by Odessa Lynne
“You’re worried about them, even knowing . . .” He didn’t finish the thought. It wasn’t necessary. Rick knew who had fathered Miguel and Luis, and what that meant.
“You are my life, Cam Lujan, and your children are as important to me as my next breath. You’ve claimed those two as your own, and that makes them mine.” He’d slipped into the wolves’ language and the word rang in Cam’s ears. “I will always protect what’s mine.”
The moment stretched into infinity and then snapped short as Cam exhaled. “Jesus, Rick. I love you.”
Surprise brightened Rick’s gold eyes and his nostrils flared. His claws made a brief appearance from beneath his dark fingernails as his fingers curled over Cam’s heart. “I’m happy to hear you have some affection for me.”
“Affection?” Cam pushed upright and knelt beside Rick. He took Rick’s face in his hands. “I love you. That’s a whole lot more than affection, Rick. I’ve been realizing it for days, but it just never felt like the right time to accept. By God, I accept it now. I love you. I love you so much I think my heart’s going to explode with it and how the hell does that make sense? Recognizing that you love someone shouldn’t to be so damn painful.”
By the end, his voice was shaking with the emotion pouring through him. He crushed his mouth to Rick’s.
Rick’s arms came around him, then one hand moved to the back of Cam’s neck.
Two seconds later, Cam was flat on his back, half-on, half-off one of the big pillows, and he was pretty damn sure his head was in one of the empty plates that had been sitting beside them.
“You’re my life, my mate, my sweetheart,” Rick said, his voice gruff, his hands almost rough as he turned Cam onto his stomach. “You belong to me.”
Cam shoved the plate aside and it skipped over the hardwood.
“I do,” Cam gasped in a garbled attempt to match Rick by speaking what he could in the wolves’ language. “I do. I belong to you.”
He sucked in his breath as Rick’s claws pressed against the back of his neck and a heavy weight on his back pushed his knees into the hard, cold floor.
Rick kneed Cam’s thighs apart, his breath a panting, hot breeze against Cam’s spine.
He’d fucked enough in the last few weeks to satisfy every sexual urge he had. He’d worn himself out just that morning, fucking. He’d fucked so often in the last few days that he half-seriously wondered if his ass was ever going to be the same again.
But none of that concerned him at that moment.
Because Cam was in the mood to mate.
Chapter 36
The back door banged open, startling Cam into losing count of the number of pushups he’d done.
Shit.
“Have I told you yet how much I fucking hate you?” Devon said, plowing straight into the room.
“No,” Cam said. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at a glowering Devon while he caught his breath. Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead and temples and a trickle of it teased the back of his neck.
“Well I do, you asshole. Do you know what kind of trouble I got into with Kem over that stupid video?”
“Ah,” Cam said. He scratched his shoulder and debated getting to his feet.
Devon stuck his hand out. “Get up, so I can beat the shit out of you.”
Cam laughed. He looked over Devon’s shoulder. “Got a feeling you’re just getting yourself into more trouble. Aren’t you supposed to make arrangements before you wander around the den?”
“What the fuck do I—”
“Devon.”
“Ah shit.” Devon wiped his hand on the front of his shirt. He glanced over his shoulder. “Thought you were out cold after that last fuck.”
The wolf Cam knew as Kem let his fiery green eyes flicker over Devon. He didn’t cross the threshold.
Devon shuffled his feet. “Shit,” he said again.
“When Paetarikeille discovers you’ve trespassed into his home and threatened his mate, the consequences will be severe. You’d do this just to settle a grudge because of your friend Gerald?”
“This isn’t about—”
“Yes, it is.”
“Shit,” Devon said again.
“It’s alright,” Cam said, sitting up and ruffling his hands through his hair. “Your mate has about as much chance of kicking my ass as I have of kicking Rick’s. Not going to happen. It was obviously a joke.”
Devon turned a snarl on Cam. “We can see about—”
Cam gave him a sharp look.
Devon’s nostrils flared, but he hesitated to turn back to Kem.
Kem’s eyes flickered between Cam and Devon.
“Goddammit,” Devon said.
“I don’t like that word,” Cam said. “How about you don’t use it in front of me since we’re friendly enough now to joke around with each other about ass kicking?”
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
“No,” Cam said. “And by the way, I have no idea who this Gerald is that everybody keeps talking about.”
“That’s right,” Devon said. “I forgot you only know him by his alias. Gerald goddamn Lane.”
“Devon,” Kem snapped. “Enough.”
Devon swung around. “Kem . . .”
“Submit to Paetarikeille’s mate,” Kem said.
Devon turned a glare back to Cam.
Cam grinned widely, letting his teeth show. “That’s right. I’ve got status around here because of Rick, don’t I?”
The glare turned to a glower.
Devon crossed his arms. “Kem is Trey’s son. He’ll be First Alpha someday.”
“Rick is one of First Alpha’s most trusted alphas. Saw it myself. It’s obvious First Alpha respects him.”
“That still won’t make him First Alpha someday.”
As if they were in some kind of pissing contest over who had the better mate.
Cam let his gaze flicker around Devon.
Kem was watching Devon with considerable heat in his gaze.
Huh.
Cam scratched his cheek and stuck his arm out. “Help me up.”
Devon took Cam’s hand without thinking about it, and Cam was halfway to his feet when Devon seemed to realize what he’d done.
Cam smiled another wide smile. He patted Devon on the shoulder and stepped around him. “If Gerald is Lane, then you’ve got nothing to worry about, buddy. The man is as loyal as they come.”
Devon followed Cam around, saying, “He’s loyal to the wrong godda—Fuck.” Devon drew in a harsh breath and looked at Kem. “I hate this guy.”
Cam smiled toward Kem and gestured. “Bet it took a long time to get used to his sense of humor, huh?”
Kem’s eyebrows rose. “If this is human bonding, it’s no wonder your species is always in conflict.”
“Bonding?” Devon scoffed.
Kem’s brilliant green-eyed gaze shifted from Cam to Devon. “If you didn’t come here to bond, you came here to threaten. The choice is yours.”
“Godda—Fuck!” Devon stomped over to Kem. “Get me out of here before I do something we’ll all regret.”
Cam snorted and flicked on the water at the kitchen sink. He called out over his shoulder, “Have a nice day, buddy.”
The door slammed behind him.
A few minutes later, Cam was having a glass of cool, clear water—fresher than anything he’d tasted outside the wolves’ den, when Rick returned from his earlier errand.
He entered through the same door Devon had stomped through not five minutes ago and moved straight for Cam. He buried his nose at the back of Cam’s neck. “Your scent—it calls to me.”
“Another benefit of staying in shape,” Cam said. “My sweat makes you hard.”
Rick growled softly and the sound skittered along Cam’s nerves. “Someone’s been here.”
“Devon, Kem.”
Rick turned Cam in his arms and started sniffing his way across the sweat-soaked t-shirt covering Cam’s chest.
Cam thre
aded his fingers into the hair at Rick’s nape while reaching behind him to set his glass beside the sink, but—
“Shit!” He twisted his back trying to grab for the glass.
Rick snatched it up in his hand and set it down on the counter behind Cam.
Cam huffed a soft laugh. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Rick wrapped his arm around Cam’s back. “Did Alan satisfy your curiosity this morning?”
“Yeah. Although I have to say, hearing how they’d cracked Mig’s skull open so the healing tech could repair his skull and give his brain the room it needed kind of made me feel a little sick.”
“But he is healed. And his brain is functioning normally for a human now.”
“Yeah. I’m grateful, Ava’s grateful, Mig’s grateful. We can never repay you for the gift of that technology. Never, Rick.”
“It was a gift.” Rick traced the stubble that lined Cam’s jaw. “You don’t repay gifts.”
Cam smiled and let his hand slide down Rick’s chest. “I can try.”
Rick’s gold eyes flared and he fixed Cam under a bold stare. “You may try.”
Cam laughed and kissed Rick.
A few minutes later, somewhat breathlessly, Cam said, “Alan also told me why he thinks I didn’t lose my enhanced vision and hearing after the healing tech repaired them.”
Rick’s teeth released Cam’s nipple. Cam shucked his shirt and started working on his pants. The jeans had just fallen to his knees when Rick dragged him around and shoved him up against the sink.
Cam grunted but went with it. He reached across the freestanding cabinet and grabbed the back side of the counter.
Hot breath tickled his spine and made his whole body flush.
Rick had claimed Cam’s smile was his best feature, but he’d been giving Cam’s ass an abundant amount of attention since that day.
“Jesus,” Cam said. “Yeah, sweetheart, that it.” His voice broke as Rick’s tongue flickered over him and sent dark pleasure coursing along his nerves.
Heat suffused his face and he couldn’t stop himself from rising up on his toes.
Rick stopped what he was doing.
“No,” Cam said. “Keep going.”
Claws raked gently across his left buttock.
“What did Alan tell you?” Rick asked.
“You kidding me?” Cam gasped. “Now’s not the—”
Rick nipped at his ass cheeks.
Cam’s cock throbbed hard and full.
“Sweet Jesus,” Cam said, “that’s not fair.”
Rick’s hot, wet tongue did something to his asshole that made him suck in his breath.
Then Rick backed away again, almost as if he was enjoying making Cam suffer. “What did Alan tell you?”
“Finish eating out my ass and I’ll—” His voice broke entirely.
Rick’s tongue had plunged deep and Cam gasped and writhed against the edge of the counter.
“God, yes,” he said.
Several more minutes passed and Cam could feel an orgasm beating at the base of his throat. He was about to shoot all over the cabinet and he couldn’t come up with a single reason why that might not be a good idea.
Rick kissed the crack of his ass and pulled away again.
“No!”
Claws pricked Cam’s buttocks.
“My betas will enjoy showing you submission this way.”
“Oh fuck,” Cam said, his balls pulling in tight. “Get me a towel. I’m about to come all over this damn cabinet.”
Fingers teased his ass. Rick spoke, sounding contemplative, “How many tongues would you like on your tight little hole at one time, my sweetheart?”
“Oh fuck.” Cam dropped his head to the edge of the sink. His cock pulsed.
“I’m certain at least one of my betas would enjoy sucking your cock while the others licked your ass.” And then Rick’s tongue dragged over Cam’s asshole again, hot and wet.
Cam groaned and came against the counter, his thighs trembling, his ass clenching tight.
Three hours later, he finally rolled over on top of Rick in their bed and said, “Alan told me the healing tech compensated for my enhanced hearing and vision when it made the repairs to those organs, to match them to the inputs my brain expected. Simple, he said. As if any of it’s simple.”
He yawned.
Rick rubbed the back of Cam’s head. “Rest. You can tell me after our nap.”
“That’s really all there is to it.”
“Then rest. The repression drugs don’t work well this close to the end of the heat. There’ll be days where we’ll have very little reprieve from my drive to mate.”
Cam brushed aside a lock of Rick’s hair. “I don’t mind. I’m so grateful I have you, Rick. I know it didn’t start that way, but . . . I’m glad you chose me to be your mate.”
“The diviners told me one of my children would take the heart of my one true mate. I didn’t understand. Now I do.” He let his claws graze the length of Cam’s spine. “You’re a gift. I’m glad I didn’t resist my fate. Even at the time I mated you, I still worried I would lose you someday to one of my children, to love, to death, I couldn’t know which. It was worth it even then.”
“Shit,” Cam whispered. “I had no idea what you were going through.”
Rick squeezed Cam to him. “I have my mate, my sweetheart, and I am content with my fate, whatever comes.”
Cam kissed him, and then slid off Rick to curl in against him, his back to Rick’s chest.
Rick’s arms came around him from behind, holding him tight, and Cam, too, was content.
He had his mate, his sweetheart, and that was all he needed, whatever might come.
Thank you for reading Cam’s Fortune! The Wolves’ Heat series continues with Gerald’s Lot. Read on for an excerpt…
If you want to be notified immediately when I have a new release, consider signing up to my new release mailing list: http://odessalynne.com/email-list/.
Also by Odessa Lynne
NEW CANTON REPUBLIC
Of Magic and Mating
Of Mating and Monsters
Of Humans and Mates
Of Mates and Barters
Of Monsters and Love*
WOLVES’ HEAT
Ian’s Choice
Devon’s Gamble
Brendan’s Fate
Matthew’s Chance
Salvadore’s Luck
Cam’s Fortune
Gerald’s Lot*
HEND & YURT
The King’s Guard
The Queen’s Lover
The King’s Gambit
R’H’ANI CHRONICLES
One for Himself
His One and Only
Everything He Wants
All He Needs
One of Many
His Only One
One to Love
His to Keep*
*Forthcoming
For the most up to date list of books available from Odessa Lynne, visit odessalynne.com/books.
About Odessa Lynne
Odessa Lynne is the author of the Wolves’ Heat and New Canton Republic series. After years of reading romance, fantasy, and science fiction novels, Odessa discovered she liked romance in her fantasy, sex in her science fiction, and love between her heroes best of all, so that’s exactly what she puts in all her own stories now, for readers who enjoy the same.
Odessa lives in the southeastern United States. Visit odessalynne.com to find more information about current and upcoming releases or sign up to her new releases email list.
Odessa loves to hear from readers. You can contact her by email at [email protected].
Read on for an excerpt from
Gerald’s Lot
By Odessa Lynne
“I ought to fucking kill you,” Devon said from across the table Gerald had been sitting at for the past twenty minutes.
Devon Fletcher’s eyes had a hard cast to them, and he had leaned forward on the edge of the table, his hands fl
at to the smooth wood surface, the tips of his fingers not that far from the foot-long stretch of chain that locked Gerald’s cuffs together.
He figured the cuffs were Devon’s idea. The wolves certainly had no reason to need him cuffed and chained.
Gerald flicked his thumbs one over the other and stared back, for the first time in three years letting Devon see that he wasn’t going to be cowed by a loud mouth or an empty threat.
He liked Devon, always had, but the time had come to put an end to the man Devon had gotten used to seeing when he looked at Gerald.
Gerald been sitting quietly at the table before Devon came in, studying the warm lights above and the greenery that grew up the wall opposite the square bed. For a cell, his new room wasn’t half bad. Nothing like the temporary quarters he’d been assigned in the building on the other end of the wolves’ massive den complex, in an area reserved for humans during the heat season, but not a cold, sterile room like something he’d expect to see in a human jail.
“They got what they wanted from you,” Devon said, hand fisting tightly on the tabletop. “But I haven’t.”
Gerald shrugged. “I told them everything I know.”
He’d always known if he were caught, he’d have to tell the truth. So he’d always made sure there wasn’t too much truth he could tell.
Despite that, he had to admit, James was going to be pissed when he’d heard what Gerald had done and why.
Devon’s mouth pinched tighter than Gerald ever remembered seeing it. He’d seen Devon in a couple of pretty tight spots so that was saying something.
“You’re a goddamned traitor,” Devon said. “I can’t believe the shit you did just to—”
Gerald interrupted Devon, giving him a quirk of a smile. “The drunken blowjob was fun, you gotta admit.”
Devon’s scowl darkened further. His hands spread wide, probably to keep himself from reaching across the table and jerking Gerald up by his collar.
