Hudson gave a start. For a moment, he’d forgotten all about Dex. “Terribly sorry. You go ahead. I think I’ll have another one of those lovely shots.”

  “Okay. See you on the dance floor.” Dex gave him a wink and headed off, dancing his way to Sloane.

  “Hey, Doc.”

  Turning, Hudson found Trent smiling brightly at him. “Oh, hello, Trent.”

  “Listen, um, I was wondering if you’d dance with me?”

  Hudson was going to politely decline when he heard West laughing and asking Seb to protect him. He turned in time to catch West all but climbing onto Seb’s lap in an attempt to avoid Dom’s playful assault. Instead of extricating West from his person, Seb simply laughed. He threw an arm around West’s back, catching him before West could topple out of his chair. Hudson’s inner wolf bristled as Seb pretended to drop him, making West flail and laugh. He threw his arms around Seb’s neck as Seb pulled him up.

  The hell with it. Seb clearly wasn’t giving Hudson a second thought. Besides, they weren’t attached. Seb could flirt with West all he wanted, and Hudson could dance with the handsome Trent Carson. Time he stopped pining after Seb like a lovesick pup. Trent didn’t care Hudson was marked, and he was clearly interested in him. Why shouldn’t Hudson give the man a chance? He’d been telling himself for years that he should see other people. Perhaps it was time he stopped being such a coward.

  Sod it. Hudson turned and took Trent’s hand. He smiled brightly.

  “I would love to dance with you.”

  “Stop poking me,” West said through his laughter. “You’re so pokey.” He rolled and jumped to his feet. “Wanna dance?”

  “Thanks, but I’m good.” Seb gave him another poke in his side just for good measure. He pulled his hand away before West could swat it. With a big smile, West grabbed Cael’s arm and tugged. “Come on, Chirpy. Let’s bust some moves.”

  “Oh my God, you did not just call me that, you turd!”

  “Ha!” West darted off with Cael on his heels.

  “Those two are adorable,” Dom said with a chuckle.

  Seb agreed. West was a great addition to the team. He’d originally been recruited by Intel for his IQ and talent, but unlike the rest of the agents who made up Unit Alpha’s Intel Department, West was not content to sit behind a desk. It went against his very cheetah Therian nature. West needed action. He needed to be out on the streets.

  Putting in a transfer and pleading his case to Sparks herself had gotten West transferred to Recon for Theta Destructive. He and Cael hit it off right away after a callout placed them both behind the same security console in Destructive Delta’s BearCat. Dex had taken one look at the two excitedly “talking nerd,” as Dex put it, and officially adopted West, much to everyone’s amusement. Ash didn’t seem to mind that his boyfriend had found a new best friend.

  Ash’s smile had Seb groaning. “West’s single, you know.”

  “We’re just friends,” Seb assured him, then took a sip of his beer. Why was everyone always playing matchmaker? Was his love life in that bad a state that even Ash felt the need to get involved? Shit. It really was.

  Dom let out an indelicate snort. “Yeah, I always sit in my friends’ laps.”

  “He wasn’t sitting in my lap. Come on, man. He’s like Cael. He’s affectionate and very hands-on. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  Ash shook his head. “Cael’s playful, but he doesn’t flop all over other guys. You can’t be that blind, bro.”

  “Whatever, Keeler.”

  “What? He’s a good guy, and he obviously likes you.”

  “I like him too. As friends.” Cheers and catcalls caught Seb’s ear, and he moved his gaze to the source of the ruckus, his jaw muscles clenching. Beside him, Dom cursed under his breath, and Ash leaned in to Seb, his voice low.

  “You maybe wanna reevaluate that?”

  Trent Carson was wrapped around Hudson from behind, his front plastered to Hudson’s back as Trent all but dry-humped Hudson on the dance floor. Hudson had his fingers in Trent’s hair, his free hand over Trent’s where it rested on Hudson’s inner thigh. It was provocative, sinful, and boiled Seb’s blood. Not because Hudson was dancing like that with another guy—though he wasn’t over the moon about that either—but because Hudson was looking at Seb while he was doing it. Son of a bitch. Keeping an eye on Hudson was going to be the death of him. Mostly because he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Hudson.

  “Christ, man. Just watching you watching him is fucking torture. Why do you do this to yourself? I would have hightailed it outta here years ago. Transferred out of state or something.”

  “Yeah, ’cause you did such a bang-up job staying away from Cael.” Seb met Hudson’s blue gaze, the slow smirk all the confirmation Seb needed. Hudson knew exactly what he was doing. Well, this was a new development.

  “Completely different. I was the dick screwing things up. He was waiting for me. Hudson’s told you time and time again that it’s not happening.”

  Seb couldn’t tear his gaze away from Hudson or the way he moved his lean, sculpted body against Trent’s. “So what you’re saying is I should abandon my team, my family, my life, and then what? Start over?”

  “I’m saying you can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

  “On that we agree,” Dom muttered.

  Right now, he wasn’t doing anything to himself. Hudson was the one baiting him, and he didn’t appreciate it. Had it been anyone else, he might have given them a pass, but no one knew him like Hudson, and right now his ex-lover was using that knowledge to light a fire under his tail. What reaction was Hudson hoping for?

  “Excuse me.” Seb stood, and Dom’s iron grip on his wrist made him pause.

  “Come on, Seb. Just leave it.”

  Seb turned to meet Dom’s hazel eyes and the concern he found there. “You see what he’s doing, right?”

  “Yeah, and it’s fucked-up, but you gotta keep your shit together. Not here. Not now.”

  Ash nodded, his expression stern. “It’s Sloane’s engagement party, man.”

  His friends were right. He let out a heavy sigh. This was a happy occasion. It would be shitty of him to drag his friends into his drama and ruin their evening.

  “I won’t let it get out of hand. I promise.”

  After some hesitation, Dom nodded and released him. “I’m here if you need me, okay?”

  Seb patted Dom’s shoulder before he made his way over to the crowded dance floor. He stopped in front of Hudson, his voice just loud enough for Hudson to hear.

  “I need to talk to you. In private.”

  “Perhaps later, Sebastian,” Hudson cooed, his head falling back against Trent’s shoulder.

  “Now,” Seb demanded, grabbing hold of Hudson’s wrist and jerking him away from Trent, who took hold of Hudson’s arm.

  “Hey, what—”

  “Back the fuck off,” Seb snarled, putting his hand to Trent’s chest, stopping him in his tracks. “This is your only warning.” Trent peered at Seb, his jaw muscles working. He released Hudson but didn’t move away.

  Hudson chuckled. “Well, this is a bit of a pickle, isn’t it?” He put a hand to Seb’s chest. “Trent, you know Sebastian. He’s my old mate. I’m sure you’ve heard all about him. He’s something, isn’t he? So strong. The boys love him. Like a moth to a flame. Can you blame them? Look at him. Sebastian, I believe you know Trent.” Hudson moved his hand to Trent’s jaw. “He’s a very good dancer, and I suspect he’s very good at other things. We were getting to know each other.”

  Christ almighty. Really?

  “That’s enough.” Seb dragged Hudson along with him, ignoring his protests and his attempt to get out of Seb’s grip. The music was loud, and with so many people crushed together on the dance floor, no one paid them any attention. Their friends were too far away to know what was going on. Thankfully Trent didn’t follow Seb as he pushed Hudson through the door leading to the back of the club. Seb brought Hudson up against the wall, crowding him so he couldn’t walk away.

  “What are you doing?”

  Hudson pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his eyes slightly wide. He poked his tongue out to lick his bottom lip.

  Christ, how could one man have such an effect on him? Seb put a hand to his heart, the other against the wall to the side of Hudson’s head. “You’re killing me here, lobito.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  “No.”

  Hudson eyed him. “No? What do you mean ‘no’?”

  “I’m not going to stop calling you that.” Just like he’d never stop loving Hudson, or missing him, needing him, wanting him. He’d had enough of giving in to Hudson’s every whim simply because Hudson asked. It was what he’d always done, and look how well that turned out. Time to do things a little differently.

  Hudson blinked up at him. “But… I asked you not to.”

  “Well, we don’t always get everything we want, do we, sweetheart?”

  “Why are you being so difficult?”

  “Why are you determined to drive me out of my fucking mind?” Seb growled.

  “I’m doing no such thing.”

  “Really? So you weren’t letting Trent dry-hump you to make me jealous?”

  Hudson’s jaw dropped. “Of all the bloody cheek!” When he next spoke, it was through his teeth. “I was dancing.”

  “And watching me.”

  “Because you were watching me. Or do you think I can’t feel it when your eyes are on me?”

  Seb grunted. “Hard not to when you’re making a spectacle of yourself.”

  Hudson’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson, fire burning behind his eyes. “Piss off, Sebastian. I can dance with whomever I damn well please. What you choose to believe is your concern. How dare you judge me? Why don’t you go find West? He couldn’t keep his hands off you, and you obviously enjoyed it.” Hudson was indignant, a pain in the ass, and the most beautiful thing Seb had ever seen. Since when did Hudson get jealous? Not even when they’d been together had Hudson ever become jealous. If he had, Seb never saw it. Hudson was always calm and in control, rational and sensible.

  Seb placed his fingers under Hudson’s chin and lifted his face so he could look into his eyes. “You’ve ruined me, you know. I can’t love anyone else.”

  “You need to move on, Sebastian.”

  “Then give me back the heart you stole from me.” Seb ran his thumb over Hudson’s bottom lip. “You’re a very beautiful thief. Stealing hearts, just to break them and leave them irreparable.”

  “If West isn’t enough, I wouldn’t fret. There’s no shortage of cheetah Therians in Recon to fill your bed.”

  “Jesus, the mouth on you,” Seb growled, feeling his anger rising. Hudson knew which buttons to push, and he was pushing them all mercilessly. “When are you going to grow up and stop being such a spoiled brat?”

  Hudson gaped at him. “I beg your pardon?”

  “You’re a spoiled rich boy used to getting everything he wants. Your parents, your brothers and sisters, they all bent over backward to make you happy, but you never were. The more they gave you, the more you rebelled. Their precious little Colbourn prince. That’s why you went out with me in the first place, wasn’t it? One last ‘fuck you’ to the old man just before he disowned you. That’s what your sister Evelyn told me when she had her husband’s lackey track me down. What a pleasant phone conversation that was, by the way. Oh, how disappointed Mummy and Daddy were when you took up with a poor American nobody. Then your big brother had me investigated. His telling your folks I lived in a car at one point with my mother, big brother, unemployed disabled father, and spaz little brother was a nice touch. That’s what George called Ethan, remember? A spaz.”

  “Stop it! Why are you bringing this up now? And you bloody well know that wasn’t why I said yes to you.”

  “The only one who didn’t put up with your bullshit, with your family’s bullshit, was Alfie, and where did that get him? Six feet under.”

  The sting left behind by Hudson’s hand to Seb’s cheek was both startling and well deserved. What the hell was wrong with him? Seb drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”

  “Is that why you brought me back here?” Hudson seethed, tears in his eyes. “To hurt me? I don’t need you to remind me why my brother’s dead, Sebastian. I know why he’s dead.”

  “I didn’t mean that.”

  “You did. You wanted to hurt me, and you have, in spectacular fashion. How could you? You know how much he meant to me. He was the only one who understood me. The only one who saw me. Before you, he was everything. He was all I had.” Hudson’s breath hitched, and Seb put his hand to Hudson’s cheek.

  “You’re right. I was hurting, so I wanted to make you hurt. That was really shitty what I said. I’m so sorry. Please believe me.” He meant every word. It was a low blow. Next to Seb, Hudson loved no one more than his brother Alfie. The guilt ate away at Hudson to this day. “Forgive me,” Seb pleaded softly.

  Hudson nodded, and he flattened his hands against the wall to his sides, his fingers splayed, as if the wall was the only thing holding him up. His eyes were hooded, his dilated pupils leaving only a sliver of pale-blue rims. His lips were pink and slightly parted, his cheeks flushed and hair tousled. Gingerly, Seb drew closer and slipped his leg between Hudson’s. Their bodies were almost pressed together, the heat coming off Hudson almost choking him. Hudson’s anger melted away, leaving him vulnerable and trembling in front of Seb. Hudson might make excuses, even lie, but his body would always betray him. All Seb had to do was nudge Hudson, the way he was doing with his knee against the bulge in Hudson’s slacks. The way he shivered almost undid Seb.

  Seb placed his hand to Hudson’s cheek, his heart skipping a beat when Hudson closed his eyes and leaned into the touch ever so slightly. His skin was so soft and smooth. Images of them in bed flashed through Seb’s mind. Tangled limbs, the sound of soft laughter, and the beauty of Hudson’s face as Seb brought him to release. Making love to Hudson had been nothing short of a divine experience for Seb, a display of worship, of his undying adoration. Seb brushed his lips against Hudson’s temple, leaving a feathery kiss behind before turning his face. God, he smelled so damned good.

  Hudson tentatively moved one hand onto Seb’s abdomen, drawing a quiet gasp from him. He thought Hudson might push him away, but instead Hudson slid his hand slowly up, his touch burning through Seb’s T-shirt.

  Seb lowered his head, their faces so close he could feel Hudson’s breath on his skin. “You make me crazy,” Seb murmured, brushing his lips over Hudson’s in a butterfly kiss. Hudson parted his lips and angled his face up. He trailed his fingers down to Seb’s belt, tucking them between it and Seb’s skin, the touch scorching. Was he trying to keep Seb close? Seb leaned in for a kiss as Hudson moved his eyes to meet Seb’s. They were glazed, and the tip of his nose rosy. Seb realized he could have Hudson inside the utility closet with his pants around his ankles with very little persuasion. The alcohol would make sure of it. The idea sent a surge of anger through him. He slammed his fist against the wall, startling Hudson.

  “I’m sorry,” Seb said gruffly, hating that he’d scared Hudson. He tore himself away and thundered out. Dex and Sloane were at the bar. Seb gave Dex a look of warning when Dex opened his mouth. “Hudson’s out back. Make sure he gets home. Alone.”

  Dex didn’t ask questions or argue. He quickly headed off toward the back while Seb grabbed his leather jacket from the coatrack by the stairs. He wanted Hudson. Wanted him more than anything, but not like that. Not while he was shit-faced and his defenses were down. If Hudson wanted him, he could damn well do it while he was sober. The last thing either of them needed was more guilt. As it was, Seb couldn’t believe he’d dragged Alfie into this. He cursed himself for his stupidity, for lashing out at the man he loved more each day.

  “Fuck.” He hurried out of Dekatria, into the cool night air, his heart aching. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. What happened to time healing all wounds? It was bullshit, that’s what it was. Seb clenched his fists at his sides as he walked. He needed to calm down. A horn blared, and Seb was jerked back as a car flew by. “Shit.” What the fuck was wrong with him? He’d walked right into the middle of the road.

  “Dude, are you okay?” A guy jogged over. “If that guy hadn’t pulled you back…” He shook his head, and Seb raked his fingers through his hair, his heart beating in his ears. He looked around. Aside from the few pedestrians staring with either concern or like he was crazy, the sidewalk was empty.

  “Did you see where he went?”

  The guy looked around, scratching his head. “He was here like a second ago, and just… disappeared.”

  Seb didn’t blame the guy for not sticking around. Probably thought Seb was some kind of nutcase. “Thanks,” Seb said, checking the street this time before crossing. At least someone was looking out for him. He needed to pull himself together and not rely on a guardian angel to save his sorry ass, or he might not be so lucky next time.

  Hudson slid down the length of the wall, his heartache forming a lump in his throat.

  Not a day went by that he didn’t think about or miss his brother. Alfie had only been a year older than Hudson, but he’d always been the big brother. He was the only one who looked out for Hudson, took care of him, taught him how to tie his shoes, how not to be scared of his Therian form. Alfie taught him how to be confident in who and what he was. They’d been two peas in a pod. When they were little, they pretended to be Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, searching for clues and chasing villains. As soon as they turned eighteen, they set off on real adventures, traipsing around Europe until their father’s lackeys brought them home. Years later, Alfie still teased Hudson, calling him Watson. Hudson had wanted to be Holmes, but Alfie refused, joking that if anyone was to end up dabbling in questionable substances, it would be him, while Hudson was more likely to end up the respectable doctor.

  Their oldest brother, George, busied himself being the perfect heir, and although Theo had been kind, he was the second oldest, with a never-ending list of responsibilities that kept him away. Lewis and Evelyn spent their time going from one posh party to another. They were too concerned with their high-society friends, getting photographed with the right people, and adding to the Colbourn wealth to worry about their little brothers. Their mother, Emilia, spent her time managing Colbourn Cottage, a gothic-style manor built on twenty acres of land in Sevenoaks, Kent, where Hudson and his siblings had been born. It had a very modest seven bedrooms, five reception rooms, four bathrooms, a conservatory, tennis court, and swimming pool. The large staff, steady flow of visitors, and grand parties kept Colbourn Cottage in a constant flurry of activity. Hudson had never felt more alone than he did in his family home. His home had been Alfie, and one day his home was gone.