“Naked?”
“When we shift, clothes go bye-bye, and when we return to our human form, no clothes.”
Lewis huffed. “You won’t be shifting around anyone else, buddy.”
Evan tilted Lewis’s head back, laying a soft kiss against his lips.
“You’re sexy when you get all jealous.”
“And the image of you in a glass phone booth naked is hot as hell, almost as if you would be on display for me.” Lewis laughed softly.
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His mate moaned into the kiss, stretching himself out to reach Evan’s lips. Evan picked him up…then threw his mate into the pond.
“Hey, what was that for?” Lewis asked as he sputtered, wiping the water from his eyes.
Evan stood there laughing, Lewis was gorgeous wet. His mate swam to the edge, yanking Evan’s leg, unbalancing him, making him fall in next to Lewis. Lewis laughed and tried to swim away as Evan growled, chasing after him.
* * * *
Lewis pulled at the hem of his T-shirt. He looked around, praying no one called on him. He wasn’t ready for that.
Drew grabbed his hand, lightly squeezing it to show Lewis he was there with him and wasn’t going anywhere. Lewis held onto that small hand, not sure if it was to reassure his friend or himself. Either way it didn’t matter. It felt like a lifeline that Lewis needed right now.
They were in a room at the local recreation center, where ten people were sitting in a circle telling their story. Lewis knew alcoholism was widespread. He just didn’t have a clue how many people in a small town were afflicted by it. It was sobering knowing five of the people in this group suffered as he did.
Remi and Evan were waiting outside. Lewis had insisted he could get Drew back safely, but once Evan explained to him about rogue wolves and vampires, Lewis felt better knowing two full grown shape-shifting wolves waited for them.
He may be a tough cop, but he was far from stupid or suicidal. He had Drew to think about as well.
The meeting wrapped up after an hour. Lewis was thankful no one called on him to give his story, but he had listened to the others, even Drew’s, and it made him look at his little friend in a whole new light.
He understood more clearly where Drew was coming from. He didn’t feel so alone in his problem.
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Evan had also told him about the other mates and their struggles.
He wanted to kill Oliver and Blair’s father. He never understood child abuse, molestation being the worst form of it. To rape your own child was the vilest thing in Lewis’s book.
He had learned a lot over the past weeks. The wolves were referred to as Sentries, guardians of the mates. They were more commonly referred to as warriors, and Lewis could see why. They were all huge, except for the one they called Caden. He looked like the runt of the litter.
Maverick was their Alpha. He looked like he could stop your breathing from just a glance. Then there was the Beta, Kota. The warrior who commanded the Sentries was Hawk. Lewis wouldn’t want to run into that man in a dark alley. But Evan was the one who put fear in many hearts. He had an air about him that warned you away, but Lewis was falling in love with him. He saw the other side to the wolf that many never had a glimpse at.
“How did it go?” Evan asked as the four walked over to the Café.
“Okay. I don’t feel as though I’m the only one going through this, like the problem is uniquely mine.”
“Do you think the meetings will help?” Lewis looked over at the other couple, at the way Remi was wrapped around Drew, cuddling him. From Drew’s description of how his life had been to seeing him now with his mate, he knew the meetings would make all the difference in the world. “Yeah, they’ll help.”
Although Drew still struggled with his problem, still tasted the craving, he told Lewis that it was less frequently.
When Lewis asked how he got through the cravings, Drew said that living in the Brac pack had helped tremendously.
He told Lewis that every single person at the Den gave one hundred percent of their support. That help went a long way in the healing process.
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Lewis had gone to his captain, explained his addiction. His captain had given him leave without pay to get the help he needed. It sucked that it would be in his record, but getting his life back was more important.
He was just now starting to get back to work, and with a clear head, things seemed more optimistic. Evan wasn’t too crazy about him going out every day and risking his life, and he had stewed about it for days, but in the end he agreed that sitting around would drive Lewis back to drinking. He needed to be out there, helping the community out. Besides, how much drama happened in a small town?
All four entered the coffee shop and ordered their drinks, settling back to enjoy the evening.
Lewis locked eyes with Evan then darted them to the bathroom.
His mate caught on quick. Gotta love him for that.
“Excuse us.” Evan grabbed Lewis’s wrists and pulled him along.
The snick of the bathroom lock put Lewis in a lust-filled frenzy.
Dropping to his knees, he pulled Evan’s jeans to his knees, taking the underwear with them. “My, what a pretty boy you are.” Lewis licked his lips then grabbed the base of his mate’s cock, pushing Evan’s hardened manhood to the back of his throat.
“Fuck. Lewis,” Evan hissed, his head thunking back onto the mirror. “Wait.” Evan pulled away from Lewis, repositioned himself on the other wall. “Better.”
“Kinky bastard.” Lewis chuckled, noticing the new position allowed Evan to watch the back of Lewis’s head in the mirror.
“Tease.” Evan ran a knuckle down Lewis’s face as he sucked the glorious cock back down. Hypnotized by Evan’s touch, Lewis’s skin tingled under Evan’s fingertips.
Lewis looked up to see Evan’s head fall back again, watching in the mirror as Lewis bobbed his head. He could just imagine what he looked like.
Lewis pumped Evan’s cock as he sucked the engorged head. His tongue swirled around the spongy head then licked at the bundle of
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nerves at the V just underneath, the other hand grabbing his mate’s ass cheek, enjoying the feel of that wonderful rump. He wondered once again if a quarter would bounce off of it.
“Close, baby. Real close.”
Lewis slowly pushed the cock to the back of his throat, further still, letting his throat muscles relax until pubic hairs tickled his face.
“God, Lewis.” Evan grunted as warm liquid quickly filled Lewis’s mouth. Evan’s hips hitched a few times. Lewis didn’t release him right away. Instead, he cleaned every drop before allowing the softening shaft to leave his mouth.
“What were you saying about a tease?” Lewis grinned up at his mate. Evan ran his hand over Lewis’s head, his hair too short to grab.
“I said get up.”
Lewis pushed himself up, Evan pulling Lewis’s aching cock free.
The wolf turned him, pressing Lewis’s back into his chest. “Watch.” Lewis lost himself in the erotic picture in front of him, Evan’s large hand wrapped around his dick, pumping it faster and faster.
Lewis went to the tips of his toes as he came. It shot out to the floor, wetting Evan’s hand. His eyes rolled back, satiation setting in, making him sleepy now.
“You are one hell of a sight when you come.” Evan kissed his neck, walking over to the sink to wash his hands then grabbing a few paper towels to clean the spunk off of the floor. Lewis just leaned against the wall, enjoying the afterglow.
All Lewis could do was grunt as his mate tucked him back in.
Evan smiled. “Come on, babe.” He unlocked the door, dragging along a boneless Lewis.
“We’ll be right back.” Remi snatched Drew’s hand, taking him in the same direction.
“I think we started something.” Lewis smiled at Evan.
“Any more mated couples show up, and children will be banned from here.”
Lewis leaned over, kissing his mate. “Thanks, I needed that.”
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“You started it. I should be thanking you.”
* * * *
“You have to abestigate my room.”
Lewis looked down to see Melonee standing in front of him, her arms crossed over her tiny chest. This was the mate Tangee’s little sister. A truck had crashed into her mom’s car, leaving the woman in need of physical therapy and Melonee’s care in the hands of the wolves.
“And what am I investigating, princess?” She was too cute when she had that serious look on her face, as though she was determined to get to the bottom of something.
“Mr. Peepers is gone.”
“Show me the way.” Lewis followed behind the little bouncing head of brown curls. Drew soon followed, making himself Lewis’s honorary junior detective. Drew had started reading spy novels and watching James Bond movies. The mate needed to get out more.
Lewis wasn’t going to crush his dreams of one day becoming a secret agent. It was a phase he would outgrow.
“What’s wrong?” Drew asked as he pulled out his small steno notepad.
“Mr. Peepers has gone missing.” Lewis kept the chuckle to himself. He wanted to remain professional for Melonee.
“See, he isn’t there.” A little finger pointed to her child-size sofa in her bedroom.
Lewis looked around the room. This was a little girl’s fantasy bedroom. Whoever decorated it spared no expense. Lewis walked over to the sofa with Melonee. He bent down as he studied all the animals lined up. One obviously empty spot used to hold one of her animals. “Did you ask these guys if they saw anything?” Lewis pointed to the stuffed animals sitting there.
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Melonee rolled her eyes. Lewis smiled. She was so dramatic.
“They can’t talk. They’re not real, silly.”
“My apologies. I was thinking of my room.”
“You have talking toys in there?”
“I have a wolf that won’t shut up.”
Drew giggled behind him.
“Can you tell me what Mr. Peepers looks like?” Melonee splayed her small hands in front of her, gesturing toward the couch. “Like a stuffed aminal.”
“Okay, what kind of animal was he?”
“He was my lion.”
“What color was he?”
Melonee pinched the bridge of her nose. Lewis could see who she was hanging around all the time. Maverick did the same thing when he dealt with the wolves.
“Duh, a lion color.”
“That’s not very nice, princess.” Lewis gently admonished her.
“Sorry. I just want him back. He is all alone and scared without me.”
“We’ll get him back, angel,” Lewis said.
Lewis caught a chill. Rising up to his full height, he walked over to the window, pushing the dainty pink curtains aside. “Drew, get her out of here.”
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Chapter Six
Evan shot out of the house behind his mate. Drew had run into Maverick's office with Melonee in his arms saying Lewis had told him to get her out of her room. No one had a clue what was going on.
“There was a man standing under her window,” Lewis yelled over his shoulder as he tried to round the house. Evan caught him around his waist. There was no way he was letting his mate run into the unknown. That’s what he was for.
“Damn it, Evan. I do this for a living. Let me go.” His mate tried to elbow him, but Evan pulled back in time.
“What’s going on?” Maverick asked as he caught up with them.
“Lewis saw a man under Melonee’s window.” Maverick roared as he shifted and took off around the side of the house. His Alpha was one big wolf. Evan could see it a thousand times and still be amazed at the wolf’s size.
Evan pulled his arm from around his mate. Lewis just stood there staring in the direction Maverick had taken off in. “Are you okay?” Aside from blinking, his mate didn’t move. “Uh, no.” Lewis's face was blank. Evan snapped his fingers in front of the cop’s face a few times, but it didn’t help. He started to become concerned. A light went on over his head. His mate had never seen one of them shift before.
Evan steered him around and led him into the house. Lewis didn’t protest. He just followed as Evan gently tugged him by his elbow.
“What’s wrong with him?”
“He saw Maverick shift.”
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Cecil snorted. “Oh, that.” He waved his hand. “Seen it enough myself. Doesn’t shock me anymore.”
“It was his first time.” Evan guided his mate upstairs. If Lewis wasn’t an alcoholic, he would fix him a drink to steady his nerves, but that option was out.
Evan closed their bedroom door behind him. “You’re starting to scare me, babe.”
Lewis looked at Evan and blinked. “He turned into a wolf.”
“That’s why we are called shifters, love.” Evan did the only thing he could think of. He kissed the stunned man. Lewis was unresponsive at first then slowly started to flick his tongue around Evan’s mouth. He rubbed his hands up and down Lewis's back, trying his best to bring his mate around.
“Want you.” Evan spoke against delicious kiss-swollen lips.
Lewis snaked his arms around Evan’s waist, pulling him closer. He could feel his mate’s erection pressing into his own. The friction was maddening. Evan would never get enough of feeling his mate’s hard cock against his body.
Evan pushed his hands down the back of Lewis's jeans. He ran his hands over the flare of his mate’s buttocks, squeezing both nicely rounded globes. Lewis moaned, hitching a leg up onto Evan’s hip, pressing even closer. Parting the cheeks, Evan tapped at the hidden entrance with his index finger.
“Tease.” Lewis’s breath caught on a hiss. Evan pulled back to see his mate’s flushed cheeks, lust eating up his irises. Lewis’s aroused passion was making Evan’s grow stronger. His cock was burning to take possession of his mate.
“I’ll show you
tease
, Lewis.” Evan picked his mate up by his rounded ass cheeks and laid him on the bed, crawling over Lewis to taste those sweet lips once again, consuming them as his desire was consuming him.
His canines elongated from the fire racing through his blood. His mate. This was his mate he was going crazy to get inside of. After two
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