Thomas Durling escaped his small-town upbringing for over ten years, until a single phone call drew him back. Told his mother has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, he returns to the small northern Michigan town he once called home to find a mute stranger taking care of her in his stead.<br><br>On the surface, Andre seems harmless enough, but Thomas has enough problems trying to deal with his mother’s illness. He doesn’t need a gorgeous young man to distract him, especially in a town that drove him away once already with its homophobia.<br><br>But Andre has nowhere else to go. A wolf without a pack, he’s been on the run since witnessing his father’s murder, always looking over his shoulder, never looking ahead. Taking care of Thomas’s mother has given him a welcome sanctuary, as well as a place he can call home for a couple months. He wants to stay, but more importantly, he wants to help, even if Thomas isn’t ready to accept that they could actually be friends ...

Moon-Touched

Thomas retreated the same distance. “I really don’t want to have to call the sheriff to report a pretty dog like you roaming wild. Do us both a favor and just go.”


That surprised Thomas enough to stop him. His short bark of laughter cut through the night air. “Cute, but I’m not going to fall for it. I don’t care how well-trained you are.”


Except he wasn’t moving any longer, which had to be a good sign. Andre sat again, content to stay in the vicinity as long as Thomas didn’t go back in the house. If this was all it took to distract Thomas from his sadness, so be it.


“If you’re hungry, you’re out of luck.” He tilted his head. “Though you look like you could use a good meal. Shit, you’re probably a stray.” Swearing again under his breath, he glanced over his shoulder at the dark house. “Mom can’t see you. She’ll want to take you in, and then we’ll be the ones stuck taking care of you. And that’s only if you don’t have rabies or something.”


Chapter 24