“Get away from him! Mine!” he snarled through gritted teeth. Larsson had lowered his head and was snarling up at the other man, who suddenly got a strange and slightly horrified expression on his face.

“Oh gods, Larsson! No! Not Tarr Bonnet!”

Larssonreplied with a low, sinister growl that made the hairs on the back of Tarr’s neck stand up. The other Lycan must have been affected as well, because he quickly put his knife away, held up both hands in a conciliatory gesture and backed up a few steps.“All right, Larsson. Calm down.I won’t hurt him.”

Tarr was still reeling from what just happened, so he kept quiet as the still-transformed Lycan turned back toward him. Tarr looked deeply up into his eyes and saw something in their depths that gave him a twinge of alarm. The Lycan showed him his teeth and looked as though he wanted to devour him.

“Don’t move,” the alpha said softly. “And don’t stare directly at him—he may take it as a challenge and show even more dominance. Lower your eyesand show him your throat.”

Tarr bristled and yelled back toward the alpha.“What? And have him tear it out?”

“He won’t do that. Hehe thinks you’re his mate. He wants your submission. Show him your throat, damn it!”

With one more grudging glance up at Larsson, Tarr dropped his gaze and tilted his head up and to the side.“Don’t get any ideas, Lycan. I submit to no one,” he muttered. “I’m only doing this because my hands are chained.”

Larsson dropped down suddenly beside him, responding to his actions and not his words, he crouched over him and sniffed at him, making a sound deep in his own throat like a soft whine. His long, rough tongue came out and licked Tarr up the side of his neck and nipped his earlobe none too gently. Tarr grimaced as the Lycan whirled back around then to face his alpha.He’d obviously calmed down some, now that he’d seen the other Lycan wasn’t making any more threatening moves toward Tarr, but he was still crouching over him. Larsson’s wolf-like ears fell back along his head and he stared off to the side, though a low growling sound continued in his throat.

“Now what?” Tarr asked softly, and the alpha shook his head.

“I’ll step outside so he’ll calm down. Don’t make any sudden moves.”

“Easy for you to say,” Tarr said softly, his voice strained.“You don’t have a three hundred pound wolf on your lap.”

The alpha ignored him and backed out the door to the cell. Larsson’s posture changed almost immediately after the door closed behind him. He slumped forward and lowered his head, and Tarr watched in fascination as a transformation came over him. His body shrank down to its normal size, or at least the one he’d had before, and the extra hair and fur seemed to melt away and be reabsorbed into his body as Tarr watched. Larssonremained slumped over Tarr’s legs for a moment longer before he stumbled to his feet and stood looking down at Tarr, his breathing still rapid and irregular. He looked a little dazed and disoriented before he turned and began striding rapidly for the door. Tarr’s voice stopped him with his hand already on the doorknob.

“What the hells? Don’t think you’re leaving here until you tell me what just happened.”

Larsson whirled around to glare at him.“You don’t give the orders here, Tygerian. And what just happened is my problem,and I’ll take care of it.”

“Really? Just how do you propose to do that? From what I know about Lycans, and I admit it’s not all that much, but you justclaimed me as your mate.” Tarr quirked up an eyebrow at the young Lycan, enjoying the red blush that was lightingup his face. “And Lycans mate for life, as I recall.That does pose some interesting questions, doesn’t it?”

“Shut up. You may be my mate, butthat doesn’t mean I have to like it or even do anything about it.I can conquer this damn thing, and I’ll find a way!”

“How? By staying celibate the rest of your very long life? When all you’ll ever want—” He paused, looking down at himself,“—is me.” He grinned broadly.“Come back in here, Lycan, and get me out of these chains.I’ll give you all you want.”

Larsson made a rude, choking noise,turned on his heel and stormed out the door, Tarr’s soft laughter following him.

He hadn’t returned until later that evening. Tarr had been dozing, having stretched his chains out far enough to allow him to stretch out his legs in relative comfort. As soon as the sun went down on Lycanus 3, the winds started up, and they had come through his barred window high on the wall and cooled his cell to the point that he was almost shivering. He heard the door open and cast a glance at the door. Larsson stood inside with a blanket in his hands.

He unlocked the cell and came in, stopping about three feet away and tossing the blanket down beside him.“Here,” he said. “I could see you shivering.” He nodded up at the camera in the corner of the room.“You should have asked for a blanket if you were cold. We’re not cruel—we would have given you one.”

Tarr picked up the blanket with his cuffed hands and tried to shake it enough to open it up. “Maybe you’re not, but I’m not so sure about the rest of your family.”

Larsson made a little sound of impatience, snatched the blanket away and shook out its length. He spread it over Tarr and even tucked it around and under his legs before he started to turn away.Tarr’s voice stopped him.

“Don’t go. Not just yet. Talk to me for a few minutes.Explain to me why you think I’m your mate.”

Larsson turned back around and made an impatient move with his hand.“Stop worrying about that.It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? No one ever called me their mate before.I think it’s…nice.”

“Nice?” Larsson said, his voice incredulous.“You have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s damn near tearing me apart! How can I be so attracted—and to you, of all people? What I should be doing is choking the damn life out of you, and all I want to do is…”

He fell down beside Tarr, who had raised his head to look at him. Tearing the blanket away from his body, Larsson shoved Tarr against the wall and his gaze raked over the length of his body, naked and exposed in the cool, night air of the cell. It came torest on Tarr’s impressive cock, which had swollen rapidly to its full girth under his regard. Larsson bent over his prize and Tarr raised his cuffed hands to clutch at Larsson’s soft hair.

Larsson’s lips fastened around Tarr’s cock and took him in, deep throating him like he was only a few inches instead of the more than respectable size that he was. Tygerians were somewhat famous for their long, thick cocks, and Tarr was justifiably proud of his own, but Larsson had no trouble taking it deeply into his throat. And the boy was talented—Tarr had to hand him that. Larsson’s throat caressed the length of his shaft as Larsson’s lips kept up a steady pressure.He moved back and Tarr’s cock slid from his throat, but his slightly roughened tongue slid up and down Tarr’s shaft, making him shiver and groan. Sometimes Larsson stopped at the head to nibble with his teeth or slip his tongue down into Tarr’s slit. Gods, if this kept up, Tarr was going to embarrass himself by coming in minutes.

Tarr gasped for breath as Larsson reared back a little to look directly at him and fan his hands down his thighs and between his legs, his tongue darting out to still lick greedily at his cock. His hands moved up to fondle his balls, and Tarr shifted his legs to open them wider and give him access. Larsson looked up at him and slowly and deliberately wet his index finger. A soft touch on his hole made Tarr widen his eyes and clench around the burn from the finger that had slipped up inside him.

The Lycan’s spit wasn’t enough to lubricate him, so Tarr groaned and squirmed at the invasion. Larsson unerringly reached up his finger to find his prostate and rubbed his finger across it, making Tarr’s eyes roll back in his head. He brushed over it again and Tarr bucked his hips and cried out through the burn.

Before the sounds of his voice had a chance to even echo around the room, Larsson had pulled his finger away. Hepulled Tarr’s bound wrists over his head andpressed himself to Tarr’s chest, angling his head up to takeTarr’s mouth. He thrust his tongue inside to taste him and explore him, effectively muffling any of Tarr’s groans. With one hand, he pushed his own pants down and ground his naked cock againstTarr’s. One big hand went around both of them and Larsson began to move quickly and firmly up and down their shafts, the friction of his cock and his hand driving Tarr half-insane with pleasure. In seconds, Tarr was arching his back and crying out into Larsson’s mouth. Larssonswallowed his cries, whispering, “Come on,” against his lips once, and keeping up the slow, steady movement of his hand.

Tarr came hard, banging his head back onto the rough wall behind him and straining his hips toward the Lycan.Larsson came too and lay on Tarr’s chest afterward, panting for breath as his cock softened.

Finally, Larssonslid down Tarr’s body, taking his time kissing and biting his way down. He wiped at the mess on Tarr’s stomach with the edge of the blanket, staggered to his feet, and stood looking down at Tarr for a long moment. Then he dropped the dry part of the blanket back over him, pulled up his pants and strode from the room.

That had been the last time Tarr had been alone with Larsson, for all practical purposes. He’d seen him once more when the prisoner exchange had finally been made. Kyle had heard about what was happening and had tricked his Tygerian lover so he could get away. On the morning of the exchange, Larsson’s beautiful red eyes had been almost black with some strong emotion, but he made no move to stop Tarr from leaving. It took some time, but Tarr had eventually put together the whole story.

Taz had been planning a military action to rescue his brother, even though it would have escalated the already violent war between Tygeria and the Alliance and possibly killed or at least injured his nobyo’s relatives in the process. Kyle hadn’t been willing for anyone to get hurt, so he’d taken matters into his own hands. As it turned out, Kyle had bribed an old friend of Tarr’s, a Nilanium named Robosium Jex, to help him sneak away from his lover and bring him back to his family so he could explain the truth of the situation to them in person.