Free Love of the Wild by Susan Laine Page A

hadn’t been told to vacate the premises.
    Once they got inside, Jim asked, “Why hasn’t he done that yet, then?”
    Dak sauntered to the fireplace, looking into the flames. “I saved his life once, long ago in the Dark Ages. Maybe he’s repaying the favor.” Then he scoffed. “Though I don’t see why he should feel the need to do so.”
    Jim closed the door, perhaps a bit more sharply than he’d intended, and he walked over to Dak. “Right. ’Cause you don’t want me under any circumstances.”
    Dak’s shoulders tensed. “I no longer live for other people and their wishes of me.”
    “I guess being friends is out, then, too.” Jim knew he sounded snarky, but the words and the tone slipped out on their own. He willed himself to calm down. “When was the last time you even met a possible mate? You’ve been out here for a long time, I hear. Before the Veil lifted.”
    Dak threaded his fingers through his long mane, his frustrated snort loud in the silence. “I came to live here long before the world wars. I have very few needs that can’t be taken care of in the wilderness.” A dry chuckle escaped him, the first Jim had ever heard from him. “And no, I don’t mean those kinds of needs.”
    The mere allusion to Dak’s sexuality caused Jim’s breath to catch. His heart beat faster, and he trembled a bit, heat coursing through his veins toward his hardening cock. He was sweating, and his muscles twitched with the impulse to wrap himself around Dak and to touch him with his hands, his lips, his tongue.
    Then Dak sniffed the air, straightened his back, and whipped his head in Jim’s direction, fast as lightning. His nostrils flared as he seemed able to take in Jim’s growing arousal. His hazel eyes morphed into golden wolf eyes as Jim watched with wide eyes, unable to look away.
    A low purr escaped Dak’s throat, a deep rumbling sound that made Jim gasp, his dick hard as a diamond, demanding swift release. He doubted he’d ever been so turned on, even when he’d been a teenager with a near permanent boner.
    Dak closed the gap between them, hunger blazing in his eyes. Jim felt naked in front of that intense gaze, and he wanted to rip his clothes off and melt into Dak’s embrace.
    Dak raised his shaking hand, as if craving the touch more than anything. Swallowing hard and licking his lips, Dak edged closer. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Jim saw the man’s eyes darken to amber in lust, and whimpering, he leaned into the impending touch.
    “Get out.”
    Jim snapped out of his delightful reverie with a start.
    Dak grimaced, baring his teeth, and snarled viciously. “Get the hell out of here! I don’t want you here!”
    Jim was speechless, frozen in place, moved too fast from sexual tension to threat of bodily harm.
    Apparently unwilling to wait, Dak growled furiously, grabbed Jim’s neck, and dragged him to the door. He yanked the door open and threw Jim out. He must have used his wolf strength because Jim landed nearly twenty feet away, hitting the rocky ground hard enough to bruise.
    Grunting in pain, Jim turned to Dak, far more afraid than outraged.
    “If I ever see or even smell you on my property again,” Dak yelled from the doorway, his hands balled up in fists. “I will fucking kill you.” Then he slammed the door.
    Shocked by the sudden act of violence, Jim scrambled to sit up. He used the nearest tree trunk to inch himself to his shaky feet, trying hard to catch his breath, feeling the wind knocked out of his lungs. He felt battered to the bone and knew he’d be bruised all over by the end of the day.
    Limping, Jim started his trek back to the truck. He felt tears prickling hot in his eyes, but he blinked them away. He was not going to cry. The truth was he didn’t know the first thing about Dak. What had just happened proved it. Jim hadn’t seen the possibility of actual use of force. Dak had been so extremely angry. It seemed he took his solitary life way more seriously than