for him.

  Maxwell had promised him that if Gus ever caught anyone sniffing around his apartment, he would come over himself with a few of his men and make sure there was nothing weird going on.

  Gus checked his phone. No messages.

  He sighed.

  All right. Since there was no messages, and Maxwell hadn’t knocked on the door, that had to mean things were safe.

  Or, as safe as they could be.

  That strange, tingling feeling on his cheek, though…

  Water. Gus got up to grab a glass of water from the sink. A little of that and he would be good to go.

  So he turned off the TV and got up.

  Gus hadn’t stepped one foot into the kitchen, however, when he heard something drop.

  From his bathroom.

  Gus’ spine froze. The worst kind of feeling spidered its way up and into his neck. The hairs on the back of his neck stood right up, and it wasn’t a good feeling as he slowly turned his head.

  Gus wasn’t sure what he expected to see. There was nothing across the darkness of his apartment. He couldn’t see any eyes looking at him. No dark figure in the shadows.

  He’d feared there was something like that standing there.

  Even though nothing was there, the terror didn’t subside like he’d hoped.

  It got worse. So much worse.

  Gus held absolutely still. He didn’t dare move. He didn’t want to move. What if he moved and that covered up the sound of something else?

  Or made whatever had made that noise aware there was someone else here?

  Gus tiptoed his way to the china cabinet. He needed his gun. He was going to investigate that noise, but he wasn’t going to think about doing something like that until he had his weapon in his hands. No fucking way.

  The fact that his hands trembled getting the key into the slot wasn’t a good sign.

  Gus inhaled a long breath, concentrated on calming himself, and then he took his weapon in hand.

  He made sure his hold on it was correct. He made sure the safety was off.

  He did all of this as quietly as he possibly could. The weapon in his hand, even his own breathing, every clicking noise, every breath, everything he touched seemed to make a noise loud enough to wake the literal dead.

  Calm and collected. He could do this. He absolutely could.

  Gus wasn’t a damned victim anymore. He was going to get this done and over with.

  Maybe it was nothing.

  It was possible for something to fall from a shelf without anyone touching it.

  Right?

  Of course every step Gus took had to make the floor beneath his feet creak and moan as though he were stabbing a living, breathing thing.

  Gus tried not to flinch with those noises, but then he stopped being horrified by that and was more horrified by the light coming from beneath the bathroom door.

  He hadn’t left the light on. Had he? No. He hadn’t. Gus didn’t think he’d even gone in there to so much as take a piss when he got home. He hadn’t done anything like that, and he hadn’t left the light on when he’d left for work that day.

  Which meant he also hadn’t checked the damned window in there to make sure the tape was still in place.

  Gus shook his head. No way. No fucking way. The tape was just supposed to be a precaution in the bathroom. The window was barely big enough for a child to get through. He shouldn’t have needed to check.

  He pressed his hand to the door, heart slamming.

  “Whoever the fuck you are in there, I’m warning you right now that I’ve got a gun. If you don’t get the fuck out right now, I won’t be held responsible for what happens.”

  No one replied. It was so quiet.

  Gus inhaled another long breath. He sucked back whatever courage he could and then turned the handle.

  The door creaked long and loud as he slowly opened it, weapon in his other hand.

  At first he saw nothing but the clean tile of his bathroom.

  Then there was the red that came into view.

  He frowned. Red?

  More and more was slowly revealed to him. Time moved so damned slow, but that little bit of red on his white tile turned into a lot of red. A pool of it so dark it was almost black.

  Gus gasped at the sight of…a tail. The gray fur was matted down with more blood, then there was a paw, and the rest of the body came into view.

  The creature breathed deep and fast. The eyes were wide open and looking at Gus with a wide expression.

  As though it didn’t know what to do now that Gus had discovered it in his bathroom.

  He pointed his weapon sharply at the creature. The window was tiny, and not broken, which meant it had come in after Gus had made his inspection check.

  After he’d fallen asleep.

  Gus’ first aid kit was open on the tiled floor, supplies strewn around. It looked as though the animal had tried to bandage itself.

  With hands. This wasn’t a dog, and it wasn’t a normal wolf either, but Gus had already suspected that when he’d opened the door.

  He pointed his weapon.

  “You need to get out of my apartment, shifter.”

  Chapter Two

  The wolf just looked back at him. The eyes glowed a little, suggesting there was something there. That maybe it understood the command, but otherwise, it didn’t move.

  Not a muscle.

  The heavy breathing had stopped, and now it was just…looking…

  Not dead. For a brief second, Gus feared that was the case, but as he continued to stare back into those eyes, he could see something.

  And not just the way the creature blinked at him.

  No. This was something else entirely. This was something primal and…desperate.

  Gus shook the feeling from his head.

  No. He couldn’t think about this right now. He couldn’t pity the wolf shifter when
it was the one who’d broken into his apartment. Which meant that now Gus was going to have to find out which window had been smashed.

  Broken glass to deal with and paying for a new window. That was just great.

  “Get up. Come on. You’re not supposed to be here.”

  Even as Gus gave the command, he couldn’t help but feel like a giant asshole for it.

  But why? This wasn’t his fault, and it wasn’t his problem.

  Unless this turned out to be one of the wolves from Maxwell’s pack. Did he know Collin or Flynn?

  Gus lowered the gun. Not fully. He held the pointed end away from any parts of the wolf that would cause death if he were to pull the trigger, but he didn’t set it aside.

  He wished he’d put on his holster.

  “Which pack are you from?”

  The wolf continued to look at him. The only indication it was alive was the rise and fall of the thing’s chest.

  Those eyes though…

  Gus had seen his fair share of scary-looking wolf eyes.

  From the glowing gold that came when the creatures were hyped up on something to the bright shade of ruby red that came when they were angry.

  He’d seen both of those colors when the wolves who had kidnapped him, and the ones who had saved him, had been angry or excited about something.

  But these eyes…they were violet.

  He didn’t get it, but those eyes pulled him in all the same. Gus couldn’t look away from them.

  Almost as though they had him in some kind of spell.

  As if he was the moth and those eyes were the flame.

  He wanted to come closer. Gus wanted to touch the fur, the parts of it that were clean, that was.

  Gus shook the thought from his head.

  No. He didn’t need to be thinking about something like that. He didn’t need this period.

  He pointed his weapon back at the wolf.

  “You, uh, you should go. Whatever you’re doing here, this place can’t help you.” He tried not to look at the blood or to feel pity. “You should go to a hospital. I think.”