I have never been so nervous in my entire life. You would think that as a werewolf, an alpha, and a Marine who has seen combat, not much would faze me. But knowing that I’m about to take my mate and the she-wolf of my dreams on a date for the very first time…I’m a nervous wreck. I stare at myself in the mirror, fumbling in my attempt to tie my tie. Nick’s idea was a good one, I have to give it to him. It’s one of the reasons that he’ll be my beta. He’s a really smart guy. And if this works, I’ll be forever in his debt. Nick’s idea is that Bhakti and I date for six months. That way, we can get to know each other since we haven’t really talked in years. At the end of that time, the decision of being mates can be made. It’s brilliant and seemed to calm everyone’s nerves the second he said it. Well, everyone’s but mine. Cause now…now I have to convince the she-wolf that I’ve loved from afar for so long that we should be together. I don’t know what to do with my hands.

We were supposed to have a month at home. I know that sounds like a long time to other people in the military, but we had just spent 13 months out in the battlefield and we were going to be heading back for another tour. We needed the time to reconnect with our families, get our heads on straight, and prepare to be sent back. But things were starting to heat up in Fallujah again after the first battle. There had always been daily skirmishes and many of our soldiers were involved in operations and trying to keep people safe. But small scale attacks were multiplying throughout the region from the insurgents that were left behind from the battle in Fallujah back in May. It looked like there was going to be another battle that we were going to face soon. A week before we were supposed to return to base, this time to Camp Pendleton in California, we received a call that said that we needed to return early. They wanted to get us back in the system, recheck training, and prepare to

Consciousness comes back to me slowly. First it’s the smell. I mixture of cleaning solution, blood, and this amazing smell that reminds me of something that I just can’t recall but makes me feel safe and comforted. Then it’s sound. The soft whoosh of someone walking past my bed, the murmur of voices that I can’t quite catch, the beeping and whirring of machines. Then it’s touch and the feeling of heat along one side of my body. And finally, finally, my eyes flutter open. It takes me a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the light. When I’m finally able to see, I glance around the room I’m in. It must be evening, because the large halogen lamps above me are blazing. I’m in the medical tent, hooked up to all kinds of IVs and machines. My bed is separated on three sides by large curtains for a semblance of privacy, but you can easily see through the gaps. I try to shift myself into a more comfortable position and immediately notice two things: 1) pain laces through the ri

“I can’t believe that you’re leaving tomorrow, cabrón (asshole)! Who am I gonna show up when pulling ass at the bar?” Elliott shouts across the mess hall, causing an uproar around the room. It was a running joke that between Elliott’s down home, southern, good ol’ boy looks and my exotic Spanish features and accent, the two of us have slept with every male and she-wolf in the camp, including some of the officers. I’m not saying I’m a man-whore. I’m also not, not saying I’m a man-whore. I just really, really like sex. “Idiota (Idiot). You can’t beat me with that gringo accent! Now you’ll at least be someone’s first choice instead of leftovers when I’m occupied,” I call back good-naturedly. Shouts of “Oh, shit!” and “Damn!” are called out while Elliott throws his head back and laughs his ass off. This is something that I’m going to miss when I’m discharged. As part of the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit in the Navy, we are a small and elite group that tend to be dep

I can’t believe that I’m doing this. I don’t know how Camden got me to agree to this. “Dude, are you sure about this?” I asked. “I promise you it’s gonna be worth it. It’s completely anonymous. And you’ll see if you’re really gay,” my bunkmate says. “I feel like there’s easier ways to do that,” I mumble. “Yeah, but only one is gonna get you laid.” Camden cackles with laughter, but I just swallow hard. I’m not sure if I can really go through with this. Camden is my bunkmate and one of my favorite people. He has been my confidant since boot camp and, since we’re both wolves in intelligence in the Marines, we were deployed together to Germany. He is the only person that I’ve talked to about my sexuality to. See Camden is openly gay. And I have struggled with my sexuality my whole life. It’s not that I’ve ever thought that there was anything wrong with being gay. My family and my pack have always been very accepting and open about wolves that are any sexuality or gen