“Oh fuck, fuck. Aidan!” Zane’s voice cracked as he yelled for his mate. He felt the man’s presence in his mind first, trying to soothe and calm Zane before the thundering sound of footsteps shook the hall. The bedroom door was swung open violently and it made a cracking sound as it hit the wall.

  “Zane!” Aidan’s strong arms were around him, pressing Zane’s back to Aidan’s chest. Shudders racked Zane’s body, so strongly they were painful. His teeth chattered and he tried to speak but couldn’t seem to form the words.

  Aidan sat and slid his legs along the outside of Zane’s thighs. He rocked back and forth, murmuring soothing words as he stroked over Zane’s chest and stomach. Apologies and soft promises surrounded Zane, loosed from Aidan’s lips and mind. Aidan turned his head, and Zane tried to focus on what—no, who—his mate was looking at. Gabe and Mika stood in the bathroom doorway, fear and regret on their faces.

  Zane didn’t want to see it, didn’t want their pity or guilt. He squeezed his eyes shut but popped them back open. Closing them only brought anger closer to the surface. The force of his fury terrified him. Zane groaned and tried to grab his head. Aidan’s hands caught his forearms and locked them to his sides. He began to struggle with all his might, trying to break free. The need to strike out against the man who had hurt him was overwhelming and the wolf in him wanted to escape.

  “Mika, Gabe,” Aidan’s voice was firm and left no room for arguments. “Get over here and fucking help!”

  “Are you sure holding him back is the right thing to do?” Gabe asked anyway.

  “I know turning him loose right now would be the wrong thing to do! He’s hurt and scared—” Aidan jerked as Zane managed to land a blow to Aidan’s ribs.

  Two more pairs of hands reached for him. Aidan stood and pulled Zane up with him, keeping Zane’s back pressed to his chest. Zane tried to fling his head back, but Aidan slid his arms up under Zane’s armpits and brought his forearms up to clasp his hands to the back of Zane’s head. Gabe and Mika grabbed his legs and Zane howled with fury as the three men carried him back to the bed.

  Zane landed face first on the mattress with Aidan’s full weight coming down on top of him. It was enough to startle him into submission—at least until he could breathe again.

  “Leave!” Aidan snapped the command out.

  “Aidan, maybe we should—” Gabe’s opinion was cut short by Aidan’s angry growl and Mika’s sharp voice.

  “Gabe! Do what Aidan says! If Zane’s wolf is fighting to get out, and it’s anywhere near as angry as he is…” Mika let the rest of the sentence trail off.

  “Fine. But I don’t like it.” The door slammed shut as Gabe and Mika left.

  Aidan grunted as Zane resumed thrashing beneath him. He was terrified of what would happen if Zane shifted right now. There were cases where shifters had given up their human sides and reverted to their wolf natures. If Zane shifted and that happened, there would be no way to bring him back. Aidan’s chest hurt at the very idea of losing his mate in such a manner…in any manner.

  Zane’s elbow made contact with Aidan’s jaw and had him seeing stars.

  “Fuck! Goddamnit, Zane! Stop it!” Aidan’s patience was wearing thin. Guilt at forcing Zane to recount his abuse and accept it as such ate at Aidan. Zane jerked his head back and caught Aidan square in the face. Pain and fury vied for dominance inside him as his own wolf demanded submission from its mate.

  Aidan struggled with himself, but in the end, he couldn’t see any other way. This wasn’t how he’d wanted to mark Zane, but enough was enough. If Aidan didn’t do it now, one of them would very likely end up seriously hurt. Need tinged with excitement washed through him as he pushed Zane’s head to the side with one hand. His other gripped his mate’s shoulder, pulling the skin taut where neck and shoulder met.

  Zane bucked beneath him and Aidan dropped his head down, growling as he gave a warning lick to his mate. When Zane bucked again and snarled in response, Aidan’s temper snapped. He bit quick and deep, burying his incisors into his mate’s flesh. The taste of Zane’s blood on his tongue shot straight to Aidan’s cock, making him hurt with the need to claim his mate. Zane scrabbled at the blankets and mattress, twisting and trying to free himself.

  Aidan clamped his mouth down harder, pinning his mate to the mattress. Another rumbling growl worked its way free from his chest, and Zane finally stilled, body going limp as he submitted to the more powerful wolf. A soft whimper left Zane’s lips, and he pressed his ass up, rubbing against Aidan’s aching erection.

  Aidan didn’t let up. He sucked hard and kept his grip, needing to ensure that the mark he left on Zane was unquestionable. After the fight the man had put him through, the fear that Zane would be lost to him forever, Aidan needed to make sure his mate knew Aidan wouldn’t let him go. Not now, not ever.

  When moans and pleas for more started falling from Zane’s mouth, Aidan began to lave the mark with his tongue. He peppered the bite with kisses and licks that had Zane squirming beneath him instead of thrashing, begging for Aidan to fuck him instead of cursing him.

  Aidan lifted enough to pull his and Zane’s sweats and underwear down. He used his feet to kick them the rest of the way off. Aidan whipped his shirt off and threw it to the floor. He glanced at the nightstand but didn’t see the lube. A quick look around didn’t turn it up anywhere on the floor.

  Aidan slipped an arm under Zane and pulled him up onto his knees. His mate was flushed with need and Aidan was, too. The sight of Zane’s pale bubble butt thrust up in the air, his head lowered onto his forearms on the bed… Aidan couldn’t wait. He grabbed Zane’s ass, parted his cheeks and leant in to run his tongue over the tight pink hole. Zane moaned and pushed his ass against Aidan’s face. Aidan squeezed the firm cheeks in his hands and licked Zane’s snug pucker with slow strokes, using his lips, tongue, teeth, and fingers to push himself and his mate as far as he could.

  When Zane’s entire body was trembling, his breath a series of spastic pants, and the only sounds the man could form were whimpers of need, Aidan pulled his mouth and fingers away from Zane’s saliva slicked hole. He spit in his hand and coated his cock then plunged in hard and deep, burying his prick to the hilt in Zane’s ass.

  Aidan’s shout of triumph covered Zane’s strangled yell. Aidan shouted again as Zane shoved back and gyrated his hips, trying to get Aidan to move. He leant over Zane, covering his body completely and wrapped his arms around Zane. Short, hard thrusts were what they needed, rocking and shoving against each other, Aidan grinding his hips into the firm flesh of Zane’s ass.

  Zane’s hand slid down and he fisted his cock as Aidan was drawn to the mark he had put on his mate. As Zane’s inner muscles tightened around Aidan’s prick, Aidan sucked on the mark he had left on Zane. His hips pumped faster and erratically as the scent of Zane’s seed filled the air. Aidan grunted and thrust once more, stilling as Zane’s ass clamped tight, holding Aidan’s dick still in its silken vice. He felt each jet of come work up from his balls almost painfully as he groaned and dug his feet into the bed searching for a way to get deeper.

  Zane collapsed, his legs shooting out from beneath him. Aidan tried to catch himself but his body felt utterly boneless, and he landed without the least bit of grace on top of his mate. They lay pressed together, Aidan’s greater weight pinning Zane down. Sweat coated their bodies as their lungs pumped hard. When their breathing slowed, Aidan started to slide off of Zane with the intention of crawling from the bed and grabbing a cloth to clean them both. As soon as he started to move, Zane gripped Aidan’s hip.

  “Please.” The word was spoken so quietly Aidan wasn’t sure he’d heard it until Zane repeated it again.

  “I want you to be able to breathe a bit easier,” Aidan pointed out, but Zane shook his head.

  “I need this.” Zane’s voice cracked as he tried to continue. He swallowed and looked at Aidan with the one silver eye that wasn’t pressed into the pillow. “I feel… safe.”

  Every one of Aidan’s arguments withered up and died right then. He lay back on Zane fully, covering his mate with his body and silently vowed to do everything he could to make sure Zane felt safe from now on.

  * * * *

  Zane’s rumbling stomach woke him, that and the fact he had what had to be over two hundred and fifty pounds of rock hard man lying on top of him. This time, the chaotic emotions didn’t assail him—they were there, and he did need to deal with them, but they were under control. Zane had thought he was losing his mind earlier when he had been unable to control his violent reaction to his suddenly overwhelming emotions.

  If it hadn’t been for the man now squishing him into the mattress… Well, it didn’t bear thinking about. Aidan shifted and rubbed his erection against Zane’s ass. A big hand traced down Zane’s side, and Zane’s stomach rumbled again. Aidan rolled off of Zane and sat up. Zane flopped onto his back to find Aidan studying him carefully, his brows knitting until they nearly touched over his nose.

  Aidan’s gaze shifted to the mark on Zane’s neck—Zane hadn’t forgotten for one moment that it was there, or what it felt like to be claimed by his mate. Had Aidan done it to prevent Zane from fighting him any more, or was it because he felt something for Zane? He didn’t know and very much wanted to. Asking, though, was a bit daunting at this point. Aidan reached out and stroked the bite mark he had left. The gentle touch sent a shiver rippling down Zane’s body.

  “How do you feel?” Aidan kept tracing the mark even as his brown eyes met Zane’s. The things Zane thought he saw in the depths of his mate’s eyes made his heart beat faster and his breath stutter.

  “Better than I did a few hours ago, in some ways. Most ways.” Zane didn’t trust his voice to speak. Zane could still feel the man’s comforting presence in his mind, not prying or guiding, simply there. It reassured him in ways he would never have expected. With Aidan’s help, Zane knew he would be able to deal with what had happened to him. He wouldn’t shift and flee and possibly lose his humanity, nor would he lose his mind as he had often feared.

  A slight smile tipped Aidan’s lips. “Good. Let me get a cloth and clean us up, then we will see what we can do about getting us both fed.”

  “I can get up—” Zane started to sit up but Aidan’s big hand landed on his chest and pushed Zane back down.

  The gentle look Aidan sent him nearly undid Zane. “I know you can, but I want to take care of you, please.”

  Zane nodded, touched unbearably by the simple request. It had him daring to believe Aidan had chosen to mark him for reasons other than the need to show dominance.

  “Yes, although I will not lie to you and tell you that need wasn’t there. Your wolf brought out the need in mine.” Aidan’s words were barely a whisper in Zane’s mind, as if the man were afraid of hurting Zane through their link. “But the man in me had an entirely different reason for placing that mark on you. It had nothing to do with being the alpha and everything to do with how I feel about you.”

  It was enough for Zane. He didn’t need words when he could feel the emotions burning bright in Aidan. Nodding, Zane let his head sink into the pillow and closed his eyes, savouring the novel experience of being cared for. He listened to the sounds of Aidan’s movements as the man found a cloth and turned on the water to wet it. Even with the warning of the faucet being shut off and Aidan’s approaching footsteps, Zane still jumped when the warm wet material swiped over his skin. Aidan’s murmured apology sent a rush of tender feelings through Zane, and he reached out to capture Aidan’s hand in his own.

  The mattress shifted as Aidan’s knee touched his side then there was the soft brush of Aidan’s lips across his. He sought to deepen the kiss but Aidan pulled back. Zane peeked at his mate to find the man shaking his head.

  “None of that, or we will end up missing another meal or two,” Aidan teased. “Now, let’s get dressed before your stomach gnaws its way through your backbone. I think mine has already started that process.”

  Letting go of Aidan’s hand, Zane sat up and looked for his clothes. They dressed quickly, with Zane doing his best to keep from staring at his mate’s sculpted body. His stomach was cramping with hunger pangs and his prick was trying to do its best to get Zane to ignore the need for sustenance. Zane reached down and pressed the heel of his hand to his erection, hoping to get himself under control.

  “God, Zane…”

  Zane looked up to find Aidan staring at his hand, or more appropriately, his prick. In a blur of movement, Aidan was before Zane, cupping the back of his head with one hand and his ass with the other. Aidan brought their hips together at the same time his mouth plundered Zane’s in a kiss that was demanding and desperate and pretty much short circuited Zane’s brain.

  Aidan stepped back as quickly as he had approached and shook his head. “Come on, we both need food.” He walked to the door and held it open for Zane, shooting him a sharp look. “No more touching yourself until we’ve eaten.”

  That had to be the oddest order Zane had ever gotten. Laughing, he headed out the door, making sure to brush his hip against Aidan’s erection as he passed. The resulting growl from his mate didn’t surprise him, but the swat on his butt did. Zane glared at Aidan over his shoulder, and the expression on the man’s face made Zane’s balls tingle and tighten. He refused to believe it had anything to do with Aidan’s big palm making contact with his ass.

  Aidan gave him a knowing smirk and snickered. “The things I can teach you, mate,” he purred against Zane’s ear as he slung an arm around him.

  “Oh shit,” Zane muttered as he stumbled over his own feet, images flashing in his head that he was certain Aidan must have supplied, because surely he wasn’t that creative. Aidan’s arm tightened around him, helping Zane to keep from tumbling to the floor.

  “I think you’re very creative,” Aidan whispered in a silky voice. “Those are all your ideas.”

  “Oh shit,” Zane muttered again, but he couldn’t fight back a smile. He felt happy and wanted for the first time since he could remember. He had Aidan beside him, his mate, and Aidan would help Zane deal with what had happened in his past. He wasn’t alone, not any more, and that surety was embedded in his heart. Aidan was his, and he would stop at nothing to protect Zane. His mate was, as he had said before, relentless, and that was exactly what Zane needed.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Zane couldn’t say that he thought the small town of Shasta was enchanting. He and Aidan got some very curious and sometimes nearly hostile looks from the townspeople as they ate their meal. How in the world did Gabe and Mika tolerate this kind of scrutiny? Were people staring because they were strangers or did they give off some…gay vibes? Something?

  Aidan coughed suddenly and Zane realised his mate was smothering a laugh.

  “Well? What do you expect me to think?” Zane set the salt shaker down a little harder than was necessary. He didn’t know how to handle the looks they kept getting.

  “I expect you to realise that most of these people here are curious as to who we are…and quite a few have been leering at you in a truly slutty manner.” Aidan winked and resumed eating his meal.

  Zane tried to look around without being obvious about it. Okay, so maybe some of those looks were, ah, rather lusty. At least the ones from the women, and Zane didn’t think for one minute they were directed at him, not with Aidan sitting across from him. That man could inspire anyone, male or female, to drool a bit. Okay, a lot.

  Aidan coughed again, this time choking on his food. He grabbed his glass and took a quick drink before narrowing his eyes at Zane. “Stop it! You’re going to kill me!’

  Zane opened his mouth to reply but was stopped by the approach of a sheriff. Oh shit, what had they done now? Zane could almost hear the sound of banjos playing in his head. He bit his tongue against a yelp when Aidan kicked his shin under the table.

  “Stop it! You’re going to get us killed!” The humour in Aidan’s message was mixed with enough sincerity to encourage Zane to get his wayward thoughts under control. He and Aidan both watched the sheriff watch them as he drew nearer.

  The sheriff stopped at the edge of their table and looked at them for a long minute. Zane felt his defences kick in and would have said something that most likely would have caused them trouble if Aidan hadn’t been a reassuring presence in Zane’s mind.

  “Just wait him out. Aidan brushed Zane’s calf with his foot and then stilled, every sense on alert. “Zane, do you—”

  Zane inhaled and froze in surprise. “Yeah,” he muttered, forgetting that Aidan had spoken to him silently.

  “Yeah?” One of the sheriff’s sandy coloured eyebrows shot up.

  Oh shit. Zane sputtered, trying to think up an excuse. Aidan stepped in and saved him.

  “I believe he was answering a question I asked before you arrived, Sheriff.” Aidan kept his voice calm and friendly. The man didn’t look the least bit rattled, which made Zane want to start reeling off scenes from the movie Deliverance in his head.

  Aidan glared at him. “Stop. It!”

  “You two pulled up in Gabe’s truck,” the sheriff stated. “Who are you, and why are you driving his truck?”

  Aidan’s smile was damn near angelic. “We’re friends of Mika’s, and now Gabe’s. I’m Aidan Criswell, and this is my… ” Aidan paused and winked at the sheriff, “my close friend, Zane Mitchell.”

  The man’s cheeks pinkened as he realised what Aidan meant. “And you’re introducing yourselves in such a way… why?”

  Aidan and Zane both looked past the Sheriff to the dark headed man wearing a lab coat who was standing by the door. They turned back to the nosy man at their table and offered him two looks that should have answered the question for him. When the sheriff remained silent, Aidan tipped his head in the direction of the man wearing a lab coat.