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  Sam’s inner ass muscles clamped hard on his dick.

  “Breathe,” he told his human. Sam obeyed, relaxed those muscles so Kris could hammer his cock home, until he was balls deep inside Sam.

  “So big,” Sam murmured.

  Kris began to move, finding a rhythm which suited them both. He teased moans out of Sam and rode him faster. Sweat beaded their bodies. Sam started meeting him for every thrust. Each time their bodies kissed and collided, Kris could feel his wolf, his soul reaching out for Sam’s. He could almost touch it. Sam’s heart, which beat steady and confident for him.

  He fucked Sam faster, harder. Sam clawed at him. Who knew his human was a wild cat in the sack? Kris took Sam’s mouth, savoring the sweet taste of him. Kris released Sam’s mouth. Sam’s pupils were dilated, his mouth still swollen from the kiss. Possession surged through Kris’s entire body.

  Kris didn’t care what his pack thought of Sam. If Sam couldn’t stay here, then Kris would be willing to leave Ashfall Mountain. He’d become a loner if that meant staying with his mate.

  He pulled his dick out of Sam, then pushed in again. This time, Sam arched his back and gasped, his eyes flying wide open. Kris curved his lips to a smile and began aiming for Sam’s prostate repeatedly. Sam held on to his biceps as Kris rode him. His balls tightened against his body. Every muscle in his body tensed. With one last shove, the pressure building inside Kris burst open.

  With a growl, he came. Kris filled Sam’s ass with his seed. His mate shuddered against him. Sam rested head against his chest. Kris didn’t pull out his softening cock. Not yet. He wanted to stay inside Sam a little longer. He pressed a kiss to Sam’s mouth and started stroking Sam’s back with his fingertips.

  Kris felt completely sated. He’d never felt like this with any of the men he’d been with before, and he understood why. They weren’t his mates. Sam was.

  “I didn’t know sex could be like this,” Sam whispered against him. His human ran his fingers down the scar on his left pectoral. Sam traced the tattoo of a cobra there.

  “It’s part of my evil plan,” he said.

  “What plan?” Sam looked at him, eyebrows raised.

  “I’m going to make sure you’re addicted to my cock so you’ll think of no other man but me.”

  “There’s a flaw there,” Sam stated.

  “Hmm? Enlighten me.”

  “I’m already addicted,” Sam answered.

  Talking with Sam felt good, Kris realized. Sam made him comfortable in his own skin. Sam anchored his wolf, preventing it from becoming restless and eager to fight the other males in the pack. To fight Alec.

  “What are you thinking about?” Sam asked him.

  “Alec.”

  “Your brother? Okay, odd thing to think about after sex.”

  Kris laughed. “Every time I wake up in the morning, the first thing we do is draw blood. Fighting’s all I used to think about until I met you.”

  “Teddy hinted you and your brother don’t fight the way normal brothers do. It’s more serious than that, isn’t it?” Sam asked, sounding concerned.

  Kris nodded and told his human something he’d never told anyone before, even Dom, who had become his good friend. “It’s how Alec and I were taught. Our old pack, our family’s fucked up. My dad pitted us against each other all the time when we were growing up. He made us fight to the death.”

  Sam widened his eyes. “Oh my God, Kris. That’s awful. Your old man sounds a lot worse than mine.”

  “He told us whoever won would get to be Alpha.” Kris laughed. “In the end, no one got to be. Alec and I left the pack. When we heard there was a monster Alpha looking for pack members on Ashfall Mountain, we went here.”

  Kris paused, thinking. Sam didn’t interrupt or ask questions. His mate simply listened. Kris continued, “We knew what it meant coming here. The only reason shifters came here was to die. We knew sooner or later we’d become Feral. Might as well do it here, in a place where we won’t hurt innocent bystanders.”

  Sam’s slap echoed in the tiny cabin. Kris’s cheek stung a little, but he didn’t feel much pain. Sam’s pissed off look concerned him more. Sam gritted his teeth and punched him in the chest.

  “Don’t do that. Talk like you’re about to die. I won’t let you,” Sam said. The fire of determination blazing in Sam’s eyes took him slightly aback.

  Kris gave Sam a reassuring kiss on the mouth. “You don’t have to worry. I’ve found a reason to live.”

  “What?” Sam asked, looking confused.

  “You. Silly. Haven’t you been paying attention?” Kris asked him with a smile.

  * * * *

  Sam grimaced as Ryder started out belting out tunes again while strumming his guitar. The entire pack sat around the campfire while his man roasted deer meat on the open fire. Sam never had deer before, but it sure smelled good. His stomach rumbled. Next to him, Teddy continued telling him the story of how he marched up to Ashfall Mountain to see Dom and his brother, only to end up becoming Dom’s mate.

  Sam was fascinated, wanted to hear more, except Ryder’s horrible singing distracted him.

  “I told Dom right there and then I had no plans of leaving,” Teddy said proudly.

  “Wow, that must’ve taken guts,” Sam said.

  Teddy wasn’t a dominant shifter, not a fighter like the others. He was impressed. Teddy had been nothing but nice and friendly with him. Sam decided he liked Teddy very much. They had the potential to be friends even if Teddy’s mate didn’t seem to want him around. Dom made it clear Sam didn’t belong here when he joined them for dinner. The Beta and he didn’t exactly trade words, but the glare Dom directed at him the entire time told him plenty.

  Sam decided not to think about it too much. He ignored the scowling Beta and focused on his conversation with Teddy. Dom must be a good guy if Teddy mated him but still. He was one guy Sam didn’t want to mess with.

  He noticed the submissive werewolf touching the mate mark on his neck briefly. Envy hit him a second later. Kris had bit him but only left a hickey. Did Kris want something more? Sam certainly did. He knew deep down that Kris was it for him. No one else. He couldn’t see a future without Kris in it. Wistful thinking.

  Sam liked it out here. Most humans wouldn’t feel comfortable sitting around the campfire with a bunch of rowdy shifters. Sam, meanwhile, felt right at home chatting with Teddy while Kris cooked them all dinner and the others continued to bicker.

  “Shut the hell up, Ryder, or I’ll break that fucking guitar,” yelled Alec, rising to his feet.

  “No fighting. I want to enjoy one damn dinner without needing to break a fucking fight,” Dom warned.

  “They’re only screwing around, right?” Sam asked Teddy, who shook his head.

  “Brawling’s a must-have pastime around here,” Kris muttered next to him. “Meat’s almost ready.”

  “Finally!” Ryder declared, setting his guitar aside.

  Sam helped Kris serve dinner. Apart from the roasted meat, they had mashed potatoes, corn bread, and some greens. After distributing the food to Kris’s other pack mates, Sam sat back down. He tucked into his plate and gobbled everything up. Sam didn’t realize how hungry he was. Just as he was about to grab seconds, he heard Kris swear.

  He followed Kris’s gaze and stilled. A big and muscled wolf with black fur limped towards their direction.

  “Max,” Kris said. The other werewolves fell silent and merely watched Max limp towards his cabin.

  “He’s hurt. Shouldn’t we do something?” Sam asked.

  Teddy shook his head. “Max values his privacy. Doesn’t like anyone barging inside his personal space.”

  “You think he fought Talon, Dom? Or someone else?” Kris asked.

  Sam blinked. Talon was the Alpha of this pack and Alphas were protectors, yet Kris asked Dom the question in a matter-of-fact voice. Did this kind of thing happen all the time?

  “Don’t know,” Dom said. The Beta sounded tired. Teddy reached for his mate’
s hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “He’s here,” Alec said in a low voice.

  Sam didn’t even notice Talon arrive. The massive werewolf with the blood-red fur crept up on all of them. The Alpha reminded him of a hound summoned from the very deepest depths of hell. Talon’s fur looked matted, wet. Scratches covered his entire body.

  Sam swallowed. This very werewolf had come to his rescue, or at the very least, helped Kris get away so he could take Sam to the hospital. Surely there must be some good left in Talon.

  Sam was human, but he certainly felt something. The very air changed. It was chilly tonight, but suddenly, it felt warm. Goosebumps appeared over his arms. Sam didn’t know why he crept closer to Kris for comfort. As if sensing his apprehension, Kris slid one arm over his shoulders and pulled him close. The familiar smell and comforting heat of his wolf calmed him down, if only a little.

  Talon padded right towards them. Him. Teddy stood up, got between him and his brother, and held out his hands.

  “Teddy, don’t,” Dom hissed, grabbing his mate’s shoulder.

  “Brother, Sam’s here as a guest,” Teddy said. “I don’t know what you’re planning but—”

  Teddy didn’t finish his sentence. The Alpha let out a loud, rumbling growl that made Teddy flinch. Dom pulled his mate away from Talon and into his arms. Kris gripped his arm and rose to his feet, entire body tensed.

  Sweat trickled down Sam’s back. What was happening? One moment everyone was laughing, sharing crude jokes, and the next? Everyone acted like their Alpha was the enemy. Looking into Talon’s bloodshot yellow eyes, palpable fear filled every fiber of Sam’s being.

  Something wasn’t entirely right with Talon, and he was supposed to be Kris and everyone’s Alpha.

  Talon lifted his head and let out a bone-chilling howl. Snarls erupted from the other werewolves around him. Across the fire, he could see Ryder’s eyes turning yellow. Fangs peeked from Alec’s mouth. He turned to Kris and saw fur creeping up Kris’s arms and shoulders. Jesus. Talon was doing all this, he realized a second later, but why?

  “Get a fucking hold of yourself,” snapped Dom.

  The Beta was talking to Talon, he realized. Talon ignored Dom completely. The Alpha’s mad gaze was solely focused on Sam. Sam gulped. Everyone had warned him, even Kris. Sam wished he’d paid more attention.

  Chapter 8

  White-hot pain sliced through Kris’ entire body like knives. He gritted his teeth as his wolf tried to tear its way out of his skin. Not again. Fuck Talon and his need to display his dominance over every one of them. Ryder had already changed fully into a wolf and was staring daggers at Alec.

  This was what Talon did to all of them. Their useless, selfish Alpha wanted to see them tear each other apart. Kris willed the transformation back despite how much it hurt. He didn’t like the way Talon’s gaze was solely focused on Sam. His human. Sam was under his protection. Sam was fucking his.

  He stepped in front of Sam, using his body as a shield. Sam touched his arm, and that helped quiet the enraged beast inside of him.

  “Talon,” Sam began. His human flinched as Talon rattled a growl, but Sam held his ground. Kris was so damn proud of him at that moment. Few people could stand up to Talon the way Sam did.

  Sam started shake. Protective instincts rose over Kris, but he sensed Sam wanted to trade words with Talon.

  “I didn’t get a chance to thank you. Without your and Max’s help, Kris wouldn’t have been able to bring me to a hospital. I wouldn’t be alive here today,” Sam said.

  Kris molded himself behind Sam’s back, gripping his shoulders. He wanted to let his mate know he was standing right behind him, that he wasn’t alone. To his shock, Talon traded fur for human skin. Talon looked like a six-foot-seven demon incarnate covered in blood and gore.

  Kris’s wolf growled in warning inside of him. He could hold his own in a fight. He was a monster himself, but Talon was the king of monsters. Even if he’d lose, Kris would take on his Alpha if Talon so much as laid a finger on his mate.

  Talon closed the distance between Sam and him, and snarled right into Sam’s face. Sam sucked in a breath but never wavered.

  Never before had Kris been so aware of Sam’s fragility at that moment. One swipe of Talon’s claws to Sam’s throat or a slash of his fangs, and his mate, the one man he’d been searching for his entire life, would be gone.

  “You don’t belong here, human.” Talon spat out that last word like it was poison.

  “I do. Kris is my mate,” Sam said, his voice strong. “I’m not leaving.”

  Someone gasped. Probably Teddy.

  Talon and Sam continued their little staring contest. No one else spoke. Ryder hadn’t gone for Alec’s throat. Dom and Alec stopped shifting.

  “Do whatever you want,” Talon said with a scoff. The Alpha walked away and headed towards the left of the campsite, to his cabin.

  Kris let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Sam turned in his arms and hugged him tightly.

  “Oh my God. That was the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” Sam murmured.

  Kris ran his fingers through Sam’s hair. “You’re the bravest man I’ve ever met.”

  “That was awesome, Sam. Few people can stand up to my brother like that,” Teddy said. Dom approached them. Kris narrowed his eyes. Dom and he might be friends, but Dom made it clear earlier tonight that he wasn’t a fan of Sam being here.

  “I might’ve been wrong. You belong here after all,” was all the Beta said. Dom looked to him. “I’m going to talk to Max. Teddy, try to see if you can talk to Talon.”

  “On it, babe.” Before Teddy left, Kris noticed Teddy giving Sam a thumbs-up. Alec and Ryder seemed back to their normal selves and were getting dinner seconds.

  “That went well. I think,” Sam told him.

  “It did.” Kris gave Sam’s cheek a kiss. “Let’s take a walk. Get some air.”

  “Okay, but I can’t see in the dark,” Sam reminded him.

  “That’s fine. I’ll make sure you won’t trip,” Kris promised.

  “Ooh. The lovers are off to the woods to bang,” Ryder commented.

  On any normal day Kris wanted to punch Ryder in the face, but tonight, he didn’t. He held off, knowing Ryder was just letting off steam because he was also pissed at Talon. Something had to be done with Talon. That much was certain. Tomorrow, he’d approach Dom. Talon always left the campsite by the time the sun rose, so maybe they could all talk things through as a pack. Find a way to halt their Alpha’s slow descent into madness.

  For now, Kris simply wanted to enjoy the company of his mate.

  “You’re just jealous,” Alec was telling Ryder.

  “What did you just say?” Ryder demanded.

  Kris rolled his eyes and held out a hand to Sam, who took it. He led Sam into the woods, choosing their path carefully. Kris looked up at the night sky. The stars were out tonight, so it ought to provide some illumination for Sam. Kris matched his pace with Sam’s and patiently guided his mate through the cluster of trees.

  They didn’t speak, not until they arrived at Kris’s favorite spot, a cliff overlooking the forest.

  “Wow, this is awesome,” Sam said, letting go of his hand. Kris watched his mate walk to the edge of the cliff. “I can see the town from here. This is amazing, Kris.”

  “Glad you think so.” Kris stood next to his mate until their shoulders brushed against each other. “What did you think of tonight? Of Talon and the rest of my fucked-up pack?”

  Worry wormed its way inside Kris for a second. What if Sam decided he couldn’t handle his messy pack mates? Any sane human would be downright terrified after a confrontation with Talon. Sam had his whole life ahead of him. Kris doubted getting mixed up with shifters was part of that plan.

  Sam kissed his cheek and closed his hand over Kris’s. Seeing Sam’s smile stirred his dick awake. They just fucked earlier, and yet all Kris wanted to do was rip off Sam’s clothes, put him all fours, and ru
t him like an animal right on top of this cliff.

  Kris breathed hard, culling his urges as Sam stared out into the woods again.

  “Tonight was intense,” Sam admitted. “Is every day like this?”

  “It is.” No use hiding the truth from his mate. “I want you to stay here with me.”

  The words slipped out of his mouth without warning. Kris knew he was asking for too much. After all, Sam and he hadn’t known each other long. By human standards, Kris was moving too fast, but he couldn’t let Sam return to his old life. Not ever again. The Black Claws had Sam in their sights now, marked him as an enemy.

  If Sam argued he wanted to return to town, to his old home, then Kris was willing to knock him out, tie him to his bed, and keep him captive. He’d do anything to keep his mate safe, but it turned out he had nothing to worry about.

  “Okay.”

  At first, Kris thought he imagined Sam saying those words.

  “Yeah?” Kris asked.

  Sam nodded. “I know it sounds crazy, but it feels like everything that happened in my life has led me here, to you. If I return to my old apartment, I’m guessing those werepanthers would only track me down and finish the job.”

  “They won’t give you a quick death either. Those cats are fucking crazy.” Kris wasn’t scaring Sam on purpose, merely telling the truth. His apprehension about Sam leaving him disappeared. His mate was no flighty coward. Sam might be human, but he possessed the heart of a wolf.

  “Then I feel safer with you and your pack,” Sam said.

  “Even if everyone in my pack’s not entirely sane?” he asked. “I know Talon’s a lot to swallow.”

  “I think.” Sam paused, as if choosing his next words carefully. “He’s misunderstood.”

  “Remember what I told you about the shifters here?”

  Sam bit on his lower lip. “About you all coming here to die?”

  “Talon’s control over his beast is slipping day by day, and none of us know what to do about it. He’s an asshole most of the time, but then he does something unpredictable like having my back so I can save you.” Kris blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t want to give up on him or this pack yet.”