Free Beneath the Neon Moon by Theda Black

Sounds dangerous."
    Kane stared at him. "He hates us now, but that'll change. It always does. There's nothing like wanting to chow down on the people around you for a bonding experience with other wolves. And even if he doesn't want to be with us, where else would he go? In the end there's no choice at all." He leaned closer so that his mouth brushed Zach's ear. His voice was a low growl. "Now how about you tell me something. Was it good when he fucked you?"
    Zach jerked away. "How did you—"
    "His scent's all over you, just like how I know he smelled us on you. You have no idea, do you? No wolf could mistake it."
    Zach ducked his head. "Not like he gave me a choice." He felt like shit for saying it, but he had to throw them off. The bastards already knew he and Mal had a connection. He didn't want their guard up even more because of it.
    "No?" Aaron said, and Zach heard the humor in his voice. "Well, I know how hard you are to resist. As a matter of fact, so is he. I'm surprised you didn't go for it willingly."
    "He's hard to resist all right. Especially when the son of a bitch has twenty pounds and a couple of inches on me and suddenly decides he wants a fuck buddy," Zach swore, doing his best to sound bitter.
    "Good looks don't always get you what you want after all, huh?"
    "Fuck you, you wouldn't know. And speaking of, why don't you all just get each other off and leave me the hell alone? I'm a little tired of getting passed around."
    Aaron smirked. "Above all, wolves are opportunists."
    "Why me? Just tell me. Hell, why him? Why'd you pick us?"
    "Nothing mysterious. We need more pack members. New pack needs food, but out of the public eye." He shrugged. "It's almost that simple. The pack picked him, and then there you were. A little early, but it was just too convenient not to take advantage." He paused. "Too bad. You're not a bad guy."
    Zach doubted very much that all the people Aaron had killed had been bad guys, but saying so was pretty senseless, he supposed. "So let me go."
    Aaron gave him a slow, knowing smile. "It's too late. See, I've got a brother to feed."
    Zach gritted his teeth and returned his look. Aaron might be able to read the signs and know how afraid he really was, but damned if he'd show it.
    The fear had built steadily over the last few hours in the cellar with Mal, who'd twitched and paced and ran restless hands over his hair, once growling and slinging the damn chain aside when it got in the way, purposely careless of how it tightened over his ankle.
    He'd stopped, towering in front of Zach, chest heaving in frustration. His breathing slowed and he'd raised his head. Sniffed the air like a dog, short sips of breath through the nose, focused and intent, an animal on the hunt. He'd smiled, hearing Zach's heart beat faster. Hunkering down, Mal had pulled up the bottom of his jean leg. He'd grabbed the chain between him and Zach and wrapped a hand around it, pulling slow and deliberate. Blood welled around the ankle chain and down his ankle.
    "Dammit, Mal, just stop!"
    Mal ignored him, a mixture of pain and lust and terrible need growing in his face, taking it over and leaving nothing behind that Zach could recognize, nothing of the man who'd touched him and whispered beautiful in his ear.
    "You smell that? It smells like coins you've carried in your hand in the summer, warm and sticky and metallic. There's an edge to it. It's so sharp it sings. And it's heavy, almost too heavy. Rich." Mal closed his eyes and breathed in, smiling. He rubbed his fingers in the blood at his ankle. "Ummm. Fuck, that's good," he said, his voice rumbling low and smooth in his chest. He held his hand up to Zach. "Taste it."
    "Hell, no." Zach slapped his hand away. Mal grinned and jabbed his hand insistently at Zach, and Zach grabbed his arm and thrust it away. " No ."
    God, he didn't want to go back down in that cellar again.
    Kane unlocked the door. They walked through it. Zach heard the snick of the door behind him, loud as