pulled back, Kevin was breathless and panting, overjoyed to see his lover after so long.

Roman slid a hand down his back to his ass, pulling him tight against the front of his body. He grinned in

his wolfish way when he felt Kevin’s hard-on. “I take it you’re happy to see me, young wolf,” he said as

the respective bulges in their trousers bumped.

“Christ, you have no idea.” Kevin was shaking. He seized Roman’s cheeks, kissed him, kissed him again.

He nuzzled the side of his lover’s throat, breathed in his warm, comforting, forest scent. “I thought you’d

never return. I thought I would be alone forever.”

“You must have faith, my golden-eyed beauty,” he said. He stroked Kevin’s hair lovingly, whisked his

long fingers through it. “I was sorting out pack business, but I was also working on arranging a more

permanent residence in this city.” He pulled loose a key on a long red ribbon. “For you.”

Kevin looked at the key in confusion. “I don’t understand.” Kevin smiled. “Did you buy a new house?”

“Quite the opposite. I disposed of the mansion. It suited Anya. It does not suit me.” Roman indicated the

room. “I purchased this club from your employer just today. It turns out she had planned to retire soon and

was looking to sell. You didn’t know?”

Kevin shook his head. “She never told me.” He took the key from Roman and looked at it. “You’re making

me the manager?” The idea filled him with insane pride and not a little fear. He’d never really been in

charge of anything before.

“No.”

Kevin gave his alpha a bemused look and Roman smiled a little dubiously. “Not the manager. The coowner.”

He whipped out some sheets of paper from under his coat and handed them to Kevin. It was the

deed to the club. “There are papers we have to sort out, of course, but that’s all a formality.”

“Roman,” Kevin said. He was shaking again. “I can’t just take this place like some kind of…of gift.”

Roman raised his finger. “Not a gift. An investment. You’re now my business partner in this

establishment.” He laid the finger to Kevin’s lips. “And I expect you to be a good one and turn a profit.

I’ll be watching very carefully.”

Kevin was speechless. He shook his head. “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“Say yes. I’m better at investing than I am at running a club, so I plan to leave the day to day operations to

you.” He looked around the darkened club. “Do you have any ideas about how we might improve?”

“Y-yes,” Kevin stammered. “A lot of them.”

“Good.” Roman nodded. “I plan to stay in the States, at least for the next century or so, and I want good

investments.” He gave Kevin a shrewd look. “I have very expensive tastes, as you can well imagine.”

Kevin burst out in laughter. “Yes, I’ve noticed.”

“So that’s a yes?”

“No, it’s a hell yes.”

Roman, looking pleased, offered his hand to Kevin. “And now…another surprise, my love.”

“Another?” Kevin croaked. “You shouldn’t be doing this…”

“I owe you much for freeing me from Freki, Kevin; this is my way of thanking you. Let me.”

Kevin swallowed and took Roman’s hand.

“This surprise will take a bit to get to, so we should be off now.” Roman steered him to the employees’

exit.

Kevin locked up the club—their club, how exciting was that?—and followed Roman to his town car

parked behind the building. They got in and Roman immediately pulled Kevin close and planted a hand

between his legs.

“You really are eager, aren’t you?” he chucked against Kevin’s lips.

Kevin groaned a response and sat back in the seat, letting Roman do anything he wanted to him. And, oh,

the things he did. As they headed out of the city, Roman held him and kissed him and fondled him until he

was dizzy with need. He undid Kevin’s trousers and cupped his cock and balls, giving them sharp

squeezes while whispering the most beautifully perverse things in Kevin’s ear. He said they would be

together forever and told them about the life they would soon be leading, the wonders that Roman would

show him.

It felt so good to be back in Roman’s arms. It felt like coming home. Roman licked along the side of

Kevin’s neck, made soft, growling noises against his skin that sent an electric trill down Kevin’s back. He

licked and nibbled and kissed Kevin so that he quickly lost track of time. Sometime later—how long, he

didn’t know—the limo finally slowed as they crunched over a familiar gravel road.

Sitting up with his hands nested in Roman’s luxurious black hair while Roman busily licked his balls and

asshole, Kevin finally glanced out the window. They were coming upon the lodge.

There were good memories here, but also a few bad ones. Kevin didn’t think they would ever return here.

Roman looked up at him with his wolf eyes, saw his concern, and said, “Stay with me the weekend. We

have much to experience.”

“You’re my alpha, Roman. You know I’ll do anything you ask of me.”

“You’re my alpha mate, Kevin. We live to serve each other.”

After they put themselves back together, Roman took Kevin’s hand and led him down the path and up the

stairs to the lodge. Inside, the receiving hall had changed. Roman had redecorated it. The furniture was

more rustic, and the lighting warm and subtle. The place felt more like home and less like the pleasure

hive the former pack had turned it into. Kevin felt infinitely more comfortable with the changes.

Fenrir was waiting for them. “Well, it’s about time,” he complained with a smirk, crossing his arms

across his burly Nordic chest. He quickly joined Roman and Kevin and all three of the werewolves

greeted each other with licks and kisses.

“It feels empty in here,” Kevin said when they came up for air.

“We’ll remedy that soon enough,” Roman said, bringing Kevin’s hand to his lips to kiss in a courtly

manner that belonged to another century. “In time, we’ll make other werewolves, expand the pack. We’ll

be strong again. For now, though, it’s time for your surprise.” He looked at Fenrir, who grinned

mischievously.

They led him through to the common room. Like the receiving hall, it had been redecorated. It felt warmer

and more intimate. Besides the new, more comfortable furnishings, they had also installed a giant, humansized

mobile in the ceiling from which hung a myriad of chains and fur-lined manacles. Kevin gazed up at

it with concern.

“Fenrir helped me install it,” Roman explained. “It’s for new companions who fear they could hurt others

or themselves when the shift is upon them.”

“Why not use a cage?” Kevin asked and then regretted his words at the look on Roman’s face.

“A cage would only aggravate the wolf, make it feel trapped and helpless. This method will keep a new

werewolf safe with its pack but without damaging its spirit. Tonight I was hoping to test it out.” He

played with a long, thick, stainless steel chain. “We should see how much it can endure.” He looked at