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Table of contents :
Table of Contents
Legal Page
Title Page
Book Description
Dedication
Trademarks Acknowledgement
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
New Excerpt
About the Author
Publisher Page

Citation preview

A Totally Bound Publication

Hide ISBN # 978-1-78430-027-2 ©Copyright Bailey Bradford 2014 Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright May 2014 Edited by Rebecca Douglas Totally Bound Publishing This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Totally Bound Publishing. Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Totally Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution. The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork. Published in 2014 by Totally Bound Publishing, Newland House, The Point, Weaver Road, Lincoln, LN6 3QN

Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Totally Burning and a Sexometer of 3.

Spotless

HIDE Bailey Bradford

Book one in the Spotless series When you think you’ll never fit it, never be whole, love can show you a truth you’ve never seen. Adal has been abused all of his life. The only person who cared for him was his brother, Steven. Without him, Adal would have been killed long ago. After he and Steven are sent on a mission for their twisted father, they learn they’ve been pawns in an evil plot all along. And that their father has been slowly killing them, one pill at a time. Steven leaves Adal to seek revenge and secure safety for them in the world. Adal is astounded to find out he has a mate. A halfbreed like him shouldn’t have anyone to love, should he? Dorso Rodriguez doesn’t know what hit him, literally or figuratively. A fun-loving guy, he wakes up with a knot on his head and a strange, sexy, scarred man who’s scared and defiant and intriguing. Together they embark on a journey to defeat the demons from Adal’s past.

Dedication We are shaped by our pasts, but not bound by them.

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmark mentioned in this work of fiction: UPS: United Parcel Service of America, Inc.

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Chapter One

Dorso Rodriguez. Adal stared at the unconscious man. Dorso had woken up a few minutes here and there, but he’d only blinked and asked what had happened before sleeping again. Dorso Rodriguez. Adal liked thinking the name, and he liked saying it softly. The letters rolled off his tongue, and inside, he went all warm and tingly when he spoke it. He went all warm and tingly every time he looked at or touched Dorso Rodriguez, for that matter. The last name especially was almost musical to Adal. He didn’t have a last name, and he didn’t have friends like Dorso did. No friends at all. For a moment, Adal wondered what it’d be like to have people care about him. “Steven,” he whispered. There was one person in the world that gave a damn about Adal. Steven, his half-brother. Like Adal, Steven had no last name. They were both halfbreed shifters, despised by their society for a luck-of-the-draw birth neither of them had chosen. But their father Bashuan, a full-blooded Amur leopard shifter, had bred with two puma shifter females, and hence Adal and Steven had been born. Steven first, Adal a few years later. Sadness threatened to overwhelm him, so Adal went back to focusing on Dorso. Dorso was, after all, his mate—a fact Adal was still struggling to accept. He hadn’t thought halfbreeds had destined mates. Would have denied it repeatedly, except for the warm fuzzies he got from even being near Dorso. Perhaps he’d been told wrong, but Adal didn’t think so. Looking at Dorso, everything in him called out to some deep, hidden part of Adal. Adal touched Dorso’s fluttering pulse point. The skin of his neck was warm and darkly tanned. “Wake up, please,” Adal urged. The silence and utter aloneness was driving his nerves into the ground. “Please,” he added again as he stroked Dorso’s chest.

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He’d dared to remove the man’s shirt and pants, along with his boots. That had left Dorso in black boxer briefs and red crew socks with pink hearts all over them. Adal was charmed by those pink hearts, and he couldn’t explain why. Maybe because it made Dorso unique, or unlike any stereotype Adal could imagine. Dorso’s chest was broader than Adal’s, his upper body more muscular. He had swirls of dense brown chest hair, not so thick that his large cocoa-coloured nipples were hidden, though. Adal wanted to touch those nipples and see if the skin there was as smooth as it appeared to be. He didn’t do any such thing. It was wrong to fondle a guy when he was sleeping, even if the man was Adal’s mate. Dorso knew none of that, not what Adal was, or what they were to each other. Adal wouldn’t take advantage—he wasn’t a pervert or without morals. He did look—at Dorso’s chest, at the deeply sculpted abs, the slightly protruding belly button, the narrowing line of hair that disappeared beneath Dorso’s underwear. There was a substantial bulge beneath those briefs that made Adal’s mouth water when he glanced at it. Adal did know that the light sheen of hair on Dorso’s legs, chest and arms was softer than he’d expected. He knew Dorso’s elbows and hands were chafed, likely from working on engines and crawling around under vehicles. There was a long, fading scar on Dorso’s right knee, from an old injury or surgery of some sort. Another scar higher up, on Dorso’s belly, was probably from an appendectomy. Shifters didn’t have such issues, but Adal had seen that scar and panicked. He’d called Bae Warren, who was mind-boggingly nice, all things considered, and Bae had told him what an appendectomy was. It made Adal’s guts hurt just thinking about it. Humans were just so fragile, it was frightening. Especially when one of them had been knocked unconscious and wasn’t waking up fast enough to suit Adal. He had no idea about human healing times, but a shifter would have been over the head injury in a matter of a few hours. Dorso had been hit the day before. By Adal’s brother, Steven.

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Steven didn’t know then. He didn’t know Dorso was my mate. If Bae and Isaiah hadn’t told me, hadn’t confirmed what I was feeling was something real— Adal wasn’t going there. He’d had too much happen in the past twenty-four hours himself, too many changes to his life that he’d never, ever have thought would happen. Steven had left him, vowing to kill their father Bashuan before Bashuan could send more guards out to kill Adal and Steven. Adal was very much afraid Steven would fail. Bashuan was evil incarnate, the rest of the world just didn’t know it yet. There was a chance that Steven would survive, but Adal couldn’t picture his life with Bashuan no longer a threat to it. He had no intention of letting his mind meander into the darkness, as it so frequently did. There was hope, a spark of it at least, burning in Adal’s soul. If he and Dorso could vanish somewhere Bashuan would never find them, if Steven did succeed in killing Bashuan…if if if! So many ifs, and nothing I’m sure of, except that Dorso Rodriguez fascinates me as no one has before. Adal curled the fingers of one hand against the cool chest hair. “Please,” he begged again with less pride than before. “I don’t want to be alone. I don’t know how to be alone here. If I were locked in our room or chained to the wall, I would know how to accept that.” He sank into himself then, retreating from the horrors of life into the beauty of imagination. His was probably quite limited, but he could fantasise about being free, or being someone else, someone who’d been born into a family and was loved. Dorso coughed, or cleared his throat, Adal wasn’t sure which and either way, it startled him into a yelp as he tumbled off the bed. His butt hit the floor and the impact jarred him all the way to the top of his head. “What the hell?” Dorso rasped. “Goddamn, my head…” Adal scrambled up to his feet. His heart alternated between fluttering and slamming as he looked into Dorso’s pretty pale green eyes. And found himself unable to speak beyond, “Uh.” Dorso blinked slowly, as if he wasn’t going to actually open his eyes again. “What happened?” he asked, his voice just as gruff and broken as it had been the first time. He reached up with a shaky hand and touched his left temple. “Fuck.”

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The grimace he made and the way his skin lightened a couple of shades knocked Adal from his stupor. He caught Dorso by the wrist and gently tugged his hand down. Dishonesty didn’t occur to him. “You were hit, by my brother Steven.” “Why?” That wasn’t as easily answered, not because Adal was evasive, but because it was complicated. The truth was going to make Steven, and himself, look like the worst sort of people. Adal just hoped Dorso would let him explain it all, eventually. “Do you want some water?” Adal asked, reaching for the glass he’d sat beside the bed. “You’ve been out of it for a full day and night, well mostly out of it. You should keep hydrated.” Dorso watched him for a long moment, and Adal tried not to shiver. While he managed to keep it inside, more of an internal quivering, Adal’s discomfiture seemed to make the words spill out uncensored. “Your eyes are so oddly coloured.” Heat flared over his face as he heard himself speak. “I mean—I didn’t mean that bad. They’re very…nice…” He tapered off, wishing he could just melt away from the embarrassment. He couldn’t avert his gaze. Dorso’s eyes weren’t just a pale green, they were kind of grayish, too, and ringed in a shade of smoky blue. “Mine are just brown,” Adal babbled, nervousness giving the words wings even though he’d rather that not have happened. “Plain brown, not grey and blue and green like yours.” Dorso’s lips twitched. Adal’s head actually buzzed with dizziness when he saw them stretch into a lazy smile. Dorso was devastating, handsome in a rough, real way that Adal hadn’t quite grasped until that moment. There was nothing pretty about Dorso. He didn’t have any softness at all when it came to the shape of his features. His eyes were wide, but they were topped with bushy brown eyebrows that leaned him a rather harsh air. His nose was a little too large, with a bump that bespoke of a break or two, and he had a wide jaw with a squared chin that gave him a stubborn look. And he had stubble, lots of it, something Adal never had. Body hair was just that for him—body hair, it didn’t extend up to his neck or face. He didn’t have much of it, either, and could never grow a beard.

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“Just brown,” he said again, then shook himself literally, because if he didn’t get his act together, Dorso was going to think Adal had taken a hard blow to the head, too. “I’m Adal. Just Adal. I don’t have a last name. I— Sorry. I’ll… Water. Here.” Well, that wasn’t a whole lot better, but at least he didn’t start trying to make up poems about Dorso’s eyes. Adal lifted the glass and brought it to Dorso’s lips. Dorso quirked a brow at him and Adal blushed again. He’d been foolish not to think about a man’s pride. Of course Dorso would want to hold the glass himself, even if his hands were shaking. Adal waited until Dorso had a grip on the glass. Their fingers more than brushed together—Dorso closed his hand around half of Adal’s. Adal started to pull his hand back, then couldn’t figure out how without causing Dorso to drop the whole thing. And Dorso just kept giving him that amused look. Adal’s cock grew erect while he watched as Dorso tipped the glass and took a sip. It shouldn’t have been erotic, watching a man drink, yet Adal was suddenly and fiercely aroused. His pulse raced and he wanted things he didn’t even know how to wish for. It was Dorso, just Dorso, and whatever he’d do with Adal, to him, that Adal craved. Dorso’s eyes went darker as his pupils expanded. He moved the glass away from his mouth, then licked the moisture from his lips. The moan slipped free before Adal could censor it. He barely caught the glass in his grip when Dorso suddenly released it. Adal was fast. He had a shifter’s superb senses, except for when he was ill. Usually. His brain must have been addled by the hyper-arousal he was feeling because he didn’t even see Dorso reach for him. One second Adal was fumbling the glass, the next he was grabbed by the shirtfront and jerked down. The glass went flying, Adal dropping it and letting it fall to the floor. He didn’t resist at all as Dorso brought him down. Adal could only stare at those wet, parted lips and yearn for something he’d never thought he’d have. A kiss. Just one, to know what it was like to be wanted. Dorso, even injured, clearly wanted him. Adal could smell it, could see the flush of it rising up to colour Dorso’s cheeks.

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Adal’s breath shortened to nothing more than a pant as he waited, wanting to prove his willingness to please. Dorso cupped the back of his head and brought them together. Adal closed his eyes as his vision blurred. He sank into the sensation of lips moving beneath his and moaned happily. The slick glide of tongue made his knees weak and he lowered himself to the bed. Oh, the feeling of Dorso’s body alongside his! Adal wiggled closer, seeking more of the heat rolling off Dorso’s form. Dorso gripped his head tighter and pushed his tongue in deeper, sweeping it through the depths of Adal’s mouth. Adal was being marked, claimed, tasted and devoured. He had to touch Dorso, hang onto him and feel the hard planes of his chest beneath Adal’s palms. It was the most beautiful moment in Adal’s life. He had a second of stark terror wherein fear welled up that he’d disappoint Dorso with the kiss. Adal had never kissed anyone, not even a brotherly peck to Steven, not once in his life. But he followed Dorso’s lead, moved his tongue and suckled gently while Dorso did both with more force. Adal had followed Steven’s lead forever, and following was what he felt most comfortable doing. Having Dorso take command relieved Adal of his fears and doubts in regards to the kiss. He let himself melt against Dorso, opened his mouth wider and whimpered, hoping the sound bled into Dorso and told him how much Adal needed him to stay in charge. Dorso fisted one hand in Adal’s hair and grabbed his ass with the other. Adal squeaked in surprise. Fear reignited in him, tangling with a need to strong he could hardly think. Dorso squeezed his butt and gave Adal’s hair a tug. Adal slithered on top of Dorso and parted his legs, framing the outer sides of Dorso’s thighs. The position aligned their cocks exquisitely and Adal’s heartbeat ratcheted up even higher as he thrust. Dorso pushed his tongue in deeper then scraped his teeth over Adal’s lower lip. At the same time, he pushed his fingers into the seam of Adal’s ass, pressing against his hole.

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Adal’s orgasm rocketed throughout his body without warning. He’d never felt anything like it, going so hot he expected to combust as rapturous pleasure washed up from his groin. Adal gasped and rutted, mindless with bliss, chasing more and more of his release. He didn’t even care when he was rolled, when Dorso caught up one of his legs and began thrusting, driving his rigid dick over Adal’s groin. He did manage to open his eyes, because he needed to see his mate. Dorso looked absolutely fierce, teeth bared as his lips thinned, sweat coating his skin, tendons standing out in his neck as he humped against Adal. Adal could only hold on, gripping Dorso’s forearms and moaning as his own climax dragged out longer than he’d ever experienced before. Dorso grunted with every thrust. His hips snapped harder, and it was almost painful for Adal, yet he craved each drive, each grinding shove. He got a hand down to Dorso’s hip and held on there, curling his fingers into a bruising grip. It spurred Dorso on. Adal was pushed up the bed by the next thrust, then Dorso bore down on him, hissing and cursing as wet heat spread between their groins. Adal’s cock hadn’t gone soft at all. Couldn’t, not when Dorso was coming apart because of him. No one had ever been interested in him, had ever looked at him with lust. Adal’s world, in the past twenty-four hours, had truly been tipped on its axis. And Dorso’s had, too, though he didn’t know it yet. “Fuck,” Dorso muttered brokenly as he jerked above Adal. “What…the…fuck…” he got out between gasps. “What just happened? I don’t even know you. Fuck.” Dorso rolled off him. “My head.” Adal’s pleasure vanished as if he’d been tossed into frigid waters. He didn’t know who or what he was more afraid of, Dorso, the conversation they were going to have, being a disappointment to his mate—everything was so uncertain. It was something he should have been used to, as Adal had never known if he’d be allowed to live from one day to the next, and yet this fear was different, worse. If his mate rejected him, Adal didn’t know what he’d do.

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Bailey Bradford

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Chapter Two

One minute, he’d been asleep, the next, he’d woken up to find himself staring at the sexiest man he’d ever seen. Adal, just Adal. Who doesn’t have a last name? And why does it feel like a goddamned grenade went off in my head? Dorso touched his temple and tried to regulate his breathing. His head was really sore there, and his pulse pounding from coming so hard his jaws ached didn’t help. Not that he’d change that coming part. “Jesus, I’ve never come like that before, and I’ve fucked around a lot.” He opened his eyes when someone growled. The sound was truly animalistic, so Dorso was startled and, okay, close to freaking out when he heard it. But there were no wild creatures in the room, just Adal, glaring, those black-brown eyes narrowed and his full lips pinched tight. Dorso frowned as a few things registered. “Why am I in Isaiah’s bedroom? Where is he, and Bae? I was at work. Who are you?” he demanded finally, scooting up to lean his back against the headboard. “What the fuck is going on here? Did someone spike my drink? I don’t even know who you are—” Dorso snapped his mouth shut. He didn’t panic like this, and he wasn’t going to keep doing it. He took a deep breath while Adal got off the bed and backed away. Hard to blame him when I just went on a rant. Then Adal’s words from earlier finally sank in. Dorso narrowed his eyes at the sexy man. “Your brother hit me?” And he’d just rubbed one off on Adal? What was wrong with him? But Dorso knew, as soon as he had the thought, that Adal wasn’t part of the problem. The way the man had babbled and blushed, had shaken and come for him, the inexperienced kiss that had turned Dorso on like no skilled kiss ever had before—those told him something. They added up to fit in perfectly with the air of innocence that surrounded Adal. “Tell me,” he said, a little more gently since Adal appeared to be struck silent with terror. Could have been embarrassment, too, for all Dorso knew.

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“I…” Adal looked around the room frantically before gesturing at his jeans, where a wet spot had spread. “Let me change first?” It was a stalling technique most likely, but Dorso didn’t have the heart to deny Adal the very short-term break. “Okay.” Besides, there were weird pieces of things floating around in his head, memories or remnants of nightmares perhaps. Dorso didn’t know. Nothing made sense just then. Confused didn’t even begin to cover it. Dorso didn’t know what the hell was going on, other than his head hurt and he’d just had the best orgasm ever. Before that, he remembered going to the shop, then— Then nothing. It seemed like something had blown up in his head, but he knew that wasn’t right. His head was pounding, literally throbbing with each heartbeat. He could hardly think for the pain. And yet, he kept wanting to look at Adal. He watched as Adal went through Isaiah’s drawers and found sweats and a shirt. What was that about? Why was he using Isaiah’s clothes? Dorso didn’t dwell on it. There was something about the man that made him special. Dorso couldn’t put his finger on it, probably because he couldn’t fucking concentrate. What had happened to him? Dorso closed his eyes and tried to think. “I’m going to shower, if that’s okay?” Adal asked quietly. “Go ahead. I’m not moving.” Dorso didn’t think he could have got up then if he’d have tried. Instead, he concentrated on figuring out how he’d ended up in Isaiah’s bed, getting off with a stranger he wanted to protect and cuddle with. All weird things for him. Dorso was a fuck-em and leave-em sort of guy, and he’d never proclaimed to be any other sort. Life was a party, that was his motto. Except he didn’t feel that way right then. The surge of want he felt towards Adal was both novel and intimidating. “Don’t think about that. How’d I get here?” Dorso took several steadying breaths and moved past the pain in his head. Slowly, he began to remember some of it. He’d been at work, at the auto shop Isaiah owned. He’d walked in and found strangers there, holding Isaiah and his boyfriend Bae against their will. www.totallybound.com

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One of those strangers had been Adal. The other had been bigger and meaner, and he’d hit Dorso. “That would be the asshole known as Steven,” he muttered. He’d come to a few times and remembered being inside Bae’s mobile vet clinic van. He’d listened to bits and pieces of the conversation in the van, and had gradually come to the conclusion that Adal and Steven had abducted them, even though he hated to believe it. About Adal, at least. That sucks. Adal came back into the room. Dorso heard the door open, and he cracked an eyelid open enough to take in Adal’s frame. The man was leanly muscular, sculpted to perfection. He had thick, choppy black hair and warm but dark brown eyes. Then there were those cheekbones Dorso could shave with and full lips, the top one sharply arched at the points. A pert nose made Adal look young, and innocent—probably much more innocent than he was, considering he was a kidnapper at the very least. But damn it all to hell, he was hot. “What happened?” Dorso gritted out. Maybe the blow to his head had altered his personality, because every time he looked at Adal, he wanted to keep the man. If that continued, Dorso would be buying a cute little house with a white picket fence, planting roses and picking out baby furniture. He snorted. Adal tugged at the waistband of the sweats. He didn’t look at Dorso. “What do you remember?” Dorso searched for any weapons that Adal might have hidden, in case he was totally wrong and Adal wasn’t innocent, but instead some villainous mastermind with amazing acting chops. If Adal was faking the sweet, inexperienced personality Dorso kept catching glimpses of, then the man deserved every acting award ever given for his performance. Gathering up his balls metaphorically, Dorso stopped stalling. “I remember you and the guy I guess is your brother holding Isaiah and Bae against their will. And that assfuck hit me.” Adal blanched and kept his gaze averted. “Steven. His name is Steven, and he didn’t know. Neither of us did.” www.totallybound.com

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“Know what?” Dorso asked, irritation pricking at him. “You didn’t know it’s a criminal offence to kidnap and assault people?” Adal tilted his head to the left and did look at him then, through a thick layer of black lashes. “Our laws are different from yours. Had we refused to do what we did, we’d have both been killed, slowly, and very, very painfully.” Dorso opened his mouth to release a snarky comment, but something stopped him. All along Adal’s arms were tiny scars, and some not so tiny, at least a dozen on each arm. Most of them were fairly deep, and some looked like burns. Not all of them were old, either. Nausea rose in Dorso’s stomach and his throat went dry. He dragged his gaze up and saw more scars on Adal’s neck, and a few on his face. Those ones were smaller, little pocks on his cheeks, chin and brow. Then Adal turned his head more and Dorso caught the glimpse of a silvery scar running from below his right earlobe around the back of his neck. Where it ended, he didn’t know because he couldn’t see. “My father,” he heard Adal murmur. “He isn’t a man to be disobeyed.” “What kind of sick fuck is he?” Dorso demanded, forcing himself to sit up then scoot to the side of the bed. Seeing all those wounds on Adal, even healed, stirred a fury in him he didn’t know he was capable of. “He can’t touch you now. The police—” Adal shook his head slowly, those big, sad eyes tearing away at Dorso’s defences. “We live in a different world, or at least a different society. What did you see, when you woke up in the van?” “What the hell are you talking about?” Dorso was so confused. He wasn’t sure Adal was all there, as the saying went. “You’re here in the USA, and there are laws against abuse, and kidnapping, and assault.” “What do you remember?” Adal asked again. Dorso wanted to shake his head but knew it’d probably make him cry out in pain. Adal’s words prodded at his memory, and the strangest thing happened. Dorso felt something else in his mind, something easing his pain. It had to be endorphins, and he was grateful for them, but the memories that broke free were too bizarre to be real. Still, Dorso spoke of them when Adal asked again. www.totallybound.com

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“I remember hearing Bae and Isaiah talking about being shifters, whatever that means, and someone turned into a leopard or cat or something.” Dorso snorted. “Must have taken a hell of a punch to the head, huh?” His nervousness tripled as Adal merely looked at him. “What?” he barked out. Adal flinched and Dorso silently called himself the biggest asshole in the world. “Sorry. Look, I won’t hurt you, okay? Where are Bae and Isaiah?” Why hadn’t he been worried sooner? “Because you remember them dropping us off here,” Adal answered. Dorso scowled, not at Adal but over the fact that he must have asked the question out loud, though he didn’t remember doing so. Adal continued talking. “Steven and I were ordered to bring Bae Warren back to our father, Bashuan, for lepe breeding purposes.” Dorso knew he wasn’t that brain damaged. Adal was talking gibberish. “What the hell is a lepe, and breeding purposes? What are you going on about? Bae’s as queer as I am.” Adal nodded. “Yes, but Bashuan doesn’t care. Our lepe—our pack, clan, family— although we aren’t all related by blood—we are a unit that lives together and is isolated from other lepes. Lepe, that’s our pack.” “You’re a cult member?” Dorso asked, because that seemed the most likely explanation for all the crazy. Adal sighed and pushed back a chunk of hair that had fallen over his eyes. “We’re shifters, Dorso. What you saw wasn’t a nightmare, or hallucination. What you heard wasn’t, either. Bae and Isaiah are leopard shifters. Steven and I are…” Adal gulped. “We’re freaks, a mix of two breeds that shouldn’t have ever been spawned. That’s why…” Adal ran his hands over his arm, then traced the pale scar that ran around his neck. “Because we don’t deserve to be alive. Shouldn’t have been born.” It was too much to believe, yet Dorso knew it was the truth. He’d awoken in the van a few times, and everything Adal said matched his memories. Still, it was insane. Things like shifters and, well, shifters, didn’t exist. Except Adal stretched and something in the liquid-smooth movement of his body resonated in Dorso. He could see a feline element in Adal’s body, or at least in the almost languorous way he moved. It could have just been in his head, since Adal had just made the

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claim about shifters. Even so, Dorso felt the edges of his perception of reality beginning to fray. “Shift, then,” he said before he could stop himself. “If it’s true, then do it. Show me.” Adal didn’t speak. He bowed his head then pulled the shirt off over it. Dorso saw more scars, worse scars, on his torso. Fury radiated through Dorso—he curled his hands into fists and dug his nails against his palms. Adal didn’t notice. He bent and pushed the sweats down. Dorso’s stomach dipped and heaved as he saw more scars. There was even a thick one that sliced into Adal’s pubic hair, leaving a bald swath in its wake. Adal kicked the sweats aside. He raised his gaze up to perhaps Dorso’s chest. “Ready?” Dorso wanted to tell him it was okay, that he didn’t have to prove anything, except he did. There was no way Dorso could just accept what he’d been told, even if he did remember some of it. “Yeah.” “Don’t freak.” Adal squatted, then before Dorso could do more than blink, Adal’s body began rippling. Bones popped, muscles altered, hair sprouted out of that tanned skin in dense patches. Dorso reeled backwards before he could stop himself. The elongation of Adal’s face, the sickening sounds of him being twisted and turned into something else, were horrific. But it was happening. Dorso was awake, he was alert, and Adal was a supernatural being. There are stranger things under the sun was a phrase Dorso had heard many times throughout his life, but he’d never grasped it as fully as he did in that moment. Adal mewled as his body completed the transformation, and in front of Dorso sat a cat of some sort—leopard and puma mix? Wasn’t that what he’d said? Then another memory came to him. “Pumapard,” he whispered, caught by Adal’s dark-eyed stare. “That’s what Steven called you in the van.” Adal mewled again and lowered himself onto his belly. Dorso could see that he was missing hair in little patches, so he supposed the scars on the human form didn’t vanish when Adal shifted. He looked at Adal’s right ear, and saw that the scar was still there, winding around to the back of Adal’s head. Seeing it did something to Dorso. It squashed down his fear and replaced it with a sympathy he couldn’t ignore. “Fucker,” he muttered as he got up, his legs shaking. “He’s a dead bastard for hurting you.” www.totallybound.com

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What am I saying? He wasn’t a possessive guy, and he didn’t even know Adal! Yet the anger he felt was undeniable. Dorso wanted to find the guy’s father and peel the skin right off his body before killing him. And Dorso wasn’t the kind of man prone to violence, either. Adal purred and rolled onto his back. Dorso noted the white patch on Adal’s belly. The rest of his fur was as black as his human hair was. There were no spots or stripes, nothing like a leopard or tiger would have. In fact, the white belly reminded Dorso more of a dog than a cat, but he wouldn’t say as much. He took a step, and that first one was the hardest. After it, the next three were fairly easy, then he crouched and slowly reached for Adal’s belly. Dorso looked him in the eyes. “I’m going to guess you know it’s me and don’t want to eat me.” Adal sneezed or snorted, and Dorso took that for an all-clear. He ran his palm over the soft white fur. “Oh, that’s nice,” he said as he went ahead and sat down on the floor. “Feels like silk.” Adal began purring again and Dorso was content to sit and rub his belly for a while. Oddly enough, it soothed Dorso and calmed the frantic thoughts and burgeoning panic he’d been on the verge of collapsing under. “This is real,” he said more than once, marvelling at the new development. “Shifters are real. Wow. That’s just amazing. You’re amazing,” he added, which seemed to please Adal. Dorso wasn’t sure how he knew it, he just did. Then he had a horrible thought and jerked his hand back. “Oh, God, please tell me that all animals aren’t shifters. I mean, like squirrels. Please, not squirrels. Those fuckers run out in front of my truck all the time and…” He winced. “Well, shit. I think of all the suicidal squirrels and prairie dogs I’ve hit, and birds, and—” He glanced guiltily at Adal. “There was a racoon, and a hog. Please, please tell me those weren’t shifters. It was awful enough when they were just animals, but I can’t deal with thinking they might have been even more.”

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Chapter Three

Adal needed to shift back, and he hoped Dorso didn’t get upset about it. Adal got to his paws and shook from head to tail. Dorso’s worry over the animals needed to be assuaged if possible. “You’re going to turn back into a person now, right?” Dorso asked. Adal nuzzled Dorso’s palm. Letting Dorso see him, scars and all, had been very difficult. Adal hated his marred skin, yet his mate had asked and Adal couldn’t deny Dorso anything he needed. Now Dorso needed reassurance. Adal shifted with more speed than he had when bringing his pumapard out. He hadn’t been deliberately slow, but his shifts were unpredictable. Sometimes he could do it in the blink of an eye, and sometimes it took a few very painful minutes. He was human in seconds and reaching for Dorso’s hands. “No, they were animals. There are only us, and wolves.” As far as he knew, but he’d be damned if he added that. Plus, he really hoped that was the truth. Dorso’s relief was evident in the hearty exhalation he loosed. “Thank God. I couldn’t deal with it if I knew I’d killed people, too.” He cocked his head at Adal. “You’re human, and animal, and you can think like a person when you’re in your other form?” Adal nodded. Dorso seemed to be handling the whole thing better than Adal had expected. “There’s more,” Adal dared press. Dorso hummed and Adal realised he was being visually inspected. He started to cover his cock and balls, but Dorso pointed at him. “Nuh-uh. I want to look.” Adal wasn’t embarrassed about being naked, exactly, it was the scars that bothered him. He wanted Dorso to find him attractive, and not think of him as damaged. But I am damaged. There’s no use in hoping he won’t see that. The proof is all over my skin, all over my body.

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“Tell me again, why were you and Steven trying to take Bae?” Dorso held up one hand before Adal could answer. “Explain it from the beginning.” Adal reached for the sweats. “Can I get dressed first?” “Sure.” Adal did, then he extended a hand to Dorso. “Need help getting up?” A wicked grin flitted over Dorso’s lips, but he didn’t say anything, only took Adal’s hand and let himself be hoisted to his feet. “I need some ibuprofen or something, maybe, first.” Adal took him by the elbow and guided him back to the bed. “You, er, might want to clean that up, too.” He pointed to Dorso’s crotch. Dorso glanced down. “You mean my dick? From when I frotted on you until we both came?” Adal’s skin heated with a blush. “Er.” Dorso looked up at him, a serious expression in place. “How many guys or girls have you messed around with?” Adal couldn’t meet his gaze. “None. Ever. I wasn’t allowed anyone but Steven, and that—” “That’s gross, so I’m glad you didn’t get curious with him,” Dorso cut in with. “What do you mean, you weren’t allowed?” “Let me get the pills Bae set out for you, then I’ll explain.” He dreaded it. Any pride he had would be decimated, but Dorso would get the truth. In the kitchen, Adal took out two of the pain pills Bae had told him Dorso could have. He also fetched another glass of water and reminded himself to clean up the spilled one in the bedroom. Adal returned with the items and handed them to Dorso, who took them. Adal picked up the other glass, but the carpet had soaked up the water. It was wet there. Carpet wasn’t something Adal knew how to deal with. His room had a dirt floor. “Don’t worry about it, it’ll dry,” Dorso said after swallowing down the pills. He put the glass on the nightstand then patted the mattress. “Now sit down and explain to me why all of this happened, and maybe why I’m not flipping my lid over it.”

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Adal nibbled on his bottom lip. He sat and contemplated his hands before releasing his lip and speaking. “You’re not panicking because I’m helping you, sort of.” Dorso grunted and waited. “We’re mates,” Adal offered, wishing he didn’t sound so scared. “I didn’t know that was possible for halfbreeds like me—” “Hang on a sec.” Dorso was scowling at him. “I don’t like that word, halfbreeds. The way you say it, like it’s a slur.” “It is,” Adal explained. “We—me and Steven—we are slurs, slights, insults to our lepe.” “Then shouldn’t it be your dad who is punished for having sex with another breed of shifter?” Dorso scratched his chin. “Is that how you’d say it?” “Yes, that’s how, and no, never. Not Bashuan.” The idea of it was almost laughable. “Our father, Bashuan, is a great leader and he rules our lepe. Well, he’s not great. He’s full of more hate than any person should be able to contain. He’s greatly feared, that’s more like it. No one would dare to blame him for our births. They’d blame the women for being seductive, even if they were forced, and they’d blame us, because that’s what they’re told to do. Doing otherwise would result in their death, and very likely the death of everyone in their family.” Dorso looked horrified as he gawped at Adal. “That’s fucking barbaric! Blaming the women, blaming you and Steven—I can’t even—” Dorso shook his head then groaned and clutched it. “Fuck. Ow.” “I’m so sorry,” Adal offered. “Steven wouldn’t have hit you if he’d known, but neither of us did. Now he’s going back to try to kill Bashuan so you and I—and him, if he doesn’t get killed—can live without fear of reprisal from Bashuan.” “Wait wait wait wait,” Dorso ground out. “You’re telling me the asswipe that hit me is now probably going to die trying to help me? Help us?” Adal tried really hard not to, but he still couldn’t keep a tear from slipping out. “Y-yes. Steven isn’t—” Gods, explaining was so hard! “You don’t know him. Steven is the only reason I survived as long as I did. He’s the reason all these scars aren’t worse. The beatings he took for me…the things he has done just to keep Bashuan from killing me, you have no idea.” Adal brushed at the tear. “Steven is the strongest person I know. He’s hard, inside, but

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he’s had to be, and he isn’t ruined like Bashuan. He can love. He loves me.” Adal looked Dorso in the eyes. “And he’s willing to die to keep us both safe because you’re my mate.” “Mate,” Dorso muttered. “You said that before.” Adal bobbed his head. “Yes. Some shifters are lucky enough to have a destined mate. When they meet, it’s a blessing from the gods. There’s a bond that develops, both physically and mentally. I can feel when you’re upset, I know when your head is pounding. When you aren’t throwing up mental borders, I can come in and help ease you.” Which meant that Dorso immediately slammed up the mental roadblocks. “You can read my mind?” he demanded to know. “Wait, we’re together, like, forever?” Uh-oh. Dorso didn’t sound thrilled about that. “I’m sorry. I can see where being stuck with someone like me would be very undesirable,” Adal offered, his heart breaking along with his pride. “If I were a pure—” “Don’t even go there,” Dorso snapped. Adal flinched and stepped back. Dorso sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Aw, man, don’t do that. I’m a lover, not an abuser.” Adal didn’t know what to say to that, so he focused on his brother. “Steven protected me, many times. Bashuan made him do horrible things, using my life as a bargaining chip. Then this time, Bashuan sent us both out to collect Bae Warren. Our lepe was promised his cooperation in the breeding programme. Our females aren’t fertile, or the ones that do get pregnant can’t carry to term. Not even in shifted form, which is only a few months. They miscarry, and nothing has changed that over the past several years. Bashuan swears that we need new, er, blood, in the lepe. He doesn’t care that Bae wants nothing to do with it all. So he sent us, and told us he’d hunt us to the ends of the Earth and kill us both if we failed to return with Bae.” Adal shrugged. “We let him go. Bashuan will come for us, for me. For you, so perhaps it’s a good thing you don’t want me. If you leave now, the bond might not harm you. Breaking the bond, I mean. Mates can get quite ill if they aren’t together, which was why we grabbed Isaiah along with Bae.” Dorso just stared at him. Adal wished he could tell what Dorso was feeling then, but he couldn’t. Even Dorso’s expression was blank. “Bae found out Bashuan has been poisoning me and Steven, maybe www.totallybound.com

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because we’re stronger than his pureblooded shifters, or maybe just because he hates us. He was killing us one pill at a time, having us take them and telling us they were fighting the sickness that hit us sporadically.” “That’s enough,” Dorso said when Adal opened his mouth again. “No, that’s enough. I have to think about all of this. I never thought I’d settle down—not that I’m against it,” he added quickly. “Especially since I’ve seen Isaiah and Bae together. I just figured I’d never have that, and now you’re saying maybe I will, if we don’t get killed.” Then he slumped, his shoulders rounding. “And you’re telling me that the asshole that hit me is actually probably going to die trying to protect me, us. That he took years of abuse to keep you as safe as he could manage to. Makes it hard for me to keep being pissed off at him.” “It wasn’t personal, if that helps.” Dorso chortled. Adal wove his fingers together and rolled his shoulders. “Okay, well maybe it doesn’t help. In the end, we listened to Bae and Isaiah, and realised that we didn’t have to be Bashuan’s pawns. I wanted to go with Steven, but I couldn’t risk you. Wouldn’t.” The question was right there in Dorso’s expression. “Because we are mates,” Adal continued. “And maybe you can leave now, and it won’t affect you. I would still watch over you, because somehow, Bashuan will know. He’ll come for me, or maybe he’s already got guards on the way, or has them here, watching us somewhere from the outside, watching this place, I mean. So it’s not safe for you now.” “What happens to you if I do manage to walk away?” Dorso asked. Adal wanted to shrug off the question, but Dorso was starting at him intently, and lying had never been something Adal was good at. “I don’t know. Shifters don’t do well without their mates. I don’t know how humans do.” “You’d get sick?” “Maybe.” Adal shifted from foot to foot. “Yes. Even thinking about you leaving now makes me want to throw up, but you don’t need to worry about that. You do what you must, and just don’t worry about me.” Dorso outright laughed at that. “Yeah, well, the idea of leaving you makes me feel sick, so I think there’s your answer. It affects me like it does you.” www.totallybound.com

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“I’m sorry.” Adal felt horrible for Dorso. The poor man was being paired with him by Destiny whether Dorso wanted it or not. “I won’t say I’m not scared,” Dorso said a moment later. “No one wants some psycho fucker coming after them, but we just won’t let him catch us, okay?” Adal barely dared to breathe. Did that mean Dorso wasn’t going to leave? “I won’t want to go near my family until we know it’s safe, though, since you said he’d kill people and their family members. It’s one thing to risk my own life, but I won’t risk my parents.” “You should leave,” Adal blurted out. “I’ll make sure it’s safe, that no one is outside. Go home, wherever that is, and—” Dorso growled, and it sent a shiver down Adal’s spine. It also made his dick perk up again. And Dorso noticed it.

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Chapter Four

There was too much to think about, and Dorso didn’t want to think, anyway. Doing so just made his head pound harder, which sucked horribly, because then and his heart pounded harder than his head and there was all kinds of unpleasant bodily chaos where he felt like he might have a heart attack or have his head explode. When it came down to it, he was scared, on many levels, but he could see that Adal was even more scared. Which caused a pinching in the vicinity of Dorso’s heart. “Come here,” he said gruffly, gesturing at Adal. When Adal hesitated, Dorso rumbled again and flicked his fingers. “Now,” he urged. He was tired and aching in more than just the physical sense. He was weary to his soul from hearing Adal’s life story. “I come from a big, loving family,” he found himself saying as he waited for Adal to get up the nerve to come to him. “They’re loud, and religious, and they love me despite what their religion says. Mama told me, ‘God made you, and He doesn’t make mistakes, so I don’t care what Father Marley says, you’re just fine’.” Then he chuckled. “She’s gonna be turning cartwheels of joy over me settling down, if that’s what’s gonna happen to us. You’d end up with more family than you can handle, probably.” The hope in Adal’s eyes warred with the fear. Dorso deliberately tried to reach for him mentally. He wasn’t sure how to do it, but just thought that he wanted to feel what Adal felt. And it hit him, a great, big tsunami of pain and a lifetime of rejection, suffering that he couldn’t have ever fathomed on his own. That wasn’t what blew him away. What moved him, what wrapped around his heart and kick-started it into a rhythm he’d never known before, was the hope and pure innocence that shone through Adal’s soul. Dorso was certain it was Adal’s soul he was being shown. There was nothing else that could carry such brilliance and resilience in a person. It changed Dorso, in that moment. He saw past his own shallow ways, his refusal to be serious when it came to another man. While his parents and family said the church was wrong about him, somewhere deep in his heart, he’d never believed them.

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“I thought I didn’t deserve what they have,” he said as he realised it. “Despite what my Mama said, I thought I wouldn’t get to have a relationship like theirs. So this mate thing…” He widened his eyes at Adal. Adal took a step closer. “It’s binding for us. For purebloods, so maybe for me, too. I’ll be committed to you, and never want another.” He swallowed nervously. “And it works that way for both mates, but you’re human—” “And I can handle commitment.” He thought so, anyway. Dorso certainly felt that he could while having Adal’s essence wrapped around him. “You say we’re destined mates, huh?” “Yes,” Adal whispered. Dorso smiled at him. “What if I said we’re blessed by God?” Adal took another step. “That would be…nice.” “Nice like my eyes, nice, or nice like, hell yeah,” Dorso teased. Adal’s grin was a truly beautiful thing to see. “You mention your God and hell, and confuse a pagan like me.” Dorso laughed and watched Adal close the distance between them. “I won’t try to make you believe the way I do. Obviously there’s a lot in this world I don’t know about. But I do know this.” Dorso settled his hands on Adal’s hips. “I want you.” Adal rested his palms on Dorso’s forearms. “You can have me. I’m your mate. I’m sorry I don’t know anything about…this.” Dorso didn’t ask what, because he understood. Adal was apologising for being a virgin. Not just a virgin, but a wholly untouched virgin, who, from what Dorso had felt, had hardly ever even been treated with kindness except for when Steven was with him. Dorso intended to touch Adal in many ways, and none of them would be brotherly. With his cock hardening again, Dorso leant forward. At the same time, he pulled Adal closer, into the vee of his spread legs. Adal moved fluidly, and Dorso inhaled deeply, filling himself with the man’s scent. Tangy and sweet, Adal’s natural odour was more stimulating than any cologne. “What do you want?” Dorso asked him, breathing the words out over his growing erection. “What do I want?” Adal parroted, confusion clouding his face. www.totallybound.com

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“Yes, what do you want me to do?” Dorso asked again. He didn’t want to make suggestions lest Adal think those were things Dorso wanted. What Dorso needed was to please Adal, and while he didn’t understand the why of it, he didn’t really care, either. He was just going to follow his instincts. “Touch me?” Adal asked timidly, and Dorso knew he was starved for it, for gentle hands that brought pleasure, not pain. Dorso stood, bringing his hands up along Adal’s sides as he did so. He rucked up Adal’s shirt. “Arms up, baby.” Adal whimpered almost soundlessly as he raised his arms up. Dorso bared his chest and dipped down to lap at one of the tawny nipples. “Oh, oh, gods,” Adal gasped, leaning forward. Dorso grinned and licked over it again. He kept his hands moving, pushing the shirt up and off, then he caressed the cool length of Adal’s back while suckling on his tit. “Ungh,” Adal got out. Dorso liked an incoherent lover. He brought one hand around and teased at the nipple he wasn’t sucking on. Adal mewled and shook like his bones were trying to break free. Dorso was afraid he’d collapse, so he scooped Adal up and carried him to the bed. Adal didn’t even protest, just stared up at him with those soul-searching eyes. “Don’t want you to fall.” Adal nodded. “My legs went weak. I didn’t know this—” He touched one of his nipples. “Wow.” “You think you know wow,” Dorso said. He carefully placed Adal on the bed. The need to be tender, caring, was a new one for Dorso when it came to sex. Not that he’d ever blatantly disregarded his sexual partner’s needs, but he’d only been with guys like him, who’d been much more experienced than Adal was. Dorso was going to show him ‘wow’. He leaned over Adal and nibbled on his jaw. Adal trembled and Dorso felt as powerful as any deity. He had this man, wanting him, giving himself wholly to Dorso. It was an addictive feeling, being trusted and granted such a gift. Even the idea of it being forever wasn’t scaring the shit out of Dorso.

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Maybe Adal was soothing him, and Dorso was okay with that. He found himself wanting to do whatever it took to keep from adding to Adal’s long list of hurts. Dorso moved until he was almost lying on Adal. Adal spread his legs and Dorso settled, much as he’d done earlier. Their cocks were hard and hot, and a little wiggle went a long way towards making them both moan. Adal’s skin had a sweet flavour to it. Dorso licked and licked, framing one side of Adal’s face with one hand and learning every texture of the other side. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of stubble. Adal’s cheeks were smooth except for where there were scars. Dorso made certain to drop kisses on the damaged areas. Adal’s shortened breath along with his writhing beneath Dorso was heady to experience. Dorso sucked up a mark on the hinge of Adal’s jaw, then went for that silvery scarred spot beneath his ear. Adal gasped and clutched at him, bucking those narrow hips up against Dorso’s. Someone was hungry for pleasure, and Dorso would gladly feed Adal until they were both sated. He sucked on Adal’s earlobe and gave the flesh a little tug. “D-Dorso,” Adal rasped. “Tell me what to do.” Dorso raised his head up and studied Adal. There was worry in those dark eyes, along with a heaping dose of lust. Did Adal mean he wanted to be dominated, or that he was worried he should be doing more than letting Dorso have his way with him? The idea of domming the sweet man was intriguing. Dorso did like to take the lead, but he didn’t want to overstep, not with Adal being completely inexperienced. Surely Adal didn’t mean he wanted to be thoroughly topped. Except there was something, some tickle of excitement when Dorso thought about it, and he didn’t believe the excitement was his alone. He rose up onto his knees and straddled Adal’s hips. Without speaking, he took a hold of Adal’s wrists. Dorso raised them up above Adal’s head and tightened his hold on them. When he did so, Adal’s lips parted, his eyelids slid almost fully closed and he moaned as he thrust up. “Like this,” Dorso said, more to himself than to Adal. Adal did want to submit to him. “I won’t hurt you,” Dorso vowed. “You won’t regret trusting me.”

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Adal had to swallow twice—Dorso saw his Adam’s apple bob both times—but he managed to speak. “I would never regret trusting my mate.” Well, that mate stuff ran deep. Dorso was a little intimidated by the responsibility, but one look at Adal, spread out and waiting for him, and he was more turned on than anything else. “Keep your hands right there so I can strip off your sweats.” Adal sucked on his bottom lip and nodded. Dorso had to get up, but it was worth it to remove those sweats and see Adal’s nude body. He had a pretty dick, thick and long, curved in a way that would feel perfect in a man’s ass. Dorso touched it, dragging a finger up from the base to the glistening slit. “I’m going to have this in me.” Adal’s eyes shot wide open. “I thought—” Dorso pressed his thumb against the slit. Adal’s eyes rolled back as he went slackjawed. “Sex is amazing, Adal, but it’s something that takes two people. You tell me what works and what doesn’t, and I’ll do the same. I love to top, love to fuck a tight ass, but every now and then, I like a cock in me, too. Doesn’t make me any less of a man, right?” “No, of course not,” Adal answered fiercely. “No more than it’d make me a lesser man for wanting to feel you in me.” Dorso beamed at him. “Oh, we’ll get there. But first, let’s just do this.” He got on the bed and caught Adal by the wrist. “You like this, being held?” Adal nodded. “I didn’t know I would, but you’re touching me.” Which was what Adal had asked for. Dorso was going to give him so much more. “I’ll keep touching you. Like this, and with my mouth.” Adal’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. “Your mouth? You mean kissing me?” Oh, the man had no idea, or maybe he did, because his breathing sped up and his cock loosed a dribble of pre-cum. “Mmhm.” Dorso took a kiss then, tasting those sweet lips and swiping his tongue over Adal’s. Adal moaned and jerked his arms. Dorso tightened his hold. If Adal wanted free, he could get that way easily enough, but Dorso thought he just wanted to know Dorso had him. So Dorso held his wrists and plundered his mouth, leaving no spot untouched, pressing his lips down until they ached and he could taste Adal’s need. Then he began marking Adal, nipping and sucking. A strong, heavy need to bite him, hard and deep, rose up in Dorso but www.totallybound.com

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he pushed it aside. The images that flitted through his mind were of a bite too painful to give such a gentle soul. Even so, he yearned for it, to bite and mark and taste Adal’s blood. Jesus Christ, that’s freaky! “What’s wrong?” he heard Adal ask. Dorso didn’t want to scare him. Instead of answering, he cradled Adal’s chin and tipped his head back. The long, smooth expanse of Adal’s neck was exposed and those images flashed through Dorso’s head again. “No,” he warned himself. He licked and licked, then dared to drag his teeth down to the base of Adal’s throat. Adal cried out and jerked his hands free. He clamped them around Dorso’s head. “Please, please, do it,” he begged. “Adal,” Dorso protested. “Bite me, mark me, claim me,” Adal urged, and Dorso wasn’t sure he’d actually heard the words out loud. Which weirded him out, so he shoved the scary idea away and tugged at the skin he longed to taste on a deeper level. “Yes,” Adal hissed. Definitely out loud, too. Dorso scraped at the spot again. Then he sucked, and Adal almost smashed his nose flat pushing Dorso closer. “Do it, do it, do it,” Adal chanted. “Bite me, bring my blood into your body.” Well, that was odd as hell, but Dorso found himself opening his mouth wider and taking a bite. He didn’t pull, just clamped down. Adal shouted, and rutted. He shoved one hand down between them, and as a delirious feeling filled him, Dorso realised that he could taste the coppery sweetness of Adal’s blood. And that Adal was coming again, his spunk hot and pungent between them. Dorso released the silky flesh and quickly shot down Adal’s body. He pushed Adal’s hand off his dick and sealed his lips around the fat crown. Adal yelled again. Semen spurted onto Dorso’s tongue. Dorso swallowed it eagerly while tonguing as much of Adal’s cock as he possibly could.

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When Adal’s shaft had stopped spilling, Dorso took the full length into his mouth, into his throat. Adal’s length was intimidating to deep throat, but Dorso did it because he wanted it like he’d wanted nothing else in ages. He palmed Adal’s balls. They were almost hairless, and fit perfectly in his hand. Dorso tugged and pushed on them as he bobbed his head up and down, not letting Adal’s cock soften. Adal moaned and undulated, digging his heels into the mattress and thrusting up to sink his cock into Dorso’s throat. Dorso used a forearm across Adal’s hips to pin him down. Adal had said he wanted to be controlled, and Dorso was all for that. He knew he’d made the right choice when joy filled him. Not his joy, either, though he felt some of it on his own behalf. No, it was Adal’s pleasure at being held down and dominated that he was feeling. Dorso kind of liked the mate thing, even if it was a sudden and unasked for commitment. He thought it was something he’d needed, and whoever made the decisions about such things had known what he or she was doing. Because Adal was his, of that Dorso was certain. They fit, and he wanted Adal in more than just the fucking sense. Dorso wanted to protect him, to care for him. He wanted to make Adal laugh with delight, and chase away those shadows of his past that haunted Adal. He even hoped that asshole Steven didn’t get killed. Dorso was hooked, and he was okay with it. He closed his eyes and sucked on Adal’s dick for another moment before pulling off. Adal whined a soft protest, but Dorso had other plans. He looked around and hoped to hell Isaiah had condoms in the night stand. “What’re you going to do?” Adal asked, though it took him a minute or so because he was breathing so hard. “Going to find a condom, slide it on you then ride your cock until you scream and come again.” Adal nodded vigorously then stopped. “The condom—” “Is going on, because while you’re a virgin, I’m not,” Dorso said firmly. www.totallybound.com

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“But—” “No buts,” Dorso interrupted. He tweaked Adal’s nipple, which got him a sexy little whimper. “Good boy.” Adal glowed with the praise and Dorso made a mental note to praise him often and effusively. But first, he was going to find a damned rubber. “Surely he has some here somewhere,” he muttered. Dorso opened the drawers on the nightstand, top first then the bottom one, but saw no condoms, just lube. “Aw, come on. I’m gonna go check in the bathroom.” “We don’t—” Adal stiffened noticeably, and not in a good way. “Dorso,” he whispered. “Shh.” Dorso wasn’t one for being shushed. He opened up his mouth to say as much when he heard it—a scraping sound coming from the front room. Adal scrambled up and took him by the shoulders. “Stay here.” There was no doubt about it. Dorso had heard those two words clearly and firmly in his head. He gawped at Adal, who left him standing there. How was that even possible? Jesus, all the things that had happened—Dorso had a terrifying thought. What if he was still unconscious, or in a coma? What if none of this was real? “It’s all real,” he heard Adal say in his head. Panic threatened, but that soothing cloak of calm spilled into him. It was the mate thing, had to be, unless he was strapped down and connected to tubes and shit in a hospital bed somewhere. Or in the back of Bae’s veterinary van. Why should he be more freaked out over the telepathy part of everything—he’d seen Adal turn into a freakin’ cat, for shit’s sake! Dorso chided himself as he watched Adal silently leave the room. He’d been told to stay there, but Dorso couldn’t. Obviously, something was going on that had Adal stalking the source of the noise. Dorso crept towards the doorway. He had to know what was happening. He reached it just in time to see the front door being flung open well before Adal reached it.

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Chapter Five

Adal reacted on instinct alone, shifting and leaping in one flowing movement. Two guards entered the apartment, both armed with knives. No guns for them, not when it came to being out in a busy human world. Adal snarled and avoided being sliced open by Juki, the first guard. She was the most dangerous of the two. Her accomplice, Urqu, was slower but still no one to discount. How they’d found him, he didn’t know. Perhaps he’d been followed all along, him and Steven both. The idea shot a bolt of fear through him. Steven was out in the wilderness, alone, seeking to find Bashuan and kill him. He’d be an easy target for Bashuan’s guards, and if they could find Adal, they could find Steven. The threat of being found was why he and Dorso had been left at Isaiah’s place. Supposedly Dorso had family over frequently. And they were all humans. Putting them at risk had been a bad idea, Isaiah had said. Since Isaiah’s family lived hours away and didn’t visit often, and they were leopard shifters, hiding out at his apartment had seemed like a good idea. Well, now Isaiah’s place was about to get torn up. Adal landed and spun around. He dived right back in, and ripped a bloody chunk out of the back of Urqu’s thigh. Urqu screamed and Juki silenced him by crushing his throat with a solid kick. That was the way the guards were. Loyalty belonged to Bashuan, no one else. Urqu had endangered everyone with that shriek. Juki hissed and came at Adal. “You caused his death, you little fucker.” “I think you did that, you murdering psycho!” Upon hearing Dorso’s voice, Adal sprinted backwards as much as he could, trying to get closer to his mate. Juki’s twisted smirk carried a heavy dose of sadistic delight. “Ah, a human to play with. This shouldn’t take long.” Adal dived at her, swiping with claws, gnashing his teeth. www.totallybound.com

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Juki kicked him in the chest, evading his attack with an ease that was to be envied. Fortunately, Adal just as easily avoided her dagger. “Cops will be on the way, I’m sure,” Dorso said. Adal could hear the nervousness in his voice as well as the anger. “You’d better get the fuck out of here!” “Or what?” Juki purred. “I’m going to kill Adal, and make you watch, and I’ll do it in under a minute. All that will be left behind is the bodies, and the fire.” She flicked a match then dropped it onto the carpet. It didn’t do much, but it spurred Adal into action. Talking was a waste of time. He leapt again, carefully twisting when he knew Juki was going to swing that knife at him. Something came flying across the room, and it hit Juki full-on in the face. It was a good distraction. Adal clawed through tendon and muscles, catching Juki’s arm with his paw. She didn’t make a sound other than to inhale sharply, but he knew she wouldn’t yell. As much as it turned his stomach, he knew he’d have to kill her to get him and Dorso to safety. Killing wasn’t anything he’d ever wanted to do. He’d do it if it meant Dorso would live. Adal saw bits and pieces of glass or ceramic material on the carpet. Dorso had to have thrown something at Juki, and he had damned good aim. Adal made sure Dorso was still out of harm’s way—he was—then he focused on Juki. Juki shifted, and the battle became deadlier. Dorso ran for the bedroom. “Close the door,” Adal willed, “Close it and go out the window!” He needed Dorso safe. Adal snarled and powered forward, claws and teeth tearing into Juki. There’d be no avoiding getting hurt, and stalling was only going to give Juki time to recover from his attack on her arm. She was still fierce, biting, ripping at him. Adal’s concern for his mate gave him the upper hand, though. He was desperate to protect Dorso. Adal clawed and bit. He curled his paws against Juki’s belly and raked, but she rolled away. Adal pursued her, biting her tail and crunching down hard.

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Her silence broke along with the appendage. Juki wailed and turned on him. Adal slapped her across the muzzle. She retaliated by biting his paw. With his other one, Adal tore off part of her ear. Juki let go of him then, and she backed away. Her lips were curled back, baring her teeth, but Adal noted that she wasn’t attacking him. Then he saw the blood puddling beneath her. His stomach cramped and threatened to heave. He’d done that, ripped into another living being— “Adal!” Dorso snapped. Adal turned and darted for his mate. Dorso stood peeking through a slight crack in the bedroom doorway. Adal shot a glance at Juki. She wasn’t chasing him. In fact, she was wobbling and not even watching him. He didn’t want to think about what he’d just done. Adal bolted for the bedroom. “Shift,” Dorso snapped out as he shut and locked the door. “Get dressed. Hurry!” Adal didn’t hear sirens or anything. Maybe they hadn’t been so loud, or more likely, with everyone having TVs and such, their racket wasn’t thought to be real. Whatever the case, they needed to leave. He shifted and took the clothes Dorso thrust at him. Dorso was wearing his faded jeans and a grey T-shirt. He put his socks and boots on faster than Adal got into the sweats and shirt. His own shoes were nowhere to be found, not quickly, at least. As soon as Dorso gestured for him, they headed to the window. Isaiah’s apartment was on the ground floor, another blessing. Dorso went out first and Adal was right behind him. He took Dorso’s hand and started running. Dorso cursed. Adal felt pain flow into him and knew Dorso’s head was pounding. He did what he could to try to help with that, sending back as many soothing thoughts as possible while trying to navigate the streets of Denver. The neighbourhood they were in was rather densely populated. Some people gave them odd looks as they ran past, but mostly no one paid them any attention. The brisk air felt good on Adal’s skin. It was cool as evening was coming on, and a jarring breeze occasionally slapped at them. Adal didn’t know where to go. After running for ten minutes straight, he had to pull Dorso into an alley. Adal’s strength was waning. It happened sometimes, and he cursed silently, praying to the gods that another weak spell wouldn’t hit him just then. www.totallybound.com

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“My head’s going to fuckin’ explode,” Dorso rasped. “Jesus. Christ. I should work on cardio…” Adal didn’t even know what that meant. He was too dizzy to ask. “What’s wrong?” Dorso grabbed his arms. He shook Adal slightly. “Shit, are you hurt? I didn’t see blood—” Adal was surprised Juki hadn’t ripped him to shreds. Either she wasn’t as good a fighter as he’d thought or he was better than he’d ever believed. “Not hurt, not like that,” he got out as everything swam around him. “Sick—” More cussing from Dorso then as he pulled Adal into an embrace. “Sick how? Do you— is it a disease? Or just nauseated from running, or…or what happened back there?” Adal heard sirens then, finally. He doubted they had anything to do with what had happened in Isaiah’s apartment. Then again, he could be wrong. “Adal? Answer me,” Dorso barked out. Adal’s heart raced erratically and he had trouble breathing. Deep breaths in, slow out, he told himself, and forced his body to obey. “Adal!” Dorso’s panic broke Adal’s concentration, but it also helped him to control the sickness he was feeling. “Not a disease,” he got out. Adal found the strength to tip his head up and meet Dorso’s gaze. “Poison. Bashuan poisoned me and Steven.” The horror in Dorso’s expression and the pale cast to his skin was worrisome. “Don’t look at me like that, like I’m ill,” Dorso ground out. “Your own father poisoned you and Steven? How? What can we do? You can’t—” Dorso shuddered. “You can’t die!” Adal almost laughed. Everybody could and did die, of course. “Adal,” Dorso muttered angrily. “Sorry.” Adal took in another breath and felt a little better. “We don’t know more than that. Bae took samples of our blood, and he took the pills. He’s going to have someone examine it all and see if they can help us. So I don’t know the damage to my body. I don’t know what I took when I believed we were given medicine to help us. The pills weren’t laced with…with the toxins, all the time. We didn’t get sick every time we took them, so we didn’t associate being ill with them. Bae figured that out.” www.totallybound.com

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Dorso didn’t look as upset, but he was by no means happy as he studied Adal. “Bae didn’t have to help us,” Adal continued. “After we’d kidnapped him, and Steven cut Isaiah—” “What?” Dorso all but shouted. “He cut him? Jesus, is Isaiah okay? Where’s my cell phone?” Dorso let go of Adal and began patting his pants pockets. “There’s my wallet, so thank God for that. Where the fuck is my phone?” “It wasn’t on you when we brought you into Isaiah’s apartment,” Adal offered. “I don’t remember seeing it before then, either. Maybe it fell out at the auto shop?” “I need to call Isaiah. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?” Dorso frowned. “Fucking head injury. No, I’m just stupid sometimes.” “You’re not,” Adal argued. “A stupid man wouldn’t be able to work on vehicles and do what you do.” “While it’s nice to have my own personal fan club, I have to point out that you don’t know me.” Dorso’s words struck Adal like tiny darts cutting through his skin and bones, hitting him in his core. Adal shrank back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry.” “Fuck. Fuck!” Dorso rubbed his forehead. He seemed to be on the verge of violence, with anger pouring off him. Adal grew nervous. Dorso was right—Adal didn’t know him. Would Dorso hit him, hurt him out of anger and frustration? Adal really couldn’t blame him if he did, considering what Adal had done to him. Well, Adal and Steven. They’d wrecked Dorso’s life, hadn’t they? Adal took another step into the shadows of the alley. Leaving Dorso would hurt, but it might be for the best. Adal didn’t want to be hit or beaten, and if Dorso tried, he wouldn’t fight back for fear of hurting his own mate. And Dorso didn’t seem to want him now that he was dressed and not laid out for fucking. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop it,” Dorso said. There was a weariness in his tone that stopped Adal from backing up any farther. He slowly raised his eyes to Dorso’s. Dorso held out a hand and Adal ignored it, uncertain what Dorso meant by the gesture. “Adal,” Dorso said hoarsely. “I’m sorry, okay? I am. I can be a real dickhead sometimes, and you didn’t deserve that.” www.totallybound.com

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Adal let out a snarky laugh that surprised himself. “Right. We hit you, kidnapped you, turned your whole life upside down—” “And maybe I needed all of that, even the hitting part,” Dorso said. “Told you I was a dickhead sometimes, and I probably had that coming one way or the other. As to the rest, it’s already done, right? This thing with me and you, it can’t be undone?” Did Dorso want it to be undone? Probably, Adal realised. “I can leave. You’ll be okay.” He hoped. If not, Adal didn’t know what he’d do. Dorso gave a slow shake of his head. “I don’t think so. You’re not getting away from me that easy. Would you be okay if you walked away?” Adal didn’t want to answer that. Dorso narrowed his eyes and moved closer. “Tell me.” “T-tell you what?” Adal managed to get out as his nerves pinged under his skin. “Tell me, what happens if you lose me?” Dorso stared at him in such a way that Adal would have sworn he could see into his soul. “I… Mates aren’t supposed to be apart for long. I only know what I’ve heard. It could be untrue.” “What have you heard?” Dorso asked as he reached out and gently stroked Adal’s chin. “What do you feel?” “We die,” Adal said, hating to admit it. “We can’t live without our mates. Probably that isn’t true for humans. I don’t know for sure, which is another reason why I’d need to be near enough to you in case I’m wrong. If you became ill, I’d have to come back. I couldn’t let you suffer, Dorso. I couldn’t. Mates care more for one another than for their own selves. It’s happening to me, for you, already. What I feel is strong and powerful, and it binds me to you. That’s what I feel.” The admission had taken something out of him, some anger or fear, or perhaps strength, and Adal closed the distance between them to lean against Dorso. “I only want you safe.” Dorso hugged him again and began to caress Adal’s back with long sweeps of his hands. “I wouldn’t want you to die, or be sick, or hurt. I saw the fear on your face when I was angry. Adal”—he tipped Adal’s chin up until their gazes met—“I would never physically hurt you. Sometimes I will be a fuckhead and say the wrong thing, or lose my temper, and I will always regret it, but I won’t ever lay a hand on you in anger.” www.totallybound.com

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Adal began to shake as he pulled his chin down again. Inside him, an emotional tsunami was swirling around, shredding fears and hopes and confusing him so thoroughly that he didn’t know what he felt. Dorso tightened his arms, securing Adal in them in such a way that the fear ebbed even as he continued to shudder. “I’m such an asshole.” Dorso rubbed his face against Adal’s hair. “Seriously, my mama would tan my hide for the way I talked to you a minute ago.” Adal imagined Dorso hadn’t realised how fragile he was. Adal sure hadn’t. He was a shifter, one who’d survived years of abuse, so he should have been tough and covered in emotional armour like Steven was. Yet he couldn’t stop the tears that escaped any more than he could hold back the sob, though he did try to shove his fist against his mouth. “No, hey, no,” Dorso murmured. “Don’t do that. No, wait. Do it if you need to. It’s okay. I’ll hold you and hope that’s what I should be doing.” Adal’s amusement almost bubbled out in a laugh. What a pair they made, neither of them having a clue what they were doing, bumbling through the mating bond that was pulling them together. Dorso kissed his forehead, and Adal was astounded to be the recipient of such tenderness. Then Dorso grunted and kissed his closed eyes, the bridge of his nose, the tip, his cheeks and finally, finally, his lips. Adal parted them for Dorso, and rather than plundering, Dorso licked in gently, a smooth, warm glide that chased off the chills deep from Adal’s centre. Affection slipped into Adal’s mind, affection and concern. Dorso was reaching out to him mentally, willingly, and Adal whimpered as he pressed himself closer. “Oh, baby,” Dorso breathed against his tingling lips. “I didn’t know I had a heart until you touched it, except for my family. This is different. I had no idea I could—” He kissed Adal again, moaning softly as he did so. Adal wanted to climb Dorso and bury himself inside the man’s body. Not in a sexual sense, though later he’d probably think along those lines. No, he wanted to lose himself completely in Dorso, be absorbed and melt right into his DNA. www.totallybound.com

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But Dorso gentled the kiss even more, bringing it to a chaste brush of lips. He kept rubbing Adal’s back, touching him in a way Adal was sure he’d come to crave. “We’re in this thing already,” Dorso said after a moment. Adal opened his eyes and stared in wonder at the care he saw reflected back at him in Dorso’s expression. “I want to know you, that means you have to hang around, honey. No running off and spying on me from a distance. Just thinking about that makes my chest hurt, so I’d say maybe it’s the same for the human half of mates, too, wouldn’t you?” Adal bobbed his head, unable to speak past the hope building inside him. It pressed up from his chest, drying his throat and mouth even as his spirits lifted. “So that means you’re stuck with me, the obnoxious guy who said the wrong thing because he was being a self-centred prick. It’ll probably happen a few more times, but I’ll never, ever hit you, understand?” Dorso waited so Adal nodded again. “This is a big change for me, you know,” Dorso continued then. “I’m glad though. I think even without the bond thingie, I’d have noticed you and wanted to get to know you. I was getting tired of playing around.” “Thank you,” Adal finally managed to say. He snuggled against Dorso. He felt safe, and because of that, he made the confession that was weighing on him. “I’ve never hurt someone like I did back there. I think I killed Juki. There was so much blood.” Dorso cupped his cheek and stared him in the eyes. “If you did, it was self-defence. That chick was crazy dangerous, Adal. She just killed that other guy like he was nothing, and why? Because he screamed? What kind of crazy is that? Now there are bodies back there to be discovered.” “They’ll be indiscernible from whatever form they die in,” Adal mumbled. “We are whatever we are the moment death takes us.” “So they’ll find a dead man and a dead leopard in there. I hope Isaiah has a great alibi.” Dorso snorted. “We really do need to call him. But more importantly, you need to stop kicking yourself over whatever happened back there with those two. You kept us both alive. Would you rather have had a different outcome?” “No, I wouldn’t. I’d kill again to keep you safe,” Adal admitted. “I just, I’m not like Steven. I can’t do something like that and forget it. I’ll see Urqu and Juki in nightmares.”

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“That’s because you have a good heart.” Dorso kissed him tenderly before continuing. “If you could just kill and forget it, that’d be scary. For what it’s worth, I don’t want you to have to do anything like that again. I’ll do whatever I can to prevent it.” Adal had to face reality. “It’ll happen again, Dorso. They found me, and Bashuan will keep sending guards after me. He hates me. He’ll want me dead.” “He won’t get what he wants then, the fucker,” Dorso growled. “And how the hell is he going to find you?” “I don’t know, but he will.” Adal had lost all hope of disappearing into some paradise where Bashuan would never find them. “Not if I can do anything about it, and that means we should get moving. I’ve got kind of an idea in mind.” Dorso released him from the hug, but took him by the hand. “We’re not giving in to that bastard. We’re not gonna die.”

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Chapter Six

If anyone had told Dorso thirty-six hours ago that he’d be tumbling head over hairy toes for another man, he’d have told them they were batshit crazy. Hell, if they’d said such a thing even the day before, he’d have laughed at them. The facts were facts, however. He had feelings for Adal, and those feelings might have been amplified by the supernatural—his God, Adal’s gods, or powers they’d never comprehend. Dorso should have been freaked out over everything. He’d discovered that shifters existed, seen ‘em with his own eyes, had seen people, or at least one person, killed and found out he was fated or destined to be with the man currently sleeping beside him. He’d always been a take it at face value kind of guy, which helped, he guessed. He’d seen those things, and there was no disputing them. Wouldn’t do him any good to panic and start shrieking about shifters and such. They were real, and he had himself a sexy one for a boyfriend. Mate. Dorso watched Adal in his sleep. Unlike some people, who looked younger at such times, Adal looked the same. Innocent, scared, as if he didn’t ever sleep deeply. What kind of life he must have lived, to be covered in scars. And what a kind heart he had, to not have let such abuse turn him into a monster in return. The cell phone he’d picked up at the gas station vibrated on the floor beside the mattress. Adal jerked awake in an instant, eyes wide as he sat upright. “Just the phone,” Dorso said quietly, heart wrenched at the fear he’d seen flit over Adal’s features. “Probably Isaiah returning my call.” Adal swallowed, his throat making a clicking sound. “Okay.” But he didn’t lie back down. Dorso sat up and grabbed the phone. “Yup, it’s Isaiah.” Which at least meant the man wasn’t dead or in jail. “Hey, what’s up?” Dorso asked, then felt like a moron. After all that had happened in the past couple of days, he seemed very blasé. “You sound better than you did when we left you at my place,” Isaiah told him. “How’s your head, and the rest of, well, everything? Adal’s there?” www.totallybound.com

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“He is,” Dorso answered the last question first. “My head hurts, but I’ve had worse goose eggs on it. I don’t even know what to say about everything else, except I’m okay with it. And, er, there might be a couple of dead bodies in your apartment.” “What?” Isaiah barked. “Tell me you’re joking.” “Afraid not. We were resting earlier today and someone broke in. Two—” “Guards,” Adal chimed in. “Guards,” Dorso passed along. “Urqu and Juki. Juki killed Urqu, and I don’t know what happened to her. There was a skirmish between her and Adal, then we split. She was bleeding on your carpet. You have an alibi, I hope.” “I do, but I would be surprised if anyone called the cops. I live in a ‘do as you want’ neighbourhood. No one would lift a hand to help someone else, much less get involved in a possible crime. I’ll see if some of my family can go check it out, just to be safe.” “All righty.” Dorso scratched his balls then darted a glance at Adal. Adal was watching him touch himself, so Dorso kept doing it, only with less scratching and more rolling. “So you and Bae are all right, which is good. Adal had some kind of sick spell, your man know anything about that?” He heard Isaiah talking to Bae, and Bae answering, but couldn’t make out the words. Isaiah returned to the conversation. “Still running tests, but my grandma Marybeth, she talked to a shaman friend of hers, a wolf shifter named Remus. He promised to have something delivered for Adal the day after tomorrow, so on Thursday. Where do you want it delivered to?” Dorso tried to think of a safe place. He didn’t want to put anyone at risk. “I’d say where we’re at now, except it’s a pretty sleazy motel and the front desk clerk would probably steal the package. It’s bad enough that we moved the mattress to the floor because the bedframe broke when we laid down. Crazy.” Dorso considered it some more. “I guess the shop.” “That’s the worst place you could pick,” Isaiah argued. “Bashuan knows about it.” “You think he’ll figure we’d be dumb enough to go back to it?” Adal snickered, and Dorso found that he liked the sound a lot. “Maybe, maybe not. Just be careful,” Isaiah advised. “Can’t put Mama and Papa at risk, or the rest of my family, and your apartment isn’t safe, obviously,” Dorso pointed out. “So the shop it is. Me and Adal will hang out at the www.totallybound.com

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diner down the street from it and see if we can spot anyone loitering around. We’re not just going to walk up to the mailbox.” “I’d hope not.” Isaiah sighed. “Look, I’m really sorry you got involved in this.” “I’m not. You know about the mate thingy, and me and Adal.” “Yes.” Dorso rolled his eyes. “Well then, you have that with Bae, so you oughta understand how I feel now.” Adal made a sound that Dorso couldn’t describe, except to say that it was maybe an expression of need. Dorso knew the feeling. His cock was rapidly growing erect as he touched himself. “Yeah, the mate bond, it’s pretty intense. So you’re not mad?” “Not at any of you, but I’d love to rip that fucker Bashuan’s head off.” Dorso left off playing with his balls to run a hand up Adal’s calf. “Guess I’d better go. Glad to hear you two are doing okay.” “I’m worried about y’all. I have family that could help—” “Nah, we’re good,” Dorso said. “If it gets bad, we’ll call you.” Which was kind of a stupid thing to say, because having two shifters show up to try to kill them was bad, wasn’t it? Dorso just wanted to keep as many people safe as he could. “We’re not going to cowboy anything. We’ll stay low after we get those meds, and hide out until we know it’s safe. Mama and Papa will shit bricks, but telling them I met the one will go a long way towards getting me out of the hole with them.” “The one, huh?” Isaiah chuckled. “Yeah, your mom’s been nagging you for a while now. She’ll probably love Adal before she even meets him.” “Yup.” Dorso inched his hand up past Adal’s knee. “Gotta go. Take care.” He disconnected the call and set the phone back on the floor. “So, we’ve got condoms and lube.” “We do.” Adal shivered and Dorso moved his hand up higher still. “I’m nervous about using them.” “Don’t be,” Dorso advised. “Still gonna be you pushing that pretty dick into me, not the other way around. We don’t have to have anal sex, though. There are so many fun things to do together.” www.totallybound.com

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“Like what?” Adal asked as he parted his legs. “Like anything you want, everything you’ve ever fantasised about.” Dorso had his hand right beneath Adal’s balls. “Is there anything in particular you’ve dreamed of doing? With another man?” He brushed his fingers over Adal’s balls, then down beneath them. Adal sucked in a deep breath and raised his hips in a move so sexy Dorso’s cock twitched. He wanted very much to fuck Adal and hoped he’d have enough restraint not to push, since Adal wasn’t ready for that yet.

Adal couldn’t think to answer, because Dorso’s fingers were tracing the soft skin beneath his balls, and Dorso’s cock felt like a damned log against his calf. Adal whimpered and curled his fingers against the mattress. He squirmed and tried to get Dorso’s fingers to that needy spot between his cheeks, but Dorso stubbornly kept his tips just shy of it. “Please,” Adal begged, voice breaking as he arched. He nipped the urge to whine and instead pleaded as honestly as he could, hoping to get his urgency across. “Touch me there. Touch my asshole.” Asking nearly made him burn up with shame. He told himself there was no need to feel that way. Dorso was his mate and wanted to touch him. “Let me do it like this.” Dorso then shocked Adal all the way to his toes by tipping his butt up and sticking his face down there. “Dorso!” Adal squeaked. Dorso licked. Adal couldn’t make a sound, he was so electrified by the touch. “Mmm,” Dorso rumbled over his pucker before licking it again. For several moments he laved that spot, and Adal gasped, having to breathe. Dorso’s chuckle sent warm air over Adal’s asshole. Adal squirmed, needing more. Dorso gave it to him, parting his cheeks and pressing that tongue to his hole again and again, until finally it went in. Inside of me. His tongue is inside me! Aw, gods! Adal mewled as pleasure spread out from his ass. He’d never imagined anything could feel so good as Dorso having his tongue in him did. Dorso tongue-fucked him until Adal was ready to scream. “More,” he demanded, because as fantastic as that felt, he needed something bigger than that fine tongue. www.totallybound.com

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“Need some lube.” Dorso bent over the mattress and rustled around in the bag of stuff he’d bought earlier. “Here it is.” Adal licked at Dorso’s armpit, unable to resist tasting him there. “Aw, fuck,” Dorso growled. He held Adal at the back of the head and applied a little pressure. “Do it again, harder.” Adal opened his mouth and dragged his teeth over that spot, and was rewarded with a husky growl. “You turn me on so much,” Dorso said a second later. “I want to touch every part of you.” He opened the lube and poured some into his palm. “Think I’ll start here.” “Oh, please,” Adal begged. Dorso moved down and Adal experienced the first brush of a fingertip over his hole. It wasn’t enough. “I need—” Everything. “Why won’t you fuck me?” Dorso rumbled a wordless answer and pushed against his opening. “I might, if we’re both ready for that.” Then he turned around so that his feet were by Adal’s head. Dorso pulled him over onto his side. His hot breath wafted over Adal’s dick. Adal opened his mouth on a gasp, unable to comprehend all the sensations suddenly flooding his body. His fingertips burned, as if his claws were breaking through, and his mouth ached the way it did during a shift. Instincts arose in him he wasn’t prepared for. They scared him at the same time they aroused him. Had Adal been more experienced, or less frightened, he might have bit Dorso hard and deep, much like the mating bite Dorso had given him. As it was, fear kept a tight restraint around that impulse, and though his cat yowled in protest, he only bit lightly at Dorso’s inner thigh, just enough to get a small taste of his mate. He wouldn’t sink his teeth in deep until Dorso had given him permission to do so. But Dorso reacted as if it were much more than a nip. He shouted and jerked Adal hard to him. Adal’s face was too close to getting smushed against Dorso’s groin, so he kept still for a few seconds while Dorso roared. That, and Dorso truly had him pinned, that other huge hand on his ass, fingers pressing hard in his crease and spreading his cheeks apart. Adal had never felt so exposed, nor so powerful, as he did right then. www.totallybound.com

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Dorso moved them again, coming up then sprawling on Adal and staring at him with a fierce need even Adal’s innocence couldn’t miss. “I want you. Now, Adal. Now.” Adal thought his heart would stop at that one moment of perfection, at hearing his mate proclaim his need. But it didn’t, and a fiery ache spread from his groin as his own arousal ratcheted up. “Yes.” There wasn’t any other answer he could, or would, give.

Dorso growled, unable to get another word past his lips as he pressed them to Adal’s. The man kept surprising him, asking for things Dorso didn’t think he’d have the nerve to do. Adal wanted to be fucked, and damn it all, Dorso wanted to fuck him. He just wasn’t sure it was the best thing for them, not with Adal being so innocent. Adal parted his lips for him, and Dorso sealed their mouths together tightly, desperate to taste every bit of him. Adal grabbed him at the shoulders, holding with a firm grip that Dorso thought might leave bruises. The idea turned him on even more and he rocked against Adal, bringing slow, sweet friction to their cocks. Dorso manoeuvred himself into place as Adal spread his thighs wider apart. He couldn’t stop touching Adal’s skin, caressing his lean muscles, any more than he could stop kissing him, sipping the flavour of him from Adal’s tongue. Adal whimpered and wrapped his legs around Dorso’s hips. The tip of his cock butted against Adal’s sac, then Dorso moved, thrusting enough that he rubbed his leaking crown over Adal’s hole. Adal clawed at him then, and sharp spikes of pain shot out from where he did so. Dorso rumbled and bit at the nimble tongue he’d been sucking on, and rocked his hips harder, putting pressure on Adal’s opening. Adal jerked his head aside and keened, claws still digging at Dorso. The long, elegant arch of Adal’s neck was irresistible, and Dorso bent to suck up a mark or two on the pretty skin. Some part of him realised Adal wasn’t scratching at him with fingernails—no way were those dagger-sharp things cutting into his shoulders and back the same blunt-tipped digits he’d seen earlier. But Dorso was so gone in lust, so lost in the responsiveness of his lover that he simply didn’t care. www.totallybound.com

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Adal’s chest heaved with each breath, and shaky, wordless sounds were spilling from his lips as Dorso sucked marks all the way down to one stiff nipple. He bit the tip roughly, knowing what Adal needed. He kept his dick pressed to that tight little muscle he intended to penetrate at some point, and Adal yelled, his back bowing as he pushed his chest up. He also pressed that edible ass down, trying, whether he was aware of it or not, to get the fucking his body needed. Dorso hoped he could hold on long enough to do everything he wanted to before taking Adal. He was afraid that wouldn’t be the case. Adal was…addictive, seductive and beautiful in his need. Dorso pinched and pulled Adal’s other nipple while he worked the one with his teeth. He saw smears of red, knew it was blood from where he was being scratched, that it had dripped or run onto Adal’s skin. He shocked himself by lifting his mouth off Adal’s nipple and lapping at one thin, red streak. The copper-salt taste dragged a moan from him and Dorso shivered. He wouldn’t think about why it aroused him even more. Adal moved restlessly beneath him. It yanked Dorso out of his own self-focus and had him going back to the wet, puffy tip he’d been biting. He pinched the other nipple hard at the same time he raked the first between his teeth, and Adal made a sound unlike any Dorso had heard before. It was almost a cat-sound, a yowl, maybe. Dorso repeated the move then scraped his teeth down the centre of Adal’s body. He paused to lap at Adal’s belly button, which made Adal squirm and giggle. Dorso had never been one for gigglers, but Adal was different. Everything about him appealed to Dorso. The tip of Adal’s thick cock butted against Dorso’s chin and Dorso slid down a couple of more inches. He caught the back of Adal’s thighs and raised his legs, while at the same time sucking in the broad crown. Adal shrieked and jerked, and Dorso grinned as he sucked harder. He inhaled, filling his lungs with the musky, spicy scent of his lover, and tongued the pre-cum from Adal’s slit. With one hand, he reached down and cupped Adal’s tightly drawn balls. He thumbed over the smooth skin behind them as he bobbed down, taking as much of Adal’s length as he could just then. It wasn’t the best angle for a blowjob, but he’d be damned if he was stopping long enough to reposition them both. Adal got a grip on his head and pushed. Normally Dorso hated having a lover do that, but he and Adal wanted the same thing—as much of Adal’s cock in his mouth as he could www.totallybound.com

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get. Dorso gagged and had to come up a few inches, then he tried again. The feel of that fat length pushing into his throat made his own cock leak, his balls draw close to his body. He rubbed Adal’s balls, his taint, and swallowed before coming up to suckle the crown. “Ah!” Adal shook and thrust, and Dorso let him even though he’d been enjoying teasing that slit. He got a hand beneath Adal and cupped his ass, put his thumb over that tight little pucker as he took more of Adal’s length. Adal pulled his hair, shivered and gasped. Dorso felt the thickening of his cock, the throb of a vein he tongued, and he sucked harder, wanting to taste Adal’s release. He let go of Adal’s balls and shoved his hand down to fist his own cock. When Adal screamed and tugged his head lower, Dorso pumped his shaft and flicked his tongue. He pushed his thumb into the heat of Adal’s body, and cum spurted from Adal’s dick, giving Dorso the taste he’d craved. He swallowed eagerly as he flicked his thumbnail over his slit. That was all it took, then Dorso was coming. His head spun with white noise as ecstasy washed through him, stealing his breath and, he’d think later, even his heartbeat, for one timeless, perfect moment. It seemed like everything inside him was joined to Adal in some way. Dorso couldn’t parse it out and didn’t care to. Later, he’d attribute it to post-coital glow or some such fancy term, but for now, everything was as it should be, and the rasp of Adal’s breath, the feel of his hands clenching and opening in Dorso’s hair, the twitch of his cock in Dorso’s mouth, were exquisite experiences Dorso wanted only to savour. And so he stayed there, cradled in Adal’s hands, between his lean thighs, until sleep lulled him under.

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Chapter Seven

When Adal woke again, he felt…good. Happy and sated even as arousal rumbled through him. He wasn’t used to any of those sensations any more than he was used to waking up with a huge, naked, sexy man curled around him. He turned his head cautiously as he pried his eyelids open. His fingers flexed of their own accord in the thick, silky strands of Dorso’s hair. And he felt the knot on Dorso’s head. That brought everything from the past surging to the surface, and Adal’s happy mood plummeted. He gently moved his hand away from the spot, knowing it had to be sore as hell. Listening intently, he was assured that Dorso’s breathing was steady, deep. Adal sniffed, because he wanted to wallow in Dorso’s enticing odour. The scent of cum was heavy in the air hours after they’d climaxed, but even so, it couldn’t eradicate the darkness crawling into Adal’s mind. Adal eased himself out from under Dorso’s arm and leg. Dorso grunted and for a second, Adal was afraid he’d woken him, then Dorso snorted and rolled onto his back. Once Adal got up, he stood and watched Dorso sleep for a while as he worked over some of the worries prodding at him. He wished he had a cell phone, some way for Steven to contact him. They’d had prepaid phones, but the minutes had run out just a couple of days earlier, and without the money to buy another card to reload them, well, the phones had been useless. Steven had destroyed them to be safe. Now Adal had no way to contact his brother. Unless… Unless he called the lepe. Adal’s heart rabbited against his ribs. Did he dare do that? Had Steven had the time to get back and confront Bashuan? Adal rubbed his eyes and tried to calculate how long it would have taken Steven to get to their lepe. Unless Steven had hitch hiked, surely he hadn’t yet confronted Bashuan. Which meant Adal couldn’t call, because Bashuan would demand to know where he was, and where Steven was and why they hadn’t brought Bae in. Plus, there was the whole thing about Juki and Urqu trying to kill them. www.totallybound.com

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Yeah, calling the lepe was so out. He hoped Isaiah wasn’t going to get into trouble over what had happened in his apartment. Adal shuddered to think of how close they’d come to doing something so irrevocable and evil. They’d been pawns, to an extent, but when it came down to brass tacks, he and Steven were both adults. Even being mind-fucked all their lives didn’t excuse what they’d been willing to do. The fact that Bashuan had been poisoning them slithered through his mind like an evil slug, leaving a trail of nastiness in its wake. It made Adal’s head spin and he stumbled a bit when he turned to head for the bathroom. A decrepit looking coffee pot was on the counter by the sink. Packets of coffee were stuffed into one of the paper cups beside it. Adal wondered how old the coffee was. After emptying his bladder and taking a quick shower, Adal brushed his teeth then dressed in a pair of briefs. His stomach was gnawing on his spine and Dorso would be hungry once he got up. Adal wanted to feed his mate, but cooking wasn’t his forte at all. Even if it had been, they were in a run-down motel room that had nowhere to cook. He did find some English muffins in the bag of stuff Dorso had bought yesterday. They were kind of hard, but edible, he hoped. “Coffee?” Adal yelped and dropped the muffin. He hadn’t heard Dorso get up, or walk, or anything, and he should have. “I don’t know how—” Adal grimaced and looked from Dorso to the fallen muffin then at the coffee pot. “And it’s probably older than we are.” But his mind wasn’t really on the coffee, because it occurred to him that his senses were off. Not just a little off, but off in a way that would freak him out if he thought about it for very long. Had Bashuan done some kind of irreparable damage to him— And, oh God, Steven? Would Steven go to fight Bashuan and discover he was at a severe disadvantage? “I’ll make it.” Adal’s internal panicking was stumped for a minute when Dorso stopped in front of him and kissed him senseless. Adal hadn’t registered what was happening until Dorso cupped his chin, then he’d only been able to stare until Dorso’s face blurred, or his vision blurred. Adal closed his eyes then and gave himself up to the masterful kiss. www.totallybound.com

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“Don’t stress over the muffin, or the coffee. It’s no big thing.” Dorso kissed the tip of his nose, which made Adal’s nose itch. “Good morning, or afternoon, whatever. Just, good.” “Mm.” Adal snuggled close and got a hug before he moved back. “I’ll grab another one. Do you want a couple?” Dorso’s smile made very nerve ending in Adal’s body quiver with anticipation. The man had dimples. Dimples! He hadn’t seen them until now, maybe because Dorso hadn’t smiled so fully until then. Dorso patted his behind. “Yeah, thanks. No more worrying, okay?” He stretched and Adal was distracted by the smooth movements of muscles under skin. “We should go eat somewhere, maybe scope out the shop and see if anyone suspicious is hanging around it today. Find the best spots to camp out and watch it tomorrow while we’re waiting on that package from the shaman to be delivered.” He strode to the coffee pot. “Okay.” Adal wanted to touch Dorso, to run his hands over all of that furry chest and belly. He wondered if Dorso would let him kneel down and suck on his dick until it released into his mouth. A wave of dizziness hit him and he stiffened his legs, not wanting to sway. He’d already had the one attack of illness yesterday, and to have another so soon after would make him appear weak and even if he was, he sure didn’t want his mate to think so. He wanted Dorso to see him as an equal, not some sick little shit who might pass out at any moment. “You’re thinking entirely too hard, and it’s making my head hurt.” Adal barely kept from squeaking in surprise. He’d not heard Dorso approach. Dorso pulled him into a hug from behind, and he propped his chin on Adal’s shoulder. Then he really scared the crap out of Adal. “So, you wanna tell me why I’m hearing all these thoughts about how you’re worried I’ll think you’re weak? Cuz that don’t make any sense to me at all.” Dorso growled as he said that last bit, and he nibbled on Adal’s ear lobe after. Adal couldn’t breathe once he’d gasped. Need caused his skin to flush hot and his cock to fill.

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“I’m figuring it’s a shifter thing, right? Like maybe y’all have even more machismo than regular guys?” Dorso asked, rumbling in Adal’s ear. “I’m not hallucinating it, am I? I’ve heard other stuff, so this is all real, too, isn’t it? I’m not misunderstanding.” “N-no,” Adal answered, thinking it was unfair to grill him when his body was turning to a tight ball of lust. “We need to talk, then, I think.” Dorso nipped him and Adal whimpered, holding tight to Dorso’s forearms. “I need to know what’s going on, and why you’re freaking out in here.” He nuzzled Adal’s temple. “I can’t get it all, but I definitely keep feeling like you’ve got so much fear in your head, and a good chunk of it has to do with me. I don’t like that, and we need to fix it, okay? I told you, I’ll never hurt you.” Adal did remember Dorso had said that exactly, but every touch was melting him more and more and he couldn’t answer. Dorso sniffed at his neck then nudged him under the jaw before biting him there. Then he released Adal and moved back, although he did trail his hands over Adal’s arms and down to his hips, until Adal wasn’t swaying on his feet. He turned and Dorso took his hand, his eyes intense on Adal’s. “You’ll learn to trust me, but to do that sooner, you have to be willing to try. You already trust me with your body,” Dorso pointed out. “Yes.” Adal did, but his body had been abused before. He wasn’t as concerned about it as he was his heart. Even though Dorso was his mate, that didn’t guarantee he would love Adal. Want him, sure, but—Adal just didn’t know enough about mates, or how to be good to someone other than Steven—and that was a totally different kind of good—or let them be good to him. Dorso framed his face in his big hands, and brushed his lips over Adal’s. “Give me a chance. More of one than you have so far.” Adal sighed and leaned against Dorso’s broad chest. Dorso wrapped his arms around him, surrounding him and making Adal feel safe in a way no one else had. He thought that might be a sign that he should confide in Dorso. Just because his shifter senses were skewed didn’t mean all of his senses were skewed, and his heart was definitely telling him to put its care in Dorso’s hands.

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“Okay,” he mumbled. He did trust Dorso—it was himself he didn’t trust. Adal wished he’d have realised that sooner, but he’d never been that smart. “It’s just hard to talk about myself not being perfect. And…” He hoped he didn’t sound like a fool for asking, but he needed to know. “What’s machismo? You said it a minute ago.” “Huh. Well that’s like a guy’s ego, and it is a man’s issue. Kinda an aggressive nature, or overzealous pride, maybe. Maybe like you got something to prove. Some people would disagree with all of that and say it’s just a man being a man, but not to me.” Dorso tugged him over to the coffee pot. “I would imagine there’s even more of that in shifters. Sounds like your society is patriarchal, and that tends to lead to a lot of chest-thumping.” “And your society isn’t?” Adal asked. “I’ve seen news stories and, well, people in general.” Dorso nodded. “Yup, it is, but yours seems more so. I could be wrong.” Adal sighed and leaned a hip against the counter. “You’re not. Shifters are not so much patriarchal, though, as we are animals. Logic and reasoning don’t apply as often to us as they do to humans. Most conflicts are solved via challenges and death.” He shrugged. “It’s the way of life for us.” “That sucks,” Dorso said succinctly. “We aren’t living with shifters, then, because I don’t like the whole argue and die shit.” “I wouldn’t let you get hurt,” Adal vowed. “But I would never ask you to leave your family. You talk about them and glow, that’s how much your love for them shows through. You shouldn’t be taken from them.” “I don’t plan to be,” Dorso assured him. “My family’s going to love you and make you glow, too. You won’t stand a chance against them, and they’ll fall for you the second you turn those pretty big eyes their way, or the first time you smile that shy smile that makes my heart flip over. Yup, they are all going to be goners in no time.” Another bout of dizziness had Adal closing his eyes and trying not to stumble. “Adal,” Dorso snapped out as he took Adal by the shoulders. “What’s wrong? Is this the weak thing you were worried about? Being sick? Is it the shit your father gave you, or the idea of meeting my family?” “The first,” Adal admitted. “Maybe both. I’m just not strong enough, I’m afraid. I don’t want to talk about it.” www.totallybound.com

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“Stop that. You are strong enough. Stop trying to hide from me, Adal. Tell me why you think I’m going to believe you’re weak,” Dorso demanded. Adal had hoped he’d let it go. “Not a chance,” Dorso added. “I can still hear you up here.” He tapped his head. As much as Adal didn’t want to do it, he forced himself to answer. “Because I am weak. For a shifter, especially. Not being able to kill without bawling like a baby, I didn’t protect you like I should have. I didn’t want to kill, and instead of staying and fighting, I ran. Plus there’s the spells I have, like yesterday, in the alley. I get weak and tired and dizzy, and I’m scarred up—” “Stop,” Dorso said quietly. Adal bit his lip to keep from going on. Dorso moved to stand in front of him. Adal shivered when Dorso rested his hands on either side of his neck. “Adal, you are not weak. Not wanting to kill isn’t a sign of weakness, I told you yesterday—you have a good heart, and that’s something to cherish. The physical weakness, that’s going to be fixed by…what was it Isaiah said?” He frowned. “Uh. Shit. A wolf shifter shaman? You said there were wolves too. I’d forgotten.” “There are, and a shaman, a good one, can do wonders for us. What was the shaman’s name?” Adal asked. “Something weird.” Dorso began rubbing his thumbs up and down on either side of Adal’s neck. “Re…Reba? No, not that. Reesus? No, oh hell, what was it? Remus!” Dorso grinned. “Yeah, a weird-ass name, huh?” Adal would have agreed, but as soon as Dorso said the name, an odd tingling began at the base of his spine. “Remus.” The sensation increased. “Oh.” He shivered. Dorso’s grin faded. “What’s wrong?” “I—nothing.” Adal squirmed as the peculiar feeling faded. “Maybe he’s a powerful shaman. I kind of got the chills when you said his name.” “Let’s hope he is, then, and he can take care of whatever crap Bashuan caused.” Dorso thumbed the scar that ran from beneath Adal’s ear to the back of his neck. “The scars, they aren’t signs of weakness. They are proof of how resilient you are, how tough, honey. You lived through all this, and came out to be a special man. These scars are badges of your strength.” www.totallybound.com

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“I’d rather not have them,” Adal mumbled. “I hate them. That one, the long one you’re touching? I got that for asking for food after six days of being starved. The guard laughed and said he’d cut my throat so food wasn’t an issue anymore. He didn’t, not all the way. Just made me think that was the day I’d die.” “Jesus Christ,” Dorso rasped, his eyes huge and glistening. “Adal, if that fucker’s still alive—” “He’s not. Steven killed him when he got back from a mission Bashuan sent him out on. I didn’t even have to tell Steven who did it. He knew, and he slit Grint’s throat the deadly way the next time the guard opened the door.” Adal had been ill from seeing it, but he’d never loved his brother more. The nightmares Adal still had from that particular near-death experience on his part haunted him to this day. “Well, I like Steven more and more. At this rate, I’ll have to thank him for hitting me,” Dorso huffed. “Hard to hold a grudge against him.” Adal couldn’t keep back a little chuckle. It had barely slipped out before Dorso was kissing him. “Had to taste that joy,” Dorso whispered against his lips. Adal nodded and closed his eyes. He delighted in the rasp of stubble over his skin, and in the way Dorso reached down to grab his butt. “We’re going to have to work on your confidence,” Dorso said. “Stop thinking so little of yourself, and look at the things you’ve done that most people couldn’t, like surviving, period. Not being a hardened killer. Wanting to protect me, and being considerate enough to know I’d never do well living far away from my family. Think of the way you feel when I touch you, and the way you make me come so hard my teeth ache. Think of the good, Adal, and shove away the bad.” “You make it sound so easy,” Adal muttered. Maybe it was easier than he thought, though. “I’ll try.” “That’s all I ask. Well, that and some coffee, and a good meal. What do you say?” Dorso pulled back and grinned down at him. “Feel up to sneaking around Denver and seeing if we have any stalkers?” He got a thoughtful look on his face. “Hmm. You know, I have a cousin, he’s not always on the right side of the law. I bet he could help me out with an untraceable weapon.” www.totallybound.com

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“I don’t want you to get in trouble,” Adal protested. He followed that up with a yawn so big it made Dorso’s jaws ache to see it. Dorso revised the plans for their day. Adal had obviously had at least one weak spell already. “Tell you what. Let’s put off going out until later, after we’ve relaxed for a little bit. I have some sticky buns in the bag, and some jerky. Have you ever tried either of those?” And if Adal dozed off, Dorso would step into the hallway and try to reach Richie, his cousin. “No, I haven’t.” Adal wrinkled his nose at Dorso. “What are sticky buns? That sounds dirty.” “Delicious and dirty and sticky,” Dorso promised. He poured two cups of coffee. “Come over here and let’s get messy.”

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Chapter Eight

Somehow, Adal had fallen asleep again, and that wasn’t what he’d planned on doing. After the food, he’d hoped for more sex. Obviously, that hadn’t happened. Several things registered at once. Sunlight peeked through the gap in the curtains, so it wasn’t night yet. The strength of those rays told Adal it was probably early afternoon. But more than that, the feel of Dorso’s bigger body curved around his, as if sheltering Adal from any harm, the scent of Dorso, spicy and musky, was absolutely perfect. The warmth of his skin, and strength of his muscles pressed against Adal. The soft, moist puffs of Dorso’s breath tickling Adal’s neck. Then there were Dorso’s hands, one of which was cupping Adal’s balls. The other was buried in his hair. But what really caught Adal’s attention the most was the thick, hard length wedged between his butt cheeks. It was arousing and a little intimidating at the same time. Adal was so focused on feeling every inch of Dorso’s shaft that he didn’t realise Dorso’s breathing had changed. “Fuck,” Dorso drawled. Adal gasped and flailed when Dorso spoke. “It’s just me,” Dorso murmured, keeping his hold on Adal and pressing tighter to him. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” “Startled me,” Adal corrected, shuddering once before forcing himself to relax. Dorso used a leg to push one of Adal’s up, and relaxing was out of the question then, with the rigid length of Dorso’s cock nestled closer to Adal. “Startle, then.” Dorso ran the hand he’d had on Adal’s balls up to trace over his belly. “I should make that up to you, hm?” Adal’s eyes rolled back a little when Dorso purred like that. Add in the scrape of nails up and up until Dorso was teasing a nipple, and Adal was close to coming. “You were thinking so hard, I could hear you in my sleep.”

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“Oh,” Adal sighed, unable to articulate for shit right then. His nerve endings were vibrating with pleasure under Dorso’s sure touches. “It’s plenty light enough in here that I can see you, and I can certainly feel you”—Dorso nipped his ear—“hear you, through our bond, right?” “Y-yes.” Damn it, Adal couldn’t think any better than he could speak. “Well, you shared a lot while you were sleeping. I don’t know if I did, or if you got to do all the mental chatting, but sweetheart, look at me.” Adal’s heart pounded as he let himself be manoeuvred around to his other side. He’d enjoyed having Dorso hold him like he’d been doing, but this new position was good, too. Dorso was so warm and big, all over. “Look at me,” Dorso repeated, this time tucking a finger under Adal’s chin. Adal didn’t resist, bringing his gaze to Dorso’s. Dorso’s slumberous expression was tinted with desire, which was just about the sexiest thing Adal had ever seen in his life. “I don’t know what you’re afraid of sharing with me, but there’s something, right?” Dorso asked. “We discussed you not being a weak man at all, honey.” Adal nodded. “Yes, I remember. Sleep didn’t wipe that out from my mind, but still. Sometimes, everything scares me, Dorso.” The admission was made before Adal could stop himself. He bit his bottom lip and averted his eyes then. That was a big truth, and while he hadn’t intended to lie, he’d also not planned on sharing quite so much of himself. “Ah, Adal,” Dorso rumbled. He stroked Adal’s cheek, then framed his jaw in one hand and rubbed slowly, gently. “There’s no shame in being scared. I’m scared of lots of things, too. Like…” Dorso hummed for a second then snorted. “God. Spiders, right? I don’t care if they’re those tiny ones you can barely see, they skeeve me the fuck out. I scream, just like my niece Belinda does. And beetles, roaches—” Dorso shuddered. “This motel room is rank, but there’s no bugs and that’s the only reason we’re still here. I doubt I’d find another cheap motel that wasn’t infested with nasty critters.” He glanced around the room. “Then there’s other stuff, like being scared of failing. That one kept me from getting my mechanic’s licence for too long. I wouldn’t even try. I’m also terrified of my Aunt Lucy. Gawd. Everyone is, though, so I don’t know if that counts.” Adal didn’t think those fears were as messed up as his own and said so. “Those are all normal fears, phobias, except maybe for your Aunt. I—” His chest ached and he had to try www.totallybound.com

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twice before he could go on. “I’m afraid to live, to really live, you know. Everything has always been regimented for me, and I always had Steven. I don’t know who to be or what to do, and I think something’s wrong with me—” “No,” Dorso barked, and started to argue, but Adal held up a finger. “Please, let me get this out.” Dorso closed his mouth and nodded. Adal used that finger to tuck a hunk of hair behind Dorso’s ear. “Something is wrong with my senses, my shifter ones, probably because of whatever Bashuan had us taking. We have very acute senses—smell, vision, hearing. Just like our shifter animal, I guess. I honestly don’t know anything about either of the cats that make up my spirit animal.” Dorso propped his head up on one hand and frowned. “You’re going to have to explain all of that to me. I want to know all the details about who and what you are. I find it fascinating, and I want you to know I accept everything about you.” Adal gulped past a knot of emotions clogging his throat. What did Dorso mean by that? He was too scared—ha—to ask. “Well, I don’t know much, about anything. Bae or Isaiah could probably answer any question you had, but Steven and I weren’t taught our history. All I know is, since our father tried to kill us, or since we stopped taking the poisoned capsules, my senses don’t work right. That makes me weak, and I don’t ever want you to think me to be weak.” The weak were always hurt, but besides that, he wanted Dorso’s respect. “I’m not weak. You said, tell myself that. I am, right now. Not too weak,” he corrected. “And I can learn to be stronger, in any way you need me to be or want me—” “Adal, stop.” Dorso pressed a finger to his lips, caressing them with little sweeps of his digit. “Please, just stop. You are not weak, not at all, and I don’t want you to be anything or anyone other than who you are. If you’ve never got the chance to figure that out, well, I hope you’ll let me help you do that. But nothing, nothing about you is going to turn me away.” “But—” Adal’s protest was swallowed up by Dorso. Adal’s eyes closed and he clutched at his mate as Dorso kissed him thoroughly. There wasn’t an inch of Adal’s mouth Dorso didn’t claim. “But nothing,” Dorso growled, barely lifting his lips from Adal’s. “You’re stuck with me. I want you, Adal, and I think maybe it’s time for me to make that clear to you in a way you’ll never question again.” www.totallybound.com

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“Oh.” Adal couldn’t think to say anything else. The look Dorso gave him dried out his mouth and made him swallow nervously as anticipation bubbled up inside him.

Adal’s gulp pulled a grin from Dorso. The man looked adorable, wide-eyed and thoroughly kissed, his lips swollen and dark, glistening… Dorso wanted to devour him. He could almost feel Adal shivering inside, fear and want colliding and setting up a riotous sensation. He stroked Adal’s cheeks and tipped his head for another kiss, wanting to melt the fear right out of Adal. Adal clutched at him, moaning hungrily. There, Dorso thought, went the worry. Adal was pushing closer, as if trying to merge with him. Dorso ran his hands down Adal’s back, chasing goosebumps as he went. He stopped at the curve of Adal’s ass and thumbed the indentations in the small of Adal’s back. The prick of nails at his shoulders sparked a twinge of pain, but Dorso didn’t mind. It helped keep him from going off like an inexperienced kid in two seconds flat. He moved a hand down and cupped one firm butt cheek. Adal whimpered and bit at his mouth. Dorso growled, pulling Adal closer and digging his fingers into the warm crease. He plundered Adal’s mouth, spurred on by the sexy sounds and movements Adal made. Between the two of them, they’d be marked, scratched and bruised from grabbing each other, Dorso was sure. Adal wasn’t being gentle, not with his mouth or hands, not with his body as he tried to rub against Dorso. It was erotic as hell and Dorso needed his mate, now. He pushed Adal onto his back and let his weight come down on the smaller man. Adal was strong, and Dorso would make sure he didn’t harm him. Adal went wild on him, wrapping his legs around Dorso’s waist and grinding up, scratching and gripping him everywhere he could. If Dorso hadn’t known better, he’d have sworn Adal had six hands instead of two, because Adal seemed to touch him all over. Dorso plunged his tongue in deeper, drinking in Adal’s taste. Then he nipped Adal’s lips, his chin, his jaw. He watched Adal’s eyes, even though they were closed. He wanted to see those beauties as soon as Adal opened them.

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As if hearing Dorso’s thought—which he probably did—Adal opened his eyes. The hunger there made Dorso’s cock pulse. He wanted to see Adal lose it, see him come apart beneath him. Next time. For now, Dorso had other plans. He gave Adal a wicked smile and nibbled his way down Adal’s neck, sucking up marks here and there. Adal left off scratching him and clawed instead at the blankets. Dorso saw something that almost freaked him out. Adal’s fingers were tipped with sharp black claws, definitely not human. But he had known what Adal was before they’d started this, and Dorso’s desire for him outweighed everything else. “Dorso—” Adal broke off in a gasp as Dorso laved the tip of one nipple. “Oh!” Dorso repeated the move, using his fingers to tease the other nub. Adal grunted and thrust up, chest and cock, begging for more with his body. Dorso gave it to him, pressing down so that Adal’s dick was pinned beneath his abs. Every thrust from Adal would give him the friction he was seeking—almost. Adal’s nipples were tight little spikes that Dorso could play with all night. He loved tit play, rather, loved doing it. He teethed each one as Adal squirmed and panted for him. When both nipples were hot and swollen, and Adal’s cock was leaving wet trails on his skin, Dorso slid down farther. His own dick was harder than ever, and as much as he wanted to keep enjoying Adal’s body, Dorso wasn’t going to last much longer. “Don’t come,” he ordered firmly as he gripped the base of Adal’s shaft. “Damn, I can’t not—” Adal began. Dorso held tighter and nipped the lightly furred inside of Adal’s thighs, speaking between bites. “Don’t. Come.” The scent of Adal’s arousal almost overwhelmed Dorso’s control. It’d have been so easy to gulp him down, to let Adal come in his throat and jerk off while that happened. Except Dorso had promised to give Adal an unforgettable experience that would prove he meant what he said. And so he only allowed himself a lick over Adal’s crown before telling Adal to get the lube and condoms.

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Adal’s eyes went wide again, and his chest heaved as his breath quickened. His cock grew even harder, and more liquid beaded from his slit. Dorso licked it, too, before raising his head up. “Lube. Condoms. Now.” Dorso didn’t make it easy. He didn’t get up or release Adal’s dick. Adal needed the tension to give him something else to think about instead of what was about to happen. Plus, the way Adal twisted showed his lean musculature off beautifully. Adal stretched and Dorso damn near climaxed from the perfection with the sight of it. Then Adal huffed and jostled and rolled onto his back fully again. He held out a tube and a strip of condoms, his hand shaking. “Anything,” Adal said before Dorso could reassure him. “Anything you want to do to me, do it. Please.” Dorso aimed to please him very much. “I’m going to ride you until you fill me up,” he said, feeling kind of silly talking smutty, but Adal’s expression lost that nervousness and desire tightened his features. “Yes, that, please,” Adal told him, before tacking on, “Now.” That little bit of bossiness fired all of Dorso’s cylinders. He took both supplies from Adal and tore open the condom package first. “Try not to come while I put this on you.” Adal bobbed his head enthusiastically. Dorso grinned and began slowly rolling the rubber down Adal’s length. “I don’t bottom often, but you have a fine dick, and it’s going to feel so good inside me.” Truth, because Dorso had to trust a guy to let him fuck him, and that didn’t happen with hook ups. He’d only bottomed a couple of times when he was younger and had been really stoned. Adal made a strangled sound and clenched his thighs. Dorso quit taking his time with the condom and finished putting it on. Now that he’d decided to put that pretty cock inside his ass, he didn’t want to risk Adal coming from his hand. “Gonna feel so good,” he said again, releasing Adal’s shaft. “For both of us. You want this, baby?” “Yes,” Adal hissed as he dug his hands into the sheets. “I can’t—I won’t last.” “You’ll last long enough,” Dorso told him. Honestly, as turned on as Dorso was, he might shoot before Adal’s dick was all the way up his ass.

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Dorso took the lube and uncapped it with his teeth. In seconds, he had the viscous stuff poured in his hand. He flicked a warning glance at Adal, who opened his mouth in protest just as Dorso put the cool liquid on his cock. “Might be chilly even with the condom on.” “Jesus!” Adal gasped, heels kicking a little. “That’s cold!” “You were going to come before you ever got this monster all the way in me,” Dorso pointed out. “Thought the cold might help, or else I’d have warmed it up in my hands first.” “Yeah, probably,” Adal admitted. “Guh, thanks, actually.” The lube hadn’t been really cold, just not as warm as they were. Dorso had done the same to himself on more than one occasion, but he’d never wanted anyone like he wanted Adal. Plus, he really wanted to feel that big cock inside him. Dorso didn’t rub Adal’s shaft excessively, only coating it before rising to his knees. “Gotta get me ready now. You want to watch? Help, maybe?” Adal nodded eagerly. “Yes please.” Dorso grinned and crawled around until he straddled Adal, with his back towards Adal. With his un-lubed hand, he reached behind him and pulled one cheek aside. Adal’s needy sound was a reward he hadn’t expected. Dorso’s cock leaked more pre-cum, stringing down to Adal’s belly. “You like what you’re seeing?” Dorso asked, giving the smut talk another chance. “Yes, oh, yeah. You’ve got a perfect butt, Dorso, and that…” Adal gulped again. “That’s a tiny little hole there.” Dorso snickered and used his lubed fingers to touch his pucker. “It is, and it’s going to feel so good having your dick in here.” Adal’s squeak was cute, Dorso decided as he bent forward and pushed a finger into his opening. Adal loosed a string of unintelligible words and the bed dipped, then Adal was touching him, tracing the furled skin and making all of Dorso’s joints rather gelatinous. “Yeah, sweetheart, keep touching me,” he murmured, letting go of his grip on his ass cheek and dropping down to hold himself up on one hand. He felt Adal push his cheeks apart right before a second finger pushed into him. The burn made him hiss and arch his back. He’d always liked a little fire with his pleasure. “Too much?” Adal asked, not pushing in any deeper. “I shouldn’t—” www.totallybound.com

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“Take that finger out and I’m gonna get—” He stopped before he got the word angry out. He wouldn’t risk scaring Adal, especially not now, when Adal was taking the initiative to touch him. “I might just cry,” he tacked on. “You’ll break my heart, love.” Adal snorted at that, but he slowly slid his finger in deeper. Dorso crooned his appreciation of that as they began stretching him, thrusting in counter-rhythm to one another. Then Dorso was too close to losing it, his balls drawn up and tight, his cock even harder. He was gasping as he pulled his finger out and batted at Adal’s hand. “Enough, aw hell, I gotta have you in me!” It wasn’t a graceful move on his part, but Dorso got turned around with a minimal amount of banged knees and elbows. He held Adal’s cock steady and looked into Adal’s eyes as he lined the thick length up to his hole. Dorso rubbed the tip over his opening once, twice, then he began to sink down onto it. Two fingers probably hadn’t been enough. His ring ached as he pushed down, stretching it almost unbearably. Adal moaned and clutched at Dorso’s thighs. Those black claws scratched him for a split second before Adal curled his fingers and pressed his knuckles instead against Dorso’s skin. “It’s all right,” Dorso reassured Adal, and himself, too. Adal’s dick really was big. The fat crown finally slipped in and it was Dorso’s turn to moan. “Ah, man. That’s fucking perfect.” “Yes, please, more.” Adal’s soft plea was sweet and hot and Dorso responded to it by taking the rest of him in with one long drop down. He had to bite his tongue to keep from shouting, because his pride demanded he not let Adal know how bad that hurt—and because it didn’t just hurt, it drove him even closer to release. Adal jerked beneath him, his thick length moving inside Dorso. Dorso clenched around it, and had to close his eyes as waves of pleasure rolled up from where they were joined. “Like it?” Dorso couldn’t help but ask, once he could speak. “Are you…” Adal shuddered and pushed his hips up. “Crazy? I’ve never felt anything so, so good.” www.totallybound.com

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“Great,” Dorso corrected, “this ass is great. I don’t let just anyone have it.” And in that instance, Dorso saw the shifter in Adal. Adal’s eyes flashed and a possessiveness saturated his expression, as well as his emotions. Dorso could feel it, Adal’s cat growling in irritation. “No one, no one else,” Adal snarled, and Dorso about came then and there. “Ever!” Dorso gave up on not shouting, on being quiet and strong. He rose up and slammed himself down as hard as he dared, and did it again, and again, not giving either of them a chance to catch their breaths. There was no taking it slow as Dorso fucked himself on Adal’s cock. Adal held his thighs again, but he didn’t claw Dorso. Instead he kept the tips of his fingers off Dorso’s skin but pressed down every time he thrust up, spearing into Dorso repeatedly. Together they drove each other higher, grunting and moaning, Dorso shouting each time Adal drove in so deep Dorso felt it in his belly. He leant forward and pinched one of Adal’s tits while fisting his cock with the other hand. Adal yowled and arched, and used a strength he’d obviously held back to shove Dorso down on his cock several times. Adal’s forcefulness did it for Dorso, turning him on so much he couldn’t hold back. He’d wanted to ride Adal, make him come first, but it wasn’t happening. Dorso came with a surge that stripped him raw inside. He yelled as he stroked his cock, cum spurting from him so hard he felt light-headed. Adal shocked him then, rolling them quickly while Dorso was still coming, and pumping into him, balls slapping Dorso’s ass, the bones of his hips no doubt bruising his cheeks. Dorso wanted it all, all that strength and force and cum. Adal gave it to him, growling and hammering his ass, dropping down onto him and nipping at the join of neck and shoulder. Dorso knew, instinctively, what Adal wanted, and he turned his head, giving him the skin and muscle, the trust. He’d bit Adal, some primeval part of him demanding it, and now it was Adal’s turn. Adal struck fast, biting him at the same time he rumbled and shoved in one last time. The first jet of spunk was hot even through the latex of the condom. He reached for Adal, catching his shoulders, panting as that mix of pain and ecstasy zinged through him. www.totallybound.com

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Adal bit and sucked, and filled him just like he’d asked, and Dorso had never had such a perfect experience, ever. He cupped the back of Adal’s head and held him still when Adal seemed to be fixing to let off the biting. His other hand he ran down to Adal’s ass, pushing, making it clear he wanted Adal to stay in him, teeth and cock. Dorso didn’t intend to ever let him go.

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Chapter Nine

“Yes, Mama, I’m sorry. Yes, ma’am.” Adal hung back in the bathroom as he listened to Dorso’s end of the conversation with his mother. He didn’t know what was being said, but Dorso sounded contrite, and almost fearful. Adal leant forward, sniffing the air. The only thing Adal picked up was the rather moldy smell of the place. It had rained earlier, and even without his senses being as sharp as they’d once been, he still smelt rot. He wondered if he could talk Dorso into sleeping out under the stars somewhere tonight if it didn’t rain again. The fresh air would be wonderful. “I promise, Mama. I’ll be by in a few days—” Dorso looked up right at him, and Adal knew he’d been aware of Adal listening in all along. Dorso gave a nod and smiled. After he hung up, he took Adal by the hand. “And the next time I go home, I’ll be bringing the man I intend to spend the rest of my life with.” Adal’s head spun with that declaration. “You’re ready for that?” “I can feel the bond, Adal. It’s scary thinking of not having you in my life already. So, yeah.” Dorso rubbed his head then wince. “Ow. Shit. Still sore.” “I’m sorry,” Adal began, only to bite his tongue when Dorso levelled a stern look at him. “Don’t apologise. You didn’t deck me.” He stood and stretched, then wiggled his butt. “Oh, yum. My ass still feels you, excellent.” Adal’s mouth watered at the display of male perfection standing a couple of yards away from him. Dorso was beautiful, his nakedness not bothering him at all. It was causing all sorts of issues for Adal—at least for his dick, and his heart, which raced like a thoroughbred going for the last leg of the Triple Crown. Adal’s dick went from sated and soft to erect and eager in a matter of seconds. Dorso moaned and stretched again, reaching his long, well-defined arms up until his fingertips touched the ceiling. The way he arched his back put his round, firm ass right out there and Adal whimpered, knowing full well what pleasure could be found with his dick in Dorso’s body. www.totallybound.com

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Adal jerked his gaze to something that caught his attention in his peripheral—the rise of Dorso’s shaft, thick and long, curved upwards in an amazing bend. Dorso’s crown was broader, and the shaft of his cock flared wider a few inches under the rim before narrowing slightly at the base. The skin was darker, brown and almost purple, and Adal really needed to touch his mate. “Then do it,” Dorso said, lowering his hands to his nipples and thumbing them. “Rather have your hands on me than mine. You want to come play on me before we check out and ditch this place, then have at it.” “Y-yes.” Adal was vaguely aware it hadn’t been a question, but his mind and mouth weren’t working together like they should have been. Who knew what would happen later, or where they’d be? They could die, a thought he hated but had to acknowledge. Bashuan wasn’t one to give up on anything. This could be their last day together. That was too morose for even him. Adal discarded the thought as he watched Dorso loosely grip his dick. Adal took one tentative step, was feeling braver after that and seriously considering pouncing on his man, when a pounding on the door scared about a decade off his life. “Fuck,” Dorso muttered, jumping and clearly as startled as Adal had been. He turned a wide-eyed gaze to Adal. “Should we answer it? The only ones who know where we are, are Isaiah and Bae. I told them when I talked to Isaiah the other night, but I thought they were at Isaiah’s grandma’s.” Adal sniffed. “It’s them. I should have heard them approaching.” “They’re shifters too, so wouldn’t they be able to be really quiet?” Dorso pointed out. “Plus I bet they don’t want anyone to know they’re here since we’re probably being hunted.” “True.” Adal sighed and called out softly, “Just a minute, please.” It was barely more than a whisper, but Isaiah and Bae would hear it. An equally soft snicker came from the hallway. Dorso scowled and reached for a blanket on the couch. “Well, hell. We better get dressed.” Adal was worried as he began to put his clothes on. Steven! It might be about Steven. Although that didn’t seem likely. Steven wouldn’t have had enough time to get home and do what he’d said needed done, and return. www.totallybound.com

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“I don’t think it’s about your brother either,” Dorso said just before someone tapped on the door again. “Hold your goddamned horses,” Dorso groused. “Jeez. Talk about rude.” “I could have just walked in, what with this shitty excuse for a lock,” Isaiah called out. “Why didn’t you, you ass?” Dorso said good-naturedly as he flipped the lock. “You’d have got an eyeful.” Isaiah smirked at them when the door was opened. “Thought I’d give you and Adal a warning in case you two were doing the deed. I didn’t want an eyeful.” “We wouldn’t have looked, much,” said another voice that Adal recognised as belonging to Bae. “Although, you know, nude guys prancing around—” “I don’t prance.” Dorso huffed and shut the door once Isaiah and Bae had entered. Bae frowned. Adal got it, the place was a dump. Dorso rolled his eyes. “I shouldn’t let you two in. No doubt you’re just here to give me shit. I would like to point out that despite the way this place looks, there aren’t any bugs in it.” “Because they’re too proud to stay here,” Isaiah said. “Kidding, don’t get all pissy.” “I wasn’t.” Dorso shot Adal a glance. Adal wasn’t offended either. He’d lived in a room with dirt floors and all kinds of things crawling around on him at night. Dorso shuddered. “Actually, we’re here because you’re our friends and we wanted to see how you are both doing.” Isaiah pursed his lips then continued. “And we’re going to help you get the delivery from the shop. No arguing about it, either. Everyone needs help sometimes.” “Also,” Bae said, “we sneaked into the apartment. There’s no bodies, no blood, nada. The place was scrubbed clean. Whoever did it must have left just an hour or so before we arrived this morning. The carpet was still wet, and so were some of the surfaces. I’m guessing Bashuan didn’t want to leave behind anything suspicious, and that also means he’ll know you are on the run, Adal.” “And there are more of his guards here,” Isaiah pointed out. “Has to be. Bashuan wouldn’t have cleaned up on his own, would he?” Adal almost laughed at that. “No, never.” www.totallybound.com

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Bae nodded. “Well then. As your friends, we’re going to make sure you get the medicine you need. Remus has already sent some out for Steven. Have you heard from him?” Adal frowned at that. As far as he knew, he didn’t have a friend. He had Steven, and now he had Dorso, who was his mate first and foremost. Of course they would be friends, too—were already friends. Anyone else, not so much. Adal gave himself a mental shake. “No, no I haven’t. I don’t have a way to contact him, either. He wouldn’t know the number to Isaiah’s phone.” Bae walked over to Adal and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re worried about your brother, but he’s got help on the way, too. Remus—he’s the wolf shaman—has sent one of his sons and another guy to help Steven. I don’t know why he’s done that.” “No one really questions Remus,” Isaiah added. “He’s spooky powerful.” Adal believed that. He could feel the power in the man’s name. But why would he be sending anyone to help Steven? Why was he trying to undo the damage done by Bashuan’s medicines, for that matter? “So, this Remus guy, you’re sure he’s legit?” Dorso asked, obviously having picked up on Adal’s worry. “The most legit,” Isaiah said. “Whatever that means. He’s on the side of good, and if he’s sending people to help Steven, it’s because Steven will need them there. And, I doubt Remus would send his son off to his death.” “Bashuan would,” Adal couldn’t help but point out. “Remus is nothing like him,” Isaiah said firmly. “Now, what’s the plan?” Then he sniffed and guffawed. Bae turned to Isaiah. “Don’t you think it smells like they’ve been, er, busy? Like they’ve been cuddling and leaving the scent of sex all over the place. Whew.” He fanned his face then grinned. “We need to learn how to bottle that scent. We’d make a fortune.” “Eh.” Isaiah walked right up to Dorso. “Let me see your head.” “I’m not twelve,” Dorso groused, but he turned and bent so Isaiah could prod at his head. “That’s not the rumours I’ve heard,” Isaiah teased.

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“Rumours are always off by about two inches.” Dorso waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll let you figure out if it’s two more or two less.” Bae looked at Adal. Adal shrugged. He wasn’t telling. Bae harrumphed. “Let me look at your head,” he said to Dorso. “I’ve got a medical degree.” Dorso grumbled, but he held still for the examination. “You’ll live,” Bae proclaimed. “It’s almost eleven a.m. Shouldn’t you be checking out of here?” Then he cursed. “Fuck, I should tell you, Remus also said you and Steven are likely being tracked. Any ideas on the how of that?” Adal went cold to his bones. “Tracked? Like scented, or—” “I’m thinking or other,” Isaiah said. “I don’t see how they’d have found you in my place otherwise.” “They knew you were with Bae,” Adal told him. He bowed his head in shame. “Steven and I reported back everything. It wouldn’t have taken much for them to find your place and check it out.” Isaiah growled and Adal tried to shrink into himself. “Cut it out,” Dorso snapped. He slid an arm around Adal’s waist. “It’s not him or Steven I’m pissed at,” Isaiah informed them. “I’d really like to get my hands on Bashuan.” Adal kept his head down. He found it hard to believe Isaiah and Bae weren’t mad at him on some level. Dorso grunted and kissed him on the cheek. “They’re good people.” “Who? Us?” Isaiah asked. Something about his teasing tone had Adal daring to look up at him. Isaiah winked. “We are. Why’re you trying to melt into the background?” Adal was too embarrassed to answer and turned his face into Dorso’s shoulder. Dorso rubbed his back and answered. “He’s just trying to figure out why neither of you are furious. He told me what happened, that him and Steven did some shit he’s ashamed of.” That summed it up pretty neatly. Adal heard footsteps and so was only startled a little when another hand landed on his arm. “Hey,” Isaiah said quietly. “Let it go. We have.”

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After a long moment, Adal dared to look at Isaiah. “I’ll try.” It was the best he could promise. “Good enough.” Isaiah gave his arm a squeeze then smirked. “So, about those two inches…”

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Chapter Ten

Adal watched and listened as Dorso and Isaiah teased each other. Bae was watching too, an amused expression on his face. With a sense of longing, Adal realised something. He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to joke around like that, and Dorso seemed to be enjoying it, which led Adal to doubt himself. What if he couldn’t be everything Dorso needed? And what if he kept turning into the jealous fool he was right then? Adal snorted, drawing the eyes of the other three men to him. He blushed so hard his cheeks burned and he gulped. “S-sorry?” When had his palms got so sweaty? Dorso frowned and was at his side immediately, draping one arm over Adal’s shoulders. Bae and Isaiah just kept watching. Adal felt like a bug pinned to a mat for examination. He wasn’t used to such attention, and it made his heart race and his lungs seize. “Breathe.” Adal heard Dorso’s voice in stereo, reverberating around in his head. The mate bond, he supposed, though why he didn’t seem to feel Dorso like Dorso did him was a puzzle. Adal gasped, stopping his mental ramble as oxygen flooded his lungs. “Slow, in, one, two, three…” Dorso’s patient voice soothed Adal and he managed to calm his body down. He didn’t know what had just happened, but it had sucked. “Bae?” Dorso asked, still looking at Adal, still holding and comforting him. “I’d have to say, although I’m no expert, that looked like a panic attack.” He walked over and peered at Adal. “Has that happened before?” Adal shook his head, and a wave of dizziness almost floored him. “No,” he muttered as he cradled his head in his hands. “What’s wrong with me?” “Is there anything else going on?” Bae asked with a sharp tone. “Adal, open your eyes and look at me.” “Don’t snap at him,” Dorso growled. “He doesn’t deserve that.” Adal swayed and let go of his head in favour of grabbing onto Dorso. “It’s okay. I just, I think I need to lie down, maybe.” He needed to figure out what was going on. And he didn’t www.totallybound.com

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want to be a jealous lover, but he wasn’t sure how not to be, since he’d never had a lover before. He wanted to be enough for Dorso, and was very much afraid he couldn’t be. “Oh, no, no, no,” Dorso muttered, and Adal blinked at him stupidly. “Bae, Isaiah, if you’ll excuse us for a few minutes, please? But don’t leave. I’d like Bae to check Adal over after he and I have a quick chat.” “We’ll sneak out and grab some burgers. So we’ll leave, but not for long.” Isaiah took Bae’s hand. Uh-oh, he’d done it now. Adal slumped and wished he could run and hide. Actually, he wished he knew what Dorso was thinking. As soon as the door shut behind them, Adal glanced at Dorso. Dorso moved so fast, Adal would have thought he was the shifter. Adal was lifted and carried to the bed in three long strides, then he was on the mattress and Dorso was dropping down on top of him. “I know we have a lot to work out but let’s get one thing clear—you are just who and what I want, even if I’d never have known that before.” Adal opened his mouth to argue and Dorso did his growly thing again. Adal’s heartbeat picked up for a totally different reason than it had a few minutes ago. “That’s right,” Dorso continued, nudging Adal’s legs apart and fitting his groin to Adal’s. The heat in his eyes should have melted Adal right on the spot. “I understand this is all new to you.” Dorso undulated and Adal’s eyes crossed as desire spread hot and fast in his veins. “It’s new to me, too, wanting someone like I want you.” Dorso nipped his chin, his jaw, then kissed him until Adal’s lips ached. “Laughing with a friend is nothing compared to this.” Dorso sucked his bottom lip in and nibbled it, and Adal had to clutch at his shoulders. He thrust up, desperation churning in his gut. “You and me will know each other better, better than we’ve ever known anyone else. For now, trust me.” Adal did. It was himself he didn’t trust. Dorso rumbled again and struck like a rattler, biting him on the side of his neck. It wasn’t a tender nip, but an aching, sharp pain as Dorso sucked and marked his skin. www.totallybound.com

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Adal squirmed and loosed something too close to a sob as he rutted, Dorso driving down as he pushed up. All it took was the feel of Dorso’s teeth, the scrape of a nail across one nipple, and Adal came in his sweats before he could even try to stop it. Dorso grunted and kept working that spot, but he stilled his hips, just letting Adal move beneath him. When Adal’s climax ended and he could think again, Dorso laved the spot on his neck then pushed up enough to smile down at him. “That was hot, sweetheart. Very hot. And no one has every pushed my buttons like you do, but—” Adal’s sense of peace dissipated at the pause. Dorso shook his head and suckled on Adal’s lips before slipping his tongue in to tangle it with Adal’s. Adal closed his eyes and ran his hands up and down Dorso’s back, revelling in the feel of his mate’s strong body until Dorso ended the kiss. He looked about as happy at doing so as Adal felt. “I’d kiss you all day and make love to you all night if I could, but we’re going to have our company back in a few minutes.” “Shit!” Adal wanted to slap a hand over his mouth but he couldn’t. “I mean, I forgot.” Dorso beamed at that. “Yeah? I made you forget?” Adal nodded. Like he could have thought about anything at all with Dorso on him like he had been. “Well, I kind of forgot, too, until a second ago.” Dorso dropped another quick kiss on his lips before rolling to the side. “But, I want Bae to check you over, and I think you should tell him what’s going on with your senses. I don’t know anything about that stuff, obviously, but maybe Bae does?” “Maybe,” Adal agreed. “But…” He turned to look at Dorso. “Admitting I have something else wrong with me, that’s hard. He knows about the sickness. The change to my senses… I feel so much—less.” Dorso frowned for a split-second, then he gave Adal such a tender smile it made Adal’s chest ache. “Oh, no, Adal. You’re never gonna be less, you never were. Someone was an evil motherfucking bastard to you, and to your brother, but we don’t let that asshole win, okay?” Dorso touched his cheek and Adal almost whimpered. “You think about the kind of jerk who

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said shit to you and left those marks on your skin. Then you think about me, and the kind of man you think I am. And think about who you should believe.” “You,” Adal answered immediately. “You, of course. Bashuan hates me and Steven. He wants to hurt us.” And he had, in many ways. “But it’s time to stop letting him,” Adal said, thinking out loud. Dorso smiled sweetly and nodded. “Yep, that’s right. You are a smart, sexy man. You won’t let him do what he tried to do, which is destroy you. Now.” Dorso got up and held out a hand. His erection had softened partially, but he hadn’t come, and Adal raised a brow in question as he took Dorso’s hand and stood as well. “Later, once they leave.” Dorso pushed against his fading boner. “I want to take my time with you. Until then, you might want to shower and change before Bae checks you over.” “Okay.” Adal was nervous about that, but he trusted Dorso, and maybe even Bae, just a little. In the shower, Adal forced himself not to ignore his scarred skin. Usually he scrubbed without looking at himself, keeping his eyes trained to the wall or water, anywhere but the scars. This time, he noted every one. Instead of cringing away from the memories, he let them rise up and push out of him. It was an exorcism of sorts, and when he finally turned the water off, he felt clean in a way that had nothing to do with the soap he’d used. Adal towelled off quickly then brushed his teeth. He heard Dorso talking with Isaiah and Bae. In the little motel room, it was hard not to hear everything. His hair took a few minutes to fix. It tended to knot easily, and the conditioner the motel provided was worthless. Adal worked out the knots then dressed in another pair of worn sweats and a T-shirt. He slid on the flip-flops Dorso had picked up from the convenience store and left the bathroom. Three sets of eyes turned to him and he tried not to blush. Bae held out a bag. “We got you a hamburger and a chicken sandwich, with extra large fries.” “And a soda,” Isaiah added.

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Adal realised they were trying very hard not to spook him. He could try not to be a spazz head-case in return. “Thank you.” He crossed over to them and took the bag and cup. “I appreciate it.” “We need to head out soon or we won’t be there when the mail arrives,” Dorso said. “Eh, it’s coming UPS,” Isaiah informed them. “Should have mentioned that sooner, I guess, but the point is, I’m tracking the delivery on my phone. We should have plenty of time since this says it’ll be there around five.” Dorso flipped Isaiah off, but Adal murmured a thank you and started eating. He’d had fast food on this trip with Steven, and much preferred the flavours of less processed foods, except when it came to French fries. Those were better than just about anything. The soda made his nose burn and Adal snorted. “Haven’t had a soda before?” Dorso asked him. “No. It’s a weird thing to drink.” Adal took another sip and forced it down. “Do we have water?” “Sure.” Dorso took a bottle out of the bag of stuff. “Here ya go. I’ll take the soda if you don’t want it. I could use the caffeine.” The water went down much smoother. Adal listened to the others plan out the approach to the auto shop. It struck him that these people were planning on being in his life for a long time. Well yes, he’d figured as much about Dorso, as they were mates. Bae and Isaiah, they were surprising him more and more. There were good people in the world, and Adal needed to remember that. Though he’d seen little to none of them while living in the lepe, he was finding them outside of it. “If you’re finished, I’d like to examine you,” Bae said. Adal put the empty wrappers in the bag and set it on the floor. “Okay. Are you taking blood again?” He’d hated that, but at least he hadn’t passed out like Steven almost had. Oh. In that one thing, I’m not weak. Neither is Steven. We’re just us. Another small epiphany for him to think about. “No, I don’t think so.” Bae gestured to the bed. “Flop, and you two, move.” Isaiah and Dorso got up. Adal lay on the bed and felt silly with everyone looking at him.

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“Hey, let’s take out the trash,” Dorso said, nudging Isaiah. “You can make sure it’s safe.” “Okay.” Bae waited until Isaiah and Dorso left. “How have you been feeling? What happens when you have a spell?” Bae began taking his pulse. “I feel really dizzy and weak. Sometimes I’m hot, or cold, or both.” He forced himself to continue. “And my senses seem dull. Like there’s a film over them or something.” Bae gave him a hard look. “How dulled? Blurry vision?” “Sometimes,” Adal admitted. “I don’t know if that’s nerves though. I get nervous, or…or when I get excited. Er, aroused.” “Still shouldn’t cause blurred vision unless it’s when you’re slammed with an orgasm. Those suckers can turn you inside out,” Bae added. “They can.” Adal shivered. “We should maybe not talk about them.” Bae chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it wouldn’t do for either of us to get aroused, even if it was from thinking of our mates. They tend to be possessive. Then again, so do we. Your pulse is fine. How’s your breathing been?” It was impossible not to be embarrassed as Bae started examining him. Adal could still smell sex in the air, and it had to be a lot stronger to Bae, since his senses weren’t screwed up. “I was—” Adal stopped when Bae palpated his stomach. “What are you doing?” “Trying to feel for any swollen or tender organs in your gut.” Bae pushed and poked and Adal ended up giggling and squirming and almost rolling off the bed. “Ticklish much?” Adal panted and tried to quit snickering. It took him a minute, but he finally got his act together. “I didn’t know. No one’s ever done that to me before.” Bea looked really sad at hearing that. Adal bit his lip and glanced towards the window where the curtains fluttered from a breeze—odd, since the windows weren’t open. “This whole place is unlevel. There’s cracks and crevices leaking cold or hot air all over, and the windows all need to be replaced.” Adal turned back to look at Bae, who shrugged and explained, “I looked where you looked. The curtain’s moving. I’m not a mind-reader, but it seemed likely to be a correct assumption.” Then Bae poked him in the ribs and Adal squealed. Bae grinned, the biggest

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grin Adal had ever seen on the guy. “So, no one has ever tickled you. Wait until I tell Dorso that. I bet you two will find all sorts of new games to play with each other.” Adal wasn’t sure what Bae meant by that, but it sounded sexual in nature and sexual combined with Dorso meant erection so Adal crossed his legs. He glanced down when Bae did, and Bae’s laughter was as loud as his smile was big. “Dude, that just pushed your junk right on up there for me to see. Don’t worry about it. Sometimes just a thought gets me hard when it comes to Isaiah.” Bae didn’t look at his groin as he spoke. “So you haven’t been up to your usual shifter strength, or is it just the senses that are off?” Adal thought about it then shrugged. “I’m not sure. I haven’t done anything to test my strength, but the senses I noticed probably as soon as they started to deteriorate.” Bae put his hands out and nodded at them. “Push against me, let’s see how much strength you have.” Adal frowned. Bae was kind of thin, and while Adal wasn’t exactly super muscular, he was worried he’d hurt Bae. Bae narrowed his eyes. “Are you afraid you’ll hurt me? Think I’m a wuss?” Adal forgot about being worried. He put his hands palm to palm with Bae’s and pushed—and for a second, there was resistance, then Adal’s arms began to tremble and his muscles ached. He couldn’t keep up the resistance, and his arms gave out. Bae yelped and Adal did too when Bae landed on him, elbowing him in the stomach. If Adal hadn’t been sore there before, he would be now. “Shit! Sorry!” Bae muttered, scrambled up. “Shit, I didn’t think that through very well, but I thought— Well, I thought you could hold out longer.” Cold fear iced Adal’s insides. He wasn’t the only one who’d taken Bashuan’s pills. “This could be happening to Steven, too?” And Steven was going to take on Bashuan? “I’m afraid so, yes.” Bae bent and dug something out of a bag he’d brought into the room. “I’m going to have to try again to analyse what was in those damned pills even with Remus sending something to help. I couldn’t pinpoint any one thing. If I had better equipment…” Bae grumbled and shook his head. “Isaiah has a brother that can help with it. As to the damage done to you and Steven being temporary, I could be wrong, but we need to

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make sure it’s not long-term. Or maybe I can get you down there to Remus after this is all settled. Isaiah says the man is magical. “I’m also going to see if I can find anything out about what’s going on at your lepe,” Bae assured him. “I don’t want to set off any alarms, though, so I’m going to have to be very careful with how I go about it. I’ll do what I can, though.” After that, they went through a short checklist of things. Bae seemed to think whatever was being sent to help Adal would do so, including restore his shifter senses. “How long will it take?” Bae shrugged. “I don’t know. Remus might have included something like that in the package.” He looked towards the door. “I hear our mates. Do you?” Adal concentrated and nodded when he did finally hear them. “Now.” “Hm. I’m going to get a hold of Remus and let him know about this tonight, after we take care of getting the package from the garage.” Bae stood then strode to the door. “If he’s as powerful as Isaiah’s grandma says he is, he probably already knows about it.” Isaiah and Dorso came back and Dorso turned to Bae. “He’s fine, right? I mean, I know he has the spells where he’s sick, but he’s going to be okay?” “I’m sure he will,” Bae offered. “And his senses will hopefully be fully restored.” Isaiah made a questioning sound, but Bae waved him off with a sheepish look at Adal. Adal wouldn’t ask Bae to keep anything from his mate. He gave a slight nod and got up. He and Dorso began packing up the few items they had. It took less than a minute, then they were quietly leaving the room. “We’re not doing an official check out,” Dorso whispered in his ear. “Isaiah had a good idea. I paid for another two nights, and we’re going to slip out the back. If anyone comes looking and the clerk tells them the truth, that would be the only truth the clerk knew—that we’re still in the room.” “That is a good idea,” Adal agreed. “Yeah. We’re going to stop at a discount store and pick up a few things, clothes and toiletries, then we’re heading for the garage. What do you think about going in?” Dorso asked. “In?” Adal repeated. “To the store? Or the garage? Or both?” www.totallybound.com

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“All, yeah.” Adal bit his lip then let it go. “Maybe going into the garage would be a good idea. If they’re watching the place, they’ll see us either way, when we get the package, or when we arrive before that.” “And if there’s freaks waiting in the garage to jump us, we’ll handle that, too.” Isaiah pushed the exit door open. “Dorso, you said your cousin Richie was working on getting you a gun?” Dorso held up his phone. “He’s got one. I just have to let him know where to meet me with it.” “Dorso, you don’t have to do that,” Adal said. “But, it might be a good idea for you to be armed, in case we fail.” Dorso stopped walking and Adal did, too. “Don’t even say that. Nothing bad is going to happen to any of us. Understand?” Adal had seen lots of bad things happen, and had experienced many of them himself. He couldn’t agree so easily. Dorso framed his face with big hands and dipped down to kiss Adal. “Nothing,” Dorso said before pressing his mouth to Adal’s. Adal clutched at him, but the kiss was brief, even if it was very arousing. Dorso let go of him and stroked his cheeks before taking Adal’s hand in his. “We’re all going to get through this unscathed, and if I have to shoot some psychos to ensure that, then okay. Richie got me a silencer and plenty of bullets. We’ll be fine.” Then Dorso canted his head. “Do I need silver bullets?” Adal snickered and Bae did too. Isaiah sighed exaggeratedly before replying. “All you need is good aim. That silver bullet shit is for werewolves, and those would be the wolf shifters, who, as far as I know, can roll around in silver and never suffer any harm. It’s just another old wives’ tale.” “Good, since I don’t have a clue where I’d get silver bullets.” Dorso wound his fingers through Adal’s. “So does that mean catnip doesn’t affect the feline shifters?” “I think it does,” Bae said after a moment. “It affects lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, not just house cats, so, hm. We might have to play around with that. Experiment.”

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“Bae Warren, are you suggesting we get high?” Isaiah only sounded halfway scandalized. “Because I’m all for it, in the name of science, of course.” Dorso snorted out a laugh. “For science, huh?” Isaiah gave him an innocent look. “What else? It’s hard for a shifter to get drunk or high on human drugs. Possible, but it takes quite a bit more for us. Generally, as far as I know, most of our kind don’t mess around with it. Then again, I only knew my family, really, before meeting Bae.” Bae took over the conversation. “In our lepe, there were a few known hallucinogens, supposedly only used for ceremonial purposes. To bring visions, stuff like that. I do remember a couple of our members being whipped in front of the entire lepe for abusing those herbs. Seeing the skin flailed off of two people is definitely an effective means of discouraging anyone else from dabbling where they shouldn’t. Anyway, catnip wasn’t among the herbs or plants we used, as far as I know. So yeah, science.” He quirked his mouth up on one side. “Of course it’s for science.” They exited the alley and Adal’s senses went on alert. He knew Isaiah and Bae were doing the same thing, looking for anyone coming to harm them. Isaiah wasn’t going to let Bashuan have Bae, either, so it’d be a bloody, dirty fight if one happened. But the street seemed clear of all shifters excluding the three of them. People were out walking, heads down or up, avoiding eye contact as they rushed on to another place. Adal watched them, too, because he didn’t believe it was only the shifters who had bad eggs. In fact, Bashuan could have even hired humans to hunt for them. Adal dismissed the idea right after he had it. He was getting paranoid. “Sometimes paranoia is a good thing, especially when there are people out to get you. Why are you so certain that Bashuan wouldn’t engage humans in this mess?” Dorso asked silently as they strolled behind Isaiah and Bae. “I can’t pinpoint a reason. Whether or not Bashuan has human contacts, I don’t know. I suppose he could, but it just seems unlikely. He hates anyone he views as weaker than shifters, and humans are way down on the food chain in his opinion.” “We’re not the ones living in secrecy,” Dorso thought back. “God, don’t take that as an insult to you.”

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“I don’t. I was chained up or locked away most of the time anyway. If I could have left, I would have.” Dorso rumbled unhappily. Isaiah and Bae both looked over their shoulders at them. Adal shrugged apologetically. They turned back around. “Anyway, I don’t think it would even occur to him to use humans. Which, that shows his ignorance, really, because humans are everywhere, and we wouldn’t be able to scent out which ones were out to get us, whereas if any shifter gets in our sights, we’ll know he or she is an enemy. Unless it’s one of Isaiah’s family members.” Adal thought he’d explained it pretty well, and Dorso agreed so he felt pretty good about himself. “Car’s up ahead,” Bae said a minute or two later. “I call shotgun.” “What does that even mean?” Adal wondered. “It means he gets to sit in the front passenger seat,” Dorso explained. “Which is fine, because Isaiah’s driving and I can sit in the back with you and grope you.” “Hey, that’s not fair,” Isaiah protested. “I can’t grope and drive. Much.” “Blame your mate,” Adal told him. “He called that seat, now he has to take it.” It was the first time Adal had dared to tease his new friends, and the laugher it garnered delighted him. He felt lighter in spirit than he had, possibly ever.

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Chapter Eleven

The shopping trip was hell, simply because the store they went to was full of people who seemed to believe blocking an entire aisle to gossip was perfectly fine. That, and there were three registers open for the droves of people with their full shopping carts. Still, Dorso talked Adal into buying some jeans that fit him like second skin, and as good a pair of shoes as they could find there. They picked up a few more things they needed and Adal put on a set of his new clothes in the car with Isaiah and Bae trying not to look. Dorso couldn’t blame them for peeking. Adal was fine, and he was proud of the fact that Adal was his. He might have even drooled when he made out the darker seam of Adal’s crack through his thin white briefs. Dorso wanted to bury his face between Adal’s cheeks and eat him out until Adal screamed and came for him. There was definitely some groping after that, but mainly there was kissing. Dorso couldn’t get enough of kissing Adal. The drive to the diner didn’t take long. They had to go there first so Dorso could meet up with his cousin. Then they were pulling into the diner. Dorso’s nerves were ramped up. He expected trouble, if not at the diner, then at the garage. Everything was going too smoothly. Richie asked if he needed help, but Dorso had sent him off with an explanation that he just wanted the gun for protection. Richie had called him a liar but left, muttering about plausible deniability being overrated. Dorso was aiming for it, though. The less people involved, the better. Adal, Isaiah and Bae had sat at the booth behind Richie so as far as Dorso knew, Richie wasn’t aware that they were with him. Once Richie left, they all waited five minutes, then Dorso left, carrying a small duffle bag. The others followed him out almost instantly. They huddled in a loose group in the parking lot. “Anything?” Dorso asked. Adal shook his head, as did Isaiah and Bae. “Not even a whiff of shifter,” Bae added. “Wind’s coming from the east,” Adal pointed out. “We wouldn’t smell them if they were at the garage.” Dorso looked at Isaiah. “What’s the arrival time on the package?” www.totallybound.com

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Isaiah checked on his phone. “Few hours still. We should head to the garage and get ready for anything.” “I don’t know, we were ambushed there in the first place,” Bae said, offering the first hint of resistance. “How secure can we make the place?” Adal stepped up. “Very. You and Isaiah were ambushed because you had no reason to expect an attack. Plus, you two were, um, doing things.” Dorso’s eyebrows winged up almost entirely on their own. “Oh really? What kind of things?” Bae’s cheeks darkened and Isaiah’s did as well. “Oral things,” Adal offered, and Dorso found himself being let in on Adal’s thoughts— he had seen it and it’d been very, very hot. “I bet it was very hot to see,” Dorso muttered, picking up on his thoughts. “You pervs. I’d be jealous—” He tugged Adal to his side. “Well, why when I have Adal?” “Mates, they just make everything better,” Isaiah agreed. “Okay. We should head around the block to the back side of the garage. That’ll give us a better chance at figuring out if there’s anyone waiting to try to nail us there. I also have the keys to the back door, which are different than the front, and most of the heavy tools that would make good weapons are in the back, too.” “The wrenches would be good,” Dorso said. “I’m going to load this gun before we go.” “Get in the car and do it.” Isaiah opened the door for him and Dorso got in. Dorso wasn’t a gun fanatic, but he had grown up going to the shooting range with his dad and siblings. Dad had made sure all his kids knew the proper way to handle a gun. He’d believed there were too many risks in not educating his kids when so many of their parents had guns. Dorso didn’t know if his dad had it right or wrong, but he was glad for the knowledge he’d imparted. The 9 mm was lighter than Dorso had expected, and maybe it should have looked innocuous, but to him it was a handful of death. He loaded the clip and stuck two extras in his pocket, then got out of the car. Isaiah locked it after shielding Dorso as he tucked the gun into his waistband. Definitely not the way his dad had taught him to carry, but he didn’t have a holster. Hadn’t thought to ask for one. www.totallybound.com

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“Ready.” He and Adal walked behind Bae and Isaiah again. They went down a block, and he noticed how the other three were almost constantly sniffing at the air. Maybe it wouldn’t have been obvious had he not thought to look. Adal’s nostril’s flared delicately, rhythmically, really. It was intriguing to see. Then again, Adal was intriguing. Ten minutes later, they stood behind the garage, across the alley, hidden by the shadows and dumpsters. At least, Dorso thought they were hidden. “Someone’s been here,” Bae murmured. “At least three other shifters very recently.” “Where did they go?” Dorso asked, but he saw the scratches on the back door and the way the lock was bent. “Well, shit.” “Yes, exactly,” Bae agreed. Adal swept his hair back off his forehead as he stared at the garage. “They may not still be in there, but we should approach it as if they are.” He turned to give them all a stern look. “You have to remember—these are Bashuan’s guards. They will not show mercy, nor will they hesitate. They aren’t me and Steven. Bashuan’s mistake with us was locking us in together. We turned to each other, and our bond is stronger than any loyalty we ever felt to Bashuan or the lepe. It’s why you were able to reach us, Bae. We didn’t belong to Bashuan. We belonged to each other, and now, I belong to Dorso. I will kill for him, even if killing makes me sick. I’ll do it, for him.” Dorso knew how much that admission cost Adal, especially the part about killing, and how it affected him. He’d do anything to make sure Adal didn’t have to take a life. “We’re going to try not to kill anyone,” Isaiah said. “If we can subdue our attackers—if there are any attackers—that’s our first choice. Bind them, and Bae can keep them sedated. We’ll figure out what to do with them after that.” “I do have tranqs,” Bae acknowledged. “Took them out of the trunk while you were loading the gun.” “Awesome.” It made Dorso feel better about their chances of getting through this without totally offing anyone. “So we’ll go in first,” Bae began, but Adal strode right away from them. “Shit!” Dorso agreed with the sentiment and hurried after Adal. “They want Bae,” Adal said.

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“Right. So no sending him in first.” He twisted around to point at Bae. “That makes sense. Let us go in first. If someone’s in there, we’ll be a great distraction, then you can dart gun ‘em or jab them with a needle, whatever you have.” “That’s a stupid idea,” Bae grumbled. Isaiah glared at him. “No, it’s not.” Dorso left them to squabble. He heard their footsteps behind him, just for a second. A second glance back told him they were following him and Adal silently. It was creepy. He focused on keeping up with Adal and being as quiet as he could be. For once, he was really glad he hadn’t put in security cameras. It would have sucked to have some bad guy or guys inside watching their approach on a monitor. As it was, he hoped they didn’t hear Dorso and the others. The door wasn’t closed fully, and the deadbolt was definitely broken. Adal held up a hand, warning him to wait. Then he did the finger count down, holding up three, two, one. The door squeaked on its hinges when Adal pushed it open. He winced and Dorso flatout cringed. Adal held perfectly still, his head canted to the side. Dorso knew he was listening intently. He gave a curt nod and slipped inside. Dorso went after him. He’d been comfortable in the garage, had kind of thought of it as a second home since shortly after Isaiah hired him. Now the place felt like icy fingers tracing down his spine. It unnerved him. Adal moved with a grace Dorso would never have. His little nose twitched as he sniffed. Adal’s cheeks darkened, and anger permeated through their link. Dorso knew then that intruders were in the building. Adal pointed to the front, then to the stockroom. He held up four fingers. Dorso glanced back. Had Bae been wrong? “Yes, he was wrong. There are four distinct scents here. Possibly someone came through the front.” He supposed that made sense. Ish. Adal mouthed “Four” to Bae and Isaiah. They got the message, with Isaiah pointing to the stockroom then holding up two fingers. That meant the other two were up front somewhere. www.totallybound.com

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The stockroom was closest, but they’d be trapped once they entered it. And if they moved past it, their attackers could come out after them. Dorso nodded to the room. They’d have to tackle it first. He looked at Isaiah. Isaiah nodded and tugged on Bae’s arm. They backed into the employee restroom and that took care of them for the moment. Adal brushed his hand over Dorso’s. “We’ll get through this.” It was a promise, and Dorso believed him. A subtle change came over Adal then. An emotionless expression settled on him and he approached the stockroom. He took a breath, then grabbed the knob and twisted. There was no squeaking of hinges, nothing but utter silence. Adal let go of the knob and the door simply swung open. Not a sound came from the room. Adal stepped into the doorway. And all hell broke loose.

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Chapter Twelve

The attack wasn’t unexpected. Adal swung the instant he sensed movement. His fist connected with hard muscles. His hand ached, but he ducked and swung again. Behind him, he heard Dorso curse. Adal was pushed forward, likely from Dorso forcing his way in. Adal’s adrenaline spiked. A human fighting a shifter was bad odds for the human. The need to protect his mate made Adal fight harder than he ever had. He hit and kicked, bit and fought dirty. There was no honour in letting his mate come to harm, so he didn’t try to apply the skills of a true warrior. He tried to hurt, and to win. Someone hit him, a fist slamming into his jaw. Adal heard it pop, but the pain was slow to follow. He recognised the two guards, both ones who had tormented him on many occasions back at the lepe. Anger fuelled his adrenaline to greater heights. He saw Dorso ducking and punching. It wouldn’t be enough, he feared. Before he could leap to Dorso’s defence, more shifters arrived, one jumping on Adal and taking him to the floor. “Fuck,” Adal ground out as his breath was knocked from him. He felt the blows to his back and neck, to his head. Dorso needed him, and that mattered more than pain he’d experienced many, many times before. Adal bucked and twisted. He got onto his back and slammed the side of his hand against the third guard’s throat. At the same time, Bae and Isaiah both came raging in, shouting, syringes in their hands. The guards didn’t know what hit them. The last one might have caught on, but she wasn’t able to outmaneuver four people who were determined to take her down. “Please don’t kill me,” she begged. “I’ll swear allegiance to you!” “Bresni,” Adal said. She hadn’t ever been his guard, but he knew her. Whether or not she was a decent person remained to be seen. “They won’t kill you. Look at the others. They’re breathing.” www.totallybound.com

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Bresni’s panic had her gaze darting everywhere, but soon she noted the rise and fall of the downed guards’ chests. “Please don’t. Please,” she begged, terror rising high off her again. “Please, please, please,” she chanted, sliding to the floor and wrapping her arms around her knees. Bae wavered. He looked to Adal, then Isaiah. “She’s shocky, I think. Did something bad happen to her before this?” Adal saw that she had begun to rock back and forth. “She’s female,” he said. That didn’t seem to make the point to Dorso, Bae or Isaiah—at first. Then Bae paled. Adal nodded. “All females are forced to breed, or try to. So there’s a very good chance that something very horrible happened to her, yes.” Bae’s pallor intensified. “That’s—I can’t do this to her.” Isaiah ran his hands through his hair. “It could be an act, but she…she smells terrified.” “Even I can scent that,” Adal admitted. “Her name is Bresni. She never hurt me, but that means nothing. Only that she wasn’t assigned to guard me. Probably because she is relatively new, perhaps nineteen years old. I don’t know what you should do about her.” As it turned out, asking to restrain Bresni resulted in her passing out after several minutes of shrieking. Adal hated Bashuan more than ever in that instant. “How many lives has he ruined?” “None that are still here with us,” Dorso informed him. “If they’re alive, there’s still hope. Look at her. She didn’t mindlessly keep attacking.” “Because the threat of an injection scared her out of her mind!” “Even so, she has a chance, wouldn’t you say?” Dorso asked. Adal thought about it and had to agree. “Yes, she must. I was never sexually violated, raped, like many of our female and male lepe members are.” He nodded when Dorso’s features scrunched with confusion. “Males can be forced to breed. They don’t all want to have sex with the females who don’t want to be raped. The threat to family, to their own lives, even to the lives of the females and their families, that can ensure the males are stripped of their choices, too. It is a sick thing that Bashuan forces on his lepe. Had he not hated me and Steven for our supposedly tainted blood, who knows what we’d have been forced to do.” “I can’t even comprehend that kind of evil,” Dorso said a full minute later. “I just can’t.” www.totallybound.com

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“It exists.” Adal knew it did, as he’d lived his life up until a few days ago surrounded by it. “I hope she doesn’t go back.” “She won’t,” Bae said as he came into the waiting room of the garage. “Isaiah’s talked to his grandma, and she’s sending someone to come get Bresni. An aunt or two, I think. We’ll need to be going to my place after the delivery gets here. That’s where they’ll pick Bresni up from. I hope she stays unconscious until then.” “You could give her one of those shots.” Bae glared at Adal. “I most certainly could not! She would never trust anyone if I did that.” Bae was right. Adal turned to study the other three guards. “And them?” “Oh, Grandma’s sending someone for them, too,” Isaiah explained. “Eh. I don’t want to know after that.” “Isaiah’s grandma is the head of the family,” Bae said. Adal tried to imagine a woman leading the lepe but couldn’t. He couldn’t envision anyone but Bashuan doing that, and it was awful. “She’s the best,” Isaiah was saying. “She doesn’t know a lot about our kind of shifter because all of her parents and the members of her lepe were killed when she was just a kid, but she’s tough and she’s made a good life for her family here. You’ll have to meet her soon.” “I—” Adal was saved from answering by the honk of the UPS truck. He hurried past the others and went to the front door. He stepped outside. A plain looking man in brown shorts and shirt hustled over to him and handed him a package. Before Adal could even say thank you, the guy was halfway back to his truck. “Usually they just toss it at you,” Dorso said. Adal held the box in his hands. It was very light, but he imagined it contained some sort of shamanistic spell that made it so. Perhaps he was just being fanciful. At first he thought he was imagining it, but no, he soon realised the box was growing warmer as he held it. Adal hissed and went back into the shop. Someone shut the door for him. He put the box on the counter. “It’s hot.” Dorso touched it. “Feels okay to me.” Adal pressed a finger to it. “No, it’s hot.”

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“Maybe that’s the power of the shaman,” Isaiah suggested. “Look, we should get over to Bae’s. We’ve got to be there when people start coming to pick up these guys.” “How will we get them all there?” Isaiah shrugged. “I’ll drive my vehicle, and you can take Mr Jenkins’ van. It’s fixed, but he won’t be back in town until next week to get it. Just, for God’s sake, don’t wreck it.” “I won’t.” Dorso took a set of keys off the pegboard behind the counter. “Gotta load them up.” Adal was reluctant to let the box out of his sight, but there was work to be done. He helped get the guards into the vehicles, then went back for his medicine. Again, when he held the box for long, it began to heat in his hands. “Feel,” he demanded of Dorso. “Still room temp, but I believe you,” Dorso assured him. “I can feel it up here.” He tapped his forehead. “So maybe that’s your magic box and it is calling out to you or something. God, I sound so corny.” “No, you sound like someone who understands a shaman’s powers,” Bae told him. Dorso hitched a shoulder up and down. “We have curanderos in our family. Now, the church says those shouldn’t exist, but we have them, and ain’t any of my aunts and uncles bad or evil people, whether they’re curanderos or not. So there’s some hoodoo I guess you’d call it, and I’m aware of it.” He winked at Adal. “Might even be why I wasn’t totally freaked out over everything.” After that, they locked up the shop and left. Dorso drove behind Isaiah and Bae. “You want to stay with them tonight?” Adal considered it for a moment. Would he bring more trouble to them if he did? Possibly. “I’d rather not, I think.” He wanted to be with Dorso, just Dorso. Lethargy settled on him and Adal closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, they were parked behind Isaiah’s car. He blinked until he could see clearly. “Why are we out here?” Dorso wasn’t in the driver’s seat. Adal sat up and almost strangled himself with the seatbelt. “Hey, hey, I’m right here,” Dorso said from his right. Adal looked at him, standing in the open doorway of the van. “How did I sleep through this?” “You were tired?”

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“I should never be so tired I don’t hear this much!” Adal snapped in a fit of panic. “I’m a shifter, I should have woken up when the vehicle stopped, when the door opened, when—” He twisted around. The van was empty. “My gods, I slept through you removing them?” “What’s in that box is going to help you,” Dorso said as he climbed in the van. He cupped Adal’s cheek. “Please don’t panic. You know you’ve had trouble and that’s why you were sent that box.” He pointed to the floor. Adal didn’t even remember putting the box down. “Take me somewhere,” Adal pleaded. “I can’t fall apart in front of anyone else.” Dorso brushed his lips over Adal’s. “I’ll take care of you. Let me tell the guys bye.” Adal closed his eyes and tried not to give in to the utter fear that he was going to slowly erode into nothing.

**** Adal thought he must be sleeping his life away. “Wake up. We’re at a much nicer hotel than we’ve been staying at.” Adal opened his eyes. His shame at having fallen asleep again was muted by the nausea messing with his stomach. Dorso continued to chatter. “Since we don’t want to be traced here, Isaiah’s grandma had someone else in their family book the room for us. We have it for a few nights. I’ll pay them back when this is all settled.” He unbuckled and got out. Adal wasn’t surprised when Dorso came to his door and opened it. “Grab the box.” Adal unbuckled and picked the package up. His fingers tingled, but he ignored the sensation. Dorso helped him out. Adal was upset at how weak he felt. “I don’t understand. I feel worse than ever.” “It’s going to get better,” Dorso promised. He carried their bags in one hand and helped Adal keep upright as they walked towards the hotel. “We’ve already been checked in. I don’t know how they did it, but the keys are waiting for us under the bench by the fountain over there.”

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Adal saw the fountain then. It was huge, and colourful in a tasteful way. No bright shades, but muted tones of cherubs’ skin and fragile wings. Water spouted up, underlit by pastel lights. The soothing sounds of the fountain comforted Adal. “So we aren’t seen,” Dorso explained as he stopped them by the bench. “You okay for a minute?” “Yeah.” Adal locked his knees. Dorso let go of him long enough to bend down and get the key cards. “I’m just great.” They didn’t speak again as Dorso led him around the side of the hotel. There was an entrance there that required the use of the key cards. Dorso handled it. The inside of the hotel was luxurious, Adal was pretty sure that wasn’t just his opinion. It gave off a rich vibe, and he wondered how much a place like this cost. “I wonder the same thing, too. Never been in such a nice place in my life.” Dorso gestured to the walls. “Look at the paintings hanging up, and the cushioned benches in the halls. This place is fancy fancy. I can’t wait to see our room.” His excitement rubbed off on Adal. He felt a little more energetic as they reached a set of four tall, glass-fronted elevators. His heart pounded when he looked up, and up, and up! The elevators went on forever, or at least twenty floors. “It’ll be like going on a ride.” Adal hadn’t ever been on a ride. “I’m not scared, I’m…I’m excited. It’ll be like flying, I hope.” Dorso beamed at him. One of the four lights came on as a ding sounded. “That’s ours. We’re on the nineteenth floor.” “How many are there?” “Twenty,” Dorso said. The elevator opened. People began pouring out of it. “I think the top floor is probably penthouse suites or something like that. Rooms I’ll never be able to afford.” “I don’t have money,” Adal realised. Shit, what would he do about that? “Don’t start worrying about it. Let’s get through this Bashuan bullshit, then you can decide what you want to do. You’ve got time even then, honey. There’s no rush. You don’t have to work, or you can if you want. I don’t know about college or any of that. Do you have a birth certificate?” They stepped onto the elevator. “You know what, just think about all of www.totallybound.com

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that when you feel like it. For now, let it go and—watch,” he finished as the doors closed. Dorso had pressed a button, and the elevator began to rise. “Oh,” Adal gasped, holding the rail inside as they shot up quickly. “The view is amazing. Look at the fountain inside! I didn’t see that.” “Because we came in from the side. Damn, this is a nice hotel,” Dorso said. The elevator stopped. “And this is our floor.” They turned and the doors opened. Adal and Dorso exited. Dorso pointed to a small plaque on the wall. “Our room is nineteen-fifteen so we need to go this way.” It wasn’t far. Their door was as fancy as the rest of the hotel, some dark wood carved ornately. “Wow.” “Wow is right,” Dorso said as he opened the door. “I didn’t even know hotels had doors that weren’t standard-grade ugly.” Adal could only gawk when he entered. “This is a room? It’s rooms!” “It’s a suite. Shit, I thought we were just getting put up in a one room thingie, not this. Jesus, come on, let’s explore.” Dorso set their plastic bags down, and the duffle bag as well. It all went on a pretty grey marbled counter. “You up to a little tour of the rooms?” “I am.” He was worn out, and the package needed to be opened, but that could wait. He set it beside their bags. Dorso turned to him. “Open that first. It was making your hands hot, so maybe it’s all gung-ho to start healing you.” “We can—” Adal closed his mouth on the rest of the argument. He began to peel the tape off the box. The label told him nothing, except that whoever wrote it out had very nice printing skills. And—“He gave me a last name. Jones?” “You can have my last name. I like Adal Rodriguez.” The very serious tone told Adal how important that was to Dorso. Adal stopped messing with the tape. “You want that? For me to have your name?” “I do. I mean, call me a throwback or whatever, but hell yeah, I like the idea of my partner, mate, h—” Dorso gulped and coughed. “Fuck, I can do this. Husband. We can’t marry in this state, yet. New Mexico, though, we can go right on over there and get married. Make it legal in my society and yours. Well, my society is going to be yours, right? And you’ll be my husband?” www.totallybound.com

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Adal’s head spun and his eyes misted. He nodded. “Yes, of course,” he barely got out. “Anything you want.” “But do you want it?” Dorso pressed. “I want it all,” Adal whispered. “Everything I can have.” He’d missed out on so much up until escaping Bashuan’s rule. “I want everything, with you.” Dorso exhaled loudly. “Damn, that was hard to ask, Adal, but you’re worth being scared and having to get past my own pride for. I can be a dick, but I said that already didn’t I?” Adal didn’t know what to say and was saved from saying anything when Dorso kissed him. Dorso left him aching with need when he backed away. “Open the package. Take whatever’s in there. I hope there’s directions.” How he found the strength to go back to opening the package was beyond him. “Me too.” Adal finally got the last piece of tape off. He opened the flaps and pushed them back. There was tissue paper all bunched up inside, but he saw several blue velvet pouches. Adal picked them up one at a time, and set them on the counter. At the bottom of the box was a piece of paper. On it was written a note. Take three pouches a day. Mix with hot water, and honey if needs be. You’ll be fine, Adal. More pouches to come next week, after I’ve gathered and dried the herbs. Drink slowly. Have patience, you’ve made it this long. Remus.

Adal glanced at Dorso. “He scares me.” Dorso took the paper and read it. “You don’t have to drink whatever he sent.” “No, he doesn’t scare me that way,” Adal said. “It’s more like…like when I read that, I heard his voice, and felt his…his caring? That’s so stupid.” “It isn’t. Why would that be impossible, when there’s shifters and magic and who knows what else in this world?” Dorso argued. Dorso had a valid point.

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“I’m going to boil some water. There’s a microwave here.” Dorso took a pouch and walked to the microwave. “These pouches are nice. He could have just stuck it all in a plastic baggie.” Adal sagged against the counter while Dorso prepared the mixture. He was so tired, it was unbelievable. “I wish I knew how Steven is doing.” “I wish you knew, too. I can’t imagine being in the situation you’re in with him. I’ve got three brothers and two sisters. If any of them were out trying to do what Steven’s attempting, I’d be a wreck.” Dorso poured out the contents of the pouch. “Smells okay. Kinda like grass and flowers.” “Probably what’s in it. Natural things work best on shifters. We are closer to nature, maybe.” Adal took the cup and sniffed. His sinuses tingled. He took a little sip. It was pretty bland, all in all. “Honey would be nice, but it’s not necessary. This is tasteless, almost.” Adal put the cup to his lips and drank the stuff down in a few gulps. And remembered the ‘drink slowly’ part as he slid down to the floor. “I’m very tired now,” he slurred. Dorso was there, on the floor beside him. “Adal, Adal, Jesus Christ, what do I do? What the fuck did that asshole give you?” “Good schtuff,” Adal managed to say. He was feeling very good inside, warm and comfy and really sleepy. He opened his mind and let Dorso in. “Not bad. Was supposed to sip it. I gotta sleep a little and I’ll be fine.” He thought that was what he said. For all Adal knew, he never even got the words out before he gave in and let sleep take him.

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Chapter Thirteen

Dorso was really someone special to put up with him. Adal snuggled closer, Dorso warm and strong at his side. He wondered what time it was. The darkness was complete enough that he knew it was night. Adal opened his eyes and made out Dorso’s chiselled profile, the bump on his nose. He supposed all that really mattered was that he had Dorso here, and they were both safe. Except there was Steven, and Adal’s chest ached at the thought of his brother out on his own, scared, losing his feline senses at an alarming rate. Lost, maybe, even, with no one to turn to— “Uh.” Adal bit back the rest of the sound trying to escape his lips. He felt awful about being here, safe and comfortable while Steven…wasn’t. “Whash wrong?” Dorso slurred, opening his eyes. That seemed to take a Herculean effort, and Adal went warm and gooey as peanut butter on hot toast as he watched. Then Dorso was startlingly alert. “Adal? What’s the matter? Are you okay? I called Bae and went off about the pouch stuff and Remus actually called me. He has a way, I guess. He convinced me you’d be okay.” Adal shook the cobwebs out of his head and forced himself to speak. “I’m just worried about Steven. And I’m cold,” he said, only then realising it. Dorso’s body heat was addictive, and Adal scooted even closer. “Do you think you can sleep with me on you?” Dorso grunted. He hooked his arms around Adal and rolled on top of him, warming him more thoroughly, in more than just the physical sense. His eyes glittered as he looked down on Adal. “How about if I lay on you instead? Or maybe you need me to warm you up in a different way.” Adal shook his head. “I know you’re tired. It’s the middle of the night—” “It’s barely ten,” Dorso corrected, wiggling his arm beneath Adal. The scrape of his watchband was all the explanation Adal needed. He frowned. “How long have I been asleep?” www.totallybound.com

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Dorso shrugged, his chest brushing Adal’s and stealing his breath. “A few hours. You scared me, you know. If I hadn’t been able to feel you in my head, I might have seriously lost my shit.” Dorso shifted his weight to mostly one arm and reached over for something on the nightstand. When he brought his hand back, Adal saw the cell phone. “No missed calls or texts, which is always good. I should make sure everything went okay for Bae and Isaiah,” Dorso informed him before tapping out a text. “Fuck,” Dorso promptly muttered. “That’s a bad fuck,” Adal said rather stupidly, fear sapping the sense right out of him. Dorso grunted again and sat up, straddling Adal’s hips. The feel of Dorso’s ass, his balls heavy against Adal’s cock, was a stimulation he couldn’t ignore, but he didn’t focus on it as Dorso turned on the lamp. “It’s not necessarily a bad fuck, it’s just a ‘fuck’ fuck.” Adal’s frown likely matched Dorso’s. “What does that even mean?” Dorso tapped the screen, texting back, then he cocked an eyebrow at Adal. “Well, there’s the fun kind of fuck, which I intend for you to do to me very soon.” Adal’s cock liked that, firming up rapidly. “Uh-huh.” Dorso grinned. “And there’s the bad kind of fuck, like, we’re so screwed and it ain’t the good screwed either.” “You’re determined to mention sex in some manner with each explanation, aren’t you?” Adal asked, amused even though he was still concerned. Dorso’s grin stretched wider. “Of course. Then there’s the all-purpose fuck, where you just don’t know whether something’s bad or good, or what.” Adal rose up on his elbows. “And it was the last kind of fuck?” Dorso hadn’t even made that one sexual. Dorso held the phone out. “Yeah, and I got too distracted by this—” He rubbed his ass and balls down Adal’s length. “Totally lost my train of thought.” Adal took the phone and read the message Isaiah had sent. “Oh, that had to be hard. Bresni woke up and freaked out. But they got her calmed down and sent off with someone named Judy?” “I’m guessing that would be Isaiah’s aunt.” Dorso set the phone down after Adal handed it to him. “Just thought about how hard that had to be on them and Bresni. Scary shit, Adal.” www.totallybound.com

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“It is. Our lives in the lepe were very scary.” Adal never wanted to go back. “I hope Steven frees everyone. I can’t imagine what life was like for you there. It’s—” Dorso was interrupted by the buzz of the cell phone as it vibrated. He picked the phone up again, pressed a button, read and grunted. Then Dorso sent a message back, waited and read the next message before putting the phone down again. He had a predatory look on his face as he stared down at Adal. “Do you know what Isaiah just said?” Adal shook his head slightly. “No idea, but whatever it is, I can smell how aroused you are.” “Oh, honey, I was horny for you before.” Dorso thrust his hard dick against Adal’s. “Then Isaiah tells me we don’t have to use condoms, because one, you don’t have anything disease-wise, and two, shifters don’t get human diseases. Now, I’m clean, and I’ve never barebacked in my life, but with you…” Adal was going to burn up with the formidable passion that was increasing by leaps and bounds. “No condoms? He’s sure?” “He said so. Bae said so. Neither would lie to us.” Dorso grinned, a sexy twist of lips that made Adal’s balls draw tight. “So, you wanna fuck me raw, honey?” “Yes,” Adal said before pulling Dorso down for a kiss.

“Need you now.” Adal’s voice was stripped bare. That was understandable. Dorso felt bare inside and out, and he wanted Adal to slide that uncovered dick right into him. He reached out to turn on the lamp, wanting to see everything. “How do you want me? Where do you want me?” “Anyhow. Everywhere,” Adal answered, bringing his hands down to cup and spread Dorso’s cheeks. His thumbs brushed over Dorso’s hole and Dorso shivered, need causing an ache in his belly and a fire in his groin. Adal turned them, rolling out from beneath Dorso and getting behind him. A little pressure and with Adal’s help, Dorso knelt on the bed. Adal was right there with him, rubbing the thick heat of his cock against Dorso’s ass.

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Dorso cursed as Adal pinched his nipples, setting them to stinging in a most pleasant way. Pleasure rippled out from the sensitive buds, shooting down to his dick. Dorso clutched at Adal’s forearms as his balls drew close to his body. “Please.” God, he needed so much more. Adal worked his nipples and began sucking up marks down the back of Dorso’s neck. He prodded at Dorso’s hole repeatedly, not truly trying to penetrate, just adding more and more sensation. Dorso fisted a hand in his own hair, pulling, using the stinging pain to accentuate the desire Adal raised in him as well as to complement the ache in his tits as Adal twisted his nipples again. Dorso cupped his balls with his other hand, applying enough pressure to keep him from shooting his load. He moaned and closed his eyes, brilliant reds and bright whites bursting behind his lids as his pulse slammed through him. “Please,” he grunted, then began chanting it as Adal sucked harder and trailed a hand down to tease at his cockhead. Dorso was going to lose his damned mind if Adal didn’t take pity on him and fuck him soon. A whimper escaped his lips as he tried to slide his knees farther apart. Adal rumbled and pushed him forward, looping an arm around his waist. It kept Dorso from face-planting on the bed, but he did end up having to slap his hands down. A hand between his shoulder blades had him lowering himself more, then he yelped in surprise. Adal pushed his face right into Dorso’s crack, unerringly finding his hole with the wet, slick tip of his tongue. Dorso hadn’t expected that, and even as Adal spread him open wider and began to rim him like a man starving for it, Dorso was still reeling from the shock. He’d thought he was going down to get fucked, but this was good, very, very good, too. Dorso pillowed his head on his hands and arched when Adal added a finger, pushing it in deep and slow. Dorso quivered from the inside out, waiting, waiting—then moaning as Adal rubbed over his gland in a soft, steady manner. “Oh, God, Adal, please, don’t stop, fuck me—” Dorso wanted both things. He wanted this to go on forever, or for as long as he could take it, as long as Adal could torture him with these delicious touches. And he wanted Adal’s cock in him, ploughing into him over and over again until neither of them could move because they were thoroughly fucked out.

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Another finger spread him and Dorso pushed back, unwilling to wait for the slow filling he’d been getting. Adal made a sound that might have been a growl, and he nipped at Dorso’s flank with enough bite to make it sting like hell. Dorso wasn’t discouraged at all. He was melting and needed more, even as he wanted to keep feeling the same pleasure thrumming through him. “Fuck me,” he demanded, rocking back harder, fucking himself on Adal’s fingers. Adal pushed a third in, then he licked around Dorso’s stretched rim. Dorso had a moment of clarity where he wished for a mirror, a way to see himself being taken in such a way, then Adal thrust those fingers in deep and hard, and Dorso’s thoughts shattered as he keened. “So good,” he thought he heard Adal say, but Dorso couldn’t concentrate when Adal was fingering him like that. Adal reached under him and rubbed his dick, pushing it against his belly. Dorso hissed and tried to hold back his climax, wanting Adal in him, because as good as those fingers felt, Adal’s dick was so, so much better. Adal thrust them into him again and Dorso arched, his world imploding as ecstasy welled in him. He had a vague sensation of being empty for a second, then his hole was filled with more, Adal shoving his cock in as he pounded away at Dorso’s ass. Dorso shouted as cum spewed from his slit. He shot an arm out to brace himself instinctively when he slid from the force of Adal’s fucking. The baseboard stopped him from going any farther and Dorso’s muscles ached as he pushed back while Adal fucked him through his orgasm. Adal’s hand felt like a clamp on his hip as Adal hammered into him. Dorso’s cock spurted again as Adal drove in deeper than before. Liquid heat filled Dorso’s channel when Adal panted and ground against him. Dorso ached now in a different way—the good, hard, fucked into the ground way that he wanted to savour as he collapsed onto the floor, Adal staying right on him so that his cock remained buried for a few moments more. Wetness tickled the insides of Dorso’s thighs then the back of his balls as Adal pulled out and rolled onto his side. Dorso looked at his lover, grinning at the way Adal’s skin glistened with sweat, the disheveled hair and how his hands trembled when he covered his eyes with his forearms as he gasped. Someone looked fucking blissful, and Dorso was pretty damned proud of himself for having put Adal in such a state. www.totallybound.com

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Chapter Fourteen

It took three days before Adal began to feel a change, and when he did, it was like he’d been made into a whole new shifter. He woke up in the middle of the night, his senses soaring, his body vibrating with energy. Too much energy to contain. He rolled over and woke Dorso up with a blowjob, then jacked off and spread his cum all over Dorso’s stomach and chest. “Feeling better?” Dorso asked, stroking Adal’s hip. Adal struggled to find the words to explain it. He stretched and popped his shoulders and wrists. “It’s like waking up and having my body replaced with a new, better one. Everything inside of me feels good, and I can hear the people in the room beside ours snoring. My senses are better than ever, and that makes me wonder how long Bashuan has been poisoning us.” Dorso tipped his head back and looked towards the wall behind the headboard. “Okay, that kind of hearing might be annoying as hell. I didn’t realise your senses would be that acute. But, if this is you feeling better, I have to say I am very glad to see it.” “I’ll learn to tune out the things that aren’t important,” Adal explained. “It’s an instinct, but for now, I’m just listening to everything. And mmm, the smell of us together, it’s making me hard all over again.” He wished the scars were gone, but a glance told him that they remained on his skin. Some things even a powerful shaman couldn’t heal, apparently. “They’re a part of you. You’re a fucking stud with them, honey.” Dorso traced the one beneath his ear. “Now you know, you’re strong inside and out. No more doubting that.” “It isn’t that easy,” Adal said after a few seconds wherein he considered not saying anything at all. It seemed sort of dishonest to do that. “I can’t just undo all the years of being told what an abomination I am.” “Why do you think your father had sex with—” “Bred,” Adal cut in. “It wasn’t sex. I don’t think it was even consensual, but I wouldn’t know for sure. He gets off on hurting people, though, and my mother and Steven’s were both www.totallybound.com

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young. Too young. They died giving birth to us.” Adal shuddered. He suspected there was much more evil to that history than he’d ever know. “As to why, there’s no logical reason. He vows to make the Amur leopard shifters a pure race, but he obviously wasn’t aiming for that with us. Maybe he saw our mothers and wanted them. Maybe it was that simple, that horrible. Or maybe he just wanted more people to destroy. I don’t know. I would never profess to understand the sickness that drives him.” “He needs to die,” Dorso muttered. “Painfully, preferably.” Adal thought about Bashuan, and of course, about Steven. “I wish I knew where Steven was. We’ve been separated before, when he was sent out to do Bashuan’s bidding, but this is— I always knew he could die on any of those assignments, but the likelihood of that happening this time is greater, and it terrifies me. He was all I had for so long.” Dorso pulled Adal down to lie on top of him. “I’m not going to lie and tell you everything will be fine. I don’t know what will happen with your brother any more than you do. But, whatever happens, I’ll be here, and soon you’ll have my family as yours, too. No one would ever try to replace Steven, that isn’t what I mean, either. There’ll be more people for you to gain comfort from. Ugh. I’m saying this all wrong.” “It’s the middle of the night and I woke you up sucking you off. You’re allowed to be discombobulated.” Dorso snickered as he caressed Adal’s back. “Discombobulated. That’s such a weird word, but it fits. Just know you have a home and a family here, and friends. Isaiah and Bae aren’t going to forget about you.” “I’m not sure I know how to be friends, or what to do with family. Honestly, the idea of meeting your family scares me. A lot.” Adal felt like a wimp because of it, too. “I don’t want to embarrass you or make them hate me, and it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t. There’s a voice in my head that starts chanting sometimes, telling me how worthless and unlovable I am. It sounds like Bashuan, and some of the guards, and maybe myself. I don’t know. I can’t make it stop every time. I…” Adal closed his eyes tightly against the burn of tears. “I know, mostly, that it’s not true. I hope it’s not true, anyway. That doesn’t seem to matter. When I see the scars you tell me aren’t ugly, or when an ugly memory pops up, I feel like I’m worthless, and I don’t know how to counter that. I don’t know if I can.”

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He pushed himself up until he was straddling Dorso’s waist. Dorso trailed his hands down to Adal’s hips. “That sounds pathetic, and I hate coming off like a whiny, I don’t know, just a whiny loser, I guess. That isn’t who or what I want to be.” “I’m not saying you are a whiny loser, because you’ve been through a hell I can’t fathom, and I can tell you I’d have already lost my mind had I been in your shoes. The thing is, you have to cut yourself some slack. It’s going to take time, maybe even a lifetime, to completely move past, well, your past.” Dorso huffed and rolled his eyes. “I suck at this kind of talking, but whatever. I’ll keep telling you to be gentle on judging yourself, be kind to yourself. Stop looking for flaws and start acknowledging your strengths.” “My strengths,” Adal said, trying to think of them. He did know he had some, but Dorso must have thought he didn’t believe so. “You’re loyal. Look at how you worry over Steven. You have a good heart—do I need to explain that after you let Bae and Isaiah go?” Dorso held up one finger in front of him. “I know, Steven let them go too. So he can’t be the total heartless bastard I’d believed he was after you’ve mentioned him killing for Bashuan.” “He had to,” Adal interjected. “I can’t imagine the choices he was forced to make—my life, or someone else’s.” “Neither can I, and it’s obvious that he loves you, so he can’t be a totally soulless man. Now, back to you.” Dorso pinned him with a fierce stare. “Loyal, loving, forgiving, because you haven’t held me being a dick sometimes against me. You want to please.” “Only you, or mostly only you.” Adal remembered the way Dorso had held his wrists that first time and shivered. “I like it when you take over.” “All the time?” Dorso asked, sounding concerned. Adal thought about that. Did he always want Dorso to be in charge when it came to sex? Would that mean Adal couldn’t wake him up with blowjobs? Adal wrinkled his nose. “Adal, I don’t need to be the boss every time we have sex.” Adal was relieved. “Okay. It’d be good most of the time. I think I actually need it, even. I feel safe when I can give myself to you.” Dorso moved his hands down to cup Adal’s ass. “This is all new to you, which is something to keep in mind. Sex, and the things we like in regards to it, can change over time. www.totallybound.com

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For some people. I’m pretty versatile, honey. I do like taking the reins, but it’s not a requirement for me.” Adal clenched his butt and rubbed his balls over Dorso’s belly. “Do you…you want to fuck me?” His entire body heated with a blush. Why was it so hard for him to ask that? Dorso’s cock lengthened and was soon prodding against Adal’s behind. “I do, when it’s right for us.” Adal frowned at him. “And it’s not right now?” “I’d rather wait, because to take you now would seem more like we were both trying to prove something, at least in my head,” Dorso admitted. “That isn’t what I want. When we’re ready, I’m going to lay you out and lick every inch of you. I’m going to open your ass with my tongue, then my fingers, until you’re loose and begging me for more. I’ll push into you slowly, or maybe with one hard thrust, it just depends on the way we’re feeling. The only thing we’ll be thinking about is how good it feels for me to be fucking you. The doubts, everything else, those will be gone.” While Dorso had been speaking, he’d curled his fingers into Adal’s crease until he had fingers pressed against Adal’s pucker. Adal spread his legs and arched his lower back, trying to get those fingers in him at least a little. Dorso surprised him by raising one hand up and popping him on the butt. Adal was stunned, not because he’d done it, but because it felt unbelievably awesome. “Too much?” Dorso asked, kneading the spot he’d smacked. “Spanking isn’t for everyone.” Adal wiggled his bottom. “I might need another one to make up mind.” Dorso gave him another swat, then a third. When the fourth one fell, Adal dropped down to his elbows over Dorso. He pressed his face against Dorso’s neck. “Please.” He didn’t care what Dorso did to him, as long as he did something more. Adal was flipped over onto his back. The sheets felt cool and soothing under his flaming buttocks. He didn’t have time to appreciate them because Dorso was kneeling in front of his face. “Open up. I want in here again.” Dorso tugged on Adal’s bottom lip. Adal opened on a moan. Dorso pushed in, no leisurely thrust—he sank his dick into the back of Adal’s throat. “You want to come, jack yourself off,” Dorso ordered. www.totallybound.com

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Adal could hardly think with his mouth stuffed full of cock, but somehow he found his own shaft. He moved his hand up and down jerkily, too horny and eager to take his time. Dorso fisted a hand in his hair and pulled Adal’s head back. “If it’s too much, you’ll tell me.” “Unkay,” Adal said as he tried to lick Dorso’s glans. “You want more?” Adal parted his lips as wide as he could manage. Dorso’s eyes glittered as he rubbed his dick over Adal’s mouth. “We’ll have to explore just how kinky you want to get with this. I haven’t gone very far, but the things I want to do to you…” He hissed and pushed into Adal’s mouth. Slower than the first time, but steady, and he didn’t stop until his balls were pressed to Adal’s chin. With the mental link between them open, Dorso would feel what Adal experienced. And Adal was a part of Dorso, seeing himself through Dorso’s eyes, the way his mouth stretched wide around Dorso’s cock. Adal’s heart fluttered as his breathing was blocked. Dorso didn’t hold his shaft deep for more than a second or so before he began to withdraw. It was still thrilling and Adal went after Dorso’s cock, licking and sucking, trying to entice him to bring it back. “You’re getting it,” Dorso ground out. “When I give it.” Adal came so hard and unexpectedly that he bucked and shouted. With his mouth full of dick, the sound was more of a bleating, wet noise. He didn’t care. Dorso grunted and fucked deep. Adal could only lie there and shudder, his climax rendering him a melted, boneless mess. “Fuck, yeah,” Dorso gasped. He pulled his dick out of Adal’s mouth and stroked it. “Yeah,” he said again. “Fuck, fuck!” Cum splattered onto Adal’s face. It hit his forehead and eyelid, his cheek and nose. When Dorso stopped marking him, he rubbed the spunk into Adal’s skin. “Leave it, unless it bothers you and you have to wash it off.” Adal wasn’t sure about the eyelid and said as much. “It’d suck to have my eye stuck shut.”

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“True enough.” Dorso got up and lumbered to the bathroom. Adal rested while Dorso ran the water and cleaned himself up. He came back with a damp cloth and wiped Adal’s eye clean. “The rest of it?” Adal shrugged. “Is fine.” If it itched later or was uncomfortable, he’d handle it then. After he’d dozed for a while, Adal slipped out of bed. He was almost hyper, bouncy and, yeah, the spunk was going to get washed off. He quietly went to the bathroom and closed the door. He didn’t need the light on. His vision was as good if not better than it had ever been. Whatever was in those blue pouches was a miracle drug—or herbs—as far as Adal was concerned. He started the shower and got in. The water in the hotel warmed up instantly. It was amazing, really. Adal let himself think about his brother, worry about him. Steven wasn’t like him. Adal knew he was weak—well, shifters would see him as weak, because he was coming to abhor all violence. Steven embraced it, though he’d never been cruel to Adal. Steven was stronger than him, physically, and every other way. Adal didn’t begrudge him that. Maybe, he thought, he didn’t have to be the strongest or the smartest. He just needed to be himself. Learning who he was would take time, and if Bashuan were eliminated, Adal would have the chance to let go of the fear of reprisal and experience life. But what if Bashuan isn’t killed? If he escapes and hides? Then what? Am I going to keep being afraid? Adal didn’t want to live his life in fear. He didn’t want to cower in the shadows, nor did he want to endanger the people he loved, or would love. “Does it have to be one way or the other?” he asked himself softly as the water pelted him. He had the distinct feeling that it was more than just Bashuan holding him prisoner—it was him, letting fear grip and shake him. Fear he used to keep himself safe. Fear he used to push away hopes and dreams. Because it was better to not have those good things than to reach for them and risk losing them. Except that wasn’t true. Adal tipped his head back and wished the water could rinse the bad things from his mind as easily as it chased the soap from his skin. www.totallybound.com

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Chapter Fifteen

Dorso wasn’t certain what had changed with Adal during the night. It was more than just a physical thing. Adal seemed happier, and less tense, as if he’d been released from invisible chains that had once bound him. Adal did look better physically, too. He had more colour to his cheeks, for one thing, and he smiled more easily. His movements, always graceful, seemed almost like a dance to Dorso. He was sexy and full of vitality. It drew Dorso to him more fiercely than ever. Dorso was half-hard just from being in the same room with him. Yet there was more than that. Adal’s mind was calmer, the fear that had always hovered and often bled into every thought that wasn’t there. Dorso wanted to know what had happened. He didn’t get the chance to ask before his phone rang. Dorso looked down at the prepaid phone’s screen. He hadn’t assigned ring tones or anything like that. No sense when he’d be tossing the phone as soon as possible. “Shit. Mama.” He hadn’t called her in days. She wasn’t going to be happy with him. “Maybe I should let it go to voicemail.” Adal stopped flipping the buttons on the TV remote and looked at him. As often happened when their eyes met, Dorso’s cock perked up. The idea of making love to Adal was a lot more appealing than answering the call. “You should answer if it’s your mom,” Adal urged. Adal was right. Plus, Dorso’s mama could be spooky about some things. She probably had a way to find out where he was and she’d— Dorso answered the phone before his mother could magically appear to totally annihilate him and his libido. “Hey, Mama.” Dorso cringed at the stream of Spanish. Well, not the Spanish itself, but the words and scolding and hell’s bells—he was in trouble. Looking to Adal for help wasn’t going to him any good. Adal had told him to answer the phone in the first place. “Mama, I—” Dorso snapped his mouth shut as his mother www.totallybound.com

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blasted him for not calling her over the past few days, not calling her at all—which was an obvious exaggeration, but Dorso wasn’t dumb enough to point that out. Not coming home, and she knew he wasn’t off working, he’d better have a good reason, a better than good reason, for lying to her. Dorso hadn’t been the one to come up with the asinine story about why he wasn’t going to be at his own home. Isaiah had been the one to call Dorso’s folks and tell them he was sending Dorso out of town on a job. That didn’t matter. Pointing the finger at Isaiah for the lie would just get Dorso in deeper shit. He’d get told he was a man, or should be a man, and take responsibility for his actions. And of course, his mama was right. Adal was frowning, chewing on his lips and looking at the phone as if Mama was going to come right out of it. Dorso felt like she was right there with them. And like he was three. He sure as hell wasn’t going to lie any more than he had to. Dorso took a deep breath then let it out, locking gazes with Adal and smiling with a tenderness he felt all the way to his toes. “Mama, I’m sorry. I met someone and—” The squeal Mama loosed made Dorso’s brain vibrate and Adal flinch and shuffle backwards on the couch. Adal’s eyes were huge, round and near to bulging as the squeal grew louder. “Mama, stop, you’re gonna scare him off,” Dorso begged, and if he whined a little, well, Adal probably couldn’t hear him over the screeching and hollering his mom was doing. Dorso held the phone as far away from himself as he could while his mama apparently tried to tell everyone in their neighbourhood that her oldest boy had finally found himself a partner. “Whoa, Mama, Mama, calm down,” Dorso urged. He knew where this one-sided conversation was going, and he needed to put the brakes on it before Adal was clued into the fact that Dorso came with a weird, overly protective, almost smothering family. Dorso stopped mid-plea, eying his lover. Adal was pale, but… Dorso studied him, tuning his mom’s chattering and shouting out. She wasn’t yammering at him anyhow at that point. Adal was looking like he was torn between sheer terror…and longing. Dorso covered the mic part of the phone with his palm and dipped his head a little, keeping his gaze on Adal’s when he would have looked down. www.totallybound.com

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There was still danger, but there was as great a danger from Dorso’s mama if he didn’t show up in person soon. He’d have to put his faith in the powers that be that his family would be kept safe. “Would you like to meet my crazy family?” Dorso asked, and Adal went paler, which Dorso wouldn’t have thought possible, but there it was. But Adal didn’t refuse. At least, not off the bat. He still looked stunned and like he was close to passing out. Dorso waited, watching Adal, who was now watching the phone. Dorso realised his mama was calling his name. He uncovered the mic. “Sorry, Mama. He’s looking kind of scared what with you making such a fuss.” Dorso raised his eyebrows at Adal as Adal started shaking his head frantically and waving his hands in front of himself. Adal shook his head harder. Dorso thought the man was close to passing out. “Mama, I gotta go. I promise I’ll call you back in a little while, once I convince Adal I don’t come from a family…” of howler monkeys, holy hell! “Of scary people.” Dorso’s mama hung up after one more scolding. “I’d swear she has some ESP going on. When I was a kid, I couldn’t get away with shit because she always found out. I had no choice but to be honest or have the hide whipped off my butt.” “Why did you tell her that?” Adal half-shouted as soon as Dorso hung up. Dorso scratched his chin, confused by Adal’s fear and temper, both of which were plainly in view and in his voice. “Okay, I’m confused as all get out. Tell her what?” Adal growled and spun around, throwing his hands up as he gave Dorso his back. “That I’m scared! God, now she’s going to think I’m weak, and everyone else in your family will think it, too, and then they’ll think I’m not good enough for you and I’m not yet but I want to be and—” Adal stopped and turned back to him. “I am scared, but not because I think your family or your mom is awful. She couldn’t be, not with you as her son.” Adal groaned and fisted his hands. “I mean, you wouldn’t have turned out as amazing as you are if they’d been cruel, okay? Look at me, I’m a mess”—he pointed at Dorso before Dorso could interrupt—“don’t say I’m not, because I am, but I know I can not be some day, maybe. But I don’t want your mom or your family to think I’m not good enough for you. That’s what scares me.” Adal bit his lip, then added, “And she is really loud.” Dorso snorted as he approached Adal. It upset him to see that the confidence Adal had shown earlier was gone. He needed to hold the man, there were no two ways about it. “Yeah, www.totallybound.com

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she is loud,” he agreed as soon as he’d slipped his arms around Adal. He rubbed his hands over Adal’s back, first over his shirt, then under it. There was nothing quite as awesome as touching Adal’s warm skin. “She’s loud, but she has to be, because we’re all loud and obnoxious and yeah, it’s a good, good family, Adal. There’s fighting and rivalries and laughter and love, so much love that we don’t know what to do with it. But I think everyone’s gonna figure out real quick where it belongs.” Adal turned his face up, looking so hopeful it almost broke Dorso’s heart. “You’re sure they’re going to like me? Ugh. I’m back to being a whiner, and I felt so much better before the phone call.” “Hey, growing and making changes takes time. When you slide back a few steps, well, you just keep trying to move forward. Don’t get bogged down in the past.” Dorso grinned. “I might ought to look into being one of those motivational speakers. As for my family, they’re going to so much more than like you, baby. They’re gonna love you from the minute they meet you.” Adal blushed and tried to hide his face against Dorso’s chest. “Stop. They will not.” Dorso tipped Adal’s head up, keeping one hand stroking his lean back and the other cupping Adal’s chin. “They will, I promise. In fact, Mama will be mothering you from the get go, although she’ll probably also heed my warning and tread lightly with you. You’re going to get all the loving and none of the scoldings, at least for the first while.” “That’s a good thing, right?” Adal asked. “Mama’s going to be so glad I found someone willing to put up with me, you’re going to be her favourite for sure,” Dorso said. Adal parted his lips and his heart raced faster. Dorso could feel it through their clothes, where their chests were pressed together. “She’s going to love you, and so will everyone else. Now…” Dorso put a little more pressure on Adal’s back, then glided his hand down to cup Adal’s ass. “You move like you’re dancing through life.” Adal shocked him by levelling a sexy as sin grin at him and grabbing his ass in return before hooking a leg around his hips. And grinding, slowly, maddeningly, against Dorso. “I don’t know how to dance.”

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“I think you do. ‘Cause I’ve been watching you all morning, thinking about the dirty things we could do,” Dorso got out between the throbbing jolts of need that shot through him. “Your phone is ringing again.” Dorso shook his head. “Seriously? I don’t—oh,” he mumbled as the ringer blared. “Goddamn, what is up with all these interruptions?” He looked at the phone. “Isaiah. Or Bae.” Dorso answered it. “Hey.” “Dorso, we’re going to head over to meet up with you,” Bae said. “We’re actually a floor beneath you at the same hotel. Seemed like a good place to hide out.” “They’re here?” Adal whispered. “In the hotel? That’s what he said, right?” “You could have said sooner,” Dorso groused as he nodded. Adal’s hearing really was sharp. “We were giving you and your mate time to, you know, get to know each other better.” Bae sounded sincere. Dorso actually appreciated the time he’d had alone with Adal. “Well, thanks, then. So no trouble on your end? Isaiah and I have texted each other to check in every day. Fucker didn’t tell me y’all were here.” “There are a few things we need to talk to you and Adal about. Timothy, Isaiah’s cousin, he has connections and they did some more in-depth testing on the blood samples I took from Steven and Adal.” Dorso’s stomach dropped to his ankles. Adal’s eyes went wide with worry. “Anything bad?” Dorso forced himself to ask. “No, I don’t think so. Just—look, we’re leaving now. We’ll be up in less than a minute. Going to take the stairs since Isaiah really hates the elevators.” Dorso grunted and hung up. He tossed the phone on the couch and took Adal’s hands in his. He could see those dark edges of fear creeping back into Adal’s mind. “No, don’t go borrowing trouble. Bae said it wasn’t bad, so let’s believe him. He wouldn’t lie.” “They’re here,” Adal said just before someone knocked on the door. Dorso released Adal’s hands and slipped an arm around his shoulders. They walked to the door. Dorso started to check the peephole. “It’s Bae and Isaiah. I can scent them.” www.totallybound.com

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Dorso didn’t doubt Adal. He unlocked the door then opened it for Bae and Isaiah. “Come on in.” They entered and Dorso shut the door. He flipped the bolt and the odd catch-lock above it. “Okay, talk,” he demanded when he looked at Bae.

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Chapter Sixteen

Adal tried not to wring his hands while Bae set his laptop up and Isaiah talked. “Timothy has a father-in-law who knows about our kind. He has access to all sorts of fancy testing equipment that Bae doesn’t. I don’t know if he’s done with all the testing or not—” “He’d like additional samples, blood, stool, urine, the usual,” Bae said. Adal was already shaking his head after Bae said ‘blood’. “I’m not doing the others unless it’s absolutely necessary. You can take more blood.” Bae narrowed his eyes at Adal. “I’m not sure it is, depending on the results Remus’ meds give, but I’m going to keep nagging.” “And I’ll keep saying no, probably.” Adal couldn’t imagine handing over samples of… Well, he just couldn’t give Bae more than the blood, not right now. If it came down to either Steven’s life or Adal’s pride, though, he’d do whatever was necessary. Bae nodded. It seemed they had an agreement of sorts. Dorso rubbed Adal’s back and even though he was trying not to look worried, Adal could see the strain around his eyes that gave him away. Bae sat down in front of the laptop and booted it up. Shortly thereafter, he opened a file. It was an X-ray. “These are the X-rays I took of you when we were on the way back to Denver after you and Steven decided not to be assholes. I wish I’d got some of Steven before he left, but…” He traced something on it then turned back pointed to places on the X-ray while using big words that basically sounded like gibberish to Adal. Finally Bae sighed and rubbed his forehead before spinning his chair around so that he was facing them. “I said it wasn’t bad, and I meant there’s nothing fatal, but I honestly don’t know if there’s a problem or not,” Bae began, pinching at his bottom lip. “How can you not know if there’s a problem?” Dorso snapped. Adal was more shocked at his tone than anything else, and he cast a pleading look at Dorso. Now wasn’t the time for anger, or for the fear that was threatening to cripple him. Dorso huffed and his features softened as he pulled Adal close to his side. “Sorry.”

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Bae cleared his throat and Adal forced his mind back on track. “The thing is, what makes us shifters is truly a supernatural phenomenon, a spiritual experience. It isn’t a physical anomaly. We are born with a spirit in us that allows our bodies to change. When we die, that spirit leaves, and I believe it goes into a new body when the time is right. But, the point is, there’d be nothing showing in the blood or organs that would give away what we are. No Insta-Shifter Test Kits to be developed to ferret us out.” “Ooookay,” Dorso drawled. Adal could feel him frown, his cheek moving against Adal’s ear. “That actually makes me feel better. Surely it means less chance of y’all being exposed?” “It does,” Bae agreed. “But Adal is different, and so is Steven. They’re both a new breed of shifters, but the same, well, rules, I guess, should still apply.” “Are you saying they don’t?” Adal asked when no one else spoke for a solid minute. Bae sighed and tapped at a spot on the X-ray that looked like a blurry blob to Adal. “See here?” Bae ran his finger in a circle around that spot. “This is your heart, Adal. Looks fine to me, but I’m not anywhere near being a specialist on human hearts. Still, it looks good, sounded strong and the EKG was fine. But back here, there’s this…this…shadow.” Adal squinted, but he could see it now. Almost the same shape and size as his heart, but slightly larger, and darker. “Is that a shadow?” Bae set the X-ray down. He canted his head and tapped the stack of X-rays. “Here’s the thing, Adal. Every one of your organs, every one of them, has the same thing around it, or…behind it. I don’t know. It’s not substantial enough to be a duplicate organ, and I mean, come on, you couldn’t fit four kidneys, two livers, two stomachs, four lungs—you get the idea. You’d have to be a hell of a lot bigger. It isn’t swelling, inflammation or fluid. I noticed it when I did the ultrasound, but I figured I was just not knowledgeable enough about the human body. Plus, I didn’t use it on all of your insides. So…” “So you don’t know what it is?” Bae shook his head in answer to Dorso’s question. “No, and I don’t think exploratory surgery is justified—” “No!” Adal didn’t like the sound of that at all. “Why would you even think that?” Bae frowned. “I don’t think that. I said there’s no cause for it. Your labs are a little weird, and every time I’ve run them, the numbers change, but I’m beginning to think maybe www.totallybound.com

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that’s because of the…whatever this is.” He patted the X-rays again. “Are you and Steven normally stronger and faster than the other members of your lepe? The purebreds, if you will?” “I don’t know. Maybe, when we aren’t sick.” Adal shrugged. Bae rolled his eyes. “Talk about antiquated terminology, but whatever. I would think, or started thinking, that kind of strength and speed would have to require more from a body than the norm, right?” Adal bobbed his head, trying to follow along. He wished Bae would just get to the point. “I don’t know enough about our own physiology to compare all ‘purebreds’”—Bae air quoted the word—“to those who aren’t. I don’t even know how many other shifters there are with differing breeds of parents. Who knows? So I can’t really say if the, er, shadowing of the internal organs is normal. I’d like to monitor the situation for a while—” “Adal isn’t a situation,” Dorso said. “He’s a man, not a thing!” Bae flapped a hand at him. “Calm down, Mr Sensitive. Jesus, Dorso, chill. To me, monitoring a situation sounds a hell of a lot less scary than, I’m going to be monitoring your internal organs in case I’m wrong and something—” “Okay, I overreacted,” Dorso muttered. “I just…this is a lot, you know? And Adal doesn’t deserve all this stress.” Adal looked up at Dorso. “I’m not stressed. Well, I’m not stressed about having Bae check me over regularly. If it will help me, and Steven, it’s doable on my part. Bae won’t hurt me.” “Nope, sure won’t,” Bae agreed. “Seriously, Dorso, I just need to know what’s the norm for Adal. His blood tests might not be off as much as I thought. Maybe, because his body would require more power, it produces more of things that normally would signify problems in a regular human.” Bae shrugged. “I can’t say. I want to see what results we get since he’s been on the treatments Remus sent. How are those working, by the way?” Adal couldn’t hold back a tiny smile. “I feel better than ever, honestly.” Bae and Isaiah high-fived each other. “Awesome! But about the physical side. Yes, the spirit causes the change, makes it possible, but our bodies have to be able to survive the snapping and shrinking of bones and tendons, stuff like that. Arteries and veins move, grow, www.totallybound.com

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disappear—we become our animal, and think about how hard that is on a body.” Bae shuddered. “It shouldn’t be possible, but it is. So what if there’s two spirits in a body? Or two parts of a spirit? I don’t know how that works.” Bae shrugged. “I don’t think the damage is long-term, but again, Adal is unique. Except he’s got to be similar to Steven in some ways.” Bae stood then and stretched, bending back and moaning as joints popped. He reached high then straightened up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Anyway, Isaiah’s grandma talked to Remus. He suggested meditating and reaching for your inner feline. An imbalance in your dual spirits can cause problems, too. So it might not be a strictly physical issue.” “But I do feel a lot better.” Just, not as strong mentally as he’d like. Adal bit his lip, thinking. He hadn’t even considered that the problem wasn’t physical. But, he was part supernatural, guided by and residence of a feline shifter spirit…or perhaps two of them, or two parts—Adal didn’t know, and wasn’t sure that it mattered. He was, after all, who and what he was. “What about Steven?” “I don’t know,” Bae said. “I have insufficient data, insufficient knowledge and, frankly, now I’m wondering if it’s wise to monitor you very closely, because if the data got in the wrong hands, it would be very bad.” He rubbed his face and groaned. “God, I don’t know what the right answer is. Yes, I am certain the drugs did some damage, but no, I don’t think it’s permanent. I think you’re built different inside, somehow, and are stronger there, too. Otherwise, Bashuan’s shit would have killed you long ago.” Bae dropped his hands back to his hips. “As for Steven, I have to think he’s going through a lot of what you are, and that is not good at all. Let’s hope we hear back from Isaiah’s grandma soon in that regard. I’d think whoever was sent to help him would have reached Steven days ago.” “Isn’t there any way we can find out what’s happening?” Adal asked, ready to beg if it would do any good. Isaiah thumbed his phone. “We could call Remus, maybe? Remember, one of his sons was going after Steven.” Adal’s hope sprung out in a gush. “And he’d know if something was wrong! He’s a shaman, a real one. The spirits would guide his son and bring him news. Wouldn’t they?” www.totallybound.com

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“I’d think he’d have his ways of knowing, for sure. Grandma talks about him like he’s a god almost.” Isaiah ducked his head. “She’d thump the crap out of me for that. She likes him and respects him, that’s what I meant. I’ll see if she’ll give me the number, but she might want to contact the shaman herself then call me back.” “Whatever will get me news about Steven. I’ve worried so much since he left.” Adal clutched a hand over his stomach, which felt hot deep inside. “I’ll call her right now.” Isaiah gestured to the balcony. “Can I go out there?” “Go ahead.” “While he’s doing that, I’m going to tell you, we’re done hiding out. I know some of Isaiah’s family members are hanging around town acting as stealthy stalkers, and that’s going to have to be good enough. I have work to do, patients to see. I can’t let this wreck my life any more than it already has.” Bae gave Adal a pointed look. “I’d suggest you both consider doing the same.” “It occurred to me, this morning when I was in the shower, that fear is controlling my life,” Adal admitted. “Bashuan controls it if I continue to hide. I don’t want to put your family in danger,” he said to Dorso. “You talked about me meeting them, but are you sure that’s what you want?” Dorso nodded. “It is. I’m going to ask Richie to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious looking. He and his friends aren’t people to mess with. And, if I don’t take you home to meet Mama soon, she will find us. Somehow. It will be ugly if she has to come looking.” Bae chuckled. “I’ve heard moms can be scary. Mine was okay. My dad, on the other hand…” Isaiah came back in quickly. “She’ll call and either get some information for us or have Remus call you, Adal.” “Oh. Thanks.” The idea of talking to the shaman scared him. Adal chastised himself for it. He needed to grow up and stop being afraid, hadn’t he decided that earlier? “Do you two want to get out of here and have a meal somewhere? I assume you’ve been eating the hotel food?” Bae asked. “We have, and there’s little on the room service menu we haven’t tried. Twice.” Dorso nudged Adal. “What do you say? Should today be the start of us resuming our lives, and beginning this new one together?” www.totallybound.com

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“No more hiding,” Adal said. Dorso smiled. “No more hiding. Except this room is booked and paid for for tonight, so we aren’t checking out until then.” “Okay. Ours isn’t paid for and we’re going to pack. Meet you downstairs in half an hour?” Isaiah asked. “Sure.” Dorso waited until they left, then he pulled Adal into his arms. “You aren’t freaking out over the X-ray thing. You’re just worried about Steven.” “And your family, but honestly, I don’t think Bashuan would have his guards attack a group of humans. How many people live with your parents?” Dorso laughed as he began naming them off. “There’s my brother Abel and his wife, Mary. My other brother, Rogelio, and my sisters Brit and Alejandra. My aunt Shelby, and my cousins Jauquin and Justine. Brit’s daughters, Blue and Lani. Abel and Mary’s daughter, Ledaia. That’s about it.” Adal gawped at him. Dorso laughed again. “There could be more. Someone else might have moved in since I was last over there. But that’s how family is—they do for each other. Someone needs a place to live, you give it to them. Same with food or love, whatever.” “Like with Steven and me.” “Exactly,” Dorso said. “My family is the same. Richie would definitely hurt people for us. He’s a thug, but… Well, he’s ours, I guess. When we were kids, he was always the daredevil. That need for living on the edge led him to a bad place. Although”—Dorso scratched his chin—“I don’t even know what kind of criminal he is. Maybe he’s just a thug. Who can get me a gun illegally. Yeah, never mind.” Adal understood. You loved your family, whether they were family by blood or not. It wasn’t the blood that made the family, either. It was the hearts of the people involved. Dorso’s phone rang and he sighed. “Oh God, it’s Mama again!” And in short order, their plans for meeting Isaiah and Bae for lunch were tossed. Dorso disconnected the call, but Adal had heard. “We’re going to eat with your family,” he got out past a giant ball of terror in his throat.

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Chapter Seventeen

If nothing else, Dorso was counting on this dinner with his family to distract Adal from some of his worry over Steven. Adal hadn’t heard back from Remus after texting him like he’d been told to. Dorso was desperate to find a way to keep Adal from stressing to death, and a meal with the family would surely do that. It was, he admitted to himself, likely to get a little wild, since it was his sister Alejandra’s birthday. There’d be a party of some kind being had, and anyway, if Dorso didn’t go, his parents would find him in the very nice hotel room he and Adal were getting ready in. Yes, they’d hunt him down and skin him. Adal wasn’t close to freaking out about meeting the family, though. That was good. Adal was going to be hugged and grilled and teased and loved, and surely some of that would shake him out of his brooding. “How do I look?” Dorso asked, his lips twitching as he tried not to smirk. He was wearing clothes that were dressier than anything he’d owned before. They’d made another stop at a better quality clothing store, and the black slacks and soft, silky blue shirt had been too pretty to resist. And maybe, just maybe, he’d wanted to see that look in Adal’s eyes, the one there now as Adal’s jaw dropped and he all but drooled while he took in Dorso’s attire— and the way he filled it out. Dorso preened just a little, puffing his chest out and turning halfway, showing off his ass because it had looked damned nice in the slacks when he’d ogled himself in the mirror. “Have I rendered you speechless?” Adal’s head bobbed and he swallowed convulsively, noisily, his gaze sliding all over Dorso’s body. Dorso ran a hand down to rub at one butt cheek. His cock began to fill and was soon pressing uncomfortably against the tight confines of the slacks. “Well, that’s no good. Can’t risk staining these.” Grinning, Dorso turned his back to Adal and unfastened the waistband. He peeled the zipper down as he heard Adal’s sharply indrawn breath, then the light sound of Adal’s footsteps. Dorso wiggled his hips as he pushed at the material, and he bent over instead of toeing off the pants because really, he was giving his lover a show. www.totallybound.com

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He slid his shoes off along with his slacks and was just reaching for his socks when he felt Adal’s hands on his lower back. “Leave them,” Adal said. “This won’t take long. I’m already close.” And he was. Dorso only sucked on him for a minute or two before Adal gasped and came. Then Adal tugged at him and Dorso stood while Adal knelt and blew him. The soft, wet heat of Adal’s mouth was quickly becoming Dorso’s favourite thing in the world to feel around his dick. He held onto Adal’s face and pumped in eagerly, shooting his load deep into his lover’s throat. They both felt more relaxed after that. Dorso kissed Adal, enjoying the mixed flavour of their spunk in his mouth. “Ready to try this again?” Adal waggled his eyebrows. “I might need a few minutes before I can get hard again.” Dorso laughed and patted Adal’s butt. “Well, you sucked me dry for a little while at least. I think we can hold out until we get back to the hotel room, don’t you?” “We certainly aren’t having sex at your parents’ house,” Adal said with a shudder. “Then that’s settled. I’ll be all over you the second I get you alone again.”

**** Adal had thought he’d be a nervous wreck, but there were so many people and they were so…loud and happy. They reminded him of champagne, not that he’d ever had any. But he’d heard about the bubbly stuff, and somehow he kept picturing most of Dorso’s family as some kind of human embodiment of the fizzy drink. The children in particular delighted him. He’d never been a happy child, really. How much he’d missed! The squeals and laughter were simply amazing, and seeing the smiles, the genuine joy in the children’s expression was guaranteed to lift anyone’s spirits. If they didn’t, Adal thought they must be soulless. “Adal, care to help me in the kitchen?” Adal’s enjoyment turned quickly into fear, although it was different than the fear he’d felt in regards to Bashuan. Dorso’s mother, who’d insisted that he call her Martina, was looking at him with one brow arched and a spark in her eyes that frankly made his guts

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cramp. He was fairly certain he was about to be grilled, and he didn’t want to lie to the woman, didn’t think he could get away with it. “I’ll come too,” Dorso said, and Adal shot him a grateful smile. Martina tilted her head and that one eyebrow went up higher, forcing a fine line to follow the arch of her brow. “I think your father could use help grilling,” she said. Dorso hooked an arm around Adal’s waist, probably a good thing since Adal was considering making a run for the bathroom. He was suddenly queasy with nerves. Dorso clicked his tongue and wagged a finger at his mother as Adal felt his eyes bug. “Ah, ah, Mama, you are not going to get my sweet man all alone so you can do devious things to him.” Adal flushed hot all over and tried to decide if he’d get in trouble for pinching Dorso for that sweet man comment, and if it’d be worth it even if he did get in trouble. “Devious things,” Martina sniffed, raising her chin as she glared at her son. “You make it sound like I’m going to be doing more than simply having a nice conversation with Adal.” Dorso snorted then yelped and stumbled forward, dragging Adal with him. “What the he—heck!” “Uncle Dorry, hold me!” Adal glimpsed dark eyes fringed with thick lashes peeking out from a pixie face behind Dorso. The little girl had latched onto one of Dorso’s legs and was clinging like she meant to remain there for a long while. “Ledaia, I’ll play with you in a bit,” Dorso promised. “Right now I have to help Adal and Nana in the kitchen, okay?” “Oh, nonsense,” Martina began, and Adal would have sworn there was a definite glint in her gaze as she beamed at him. “Adal and I—” “Need my help,” Dorso said firmly. “Ledaia is a big girl and understands that, don’t you, honey?” He bent and whispered, “I’ll give you my pie if you go jump on your Papa.” Ledaia took off like a shot, running full steam and scream ahead. Martina harrumphed and pointed the tongs she held in one hand at Dorso. “That’s cheating, and you know it. A mama has the right to a private conversation with the first man her son’s ever been serious about.”

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Dorso shook his head. “And that son has the right and duty, even, to stay by his partner’s side and keep him safe from being interrogated.” Adal started to protest. He didn’t want to cause trouble between mother and son, and he also didn’t want Martina to think he was a wuss. “I can handle an interrogation,” he said, before realising he probably should have chosen a better word for the questioning he was facing. “Um.” His throat went dry and he had to force himself to meet Martina’s gaze. He thought she was more amused than anything else—other than determined to get him alone. “Sure you can, but why should you have to?” Dorso asked, tightening his hold. “There’s nothing Mama can’t ask you in front of me. If there is, then it’s probably very inappropriate anyway.” Dorso shot his mother a challenging look that had her shaking her finger at him. “You better watch yourself, mijo.” Then she smiled and her entire face lit up. “So this one really does hold your heart.” She came over and tugged Adal right out of Dorso’s grip. Martina hugged him hard enough to squeeze the air out of his lungs. “Welcome to the family, Adal. You’ll get used to us in no time. And used to our hugs.” Adal cringed internally, aware of the fact that he’d been a little stiff when Martina had hugged him the first time shortly after they’d entered the house. It still felt weird, but he hoped he managed a fairly decent hug back. Martina wasn’t much shorter than he was, and she had a soft round shape that suited her well, but Adal was still afraid of hurting her so he kept his touch light, his hands gentle on her back. “I’ve hardly got a chance to talk to either of you with all the kids and cousins and my other children here,” Martina said as she released Adal. “I suppose it would be nice to be able to chat with both of you.” The slight emphasis on that one word sent a mild trill of alarm through Adal, but he could handle whatever Martina asked him. While he couldn’t share his true nature with her, everything else was free game—to an extent. There was no need for Martina to know of the pain and humiliation he’d suffered, no need for her to look at him with pity. No need for him to think of himself as lesser because of a past he couldn’t change and wasn’t responsible for, for the most part. Now, however, his life, and the way he lived it, was up to him. That had never been clearer to him than in that moment. www.totallybound.com

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Adal stood a little straighter at that thought, and he looked at Dorso, letting him know with a glance that he could handle himself and Martina’s questions. Dorso nodded just the barest bit and tenderly stroked the small of his back. Adal got the message—just because he could do so, didn’t mean he had to. Dorso didn’t think him weak for being intimidated, that was all Adal’s own thoughts weighing on him, and he needed to stop it. He also had to stop being afraid to ask for what he wanted, and right now that was having his mate with him. Adal slid his hand in Dorso’s, loving the feel of that rough, dry palm against his smaller, just as callused one. Martina made an approving sound and turned around, heading back to the kitchen. “Does she really need help, you think?” Adal asked, taking in Dorso’s profile. The man was gorgeous and brawny and Adal wanted to jump him right there. Dorso grunted and adjusted himself, glaring teasingly at Adal. “Don’t look at me like that unless you’re ready to leave.” “Your family would frown on that, wouldn’t they?” Adal asked. “And I think your mother in particular would come after us.” Dorso snickered. “Way to kill an erection, mentioning my mom. Ick.” He dropped a quick kiss on Adal’s lips, just enough of one to make Adal hungry for more, but he’d let that want simmer until they were alone, then he’d release it inside his mate. “You sure you don’t want me to get us out of this?” Adal shook his head. “No. I want…” That damned blush singed his cheeks again and he sighed before continuing. “I want to fit in here, with you and your family. I want, maybe, even, to be a part of this family, if they’ll have me.” “Of course they’ll have you. They’ll be all over you the minute you relax and let them close.” Dorso chuckled and started them towards the kitchen. “They’ve shown remarkable restraint, really.” “I threatened to tan some hides if they scared Adal off,” Martina said, appearing in the kitchen doorway. “No one is going to chase this one off like they did your sister Brit’s boyfriend. She almost never got him back.” “What happened?” Adal was very curious, enough that his usual inhibitions didn’t hinder him. www.totallybound.com

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Martina waved them over to the table. “Cut those up.” She pointed to the various vegetables laid out. “Let’s just say that one of my grandsons was a smidgen too boisterous when he jumped on Andy’s lap. The poor man couldn’t walk without pain for a while.” Adal’s thighs tensed and he felt a pang of sympathy for the guy. “He’s not here today…” “He’s working. He’s a cop.” Martina sounded proud of that as she stirred something in a large pot on the stove. “I think he volunteers for shifts now when there’s a family thing going on, but I will let him get away with it for a few more times. Then I will make sure he stops avoiding us.” Adal didn’t ask how. He was sure Martina would get her way. “What are we making?” “Pico de gallo,” Martina answered. “A salsa for the enchiladas and tacos. Have you had it before?” “No, ma’am. I haven’t had enchiladas, either.” He carefully sliced a tomato. “I think I’ll like it, though.” And if he didn’t, he’d learn to. “Do you want to tell me about yourself?” Adal was kind of surprised she’d asked that instead of a more intrusive question. He cocked his head but kept his eyes on the blade as he cut. “How small do I cut this?” “Is that a no?” Martina asked as she moved to his side. “About like that.” “It isn’t a no, I just don’t want to mess up the pico de gallo.” Adal chopped another piece of tomato into small, pretty squares. “There’s not a lot to tell, honestly. My father raised me and my brother. He…he wasn’t a good father—” Which was such an understatement, but Adal went on. “We left.” Adal’s chest burned as he spoke. “My brother, Steven, is going back to confront our father about some of the things he did. That’s really all there is, I guess.” It was more than Adal had wanted to tell, but he also didn’t want to lie to Martina, and after the telling of it, he felt somewhat better, as if a small burden had been lifted from his soul. “Your father doesn’t sound like a very wise man,” Martina said in a gruff voice. He peeked at her and saw that her lips trembled and her eyes were rimmed with tears. “No man worth the air he breathes hurts his children. You won’t find any of that here. We love our children, and we’ll love you, too, if you give us a chance.”

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Adal swallowed against the tightening in his throat and the tears trying to well in his own eyes. “I’d like that.” Martina patted his forearm and lifted to her toes to kiss his cheek. “Then you’ll have it.”

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Chapter Eighteen

“So, are you thinking about ditching me?” Dorso was only halfway teasing as he drove them back to the hotel. Adal shot him a startled look. “No, I would never do that. Why would you even ask?” Dorso reached over and patted Adal’s thigh. He’d meant it to be a brief touch, but the heat and strength of that long, lean, muscled leg had him rubbing a little higher up with every second that passed. “I was teasing, mostly,” he murmured, wondering if he could manage to get his hand where he really wanted it. Traffic was light enough that he risked a peek. Just a few more inches to go and he’d have a handful of balls. “Oh. I was—I thought—” Adal huffed and his breath hitched just as Dorso brushed against his nuts. “Oh, God.” Adal squirmed down a little and Dorso reciprocated by cupping him firmly. “Oh, should you do this while you’re driving?” Adal asked rather breathlessly. “I’m looking at the road.” But no, he wasn’t truly concentrating on driving like he should have been. How could he? And how could he put Adal at risk? Reluctantly, he released Adal’s balls and forced himself to settle his hand back on Adal’s thigh. “I just get carried away with you.” He shook his head a little then smiled at Adal when he stopped for a red light. “I seriously can’t keep my hands off of you, and I was—am—a bit concerned about how my family made you feel. They can be pretty intimidating.” Adal cocked his head and hummed under his breath. He didn’t answer until Dorso stopped for the next light two blocks down. “They did seem overwhelming at first. Loud, really loud,” Adal emphasised by raising his own voice. “Gods, they were noisy, but I figured out soon enough it was the good kind of noise. The happy kind, not the screaming, cussing, threatening kind, you know?” No, he didn’t know, not really. Dorso was very sorry Adal did, though. “You think you’re going to want to go over for dinner again next Sunday?” Adal beamed at him and bobbed his head. “Yes, I promised your mama that we would. She’s pretty amazing, you know that, right?” www.totallybound.com

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“I do.” Dorso turned left and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “She will probably ask you more questions, though. She went kinda easy on you this time.” “I can handle it.” Dorso’s phone chimed and he tipped his chin towards Adal. “Can you get that? I hate to leave a text waiting in case it’s important, but I’m driving. Maybe it’s news about Steven.” He hoped so, and that it was good news. Adal needed to know his brother was okay. “If it was really important, whoever it was would probably be calling,” Adal pointed out. “Well, yeah, but sometimes people do weird stuff.” Like assume they’d ever get an emergency text instead of an emergency call. Adal got the phone out of Dorso’s pocket. From his peripheral vision, Dorso admired Adal’s features as the phone’s light shone on him. “Who’s it from?” “They found him,” Adal whispered, and Dorso felt a jolt of fear that wasn’t entirely his own. He whipped the car into the hotel parking lot and hit the brakes. Turning to Adal, he quickly took in his expression—hopeful and desolate, a heartbreaking mix—and asked, “How is he?” Adal shook his head jerkily and thumped it into the passenger window. “I don’t know. He—Remus—just says here that his two shifters have caught up with Steven and all are okay, nothing more.” Dorso frowned so hard he probably set in a new wrinkle or two. He parked the car then unbuckled and freed Adal, too, since he was just sitting there looking stunned. “How’s your head?” Adal’s confusion was adorable until he reached back and rubbed his head. Then he scowled and that was downright sexy, Dorso decided. “How’d I do that?” Dorso hoped Adal had just been so focused on his brother that he hadn’t been paying attention, but if there was a knot… “There’s just a little tenderness,” Adal said before Dorso could ask. “Like I bumped my head on the window a minute ago.” Dorso would bet Adal was blushing, those cheeks ruddy with colour. He wanted to get the man inside and strip him down, then he wanted to—

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Don’t go there. Adal isn’t ready, and I want him so bad right now I’d have trouble being as careful as I’d need to. Dorso hoped he kept his need suppressed so that Adal didn’t pick up on it, but he wanted to take Adal, to claim every inch of him inside and out. He ached to feel Adal’s body under his, the tight, tight grip of his ass—but he wouldn’t push, not now, not ever. If he had to keep bottoming forever, then that’s what he’d do. For now, he needed to get his mind on something else. “We could call Remus and ask him for clarification. Seems like the easiest and most effective way to find out what the hell he meant.” Adal nibbled on his lips then nodded. “Yes, although I’ve found that this Remus guy doesn’t answer the phone, or return calls, at least not consistently, not to me. I tried calling him when I went to the bathroom at your mom’s. Twice. I’m surprised he even texted us. Guess he got tired of me leaving him voicemails and texting him.” “Maybe. Go ahead and call him.” Dorso waited while Adal called, and sure enough, Adal groaned and rolled his eyes, but he left a message asking Remus to please call him. “Well, that’s all you can do for now. We could drive down to Texas, but that’d put us farther away from Steven.” “It would, so let’s just wait. Or maybe Isaiah can call his grandma and have her get a hold of Remus?” Adal seemed so hopeful and it sounded like a viable plan to Dorso. “Okay, that’s what we’ll do. Go on and call her.”

Adal looked at the phone Dorso was trying to hand to him. They’d got inside and Dorso had texted Isaiah, and Isaiah had replied telling him to— just have Adal call my grandma. I’m fixin 2 get busy.

The idea of calling up a woman he didn’t know, who sounded like she would be an intimidating person was…well, intimidating. But this was for his brother— Adal took the phone and pressed the call button. Dorso stepped over to his side and draped an arm over his shoulders, then moved around behind him to press against him.

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Dorso slid one arm across Adal’s chest and the other around his waist, and pulled Adal in tight. The hard, hot press of Dorso’s cock against his lower back almost chased off Adal’s nervousness over talking to a stranger and replaced it with a different kind of nervousness, a more anticipatory one. Before he could focus on it, the phone was answered. “Hello?” Adal frowned. She didn’t sound scary. “Is this Marybeth?” “The proper way to begin a phone call when you’re the caller is to identify yourself, if you’re a stranger, then ask to speak to whomever you’re calling. Try again.” Oh, gods above! Adal wanted to die or at least go back in time a minute and do the call over, but he couldn’t, so he stuttered on. “I’m sorry, ma’am. My name is Adal—” “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” the woman interrupted, exasperation clear in her voice. “I would have been a lot nicer to you.” “I—” Adal twisted his neck around and looked up at Dorso, pleading for what, he didn’t know. “Uh. I’m really nervous. I don’t do this, this calling up people I don’t know, and I don’t know the proper manners or rules or whatever you call them—” “But you surely know how to babble. Calm down, honey.” At the kindness he heard in her voice, a little of Adal’s nerves began to settle. “This is Marybeth, by the way. What can I help you with?” Adal wondered if she was a little bit off, with her mood swing. If so, he surely couldn’t point fingers. He was messed up himself. “I, uh, I was wondering if you could get a hold of Remus? I really need to know how my brother’s doing. Remus seems to answer his phone rarely, at least for me.” “That’s because he tends to kill them all the time. Something about the electricity level in his body or his shaman magic. It just saps the life right out of cell phones and watches, laptops—kills ‘em dead in no time.” Dorso arched a brow and Adal shrugged. He didn’t know anything about that kind of stuff. He turned his head back around, easing a cramp in his neck. “I really need to talk to him. Is there anyone else I can call and ask them to get him on the phone?”

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Marybeth snorted loud enough to make Adal jerk the phone away from his ear. “Let me handle that. I’ll call Bobby, the Alpha of the pack. He will see to it that you get word from Remus one way or another.” “Thank you.” Adal repeated it again and Marybeth told him to hush and not worry about it. Then she hung up and Adal was left holding a phone to his ear. He lowered it down and handed it to Dorso. “That was…something. I don’t even know what.” “Doesn’t matter, as long as she gets you that call from Remus.” Dorso rubbed his belly then ran his hand farther up until he glanced over one of Adal’s nipples. Adal gasped, the tip so sensitive he got hard after just a brush or two over it. “Oh. Dorso, what are you doing to me?” “You have to ask?” Dorso teased, plucking at first one nipple, then the other. “After everything we’ve done together?” “We haven’t done everything, though. You haven’t fucked me.” Adal tensed as soon as he said it, his hole clenching as he squeezed his ass cheeks together as if to ward off an immediate invasion. Dorso cupped his cock through his jeans and pinched Adal’s nipple. He ground his thick shaft against Adal’s back. “Aren’t going to, either, not just yet.” Before Adal could protest, Dorso bent and sucked on his neck, right below his ear. Adal’s breath shot from his lungs and he reached behind him, holding Dorso’s hips. “Yes,” he hissed as Dorso began to rut against him while working his nipples and marking his neck. Then Dorso was opening his jeans and pushing them down. Adal felt the hot, hard press of Dorso’s cock against his butt. It made him shiver and he wanted to demand more. But Dorso just grunted and guided his length between Adal’s thighs. Adal closed his legs, capturing Dorso’s cock between them. Dorso moaned and began to saw back and forth. The shaft of his dick rubbed over all of the best places—that smooth patch of skin behind his balls, and even that tingling spot buried between his cheeks. Dorso held a hand up to Adal’s lips. “Get them wet, good and wet so I can jack you off easily.” Adal moaned, his eyes drifting nearly shut as he opened his mouth for Dorso’s fingers. Dorso pushed them in, stopping just short of gagging Adal. Adal sealed his lips around them www.totallybound.com

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and sucked before laving them with his tongue. He did his best to wet them thoroughly as Dorso humped against him, but the heat and friction was making him stupid with need. “So good,” Dorso muttered as he picked up speed. “Fuck, I want—” While he shut up, Adal still knew what Dorso wanted. It made Adal’s insides quivery and hot, made his balls draw tight even before those spit-soaked fingers were wrapped around his cock. His desire to be fucked was growing to the point he was close to screaming for it. Dorso began jacking him with rapid, harsh jerks, matched by the forceful thrusts between his legs. Dorso’s cock prodded Adal’s balls every time he shoved forward, and it caused pain and pleasure to twine together in the most amazing way. Adal reached for his own tits as Dorso held onto one of his hips. Adal wasn’t steady enough on his feet that way. He had to let go of one nipple, using that hand to reach up and behind him. Adal hooked his arm around Dorso’s neck. Dorso let loose a constant stream of “Uhn uhn uhn,” as he fucked between Adal’s thighs. He kept jacking Adal, his grip growing tighter and faster. Adal panted and worked his nipples, taking turns pinching and twisting them. It didn’t feel as good as when Dorso did it to him, but it still added another layer of stimulation to his body. Dorso cursed then gave Adal a biting pinch at nape and neck. Adal shouted, spunk spraying from his dick. His body felt bright and hot, tingling and floaty as he pumped his load out. He clenched his thighs the next time Dorso thrust, and Dorso’s shout was louder than his had been. An almost too hard shove against his balls, then Dorso froze, arms going tight, the hand on his dick clenching. Wetness spread on the back of Adal’s nuts. It trickled down his thighs and tickled, but he couldn’t laugh as Dorso continued to grind against him. “God, you make me want so bad,” Dorso rasped out a few minutes later. “I had to come, or I thought I’d lose my mind. Shit.” Adal opened his eyes. He wanted to sleep in the worst way, but Dorso was going to talk, it seemed. “Man, I’m sorry, Adal. I kind of went crazy with the biting there.” Dorso rubbed a spot that only then began to ache. The place he’d bitten when he’d come. “Looks nasty. That’s a www.totallybound.com

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mating bite, is that right? Let me get a cloth and wipe it off. A little antibiotic cream and hopefully it won’t get infected.” “It is a mating bite, yes. I’ve marked you much worse, haven’t I?” Adal asked. “I loved it. Made me come so hard I nearly passed out. Be right back, I’m going to grab that cloth.” Dorso kissed his neck. “Okay.” Adal waited until Dorso was in front of him, then he caressed Dorso’s jaw. “How about a shower? I want to get wet and soapy with you.” Dorso smiled then, a big, happy smile. “All right, come on and let’s hop in the shower. Bring the phone.” Adal did, but by the time they’d showered and played around some more, Remus still hadn’t called back.

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Chapter Nineteen

Remus whatever his name was had to be a sadist, Dorso thought, groaning quietly as he opened his eyes. He hadn’t heard the phone ring, but Adal’s “It’s him, finally,” had woken him up. Dorso just needed his damned brain to catch up with his body, or maybe it was the other way around, he couldn’t tell. “I— Could you tell me where Steven is? How he is?” Dorso sat up and blinked several times as Adal listened to what was being said. Dorso turned the bedside lamp on and had to do the whole blinking thing all over again until he could see Adal more than the white dots. “What do you mean, all you know is he’s been found?” Adal said much more calmly than Dorso would have expected, considering how worried he’d been. “It isn’t that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing, but this is my brother. I need to know— Yes, sir.” Adal frowned, a vee forming between his brows. “I don’t— How do you know that? Have you talked to Bae?” Adal’s frown turned into a scowl. “Bae. He’s the mate of Isaiah, who is the grandson of Marybeth.” Dorso scooted over and hooked an arm around Adal’s waist. Adal was fairly vibrating with anger and fear. “Then who told you? Isaiah? Marybeth?” Adal huffed. “I—” His eyes went huge, his gaze locking onto Dorso’s. “I don’t know. I just want Steven to be okay.” Adal bit his bottom lip hard enough that Dorso saw blood well from under his teeth. He hissed as he reached over, thumbing that poor, abused flesh. Adal murmured his thanks, and Dorso thought that was to him until Adal tossed the phone back onto the nightstand. “Talk to me,” he urged after Adal propped his elbows on his knees and his face in his palms. Dorso rubbed the tense muscles of Adal’s back, chasing off knots only to have them reappear. “Honey, please.”

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Adal shuddered and slumped right up against Dorso. He swallowed and wrapped his arms around Dorso, holding on tighter than one would suspect that slim form was capable of. Dorso murmured soothingly, smoothing Adal’s hair. Finally Adal was able to talk. “He…he said he only knows what he knows. Steven’s been found. He’s alive. He doesn’t interfere with the happenings of Fate, whatever that means. He couldn’t give me a straight answer.” Adal huffed and used his wiry strength to tip them both backwards so they were lying on the bed. Adal rolled to his side and pushed up on one elbow. He looked down at Dorso. “And he said that I need his help. He wants us go there, to Texas, so he can do some kind of shaman healing on me.” Dorso’s first instinct was to reject the idea, but he pulled that doubt up short and wiped his mind clean of his preconceived notions. He’d not even known shifters existed days ago. Who was he to doubt the power of one of them? “He said no one told him about my senses being skewed. No one from this plane, at least.” Adal snorted. “What does that mean?” Dorso touched the spot on Adal’s lip that was still stained with blood. “It means, Remus believes he has abilities I can’t fathom.” Adal’s confusion shimmered in his eyes. “So, what do we do? I’m not—I can’t lie, Dorso. I’m scared. For Steven, for me and for you. What if we lose the bond, what draws us to each other? If that disappears—” “I’d still want you,” Dorso said, cutting Adal off. He scooped a hand behind Adal’s head and rolled, putting Adal under him. Dorso kept most of his weight off Adal while he dipped down to kiss him. He licked over that raw spot until the coppery taste vanished. “Nothing will change that, Adal. It isn’t magic that draws us to each other. I believe, in every cell in my body, that we are meant to be together, and all that you being a shifter does is make it easier for us to find each other. It doesn’t make us care, doesn’t make us love. We do that.” “I know I keep wavering, but I really am trying,” Adal mumbled. “At least I can believe some of the time now. Do you honestly believe that, about us being together?” “I do.” Dorso thumbed the shadows beneath Adal’s cheekbones. “Wavering is okay, too. You’re working past your fears, and I can see that. And I think, in regards to what Remus is and what he can do, that you have to have faith. It’s okay, Adal, to hope, to dream.” www.totallybound.com

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“Is it?” Adal asked, and there was, whether he knew it or not, already hope in his voice. “Yes,” Dorso said firmly. And he was going to make sure Adal truly learned to do both, because Adal deserved to have nothing but joy and love in his life. Dorso would do everything he had to in order to see Adal happy, that deep, down-to-his-soul happy that no one could take away. It looked like a trip to Texas was on their travel itinerary.

**** “It’s so…plain.” Dorso looked at him. “Well, yeah. It’s Texas. Compared to Colorado—” Dorso snorted. “There is no comparison. As a native Coloradan, I’m required to snark when it comes to Texas. And throw tomatoes at them, now that we’ve re-started the Colorado-Texas Tomato War.” Adal looked at Dorso to make sure he was serious. Dorso kept driving, his gaze on the road as sunset seemed to lure out every deer in the state. But Adal just couldn’t let it pass. “Are you serious?” Dorso bobbed his head. “Yup. It started in the early eighties, mainly because Texans can get really annoying, though if you ask them—well it doesn’t matter what they’d say.” Dorso signalled and sped up, passing a slower eighteen-wheeler. “Anyway, there’s been a rivalry between us forever, and the Tomato War takes place in Colorado. It’s fun. I went when they started it up again almost two years ago.” Dorso grinned, his cheeks plumping. “What a mess. It was friggin’ awesome.” So it was a fake war. Adal had suspected, but since the whole concept sounded bizarre, he wouldn’t have bet money on anything. A lot of things people did just didn’t make sense to him. “We should go this year. It’s a great stress reliever.” Adal grunted. He would rather take Dorso’s word for it. “We should be in San Antonio in another…” Dorso tapped at the GPS unit stuck on the windshield. “Let’s see, we’re about two hundred miles from there, so a little over two and a half hours? If we don’t hit any traffic or deer, that is.” www.totallybound.com

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“I don’t see how you’re going to be able to keep avoiding them. They’re everywhere. Staring at us.” Maybe all the deer in Texas were suicidal? “Most of them have enough sense to stay back. It’s the drought. No water, no grass or whatever they munch on. Drives them up to civilisation. Hey”—Dorso patted his leg, sending tingly warmth through Adal—“it’ll get prettier soon, when we get into the Texas Hill Country. Not that I’d think it’s pretty, just not as bad as what we’ve driven through so far.” “Is there really that much competition between the two states?” “Hell yeah!” Dorso exclaimed. “And the Californians accuse us of being water hogs.” He frowned. “Maybe we are a little touchy about some things.” Dorso flapped a hand. “Nah, it’s just the other states being insecure.” “You take that stuff seriously?” He didn’t know Dorso as well as he thought it did if that was the case. Although, he knew the important stuff about him, though. “You don’t.” Dorso laughed. “Nah, it’s all good fun, the Tomato War anyway. I don’t really get why some people take it so seriously. But, I do think Colorado has Texas beat hands down when it comes to beautiful country.” “I’d need to see more of each state to say for sure.” Adal looked out of the window. “The sunset is exquisite.” He waited, aware of Dorso squirming. Dorso made it right past a minute. “Yeah, okay, but there’s these sunsets in the Rockies. Oh man, they blow this one away! When we get back, I’ll take you…” Adal kept his face turned away as he smirked. Dorso was so easy to poke sometimes, and he was so cute when he got going. No, the guy was handsome as sin all of the time, but this was just cute. Adal fell a little more in love with him, listening to Dorso rave about the Colorado sunsets, the shades of oranges and yellows and pinks that could only exist in the Centennial State. The land did become prettier, but darkness covered it all too soon. Adal could make out more of the detail than a human could, but Dorso was driving so fast, things were blurry anyway.

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Dorso’s continual chatter helped ease Adal’s worry, and time passed quickly. When they drove through downtown San Antonio, Adal was a little disappointed. He’d thought the city would be bigger. Maybe Dorso had it right. Half an hour later, they were on a dirt road, bumping their way to the San Antonio wolf pack lands. Adal realised they were on it when Dorso slammed on the brakes and sucked in a deep breath. Adal looked and saw it then. A huge wolf stood at the side of the road, a familiar looking shifter species at his side. The Amur shifter was beautiful, his rosettes evenly spread over his pristine coat. “Wow,” Dorso said, clearly awed. “That’s…that’s what you’re part, right? A leopard?” Adal put his gaze on the wolf. “Not exactly like that. That’s a snow leopard, and I’m part Amur leopard. I’m not a pretty leopard,” Adal gritted out, having to avert his gaze from the wolf’s. That was an alpha if he’d ever seen one. “I think you are, and remember, I’ve seen you in shifted form,” Dorso cut in. “The shit about you not being a pretty shifter, I think that’s your asshole sperm donor talking.” Adal snorted so hard he likely lost a few nose hairs. “Didn’t you notice…” Gods, he was so embarrassed. He wanted to hide. “I don’t have spots.”

Dorso had heard the saying, about not being able to make a leopard change its spots, and it flitted through is head then, a ridiculous counterpoint to the seriousness of Adal’s statement. He didn’t care if Adal had spots, stripes, blotches or was plaid—he didn’t care what Adal’s appearance was in his shifted form. To Dorso, he was handsome, more so than any other man, and Dorso didn’t hesitate to say so. But Adal shook his head and slumped in the seat. “No. You don’t understand. Leopards should have spots. To not have any marks me as a freak, completely. There’s no one else like me.” Adal added quietly, “Except Steven.” “That might be so, but if it is, that doesn’t make you any less than any other shifter.” Dorso would get Adal to understand that no matter how long it took, and he knew it could take years. He was committed to Adal already, so it wasn’t a daunting task. It would happen. “And I seriously would be willing to bet that there are other mixed shifters out there. Human www.totallybound.com

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nature—and shifters do have it—would almost demand it, don’t you think? Just as we are becoming a more and more integrated species, with race being much less an issue than it was even in my parents’ youth.” Adal cocked his head and looked at Dorso. “Do you really think so?” Dorso nodded as he saw movement beside his door. “I do, to all of it. I think you’re breathtaking in your shifted form. Much more beautiful than a spotted leopard. I can’t wait to see you like that again, actually. But”—he reached for Adal’s hand and looked out of his window, finding the rather large wolf with its tongue lolling out looking back at him—“I think we have to be nice to our company.” The wolf grinned—Dorso would swear it. It moved and in a second Dorso was eye to eye with the critter, its paws pressed against the window glass. The wolf barked and Dorso jumped. Then the damned beast licked the window, slobbering all over it. “That’s gross, dude,” Dorso yelled, horrified by the spit but unwilling to get truly mad when he could see so many large, pointy teeth. Adal unbuckled and crawled across him. He slapped the window, hard. “Back off!” He glared. “I don’t care if you are an alpha, you aren’t going to mess with my mate.” The wolf stopped and canted his head. Then he snorted, which was…unfortunate, Dorso decided as he grimaced at a new mess on the window. “I’m not cleaning that,” he muttered, glaring at the wolf. The leopard shifter that had been at the wolf’s side appeared, and yowled. The wolf flinched then yelped as the cat nipped his flank. “Are you sure the wolf is an alpha?” Dorso asked, watching the scuffle that kicked up outside his door. He was certain, almost, that the two creatures were playing as there wasn’t any bleeding yet. “The feline is his mate,” Adal said, still leaning across him. “I think that’s actually foreplay. I don’t believe he was flirting with you, more like just trying to gross you out. Maybe intimidate you by showing his teeth.” “Consider me intimidated.” Dorso didn’t add that it was because of the mess on the window after the snort than it was anything else. He watched the wolf and leopard wrestle, then nearly popped his eyes out of socket gawping as muscle and hair rippled and reformed into two very naked, very attractive men. “Uh.” www.totallybound.com

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Adal moved, cupping his cheek before he kissed Dorso so thoroughly Dorso couldn’t remember what the other two men looked like. Howling accompanied them the rest of the drive, along with the wolf and the leopard, who’d apparently shifted back sometime during Dorso and Adal’s kiss. They stopped at an adobe house that had what looked like a jungle for a front yard. Dorso parked. The two shifters disappeared into the house. As Dorso unbuckled, an older man, his hair ivory and thick, a beard just as bushy to match, came outside. He stood on the porch, watching them. Dorso could see the lines bracketing the man’s mouth, but his eyes seemed to be fathomless pits from the distance between them. “Can you feel his power?” Adal whispered, awe softening his voice. Dorso felt something, like a shimmer of electricity wafting over his skin. “Maybe. I don’t know.” “I can.” Adal shivered and dropped his gaze. “I can’t look at him. I’m…I’m scared, Dorso.” Dorso caught the seatbelt with one hand and Adal’s hand with the other. “We can go home. We don’t have to stay here, Adal. I may only be a human, but I swear to God, I won’t let anyone keep us here if you want to leave.” Adal shook his head, and when he raised his eyes to Dorso’s, he gave Dorso the sweetest smile. Dorso’s heart fluttered on seeing it. “It’s not that kind of scared,” Adal clarified. “Not the afraid for our lives kind of scared. I’m just…” He sighed heavily and darted a nervous glance at the older man before looking back to Dorso. “I’ve been rejected by all shifters except for Steven, then Bae and Isaiah, so it’s an ingrained response, I think. My leopard, as messed up as it has become, can still detect the power in that man, who must be Remus. He knows Remus is capable of annihilating us with a snap of his fingers.” Dorso snapped the seatbelt back on. “Fuck it, we’re out of here.” “No, wait!” Adal grabbed the steering wheel. “That’s just the instinctive reaction to another leopard so much stronger than mine. The animal part wants to flee, but it also wants to be healed, so there’s this indecisiveness, and it’s up to me, the man, to take care of it.” Adal raised his head up, and though he shook like he was freezing his ass off, he looked right at Remus. “And I say, we need to get out of this truck and tell my leopard we’re done tucking www.totallybound.com

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our tail and running off. Done taking what others tell us we have to. I want to be healthy again, and that means fixing whatever’s causing my senses to fade.” Dorso’s chest swelled with pride. “So we get out?” Adal nodded. “We get out.”

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Chapter Twenty

Adal’s fear wasn’t so much of Remus himself. He didn’t think the old shifter was cruel. It was because if Remus, with the constant flow of power emanating from him, couldn’t heal whatever might still be wrong with Adal, then surely nothing could be done for him. Dorso’s arm around his hips soothed Adal’s rampaging pulse, calming him as they approached Remus. Adal couldn’t quit make himself look the shaman in the eyes. Every instinct he had, shifter and human, was screaming at him to defer to Remus in all things. “What’s going on?” he heard Dorso ask in his head. It startled him out of his focus on Remus, and Adal answered out loud. “Like I said, it’s the strength, the power of Remus and his wolf that makes me and my leopard want—” No, that wasn’t right. “Need to submit—and not in a sexual manner,” he clarified quickly, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. But he’d seen the narrowing of Dorso’s eyes, the tensing of his shoulders. “No, I would never touch another’s mate in such a way,” Remus said in a clear, firm voice. “It is a beta’s nature to show his or her respect for those more powerful than they are. For anyone to take advantage of that difference in power is one of the biggest crimes a shifter can commit. Any alpha can call death for the abuser, and an alpha doing such things could be killed by his own pack, if they weren’t too fearful of him.” Dorso grunted, his hand tightening on Adal’s hip. Adal peeked up at him. Dorso had no problem looking at Remus, or if he did, it wasn’t detectable. So maybe Adal’s response was all shifter in nature. Then he felt it, a fine quivering beside him, Dorso doing well to keep it hidden. “There are, of course, shifters who believe their power gives them the right to hurt others. To dictate”—Remus arched one furry white brow—“and abuse. It takes a pack, or several strong shifters, to eradicate such an alpha. It is why I sent the two to Steven that I did. They will not hesitate to kill.” Adal found it then, the courage to drag his gaze to Remus’, at least for a moment. “But not Steven? They won’t hurt him?” www.totallybound.com

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Remus’ eyebrow winged up higher. “Never. I wouldn’t have sent them had the Fates not decreed it.” “The Fates?” Dorso muttered. “You—those are—” He stopped, coughing as if he’d choked on words he didn’t want to keep in but perhaps thought best to do so. Remus moved then, coming down the set of steps to stop mere feet away from them. He tipped his head back and swept a hand towards the starry sky. “Does it matter, truly, what name we use? To you, perhaps it is your Christian God. To others, Shangdi or Mother Nature, or a thousand other names. There is much more to the universes than us lowly ones here on Earth.” Adal’s temple throbbed trying to comprehend that. He got the gist of it, but universes…he couldn’t fully grasp the one he lived in. Maybe, had he actually been educated, he wouldn’t feel so stupid about things. Adal lowered his gaze again and tried not to let that sense of worthlessness swamp him. He hated always feeling less than everyone else, and he refused to let it grow into pity for himself. He could make changes, and learn. “You are stronger than you think, Adal.” Adal blinked at the ground, seeing now another pair of feet besides his and Dorso’s. Except Remus’ feet were bare, and they had tufts of white hair on the toes and thinner tufts on the tops. “Adal, I give you permission to look at me.” “He doesn’t need your permission,” Dorso growled. “He might be a beta or whatever you called him, but he’s also a person, and—” “Tut, your temper,” Remus scolded, amusement tingeing his voice. Adal found himself looking up at the older man. Remus smiled, Adal barely able to see it due to the thick beard and moustache framing Remus’ mouth. “You are protective, and not ruled by your fear. Anger.” Remus didn’t speak for a few seconds as he studied Dorso. “Do you not think Adal has had enough of that particular emotion in his life?” Dorso seemed to deflate beside him. Adal opened his mouth to defend his mate but one look from Remus and he held off. Dorso spoke for himself.

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“Yes. I just…” He huffed and shot Adal an apologetic look. “There’s a lot to learn about, you know? I have to let it sink in, too. My brain is like that. It takes a while for something to penetrate this thick skull of mine.” Remus nodded. “Yes, stubbornness can be a good thing. Now, I suppose the time for introductions is long past. Please, come in. Leave your shoes on the porch.” Remus waited for them, holding the screen door open as Adal and Dorso removed their shoes. Adal took off his socks, too, remembering that Remus was barefooted. Dorso did the same. Adal almost purred when Dorso put one big hand on the small of Adal’s back. Warmth and reassurance radiated out from Dorso’s palm as they entered Remus’ home. “Please, sit while I prepare some tea.” Remus gestured to his living room. The place was roomy but not huge, decorated in a Southwest style for the most part. Adal would call it shaman style, himself. The dried herbs and other things weren’t there as decorations. “Are those…” Dorso stopped them beside the couch and tipped his chin. “Those animal parts?” “He’s a shaman, Dorso. I don’t think anything goes to waste from the pack hunts.” Adal wasn’t an expert, but there was a definite spiritual side to being a shifter, at least for him. There was no telling what Remus had stashed about, or what its purpose was. Adal and Dorso sat on a buttery soft leather couch. Dorso moaned and leaned his head back. His Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed. A knock at the door startled them both. Remus came out of the kitchen carrying a tray. He set it on the coffee table then pointed to a blue cup decorated with brightly coloured figures. “Those are renderings of Kokopelli, one of my favourite Native American deities. Trouble maker, fertility god, all around fun guy unless he wasn’t.” Remus gestured to the blue cup again. “That one is yours, Adal. Do not let your mate drink from it.” Remus canted his head at Dorso. “And no, I’m not poisoning him. It’s for the healing ceremony that will begin once I tell a certain nosy alpha to go away before I decide to turn him into a mouse.” Remus chuckled. “His mate would love that.” “His mate’s the leopard we saw earlier, right?” Dorso asked. “Yeah. I can just imagine what a scene that’d be, although I think a leopard would prefer something larger to toy with, like a rabbit.” Adal shrugged. “Then again, it’d be bad if he ate his mate.” www.totallybound.com

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“That’d depend—” Adal looked over to find a blond man walking through the hall towards them. He was nude except for a towel wrapped around his hips. “Bobby, behave.” Behind the blond—Bobby—was a dark-auburn haired man who was scowling and smiling, making for a very odd expression. Bobby pinned his gaze right on Adal. “Now, Sully. You know I’m just havin’ some fun with the new kids.” This was the alpha who’d greeted them on the road. Adal was glad he hadn’t yet picked up his tea. He’d likely have dropped it. Bobby was very powerful, too. “You’re the one who left the spit and snot—” Dorso began. “Yup, sure did,” Bobby drawled. “And now I’m here, with my mate, to watch over my shaman.” “You’re here because you’re a nosy whelp,” Remus said, stepping out from behind the other two men. “Don’t pretend otherwise. And go into my bedroom and find something to cover yourselves with besides my dirty towels.” Bobby smirked at them. “I imagine your guests could use the towels to clean off their truck window.” “Ass,” Sully said, popping Bobby on the back of the head. Bobby yelped then burst out laughing as he darted towards what Adal assumed was the bedroom. Sully was hot on his heels, and if the two running shifters flashed him and Dorso a bit, that was okay. Remus huffed and came over, taking one of the other teacups. He gestured to Adal’s. “Drink. It is only a mixture of herbs and honey, and water of course. Not the same as the ones I sent you. Those were mixed before I knew about the senses and the shadow inside you.” Adal went cold at the mention of the shadows. “The ones Bae showed us on the Xrays?” Remus tipped his head in acknowledgement. “This is the start to making sure your cats and human are lined up properly again.” “Cats?” Adal asked faintly. www.totallybound.com

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“You are a mix of two,” Remus said before sipping at his drink. “Don’t worry about it. You, my dear boy, are special.” “I just want to be normal,” Adal protested. “Like a certain boy made from wood, who only wanted to be human.” Remus waved a hand in the air. “Ignore my ramblings. The point is, you are who and what you are, Adal. Find a way to be proud of that instead of hating it. Now, your tea?” Adal didn’t know what to say to that. “If that’s all it is, then why can’t I drink it?” Dorso asked. Remus sipped his own tea then moaned softly. “Oh, there’s something about tea when it’s made right.” He looked at Dorso. “There are many, many herbs. Each has its own properties. Some are poisonous, some are healing, some take us on a spiritual journey. The ones in Adal’s cup are blended specifically for him. As a shifter. I would not recommend such a mixture for a human.” “He’s not out to kill me,” Adal murmured, not being sarcastic. He only wanted to ease Dorso’s concerns. “Remus is a shaman, a healer. He wouldn’t kill unless it was necessary.” Remus nodded. “Even so, the price killing extracts from a shaman’s soul is greater than the cost to a regular shifter. My place, my existence, is about healing and guiding. Most of the time. There are, of course, exceptions, and if a soul is so dark that it needs to leave this world, then that is my right and duty to handle. Sometimes, that does mean guiding one through to the other side. Or, I have had to kill to protect the pack I am a member of. As long as it isn’t a selfish motive that drives me, I can do what needs to be done. That is not the same as sending them there by serving them a cup of tea to help them heal.” “This will make me better?” Adal asked, lifting the cup and giving its contents a sniff. To his surprise, a tantalizingly sweet aroma arose from the liquid. He took a small sip and sighed after he swallowed it. “This is…good.” Remus made a sound almost like a bark. “Well, I do try to make my concoctions palatable. They do no good if the drinker cannot keep them down.” Adal drank the rest of it slowly, savouring the taste. Dorso seemed disinclined to continue thinking Remus might be trying to kill either of them. He was drinking his tea as well.

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“I will be right back.” Remus walked down the hall and banged on a door. “You will not do that in my room and most definitely not on my bed!” Dorso snorted and sprayed tea all over while Adal just choked on his mouthful of it. They both sputtered while Remus continued smacking the door and scolding Bobby and Sully. Adal kind of thought it was the threat to make sure neither man’s penis ever worked again that had Bobby and Sully yelling and tumbling out of the room shortly thereafter. “Really, an alpha should have more self-control,” Remus said, but Adal would have sworn he saw a smile through all that facial hair. Bobby groaned and adjusted the prominent bulge in his borrowed sweats as Sully muttered and turned all sorts of shades of red. “Aw, come on, Remus! You’ve seen Sully naked! Nobody’s got that kind of self-control. Well, except you, but you’re straight and old.” Remus, quick as a rattlesnake, whipped a hand out and popped Bobby on the back of his head, much as Sully had done earlier. “Fuck! Ow!” Bobby wailed, dancing backwards and smacking into Sully. “That hurt!” “It’s the lack of blood to his brain when he’s, uh, stimulated,” Sully ground out. “Makes him stupid.” “He can be trained.” Remus narrowed his eyes. “And I am not that old, and you would not know if I am straight, bi or not. Making assumptions is a foolish thing to do.” “It’s cuz I’m dick-dumb like Sully said,” Bobby groused. “And probably from the concussions you two have given me.” Adal became aware of a warm, tingling sensation spreading through his veins. Each beat of his heart spread it out further and further from his chest until his fingers and toes felt like they were almost electrified. His eyelids were too heavy to hold up, and anyway, his vision had blurred at some point. Strange images swirled in his head, leopards and wolves melding into one and separating again. His ears buzzed with a wordless chant, or at least, no words he knew. A rhythmic beat accompanied the chant, and his body felt light, as if he’d replaced all his oxygen with helium. Hands touched him, but whether they were real or not, he couldn’t say. He thought Dorso was there somewhere, either in his mind or actually with him, but concentrating wasn’t possible. There was too much in his mind, in his body. His leopard twisted and yowled in him. Pain shot through him in sporadic jolts that drove screams from him. www.totallybound.com

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He vacillated between feeling like he was on fire and like he was immersed in ice water. Memories he would rather have kept buried spilled out, horrific events he still carried the scars from. It wasn’t as if he were just recalling them, but reliving them moment by moment. The moon flickered in and out of his sight, although he still couldn’t say if he was actually seeing it or imagining it. It didn’t matter. Either way, he felt a pull towards that radiant light. It called to his soul, a loving mother promising to ease and comfort him. Years of self-loathing rose in him, like a living thing trying to snuff out hope, snuff out Mother Moon’s voice. Adal screamed and clawed against it, wanting the solace he’d never known except for in Dorso’s arms. Then he knew Dorso was there, touching him, holding him. There was a murmuring voice in his ear that helped him. It chased off the ugly monster swirling in him and strengthened the beginnings of hope Dorso had helped him grow. All of the insults, the abuse, the hatred he’d been handed throughout his life—it couldn’t stand against Dorso’s love and the power of the shaman or the moon. Adal wanted Dorso, he wanted their life together. He wanted the promise Fate had made them when She had given him a mate. And Adal fought for it, refusing to let that dark tide pull him under. He fought until his throat was too raw to scream, until his ears rang painfully from the sound of his own shouts. His body felt leaden, each breath a battle, but he still had it in him, that bitter, black doubt and disgust he’d had instilled in him. But it wasn’t as big, as strong, as it had been. Adal thought, as his mind spun in slowing circles, that perhaps, with time and with the help of his mate and perhaps their friends, it might someday be vanquished.

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Chapter Twenty-One

Dorso was torn between trying to kick Remus’ ass and staying with Adal. It was clear Adal had been given some strong sort of hallucinogen and it was fucking with Adal’s mind. Screams and whimpers were driven from Adal as he thrashed. Dorso growled and glared at Remus as the man sat placidly, his eyes closed as he chanted softly under his breath. The other two shifters, Bobby-the-nutcase and his mate, Sully, stood guard on either side of Remus. The certainty of his own death was the only reason Dorso held off diving after Remus. That, and because any time he took his hands off Adal, Adal cried out for him. It broke Dorso’s heart and twisted his gut. His knees began to ache, dully at first, then sharp, throbbing pains, but Dorso stayed beside Adal. Someone brought him a bowl of what smelt like water, and a cloth. Dorso used it to bathe the sweat from Adal’s skin. Then Adal startled him rather badly by shifting right under his hands. Dorso had seen him shift before, but it had taken longer, and his mind felt a bit scrambled as he watched the man he’d come to love turn into a leopard so quickly. No, a pumapard. That’s what he called himself. A beautiful feline, that’s what Adal was. Dorso was too entranced to move, and nearly got swatted with a big, sharp-tipped claw when Adal jerked from head to tail. But, God help him, of course it had to be him—Bobby-the-nutcase leapt and toppled Dorso onto his back. “Don’t even think about messin’ with me,” Bobby growled in his ear. Dorso was intimidated—for less than a second. “Fuck off,” he snarled right back, giving the man a shove that sent Bobby-the-nutcase off to the side. “I’m not in your damned pack or whatever.” Bobby glared at him then grinned like a loon and laughed. He only stopped when Dorso made to move to Adal’s side again. “Don’t. He isn’t all human now, and he’d feel like pure-D shit if he hurt you, doncha think?”

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Dorso grunted and Bobby nodded. “And somethin’ else—you may not be a part of my pack, but it was me that told Marybeth to send your sorry asses down here. I’d like to take credit for Remus helpin’ y’all, too, but the truth is, Remus is gonna do what he’s gonna do.” Well, just fuck. Dorso was going to have to be nice-ish to Bobby. Maybe. “Whose idea was it to give Adal the drug?” Bobby scrunched up his nose. “What drug? He had some fuckin’ herbs.” “Hallucinogenic ones,” Dorso snapped. “This isn’t from drinking a cup of freakin’ tea!” “Calm yourself,” Remus said then, his eyes still closed when Dorso looked at him. “The tea had no hallucinogens in it. I save those for the spirit ceremonies.” “Or for when you’re alone,” Bobby muttered, scooting over to plop down beside Dorso. “Like we don’t know what a hippie with hallucinogens would be doin’.” Remus ignored Bobby, chanting for another moment before speaking to Dorso again. “The tea is a healing tea, the chant a healing chant. What it does to each individual it’s used on is different. I can’t know the reactions until they begin. Adal has many years of abuse in many forms, many bad memories that have harmed his leopard spirit as well as his human one. His bodies have been poisoned by a drug not of nature’s making. There will be a separate battle for that healing. This one, though, this is for his soul.” Dorso decided then and there that he was done arguing. If Remus was telling the truth, he wouldn’t risk screwing this up for Adal. If Remus was lying… Well, Dorso didn’t think he was. Not with the way Adal had screamed and cried out. Now, maybe, Dorso thought he understood what was happening. “Let me back at his side,” he told Bobby as Adal began to yowl piteously. He was such a beautiful leopard, more so, Dorso thought, because of his smooth, spotless coat. “I told you—” Bobby began, but Dorso cut him off. “He won’t hurt me at all. He’s hurting more because I’m not able to touch him and soothe him.” “Dorso is correct,” Remus said before resuming the chanting. Bobby moved and Dorso sat cross-legged beside Adal. His hands shook as he settled them on his mate. The silky, thick hair was a wonder to feel, and Dorso clenched his fingers, sinking them deeper into the pelt.

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“I’m right here, I’m with you,” he told Adal, picking up his own chant. It seemed to calm Adal somewhat, and Dorso kept repeating it during the following hours. He saw Adal change forms several times, so that it didn’t make his mind feel like it was going to melt anymore. When Adal finally dropped into an exhausted sleep, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, Dorso felt like he’d been dragged through hell. He curled his bigger body around Adal, making sure he was touching Adal in every way he could. Dorso didn’t care who was still there, or what they’d think. He was worn out, and Adal looked so fragile then, with dark circles bruising the skin under his eyes. Dorso pillowed Adal’s head on his arm and nuzzled Adal’s cheek. If Steven didn’t kill Bashuan, Dorso was going to. If that sent him to hell when he died, he was willing to pay that price. After hours of hearing Adal’s pain, of seeing it reflected in his eyes, in his expressions, Dorso would gladly face the devil himself if it meant that Adal would know he’d be safe. Dorso closed his eyes and let the sound of Adal’s soft breaths lull him to sleep.

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Chapter Twenty-Two

Adal remembered every single thing he’d envisioned when he woke up. He felt as if he’d relived it all, but somehow it hadn’t conquered him like it had the first time around. While he didn’t feel healed from his psychological scars, there was a definite fading to their coloration. Remus had somehow made it possible for Adal and his feline nature to reconcile. Adal could feel his cat purring, languid and content inside him. He hadn’t felt that in so long, possibly since the innocent bits of his childhood. Adal’s thoughts scattered as Dorso mumbled sleepily and thrust against him. “Mm.” Adal would have agreed had he been able to get a sound out past the need suddenly clogging his throat. One second he’d been worrying, the next, Dorso had rubbed that heavy cock of his between Adal’s cheeks, and Adal had instantly flushed hot with want. He wanted Dorso to wake up and make him quit thinking. He wanted to know what it felt like to have Dorso pushing into him, opening him up with that magnificent cock. He wanted to be taken and to take Dorso in return. Adal wanted to be fucked, and he wanted Dorso to do it, now. Just as he opened his mouth to say so, certain hearing it would wake Dorso all the way up, the door to the room they were in was opened and Remus strolled in carrying a tray laden with containers and cups. Adal didn’t give a shit what was in any of them—they couldn’t compare to having Dorso in him, he was certain. Remus cocked an eyebrow at him and set the tray on a small table by the window. “I see you are feeling better this afternoon,” Remus said, glancing down Adal’s body. That was, of course, when Adal realised he and Dorso were both naked, and his dick was hard and wet-tipped and on display. Dorso’s at least was stuffed in the crevice of his bottom. Adal squeaked even though he tried not to, and Dorso sat up with a curse. Now Adal had exposed both of their parts to Remus! www.totallybound.com

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“I assure you I have seen many of those,” Remus said, waving a hand at their dicks, “And in various states of tumescence. There is no need—” Adal was too busy trying to find a blanket or sheet to pay attention to the rest of that sentence. Dorso must have had the same idea, because the two of them smacked foreheads while trying to get to the bedclothes beneath them. Adal was too stunned to even yelp as he put a hand to his brow, but Dorso cursed a blue streak. Remus, the powerful old geezer, had the gall to laugh—and toss them a blanket he’d fetched from somewhere. “Thanks,” Adal muttered, making sure to cover Dorso’s bits as well since Dorso was now just sitting, slumped over and snickering. Remus cleared his throat and held up a cup. “This is to help with your physical healing. What was given to you before by Bashuan has caused more damage than your body can handle. He did indeed intend to kill you and Steven both. I have already made certain to have some updated treatments sent to him as well. Bobby, rather, had his pilot fly them out earlier this morning, once they were prepared. I’m sure the Fates will guide me on where to have the medicines dropped off.” Adal took a minute or five to process that while he drank the liquid. He thought he ought to have been cautious after his reaction to the last batch of stuff he’d drank, but the fact was, his soul seemed lighter and he trusted Remus. Dorso got a cup of something too, but judging by the way he moaned and his eyes rolled back, it was plain coffee. Adal almost thought Dorso could come from drinking it— and he knew he could almost come just from listening to the purrs and moans of pleasure Dorso made as he drank that first cup. Remus had a gleam in his eyes that Adal wasn’t even going to try to interpret. He drank his good-but-nowhere-near-orgasmic-tea in a few gulps then was promptly fixed another. “What’s in it?” he asked as he took the second cup. Remus gave him a sideways look as he loaded sausage and biscuits onto a plate. “Does it truly matter, if it works?” That told Adal he most likely didn’t want to know the ingredients. “No. Thank you.” “Will it?” Dorso asked, then added, “Work? Will it work? And is there more coffee?” www.totallybound.com

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Remus chuckled and gestured for the cup. “Yes, it will work. There is nothing Bashuan has done that cannot, with time and patience, be undone.” He poured the coffee then handed the cup to Dorso. Adal didn’t miss the double meaning of that statement. Neither did Dorso. Adal would hold Remus to that promise, that the pain he’d suffered in so many different ways would not control him for the rest of his life. He wouldn’t always be insecure and doubtful of his worth. Even if Remus couldn’t fix that, Adal vowed that he would—but Dorso’s affection would help. His love would help. “These packets are to be dissolved in hot water, two doses twice a day, upon waking and before sleeping.” Remus grinned. “Or before getting in bed for the night, whether you will be sleeping then or not. It is very important not to forget to take them, and after intercourse some men—most men—tend to fall asleep.” “Intercourse.” Dorso snorted and shook his head. “Geez, I haven’t heard it called that since Sex Ed in sixth grade.” “I would not presume to say whether you and Adal fuck, make love or play duck-duckgoose.” Remus sat down at the table and picked up a piece of bacon. “Although I must say, it looked more like there was going to be a game of…hide the salami, is it? Before I came in.” Dorso groaned and Adal was just too shocked to do more than stare slack-jawed at Remus. Didn’t the shaman know old people weren’t supposed to say stuff like that? Remus took a bite of bacon then, totally messing with Adal’s assumptions about him, Remus rolled his eyes. “Please. You younger people think you invented sex. People my age know more about pleasure and intercourse than you or Dorso could even imagine. Now, if you two will join me, we can have dinner, or breakfast for you both, then I will leave and let you return to your previous plans.” Adal tried really hard not to grumble. Seeing the bacon and sausage helped. He gave Dorso the blanket and wrapped himself in the sheet he’d been lying on. He knew he was blushing all over, but Remus had already seen his junk. Adal wasn’t going to say a word lest Remus start talking about sex again. He sat between Remus and Dorso and loaded his plate with food, taking turns reaching for things with Dorso.

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“How long will it take to undo whatever damage has been done to me, physically?” he asked Remus before taking a bite of the fluffiest biscuit he’d ever seen. “If you do not miss any treatments, perhaps four months.” “What? That long?” Dorso asked, sounding shocked. Adal shrugged since Remus had a mouthful of food. “But the damage was done over a longer period of time than that, so four months isn’t so bad. I’ve already started feeling better than I can remember feeling in ages.” “Adal is correct.” Remus beamed at him. “You are a very smart young man.” Adal ducked his head a little, flattered and embarrassed by the praise. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome. Now, if for some reason you don’t continue to improve, then I will need to know immediately so I can adjust the dosage. That will mean you both returning, most likely,” Remus added. “Whatever Adal needs.” Dorso squeezed Adal’s knee under the table. “Wither he goest and all that romantic stuff. Isaiah will let me have the time off if we have to come back here.” Dorso smiled at him and at the same time, squeezed his cock through the blanket. Adal sucked in a breath, unfortunate for him as he had a bite of biscuit in his mouth. His eyes bulged as he slapped a hand over his mouth right before he coughed and hacked. Dorso rubbed his dick again. “Are you okay? Do you need a hand?” Remus sighed. “As I said, younger people think they invented sex.” Adal narrowed his watering eyes at Dorso. He wanted to tell Dorso that if he made him come now, there’d be a wait before he could fuck Adal. But, Adal wasn’t quite brave enough—or tacky enough, he decided, that was better—to say such a thing in front of Remus. And anyway, Adal would have made Dorso wait. He wanted the man too much. Remus grunted and scooted his chair back. “And even I know there are times when food is not a priority. Enjoy, but you might want to keep it on the quiet side in case Bobby stops in. I can assure you he would not hesitate to peek in on you if he thought it would get, er, a rise out of you both.” Remus chortled as he left the room. Adal sat up and looked at Dorso. It was time for him to tell Dorso what he needed.

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Chapter Twenty-Three

The sexual tension in the air was palpable. The fine hairs on Dorso’s forearms wavered with it as he silently waited for Adal to speak. Adal’s eyes were huge, with something dark and needy flaring in them as his pupils expanded. Dorso’s cock was as rigid as a railroad spike. He noticed the slight flaring of Adal’s nostrils, the bob of his Adam’s apple and the flush of his cheeks. Adal’s breath hitched, then slipped free of his parted lips. When he licked them, Dorso almost moaned, imagining that slick tongue tracing the veins on his shaft. Adal rose from his chair, scooting away from the table first to do so. He shoved the sheet off when he stood, the material catching for a moment on the heavy line of his cock. Adal pulled it off, baring himself completely to Dorso. He stepped over the blanket and moved to Dorso’s side. Dorso thought, belatedly, that he should have moved his chair back too, but how could he be expected to think with Adal standing there nude and needing? Adal, with his innocence and wonder, had all the power in Dorso’s world right then. Dorso leaned his head back to look up into Adal’s eyes. Adal cupped his chin and bent, slanting his mouth over Dorso. The kiss liquefied Dorso, leaving him jelly-jointed and breathless when Adal raised up again. Adal held out one hand. “I want you in me.” That it wasn’t a request served to eradicate any doubts Dorso might have had. If Adal had sounded tremulous, even the least bit uncertain, Dorso would have been able to say no. But Adal stood with a confidence Dorso hadn’t seen in him before, and his voice, when he spoke to Dorso, was firm and bordering on authoritative. It turned Dorso on in ways he’d never experienced before. His pulse jacked up and his heart pounded. He felt light-headed and tense, as if his body might take over and stomp out the patience his mind told him he needed to display. Dorso didn’t answer with more than a nod. He didn’t trust his voice not to squeak as he stood, his chair tipping over backwards. In seconds he was standing in front of Adal, staring into those dark depths and letting their anticipation wind higher. When it was taut enough to snap audibly, Dorso moved. One www.totallybound.com

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swift grab and he had Adal in his arms, one hand cradling the mounds of his ass. Adal’s skin was warm and soft, the scars even silkier feeling than the unmarred spots. Dorso bent Adal over his other arm, Adal’s head falling back to provide Dorso the sexiest expanse of corded muscle and skin. Dorso growled as he raked his teeth over one particularly tempting spot. Adal shook in his arms, a stuttering sound leaving him as Dorso fastened his lips over that same area. “Gonna cover you with these,” he said before latching on to another spot and sucking hard. Adal clutched at him, stinging bites of Adal’s fingernails turning to a deeper pain that rode the thin line of between too much and exquisite pleasure. He licked up to Adal’s jawline, and when he flicked his gaze up he saw the elongated canines between Adal’s parted lips. Those teeth looked sharp and deadly, which sent a strangely powerful buzz of desire right to Dorso’s cock. He spun them, raising Adal up as he did so. In two strides he had Adal pinned on the bed and was plundering his mouth, tonguing the intriguing teeth. Adal’s legs parted eagerly and Dorso settled between them, rubbing as soon as his cock touched Adal’s. Dorso thrust repeatedly, a dual assault of tongue and dick that Adal met skilfully. He was no passive lover, battling Dorso for control of the kiss, fucking up against him with enough force to threaten to unseat Dorso. Dorso hooked an arm under one of Adal’s legs. He hitched it up, spreading Adal’s ass and tipping it up. He caught a handful of Adal’s hair and growled, something in him roaring that Adal needed him to lead. Adal whimpered for him then, throat clicking repeatedly as he clawed at Dorso’s shoulders. Each scratch spurred Dorso on, driving his hips down with more force. Adal writhed and panted, his cock a hot brand beside Dorso’s. Dorso licked Adal’s Adam’s apple then sucked on it as he tugged on Adal’s hair, turning his head. Adal yelled, surprise in his voice as spunk spread between them. Dorso rutted another minute while Adal fell apart for him. He rolled Adal’s head back towards him and took a harsh kiss as Adal bit at his lips and tongue. Adal’s cock twitched and he purred as Dorso mastered the kiss. He went submissive beneath Dorso, but in no way unresponsive, tracing the path of Dorso’s spine down to his ass.

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Dorso hissed in surprise when Adal stretched and rubbed eager fingers over his ass hole. He was tempted to say fuck it, fuck me, but Adal had been clear about his needs. This was about Adal, Dorso reminded himself. It was not about how much he loved having Adal pound his ass. Dorso let go of Adal’s leg and instead caught his forearms, lifting them up to pin Adal’s hands beside his head. “If you keep that up, you’ll have to wait to get fucked,” he warned. Adal curled his hands into his own hair and moaned, closing his eyes. “Just hearing you say that makes me ache for it,” he rasped. “Please, Dorso, I ache.” Dorso understood that perfectly as his own cock was so hard his gut hurt from it. “Roll over,” he said as he knelt up and patted Adal’s hip. He wanted to look Adal in the eyes when he fucked him, but they’d start like this, because it wasn’t about him. “See if there’s lube in the drawer there.” Adal rolled onto his side first. He yanked open the nightstand drawer and pulled out a bottle of unopened lube. “Do you think he stocked it for us?” “Does it matter?” Dorso couldn’t think past the sight of Adal’s rounded ass and dripping cock. For an answer, Adal popped the cap open and handed the tube to Dorso. Dorso took it as Adal flopped onto his stomach and pushed his butt up. “Hurry.” Dorso grabbed a pillow. “Raise up.” He got Adal situated then nudged the back of his left knee. “Bend your leg and open this sweet ass up for me.” Adal sucked in a sharp breath and did as directed. Dark fuzz lined his crease and swirled around the tight knot of his hole. That little pucker clenched and released as Dorso watched, making his dick throb in response. Dorso shuffled into a better position then set the lube down against Adal’s hip. He palmed Adal’s ass, getting a simpering sound from the man, then he thumbed Adal’s crease before parting his cheeks and giving himself a better look. Dorso felt Adal’s butt quivering, flexing. He pulled the cheeks farther apart, stretching Adal’s pucker, then he bent and licked over it. Adal’s garbled shout was a stroke to Dorso’s pride. He wanted to please Adal, to make him feel more than he ever had before. He lapped at Adal’s opening again, then a third time, flattening his tongue for a broader stroke.

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The taste of Adal was salt and need, and it speared Dorso to new heights. He rimmed Adal until his hole was slack and glistening, then he pushed his tongue in and delighted in Adal’s shout, in the way he jolted and that tight, tight ring clenched around his tongue. Dorso squeezed Adal’s cheeks, holding them apart so he could feast on Adal’s ass. Spit dripped down his chin, soaking them both as Adal began rutting against the bed. Dorso let go of one cheek to slap around and find the lube. When he did, he just poured a stream of it down Adal’s crack. Lube wasn’t ever his favourite thing to taste, and this one was no exception. It ran down onto Adal’s hole, then Dorso’s tongue, and Dorso withdrew, sliding a finger into the clenching heat of Adal’s body instead. Adal mewed for him then, and pushed up onto his elbows. He got his knees beneath him as well, presenting his ass for mating. Dorso grimaced as he fought back the urge to slam into Adal’s body, to fuck him hard and deep with no more prep. The need between them was powerful, skewing Dorso’s thoughts, but he knew enough not to risk hurting Adal. A second digit in him had Adal cursing and begging, rocking back into the fingering. Dorso twisted his wrist, stretching that ring, stimulating Adal from the inside out. He pushed in deeper and brushed over Adal’s gland. Adal gasped and started shoving back greedily. Dorso found the lube and doused his cock with it. He worked a third finger into Adal and was rewarded with another one of those wanton sounds Adal made. Dorso gritted his teeth as he rubbed Adal’s prostate again. Adal threw his head back and shouted, and Dorso figured he’d pushed him very close to the edge. That was where Dorso needed him, because he wouldn’t be lasting long once he sank his dick into the tight sheath of Adal’s ass. Dorso pulled his fingers free and Adal tossed his head. “Coming, baby. I’ll take care of you,” he said in a voice he almost didn’t recognise. Dorso guided his cock to Adal’s hole, holding Adal by the hip. He hissed as he started to press into the mind-boggling heat, the indescribable silken clench of Adal’s ass. Adal snarled and before Dorso knew what he intended, he’d shoved back forcefully, sinking Dorso in to the hilt. Dorso yelped in surprise and dropped down over Adal, covering him from the backs of Adal’s thighs to his shoulders. “Bad,” Dorso grunted out, not sure what else he’d meant to say because Adal’s inner muscles constricted around him. He groaned and closed his eyes as he nuzzled Adal’s cheek. www.totallybound.com

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Dorso ground against Adal, seeking every bit of the man that he could get. He pulled back a few inches and thrust at the same time Adal rocked against him. Rhythm established, Dorso snapped his hips and began pushing into Adal over and over. Adal mewled and used his whole body to shove back. Dorso panted and hitched a leg up to mount Adal better. He’d wanted to turn Adal over and make love to him slowly but it wasn’t going to happen this time. Dorso’s mind was a chaotic symphony of want—his, Adal’s, their need and an animalistic drive that was eradicating everything but the physical act happening between them. His vision blurred as he pounded into Adal, each withdrawal made more difficult by the increasingly tighter clenching of Adal’s ass. Dorso somehow managed to think long enough to get a hand underneath Adal, to hold that hot, rigid cock while Adal fucked it. He closed his eyes and sucked on whatever part of Adal he could reach—cheek, chin, jaw, neck—Dorso tasted it all, marking what he could while driving into Adal with more and more force. Adal growled low and deep, ramming himself back until the sound of their bodies hitting rang out in the room. Dorso squeezed Adal’s cock and canted his hips, searching instinctively for that one spot that would tip Adal over. When he found it, Adal went still, his entire body tensing. Dorso powered into him again, then jabbed with short thrusts over that spot repeatedly. Adal’s cock pulsed and his ass clenched, his inner walls rippling and milking Dorso’s shaft. Adal moaned as his cock spurted, the tangy scent of it reaching Dorso’s nose. Dorso bucked like he’d been shocked, his dick throbbing as his balls sent cum racing up his length. He couldn’t shout, couldn’t even breathe as he pumped his seed into Adal’s body. The climax seemed endless and yet entirely too short, although Dorso thought he’d have died if it’d went on any longer. He inhaled deeply after the last spurt left him, then he wrapped his arms around Adal and rolled them to their sides. “I love you,” he said, knowing it wasn’t just babble from mind-blowing sex. Adal already knew, but he should hear it every day, many times a day, Dorso decided. “Love you too,” Adal slurred, “so much. So good,” he added, almost too softly for Dorso to hear.

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Dorso cracked open one eye lid and saw the content expression Adal wore, the sweet, soft smile curling his lips. Yes, it was very, very good—all of it, from the man in his arms to the loving they had shared and would have together in the future.

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Epilogue

Adal shook Remus’ hand. “Thank you, for helping me and my brother.” Remus’ eyes glazed as he squinted at some point past Adal. “Steven will have to help himself. That one is stubborn, and foolish in his pride.” Adal bristled but considering the odd aura that surrounded Remus then, he decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. Remus had a slight silver-tinted glow about him. Maybe it was the way the sunlight hit him, but Adal didn’t think so. Surely that would have been gold or yellow— “Thank you.” Dorso took Remus by the hand and pulled him into a hug that had the old man grunting. Dorso patted him on the back as Remus flapped his hands before pinching Dorso on the hip. “Ouch!” Remus huffed and dusted off first one forearm, then the other, as if having rolled in dirt rather than being hugged by Dorso. “Smart ass, that is what you are, Dorso. Trying to knock my lungs out of my rear end.” Adal choked on the startled laugh that shot up from his gut while Dorso snickered and bobbed his head. “Aw, now, I think you need some lovin’ for sure.” Dorso held up a finger and waggled it back and forth. “But you’ll have to be getting’ that from some other lucky stud.” Remus’ face—what wasn’t covered in hair either from his beard and ‘stache or his braid that had come loose—turned almost purple as he rolled his lips in. He shook his head and waved them off as he turned and began walking back towards his house. “Remember, old men like me do not have need of such things.” “I think he’s pulling my leg,” Dorso stage-whispered. Remus turned and grinned at them before calling out, “Have a safe trip home. I would like to see you both again sometime, if you can be bothered with an old geezer like myself.” Adal’s leeriness of Remus had ceased for the most part, and he thought the shaman was a good man, but there was still that power in Remus that intimidated him if he thought about it. www.totallybound.com

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“We’ll be back,” Dorso said in such a horrible accent that Adal didn’t know who the hell he was trying to imitate. He frowned at Dorso. “What?” Dorso asked, holding his hands up. “You’ve never heard Ah-nold say that?” Adal curled one side of his top lip up and shook his head. “He’s an actor—” Dorso snorted. “Well, he thinks he is, anyways, and he was governor—” Dorso stopped and looked mortified as his eyes went wide. “Oh shit! I’m sorry. You haven’t seen many movies have you?” Adal sniffed, teasing his mate and turning up his nose. “No, but if they have crappy accents like that one, I don’t think I’m missing anything.” Dorso laughed and Adal yelped as he was lifted off his feet and spun around in a circle. He wasn’t better yet, but he was getting there. Only three days of treatments and he felt like everything would be getting better, not just him. His hearing was certainly improving, either that or Bobby was stomping like a bull as he walked. Adal knew it was him because of the not so subtle push of power rolling off the alpha. “Y’all gonna come back and visit soon, I bet,” Bobby drawled as Dorso set Adal back on the ground. Adal cocked a brow at the wolf. “Why’s that?” Bobby just smiled slightly, looking mysterious and smug at the same time. “Just a feelin’ I’ve got, that’s all. Remus ain’t the only one who gets feelin’s.” He winked then tipped two fingers at them. “Sully was gonna come by, but his grandma called and there ain’t no tellin’ Marybeth you’re too busy to talk. That woman’ll reach right through the phone and smack the hell outta ya.” Bobby rubbed the back of his head. “Anyway, be careful on your way home, and we’ll see y’all soon.” “What—?” Adal snapped his mouth shut as Bobby shifted, clothes tangling around his limbs. Bobby snapped and snarled and tore the clothes into shreds in seconds before yipping happily and shaking a scrap of his shirt at them. He wagged his tail and took off, bounding after God only knew what. Dorso watched with something very much like amazement before he glanced at Adal. “That’s cool and all, but he’s nowhere near as beautiful as you are in shifted form, and he sure can’t hold a candle to you like this.” www.totallybound.com

Bailey Bradford

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Adal kind of melted at that, then he did go warm and gooey inside as Dorso kissed him. The gentle sweep of tongue and brush of lips made Adal’s eyes burn as something rushed through him, an emotion he was becoming more familiar with every day. Joy. He hadn’t known it well at all before, but now it mixed with love and hope, filling Adal to overflowing. He couldn’t imagine how it would become more, stronger, but he knew it would. Dorso was his mate, heart and soul and body. What they had was unbreakable, and Adal didn’t even believe death would pull them apart. Dorso would either be waiting for him then, or find him if Adal went first. “Are you ready?” Dorso asked, nuzzling Adal’s cheek. “Yes, I am.” And Adal really was—ready for the trip, ready to get on with their lives and love each other for eternity. “Let’s go home.”

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Mossy Glenn Ranch: Riding and Regrets Bailey Bradford

Excerpt Chapter One

Noel Cuthbert parked his Honda Fit in his Aunt Gertie’s driveway, frowning at the lack of protection for his baby. “This won’t do at all.” There wasn’t a garage or even one of those cheesy metal carports. Just…open space. “Ugh.” So far, he wasn’t impressed with Montana. “The last best place my ass,” he said, referencing one of the many slogans he’d heard used for the state. “Does seem like it’s the last place, period. Nothing but mountains and cows and pickup trucks.” Well, he’d wanted to come, so he needed to shut up. Noel turned the car off and unbuckled. It was almost dark, and he kind of wanted to see the sky. That was one thing he’d definitely enjoyed on the week-long drive from California. He’d seen some amazing night skies. Something told him that Montana would offer him one that was simply stunning. “State has to have something going for it.” He got out and gathered his laptop bag from the passenger seat. After he had his luggage, too, Noel headed up the sidewalk to the house. The sidewalk itself was indicative of the whole neighbourhood. Worn, cracked in places, in serious need of weeding. Looked almost like it’d be easier to tear the whole walk up and re-pour new cement for it, rather than patch the cracks. Not that Noel was volunteering, no way. He wasn’t built for manual labour. His gently sculpted muscles had taken forever to find beneath the flab he used to carry. That was the hardest he could work, and while he was proud of his slimmed down body, it’d really only caused him more trouble than not. Noel sniffed. Who’d known that trying to get himself in shape would attract all the shallow assholes right to him? It’d been flattering at first. After all, he’d been the shy, fat boy www.totallybound.com

who’d been teased in school up until then. To find men coming up to him and hitting on him once he’d lost weight and toned up some had been kind of addictive. And okay, he’d maybe developed a bit of an ego for a while there, but that had been well and truly demolished after the last disastrous relationship. “Ugh. Just don’t even go there,” he muttered to himself. He’d got used to his own chatter on the drive. The quiet had been unnerving when he’d grown sick of his playlists. Beside the sidewalk, Noel noticed dead plants. Some kind of flowers, though he didn’t know what type they were. Other than dead, obviously. Crumbling edging, uneven and appearing to be made of faded brown or black plastic, ran parallel to either side of the walk. The rest of the yard seemed okay, if in need of a mowing. Rose bushes surrounded the porch, and at least those plants appeared to be thriving. Over-thriving, even. Noel was pretty sure they needed to be pruned, or maybe groomed with a blow-torch. He heard the squeak of the door just before Aunt Gertie stepped outside. “Noel Cuthbert, you get up here and give me a hug!” All of the troubles that had been riding on Noel’s shoulders fell away, at least for a few minutes as he rushed up the stairs. They groaned beneath his feet and he hoped that the old wood wouldn’t give way on him. The porch itself wasn’t any more stable. The wooden slats were bowed all over, and a couple were even missing. “Aunt Gertie.” Noel stopped in front of his aunt. She wasn’t much shorter than his fiveten, maybe five-eight or so. They were close enough in height that he didn’t have to stoop to hug her, anyway. “Come here, boy,” she said gruffly as she reached for him. Noel barely had time to set the bags down before he was pulled into her surprisingly strong embrace. “Hi.” Gertie smoothed her hands in circles over his back. “I’m sorry for whatever hurt you, honey, but I’m so glad you’re here.” Noel almost laughed at that, but he was afraid he’d end up sobbing if he opened his mouth just then. “You don’t have to tell me, not ever, but if you want to, I’ll listen. You know I will.” Gertie kissed his cheek then, keeping one arm around him, leant back enough to push the chunk of hair back off his brow. With the dimming light, it was impossible to make out the www.totallybound.com

colour of her eyes, but Noel didn’t have to. He saw her eyes every time he looked in the mirror, the grey-rimmed green identical, just like the shape of their eyes and the thick, dark lashes framing them. He’d always looked more like Gertie than his dad or mom. “Whatever it is, we’ll make it better,” Gertie vowed fiercely. “No one gets to hurt my baby boy.” Noel, at twenty-five, was hardly anyone’s baby anything, but the words still warmed him and for the first time in ages, he truly felt loved. “Thank you, Aunt Gertie.” He had to stop speaking then as his eyes and nose burned with the threat of tears. “Oh, honey, someone’s done a number on you. If I ever do find out the name of that man, or, God help me, men, I’m gonna go to prison.” She grinned in a way that was all teeth and anger. “Be worth it. No one gets to hurt you.” Noel sniffled. He was not going to cry. He hadn’t cried since— No. No going there ever again. “I ought to smack Richard upside the head, and Marcy, too,” Gertie continued. “Your parents are about useless. It’s a miracle you, Josephine and River turned out to be such good people, considering.” “It’s because we had a fabulous aunt to help us when we were growing up,” Noel told her. “If you hadn’t lived with us all those years, there’s no telling how many prison sentences we’d all be serving.” Gertie chortled at that and stepped back a foot or so. “Now, I could be modest, but it’s true that I stayed in California for you kids. Once you moved out, there wasn’t a reason for me to live in that hell-hole with those two parents of yours. I guess they’re still alive.” “Last I heard.” Noel wasn’t even hurt by the fucked up relationship, or lack of, that he had with his parents. “I don’t keep in touch. Neither does Josie or River. I’m assuming the parents are still doing whatever it is they want to with no concern for us.” Gertie tipped her nose up and sniffed. “You know, we weren’t raised up to be such selfish shits. Your daddy was always like that, though. Richard would do whatever it took to have his way and get what he wanted. Never did care who he hurt. I figured when him and your mom hooked up, they’d kill each other, they were so alike.” She waved a hand. “Well, whatever. They ain’t ever gonna change, and you kids came out great despite having a www.totallybound.com

couple of sociopaths for parents. Now, come in here to the kitchen and let me feed you. You’ve got plumb scrawny.” “I’m svelte,” Noel protested as he was tugged along to the kitchen. He inhaled and the scents of garlic and basil made his mouth water. “Pasta?” “You know it. Just ’cause I live in cowboy country doesn’t mean I’m all about steak and taters now. I like my Italian food more than ever, and I’ve got damned great at cooking it.” For the first time since Gertie had moved away, Noel honestly felt like he was home— even if he was in an ass-backward state that was surely filled with homophobes. “I’ve missed you something awful.” Gertie turned her glistening eyes on him as her bottom lip trembled. “Oh, baby boy. You know I missed you kids, so much. Leaving was the hardest thing ever, but I…” She swiped at her left eye as tears leaked onto her cheek. “Well, darn it. I swore I wasn’t gonna cry, but I had to leave, you know. You kids had your own lives. There wasn’t any need for y’all to worry about visiting me when you had things to do, and I sure as hell couldn’t handle Richard and Marcy anymore.” “Not that they were ever around much to begin with.” Noel hugged his aunt, impulsively, tightly, burying his nose in her auburn hair. “You gave up years of your own life for us, living with Mom and Dad.” Gertie slapped him on the butt, hard enough to surprise a squeak out of him. “Now don’t you even start that crap. I didn’t give up nothing. You kids mean everything to me. You know I can’t have kids, and I love ’em so much, that’s why I have the daycare. But you, Josie and River are the babies I never had myself. When Marcy asked me to move in after Josie was born and I saw the way she was with that baby, holding her like she was some kind of weird thing, I had to say yes. I’ve never regretted,” she said fervently. “Never.” Noel knew that Gertie couldn’t have kids of her own, though he’d never asked why. It’d seemed rude to pry, and in the end, the reason didn’t matter. “I’m selfish, maybe, but I’m glad we had you.” “You kids deserved better parents than you got, but I like to think I made a difference.” Gertie sniffled then smiled brightly. “Well now, that’s enough of the mushy business. Unless you’re going to give me names for the jerks I need to break in two, we’re going to drop the serious stuff and have a nice meal while I convince you to move here permanently.” www.totallybound.com

“I love you a lot, Aunt Gertie, but a town like this…” It wouldn’t be a place that took kindly to someone like him, out and proud and more than a little swishy, as his ex had called him. His ex was such a dick. Gertie’s face lit up and she winked at him. “Oh, now, son. You don’t know this town or the people here. And there’s this ranch that hires from every spectrum of the rainbow. Take a seat at the table.” Noel pulled out a chair and sat. “Are you sure you don’t need me to help?” Bertie snorted at him. “So you’re telling me there’s a ranch full of gay cowboys?” he asked instead as she set a large bowl of salad on the table. “Not just gay,” Gertie corrected. “I told you, the whole rainbow. Now, I don’t go asking people if they’re gay or whatever. Never understood how anyone thought they had the right to that kinda information. I mean, no one goes up and asks people if they’re straight. Just stupid.” She added a platter of warm garlic bread to the table. Noel’s stomach growled. “Hungry boy,” Gertie said. “You always loved food, and that’s not a bad thing.” “I love it too much, which is most definitely a bad thing.” Noel cringed when he thought about those painful years when he’d been overweight. He knew first-hand how hateful people could be. “It was a source of comfort.” Gertie added the pasta dish. “You want water, soda or milk?” “Water, please. I don’t drink soda or milk.” Noel figured he was going to get a questioning look over that and he was right. “Soda’s all sugar and the diet stuff is bad, too. Milk has too many antibiotics that come through from the cows—I don’t care what anyone says, that stuff doesn’t just vanish from the milk. There’s those, and growth hormones, and who knows what else in it. Organic milk is expensive. It has too many calories, too. I drink low-cal almond milk when I want something like that.” “Almond milk,” Gertie huffed. “You stayed in California longer than you should have.” Noel laughed and as soon as Gertie took her seat, he dished them out some pasta while she put salad in smaller bowls for each of them. “So, about this ranch. Are you telling me there’s available men, then?” “I’d think so,” Gertie answered. She forked some salad into her mouth and chewed it. www.totallybound.com

Noel wrinkled his nose at her. “Not sure I’m ready for another man.” There was a reason he’d invested in a Fleshlight, after all. It wasn’t just strictly for getting off, but hopefully for keeping him from doing something stupid, like turning to another man. For anything. Gertie pointed her fork at him. “Now you stop that kind of thinking right there. You’re young. Heck, I’m only forty-five, and I’m young. Well, young enough. I haven’t given up on love and you ain’t going to, either.” “If you say so,” Noel muttered. “You’ll find Mr Right, but I won’t.” Gertie cocked her head and smirked. “Noel. Don’t matter to me if it’s Missus or Mister, as long as my heart trusts them. You get past that cynical stage, and you’ll find that you still need love, too.” Gertie’s personal disclosure didn’t really surprise Noel, and as she’d said, making a big deal out of it was foolish. Noel let it pass along with her other claim that he’d get past the cynical stage. She’d left out the hurt, scared, and angry stages. Noel wasn’t sure he’d ever move past all of those.

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About the Author A native Texan, Bailey spends her days spinning stories around in her head, which has contributed to more than one incident of tripping over her own feet. Evenings are reserved for pounding away at the keyboard, as are early morning hours. Sleep? Doesn’t happen much. Writing is too much fun, and there are too many characters bouncing about, tapping on Bailey's brain demanding to be let out. Caffeine and chocolate are permanent fixtures in Bailey’s office and are never far from hand at any given time. Removing either of those necessities from Bailey’s presence can result in what is known as A Very, Very Scary Bailey and is not advised under any circumstances. Email: [email protected] Bailey loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.totallybound.com.

Also by Bailey Bradford Breaking the Devil Southwestern Shifters: Rescued Southwestern Shifters: Relentless Southwestern Shifters: Reckless Southwestern Shifters: Rendered Southwestern Shifters: Resilience Southwestern Shifters: Reverence Southwestern Shifters: Revolution Southwestern Shifters: Revenge Southwestern Shifters: Reluctance Southern Spirits: A Subtle Breeze Southern Spirits: When the Dead Speak Southern Spirits: All of the Voices Southern Spirits: Wait Until Dawn Southern Spirits: Aftermath Southern Spirits What Remains Southern Spirits: Ascension Southern Spirits: Whirlwind Love in Xxchange: Rory’s Last Chance Love in Xxchange: Miles To Go Love in Xxchange: Bend Love in Xxchange: What Matters Most Love in Xxchange: Ex’s and O’s Love in Xxchange: A Bit of Me

Love in Xxchange: A Bit of You Love in Xxchange: In My Arms Tonight Love in Xxchange: Where There’s a Will Leopard’s Spots: Levi Leopard’s Spots: Oscar Leopard’s Spots: Timothy Leopard’s Spots: Isaiah Leopard’s Spots: Gilbert Leopard’s Spots: Esau Leopard’s Spots: Sullivan Leopard’s Spots: Wesley Leopard’s Spots: Nischal Leopard’s Spots: Justice Leopard’s Spots: Sabin Leopard’s Spots: Cliff Mossy Glenn Ranch: Chaps and Hope Mossy Glenn Ranch: Ropes and Dreams Mossy Glenn Ranch: Saddles and Memories Mossy Glenn Ranch: Fences and Freedom Mossy Glenn Ranch: Riding and Regrets Yes, Forever: Part One Yes, Forever: Part Two Yes, Forever: Part Three Yes, Forever: Part Four Yes, Forever: Part Five

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