The guy charged him, and Sloane grinned. So fucking cocky. As soon as he was close enough Sloane threw his arms around the guy’s waist, lifted him, and slammed him down onto the dance floor, using his own weight to increase the force of the impact. The jaguar Therian gasped for breath as Sloane landed on him. Sloane rolled off and grabbed a fistful of the guy’s T-shirt before punching him in the face. A cougar Therian landed on the floor next to Sloane with a groan. Sloane shot his head up to find Dex standing there, the top two buttons of his shirt torn off. His face was flushed, and his chest rose and fell from the exertion.
“Hi, babe.”
Sloane was breathless. “Hi.” He was about to ask Dex if he was okay when he caught movement behind Dex. Before he could utter a word, Dex ducked and turned, landing a right hook into a guy’s ribs. The Therian crashed to the floor. Sloane stared at his partner.
Dex straightened and reached into his back pocket. He whipped his ID out and held it up before shouting across the floor. “THIRDS! Everyone back the fuck up!”
The music stopped, and everything came to a screeching halt.
“Agent Daley, Defense agent for the THIRDS. Don’t move.” He looked around him at the stunned Therians, their chests heaving from the brawl. Some were bloodied, some covered in food or drink stains. Dex addressed the group, his piercing blue gaze challenging anyone to make one wrong move. “Yes, I’m marked. Yes, I’m Human. No, you don’t get to challenge my mate for me. You don’t get to touch me without my permission. You don’t get to ignore me when I say no because I decided to have a beer in a bar with Therians. You don’t get to say I’m asking for it, because I don’t give a fuck what your feral half wants. This country is ruled by Human laws. You want to act like an animal? I will throw your ass in jail, and you’ll be sent to the Zoo. You can be as feral as you want there.”
A jaguar Therian took a step forward, coming to a halt when Sloane stood behind Dex. His narrowed gaze moved from Sloane back to Dex. “It’s not our fault. It’s in our DNA.”
“Bullshit,” Dex spat. He thrust a finger at the Therian next to the man. “If that guy there tries to fuck you without your consent, what does that make him?”
The two Therians looked at each other before turning their attention back to Dex. The jaguar Therian frowned at Dex.
“That’s different.”
“Why? Because I’m Human? Because you’re a Therian and your feral half says it’s okay, it’s the law of the wild, nature and all that bullshit? That makes it okay? No, it makes you a fucking rapist. I don’t give a shit what society says. I’m an officer of the law, and the law says you try to force yourself on someone, that’s sexual assault, and I will get your ass prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Think on that, because if any of you ever end up in the back of my team’s truck, you’ll be the one who gets fucked.” Dex slapped his ID wallet shut, then stuck it back in his jeans. He turned and held his hand out to Sloane.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Sloane nodded. He was too stunned to speak, so he allowed Dex to lead him out of the bar, aware of Ash and Cael following close behind. Outside, Dex turned and gave Sloane’s cheek a kiss.
“I’m gonna call us a cab.”
Sloane couldn’t seem to bring himself to do anything other than nod. Ash stepped up to him and patted his shoulder. He looked a little dumbfounded himself.
“I, uh, I think you guys will be okay.”
“Yeah.” Sloane watched as Dex flagged down a cab. He looked like he’d been in a bar fight. His shirt was torn, his knuckles bruised, and he had dirt smudges on his clothes. Damn, he was something else.
“That was, uh, kind of intense,” Ash added. “Also, I have no idea what the fuck happened back there, but it was fucking scary, Sloane. You need to talk to someone about that.”
Sloane promised he’d look into it. He thanked Ash for having his back and gave Cael a hug good-night, assuring him they’d be fine and he’d look after Dex. Whatever Ash thought it was, there was no way it was Dex releasing pheromones. There were those who believed it was possible for Humans, but Sloane didn’t buy it. Dex hadn’t smelled any different. If he had, Sloane would have been the first to notice.
A cab pulled up to the curb, and Sloane joined Dex inside. On the ride home, Sloane thought he was going to lose his mind. All he could think about was Dex, the way he’d moved against Sloane’s body, the softness of his skin, the feel of his hair, the warmth of his breath, and the taste of his lips. Dex laced his fingers with Sloane’s, giving his hand a squeeze. When Sloane looked over, their eyes met. Dex’s pupils were dilated, the heat and want in his gaze unmistakable.
The ride seemed to take forever. When it was finally over, Sloane handed the driver some money, told him to keep the change, and ran up the front steps where Dex stood at the top, opening the door. Sloane hauled him inside, slammed the door behind them, and pounced. He kissed Dex ravenously while divesting him of his clothes. Buttons popped, clothes were torn, but Sloane couldn’t care less. All he could think about was being inside Dex, of claiming his mate. His.
“You’re mine,” Sloane hissed, cupping the back of Dex’s neck and bringing him in for an ardent kiss. Dex pressed himself up against Sloane, his fingers digging into Sloane, as if he feared Sloane would slip away.
“Yes. In every way, yes.”
Dex helped Sloane remove the rest of his clothes, and once Sloane was naked, he pushed Dex onto the couch, groaning when Dex fell back onto it, his face flushed, smooth tanned skin begging to be spoiled by Sloane. He grabbed the bottle of lube from the end table drawer and stalked Dex, his grin feral as Dex drew his knees up and palmed his erection. His hair was a mess, his lips swollen from Sloane’s kisses, and he was putting on a show for Sloane.
Sloane bit down on his bottom lip to keep himself from moaning at Dex’s provocative behavior, challenging Sloane not to lose what little control he clung to. Dex lay back on the couch, his eyes never leaving Sloane’s as he stroked his cock with one hand, his other hand sliding up his torso. He arched his back and gyrated his hips.
“You like to watch me,” Dex said, his voice low and husky.
Sloane nodded. Fuck yeah. He loved to see the pleasure on Dex’s face. Loved seeing the way those plump lips parted in ecstasy, how his skin turned pink, the sweat beaded on his brow, how he lost himself at Sloane’s hands.
“I bought something for you, while you were at work.” Dex pointed behind him to the end table. “In the drawer.”
Sloane could barely contain his curiosity or his excitement. He opened the drawer and found a long white box. His pulse sped up when he found a dildo nestled inside the red velvet. He licked his bottom lip and removed it from the box, unable to take his eyes off it.
“I want you to fuck me with it,” Dex purred.