Feral Dust Bunnies (Offbeat Crimes Book 4) Read online

  Sometimes Wolf felt bad that he heard every conversation in the squad room. It was eavesdropping whether he intended it or not. Sometimes he was glad to have overheard. Vance needed his cubs back.

  He was about to pull up the form to start slogging through a report of the incident at the party when he realized Krisk was staring at him.

  “What?”

  Krisk picked up his phone, typing.

  Creator of dust entities.

  “Right. We don’t have anything.” Wolf leaned around his monitor. “This is really bothering you, isn’t it?”

  The gray-green head nodded.

  Observed by malevolence. All of us.

  “Yeah. Carr said something like that too. That someone’s watching us. Maybe setting us up.”

  Too many anomalies.

  Wolf frowned at the text. “I don’t know what that means.”

  Tail thumping, Krisk just shook his head and turned on his computer. That was obviously all he was going to say for now and Wolf let it go. The idea that someone was deliberately dumping the strangest possible entities into the city disturbed him, sure. It made less and less sense every year that other cities got ghosts and lawless vamps and werewolves and Philly got…weird crap. There just wasn’t much he could do about it right now.

  His phone sounded a text alert but it was the chorus to Hot Stuff, so he knew it wasn’t Krisk. He smiled to see Jason’s name and the text—

  You holding up ok?

  So far. Wanna come over for dinner? Mom’s got a thing. We can order pizza.

  Cool. Be there soon as I can get out of this nuthouse today.

  Jason sent a little red heart, which was cute but Wolf tried not to read too much into it. What should he say here? Or do? He ended up sending a pink heart and feeling like he’d chickened out.

  Still, he felt better than he had in a long time as he watched Hunter, LJ and Audacity play fetch with a balled-up envelope. LJ was doing most of the fetching. He didn’t seem to mind.

  Wolf had his little family. He had his work family. He had Jason. The rest of the world could be as bizarre as it wanted.

  * * * *

  Jason arrived just as the pizza guy did and Wolf mouth watered from the combined pizza-and-Jason scent almost to the point of him biting the cardboard box. Jason waited until pizza guy got back in his car before kissing Wolf hello.

  When they pulled back, Wolf knew he wore a ridiculously happy grin. “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself. You have a good day?” Jason tugged him into the kitchen, probably as hungry as Wolf was.

  “Kinda boring, really. Just patrolling. We broke up a fight.” Wolf shrugged. “You?”

  “Not sure I want your job if breaking up fights is boring,” Jason said with a laugh. “Chickens. Someone was keeping chickens on their apartment roof. I hated taking them since they were being cared for, but city ordinances and all that. Kinda sad. In other cities, people keep chickens. Could be a thing for the neighbors like a communal garden. I know they’re talking again about making it legal but we had to take these ’cause all the citations were getting ignored. It felt really crappy.”

  Wolf pulled him into a hard hug. “I’m sorry. It’s tough when the laws don’t make sense anymore.”

  “And we still have to enforce them.” Jason settled his head on Wolf’s shoulder with a contented rumble. “That’s the best thing about dating a cop. You understand.”

  “That’s the best thing?” Wolf snorted in a good imitation of Krisk. “Maybe I should be offended.”

  “Nah. There are tons of good things.”

  Jason’s tone turned husky as he let his hands slide down Wolf’s back to his ass. While Wolf was definitely hungry for that, too, his stomach growled loudly and Audacity chose that moment to galumph in with her most demanding mews, though she couldn’t seem to decide whether she wanted dinner or Jason snuggles more.

  She decided on snuggles and telling Jason all about her day when he let go of Wolf and scooped her up. “Not giving Alex too much trouble, are you?”

  Mee-ew.

  “Not sure if that was a yes or a no.”

  Wolf got out plates and opened the pizza box, letting out the scent of an every-possible-meat-on-the-list pizza—as close to heaven as a meal could get. “She’s been a good girl. Using her litter box and everything.”

  Jason let her nuzzle at his neck while he snagged a slice of pizza. “I knew I gave you to the right dad.”

  Between them, they finished the pizza with Audacity growling greedily over a tiny piece of bacon Wolf gave her. After she’d had some of her kitten food, she curled up in a fuzzy ball of food coma. Wolf put her in her box, he and Jason tiptoed to the living room. While a heavy urge to tackle Jason itched at Wolf, he settled for pulling him onto the sofa and arranging them with Jason’s back against his chest.

  “I’d never expect it,” Wolf murmured into Jason’s hair.

  “Expect what?”

  “Going through the whole engagement and wedding thing. I mean, I see why humans do it. I’ve researched all the laws and rights.”

  “Have you?” Jason chuckled.

  “I have. Shut up. I need extra information sometimes to understand.” It was getting harder to think, much less speak with Jason stroking his forearm. “But that’s not something I need to be happy.”

  “Alex…I get it. That some things I take for granted are tougher for you to understand and I promise I’ll try harder to remember.” Jason turned in his arms, thumbs scraping across the seven o’clock stubble of Wolf’s jaw. “And are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  “Happy?”

  Wolf leaned forward to press a soft kiss on Jason’s forehead. “I feel better when I’m with you. Not all anxious about everything. Warmer. Less, I don’t know, exposed? Yeah. You know what? Yeah. I’m happy.”

  “Good.” Jason turned all the way over on his stomach and Wolf readjusted so his back was to the armrest and Jason lay between his legs.

  “Good,” Wolf repeated in a soft growl as he lowered his head to Jason’s, their mouths meeting in a desperate clash of teeth and tongues.

  This, oh, this was what he hungered for more than food. Jason’s delicious scent filled his head, the bright warmth it carried spreading right down to his toes. Wolf slid his hands over the solid muscle of Jason’s back, kneading harder in the spots that made Jason squirm closer. He couldn’t quite reach Jason’s ass, so he settled for dragging Jason’s shirt free of his waistband.

  “Are you starting a strip search, Officer?” Jason murmured against his jaw.

  Wolf let out a huff. “I don’t need to search. I know where all the parts are.”

  “Relieved to hear that.”

  Jason rose up on his knees to remove the now bunched-up shirt and to tug Wolf’s off as well. A bit of fumbling with belts and knees getting in the wrong places later, their jeans and briefs followed. Wolf simultaneously smacked his knee and his elbow on the coffee table, so he shoved it across the carpet with an impatient snarl and tumbled them both to the floor. Good thing it was a short fall and the carpet was thick since they landed in a hopeless tangle. Laughing, Jason twisted and curled a leg around to maneuver them and ended up nicely on top grinning down at Wolf’s surprise.

  “You do wrestling too?”

  “Nothing formal. But you know, brothers and sisters. You have to learn when all the little ones gang up on you.”

  “Oh.” Brothers and sisters. I had brothers and sisters once.

  “Hey. What dumb thing did I say?” Jason smoothed the hair back from Wolf’s forehead. “Your eyes get so sad sometimes.”

  “I miss siblings.”

  “I’m sorry.” Jason rested his head on Wolf’s shoulder, his weight and heat comforting. “You can share mine if you want. They’re a pain sometimes but they mean well.”

  ‘It’s not like I bring a lot of guys home to them,’ Jason had said once, and here he was, offering to bring Wolf home. The realization made a miniature sun grow in h
is belly, blazing away any lingering shadows of sorrow. “Thank you. You’re wonderful.”

  “I’m just glad your standards are so low,” Jason said, though he was choking on a laugh.

  Wolf poked him in the ribs, and in the ensuing tussle, they ended up on their sides, each grasping the other’s cock, jacking each other slowly. The scent of Jason’s arousal was driving Wolf nuts. He let go and turned so he could nuzzle and lick at Jason’s thighs and balls.

  “God. Your tongue,” Jason gasped out as he squirmed around so they were nose to tail. “Didn’t mean to interrupt you. Just want some for myself.” He sucked on the head of Wolf’s cock, then hesitated when Wolf growled. “Was that a good growl or a bad growl? Alex?”

  “Good growl,” Wolf managed, barely verbal.

  “Excellent.” The smile was audible in Jason’s voice and he let out a pleased hum as his mouth sank down the length of Wolf’s erection.

  For his part, Wolf couldn’t seem to stop his growls as he sucked on Jason. From the appreciative and increasingly desperate sounds Jason made, the extra vibrations from the growling weren’t a bad thing. He tried to be careful with his sharp teeth, though Jason moaned every time they pricked him lightly. Good to know.

  Being careful and gentle got harder as Wolf’s balls drew up tight. Jason’s musk and his wonderful mouth yanked him toward orgasm faster than he’d gone in a long time. When Jason’s tongue began to swirl around his tip on every down stroke, Wolf was lost. He replaced his mouth with his hand on Jason, afraid of hurting him with both their hips pumping hard. One final hard suck put him over and he threw back his head to howl out his climax while Jason cried out and sucked harder as he came in Wolf’s hand.

  They both collapsed on their backs, gasping, sweating, waiting for the world to stop pitching. Jason managed to sit up first, stroking the fur on Wolf’s stomach.

  “You think your mom is leaving the house on purpose to give us alone time?”

  Wolf hadn’t thought of that. “Um…maybe? Should I ask her?”

  “I don’t want to embarrass her. But maybe we need to set up a schedule so she knows when we’ll be here?”

  “She wouldn’t be embarrassed.” Wolf sat up to run his tongue over Jason’s lips. Tasting himself and Jason and pizza together made him hungry for everything again. “Mom always says to talk to her about whatever I need to. Also, she said before she left tonight that you’re welcome to stay over anytime. She knows you probably can’t with the dogs, but she said just in case.”

  Jason sputtered. “She said…what? Wow. I might be a little embarrassed now.”

  “Don’t be. It’s not like I hide stuff from her.”

  “But you don’t tell her, jeez, I don’t even know how to say this. You don’t give her details, do you? If you do, I’m not sure I can look your mom in the face ever again.”

  Wolf cocked his head, puzzled. “No. I mean, that would be rude to tell her everything. That’s between you and me.”

  “Well, thank god.” Jason flopped back on the carpet. He stared at the ceiling for a long time. “I guess if I got up early enough… Yeah. It could work. Up early, get back to the house to let the pups out. You can always stay over with me, too, of course. Audacity can come with.”

  Wolf nodded. “Sometimes. I’d hate to leave Mom here all alone too much, though.”

  ”Friday and Saturday at my house? Since those are when we’re most likely to be off at the same time some weeks?” Jason reached over and squeezed his hand. “And that’s when my family’s most likely to get together if you want to meet them.”

  Wolf squeezed back. “I’d like that. Meeting your human pack, too. Monday and Thursday here? Those days Mom sometimes goes out. And when she doesn’t, we can have dinner together.”

  “I love the sound of that. Your mom’s great. Speaking of which, maybe we should go upstairs so she doesn’t stumble over naked men when she comes home.”

  * * * *

  The next morning found them all in the kitchen with Mom, who Wolf had to agree was great, making blueberry pancakes for everyone at four-thirty in the morning. A little strange and they all were a bleary-eyed but the pancakes were delicious.

  It felt like family.

  He walked Jason to the door and held him tight, breathing in the lingering scents of sex, sweat and Jason. “Thanks for staying.”

  Jason smoothed a hank of thick hair back from Wolf’s eyes. “Thank your mom again for the pancakes. They were amazing.”

  “I will.” He gave Jason a last, lingering kiss and sent him on his way, letting Audacity scramble up into his arms to mew goodbye. Except it wasn’t goodbye. It was just a bit of distance he could howl across. On the other side of town, pack members were waiting to answer.

  He lifted Audacity up to eye level. “You know what, little girl? I think I feel good again. Like me again.”

  In answer, she batted his nose and that was about as clear as it could be.

  Also available from Pride Publishing:

  Offbeat Crimes: Skim Blood and Savage Verse

  Angel Martinez

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Not even the ancient oak tree behind his parents’ house afforded enough shelter from the sun. Carrington tipped his wide-brimmed hat back and dared a peek up through the thick filter of leaves. Definitely a mistake. Now he couldn’t see.

  He didn’t dare move with his vision in polka dots and stood there with a vague smile, hoping no one would approach him while he tried to blink away the after-images burned on his overly sensitive retinas. He’d even worn his best sunglasses for the occasion, hoping they would be enough if the promised clouds cooperated. No sign of meteorological relief yet.

  “Carr? You all right there? You look like you’re having a stroke or something.”

  “Manda. Thank gods.” He groped around until his police partner caught his hand. “I can’t see.”

  Amanda tucked his hand into the crook of her elbow with a little pat. “What’d you do, stare at the sun?” She paused a beat. “Aw, crap. You did.”

  “I just looked up through the leaves.”

  She didn’t quite sigh, but the long indrawn breath was half of one. “Okay. I got you. Mom harpy coming in fast at twelve o’clock.”

  “Please don’t call her that.” Carrington knew his mother hadn’t heard, though. He could tell how far away she was by the miasma of perfume that preceded her.

  The birthday party had been his mother’s idea, of course. How could he have even thought about not celebrating his thirty-fifth birthday? Especially if it meant it gave her an excuse to invite all the old money and local officials to the affair. And outside? Of course it had to be outside. The weather in June was glorious and Carrington always exaggerated the symptoms of his ‘illness’ for attention.

  Mother was hissing before she’d actually reached them. “Carrington, you can’t simply sulk in a corner at your own party. Oh, hello, Amanda. What a lovely…tie.”

  “I’m not sulking. I’m doing all I can to remain vertical and not embarrass you.” He blinked, bringing her disapproving, much-facelifted features partially into focus.

  “There’s no need to be so melodramatic.”

  His mother expertly performed an Amanda-ectomy and claimed Carrington’s arm for herself as she led him toward the long buffet table on the patio. The caterers had brought out the cake, several layers of rococo chocolate perfection he would’ve enjoyed if he’d retained the ability to eat. As the guest of honor, he was still expected to cut the damnable thing.

  “Just make an effort, dear, that’s all I ask. You haven’t even said hello to the mayor or the police commissioner.”

  “Could we move the table six feet toward the house? Or angle it so the cake is in the shade?”

  She tsked. “Of course not. The caterers would have to remove everything first. The world doesn’t always revolve around you, Carrington.”

  Fine. At least the headache wasn’t blinding yet. He would cut the cake, say a
few hellos, then dive into the cool shadows of the house. He would manage. Amanda had been helping him practice at the end of their night shifts. Acclimation. That had to be the key. He couldn’t keep fainting every time he was in direct sunlight for more than a handful of minutes.

  It was humiliating.

  “There’s Junior!” Carrington Sr.’s slap on his shoulder was heavier than it needed to be, but he gritted his teeth and stood his ground. “Finally decided to join your own party.”

  “I’ve actually been here since two, Dad.” Carrington flashed a bit of fang, not quite a threat but he knew it bothered his father.

  Right on cue, his father’s smile vanished. “Try to be civilized, please. Your mother put an awful lot of work into this for you.”

  You know this isn’t for me. I know. Mom knows. Why do we pretend? No, he knew the answer. He was the excuse du jour for his parents’ power socializing. As a good, dutiful son, he was expected to play his part. More accurately, as the son who had refused duty to live his own life, he was guilted into these things on a regular basis. He greeted the mayor and the commissioner and the other lords and ladies of prestige and plutocratic prowess…not bad. He’d have to remember that one. Kash would appreciate it, at least.

  He had to fight against hunching his shoulders as the sun hammered at him. Stand up straight. Ignore the nausea. Smile. Smile. Try to look appreciative as cousin Tiffany sings happy birthday. Those voice lessons were probably expensive, after all. Pardon? Oh, yes. The caterer had handed him the beribboned sterling knife for him to cut the first piece. Tradition. Ceremony. Wave of dizziness.

  Carrington gritted his teeth and willed the dark spots in his vision to settle down and come back when he had time for them. He frowned when one of the dark spots at the corner of his eye moved, though there was nothing when he turned his head. Concentrate. Smile. Under the caterer’s watchful eye, he managed the two cuts for the first modest slice before he handed the knife back with a shaking hand.