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  They came at each other’s throat, nipping and wrestling at each other only to draw back, scrutinizing each other like equals. Both were covered in bloody nicks and scratches by now. Nicky licked at one injured paw while the russet wolf seemed unconcerned about his own injuries, his amber eyes trained solely on the black-furred Alpha.

  What a monster.

  Not cowed, Nicky issued a final bellow of challenge. The challenger, undeterred and determined, only echoed it. The two combatants began to circle each other. Was the russet wolf fighting on Jack’s behalf? But why? And just who was that wolf? Jack was stunned. No one had ever fought on his behalf before. A Gamma wasn’t exactly a treasured prize.

  Apprehensive about the final outcome of the match, Jack managed a sitting position and ignored his protesting leg. Nicky broke the tension and made the first move. The Alpha was a deadly black blur of force. Snarling, the russet wolf met his charge.

  Nicky slammed and successfully tackled the intruder, his claws raking at the vulnerable underbelly of the russet wolf. Undaunted by the unfortunate position he was forced into, the other wolf fought to regain control. Snarling, the big red managed to clamp its jaws on Nicky’s neck.

  Jack could only watch, paralyzed, as the russet wolf ripped its teeth across Nicky’s throat. The great black head let out a painful dying sound, its throat gurgling blood and its paws making one last desperate fight. Jack’s savior didn’t budge one bit. He only clamped his jaws shut over Nicky until the Alpha let out his last dying breath.

  The russet wolf finally placed Nicky’s body down and let out a triumphant howl that prickled at Jack’s skin. Finally, he turned his attention to Jack. Fear wormed its way into Jack’s heart. His hands began to shake. In fact, his entire body began to shake.

  He beat Nicky. He beat the Alpha that was the scourge of the West Cities.

  Jack swallowed. His mouth was dry. Was this wolf going to be his new master now? Would he force Jack into submission and keep him collared and bowed just as Nicky had before he found the courage to run away?

  The large russet wolf trotted over to him, his nails clicking on the gravel. The wolf inside Jack was strangely unafraid of this powerful new wolf though. His wolf was pleased and happy to see him. The wolf had been waiting for a long time after all, knowing the red one would come. An odd feeling of warmth then infused Jack. It spread from his insides and coursed to his limbs.

  Mate, his wolf said in a chiding voice. Our mate.

  Jack flinched as the red wolf neared him, but its tongue only darted out to lick at his bleeding cheek. Feeling foolish, Jack hesitantly reached out to touch its fur. Jack wasn’t sure how hurt he was, because whatever injuries the red wolf sustained on his behalf were masked by the brilliant color of his fur.

  A pang of shame hit Jack, but it quickly passed. There were other ways to repay his savior. He could treat his wounds. He could nestle closely to the man beneath the fur to keep him warm on the coming winter months.

  Jack breathed the scent of his new savior and was no longer afraid. In fact, his heart slowed to a steady and certain beat. For some unexplainable reason, he knew this wolf wouldn’t hurt him. In fact, it was the opposite. This wolf would keep him safe.

  “Mate.” The word was strange on Jack’s lips.

  The wolf licked at his face again in assent, and his amber eyes looked satisfied. He then parted from Jack, his tail swishing back and forth. He raised his head and cocked his ears, as if to say listen. Obeying, Jack strained his ears and heard the sounds of yips and howls in the distance.

  “Local pack,” he whispered in understanding, looking at the russet wolf for help.

  It trotted forward a few steps away from Jack, turning his head to the direction of the street. It was about time we made our exit, the other wolf said.

  “I can’t walk,” Jack admitted, feeling weak and pathetic.

  The wolf examined the wound on his leg and growled softly. Oddly, the wolf looked like it was thinking, before finally lowering its body. Jack wasn’t entirely sure he understood though.

  “You … will carry me?” He asked with unconcealed surprise.

  Werewolves weren’t ponies, and dominant wolves didn’t carry their Gammas around. In werewolf hierarchy, the weak were left behind or finished off, but this great wolf was telling Jack he could ride him.

  Impatient, the wolf lightly and gently nipped at him. The howls were coming closer to the park.

  With no other option, Jack grunted and cursed, eventually managing to roll himself on top of the wolf’s shaggy back. The wolf’s pelt was unbelievably warm against him.

  “Whoa! Hey!” Jack barely managed to wrap his arms around the wolf’s neck as it broke into a run.

  Its muscles bunched and strained beneath Jack, who shivered. He could barely imagine what kind of human shape his champion took. Would he be a large imposing man like Nicky? But Jack didn’t associate fear with this wolf.

  Jack leaned his cheek against the wolf’s rough fur, breathing in its smell of musk and blood. The wind whipped against his clothes and face, but Jack wasn’t worried about falling off the large wolf even though he was likely to slide off any moment. The wolf would make sure he didn’t fall. Even if Jack fell, he would lower himself again so Jack could hold on.

  Miraculously though, Jack didn’t fall. Sick and tired of always running and never staying put in one place for long, Jack realized that he never felt this peaceful in a very long time.

  In fact, he’d realized that he’d never felt this content.

  Chapter Three

  With his head throbbing and his body aching everywhere, Derrick wasn’t really surprised to wake up in a cranky mood. The bedsprings creaked under him, and he turned on his good side. The sound of the springs grated on his ears. For some reason, they were abhorrently loud. Derrick didn’t remember why there was a blanket over him, too. Annoyed and hot, he attempted to toss it aside.

  When had he found the time to get himself a blanket last night? In fact, the more he thought about last night, the more he drew into a confused mess of images. The springs creaked again, but Derrick didn’t dare move. He froze.

  His ears caught the sound of a faint buzzing. The sound reminded him of someone snoozing lightly. Someone is in bed with me. Derrick nearly bolted out of the bed in panic, but his wolf didn’t sense any threat. Something soft brushed against his exposed side. An arm. That arm slid across his side and rested on his hairy belly in a rather alarmingly possessive matter. This is nice. Jared never held me like this.

  Derrick shook himself away from such thoughts, gingerly lifting the hand away from him. He turned to face the other occupant in bed.

  “Hi. Good morning again.” A handsome face framed by dark brown shaggy hair leaned forward towards him. Before Derrick could back, the other man kissed him. The moment his lips touched his, all thoughts of pulling away fled from the Beta’s mind.

  The tingle he that jumped up his arm yesterday had felt a little like this, only this was something else. Something that was more wild and demanding. Derrick found his large and clumsy hands pulling the other man towards him. With his astounding string of failed relationships, the Beta almost expected the other man to pull away in disgust, but he only leaned forward into Derrick’s embrace.

  Kisses with Jared were never like this. None of the kisses I had with other men were like this.

  “I don’t even know your name,” Derrick said, breathless when he pulled back. It seemed important he should know something simple as the other man’s name. Reluctantly, he let the other man go even though the wolf inside him impatiently glared at him.

  “It’s Jack,” the Gamma answered. His bright blue eyes were trained on Derrick. “Jack Lee.”

  The intensity of his gaze unsettled Derrick. It felt like the Gamma was capable of seeing past what his other lovers could not, and the feeling of being this exposed to another wolf both terrified and unsettled Derrick. Was this what it was truly like, when a wolf finally found its true mate? Hi
s connection to Jared felt flimsy and artificial compared to this. How had he managed to live this long without having Jack by his side?

  “Jack, nice to meet you. I’m Derrick Starr,” Derrick said lamely. Now that the passion of the kiss was fading, he felt awkward and uncertain again. Was this like the cupcake incident yesterday morning? Was this just another random act of kindness on the Gamma’s part?

  “Derrick,” the Gamma said his name slowly and thoughtfully, as if he was relishing the sound of his syllables on his lips.

  “Listen, Jack. About last night, please don’t think you owe me a favor or anything like that,” Derrick began.

  He didn’t entirely understand what happened last night, and he didn’t expect Jack to unload his secrets to some random stranger. All Derrick knew was that he’d never felt such rage in a long time. He’d made peace with his savage side a long time ago, but the sheer protective instinct he’d developed for the Gamma was dangerous. If he was a real Beta, things would go the way he wanted. He’d never let Jack Lee out of his sight again because the Gamma was rightfully his and he belonged rightfully to the Gamma.

  Derrick the human coward would never do such a thing though, because he both loathed and was proud of the fact that he wasn’t like other wolves. He wouldn’t force a lesser wolf, much less his fated mate, to submit to him. It seemed to him that Jack already had endured enough abuse to last him a lifetime. The Gamma certainly deserved better.

  That could be you, a voice reminded him.

  “What I’m saying is, I don’t have a lot, but if you need anything else, like cash for a bus or train ticket I can get you those things.” Derrick regretted the words the instant they tumbled out of his mouth.

  The frown on the Gamma’s features deepened. “You want me to leave?”

  “No,” Derrick said quickly, raising his hand, “But I don’t want to force you into—”

  “No one is forcing me to stay here!”

  “I—” Derrick was confused. Jack Lee confused him because the Gamma wasn’t like any other wolves or men he’d ever encountered.

  “If you want me to leave, you just have to tell me,” Jack snapped.

  Sudden panic gripped Derrick when the Gamma ripped the rest of the sheets away from him, revealing his deliciously lean body. Derrick grabbed his arm.

  “That’s not what I meant, hot shot,” Derrick interrupted, a little ticked off.

  “Hot shot?” Jack snarled.

  The little wolf certainly has a bit of teeth to him.

  “Yeah, why don’t you stay put and let me explain?” At his patient tone, Jack sat back against his pillows, crossing his arms against his bare chest. Derrick suddenly remembered the uneaten cupcake still in his fridge and thought of spreading all that frosting on the Gamma’s bronze chest.

  “Sure. If you no longer look like you want to eat me,” Jack snorted.

  “Oh believe me, I’d rather not eat you. You hardly have any meat on you,” Derrick sneered.

  “Yeah?”

  When did he ever miss the Gamma’s rebellious streak? But Derrick found that he liked a little pertness to the sharp-tongued Gamma. It was better at least, than an injured and frightened wolf.

  “I’d rather fuck you.” The crass words were out of Derrick’s mouth before he could stop himself. He’d expected Jack to look disgusted, but the Gamma only turned a bright shade of red.

  “Well, why don’t you? Big man like yourself, heck a deadly, beautiful wolf like you, wouldn’t have any trouble taking a little Gamma like me.”

  Derrick was flabbergasted. It didn’t seem Jack was lying. He might have delivered his little speech in a defiant and challenging matter, but Derrick found it endearing. In fact, the little Gamma sounded and looked so serious that Derrick wanted to grab his face and kiss him again. This time though, there would be much more than kisses.

  “What?” Jack finally asked at Derrick’s silence, cheeks still red.

  “You called my wolf beautiful.” Derrick swallowed. “I don’t think it is. Flattery won’t get you anywhere, little wolf. I’ve known for a long time that there’s nothing remotely special or interesting about me.”

  The Gamma did the worst thing Derrick could imagine. He threw back his head and laughed a full-throated laugh. If Derrick weren’t so ashamed or pissed he would have sealed those damned lips shut. When Jack saw Derrick’s grim expression, he stopped.

  “Wait … you can’t be serious?” The Gamma sobered up. Derrick nearly winced when Jack reached out to touch the rough bristles of his unshaven cheek.

  “Let me prove it to you then, how I see you,” Jack said, leaning forward until their noses were touching. “Let me prove it to you that I’m worth keeping.”

  “Hold on a second, isn’t your foot injured? We need to get that checked,” Derrick pointed out, hating himself for the interruption.

  “It’s all healed up,” the Gamma insisted. Derrick wasn’t sure why the little wolf looked so pissed when he demanded he lie down so he could make sure the injury was indeed healing. Why the hell wasn’t his leg wrapped in bandages? Derrick furrowed his brows and touched the dried blood. Why wasn’t it bleeding?

  “Are you always such a damn worrywart?” Jack challenged when Derrick disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a first-aid kit.

  “Just shut up and let me examine the wound,” Derrick demanded, sitting by the bed. It only got on his nerves the way Jack looked smugly at him when he cleaned away the dried blood. The wound wasn’t just healing. It was fully and completely healed. Only a shiny pink scar remained.

  “How’s this possible?” Derrick found himself asking.

  “Mate bonds work the same as pack magic,” Jack explained, crossing his arms. “Satisfied?”

  “I’ve heard of that, but I’ve never actually seen it,” Derrick murmured.

  “So can we continue, or do you have another excuse?” Jack demanded.

  Derrick had a mind to say something witty, but the Gamma slid one hand at the back of Derrick’s neck and leaned forward to kiss him again. His other hand rested on Derrick’s chest. Warmth exploded inside Derrick’s mouth, making him pull Jack towards him. The Gamma didn’t protest. He only leaned closer, his skin rubbing against him.

  The need to touch his mate enveloped him. Their bodies needed to touch and kiss, to caress and torment, and to know every single inch of each other. It eluded Derrick suddenly, why he’d been such a fool. How did he live this long, without knowing the touch of his fated mate?

  Derrick could feel the Gamma’s wolf, contained inside his lovely lean body. Jack’s wolf happily rubbed against his own wolf, and the great red only rumbled its growing approval. The Gamma’s pert hands wandered, tweaking one of his nipples until it was hard. Derrick moaned, but it was silenced by Jack’s persistent mouth. Jack’s hand wandered with deliberate slowness down his chest and his belly, until it curved around his growing hardness.

  Derrick dislodged his mouth to whisper, “You horny little wolf.”

  Jack didn’t answer him. The Gamma only pressed his lips against his, his hand busy at work. Jack stroked, fondled, and caressed his cock until it was nearly hard and ready.

  “Wait.” Derrick gasped, tearing his mouth away. “I don’t think—I said wait, damn it.”

  This time, he took both the Gamma’s wrists in both his large hands. Jack rewarded him with wide and surprised eyes, and Derrick let him go. A hint of fear still lingered there, and Derrick realized they should take things slow despite Jack’s mouthy attitude. One thing was certain though. He didn’t regret tearing that black bastard Alpha’s throat last night. Derrick just wished he made the black bastard suffer even longer.

  “Wait, I need to get the lube.” His quiet words seemed to calm the other man.

  Derrick clumsily fumbled for the lube inside his messy drawer, gritting his teeth at his aching cock. When he finally found it, he half-expected the Gamma to have bolted out the door and out of his life. He wouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn�
��t the first time a submissive wolf had run away from him. Finally having second thoughts perhaps?

  Instead, Jack had positioned himself at the edge of the bed, legs spread, a wicked smile plastered on his face. There was no hesitation. His lips only grew wider when Derrick loomed over him and began to uncap the lube.

  “Come on,” the Gamma even whispered, his voice full of need.

  Derrick leaned forward and began to spread the lube around the rim of Jack’s ass. When the Gamma began to squirm and groan at his circling fingers, all nervousness fled him. Derrick placed a heavy, but gentle paw against Jack’s thigh to keep him steady.

  His cock was growing harder than ever, and it didn’t help that Jack kept saying, “Please. Please.”

  “I think you’re finally ready, little wolf,” Derrick decided.

  Beneath him, Jack scowled up at him at the nickname. Derrick only smiled and continued rubbing the sensitive line of loosening flesh. The Gamma’s head fell back with a sigh. Jack was breathing deeply, but not in fear. A delicious thrill knifed through Derrick. He could feel every inch of Jack’s eager skin quivering under his hands.

  “I’ve been more than ready since the beginning, you big bastard,” Jack muttered.

  He said no more when Derrick parted his legs. Derrick’s tip went in Jack’s ass. He tried to control himself when Jack let out another needy moan. Breathing hard himself, Derrick began to slowly ease himself inside his mate. There was no resistance. His finger had already softened up and readied his mate for his access.

  “Faster. Harder,” Jack moaned when Derrick was nearly hilt deep into him. Derrick was, of course, only happy to comply. He trusted that Jack knew what he wanted and was certain that the Gamma could take him.

  Gripping Jack’s legs firmly, he began to ride the Gamma. Encouraged by Jack’s squirming and groans of pleasure, Derrick began increasing his rhythm and pace. It felt like something simply clicked into place as Derrick pounded into his willing mate. This was perfect. They were like a damn perfect puzzle. Why the hell had they waited so long?