The man was clawing at Jonathan’s hand to make him release his throat. Jonathan could see his eyes starting to bulge, and his face was turning an awful shade of purple. Jonathan cocked his free hand back and punched the man in the face. He let go of the man, allowing him collapse to the ground, unconscious.

  Jonathan turned to the other two creeps. One was still crumpled on the sidewalk. The other was back on his feet with his hands up, palms facing outward in surrender, slowly backing away. Jonathan growled deep in his throat, fully aware that his eyes had shifted and could be seen by the human. He didn’t care anymore. The man urinated on himself right before he turned and ran, leaving his two buddies on the ground.

  Jonathan turned to the spot where his mate had fallen, only to find it empty. The man was gone. Damn it! He threw his head back and howled, long and loud.

  Chapter 3

  Ethan slammed the door to his apartment, locked it and backed away. He stared at the door wide-eyed, like it would come to life and attack him. This isn’t happening. It can’t be happening.

  His family had turned their backs on him. His father had dragged him in front of their pack Alpha and told everyone in earshot what a disgusting, perverted faggot he was. His mother had done nothing as he was beaten and banished from the pack with only the clothes on his back, what little was left on him. Everyone he knew, every shifter, looked at him like he had the plague.

  Oh, gods, he didn’t think he could survive being rejected by his fated mate. He knew it would happen, nobody had ever wanted him. Ethan knew this. The only person that had ever shown kindness to him was his friend Eddie. But, in the deepest part of his mind, he had always hoped he would find his mate, had dreamed of being held like he mattered to someone, to be cherished and loved. But, that was not meant for him. If his life so far proved anything, it was that he would be alone forever and never know happiness. Guess it’s time to move on, he thought.

  He walked over to his bed, reached underneath it, and pulled out his duffel bag. The apartment he rented was only an efficiency and came furnished, so all he had were clothes and a few toiletries. There was only a bed, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a bar to hang his clothes on. He hated the place.

  As he packed, his mind brought up the image of his mate. Tall, maybe six-foot-four or five, broad shoulders, muscles on top of muscles. Long, dark-auburn hair which had shone in the light from the street lamps. And, that voice. Ethan would never forget how that voice had affected him. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine and lodged in his balls. Ethan filed the image and voice away for later use. It would make a great memory to jerk off to.

  His hand stilled as he reached for the pair of jeans he was about to pack when there was a knock on the door. Could it be? No, it was probably the police, called by one of his nasty neighbors for slamming the door. He walked over and opened it, but the apology he had started died in his throat. Him. It was him. He was here.

  Ethan was doing a superb impression of a fish right now, he knew it, but he didn’t know how to stop. When the man spoke, goosebumps immediately covered his body. He was barely able to suppress the sigh threatening to come out.

  “Mind if I come in?” the man asked. Ethan could only step back, closing the door behind him. His eyes falling shut on their own, Ethan took a deep breath, readying himself for rejection.

  When Ethan turned around, he was struck again by how gorgeous his mate was. No, not my mate. He doesn’t want me.

  “Hi, my name is Jonathan Waine,” Jonathan said as he held out his hand.

  “Ethan Gregory,” Ethan whispered. When their hands touched, it was like magic, electricity, and lightning all rolled into one. Quickly pulling away from the handshake, he asked, “How did you find me?”

  Ethan watched as Jonathan just stared for a second or two, blinking in stunned silence. Ethan couldn’t understand why this gorgeous man had tracked him down. It wasn’t something that happened to him. No, he was shunned and scorned by almost everyone.

  “I followed your scent. I am guessing you take that same path all the time. I was able to pick your scent up, however faintly, from a bar to here.”

  Ethan couldn’t believe he forgot that! “I’m sorry, I haven’t been around any other wolves for a few years. Guess I’m a little rusty.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. Wow, way to make a bigger boob out of yourself than you already are.

  “Why did you run? If you knew I was your mate, why did you run?”

  Sighing, Ethan guessed he should come clean. “I ran because I have already been beaten, banished, and rejected by everyone I knew and who were supposed to love me. I couldn’t handle being rejected by my mate, too.”

  Jonathan’s mouth dropped open slightly before he snapped it shut. “I would never reject my fated mate. I would never hurt you. You are my true one. My one and only. I would never squander the gift the gods have given me.”

  Ethan inhaled deeply, shocked he didn’t smell any deceit. Could he? Could he let his guard down for once?

  Ethan felt two fingers under his chin, raising it so he was looking into his mate’s eyes.

  “Do you believe me?”

  All he could do was nod his head slightly, Ethan gazed at Jonathan through his eyelashes as he watched as Jonathan slowly leaned down to kiss him for the first time. It was a slow, mesmerizing kiss that was setting his body on fire.

  Jonathan broke the kiss, leaning their foreheads together. Both breathed heavily, gasping to get the air they needed. “Come on let’s sit down and talk. Nothing bad, just to get to know each other. This is scary and very unexpected for me, too.” Jonathan took Ethan’s hand, brought it to his lips, and took him over to the bed to sit down.

  Chapter 4

  Jonathan started. He could tell how shy Ethan was and wanted to try and show him he wasn’t going to hurt him. “Like I said, I’m Jonathan Waine. I’m one hundred and thirty-eight years old. I was supposed to be the next Alpha of my birth pack, until I told my father I was gay and refused to mate the woman he had picked out from a neighboring pack. That didn’t go over well, as you can imagine. So, I packed my stuff and left. That was over a century ago.” Looking over at Ethan, Jonathan nudged him to see if he would say something.

  Ethan looked up into his eyes, and Jonathan could see the hesitancy there.

  “I’m Ethan Gregory, I am twenty-seven.” he said with almost a blandness to his voice. “I was beaten and banished by my pack Alpha when he was told I was gay. And, I have been on my own ever since.”

  Jonathan nudged him again, “That it? No favorite color, movie, nothing?”

  Ethan kept looking down at his hands, twisting them around each other in a nervous gesture.

  “Okay. Let’s see. My favorite color is red, and my favorite movie is Star Wars,” Jonathan said, hoping to learn anything about his new mate. He looked at Ethan, but he still wasn’t volunteering anything. “Okay then, can you tell me how the pack Alpha knew you were gay?”

  Ethan sighed, his shoulders slumped, but he answered. “My parents had arranged a mating with me and this woman. She was an older woman, and she made my skin crawl. I told my parents I was not going mate her, that I was gay. They screamed at me and slapped me around for a few hours, then dragged me in front of the Alpha, recounting everything. When the pack Alpha heard what they had to say, he and his goons beat me, and then I was banished. I was left with nothing, but one of my friends had heard what happened, he packed me a small bag of clothes and met me in the forest, outside pack grounds.”

  Jonathan was thinking this sounded familiar, “What pack are you from?”

  “I was born into the Broken Oaks Pack.”

  No. He couldn’t be. “Well, that was unexpected, to say the least.” Jonathan mumbled before looking into Ethan’s confused eyes. Sighing, he was wondering how he was going to explain some very complicated issues. “Broken Oaks is also my birth pack. You weren’t even born when I left, so we wouldn’t have met. But, didn’t you realize who I was when I told you my name?”

  Seeing Ethan look like he was spiraling into hell, Jonathan knew he had to step in. This is my fated mate. I need him to see I am not my father.

  Tilting Ethan’s head back and taking hold of Ethan’s hands, Jonathan made sure he had Ethan’s full attention before he started talking.

  “My mate, I am not my father. He did the same thing to me as he did to you, only one hundred years earlier. Smell me. I am not lying to you.” Jonathan watched as Ethan inhaled, and a little tension in his shoulders relaxed. When the fear in his mate started to recede, he continued. “I would never purposely try to deceive you. I have been on my own for a long time. I have friends, and I have had lovers, but no one has ever slept in my bed with me. I hope you will want to leave here and move in with me.”

  Shock, confusion, fear, the urge to run. All these were what Ethan felt, and he couldn’t choose which one was the largest in his mind. My mate is the son of the Alpha who beat me and kicked me out. What am I going to do?

  Finally, Jonathan’s words slowly started to sink in. He wants me to move in with him? “What? We have only just met. Why would you want me to move in with you? I have a job and an apartment.” Ethan looked around and winced. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t a selling point.

  “I get what you’re saying, but look, I have enough money for both of us for a few lifetimes. My mother was killed when I was nineteen, and I was her sole beneficiary, much to my father’s disgust. With great investments, I have done all right for myself. I have a place about twenty miles outside town. I have put a lot of work into it and would love to see what we could make of the property together. You are my mate. From this moment on, you own half of everything I have. Besides, if you lived here, I would worry about you being in a neighborhood which, obviously, isn’t the safest. I would also miss you.”

  Looking into Jonathan’s eyes, Ethan could see the truth of these words. What do I do? Can I do this? Should I? Ethan had always wanted this. The thought of a mate had always been a dream of his. Waking up after being held all night, snuggling up on a couch watching movies, a lifetime of happiness. Isn’t that what everyone dreams about?

  Raising his hand, Jonathan caressed the side of Ethan’s face and jaw. Ethan sighed and leaned into his hand, his eyes closing of their own volition. Never had someone touched him in such a way. The gesture was so tender, it threatened to drown him.

  Ethan was either in shock or he was dead. That has to be what this is. An amazing hallucination before I go to my afterlife. Had to be, right? That’s got to be it. Those men had killed him. Damn I have the worst luck, he thought. Hallucination or dream? Whichever one, he didn’t care. He knew this could not be real. This stunning man, this stranger, would never be interested in him.

  “Are you a dream or a hallucination?” Might as well hear it from the source, Ethan thought wryly as he slowly opened his eyes.

  Jonathan cocked his head to the side, staring at him. “Why would you ask me that?”

  Wringing his hands in front of him, looking down at the floor, Ethan quietly replied, “Because there is no way a man like you would ever notice someone like me.” Ethan had never put himself out there like that before. Never made himself feel so vulnerable before. I wonder when the other shoe will drop.

  Chapter 5

  Now Jonathan understood. This will never do. If it takes me from now till the end of time, I will show my mate he is worthy and deserving of happiness. He just couldn’t understand how anyone could treat another with so much venom and hatred, especially Ethan. He was so insecure and nervous. From what Jonathan had seen, Ethan was almost an innocent.

  Slowly, Jonathan leaned forward, wanting nothing more than to feel his mate’s lips on his own. After a moment’s hesitation, Ethan allowed his kiss, and even returned it. It was glorious! Slow and sensual at first, migrating quickly to desperate and needy, from both sides. They pulled apart, lack of oxygen making them lightheaded.

  “Wow,” Ethan whispered breathlessly.

  “I need you. I need to touch you.” Jonathan was willing to beg if that was what it took. Being an alpha, he wasn’t used to begging, but he would for his mate. I can’t believe I’ve found him! Jonathan reached down to his mate’s waist, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head, tossing it to the side. When Ethan gasped and blushed, Jonathan felt ten feet tall.

  Jonathan licked his thumb and rubbed it against Ethan’s pale pink nipple. It peaked immediately, which pleased him to no end. Pinching it slightly, he reveled in the gasp and moan escaping from his mate. He ran his hand down his chest and stomach toward Ethan’s lower half, feeling all the contours and muscles under his fingertips. When he reached Ethan’s pants, he undid the belt and button. He slowly released the zipper and dropped the pants to the ground. Mmmm, no underwear.

  Most shifters didn’t wear socks or underwear. They tended to get hung up on them if they had to shift fast. Jonathan dropped to his knees in front of his mate. He stuck his nose between Ethan’s cock and balls, where the unique scent was strongest. Inhaling deeply, he groaned. I think I can live on his scent alone.

  Pulling back, he looked up at Ethan as he circled his hand around the base of the most beautiful cock he had ever seen. His mate wasn’t nearly as big as himself, but he was above average, with a perfectly flared head. Looking up at his mate, taking in his wide eyes and flushed cheeks, Jonathan licked the tip where a glistening drop was waiting for him. Gods, he tastes amazing.

  Opening his mouth, Jonathan took his mate into his mouth and down his throat, all the way to the root, slowly sucking his way back up. Ethan was breathing heavily and moaning, his head thrown back, mouth agape. Jonathan didn’t think he had ever seen a vision as perfect as his mate in the throes of passion.

  He increased the pace and suction on Ethan’s cock, which increased his frenzied sounds and frantic thrusts. Jonathan was still fully clothed, which was rather uncomfortable. He swore his cock was going to either break in half or split his zipper. He didn’t want Ethan to cum like this. Jonathan wanted him to come on his dick, but Ethan needed this. And, if Jonathan was honest with himself, so did he.

  Jonathan worked his mate’s cock for a couple more minutes; he was addicted. Standing up, he pulled Ethan into his chest as he gave him a toe-curling kiss. “Still think I’m not real?” he asked when the kiss broke.

  Ethan whimpered softly.

  Jonathan picked him up and laid him down gently on the bed like he was made of crystal and would shatter.

  “Hang on, my mate. I won’t leave you hanging.”

  Quickly shedding his clothes, hopefully with not too many rips, Jonathan crawled onto the bed and over Ethan. Mate! Wow, I’ve found my mate, he mused. Where their skin touched, the electricity sparking between them was amazing. When Jonathan was settled over him, he flexed his hips, giving just a taste of friction to their cocks. “Where is your lube?”

  Ethan had a blissed-out look on his face, and his eyes were blown so wide with lust, Jonathan didn’t think his question registered at all. Leaning over to the small bedside table that looked like it was on its last legs forty years ago, opening the drawer, he rummaged around for a second until he found what he was looking for. An old tube of lube. Jonathan thought it looked like it was a dried-up husk. I hope there is enough. Please still be good.

  Placing the tube on the bed next to Ethan’s head, he grabbed his mate by the hips, flipping him over. Ethan gasped, completely caught off-guard. Jonathan pulled his mate’s cheeks apart, getting his first look at his mate’s pucker. He knew he had to taste him. Jonathan leaned down and ran his tongue around the small pulsing opening.

  His mate tasted amazing, and Jonathan wanted more. Ethan’s back arched, head thrown back with a cry of ecstasy. Perfect, just so fucking perfect. Every sound Ethan made, every movement, every breath, it was all Jonathan could think about. Perfect, just fucking perfect. Jonathan tightened his tongue so he could spear it through Ethan’s hole. Groaning at the taste of his mate, Jonathan knew he needed to stop, or he would embarrass himself.

  Pulling back, he grabbed the lube and popped the cap. He breathed a sigh when there was still a little left, and it wasn’t dried out. Coating his fingers, he leaned down and brushed a kiss against each of Ethan’s rounded globes. Jonathan circled one finger around Ethan’s pucker, giving more pressure with every pass. Gently easing his finger in. He is so tight. “Gods, you’re tight, my mate. Been a while, I’m guessing.”

  Ethan was trying to say something, but Jonathan couldn’t make out anything other than the clearing of his throat. He heard something just then, but even with his shifter hearing, he couldn’t make out what was said. Ethan had his face shoved into the pillow so tight, Jonathan could barely hear anything. “What was that, my mate?”

  “I’ve never… I mean, I-I’m a virgin.”

  Jonathan was blown away. Those few words brought up primal feelings in both him and his wolf. Still working a single finger into his mate, he leaned over him and kissed the center of his back. “You have given me an unbelievable gift, my mate. Thank you. I will cherish it always. I will take care of you and make sure you are prepared properly for me.”

  Curling his finger down, he found the little button inside his lover. He added a little pressure to it, which had Ethan arching and gasping again. Easing a second finger in, he stilled for a few seconds, giving his mate a chance to adjust to the intrusion. He began working his fingers in and out at a slow pace. He scissored his fingers every few strokes, to ease the way, but he knew he had to get moving. His wolf was threatening to make an appearance, and he seriously thought he would be the first shifter to spontaneously combust. Yeah, try explaining that to the media, he thought, chuckling to himself.

  When he had four fingers deep and Ethan was not only begging for release, but chasing his fingers, Jonathan deemed him ready. Pulling his fingers free, he said, “Roll to your back. I want to watch you fly.” When Ethan was on his back, Jonathan eased himself down over his mate. “It will hurt a bit at first, but it will go away quickly. You ready? Ready to be mine?”

 

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