Kicked out of his home at eighteen, Cole ends up at The Haven, a drop-in spot for homeless teens, run by Adam Franks. Unable to spend the nights there, he ends up sleeping rough, is attacked by a pair of punks -- and rescued by a Bullmastiff he names Bull.<br><br>Cole and Bull become inseparable. Cole also meets, and is attracted to, Ky, a friend of Adam's, who twice saves Cole from more attackers. After the second attack, things suddenly change in Cole's life when he finds out why someone seems to be after him.<br><br>Will Ky be able to convince Cole he's told him is the truth, while dealing with his own attraction to Cole? And can Ky and his friends keep Cole safe from a man who claims to be Cole's real father?

Cole and His Dog

Cole froze, biting back a scream of horror. Then he scrambled off the sofa, heading for the stairs.


Before he reached them, Ky shifted again and caught his arm to stop him. “I’m no danger to you. Neither is Bull. We…I, am here to protect you, and teach you.”


Cole couldn’t stop shaking as he tried to pull away. When he couldn’t, he lashed out at Ky with his free hand, hitting him as hard as he could. Fear, panic, and anger warred for ascendency. Suddenly, he doubled over, feeling as if his body was being torn apart. Somehow, through the mist of pain, he heard Ky say, “It’s going to be all right. The first time is the worst.”


Chapter 25