“Sorry about interrupting your…” she couldn’t help the blush on her face, “…er, plans for Valentine’s Day.” She glanced at Charlie and almost laughed at the constipated look on his face. She had been right; the reclusive hybrid had no clue how to handle the situation.
Sparky winked at her. “No problem, Sammy. Did you want me to watch the pups for you?” She smiled but shook her head. Everyone in the house had been more than happy to help her with Castor and Pollux. Sparky had seemed to be especially good with them. But then she noticed how well he also got along with Sandy, Ricky’s younger brother.
“No, actually I came to return something to Charlie.” She reached beneath her blouse and pulled the necklace over her head. She saw the astonished look on his face as she held it out to him.
“How?” Charlie gasped.
“The idiot alpha gave it to me and forgot about it. I had a feeling it was important that I keep it safe, so once you were gone, I hid it,” Sammy replied as she watched the hybrid shifter gently take it and run his finger over it before placing it on his neck.
“You have no idea how much this means to me,” Charlie whispered. He glanced up and motioned for Sammy to sit in the chair in their room. Even Sparky seemed to be quiet as they both waited for Charlie to speak.
“This amulet has great power. It was given to my mother by a shaman who spoke of its magical properties,” he paused to rub the black stone before he continued. “The stones combined with the ancient runes not only help me block unwanted thoughts, but it also drains away the negative energy left behind when I read someone evil.”
“Wow, so this is the amulet you told me about?” Sparky replied as he stepped to take a closer look at the necklace. “Good thing the Neolithic look is coming back,” Sparky paused, “will this help you when I can’t be around?”
Charlie nodded, “Yes. I’m still not sure how our mating works regarding my abilities, but when they kidnapped you, it was hard for me to block out the others. I almost shifted into my wolf form to stop the voices.”
Sammy couldn’t keep the horror from her voice. “Oh, my Goddess! You couldn’t shift while you were captive, and you were surrounded by evil. How did you not go insane?”
The hybrid shifter smiled softly at her. “You helped without knowing it. By wearing the necklace, you drained some of the evil thoughts and memories. At least enough for me to survive. If Alpha Clifton hadn’t insisted you be present during the readings, I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted.”
Sparky turned to Sammy and grabbed her in a hug. “I’ll never be able to do enough to thank you.” He glanced back at Charlie and smiled, “While some days I may come close to killing him; I actually do love the thick-headed Neanderthal.”
Charlie’s head tilted for a moment before he smiled softly at Sparky. “I love you too. But I’m still not wearing chocolate or any other flavor underwear for that matter.”
“And with that, I’m going to leave you two to continue your discussion.” She stood and hugged Charlie close while whispering in his ear, “A picnic dinner in the moonlight works great and believe me, he won’t miss you not wearing underwear.” With a wink to Sparky, she quickly left the room.
For a moment, she felt sad when she realized that Drake had always found ways to make Valentine’s Day special for her. But now that he was gone, she’d be spending her day cuddling the two new men in her life. As she thought of Castor and Pollux, her mood lifted. She may have lost a mate, but she wasn’t going to complain when she had two adorable pups to love.
♦ ♦ ♦
Jake stretched as he woke from his nap. He could tell most of his injuries healed. He watched as Shadow walked to the door to open it. Doc Houston’s knock had woken Jake and while he hated examinations, the sooner they did it, the sooner he’d be able to get Shadow to claim him.
Luckily Doc’s exam only took a few moments. After admonishing both of them to take it easy for the next couple of days, he left the room. Jake sat on the side of the bed, naked. He watched as Shadow closed the door and turned. His eyes filled with lust as he gazed at Jake’s naked form. It took everything he had not to cover himself.
“Are you sure?” Shadow asked.
Jake took a deep breath before he replied. He had to get this right. “I had a lot of time to think over the past few days, and you know what I discovered?” Shadow shook his head but stayed by the door. “I’ve spent my whole life hiding not only from others but from myself. Sammy was right; I need to forget what others think and grab the bull by the horns to get what I want.”
“And what do you want, Jake,” Shadow’s voice had dropped an octave. The sound went straight to Jake’s cock. He watched as Shadow slowly began to remove his clothes. The shifter must have taken a shower and changed while Jake was napping in his wolf form. That just showed how comfortable his animal was with Shadow. He never would have slept so deeply with anyone else around him.
Jake swallowed as he followed the v-shaped waist down to the large member hanging between Shadow’s legs. If things worked out right, that would soon be entering him. He clenched unconsciously at the thought. While he knew logically it would fit, his mind argued that there was no way it could.
Shadow held Jake’s chin in his hand, “You didn’t answer me, Jake. What do you want to happen here?”
Jake placed his hands lightly on Shadow’s hips as he gazed up at the man. “I want all of you—claim me, Shadow.”
The warrior leaned forward and captured Jake’s lips. As he devoured his mouth, he gently pushed Jake back onto the bed. He loved the taste of the man as they finally broke apart to breathe. He watched as his lover opened a drawer in the nightstand and came back with a bottle of lube. “How did you know that was there?”
“It’s not my room, but what man doesn’t have a bottle close at hand?” Shadow began to kiss and nip along the tendons in Jake’s neck. His body was on fire as the shifter moved down to play with his nipples. He couldn’t contain the moan or the way his body arched off the bed when Shadow sucked first one and then the other. When he bit lightly, the brief pain quickly turned to pleasure.
Jake decided to do some exploration of his own as he traced his fingers down his lover’s back. He loved the movement of muscle beneath them. As he moved his hands lower to grip Shadow’s ass, he felt the rough edges of the wound on the shifter’s hip. “You sure you’re okay to do this?” He asked softly.
Shadow smiled as he moved his lips lower, tracing one of the light pink scars that ran across his mate’s ribs from the attack. “I’m fine. If I could take on a zombie, I’m sure fucking you into the mattress will be a piece of cake.”
“And what if I wanted to be the one doing the fucking?” Jake asked as he felt his stomach muscles jump. Shadow’s magic mouth had moved to just below his navel. He grabbed the man’s hair and held on for dear life as his cock disappeared into the shifter’s mouth. “Shadow!” Jake cried. His hips started to move to chase the man’s mouth. The shifter grinned around his cock as he continued to work it.
Jake let his head fall back. The sensations were overwhelming him to the point he forgot why he was questioning what the man was doing to him. He heard the snick of the bottle and couldn’t help the way he jumped when a finger began to play with his hole. “Relax babe, I’ll be gentle,” Shadow remarked before he began to suck Jake’s cock again.
“Oh—oh—please, I need,” Jake moaned. He wasn’t disappointed as first one finger, and then two breached him. It felt strange at first, and there was a slight burn but then, “Oh, goddess! Shadow!” He screamed as his toes curled.
“Just wait, it only gets better,” Shadow chuckled. He continued to work on Jake’s cock, using his other hand to gently play with his balls. This was going to end quickly if the shifter kept it up. Jake felt a tingling in his lower back. He squirmed beneath Shadow trying to prevent the inevitable, but his lover wasn’t allowing him to relax.
“I’m going to—Ungh,” Jake tried to warn Shadow
. However, the man simply increased his attack. A third finger entered him, but he hardly noticed as all his attention centered on his aching member.
“Go ahead, and come, baby. I’ve got you,” Shadow said before he swallowed Jake’s cock to the root and began to hum. That was all it took. Jake couldn’t stop himself from pushing his member as far as he could down Shadow’s throat before he blew his load. The orgasm seemed to go on forever and left Jake feeling like he could barely breathe.
As he came down from the best orgasm, he could ever remember having he felt Shadow kiss the tip of his semi-hard member. How he could still be hard was a wonder. Shadow glanced up and smiled, “Ready for round two, lover?”
“Oh, Goddess,” was all Jake managed as he lay back and closed his eyes. He wasn’t sure, but if round two was anything like round one he might not survive it. But what a way to go.
Chapter 17
Shadow grinned at the debauched look on his lover’s face. He knew Jake was a virgin; at least when it came to making love with a man, and he loved it. His own cock was so hard he could pound nails with it, but he wasn’t going to rush their first time together. He allowed Jake to calm down as he ran his hands over the man’s body.
He’d noticed the scars from the former alpha’s whip, but they only made him love the strength of the shifter beneath him more. Even more important was the way Jake made him feel. For the first time in his life, he felt like there was someone who understood him. Someone who saw who he was beneath the surface and more importantly accepted him.
“Turn on your side for me,” Shadow said as he helped position the man. “Are you ready?” He smiled at the nod, followed by a garbled response. He loved to watch his lover fall apart beneath him. “I need you to push out as I enter. Let me know if you need to stop at any time.”
“Mfine…” Jake mumbled into the pillow.
Shadow put more lube on his cock and stroked it a few times before he slowly began to enter his soon-to-be mate. The shifter was so tight. If he wasn’t careful, round two would be over before it started. He grabbed the base of his cock to stave off his impending orgasm as he continued to push slowly into Jake.
It felt like hours before he managed to finally get fully seated. Jake’s channel fit him like a velvet glove. He paused and waited for Jake to signal he could move. “Move—dammit, I won’t break!” Jake growled as he tried to push back onto Shadow’s cock.
“I’ve got you,” Shadow ground out as he began to slowly move in an out, making sure to hit Jake’s pleasure spot often. He loved the way Jake moved in sync with him. After a few moments, he began to move faster. The bed squeaked under their weight. He reached forward and began to pump Jake’s cock using the same rhythm.
“Shadow!” Jake screamed again as come flowed from his member and covered Shadow’s hand.
Shadow slowly pulled out and rolled Jake onto his back. He pushed his legs up and entered his lover once more. This time he couldn’t hold back. After a few moments, he could feel the telltale tingle in his balls. “Bite me, Jake, claim me,” Shadow ground out as he felt his own teeth drop down. He leaned forward and bit into Jake’s shoulder. He felt the other shifter’s teeth bite down on his own shoulder at the same time.
The warrior groaned as he tasted the sweet blood of his mate. His own orgasm slammed into him even as he felt Jake erupt between them. He erupted a moment later, filling Jake’s channel before he licked the mating wound to seal it. The warrior shivered as Jake did the same. He did it; Jake was his at last.
“Wow, that was just—wow,” Jake said as he blinked up at Shadow.
Shadow glanced down and smiled at the man who was flushed and looked ready to fall asleep. He gently pulled out. “Stay here; I’ll be right back.” He walked to the bathroom, and after quickly cleaning himself, he returned to help his mate. He smiled; the man was already out cold. Shadow gently cleaned his mate, threw the washcloth toward the hamper, and climbed back into bed. He pulled Jake into his arms and closed his eyes. He was home at last.
♦ ♦ ♦
Grant glanced around the table and smiled as he watched his family and friends who lived in their home, dig into breakfast. His mate had talked to his mother, and they decided to make it a Valentine’s Day themed meal. He had to admit, the heart-shaped pancakes, smothered in strawberries and whipped cream was delicious. But the smile that lit his mate’s face made his day.
“So, are you and Sheila going out for dinner tonight?” Vicky asked his youngest brother Jason.
Jason shook his head. “No, we’ve decided to take a break.” He moved the pancake around on his plate before taking a bite. “She doesn’t feel safe here anymore after the attack. I guess it reminded her too much of what happened to her and Dakota during the Great War.”
“What happened?” Ricky asked softly.
Grant placed his hand on his mate’s thigh. “Their whole pack was wiped out. I’ll never forget that night, Dakota called me after it happened. If he hadn’t been helping our squad that night, he probably would have died along with everyone else.”
Forest nodded. “It was a sad affair. They destroyed too many packs during that war. But the losses were heavy on all sides.” Vicky leaned over and placed her head on the former alpha’s shoulder while the rest of the room remained quiet. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts.
Grant cleared his throat, “But it could have been worse, at least we found Sheila. She was badly injured and buried in the rubble.” He turned to look at his brother, “I’m sorry, Jason.”
The shifter shrugged, “I’m giving her some time, but she’s strong. When she’s ready, I’ll be here for her.”
“Good for you!” Vicky remarked. “I’m sure everything will work out.” She glanced around at the others in the room before she continued, “Relationships take work. Life isn’t a romance novel, after all.”
Sparky snorted as he glanced at his mate. “You can say that again.” He smiled at his scowling mate. “But it’s worth it, isn’t it, sugar plum?” The mechanic chuckled at the look on his mate’s face. It was clear one of Sparky’s favorite pastimes would be teasing his mate. Maybe now the mechanic would leave him alone.
The mischievous shifter continued, “Charlie and I are going to have a picnic in the moonlight tonight to celebrate. After yesterday, I have to admit it was a surprise when he told me about it this morning.” He placed a hand on his mate’s arm, “I’ll be waiting for my chocolate.”
“What happened yesterday?” David asked as he popped a strawberry into his mouth.
Charlie growled, “Don’t you dare!”
Sparky’s eyes glowed with mischief. “But honey buns, there’s nothing wrong with…”
“Sparky!” The hybrid turned to glare at his mate.
“…chocolate. In fact, it is one of the requirements for a Valentine’s Day picnic, don’t you think?” Sparky winked at Charlie. Grant chuckled at the uncomfortable look that was on the man’s face. He could imagine what Sparky was talking about and decided to erase the thought—quickly.
“So, David, do you have any plans today?” Vicky interceded.
“I’m meeting up with Brady at the club. He has to work tonight, but afterward, he’s all mine.” David wiggled his eyebrows.
“A second date? What gives, big brother?” Jason teased. Grant was glad to see his younger brother back to ribbing David. They all knew that while David liked to talk big about his sexual exploits he was more into relationships than one-night stands.
“What can I say, the man just can’t walk away from all this.” David ran his hands down his chest. “Besides, after dying…” David paused at the sharp intake of breath from Vicky, “…sorry Mom. But you have to admit something like that makes you begin to think about settling down.”
“Well, Hades must be pulling out his winter coat,” Jason chuckled before he continued, “because hell has just frozen over.”
“Ha, Ha, Ha,” David replied as he rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know Br
ady just might be the one.”
“Your semme’ mate?” Ricky asked excitedly.
“Goddess no! We all know the odds of my semme’ mate showing up is rare. Look at Jake and Shadow, by now those two have finished bumping uglies. I’ll bet you they have mated,” David replied quickly. The two shifters had not come down for breakfast, so in Grant’s opinion, his brother was probably right. It was only a matter of time. Everyone but those two could see where their relationship was going.
“Where is Sandy?” Forest asked. It was obvious he was trying to change the subject to spare his middle son from more embarrassment. Luckily it worked before his son’s face turned any darker red.
Ricky placed another pancake on his plate. “He’s over with Artemus visiting Seb. After the attack, he decided the poor guy needs another friend.”
“They all would have been welcome for breakfast,” Forest hurriedly added. Grant’s head still hurt from the slap his mother had given him when they had decided to move the young magi to a small cottage on their property. His father managed to smooth things over with his mother, but Grant was aware his mate and a few others in the house, felt the decision had been a bad one.
Vicky sighed. “I invited him, but he feels more comfortable in his new home. They shunned the poor child most of his life. It doesn’t help that he’s afraid of his magic either.”
“Arty will help him,” Sparky replied confidently. He glanced up at his mate. “He certainly helped me. Besides, we’ll all make sure he feels welcome. Charlie and I are going to stop over later today so that Arty can work with both of them on controlling their magic.” The mechanic smiled, “We don’t need another early spring tornado.”
“Ah, but you make such a cute Toto,” David replied. “I wish I’d been here to actually see it.”
Jason chuckled, “It was something to see.”
“And with that note, it’s almost time to meet with the others to discuss our next step.” Grant paused at the groans in the room. He looked down and saw the scowl on his mate’s face, but the safety of the pack and those in this room was more important. The alpha picked up his plate and headed for the kitchen. Before he went through the door, he turned, “We’ll meet in the situation room in thirty.”
Out of the Shadows Page 13
