Caleb tasted like heaven. Smooth, hot, silky skin met his tongue. The taste was better than any lovers he’d had before. He knew it would be. He took his time, not rushing it, wanting to indulge and worship. He lapped and sucked, stroked and nibbled.

  It wasn’t long before Caleb was begging him to hurry up. Ryan only chuckled and savored the morsel before him. He cupped Caleb’s balls, rolling and stroking them, enjoying the weight and texture. Then he lowered his mouth, wanting a taste. He licked the underside of Caleb’s prick before drawing one furry sac into his mouth. Then the other.

  Caleb was growing desperate. Precome slid down his shaft, and he gripped Ryan’s head, yanking him toward his cock.

  Ryan laughed. “Patience, baby.”

  “Damn you,” Caleb said, rasping.

  “Bless you,” he said.

  Caleb snorted, and Ryan finally made his way back to Caleb’s cock and worked it ruthlessly, giving his friend the orgasm he craved. Caleb exhaled sharply and appeared to melt into the couch. Throbbing with need, Ryan stood and gripped his own cock.

  “Hold it,” Caleb said with a grunt, and pushed Ryan’s hand out of the way. Ryan grinned as Caleb took hold of his shaft and touched his mouth to the head.

  Caleb wasn’t as patient as Ryan had been, and worked him mercilessly, both stroking and sucking while his other warm hand played with his balls. Ryan wanted to come in that pretty mouth. He wanted to see how much Caleb would swallow.

  He threaded his fingers gently through Caleb’s hair, gaze latched on to that beloved head, enjoying the sensations that were rocking his body. When he came, it was delicious, and Caleb, in fact, swallowed all of him down. His legs trembled, and he had to sit on the couch. Caleb rested his head on Ryan’s shoulder as they both tried to catch their breaths. As they sat there, exhaustion from the tournament caught up with him, and Ryan struggled to stifle a yawn.

  No way, not now! He hadn’t fucked Caleb senseless yet. He was a bull shifter, for goodness’ sake. He was tough and loaded with energy, but his body apparently thought otherwise. And though his cock stirred slightly because Caleb was so close, he didn’t think he could get another erection so soon. Fuck.

  Caleb stroked his chest and kissed his cheek. “You’re tired,” he whispered in Ryan’s ear. “We both are. Let’s sleep and pick this up tomorrow.”

  Ryan swallowed and turned his head. His mate's jade eyes were warm and loving. And understanding. He could travel the world and never find anyone as accepting and non-judgmental as his Caleb. Then he realized he’d finally allowed himself to acknowledge the inevitable—he had a mate. Caleb was now his mate.

  “I promise I will fuck you,” he said.

  Caleb laughed softly. “I’m holding you to that.”

  He draped an arm across Caleb’s shoulders, and Caleb curled into him.

  “So… this changes things, huh?” he said, not knowing if he wanted to have this conversation yet.

  “Yeah, guess it does.” Caleb sounded sleepy, his eyes closed. Ryan felt his own trying to shut, but he held on, almost scared that, should he sleep, it would all turn out to be a wild dream.

  His father, the bastard, had told him that no one would love him. Not human or animal. Animals were simpler than humans, so his father told him to slake his lust with animals. But his father also told him to always fix his mistakes. It was incredibly rare for a shifter child to be born from a shifter and an animal, and that was the only reason his father had stuck around. It was to teach his progeny about what he was, and then the bastard left. That was it.

  It was duty, his father told him. Can’t have shifting toddlers running around on a farm, he’d said. He taught Ryan how to shift, when to shift, and how to live in a world where knowledge of shifters was hidden. And still, the bastard always found ways to blame Ryan for being born. Despite the rarity of his birth, and instead of feeling special or unique, he’d felt cursed and unwanted. He figured he should be a little grateful that his father stuck around as long as he had. Ryan would have been in a lot more trouble if puberty had hit and he’d shifted into a human in the middle of feeding time.

  He snorted and regarded Caleb. He promised himself after his father left to never reveal his secret. To simply live out his life as a bull and to never let his life get too complicated.

  Caleb was asleep in his arms, breathing softly. He was warm and real against his chest.

  Sweet Caleb had changed everything. Ryan had fallen in love, though he didn’t know what that was at the time. He’d felt connected to another living being, more than his father, more than his mother. The need to reveal himself became stronger with each passing day. He wanted to talk, to laugh, to touch this man. And finally he had.

  Caleb’s reaction had been priceless. But after the initial fear and question-and-answer right after, his Caleb accepted him and kept his secret. Caleb loved him, cared for him, became his friend.

  And now his lover, his mate. Ryan gazed out the window at the Las Vegas skyline.

  His father told him he’d never be accepted. Never be loved. Never find a home.

  “You were wrong,” he whispered into the night. He tightened his hold on Caleb. “You were wrong, you son of a bitch. And I’m damn glad of it.”

  Chapter Three

  Six years earlier

  Caleb stood beside his mother as the large truck backed up next to the corral. He twisted his hands together, butterflies dancing in his stomach. He couldn’t stop hopping from foot to foot, his neck craning to see the new bull. In stark contrast, his mother, Mandy O’Connell, was the picture of stoicism and calm. She stood, her weathered face frowning, her arms crossed over her chest, and her auburn hair with streaks of gray bound in a no-nonsense bun at the base of her skull. Her clothes were simple without embellishment, meant to withstand whatever might be thrown at her.

  He kept glancing at her, wanting her to tell him what sort of bull she had purchased. But she said nothing. As the truck driver backed up the trailer next to the open gate, his buddy was outside, motioning with his hands, guiding the driver. When the buddy held up a fist, meaning stop, Caleb ran forward, knowing the bull would come out soon.

  “Caleb!” his mother called. He stopped and turned back, trying to hide his frustration.

  Mandy walked toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be getting in the men’s way, okay? This needs to be a smooth transition. We don’t want the bull hurting himself or anyone else.”

  Caleb nodded. There would be no point in arguing that he knew all that. He was fifteen and had spent his entire life around bulls. He helped train them and feed them and went with his mother to PBR events. When his father was still alive, his mother had been less cautious. Of course, that was before a bull had gotten one up on Angus O’Connell and gored him to death. They’d taken the time to grieve, and Mandy considered leaving the business altogether. But Angus had worked hard to make their venture thrive, and to blame the bull for being a bull would be pointless. They all knew the risks and Angus would be the first to defend the animal.

  So Caleb listened to his mother and stayed close. His heart pinched when he thought of his father but, as morbid as it might seem, being on the ranch and around bulls made him feel closer to his father. Angus had passed his love and respect for the animals to his son.

  The men lured the bull out of the trailer. The bull was young, only two years old, but Caleb could see what his mother had seen. There was a competitive light in the bull’s eye. He stamped the ramp, causing it to shake, as he snorted and strutted. There was fire inside him. He was beautiful! He was muscular despite being so young and the color of chestnuts. His horns were still growing, and they were already filed to keep him from impaling anyone. He was nicely proportioned, and Caleb enjoyed the arrogant strut as the young bull walked down the ramp.

  Grinning, he touched his mom’s arm as they stood beside the fence of the corral.

  “You made a great choice, Mom. He was born to buck.”

  “Indeed, he was,” Mandy said, tussling his hair. “I hope he brings some prestige back to our ranch.”

  He hoped the same as his mom left to speak with the truck drivers. They’d fallen on hard times after his father’s death. Due to his mom’s grief, they’d missed a couple years of competition. Their bulls had stayed out of the PBR circuit, and that put them in a financial rut. Caleb may have only been fifteen, but he already had a head for business and was determined to help his mom put theirs on the right track once more. His dad would have insisted.

  Climbing on the fence, he leaned over the rail as the new bull trotted around the corral, as if scoping it out. Judging, evaluating. When the bull noticed Caleb watching, he stopped and pawed the ground, snorting.

  Smiling, Caleb rolled his eyes. “I’m not afraid of you, tough guy. I’ve met a lot of meaner bulls than you.”

  Snorting, as if in indignation, the bull tossed his head and turned his back on him. Caleb laughed. Oh yes, this was a bucking bull, no doubt.

  The stupid human was mocking him. Ryan paced away from the young human and glared with hate at the fence. Sold. Sold like cattle. He was a shifter! He was far superior to animals and humans. But he supposed he only had himself to blame. And his father. Ryan didn’t know the first thing about being a human. How to live like one and act like one. His father only taught him how to shift into human form and explained the rules of being a shifter. Then he left.

  Ryan had been born a bull and preferred staying like one. So he’d remained on the ranch, grazing with his mother and the other cows. Then, one day, just like that, he was bought and transported. Now he had a gangly young human laughing at him. Was he going to take that? No, never.

  He turned and stamped the ground, kicking up dirt, before charging. It delighted him when the young human jumped off the fence and scrambled back. He skidded to a halt, snorting with pride. He stared the human down but most of his pleasure left when he realized he was smiling and staring back. The human was supposed to be afraid, right? Other humans were. He had charged other humans, and they’d run away, fear in their eyes. But this boy was grinning at him with happiness.

  If bulls could frown, he would have. Ryan swayed his head and flicked his tail.

  “Caleb, are you all right?” The woman’s voice was rusty, and he knew she was the one to buy him. The tough woman ran to the boy’s side and gripped his shoulders.

  “Fine, Mom. But did you see that?” The boy sounded downright excited. “He charged me. He sure has spirit. We’ll make a mint off of him.”

  Frustrated, he trotted away. He had to scare the boy. He had to show the little upstart who was boss.

  That night, Caleb heard noises outside his window. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, pushing aside the curtains. He blinked in shock when he saw three young men who worked on the ranch head for the pens where the bulls were kept.

  What were they up to?

  He dressed quickly and headed out of the house. His mother wasn’t home, and he was sure that was where these delinquents got their nerve. He hurried out of the house and jogged to the bullpens. By the time he got there, the three assholes had already let one of the bulls out. The new one.

  What the fuck are they doing?

  Using food, the boys were able to lead the bull into one of the chutes used to train the bulls for PBR events. Were they really that stupid? Were they really going to try and ride a young bull that wasn’t trained at all? In the dark?

  It seemed they were that stupid, because that’s exactly what they did. Caleb reached them as they were trying to tie the bull rope around the young bull's flanks.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he said. “He’s not trained yet! You’ll hurt yourselves and him!”

  They didn’t listen. Jesus Christ, was there going to be another death on the ranch? They’re reputation couldn’t take another hit, and certainly not due to such stupidity. Caleb knew their names, for God’s sake, had worked alongside them. He thought they enjoyed the work they did the way he enjoyed it, but he’d been wrong. They were just young idiots. One of the boys, Charlie, was on the bull, Fred was tying the bull rope, and Gary was about to open the gate. Caleb reached them, climbed up to Fred, but Gary pulled open the gate.

  Horrified, he watched Charlie try to hang on to the young bull, but he was flung off in two seconds flat. They hadn’t managed to put on the flank strap, but it didn’t matter as the bull still bucked and swung around in circles. This bull was fast. And pissed. Charlie barely managed to get on his feet before the bull charged. He screamed and ran for the fence. He leapt up but got a horn up his ass, and it tore his pants. Gary and Fred were laughing like hyenas, and Caleb was trying to think of a way to get Charlie out of there safely. The bull was bent on causing injury.

  The bull jerked his head, and Charlie’s pants were snagged on the horn, causing him to come loose from the fence. He was flung into the air and landed hard on the dirt. Caleb jumped from his safe perch and ran, shouting, trying to distract the bull. His father used to be a bullfighter, or rodeo clown, before starting the ranch. He’d given his son pointers.

  The bull stopped just short of goring Charlie to turn his attention to him.

  “Hey, come on, boy, come on,” Caleb said, provoking him.

  The bull snorted and stamped the ground. Then kicked up dirt.

  “Gary, Fred! Get Charlie out of here!” Caleb now knew the trio was drunk, and Gary and Fred were still laughing, unable to help. Charlie was moaning in pain and curled in the fetal position. He needed to get Charlie out of the corral. He needed to get the trio out of here and then he would deal with the bull.

  The bull had other ideas. He charged. Caleb ran for the fence and jumped on it. He missed having his own ass speared by a horn by inches.

  “Stop!” he said, knowing it was useless. “They’ll leave you alone, I promise. Just let me get that idiot out of here.”

  He didn’t know why he was talking to the bull, but the bull’s ears perked, his head cocked. The bull was breathing heavily and stood there, staring at him.

  “Easy, boy,” he said, keeping his voice steady. “Easy. I know, they’re assholes. I’ll get them out, promise. Just let me get Charlie out, okay? Please?”

  Caleb slowly lowered to the ground, heart racing, watching the bull the entire time. The bull continued to simply stare at him. Caleb shuffled along the dirt and slowly made his way along the fence, keeping as much distance between him and the bull as he could. The bull turned his head, watching his progression. He couldn’t die like his father. His mother would never recover. Jesus, when she learned about this, she was going to flip her shit!

  “Easy,” he murmured, feeling more confident as he kept moving. The bull didn’t appear pissed anymore. He seemed more… curious. Charlie was still moaning, and Fred and Gary, while not laughing anymore, were just sitting on the fence, swaying.

  “Hey, Caleb, you a bull whisperer?” Gary shouted.

  Caleb gritted his teeth. Oh, how he would love to let the bull gore all three of them. That would make them think twice before messing with such a powerful animal. But he moved toward Charlie and had one arm under his shoulder when the bull lowered his head and kicked up dirt.

  “Shit,” Caleb said. But he didn’t run. He kept tugging, and Charlie finally got his feet underneath him. “C’mon, Charlie, work with me.”

  He latched an arm around Charlie’s waist and dragged him toward the chute. If he could get there and close the door, they would be safe. The bull wasn’t so strong he could break the chute. But before he got two feet, the bull charged. He simply reacted. He tossed Charlie into the chute and braced for impact. He squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his arms to protect his face, as if that would actually make a difference. Oh God, he was going to meet his father’s fate.

  Dirt suddenly stung his legs, and warm breath seeped through his shirt to his skin. Not believing what just happened, or what hadn't happened, Caleb opened his eyes and lowered his arms. The bull stood, not a foot from him, breathing hard. He swore the bull was glaring at him.

  His mouth dropped open. Why didn’t the bull squash him like a bug?

  The night was eerily silent. No crickets chirping, no frogs croaking. There was no wind, and they were too far into the countryside to hear any late-night traffic. Even Fred and Gary were silent.

  The bull swung his head and stamped his foot, and despite Caleb’s racing heart, fear began to ebb. Those gestures seemed more like shows of frustration than aggression. Interesting.

  “Thank you,” he said softly. Only the bull heard him. He looked into the bull’s eye and saw something more there. He couldn’t describe it, but he knew he hadn't seen it in any other bull. He’d grown up looking at them, admiring them, challenging them. This bull was something special. Something… more.

  The bull grunted. Then he backed up a few steps before turning and trotting away, as if no longer interested. Caleb turned, his body starting to shake as the adrenaline left, and walked into the chute and shut the gate. He slid down to the ground, his legs no longer able to hold him. He realized he was sweating, and was surprised he hadn’t pissed his jeans. Gary and Fred made their staggering way over to him and both wore shocked expressions.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that!” Fred shouted, still horribly drunk. “Why do ya think he didn’t gore ya?”

  Caleb shook his head. Charlie needed to get to the hospital. He needed to call his mom. What a fucking mess.

  But you didn’t die.

  Turning his head, Caleb caught the silhouette of the bull at the far end of the corral. The light of the moon glinted off his deep brown eyes, and Caleb could have sworn the bull knew exactly what was going on. But that couldn’t be. Bulls weren’t that intelligent.

 

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