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

the worst thing that can happen if you mate with Cullen?”
    That was easy. “We have no way out if things go badly. We would end up hating each other. And I can’t have Cullen hate me.”
    Quinn nodded and then sat forward. “And what’s the worst thing that can happen if you don’t mate with him?”
    Horror crawled through him when he realized that he was already teetering on the very edge of the worst that could happen. “I’ll lose him,” he whispered.
    Reaching across the table, Quinn patted his hand. “It’s okay to be afraid, Adam. Lord knows I was afraid when I got mated to Declan. But I’ve never regretted it.”
    Adam thought back to when Quinn had first come to the pack, abused and looking like a survivor of a refugee camp. Mating with Declan had been life-changing for Quinn, and not just because he’d finally had enough to eat. The man had been scared out of his mind the night he’d stood in front of the pack and let Declan mate with him. The scent of rank fear saturated the air so thoroughly, it had been hard to smell the pine on the crisp fall air. But somehow, he’d found the courage to mate Declan so the man could take over as Alpha.
    By comparison, Adam should have nothing to worry about. He’d been living with Cullen for more than six years and things had been great. Sure, they’d fought. They were two dominant wolves—things were bound to get heated sometimes. But they’d always been able to work things out with a minimum of damage. Usually any damage could be attributed to the make-up sex.
    He sat at the table, thinking everything through while Quinn puttered away in the kitchen. While the thought of being tied to someone for the rest of his life with no way out scared the hell out of him, living without Cullen was unacceptable. He might as well cease to exist if Cullen wasn’t in his life.
    “Hey, Quinn? Do you think Cullen wants a public mating or do you think he would be okay with a private one?”
    Quinn pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows. “I guess that depends. Why do you want a private mating? Because if the answer is that the fewer number of people who know, the better—I’d tell you to take a flying leap off a short pier.”
    Adam grinned. Quinn certainly had a way with words. “Oh, when I mate with Cullen, I want every pack member to know that he’s off the market, as soon as possible. But I was thinking that a private, romantic mating may be more meaningful than a pack-wide one.”
    Quinn’s expression softened. “I think Cullen will love it. Does that mean I can go shopping for a mating gift?”
    Now the fear racing through Adam was because Cullen could actually say no. That he’d finally had enough of Adam’s shit and decided he wasn’t worth the effort. “I’ll get back to you on that.”
    “When?”
    God, Quinn was a nosy little thing, but Adam felt no irritation. Not when he’d managed to get Adam to extract his head from his ass. “When I’m wearing Cullen’s mating bite and our scent.”
    A huge grin spread over Quinn’s face. “Good deal, man.”
    Adam stood up and stretched. Now all he needed was a plan.

Chapter 6
    Cullen shifted to human form and walked back to his house. He’d spent the afternoon patrolling the grounds with Declan.
    Adam had left a change of clothes for him on the front step, and Cullen pulled them on as he stared at the front door and gathered his courage. He’d never been afraid to enter his home before but the idea of Adam not waiting for him was terrifying.
    What the fuck had he been thinking, giving Adam an ultimatum? Of course the man was afraid of mating. He’d been royally fucked over by his parents. He understood Adam’s reluctance to bind himself to another. He really did. But was it really so horrible for him to want that bond? Didn’t he deserve to know they had something permanent?
    Gathering his courage, Cullen walked up the steps of the front porch and opened his door.
    Relief flowed through him when he