Colten turned and leaned his back into the wood of the corral. He rested his arms on either side of him. The man was so close to Steven that he could smell the guy's aftershave. It was spicy and inviting and Steven found himself drooling over the scent.

"Then why don't you go out there and give it a try?"

Steven shook his head. "I'm not crazy. That calf is kicking everybody's ass. I'm not gonna voluntarily let the little beastie put me down."

Colten reached up and wiped at the back of his neck. When his arm came back down, it rested on Steven's knee. "Sometimes you gotta fail before you succeed."

Steven rolled his eyes. "I fail enough, thank you very much. I'm not adding getting bested by a calf to that list. What would the neighbors think?"

Colten laughed and the sound wrapped around Steven like soft silk. He closed his eyes for a moment and basked in its warmth. For just a few seconds, Steven imagined what it would be like to belong to this man. To wake up every morning in the guy's arms. He wanted a home, a family, and everything else that most people took for granted. When he opened his eyes, Colten was gazing at him with those mesmerizing, obsidian eyes.

A loud curse made Steven turn his head. Stripper was lying on his back with a cloud of dust surrounding him. "Maybe you should have roped him naked," Colten shouted.

"Don't give him any ideas," Shott hollered. "I'm already going to be sore when it's my turn. I don't need to be blind as well."

"Inside joke?" Steven asked.

Colten moved his arm until his elbow rested on Steven's midthigh. "Nah. The guy likes to walk around naked unless on a mission. I'm surprised he's wearing clothes out here."

Steven frowned. "He walks around the house naked?"

Why did a streak of jealousy grab Steven and shake him? He didn't know these men all that well, but Steven didn't think that was normal. The idea of seeing Stripper naked did not appeal to him. Did it appeal to Colten?

As if Colten could read his mind, he said, "Trust me. None of us are thrilled at his long-standing habit. Legend threatened to staple boxers to the man." Colten shrugged. "Lately he's confined his nakedness to the communications room. As long as he leaves the door closed, we're all happy."

Strange, but Steven had dealt with stranger. As long as there wasn't one big old orgy fest inside the house, Steven would leave the subject alone. Besides, it wasn't any of his business. Really. Steven had no right to be upset because a naked man walked around in front of Colten.

So why in the hell was he grinding his teeth?

Chapter Six.

The following night, Steven was in the Laundromat getting his clothes done. He'd put the chore off until he'd had nothing clean left to wear. This was not one of his favorite things to do and he always procrastinated until the last minute. Thank goodness this was a twenty-four-hour Laundromat. After work, he'd gone home and fallen asleep. It was two in the morning and he was dumping detergent into the washer.

What an exciting life. If it got any more thrilling, he might fall into a coma. But Steven had had his fair share of exciting-no, more like terrifying. Quiet and mundane were just fine with him.

Once he closed the washer lid, Steven took a seat in the back of the Laundromat and opened a magazine he'd bought earlier at the drugstore. He turned the pages to an article about gardening-a hobby he had never experienced but would love to try-and began to read.

Steven stopped reading when he heard a strange snuffling noise. Something was clicking against the tiled floor. Nails? The sound was loud, audible above the swishing of the washer. Steven heard a grunt and then another snuffle. He sat perfectly still, listening. His head didn't hurt so he knew it wasn't human. No thoughts came to him nor any sharp pains.

But whatever it was, he could tell it was big. His voice came out almost steady. "Is someone there?" Steven shook off the feeling of being one of those idiots who asked that question in a horror movie. You know, the type where the guy goes to investigate and then gets hacked into tiny pieces. It was late and dark out and his imagination was going wild.

Steven wouldn't say that he was afraid of the dark. He just wasn't fond of it. Not when he was sitting in a Laundromat at two in the morning. That would teach him to procrastinate.

The clicking sound grew louder. Steven swallowed hard. He pressed his back against the chair as he set the magazine aside. There was another low grunt. It was gruff and deep.

Steven's pulse jumped in his throat and he couldn't breathe past it when a large, lumbering bear ambled around the set of washers. He knew there was wildlife in this area. This was a small town surrounded by forest. Animals were bound to wander into the town.

But a bear in a Laundromat? Steven glanced at the back door that stood wide open. The screen door was locked. Even if he could get to it in time, the bear would eat him before he could unlatch it. And besides, given its sheer size, it would tear through the screen and wood with no problem. The massive animal stared at Steven and he felt like a mouse trapped in a cat's gaze. Fear washed through him, clean and sharp edged.

The bear's fur was black, an absolute, jet black. He just stood there staring at Steven. Not that Steven wanted the animal to come charging after him. His voice was shrill with panic as he said, "You really don't want to eat me, do you?"

Steven felt stupid for talking to it. It was a bear. The thing couldn't understand him. He just prayed that it wasn't hungry. Wasn't Steven supposed to curl into the fetal position or something? He could have reached into his pants pocket and taken out his cell phone to call for help, but Steven was frozen with fear, unable to move.

The bear lowered to the floor and rested its head on its front paws. He reminded Steven of a dog sitting at someone's feet. Bears were not docile, but that was what this one appeared to be. Even though it was a bit chilly in the room, Steven could feel the sweat trickling down his back. He swore to himself that if he made it out of there alive, he would never procrastinate on doing laundry again.

His washer stopped but he was too terrified to get up and toss his clothes into the dryer. Steven was too busy staring at what had to be a four-hundred-pound bear. His clothes could wait.

"Shouldn't you be rummaging through somebody's trash?"

The bear lifted its head and snorted as if offended at the thought. Steven couldn't believe he was sitting here having a conversation with the bear. He licked his lips and tried to swallow, but his throat had gone dry.

Steven eased from his chair.

The bear stood.

Steven sat back down. What the hell was he going to do? Sit here. That was what. Until the bear left, he had no choice. The animal didn't seem threatening-well, his size was certainly intimidating. But he had made no aggressive moves.

"Just so you know, I don't taste very good. There's not a lot of meat on me. I'm slim pickings."

Steven gasped when it sounded like the bear was...laughing? No way. Bears did not laugh. But there was no mistaking the glint of humor in its eyes. Steven stared closer, cocking his head to the side. Those were not ordinary bear eyes. They held a wealth of intelligence in them. Not that bears weren't smart-at least Steven had heard they were smart-but there was something very different about this creature.

"You're not just any old bear, are you?" Steven did something that he'd only done once or twice before. It had been painful, more painful than someone touching him. But he had to know. He opened his mind and reached inside the bear's head.

Don't be afraid of me.

Steven scrambled back on the chair, his fingers gripping the plastic so hard that the edge was cutting into his skin. He was losing his goddamn mind. That had to be the explanation. Maybe he had fallen asleep while waiting on his load to finish and this was all some strange dream.

He probed at the bear's mind again.

I'm not going to hurt you.

Oh boy. Steven gave a nervous, half-choked laugh. "I'm going insane because I could've sworn you just talked to me in my head." And the voice had sounded just like Colten's. Steven began to laugh as he slid back down in his chair. His laughter was almost hysterical as he wrapped his arms around his stomach. "And here I thought nothing could make me go nuttier than being in that lab. I've finally lost it."

He wiped the falling tears from his eyes. "You have no idea, Mr. Bear, how truly screwed up my life is. You have it made. I wish I had your life instead."

Steven curled his legs to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. He often felt lonely, but lately it had gotten a lot worse. Except for Heath, he had no one. And he really didn't have his cousin. They weren't that close, and when Steven was home, Heath was a work, and vice versa. "I met this guy," he confessed to the bear, who was still lying there watching him. "He seems great, but"-Steven shrugged-"it'll never work."

The bear grunted.

"Because I can't be around people, that's why," he said as if the bear had actually asked him a question. "It's complicated. It's painful, too."

The animal got up and moved a little closer before lying back down.

One of Steven's eyebrows rose higher than the other. "Please don't make me feel like you're not going to hurt me and then sneak up on me like that."

The bear snorted and then placed his paw over his eyes. Steven smiled. He was still scared out of his mind, but he wasn't frozen with fear any longer. "You got a mate?" he asked. "Some chick who's waiting at home for you? I bet you have a litter of cubs as well."

The bear yawned. Steven wasn't sure if that was a no or if the animal was just yawning. "Okay, no more talk about family. I see it bores you."

Am I so lonely that I'm willing to talk to a big, ferocious bear? Yep, he was. There was no one else he could talk to who would understand and who Steven trusted. Not that he trusted this bear, but he knew the bear wasn't going to repeat anything he said.

Colten played the dumb-animal role as he listened to Steven talk. What had the guy meant when he said lab? What lab? Did that have anything to do with his parents being scientists? Colten had come here in hopes of getting Steven used to his bear. He hadn't expected the guy to start confessing things.

But Colten was more than willing to listen, to learn all he could about the guy. After all, he had a strong feeling that Steven was his mate, and Colten wanted to learn every layer there was to the human. Steven had already shown Colten a glimpse of what he could do when Colten was able to catch the man's thoughts in the tack room. It shouldn't have surprised him when Steven confessed that it hurt to be around people.

But it did. He also wanted to know why Steven thought it wouldn't work between them. But Colten couldn't ask considering he was in bear form and Steven had no clue who he truly was.

"I bet you've traveled a lot, haven't you?" Steven asked as he rubbed his chin back and forth over his knees. Colten wanted to shift and pull the man into his arms, to comfort the guy. He seemed so damn downtrodden that it was breaking Colten's heart.

"I've traveled a lot, too. But not because I wanted to. You can't stay in one place too long if you're on the run."

On the run from whom? Colten wanted to know who was after the guy so he could help. But if he waited until later and asked Steven, the guy would freak that Colten knew.

Steven laughed at some private joke and then shook his head. "If my parents could see me now, they'd strap me down to that cold, metal table and-" Steven shook his head and rubbed his hand over his temple. "Can we change the subject?"

Colten inched nearer, feeling the need to get closer to Steven. He didn't want to scare the guy, but he couldn't seem to stay away. The more he learned about the man, the more Colten was drawn to him. Maybe it was the fact that Colten's early life hadn't been all that great, either. He felt as if he shared some kind of kinship with Steven.

"Stay in your personal space," Steven warned. His voice wasn't filled with so much fear any longer. That had been Colten's purpose in coming here and it seemed it was working. Steven was starting to relax around Colten's bear.

Colten inwardly smiled.

"Too bad you weren't declawed and trained," Steven said. "I like talking to you, but I'm afraid you'll eat me if I try to take you home. But I live with my cousin and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't let me bring a bear into the house. He's allergic to cats. Would he be allergic to bears?"

In his mind, Colten was laughing. Steven was adorable. If the guy only knew who he was really talking to.

"I wouldn't neuter you, though. That's just wrong on so many levels." Steven shuddered.

Colten wholeheartedly agreed. His balls hurt just thinking about it. He'd maul anyone who thought of slicing his nuts off.

Trust him.

Steven's head rose slightly. "See, that's what I'm talking about. I swear I hear you in my head. I have to be projecting my feelings because there's no way a bear could communicate like that." Steven's legs slipped down until his feet touched the floor. He cocked his head to the side. "Can bears communicate?"

Colten wasn't sure how far he should go with this. He wanted to tell Steven who he really was, but he feared the man would shut down on him, and Colten was finding out so much about the guy.

"What's two plus two?"

He had to quell the urge to answer. Maybe it was time he headed out. Colten now knew that he could show Steven his bear form and the man wouldn't freak. He stood and was about to head to the front door when a car pulled up at the curb. Colten hesitated. He didn't need any trouble.

Steven got out of his chair and glanced over the machines. "What's he doing here?"

Peeking around the white row of washers, Colten spotted Leonardo. He didn't want to leave Steven but he didn't want that asswipe to discover him in his bear form. Colten could play it off and pretend to be a bear from the wild, but that would still cause him plenty of problems. Colten turned and ambled to the back door.

Without asking, Steven inched around Colten and unlocked the screen door. "Too bad you can't stay and eat that guy," Steven murmured.

Colten wasn't going far. He pushed the screen door open and went out back, but stayed close to the door. If Leonardo laid a hand on Steven, he was going to have one angry bear to deal with.

Chapter Seven.

Steven wanted to run out the back door with the bear, but he wasn't going to let anyone chase him away. Besides, he couldn't leave his laundry. Those were the only clothes he owned. He gazed steadily at Leonardo as the man walked through the door, waiting for the pain, for the voices and unwanted intrusions into his mind.

But there was nothing. Steven's mind was as silent as the night. He didn't understand why there weren't spikes driving into his brain or the low hum of static.

"Awful late for laundry," Leonardo said as he stopped walking and leaned against a washer. "Some might say it ain't safe to be out this late."

Steven kept a couple rows of washers between them. He'd learned a few self-defense moves but nothing that would help if Leonardo decided to let loose on him. Steven had a feeling that the brute hadn't fought back on the ranch because they had been at work.

There was no one here to stop the man. Even the bear had tucked tail and run. It was just Steven and Leonardo. Steven felt something in his mind, something echoing, but it didn't hurt. The sound was more like...an offended grunt?

He turned to see something moving by the back door. Steven didn't want to take his eyes off of Leonardo, but he stole a glance toward the back and saw dark fur. The bear was still here?

Great. If Leonardo attacked, the bear might become aggressive and eat them both.

"Didn't know there was a law against doing my laundry at two in the morning," Steven replied. He glanced past Leonardo but the streets were deserted. There would be no help or witnesses coming his way. Steven was on his own. His heart began to beat faster when he spotted Nate walking past the big glass window. He strode casually, as if he had all the time in the world.

Steven backed up until he felt his legs hit the chair he'd been sitting in. Nate turned into the Laundromat, his smile wicked. A low static hum began to whisper through his mind and it felt as if his entire body was covered in ants. Leonardo and Nate's combined thoughts were coated in disease, a dense darkness that Steven felt himself being swallowed into.

Something was wrong. Steven wasn't sure what, but the pit of his gut twisted into a thousand tiny knots. Having had this curse his entire life, Steven had learned that even the most bigoted people had something good inside of them. It might be buried deep but it was there. The love for a child. The compassion for an elderly person. The joy of friendship. There was always something. But these two men were as dark and bottomless as a never-ending cavern. Nothing good was buried deep. It just wasn't there.

"I would truly love to wrap my fingers around your neck and stare into your eyes as I choke the life out of you," Leonardo said. His words filled the room with a soft burning and Steven knew with a surety that left no room for question that the man was telling the truth. Leonardo would probably get off on watching the life bleed from Steven's eyes.

Nate moved around the washers to block Steven from using the back exit. He was being boxed in. The humming grew louder. Steven forced himself not to grab his head as the pain began to mount. But strange swirls began to dance in front of his eyes. The pressure was becoming too much.

Leonardo moved so fast that one minute he was close to the front of the Laundromat and then he was standing right in front of Steven. Steven blinked and tried to focus as the ground swayed beneath his feet. It was as if there were large magnets on either side of him and Steven was caught in the magnetic field.

"You are damn lucky the contract on your head states that you are not allowed to be harmed." Leonardo's voice was a snarl. "Or I would repay you for what you did to me."

Contract? Steven tried to focus, tried to understand what Leonardo was saying. But a terrifying migraine was clawing at his brain. Nate reached out and grabbed him. Steven screamed. He tried to pull free but Nate had a tight hold on him.

And then Leonardo grabbed him. The pain. The all-consuming pain. The images drove into Steven's mind. Leonardo and Nate hadn't always been ranch hands. These two men worked for Doctors Harold and Lily Chesney. Steven's parents had paid each man a substantial amount to get their experiment back. Not their son. Their experiment.