Story Excerpt
Dangerous Desires

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"Are you going to tell me what has you so upset?"

"Not hardly." Conner McGregor was casually amused by the question. Leyland Summers was always trying to make sure everyone around him was happy as he was. It was like the man's mission in life or something. Conner just didn't want to be one of Leyland's pet projects.

"It might help to talk about it."

"Says the man with two mates," Conner snickered.

"So, it's because you're not getting laid on a regular basis?" Leyland asked. "Is that why you're in such a foul mood?"

Conner rolled his eyes and leaned back against the counter. He held his coffee cup in both hands and took a long sip, anything to keep from having to answer the little Tri Omega. He liked Leyland well enough but not enough to talk about his sex life or lack there of.

If wasn't for the fact that Leyland's two very large mates would wipe the floor with him, Conner would have told Leyland exactly how he felt about talking about his sex life. It was a subject totally off limits in his book.

"I'm just trying to help, Conner."

Conner sighed. "I know, Leyland."

Leyland frowned and chewed on the end of his thumb, which was actually a good look for the man. Conner imagined it pretty much got him whatever he wanted where his mates were concerned. Jake McAlester and Lucas Jones had absolutely no resistance to one of Leyland's pouty looks.

"Maybe we could have a party," Leyland said suddenly, his smile brightening. "We could invite some of the surrounding wolf packs. You could meet someone there."

"Leyland, I appreciate your concern over my sex life but it's just that, my sex life."

"Conner—"

Conner rolled his eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of finding my own date, thank you very much."

Leyland frowned again. "I just want to make you feel better, to make you feel more comfortable here."

"Leyland, you can read people." A feat which still freaked Conner out a bit. "Do I seem like I'm uncomfortable here?"

"No, but—"

"I'm fine, Leyland, just a bit envious."

"Of me?" Leyland's hand fluttered at his neck.

"More of the relationship you have with Jake and Lucas. I think I'm even jealous of Brom, Daniel, and Jaryn." Conner chuckled. "Minus the kids, of course."

Leyland's expression stilled and grew serious. "You don't like kids?"

"I love kids." He smiled. Leyland's reaction amused Conner. "As long as they belong to someone else."

"I think it's been great having Brom's kids here. Cailin and Iain are so cute and they bring Jake and Lucas to their knees every time."

A burst of laughter fell from Conner's mouth before he could stop it. "And you don't? I've seen you use that pouty little look on your mates more than once. It gets you whatever you want."

Leyland grinned and tossed back his light brown hair with his hand. He didn't look the least bit repentant. "It's a gift."

"Its manipulation and you damn well know it."

"It works, doesn't it?" Leyland chuckled.

Conner opened his mouth to say something to Leyland about manipulating his mates when the phone rang. He reached over Leyland's head and grabbed the phone hanging on the wall and brought it to his ear.

"Wolfrik Ranch."

"You're in danger," a low masculine voice whispered through the phone.

Conner's eyebrows shot up in surprise. That wasn't something he heard every day. "Excuse me?"

"You're in danger," the voice whispered again, "you and the man with you."

"Who is this?" Conner ground the question out through clenched teeth. He didn't like mysterious voices but he liked cryptic messages even less.

"You're life is in danger, Conner."

Conner stiffened, feeling a deep dark cold crawl down his spine. "How do you know who I am?"

"Conner?" a small voice wobbled next to him.

Conner glanced over at Leyland when the man grabbed his arm. He started to shake his head to tell Leyland to be quiet. He needed to figure out who in the hell was calling him, and why.

And then he spotted a red laser dot on Leyland's forehead.

Conner whipped around to look out the kitchen window, trying to spot who ever had a laser light pointed at Leyland's head. He couldn't see anything except green fields of grass surrounded by rolling hills covered in trees. There wasn't a person in sight.

"Conner!" The voice over the phone was getting harsher but still spoke in a whisper. "You're not listening to me. You and the man you are with are in danger. You must get out of there."

"Who is this?" Conner demanded again, anger beginning to lace his voice. He started to feel a prickling along his skin as if all of the hairs were starting to stand up. If he didn't know better, Conner would have thought that he had some sort of premonition because it felt like something was coming, something bad.

"Consider me a friend," the voice replied.

"I like knowing the names of my friends."

"Just get out of there. You're not safe."