He wasn’t a slave to the lunar cycle, but he adored prowling the night during a full moon. Kyle had been alone without a pack for a few years. He’d walked away from his family and the entire life he’d known with them when he’d come to terms with the fact that he was gay. His Alpha father hadn’t understood and still didn’t accept what he considered Kyle’s choice. They barely spoke when Kyle did call home. Old hurts and new misunderstandings always stood in the way.

There was no path that could lead him back to his pack or his family on a long-term basis. He’d accepted his lone wolf status even if his father, brothers, and mother did not. The years he’d spent being groomed to take his father’s place as the pack’s Alpha lingered with him—the lessons he’d been taught about strength, his species, and the integrity required to lead others. Even now, Kyle couldn’t grasp how his father had expected him to live a lie. He’d have never been able to mate with a woman, and had he tried, his life would’ve been one lie after another.

Kyle had been alone and unprepared to create ties with anyone for the first year. He’d drifted around the country doing whatever work was available before he’d settled down in a town in Washington state. He’d worked jobs as a carpenter here and there before settling down to make furniture as he had at home. Now, he worked on commission and made a good living. He had good friends, an uncomplicated life, and for the past year a lover.

Peyton Newton was an accountant in Seattle. He’d commissioned a bed sixteen months before, and the attraction had not only been mutual but consuming for them both. The best part was Peyton was wolf himself, though he was urban and less prone to shifting. Peyton’s pack had accepted him as he was, and that had been that. Perhaps the important difference was that Peyton hadn’t been the son of an Alpha. He hadn’t been groomed to take his father’s place in the pack. He hadn’t disappointed practically everyone he’d ever known because he preferred cock.

Disgruntled with his train of thought, Kyle stood from the creek bank he’d been sprawled on and headed towards home. He had an empty bed waiting on him, but he’d see Peyton in a few days unless things got hectic in his office. At least tax season was over; he hadn’t seen his lover at all in March or April. Phone calls and the occasional Skype chat wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing. They both agreed on that point.

He regained his human form as he headed up the back stairs. After snagging a beer from the fridge, he headed towards the bedroom. Kyle paused in the doorway and stared. His bed was not empty. Peyton was sprawled across it, the sheet pooled at his waist. Asleep, Kyle thought, just a little disappointed. He put the beer on the dresser and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Peyton stirred, and his eyes flickered open. “Hmmm, back from being an uncivilized beast?”

Kyle laughed. “You should let your wolf out more…let your own beast out to play.”

Peyton grinned and turned over on his back. He pushed the sheet down with his foot and took a deep breath. “Why don’t you come over here and play with me instead?”

Kyle ran one hand down Peyton’s thigh. “You weren’t coming until Saturday.”

“I took the rest of the week,” Peyton explained. “Mental health holiday.”

“Is that so?” Kyle asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, if you don’t come here and fuck me like you paid for it, I’m going to lose my mind.”

“I’m not sure I approve of your dependency on my cock for mental stability,” Kyle said gravely.

Peyton pulled a bottle of lube from underneath his pillow. “You liar.”