Atherton Pack Book 5
Release Date: December 6, 2017
Word Count: 20,000
Editor: Jude Dunn
Being pregnant is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you’re male and a shifter. Even though the world now knows about shifters, their male’s ability to bare young is still a closely guarded secret. Since Corey's pregnancy is now visible, he's been stuck at home working on code and waiting for company to drop by. Problem is, though, the human government wants to know where Corey is.
As Christmas and Corey’s due date draw ever nearer, Ben devises a plan that will not only get Corey out of the house, but allows the wolves of Atherton pack to give the community some Christmas cheer.
Release Date: December 6, 2017
Word Count: 20,000
Editor: Jude Dunn
Being pregnant is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you’re male and a shifter. Even though the world now knows about shifters, their male’s ability to bare young is still a closely guarded secret. Since Corey's pregnancy is now visible, he's been stuck at home working on code and waiting for company to drop by. Problem is, though, the human government wants to know where Corey is.
As Christmas and Corey’s due date draw ever nearer, Ben devises a plan that will not only get Corey out of the house, but allows the wolves of Atherton pack to give the community some Christmas cheer.
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Excerpt - Prologue:
Ethan rolled over and snuggled into the warmth of his mate. Corey always smelled and felt so good first thing in the morning. The sun peeked through the gap in the curtains, but Ethan didn't want to wake up. Instead, he curled in closer to Corey. Corey wrapped his arm around Ethan's back and pulled him in close, sleepily placing a soft kiss on Ethan's forehead.
"Go back to sleep, babe," Corey murmured.
"Hmm. Good idea."
Ethan kissed the warm skin under Corey's chin and settled in. He ran his hand up and down Corey's lightly furred chest.
The blankets twitched where they rested over Corey's groin, and Ethan had to hold back a grin.
"I thought we were going back to sleep?" Corey asked as he finally opened his eyes and stared down at Ethan.
Ethan glanced up at his mate with the most innocent expression on his face he could pull off. "What? I was just getting comfortable."
"Sure you were."
Before Ethan knew what was happening, he was on his back with Corey looming over the top of him, the blankets having fallen aside in the move.
Ethan's cock reacted to his mate's naked body pressed against his own and started to stir. He wiggled around, getting a little extra friction.
Corey growled above him, then leaned in to take his mouth in a hot and heavy kiss. Their lips slid over each other as their tongues dueled for dominance. Ethan happily gave in to his partner and let Corey lead.
Ethan loved feeling Corey inside him, it excited him to no end, and he seriously got off on it. Corey had turned the tables on him the other day, for Ethan's birthday, and they'd switched for the first time. It had been fucking hot. Feeling Corey's body wrapped around his dick as they made love had Ethan eager to experience it again.
Corey broke the kiss and leaned back a little, his expression weird. Ethan couldn't make it out. He reached up and placed his hand on Corey's cheek. "You okay?" he asked, more worried about his mate than what they had been doing.
Corey's expression pinched, and his skin paled.
"Corey?" he asked.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Corey scrambled back and off the bed before he bolted into the bathroom.
The door slammed before Ethan even registered what had happened. He hustled out of bed and raced after his mate. He opened the bathroom door to the sounds of Corey being violently ill over the toilet.
Ethan grabbed the hand towel hanging on the hook and rinsed it under cool water before making his way over to Corey. Ethan leaned over and gently rubbed Corey's back, wiping the cool, damp cloth over Corey's forehead as his mate continued to retch.
When Corey finally calmed down, he sat back on his haunches. Ethan handed him the cloth so Corey could wipe his face.
"You okay?" Ethan asked him, worry lacing his voice as he continued to rub soothing circles on Corey's back.
"I think the chicken we had for dinner must have been a little funky."
"Honey, I ate the chicken, and I'm fine. Plus if it were food poisoning, it would have hit you a lot sooner than now," Ethan said.
"Mmmm. You're probably right. Maybe it's just some twenty-four-hour bug thing."
Ethan chuckled as an idea struck him. It couldn't be that simple, could it? Feeling rather giddy at the prospect of why his mate would be throwing up first thing in the morning, Ethan gave his mate the once-over.
"When was the last time you or any other shifter has ever come down with a twenty-four-hour bug?" Ethan leaned down and helped Corey stand. His mate did seem wobbly on his feet after that. "Come on, let's rinse your mouth out, then get you back to bed. You need to rest."
Corey didn't protest as Ethan steered him to the sink, then back into their bedroom. Corey collapsed into bed and groaned, his hand going to his mouth like he wasn't sure if he wanted to throw up again or not.
"You okay?" Ethan asked. "I'll get a bucket for you in case you don't make it to the bathroom."
"Thanks, babe. Never felt like this before."
"I doubt you would have," Ethan said, trying to keep the grin off his face.
He leaned down and tenderly kissed Corey before he left the bedroom and headed for the laundry. Bucket in hand, he then made a stop in the kitchen for some dry crackers and a large glass of iced water.
"How you feeling?' Ethan placed the bucket on the floor by the bed and the water and crackers on the bedside table.
"Nauseous," Corey moaned.
Ethan sat on the bed beside Corey and stroked his hair. "Why don't you try and go back to sleep? You don't have anything urgent on your plate that can't wait a day or two. Plus, the guys are coming over for poker tonight."
Corey groaned. "Crap, I forgot it was Monday."
Ethan chuckled. "It'll be fine. I bet you're feeling better in no time. Get some rest, and I'll check on you throughout the day."
Corey rolled over and snuggled under the blankets, taking Ethan's hand with him. "Couldn't you stay with me?" he asked, his bottom lip jutting out.
Ethan kissed his mate tenderly. "I wish I could, but you know how busy Ben has been due to recent events. I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Okay."
The frown really was adorable. Ethan kissed his mate again, sat with him for a couple more minutes until Corey's breathing evened out, then stood and got ready for work. Ethan had one very important stop that he had to make on his way home tonight. He had a feeling his and Corey's lives had just changed forever.
"Go back to sleep, babe," Corey murmured.
"Hmm. Good idea."
Ethan kissed the warm skin under Corey's chin and settled in. He ran his hand up and down Corey's lightly furred chest.
The blankets twitched where they rested over Corey's groin, and Ethan had to hold back a grin.
"I thought we were going back to sleep?" Corey asked as he finally opened his eyes and stared down at Ethan.
Ethan glanced up at his mate with the most innocent expression on his face he could pull off. "What? I was just getting comfortable."
"Sure you were."
Before Ethan knew what was happening, he was on his back with Corey looming over the top of him, the blankets having fallen aside in the move.
Ethan's cock reacted to his mate's naked body pressed against his own and started to stir. He wiggled around, getting a little extra friction.
Corey growled above him, then leaned in to take his mouth in a hot and heavy kiss. Their lips slid over each other as their tongues dueled for dominance. Ethan happily gave in to his partner and let Corey lead.
Ethan loved feeling Corey inside him, it excited him to no end, and he seriously got off on it. Corey had turned the tables on him the other day, for Ethan's birthday, and they'd switched for the first time. It had been fucking hot. Feeling Corey's body wrapped around his dick as they made love had Ethan eager to experience it again.
Corey broke the kiss and leaned back a little, his expression weird. Ethan couldn't make it out. He reached up and placed his hand on Corey's cheek. "You okay?" he asked, more worried about his mate than what they had been doing.
Corey's expression pinched, and his skin paled.
"Corey?" he asked.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Corey scrambled back and off the bed before he bolted into the bathroom.
The door slammed before Ethan even registered what had happened. He hustled out of bed and raced after his mate. He opened the bathroom door to the sounds of Corey being violently ill over the toilet.
Ethan grabbed the hand towel hanging on the hook and rinsed it under cool water before making his way over to Corey. Ethan leaned over and gently rubbed Corey's back, wiping the cool, damp cloth over Corey's forehead as his mate continued to retch.
When Corey finally calmed down, he sat back on his haunches. Ethan handed him the cloth so Corey could wipe his face.
"You okay?" Ethan asked him, worry lacing his voice as he continued to rub soothing circles on Corey's back.
"I think the chicken we had for dinner must have been a little funky."
"Honey, I ate the chicken, and I'm fine. Plus if it were food poisoning, it would have hit you a lot sooner than now," Ethan said.
"Mmmm. You're probably right. Maybe it's just some twenty-four-hour bug thing."
Ethan chuckled as an idea struck him. It couldn't be that simple, could it? Feeling rather giddy at the prospect of why his mate would be throwing up first thing in the morning, Ethan gave his mate the once-over.
"When was the last time you or any other shifter has ever come down with a twenty-four-hour bug?" Ethan leaned down and helped Corey stand. His mate did seem wobbly on his feet after that. "Come on, let's rinse your mouth out, then get you back to bed. You need to rest."
Corey didn't protest as Ethan steered him to the sink, then back into their bedroom. Corey collapsed into bed and groaned, his hand going to his mouth like he wasn't sure if he wanted to throw up again or not.
"You okay?" Ethan asked. "I'll get a bucket for you in case you don't make it to the bathroom."
"Thanks, babe. Never felt like this before."
"I doubt you would have," Ethan said, trying to keep the grin off his face.
He leaned down and tenderly kissed Corey before he left the bedroom and headed for the laundry. Bucket in hand, he then made a stop in the kitchen for some dry crackers and a large glass of iced water.
"How you feeling?' Ethan placed the bucket on the floor by the bed and the water and crackers on the bedside table.
"Nauseous," Corey moaned.
Ethan sat on the bed beside Corey and stroked his hair. "Why don't you try and go back to sleep? You don't have anything urgent on your plate that can't wait a day or two. Plus, the guys are coming over for poker tonight."
Corey groaned. "Crap, I forgot it was Monday."
Ethan chuckled. "It'll be fine. I bet you're feeling better in no time. Get some rest, and I'll check on you throughout the day."
Corey rolled over and snuggled under the blankets, taking Ethan's hand with him. "Couldn't you stay with me?" he asked, his bottom lip jutting out.
Ethan kissed his mate tenderly. "I wish I could, but you know how busy Ben has been due to recent events. I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Okay."
The frown really was adorable. Ethan kissed his mate again, sat with him for a couple more minutes until Corey's breathing evened out, then stood and got ready for work. Ethan had one very important stop that he had to make on his way home tonight. He had a feeling his and Corey's lives had just changed forever.