bit the side of Fenrir’s neck with his wolf teeth until he tasted blood, licked it, sucked at it, then shoved

himself as far inside the other man’s body as he could, and came with an all-over shudder. He climax

exploded within him and he spurted copious seed deep inside Fenrir’s ass, pulled out and spurted yet

more seed over Fenrir’s balls and against his lower belly, flooding the man with his sticky scent, marking

him as a lower rank.

If it bothered Fenrir, he didn’t show it. He lay contentedly on the floor, an arm behind his head, moaning

in pleasure while Kevin dominated him.

Later, while Kevin stood over the banquet table, chewing on his third giant hunk of roasted mutton, Roman

came up behind him, dressed in only a long, forest-green robe, and wrapped an arm around his waist. He

nuzzled into the side of Kevin’s neck. “I take it you two have made peace?”

Kevin thought about that. “Somehow, I don’t think Fenrir sees it that way.”

“He says he did not kill that man.”

“And you believe him?”

Roman stiffened slightly. “He’s been my lieutenant and lover for years,” he growled faintly against

Kevin’s throat, and Kevin could tell they were walking in dangerous territory. How much did Roman love

his pack? Enough to cover all their “indiscretion,” as he put it?

“I think it’s time I went home.” Kevin shrugged loose, gathered his clothes, and headed out of the common

room and into the hall that led to the door.

Kevin looked around at all the luxury surrounding him and shook his head as he worked at buttoning up

his shirt. It was obvious that Roman would do nothing about Fenrir’s crime. A man was dead—not a good

man, sure—but a human nonetheless, and there would be no repercussions. Fenrir—indeed, all of

Roman’s companions—were no different, really, than the works of art on the walls of his home. There to

be seen and admired. Owned. Protected. They were something that belonged to Roman, and he seemed no

more willing to dispose of them than anything else in his house. It shouldn’t have bothered Kevin so much,

but it did.

As Kevin reached for the door, Roman put his hand on Kevin’s to halt him. Kevin started; he’d never even

heard Roman following him. Angry, he rounded on the man, then stopped. He looked so beautiful standing

there in his open robe, naked beneath and gleaming, his cock already stiffening. The warm, musky scent of

his arousal made Kevin squirm, but this time he took pains to ignore it. “Let me go, Roman.”

“You could stay with us. With me. I would take care of you. I would protect you and provide for you as I

do for the others.” His hand tightened marginally around Kevin’s wrist, then he brought his lover’s hand

forward under the robe so Kevin was touching the pulsing hardness of Roman’s ready cock. “You would

want for nothing.”

“Like the others.” Kevin shook his head. “I have a life, Roman. I have my sister to look after.”

“A human life,” Roman scoffed. “A life that won’t last. A life wasted.”

“Maybe. But it’s mine to waste.”

“You are not human, Kevin,” Roman said in a soft but vibrating voice. “You’re a wolf that has been made

a man. Not the other way around. You don’t belong with them.”

“I’m not sure I belong here, either.”

Roman let him go, then, with a flare of desire burning in his eyes, pushed him back against the wall by the

door and started kissing him, sweetly and tenderly. Kevin started resisting him, but Roman pinned both his

wrists to the wall. He rubbed his stiff dick against the front of Kevin’s jeans, wetting them. Roman’s wolf

called to him and the temptation was simply too great. Kevin opened his mouth to Roman’s kiss and soon

they were biting at each other’s open mouths, tongue-wrestling and moaning and growling. Roman

released Kevin long enough to reach for his jeans and undo them. He pushed them down just far enough to

find his way inside Kevin’s body, gripping Kevin’s ass and lifting him enough to impale him on his ready

cock.

Kevin was still wet from his rutting with Jonah. He sighed as he took the whole girth of Roman’s

magnificent cock at once. Roman started moving, humping him against the wall in a series of hard, upward

thrusts that scratched his back against the wainscoting. Roman panted with each impact, the smell of the

wolf strong on him. Their eyes locked and Kevin saw the lust there…and the love.

Roman loved him. He saw that clearly.

Their rutting was short, sweet and harsh. Roman came quickly, shuddering to climax deep in Kevin’s

body, flooding him with heat and seed and desire. He let him down, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt,

kissed him hard. “I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you, Golden Eyes,” Roman panted against his

mouth. “Stay with me. Let me love you.”

Kevin gasped, rubbed himself against the front of his lover. “Oh god, Roman.”

“I love you,” Roman admitted. “I need you. I have since the moment we met.”

Kevin groaned, faintly astonished by Roman’s admission. He knew if he stayed, he’d be giving in. From

there, it would only be a short fall to becoming like the others. “If you love me, you’ll let me leave,” he

whispered, disentangling himself. “Because you know that if I love you, I’ll come back to you.”

Looking reluctant, Roman let him go. It was all Kevin could do to keep from crying. He wordlessly put

himself back together and left the house before Roman could see the tears in his eyes.

***

Chapter Eighteen

“Something bothering you, big bro?” Hannah asked as she carried another box of cans into the old United

Methodist Church only a few blocks from their apartment building.

Kevin tried to ignore her question. Once a month, on a Saturday afternoon, Kevin helped his sister with

the local food drive. It was a worthy cause and he enjoyed helping out those in need. A big part of him

was happy it had fallen on this weekend; that meant he had a legitimate excuse not to see Roman or be

with the pack.

Time, he thought. I need time to sort things out.

How ironic that only a month ago, when he had first met Roman, he had wanted nothing more than to

spend every waking moment with his new family. To run with them and learn what it meant to be a

Pedigree werewolf. He’d wanted so desperately to be in Roman’s bed, in his heart. Now, though, he

realized that time apart was exactly what he needed to put his head together properly.

Roman said he loved him, but Kevin wasn’t sure what that meant. Did Roman love him as a lover, or as

something to own and dominate? It was almost impossible for him to understand their alpha. Roman was

so old, so mysterious. He felt like a man trying to see inside the mind of a god.

Hannah’s boyfriend Matthew stood outside the box truck parked in the delivery alley, holding a case of

canned tomatoes. “Earth to Kevin,” he said to get Kevin’s attention.

Kevin shook himself from his fugue and took it. It felt about as heavy as a pillow. He was surprised by