Unexpected Mate

Unexpected Mate The Holland Brothers Book 1 Toni Griffin Published by Silver Publishing Publisher of Erotic Romance ...

Author: Griffin Toni

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Unexpected Mate The Holland Brothers Book 1

Toni Griffin

Published by Silver Publishing Publisher of Erotic Romance

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Jeep: Chrysler Group LLC

Dedication To Shane The love you give me on a daily basis brings joy to my heart. Thank you for not laughing at me when I started this crazy adventure. To everyone at Silver Publishing Thank You

Unexpected Mate

Toni Griffin Chapter 1

The loud pop of his tire blowing and the truck suddenly pulling to the side as he drove down the highway had been enough to give anyone a heart attack."Shit! Could this week get any worse?" Brian exclaimed as he slowly manoeuvred his truck over to the side of the highway. It was getting dark, and he didn't have a spare. He knew it was something he should have gotten fixed before starting his journey, but he had to leave in such a hurry it had slipped his mind. Thinking back over the last week, he had to grimace. Whatever had possessed him to finally be open and honest about his sexuality was beyond him. He'd known his parents wouldn't be too happy, but he never thought they would back his Alpha in having him kicked out of the pack. He didn't think being gay was that big of a deal, but apparently who he slept with was the entire pack's business. He grimaced as he remembered his Alpha telling him to leave and not come back, as his kind weren't welcome. He wasn't even given a chance to pack his belongings. So he had jumped in his truck with nothing but the clothes on his back, his wallet, and phone and driven away from the only home he had ever known. He'd been on the road for the last three days, slowly heading towards the 7

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southern parts of Australia. Stopping only to sleep at night, he wanted to put as much distance between himself and his old pack as possible. He hadn't even had a chance to let his wolf out for a run and was feeling the tension in his skin, as his wolf was itching to be let out. Brian had no idea where he was heading; he had no family apart from those he'd left behind, and they no longer wanted anything to do with him. It was just his luck that his truck would have to break down about five miles from the next town. He'd been seeing signs for Leyburn for the last ten minutes. It looked to be a relatively nice small town, but one could never tell until you met the people. Brian leaned back against the driver's seat and closed his eyes. Running his hands through his hair, he took a deep breath. This helped him settle his wolf even as his world seemed to be crumbling around him. He had no job, no family, no pack, and he had to walk away from his one and only friend. What little money he had in savings was fast being eaten away by his constant travel. Tears started to prickle his eyes as he tried to hold them back. He would not cry! "What the hell am I going to do now?" Brian asked out loud, even though there was no one there to answer him. As he looked in the rear-view mirror, he noticed a police car had pulled up behind him. 8

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"Great," Brian grumbled. "This just keeps getting better and better. I'll bet he's going to tell me it's illegal to break down on this stretch of the highway." As he kept watching in the mirror, the sexiest man he'd ever seen stepped out of the police car and started towards him. Brian couldn't take his eyes off him. God, he was stunning. He had to be at least six foot four with a muscular body and dark brown hair bordering on black that fell into his eyes. Brian couldn't make out the colour of his eyes yet, but he was sure they were gorgeous, and the man had lips that Brian could spend hours kissing and never get enough. Brian's cock twitched at the sight of the beautiful man. "Just what I need, to get beat up for trying to come on to a cop. Behave," Brian told his cock. The officer knocked on the window. Brian wound it down as he looked up at the man and noticed that his eyes were a deep chocolate brown. Before he could say anything, the most amazing scent reached him. It was primal, very male, musky, reminding him of running in his wolf form through the woods. His wolf instantly sat up and took notice, itching to get closer to this most amazing scent. His cock went rock hard in a matter of seconds and throbbed insistently against the fly of his jeans.

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"Shit! You're my mate," he blurted out, not even thinking to censor what he was saying. At the look on the officer's face, he wished he had.

****

Inspector Marcus Holland was not in the best of moods. He was sick of having to try and defend himself as to why he hadn't taken a mate and settled down to have few cubs. It wasn't for lack of trying, that was for sure. Marcus dated as often as he could. There were only so many opportunities in a town the size of Leyburn. He just never seemed to click with any of the women he dated. And they never seemed to last longer than a couple of weeks. He'd just gotten off the phone with his mother, who demanded to know what was wrong with Stacey, the woman he'd broken up with a couple of days before. It never took long for news to filter back to his parents. He hadn't told anyone the reason he'd broken it off with the pretty blonde. She had actually managed to last for nearly a year. He wasn't that broken up about the end of their relationship. He wasn't in love with her, and the sex was okay, but nothing earth shattering. Marcus always preferred to sleep alone and had never allowed her to spend the night, making some excuse about being needed at work early. 10

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Marcus was furious at Stacey for what she'd tried to force him do. He was still tossing up as to whether he should inform Alex, his Alpha and brother, about the situation. His dispatcher radioed through about a breakdown just outside the town limits, and as he was the closest, even though he was on his way home after another gruelling day, he thought he'd check it out. As he pulled in behind the old Ford truck, he noticed the out of state license plate. "So, not a local then," Marcus mumbled to himself as he got out of the police cruiser and started towards the other vehicle. As he got closer, the sweetest scent started to prickle his nose. His wolf was suddenly scratching at him to be let out to investigate, and his cock hardened in seconds. He'd never had this reaction to anyone before and moaned as he took in a deep breath to try and get his body under control. It didn't work. The scent of flowers and sunshine flowed through his body, and he moaned again, quietly, as he stepped up to the driver's side window. Tapping on the window, he waited for the occupant to wind it down. Taking another breath, he tried to calm his racing heart. He didn't understand what was going on with his body. As the window lowered, he looked into the most amazing pair of green eyes he'd ever seen.

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"Shit! You're my mate," the man in the truck said. Marcus jerked back and frowned down at the man still sitting in the truck. Surely he couldn't have heard what he thought he just had. "What did you say to me?" Marcus asked, still frowning at the man. "You're my mate," he repeated, this time without the cursing and a small smile gracing his beautiful face. "Mate? What are you talking about? I don't know you, and I'm not gay," he replied firmly. Marcus inhaled the sweet scent again. He realised this man didn't smell like pack, but he was definitely a wolf shifter, meaning he would know all about mates. Marcus shook his head, trying to clear it of the thoughts racing through his brain. "Nope, not gay," he repeated more for himself than the other man. "Name's Brian Townsend," he said as he held his hand out through the window. "Don't really care what your name is, just need you to move your vehicle," Marcus grunted as he took another step back from the man with the stunning scent. The guy's face fell as he made that last remark. He didn't know why he'd said it, but the young man had him feeling out of sorts. Being confronted with this stunningly beautiful man who claimed to be his mate had him feeling like he had been hit upside the head. He wasn't gay; he couldn't be gay. He had 12

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never been attracted to a male before. Well, no that wasn't exactly true, but he had never acted on it. Why would fate mate him with a man when it was his job, as the only straight man in his family, to have cubs and help continue the family name? Brian looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. "Look, we are not mates," Marcus stated in a very firm voice. "You need to move your truck. If there's something wrong, here's the number for the local garage. They're probably closed, but someone will come and tow the vehicle so it can be fixed in the morning." He handed over the number, careful not to touch Brian, and turned to leave. As he was turning, he noticed Brian wipe a tear from his cheek. He felt a pang in his chest at causing the other man hurt but stiffened his spine and walked back to his cruiser. It took all of his effort not to turn around and go back to Brian. He could not be gay. His parents were counting on him being straight. As he got in the car and drove away he refused to look in his rear-view mirror for fear it would be his undoing.

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Marcus pulled into the driveway of the house he shared with his three brothers and groaned. Of course all his brothers had to be home. God, they hadn't all been home at the same time in weeks. Why did they choose now to all be here when he just wanted to be by himself? His cock was still rock hard, and it didn't seem like it would be going down anytime soon. He could still smell Brian's scent; it clung to him like it didn't want to let go. He groaned again and thumped his hand against the steering wheel. This couldn't be happening. Steeling his nerves, he got out of the car and walked towards the house. He could hear his bothers inside talking. He schooled his features and opened the door. "Marcus, come on in here," his eldest brother Alex yelled out to him from the living room. Well, I guess that takes care of that, Marcus thought. No sneaking through to his bedroom. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Straightening his shoulders, he went to join his brothers in the living room. As he walked in, he noticed Alex lounging on one of the brown leather sofas with his feet on the coffee table. Next to him was Patrick, or Rick as he liked to be called, and Simon was taking up one of the recliners by himself. They 14

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all looked so relaxed watching the football game. Marcus strode over to the other recliner and flopped down. His cock was still hard, and this was the last place he really wanted to be. Alex smiled at him "What's the matter with you, bad day at work?" "Nothing's the matter. Leave it alone," he grumbled. Alex just looked at him with that piercing gaze of his, then noticed the bulge in his pants and raised an eyebrow at him. Marcus quickly grabbed a cushion from behind him and shoved it over his throbbing cock. "You ok there?" Alex had a smile on his face that Marcus was really starting to dislike. "Yeah fine," he growled at his brother. That eyebrow went up again. Shit. "Talk." "No." "Marcus." Crap. Why did Alex have to use that damn Alpha voice of his? Taking a deep breath, Marcus sighed. "I think I met my mate today." Alex smiled at him. "What do you mean you think? Where did you meet her? What's her name?" Both Simon and Rick were now paying more attention to him and Alex than they were to the game. 15

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Marcus ran his hands through his hair, the action making him think that Brian must have done the same thing that afternoon, because his hair looked all rumpled like he'd just gotten out of bed. His cock jerked in his jeans, and he had to hold back a moan. Jesus, this couldn't be right. A man? … Really? Looking up, he realized all his brothers were staring at him quite intently. Well, no time like the present to find out how they'd react to the news. "His truck broke down just out of town," Marcus said, staring Alex in the eyes. He noticed the exact moment Alex processed what he had said. "He? Your mate's a man?" Alex asked. The look on his face was priceless. Any other time Marcus would have burst into laughter at his Alpha's stunned look, but he just couldn't seem to find this situation all that funny. He nodded, not saying anything. He noticed the satisfied smirks on his other brothers' faces. "Well, it looks like you owe me fifty bucks," Rick said to Simon with a smirk on his face. Marcus was stunned speechless for a minute. The room fell silent as the brothers continued to look at each other before Marcus found his voice. "You bet that my mate was going to be a man?" he asked. 16

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"Sure, why shouldn't I? Just because you're not comfortable in your sexuality yet to explore what you want doesn't mean I don't know what you want. I see the way you look at guys. It was an easy bet to make. Simon should have believed me when I tried to tell him." Marcus snapped his mouth closed, only just realising he had been doing a wonderful impersonation of a fish. Did his brother just say he knew he was gay? "Shit, Mum and Dad are going to freak. I was the only straight one left. Their only chance at having grandcubs." Alex replied before the others could. "They're not going to freak. Mum and dad probably won't be too happy about the cub situation, but they'll still love you no matter who you sleep with." Marcus just sat there and stared at his brothers, trying to take everything in. "So where is this mate of yours anyway?" Simon asked. "I expected once you found your mate you wouldn't want to let him out of your sight." Simon gave him yet another one of those smirks. "Oh god. He really is my mate, isn't he?" he moaned to no one in particular. Leaning forward he placed his head in his hands as he groaned. What had he done? He'd sent his mate away. He'd been so cruel to the man, and he hadn't

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even told him his name. How was he going to fix this? Shit, was Brian still even in town? "Yep," came the reply from Simon. Alex looked more closely at Marcus's face. "What have you done? How bad is it?" Marcus cringed at the tone but replayed the earlier scene to them while trying not to squirm too much under their gazes. "What am I going to do?" It was Simon who replied first. "I suggest you haul ass and try to find him. Call George from Den Motors and see if he gave the guy a tow. He might know where he went. If you're lucky and you find your mate, he might just forgive you in about a hundred years with a lot of grovelling." Not even thinking, he jumped to his feet, pulled out his phone and dialled George while running to his car. "Come on… answer already," he grumbled. "Den motors. You've got George." "George, Inspector Holland here." "Inspector, how are you? What can I do for you this fine evening?" "Did you get a call for a tow just outside the town limits this evening?" "Yep. Poor guy looked pretty devastated when I arrived. Could tell he had been crying, though he tried to 18

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hide it. Towed his truck to the shop and promised him I'd fix it first job in the morning. Why?" Oh god, his heart was breaking at the thought of Brian being in tears because of what he'd said to him. How could he have been so cruel to someone he was supposed to love? He hoped Brian would forgive him. His brothers were right. He was going to have to do a lot of grovelling to get his man to forgive him. His man. Funny, but he liked the sound of that all of a sudden. "Do you know where he's staying?" "Yeah, I dropped him off at the motor lodge after we dropped his truck at the shop." "Thanks, man, I owe you one." Before George could reply, Marcus hung up the phone, started his cruiser, and headed in the direction of the motel where Brian was staying. He would have to apologize to George later for cutting him off, but at the moment his mind was on one thing, and that was getting to his mate.

****

Brian was curled up in a pair of boxer shorts in bed at the motor lodge where the nice guy who'd towed his truck had dropped him. The guy might have mentioned his name, but Brian just couldn't get his brain to work at the 19

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moment. The only thought going through his mind was that no one wanted him. Not his parents or his old pack and apparently his mate didn't want him either. He'd always been led to believe that mates were supposed to be perfect for you. They were your other half, the missing piece of your soul. If that were the case, then why did fate decide to stick him with a straight man? It just wasn't fair, damn it. Brian curled in closer and pulled the quilt up to his chin, trying desperately not to start crying again at the turn his life had taken. Gathering his strength, he decided if his mate didn't want him, there was no reason to stick around here. He would head down to the garage tomorrow, pick up his truck, and start driving again. Satisfied he had at least some sort of plan in place, he closed his eyes and attempted to get some sleep. A knock at the door a half hour later scared him enough that he let out a little squeak. Deciding he couldn't possibly know the knocker, he ignored it. A few seconds later, another knock sounded. Cuddling into his quilt, he wished whoever it was would just join the rest of the world and leave him alone. "Brian? I know you're in there. Please open the door." Oh god, what did Marcus want? He had been listening enough this evening to hear when the tow truck 20

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driver told him the Inspector's name was Marcus Holland. Brian couldn't think of a reason why he would be here in the middle of the night knocking on his door. He had made his feelings clear earlier when he had walked away from him without a backward glance. But knowing all that didn't stop his cock from hardening in a matter of seconds and throbbing in his boxer shorts just at the sound of the man's voice. "Please, Brian? I want to talk to you. I'm sorry about earlier. You caught me by surprise." He sounded so lost. Brian was in the process on throwing his quilt off when he remembered how he had felt this afternoon, and all the hurt came rushing back. "Go away," Brian said as he pulled the covers back over himself. "You can't possibly have anything else to say to me. I'd say you said it all earlier. Please just leave me alone. I will be out of your town by tomorrow morning." Brian tried not to let his hurt show through in his voice. He curled up, bringing his knees up under his chin. "No! Brian, please, baby, just open the door so we can talk. I promise I'll leave then if you still want me to. Just please let me in. I need to see you." He sounded so defeated. Brian slowly got out of bed and walked towards the door. Resting his forehead and hand against the back of the 21

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door, Brian softly spoke to his mate, "Give me one good reason why I should let you in." Taking a deep breath, he waited for the reply. It would have to be bloody good for him to open the door. "You're my mate. I don't want to lose you." When he heard the reply come through the wooden door, Brian yanked the door open and stood there, glaring at the man opposite him. "I'm your mate? That's it? That's your one good reason? I tried to tell you that earlier this evening and you didn't want to know anything about it. You denied me and walked away, leaving me in a broken down truck on the side of the road. I would say it's a little late to be worried about losing me, don't you think, Inspector?" "God, you're beautiful. And it's Marcus, not Inspector." Marcus's breathy reply left Brian standing there with his mouth hanging open. Of all the replies to his little rampage Marcus could have gone with, that was not one he thought he'd hear. "I'm sorry. What did you just say?" Grinning, Marcus said it again as he swept his eyes slowly from Brian's head down his body and back up again. "I said you're beautiful. You look damn sexy when you're angry, and those shorts look sexy as hell on you."

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Brian sucked in a quick breath when he looked down at his body and realised he was standing in the doorway in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts with a rock hard cock trying its best to escape the confines of the fabric. He groaned as his cock twitched again. Turning, Brian quickly walked to the bed, ripped the sheet from the foot of it, and wrapped it around him. He heard the door softly click closed behind him. Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves, Brian turned to face Marcus. God, the man just got more breathtaking every time he saw him. Still in his full uniform, hair looking like he had run his hands through it a time or two, and shoulders he just wanted to wrap his arms around, Brian had to make a concerted effort not to step forward and do just that. Marcus was still watching him, a wicked smile playing across his lips. Looking into Marcus's eyes, he could see the hurt and guilt shining in them. Brian's wolf was scratching at him to go claim its mate. It couldn't understand why he was standing still when his mate was so close. Shaking his head to stop himself from walking forward, he looked at the ground. "What do you want, Marcus?" Marcus slowly walked towards him. Even so, it came as a surprise when a knuckle was placed under his 23

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chin and gently urged him to look up. God, Marcus was tall. With his own frame not quite hitting five foot ten, Marcus had at least six inches on him. Looking into Marcus's eyes once more, Brian could see a spark of something he didn't quite recognise. When Marcus slowly lowered his face towards his, Brian refused to move. Marcus stopped mere millimetres from touching his lips to Brian's. "Kiss me," Marcus demanded as his lips lightly brushed Brian's. Brian shook his head. He wasn't going to be the one to take the first step. He'd already tried that once and had his heart stomped on. If Marcus wanted this, then he would have to be the one to initiate it. Brian had also never been one to take a lead role in the bedroom, always preferring to take on a submissive role to his partners. Marcus groaned, grabbed the back of his head and crushed their lips together. Pleasure like he had never felt before raced down Brian's spine and stiffened his cock further. Groaning as Marcus demanded entry to his mouth, he opened for him and felt Marcus's tongue start its exploration. Brian tentatively let his tongue intertwine with Marcus's and groaned again at the exquisite feeling. With a great deal of regret at the need to breathe, Brian pulled

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back. Resting his forehead against Marcus's chest, he sucked in great gulps of air. "For a straight guy, you sure know how to kiss," Brian said into his mate's chest. Marcus flinched at the words but didn't pull away. Instead, he tightened his arms around Brian and pulled him closer. "I'm sorry about earlier," Marcus replied softly. "I was just having a really bad day, and you caught me completely by surprise. I never imagined my mate would be a man. I've never acted on any feelings I may have had towards another guy before. You're the first man I've kissed." Brian felt Marcus kiss the top of his head. The thought of him being the only man Marcus had kissed bought a smile to his face, and his wolf wanted to be let out to claim his mate. Brian snuggled in, his nose in the hollow where Marcus's neck met his shoulders. Inhaling deeply, he groaned as the scent sent a wave of pleasure through his body. Marcus chuckled. "You like the way I smell?" Brian just groaned in response and leaned back to look at Marcus. He could see the happiness shining in Marcus's eyes as he held Brian tight to his chest. He could also feel the rather impressive bulge pressing against his own rock hard erection. This made him moan again and thrust his hips against Marcus's. It was then Marcus's turn 25

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to groan, but instead of continuing the touching like he would have expected, Marcus stepped back. Shit. He knew Marcus wasn't gay. What had ever possessed him to act like that? Of course Marcus would pull away from him. Taking a step back himself, he wrapped his arms around his middle as he suddenly felt very cold and alone. He was very quickly pulled back into a rock hard chest and strong arms were wrapped around him. Marcus kissed the top of his head. "Baby, no. I would like nothing more than to get naked and claim you right now. But I think it best that we talk a little bit first, don't you?" Brian could feel the blush burning his cheeks as he looked up at Marcus. "That's cute as hell," Marcus said as he gently cupped his hand to one of Brian's cheeks and bent down to kiss him. Brian let out a small whimper as he once again tasted his mate. Pulling back yet again, Marcus took his hand and led him to the bed. "Come on, babe, let's lie down and talk for a little while. I want to hold you while we chat." Brian let out another whimper at the thought of being wrapped once again in those strong arms. Standing at the edge of the bed, Brian watched as Marcus sat to take off his boots and his heavy work belt. 26

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Scooting back on the bed once he'd finished getting comfortable, the man held his arms out for Brian. Brian took one look at his sexy-as-hell mate and crawled into the waiting arms. Spooning his back against Marcus's front, he settled in and sighed as Marcus wrapped his strong arms around him and squeezed tightly. Brian's wolf seemed to curl up inside him in contentment at being held. Should he mention this to Marcus? Then thought, why the hell not? What's the worst that can happen? He's already rejected me once. Before he could say anything, however, he heard Marcus whisper in his ear. "Is your wolf as content as mine is at being here like this? I swear if I was a feline, I'd be purring." Brian chuckled. "Yes. And my wolf was just as devastated as I was this afternoon when you walked away," he replied quietly, not knowing how Marcus would take the information. Marcus flinched again, but didn't pull away. Instead his arms seemed to tighten around him. "Trust me. My wolf wasn't too happy with me either. It wasn't 'til I got home and my brother forced me to tell him what was wrong that I really let myself think about everything. I'm so sorry I hurt you. That was never really my intention. I think I was in shock. As it turns out, my 27

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brothers weren't all that surprised to find out my mate was a man. My younger brothers even had a bet going." Brian chuckled at hearing Marcus's brothers bet on the sex of his mate. He snuggled down farther and ground his ass against the hard cock that was poking against him. He heard a low growl come from Marcus and grinned. "So who won the bet?" "My youngest brother Rick. He said it was an easy bet to make. I have three brothers. Alex is the eldest and Alpha of our pack. I'm next. Then comes Simon, and Rick's the youngest. And apparently we're all gay. Although you'll be the first man I've ever been with." "Holy cow, your brother's the Alpha? And he's gay? What do your parents think about you all being gay?" "Well, up until today, I was the only straight one of the group, since I was in denial about being gay too. Mum's been pushing me hard to take a mate and have a few cubs. Probably because she knew she wouldn't get any from her other boys." "Oh god, she's going to hate me," Brian groaned as Marcus nuzzled into his neck and laid soft kisses against his skin. "Nah. She might be a little disappointed about the whole no-cubs thing, but she'll love you. You're my mate; how could she not?" 28

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Quietly Brian replied, "It's surprisingly easy for parents not to love their kids, as I found out recently." A wave of hurt and pain swept through Brian at this admission. "Aw, baby, tell me what happened." "Do I have to?" he moaned. "Please. I'd like to know." "I told my parents earlier this week I was gay. I just didn't want to live without them knowing the truth, you know? I like who I am, and I don't see anything wrong with finding other men attractive. I wanted my parents to know the real me, so I told them. The only other person who knew was my best friend Jason." He took a deep breath. "Needless to say they weren't happy. Dad stormed out of the house and Mum burst into tears. Dad went straight to our Alpha and a pack meeting was called. Alpha McEwen stood in front of the entire pack and told me how vile and perverted I was, then kicked me out. What hurt worse was that Mum and Dad stood there and agreed with his decision. I wasn't given a chance to pack my belongings or to say goodbye to my one true friend. I just got in my truck and drove away." "Shit, Brian, that had to suck. How long have you been on the road?"

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"Three or four days, I think. I had planned to get back in my truck and keep going tomorrow morning, until you turned up on my doorstep." "I hope you've changed you mind, as you aren't going anywhere anymore without me." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "Okay, basic question time. How old are you?" Marcus queried. "Twenty-three. What about you?" "Just turned thirty. What about work? What did you do before you left?" "Promise you won't laugh?" Brian asked. He could feel his cheeks heating. "Baby, you can tell me anything. I won't laugh at you." "Okay. I was a florist. Always wanted my own shop." Marcus thought about that for a minute. "Makes sense." "Why does what I do for a living make sense?" "Your scent. You smell like flowers and sunshine." "Oh." "It makes me hard the second I smell it."

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Brian turned his head, searching for a kiss from his mate. Marcus dove into the kiss with abandon, grinding his lips down on Brian's as he thrust his cock against Brian's ass. Marcus's hand slid down Brian's body to cup his throbbing groin. Brian groaned at the exquisite feeling of his mate's hands on his body. Marcus quickly manoeuvred his hand beneath Brian's shorts and wrapped his hand around the hard length, slowly stoking from the base of Brian's cock to the tip. Marcus's thumb rubbing against the slit in the top of his cock was Brian's undoing as he thrust his hips forward. "Come for me, baby," Marcus growled against his lips. "Oh god, Marcus," he cried out as wave after wave of pleasure exploded from his throbbing cock. Marcus continued to stroke him until it seemed he had nothing left to give.

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Marcus couldn't believe he was lying here with his mate in his arms. After the way he had treated Brian this afternoon, he didn't think this would ever happen. Marcus felt like the world's biggest heel after listening to what had happened to Brian within his own pack and then, to top it all off, he rejected him as well. He couldn't even imagine what Brian must have been feeling. Marcus slowly removed his hand from around Brian's slowly softening cock. His hand was covered in Brian's spunk. He moved his hand towards Brian's tight hole and started to slowly work one of his fingers inside, using Brian's cum as lube. "Is this ok?" "God, yeah," came the breathy reply. Brian scooted his boxers down and then rolled over onto his stomach. Marcus groaned at the sight of that tight ass swallowing his finger. What would it look like when he sank his throbbing cock into that tight heat? Moaning again, he had to will his wolf to calm down, as all it wanted to do was mount his mate and start fucking him. All in good time, he thought, trying to soothe his wolf. Drawing his finger back out again, he slowly inserted two and began to scissor them in an attempt to 32

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loosen Brian up enough to take his cock. Brian moaned and started to thrust his hips back to meet the fingers plunging in and out of his ass. Adding a third finger, Marcus kept up a steady rhythm. Searching inside Brian for that special spot, he could tell he hit home when Brian cried out, arching his back and thrusting his hips back with more vigour. "You like that, baby?" "Just hurry up and fuck me already. I'm about to burst" Pulling his fingers out of Brian, Marcus quickly unbuttoned his pants and pulled his fly down, shoving his pants halfway down his legs. No time to take them completely off, he thought. Quickly spreading the remainder of Brian's spunk over his cock, he settled his cock against the gorgeous hole in front of him, slowly pushing forward until Brian's body swallowed the tip of his length. He groaned and had to squeeze the base of his cock hard to stop himself from coming. Sinking the rest of the way into the welcome heat, he paused to let Brian adjust. Brian groaned and thrust his hips back into Marcus, giving him leave to move. Grabbing a hold of Brian's hips, Marcus slowly pulled out until just the tip of his cock was held in Brian's body then sank back down again. Marcus

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moaned at the pleasure racing down his spine towards his balls. Sinking into Brian's tight heat was ecstasy. "Harder," Brian cried out. Marcus obliged. Tightening his grip on Brian's hips, he started to pound into his ass as if there were no tomorrow. Dragging Brian's hips down a little was enough to change the angle of his thrusts and have him pegging Brian's gland with every thrust. Brian cried out again as his body rocketed into his second orgasm of the night. Marcus bit back a growl as the exquisite feeling of his mate clamping around his cock had his own orgasm ready to burst from his body. Leaning over Brian's back, Marcus sank his teeth into the muscle at the base of his neck, claiming his mate for life. Feeling the mating bond take hold in his head and his heart and tasting his mate's blood in his mouth was more than Marcus could handle; he shouted against Brian's throat as his cock exploded deep within Brian's ass. Marcus could feel the knot at the end of his cock lengthen and take hold of Brian's prostate, milking another smaller orgasm from Brian with the pleasure. Removing his teeth from Brian's neck, he licked the mating mark clean and watched it heal to leave his mark on Brian's neck for all time. Brian groaned and collapsed on the bed under him, bringing Marcus down on top of him, as they were still 34

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connected. Grunting he managed to manoeuvre them so the lay on their side. He held Brian securely in his arms. "Are you okay?" Marcus asked using the mating bond they had formed. Kissing the back of Brian's neck, he waited for his answer. "Uh, yeah, I think you just killed me," came the reply accompanied by a giggle. "I hope you like to snuggle, because it doesn't feel like you'll be going anywhere anytime soon." Brian ground his ass back against his hips. "You'd better stop that if you plan of getting out of this bed any time tonight." "Who said I was getting out of bed? I'm quite comfortable where I am, thank you very much." Marcus could hear the grin Brian had on his face even if he couldn't see it. "I said you are. I need to get home as I don't have any spare clothes here. I would like you to come home with me. Please." Marcus held his breath as he waited for Brian's reply. "Umm, are you sure that's what you want?" "Yeah, baby, you're my mate, and you belong with me, not in some hotel room. I would like to take you home where we can have a shower and snuggle down together in my nice big bed. If we happen to get a little distracted

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somewhere along the way, that would be okay as well." Marcus grinned. "Sounds perfect." Just then the knot let go of Brian, and Marcus's cock slowly started to slip from inside Brian's body. They moaned together as their bodies let go of one another. Leaning forward and setting a light kiss to Brian's lips, he patted him on the ass. "Come on, babe, get up and get dressed." Marcus tucked his cock back into his pants and did his zipper up. Grabbing his belt, he clipped it around his waist and shoved his feet in his boots, not bothering to do them up. When he glanced up again, Brian was pulling a shirt over his head and had his pants and shoes on already. "Do you need a hand gathering your things?" "Nah. I don't have much, just a spare change of clothes I bought on the drive down here. I'll just get my crap from the bathroom then I'm ready to go." Marcus found his car keys and waited for Brian to come out of the bathroom. "We should head over to the reception desk so we can check you out of the room, babe." Brian's smile lit up his whole face and caused Marcus's heart to jump. God, he would be happy for the rest of his life if he got to look at that smile every day. That 36

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thought made him stop to think. Was he falling in love with Brian already? Yes, Brian was his mate, and he expected he would love him a great deal in time, but he didn't think it would be this fast, especially after the rocky start they had. "You okay there?" The question came through his mind and startled him out of his thoughts. Smiling, he pulled Brian to him and kissed him deeply. "Yeah, baby, I'm just perfect. Come on, let's get out of here." After stopping to drop the keys at reception, they climbed into Marcus's car and headed back to his house. During the drive, Brian started to look a little nervous. He began plucking at a loose thread on his jeans. Marcus reached over and slid his hand into Brian's, giving it a little squeeze to try and reassure his mate that everything would be fine. They drove the rest of the way to the house in silence, just holding hands. Pulling into the driveway behind Rick's Jeep, Marcus noticed the lights were still on inside. It was getting close to midnight. What the hell were his brothers still doing awake? Shit, he should have known he wouldn't be able to walk his mate into the house without getting the third degree. "Umm, why are the lights on and who owns that car?" 37

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"Rick owns the Jeep, both Simon's car and Alex's bike are probably in the garage. And I assume the lights are on because my nosy brothers want to meet you." He smiled and squeezed Brian's hand again, trying to reassure him that everything would be okay. He could see Brian trying to swallow past a lump in his throat and felt his mate's heart rate go up. Cupping Brian's chin in his hand, he leaned over and gently kissed him, putting everything he felt for him into the kiss. Pulling back to draw in a breath, Marcus looked into the heavy-lidded eyes of his mate and smiled. "Come on, babe. Everything will be fine. They'll love you. And just in case they don't, it doesn't matter because I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me." "You may come to regret that later. I think I could get very attached to you very quickly." "Never, and I'm counting on it." He opened the car door and stepped out on to the driveway. The night was beautiful; barely a cloud in the sky, and the moon was nearly full and shining down on them. A slight breeze rustled the leaves of the nearby trees as he took Brian's hand once again in his own. They grabbed Brian's stuff from the back seat and locked the car. Heading towards the door, Marcus could tell his mate still felt nervous. He rubbed his thumb across the back of Brian's hand, trying to soothe him. 38

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Settling his nerves, Marcus opened the door and walked into his house, Brian following behind him. He headed in the direction of the family room where he had left his brothers earlier this evening. As before, they were all in there, though they had changed positions. All eyes in the room were suddenly on him and Brian. Marcus pulled Brian to his side and wrapped his arm around his waist. "Guys, this is Brian, my mate. Brian, these are my brothers. The big guy over there on the recliner is Alex, Simon is on the other recliner, and the young one on the sofa is Rick." "God, was there something in the water around here when your mom got pregnant? No one should have four sons this gorgeous. That's just not fair." Brian blushed as the words finished tumbling out of his mouth. Marcus growled at the thought of his mate finding his brothers pleasing to look at. The other guys all burst into laughter. "We'll have to tell Mum you said that." Alex chuckled. "Oh god, please don't." "So I take it you managed to work everything out then, Marcus?" Alex asked while eyeing the tips of the mating mark peeking out above Brian's shirt.

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Marcus growled at his brother, his wolf not liking the way his Alpha was looking at his mate. Alex just lifted an eyebrow and stared at him. Brian's hand was suddenly at his back, stroking him, trying to soothe his wolf. He immediately calmed down and took a breath. "Thanks, babe, I think I'm going to be a possessive bastard when it comes to you." "That's ok, I like knowing you want me all to yourself. It makes me feel special." "Aw, baby, you are special." "Have I told you yet that I like it when you call me baby?" "Nope." "Well, I do." Lowering his head to place a soft kiss against Brian's lips, he then turned to his brother and smiled. "Yeah, we worked it all out." Simon just snorted at what was obviously an understatement, and Marcus had to grin again. "Anyway, guys, it's been a long day, so Brian and I are going to turn in. We'll see you in the morning. Goodnight." "Goodnight. Don't make too much noise. Not all of us have a sexy little distraction waiting for us in bed," came Rick's reply. Simon and Alex laughed and said goodnight. 40

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Marcus bared his teeth and growled at his brother again. He turned and pulled Brian out of the room before he could even say goodbye, dragging him by the hand up the stairs and down the hallway to his room. The house they lived in was fairly large and had five bedrooms, each with its own bath. There were three downstairs and two upstairs. The upstairs ones were slightly larger and were occupied by himself and Alex. There was also a study upstairs and a media room, which got a workout anytime there was a new release action flick. There was a fully equipped gym downstairs, which all four brothers used regularly. His parents had built the house especially for them, so each bathroom had His and His sinks and large dual-headed showers. After walking into his room, he closed and locked the door when Brian followed him in. "You can put your stuff in the chest of draws over there if you'd like, baby." **** Brian

looked

around

his

mate's

room

and

immediately felt at home. The room was huge. The kingsize bed was made of dark cherry with bedside tables and a chest of drawers that matched. Another leather couch sat before a large set of doors that opened onto what looked like a good-size balcony. On the other side of the room, 41

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there were two doors. Brian assumed one led to a closet and the other to the ensuite bathroom. Taking his meagre possessions, he walked to the chest of drawers and ran his hand over the top, smiling at the family photo resting there. Marcus's family looked so happy. It sent a pang of hurt through his chest that his parents couldn't accept him for who he was. Marcus came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "It's okay, baby. I'm your family now, and my parents are going to love you." Snuggling back into his mate's warmth, Brian turned his head up, asking silently for a kiss. Marcus didn't hesitate to give him what he wanted, touching his lips down on his own. God, he loved the taste of his mate. Marcus was the first to pull back, smiling like the cat that got the cream. "Come on, baby. Let's have a shower and go to bed. It's been a long day for both of us." Brian quickly put away his clothes in a drawer and followed Marcus into the bathroom. Stopping in the doorway, he decided staring at his mate while he undressed had just become his favourite hobby. God, his mate had a gorgeous body. He moaned at the thought of it being all his to explore. Marcus turned to see him still standing there fully dressed and cocked an eyebrow at him. He just smiled 42

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sheepishly and started to remove his clothing. Marcus started the shower and left the door open for him. Brian finished undressing quickly and joined Marcus in the warm water. He stepped up to Marcus and snuggled in. "You okay, baby?" "Yeah, never better." Brian rubbed his hands up and down his mate's muscled back. He could feel Marcus's hard cock nudging against his own and couldn't get the thought of what his mate would taste like out of his head. Brian went to his knees and looked up at his mate. Marcus's eyes had filled with desire and what looked a lot like love. He didn't know if it really was love or not, but decided this wasn't the time to examine it. Brian leaned forward and swiped his tongue along the slit at the tip of Marcus's cock so he could gather the pre-cum already starting to leak. The flavour burst in his mouth, and Brian whimpered at the taste. Opening his mouth, he swallowed the large cock as far as he could. The sudden indrawn breath from above let him know what his mate was feeling. "Oh god, baby, that feels good, so fucking fantastic." Marcus ran his fingers through Brian's hair and tightened his grip. Brian moaned at the slight bite of pain. "Feels fucking fantastic from this end as well." Brian continued to bob up and down on his mate's cock, 43

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using his tongue and hollowing his checks to increase Marcus's pleasure. "I can't hold back, baby, I've got to fuck that pretty mouth of yours." Pulling back as far as Marcus would let him, Brian smiled up at his mate. Brian ran his tongue around the head of Marcus's cock, sucking lightly at the tip. This seemed to be all Marcus could take before he lost control and started thrusting his hips, ramming that huge cock of his into Brian's mouth. He groaned at the feeling of the hard length working its way in and out of his mouth and increased his suction every time Marcus pulled back. "Here it comes, baby. Swallow it for me!" Brian whimpered as the cock in his mouth grew even larger before the first spurt of hot creamy liquid hit the back of his throat. Brian groaned around Marcus's length as his own cock erupted at the salty, slightly bitter taste of his mate. Swallowing quickly so he didn't miss a drop, he slowly started to pull back, lapping at the tip to make sure he got every last drop. Slowly standing again, Brian was quickly engulfed in a strong pair of arms and mashed against his beautiful mate's hard chest. Brian lifted his chin silently, begging Marcus for a kiss. Marcus lowered his lips to Brian's, granting his wish, and gently kissed him. 44

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"Thank you, baby. That was wonderful, and the hottest thing I've seen in a long time." "You're welcome. I think I enjoyed it as much as you did, considering I came when you did without even having to touch my cock." Brian pulled back from the kiss and smiled at his mate. They quickly washed and got out of the shower. Marcus passed him a huge fluffy towel, and Brian dried himself then headed into the bedroom. Looking at the bed, Brian realized he didn't know what side of the bed Marcus slept on. Marcus came over and crawled into the right side then flipped the covers back. Marcus held out his arms for Brian to join him. Brian didn't have any objections, so he quickly crawled into bed and snuggled down into the warmth of his mate. "Goodnight, baby." Brian received a kiss to the back of his head. "Goodnight, Marcus. Thank you for wanting me." "Aw, baby, I'll always want you. Now get some sleep." Brian did just that, safe in the arms of his mate.

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Marcus awoke to the alarm clock blaring in his ear. Smacking his hand down on his bedside table, he attempted to hit the right object. Finally getting blessed silence, he rolled over to snuggle with Brian. What he found, however, was an empty mattress where his mate should have been. Growling because he had been looking forward to a round of morning sex, Marcus got out of bed. He wasn't worried about Brian. He could sense he was okay and close by through his mating link. "Baby, where are you? You're not supposed to leave our bed before we can have a morning cuddle," Marcus moaned to his mate. A light chuckle came back to him, making him smile. "I'm downstairs with your brothers. If you want any breakfast, you had better hurry up. Apparently your brothers like my cooking." Growling back at his mate through his link, Marcus quickly showered and got ready for work. He walked into the kitchen fifteen minutes later to the most amazing smells, his stomach making itself known loudly. Marcus walked right over to Brian and kissed him to within an inch of his life. "Well, good morning to you too." Brian's voice was husky as they ended the kiss. 46

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"Morning, baby." Smiling, Marcus walked over to the table and sat down, joining his brothers. They were all looking at him with their mouths hanging open. "What?" Marcus asked of no one in particular. "Nothing. Just a bit of a shock to see you kissing another man," Simon responded. "Brian's my mate. What do you expect me to do with him if not kiss him?" Brian placed a full plate of food down in front of him and went to pour some coffee. "How do you like it, handsome?" "Black's fine. Thanks, baby," Marcus replied, chuckling slightly at the nickname Brian used. Marcus watched as Brian settled into the seat next to him. He placed Marcus's coffee on the table before picking his own back up and savouring the brew in his hands. Pulling his eyes away from the erotic sight of his mate with his coffee, Marcus turned to his breakfast. Taking his first bite, Marcus moaned as the flavours danced across his taste buds. "Damn, baby, this is great." "It's only a basic breakfast, nothing special." "It's better than anything any of us can do. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

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"My mum taught me. She told me that cooking was all about experimentation, so I'm always trying to create something new. But when I find something that works, I usually try and stick with it." Brian scooted his chair over, and Marcus wrapped his arm around Brian's shoulders and pulled him in close. Brian snuggled in and kissed his neck. "Do you have to go to work today?" Brian asked. "I'm afraid so, baby. Although I would like nothing better than to spend the day exploring your body in bed." Marcus could tell Brian liked the idea by the quick indrawn breath and the pink shading his cheeks. The sound of someone clearing their throat brought his gaze away from his little mate and back to his brothers. "Mum called last night," Alex said. "We're all expected there for dinner tonight by six at the latest. Can you get off work in time?" "Yeah, shouldn't be a problem. Did you tell her about Brian?" "Nope. Thought that little surprise was best coming from you. Although I did tell her we would be bringing someone with us so she knew to cook enough." Marcus could feel the tension running through Brian's body at the thought of meeting his folks. "Relax, baby. They're going to love you."

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"Are you sure? I could always stay behind." Brian had gone very quiet, and Marcus had to suppress a growl at the way Brian had been treated by his own family. However, it was Alex who spoke up before he had the chance to reassure his mate. "Brian, you are a part of this family now and will soon be a member of the Leyburn pack. Nothing anyone says can change that fact. Mum and Dad will love you. They knew they would be getting sons-in-law for us three. Now they just get an extra one as well. All Mum and Dad will care about is the fact that Marcus is happy. And he is. I can tell that already." Alex sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. Marcus tightened his grip on Brian and kissed the top of his head. "He's right, you know. I'm very happy." Brian lifted his head and smiled at him. Marcus couldn't help himself. He leaned down and devoured his mate's lips. When he finally pulled back, Brian's lips were red and swollen. He looked sexy as fuck. "Come on, babe, I'll drop you off at Den Motors so you can pick up your truck, then you can come back here and relax for the day. I'll try to get away for lunch." Nodding, Brian stood and stacked the dishes in the sink.

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"Leave these and I'll do them when I get back," Brian said to his brothers. Simon chuckled, but Rick was the first to open his mouth this time. "You won't get any arguments from any of us. We hate housework. As it is, Mum comes round twice a week and cleans the place." "You have your mum clean your house for you?" Brian asked, sounding incredulous. Marcus actually had the decency to blush as he nodded. Brian just shook his head and headed upstairs to grab his wallet and phone. "You look happy, brother," Simon stated. "I am," Marcus replied with a very satisfied smile on his face. "You have no idea how wonderful it is to find that one person who was made to be your other half. I'm half in love with him already. And it doesn't hurt that he cooks like a dream either." Brian walked back into the kitchen and right up to him, placing his hand in Marcus's. "I'm ready when you are." Saying goodbye to his brothers, they walked out the door and up to his police cruiser. They were quickly settled and on their way. Pulling his vehicle into the car park outside the garage less than ten minutes later, Marcus put the cruiser in park then leaned over and kissed Brian thoroughly. Pulling 50

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back, he smiled, loving the look Brian got on his face after being kissed. "Come on, babe, time to go get your truck," Marcus stated quietly, reaching for the door handle. He looked back at Brian and saw him shake his head to try and clear it. Smiling to himself at the effect he had on his mate, he walked around the car and took hold of Brian's hand as they went in to see about his truck. **** Brian couldn't believe Marcus was walking into the garage, holding his hand like he had every right to be there. Up until yesterday, he'd been straight. Taking a breath to steady his nerves, they walked through the doors. Brian guessed they'd see in a minute if anybody had a problem with their Inspector being gay. They walked up to the counter, and the same man who had towed his truck yesterday sat behind it looking at them. He then saw their hands clasped together and raised an eyebrow at Marcus. Marcus just smiled and kept sending reassuring thoughts to him through their link. "George. How are you this morning?" "Good thanks, Marcus, and yourself?" "Couldn't be better. Sorry about hanging up on you last night, but my mind was elsewhere." "So it would seem." George smirked at them. 51

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"I believe you've met my mate, Brian." "Mate? Really? Well, I suppose congratulations are in order. Do the folks know yet?" "No, we're keeping it a surprise until tonight. Would appreciate it if you didn't mention anything if you happened to see them." "Yeah, no worries. I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you tell them, that's for sure. What do you reckon the odds are of having four gay sons?" George replied, chuckling. "Don't know, but they've got to be pretty low." Brian just stood back and watched the obvious friends talk. When they finally got around to discussing his truck, he was a little disappointed. He had been enjoying himself watching Marcus. George handed over the keys to his truck and told him it was all fixed. He even performed a wheel alignment for him. Brian thanked him and paid him for his work. When they got outside, Marcus drew him in against his body and kissed him goodbye. Marcus cupped his hand around Brian's face and gently stroked his thumb along Brian's cheek, causing him to whimper. "I'll see you later, baby. You have a good day." Marcus's voice caressed his lips as he slowly pulled away. Marcus took his house key from his pocket and handed it to him. 52

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"The others should all be at work by now so you'll need this to get in. You may as well stop on your way and get yourself a copy cut. I have to go; otherwise, I'm going to be late. Even though I'm the boss, I should set an example." Marcus smiled at him, and Brian said goodbye, watching as Marcus got in his car and headed off to work.

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Marcus had one stop to make before he arrived at work. He pulled his cruiser into the car park at the local supermarket then headed for the building. Marcus could feel his cheeks heating slightly at what he needed to buy. Having never had a male lover before Marcus was unprepared for one and, as such, had no lube. This situation needed to be rectified as soon as possible, as there was no way Marcus was not going to have sex with his sexy little mate. Walking into the supermarket, he said hello to several people as he walked passed them. Once he found the area he was looking for, he was momentarily dumbfounded at the variety available. Coloured, scented, flavoured, heating. Marcus stood there and stared as he considered the options. Marcus was startled out of his concentration by a hand landing on his arm. Looking around, he groaned when he saw Stacey standing next to him, shopping basket held in one hand. "Marcus, what are you doing? You completely ignored me when I spoke to you." Man, that voice was annoying. He didn't know how he had put up with it for nearly a year. 54

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"Sorry, I guess my mind was somewhere else." "Whatever. So I was thinking that you could pick me up tonight at seven, and we could have dinner," Stacey announced, like she had every right to expect him to comply. Marcus had no idea what he had ever seen in her. Brian was cuter, his voice was sexier, and Marcus already knew he was kinder than Stacey and a hell of a lot better in bed than she was too. Marcus removed his arm from under her hand and shook his head. "Sorry, no can do. I have plans with my mate." Marcus saw the exact moment what he had said sunk into Stacey's brain. "Mate?" Stacey screeched. Her voice had risen several octaves. "What do you mean mate? Since when? I'm your mate." Marcus shuddered at the thought. "No, you're not." Marcus sighed. He felt sorry that Stacey seemed so desperate for a mate she had resorted to lies and deception. "We dated, and then we broke up. You know this. At no time did I ever lead you to think you were my intended mate." Marcus turned from Stacey back to the shelves in front of him. He could hear the strangled noises coming from the blonde beside him, but thought it best to ignore them. He reached out and picked up a small plain bottle of 55

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lube. If they wanted to try any of the others, he and Brian could make that decision later and come back. Marcus turned to head to the checkouts when Stacey stepped in front of him, blocking his exit down the aisle. Biting back a curse, Marcus was surprised when his voice came out flat and unemotional. "Move, please, Stacey. I have to get to work." "No, I will not move. I want to know who she is." Marcus was sure Stacey's voice was just shy of a banshee's screech. Looking around, Marcus noted several other people loitering close by, pretending not to listen in on their conversation. He couldn't blame them really. The customers on the other side of the store probably heard Stacey screaming. Having had enough of Stacey, and now running late for work, Marcus leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "His name is Brian." Before she could gather her wits, Marcus sidestepped her and made his way to the checkout. Once he had paid, he placed the bottle in his pocket and headed back to his cruiser. As Marcus was pulling out of the car park, he noticed Stacey racing from the supermarket and heading in his direction, still screaming. Not wanting to hang around for round two, Marcus pulled out into the road and headed

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for the station, already looking forward to lunch when he would get to see Brian again.

****

Half an hour after Brian left the garage with his newly repaired truck, he pulled into the driveway of what he supposed was his new home. As Brian was getting out of the car, his phone started to ring. Brian answered it as he headed inside. "Hello." "Hey, Bri, how are you?" "Jason. Oh god, it's good to hear your voice. How are you man? Hey, guess what. I found my mate." "No shit. Well, that was fast. Tell me about him. It is a him, isn't it?" Walking into the family room, Brian flopped down on one of the big leather couches and got comfortable. Chuckling at Jase's question, he replied, "Yes, it's a him. He's an Inspector for the local police and his brother's the Alpha. He's tall and dark and sexy as fuck. But, up until yesterday, he was playing a straight man." "Oh fuck, Bri, you really know how to pick 'em." Brian could hear the laughter in his friend's voice. "So where did you end up?" 57

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"I'm in a town called Leyburn just across the Victorian border. Roughly a day and a half's drive south of you. So what's happening back at home? How are the folks?" "Things here suck. Everyone is still talking about you. But every time I walk into a room, they all become very quiet. Mum and Dad haven't stopped going on about it since it happened. Saying I should never have hung out with you. They're scared I'm going to catch it." Jason laughed. "If only they knew." "Shit, Jase, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for things to affect you. I just couldn't live the lie anymore, you know?" "Yeah, man, I know. And I understand." "Well, if you ever want to get away from all that narrow-mindedness up there, you can always come and visit me." "I'll think about it. I really will. It's starting to get pretty unbearable up here." They ended their call not long after, and Brian got up to do the dishes and clean the kitchen. When he was finished, he decided he would chill for the day and start looking for work tomorrow. He stuck a movie in and settled back on the couch to relax. He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew his mate was lightly kissing him awake. 58

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"Hmmm, you taste nice, baby," Brian heard Marcus whisper against his lips before the kiss became more forceful. Winding his arms around Marcus's neck, Brian pulled him down until he was lying on top of him. He couldn't believe how fast his cock sprang to life. He thrust his hips against Marcus's, only to feel his mate's wonderful stiff prick poking back at him. He groaned. "Naked. Now," Marcus growled. Who was he to argue with a command like that? Marcus pushed up so he was leaning on his hands, which allowed him the room he needed to shimmy out of his clothes. When he was naked, he pulled Marcus back down and devoured his mouth once again. Marcus shifted his hand between their bodies and wrapped it around Brian's throbbing length. Moaning into the kiss, Brian thrust his hips up against the rough pads of Marcus's fingers. Marcus pulled back and settled on his knees between Brian's legs. Brian pulled his legs up, spreading himself for his mate. Marcus took one look at him, reached into his pocket, and removed what looked to be a new bottle of lube. "You came prepared." Brian smiled. "I thought we might need this as I don't have any upstairs. I certainly didn't expect to need it as soon as I 59

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walked in the door, but one look at you spread out on the couch, and I couldn't help myself." Marcus popped the lid and squirted a liberal amount onto his cock, then more onto his fingers. Brian moaned when Marcus slowly pressed one finger into his hole, moving it back and forth, trying to loosen him up. "Hurry, Marcus, I need you." Marcus just growled and added a second finger. Quickly scissoring them, he added a third. "Marcus, come on please." Brian knew he was begging, but he didn't care. Marcus hit his prostate, and Brian screamed, his back bowing off the couch in pleasure. Brian quickly grasped the base of his hard cock, trying to stave off his impending orgasm. Suddenly Marcus removed his fingers from Brian's body, leaving him feeling empty. He didn't like the feeling. He did, however, love the feeling of Marcus gliding his cock slowly into his body in one smooth thrust. Moaning with the pleasure that was coursing through his body, he began to rock his hips in time with Marcus's gentle thrusts. "Harder." Brian panted. Marcus didn't disappoint him, slamming his hips forward, and Brian screamed again. Marcus managed to hit Brian's sweet spot with every thrust. Brian couldn't hold his orgasm any longer. He felt like he was ready to burst. He turned his neck, silently asking his 60

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mate to claim him again. Marcus growled and leaned down. The feeling of Marcus's fangs sinking into his neck, laying claim to him, was all the pleasure Brian could take. He went over the edge, screaming Marcus's name. Brian was distantly aware of Marcus stiffening above him and his cock erupting within his body, but he was too blissed out to be able to concentrate on anything at the moment. That was until the knot extended from Marcus's cock and attached itself to his prostate. Bowing his back and moaning, Brian felt himself erupt all over again. Feeling as if his entire supply of cum had just been ejected from his body, Brian slumped back against the couch. Marcus removed his teeth from Brian's throat and licked his mark clean. He then slammed his lips down on Brian's mouth and thrust his tongue inside, kissing him and sucking all the air out of Brian's lungs. Pulling back, Brian looked up at his nearly fully dressed mate and giggled. Sometime soon they would have to do this in Marcus's bed where he could get naked too. Just then the door opened, and in walked Alex and Rick. Marcus quickly pulled a blanket from the back of the couch to cover them. "Oh seriously, dude. You have a bedroom for that shit," Rick said, laughing. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself. Can you blame me?" 61

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Rick looked Brian up and down the grinned at Marcus before replying. "No not really." Marcus growled at his brother and pulled the blanket more securely around them. "Hey, you asked." "Piss off. A little privacy would be appreciated." "If you wanted privacy, you should have gone to your room," Alex said as he walked in and plopped himself down in one of the recliners, a giant smirk on his face. Brian leaned up and kissed Marcus on the chin. "I'm sorry, baby. I forgot they would be coming home for lunch." "It's okay." Feeling a little playful, Brian thrust his hips back against Marcus's and watched his mate's eyes darken as he bit back a moan. Brian smiled to himself. "Behave." "But what if I don't want to?" Brian said in the cheekiest voice he could. "Brian." "Ok, fine. Spoilsport." "Alex, please give us a minute?" "Fine. We'll be in the kitchen." The brothers walked out of the family room as Marcus leaned down and kissed him again. Brian moaned

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as he felt the knot retract and Marcus's cock slide from his body. "Time to get dressed, babe." "Hey, I was dressed until you came home." "I know, but I much prefer you this way." Marcus stood up and began to tuck himself away and straighten out his rumpled clothes. He would have to change his shirt before he went back to work, as he had cum smeared on the front. Brian giggled at that. Marcus looked down and sighed. He removed his shirt and gave Brian a kiss on his way past. "So worth the price of having to change my shirt, baby." Brian just smiled and got dressed again. Brian walked into the kitchen fully dressed five minutes later. He could feel his cheeks redden as he looked at Alex and Rick who were sitting around the table drinking sodas. Walking over to the fridge, Brian started pulling things out to make sandwiches. Marcus walked into the room and gave him a kiss. "What would you like for lunch?" "Whatever you're doing is fine, baby." Brian made a stack of sandwiches and placed them on the table for everyone to enjoy. Before he could take a seat himself, Marcus pulled him into his lap. Snuggling 63

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down, he reached over and got himself something to eat. All was quiet while they ate. "So do you come home for lunch every day? What about Simon?" Brian asked. "We all tend to come home as often as we can," Alex replied. "Simon had a meeting today, that's why he isn't here. It's a good way to catch up and make sure there isn't any urgent pack business that needs taking care of." "As long as you're here, I'll be coming home," Marcus quietly whispered in his ear, causing a shiver to shoot down his spine and his cock to attempt to harden again. Brian groaned and wiggled his hips against Marcus. Marcus quickly stilled his movements with a tight grip and nip to his ear. "We don't have time for another round, baby, and I don't want to be walking into a room full of cops with a raging hard-on." Brian giggled at the thought. "Time to go, baby. I have to get back to work." Marcus kissed him on the neck and smacked his ass. Brian stood and watched as the other three left to return to work. He kissed Marcus goodbye and set to cleaning up the kitchen.

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Marcus arrived home from work in a good mood. Thankfully, he hadn't heard any more from Stacey, and his lunchtime spent with Brian went a long way to helping him forget his morning encounter. Taking a ribbing from some of the guys under his command had been expected as soon as he let it be known he had found his mate. The three men he told were all part of the pack, so he was comfortable talking to them about Brian. He had gotten some flack over the fact that his mate was a man, but he could tell the guys were happy he had found his mate. Walking in the front door at home, the smell of his mate hit his nostrils and his wolf quickly sat up and took notice. Scenting out his mate, he found him half naked in their room. "Now, that's a sight for sore eyes." Marcus grinned. Brian just looked back over his shoulder and smiled at him. "Hey, babe. You better hurry or we're going to be late and I want to make a good impression. Your brothers all got home ages ago." Groaning, Marcus remembered their presence was required at his Mum and Dad's, meaning he couldn't take the time to thoroughly ravish his mate like he wanted to.

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Damn. Walking up to Brian, Marcus wrapped his arms around him and kissed him deeply. Brian's soft voice floated through his mind as they continued to kiss. "God, I missed you today. Seeing you at lunch helped, but I still missed you." Marcus smiled at the fact that Brian seemed to want to be with him all the time. "Trust me, baby, the feeling is mutual." Slowly breaking the kiss, Marcus stepped back. He put his gun away and had started to undress when he heard a wolf whistle behind him. Marcus turned and saw the appreciation and lust burning in his mate's eyes. "I think you had better wait downstairs or I'm going to take you to bed and not let you out for the rest of the night." Marcus heard Brian's indrawn breath at his words, then watched as Brian ran for the door with a huge smile on his face. Marcus couldn't help but laugh. God, he loved his mate. Wait, what? Love? That couldn't be right. He'd only know Brian for two days. Surely he couldn't be in love already. But he knew it was a lost cause trying to deny it. Brian was his mate, and in his heart, Marcus knew he loved him. Grinning like a fool, Marcus quickly got dressed and went to find his mate. Finding Brian in the family room with his brothers, Marcus went right up to him and kissed him passionately, not breaking away until it was imperative that he draw 66

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breath to remain alive. Brian just looked at him with his eyes half lidded and his glistening lips red and swollen from the kiss. "Are you okay, Marcus?" "I'm perfect, my love." Marcus smiled. Brian's indrawn breath told him his words did not go unnoticed. "Love?" Brian asked him hesitantly. "Yes. Love." He cupped Brian's cheeks in his hands as he slowly lowered his face again. He wanted Brian to see everything he was feeling reflected within his eyes. Brian whimpered and wrapped his arms around Marcus's neck, holding him close as he opened to his probing tongue. Marcus could hear one of his brothers clearing his throat, trying to get their attention, but he was too wrapped up in the wonderful feeling of his mate. "I love you, baby," Marcus said without breaking the kiss. Brian whimpered again, and the sound went right to Marcus's throbbing cock. "I love you, too, Marcus." Marcus slowly pulled back and looked at the truth shining from his mate's eyes. He gently placed one last kiss on Brian's lips and stepped back. Taking a hold of his mate's hand, Marcus looked up at his brothers to see a mixture of expressions and emotions running across their

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faces. The most prominent, though, was envy. He had to smile at how lucky he was to have found his mate. "Well, guys, are we going? The sooner we go, the sooner we get home and I can debauch my beautiful mate." He could hear the tiny whimper that squeezed past Brian's lips and loved the pink colouring his cheeks. He squeezed his hand and led the way out of the house. The group took two vehicles to his parents'; Marcus and Brian in Brian's truck, and the other three in Simon's car. Pulling up behind his brothers outside his folks' place, Marcus looked at Brian and couldn't help but chuckle. He looked like he was about to walk to his execution. "Relax, babe, everything will be fine." He smiled and squeezed Brian's thigh. Getting out of the truck, he waited for Brian to join him and his brothers. They trooped up the lawn together, and Alex pushed open the door. "Mum, Dad, we're here," Alex yelled. "In the kitchen, honey! Dad's out the back getting the grill going," came the reply from his mum. Following his brother through to the kitchen, Marcus walked up to his mum and kissed her on the cheek. "How're you doing, Mum?" "I'm fine, thanks, honey, and what about you?"

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"I'm good, Mum. I would like you to meet someone. Mum, this is my mate, Brian Townsend. Brian, this is my mother, Maryanne Holland." "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs Holland," Brian said as he stepped up beside Marcus. Marcus wrapped his arm around Brian's waist then looked back to his mother and saw a big grin on her face. "We'll have none of that under my roof, you understand me? It's Maryanne, not Mrs Holland," she said teasingly. Looking towards the backdoor she yelled, "That's four for four, Joe!" She chuckled. "It's lovely to meet you, too, honey. God, you're a cute one, aren't you?" Marcus laughed at that. He had to agree with his mother. Brian was cute. Marcus's father walked in the back door. "What are you hollering about now, woman?" he said in his gruff voice before walking up to his wife and kissing her on the cheek. He then turned to face his son. "Joe, meet Brian, Marcus's mate," Mum said, waving her hands in their direction with a big, smug smile on her face. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. That's four for four. What are the odds on that? Lovely to meet you, son." He held out his hand. Brian quickly stepped forward and shook his hand. 69

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"Nice to meet you, too, Mr Holland." "Now that's enough of that. You're family, so it's either Joe or Dad, you hear me?" "Yes, Joe." Stepping back, Marcus took Brian in his arms again and kissed the top of his head. "See, I told you they'd love you. You have nothing to worry about. Except maybe what I'm going to do with you when we get home." Brian groaned and snuggled back deeper into Marcus's arms. "Marcus, I don't want to pop wood in front of your parents. Please." "So, Brian, honey, tell me where you're from. How did you two meet?" "I'm from a small town up north, about a day and a half drive from here. I was kicked out by my Alpha and parents for being gay, so I got in my truck and just drove. I didn't really have a final destination in mind. I don't have any family except my parents, and they don't want me anymore." Marcus could see the shock and anger on his parents' faces as Brian told his story. "My truck got a flat tire just outside the town limits. I had forgotten to get my spare fixed before leaving so I was stuck. Someone saw me parked on the side of the road 70

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and called the police. Marcus turned up and the rest is history." Brian smiled. "Thank you, honey, for not telling them what an idiot I was." Marcus kissed the top of his head again. "I figure what happened is between you and me. I am grateful to your brothers for talking some sense into you though." "You're right. I love you, baby." "I love you, too, Marcus." "Oh, honey, that's just awful. How could you kick your own flesh and blood out just 'cause they choose to love someone a little differently than everyone else? Some people just don't deserve to be parents." She walked up and gave Brian a big hug. Marcus could see Brian tense for a moment before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Marcus's mum. Marcus smiled and looked at his dad, who motioned with his head towards the back door. All four sons followed him outside, leaving Brian to talk with his mum. As they walked onto the back veranda, his dad went over to the grill and started turning the meat. "That man in there has been through a lot, Marcus. You make sure you treat him right, you hear me?" "I know, Dad, he's my life." He smiled at the thought of Brian. 71

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"Good. That's as it should be between mates." "You're not disappointed, Dad? That I'm gay as well I mean?" "Disappointed? No, not in the least. Why would I be disappointed in my son being happy?" Holding back a tear, Marcus walked up to his dad and hugged him. His dad patted him on the back and gave him a quick squeeze before stepping back. Marcus walked to the table and took a seat. Brian and his mum came out the back door five minutes later, carrying the salads and plates. Brian placed the plates on the table and walked over to Marcus. Climbing onto his lap, Brian placed a soft kiss against his lips then snuggled his head into the hollow of Marcus's neck. Marcus wrapped his arms around him. "You okay, baby?" "Yeah. I like your mum a lot." "You going to eat dinner sitting on my lap, baby?" He tightened his arms a little. "Would you let me?" "You can stay there for as long as you like." Marcus felt Brian place a kiss against the side of his neck and snuggle in. The feeling of contentment that rolled over him wasn't something he was used to. Having his mate in his lap and his family surrounding him made him feel like the 72

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luckiest guy in the world. Brian climbed out of his lap a little while later to sit next to him as everyone seated themselves around the table for dinner. "So when is Brian being introduced to the pack?" his dad asked after everyone had finished eating. "There's a pack meeting next week," Alex replied. "I was planning to talk to Marcus and Brian about it later." Brian stiffened in the seat beside him. Marcus took his hand and pulled it to his lips, gently kissing the back of it. "What if they don't want me either, like my old pack?" Brian quietly whispered. "Brian, you're my brother's mate. You will become a member of this pack soon, and if anyone has a problem with that, then they can damn well tell me, and I'll deal with it. You just worry about making my brother happy. Leave the rest up to me." Marcus pulled Brian into his arms again and mouthed the words "thank you" to his brother. Alex tilted his head in recognition of his thanks. They relaxed like that for a little while before Brian got up to help Marcus's mom with the dishes. The rest of the family sat around the table talking about the upcoming pack meeting. The pack was one of the largest in the area with over a hundred members. Marcus's dad had been 73

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Alpha until two years ago when he decided to step down and hand the reins over to Alex. It wasn't just that Alex was the next in line. It was more the fact that he was the strongest member of their pack to lead. The pack owned a large portion of bushland just outside the town that had an abundant amount of wildlife on it. It would be good to be able to let his wolf out and run again. Even better to be able to run with his mate. He couldn't wait to see his mate in wolf form. Just the thought of that had his wolf itching to get out and run with his mate. He didn't think he would be able to wait until next week. "Hey, baby, you feel like going for a run later on the pack lands?" "Hell yeah, I haven't been for a decent run in ages, plus I can't wait to see you," came the fast reply. Chuckling, he settled back down to listen to his family talk. Brian and his mum came out a little while later and joined in the discussion. His wolf was chomping at the bit to be let out to run with his mate, telling him it was time to say goodnight and head out. After the goodbyes to his parents and a promise to be back next week for dinner, Marcus, his mate, and his brothers left. Marcus invited his brothers to join them for a run, but they declined, knowing he wanted some time alone with his mate. Saying goodnight to his brothers, he climbed 74

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into Brian's truck with Brian climbing into the passenger seat. He gave Brian a quick kiss and headed the truck in the direction of the woods. Brian was quiet on the drive, and they pulled into a secluded car park fifteen minutes later. Marcus climbed out of the truck and started to strip off his clothes, never taking his eyes off his mate as Brian slowly revealed his beautiful body to the moonlight. Fuck, his mate was gorgeous. Marcus's cock was rock hard by the time he had finished stripping. He folded his clothes and placed them in the cab of the truck. After walking around the front of the truck, he pulled Brian into his arms and kissed him. "I want to see your wolf, baby," he growled huskily. His own wolf was so close to the surface he could feel the little hairs starting to erupt all over his body. Brian just smiled at him and stepped back. Marcus watched as Brian's body reshaped itself, fur started to cover Brian's gorgeous body. Brian's face elongated to become that of a wolf and a tail sprung out from behind. It was over within a matter of seconds. Human Brian was gone, and standing in front of Marcus was the most stunning golden-brown wolf he had ever seen. Brian wasn't as big as his own wolf or those of his brothers, but Brian wasn't exactly a large human either. The eyes staring up at him were an exact match to Brian's beautiful green ones. 75

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Marcus sent his thought out. "Fuck, you're even sexy as a wolf, baby." "Talk about sexy." Brian walked up to him, and Marcus squatted down so he could run his hands through Brian's thick fur pelt. Brian nuzzled into his neck, his tongue lashing out to swipe across the entire side of Marcus's face. "Hey, that's enough of that." Marcus chuckled. He stood and stepped back and let his wolf take over. Marcus felt his bones popping and reshaping and the fur start to cover his body. Within moments, Marcus was standing there as a large black wolf. He trotted up to Brian and nipped at his neck before licking his nose. Brian rubbed his head against Marcus's neck in return, trying to leave his scent on his mate. The thought of Brian marking him made Marcus extremely happy. He nipped at Brian's neck again before giving him a slight nudge and trotting away. It was time for them to run. "Come on, baby, let's go for a run. Then I'm going to fuck you up against the truck when we get back." Marcus could hear Brian's small whimper in reply. They set off into the bush. Running with his mate was the most exhilarating experience of Marcus's life. They ran well together. Brian was a smaller wolf, but he was extremely fast. He kept up with Marcus the entire way. 76

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They decided to forgo a hunt, as they'd had a huge dinner already. After running for a couple of hours, they slowly made their way back to the car park. They trotted up to the truck side-by-side and changed back. Marcus took one look at Brian standing there with sweat shining on his body in the moonlight, and he was lost. Marcus pulled Brian in hard against his chest and crashed his mouth down on his mate's. Stumbling towards the truck, he finally pinned Brian against the bonnet. He broke the kiss and brought his fingers up to Brian's mouth. "Suck them, baby. Get them good and wet as this is the only lube we have tonight," Marcus growled. Brian whimpered and sucked Marcus's fingers into his mouth. Withdrawing them once they shone with Brian's spit, Marcus spun Brian around and bent him over the bonnet of the truck. Marcus placed one hand against the back of Brian's neck and the other worked two fingers into Brian's ass. Brian moaned and thrust his hips back at Marcus, taking his fingers deeper. "Need you, Marcus. Now. I'm ready." "Don't want to hurt you, baby." "You won't. Need that huge cock of yours in my ass, now," Brian whined. Quickly shoving a third finger in, Marcus pumped in and out of Brian's body a couple of 77

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times before he withdrew his fingers completely. Spitting in the palm of his hand, Marcus coated his cock and slowly pushed his way into Brian's body. But Brian was having none of the slow, gentle pace Marcus was trying to set. Brian thrust his hips back, taking Marcus deep into his body in one quick move. "Shit." Marcus growled. "Fuck me, Marcus. Please, I need it hard and fast." "Whatever you need, baby." Marcus moved his hand from the back of Brian's neck, grabbed onto his hips and slammed his cock into Brian. He could hear Brian grunting with each thrust and saw him reach between his legs to pump his own cock. Marcus continued to ram his cock in deep, pegging Brian's gland with every thrust. "Here it comes, baby. I'm going to shoot," Marcus cried out. "Bite me please, Marcus. Claim me, make me yours again," Brian begged so prettily. Marcus grabbed Brian by the hair and pulled him up so his back was snug against Marcus's chest; never losing momentum, Marcus continued to ram his cock home. Giving Brian what he wanted, Marcus sank his teeth into Brian's neck and claimed his mate again. Marcus yelled against his mate's neck as his balls erupted, his cum shooting from the end of his cock at the taste of his mate. 78

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Brian screamed, and his ass clamped down around Marcus's cock as he painted the side of the truck with his spunk. The knot extended from Marcus's cock, and Brian whimpered as he was forced into a second orgasm. Marcus groaned as well at the feeling of Brian's ass muscles massaging his cock. They slowly collapsed to the ground together, Marcus's arms wrapped around Brian. They lay there on their sides breathing heavily for a couple of minutes, trying to get their breath back. "Umm… Wow." Marcus chuckled at Brian's words, or lack thereof. "Yeah, you could say that, baby." "I think we need to run together more often if that's the effect it's going to have on you." Marcus couldn't agree more. "I didn't hurt you, did I, baby?" Marcus knew he had been rougher this time, but hopefully, he hadn't hurt his pretty baby. "Nope. Loved every second of it. I feel fantastic." Brian snuggled back into Marcus's hold, wiggling his butt back against Marcus's hips. Marcus kissed the back of his head. "I like this forced snuggle at the end. Never thought I'd be one for snuggling, but with you, I just want to wrap

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my arms around you and not let go. Although, next time, remind me when we're going to do this to grab a blanket." Brian chuckled then tilted his head back, searching for a kiss. Marcus obliged, leaning down and slowly taking possession of Brian's mouth. Marcus pushed his tongue into Brian's mouth, searching for its mate. The kiss lasted a long time. By the time they pulled apart, Marcus's knot let go and his cock slipped from its warm, tight home within Brian. They lay in each other's arms a little while longer before getting dressed and heading home. The house was dark when they pulled in, and they quietly made their way inside. They showered together, loving on each other as they washed their bodies, and then crawled into bed. Brian cuddled up to Marcus, laid his head on Marcus's chest, and wrapped an arm around his waist. Wrapping one of his own arms around Brian, Marcus kissed him on the top of the head. "Good night, baby. I love you." He heard the contented sigh leave Brian's lips and the quiet "I love you, too" as Brian drifted off to sleep. Marcus followed soon after.

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Two nights later everyone was gathered in the family room. Brian looked around at all the people. Marcus and his brothers were there, as well as their parents and the pack Beta, Jake Richmond. Jake had been introduced to Brian when the beta arrived. Jake had challenged for the role of Beta when Alex took over as Alpha of the pack. Jake had won his challenge and taken his place as his friend's second-in-command. Brian was happy their Alpha had such a great friend to watch his back and help run the pack. He really missed Jason and wished his friend could be here to see him being accepted into a new pack. Alex and Jake stood in front of the television while everyone else took a seat. Marcus walked up to him and kissed his cheek before taking his hand and walking them to stand before Alex and Jake. Once in position, the pair knelt on the plush carpet with their heads bowed. Brian was so nervous. He was glad that Marcus was beside him, because his mate's scent helped to calm his racing heart. Alex's deep voice startled Brian. "Do you, Brian, accept this man, Marcus, as your mate? Do you wish to join with his pack and place your trust and loyalty in them, 81

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always believing they know what is best for their people? Do you declare yourself to be free of any other pack ties that may bind you?" Brian couldn't talk at the moment and nodded in reply. "You have to say the words, baby." Brian wasn't sure how he managed it, but a small "yes" managed to squeeze out of his too-tight throat. Alex placed a hand on the back of his neck in acceptance, and Brian felt the pack bond slip into place. Brian could feel tears running down his cheeks at the thought of once again belonging to a pack. Once Alex removed his hand, Brian was roughly pulled into his mate's arms. They remained where they were, kneeling on the floor in front of everyone, just holding one another while Brian silently cried. Once Brian had managed to get himself under control, he pulled away and looked at Alex, his new Alpha. "Thank you." "You're welcome, man. I hope you two have many happy years." Brian nodded his agreement before standing with Marcus. Brian was pulled into hugs by both Maryanne and Joe and welcomed to the pack with back slaps by everyone else. Brian thought it was a little weird that Rick always made sure he was on the opposite side of the room 82

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from Jake. He wondered if there was a story behind it but decided to leave it alone for now. Brian let out a very girly scream when he was picked up from behind and spun around in a circle. The room dissolved into laughter as a kiss was placed on his neck. "Welcome to the pack, baby." Once Brian was placed back on his feet, he turned around within Marcus's arms and hit him in the chest before reaching up and pulling his head down for a kiss. Losing himself in his mate's arms, Brian was only vaguely aware when the rest of the pack left the room. Marcus broke the kiss and grabbed Brian's hand, then started to drag him towards the stairs. Brian tried to tug his hand out of Marcus's hold, but he wouldn't let go. "Marcus, what are you doing? We have guests." "Don't care. They're here to see the others as much as they are here for us. The guys can keep everyone occupied for a half hour. I have a mate to ravage and welcome to the pack properly." Brian gave up trying to get away. Who was he to deny his mate a chance to ravish his body? Instead he put on a burst of speed and raced up the stairs ahead of Marcus. He called out behind him, laughing, "Last one there has to top," and raced to their room, Marcus right on his heels. 83

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****

The following week was the happiest of Brian's life. He and Marcus had been out running twice more since the dinner at Marcus's parents' house, once by themselves and once with Marcus's brothers. The explosive sex afterwards still took his breath away, and Marcus remembered the blanket. When they were running with the brothers, they had to hold off until they returned home for a little privacy. They nearly had an accident on the way, as Marcus was too busy trying to get his hands into Brian's pants to pay appropriate attention to the road. The near accident had sobered them enough and cooled their ardour sufficiently that they managed to make it home in one piece. Once they were through the doors, however, their clothes went flying. Brian didn't think there wasn't a single item of clothing that made it out alive. Brian had started a part time job at the local florist shop, Heart in Hand Flowers, as well. He got along like a house on fire with the owner, Sarah. He'd only been working there for the past five days, but he loved it already. He would finish work at four in the afternoon and come home to cook dinner for Marcus and his brothers. He enjoyed doing this; it made him feel special, being able to 84

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give the guys something to look forward to every evening. He'd been told there had been a lot of takeout and frozen dinners before he had mated with Marcus. Brian was still a little nervous about the pack meeting taking place that night, but whatever happened, he knew he had Marcus. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that there was at least one person in the world who loved him wholly and unconditionally. Brian was lying on the couch watching an action movie, waiting for Marcus and his brothers to return home from work. They were all heading out together to the meeting later. Brain had made dinner and the lasagne was warming in the oven. All he needed to do was put the garlic bread in and dinner was set. Settling back, his thoughts drifted to Marcus as they often did these days. Brian's cock immediately started to perk right up. His eyes closed as his hand drifted down to rub against the bulge in his jeans. He moaned and thrust his hips up against his palm. "I hope that's for me, baby." Brian jerked his eyes open and moaned at the look of lust and love on his mate's face. He gave his most sensual grin and crooked his finger at his mate, inviting him to come closer. Marcus shook his head and took a step back, laughing. 85

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"Uh, ah, baby. You know I can't be trusted around you. We've already been walked in on once, and the guys are due back any minute. Plus, I don't think it would be appropriate to turn up at the pack meeting reeking of sex." "Damn. I suppose you're right. Doesn't mean I have to like it though. I'll just have to turn up at the meeting with a raging hard-on instead." Brian moaned as he palmed his cock once more before slowly removing his hand. "You had better stop that, baby. I'm about two seconds away from not caring about being caught with my cock balls deep in you by my brothers again." Brian grinned. "Love you, Marcus." "Love you too, baby." Brian heard to the door click open, and Simon came round the corner, closely followed by Rick. "Damn, something smells fantastic in here. What's for dinner?" Simon asked. "Lasagne," Brian said. "Should be ready in about fifteen minutes. Give me a sec and I'll go throw the garlic bread in." He slowly pulled himself up from his position on the couch. His cock was still hard and was pressing painfully against the fly of his pants. Rick noticed and raised an eyebrow. "We didn't interrupt anything, did we?" 86

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"Yeah, me trying unsuccessfully to get a kiss from my mate," Brian replied cheekily while not taking his eyes from Marcus. "Baby, if all you wanted was a kiss, that would have been fine. But we both know it would have ended with my brothers seeing far too much of your naked skin for my comfort." Simon and Rick both burst out laughing. "Well, maybe, but I still want my kiss," Brian sulked. "Come and get it, baby," Marcus said, holding out his arms. So he did. Brian walked right up to Marcus, threw his arms around him, and jumped, wrapping his legs around Marcus's waist. He crashed his mouth down on Marcus's in a heated kiss. Marcus grunted at the extra unexpected weight, but he didn't drop Brian, for which Brian was extremely grateful because he was really enjoying his kiss. Brian was distantly aware of Simon and Rick's renewed laughter but was too busy enjoying the way his mate tasted. Rubbing his hard cock against Marcus's, he groaned into his mate's mouth. Marcus finally pulled back but kept his hands on Brian's ass, where they were massaging his cheeks while

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holding him up. Brian licked his lips at the sight of his mate's full, plump, just-kissed lips. "Jesus Christ, baby, warn me next time. I could have dropped you." "You would never drop me, Marcus. You will always be there to catch me when I need you to," Brian said quietly. Marcus groaned at his words and slammed his lips back down on Brian's. "Jesus, will you two cut it out already? We don't have time for this tonight." The sound of Alex's deep voice cut through the mush Brian's mate had made of his brain. He slowly retreated from the enjoyable kiss. Looking over his shoulder at Alex, he smiled sheepishly and said sorry. Placing one last gentle kiss on Marcus's lips, he undid his legs from around Marcus's waist and lowered them to the floor. Marcus kept a hold of him until he was sure he was steady on his feet. "Right, well, I'll go see about that garlic bread, shall I?" Brian walked out of the room with his head held high and his cheeks only slightly red. After placing the tray of bread in the oven to heat with the lasagne, he walked to the sink and splashed some cold water on his face. He 88

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needed to calm down. Pawing his mate in front of his brothers was not good. He should have more control than that. After wiping the water from his face, he took a deep breath and went about setting the table for dinner. Ten minutes later he had finally managed to talk his cock into not busting out through his fly. Placing a large pan of piping hot lasagne on the table, he called out to the brothers that dinner was up and went about getting drinks. He set beers on the table, then settled into his seat. Marcus came up beside him and kissed his cheek. "Looks delicious, baby." "Smells great too," Alex added as he picked up the utensils to start dishing out the lasagne. "And tastes fantastic," Rick added a minute later around a mouthful of food. The others nodded their agreement, as they were too busy chewing to worry about talking. Alex broke the silence once they had all finished eating. "So, we all set for tonight?" Brian swallowed the lump in his throat. "Not really." "There really is nothing for you to be worried about. You're my brother's mate. I've already accepted you into the pack. All we have to do is announce it to everyone else." 89

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Smiling at the Alpha across the table, Brian stood and gathered the dishes, taking them to the sink. "Give me five minutes to get this cleaned up and then we can go." "Baby, stop trying to stall. You can do those later if you really want, but we need to go now. It doesn't look good for the Alpha to arrive late to his own meeting." Brian sighed and turned to face his mate. "Okay then, let's go." He walked up and gave his mate a quick kiss then turned and followed everyone out the door. The brothers all took Simon's car while he and Marcus settled into his truck. They drove in silence to the pack grounds. Marcus's hand resting against the top of his thigh made him feel safe and loved. They parked in the car park that was still rather empty and waited for the others to get out of their car and join them. "Let's head to the clearing," Alex suggested. Marcus took his hand as they all started to walk through the woods together. After nearly fifteen minutes, they reached a large cleared area in the middle of the woods. Marcus had shown Brian the area the last time ran together. They had stopped to rest together for a time on the soft grass, curled around each other in their wolf forms. The memory made Brian smile. Brian suddenly felt better 90

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about the coming meeting as the feeling of love and contentment settled in his lower belly. Squeezing Marcus's hand, he reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "What was that for, baby? Not that you ever need a reason to kiss me." "Just because I love you." Marcus's smile made everything he had been through worth it. The smile went right through him, and he felt his cock twitch. Marcus squeezed his hand and gave him a knowing look. He knew just what he did to Brian with that smile of his. Slowly a crowd gathered, and within twenty minutes of them arriving, nearly the whole pack had turned out. Alex stood in the centre of the clearing, Jack to his side and the rest of the pack gathered around them. The meeting started, and Brian leaned in to Marcus. Marcus placed his arm around his shoulders and pulled him in tight. Breathing in the scent of Marcus, he let peace settle in him as he listened to Alex conduct the meeting. Thirty minutes later, after several pack disputes and another admittance to the pack had been accepted, it was finally their turn. Alex's voice rang out, and Brian could feel the Alpha's power behind his words. "Marcus and Brian, please step forward." 91

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Marcus pulled his arm from around Brian's shoulders and took his hand. They slowly walked forward until they were standing in front of Alex. They both went down on one knee, still holding hands, and bowed their heads in a show of submission. "What reason do you have for coming before the pack tonight?" Alex asked of Marcus, smiling. "I wish to announce that I have found my mate, Brian Townsend, and have our mating acknowledged by the pack," Marcus said in a clear voice so every member could hear. Brian heard a sharp indrawn breath from behind him and a loudly screeched "No!" All four of them turned to look in the direction of the exclamation. Working her way through the other pack members gathered around was a woman who looked ready to kill. She looked to be about five foot eight or nine in height with blonde hair flowing around her bare shoulders. She wore a tube top and mini skirt. Brian thought she looked the epitome of the blonde bimbo. Marcus stiffened his shoulders when he saw her. "Marcus, would you know anything about this?" "Maybe." "Would you care to share, please?" He heard Marcus take a deep breath and squeezed his hand again. 92

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"Her name is Stacey, and I dated her for nearly a year prior to finding you. I ended our relationship a week before we met after she tried to trick me into biting her." "She what?" Brian exclaimed, so angry at what Marcus had told him he spoke aloud. Alex turned at his outburst to look at him but quickly turned back to pay attention to the screeching banshee. "Stacey, what is the meaning of this? Marcus and Brian are mates." Alex waved at them as he tried to get to the bottom of what the woman wanted. "Marcus cannot be mated to that." She waved her hand in Brian's direction. "Marcus is my mate, and I intend to claim him. He is just being stubborn about this matter." She batted her eyelashes in Alex's direction. How stupid was she? Seriously? Alex was gay. Everyone who paid attention knew that. She would only serve to piss both Alex and Marcus off by the way she spoke about him. "Really? Is that why you had to try and trick him into biting your skanky ass?" Brian replied angrily. He heard the indrawn breaths from the other pack members as he revealed this. "You what?" Alex roared behind them. He rounded them and stared at Stacey, his face a mask of fury. "You

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tried to deny my brother his true mate by tricking him into biting you?" Mating was sacred amongst their kind. Brian was taught that when he met his mate he'd know who they were by his body's reaction to their presence. Just like he had with Marcus. The way both his wolf and body reacted to the sexy man left no doubt in Brian's mind that Marcus was his mate. It was accepted practice to date other people, but when you'd found your mate, however, that was generally it. Unfortunately not everyone was lucky enough to find their mate. Some decided they didn't want to wait any longer and married and had cubs with someone they could be happy with. It was just about unheard of for someone to try and trick a person into biting them. Brian shuddered to think what would have happened to him if Stacey had been successful. If Marcus had bitten and mated with her, he would have been unable to claim Brian. Brian knew Marcus was his soul mate. They would have spent the rest of their lives pining for each other, unable to claim the other halves of their souls. What Stacey had done was beyond Brian's comprehension. He had nearly lost his mate forever before he'd even met him. He looked up into Marcus's face and saw his own pain reflected in the face of the man he loved. 94

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Marcus gently cupped his large hand against Brian's cheek and bent to kiss him. Breaking apart after a quick kiss, Brian realised Alex was still yelling. Brian had to hand it to her. She either had guts or was damn stupid. Come to think of it, he was going to go with the latter. She stood up straight, head held high, and looked Alex in the eyes. "That man cannot possibly be his mate." She sneered. "Such a thing would be disgusting and immoral. Marcus cannot mate with a man. I am his true mate. I can produce his cubs. I wish to claim that which is mine." Yes, he was defiantly going with stupid. She stepped forward and looked right at Brian, a sneer still locked on her face. "Under pack law, I challenge you for rights to mate with Marcus. He is mine, and I will wipe the floor with you to prove to everyone that Marcus is my mate." "Shit," Brian heard the brothers exclaim behind him. "Mate Challenge only comes into action when the couple in question are not True mates, Stacey. You know this." Alex stated, rather calmly, Brian thought. "In the history of this pack there has only ever been one other fight for the rights to mate including True mates, and that was only because the True mates found each other after the original mating." 95

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"They're not True mates, they're an abomination." Brian was really getting sick of her voice. "Baby you don't have to do this. You're my mate and nothing she says will change that fact," Marcus's soothing voice calmed Brian. "I do have to do this, Marcus, I hope you can understand that. I didn't get a chance to fight for my right to stay in my old pack, but I will fight for my right to you. I need this, for me as much to prove myself to the pack." Brian ignored everything else as he stepped forward. Marcus was his; he knew that. If he had to fight this bitch to prove it to everyone else then so be it. Reaching for his shirt, he pulled it over his head. "Bring it on, Blondie. I've already had to fight Marcus for him to acknowledge me as his mate. What's one more? The man is mine, and I intend to keep him." Brian lowered the zipper on his jeans and pushed them down his legs to remove them. Handing everything to Marcus, he quickly placed another kiss on his lips before he turned back to face Stacey. She was just shimmying out of her skirt and what he was sure was a thong. He raised an eyebrow at her. "So not a natural blonde then?" He heard Marcus and Alex snicker behind him and a few of the others in the pack do the same. Stacey's face 96

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went red with rage, and she snarled at him. Brian started to change, allowing his wolf free rein in its defence of his mate. Never taking his eyes from his challenger, he felt his bones reshaping and popping and could feel the fur erupt over his entire body. Within moments, he was standing there in wolf form, growling at the woman opposite him. "Go show her what you're made of, baby." Brian felt Marcus's confidence in him settle in his heart and gave his mate a quick nudge before slowly starting forward. He raised his lip in a growl when the light brown wolf, Stacey, leapt forward. Easily sidestepping her, he managed to connect his claws with her side. He heard a whimper escape from her, then Stacey turned and attacked again. Brian wasn't fast enough to avoid her a second time. She managed to get her jaws around his front left leg before he was able to pull away. Brian snapped at her back and felt his fangs sink into her skin. He could taste her blood as it filled his mouth. Brian rolled to his back, bringing Stacey down on top of him. He got his hind legs under her belly before kicking out with all his strength, sending her sailing through the air. She landed with a thump, on her back, a good ten meters away. Brian quickly rolled to his feet and stood ready for her next attack. His leg throbbed, but he could still put weight on it, so he was able to ignore the 97

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pain for the moment. Brian circled Stacey as she slowly got to her feet. He snapped his jaws at her again, wanting her to call the fight off and acknowledge his claim to Marcus, but talk about stubborn. Stacey attacked again. Brian leapt at the same time Stacey did, and they came together with jaws and claws attacking everything they could in mid-air. When they landed, Brian came down on top of Stacey with his jaws firmly locked around her throat. He growled at her to surrender, shaking his head and biting down harder when she didn't immediately give in. Stacey eventually whined in submission, her body going limp beneath his. Brian released her throat and stepped back, snapping his jaws at her one last time. Brian turned and started back towards his mate. Brian was halfway back to his mate when he heard a snarl behind him. Before he could turn around, he was tackled to the ground as claws shredded his back. He collapsed under the additional weight, and Brian attempted to roll over to get the psycho wolf off his back but was unsuccessful. The claws dug into his back farther and continued to rip at his skin. The weight suddenly lifted from him as he saw Alex in wolf form tackle Stacey to the ground, standing over her, snarling and snapping his jaws. Brian closed his

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eyes and curled up with a whimper at the pain racing through his body. **** Marcus watched in horror as Stacey attacked his mate after she lost the fight. He could tell Alex was shifting beside him as Marcus raced towards his Brian. He watched as Alex passed him and tackled the bitch to the ground. Racing to get to his mate, Marcus watched as Brian seemed to curl in on himself. Finally reaching his mate, Marcus collapsed to his knees. He didn't know where to touch, as there was so much blood covering Brian. "Brian, baby, please talk to me. Open your eyes, sweetheart." Brian whimpered. Marcus's heart just about broke at the sight of his mate in so much pain. Marcus gently ran his hands through his mate's fur, trying to avoid the worst of the damage on his back. "Baby, please try and change back. It'll help you heal." Marcus gently pulled Brian's head into his lap and continued to stroke his hands through Brian's soft fur. Marcus could hear Alex yelling at Stacey again somewhere behind him, but he was too worried about Brian to concentrate on what Alex was saying. The wolf in his lap let out a pained whimper and slowly started to shift back to human. The shift took longer to complete than normal. 99

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Marcus heard Brian moan and wished he could take his mate's pain away. He ran his hand lightly down his mate's back. The deep gashes Stacey had inflicted on his mate had healed to a point where they were only slightly weeping. Brian opened his eyes and slowly looked up at Marcus. "Hey, baby, how do you feel?' "Hmmm." "Close your eyes and try to sleep. Your body needs to heal." Brian nodded gently in agreement and closed his eyes again. Marcus could tell when Brian's body succumbed to sleep. Careful of where he placed his hands, Marcus gently lifted Brian fully into his arms and stood, holding his precious bundle close. He looked at his brothers and parents who had gathered around him, all looking grim. "I'm going to take him home," Marcus told them. "We'll let Alex know. How is he?" his dad asked quietly. Marcus tightened his grip on his mate, pulling him closer to his body. "He should be fine with some rest, I think." Marcus turned and walked out of the pack clearing. Marcus couldn't bring himself to focus on anything else but getting his mate home. He held the sleeping Brian in his arms as he carefully walked through the trees back to Brian's truck. Marcus was covered with a thin layer of sweat as he opened the passenger side door twenty minutes 100

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later. He had taken it slowly so as not to disturb Brian too much. Marcus carefully placed his still sleeping mate in the passenger seat and wrapped him in the blanket they now permanently kept in the truck for their runs. Getting into the driver's side, Marcus started the slow drive home. Letting out a sigh of relief when he pulled into the driveway, he quietly got out and ran to the front door to unlock it before going back for Brian. Brian snuggled into his warmth as Marcus lifted him into his arms and against his chest. Walking inside, he gently nudged the door closed with his foot before heading upstairs to their rooms. Pulling the blankets down on his bed one handed, he gently lay Brian down on his stomach, as most of his wounds were on his back. Marcus made his way into the bathroom to get a bowl with warm soapy water and a washcloth. Walking back into the bedroom, his breath caught in his chest at the sight of his mate. Brian was lying on their bed, covered head to hips in drying blood. Marcus felt his eyes prickle with tears he tried desperately to hold back. God, he just wanted to hit something. This should not have happened. Brian should not have had to suffer because some jealous ex wanted to get her claws into Marcus.

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Hopefully Alex had taken care of Stacey, 'cause if he saw her again, he reckoned he could just about strangle her, even though he was a police inspector and had sworn to protect the citizens of this town. The only protective instinct he had coursing through him at the moment was for his mate. Marcus sat on the side of the bed and started gently wiping down his mate. Brian moaned and tried to snuggle farther into the bed to get warm as the cool evening breeze from the open window hit his damp skin. Marcus tried to be as careful and quick as he could be. He still had to change the water halfway through from all the blood. After covering a couple of the larger cuts on his mate's back with bandages, he was finally finished. Marcus pulled the blankets up to cover Brian's body and tucked them in around his shoulders. Marcus quickly undressed and had a shower to clean away all the dried blood from carrying his mate. After drying himself roughly, Marcus crawled into bed and carefully pulled his mate into his arms. Brian's breathing seemed to become easier after Marcus wrapped him in his arms. Marcus placed a light kiss on the top of Brian's head and settled in to watch his mate sleep. Marcus heard his brother's car pull up about an hour later. Not long after there was a light tap on the bedroom door before it opened to reveal Alex standing in the 102

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doorway. He quietly walked into the bedroom and looked down at the sleeping man in Marcus's arms. "How is he?" Alex whispered. "He hasn't woken since he passed out at the field. I suspect his body just needs to heal. She did some serious damage to his back." Alex growled. "Get some sleep. We'll talk tomorrow." With that, he walked out the door, quietly closing it behind him. Marcus didn't think he would be able to sleep, so he continued to lay there and watch his mate breathe. At some point during the night, he succumbed to sleep, knowing that his mate was safe in his arms.

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Brian moaned as he slowly woke to light shining through the bedroom window. The muscles down his back felt like they had been through the wringer. The arms wrapped around him tightened, and he felt a light kiss against the side of his neck where his mating mark was. This caused pleasure to shoot through his body, and his cock started to harden. "Hmm, morning, my mate," Brian said quietly as he wiggled his ass against the beautiful stiff cock poking him in his lower back. Brian received a light slap to his ass for his efforts and a "stop that" from his mate. Brian groaned as heat spread through his ass. "Like that do you, baby?" Marcus growled in his ear as he rubbed his hand over the slowly warming area he had slapped. "I think that's something we should explore later, don't you, baby?" Brian felt his cheeks heat as he ground his ass back against Marcus and slowly nodded. "How are you feeling, baby? You need to stop that or I won't be able to stop myself from taking you. You scared me last night." "I'm sorry, Marcus. I didn't mean to. I feel good. A little tired still, and my back's a little tender. But apart from 104

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that, I'm fine. Good enough for a little loving even." Brian turned his head and sought out his mate's lips. The kiss was slow and gentle. Everything Brian wanted at that time. Moaning into Marcus's mouth, he ground his ass back against Marcus. He whimpered as his back twinged and sent a shot of pain through him. Marcus took hold of his hips and firmly held them away from his body. "Baby, you have to lie still. Stay on your side that way. We'll keep as much pressure off your back as possible. Let me do the all the work or we'll wait till you're fully healed." "No, I'll be good," he said quickly as he tried to stop from reaching for his mate. Brian pulled his leg up to rest against the bed, opening himself to Marcus. Marcus quickly reached over the top of him to snatch the lube off the top of the bedside table. Within moments, Brian felt his mate's slick fingers at his back entrance. Marcus slowly slid one finger inside his ass, keeping his rhythm slow and gentle. Brian wanted to growl and thrust back, but knew if he did, Marcus would make good on his promise to wait. "More, Marcus. I need more," Brian panted. "I know what you need, baby." Marcus ever so slowly inserted a second finger, searching for that spot inside him. 105

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"Oh god." Brian tried his hardest to remain still, knowing if he arched his back like he wanted to, he would be in pain. "Found it," came the triumphant reply. Marcus's fingers were driving him crazy. "Marcus, either get a move on or I'll do it myself." Brian growled at his mate, wanting more. "Now that would be a sight to see, baby," Marcus said as he inserted a third finger and started to thrust a little harder. Marcus removed his fingers, and Brian whimpered at the feeling of loss. "Shh, baby. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere." Marcus's fingers were quickly replaced with the blunt head of his mate's cock. Marcus wrapped his arms around him to make sure he couldn't move and slowly started to sink into his ass. "Argh, god, that feels good, Marcus. Don't stop." "Not going to, baby. God, I love your ass. The way it grabs at me and practically sucks me right in, like it's welcoming me home." Brian moaned at Marcus's words. Marcus bottomed out and slowly drew his cock back out again so only the tip was still inside him. He then gently thrust back in again. Marcus started up a steady rhythm in and out of Brian's body. Brian couldn't move. The hold Marcus had on him 106

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was complete, and all he could do was accept the gentle pace his lover set. Marcus's hand moved down his body to wrap itself around his cock. Marcus started to stroke him in time to his thrusts. "Ugnh… Marcus… gonna…" Brian was going out of his mind. He couldn't think. All he could feel was the tingling racing down his spine as his balls drew up against his body and his cock swelled in Marcus hand. "Marcus!" He cried out as cum shot out the tip of his cock and painted his belly and the sheets. He felt his ass clamp around the stiff rod pounding it and heard Marcus hiss. Brian felt his channel bathed in heat as his mate came. The knot at the end of Marcus's cock lengthened and took hold of his prostate. "Oh god." Brian moaned as his balls drew up again, and a second, smaller orgasm racked his body. Marcus nuzzled at the nape of his neck and gentled his hold around him. "You okay, baby? You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" "I'm fine, Marcus. I feel better now than I did when I woke up." Brian smiled and turned his head so he could get a kiss from his mate. Marcus never denied him anything and leaned down to slowly, passionately kiss him. They lay in 107

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each other's arms basking in the glow of great sex and the love they shared for each other until the knot eventually receded. Marcus gently pulled his cock free and got out of bed. "Come on, baby, shower time, and then we have to go downstairs and talk to Alex." Brian didn't argue. Why would he when he got to see his sexy mate naked and wet? Yum. Brian stood still as Marcus removed the bandages from his back, then followed Marcus into the shower and walked straight into his arms. Wrapping his arms around Marcus's waist, he laid his head against Marcus's chest and just breathed in the scent of his mate while the warm water streamed down his tender back. "I love you." "Love you too, baby." They had a slow leisurely shower. Marcus took great care of Brian's tender back while washing his body thoroughly. They ended their shower and dried themselves, sharing a few more kisses. Their bodies still sated from their earlier romp in bed, and now clean and dressed, they headed downstairs holding hands. Brian took it slower than he usually did, as his back was still twinging at any large movements. Marcus never mentioned anything and just kept pace with him.

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Entering the kitchen, Marcus led him to the table and told him to sit. Alex, Simon, and Rick were all there, and Marcus went to get them something to eat. "How're you feeling this morning?" Alex asked him. "I'm good. Back's a little tender, but hopefully it should heal properly by tomorrow." Brian tilted his head back so he could kiss Marcus as his mate placed some toast and coffee in front of him. Picking up his cup, he smiled as he scented the rich aroma that he was sure smelled just like heaven would. Taking a sip of his coffee, he moaned in delight at the taste and sat back in his chair, careful of his back, to savour it. He could hear Marcus chuckle beside him at his reaction, but he didn't care. Finally putting the cup down, he picked up his toast and started eating. "So what happened last night after we left?" Marcus asked his brothers. "No, I want to know everything that happened last night. All I remember is winning the fight and heading back to you then there was a lot of pain and I woke up this morning in bed with my back aching." He frowned. He had a good idea what had happened, but he would still like to know the particulars. It was Alex who replied. "Pack law states that if there is more than one person interested in someone you can challenge for the 109

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right to mate. You fought for the right to be with Marcus." Alex tipped his head at Brian. He acknowledged him with a smile. "You won the right to your mate when you bested Stacey, and that should have been the end of it. However, I believe Stacey didn't see it that way. On your way back to Marcus, Stacey attacked you from behind. She did a fair amount of damage to your back with her claws before Marcus and I could get to you. I took care of Stacey while Marcus took care of you. Once you changed back to human, a lot of the major damage had healed enough to slow the bleeding to a manageable level. Marcus then took you home, and I continued to deal with Stacey." "What happened to her?" Marcus almost growled at his brother. Brian slipped his hand into Marcus's and squeezed, offering him comfort. Marcus squeezed his hand back and gave him a small smile. Alex sighed. "She tried to fight me when I tackled her off you last night. I didn't damage her as much as I could have. I forced her to change back to human so she could answer for her crimes. The fight was over, and what she did constituted a blatant attack on my brother's mate. I stripped her of pack by banishing her, which means she is no longer allowed to attend pack functions or enter packowned businesses. She is able to stay in the town, as I have 110

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no control over where she lives, but I made it quite clear that, as Marcus is a policeman, he would not tolerate any further attempts on his mate's life. If she wishes to join another pack then she will have to leave town. I think she will, as most of her friends were pack, and they can't stand the sight of her after what she did." "Holy shit." "If she comes anywhere near you, you tell me right away. Understand?" Marcus growled in Brian's ear. "Marcus, I can take care of myself. I defeated her once last night. I can do it again. I just wasn't expecting an attack after the fight was over, that's all." Brian let go of Marcus's hand and sat back in his chair, not happy that Marcus didn't trust him to look after himself. "I know you can, baby, but please. You mean the world to me, and if she sticks around, I need to keep an eye on her." When Brian didn't respond, Marcus tried again. "Please, for me?" "Fine." "Thank you, baby." Brian couldn't help the small smile that turned up the sides of his mouth. As much as Marcus being all protective annoyed him, he loved the fact that someone cared about him that much. Getting up, he settled himself down in Marcus's lap, twisting his head back to kiss 111

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Marcus gently on the cheek. As he was pulling back, the phone in his pocket rang. Wriggling around on Marcus so he could pull it out of his pocket, he looked at the screen and felt himself smile. Pressing to accept the call, he pulled it to his ear and settled back against his strong mate as arms wrapped around his waist. "Jase. How are ya, man?" There was silence on the other end of the line for a minute. "Bri." Jason sounded really tentative. "Hey, what's wrong? You okay?" "Yeah, man, I'm okay. Hey look, is that offer to visit still open?" "Hang on. I'll just make sure it's okay with the guys." Brian looked up at the men sitting around the breakfast table. "Guys, is it okay if my friend Jason comes to visit?" "Sure," both Simon and Rick replied. He looked to Alex, who had not answered his question yet. He was staring at his mobile with a weirdest look on his face. "Alex?" Alex started and shook his head as if to clear it. "What? Oh yeah fine." Brian turned back to the phone. "Sure, man. When can you be here?" 112

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"Umm. I'm sort of at the town limits now." "What! Shit, Jase, what the hell happened?" "I'll tell you when I get there." "Okay." Brian gave Jason directions to the house and hung up, telling him he would see him in less than ten minutes. "Everything okay, baby?" Marcus whispered in his ear. "I don't know. Something happened to make Jason drive all this way. I guess we'll find out soon enough." Brian settled back in Marcus's arms. "Maybe he'll find his happiness here the way I have." Brian gave a little chuckle. "As unexpected as it was." "You know, baby, you may have been an unexpected mate, but I'm grateful for every day I have you in my life." Marcus hugged him tighter, and Brian sighed, comforted in the fact that he was safe and loved.

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About the Author Well, what can I say about me? I'm twenty-eight, married and a mother to one. I work full time, and when I'm not spending time with my family or friends, you can find me either reading on my laptop or writing. After spending god knows how much money on my reading obsession (yes, I can admit I'm a little obsessed), I decided to give writing my own book a try. I still can't believe someone thought it was good enough to publish. I'm certainly not going to argue with them. I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoyed writing it. Webpage: www.tonigriffin.net Blog: www.tonigriffin.blogspot.com

Also by Toni Griffin Available at Silver Publishing: THE HOLLAND BROTHERS Unexpected Mate Determined Mate (Feb 19)