Dex laughed, dodging his brother’s playful punch. Leaving the brothers to their antics, Sloane turned to Ash, accepting his bro hug.

  “What’s up with your nerd husband?” Ash asked, looking comically suspicious. “He greeted me without insulting me. You know how much it throws me off when he acts normal.”

  Dex turned to Cael. “Hey, I need you to come up to the Bat Cave and have a look at Batwing’s operating system. His stealth mode’s busted again.”

  Like Sloane, Cael was well-versed in all things Dex. He narrowed his eyes at his brother.

  “First of all, you’re not Bruce Wayne and you need to stop calling your attic the Bat Cave. Second of all, did you use the drone to pick up donuts again?”

  Dex gasped dramatically, a hand flying to his chest. “Are you suggesting that I would use a multimillion-dollar government intelligence system to fetch me delicious sugary treats?”

  “Gee, what was I thinking,” Cael drawled, unimpressed. “Oh wait, I was thinking yes, because it’s you. What did you do?”

  “He drove it into a tree,” Sloane offered, handing the beer he took from the fridge to Ash.

  “Damn it, Dex!”

  Dex cringed before shaking his head at Sloane. “How could you do me like that, babe?”

  Sloane shrugged. “Hey, better you incur your brother’s wrath than me.” Cael was adorable. Most cheetah Therians tended to be, with their slight frames, cheerful chirps, and big innocent eyes. They were also fierce and had tempers to match their excitable nature.

  Cael rounded on his brother. “I’m going to kick your ass,” he hissed, chasing Dex, who bolted up the stairs.

  With a chuckle, Sloane motioned for Ash to follow him into the living room.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We were offered a mission we don’t agree on.” Sloane took a seat, and Ash sat beside him, waiting. The small list of those who knew of Sloane and Dex’s double lives included the members of their former THIRDS team, Destructive Delta, which was expected, as they’d been recruited as assets. Sloane considered himself lucky to have assets he trusted with both his and his husband’s life.

  No details were left out in bringing Ash up to speed, especially since Ash had been right there with him in that lab all those years ago.

  “What the hell, Sloane? How could he expect you to do something like that?”

  “Actually, Dex is the one set against it.”

  Ash blinked at him before Sloane’s words sank in, and then he jumped to his feet. “Are you fucking kidding me? I can’t believe I’m saying this, and I will deny it to my dying breath, but Dex is right. You can’t accept this mission.”

  Next to Dex, no one was more protective of Sloane than Ash. They were brothers bound not by blood but by a shared past filled with horrors and triumphs. Together they’d survived a childhood of scientific experiments with them as the test subjects. Ash’s strength, stubbornness, and perseverance saw them through the worst years of their lives, propelling them into a career with the Therian Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron—THIRDS.

  Becoming team leader of Destructive Delta had been the proudest moment of Sloane’s life, and marrying his crazy, big-hearted partner had been his happiest.

  “Ash, somewhere out there is a man with a deadly virus who believes himself a god. A monster who’s kidnapping Therians and experimenting on them, selling a promise of Human evolution. I have a chance to do something about it. Tell me you wouldn’t jump at the chance to stop the bastard.”

  Ash shook his head, his amber eyes filled with concern. “Not if I had to risk Cael. This mission isn’t going to just fuck with your head and your Therian half, but you’re being used as bait, pal. No way this Vaughan asshole isn’t going to want you for his fucked-up vaccine, and I’m not even going to get into the fact that the key to him succeeding might be right under his nose. If he gets his hands on Dex—”

  “You know I wouldn’t let that happen. We can handle it.”

  “And your husband? How do you think he’ll handle it?” Ash resumed his seat. “Dex is a lot of things, but one thing you can count on is that no one loves you more than he does. You’re bonded, Sloane. How are you going to act your way through that? When you’re thrown into a fight with another Therian, how is Dex going to pull off not feeling every blow?”

  “I don’t know.” Sloane rubbed his hands over his face and sat back. “Fuck. Maybe you’re right.” They’d promised each other they’d never put a mission before them, before their family. It was bound to happen.

  They would come across missions they’d have to turn down. They were still too green. Three years of fieldwork, of bringing down Therian arms dealers and corrupt government officials, didn’t mean they were ready to step into the shadows with those like Vaughan. Sloane’s phone buzzed, and he pressed his thumb to the screen before facial recognition software scanned his features. The moment he entered his access code, the screen flashed the new intel from TIN. His blood ran cold, and he cursed under his breath.

  “What is it?”

  Sloane swallowed hard. “It looks like the choice was taken away from us.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We received the identity of the Therian being auctioned. Cory Webb is the son of a Therian US Senator. Eight months ago, Cory disappeared while backpacking across Europe with his friends.”

  “Shit. Politics.” Ash shook his head in disgust.

  “That’s not why Dex is going to accept the mission.”

  “Why?”

  Sloane turned his phone over to show Ash the profile of Cory.

  Ash’s eyes went huge, and he snapped his head up. “He looks like a younger version of Cael.”

  A cheetah Therian and all.

  Sloane ran a hand through his hair. Family meant everything to Dex. Cory might not be family, but he represented Dex’s need to protect those he loved. It was the reason he’d joined TIN.

  They all carried baggage with them, and not having been able to prevent his adopted baby brother’s kidnapping several years ago still ate away at Dex, even after he’d managed to rescue Cael.

  Somewhere upstairs a door slammed, and footsteps pounded down the stairs. Ash squeezed Sloane’s knee before standing and turning toward Cael. “Everything okay, sweetheart?”

  “Pigheaded jerkface,” Cael growled rounding the couch. “We’re leaving.” His gaze landed on Sloane, who winced. For a cheetah Therian, Cael had one hell of a glare.

  “He’s taking the mission, isn’t he?” Sloane asked.

  “Of course he’s taking it,” Cael snapped. “I knew this was a mistake.”

  “Cael, your brother is stronger than you give him credit for.” Sloane believed that with every fiber of his being.

  “Oh, I know he’s strong. How else would you explain him surviving every damn thing that’s tried to kill him over the years? This is different. He can’t charm his way out of this one, Sloane. No amount of witty banter, TIN training, or Bond gadget is going to save him. This op will change him. It’ll change you both.” The pain in Cael’s big silver eyes was hard to swallow. They were all protective of Cael. Not because he was weak, but because he had the strongest heart of all of them. He reminded them there was good in the world.

  “You need to trust him,” Sloane said gently.

  Cael closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “Keep him safe. Please.”

  Sloane nodded. He hugged Cael and promised he wouldn’t let anything happen to Dex, then accepted Ash’s sympathetic pat on the shoulder. After the two were gone, he stood alone in the living room. He dropped back onto the couch and waited. His felid half paced, restless because his mate was restless. It didn’t take long for Dex to come downstairs.

  “Come here.” Sloane opened his arms, and Dex fit himself against Sloane’s side, his head tucked under Sloane’s chin. “He’s worried about you.”

  “I know.”

  “He’s right.”

  Dex pulled back and studied him. “About what?”

  “Dex, if we fail—”

  “We won’t.” Dex’s determination and conviction were unflappable.

  “But if we do…”

  “We won’t fail.” Dex laid his head back against Sloane’s chest, and Sloane hugged him close.

  For both their sakes, he sure as hell hoped Dex was right.

  CHAPTER THREE

  [Location: Daley house, Redacted, New York City]

  This was it. The reason they’d accepted the offer to join TIN.

  As THIRDS agents they’d taken down criminals and extremist groups. They’d sacrificed and put themselves in the line of fire day in and day out to keep their city safe. They’d been the pawns of a puppet master, one who’d been responsible for so much destruction, for the death of Dex’s parents when he’d been just a child. That had prompted Dex to become more than a TIN asset. He’d wanted to strike before those assholes could. To keep those he loved safe.

  Emotions shouldn’t factor into his job as an operative, but how could they not? That’s what drove him to do the right thing. Hell, his middle name was literally Justice. It was ingrained into every fiber of his being. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Cory’s face. A young cheetah Therian alone and vulnerable, taken by a group of vile, heartless monsters to be sold and dissected.

  Dex climbed beneath the covers, moonlight filtering into the darkened room through the parted curtains on the window. He lay on his side of the bed, staring at the ceiling while Sloane was in the bathroom. Heaviness filled the air, his chest tight. He’d been so lost in thought he didn’t hear Sloane come out, only felt the mattress dip when his husband climbed into bed. He pulled Dex close.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  Dex shook his head, eyes closed as he inhaled Sloane’s scent, a mixture of sandalwood, eucalyptus, and his mate. It filled Dex and calmed him. Wherever they were, Sloane was his home. It was the one constant, the one thing that couldn’t change. He turned to face Sloane and slipped his hand beneath Sloane’s T-shirt, his fingers meeting soft skin over firm muscle. Sensing what he needed, Sloane rolled Dex onto his back and covered Dex’s body with his own. He kissed Dex, and Dex parted his lips, bringing their tongues together, deepening their kiss.

  “I love you,” Sloane whispered against Dex’s mouth as he rolled his hips, his hard erection rubbing against Dex’s, making him groan.

  “I love you too,” Dex replied, tugging at Sloane’s T-shirt, bringing it up over his head. Sloane finished removing it and sat back long enough to divest Dex of his own shirt before returning to trail kisses down Dex’s jaw to his neck. Pulse pounding, Dex arched his body and threw his head back, exposing his neck, knowing the effect it had on his jaguar Therian husband.

  Sloane’s growl was low and feral, his hot breath heavy as he scraped his teeth over Dex’s neck. They laced their fingers together, and Sloane moved Dex’s arms above his head, then slid his strong hands down Dex’s arms, his lips pressed to his skin as he kissed his way down Dex’s torso. He flicked his tongue against one of Dex’s nipples, making him suck in a sharp breath. Taking his time, Sloane lavished attention on each of Dex’s nipples before continuing his trail of kisses down to Dex’s stomach, a hand slipping beneath the waistband of his boxer briefs.

  “You’re so hard and wet for me,” Sloane murmured, palming Dex’s leaking cock and running a thumb over the head.

  “Sloane.” Dex arched his back again, doing his best to keep his arms held high above his head, allowing Sloane to slowly torture him with his sinful mouth and strong hands. As a jaguar Therian, Sloane was lethal even without his training, his Therian form a sleek, powerful felid with jaws that could crush a man’s skull. And yet his touch was gentle, the love in his heart capable of bringing Dex to his knees.

  Sloane moved away only long enough to get them both naked, and then he was back to palming Dex’s erection, his precome easing the friction. He stroked Dex as they kissed, need building, stirring something deep inside him, setting every inch of him on fire. Dex writhed in Sloane’s grip, his nails digging into Sloane’s back making him hiss.

  “That’s it. Lose yourself in me. You’re so damn beautiful.” Sloane swallowed Dex’s cock, making him cry out. He grabbed fistfuls of Sloane’s hair, his toes curling as Sloane sucked him, the heated pressure sending tremors through him. A whimper escaped him when Sloane popped off to grab the lube from the nightstand drawer. He spread Dex’s legs and placed a lubed finger to Dex’s hole, his lips on Dex’s again, kissing the breath out of him as he pushed a finger inside.

  Dex moaned, and Sloane continued his slow torture before replacing his fingers with his thick, hard cock. Sloane paused, checking he was okay. He was always so attentive, so aware of his strength even when he didn’t need to be. Dex nodded, gasping when Sloane sank into him, stretching him, the burn temporary before Sloane was buried deep inside him.

  “Oh God, Sloane,” Dex said through a gasp.

  “That’s it, baby. This here is ours. Only ours. Nothing’s going to change that. No matter what happens, you’re always going to be my beautiful husband, my mate, my love.”

  “Sloane. Please…”

  Sloane moved one of Dex’s hands to his cock so he could jerk himself off as Sloane rolled his hips, moving gingerly, driving Dex crazy. He needed more, needed to feel Sloane deep inside his soul. Something itched inside Dex, clawing, demanding.

  Dex pushed himself up to throw an arm around Sloane’s neck, bringing their lips together in a sloppy, ardent kiss. Sloane slipped his arm around Dex’s back and pulled Dex along with him as he sat back on his heels. Straddling Sloane’s lap, Dex dug his fingers into the defined muscles of Sloane’s shoulders, basking in the strength of his husband, in the feel of his hard body and heated skin.

  Sloane gripped Dex’s waist, lifting him and bringing him back down on his stiff length, the friction incredible. “Look at me. Keep your eyes on mine.”

  “I need you,” Dex breathed.

  “I will always be here for you,” Sloane promised, and Dex knew he’d keep his word until his dying breath. He snapped his hips and slipped the fingers of his left hand into Dex’s hair, his right hand cupping Dex’s cheek.

  Dex smiled. Nothing in his life stole his breath away like Sloane. They shouldn’t have worked, Dex with his endless cheerfulness and shenanigans, and Sloane with his darkness and brooding, but instead they balanced each other out. They fit like two perfect puzzle pieces. Sloane’s edges had been a little frayed and worn from years of hardship, but they still fit.

  Sloane ran a thumb over Dex’s bottom lip, his breath catching when Dex opened his eyes, loving that all these years later he could steal Sloane’s breath away. Sloane’s thrusts were small but deep, each one hitting Dex’s sweet spot.

  “Nothing is more beautiful than you coming apart for me, your lips parted, skin flushed, body trembling.” Sloane snapped his hips up as he brought Dex down against him.

  “Sloane!”

  “Come for me, baby.” Sloane quickened his pace, and Dex chased his release. It didn’t take long, not with Sloane pounding into him, Dex’s hole stretched impossibly wide as Sloane drove himself up into him over and over. Dex cried out, his nails digging into Sloane’s shoulders as he threw his head back, ribbons of come shooting up between them. “Oh fuck, Dex.” Sloane’s movements grew erratic before he tipped over the edge, his scream muffled in Dex’s neck as he filled Dex with his hot come.

  Their panting breath could be heard in the otherwise quiet room as they held on to each other. Dex peppered Sloane’s shoulder with feathery kisses, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the closeness. They might be partners out in the field, but they each had their objectives during an op, and sometimes that meant hours or even days apart. Easy enough for most couples, but a whole other story for bonded mates. They’d trained hard to make it work. Sloane hissed as he slipped out of Dex. He followed up with a tender kiss, his fingers trailing down Dex’s spine before they were forced to move.

  “We’ll be okay,” Sloane promised.

  “I know.” One more kiss, then Dex reluctantly got up—or he would have easily fallen asleep sitting on Sloane—and let Sloane coax him into the shower. They made it a quick one before climbing back into bed and snuggling close. As tired as Dex was, he wanted to enjoy this moment at home with his husband for as long as he could. Soon they’d be back on a plane to who knew where to face who knew what. He hoped they were as ready as they believed. They had to be.

  [Location: TIN HQ Redacted, Redacted, New York City]

  “Let me guess. You’re accepting the mission.”

  Dex nodded from where he sat in front of Austen’s desk. It had taken some getting used to, having Austen as their handler after years of him being Destructive Delta’s CI before they discovered he was actually a TIN freelance operative. Austen accepting the position of handler had come as a surprise to them, not simply because he’d have to handle Dex—which was shocking enough—but because it was a behind-the-scenes job, and a good deal of the time, a behind-the-desk job. Cheetah Therians weren’t very good at sitting still. They needed to work off their boundless energy, what with them being jittery at the best of times, but Austen made it work somehow.

  Austen had wanted out, but an operative who’d made as many enemies as he had couldn’t walk away from the kind of protection TIN provided. Not when the reason behind his accepting the promotion meant more to Austen than anything.

  Dex smiled. “Congratulations, by the way. I heard Zach made team leader.” He chuckled at Austen’s groan.

  “Yeah, because that’s what I need, more gray hairs.”

  Osmond Zachary was a bear Therian the size of a mountain, and just as solid. He was also madly, stupidly in love with his grumpy cheetah Therian boyfriend. It was adorable. Austen had been willing to walk away from TIN for Zach, but it was because of Zach that he’d stayed, albeit in a somewhat less perilous position.