by Fel Fern

Devil Hills Wolves 4
Bitten Hard
Lance is the Beta, the second most powerful werewolf in the Devil Hills wolf pack for a reason. He’s logical and level-headed in intense situations, except when it comes to his mate. His heart tore in half when he thought he lost Joey. When Lance comes face-to-face with his lost lover, all he sees is betrayal and rage.
Five years ago, Joey took his sister and fled after their old pack was massacred by paranormal-hating humans. His one regret was leaving Lance. Joey’s sole focus was survival, even if that meant lying his way inside the lands where Lance is second only to the Alpha.
Joey knows he has a long way to go to make amends. But will the man who always owed his body and his heart, give him another chance to redeem himself?
Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Shape-shifters, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 22,126 words
BITTEN HARD
Devil Hills Wolves 4
Fel Fern

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
BITTEN HARD
Copyright © 2018 by Fel Fern
ISBN: 978-1-64243-113-1
First Publication: May 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.
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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Felicia Fern works as a graphic designer during the day, and loves penning M/M paranormal erotic romance at night.
A sadist who loves watching her heroes break their backs trying to earn their happy endings, Fel likes throwing in the occasional dash of the unknown to the usual romantic concoction.
www.felfern.com
https://tinyletter.com/felfern
https://www.facebook.com/author.felfern
For all titles by Fel Fern, please visit
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
BITTEN HARD
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
BITTEN HARD
Devil Hills Wolves 4
FEL FERN
Copyright © 2018
Prologue
Five years ago
The pounding on his bedroom door made Lance Davis growl. He squinted at the wall clock and scowled, seeing the time. Lance never did like waking at four in the morning, especially after yesterday. Besides, he deserved a little time to himself. Lance was the youngest enforcer of the Black Claws wolf pack. That hadn’t been the position he wanted, but no one made pack Beta at twenty-five, so he pushed himself and took up extra responsibilities.
Eventually, Garret, the Alpha, would recognize his worth. At least that was that Lance told himself. Life wasn’t just about his duty to the pack, though. Lance had neglected his personal life in the process, denied himself what he truly wanted. Next to him, Joey Mills stirred. His heart swelled and his wolf grew calm inside him, content with the knowledge they were with the right man. Their mate.
Lance didn’t dare broach the topic with the younger werewolf. At twenty-one, Joey didn’t know what the hell he wanted yet. Unlike Lance, who’d been born and raised in the Black Claws, Joey and his younger sister Freida were orphans adopted by the pack. While Freida adapted easily enough with the other female werewolves, Joey had always been on edge and unsure of his place.
He ran his hand through Joey’s short, dark red curls, smiling when Joey opened his bleary light brown eyes to peer at him.
“You’re real,” Joey whispered. “So last night wasn’t a dream.”
Lance ran his hand possessively down Joey’s chest, flat stomach, then finally curled his fingers over Joey’s dick. Joey widened his eyes, groaning when Lance gave his prick a squeeze.
“That real enough for you?” he asked.
Last night, the pack had won a great victory against the Blue Tooth wolves, an enemy wolf pack they’d been at territorial war with for over a decade. Lance always knew he wanted one man, one wolf. Ever since he laid his eyes on Joey, he’d known the truth. This was the one he’d been waiting for all his life, the answer to why no other werewolf had ever interested his wolf.
Joey let out a groan as Lance moved his hand up and down his shaft.
“I thought,” Joey faltered as Lance thumbed away the pre-cum gathered at his tip. Fuck, but Lance wanted to feel Joey’s lean body under him again, to see his Joey shudder in pleasure as he put his hands and mouth to good use. He needed to hear Joey scream out his name in need. “You would be gone,” Joey finished.
Lance pulled his hand away and ignored Joey’s snarl of frustration. “What do you mean?” Lance asked with narrowed eyes. He had a feeling a fight was on his hands, but he didn’t know why.
“I mean,” Joey muttered, raking his hand through his hair and finally lifting his eyes to his. “I didn’t think a guy like you would stick around for someone like me.”
Lance flared his nostrils. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Come on, Lance. You can’t be that blind. You’re an enforcer for the pack, an important figure, and I’m just the runt the pack picked up out of pity.”
Lance’s growl startled them both. “Don’t say that. You’re a vital member of the pack.”
“Yeah?” Bitterness crept to Joey’s voice. “I didn’t even make it to pack soldier even though I’m as good or better than some of the other wolves. You know why? After all these years, they still see Freida and me as outsiders.”
He gripped Joey’s shoulder, narrowing his eyes. “Who said that?”
“Everyone.”
“I never saw you as an outsider,” Lance said quietly. One look at you and I knew you were meant to be mine. Lance didn’t say the words out loud, though, not yet, because he could scare Joey away too easily, and right now, Joey looked ready to bolt. Hell, Joey flung the sheets aside and kept glancing at the door.
“You’re the only one,” Joey said. “Last night, a couple of packmates warned me to stay away from you. They said I’m not good enough for you.”
His anger flared. “Who?”
“I’m not tossing around names.”
The pounding on the door grew louder.
“Aren’t you going to see who that is?” Joey finally asked.
“You’re avoiding our conversation.”
“There is nothing further to discuss. I get it, Lance. Last night,
maybe you were a little high from winning that territorial battle, had gotten drunk enough to make a reckless choice. Me.”
“Don’t make assumptions without hearing my side,” Lance snapped.
The door banged opened and Lance glared, his inner wolf rising at the sight of the dominant werewolf standing outside. Lance snarled in warning. This was his room, his territory, and he didn’t tolerate any other wolves crossing that line without his permission.
“Lance, you’re awake. We need you. A group of Blue Tooth wolves just attacked the south side of our territory,” Bob began.
Lance got out of the bed, began putting on the jeans he discarded the night before, and swore. “What do you mean? Didn’t we clean them all up yesterday? They were decimated.”
Lance hadn’t agreed with Warren, the Beta’s decision to go with all out force, but he couldn’t deny it was effective. The Black Claws had been at war with the Blue Tooths since he could remember. Negotiation was out of the question because there was too much hatred and blood spilled between the two groups. If Lance were Beta, though, he’d still attempt opening lines of communication.
Too many lives had been lost and what a waste, because they had bigger and worse enemies out there. The Black Claws might live in a remote mountain area far from the influence of the paranormal-hating Humans Matter government and their special ops unit, the Discipline Squad, but they were the real enemy.
Bob shook his head, looking worried. “They brought allies with ammunition. Garret’s calling for a meeting now.”
Bob left, and Lance turned to Joey. “We’ll finish this conversation after.”
Joey quickly put back his clothes on and walked toward the door. “Sure, whatever.”
Lance gripped Joey’s arm, gaze narrowed. “Don’t walk away from this, Joey. What we had last night wasn’t a one-time fling for me. Understand that I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Joey looked stunned as Lance hurried out the door. Lance needed to put on his enforcer mask first now. Pack came first, then he’d work on convincing his little wolf that his place was next to Lance.
* * * *
Joey didn’t care about the rule that ordinary male werewolves in the pack weren’t allowed in the nursery section of the pack house that was the domain of the maternal females and the male and female Omegas. He sought his sister out, because a bad feeling started to fester and spread inside of him ever since he left Lance’s bedroom.
Joey pondered over Lance’s words with confusion.
I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.
Even now, hearing those words in his head made him shiver in anticipation and his heart race. Joey recognized the signs. Hope. Part of him, the naive boy still in him, wanted nothing more than to explore his relationship with Lance. Lance had been right. Their chemistry last night had been explosive. Joey was no virgin, but he’d never been kissed or fucked like that.
His dick pulsed, thinking about all the dirty and wonderful things Lance did to his body. He ached a little, but despite parting that morning, he craved Lance with an intensity and hunger which scared him. Wanting someone, especially if that someone happened to be gorgeous and lethal enforcer for the pack, was dangerous, especially for a man like him.
Freida, the pack easily accepted into their ranks. His sister and the submissive wolf inside her were easy to get along with. The pack didn’t know what to do with Joey on the other hand. He wasn’t a submissive wolf and yet he wasn’t dominant enough, either. Worse, the other males in the pack continued to distrust him.
What he told Lance hadn’t been a lie. He’d bared his heart to golden-haired and green-eyed enforcer on purpose. Reminding Lance of his uncertain status in the pack would hopefully dissuade the enforcer from pursuing him any further. Logic stated whatever it was they had between them wouldn’t work, not when the other pack members warned him to stay away from Lance.
His heart wanted the exact opposite. Screw the other wolves. Lance flat-out told his morning they were far from done.
On his way to the nursery, he passed by more nervous werewolves. Joey thought they’d be whispering about him, but instead, he caught whispers of a more dangerous threat.
“…I heard the Blue Tooths made an agreement with the Discipline Squad…”
“…those humans? No honorable shifter group in their right mind would side themselves with the Squad. The humans would turn on them after they helped eliminate us.”
The bad feeling intensified. When Lance left that morning, he didn’t miss the worried and serious looks Lance and Bob traded. Joey might not be good enough to be a pack soldier, but he was good at a few things—listening in and being invisible. Before Lance approached him last night and he lost focus on gathering information, he heard enough talk to worry him. The Black Claws might have decimated the Blue Tooths in the fight yesterday, but they lost plenty of pack soldiers, too.
The other werewolves weren’t worried, because the Blue Tooths didn’t have the numbers to mount another attack this soon. If the Blue Tooths allied themselves with the humans, though, the Black Claws were done for. Not only did the humans have the numbers, they also toted state-of-the-art weapons purposely created to eliminate the paranormal.
He reached the nursery where he knew he’d find his sister. Inside, Freida played with a few of the young werewolves, most of them in wolf form. Seeing her laughing always made his heart ache. Freida turned eighteen last month and plenty of single and unmated males had shown open interest. Those men soon found out that they had to get through him first. Joey knew Freida wanted the entire package—a loving mate and husband, as well as kids.
However, his sister might be an adult now, but she didn’t know what she wanted. Hell, Joey was twenty-one and he still didn’t know what he wanted.
Lance, his wolf reminded him, except he pushed that thought away.
A few females in the room and a male Omega gave him glares as he reached Freida and tugged at her hand.
“We need to talk,” he said.
She protested at first but must have seen something on his face, because she sighed and went with him. Once they were outside the nursery, Joey pulled her into a quiet corridor.
“Joey, talk to me. What’s going on?” she demanded. “Haven’t I told you many times not to disturb me while I’m on duty at the nursery, especially now of all times?”
“Listen to me. Pack your bags and meet me in the parking lot, only take what you need.” He began to turn away, intending to do the same, but she gripped his shoulder.
“Joey, what are you saying? You can’t possibly think of leaving?” she whispered, looking horrified. “The Black Claws are our pack now. You want to abandon them?”
“They’ve never been my pack,” he said bitterly, glad no one could overhear them.
Freida looked stung, and she bit her lower lip. Shit. Joey knew that look. He was about to have an argument on his hands. “I appreciate you looking out for me ever since our parents died, but Joey? I’m an adult now. I’m staying with the pack.”
Those words barely left her mouth when rapid gunfire erupted right outside the pack house. Howls and screams followed. By instinct, he dragged his sister with him and far away from the window. Wide-eyed, she clutched at him as he took a peek outside, which had a view of the front of the pack house.
He sucked in a breath, seeing werewolves pouring inside the pack house, accompanied by men in white toting rifles—members of the Discipline Squad. One stopped, dropped to his knees, and adjusted a heavy-looking gun on his shoulder. Fear rammed down his spine as he realized what it was. A fucking rocket-launcher.
Joey tackled his sister to the ground, using his body to protect her just as the walls seemed shudder. Cracks appeared on the wall and somewhere nearby, werewolves cried out and screamed.
“Come on,” he whispered, tugging at his sister’s hand. She turned completely pale, shocked. Joey jerked her to her feet and broke into a run, refusing to let go of her hand.
&
nbsp; “We can’t leave,” she protested, kept on stumbling, but he refused to leave without her.
Joey shook his head, his heart heavy. “The Black Claws are done for.”
Chapter One
Present
Lance warily eyed the new arrivals who entered the clearing the Devil Hills wolves cleared for the enforcer trials. When Isabella, the oldest enforcer in Deacon’s inner circle, announced she would step down because she wanted to focus on her family, it didn’t sit well with Lance. He crossed his arms, unsurprised to find another enforcer joined him. Lance chose this spot with care, on a tiny cliff overlooking the clearing in the woods.
Pack rules stated any challenger was welcome to try for the position, even outsiders. Lance couldn’t argue, since he won the position of pack Beta that way, but he still voted against letting other lone wolves inside their territory. Besides, being around this many dominant males aggravated his wolf.
“I don’t like this,” he told Sabine.
Some faces looked familiar, werewolves belonging from other packs they were allied with, but there were a couple of stragglers. Lance didn’t trust lone shifters mostly because they only cared about themselves. They only came here because where else in the world could they be safe, but inside the lands of the most powerful werewolf pack in the country?
The other enforcer began braiding her loose white-gold hair to a single braid, but her uncanny silver gaze never left the gathering. Her Esper abilities were valuable to the pack, and Lance trusted her judgement.
“Every single challenger has been accounted for and searched,” she reminded him. “They’re constantly being monitored. This location you picked, far from the town and pack house, but close enough to the border road, provides us the most advantage.”
