Hunting Danger Read online

  

  Brac Village 27

  Hunting Danger

  Maximus Brisco has been in hiding for over twenty years, terrified Taren Haynes will find him. Two years ago the sheriff of Brac Village found Max and gave what he thought was a normal German shepherd a home. But Max’s secret is out, and now he must convince his mate that he wasn’t purposely deceiving anyone. Too bad Dillon took off the night of his discovery and hasn’t returned.

  Deputy Dillon Sloan is stunned to discover his boss’s dog is really his mate. When he finds out Max has trouble on his heels, he sets aside his anger at being duped and decides to help Max. But the masking potion Max has been using for years to hide his scent is having an adverse effect on him. Worse, Taren has discovered where Max is and the demon is coming for him. Dillon must find a cure for Max while trying to save him from a demon hell-bent on revenge.

  Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Shape-shifter

  Length: 27,701

  HUNTING DANGER

  Brac Village 27

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Hunting Danger

  Copyright © 2019 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-624-2

  First Publication: February 2019

  Cover design by Emma Nicole

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

  You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

  For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  HUNTING DANGER

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  HUNTING DANGER

  Brac Village 27

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter One

  Deputy Dillon Sloan finished his report then pushed away from his desk, stretching. He didn’t mind the legwork part of his job. It was the paperwork he detested. His fingers were cramped, and his back ached from sitting for over an hour as he typed with both index fingers.

  “Hey,” Deputy Vincent Stransky said as he sat on the corner of Dillon’s desk. “I heard Newt’s parents are still in town and the boss’s folks are coming over for dinner to do a meet-and-greet. You wanna head over there and see if disaster unfolds?”

  Normally, Dillon would’ve been all for that, though he doubted the dinner would erupt into chaos. He’d met Sheriff Werth’s folks, and they were nice people. Newt’s mom was a bit extreme, but Mr. and Mrs. Bradley had been worried about their son when gunmen had stormed the station and killed two deputies.

  “I’ll pass.” Dillon had loved the sheriff’s dog, had enjoyed petting and playing with the German shepherd every time he came over, and had even joked once about stealing Max away from Werth.

  So Dillon’s mind had been sufficiently blown when he’d walked into his boss’s house to discover that Max was not only a shifter but his mate.

  Talk about getting hit from left field, and Dillon was still trying to work all the shit out in his head. No, he didn’t want to go over there with Vince. Not until Dillon figured out how he was gonna handle the situation.

  “Since when do you pass up an opportunity to see our boss squirm?” Vince asked.

  Then again, maybe Dillon should go. He wanted answers. Max had deceived them all, and Dillon wanted to know why. He should give his mate the benefit of the doubt, but if he didn’t like Max’s reasons, Dillon was out of there.

  He didn’t like being duped.

  Dillon could’ve just asked the sheriff what was going on, since he was Max’s owner, but Dillon had been actively avoiding his boss since that night. Had the sheriff known about Max all this time? Had he known Max was Dillon’s mate and hadn’t said a word? That didn’t seem like something Werth would do, but Dillon wasn’t so sure anymore.

  He shoved his seat back, stood and nodded. “Let’s go crash a dinner.”

  Vince smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

  Instead of taking his own car, Dillon crawled into Vince’s SUV. Vince talked the entire ride, but all Dillon did was nod and pretend he was listening.

  How the hell, in all the time he’d been alive, had Dillon never heard of dog shifters? He thought about the little twink who had stood in the entrance of Werth’s hallway that night and Dillon’s panther yowled. The guy had been sinfully sexy, until he’d seen the man shift into Max, the dog Dillon had grown to love.

  Shock didn’t begin to describe how he’d felt. How he still felt.

  When Vince pulled into Sheriff Werth’s driveway, Dillon started having second thoughts. He sat in the passenger seat and stared at the house, wondering if he should go inside or walk away.

  His choice was taken from him when Newt came outside, smiling at them, Max running out the door behind him in his dog form. Max stopped and stared at Dillon through the windshield.

  It had been two weeks since that night, and all Dillon had thought about was his mate. And there he was, his beautiful coat of fur shining under the dying sunlight.

  Max took a step back, as though uncertain what he should do as Vince got out and gave Newt a quick hug. Newt looked Dillon’s way and cocked his head. He said something to Vince, and Vince went inside as Newt approached the passenger side.

  “It’s none of my business,” Newt said when Dillon opened the door, “and Orlando would kill me if he knew I said anything, but just so you know, Max has been impossible to live with since you walked out. All he does is mope, and I’ve even heard him crying in the den a few times.” He laid his hand on Dillon’s knee. “Just give him a chance to explain himself.”

  Max’s reasons better be damned good ones because Dillon couldn’t think of anything that would’ve stopped him from telling Max that they were mates.

  In truth, Dillon was more hurt than angry. Wasn’t he good enough for Max? Didn’t his mate want him? The only reason Dillon had found out about Max was because he’d accidentally stumbled on his mate shifting. What if he hadn’t? Would his mate have continued hiding who he was to Dillon?

  He looked through the windshield at Max, who sat on his haunches by the front door, and his chest squeezed tight. Dillon had been lying to himself when he said he’d walk away if he didn’t like what Max had to say. He felt like a comple
te idiot, but Dillon would stay. Shifters had only one shot at happiness, given only one mate, and…Dillon scrubbed a hand over his head, unsure what to do.

  “Why’d he do it?” Dillon tore his gaze away from the German shepherd and stared down at his lap.

  “That’s something you two should talk about,” Newt said as he squeezed Dillon’s arm. “But I will tell you that he has a bad guy after him.”

  Dillon’s panther snarled as he looked up and glanced toward Max.

  “But that’s all I’m gonna say.” Newt gave Dillon’s arm one last squeeze before he walked away. He petted Max on his head as he went inside.

  With a sigh, Dillon got out of the SUV and closed the door. He shoved his hands into his front pockets and rounded the vehicle, heading toward the large tree in the yard. “Shift so we can talk.”

  Max shifted into his human form, and Dillon’s heart kicked wildly behind his ribs. Max really was gorgeous, with dark spiky hair and amazing greenish-yellow eyes. Dillon had to stop himself from going to his mate and pulling the naked man into his arms.

  Don’t you dare give in so quickly. Let him explain himself first.

  Biting his lower lip, Max closed the distance and held out his hand. Dillon noticed how it slightly shook. Despite being upset at his mate, some of Dillon’s anger drained.

  “Hi, I’m Maximus Brisco. I’m a dog shifter, an asshole, and a chicken.”

  Dillon stopped the side of his mouth from curving upward. He slid his hand over Max’s and gave it a gentle shake. “I’m Deputy Dillon Sloan. I’m a black panther shifter, don’t like to be fooled by my mate, and am willing to listen.”

  Max gave a slight shake of his head, and closed his eyes for a brief second as his shoulders slumped. “Would you mind if I put some clothes on so we can talk?”

  Dillon didn’t want Max to cover up his gorgeous body but nodded. Max shifted and went inside. Moments later he returned in his human form, dressed in a pair of jogging pants and a white T-shirt, but his feet were bare.

  The sheriff didn’t have a front porch or steps they could sit on. The front door was flush with the walkway. But he did have a bench under the large oak tree on his front lawn, so Dillon walked over and took a seat.

  Max joined him.

  “First, I want to say how sorry I am for not telling you who I was.” Max tucked his hands between his knees and stared at the ground. “I wanted to. There were many times over the past two years that I wanted to throw caution to the wind and reveal myself.”

  “So why didn’t you?” Dillon’s arm was over the back of the bench, and he had to curl his fingers in to stop from touching Max. It would be too easy to pull the short man into his lap and pet him until they both were crazy with lust.

  Calm the fuck down and listen to what he has to say.

  Dillon’s heart clenched as Max wiped at a stray tear before tucking his hand back between his knees. “My parents are very old-fashioned. When I refused to marry the guy they’d chosen for me, they kicked me out. I had nowhere to go, no food, or money. One night, when I was begging on the street, this demon approached me. He wanted me to work for him. Desperate, I said yes.”

  “A demon?” Even Dillon knew that was bad news. Aside from the demon warriors who policed the demon realm, Dillon had yet to meet one of their kind that wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on him.

  Which made him think of Myers. It was tragic the way he’d died, but everyone at the station knew he’d been a dirty cop. On the down low, Detective Keating had been gathering evidence to not only get Myers kicked off the force, but sent to the underworld. Myers had had a lot of back alley dealings with demons, vampires, and all sorts of crooked characters.

  Max’s voice brought Dillon out of his thoughts.

  “I was paid well to run errands and do odd jobs,” Max said, “but one night I overheard him saying that he was gonna start a war with the demon warriors. I couldn’t let that happen. I know one of them, Phoenix, and he’s a really sweet guy. So I snuck into the room Taren Haynes slept in and stole his portal key so he couldn’t get into the demon realm. Taren has been after me ever since.”

  Dillon chewed on every word Max said, and mulled it over in his mind. “But you could’ve told me all of this when we first met and I would’ve helped you.”

  Max gave him a wobbly smile as he wiped another stray tear. “That’s the same thing Orlando said when he found out about me.”

  “And when was that?”

  “The night that guy broke in,” Max said.

  At least Dillon now knew his boss hadn’t hidden the fact about Max from him. Werth had just found out two weeks ago. And since Dillon had been healing from a gunshot wound, his boss hadn’t had time to tell him.

  Though he doubted the sheriff would. Werth would’ve either kept his nose out of it or told Max to rectify things with him. Dillon rested his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands.

  “I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me,” Max said.

  Was the guy for real? Although Dillon was pissed his mate had hidden his scent for so long, he now understood why. This had nothing to do with Max not wanting him, about Max rejecting their mating.

  He turned his head and glared at Max. “If you ever hide anything from me again—”

  “I won’t!” Max crossed his heart with his finger. “I promise.”

  Dillon was still struggling with the fact that the dog he loved was sitting right next to him. “Do you know how ridiculous I feel for asking you who’s a good boy?”

  Max gave a closed-mouth smile. “Do you know how much I loved getting petted by you?” His smile widened. “And for the record, I’m a very good boy.”

  Dillon frowned.

  “Too soon?” Max asked as his smile slipped.

  “Too soon,” Dillon said.

  “I could shift.”

  “Don’t.” Dillon sighed. “Just give my brain time to reconcile the fact that the dog I loved and the guy sitting next to me are one and the same.”

  Max’s dark brows shot up. “You loved me?”

  “The dog,” Dillon corrected. “I don’t know the man.”

  “I understand.” Max got up and took a step toward the house.

  “Where’re you going?” Dillon pulled Max back down.

  “I was gonna go inside and give you the time you needed.” Max leaned toward him and sniffed at Dillon. He pulled back when Dillon scowled. “Sorry, I just love how you smell.”

  Goddamn it. Max wasn’t making it easy to stay mad at him. Dillon smirked. “Who’s a good boy?”

  Max threw his head back and laughed. The sound was magical and made Dillon’s heart beat faster.

  “I am,” Max said with humor in his voice. “So, do you want to pet me now?” He lifted his white T-shirt to show his flat belly. “I could go for a tummy rub.”

  A yowl vibrated in Dillon’s throat as his body grew tight. “And I could go for a—” His gaze shot to the front window, where Newt was trying, but failing, to spy on them.

  Max narrowed his eyes as he looked at the window. “Stop being nosy!”

  Newt moved aside, and the curtain fell back into place.

  “He’s gonna keep spying on us,” Max said. “He wants to make sure we work this out.”

  “He really cares about you.” Unable to hold out any longer, Dillon caressed Max’s nape. He needed to connect with Max, and damn if his skin wasn’t as soft as silk. He brushed the pad of his thumb over Max’s nape, watching as his mate groaned and his eyelids fluttered closed.

  “Newt’s my best friend,” Max said as he slightly panted, “which is a miracle considering he’s terrified of dogs.”

  “My boss is gonna kill me for stealing his dog.” Dillon was mesmerized by the look of pure rapture on Max’s face. He slid his fingers from his mate’s nape to his shoulder, and then across his swanlike neck. His cock was hard as fuck as his gaze flickered down to Max’s parted lips.

  Max trembled as he opened his eyes.
When he spoke, his voice was breathless and shaky. “If you keep that up, I’m gonna crawl into your lap and have my wicked way with you.”

  Dillon’s half-lidded gaze slid over Max’s compact body. “Is that so?”

  His anger and hurt at being deceived had vanished, and now all Dillon thought about was bending Max over the bench and claiming him.

  “If we didn’t have an audience, I would.” Max looked toward the house, and Dillon followed his gaze. Vince and Werth were standing just outside the door. How had Dillon not seen them come outside?

  “We got a call,” Vince said as he walked away from the sheriff. “Since we’re still on duty, we have to go.”

  Dillon hated the shitty timing. “I’ll be back,” he said to Max.

  “I’ll be here.” Max gave him a heart-stopping smile before he jumped up and hurried toward the house.

  One of Vince’s brows arched. “What was that about, and who was that guy?”

  Dillon trusted Vince. He’d known the guy for years, but since Max was in hiding, he didn’t want anyone else to know what was going on. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He winked at his partner.

  Vince rolled his eyes. “Come on, Romeo. You can chase ass later.”

  Dillon planned to return, and when he did, he would pick up where they’d left off.

  * * * *

  Taren Haynes had kept downwind as he stuck to the shadows, watching as the deputies took off in the silver SUV and Maximus went into the house. After two decades, he’d finally caught up to the little prick who’d stolen what he’d needed to get into the demon realm.