Free Beneath a Spring Moon by Elle Rush Nulli Para Ora Lynn Tyler Becca Jameson

will always be enough for me, Adam. That’s why I want to have that mate bond with you, you bastard.” The anger suddenly drained out of Cullen, and his grip turned from painful to caressing. “Sorry, Adam. I just … it hurts to know that you don’t love me as much as I love you.”
    Oh God, and Adam thought his heart had broken a few minutes ago. That pain had nothing on this one. It was like his heart had shattered into a million pieces and someone was grinding those shards into dust. “Cullen, I do love you. Baby, we don’t need to get mated to love each other.”
    Cullen stepped back, putting even more distance between them. “But getting mated is a commitment that every other wolf recognizes.”
    Adam watched with confusion as Cullen pushed his pants down. Why the fuck was he getting naked now ?
    “Look, Adam. I get it. I do. Your parents fucked each other up. I know that you won’t mate be because you want an out if things between us go south. Thing is, we’re not your parents. I have spent the last six years trying to prove that to you. But I can’t keep living with the fact that you can just walk out on me without a word. I can’t.”
    Cullen’s words hollowed out the already gaping hole in Adam’s chest. Cullen was right, of course. He’d always known Adam better than anyone else. “Cull. What are you saying?”
    Cullen had been in the process of walking away, heading toward the door. Naked. He paused but didn’t turn around. “I don’t want to pressure you, Adam. But if you don’t have any intentions of even considering mating with me, then… I talked to Declan. He said that if it comes down to it, he’ll put my name in for a transfer to a different pack. Also, he decided to split us up for patrol. I’m going out now. I think he has you down for tonight. You’ll have to talk to him about your patrol shifts once you go back to the firehouse.”
    He didn’t wait for Adam to reply before he shifted and bounded out the doggy door Declan had installed in all the pack houses.
    What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

Chapter 5
    Adam banged his way through the door of the Alpha house. “Declan.”
    Quinn poked his head out of the front room and smiled at him. “Hey, Adam. Declan’s not here right now.”
    Narrowing his eyes at Adam, Quinn pointed the way to the kitchen. “You look like someone died. Need a drink?”
    Adam followed Quinn into the kitchen and sat at the table, more for lack of anything better to do than to actually have a heart to heart with the Alpha’s mate.
    Quinn cracked open the fridge and came back out with a bottle of beer.
    Adam’s lips curled up in a small smile despite the fact he felt like he was dying inside. “It’s only ten in the morning, Quinn. A little early to be drinking, don’t you think?”
    “It’s noon somewhere,” Quinn said with a shrug. “Besides, you look like you could really use this.”
    Well, he couldn’t argue with that. If there was any time for a beer, it was now. He took a swig and eyed the Alpha’s mate carefully. The man had an annoying habit of ferreting out exactly what was wrong, no matter who he was talking to. It was probably why he was so good with the pups. In fact, he ran a daycare out of the basement, and the kids adored him. Which, now that he thought about it… “Where are all the kids?”
    Quinn smirked at him and shook his head. “Dude, you are really out of it. It’s Saturday. The kids are at home.”
    They sat quietly, Adam nursing his beer, and Quinn sipping from his glass of juice. Unable to stand the silence anymore, Adam began to blurt out everything. When he was done, he slumped in his chair, exhausted beyond belief.
    A glass of juice appeared in front of him, and Adam blinked. He had been so wrapped up in his despair he hadn’t heard Quinn move.
    He waited for the other man to say something but Quinn remained silent. “Well?” he finally said.
    Quinn gave him a sad smile. “Let me ask you this. What is