STORY EXCERPT

Sonny pushed open the café door before he could talk himself out of it. The smell of coffee hit him immediately, rich and dark and so normal it made his eyes sting. Conversations continued around him, ignoring the scrawny guy who’d just stumbled in.

The polar bear stood near the pickup counter, his back to the door. He was even larger than Sonny remembered, six-five at least, with shoulders that could probably support a small aircraft. His pale hair was pulled back from his face, revealing a profile that belonged on a Viking or a movie star or possibly both.

Sonny walked forward, each step feeling like wading through concrete. His bunny was screaming at him to run, to hide, to do anything except approach a predator this powerful.

But the dogs needed help. That was more important than Sonny’s survival instincts.

“Excuse me,” he said, voice timid. “I need to ask you something.”

The polar bear turned. Sonny drew in a quick breath. His eyes were the washed-out blue of winter sky, like they could pick apart every hidden secret.

They swept over Sonny in one assessing glance, taking in his dirty clothes and desperate expression and the fear he knew he couldn’t hide.

Then something happened. Something that made Sonny’s entire world tilt sideways and reassemble itself in a completely different configuration.

The air between them thickened. The café sounds faded to background noise. Sonny’s bunny went completely still, recognition firing through every cell in his body.

This wasn’t just a powerful shifter.

This wasn’t just someone who could help.

This was his mate.

The realization hit him like a physical blow. His knees went weak. His breathing stuttered. His entire body seemed to lean toward this stranger without his permission, drawn by something more fundamental than conscious thought.

The polar bear’s eyes widened slightly. A low growl rumbled from his throat, so quiet that only another shifter would hear it. The sound went straight through Sonny and made his bunny want to either run or submit or possibly both at the same time.

“You,” the shifter said. His voice was deep, rough around the edges. “You were at the fighting ring.”

Sonny’s mouth opened. No words came out. His brain had apparently decided to take a vacation, leaving him standing there staring up at this massive predator who was apparently his destined mate.

The universe had a strange sense of humor.

“I need help,” Sonny managed, his words tumbling out. “The dogs. I have the dogs from the ring. They’re hurt and I don’t know where else to go and the hyenas are looking for me and I just need someone who can help them.”

The polar bear set his coffee down on the counter, his eyes never leaving Sonny’s face. “You took the dogs?”

“They were going to die there.” He wrung his hands. “I couldn’t just leave them. I know it was stupid and dangerous and probably illegal, but I couldn’t watch them suffer anymore.”

The growl was deeper this time. The polar bear took a step closer. Sonny’s animal screamed at him to back up, to maintain distance, but his feet stayed planted. His mate was approaching, and running seemed impossible even though every survival instinct he possessed insisted he should be halfway across town by now.

“Where are they?” The question came out like a command. Not aggressive, just naturally authoritative in a way that made Sonny want to answer immediately.

“Behind a house with a for-rent sign. About four blocks from here.” Sonny gestured vaguely toward the entrance to Cyril’s. “They need water and food and medical attention. The female has an infection starting in her leg wound. The male possibly has broken ribs that might not have healed properly. They’re both malnourished and traumatized. I’ve done everything I can, but it’s just not enough.”

The guy studied him for a long moment. Sonny could feel the assessment, the way those ice-blue eyes took in every detail. His dirty clothes. His exhaustion. The desperation that probably radiated off him in visible currents. His mate was deciding whether to help, whether Sonny was worth the risk.

ADULT EXCERPT

“You smell like me,” Reese murmured, his bear too close to the surface.

Sonny blinked up at him. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, a nervous gesture that made Reese’s cock start to harden.

Reese kissed him. Cut off whatever the guy was saying with his mouth. Sonny made a surprised sound that melted into something softer and needy. His lips parted immediately, letting Reese in. The taste of him flooded Reese’s senses, made his bear snarl with the need to claim, to mark, to make sure everyone knew this bunny belonged to him.

Sonny’s hands came up to grip Reese’s arms, his fingers digging into muscle. He was already breathing hard when Reese pulled back, his mate’s face flushed. “Oh. We’re doing this. Okay. That’s happening.”

“Is it a problem?” Reese kept his voice even despite the way his body was responding. His cock pressed against his jeans, hard enough that it was starting to hurt. His bear wanted to push Sonny down onto the bed, wanted to strip him bare and claim him. But his mate needed to want this, too, needed to choose it.

“No. Definitely not a problem.” His grip on Reese’s arms tightened. “I’ve been thinking about this since yesterday. Since the coffee shop. Since I saw you and my entire brain just kind of short-circuited because you’re my mate and that’s a thing that exists and wow you’re really good at kissing.”

Reese kissed him again, swallowing the rambling words. Sonny melted against him, his small body pressing close. The height difference meant Reese had to bend down, had to angle himself to make the kiss work. His hands found Sonny’s hips and gripped them.

Sonny pulled back just enough to speak, his lips brushing against Reese’s with each word. “I should probably tell you I’m a virgin. Well, not a virgin virgin, but close enough that the distinction doesn’t really matter. So if you’re expecting someone with experience, you’re going to be disappointed.”

The admission made Reese’s bear roar with possessive satisfaction. His mate was untouched, unclaimed by anyone else. Reese would be the first to have him, the only one who mattered. “Not disappointed.”

“Really? Because I feel like that’s the kind of thing that would be disappointing. I mean I’ve done stuff, just not the specific stuff we’re probably about to do. And I might not be good at it. I might be terrible at it. You should probably lower your expectations significantly.”

Reese slid his hands under his mate’s oversized shirt, finding smooth, bare skin. His mate was talking too much, his nervousness making the words spill out even faster. I’ll fix that.

Walking them backward, his mater’s legs hit the bed, then Sonny sat down hard, hazel eyes growing wide as Reese followed. The mattress dipped under their combined weight. Reese settled between Sonny’s thighs, his hips pressing forward. The friction made them both groan, the sound filling the quiet room.

“You talk a lot when you’re nervous.” Reese’s mouth found the exposed skin of Sonny’s shoulder, tasting salt and soap. His mate’s pulse hammered under his tongue..

“It’s a defense mechanism. If I keep talking, then I don’t have to think about how nervous I am.” Sonny’s hands were in Reese’s hair, fingers threading through the strands. “Also you’re really big and I’m really small and I’m trying very hard not to think about the logistics of that situation.”

He bit down gently on Sonny’s shoulder, not hard enough to break skin but enough to make his mate gasp. The sound went straight to Reese’s cock, made him grind against his mate. The guy was hard too, the evidence pressing against Reese’s stomach.

“Stop thinking,” he said against Sonny’s skin. His hands moved to the hem of the shirt, pulling it up and over Sonny’s head.