Nothing to Do With Pride (6 page)

The only reason Candice was allowed to bring you onto the ranch is because you are a blood relative and Candice swore you wouldn’t betray her.”

“Betray her over what?”

Nicholas waved a hand around to indicate the room. “This ranch isn’t technically ours.

It was abandoned and forgotten when we arrived. We are trying to make sure no one remembers its existence. Tell me, Dennis, why are you here?”
3
“Because KC—that’s my mate’s name—got a tip that there were some shifters in the area attacking cattle.”

Dennis frowned. “Damn it! I told them to knock that crap off. They endanger us all with their antics.”

“Who?”

“Some of the younger members of our group like to toy with the humans. We are hoping to civilise them, but if they keep it up, I will have to banish them from the pack. I can’t take the chance others will connect the dots like your mate’s informant did.”

“How did Candice come to be here?”

Nicholas shrugged. “The same way most people get here—they wander across our path and decide to stay. I named the ranch Serendipity.”

“Huh.”

“I’m not sure how much longer we can stay, though, if there are reports of coyotes in the area. We don’t want to attract the wrong kind of attention. Candice is certain there are still hunters out there trying to experiment on shifters.”

Dennis nodded. “I’m sure there are. Those kinds of hate groups always have someone else to step in and take over the reins. How is Candice, by the way?” To Dennis, she looked harder, sadder…different.

“She’s coping. From what I can get her to say, they did some horrible experiments on your sister. Sanity is more of a reference for her than a frame of mind.”

“I see.” Dennis’ heart broke for Candice. The sweet girl who’d found out early that boys weren’t to be trusted had now learned that neither was the human race in general. “Is she a danger to others?”

Nicholas shook his head. “No. She is more a danger to herself. She would do no one harm.”

Remembering what he’d learned about the people who’d captured her, Dennis couldn’t bring himself to agree. “She needs to call her son.”

Nicholas raised his eyebrows. “She has a son? Candice!” he roared.

“What?” Candice’s pale face reflected terror as she appeared and took in the leader’s anger.

“Where is your son? And why didn’t you tell me you had one?”
4
Shit
. Dennis hadn’t picked up the vibes before and he only had himself to blame.

Candice and Nicholas were together. He didn’t know if they were just dating or mates, but Nicholas obviously felt he deserved to know about a child.

Candice glared at Dennis. “Why did you tell him?” The betrayal in her eyes cut him to the quick.

“I thought he knew. When I called Ethan, he said he hadn’t heard from you for a while.

Besides, Nicholas was bound to learn about him eventually if you stayed here…and speaking of calls, I need to call my boss—as soon as I find my mate.”

Candice paled and only the doorframe kept her up. “They said they’d kill him if I didn’t cooperate, but I couldn’t take the pain anymore.” Sobbing, she slid to the floor as gusts of the heart-wrenching sounds ripped from her chest and filled the air.

Dennis pulled himself off the bed and went to kneel by his sister. He wrapped her in his arms and held her like he used to when they were little and a scraped knee meant an hour of cuddling by big brother. “Shhh, we’ll find him. We found you. I’ll take you back home with me and find you a safe place to be…”

Eventually, the sobs tapered off and the sniffles began.

“Here.” A box of tissues appeared over his shoulder.

“Thanks.” He took the box and handed it over to his sister.

She wiped her face and gave Dennis a grateful smile before scooting over and giving herself more space. “I’m glad you found me. I was going to call you when I felt less insane.”

Dennis brushed back her hair from her face. “But then I’d never hear from you.”

Nicholas laughed behind them.

“Is Nicholas your mate?”

Candice shook her head. “We’re just friends. He likes guys, too.”

“Ahh.” That explained the vibe he’d been getting from Nicholas. He’d ignored it because he had a mate, but if he’d been single, a bounce on the bed wouldn’t have been out of the question.

As he was about to suggest they get off the floor, they heard a commotion in the house.

“Get it!” someone shouted.

“The fucker bit me!” another one yelled.
4
Dennis wasn’t the least bit surprised to see a pretty fox rush into the room and leap for him.

Laughing, he caught the fluffy animal. “There you are. I was worried sick about you.”

The small animal stood on his hind legs and licked Dennis’ cheek.

“I take it this is your mate? Or do you always make out with woodland creatures?”

Nicholas asked.

“Everyone, this is KC—my mate. KC, this is my sister, Candice, and the leader of this group, Nicholas.”

KC shifted, filling Dennis’ lap with a sexy, beautiful, naked shifter.

“Wow.” Nicholas cleared his throat. “I take it back. Beautiful does describe him perfectly.”

The fox shifter completely ignored Nicholas. Instead he plunged his fingers into Dennis’

hair and kissed every thought out of his mind.

A giggle and a loud throat clearing broke into his haze of passion. Carefully he pulled his lover a fraction away, just far enough that their mouths no longer touched. KC gave a soft sound of disagreement.

“We’ll leave you two alone to reunite while Candice figures out if she wants to go back to town with you and I concentrate on not coming in my jeans.” Nicholas helped Candice to her feet. Dennis heard him mutter as they left, “Fuck he’s hot.”

The door slammed behind them and Dennis laughed against KC’s lips.

“No laughing and more kissing. You scared me,” KC growled.

“Sorry, love. I guess my sister was so worried about me, she didn’t check the plane for other survivors.”

“I thought my heart was going to stop beating when I came back and found you gone. I passed out for a little bit. When I woke up, I saw two coyote shifters wandering about and followed them here, hoping they’d know about—”

“I’m sorry.” Dennis didn’t know what else to say. He hadn’t been responsible but he still didn’t like the pain in his lover’s eyes.

“Claim me again and make me yours.” KC’s eyes begged for the attention.

“No.”

“What?”
4
“
You
are going to claim
me
. If we were properly bonded, you would’ve known the second I woke up.”

Dennis had to smile. Sometimes the simplest things did work better.

“You’re gonna have to stand so I can get up. I’m still feeling a little shaky.”

“Oh, sorry.” KC immediately stood up but his eyes still devoured Dennis as if he couldn’t quite believe they were together again.

“You know I’d never leave you willingly, right?”

KC nodded. “I was more worried that you woke up disorientated and didn’t know where you were or were kidnapped by bears or something.”

“Know of a bear kidnapping cartel, do you?”

“Oh, shut up.” KC pouted.

Dennis laughed. “I’m sorry to poke fun, love. As soon as I woke up, I told them we had to go back and find you. I had no idea they’d already sent people back to the plane.”

KC shrugged. “I’m not sure if they were sent or just looking for stuff to steal. I heard them saying something about trying to impress the boss. I’m guessing they were hoping there was stuff to haul back and get glory points over. Instead, all they got was a dead pilot and a stalking fox.”

The image of a bright red animal stealthily following the young shifters told Dennis more than anything that the pack members were a little too secure in the knowledge they were alone in the woods. He’d mention it to Nicholas before he left. It was the least he could do since the man was taking care of Candice.

“Strip!”

Dennis raised an eyebrow at his suddenly bossy lover. “Strip?”

“You know—remove clothing, get naked. It makes the entire horizontal hula much more interesting.”

“It’s even more fun when it’s a project for two.”

“True.”

Before he could say anything more, his helpful mate had completely stripped Dennis of his clothes. “You’re a frighteningly good at that.” He didn’t want to know how his mate had got that much practice. Anyone with KC’s looks probably had guys lining up around the planet for a chance at that ass.
4
KC didn’t say anything. He just smiled and opened the side table. “Empty.”

A pounding on the door had them turning to the sound. Dennis growled. “Stay there,”

he ordered his mate, who promptly followed after him when he went to the door.

Ripping it open, he found Nicholas standing in the doorway with a tube of lube. “I thought you might need this.” Nicholas looked him over with a wide smile, his dark eyes heating.

“Are you done ogling my mate?” KC snapped, stepping forwards to bare his little fox teeth at the leader.

“Sure, if it means I get to stare at you next,” Nicholas admitted obligingly.

Dennis snatched the lube then slammed the door in the leader’s face. “Bastard.” The chuckles from the other side of the door told him he’d been heard.

“I should scratch his eyes out,” KC grumbled.

Dennis wrapped KC in his arms. “Relax, sweet, you’re
my
mate, not his. And I don’t share. Now, let’s make this mating official.

KC relaxed against him. “It’s been a while since I topped.” His warm breath brushed across Dennis’ bare chest as he spoke. It took a moment for his words to sink in.

“That’s okay honey, I’ve never bottomed.”

KC’s head snapped up. “Never? As in
never
, never?”

Dennis shook his head. He could feel his cheeks starting to heat as he confessed, “I wanted to save that for my mate.”

“Oh, honey.” KC cupped Dennis’ face. “That’s really sweet. I’ll make it good for you, I promise.”

With a growl, Dennis tossed his mate onto the mattress. “I’m
not
sweet.”

KC giggled. “My mistake. Do you want to be on bottom or to ride me?”

Dennis tilted his head as he considered his options. “I never thought about it before. I always assumed I’d be on the bottom, but I like the idea of being on top—that way I can control it and still look you in the face.” Dennis needed that connection with his mate.

Penetration for the first time meant something to him.

KC nibbled on his bottom lip. “I’m sorry you weren’t my first.”

Dennis shook his head. “I’m not. This way you’ll know what I’m going through.” He held up his hand to stop KC from speaking. “I don’t want to ever hear about your first time
4
or any of your times with other men, unless it was traumatic and you need to talk about it. I wasn’t your first, but I’ll always be your last.”

KC’s smile could’ve lit up the entire planet. If he could harness smile-energy, Dennis was certain his cute mate could completely remove the solar panels from his home.

“Lay on the bed.” Dennis pointed to where he wanted his mate to go.

KC gave him a curious look. “I can figure that part out, I think.”

“Sorry, I’m nervous.”

“It’ll be fine. We’re mates—we’re meant to be together.”

Dennis shuffled closer to his mate, his hardness fading a little with his nerves. He could tell by looking at his mate’s erection that KC wasn’t having the same attack of nerves.

“We’ll use lots of lube and go slowly. I can’t imagine anything you do not being good,”

KC coaxed. “Come closer and I’ll make sure you use enough.”

Dennis laughed nervously as he climbed on top of his lover. KC rubbed Dennis’ back, encouraging him to lie flat across his chest.

“I’m a shifter, remember? I’m tougher than I look.”

Dennis relaxed and put a little more weight onto the fox shifter. KC circled Dennis’ hole with his slick fingers. It took all of Dennis’ faith in his mate not to tense when KC slipped one lubed digit inside.

“Relax.” KC kissed Dennis’ cheek, then his chin, until finally Dennis couldn’t take it anymore and he took control of KC’s mouth, biting and licking his lips until the fox shifter gave in and opened to him. A growl built in Dennis’ chest at his mate’s luscious flavour.

Nothing, before or since the first time he’d savoured it, had tasted as amazing as his mate’s mouth. Heat poured through his body and he pushed against the invasion that had started out uncomfortable but had since turned into bone-melting pleasure.

“More.” He broke away to mutter the word before diving back in for another kiss.

When KC pulled his fingers out, Dennis gave a sound of protest.

“Shh, I’ve got to lube myself. Sit up.”

Nerves returned at the separation. Obviously sensing them, KC said, “We can kiss again once I’m inside you.” Dennis was starting to realise his mate understood him better than anyone ever had before, and probably more than anyone else ever would.
4
Once KC was ready, Dennis took a deep breath and scooted up on his knees. KC ran his hands up and down Dennis’ thighs to calm him. “We don’t ever have to do this if it makes you this upset.”

“Oh, hell no! We are completing our bond.” There was no way he could let KC run around thinking Dennis didn’t care enough to finish his end of their bonding. He could already see the vultures circling, waiting to take KC away at that news.

Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine his tight circle relaxing as he impaled himself on KC’s hard shaft. For a small man, KC was well-endowed and he felt even bigger inside Dennis’ virgin hole.

“Relax, love.”

Dennis let out a sigh of relief when he reached the base of KC’s cock. “So full,” he moaned. Too full. His body ached from the stretching and his tight pucker burned with discomfort, despite copious amounts of lube.

KC’s face tightened with lust and a cute pair of fangs peeked out. Love for his mate filled Dennis like liquid sunshine, warming him from inside and out.

“Move,” KC whispered, “or I’m going to come before we even get to the good stuff and this will be the lamest mating in history.”

Dennis laughed. He received a slap on his hip.