“Damn, puppy. You’re such a tight fit. There’s no way I’ll last long.”
“Don’t care. Just want you,” Pierce said breathlessly against his shoulder.
That was all Red needed to hear. He pulled out an inch and rocked forward again. When Pierce moaned, Red lost control. He held Pierce in a bruising grip and slammed inside him. The sounds of moans and skin slapping skin filled the air, mixing with the smell of sex. Pierce bit his shoulder and Red saw stars. His life was forever changed now. He had been accepted by his mate. Nothing mattered but them. Red’s balls drew up tight. He pumped harder and faster, racing toward release. Pierce cried out beneath him. His already too tight body suddenly sucked him deeper and ripped an orgasm from Red. Red gasped and clawed the mattress. His body betrayed him, shifting just long enough for Red’s claws to rip the mattress. Red’s panicked gaze shot to Pierce. With his eyes closed, Pierce open mouth gasped for air. Red searched his thoughts. There was nothing but love and acceptance in Pierce’s head.
“I love you.”
Pierce’s eyes opened. They seemed even bluer in the aftermath of Pierce’s orgasm. A small smile touched his lips. “I’m glad I’m not alone.”
Since Red could read his mind, he understood Pierce meant he was happy in more ways than one. He was glad not to be alone in his feelings, but Pierce had also been alone his whole life. Becoming Red’s mate gave him a family he had never had. Celeste had chosen well. Not only was Pierce brave, he belonged with the pack that had saved him as a child. Red would make him happy. For the rest of his days, Red would love him. They were a team now.
Four
Pierce had never felt more at peace. Since Pierce had been renting a furnished apartment in Tennessee, it hadn’t taken long to unload his things from the moving truck. Afterward, Red had taken him to dinner at a bar and grill owned by his cousin Raff. It seemed Raff was the pack’s alpha. He had two mates, which Pierce was still trying to wrap his head around, especially since one was human and the other was a vampire. Pierce was learning all sorts of new things lately.
After dinner, they had gone for a ride on Red’s Harley and ended up at a beautiful spot at the edge of a lake. Red had pulled a thin blanket from his bag and spread it out across the grass. With his ear pressed to Red’s chest, listening to his heartbeat and staring at the night sky, Pierce was in heaven.
During his drive from Tennessee, Pierce had a lot of time to think—just as Jonathan had said he would. He honestly hadn’t known what to expect when he had gotten here. Pierce one hundred percent hadn’t expected this quiet acceptance of a whole new life that fit better than anything he lived before. He wanted to know all about Red’s long life and learn all his quirks. Strangely, he wanted this even more—the peace.
A soft chuckle rumbled from Red. Before Pierce could ask about it, a tiny fox jumped on his chest. Pierce had never been this close to a fox. It was adorable.
“Hello.”
A huge black wolf came to sit on the edge of their blanket. Before Pierce could panic, the fox leapt away and transformed into an adorable blond man. He was all blond curls and big blue eyes.
“Hi. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Pierce and Red sat up. Red nodded the guy’s way. “Hey there, Tam.”
The blond nodded. “Hey, Red. Jonathan said I should wait to meet your mate until you were settled. Are you settled yet?” He practically danced in place with child-like excitement.
Pierce couldn’t stop smiling in the face of such a pure innocence. “I’m settled enough to make a new friend. I’m Pierce.”
He held out his hand for Tam to shake. Instead of Tam accepting, the enormous wolf set his paw in Pierce’s hand—like a friendly dog shaking for a treat.
“That’s Evan. He says hi. He would shift and meet you properly, but then he would be nude, and humans tend to frown upon that.”
Pierce nodded, trying not to laugh. “Is Evan your mate?”
Tam shook his head. “Evan is my best friend. I’m mated to Risk. He’s a vampire. We live with the king.”
Pierce’s gaze moved between the wolf and Tam, trying to keep up. He had so many questions. “Are you royalty? Why aren’t you nude when you turn human?”
A bright smile lit Tam’s face. He truly was adorable. “I’m not royalty. I’m more of a ward to the king, in a manner of speaking. I’m not nude because I’m not a Were. I’m a shape shifter. Anything you want, I can turn into that. So, when I shift, I just imagine myself wearing clothes and I’m wearing clothes. Of course, I just realized I could do that. I’m still learning.” Tam turned his face to the sky. “Oh. Risk is irritated I left again before he woke for the night. Plus, Red really wants you to himself. He’s just too polite to say it. I’ll come back soon.” Before Pierce could respond, Tam was a fox again. He lightly pounced on Evan’s back and Evan took off into the trees with Tam riding him like a horse.
Pierce glanced Red’s way. Red watched him in silence, as if waiting for his attention. Pierce smiled.
Red shook his head. “You were having an awful lot of thoughts about how adorable Tam is.”
Pierce pressed his lips together to keep from laughing, but there was no hiding his smile. Adorable—like a child.
Red growled and plucked Pierce from the ground. He tumbled backward until Pierce straddled his hips. Red stared up at Pierce with his heart in his eyes. “Tam only looks young. Don’t be fooled. He’s extremely powerful. He’d make a strong friend for you.”
Something grew in Pierce’s chest. He could feel Red’s jealousy at the idea of sharing Pierce, but he still wanted Pierce to have friends. In that moment, Pierce knew without a doubt he had made the right choice.
“It’ll be a while before I stop being surprised and learning new things, won’t it?”
Red nodded. “Is that okay?”
Pierce returned the nod. “I can handle it.” He believed that all the way to his core. In a single day, the creatures living in this town had made him feel more welcomed than anywhere he had ever been. This was Pierce’s home now. He wasn’t afraid.
“That’s good, because there’re also a few friendly demons you’ll need to meet, and my neighbor is a Phoenix.” Red bucked before Pierce could process that new bit of information, sending Pierce sprawling across his chest. He used the opportunity to claim Pierce’s mouth. You make me proud. The words caressed Pierce’s brain in the most loving of touches. Pierce swore he could feel Red’s pride. He was happier than he could ever remember being, and Pierce knew without a doubt that Red would make sure he stayed that way. For the first time in his life, Pierce looked forward to the future. He couldn’t wait to get started on their forever.
Keep an eye out for the next Hellish, Savage.
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