He could feel a part of him healing. Some dark place inside of him that had been festering with resentment for years was being torn to shreds, replaced by the bright light of his mate’s smile.
It was as if his mate was teaching him how to live again. Keaton wrapped his legs around Kade’s waist, yanking him closer with a devil-may-care smile. “Harder.”
Kade gave the man what he wanted—although he had to add some saliva into the mix. They didn’t have any lube on hand. The spittle wasn’t as good as the clear gel, but it did in a pinch.
Keaton threw his hands over his head, his eyes fluttering closed as his lips parted. His body writhed under Kade, letting him know that his mate was loving everything that Kade was doing to his body. His heart went wild and blood rushed hot through his veins.
Glancing down, Kade watched as his cock moved in and out of his mate’s ass, fascinated at the sight. He palmed Keaton’s balls, massaging them as he drove deeper.
“Kide,” Keaton cried out, his seed splashing across his chest. The scent and sight drove Kade over the edge. He pounded into his mate’s ass, shouting as his orgasm tore through him.
Fuck, he loved when the man said his name.
Pulling his cock free, Kade placed a kiss on Keaton’s lips. “We should shower and find out what’s going on with the cops.”
“Oh, god.” Keaton’s eyes rounded. “How in the hell did I forget about—” Keaton’s face contorted into pain as he grabbed his stomach. “Oh, oh, this hurts.”
Kade quickly jumped from the couch and yanked his jeans on. He tore to the door and raced down the steps, finding Cody in his office. “I need your help.” Kade normally wouldn’t ask anyone for help with his mate, but he had no clue what to do. Keaton was being converted, and Kade felt panicked.
“What’s wrong?” Cody asked as he hurried up the back steps behind Kade.
“Keaton is converting into a snow leopard.” He could hear the wolf cursing behind him as Kade reentered the apartment. Keaton was on the couch, curled into a tight ball. He hadn’t thought about covering Keaton up before he had run to get help. Kade grabbed his shirt and threw it over his mate’s waist.
“Trust me, his jewels are the last thing on my mind,” Cody said as he pulled his phone out. “I’m calling the doc.”
“He wants out!” Keaton shouted as he rolled to his stomach and crawled from the couch. “I don’t know what to do.” His voice was strained, panicked, and Kade felt helpless. He knew his mate was referring to his leopard, but Kade didn’t know how to get the leopard out without hurting Keaton.
Cody hung up, walking closer and squatting down on front of Keaton. “Doc is tied up at the clinic. He’s says to coax Keaton’s cat out. Since this is his first shift, if he keeps fighting it, his cat will accidently kill him to get out.”
Kade ran his hands over his head, staring down at his writhing mate. “Can you leave us alone?” For Kade, this was a very private, very intimate experience. Now that he knew what he had to do, he didn’t want an audience.
Cody gave a firm nod, giving Kade’s shoulder a quick pat. “Shout if you need me, bro. I’ll be right downstairs.”
Kade waited until the door was closed before he stripped his pants back off and knelt at Keaton’s head. He placed his hands on his mate’s cheeks and made Keaton look up at him. He could see the sweat pouring off of Keaton. “You can feel him, right?” Kade could see how badly his hands were shaking as he waited for Keaton to answer him.
His mate swallowed hard, grunted, and then nodded his head.
“Can you see him?”
Again, Keaton nodded.
“Look at him, Keaton. He is you. See how beautiful he is, his fur as pure as snow, his body sleek and compact, and his eyes…wow—” Kade couldn’t see Keaton’s leopard, but he knew it was going to have sapphire eyes, just like his mate. “Those eyes, they’re yours.”
Keaton bowed his back, screaming as he flopped out of Kade’s hands, hitting the floor as he squirmed around in pain.
Kade quickly covered his mate, straddling his body and pinning his wrists down above his head. He was not going to lose his mate. Keaton was too damn precious to Kade to let him slip away. “Listen to me, Keaton.” Kade leaned in, biting Keaton on his bottom lip to get his attention.
“Caress him, run your fucking hand down his fur and get to know your leopard. He is you, Keaton. You are looking at yourself. Your leopard is a newborn, Keaton.” Kade rubbed his cheek against his mate’s, inhaling his scent. “He’s scared. Help him, baby.”
“K–Kade.” Keaton began to shake on the floor.
“I’m right here, baby. I’m not leaving your side. You are irrevocably stuck with me.” He kissed Keaton’s temple, suddenly feeling a fine coat of fur under his hands. Kade looked down, utterly astonished as he watched the white fur begin to sprout all over Keaton’s body.
Kade quickly moved off of Keaton, giving him room. Keaton’s claws shot out and then receded, only to spring forth again. His face contorted, taking on the shape of a snow leopard. Kade gasped when Keaton opened his eyes. He knew his mate would still have those magnificent dark-blue eyes!
Chuckling, Kade watched as Keaton tried to stand, his legs wobbled, and then he fell back to the floor with a harrumph. “It’ll take some getting used to.” Kade moved closer. “You are so fucking beautiful.”
Keaton batted a paw at Kade, showing his canines.
Kade immediately shifted, knowing exactly what he was
