Exiled from his childhood pack and hated by his family, Wolf shifter, Ranger vowed that he’d always protect others from sharing his same heartbreak. He fulfilled his promise, first by taking in stray shifters and then later on becoming a soldier for a feline coalition. So when he finds a strange Eagle shifter stalking one of his friends, it’s only natural that Ranger becomes protective. Especially when said Eagle is in the company of two Ravens—the most evil of all shifters. Eagle shifter, Xavier lost everything dear to him when tragedy struck his family years ago. Taken in and raised in extreme seclusion by a family of Ravens, he’s always felt as if a piece of himself was missing. When he finds that his twin is alive and living with feline shifters, Xavier can’t resist his curiosity. Fighting their mutual distrust, Xavier and Ranger also find themselves becoming drawn to each other. In a world that’s not always so black and white, can they get beyond prejudices and the taboo, or will their love be lost to hate?
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. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Ranger’s Folly Copyright © 2011 Stephani Hecht ISBN: 978-1-55487-ARC Cover art by Martine JArdin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com
Ranger’s Folly Lost Shifter Twelve
By
Stephani Hecht
Dedication To Joie: Because you’re amazing. Just the way you are.
Chapter One The punk was out and in full stalker mode, yet
again. Ranger ducked behind a tree as he watched the small figure sneaking up to the farmhouse. Going by the build, the stranger was a male. It was also painfully obvious he didn’t have any military training or street sense. Instead of gliding from hiding spot to hiding spot, he lumbered around like a toddler let loose in a china shop. The intruder even stumbled and tripped at one point, doing a grunt-inducing face plant. That only further intrigued Ranger because he didn’t think this was just some normal human who’d turned Peeping Tom. Ranger felt pretty certain Sammy Stalker was a shifter. Ranger just couldn’t figure out what breed he was, which irritated the fuck out of him and made him one cranky Wolf. All Ranger did know for certain was the stranger had taken an unhealthy interest in Riley, who happened to frequently visit the farmhouse. 1
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Since Riley was a good friend, Ranger decided that just wouldn’t do. He wasn’t going to sit idly by and let this perv ogle Riley. No, Ranger would find out who the jerk was and he’d eliminate the threat before Riley could be harmed. After all Riley had been through, he deserved to have a safe and happy future. Ranger tilted his face up slightly, hoping his heightened Wolf shifter sense would pick up the stalker’s scent. When all he detected were the trees and the nearby horses, disappointment slapped him. Damn, he was usually better than this. Although, he may still be considered young and one of the few Wolves in the feline coalition, he’d yet to have his skills let him down. How some punk who barely knew how to hide properly, managed to conceal his scent perplexed and annoyed the hell out of Ranger. Hoping to, at the very least, get a better look at the jerk, Ranger carefully moved in closer. He held back a growl of frustration when he noted the red baseball hat the man had pulled down. Not only did it cover his hair, but most of his identifying features. He cursed himself for not bringing along one of the older members of the coalition. While Ranger might match them in battle skills, they still were better at certain shifter knowledge. Most of them 2
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could ID breed simply by looking at a shifter. Ranger on the other hand always had to get a good whiff. Ranger tried to placate his curiosity by taking in other information on the guy. Small by most shifter standards, he was practically too thin. Almost like he missed meals on a regular basis. His clothes had seen better days, too. The tattered jeans had tears in several places and his red, button-up shirt looked faded and at least six years out of date. That still didn’t mean he couldn’t be a threat. Ranger knew plenty of bad guys who were fashion victims. Just because the man dressed like he was still in the days of the Bush Administration, didn’t mean a damn thing. Off in the distance, Riley and his mate left the farmhouse and made their way to a car. Ranger tensed, wondering if the stranger would attack. Instead, he did something that struck Ranger as both strange and…sad? The man let out a whimper as he curled his fingers around the tree trunk he’d taken refuge behind. His small body even appeared to sag a bit, taking on the posture of someone who was defeated. The stranger’s gaze seemed to be devouring Riley as the Eagle kissed his mate, then climbed into the car. When the vehicle drove away, the 3
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stalker let out a sad sigh, his shoulders slumping in unmistakable disappointment. Ranger wrapped his fingers around the butt of his holstered gun and stepped out into the open. “You could always just go up and introduce yourself instead of sneaking around.” The stalker let out a loud gasp as he spun around, his back pressing against the bark of the tree. While Ranger could still only see the man’s lower face, going by his gapped mouth, he hadn’t been expecting company. “I didn’t mean…I just got lost and didn’t realize this was private property,” a soft, yet husky voice stammered. Ranger moved forward a couple of steps. “You lost your way three times?” He knew that he should have reported the incident to the head of the coalition sooner, but Ranger had wanted to make sure the threat was real. The last thing he wanted was to be labeled the Wolf who cried…well, wolf. That would be the very definition of irony. He continued to prepare himself for an attack, but the stranger just shrank tighter against the tree. Emboldened, Ranger took the last few steps that separated them. Once he got in close enough, he reached out and flicked the bill of the hat up. Startled green eyes blinked up at him as the 4
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kid’s face was finally revealed. And there was no question about it—this punk was a kid in almost every sense of the word. While he appeared to be in his early twenties, his gaze held an innocent, vulnerable quality to it. Ranger leaned in, buried his nose in the crook of the kid’s neck and breathed in deep. What he found made his heart hammer in shock. He even took another sniff, just to make sure his nose hadn’t been fooling him. “Well, fuck a duck. You’re an Eagle, just like Riley.” For some reason that seemed to piss the kid off. He pulled back with a snarl. “I’m nothing like Riley.” The familiarity in which that name rolled off the supposed stranger’s lips sparked Ranger’s curiosity further. He reached up and tore the hat all the way off, not too surprised when he found blond hair underneath. Studying the kid’s face, Ranger did a quick inventory. While the eye coloring may be different, there were other things that were damningly similar to Riley—the slightly upturned nose, the high cheekbones, full lips, even the thin bone structure. “You’re more than just an Eagle, you’re Xavier,” Ranger declared with certainty. They’d only learned recently that Riley’s twin 5
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brother Xavier had survived a tragedy that’d killed off the rest of their family. They’d both been young at that time and completely defenseless. While Riley had been taken in and raised by a human female, the whereabouts of Xavier had remained a mystery. Until now. Xavier gave a jerky shake of his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just a nobody who happened to get lost in the woods and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.” “Okay then, tell me what your name is,” Ranger challenged, calling his bluff. Xavier stiffened, his breath hitching slightly. After a moment’s reflection, he answered in a halting voice, “Bob?” “You want to try that again? And this time, I suggest you don’t end it with a question mark.” “What’s wrong with Bob? It’s a perfectly acceptable name.” Ranger planted his hand on either side of Xavier’s head, trapping the Eagle in. “I never said there was anything wrong with that name, but we both know that it’s not what you’re called.” A moment of silence stretched between them before Xavier slightly tilted his head to the side in a thoughtful manner. “I don’t think I’ll tell you my name. After all, you haven’t even bothered to introduce yourself, so why should I bother with 6
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niceties?” “My name is Ranger.” For some reason that brought out a soft laugh from Xavier. “As in Yogi, the Ranger isn’t going to like that?” Xavier asked, doing a dead-on impersonation of Boo-Boo. “You seem awfully cheerful for somebody who’s trapped.” Ranger leaned in until their noses were inches apart and growled. “Now, tell me your name.” A shiver went through Xavier. At first Ranger assumed it was fear since the kid reeked of it, then Ranger detected another underlying scent—one that set off all kinds of alarm bells. Holy hell in a bucket, Xavier was getting off on this. Come to think of it, the whole situation did have an erotic tone to it. In fact, Ranger felt pretty certain he’d watched a couple of porn movies that started out the exact same way. “If I tell you my name, will you let me go?” Xavier ventured, taking in a hitching breath. Xavier slowly ran his tongue over his bottom lip in a nervous gesture and Ranger realized something else—Xavier wasn’t the only one getting a hard on from this conversation. Ranger’s cock had come to attention and it wanted one thing and one thing only—Xavier. At the same time, Ranger became aware of 7
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many other things. Like the way Xavier’s mouth looked as if it were just made for kissing. Or how his smaller body seemed to be custom built for fucking. And how his hair appeared to be begging for a good tugging, preferably while in the throes of passion. “No, I can’t let you go,” Ranger said, as he gave his body a silent easy now, this really isn’t the time. The slightest bit of alarm crossed Xavier’s face before he schooled his features into a cocky grin. “Why not?” “Because I know who you really are. You have to come with me to the safety of the coalition before you get into some real trouble.” “You must have me mixed up with somebody else. Like I said, I’m just a nobody.” “Now, we both know that’s not true. You have two choices. Either you can come in willingly, or I can cuff you and drag your sweet ass there.” Xavier let out a startled sound, his eyes growing wide with alarm. He tried to run away, only to draw up short when he nearly ran into Ranger’s outstretched arm. Muttering a curse, Xavier took in several deep breaths, as if he were trying to get control over his fear. “Please, you need to let me go. They’re counting on me.” Ranger frowned, wondering who in the hell Xavier referred to. “Who’s counting on you?” 8
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Xavier opened his mouth to answer, but at the last moment, brought his hand up. Ranger saw the flash of black, but it was already too late. A sharp pain hit his side right before a jolt of energy went through his body. Shit, the little punk had just used a stun gun on him. While the hit didn’t affect Ranger as much as it would have if he were human, it still brought him to his knees. Xavier took that opportunity to make a break for it. He jumped over Ranger and took off running. It only took Ranger a few breaths, but it was long enough for Xavier to get a good lead. That didn’t mean Ranger couldn’t still take the brat down. With a growl, he staggered to his feet. It took him a few stumbling steps before he managed to shake off the effects of the gun. Soon enough he had his legs under him and ran at full strength. Xavier looked over his shoulder, his eyes growing wild with terror when he saw Ranger closing in. “Just let me go. We can pretend you never saw me,” Xavier pleaded as he zagged around a tree. “I can’t do that. You need to go in and see Mitchell and explain why you’re sneaking around his territory.” “I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” Xavier encountered a stump in the ground. He 9
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only hesitated a second before jumping over it, his lithe body moving seamlessly. Ranger let out another growl of frustration. The little punk ran fast, which said a lot coming from a Wolf. “Nobody will hurt you, I promise. We’ve been looking for you ever since we figured you survived the massacre,” Ranger tried to reason. That earned him a one-fingered salute. Ranger tried hard not to roll his eyes at Xavier’s juvenile behavior as he continued to chase him. “Come on, Riley is really worried about you,” Ranger tried again. Xavier snorted. “Yeah, I could tell by the way he keeps sucking face with that Hawk. My brother is just beside himself with grief for me.” “You know, sarcasm is never a good trait.” Ranger saw the glowing shimmer going over Xavier’s body, but once again his observation proved to be too late. Xavier quickly and easily morphed into a large eagle. Without missing a step, he took flight. Ranger cursed loudly and lunged forward, his fingers coming up with nothing but empty space. The front of his body hit the ground hard, dirt kicking up into his mouth. “Fuck,” Ranger yelled, the word somewhat muffled because of all the debris in his yap. Xavier gave a mocking screech as he circled the air once and then took off. Ranger sat up, another snarling curse escaping 10
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his lips. Even though he still thought it was juvenile, Ranger lifted his own middle finger at the retreating bird. “Thank God, nobody else saw this or else I would never live it down,” Ranger mumbled as he stood. Retracing his steps, he went back to the tree where their exchange had taken place. Xavier’s hat still lay on the ground. It was the only proof the man had been there. Scooping it up, Ranger brought it up to his nose. His brow furrowed as he detected not only Xavier’s scent, but that of two others. For the life of him, Ranger couldn’t figure out what they were. He would almost say it was Raven, if it weren’t for the fact it smelled clean instead of the normal rotting, rancid smell that usually accompanied that type of bird. He also detected the smell of something vaguely medicinal. Ranger decided that it was time to let Mitchell and the others know about what he’d found. He had enough information now to know that he wasn’t chasing a ghost. Not only that, but he owed Xavier for both zapping him and making him look like a green idiot who couldn’t take down one untrained Eagle. Ranger vowed he’d find a way to make the brat pay for both insults. Even if it cost Ranger his very last breath.
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Chapter Two Xavier landed in front of the door to their hotel
room and quickly shifted back to his human form. Glancing down at his body, he’d never been more glad that whenever he shifted his clothes managed to make it through unscathed. How that happened still remained a mystery to him, but then so did most other things that had to do with the shifter world. He dug his key out of his front pocket, trying hard to ignore the sounds and foul smells around him. The efficiency hotel they’d been staying at was in the worst area of Flint. Not only were there several abandoned homes and businesses that’d been left to rot, but the streets were covered in all kinds of disgusting trash. Just the other day he’d almost stepped on a used needle. He opened the battered, filthy steel door and quickly ducked inside. The room had the same stale odors of mildew, cigarette smoke and cheap 12
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beer, but Xavier didn’t mind. They’d come to represent safety, much like the blue glow coming from the television. It did little to illuminate the grungy brown carpet and yellow walls of the small space they’d come to call home. Two beds took up the center of the room, a small kitchenette stood off to one side. The sinks always backed up and there were cockroaches in all the corners, but it was better than the last hotel they’d stayed at. Besides, it’s not like they could afford any better. His adopted sister, Dulla, sat on the edge of one of the beds, her face a few feet from the screen of the television. As always, Yogi Bear played. Their one luxury was a DVD player and a massive collection of Yogi Bear cartoons. Still, if it made her happy that’s all that mattered. Even though she was three years older than he and Chance, mentally she was much younger. She didn’t acknowledge his presence, her dark eyed gaze never once wavering from the show. Xavier still knelt down beside her. Reaching up, he tucked a piece of the black hair behind her ear. The dim light made her normally pale complexion look even more sallow, but she still looked beautiful to him. As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t a girl out there who could hold a candle to his sister. He stayed there for nearly five minutes, studying her, before she started and turned to look 13
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at him. “Xavier, you’re home,” she exclaimed in her raspy voice, the one that always reminded him of smoke and whiskey. “Of course, I am.” He reached out and gave her a hug. As she returned it, she sniffed loudly. “You smell funny.” Alarmed, Xavier pulled back. “What do you mean?” “You stink like that guy who sold us the stun guns.” Shit, shit, shit. The dealer had been a Wolf. That could only mean she detected Ranger on him. He still couldn’t let on how much her observation shocked him. He gave her a gentle smile. “I forgot to tell you. I ran into him on the bus.” She tilted her head to the side, her dark eyes narrowing. “Why would he be riding a city bus? When Chance and I met him, he had a shiny, red car.” Damn, Dulla may be slow but she wasn’t stupid. Xavier didn’t allow himself to react. “It must have broken down.” Dulla still didn’t look as if she bought it, but a new episode of Yogi came on and saved him. Once her attention was diverted, Xavier jumped to his feet and ran over to his backpack. Opening it, he shoved aside his only other set of clothing and 14
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took out a spray bottle. About the size of a hairspray can, it’d cost most of their savings. It’d been worth it though, because it contained the only thing that’d keep them from being captured by slavers. A mixture of various chemicals, it masked Xavier’s scent. Eagles were very rare, and as such they brought in a ton on the slave market. Xavier knew without a doubt that if he ever stepped outside without the spray on, he’d be captured within moments. He only hoped the spray also masked the reek of Wolf, too. Although, maybe reek wasn’t the right word. In truth, Ranger smelled nice—really, really nice. Xavier brought his arm up and took a deep whiff, inhaling the woodsy, musky scent of the Wolf. He could have breathed it in all night long. Unfortunately for Xavier, he didn’t have all night. Chance would be coming in any second and, unlike Dulla, he couldn’t be distracted. With a regretful sigh, Xavier covered himself with the spray. His lungs burned as he inhaled some of the junk. Soon enough the same headache that always followed a dosing would hit him. He only hoped that it wouldn’t be so bad that it forced him to bed. He hated it when that happened. He put the bottle away moments before the door opened again and his brother, Chance, 15
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walked in. Since he was Dulla’s biological sibling, he took on the same characteristics as her. His dark hair was cut short in the back, the front being just long enough to flop into his large, dark eyes. His skin also had a pale tone to it, although at the present moment, a large, purple bruise marked one side of his jaw. “What in the hell happened?” Xavier demanded as he rushed over. He reached out to touch it. Chance shrugged him off. “It’s no big deal. I got it on the job.” Xavier didn’t even want to know what said job entailed. Since they’d been raised in deep seclusion, none of them had the education or work experience to land a real job. It wasn’t like Xavier could go out and find work either. While the spray hid his scent, it wouldn’t help if they ran into a shifter who could identify breeds by sight. Dulla was out of the question, too. She was prone to panic attacks whenever she went out in public, so she stayed in their room nearly all the time. That left Chance and all he could find was work with other Ravens. A shiver went down Xavier’s spine as he recalled some of the stories his adoptive brother had shared about those creatures. While Dulla, Chance, and their parents had been kind and loving, if a bit odd from timeto-time, the other Ravens obviously weren’t the 16
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same way. “I brought food,” Chance announced, holding up a greasy bag of takeout. Xavier grabbed it and went to the counter. He dished it out, making sure that Dulla and Chance got the bigger portions. He handed out the plates, before taking his own food and settling down on a bed. Chance looked over with a frown. “Why didn’t you take more food?” Because it kills me to see you and Dulla wasting away. Outwardly, Xavier gave a shrug. “I’m not that hungry.” That wasn’t a total lie. Lately his appetite had been crap and what little he took down often came back up. Dulla glanced up from her show. “I worry about you. Are you still getting the headaches?” “Not too often,” he fibbed again. “Besides, I wouldn’t be too concerned. It’s not like shifters can get sick or anything. It’s probably just stress.” Chance studied him carefully. “We could always try to go back home.” Xavier shook his head. “No way. The Hyenas could show up again and I don’t want to lose you guys, too. It was bad enough they killed Mom and Dad.” As always, the mere mention of their parents 17
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was enough to set Dulla off. She began to rock back and forth as she let out soft whimpers, her food completely forgotten. Feeling like an ass for his slip up, Xavier scooted closer so he could put an arm around his sister’s shoulders. The close contact worked and after a few moments, she sank into his side. “We’re doing fine right where we are,” Xavier replied firmly. The last thing he wanted was to take her back to that nightmare. He would put up with a thousand headaches before he let that happen. Are you sure that’s the only reason you don’t want to leave? A nasty voice taunted in his head. Xavier gave a slight shake of his head, as if he could deny that kernel of truth to himself. Like he could fool himself that he didn’t want to leave now that he’d just found Riley. After all, Riley didn’t seem to give a fig about him. While Xavier had been fighting for his life and barely getting enough to eat, Riley had been safe, fed and happily mated to some Hawk. Maybe it wasn’t logical for Xavier to feel such animosity toward his twin. After all, it wasn’t Riley’s fault that he’d always been the lucky one in life. Xavier just couldn’t help himself. The strange thing was that at the same time, he felt a strong connection to Riley—one he was powerless to resist. That had led to him almost 18
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being captured by Ranger. “Fine, we’ll stay here,” Chance finally conceded, although he continued to study Xavier with a critical eye. Xavier sighed with relief. Chance asked, “So, what did you guys do today?” Heart racing, Xavier shot a worried glance down at Dulla. “Ah, nothing. We just hung out here.” Anxiety flooded his body while he waited for her to call him out on his lie, but she kept silent. Xavier made a mental note to someday buy her a whole new collection of Yogi DVDs as a reward for not tattling. Chance cocked a brow. “Oh, really? If you stayed in, then why are your shoes covered in fresh mud.” Xavier froze as he scrambled for an explanation. The only problem being, he never was good at coming up with stuff on the fly. Besides, Chance always knew whenever he lied. “You went to spy on him again. Didn’t you?” Chance challenged. “Yes, I did.” Xavier lowered his head as guilt flooded him. He knew that his ventures not only put him at danger, but it also risked exposing Dulla and Chance. The feline coalition was strong in Flint, 19
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and if there was one thing the cats hated, it was Ravens. They wouldn’t care that Chance and Dulla were different either. “I tried to stay away. I really did, it’s just…” Xavier trailed off, too ashamed to go on because, quite frankly, there really wasn’t any excuse good enough. Had it been anybody else, they would have yelled or lashed out. Chance did neither. Instead, he put a comforting hand on Xavier’s shoulder. Locking gazes, Chance said, “I know it must be so tempting, but you have to be careful. Not only could they kill Dulla and I, but they may lash out at you for associating with us.” Xavier saw the flicker of hurt and self-disgust that went through Chance’s eyes at those words. It made a lump build up in the back of Xavier’s throat, because he knew how much his brother hated what he was. “You’re nothing like the other Ravens. For one thing, you don’t stink like they do.” Xavier gave a soft laugh. “Yeah, that’s because we never learned some of their more disgusting habits. At least that’s what Mom said.” Even before Xavier came to live with them, his adoptive family had stayed apart from the other the Ravens. When the rest of their kind learned about Dulla’s learning disability, they wanted to 20
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kill her, as it was always Raven custom to cull away what they considered weak members. Instead, their mother had taken her children and husband, then ran away. Xavier tightened his grip on Dulla as a wave of fierce protectiveness went over him. Just the thought of anyone wanting to hurt his sweet sister because she didn’t fit their idea of perfect made him angry. While Xavier may not be a violent person, he knew without a doubt he’d kill if necessary to keep her safe. For that reason alone, Xavier decided to confess the whole truth. “A Wolf caught me spying on Riley.” Chance sucked in a breath. “Did he hurt you?” “No, I used that stun gun you gave me and managed to fly away. Not before he told me that he knew who I was.” “Did he use your name?” Xavier nodded. “He also claimed that they’d been looking for me. He said that they didn’t mean me any harm.” “I’m guessing he didn’t know that you were with two Ravens.” “He didn’t mention it.” A heavy silence filled the room. Chance looked down at the bed. “You know you could always—” “Don’t even suggest it,” Xavier interrupted sharply. “They would probably take you in because 21
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you’re Riley’s brother. Think about it, you could finally be safe and have enough food.” Anger and a bit of panic assaulted Xavier. “And leave you and Dulla behind? No way! I could never do that. We’re family and I love you guys.” Chance gave a sad smile. “We feel the same way, too. I’m just worried. You keep getting those headaches and it looks like you’ve lost even more weight.” “I told you, it’s just stress. I’m fine.” “I just wish I could take better care of you guys.” Tears built up in Xavier’s eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Since Chance was taking on the heavy load of supporting them all, the least Xavier could do was be brave enough not to cry. “You do take good care of us. You always have. It was because of you that we were able to escape that day the Hyenas came.” “I wasn’t good enough to save Mom and Dad.” “You can’t blame yourself for that. It would have taken a psychic to know the attack was coming. Mom and Dad were cut down before any of us could stop it. Stop beating yourself up over it. Dulla and I are damn lucky to have you.” Dulla wrapped her slender arms around Xavier’s waist. “And we’re lucky to have you, Xavier.”
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Chapter Three Ranger
stormed through the coalition headquarters, his temper so high it was a wonder he didn’t have steam coming out of his ears like some cartoon character. The area where the little twerp had zapped him still stung, the pain beating in time to his heart, almost as if mocking him. The ball cap was still in his clenched fist and he soothed his temper some by imagining that it was Xavier’s skinny throat between his fingers. Along the way to Mitchell’s office, he ran into Shane. A Leopard shifter, who was a semireformed sociopath, he happened to be the perfect man to help Ranger out. Ranger paused long enough to ask, “Hey, can you come with me?” Shane cocked a brow, but as usual revealed nothing. While he looked young and almost innocent with his big brown eyes and mop of 23
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brown hair, underneath lurked a coldblooded killer. Ranger just hoped that since his good friend, Trevor, was mated to Shane, the feline would be inclined to help. He also banked on the fact Shane owned the farmhouse Xavier had been staking out as an aid in sparking the Leopard’s cooperation. Call him crazy, but Ranger didn’t think Shane liked the idea of a stranger hanging out on his property. “Where are you going?” Shane demanded, but he began to walk with Ranger. “I need to speak to Mitchell about something that went down outside your place today.” If that shocked or upset Shane, he didn’t show it. He only gave a curt nod, his face as impassive as ever. As they entered Mitchell’s cramped and somewhat messy office, Ranger wasn’t overly surprised to see most of the Jaguar brothers present. He’d called ahead to tell Mitchell that they had something important to discuss and the Jaguar family always worked together. There were even a few of the family’s closest friends present. One noticeable exception was Riley, although his Hawk mate, Colin, was there. Going by the scowl on the dark-headed man’s face, he wasn’t too happy either. Ranger gave them a quick rundown of his encounter with Xavier, even going so far as to tell how he got away. Even though it stung to admit 24
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that some green kid with no training managed to get the drop on him, Ranger didn’t want to let his pride get in the way. It was more important that Mitchell and the others get a full report so they could get a feel for the situation. When Ranger fell silent, Mitchell sat back in his chair and mulled over the situation. While Mitchell was about twenty years older than Ranger, he didn’t look it. With a tall, trim build, amber eyes and brown speckled hair, he was actually damn good looking. Had it not been for the fact that Mitchell was mated to Ranger’s cousin, Ranger may have developed a heavy crush on the guy. Of course, that was before Ranger met Xavier. Now he found himself wanting nothing other than a certain blond-haired Eagle who had the bratty tendency to zap unsuspecting individuals. That showed Ranger had either lost all his common sense or was now being ruled by his cock. He couldn’t help it though, all he had to do was think about how good it’d felt when he pressed himself against Xavier’s thin body and Ranger became stupid with lust. “Are you certain that he’s Xavier?” Mitchell finally asked. “Yeah, he’s almost a dead ringer for Riley. Plus, the kid acted like I bitch slapped him when I called him Xavier. He tried to hide it, but it was 25
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obvious it scared the hell out of him that I knew who he was.” “If he was lurking about like you said, how come we didn’t pick up his scent? We should have smelled him all the way from the farmhouse,” Colin demanded. “I think he’s masking it somehow. I couldn’t smell it until I was right on top of him.” “Does that hat belong to him?” Shane nodded at Ranger’s hand. “Yeah.” “Toss it to me.” Once Ranger complied, Shane brought it up to his nose and gave it a few experimental sniffs. When he let out a low curse, Ranger knew it couldn’t be good. Shane never reacted to anything, so for him to show any emotion always spelled trouble. “This Eagle is either very brave or very stupid.” A jolt of dread hit Ranger. While he still wanted to throttle Xavier, Ranger found himself strangely protective of the brat. “Why would you say that?” “He’s using Shadow.” Ranger cocked his head to the side as he tried to place where he’d heard that word before. “Isn’t that something shifters can use to cover their scent?” It would explain how Xavier had managed to conceal himself from Ranger so well. It would also 26
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show that Xavier realized just how dangerous it was to be an Eagle. Ranger nodded. “Yeah, and it’s as illegal as hell.” “With good reason,” Colin cut in. “If used too much that stuff can be toxic.” “It must be pretty bad to affect us. Usually we’re immune to most poisons.” While Ranger knew he probably sounded the idiot for stating the obvious, he was having issues wrapping his mind around the fact that a simple spray could take down a shifter. Shane continued to study the hat. “One of the ingredients is Castor, more specifically the seeds, which is used to make Ricin. While we can fight the affects longer, eventually even we succumb if we keep exposing ourselves to it.” “Do you think Xavier is aware of that?” “I’m guessing that neither he nor his little friends know much of anything.” Ranger jerked in surprise. “Friends?” “Yeah, going by the scents on this hat, I’d say he’s been living with two Ravens. The smell is pretty weak and not nearly as strong as most other Ravens, but it’s there. If I wasn’t such a good tracker, the Shadow would have hid it completely.” “I thought that it smelled like Raven, too,” Ranger said. 27
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“I’m impressed. Not too many would have picked up on that,” Shane replied, tossing out a rare bit of praise. “Thanks.” Shane breathed in again, his brow drawing together. “That’s odd.” “What now?” “This scent really is very different from most Ravens.” Ranger nodded. “Yeah, it’s clean instead of the usual stank.” “Maybe it’s another type of bird?” Colin suggested. “No, I’m positive it’s Raven.” Shane paused for a second before his trademark gotcha grin came over his face. “Oh, this is almost too easy.” Ranger exchanged confused glances with the rest of the group. Mitchell finally said, “Do you want to clue the rest of us in?” “I’ve been hearing through the grapevine about a new Raven in the area.” Colin shrugged. “So what? They come and go all the time.” “This one is different.” Ranger found himself becoming more frustrated with each passing second. He’d forgotten how hard it was to get information from Shane. The worst part was they couldn’t lose their 28
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tempers either or else they risked the Leopard shutting down completely. Taking a few breaths, he forced himself to calmly ask, “Different, how?” “Well for starters, this Raven supposedly knows what a shower is. Plus, he doesn’t have the stomach for any of the dirty jobs. Not that they would take him out on something like that, since the kid reportedly doesn’t have a lick of training.” Mitchell crossed his arms over his chest. “How is that possible? I thought Ravens drummed battle skills into their kids’ heads from the moment they could walk.” “That’s true, unless, of course, the kid wasn’t raised in normal Raven society. Just like felines and Wolves have strays, so do Ravens.” The room fell silent while they all digested that information. Colin finally broke the quiet. “I have one question for you, Shane. How is it you didn’t know that Xavier was lurking on your property in the first place? I would think that since you’re the best assassin in the coalition, you’d be the first to know that an intruder was on your property.” “I knew about him from the very first time he paid one of his little visits,” Shane informed them casually. Ranger sucked in a breath. “Then why didn’t you do anything about it?” “Because I assessed him and found him to be no threat. If he had made any aggressive moves, I 29
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would have taken care of the problem myself.” A shiver went down Ranger’s spine as he recalled some of the ways Shane took care of problems. “You could have approached him to see if he needed help.” Shane gave Ranger a probing look. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe not everybody wants to be saved?” A burst of anger ripped through Ranger, but he tampered it. Getting into a pissing match with Shane wouldn’t help find Xavier. “How long do you think we have until Xavier gets sick from this Shadow?” Even as he asked that question, Ranger recalled how thin and pale Xavier seemed. He didn’t even want to contemplate the ramifications of Xavier getting really ill before they could get him help. Shane sniffed the hat. “Going by how much is on this hat, a couple days tops. By now, he’s probably already suffering from nausea, muscle tremors and headaches. Lucky for him though, I now know how to find him.” Hope flared in Ranger’s chest. “How?” “I’ll start asking around about his little Raven buddy. Once I get a lead on the bird, I’ll follow him back to Xavier.” Ranger glanced at Mitchell. “Do you think it would be okay if I was part of the team that went in to extricate Xavier?” 30
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Mitchell cocked a brow. “I thought your days of taking in strays were over.” It was way more than just a normal rescue for him, but Ranger wasn’t ready to fess up to that aloud. He could hardly admit it to himself. Like it or not, something about Xavier had gotten under Ranger’s skin and now it’d become one great big, bratty itch that couldn’t be denied. “I just think that it would be better since I’ve already had contact with him,” Ranger reasoned, not willing to admit to having feelings for the Eagle. For a moment he thought Mitchell would deny him. In the end, the Jaguar nodded. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll let you lead the mission and handpick your team. I’ve been looking for a chance to test you some and this will be the perfect opportunity.” Ranger blinked a few times. He never expected that kind of response. “Thank you, sir. I promise not to let you down.” Colin cleared his throat. “I have one request.” “Go ahead,” Mitchell said. “I don’t want Riley to know anything about this. While he’s been doing great with his new meds and hasn’t had any episodes lately, I don’t want to stress him out unless it’s absolutory necessary. Once we get this Eagle into custody and discerned that he’s not a threat and is, in fact, 31
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Xavier, then I’ll fill Riley in on everything.” “Fine, but he’s going to be pissed off when he finds out you’re keeping secrets from him,” Ranger warned. “Better he gets mad than upset if Xavier ends up being no better than the Ravens. Since he seems so found of hanging out around the bastards, there’s no telling how twisted Xavier may be. Stinky or not, a Raven is a Raven and I’ve never met a kind one in my life.” Colin did have a point. In all of history, Ranger didn’t think there’d ever been a Raven who wasn’t a murdering bastard. It seemed to be the only thing the birds excelled at. “There’s one thing that confuses me,” Colin said. Ranger grunted. “Just one?” “Why are the two Ravens protecting Xavier? They have to know that they could get a small fortune for him on the slave market.” “The only way we’ll figure that out is to ask Xavier himself. Once we have him back here, then we can interrogate him and find out what in the hell is going on.” Mitchell ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Man, this couldn’t come at a worse time. Cassie is set to marry Chris in just a couple of weeks. The last thing I need is the Ravens fucking things up.” As always, a stab of pain went through Ranger 32
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at the mention of Chris’s name. Not only was the older man his cousin, but he also led the largest Tri-state area wolf pack. The same pack that’d run Ranger out for being gay. Granted it’d been mostly Ranger’s father’s doing and Chris claimed not to have known about it until it was too late, but Ranger still didn’t have cozy feelings as far as his cousin went. To make the already sucky relationship even suckier, Cassie was Mitchell’s younger sister. Add in that Mitchell’s mate, Dean, was Chris’s brother and it got so that there were so many connections between their family trees that it made for a jumbled mess. Lucky duck that Ranger was, his sorry ass happened to be stuck in the chaos, too. Mitchell turned to his brother. “Jacyn, I need you to give Dr. Featherstone a rundown about the Eagle’s use of Shadow. That way he can have a treatment ready when we bring Xavier in.” “Do you think he’ll be able to figure out something to make Xavier better?” Ranger asked, his gut clenching in worry. Jacyn gave a slight nod. “I’ll bring Owen in to help. Together I’ve seen them do some pretty amazing things.” Mitchell looked at Ranger. “Okay, since you’re team leader, what do you think the first move should be in tracking Xavier down?” It set Ranger back some to have Mitchell asking 33
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his advice for once. Scrambling, he came up with a plan, “I think we should go with Shane’s idea and use the Raven connection.” Shane gave a small smile of consent. “If you want, I can start calling some of my contacts to see what they can tell me. If I can find the Raven, then I’ll hang back and trail him when he goes to where they’re hiding out at.” “Okay, then once you find them, the team can go in and extricate Xavier.” “What should we do about the Ravens he’s with?” Jacyn asked. Now if that wasn’t the million-dollar question. Usually, they just killed any Ravens who got in their way and nobody gave it a second thought. But if Xavier was close to this pair, then he may never forgive them. Still, it wasn’t like they could just open their arms and accept two known enemies into their midst either. Ranger felt conflicted, knowing this was the first real test of his leadership skills. He mulled the problem over a few moments before coming up with what he hoped was the best solution. “Take the Ravens into custody and bring them to our jail. They may be able to tell us something about where Xavier’s been all these years and how he managed to avoid being taken by slavers long before now.” When approval flashed across Mitchell’s eyes, 34
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Ranger knew he’d done the right thing. “I think that you should be the one in charge of the interrogation.” Ranger blinked in surprise. “Because I’m the team leader?” “No, because this is what you’re best at. For years now, you’ve been taking in strays and making them feel safe. Just because they’re a couple of Ravens, doesn’t mean that they won’t be the same way. If anyone can make them trust us, it’s you.” Warmth pooled in Ranger’s stomach at the words of praise. Growing up with such a judgmental father, before finally being rejected by his pack, Ranger wasn’t used to getting compliments. He never knew how damn good it could feel. “Thank you, Mitchell. I promise not to let you down,” Ranger replied gruffly. “I know you won’t. I’ve never doubted you, Ranger.”
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Chapter Four His
head hurt so bad that if he’d had a gun handy, Xavier would have gladly used it on himself, just to end his misery. While that may seem like a bit of a melodramatic solution, this wasn’t ordinary pain. The agony sliced through his head, making it hard to breathe as his stomach rolled. A cold sweat covered his body, making him feel gross in addition to crappy. He moaned as he buried the side of his face deeper into the rank pillow. “Here, you need to drink something,” Chance urged. Xavier cracked his lids open to see his brother holding up a cup of water. Just looking at it made his stomach lurch in protest. He groaned as he shook his head. The slight movement made the pain rocket in skull. Letting out a whimper, he quickly squeezed his eyes shut again. “I don’t want anything, thanks,” Xavier forced 36
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himself to say. His body began to tremble, which didn’t surprise him since it’d been doing that on and off all day. It did make the ache spread from his head to the rest of his body as his overworked muscles protested. While he didn’t want to worry Chance any more, Xavier couldn’t hold in the long moan of pain. “Shit.” Chance set down the cup, then reached down to put a hand to Xavier’s brow. “You feel all cold and clammy.” “Always the critic,” Xavier teased between clenched teeth. “We need to be serious here for a second. I’m really worried about you.” “I probably just caught a bug or something.” Xavier dared to open his eyes again, letting out a hiss of pain when even the weak light of the room bit sharply into his head. “That’s just it, shifters aren’t supposed to get sick.” Chance hedged, “At least I don’t think so.” “Can’t you ask one of your work buddies?” Chance bit his bottom lip, a look of pure shame crossing his face. “I haven’t been dealing with them lately.” Something in the way Chance said that set off alarms in Xavier. “Well, then who have you been working with? You’re still bringing home food and money.” 37
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In fact, now that he thought about it, for the past couple of days, Chance had been bringing home a lot more of both items. Chance ducked his head, but not before Xavier caught the pain lingering there. “Damn, Chance, what did you do?” “What I had to in order to take care of you and Dulla,” Chance rasped. Dulla climbed on the bed and curled up next to Xavier. Murmuring a tuneless song, she began to run her fingers through his hair. “We need to take him to the felines.” Xavier started. “Why would we want to take Chance to them?” She gave a soft giggle. “Not him, silly. You.” “You want to give me away?” Xavier swallowed hard. “No, I never want you to leave us, but the felines will know how to make you better.” Xavier shook his head, immediately regretting the move when pain pinballed around his skull. “We stay together. Just like we promised Mom and Dad.” Chance settled down on the end of the bed, crossing his legs in front of him. “I hate to say this, but I think going to the felines may be our only option.” All that Xavier could think about was the horrible things they might do to Chance and 38
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Dulla. He recalled all the horror stories their mother beat into his head, each one worse than the last. He’d rather die than let any harm befall his adopted siblings. Leveling his gaze at Chance, Xavier said, “No, I’m not letting anyone get their hands on Dulla. Especially an enemy.” He hoped his eyes spoke his additional fear. A normal female wouldn’t stand a chance against a room full of male soldiers. He didn’t even want to think about how it would affect Dulla if she were attacked in that manner. Chance let out a soft curse before he nodded, showing he got the message, but didn’t particularly care for it. Xavier still held his gaze for a moment, just to show that there would be no changing his mind. As far as he was concerned, it would be better for him to die than to have to stand by and watch Dulla get hurt or worse. Besides, this thing that was going on inside him was probably just temporary. Once it passed, he vowed to himself that he would take Dulla and Chance, then get the hell away from Flint. It would kill him to have to leave Riley behind, but it’s not like they were in contact anyway. For all Xavier knew, his twin wouldn’t even want to speak to him, so it was foolish to continue to risk their safety for wishful thinking. 39
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**** Ranger sat down at the cafeteria table and stared down at his food without really seeing it. He should be hungry, starved in fact since he hadn’t eaten in two days, but he was so jacked up that he just didn’t have an appetite. They still hadn’t found Xavier and Shane’s dire prediction about Shadow continued to nag at Ranger. It was as if he had this giant time clock looming behind him and it was quickly counting down. He shoved the tray away from him and used one hand to scrub his face. His eyes stung and felt grainy because he hadn’t been getting much sleep either. None of his team had. Shane continued to comb the streets, while the others were doing their best to help out. Still for all that effort, they had nada in the way of information. An image of Xavier popped into Ranger’s head. That innocent, yet scared face, those wide green eyes and his quirky comments. Never before had Ranger felt like such a failure. He may have saved so many others, but he was powerless to help the one who needed him the most. He didn’t know what it was about Xavier, but never before had he felt this protective over a 40
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stray. It’d gotten so Ranger couldn’t close his eyes without some visual of Xavier coming to him. While some were G-rated, a good number were erotic too. He wanted to hold, protect, scold and fuck Xavier all at once. “You look like shit,” Shane commented casually as he took the seat opposite of Ranger. Ranger nearly let out an audible sigh of relief when he saw the Leopard. If Shane was there that could only be because he had news. Ranger just hoped it was the good kind. “Did you find the Raven?” Shane nodded. “Did he lead you to Xavier?” That garnered a second nod. “Is Xavier still alive?” Yet another nod. Ranger let out a growl of frustration. “Are you going to actually go into some detail? Or are you going to keep nodding?” “Sure, you just need to stop asking closedended questions.” “Has anyone ever told you how frustrating you can be sometimes?” “Yes, Trevor makes it a point to inform me of that nearly every day.” Ranger could see his Panther buddy doing that. While Trevor could be a bit of a flirt and a jokester, he was the only one who could point out all of 41
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Shane’s character flaws and live to talk about it. “Trevor is right.” Ranger leaned forward. “So, please tell me in detail what you discovered.” “First off, I found out the name of the Raven who’s been trolling around. It’s Chance and he’s beyond green. He’s so bad that the other Ravens have refused to hire or work with him. That’s why it took me so long to track him down. He wasn’t in any of the usual Raven pits.” “So where did you eventually find him?” “He’s working the streets, hustling himself to humans.” Ranger cocked his head to the side. “Are you sure about that? All the Ravens I’ve ever had the misfortune to meet think humans are beneath them so they sure as hell wouldn’t sell their bodies to one.” “Chance has and it’s a lot more than just one.” Shane reached out and picked up Ranger’s uneaten sandwich. “I wonder why he’s doing it?” Shane shot him a duh look. “Isn’t it obvious? Chance is taking care of Xavier and the other Raven.” “That can’t be it. In case you forgot, Ravens aren’t capable of empathy.” “This one is. At least as far as Xavier is concerned.” Shane took a big bite. “I guess you have a point,” Ranger conceded. 42
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“Otherwise, Chance would have sold Xavier a long time ago. With the price he’d get for an Eagle shifter, he’d never have to hustle again.” Shane swallowed his food. “So when do we go and fetch the birds?” “As soon as I can alert the rest of the team. How far away is Xavier’s location?” “Only fifteen minutes from here. He’s in one of those dive hotels. It’s so bad that even hookers and drug addicts stay away. If the Shadow doesn’t finish him off, the crappy neighborhood will.” Ranger stood. “Okay, let’s do this then.” **** Damn it all, whatever was making him feel like shit wasn’t going away. Xavier rolled to his side and clutched his aching stomach. Pain sliced through every inch of him and he bit his bottom lip in an effort to hold in the cries of agony. Dulla and Chance slept in the next bed and Xavier didn’t want to wake them since he knew they’d just worry more about him. Another wave of pain slammed into him. Xavier bit even harder on his lip, his teeth slicing into the skin and drawing blood. Just that small tangy taste sent him over the edge and his stomach lurched. Xavier lunged to his feet, desperate to get the 43
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toilet. Their room already smelled bad enough without him yakking up in the middle of it. He only made it a few steps before he fell to the side. He hit the dresser, his arm managing to catch the lamp. It came down with a loud crash. Xavier grunted in surprise and hurt as his hip slammed into the corner of the furniture. Chance leapt to his feet. “What’s going on?” Putting a hand to his stomach, Xavier just barely managed to get out, “Bathroom…please.” His brother didn’t need to be told twice. Moving quick, he put an arm around Xavier and half-guided, half-dragged him to the toilet. Once there, he gently helped Xavier to the ground. As soon as his knees hit the tile, Xavier bent over and emptied his stomach into the toilet. Since he hadn’t eaten much in the past couple days, nothing substantial came up. The resulting dry heaves seemed to be twice as painful. A cold sweat broke out over his body and his chest grew tight. In between his gags, he tried to suck in some breaths, but his lungs just didn’t want to cooperate. It almost felt as if he was underwater or somebody was holding a pillow to his face. “Shit, Xavier. Your lips are turning blue,” Chance exclaimed, his voice trembling. Xavier tried to give him some words of reassurance, but all that came out were some 44
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funky sounding raspy noises. He clawed at his chest in a desperate attempt to get some air inside his impossibly tight lungs. “Help,” he finally managed to gasp out, his voice sounding like a cross between a frog and a wet vac. Dulla began to sob hysterically while Chance yelled for help. Xavier saw spots dancing before his eyes and his hands began to tingle. Then that’s when all hell broke loose. **** Ranger heard the screaming just as the team approached the door to Xavier’s hotel room. His heart froze in fear as he strained to hear who it may be. “If I were to guess, I would say it’s Chance and some female,” Shane whispered from close to Ranger’s right. Ranger nodded to indicate he heard. Then that’s when one scream broke through, the message bone chillingly clear. “Help! He’s dying.” That’s all the motivation Ranger needed. Raising one hand in the ready motion, he yelled to his team, “Move in. Remember, I want them all taken in alive.” 45
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Ranger took lead. Raising his foot, he kicked in the door with one fast motion. Even though the barrier was made of steel, it was cheap and easily gave in to Ranger’s enhanced strength. Very little light illuminated the interior of the bottom-of-the-barrel hotel room. It didn’t matter because they could have seen in the dark if they had to. Ranger quickly swept his gaze over the small space, his gut clenching when he finally spotted Xavier. The Eagle was on his knees in the bathroom. His lips were tinted blue and there was a panicked, almost feral look in his eyes as he let out loud wet-sounding gasping noises. Two Ravens stood between Ranger and Xavier. Ranger tensed, waiting for one of them to attack, but they both stayed in place. Chance kept darting looks between the female Raven and Xavier, almost as if he didn’t know which one to protect first. The female just wrapped her arms around her stomach and began to let out keening wails. Ranger stopped, then held up a hand to signal for his team to do the same. While they could have rushed in and taken the Ravens down by force, one look at the posture told Ranger that would do more harm than good. The female looked a couple steps from a complete breakdown while Chance only seemed to want to guard Xavier and the girl. Ranger felt for the guy, but at the same time, the 46
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sounds of Xavier’s labored breathing warned they didn’t have much more time. “Don’t hurt them, please,” Chance finally said, his voice cracking in fear. Several members of the team exchanged surprised glances. Ranger shared their confusion. The Ravens acted at complete odds to the way their breed normally did. Shane had been right when he said this pair was unique. Ranger inched closer to Xavier and that finally spurred Chance into motion. The Raven backed up, putting his body between Xavier and Ranger. At the same time, he motioned with a finger for the female to come to him. The female took a couple of steps before she stopped and studied Ranger. “You were the one Xavier talked to the other day. I know because I smelled you on him.” Ranger nodded, almost getting whiplash from her complete behavior one-eighty. “Yes, I was. I’m here to help him.” She began to fiddle with a piece of her hair. “He’s really sick. He’s been that way for a while now, but it got worse a couple of days ago.” “I know. We have a doctor waiting for him.” “Why is he so sick? Mama said that shifters can’t get stuff like people do.” Ranger shifted his gaze over to Chance, only to see the same question mirrored in the Raven’s 47
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eyes. “It’s the spray he’s been using. The one to cover his scent,” Ranger explained. “But the guy who sold it to us told me it was safe,” Chance burst out. “Look, we can talk about this later. Right now we have to get Xavier help, fast.” Chance darted one more look at Xavier and that finally seemed to convince him. With a short nod, he stepped out of the way. Ranger rushed to Xavier. Dropping to his knees, Ranger reached out and tilted the Eagle’s face in his direction. “Sorry…about…zap…ping…you,” Xavier panted. Ranger reached up and brushed his hair away from his sweat-slicked face. “Shh…don’t worry about that.” Xavier sagged into him. Ranger wrapped an arm around the younger man to keep him from toppling to the ground. Alarm shot through Ranger when he felt how thin and cold Xavier had gotten in a mere couple of days. “Don’t…let…them…hurt…her.” Xavier gazed up at him with pleading eyes. “No one will harm her. I give you my word of honor on that,” Ranger declared loudly enough for Chance to hear, too. “Her…name…is…Dulla.” 48
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“Okay, now just lay back and stop talking.” Jacyn came in with an oxygen mask. “Hey, Xavier. My name is Jacyn. Just lay back and let me take care of you.” Ranger pressed the mask to Xavier’s face, while the medic quickly started an IV and connected his patient to a portable monitor. “We need to get him back to headquarters immediately,” Jacyn said, his expression grim as he studied the monitor. Ranger scooped Xavier more fully into his arms and stood. Carrying his precious cargo close to his chest, Ranger rushed out to the waiting vehicles. By the time they reached the expressway exit, Xavier began to drift in and out of consciousness. Jacyn worked frantically on the Eagle. Ranger hovered close by, all the time praying that they hadn’t been too late.
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Chapter Five It took them twelve excruciatingly long minutes to
reach headquarters. Once there, they pulled up to one of the back loading docks, instead of using the front doors. Not only did Ranger want to honor Colin’s wish to keep Xavier’s presence a secret, but they didn’t want to announce the arrival of two Ravens. Ranger carried Xavier inside. While he could have waited for a stretcher, he was loath to give up the Eagle, plus it made things go a bit faster. Once he stepped inside the building, Ranger was pleased to find Doc Featherstone waiting for him. A Native American, who was a bit older, the Doc was his usually stoic, almost bored self. He merely glanced down at Xavier before grunting, “There’s a shower in the jail. I want both of you in it right now.” “A shower?” Ranger echoed. “Yeah.” 50
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“Both of us?” “Yeah, are you a wolf or a fuzzy parrot? Now get your hairy ass in the shower. We have to wash the chemical off the Eagle’s clothes and body and since you’ve already been holding him, you’re going with him.” The Doc gave a snarky grin. “I’ll need you both to take off your clothes and bag them. You’ve been touching him so much, it could have rubbed off on you, so I’m considering you both contaminated. Now hurry up, so I can start treating this poor kid.” Even if Ranger had wanted to continue to argue, the choice was taken from him when two medics came forward and not-so-gently led Ranger to the large shower. He noted that all the medical staff were wearing disposable yellow gowns covering their scrubs. He almost thought it was overkill until he looked back down at Xavier’s way-too-pale face. Off to the side, another group of medics worked on Dulla and Chance, scrubbing them off, too. The Ravens didn’t offer any words of protest. They just stoically took it. Ranger did note that Jacyn made sure only female staff worked on Dulla and for that he was thankful. Ranger allowed them to take his and Xavier’s clothes, but drew the line at their underwear. Not only did he not want to parade around with all his goods hanging out, he didn’t want anyone 51
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checking Xavier out either. Ranger knew that thinking wasn’t rational since nobody would have any interest in somebody as sick as Xavier, but he couldn’t help himself. Just the thought of any other man looking at the Eagle’s sweet body made Ranger want to lash out. He held Xavier upright, chest to chest while the medics moved around, scrubbing them both off. Even though the oxygen mask was still strapped into place, Xavier’s color hadn’t improved much. Xavier’s eyes sluggishly fluttered open. When they widened in panic, Ranger made gentle shushing sounds. “It’s okay, they’re helping you.” “What’s happening to me?” Xavier asked, his voice muffled from the mask. “It’s the spray you’ve been using. It’s been poisoning you.” “God, I’m so stupid.” Ranger used one hand to smooth Xavier’s wet hair away from his face. “No, you’re not. You just didn’t know any better.” Ranger allowed himself to feel a small measure of hope that Xavier seemed to be having much less trouble talking than when he’d been at the hotel. “I just didn’t want my scent to put Dulla or Chance in danger.” “Are they your friends?” Jealousy crashed into Ranger as he wondered if Xavier and Chance were more than just friends. 52
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“They’re my brother and sister,” Xavier explained. “Ah, sweetie, I hate to tell you this, but you’re an Eagle. There’s no way you can be related to them.” A couple of the hospital staff exchanged amused looks at Ranger’s endearment. He chose to ignore them. Xavier on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice. He gave a tiny laugh. “I was adopted by their parents when I was really young.” While Ranger still had a million questions, he decided they could wait until later, especially when Jacyn gave him a concern look. “We need to get him into bed.” The medics quickly finished cleaning them up. Once they were finished, they took Xavier from Ranger. As he watched the Eagle being carried away, Ranger had the intense desire to reach out and reclaim the man, almost as if nobody else had the right to touch Xavier. Shane came over and thrust a clean uniform in his arms. Ranger was touched by the Leopard’s thoughtfulness until he caught the annoyed look on the man’s face. Ranger began to get dressed, all the while wondering what was happening to Xavier. Ranger called in a report to Mitchell while Shane escorted the Ravens from the room. It took 53
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Ranger around five minutes to get his leader up to speed on the situation. He just hung up the phone when Shane came back in. “I put the Ravens into separate interrogation rooms,” Shane said. Ranger nodded, even if the last thing he wanted to do was go chat with Chance or Dulla. “Fine, I’ll start with the male.” “That would probably be a good idea. The female didn’t take it so well when we took her away from her brother.” “What did she do?” Shane arched a brow. “She screamed, then started to kick and bite.” “How is she now?” “She quieted down, but she’s still off.” “Off?” Ranger echoed a bit incredulously. That said a lot coming from Shane since he was the poster child for strange, odd, weird and wacky. “Yeah, she’s completely shut down. Last I checked, she was sitting in the corner and humming to herself.” “Is the psychologist who works with Riley still here?” “Yeah, I heard that he’s thinking about moving in permanently.” A lazy smile crossed Shane’s face. “Between you and me, I think he’s got it into his over-educated head that he can shrink me.” “Tell him that we like you the way you are.” 54
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“Ah thanks, Wolfie. That almost makes me like you.” Ranger decided to ignore the thinly veiled insult. “Can you get him to come and check out the female shifter? Just make sure he knows that we’re not letting Riley know about all this yet.” Shane nodded. “I’ll go get him now. I put the male Raven in room two.” Ranger thanked him before getting a new pair of boots on and going to the room. A couple of felines stood guard, one of them unlocking the door for him. After taking a deep breath and forcing his best authoritative face on, Ranger went in. The room was just like most other interrogation rooms with a large table and a few chairs taking up the space. One wall was even covered with an observation glass. Chance stood in front of it, staring at his own reflection. That gave Ranger a chance to study the Raven. He had to admit Shane’s information proved to be correct. Chance didn’t look like any other members of his breed. Most Ravens had thick, dark, greasy hair, black soulless eyes and abnormally pale skin. They also wore all black and tended to have a foul almost rotting smell about them. The Raven in front of him had almost none of those traits. While Chance did have dark hair, pale skin and 55
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his eyes did have that same bottomless pit thing going, the rest of him was at complete odds with others of his kind. Chance wore his hair clean and short, the front hanging over his brow. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a faded, baseball style shirt. Most of all, he didn’t smell bad at all. Instead, he had a clean, crisp scent about him. “Where is my sister?” Chance asked, their gazes meeting in the mirrored glass. “She’s safe. I meant what I said to Xavier. Nobody will hurt her.” Ranger went to the table, but didn’t take a seat yet. “Dulla is probably terrified. Our mother always warned her of what would happen if the felines got a hold of her.” “And what exactly were those warnings about?” “That the felines think Ravens are the lowest of the low. How they love nothing more than to kill and violate their enemies. “Wow, that must have made for real cozy dinner table conversation.” Chance turned, but kept his back close to the wall. “Our parents could be a bit paranoid at times.” “Were you raised with other Ravens?” “No, my parents left as soon as they learned it wasn’t safe for Dulla.” “Why is that?” 56
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Chance cocked his head to the side, as if considering his reply. “Do you know that many refer to a group of Ravens as a murder or an unkindness?” “I’ve heard that.” “Funny how they can manage to get it so right sometimes because that’s exactly the way most Ravens are.” Chance came over and took a seat. “Not only do they attack all the shifters around them, but they kill each other for the slightest reasons.” “Did they want to murder Dulla because she was different?” A flicker of hurt passed over those dark eyes. “Her birth name was Cassandra, but one of the female elders changed it to Dulla when they first realized my sister wasn’t as smart as the other children.” “Because she’s dull-witted,” Ranger surmised, his heart going out to the female. “Yeah, when we left the group, my mother tried to change it back, but by then Dulla refused to answer to anything else. That same woman elder named me Chance because my parents were taking a big chance having another child after they’d already produced one defect.” “God, what a bitch.” Ranger sank into the seat opposite of the Raven. “Sad as it sounds, she was actually one of the 57
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nice ones. The rest of the elders were a million times worse. When Dulla got a bit older and they realized the true extent to her disabilities, they ordered my parents to kill her.” “You mean they expected them to murder their own daughter?” The mere thought of that was so horrifying that Ranger felt two seconds away from puking. “What can I say? Ravens can be real dicks sometimes. Lucky for us, our mom and dad weren’t the same way. Instead of killing Dulla, they took us and ran.” “Where did you go?” “Iron Mountain, Michigan. “ “I’ve never heard of that place.” Chance smiled. “Not many people have. Which is why our parents picked it. They raised us in deep seclusion.” “How deep?” “Until just recently, we never had contact with the outside world at all. We didn’t even attend school or go with our parents into town for supplies.” “If that’s the case, then how did you end up with Xavier?” “My mom’s sister died. While she couldn’t go to the funeral, she did go visit her grave. It was on her way back that she stumbled across Xavier’s home.” Chance paused and gave Ranger a 58
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speculative look. “Do you know what happened there?” “Yes, but why don’t you go ahead and tell me anyway.” It was a test and they both knew it. “Xavier’s mom was a bit titched in the head. So much so that she grabbed a shotgun and finished her whole family off. Even though Xavier and Riley were only four, she tried to kill them, too.” “But she didn’t succeed,” Ranger finished. “No. Somehow both twins managed to survive. Riley was almost immediately rescued by the neighbor lady. Xavier wasn’t so lucky. When his mother shot at him, she managed to hit him in the chest. Whether he was too hurt or passed out when the neighbor lady came, he wasn’t able to cry for help. She didn’t know that he was still alive, too.” Horror clawed at Ranger as he thought about how much pain Xavier must have been in. How he’d been so young and alone. “How long was he there until your mother found him?” “She never was for sure, but she estimated it to be around two days.” Chance shook his head. “I still don’t know how he managed to live that long with that wound.” “And how was she lucky to find him?” “She was flying overhead when she smelled the blood. At first it scared her and she started to 59
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leave, but then she heard him whimpering. Say what you will about Ravens and it’s probably all true, but they do have a good sense of hearing. Good thing for Xavier, too, because that’s what saved his life that day.” “So she went down, found him and took him home with her?” “Yes, she healed him and he’s been with us ever since.” “She never thought about finding his family?” Chance shot him an incredulous glare. “Look, I may not know much about other shifters, but even I know that Eagle shifters are practically extinct. My parents realized that the chances of finding any of Xavier’s relatives were slim at best.” “And besides, finders keepers. Right?” Ranger shot back sarcastically. “You don’t get it, do you?” Chance leaned forward. “By then, the Ravens had bounties out on both my parents’ heads. They couldn’t exactly go running around asking if anyone lost an Eagle shifter. Not only would that have led to my family’s capture, but it would have led slavers right to Xavier. Do you have any idea how much they’d love to get their hands on an Eagle? Plus, by that point, we’d all come to care for Xavier. We’re the same age and before long, we began to think of each other as brothers.” “Did your parents treat him like a son?” For 60
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some reason that point meant a lot to Ranger. “Yeah.” Chance gave a small laugh. “My mom almost instantly fell in love with him. My dad did, too, although he tried to hide it. He didn’t like to come off like some softy, even though he really was.” Chance said that with a tone of endearment rather than scorn like any other Raven would. “What happened to your parents?” “Six months ago some Hyena shifters found out about Xavier. They came to take him, so they could sell him on the black market. When they attacked, my dad…” Chance trailed off, took a deep breath, then continued, “My dad told me to take Xavier and Dulla and fly away.” “Why didn’t your parents go with you?” “My mother wasn’t able to shift anymore.” Ranger waited for Chance to expound on that one a bit, but the Raven didn’t. In the end, Ranger let it slide since the Raven seemed to be so open about everything else. “So, your Dad stayed behind to protect her?” Chance gave a sad smile. “In actuality, since it was two against twenty-four, he stayed behind to die with her.” “I’m sorry for your loss.” “Really? I would think that as a Wolf, you’d just be happy that there were two less Ravens in the world.” “You told me yourself that they weren’t like 61
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any other Ravens. Besides, they saved Xavier and that means a lot to me.” Ranger wasn’t sure who was more surprised at that last sentence. Chance narrowed his eyes. “I thought you just met Xavier the other night?” “That’s right.” “Then how do you expect me to believe that you care about what happens to him? I know you don’t plan on selling him or else you and your feline buddies would have sold Riley a long time ago. So what other reason could there be for him to be so important to you?” Ranger racked his brain, trying to find that answer, but all he came up with was an image of the way Xavier had stared up at him while they’d been in shower. The way he’d clung to Ranger for support. Mostly, Ranger thought about how much he wanted to be back by the Eagle’s side. “I don’t know. He just is,” Ranger finally admitted. He cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. “So, after you flew away, where did you go?” “We knew we couldn’t go back home because the Hyenas would be watching the place. I decided that we needed to go someplace where I could find work to support us. Flint came to mind because of the high shifter population. I figured that there had to be somebody that would be willing to hire me, even if I have no education or 62
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job skills.” Ranger decided not to let on that they knew the desperate measures Chance resorted to in order to support his surviving family. “Where did you get the Shadow?” “You mean the spray that masked Xavier’s scent?” “Yes.” “Some Wolf shifter sold it to me. He thought it was for me to use. I didn’t dare tell him it was for my Eagle brother.” “Did he warn you about what could happen if it was used too much?” Chance shook his head, his bottom lip trembling some. “No, if I’d known it was hurting Xavier, I would never have brought it home to him. I swear.” Going by the protective gestures he’d seen the Raven display toward Xavier and Dulla, Ranger was inclined to believe him. “I have one more question for you. Why have you been so forthcoming with me? Going by what I’ve seen, you don’t trust us,” Ranger said. Chance hesitated a few moments before saying, “Because you’re helping Xavier. Plus, I saw the way he looked at you when you promised that Dulla would be okay. He trusts you.” Chance fiddled with his fingers before asking a question himself, “How is Xavier doing?” 63
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“They’re working on him now?” “Do they think he’s going to be okay?” “We have some of our best men on the job. If anyone can counteract the poisoning, it’s Owen and Doc.” “Please, you guys have to save him. I just lost Mom and Dad. I can’t lose my brother, too.” “I’ve seen Doc work miracles before. Plus, Xavier is a shifter, so he has that on his side.” “Is my sister doing okay?” Ranger decided to be honest with him. “No, she’s shutting down. Now that I’ve talked to you though, I can bring her in. We’re going to be keeping you guys in the interrogation rooms instead of the jail.” “Are we a dirty secret?” “Something like that.” Like the guy or not, Ranger wasn’t about to go into detail about Riley’s mental illness. “Can you get a TV for Dulla?” “Sure, is she addicted to reality television or something?” Ranger teased gently. “No, we were so far in the middle of nowhere that we didn’t pick up normal channels or anything, but my mom bought Dulla a whole bunch of Yogi Bear DVDs. Dulla likes to watch them all the time. It helps soothe her.” “Sure, are there any DVD s that I can pick up for you?” 64
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Chance shook his head. “I’ve never seen anything else. My mom only brought home Yogi.” “Why? Was she opposed to all other shows or something?” “Hey, what can I say? We’re Ravens. Just because we don’t like to kill our own meals and play around in the carcasses like the rest of our breed, doesn’t mean we’re not weird from time-totime.” Ranger laughed, before something in Chance’s comment hit him. “Seriously, is that why other Ravens smell so bad?” “Yeah, that and because of some of the other cultural practices. Mom only shared a few of them with us, but they were just gross and wrong.” Chance gave a shudder. Ranger decided that maybe he was better off not knowing what those activities might be. He stood. “I’ll have them bring in Dulla right away. I’ll make sure to get a TV and the DVD’s, too. I just have one last request from you.” “What?” “I want to know the name of the Wolf shifter who sold you the spray.” “Why?” A low growl rumbled from Ranger’s chest. “Because he almost killed Xavier. I’m going to make sure he never sells that crap to another unsuspecting shifter.” 65
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“Miles. I don’t know where he hangs out though. He got kicked out of the last bar I was working at and I don’t know which one he switched to.” “Don’t worry, I happen to know of an excellent tracker.” Ranger got up and walked from the room. Before the door shut, he had his cell out. As soon as Shane answered, Ranger ordered, “I just found out that it was a Wolf named Miles who supplied Shadow to Xavier. I want you to find the mangy bastard and take care of him in the way you do best.” Strangely, Ranger didn’t feel a bit guilty about ordering his first hit. His only regret was that he couldn’t be the one to do the job. That Wolf had dared hurt Xavier and as far as Ranger was concerned, that was a killing offense.
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Chapter Six As soon as he finished talking with Shane, Ranger
moved Dulla to Chance’s room and arranged for a TV and a set of Yogi DVD’s to be brought in. Once that was taken care of, Ranger rushed to Xavier. They’d converted one of the interrogation rooms into a makeshift ER. When Ranger came in and found Xavier unconscious and hooked up to a bunch of machines, his heart lurched. “What happened? He was talking just fine in the shower?” Jacyn glanced up. “He took another turn for the worse. His lungs filled up with fluid and his blood pressure dropped. We had to intubate him and add another IV.” “How long has he been unconscious?” Ranger reached and lightly caressed Xavier’s hair. “Almost from the moment we brought him in here.” “Is he going to be okay?” Ranger shook at the 67
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thought of Xavier possibly dying. “It’s going to be touch and go, but Doc thinks he’ll pull through. There’s no known antidote to Ricin, but Owen managed to throw something together.” Jacyn let out a low whistle of appreciation. “That guy is a frigging genius. We’re damn lucky to have him working on our side.” “When do you think he’ll wake up?” “We’re not for sure yet. Doc has only seen one other case.” “I talked to Chance, the male Raven. According to him the Wolf who sold him that crap didn’t even warn them about what would happen if Xavier used too much of it.” Ranger gazed down at Xavier. While his lips were no longer blue, his skin was nearly as pale as Chance’s. Ranger trailed the back of one finger along Xavier’s cheek, his own breath catching a bit in his throat. Damn, if they’d only gotten there sooner. Maybe then Xavier wouldn’t have gotten so sick. “Do you always get this close to your strays?” Jacyn asked as he stared down at Ranger’s finger, which continued to stroke Xavier’s face. Ranger thought about lying, but knew Jacyn would see right through him. Since he’d joined the coalition, Ranger had lived with the Jaguar family and Jacyn and he were pretty close. “No, I’ve never felt like this about anybody. I 68
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don’t know what it is about Xavier, but he’s like a sliver in my paw that won’t go away.” “I thought so.” Ranger let out a soft growl of frustration. “It’s stupid. I’ve only talked to the brat a couple of times so there’s no reason why I should feel anything for him.” “And yet you can’t get him off your mind.” Jacyn gave him a sympathetic smile “Would it help if I told you it was the same way with me and Logan?” “Not really?” Ranger gave a sigh of frustration. “Look, we’re not like you guys. Xavier and I aren’t going to be rushing out to sign up for a wedding registry or anything. “ “Hmm…”Jacyn gave another pointed glance at the way Ranger continued to caress Xavier. “If that’s the case, then why don’t you go home and get some sleep?” “I’m not leaving until he wakes up,” Ranger automatically protested. As soon as he realized what he said, he pressed his lips together to hold in an angry curse. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that he doesn’t mean that much to you,” Jacyn snarked before he walked away. Ranger debated chasing after him, but then realized that he really didn’t want to leave Xavier’s side. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat 69
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by the bed, he even reached out and grabbed Xavier’s hand. “What in the hell are you doing to me?” Ranger asked Xavier. Of course, since Xavier was out of it, he didn’t respond. Ranger used his free hand and stroked Xavier’s hair, marveling at how soft it felt. “You need to wake up. If for nothing else, because I still owe you for zapping me.” Xavier didn’t reply to that comment either. **** Xavier slowly blinked his eyes open. He tensed, waiting for the all-too-familiar pain to shoot through his head, but it didn’t come. Instead, he felt sluggish and disorientated. He slowly shifted his head to one side, trying to place where he might be, but the white room remained unfamiliar. It was full of medical equipment, but other than that, he had no clue where he was. Still moving cautiously, he turned his head in the other direction, his heart skipping a beat when he spotted Ranger. The Wolf sat, just feet away, slumped in a chair. He was sleeping and there appeared to be a few days’ worth of stubble on his handsome face. “Ranger,” Xavier croaked, his voice rough from 70
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the pain in his throat. Ranger jerked upright. “You’re awake.” “Yeah, where am I?” “At the feline coalition headquarters.” Xavier nodded as memories from the other night came crashing into him. “How long have I been out of it?” “A couple of days. How are you feeling?” “My throat hurts.” “Jacyn said that was to be expected because you had a tube down there to help you breathe.” Ranger grabbed a cup and held its straw up to Xavier’s lips. “Here, see if this helps.” Xavier sipped, the cool water bathing his parched throat. While the pain didn’t leave completely, it did help some. Xavier drank for a few moments before he let the straw slip from his lips. “Thanks.” He sank back against the pillow. “No, problem.” “Where is Dulla and Chance?” While Xavier worried about his siblings, some part of him knew that Ranger kept his promise and protected them. “They’re in another interrogation room. Don’t worry though. They’re together and we brought in plenty of Yogi Bear for Dulla.” “Thank you. All this is probably scaring her and the show will help calm her down.” 71
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“I know, Chance told me.” “Is that all Chance shared with you?” “No, he told me about how you came to live with them, what happened to your Raven parents and when you came to Flint.” That surprised Xavier. They’d been raised to always keep everything in the family. If Chance was sharing, he must really trust Ranger. “Are we under arrest?” Xavier asked. Ranger pressed his lips together. “I honestly don’t know what you guys are. While you haven’t done anything against the coalition, we can’t exactly let any of you go either.” “Why not? What if we promise to leave and never come back to Flint?” Even as he asked that question, Xavier’s heart screamed in protest. This time it wasn’t just because of Riley either. Oddly enough, Xavier sensed that he’d miss Ranger just as much, if not more. “That’s out of the question. It’s only going to be a matter of time before the slavers get you. That’s no place you want to be. I know that from personal experience.” “You were captured by slavers?” Xavier couldn’t imagine anybody being able to contain Ranger. The Wolf seemed so strong and capable. “Before I joined the coalition, I lived with Riley and a few other stray shifters. We stupidly drew attention to ourselves and ended up as slaves.” 72
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“How long were you captive?” “It was a year before the feline coalition rescued us.” Xavier thought on that a moment, his mind continuing to fixate on one point. “I know Riley has a mate now, but how close were you to my brother before that?” Ranger let a long breath. “While we were never exclusive or anything, we played around a few times.” Jealously and a bit of disappointment hit Xavier. “When you say play, you don’t mean cards or checkers, do you?” “No, I don’t.” Ranger leaned forward in the chair. “But Riley and I were always just friends. It was nothing serious.” Xavier shrugged, trying his best to act like it didn’t bother him. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” Before they could get any more into it, the doctor came over. “It’s about time you woke up.” Despite his grumpy attitude, Xavier could tell the man was genuinely glad to see his patient conscious. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken two sleeping pills,” Xavier teased. The corner of the doctor’s lips turned up into a smile. “Instead, you nearly kill yourself with that damn spray.” 73
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“I was just trying to make life more interesting for you. Without patients like me pulling dumbass moves, you doctors wouldn’t have anything to do.” “Lucky me, there are plenty of dumbasses around here, so I never have a dull moment.” The doctor began to check Xavier’s vitals. When he finished, he said, “You’re doing much better than when you first came in here.” “Really? Does that mean I can see my brother and sister?” “Give it one more day and then I’ll let you out of bed. You can go visit them then.” Doc wrote a few notes in a chart before leaving. Xavier wanted to ask if they could bring Chance and Dulla to him, but knew that it would probably be best for Dulla not to be moved around too much. Besides, if she saw Xavier lying in a bed, she would worry too much. She’d had enough of that over the past week without him adding more to it. “Does Riley know I’m here?” he finally dared to ask. If his twin knew about Xavier, but had refused to come see him, it would be a hard blow. While Xavier often said mean things about his birth brother, secretly he longed to have him by his side. Be it because they were twins or maybe it was an Eagle bonding thing, whatever the reason, 74
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Xavier felt a near constant longing to know Riley again. “No, we haven’t informed him yet.” Xavier tugged nervously at his blanket. “I wouldn’t try to hurt him or anything. I promise.” Ranger reached out and stroked Xavier’s hair. Shocked by the loving gesture, Xavier almost forgot about his crushing disappointment. He even caught himself turning into the touch, like a kitten seeking more attention. “I know you wouldn’t. His mate is just really overprotective of him because Riley…” Ranger trailed off as his gaze slid to the side. “What about Riley?” “He sometimes doesn’t handle certain situations very well.” Xavier’s chest grew tight as understanding dawned on him. “Is he like my birth mother?” Even years later, Xavier could still recall her screaming fits, how she’d go into a rage and destroy nearly all the furniture in the house. The one time she’d used a red marker to write passages of the Bible on the living room wall. The letters had been terrifying because they’d been so tiny and uniform. “No, he’s nothing like your mother. While Riley sometimes has…spells, he’s never violent toward others.” That still did little to soothe Xavier. He let out a 75
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small sound of distress. “Oh my God.” Ranger leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Xavier’s brow. Xavier held his breath as warmth pooled in his stomach. That helped to ease some of the panic coursing through him, especially when Ranger reached out and linked their fingers together. “Riley is doing much better now. Doc is working with a shifter psychiatrist and they’re treating Riley. He’s on meds for the rest of his life, but he’s happier than I’ve ever seen.” “Does he even know I’m in Flint?” “Colin didn’t want to tell him for fear of getting Riley’s hopes up.” “Oh.” That little tidbit hurt way more than it should have. Emotion clogged Xavier’s throat and he turned away, not wanting to display his moment of weakness. When a tear slipped down his cheek, Xavier tried to discretely wipe it away on his pillow. For some reason, he cared what Ranger thought of him and Xavier wanted desperately to come off as strong. “Did you know I was exiled from my pack?” Ranger asked. “Why?” Xavier asked, still not turning back. “Because I’m gay. Actually, it was just a few members of my pack that ran me off. At the time, Chris, our pack leader wasn’t the best Alpha and 76
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the members kind of did their own thing.” “What about your parents? Didn’t they fight to keep you?” Ranger gave a bitter laugh. “Are you kidding? My dad led the group who kicked me out.” Xavier let out a gasp of shock as he turned his head to look at Ranger. “That must have hurt.” “It did. The worst part was having to leave behind my mother and Leia.” Once again Xavier felt the angry bite of jealously. “Was Leia your girlfriend?” Ranger tweaked Xavier’s nose. “No, there has never been any girls for me. I’ve been out for quite a while. Leia is my sister.” Xavier tried not to feel too much satisfaction. For all he knew, Ranger might have a boyfriend. “I’m sorry you were separated from them.” “I’m sorry you and Riley were apart, too.” “I just wanted to see him. That’s all. I never meant to cause this much trouble. Now Dulla and Chance are captured and it’s all my fault.” Xavier took in a shuddering breath. “Taking you in was the best thing that ever happened to you three. While Chance was trying his best, either the other Ravens or slavers would have eventually gotten you.” “Do you think the felines will kill Dulla and Chance?” Xavier finally voiced his biggest fear. “No, once I gave my report to Mitchell, the 77
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coalition leader, he realized how unique this situation is. Now the only question is what we’re going to do with them. We can’t let them go for fear of them being attacked and we don’t know where in the hell to place them. The closest breed we have here is Hawks and there’s really bad blood between them and the Ravens. I think they will have trouble accepting even a good pair like Dulla and Chance.” Xavier smiled. “Did you just call them good?” “Chance really impressed me.” The urge to smile vanished. “Is that so?” Ranger laughed. “You’re so cute when you’re jealous.” “Who said I’m jealous.” “It’s written all over that cute face of yours.” “Did you just compliment me?” “Yeah, despite the fact you zapped me.” A heat came over Xavier’s face. “I really am sorry about that. I was just scared and wanted to get away. This may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t have the best fighting skills.” A look of mock amazement came over Ranger’s face. “No way! I would have never guessed.” Xavier laughed. “It’s a good thing you don’t have Jacyn’s job because your bedside manner sucks.” “I’ve never had any complaints before.” Ranger bent down and lightly nuzzled Xavier’s neck. 78
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Shivers of pleasure danced down Xavier’s spine as his cock began to swell. “I probably stink from being sick.” “You smell perfect.” Ranger inhaled deep, his tongue darting out to give Xavier’s flesh a quick lick. “I’m in heaven because I finally really get to breathe in your scent without that damn spray masking it.” “I still can’t believe that we were too stupid to figure out it was the spray that was making me sick. If there was an idiot award, I’d be taking home top prize.” “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve had a lot to take in so it’s understandable that you’re going to make a few mistakes along the way. I’m just glad I was there to save you.” Xavier shivered as Ranger gave him another slow, sensual lick. “Yeah, but what if you’re not there the next time.” Ranger lifted his head up a few inches. Cupping Xavier’s chin, he forced him to turn until they locked gazes. Another shiver went through Xavier at the intense expression in Ranger’s amber eyes. It was almost as if he were stripping Xavier bare and licking every inch of what he exposed. “Don’t you get it, yet?” Ranger demanded. Xavier’s mouth grew dry. He swallowed a few times in a desperate attempt to work some moisture up. “No, I don’t.” 79
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“I’m always going to be there. Now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go. And not because you’re Riley’s brother or because you’re an Eagle who needs protection.” “Then what is it?” Xavier’s heart began to pound wildly. Somehow he knew that the next words spoken would forever change his life. Ranger shifted his hand so he could brush the pad of his thumb along Xavier’s bottom lip. Xavier couldn’t resist darting his own tongue out, his cock jerking at the salty taste of the man. Still holding his gaze, Ranger said, “I’m never letting you go, because you belong to me.” “You’re crazy. How can you possibly know that when we’ve only talked a few times?” Xavier protested, even though deep down he knew the intense feelings ran both ways. “Fine, then if it’s not true, deny it. Tell me that from the moment we met, you didn’t realize that we were meant to be together. And not for a casual hookup either. I want you as my mate and I’m not going to accept anything less.” Xavier opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. While his brain screamed, This is crazy! His heart bellowed, Who cares? You know that Ranger is right. Funny thing was, the heart always seemed to be louder than the brain, especially when it came to love. 80
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When Xavier continued with the silence, Ranger gave a satisfied smile. Placing a soft kiss to Xavier’s cheek, he whispered, “I’ll give you time to get used to it, but make no mistake. You’re mine and I’m never letting you go.”
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Chapter Seven While Ranger wanted to sleep by the bed again,
Xavier insisted that he go get some rest. Ranger almost argued, but decided that he could probably use a hot shower and a change of clothes. Despite being bone tired, Ranger tossed and turned most of the night, his mind constantly on Xavier. Even though Doc and Jacyn assured him the worst was over, Ranger worried that Xavier would take a turn for the worse, like the last time they were separated. When it got to be five in the morning, Ranger finally gave up and dressed. He made his way down to the kitchen, only mildly surprised to find Mitchell sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. Since Mitchell was the leader of the coalition, he tended to keep weird hours. “I’m surprised you left Xavier’s side,” Mitchell said by way of greeting. Ranger shrugged, not bothering to deny how 82
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the Eagle had become the focus of all his attention. “Xavier wanted me to get some sleep.” “Ah, so I’m guessing you were so worried about him that you only managed to get in a few hours of shuteye.” “Try twenty minutes,” Ranger quipped, sliding into a seat. There was a carafe of coffee on the table, Mitchell poured a mug for Ranger. “Have you been thinking about where we should place Xavier and the Ravens?” Ranger nodded. At least his tossing and turning hadn’t been for nothing because the perfect solution had come to him a little after midnight. “You know that small group of offices at the north end of the building? The ones that are never used?” “Yeah.” “I was wondering if you would allow me to convert them into an apartment for Xavier and me.” If Mitchell was surprised that Ranger would be moving in with Xavier, he didn’t show it. “Will the Ravens be living with you, too?” “Yeah, it’ll take a while, but I think the rest of the coalition will get used to having a pair of Ravens staying here. They may never fully accept Chance or Dulla, but at least hopefully they will learn that they’re not murderous, soulless bastards 83
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like all the other Ravens.” “It’s not going to be easy for them. A lot of families have been hurt by Ravens. Even though Dulla and Chance are different, there are going to be some that can’t look past what they are.” Ranger grabbed an apple from the fruit basket in the middle of the table. “What do you suggest? That we turn them out just because they had the misfortune to be born the wrong breed of bird?” “No, we all know what will happen to those kids if they go back out on the street. Even if Xavier isn’t with them, they’re going to have huge targets on their backs. Their too naïve and vulnerable to survive in our vicious society. We were lucky we managed to get to them before they got killed.” “Xavier almost did get killed,” Ranger pointed out before he gave the apple a savage bite. “I heard you sent Shane out to visit the guy who supplied Xavier with Shadow.” Ranger searched Mitchell’s face carefully for any signs of disapproval. The only thing he found was curiosity. “As far as I’m concerned, the Wolf is getting off easy. He never warned Chance about what could happen if he used that spray. Instead, the asshole was more concerned with the money he’d make from the sale. I wonder how many other shifters he may have killed with his poison.” “I agree with your decision. Shane does, too, or 84
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else he would have never agreed to take the hit.” “Has Shane ever refused a job?” Ranger drawled. “This will come as a surprise to you, but, yes, he has. Shane has his own set of morals, however odd they may be.” Ranger felt bad for even asking the question. Obviously, the Leopard must be a good guy, otherwise Trevor would have never fallen in love with him. Plus, they would have never found Xavier had it not been for Shane’s tracking skills. “I’m going to check and see how Xavier is doing.” Ranger got up, apple still in hand. He left the apartment and made his way through the mostly deserted building. Which really was a blessing since he didn’t want to run into his buddies and have to explain where he was going. He realized they wouldn’t be able to contain the news of the new arrivals for much longer. Hell, there may already be rumors circulating around for all he knew. He just hoped to at least buy one more day before everything broke. That way he could convince Colin it was safe to let Riley meet Xavier. When he got to the hall leading to the interrogation room, he paused long enough to peek into the Ravens’ room. Chance was curled up into a tight fetal position, apparently deep asleep. Dulla sat on the edge of the bed, her face 85
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practically plastered to the television screen. “Has she slept at all?” he asked the pair of guards stationed outside. One of them, a Tiger shook his head. “Not really. She just takes small naps.” Ranger looked closer, noting she had something clutched to her chest. “What is she holding?” A flush spread out over the young guard’s face. “It’s a stuffed Boo-Boo bear. I hope you don’t mind, but I bought it for her.” Ranger studied the Tiger. With short, spiked blond hair that had multi-colored streaks in it and huge blue eyes, some would call him punkishly cute. “I haven’t seen you around here much. What’s your name?” “Dominic. I just started serving at headquarters, sir. I hope I didn’t mess up by giving Dulla a gift. She just seemed really depressed so I thought it would cheer her up. I wasn’t trying to come on to her or anything. She just reminds me of my sister and I felt bad for her.” Ranger decided to have mercy on the poor kid. “It’s okay. She seems to really like it.” Dominic smiled. “She does. I know that Dulla and Chance are Ravens, but I really like them.” The other guard, a Lion shifter named Thomas gave a derisive snort. “Don’t be such a green idiot. All Ravens are the same. This pair is just dressed up prettier and know what a shower is.” 86
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Ranger wanted to lash out at the soldier, but held back. Thomas had a bitter history as far as Ravens went, first they killed his parents and most recently, they were responsible for his younger brother losing his mind. Ranger could understand how the guy could be angry. “Do you want me to have Mitchell assign you someplace else?” Ranger finally asked. While it wasn’t an out and out dressing down, he made sure his tone did carry a tone of disapproval. He tensed, waiting to see how Thomas would take it. While they technically did carry the same rank, Thomas was much older and more experienced. On the other hand, this was Ranger’s team and he was in charge. Thomas arched a brow, but otherwise didn’t challenge Ranger’s authority. “No, I promise to be a good kitty and not eat the birds.” It wasn’t the best olive branch Ranger had been offered, but he’d take it, given Thomas’s past. He nodded at the guards before moving on to Xavier’s room. As he unlocked the door, he made a mental note that maybe it would be a good idea to assign protectors for the Raven siblings. There were bound to be others who shared Thomas’s animosity and they may not exhibit the same control as the Lion. He dismissed Xavier’s guards before entering the room and closing the door behind him. Ranger 87
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then paused to look at the Eagle. As always, whenever he found himself in Xavier’s presence, Ranger battled conflicting emotions. Xavier sat up on the bed, his gaze riveted on a television set, much like Dulla. Unlike his sister, Xavier watched the Maury Povich show. The Eagle’s full lips were parted in surprise as his green-eyed gaze seemed to be devouring the images that were flashing before him. Ranger’s chest grew tight as he recalled Xavier’s expression when Ranger had declared his ownership. Ranger still didn’t know what possessed him to make such a declaration. While everything he’d said had been true, even he knew that it was way too soon to be having such feelings. Then Xavier turned and flashed such a sweet smile that Ranger suddenly understood his motivations. In fact, they became crystal fucking clear. Xavier was so innocent, so funny, so charming, so annoying, so bratty that nobody else would ever come close to comparing as far as Ranger was concerned. Sure, Ranger wasn’t ready to drop to one knee and declare his undying love. But he did know for certain that Xavier belonged to him. He also knew without a doubt, that with time, both he and Xavier would grow to love each other. “Why are you watching this junk?” Ranger 88
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asked as he came over and sat on the edge of the bed. Xavier’s eyes somehow managed to grow larger. “Right after you left, they brought in the set. I stayed up all night watching it.” “You should have gotten some rest. You need to heal.” “It’s okay. I’m doing great. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. Whatever it was that Doc gave me really did the trick.” “You still shouldn’t push it.” Xavier ignored him. “Ranger, there are so many things to see. I never realized how big everything is. Did you know that human males date twentyfive women at once? It’s really important that he gives the right one roses, too.” Ranger bit the inside of his cheek to hold in his laughter. “What else did you learn?” “That some humans like to live on islands and eat bugs. While others fill their homes up with garbage.” Xavier gave him an earnest look. “One woman had hundreds of pigs…in her house! Can you imagine?” “I can see that we’re going to have to limit how much reality TV you watch,” Ranger quipped. Xavier turned slightly so he could wrap his arms around Ranger’s neck, a small frown playing on the Eagle’s lips. “But if I don’t watch, then how will I know who gets voted off the island next? 89
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Besides, it’s more than just those shows. I liked watching the documentaries on the Travel Channel, too. I never knew that there were so many beautiful places out there.” Ranger put his arms around Xavier’s waist, relishing at how nice it felt to hold the man in his embrace. “Like what?” “I would love to see the Eiffel Tower or go to London or Italy. Think of how cool it would be to fly over the pyramids in Egypt,” Xavier’s voice took on a wistful tone. “Where else would you like to go?” Xavier’s eyes got a faraway look in them. “I want to go crab fishing in Alaska, to ride roller coasters in Florida and to see the Hollywood Sign in California. Oh, and the Grand Canyon!” “I’ll take you to all those places and more,” Ranger promised. All of the joy left Xavier’s face to be replaced by a frown. “We both know that can never happen.” “Why not?” “Because just like Riley, I’ll have to be careful every time I go out into public. I’ll certainly never be able to go to far off and fun places like London. I have to either be in the middle of nowhere, like when I lived with my parents, or hiding out here. It’s the only place where I’ll ever be safe.” Ranger wanted to deny that, but couldn’t. Every time Xavier left the safety of headquarters, 90
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he’d be at risk of being captured. It wasn’t fair and it sure as hell wasn’t right, but it was a fact that they both had to deal with. Damn, if it didn’t make Ranger pissed, too. It wasn’t right that the rest of the world could enjoy so many things while his mate had to be denied even the simplest of pleasures. Yet at the same time, Ranger knew that if anything were to ever happen to Xavier, it would destroy him. Now he could understand why Colin was so protective of Riley. “Someday I’ll figure out a way to take you to all those places,” Ranger vowed. He would, too. Even if he had to recruit a dozen bodyguards. He’d do anything to give Xavier that one bit of joy, to let his mate feel normal, if just for once. Xavier’s mouth kicked up into a crooked grin. “Really?” Ranger found himself mesmerized by those lips as he realized, not for the first time, that they’d yet to share a real kiss. “You have to know by now that I’d do anything for you.” Xavier’s ran the tip of his tongue over his mouth, unwittingly playing the tease. “Okay then, where are you going to take me first?” Ranger dipped his head down and briefly brushed their lips together. Even that brief taste set his body on fire. 91
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“How about we go someplace close, like Cedar Point?” “What’s that?” Xavier tilted his head back in a silent plea for another kiss. Ranger complied, this time lingering long enough to slide his tongue over the seam of Xavier’s mouth. “It’s an amusement park in Ohio. I have a feeling you’re going to love the roller coasters there.” Xavier let out a low moan as his body swayed into Ranger. “I can hardly wait.” “Me either.” Ranger slanted his mouth over Xavier’s lips and really planted one on him. Xavier let out another moan. His parted lips proved to be a temptation not to be resisted and Ranger slid his tongue inside. The sweet flavor of Xavier exploded over Ranger’s taste buds, sending spirals of desire through his body. “Where will you take me next?” Xavier asked when they came up for breath. Ranger’s head was spinning so much, it took him a second to collect his thoughts. “I’ll take you to Myrtle Beach so you can see the ocean.” “I’ve always wanted to walk down the shore and let the waves lap around my ankles.” This time it was Xavier who moved forward for a kiss, one that Ranger eagerly returned. At the 92
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same time, he reached down and pushed the blankets out of the way before twisting their bodies around to lay down on the bed. He ended up on top, Xavier’s smaller body underneath him. Xavier wore a pair of black sweats and a thin white t-shirt, allowing for Ranger to feel the heat emanating from the man. “More,” Xavier pleaded. Since Ranger didn’t know if he meant another location or kiss, he gave both. “Then I’ll take you skiing in Colorado.” Ranger plunged his hand into Xavier’s hair and forced the man to tilt his head in the perfect position. Only then did Ranger begin kissing him again. Xavier let out a loud moan as he arched up against Ranger’s body. “I love snow.” Ranger began to rain kisses down Xavier’s throat. “After that we’ll go to Hawaii.” “I saw that on TV last night. It looked so beautiful.” Xavier let out soft whimpers of pleasure. He thrust up, his erection rubbing against Ranger’s thigh. Xavier must have liked it because he did it again, his mouth parting in the perfect picture of passion. Ranger’s own cock screamed for relief, but he pushed his own needs aside, more intent on Xavier getting his pleasure. “That’s it, babe, ride it out,” Ranger urged. 93
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Xavier began to grind against Ranger. At first, his movements were clumsy and awkward, but Xavier soon got the hang of things. Before long, he established a fast, yet sensual pace. “It feels so good,” Xavier declared, wonder lacing his voice. “Then don’t stop.” Ranger buried his nose in the crook of the Eagle’s neck, losing himself in Xavier’s scent. He smelled like rain and trees, in other words, all Xavier. It made Ranger’s Wolf howl in pleasure while at the same time, bringing out his natural Alpha instincts. While he wanted to pin his mate down and claim him right then and there, Ranger knew it wasn’t time, just yet. That still didn’t stop him from saying, “Mine, all mine.” Xavier thrust up one last time before screaming Ranger’s name. It was so loud that there was no doubt Thomas and Dominic heard it from two doors down. Ranger didn’t mind though. It would only let them know that Xavier belonged to him. After taking in one last shuddering breath, Xavier slumped against the bed. “That was…just, wow.” Ranger lifted his head and gazed down at his mate. Xavier smiled, a look of utter satisfaction on his face. Laughing, Ranger gave him a soft kiss. “That’s just the beginning of what I have planned 94
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for you.” “If that was just a preview, I can’t wait to see the other stuff.” Despite his teasing, a slight blush covered Xavier’s cheeks. Ranger chuckled in understanding. “Do you want to go to the bathroom and clean up?” “Yeah, I think I’m going to need to change my pants, too,” Xavier mumbled, the blush spreading. Ranger got up. “Don’t be embarrassed. It happens to all of us.” Xavier sat, his gaze drifting to Ranger’s fly. “Did you finish, too?” As way of answer, Ranger grabbed Xavier’s wrist, pressing the man’s hand to his still aching cock, Ranger asked, “Does it feel like I came?” “Oh,” Xavier’s eyes grew round. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to take care of that? I’ve never given a blowjob before, but Chance told me all about them. I’m sure I could figure it out once I got started.” Just that almost innocent suggestion alone was enough to push Ranger over the edge. Damn if Xavier only knew the affect he had over Ranger. He had the power to drive Ranger to his knees with a simple smile. Ranger leaned in and gave Xavier another brief kiss. “You can take care of me later. Why don’t you run to the bathroom and get cleaned up so I 95
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can take you to visit Dulla and Chance?” Xavier beamed with excitement. “I really get to see them?” “Doc did say you could go today.” “Thanks, Ranger. You’re the best. I’m so lucky to have you.” Xavier threw his arms around Ranger and gave him a tight hug. As he returned the embrace, he couldn’t help but think that he was really the lucky one.
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Chapter Eight Xavier
rushed to the small attached bathroom and cleaned up as best he could. While he really would love to ask Ranger to take him to the showers, Xavier was too anxious to see Chance and Dulla. He changed into another pair of sweats that the felines had provided. They’d also given him a pair of black sneakers, he put those on, too, before going back out to Ranger. As he looked at the Wolf, a wave of embarrassment hit Xavier as he recalled the way he’d lost control just moments before. All of a sudden, feeling both awkward and shy, Xavier paused at the doorway, unsure of how he should act. Ranger saved him by crooking a finger at him. “Come here.” Happy to have some direction in his confusion, Xavier rushed forward. Ranger opened his arms and Xavier happily sank into his embrace. He 97
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even rested his cheek against the Wolf’s chest. “I feel so safe when I’m with you,” Xavier confessed. “But I’m confused, too.” “About what?” “Everything is just happening so fast. One minute, I’m living in some dump with Dulla and Chance and the next thing I know we’re shacking up with a coalition.” “I’m sure that’s a lot to take in.” “It is, especially since we did everything we could to avoid you guys.” When Xavier felt Ranger tense, he added, “Of course, we’re not scared of you guys anymore. At least I’m not. I don’t think it’s going to be easy for Dulla and Chance here, though. I keep overhearing the guards talking and they really hate Ravens.” “Yeah, Mitchell and I were just talking about that.” Now it was Xavier who tensed. “Did you guys decide that it would be better to just send us away?” Ranger’s embrace grew so tight it made it difficult to breathe. “You’re not going anywhere.” “What about Dulla and Chance? We’re part of a package deal,” Xavier warned. “I would never dream of separating you. I know how much it hurts to lose a sibling.” Xavier nodded, recalling the lost look in Ranger’s eyes when he’d talked about his own 98
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sister. “What are we going to do?” “Mitchell is allowing me to make up an apartment right here at headquarters. We’ll move in as soon as possible.” Xavier pulled back. “Did you just say we?” “Yes, I’ll be moving in, too.” “Whoa there, big guy. Let’s just back up a bit here. Aren’t we moving a little fast? We just met and you already have us cohabitating?” Ranger let out a low growl. “I told you that you belonged to me.” “Which sounds really sexy when we’re making out, but any other time, it makes me sound like a cookie or the last piece of pizza. If I wanted to be owned like some possession, I’d just let the slavers take me and be done with it.” “Don’t be ridiculous.” Outraged, Xavier took a couple of steps back to put some distance between them. “I’m being ridiculous? You’re the one who’s running around growling and acting like the big, bad Alpha. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you could ask me if I wanted to live in sin with you? No, you just assumed I’d jump when you snapped, just like all your other strays.” “What are you talking about?” “I heard the guards talking about you, too. How you love to take strays in so you can have a convenient fuck buddy.” Xavier swallowed hard, 99
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hurt slicing through him. Understanding dawned in Ranger’s eyes. “And when I told you we were moving in, you just assumed that it would be the same kind of arrangement?” “You told me yourself that you and Riley used to fuck.” Ranger did the growly thing again as he walked forward. Xavier retreated a few steps, letting out a yelp of surprise when his back slammed into the wall. Ranger planted his hands on either side of Xavier’s head, mimicking the same position from the night they met. Leaning in so their faces were inches apart, Ranger said, “It’s not the same thing. It’s not like that between us.” “Why should I believe that?’ “Have I ever given you any reason to doubt me?” Xavier felt a tinge of guilt when he heard the hurt in Ranger’s voice. “No, you’ve never lied to me. But I can’t help but wonder why you chose me as a mate and not one of them. I know I’m no catch. I can’t fight. I can barely read. I’m so stupid that I almost killed myself by accident. Plus, I don’t know anything about this world.” Xavier felt his eyes watering up, but held the tears back as he confessed his biggest concern. “I’m just a pale version of Riley. 100
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Why would you want to settle for that, when you’ve already had the real thing?” Ranger used one hand to cup Xavier’s face. “You are not a pale version of anybody. Don’t you realize how brave, smart and loyal you are?” Xavier shook his head. “If I’m so brave, then why have I spent most of my life terrified of never being good enough?” “Why would you ever think that?” “My own mother tried to kill me and then Riley left me behind,” Xavier’s voice cracked. Ranger peppered his face with soft kisses. “That had nothing to do with you not being good enough. Your mother was sick, babe. Nothing could have changed what she did. As for Riley, he was only four at that time.” Xavier let out a broken sob. “I know it doesn’t make sense. It’s stupid actually, since we were both practically babies. I just can’t help myself. I’ve always felt that Riley never wanted me and that’s why he left with that woman, while I was still lying there, hurt and bleeding. I even tried to cry out his name, but he didn’t hear me. Once he was gone, all I had to keep me company was my mother’s dead body. Her eyes were open and I was so scared she’d get up and start shooting me again, but I couldn’t run away. So I had to lie there in terror for two days until my Raven mother showed up and finally rescued me.” 101
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“Oh, God. You remember everything that happened back then?” Ranger gasped. “Every second. I’ve never talked about it because I don’t want to relive those memories. Not even Chance or Dulla know the details. I don’t even know why I’m telling you now.” Ranger pressed a soft kiss to Xavier’s lips. “You have never been a second choice, or a consolation prize to me. I want you, nobody else can ever begin to compare to you as far as I’m concerned. Look, I know it doesn’t make sense. Believe me when I say I’ve always been the most practical one in my group. All I do know is that we belong together.” Xavier gave a slight shake of his head. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?” “I’ve been accused of that in the past.” “I don’t get it, I’m a mess and you still want me.” “And I always will,” Ranger vowed before going in for another kiss. This time the kiss was long and deep. When they broke apart, Xavier’s head was spinning from desire. “I’m sorry I freaked out earlier. It’s just going to take me some time to actually believe that something this good is happening to me.” “I can be as patient as you need me to be.” Ranger gave him one last kiss before stepping back. “Come on, I’ll take you to see Dulla and 102
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Chance.” As they reached the door, Ranger asked, “Do you know the names of the guards who were talking about us?” “No.” “Was it Dominic or Thomas?” Xavier made a face. “Are you kidding? Thomas and Dominic are both really nice to me. I don’t think Dominic has a mean feather on his body.” Ranger laughed. “Feather on his body?” “It was something my Raven mother used to say all the time.” Ranger unlocked the door. “I think I would have liked her.” “I know you would have. She was great.” They went two doors down and, speak of the devils, Thomas and Dominic were standing guard. As they came closer, Dominic grinned. “Dulla is going to be so geeked to see you.” “How is she doing today?” Xavier asked as he smiled back at the feline. “Pretty good. I brought her the new Yogi Bear movie. She liked it, even though it’s not really a cartoon like the other shows.” “You’re spoiling her.” “Nah, I’m just trying to keep her entertained. I know how boring it can be to sit around with nothing to do.” “Which is why he failed most of his classes in 103
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school,” Thomas drawled. Dominic wrinkled his nose. “Why should I sit around learning about battle tactics when I can be out living them?” Ranger gave him a light cuff on the side of the head. “Spoken like a young cub.” Dominic grumbled good-naturedly as he stepped aside to let them in. Chance was sleeping on one bed while Dulla was perched in her usual position on the other. As soon as they walked in, she turned, a bright smile on her face. “Xavier! You’re okay!” she squealed as she jumped up and ran over to him. Xavier barely had time to brace himself in time to catch her as she attacked him with a hard hug. He returned the embrace, taking comfort in the familiar sensation of being in her arms. “I missed you,” he said. “I missed you, too. So did Chance. He even told me so.” “Hey, look who decided to get their ass out of bed,” Chance quipped as he sat up. “Well, I couldn’t just lie around and let you have all the fun,” Xavier teased back as he pulled away from Dulla. They began to laugh until the sound of angry voices came from the hallway. “Look, I’m sorry. I was only looking out for you!” 104
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“I don’t care, Colin. You had no right keeping this from me. Xavier’s my brother and I have every right to know that he’s here!” “I warned Colin that Riley would be pissed,” Ranger muttered. The argument continued. “I’m sick as hell of you treating me like I’m made of glass!” “You’re my mate! Of course I’m going to be protective of you.” “That’s no excuse for lying.” “I didn’t lie.” “It’s lying by exclusion, you stupid Hawk!” Xavier exchanged looks of confusion with Chance. And yet everyone said Ravens were strange. As far as Xavier was concerned, the unseen arguers took the cake on weirdness. The voice drew nearer as a couple entered the room. One of the men had dark hair and eyes. While he was taller than his counterpart, he did all the cowering. Not that Xavier blamed him, the blond doing most of the yelling seemed to have one hell of a temper. Then the blond turned to give Xavier all his attention and some of the bits from the argument locked into place, as Xavier got a good look at his face. “Riley?” Xavier croaked. Riley gasped, his bottom lip trembling with 105
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emotion. “Oh, God. It really is you.” Before Xavier could confirm or deny, Riley ran over and threw his arms around him. Xavier grunted in surprise before his brain caught up and he returned the hug. They stayed that way for a few moments. While it should have felt awkward, strangely it didn’t. Instead, it felt so comforting and oddly familiar. Xavier felt moisture on his neck and realized Riley was crying. “It’s okay. I’m fine,” Xavier soothed. “I didn’t know you were alive. I swear.” “I know you didn’t.” “If I had, I would have never left without you that day. I would have made her take you, too. I feel so damn guilty. Like I let you down.” “Don’t, it’s not your fault. Besides, I had a real good life.” For the first time ever, Xavier truly realized that he really had a wonderful childhood. While his Raven family may have been odd at times, they’d always made sure he felt loved and accepted. Plus, he wouldn’t trade Dulla or Chance away for anything. “I heard that you were raised by Ravens.” “Yes, and it was a very nurturing home. I never wanted for anything.” Xavier felt himself tearing up. This time, instead of holding it back, he let them fall unchecked. He even let out a couple of muffled sobs. “I missed you so much, Rye.” 106
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It was a nickname he used way back before that terrible day and he found it easily rolling off his tongue again. Riley squeezed him tighter. “I missed you, too. I don’t ever want to be apart from you again.” “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” “We’ll take care of Chance and Dulla, too. It’s the least I can do to repay them for watching out for you.” “Yeah, it was a fulltime job, too. Xavier has a tendency to wander off when he’s not supposed to,” Chance teased. Colin cocked a brow. “How interesting. That must run in their family because Riley does the same thing.” “It must be a twin mind-melding thing.” Colin laughed. “Now isn’t that the truth. Next, you’ll tell me that Xavier loves Ke$ha, too.” Xavier pulled away as he wrinkled his nose in confusion. “What’s a Ke$ha?” Riley let out a gasp of horror. “Oh, Xavier. I heard you were raised in seclusion, but I had no idea it was that bad. We have so much to catch you up on.” Xavier smiled. “I have a feeling that you’re the perfect shifter for the job.” Xavier glanced up at Ranger. The Wolf was smiling tenderly as he watched the emotional reunion. Meeting his gaze, Xavier mouthed, Thank 107
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you. Thank you, for bringing me home.
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Chapter Nine A week later, Ranger dashed into the cafeteria to
pick up some breakfast for himself and Xavier. While he could have gone back to the Jaguars’ apartment, Ranger knew that since Cassie was cooking there, it would be safer to go with whatever was coming from the headquarters’ kitchens. He filled up a tray with fruit and some bagels, then spotted Dominic walking in. As usual, while off duty, he looked like a gay version of James Bond because he was surrounded by a posse of beautiful females. Each one of them were his best friend and he never went anywhere without at least three of them in tow. A new face was in the group—Dulla. Ranger blinked stupidly a few times, surprised to see the Raven out of her room without one of her brothers being by her side. What’s more, she seemed to be enjoying herself. She was even laughing and 109
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actively engaging the rest of the group in conversation. They all took a seat at their usual table and, since it was close to the food line, Ranger got to eavesdrop on their conversation. “So, I was thinking we’d take Dulla to the mall today and get her a new wardrobe,” Dominic announced to the group. All of them eagerly nodded in agreement. One of the females asked, “What store should we go to?” Dominic studied Dulla for a few moments. “I’m thinking maybe H&M. I really believe that place is going to be so her.” “Are we going to get my hair cut, too?” Dulla asked as she pulled at the long strands. “No way!” another female exclaimed, reaching out to finger Dulla’s tresses. “It’s so beautiful this way. I would kill to have your hair.” Dominic nodded. “I agree, I think we should just blow it out some to give it that messy, justout-of-bed look.” “You better not let her brothers hear you say that,” Ranger drawled. They all jumped and shot him guilty looks. Dominic nervously cleared his throat a few times before stammering, “I…I…we…it was just a joke.” Ranger reached out and ruffled his hair. “I know, I was just giving you a hard time.” 110
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A relieved grin covered Dominic’s face. Ranger pulled out his wallet and slid out his credit card. Handing it to Dulla, he said, “Do your worst. Just make sure to pick something up for your brothers, too. They can’t keep wearing Riley’s hand-me-downs forever.” Now he got a bunch of happy grins as all the girls looked at him like he was their new potential sugar daddy. Dulla let out a small giggle. “You guys can forget it, he’s already taken.” “I know.” A girl sighed. “But we can dream, can’t we?” “You better go. Now, before they decide to eat you for breakfast instead of the Fruit Loops,” Dominic teased. Ranger chuckled as he took the kid’s advice. As he walked through headquarters, Ranger couldn’t help but feel pleased at the warm reception Dulla was receiving from the coalition. He still wasn’t sure how they’d react to Chance, since the male had been mostly staying in his room, but maybe there was hope that his transition would be smooth, too. When Ranger got to the room and found their bed empty, he was only mildly disappointed. Since they’d been sleeping together for the past seven days, he knew that Xavier always took a shower as soon as he woke up. 111
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As he sat the tray of food down on the dresser, Ranger reflected over the past week. While the time had been special since he got the pleasure of holding Xavier in his arms as they slept, it was also frustrating because that’s all they did—sleep. Ranger wanted to fully claim Xavier as his mate, but had been holding back. He wanted to give Xavier time to get to know him and get adjusted to his new life. In the meantime, however, blue balls didn’t begin to describe how Ranger felt most of the time. To be so close to the sexy Eagle, but only get small tastes was sheer torture. Then he saw it, resting on one of the pillows— the one Xavier used—a folded up piece of paper. Opening it, Ranger smiled as he saw the words scrawled there, Meet me in the shower. Pausing only long enough to grab a small tube of lube, Ranger obeyed. Since the secret of the Ravens was out, there weren’t any guards around, so the hallway and surrounding rooms leading to the shower were completely empty. As Ranger got closer, he could hear the sounds of running water and Xavier’s soft singing. As he entered the adjoining locker room, Ranger was able to discern the lyrics. He almost cracked up when he recognized it as a Britney song. It seemed that Riley’s musical teachings were expanding to other divas. 112
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Now that he was near, Xavier’s scent called to Ranger, only this time there was also the unmistakable smell of desire. Letting out a moan, Ranger made his way into the large shower. He paused at the entrance to drink in the image of his mate. Xavier stood under one of the showerheads situated by the far wall. The water cascaded over his naked body, the droplets seeming to caress every dip and ridge. In the past week, Xavier put on some weight, in all the right places, too. His ass now had the perfect swell to it and his pecs were just the right size for biting. Ranger must have made a noise because Xavier turned to look at him. The instant their gazes met, Xavier’s eyes grew turbulent with desire. He stopped singing mid-word, his decadent lips parted invitingly. “You got my note?” Xavier breathed. His hand trailed down to stroke his cock. It was a damn nice cock, too. Long, but not overly thick, it curled up toward his stomach. Keeping eye contact with Ranger, Xavier gave it a few tentative strokes. “Are you teasing me?” Ranger growled. “God, I love it when you growl at me,” Xavier declared before he let out a soft whimper. That comment shredded the last bit of control Ranger had. Growling again, he slowly walked into the shower. The water instantly soaked into 113
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his jeans and shirt, making them stick to his skin, but he scarcely noticed. All that mattered to him at that moment was getting to his mate. Xavier let out a throaty chuckle. “You’re getting your clothes all wet.” “Fuck my clothes.” Ranger reached out, snagged Xavier around the waist and brought the man in close. “Okay, I was planning on fucking you, but if you want me to get frisky with your 501s, I can do that instead.” Ranger didn’t even bother replying to that comment, he just dipped his head down and claimed Xavier’s bratty mouth in a hot, deep I’mgonna-screw-you kiss. Xavier instantly turned compliant, his lips parting to let Ranger’s tongue in. At the same time, he brought his hands up to clutch Ranger’s shoulders. When they broke apart, Xavier didn’t stop. He simply transferred his attention to Ranger’s jaw and throat, peppering his skin with kisses, licks and soft bites. Desire coursed through Ranger’s body, setting him on fire. He wanted to take over, to pin Xavier to the tiles and fuck him into submission. The need was so bad that Ranger fisted his hands until his nails dug into his palms, drawing blood. It took every bit of his self-control and discipline to force himself to stand still and let Xavier have control. 114
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When Xavier got to Ranger’s shirt, he began to tug at it, letting out an impatient sound when the wet fabric didn’t want to cooperate. Ranger moved to help him and between the two of them, they managed to get all of his clothes off. Ranger made sure to grab the lube before he tossed his pants to the side. Xavier stared at it, his eyes flaring with passion as he nervously nibbled on his bottom lip. “Don’t worry, babe, you’re going to love it,” Ranger promised as he dipped to kiss the worried piece of flesh. By the time he pulled back, all the trepidation was gone from Xavier’s face. A look of pure awe replaced it as Xavier studied Ranger’s body. Running his hands over Ranger’s chest, Xavier breathed, “Damn, I don’t know where to start.” “You can do anything you want to me.” A wicked gleam came over Xavier’s eyes as his gaze dropped to Ranger’s cock. Licking his lips, Xavier asked, “Anything?” Ranger nodded wordlessly. Going by the way Xavier was running his tongue over his mouth, Ranger had a pretty good inkling what was going through the brat’s mind. Then Xavier dropped to his knees, confirming Ranger’s suspicions and hopes. Wrapping one hand around Ranger’s dick, Xavier parted his lips to take him in, only to pause 115
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at the last moment. Gazing up at Ranger, Xavier said, “Just remember, I’ve never done this before. So if I mess up, don’t laugh at me.” Ranger ran his fingers through Xavier’s wet hair. “I would never make fun of you like that.” Xavier gave him a shy grin before darting his tongue out for tentative taste. At the first flick of wetness, Ranger let out a moan. That seemed to give Xavier the confidence to grab another taste, this time he even swirled his tongue over the tip of Ranger’s cock. Pulling back, Xavier let out a soft hum. “You taste so good.” Ranger didn’t think he could take much more, he even opened his mouth to say as much. But then Xavier parted his lips and sucked Ranger in and all thoughts of protesting vanished. Xavier began to clumsily bob his head up and down, his body tense as he darted worried looks up at Ranger. Then Xavier finally seemed to sink into the passion and just let instinct take over. He even closed his eyes, his water-spiked lashes fanning his cheeks perfectly. After a few moments of intense pleasure, Ranger finally decided to take over. “Stand up.” Xavier’s brow furrowed in confusion, but he pulled back and then straightened up. “Was I doing it wrong?” Ranger brought him in for a kiss. “No, you 116
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were doing wonderful.” “Then why did you make me stop?” “Because now it’s my turn to taste you.” Before Xavier could respond, Ranger spun him around and pressed him against the tiles. “Arch your back for me.” Xavier complied, the movement making his ass tilt up perfectly. Ranger ran the palm of his hand down one cheek. “You’re so damn beautiful.” Ranger dropped to his knees. Giving the twin globes another caress, Ranger parted them so he could get to Xavier’s hole. Xavier looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide with surprise. “You’re not going to…” He never got to finish the sentence. Ranger flicked his tongue out and traced a lazy path around the rim. Xavier let out a gasp that seemed equal parts shock and passion as he arched his back even further. “I knew you’d like this,” Ranger crooned before he began to lick Xavier some more. “I do. I like it, a lot.” Ranger speared his tongue inside a few times before slowly adding a finger. Xavier gasped as he was stretched, but didn’t protest. By the time Ranger added a second finger, Xavier even began to rock back, soft moans slipping past his lips. Ranger opened the lube and squirted some on his hand before adding a third finger. Since this 117
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was Xavier’s first time, Ranger wanted him really slicked and stretched. “Oh, wow. That feels so good,” Xavier moaned slowly as he tilted his head back. “I can’t wait until it’s your cock inside me.” Never one to deny his mate’s wishes, Ranger pulled his fingers out and stood. After urging Xavier to bend over a bit more, Ranger pressed the tip of his cock to the man’s opening. “Take a deep breath in and then slowly let it out.” Ever the trusting one, Xavier obeyed. At the same time, Ranger carefully slid inside him. Xavier let out a soft mewling sound, but didn’t seem uncomfortable. In fact, his cock never looked harder. Ranger still asked, “Are you doing okay?” “Fan-fucking-tabulous,” Xavier said, using one of Riley’s favorite terms. “I can’t believe we waited so long to do this.” Ranger silently agreed as he began to slowly thrust in and out of Xavier’s tight body. “If you want, we can double up for a while to make up for lost time.” “Damn, this feels so good, I may make you triple it up.” Grabbing ahold of Xavier’s shoulders, Ranger began to move faster. The moment was perfect…or rather it was nearly perfect. The only thing missing was being able to look into his 118
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mate’s eyes while he claimed him. Pulling out, Ranger spun Xavier around, then ordered, “Put your legs around my waist.” Xavier didn’t even question the command as he did a little hop and wrapped his long limbs around Ranger. Once he had him in position, Ranger lined up his cock and thrust up into Xavier. “Wow, you’re really strong,” Xavier panted, his cheeks flushed with passion. Those were the last coherent words spoken because Ranger finally gave in to his natural instincts. Pinning Xavier to the wall, Ranger began to make love to him in quick hard thrusts. Xavier began to let out a string of whimpers, his eyes closed in bliss. Then, just as Ranger felt his pleasure crest, Xavier tilted his head to the side, baring his throat in the ultimate sign of submission. “Mine,” Ranger snarled before sinking his teeth into the offered flesh. Xavier screamed Ranger’s name as he came, hot spunk covering both their stomachs. The smell of Xavier’s semen combined with the tangy flavor of his blood pushed Ranger over the edge. Letting out another muffled snarl, Ranger came, his cock emptying into Xavier’s hot channel. They stayed that way for a few moments, the hot water beating down on them as they caught 119
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their breath. Finally, Ranger licked the bite wound closed before he gently set Xavier down. Letting out a happy humming sound, Xavier grinned up at him. “Okay, promise me we’ll do that every day from now on.” Ranger brushed Xavier’s wet hair away from his face. “If you insist, then I guess I can endure it.” Xavier laughed as he gave Ranger’s arm a playful swat. “You enjoyed it just as much as I did.” “Yes, I did,” Ranger agreed with a kiss. “Now, hurry up and get washed. I have a surprise for you.” They quickly cleaned up, then got dressed. When Ranger saw that Xavier’s outfit consisted of tight jeans and a t-shirt that read, I’m a cannibal. I eat boys up! he knew the new clothes couldn’t come fast enough. Grabbing Xavier’s hand, Ranger led his mate through headquarters. They didn’t stop to chat to anybody along the way so it only took them a few minutes to get to the new apartment. Ranger opened the door and ushered Xavier inside. “It’s not much. It still looks kind of plain with the white walls and brown carpets. But it has three bedrooms and two baths. Plus the kitchen works so it’s a start.” Xavier gazed around in amazement. “You did 120
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all this in just one week?” “Well, I had a lot of help, but yeah. This is all for you.” “I can’t believe it.” Xavier reached up and lightly touched a wall. “Now all you have to do is decide what bedroom you want to claim.” Xavier turned and looked at him. “I don’t know. I guess that all depends. What room are you sleeping in? Because that’s where I want to be.” Ranger sucked in a breath as hope flared through him. “Are you sure about that? What happened to you not wanting to rush things?” “I realized something during this past week.” Xavier came over and put his hands on Ranger’s shoulders. Ranger returned the embrace, his hands going to Xavier’s hips. “What’s that?” “That I need to stop questioning my good fortune. I was so busy worrying about losing what little I had that I almost didn’t realize I had everything I ever wanted right in front of me.” “What are you trying to say?” “That I’m falling in love with you. In fact, I’m quite certain I fell for you the instant you pinned me to that tree.” Ranger laughed. “You sure had a funny way of showing it. I never knew tasering somebody was a 121
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form of endearment.” Xavier wrinkled his nose. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” “No, and you want to know why?” Ranger leaned in until their lips were inches apart. “Because, I’m pretty certain that’s when I fell for you.” “You are one strange Wolf.” Xavier gave him a crooked smile. Ranger kissed his mate, his heart soaring with happiness. While he may be a strange Wolf, he was also a damn lucky one. Not only did he find his mate, but he also found hope again.
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Author Note Make sure to watch for the upcoming free Lost Shifter short, Hey, There’s Fur in My Wedding Cake, coming soon to eXtasy Books.
About the Author Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book. Contact her at: Email Address:
[email protected] Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=pr ofil&id=1109353859 MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stephanihecht Blog: http://stephanihechtauthor.blogspot.com
