Marked Northern Shifters 1

out relief. Just before they left the room, Alec turned. “For the record, that’s not how I have sex. I’m a top.”
“Okay,” said Liam, unwilling to argue or even ask what Alec was talking about. He could have sworn Alec wanted to bottom.
Chapter Three
    Rain pounded on the windshield. The wipers frantically swept back and forth. Leaning into the corner of the seat, Alec sat as far from Liam as possible. Alec didn’t care if he was paranoid. He didn’t care if, after being thrown down, he’d given Liam the go-ahead.
    He wanted out of this car and away from Liam. What a nightmare. Thank God Liam didn’t try to chat, because Alec was not up for casual conversation.
He looked over once, during a crack of lightning, to see white knuckles on the steering wheel and a bleak look on Liam’s face.
That expression gave Alec pause and he closed his eyes. He used to be quite the sociable guy. As a child, he’d been popular. But this last year had taken its toll. He found himself rubbing his scar and took his hand away. Never mind that the scar ran his life.
Liam darted a glance at him, as if he might say something.
To preempt such a sally, Alec spoke two words, as levelly as possible, “Next right.”
“Sure.”
After the turn, Alec said, “Stop just before the lights.”
Liam nodded and slowly pulled over.
“Alec,” began Liam, tentative, both hands gripping the wheel, and a part of Alec wanted to stay and hear Liam out.
Instead, he opened the door, jumping into the rain, and slammed it without a word. He simply couldn’t see Liam again. He’d been thrown down before and while he’d been, unwillingly, sky-high and they’d taken a piece of flesh, not a piece of ass, the similarities freaked Alec out.
Or at least freaked him out after the sex. What was wrong with him? How could he have softened to Liam’s touch anyway? Alec didn’t know and it didn’t matter.
Alec raced up the stairs. Once he shut the door to his apartment, the trembling subsided. The wolves—if they even existed—didn’t know he was here. Only Liam knew he was here and while Liam was, shall we say, a little maladroit at seduction—though not, evidently, entirely without talent—he didn’t go around drugging and biting people. He’d overpowered Alec in order to kiss and nuzzle his neck.
Letting out a shaky sigh, Alec dropped into a chair. Maybe it was time to move. Leave last year behind. Without the scar, he might have thought he’d had a psychotic break or something.
He’d lost his job after the bite—because he’d missed two shifts without warning. When Sharon befriended him and got him work at the library, Alec had been so grateful he’d practically abased himself with thanks.
Outside of his nightmares, in which the man with cold blue eyes informed Alec he was marked as theirs, to do with what they pleased, there were no signs of werewolves in Alec’s life. No sign but the scar.
Of course, Bill had been marked, too, and now he was gone, officially presumed dead. Not that Alec had ever believed Bill’s bizarre story about wolves and drugs last year when he thought Bill was full of shit, slightly unhinged, but still cute. The guilt hit hard even if Alec didn’t know what he could have done differently.
Lightning flashed, Alec jumped. But it was better than the full moon and the terror that came with it.
    The next day Veronica dropped by and Liam had a pretty clear idea why. She bided her time, waiting a couple of hours into the visit to have a private chat with Liam. Eventually Ira got settled with a book downstairs and Veronica directed her golden gaze at Liam. He looked back rather grumpily.
    “So, how did yesterday go?” she asked.
“Ira and Alec had a nice visit.”
“Good.” Her gaze sharpened at his tone. “But?”
    Liam pushed out of his chair and began stalking the room. He didn’t want to talk, not really. But sometimes Veronica had advice worth listening to, and Liam, despite the rather disastrous sex last night, did not want to give up Alec.
    “Liam,” she said in a low voice. “Did you make a move on Alec?”
He had to laugh. “I guess you could call it that.”
She squinted, as if bracing herself. “What happened?”
“Well, I threw him on his back and he thought I was going to rape him.” She waited for the punch line.
“No joke.”
“Oh, Christ.” She let her head fall into her hands.
“I know. I know. ”
Dragging hands down her face, she looked up at him. “For God’s sakes, Liam,