Chapter One
Connor sighed, hunched his huge shoulders, and tried to disappear into the wallpaper. It wasn’t easy, given that he was one of the biggest men in the pack, but he had to try. He hated being at these pack gatherings, but as beta for his pack, he really didn’t have a choice. When Alpha Davis gave an order, he jumped, just like any other wolf in the pack with an ounce of common sense.
But for the love of God, did everyone have to be so damn forward and sex-minded? It made Connor’s skin itch anytime anyone came close to him, although most of his regular pack members knew better than to try anything with him. Unfortunately, this particular evening there were members of a neighboring pack in town. Davis decided to throw a meet and greet party, and despite Connor’s extensive arguments, the Alpha had insisted that his beta attend.
As he watched the blatant sexuality around him, Conner wondered,Why can’t everyone just accept that I’m a broken fucking wolf and be done with it?Like most shifters, wolves had a high sexual appetite and if they weren’t mated, they were happy to get up close and personal with anyone who happened to catch their eye. Connor was deliberately trying to hide in the corner, because he didn’t want to catch an eye, hand, or anything else that might be offered.
It wasn’t that Connor couldn’t appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the people around him. He had noticed some really good-looking men and women in the room - especially one particular male. Connor had caught the man’s eye the moment the man walked into the room, but quickly looked away. He wasn’t into leading anyone on. But after an hour of surreptitiously looking, he had to admit, to himself at least, the object of his appreciation was particularly tasty. Not that he was going to do anythingabout it. For a start there was a crowd six deep around that tasty hunk.
It would seem the delicious stranger wasn’t averse to the attention either, flirting madly with men and women alike. Connor looked away as the man in question put his arms around the closest man and woman, clearly getting down to the groping side of things. It wouldn’t be long before the three would be off finding a dark corner or a truck bed somewhere. Forcing himself not to watch, Connor turned his head, looking straight into the eyes of his alpha.
“How long do you think you are going to prop up this wall?” Alpha Davis slid along the wall beside him and looked out over the crowd. There were more than fifty shifters in the room - everyone having a great time. The drinks were flowing, there was plenty of food on the long tables and most people had found someone to play with. The smell of arousal and testosterone was making Connor’s nose twitch, and he hoped he didn’t sneeze on the Alpha.
“You said I had to attend, Alpha, so I’m here. Just making sure there isn’t any trouble,” Connor said, tilting his neck slightly to show submission. Although he and Davis were friends and had grown up together, it was never a good idea to disrespect someone the size of his Alpha. Connor was tall at six foot four, but Davis had three inches and about eighty pounds on Connor.
Davis sighed and handed Connor a beer. “These meet and greets are supposed to help pack members find their mates. You aren’t going to find anybody if you keep hugging the shadows like you are. You need to get out and mingle a bit.”
“I don’t want to find my mate, you know that,” Connor said quietly, knowing that Davis would hear him clearly enough, even with the noise around them.
“And I’m telling you yourambivalencetoward sex will change when you scent your intended,” Davis said.
Connor flushed. He wasn’t ambivalent about sex. He just thought his first time should be with someone who took the time to get to know him first. Connor knew that being a thirty-year-old virgin was virtually unheard of in shifter circles. But he couldn’t help the way he felt, and a casual fuck just wouldn’t do it for him. Connor was worried sick that hewouldmeet his mate one day. The wholemine,fuck, and claimbusiness was usually done within hours of meeting, but Connor knew that he couldn’t be like that - not even with a fated mate.
“You know I don’t want that to happen,” Connor said, forgetting for a moment that he was speaking to his alpha. “I meet my mate. He wants to fuck. I want to get to know him first. I can see that going down like a lead balloon. It would be better not to meet him at all. At least then this mythical person won’t know his mate’s a fuck-up.”
“If he’s your true mate, then he will wait. And you aren’t a fuck-up, you’re just different,” Davis said, looking Connor straight in the eyes. Connor had no choice but to bow his head. He wasn’t stupid enough to challenge his friend.
“It would be a lot easier…” Connor started to say, still staring at the floor, when a honeyed deep voice interrupted them.
“Davis, thank you for your hospitality this evening. My pack members are all having so much fun.”
Conner felt a shiver of recognition shimmy its way down his spine. He could listen to that voice forever. His wolf, usually a grouchy bastard, was whining in his head, apparently more than happy to belly-up for the stranger. Connor kept his head bowed, determined not to look at anyone that could attract his wolf in such an uncharacteristic way.
“Leyden, I wasn’t sure if you were going to come over this evening. Although I see you’ve been enjoying the company,” Davis said with a laugh.
“I’m just being friendly,” Leyden said with a laugh of his own.
Oh my freaking god.Connor wanted to wallow in that sound and just…wallow in it. Nervous, because this was not the way he normally reacted to anyone, Connor decided a hasty retreat was in order. He needed to do some serious thinking and get his head on straight. He slowly sidled his way along the wall, away from his Alpha and that tempting voice. But the Fates weren’t smiling on him.
“Connor,” Davis said sharply, stopping Connor in his tracks. “Meet Alpha Leyden. Leyden is new to his position, but his pack is our neighbor. Leyden, this is Connor, my beta and pack second.”
Connor looked up and he knew it, he just fucking knew it. That honeyed voice Connor was already in love with just had to belong to his earlier object of appreciation. Connor wanted to run. He wanted out of the room. He had never seen such perfection before - especially so close up.
Leyden was almost as tall as Davis. Connor had already noted his big sexy build, long black wavy hair, legs that wouldn’t stop and an ass so tight in those pants he knew the man wasn’t wearing underwear. But close up, Connor could see eyes of pale gray staring at him with an unusual intensity. He just had enough time to note the smooth tanned skin, the straight nose that was just the perfect size for the man’s face, and a set of the plushest, reddest lips he had ever seen. And his scent…
“Mine,” Leyden snarled, and his arm came out toward Connor.
Close to panic, Connor did the only thing he could think of doing. Nodding his head to both the alphas, Connor turned andbarreled his way through the crowd, as fast as he was able. Thank the Fates most people in his pack knew to get out of his way. He heard both Leyden and Davis call out to him but for the first time in his life, he ignored the pull of the alphas and ran.
Bursting out the doors of the pack hall, Connor sprinted around the corner of the building, ignoring a few couples that were making out in the shadows. Flinging off his clothes so quickly he was sure they were ripped, Connor shifted into his wolf form and ran as fast as he could into the trees.
He had to get away. He just had to get away.
Chapter Two
Leyden tried to push through the crowds, just as he had watched Connor do moments before. But whereas people got out of Connor’s way, Leyden was attracting so much attention it wasn’t funny. Hands groping him, men and women both standing in his way, trying to catch his eye. Finally Leyden started growling, pushing out his alpha power. As if by magic the way cleared for him and Leyden ran out into the night. But he already knew, before his nose even told him, that that delectable man named Connor was already long gone.
Davis came running up beside him as he stood looking out through the trees. “What the fuck, Leyden? You had no right using your power on my pack,” he snarled.
