Free Phoenix Arizona by Lynn Hagen

back.
    Phoenix dropped to his knees and stared directly at Matt. His face was riddled with shock and disbelief. Matt lowered his head for a moment and only a moment since Armando was prone to throw something else at him.
    Phoenix crawled across the floor on his hands and knees. Armando looked too stunned to stop him. He was just standing there with his mouth hanging open, his eyes wider than twin moons. If Matt hadn’t been in wolf form, he would have laughed, and then probably would have decked the guy for throwing half the house at him.
    Phoenix pushed to his knees, raising his hand up, and then stopped, as if he were too afraid to touch Matt. Matt solved that problem by licking Phoenix’s hand. Damn, even the man’s palm tasted good. Matt couldn’t wait to see how the rest of his mate tasted.
    “Is that really you?” Phoenix whispered the question.
    Matt nodded his head.
    Phoenix’s brows shot up in surprise. “You can understand me?”
    Matt nodded again.
    With a trembling hand, Phoenix reached out and ran the tips of his fingers across Matt’s muzzle. He stayed perfectly still while his mate explored his wolf form. Matt wasn’t stupid. He was enjoying every single touch his mate placed on him. If Armando wasn’t standing there in shock, Matt would shift and kick the guy out and then let his mate pet any part of his body the man desired. Phoenix leaned closer, his nose scrunching up as he stared straight into Matt’s eyes.
    “It is you, isn’t it? You have the same eye color as Matt.”
    “That fucking dog ain’t white. What in the hell are you talking about, Nix? And get your skinny little ass back over here.” Armando finally snapped out of his stupor, his winning personally shining brightly. When the man made a move to grab Phoenix, Matt gave a warning growl. He liked his mate right next to him, and he liked to feel Phoenix’s hands glide through his fur. If Armando snatched Phoenix away, Matt really was going to bite the man.
    “Don’t you growl at me, fleabag. If you hurt Phoenix, I’ll neuter you, cop or not.”
    Damn, Matt was actually starting to like the prick. The guy had balls. He was the perfect bodyguard for Phoenix. Just as long as Armando stopped throwing things at Matt, they might actually get along.
    Matt scooted back from Phoenix and then shifted back into his human form. His mate scrambled backward. Matt reached down and picked Phoenix up from the floor, holding him tightly in his arms. He nuzzled his mate’s neck and inhaled his scent. God, the man smelled good as hell. Matt wasn’t even bothered when Armando’s brow shot up as he stared at Matt’s naked body. The only thing Matt cared about in that moment was his mate. Phoenix was right there in his arms, where Matt always wanted his mate to be.
    Armando snorted. “Okay, I guess you can stay. But remember my warning, fucking doggie cop,” Armando muttered as he pushed past Matt and left the room.
    Matt watched Armando leave and then chuckled, looking down at his mate’s stunning face. “Is he always that bitchy?”
    “And that’s on a good day.” Phoenix laughed.
    God, the laugh sounded like liquid sunshine to Matt’s ears.

Chapter Six
     
    Phoenix didn’t know what to think. His boyfriend was a wolf? And a cop? Talk about a Prozac day. He wasn’t sure which fact freaked him out more.
    “What did you mean by mate?” Phoenix had briefly wondered what Matt had meant when the guy had shouted the word out in the hallway, but after the little trick Matt had performed in front of him and Armando, that was the last thing on his mind. It couldn’t mean the same as real wolves, could it? Phoenix was no expert on wolves, or even dogs, but he knew a little something and he knew what a damn mate was, in the wild.
    “I’ll explain it all to you when we take that drive. I was going to show you then, but your best friend made me come after him for stealing my mate,” Matt complained. “I swear, if he picks one more thing up