Ted kicked off his shoes, stretched out on his bed, and took stock of his situation. It didn’t look good. Everything was going to hell in a handbasket, and he was carrying it. He had no evidence that Kirsten was cheating on Judge Charbonnet. Peter followed him around like a lovesick puppy, and for some odd reason, Ted felt responsible for the kid. Especially when it came to Darcy Wentworth, who oozed charm, but was a snake under that flashy exterior.
And he couldn’t forget his biggest problem—Sheriff Scott Dupree, straight guy, werewolf, and his self-proclaimed mate.
Could his life get any worse?
It was like he’d stumbled into some Cajun Twilight Zone episode, and he was the main character searching for a way out of the swamp, but every path had been blocked by gators.
He had a way out. He’d just leave. Fuck Scott and that bullshit about not being able to separate. Come Friday, when the workshop ended, he was driving his ass back to New Orleans.
He’d drop by the judge’s office, give him the good news that he could trust his little trophy wife, and collect a cool five grand.
Then he was going to take a trip to Hawaii. Spend some of the money and find a tanned Hawaiian volcano god-boy to fuck for a week or two.
He glanced out the window. The full moon waned, casting a yellow glow over everything in the swamp, making it look like a scene right out of a horror movie.
Yeah, he could see werewolves running around in the swamp.
He sat up. Last night, he’d seen what looked like a big dog near the cars. Could that have been one of them?
Scott, maybe?
No way.
Ted lay back down and stuffed a pillow under his head to get more comfortable. He hadn’t undressed yet, still waiting for the other guys to finish in the bathroom.
A soft knock at the door brought him sitting up on the side of the bed. Shit, if this was Peter or Darcy, he just might get his gun and shoot someone.
“Yes?”
The door opened, and Marie stuck her head in. “Ted, Sheriff Dupree is downstairs asking after you.”
“What’s he want?” Ted stared up at the ceiling to keep the surprise from his expression.
“He says he needs to speak with you.” She shrugged but waited. The last thing he wanted was Scott in his room or any room with a bed. In Ted’s current state, there was no telling what he’d let the sheriff do to him.
Ted sighed. “Thanks. Tell him I’ll be down in a minute.”
She nodded and backed out, closing the door.
Ted slipped on his sneakers and checked his look in the mirror. He ran his hands through his hair before he caught himself.
He did not just primp for this guy, did he?
Just on purpose, he pulled his shirt out of his jeans, giving him a “just interrupted” sort of look. After locking his door, he went down the stairs to meet Scott.
With each step, his stomach fluttered. Shit, this wasn’t his first date, but he practically shook with nerves, and his mind raced over a dozen reasons why the guy would show up here.
∙•∙
Scott stood in the entrance hall, waiting on Ted to come downstairs, as nervous as a teenager on prom night.
And with his first glimpse of Ted’s face, those butterflies took flight in his belly, and his dick jerked in his jeans. Damn, he wanted this man.
Unashamed, he took in the tall, well-built ex-cop as he descended the stairs. Powerful thighs, narrow hips, flat stomach, wide shoulders. And that face.
Ho-ly shit.
Ted halted on the bottom step, one hand on the carved newel post, one hand stuffed in the pocket of his jeans.
“What do you want?”
You. Scott cleared his throat. “I need to speak to you, Ted. Outside, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure.” Ted shrugged.
Scott led the way outside, across the porch, and out into the yard. He strolled over to a large black Silverado and leaned against it as he gathered his wits and nerve.
Ted sauntered up, hand still in his pocket, next to a noticeable bulge in his jeans. He got about four feet away and stopped.
“What’s this about?” he asked.
Scott sniffed the air and caught Ted’s scent. It calmed him. Then, a second scent hit him. Another man’s scent. Male and musky. Not Ted.
He growled, and in two long strides he was at Ted, had his hands buried in Ted’s shirt, swung him around, and slammed him into the side of the truck. “Who’s touched you?” Scott growled.
“What the fuck? Get off me.” Ted hissed and tried to push him away, but the strength of Scott’s wolf held him fast.
Scott stuck his face in Ted’s neck and inhaled. Ted shuddered. “Someone’s touched you. Some man has had his hands on you.” His voice deepened and rasped as he struggled to control the anger surging through him.
“Let go of me. Now.” Ted lowered his voice and clamped his hands around Scott’s wrists.
“No one touches you but me.” Scott knew he’d lost it, but he was helpless to fight his wolf. He sniffed down Ted’s body. “You let someone touch your cock, didn’t you?”
Ted struggled, then shook him off. Scott stalked around him, trying to pull his wolf back, shocked he’d had such a strong, visceral reaction.
“Okay, I got a blowjob.”
“How could you?” Scott’s heart hurt at the affirmation of what he didn’t want to know. “We’re mates,” he whispered, not even understanding why he said it.
“That’s just it.” Ted advanced on him, pushing Scott backward. “I couldn’t do it.”
“What?” Scott gulped.
Ted, teeth bared, pushed him again. Scott stumbled and fell on his ass. Just that quick, Ted straddled him, pinning his arms to the ground and just that quick, Scott’s cock stiffened. His wolf whimpered uncle.
“You heard me. I had a perfectly good twink ready to suck my dick, and all I could think about was that it wasn’t you.” Ted’s eyes grew moist. “Goddammit. This has to stop.”
“You couldn’t—”
Ted leaned down, his face right in Scott’s face. “I couldn’t come. He wasn’t you. I can’t come unless I’m thinking of you, you bastard.”
“Me too,” Scott whispered, and their gazes locked.
Ted rested his forehead on Scott’s, and their hands shifted from fighting holds to interlaced fingers.
“I can’t stand this. I can’t get involved with you. I won’t fall for another straight man who can’t return my love, who won’t touch me or let me touch him. Who can’t acknowledge me in front of other people.”
Scott let Ted’s hands go, holding his fingers out.
“You’re right. I had no right to go off on you. It’s the wolf. He wants you.”
“But you don’t.” Ted snorted. “See. I won’t have just half a man, even if he is a wolf.”
Ted climbed off Scott and stood. Scott got to his feet, dusted off the back of his jeans, and turned away to give them both some time.
“I came to tell you that my mother is going to reverse the spell and set us free.” Scott didn’t turn around; for whatever reason, he didn’t want to see the relief on Ted’s face.
“When?”
He pointed to the moon. “Tomorrow is the last night of the full moon. It’s either then or next month.”
Ted seemed to consider the implications. “Tomorrow it is. Let’s get this over with.”
“We’ll take my truck. I’ll pick you up at eleven p.m.” Scott walked around to the driver’s side and got in.
Without asking, Ted climbed into the passenger seat.
“Does she really think this will work?” Ted closed the door, plunging them into their scent-saturated darkness.
“It better.” Scott set his jaw, refusing to let another word come out of his mouth. That confession about not being able to come without picturing Ted had been too much honesty. Too much vulnerability for him to admit.
He turned to look at Ted in the darkened cab. Damn, his wolf wanted him. And the more he wanted him, the less it seemed so wrong to Scott.
Ted stared out the window, a mix of emotions on his face. Regret, sadness, hurt. But when he turned to meet Scott’s gaze, the undeniable flare of lust burned in his dark eyes.
“Come here,” Scott whispered as he reached for Ted. He wrapped his hand around the man’s neck and pulled him across the seat.
Ted resisted at first, then gave in. Scott dragged him so close he could feel Ted’s breath on his face. Letting his wolf have its way, he slanted his mouth across Ted’s and brushed his lips against his mate’s.
A shudder started with Scott and ended with Ted. Ted wrapped one hand around Scott’s neck, and the other landed on Scott’s thigh, the weight feeling so right.
Ted moaned as Scott licked at the seam of his lips, then opened, allowing Scott to plunge inside. Scott tasted Ted, kissing, lapping, and at last, capturing Ted’s tongue to suck. The arousal built in Scott, his cock stiffened, and his wolf howled for his mate.
Ted ran his hand up Scott’s thigh and caressed Scott’s erection. Scott surged into the touch with a gasp, breaking their kiss.
“Oh God, Ted.” Nothing had felt this good in so long. He couldn’t remember being so turned on.
Ted leaned back and made short work of Scott’s belt, and had his jeans unbuttoned and unzipped before Scott could whisper Don’t.
“Lift up.” Ted grabbed Scott’s clothes.
Scott raised his hips, and Ted yanked the denim down to midthigh, including his briefs. His cock sprang free, snapping to his belly, leaving a splat of precum on his skin.
“Magnificent,” Ted whispered, and before Scott could even think to protest, Ted captured the head of his cock in his mouth.
“Fuck!” Scott rocked up, shoving his dick farther into Ted’s mouth, but Ted put a steadying hand on his hip and kept his mouth there.
Ted slid down Scott’s shaft, licking and painting it with his tongue and spit, and Scott shuddered. No woman had ever given him head like this. None of his girlfriends had been so eager, so willing. So damn good.
He watched as Ted bobbed up and down on his cock. Scott closed his eyes and leaned back. God, he could come to love this, the way Ted’s mouth was so warm and wet, how his tongue searched out the slit in his cockhead, how he flicked the bundle of nerves to make Scott moan.
Scott grabbed the steering wheel with one hand and the back of the bench with the other and tried to keep from flying right out of his seat.
Everything Ted did to him was perfect.
“Oh God, Ted.” Scott could barely think, and never even thought “this is wrong.”
It was so right. So very, very right.
He opened his eyes, looked down and, ho-ly shit, Ted gazed up at him as he sucked Scott’s meat, those full lips wrapped around him, that tongue working him.
Scott reached down and cupped Ted’s face in his hand, brushing Ted’s cheek with his thumb in a loving caress.
“Come here,” he growled and pulled Ted off him and up to take his mate’s mouth.
Ted whimpered as Scott’s other hand dove into Ted’s hair and held him prisoner as he plundered Ted’s mouth. Ted groaned, his body melting into Scott’s, grinding their cocks together.
When Scott caught Ted’s tongue, sucked it into his mouth hard and fast, then rasped his sharp canines across it, Ted shuddered.
The rich, musky scent of Ted’s cum flooded the cabin, and Scott’s wolf howled.
∙•∙
Fuck, he’d creamed his jeans. It was the kiss, the goddamned kiss that had done it. Or maybe it had been the tender look in Scott’s eyes when he touched Ted’s face, or the hunger in his kiss when he hunted down Ted’s tongue and took possession.
And Scott knew he’d come, nostrils flaring as he inhaled, as if Ted’s scent was life-giving air to him. And that was about the hottest thing Ted had seen.
Scott’s wolf wanted him; there was no doubt about that. He just doubted that Scott wanted him; even though he’d let Ted give him a blowjob, he couldn’t trust it was Scott, not the wolf.
Scott freed him, releasing his hold on Ted’s body.
“Fuck, Ted. Suck me.” There was a slight whine to the words, and Ted could hear the wolf’s lust loud and clear.
He wrapped his hand around the spike-hard shaft and went down on it again. Time for the wolf to get his.
And he knew just the thing to make the bastard sit up and beg for more.
Ted opened his mouth, relaxed his throat, and took Scott down to the root, his nose resting in those curly blond pubes. He inhaled, loving the heavy, musky scent of Scott’s balls, then came up and went down again.
Over and over, as Scott writhed and moaned and begged him not to stop, Ted deep throated him, until he heard Scott cry out, “Gonna come, oh fuck gonna come!”
Scott’s hips surged up, his cock swelled, and a second later, hot, spicy cum flooded Ted’s mouth. He swallowed each shot as his wolf gave Ted his essence.
His wolf.