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and
throbbing. Fred’s eyes started to droop. He felt the tug of a needle going
through his arm but couldn’t raise his head.
     
    His father examined his ribs next, clucking over the bruises and
prodding for broken bone. He wrapped Fred’s ribs when he was done.
     
    “Get him to sleep. Make sure he takes his pills,” his father
said. He kissed Fred on the top of his head. “Glad to have you home again.”
     
    Fred felt himself being lifted in the air. He rubbed his mouth
against James’s collarbone.
     
    “You smell good too,” Fred said. “Like pine and honey.”
     
    James’s chest rumbled against Fred’s as James laughed. “You’re
going to regret this once the drugs wear off.”
     
    “Lovely drugs. Lovely James. I wonder if you taste like honey?”
Fred could hear himself talking about things he’d rather keep quiet. He tried
to stop but couldn’t. He floated in James’s arms as he was brought into a small
bedroom and placed gently against the pillows.
     
    James tucked the blankets around him. “Warm enough?” he asked.
     
    Fred nodded, yawning. He was so tired. He’d close his eyes for
just a minute. Then he’d be fine.
     
    He dreamed an alarm was going off over and over. He heard James
come in, cursing at something. Then the alarm turned off. James fed him some
pills and he slept again.
     

 
Chapter 3
     
    Fred was in a furnace, burning up. He tried to back away but
couldn’t move. When he opened his eyes, he saw James’s bare chest. The heat was
coming from James.
     
    “Hot,” Fred mumbled.
     
    “Yes, you are,” James said. He nibbled on Fred’s ear, biting
hard enough to sting.
     
    Fred’s arm and ribs still hurt but not nearly as bad as the day
before. He lifted his injured arm, wrapping it around James’s broad back.
     
    “We shouldn’t do this,” Fred said. “We never work things out the
way we should.”
     
    James kissed the bandaged wound on Fred’s arm. “You came home.
You’re mine now.”
     
    Fred tried to get free. James wouldn’t let him.
     
    “You let a few wolves chase you away from me. I tried to be
patient. I waited. It’s always been you for me. You know that.”
     
    “And when you have to have puppies? Will I be yours then?” Fred
asked.
     
    James closed his eyes. “That is not for a long time.”
     
    Hurt bloomed like a fresh wound in Fred’s chest. He took a
breath and even that hurt. “I can’t be your secret. I can’t be your mistress or
your manstress or gigolo or whatever you call it.”
     
    James rested his head against Fred’s. “You can be my mate.”
     
    “No I can’t. Human, remember? And a man.”
     
    “I don’t want to argue with you. You’re injured. I do want you
to stay this time. Can you at least promise not to leave without telling me?”
     
    Fred sighed. He’d left home the last time without a word to
anyone, afraid that his father or James would convince him to stay. He’d called
his father after a day and felt horrible when his father yelled at him about
being worried.
     
    “I promise,” Fred said.
     
    Fred had never felt so hungry in his life. He ate almost as much
as James and Angel did. Both sat across from him at the table in the kitchen.
James had tried to bring him to the large dining room where most of the wolves
ate, but Fred had felt his skin crawl at the suggestion. He’d almost died when
one wolf attacked him. What if they all decided he was breakfast?
     
    As he was bringing the last forkful of omelet to his mouth, Fred
paused. James was watching him oddly.
     
    “What?” Fred asked.
     
    “Good to see you eating,” James said.
     
    Fred rolled his eyes. “Just because I can’t eat three thousand
pounds of eggs like you wolves do doesn’t mean I’m anorexic.”
     
    Angel grinned. He really was handsome. And he didn’t seem to
dislike humans. He’d tried to make small talk about Fred’s time in the city.
Fred wasn’t sure of him yet. He’d fallen for such a trap before.