Any movement on his part might spook his leery mate.

"You're just going to watch?" Kevin asked, surprise lacing his voice.

"I'm already undressed, and I love to watch a man strip for me." He let the raw hunger show on his face as he watched the slim wizard remove his clothing.

"And are there a lot of men stripping for you?"

James suppressed his smile at the jealousy in the wizard's voice.

"Not recently. Lately, there has only been one 42 *

blond-haired wizard in my bed."

"Keep it that way."

He wondered if Kevin realized how possessive he sounded.

Pleased beyond words, James leaned against the headboard and watched his sexy wizard strip.

Once totally naked, Kevin climbed onto the bed, crawling across James's body until they were completely touching head to toe, flesh to flesh.

The big alpha shuddered at the contact with so much naked skin, his wolf lunging at the limits of his control. The beast wanted to mark the handsome man as his, to keep him by his side and in his bed forever.

The wolf's mind had no room for compromise. To the wolf, instinct ruled. Find mate. Claim mate. Keep mate.

Fortunately for Kevin, James didn't let the wolf control him. A strong alpha had a better grip on his bestial side than a normal wolf, a control the pretty wizard tested with every wiggle of his sexy body.

"Are you all right?" The wizard watched him with concern in his eyes, as if sensing James's inner turmoil.

"I'm fine." Pushing the mating subject would ruin the moment.

Plunging his fingers into his lover's thick hair, James pulled Kevin to bring those luscious lips closer. Ever 43 *

since they'd last parted, he'd yearned to taste his wizard's sweet mouth again.

As their lips met, he realized his memory didn't live up to the reality of his lover's kiss. He forgot the delicious details of Kevin's mouth against his. As hot breath warmed his skin and soft lips brushed his with tender delicacy, his mate's flavor seduced James, luring him deeper, urging his mouth to dip into the inner recesses and seek out more of his mate's amazing flavor. Nothing tasted as good as Kevin.

Not the hot kill in a frigid forest, not the finest meal from the world's best chef. Nothing.

"Mmm." He let a moan escape.

"That's it, let it go." As if reading his mind, Kevin urged James to relax. "I've got you."

Those fine-boned clever fingers wrapped around his cock, squeezing and pumping, driving James out of his ever-loving mind.

"I'm going to come."

"Go ahead."

"Not until I'm in you," James gasped.

"You're not going to be in me tonight. I'm going to be in you."

James spilled his seed as the thought of his lover taking him sent him over the edge.

His vision cleared in time to watch Kevin lick his 44 *

dripping hand, absorbing James's semen. Watching that clever pink tongue almost made him come again.

Still, as his mate reached into the side drawer and pulled out the lube, he felt confession would be good for the soul.

"I-I've never bottomed before."

A strange expression crossed Kevin's face.

"Never?"

James shook his head.

"Is it an alpha thing?"

"Sort of. I'd be willing for you though." Anything the other man wanted he would do, anything at all.

He didn't want to scare the wizard, but he also didn't want him to think he wasn't willing to be flexible with his mate. No one wanted a one-sided relationship.

Kevin set the lube on the bed, his eyes devoid of the humor from moments before. "You really think I'm your mate, don't you?"

Shifters never broke the one indisputable rule.

Never lie to your mate. Swallowing, he answered the wizard's question. "Yes, I think you're my mate."

He could hear Kevin's heart beat increase with his words. The wizard slid off his body and off the bed. James fought back a whimper at the loss of contact.

"I like you, James, I really do, but you're talking 45 *

lifetime commitment. I-I don't know if I'm ready for that."

From his place on the bed, James could smell panic pouring off the wizard.

"Hey, easy." He slid off the mattress, stopping Kevin's frantic pacing by standing in his path and grabbing him by the shoulders. "You don't have to decide anything today."

Panic flashed in his eyes. "But Jay said werekin mate for life."

For a brief moment, he had the happy image of smacking the other wizard. Of course Thomas would rip him apart and Jay would feed him to his scary dragon, but a man could dream.

"That's my problem, not yours. I can't control who my wolf picks, but I'm not going to pressure you into a lifetime commitment before you're ready."

Kevin's voice sounded small when he asked, "What if I'm never ready?"

James's wolf howled his disapproval over the idea of his mate leaving. He shoved its objections away. Kevin would be theirs, but they had to proceed with caution.

"Then you're never ready. I won't force you to be my mate. I can only hope you'll choose me." Forcing someone to mate with him wasn't in his life plan. He'd rather be alone than have an unwilling partner.

46.

Kevin cupped James's cheek. "I'm not trying to be a bastard. I just didn't plan on bonding with anyone. I'm half elf, and we don't usually stay with our partner after sex; it isn't in our nature."

"What else are you?"

"What?"

"If you're half elf, what is your other half?"

"Human."

James rubbed his cheek against Kevin's hand.

"Humans make fine mates. Maybe you can depend on your human half for your mating instincts."

Kevin's heart broke at the look in the shifter's eyes. With James's conviction about humans, he couldn't mention his human father had trapped his elfin mother into a lifelong commitment, a commitment she agreed to so she could keep seeing her only child. He couldn't speak a word of their horrible marriage or about his determination to not become just like her, not when James obviously fought against his wolf instincts. The look of longing in the other man's eyes twisted the knife stabbing into his conscience.

He didn't want to lead the man on by promising he'd be a good and loyal mate, but he also didn't want to crush the shifter either.

"I'll try. Are we officially bonded yet?" He could 47 *

barely breathe beneath the crushing weight on his chest as he waited for the answer.

James shook his head. "Not until the mating bite. It might be best to let you top from behind or avoid intercourse altogether. My instinct to bite comes out when I'm inside you. I barely resisted last time."

The idea of not having sex with the gorgeous alpha sent panic racing through Kevin. Was it fair to ask for everything and promise nothing in return?

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kevin nodded.

"If that's what you think is best."

James avoided Kevin's eyes. "If I let my beast claim you before you're ready, I won't be able to leave you alone.

Even if I avoided you while human, my wolf would hunt you down whenever I shifted."

Kevin almost suggested they stop seeing each other.

Almost. The words wouldn't come. He couldn't do it.

Standing on his tiptoes, he pressed his mouth against James's. He might not be ready for a lifelong bonding, but he couldn't walk away, not until he saw where this relationship might go. Surely whatever entity watched over wolfkin wouldn't let an alpha pick the wrong mate.

"Come back to bed," he whispered against the shifter's mouth. The sudden stillness of James's stance told him the alpha heard his words. "I'm going to play alpha 48 *

tonight." The idea was ludicrous, but oddly intriguing. He'd never topped before. To start with a man who could be his lifelong match made him harder than the gargoyle he'd summoned earlier.

"Seriously?" James asked.

James stared at him for a prolonged moment making Kevin wonder if the idea appealed to him or not.

Without another word the wolf shifter turned around and climbed back onto the bed. The alpha's gorgeous, muscled ass had him quickly following. The idea of someone else having the privilege of touching the other man made Kevin want to growl. Shit, he was becoming as possessive as the shifter.

Stomping over to the bed, he pulled on James's shoulder until the other man turned enough for their eyes to meet. "You are mine! I don't know if this will work out or not, but don't even think of trying to replace me." His skin tingled as his magic rose to the surface, reacting to his unexpected rage.

James's eyes went wide. "I wouldn't." The wolf's sincerity calmed Kevin's odd possessiveness.

"Good." Kevin shook his head to clear his mind.

What is wrong with me?

"I want you on your stomach. It will be easiest with our height difference."

49.

Not to mention it would be harder for James to lose control and bite him.

Nodding, James rolled over onto his hands and knees. Kevin could feel the other man's unease as if it were his own.

"Shh, it'll be all right. Here." He slipped a pillow beneath the alpha's hips. When his hands brushed across James's body, he discovered the other man had softened with the stress. Using slow, even strokes, he moved his hands across his lover's body, stoking the fires until the alpha wiggled with need from his touch.

"I'm ready. Fuck me," James growled.

"Not yet." The alpha might be needy, but he was far from ready to have sex.

"Now!"

Kevin pressed a kiss to James's shoulder. "Hush, I'm in charge right now. Relax, babe."