Grayson was trying to figure out what Moose was saying, but his brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders. “I feel the connection of your dick in my ass.”

  “Games aside,” Moose said. “Be honest with me.”

  “If I am, will you start moving?”

  Moose nodded as he pulled back slightly then slowly pushed back in. Grayson bit his lower lip as a moan escaped.

  “Okay, yeah. I feel a strange connection to you.”

  “We’re mates.”

  Grayson wasn’t so out of it that he didn’t get the gist of what Moose was saying. He just didn’t care at the moment. He didn’t care if Moose had said he was from another planet. Grayson just wanted him to fucking move.

  “Okay, fine.”

  With a wide grin, Moose placed his hands on either side of Grayson’s head and started pounding into him. Grayson arched his back as he cried out, accidentally knocking his cast against Moose’s face as he threw his arms up.

  Moose didn’t seem to notice or care. He damn near bent Grayson in half as he punched his hips forward, his cock sawing in and out of Grayson’s body.

  Then Grayson saw it. Fuck. Moose’s canines lengthened as a deep, penetrating growl ripped from his throat. He bent over Grayson and sank those sharp teeth into his shoulder.

  Grayson shouted, bucking and writhing under Grayson as he came so hard his balls should have shriveled up. His cum painted their chests, making it easier for their skin to slide together.

  Moose removed his teeth and licked at Grayson’s shoulder, snarling as he pistoned into Grayson’s ass.

  He stiffened then came, gasping before his movements slowed. Grayson was done. Over. Naptime. He heaved a deep breath and shoved at Moose.

  “You’re heavy as fuck.”

  Moose eased out of Grayson and rolled behind him, spooning him as Grayson teetered on the edge of the couch.

  “My mate.” Moose kissed Grayson’s neck. “All mine.”

  The connection Grayson had felt toward Moose had deepened to the point it felt as though they’d known each other a lifetime.

  He was too tired to figure things out. Grayson yawned and turned over, curling into Moose’s body as he closed his eyes, the rhythm of Moose’s heartbeat lulled him to sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  “Hello? Is this Mr. Zitelli?”

  “Well, that depends on what whispering fucker is on the other end of this phone.” Moose wasn’t sure what time it was, and it was still dark out, so whoever was calling had better have a damn good reason.

  “I think the killer is back,” the guy whispered.

  That made Moose sit up, which unfortunately made him dump his mate to the floor. Moose cursed, set the phone on the coffee table, and helped Grayson back onto the couch with a look of apology.

  “What makes you say that?” Moose asked once he retrieved his phone. “Wait, who is this?”

  “Mr. Pearl. You better come quickly before I’m his next victim.” Mr. Pearl hung up before Moose could tell him to call the cops.

  “Who was that?” Grayson rubbed his eyes and yawned. Damn, even filled with sleep, the human was sexy as hell. Moose wanted to yank Grayson off the couch, take him to bed, and fuck him again.

  “Mr. Pearl.” Moose told him about their conversation.

  Grayson grabbed Moose’s phone and dialed. “This is Sheriff Copache. I need you to head over to Mr. Pearl’s house. He thinks someone is out to get him.”

  When Grayson hung up, he handed back the phone. “Deputy Hayley is gonna check it out. I’m going back to sleep.”

  Moose was tempted as hell, but if he was to solve this case, he needed to stay on top of things.

  “Tell me you’re not going.” Grayson sat up and wiped at his eyes again. He blinked a few times and scratched at his disheveled hair.

  “Maybe I can catch the killer.” Moose looked around for his underwear. Where the fuck had he thrown them? The living room floor was littered with clothes. He picked up a sock, tossed it, then yanked his pants up and saw his boxer briefs stuffed halfway in his boot.

  “I’m going with you.” Grayson got up and found his underwear with no problem. It was getting them on that was comical.

  “You’re gonna lay your ass back down and go back to sleep,” Moose said. “You have work in the morning.”

  “Hold up.” Grayson held up his hand. “Just because you claim we’re mates doesn’t mean you now get to boss me around. This is now my town, and I have to make sure it’s safe.”

  “And that’s what you have deputies for,” Moose argued. Was the culprit really was a vampire? He didn’t want his human mate going up against one. Not that the vampire could turn Grayson. Only someone from Christian’s lineage could do that.

  A vampire was still dangerous, though. Now Moose knew exactly what his teammates had gone through. Just thinking about Grayson getting hurt felt crippling to Moose.

  “Bellyache all you want.” Grayson sat on the couch and tried to work his pants up his legs. “Whether I go with you or not, I’m still going.”

  “Not if I tie you to the bed.” Moose wouldn’t hold his mate captive, but the thought was tempting as hell.

  After dressing, Moose helped Grayson with his clothes. His mate had put his uniform back on, and once his boots were tied, Moose handed him his utility belt.

  They headed outside and climbed into the truck in silence. He wasn’t sure why Grayson wasn’t talking, but Moose was still upset that Grayson was going into town at three in the morning.

  You better get over it. This is his job now, and he’ll be working all kinds of crazy hours.

  “Let’s make a deal. If the person is human, I’ll help you handle him. If he’s not, stay behind me.”

  Grayson let out a bark of laughter. “Did that sound better in your head?”

  Moose looked at Grayson and chuckled. “Of course it did.” He sobered. “But I meant every word.”

  “Dream on, buddy.” His mate turned on the headlights and pulled down the long driveway, heading into town. Grayson used his high beams because the backroad was so damn dark. But Moose was nonhuman, so he saw perfectly fine with or without them.

  When they drove into town, all was quiet. Not a soul was in sight as Grayson headed to Mr. Pearl’s residence.

  Moose didn’t have a good feeling when he saw not only the squad car but an ambulance. Some of the neighbors were awake, standing outside in their nightclothes, gawking at the activity.

  He even spotted Heather from the diner. She stood by a red souped-up car across the street, but she was wearing her street clothes. Some guy stood next to her as they whispered to one another.

  Moose looked at everyone who was craning their necks to see what was happening. Sometimes a killer would return to the scene and watch. Just like an arsonist did.

  He took a mental note of everyone as Grayson pulled to the curb and they got out. Moose stayed on the sidelines as his mate went inside.

  A moment later Grayson appeared in the doorway and waved for Moose to join him. Moose saw Mr. Hawking standing in his driveway with his robe and slippers on. Jeremy stood on his front porch as he watched. James and Patsy Marvell were on their front lawn, Mr. Marvell with his arm around his wife.

  There were a few others that Moose didn’t recognize, but he noted their houses so he could find out later who they were.

  Moose walked inside, careful not to step on anything, and covertly scented the air. He knew that was why Grayson had waved him in. His mate needed Moose’s nonhuman skills.

  The only aroma Moose could detect was blood. No vampire had been there. He was sure of it. For all Moose knew there could have been a vampire resident in Maple Grove and that was why he’d smelled the guy. Maybe the vampire didn’t have anything to do with the vandalism or Chris’s murder.

  Grayson slid over to Moose and gave him a questioning look. There were too many people in the room—three deputies and two medics. He didn’t want to say anything in front of them, even if there was nothing to say.

  “How’s Mr. Pearl?” Moose looked around but didn’t see the guy anywhere. Moose didn’t see his little dog, either.

  Then the dog barked from somewhere in the back. It was a pitiful sound, with a whimper added.

  “Someone broke in and knocked him over the head, but the medics say it isn’t anything serious. Even so, they’re making him go to the hospital overnight for observation.”

  “I’m not leaving without Snookum,” Mr. Pearl argued from down the hallway.

  Snookum? Had he really named his dog that?

  “Deputy Hayley already took Mr. Pearl’s statement. There’s nothing more for us to do here,” Grayson said. “I’ll have the place dusted for prints, and Mr. Pearl will have to tell us if anything is missing once he gets home.”

  “How’d the perp get in?” Moose looked around, but all the windows seemed to be closed.

  “The back door,” Grayson said. “According to Mr. Pearl, he never locks his doors. It’s a small town, Moose. A lot of residents don’t. Hell, I never locked mine until…you know.”

  Moose didn’t care how small the town was. Leaving anything unlocked was asking for trouble, but that was how his mind worked. He was jaded when it came to criminals and cutthroats. The people who lived in this town should be able to feel safe.

  Grayson should be able to feel safe, and Moose hated that Salazar and those two demons had robbed him of that security. He wanted to pull his mate into his arms but kept his hands to himself.

  Maple Grove was unlike Brac Village, which was dominated by not only gay couples but by preternatural, too. Moose was new here and wasn’t sure of the vibe. He would never hide who he was, but this was also Grayson’s first day of work. Moose didn’t need to add any more stress than there already was.

  Not being able to coddle his mate truly sucked.

  “Are you sure he’s gonna be okay?” Moose wanted to get out of there. The knickknacks were staring at him again. He didn’t care if they were cute and harmless. They were freaking him the fuck out. It felt as though their serial killer eyes were watching his every move.

  Along with the doilies and that old-lady smell. It was a cross between mothballs and ointment cream.

  “Anything?” Grayson asked him.

  Moose knew what his mate meant. He tapped the side of his nose. “Nothing.”

  “It was worth a shot.” Grayson had whispered so softly that Moose almost didn’t hear what he’d said.

  Grayson nodded toward the door. “Better wait for me outside. There’re already too many people in here mucking up the evidence.”

  Moose had noticed that, too. The deputies and medics needed better training. The deputies weren’t even wearing gloves as they stood there and talked, touching shit like they were there on a social call.

  Keeping his lips sealed, he walked outside. Mostly everyone was still out there. Moose got into the driver’s side of the truck and waited, watching everyone watch the house.

  He crossed Mr. Pearl off his suspect list, unless the guy knew how to whack the back of his own head.

  Moose kept glancing toward the house, waiting for Grayson to emerge. Now that he knew no one had been murdered and that Mr. Pearl would be okay, Moose was ready to crawl back into bed and snuggle with his mate.

  Heather left the driveway she had been standing in. The guy said something to her, but she ignored him as she headed Moose’s way.

  Moose rolled his window down as she approached, letting in the heat of the night and letting out the coolness of the interior.

  “Hi.” She smiled, but it was out of politeness. “What’s going on?”

  Her blonde hair wasn’t in a ponytail. It was lying softly over her shoulders. She was also not in uniform. Heather was wearing a crop top and jean shorts.

  He knew what she was up to. They weren’t friends, yet she was acting that way to get information out of him. “I have no idea.”

  “Is Mr. Pearl all right?”

  When Heather brushed her hand through her hair to get the strands out of her face, Moose noticed a healing cut on her hand, which he hadn’t noticed before, but she could’ve gotten it from work when she broke the glass. Still, Moose also thought about the glass that had been in Jeremy’s backyard.

  “I think your boyfriend is calling for you,” Moose said.

  “That’s my brother.” She tucked her hands into her back pockets and rocked slightly on her heels as she squinted at Mr. Pearl’s house. “So, is he okay?”

  Heather had not only come over to Moose to try and pump information out of him but to get a closer look, although she lived right across the street from him.

  “I think you should ask one of the deputies,” Moose said. “Have a good night.” He rolled his window up and turned his head away from her.

  When she walked away, Moose watched her storm back to her brother. She said something to him, and they both went inside their house.

  He caught Mr. Hawking glaring their way.

  Huh. What was up with that?

  * * * *

  Now this was how to wake up in the morning. Moose cracked his eyes open and looked down his body to find Grayson settled between his legs, sucking his cock.

  Moose groaned as he spread his legs apart. “Practicing?”

  His dick slipped from Grayson’s mouth, and then his mate smiled up at him. “Making up for lost time.”

  “You can suck my cock anytime the feeling hits you.” Moose curled his toes as Grayson went back to slobbering all over him. He winced when he felt teeth, but his mate quickly corrected his mistake and brought Moose off so fast he shouted his release.

  When Grayson tried to get out of bed, Moose grabbed him and tossed him back down. He loved hearing the man laugh, loved how playful he could be as Moose flipped over and devoured Grayson’s cock.

  The head had a few dots of pre-cum. Moose lapped at the saltiness then used the flat of his tongue, licking his way down one side then back up the other. With his mouth getting busy on his mate, Moose looked at the digital clock on the nightstand.

  They had a good twenty minutes before the alarm was set to go off. Moose was still tired and knew Grayson was, too. They hadn’t gotten home until way past five.

  Grayson could probably use the extra twenty minutes to sleep, but Moose wasn’t ready to give up his dick. His gaze wandered to his mate and found Grayson staring down at him, the guy’s chest rising and falling too fast, and his eyes were heavy-lidded as he watched Moose perform.

  Moose winked, opened his mouth, and slowly slid Grayson’s dick back inside, creating a suction so his mate could feel the pressure as he took him down his throat.

  Moose wasn’t neglecting Grayson’s balls, either. He had them in the palm of his hand, gently squeezing and tugging and massaging them. He reached up with his other hand and tweaked Grayson’s hard nipple, rolling the flesh between his fingers as Grayson hissed and grabbed a headful of Moose’s hair.

  “I don’t have much time. Please…make me come.” Grayson begged so prettily that Moose had to oblige.

  Using his throat muscles, he squeezed Grayson’s dick hard and moved his head up and down, tugging at his mate’s nuts, and listened to him cry out as he drew close to his climax.

  A twitch of his leg. A jerk of his hips. A gasp and moan later and Grayson came down Moose’s throat.

  Moose backed off, but he was still between the guy’s legs, kissing his inner thighs as the hairs on his legs tickled Moose’s face. Finally, Moose moved and crawled back up the bed, pulling his mate into his arms and feeling like the luckiest man on the planet.

  “Good morning.” Moose kissed his neck. Grayson smelled so good, like fresh-baked bread, and now Moose was starving.

  “Mmm.” Grayson smiled. “Morning.”

  “I’ll make breakfast while you shower.” But Moose didn’t move. He wasn’t ready to let his mate go, and clearly Grayson wasn’t ready to move because he just lay there, curled in Moose’s arms. The sun hadn’t even made an appearance yet, and there they were, listening to each other’s breath, arms tangled, smiling like idiots, and the love Moose felt toward Grayson was growing, making his heart expand.

  This was exactly why Grayson should have been still enjoying his retirement. They could have fallen back to sleep. But Grayson had to get to work, and Moose had a murder to solve.

  He thought about calling Mitch and Darren for help, but he was confident he could handle this on his own. He had years of experience under his belt. Not for detective work but for surveillance, and he was damn good at reading people.

  The alarm blared, and Moose hadn’t even realized he’d been dozing off. He slapped the thing to shut it up as Grayson rolled out of his arms and headed into the bathroom, leaving Moose’s arms empty and aching to have the guy back.

  Now his stomach was really grumbling, which forced Moose out of bed. He slipped on his underwear and headed into the kitchen to get his day started and to feed his boo before they headed into town.

  Chapter Eight

  They were in town even before the sun had risen. Moose got out at the station, but he walked away, doing a bit of investigation on his own.

  When he got near Mr. Pearl’s house, he caught the scent of vampire again. It hadn’t been there before. He was sure of it. This time he followed it, passing the Marvells’ and, across the street, Jeremy’s house. All lights were out now that the excitement was over.

  He stopped in front of Mr. Hawking’s eyesore of a home and understood why the neighbors complained. Even in darkness the place looked a mess.

  Two houses down and the scent of vampire was so strong that Moose knew the person had to be inside. He moved up the driveway and peeked inside a darkened window.

  “Can I help you?”

  Moose spun and nearly fell into the rosebush. Standing there was a lanky man with dark hair and even darker eyes. He gave Moose a tight-lipped smile.