“I know, baby,” Gavin said soothingly.

“Did Nicky tell you about m-my mother?”

“Yes, baby. It almost killed your dad to hear it. He knew, of course, that she’d been married before, but she never gave him a name or much information at all on the guy, telling him it was an episode in her life she wanted to put behind her. All he knew was that she’d been in an abusive relationship and that she’d left behind a child with her ex. I guess that child was Logan. Your father never really knew his name. Your motherwouldn’t discuss it much. Told himhe’d threatened to kill her and the child, as well as her parents if she hadn’t left the boy with him. Richard wanted to go back for him, and they’d made plans to do just that before the accident. He would still have gone through withit if her parents hadn’t disappeared, taking you with them. He was so heartbroken and distracted, he never thought much about it again.”

“It’s a lot to take in. After my grandparents passed away, I thought I was all alone in the world. Now to find out I have a father and a half brother. And my poor mom. She never had a chance to rescue Logan or enjoy her life with my dad.It’s all just so sad. She had her whole life in front of her, and she was finally happy.”

“I know, sweetheart, but at least you know nowyou’re not alone at all. You have me, and your father and now Logan.It’ll be good for Logan, too. Marco talked to me a little while when you and Nicky were sleeping. He said Winters told Logan before he died that he killed his mother.He’ll be glad to know she had a little happiness before it happened. And that it gave him a brother.”

Tucker nodded. “I only met him for a few minutes, but he seems like a nice guy.”

“He is. Marco says he’s Nicky’s best friend.”

Tucker gave in to a massive yawn. Though he fought against it, he could feel his eyes closing.

“You need to get some sleep, sweetheart. Go ahead. I’ll be right here.”

“No, get in bed with me. Please, Gavin. I want you to hold me.”

Gavin climbed onto the bed beside him as Tucker scooted over to make a little room. “Mmm, that’s nice,” he murmured as he pulled Gavin’s arms tightly around him. “Don’t leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I may never let you out of my sight again.”

Epilogue

A week passed. Nicky and Tucker had been released from the hospital and brought back to Marco’s lodge to recuperate. Richard and the other wolves from Tennessee had gone home, and Gavin and Tucker were scheduled to leave the next day. Dr. Cornsilk had asked Tucker to stay nearby for a week or so to make sure there were no lasting effects from the injection he’d been given, a crazy combination of steroids, growth hormones, and methamphetamines. The high dose of meth alone would have been enough to cause the extreme aggression the pets exhibited, but he wasn’t sure what caused the pets to have some of the same characteristics as the wolves—things like superhuman strength and speed. The doctor was still running tests, but he thought that the combination of substances in extremely heavy doses reacted somehow with the Werekin metabolism.Melinda’s body was yet to be found, but human remains had been recovered from a burn pile at the rear of the safe house, and it was feared they were hers.

No trace of Jeremy Tate could be found either by the authorities or the wolves, who had their own form of retribution planned for him. Considering the things Tate had told them, though, he’d be back. They had little doubt of that.

“I don’t see why I have to stay in bed,” Tucker said, feeling grouchy and out of sorts . It was late afternoon, six days after he and Nicky were released from the hospital. Tucker was thoroughlysick of all the coddling he’d been receiving, and ready to get back on his feet. Gavin was lounging on a recliner next to him, watching a NASCAR race. Tucker despised NASCAR races. “Nicky’s been up and around for a few days now,” he said, trying to get Gavin’s attention.

“Nicky wasn’t hit by a Taser, nor was he hit on the back of the head and knocked unconscious by overzealous police officers. You had a mild concussion, baby, and the doctor said you needed to rest for at least a week.”

“Rest, yes, but not be confined to a bed, naked and helpless.”

“You told me you liked to sleep naked.”

“I can’t sleep all the time! AndI haven’t been sleeping thatmuch!”

“Tucker, you fell asleep this morning while brushing your teeth.”

“I was only resting my eyes.”

“Mm-hm.”

“Well, I was! Andin the meantime I’m bored out of my mind! And please tell me what is the point of watching those damn cars go around and around in a fucking circle!”

“Because of the precision and speed,” Gavin said defensively. “They’re not just going around in circle—okay, they are, but at really top speed. The drivers need a lot of expertise to take the curves at such speeds.”

“Yeah, blah, blah, blah.”

Gavin smirked a little. “I’m sorry, baby, you’re right. I’m being inconsiderate. You’re stuck here in bed and I’m hogging the TV. Want me to see if I can find that little model show you like so much? The one where the little girls are all trying to be the top model?”

“Okay, one time I watched it! It was really close between the tall blonde and the redhead from Florida.”

“Oh yeah, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.”

“Shut up. I hate you, you know. I think you’re enjoying my pain.”

Gavin laughed and moved over to sit next to him on the bed. “Never, baby. And you don’t really hate me, do you?” In one quick move, he pulled the covers back and engulfed Tucker’s cock in his warm mouth,sucking it in until Tucker’s eyes rolled back in his head and he moaned aloud.

He moved his lips slowly up the length of Tucker’s cock, dragging his tongue on the underside slowly upward, ending with a little nibble on the head. Breathing hard, Tucker let his head fall back on the pillow. “Damn, you’re killing me. Tell me you’re not planning to keep teasing me.”

“No, I think you’ve recovered enough for a little lovemaking. If you’re sure?” “Come here and let me show you how sure.”

“Not so fast. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

“What? Now?” Tucker let his head fall back on the pillow in frustration.

“Well, when you were missing, all I could think about over and over was that I’d lost you, and you never even told me that you love me.”

Tucker raised his eyebrows. “What? Of course I have.”

“No,” Gavin said with a shake of his head. “I would have remembered.”

“Well,” Tucker said, squirming a little. “Of course I do.”

“Do what?”

“What you said.”

“Love me? I think I need you to say it, Tucker.”

“Well, don’t make such a big deal. I love you, okay?”

“A little louder—couldn’t quite hear that…”

Tucker’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “I love you, damn it.”

“Hmm, close, but I’d really like to hear it without the little additions. Otherwise, I’ll just have to keep you in this bed and tease you for hours, and not let you come.” He leaned over and licked Tucker’s shaft from the base to the head.

“Oh sweet Lord! Ifucking love you, you asshole!”

Gavin grinned and looked up into Tucker’s eyes. “Damn, I love a sweet talking man. Sorry, stubborn boy, looks like we’re going to be here for a long time.” He bent back to his work then, and neither of them talked much again for a long time.

*THE END*