Bark at the Moon

Bark at the Moon by Julia Davies

Phaze www.phaze.com

Copyright ©2010 by Julia Davies First published in 2010 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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Bark at the Moon by Julia Davies

CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Epilogue About the Author ****

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**** Bark at the Moon A novel of erotic romance by **** Julia Davies

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This is an explicit and erotic novel intended for the enjoyment of adult readers. Please keep out of the hands of children. www.Phaze.com

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Bark at the Moon Copyright (C) 2010 by Julia Davies ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Edited by Kathryn Lively Cover Art (C) 2010 by Niki Browning Skyewolf Images (www.skyewolfimages.com) First Edition August 2010 ISBN-13: 978-1-59426-587-7 **** Published by: Phaze Books An imprint of Mundania Press LLC 6470A Glenway Ave., #109 Cincinnati, OH 45211 All rights reserved under the International and PanAmerican Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Mundania Press LLC, 6470A Glenway Avenue, #109, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211, [email protected]. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control 6

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over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Mundania Press LLC. 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. (www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author's rights and livelihood is appreciated.

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Chapter One **** Ret watched the world go by through wolf eyes, his vision in black and white. He had shifted and come out here to think, to escape the chaotic everyday workings of the pack and the guard, but all he'd done was bring his problems with him. Usually, shifting to wolf form and going for a run relaxed him, but not today. Despite his good intentions, he found himself turning away from the woods and heading for the playing fields. Now, he sat in the long grass at the edge of the park, near the houses, keeping low so that no one would see him. He had been here for about two hours, observing and now he watched as a blond man came out of the end house, locking the door behind him. He must have finished his unpacking, Ret thought, for he'd seen the removal van had left an hour ago. The man pocketed his keys and walked to the bus stop, tugging the collar of his thick jacket up around his neck in an effort to keep out the cold air. Ret followed at a distance until he ran out of cover, then sat on his haunches, watching until the bus came and the man was gone. An hour later, Ret sat in his office with his feet up on the desk, staring out the window. Images of the blond man sprung into his mind—as if they'd ever really left—and he groaned as he felt himself growing hard again. He hadn't 8

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even spoken to the man, didn't know his name, and had only seen him a few times as he passed him in the street, yet his body reacted to him each time. If this were anyone else, he would have said that the man was his mate, but it wasn't possible. The man was human, he was wolf. It couldn't work. "Ret, you in there?" Jai sauntered into the office without bothering to wait for an invitation, let the door swing back, and dropped into the chair opposite Ret. "Where have you been? You were supposed to meet us at Howlers half an hour ago." Ret smiled apologetically. Howlers was their usual afterhours hang out, a biker bar on the edge of town run by one of the pack. The owner, Jake, had named it as a joke, one that the locals didn't get. Most of the residents had no idea that one of the largest werewolf packs in the country lived among them, never realising that the woodlands around the town were filled with wolves each full moon. Ret, Jai, and five others were the pack guards, protecting and policing the others. Since much of their job involved keeping files on troublesome pack members and organising permissions and security for other wolves to enter their territories, they held a small suite of offices in a building on the main street. "I had a couple of errands to run," he told Jai, not wanting to admit where he had really been. There was something a little pathetic about stalking a man he'd never actually met. "Well, get your arse to the bar," Jai told him, standing up to leave before grinning and adding, "It's your round." 9

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Ret laughed and followed him out, climbing onto his Harley and tailing Jai's bike to the bar. When they reached Howlers, the car park was already full of motorcycles, the noise from inside spilling out as they opened the door. From across the room, laughter could be heard and he and Jai headed that way. His friends had staked their claim on the pool table again, it seemed. "At long bloody last!" Ret growled but Dex just grinned, holding up his empty pint glass. "I told you it was your round," Jai said, slapping him on the back. Ret turned around and went to the bar, grumbling, Dex tagging along. Suddenly, he stopped dead. Behind the bar stood the blond man, pulling a pint and chatting with a customer, his delicious-looking full lips curving up into a smile at whatever the customer had said as he took the money to the register. The man was in his late twenties, with piercing blue eyes and delicate features, yet he didn't look feminine. Ret watched the man joke with the customers, pushing a strand of hair that had escaped from the rubber band that held it back behind his ear. He could feel his cock swelling, becoming uncomfortable in his motorcycle leathers. "Ret? Earth to Ret." Dex waved a hand in front of his face, chuckling, and Ret glared at him. He had to get a grip, and get his bloody hormones under control. Ignoring the images his mind was coming up with and the ache in his cock, he leaned on the bar. 10

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It was then that the object of his obsession turned around and looked straight at him. For a moment, he stared and Ret's breath caught—the man felt it, too. Then the man glanced down at the bar, looking embarrassed, and the spell was broken. He came across to them, asking for their order. "Is this your first night?" Dex asked. "Jake never mentioned it." The guy nodded, his gaze flicking to Ret for a second. "I'm Andy McEwen," he said, "and yes, it is." "I'm Dex, this is Ret." Andy got their drinks, and as Ret handed over the money his hand brushed Andy's by mistake. When their fingers touched it felt as though a shock of electricity ran between them and Ret dropped the note, looking up into Andy's startled eyes. Fuck. He was right, Andy was his mate, he was practically certain of it now. He went back to the guards and half-listened to their bickering and teasing, but his mind was elsewhere. A couple of times he looked up and saw Andy watching him curiously across the bar, and it took all of the self control he possessed not to march back across there and see if that delectable mouth felt as good against his as he imagined. At closing time, when everyone had gone, Ret sat outside Howlers, resting against his motorcycle. He'd left with the others half an hour ago but hadn't even made it halfway home before turning his bike around and coming back. Moments later, the door opened and Andy came out, calling goodnight to Jake. When he saw Ret, he paused. 11

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"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, "because everyone apart from Jake is gone. You're Ret, right?" He remembered. "Ret Alexander." Ret stood, not taking his gaze off Andy. "I was waiting for you, actually." He didn't move as Ret closed the gap between them. Andy was interested and aroused, he knew, his werewolf sense of smell told him that. Reaching out, he cupped his palm to Andy's cheek before leaning in and brushing his lips over Andy's. The other man hesitated for a moment before his body relaxed. Ret felt the first, soft press of Andy's lips—just a brief touch—and before he knew the other man had slipped his hands around Ret's waist, holding him close. Ret's fingers ran underneath Andy's hair on the nape of his neck as he deepened the kiss. Ret flicked his tongue along the seam of Andy's lips, begging for entry, testing to see if the other man would protest but no objection came. Andy opened up to him, tangling his tongue with Ret's, and Ret could feel his cock growing harder again. The man ought to warn people about that tongue, he thought. He knew he was no slouch himself, but damn, Andy was good. The thought crossed his mind that if Andy could make him feel like this by kissing him, what would it feel like having that skilled mouth on his cock, sucking him, tasting him? "Come with me," he said, drawing back to look into Andy's slightly dazed eyes. The other man nodded and Ret led him to his bike. Andy looked down at the motorcycle, unsure, but Ret handed him 12

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the crash helmet and helped him fasten it. He only had one helmet with him and, as a wolf, he could take it if they had a smash, but Andy wouldn't fare so well. Andy's unease about the bike worked to his advantage , as they roared out of the car park. His entire body pressed along Ret's back, his arms tight around his waist. Mere minutes later, Ret pulled the bike into his driveway and let them both into the house. He could smell the other man's fear and faint worry as Andy glanced around the house and at him, but under it he was still aroused. Good. Ret didn't want to be a stranger to Andy. This time, the kiss was anything but cautious. He kicked his front door closed and turned, pressing Andy to the wall, his mouth claiming Andy's. Inside him, the animal awoke, hungry for more, but he pushed it aside, knowing it would alarm the other man. **** Andy's rational thought vanished as Ret kissed him; suddenly it didn't bother him that he was in a strange house with a strange bloke who looked as though he could snap his neck without breaking a sweat. He should be worried but something about this man called to him, had been all night, in fact. He'd had a hell of a job hiding the fact that every time Ret came near him or even looked at him his cock had begun to swell. He reached out to slip his hands inside Ret's leather jacket, yanking his t-shirt up to touch the smooth, hot skin below, and Ret groaned into his mouth. Edging the material higher, he brushed his palms over Ret's nipples, before running his 13

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hands down Ret's back and sliding them under the waistband of his leather trousers. Ret drew back long enough to shuck his jacket, dumping it on the floor beside them, and then began to unfasten Andy's belt. "I want to taste you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper as he lowered Andy's jeans and boxers. Andy nodded, sucking in a breath as Ret wrapped long fingers around his cock, stroking gently. His hands went to Ret's shoulders to steady himself. Suddenly, Ret released him, but before he managed to voice the protest on his lips, Ret stooped lower, closing his mouth over Andy's cock. Andy gasped as Ret's tongue deftly curled around the head over his sensitive slit, before his mouth closed and he suckled. With one hand cupping his balls and the other curled around his cock's base, Ret licked and sucked and teased. By the time Andy came, he was clinging onto Ret's shoulders to prevent his knees from giving way. As he climaxed, Ret kept his mouth on him, swallowing him down as he came. When every last drop had been teased from him, Ret drew back enough to run his tongue around Andy's cock, licking over the tip and cleaning him off. "I've been waiting to do that all night," he said, standing to pull Andy to him. Andy's knees felt like rubber, so when Ret suggested they go upstairs he wasn't sure he'd make it. Ret laughed softly when he said so and tugged Andy's jeans up again, taking him upstairs and into his bedroom. He undressed them both, laying Andy back on the bed, as though delighting in the fact 14

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he could finally have whom he had been fantasising about all day. All of those images his mind had conjured up... On the bed, Andy watched Ret shed the last of his clothing and smiled. Damn, that was a sight to remember. Ret moved onto the bed, over him, kissing him again. He reached under his bed until he found what he was looking for. He looked back at Andy. "See something you like?" he said, a teasing smile on his lips. Shuffling his body between Andy's legs, spreading them, he trailed one cool, lubricated finger down, circling his tight hole before easing inside him. Then a second, sliding slick fingers in and out. He stroked as he claimed Andy's mouth again. Andy shifted on the bed, causing Ret to look down at him. He saw the impatience there and smiled. Ret pulled back and knelt whilst he applied more lube to his cock and to Andy's arse. "Condom," Andy said. **** Shit. Ret hadn't any because, as a wolf, he couldn't catch or pass on any disease a human could. Since he had only been with men recently—weres—he'd had no worries about pregnancies, either. "I'm clean, I swear," he told Andy. He looked into Andy's unfocussed eyes. "I wouldn't lie to you about this." He waited until Andy nodded and Ret could see that he believed him. Positioning himself, he heard Andy gasp as Ret began to spear into him, stretching him. Ret was taking his 15

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time, easing in slowly, until he was filled, his balls resting against Andy's arse. "Oh, that feels... Fuck me, Ret." Ret couldn't hold back much longer. Andy was his mate, he was certain; they'd just have to deal with that later though. Right now, it was base animal lust he felt and the desire to claim what was his. "I'm not going to be gentle," he said, his voice thick. Andy nodded, squirming a little, and the movement snapped the last of Ret's control. He began to fuck him, hard, his hands lifting Andy's legs until they rested on his forearms. He relished in the needy sounds the other man was making, and the feel of Andy's warmth around his cock. Andy's body tensed as he came, tightening around Ret's cock. It was enough to send Ret over the edge also. He sank himself deep as he came, biting back the low growl in the back of his throat. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Two **** Andy awoke and blinked, focussing on the strange room, and wondered for a second where he was. Then it all came back to him and he smiled. He'd been fucked to within an inch of his life, the slight ache in his muscles a testament to that. It had been a while since he'd done something like this—he seldom stayed afterwards, never feeling comfortable enough to do so. As he slipped out of bed, he felt Ret stir beside him as the other man shifted up onto the pillows and flicked on the light. "Not going to run out on me, are you?" he asked lightly, but Andy could see the look in his eyes that said he thought it was a possibility. **** Ret had a bad feeling that Andy had been about to do just that—goodness knew how many times he had done that to women and men over the years—but the idea of his mate leaving him tugged at his heart. He could smell Andy's fear again, and see his unease. "What is it?" Andy swallowed hard before he said, "I shouldn't have done this." "Done what? We're both adults; we've done nothing wrong." 17

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"Look, I don't do things like this..." Ret frowned, thinking it too early for conversations like this. "Like what?" Andy shook his head. "Like let strange guys pick me up in the place where I just started working." "Glad to hear it." The thought of Andy allowing himself to be picked up by anyone else made Ret's blood boil. Andy was his, damn it. Ret tugged him back into bed and dragged the bed covers back over them both, getting comfortable again. "Anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?" he said. "Go back to sleep." The following morning, Ret gave Andy a lift home. "I would like to see you again," he said as Andy climbed off the Harley. When Andy nodded, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off Ret's shoulders. After their conversation last night, he had expected Andy to back away from him. He wasn't sure what he would have done had his mate done that. If only Andy was a wolf, he thought. If he was, then he'd understand. After dropping Andy off, he headed for the office, parking his bike. When he strolled through the door, Brand glanced up from his desk. He currently ran the office, ever since the last secretary had quit. He looked Ret over curiously and grinned. "Good night, was it? What was her name?" Ret growled at him. "His name?" Brand tried again. "Don't you have work to do?" Ret groused. 18

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These guys were his closest friends, his pack, but sometimes it was like dealing with a bunch of gossiping schoolgirls. He didn't really mind their teasing, having given out enough of his own over their years together, but this time he wanted to keep it to himself. Just for a little while. Realising that he wasn't going to get any information out of Ret, Brand turned back to his computer as Ret went to his office, slouched into the chair, and propped his feet up on the desk. He had a pile of paperwork to get through, mostly dealing with the forthcoming visit from the Wildlife Preservation Trust. Those damn tree-huggers appeared on the scene every so often to make his life miserable. Apparently, they kept getting reports of wolf sightings in the woods around town and were obliged to investigate. Since the woods were part of an expanse of land owned by the pack, it fell to one of the pack—usually one of Ret's guards—to show them around. If it weren't so annoying having them around, Ret would find it funny. These people would be shown around by one of the very wolves they were looking for. Chewing thoughtfully on the end of his pen, he wondered what Andy was doing, which led his thoughts back to what they had been doing. He groaned as his prick began to harden again. "Hell." He refused to make a total fool of himself by chasing after the man, even though that was exactly what his animal instincts were telling him to do. Planting his feet firmly back on the floor, he dragged a stack of paperwork toward him 19

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from where he had dumped it on the far corner of his desk. This should keep his mind off Andy, at least for a while. Maybe he'd call after he was done with this. "Hey, Ret?" He glanced up a few hours later to see Brand in the doorway. "Phone. Some bloke, he didn't give his name." Ret grabbed the receiver eagerly, hoping it would be Andy. In the doorway, Brand chuckled and Ret growled at him as he went back to his desk. Five minutes later, Brand reappeared; he'd known all along it had been Jai calling in, but wanted to wind Ret up. "So, who were you expecting," he asked, "the guy from last night?" "No." "Liar," Brand shot back, grinning. He sighed; Ret knew he couldn't lie to another wolf. Emotions smelled different, as did lies. Brand wandered back out again, only to return half an hour later. "There's someone out here to see you," he said. Ret frowned, trying not to let his eagerness show, and not give Brand the satisfaction of falling for that one again. He glanced up and saw Andy, looking as though he were about to bolt, the indecision clear on his face as to whether to stay or not. Ret nodded at Brand and waited until he had returned to his desk. "You want to come in?" he asked Andy, getting up to usher him through the door and close it behind him. "I'm glad you 20

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came to see me. I was going to come and find you when I had finished these. I wanted to talk to you." "Oh, I'm sorry. If you're busy—" Ret smiled. "I'm not too busy to see you." He saw Andy relax a little at that and went to sit down, but changed his mind and walked back to turn the key in the door first. "Now, what brings you here?" Andy shook his head. "You go first, you said you wanted to talk. That's bad, isn't it? Look, about last night...I don't want you to feel obliged to do anything if you don't want—" Ret covered the distance between them in two paces and, with a hand behind Andy's neck to draw him closer, cut his sentence off with a kiss. The kiss was fierce, hot, and he felt Andy respond to him, lips parting to allow his tongue inside. When he finally broke the kiss and reluctantly drew away, they were both breathing hard. "Does it seem that I have any regrets about last night?" he asked. "I was going to ask you to meet me tonight for dinner at my house. In fact, I was going to offer you the same way out, should you wish it." And I was hoping, begging, praying that you wouldn't take it, he added silently. "I do want to see you again, but I don't want it to be weird, you know?" Andy told him. "I mean, I just moved here and I like working at the pub and if this doesn't work out—" "Wow, you're really a glass half-empty kind of person, aren't you?" Ret teased lightly.

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Andy's face flushed and his gaze fixed on a spot near his left foot. "Sorry. God, I'm making a total pillock of myself, aren't I? Why the hell did I say that?" He glanced up to see Ret watching him with a slightly bemused look on his face and smiled self-consciously. "It's you. I feel as though I already know you, like I've known you for years, yet we only met yesterday." Ret couldn't stop the smile forming; watching him get flustered and tongue-tied was adorable. After a moment, he took pity and stopped the other man's ramblings. He leaned back against the desk and hooked a foot behind Andy's knees, drawing him closer. Reaching up, he let a strand of Andy's blond hair slip between his fingers. Andy glanced toward the door, as though worried that Brand might figure out what was going on in here. Ret had no such worries; he had no doubt that Brand knew exactly what was going on in here. Wolves could smell arousal just as clear as they could fear, not to mention the fact that with werewolf hearing, he could listen to this conversation as easily as though he were standing next to them. "Ignore him," Ret said, but Andy shook his head, clearly uncomfortable. "I should go." Ret reluctantly released him, letting him step back. "So, we're still on for dinner?" he asked. Please don't say no. "Come on, I'm not that bad a cook, honestly." Andy smiled. "Okay." He brushed his hair down and straightened his shirt before stepping out of the office. Brand glanced up from the 22

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catalogue he was flicking through but, to Ret's relief, didn't say whatever smart comment Ret was sure was on the tip of his tongue. The door had barely swung shut after Andy when Jai and Dex came in. "Who was that just leaving? It looked like the new bloke from Howlers," Jai said, tossing his jacket onto the back of his chair. "What did he want?" "To see Ret," Brand told him happily, ignoring the glare from his boss. Jai cocked his head curiously, studying Ret before coming close enough to take in Ret's scent. He smiled. "Leave it," Ret warned him. Jai's gaze flicked to Brand and mouthed Tell me later? to him. "I mean it; leave this alone. I'm asking you nicely." When Ret went back into his office, Brand followed. "We're only messing with you, Ret." His expression turned serious. "Look, I heard some of what you were talking about earlier—it wasn't intentional." Ret gave him a disbelieving look and he shrugged his shoulders. "It may have been a little bit intentional," he admitted. "If you don't want me to tell them, I won't say anything to the others if it means that much to you." "Thanks." **** That evening, Ret jumped to his feet as he heard the tentative knock. He was ashamed to admit that he had been 23

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waiting for the past hour, almost counting down the seconds until he saw Andy again. "Sorry, I meant to get here earlier," Andy said, coming inside. "The bus was late." He stood near the door, awkward, fiddling with the cuff of his jacket. Ret began to walk back to the kitchen but when he realised that Andy wasn't following, he frowned. "Are you alright?" Andy shook his head. "I don't know. This is going to make me sound like some kind of stalker but, ever since last night, I can't get you out of my head. I didn't intend to come and see you today, but I went out for a walk and I had to. I just found myself walking that way, toward your office. What's going on, Ret? I know there's something and I want to know. I don't like feeling out of control like this." Ret went back to him, taking Andy's jacket off and hanging it up. "Come and sit down," he told Andy. "I think we need to talk." He wasn't sure how he was going to do this. How did one break the news that, not only do werewolves exist, but that Andy was mated to one he'd known for less than twenty four hours and it was, usually, for life? "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Ret smiled sadly. "Probably because you aren't," he said. "Before, what you said. I understand exactly what you mean." "Don't patronise me." "I'm not. When I dropped you off this morning, you immediately started wondering what I was doing. You wanted 24

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to talk to me, just to hear my voice, and you felt as though we'd been separated for years, never mind a few hours. Is that about right?" He paused. "I want you to promise me something, Andy. Promise me that you won't run until I've finished explaining." "What?" "Please, just trust me, Andy." Andy nodded slowly. "I don't know why, but I do." "Thank you. I'm not who you think I am. I was born as a were, a wolf." There was a short laugh, the disbelief evident on Andy's face. Then his laughter faded a little. "Okay, joke over," he told Ret. "You're not kidding, are you? You actually believe that you're a werewolf. You're crazy." He stood to leave, but Ret's hand on his arm stopped him. "You promised to hear me out," Ret reminded him. Andy glared at him. "That was before I found out you're a raving lunatic." "Please, just stay. If I can prove what I'm telling you, will you let me finish?" Seeing that Andy wasn't going to bolt, he let his hand drop and stripped out of his shirt. When he began to unfasten his jeans, the scent of Andy's fear grew stronger. "What are you doing?" **** Ret didn't stop, kicking off his boots and jeans. "If I shift in my clothing, I'll get tangled up," he said. 25

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Oh, that sounds logical, Andy thought, before he realised just how ridiculous the whole situation was. He should be getting the hell out of here and running as far as he could, but all he could focus on was Ret's naked body. It made his feet unwilling to move, to leave, to do anything but reach out and touch. He clasped his hands into fists at his sides, determined not to. He watched in fascinated horror as Ret got down on all fours and began to change. His limbs shortened, the joints reversing with audible pops as the bones reformed, his hands and feet becoming smaller, rounder. Dark fur erupted through Ret's skin, covering him in a thick pelt, as his face morphed. The whole process took barely a minute but to Andy it seemed like a lifetime. Fuck, he was really standing here in the same room as a werewolf. He had to fight to get breath into his lungs and he began to back up, not even realising that he was until his back hit the wall. His fingers felt along the cold surface behind him as he looked for a way to defend himself, his hand closing around a wooden ornament on the shelf as the massive wolf came closer. Oh shit, it's going to jump. It's going to attack me. He clutched at his weapon tightly, watching in surprise as the wolf stopped a few feet from him. It stared at him through amber eyes as he raised his weapon. "Keep back! Don't come any closer." The wolf sat down and he could have sworn he saw a sadness creep into its eyes. Suddenly, it morphed again, 26

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leaving Ret sitting where it had been. There was the same sad look in his eyes, too. **** "Andy, please. I won't hurt you, I would never hurt you." Ret didn't make a move toward him, even though he wanted to, knowing it would just scare Andy more at this point. "I never meant to tell you in this way," Ret continued, "but I had to because I couldn't explain the rest without you knowing." "What 'rest'? Tell me." He made no move to put his weapon down, but at least he wasn't backing away again, Ret observed. "Maybe we should talk about this later." "No," Andy snapped. "Just fucking tell me." Ret nodded. "Okay. We all learn, even as pups, about how there is the perfect partner out there for each of us, a mate. When we find that one person, we recognise them immediately, knowing them from how our bodies and minds react to them. We are mates, Andy." For a minute, there was silence. Andy shook his head. "No," he said eventually. "This isn't real; it's some psycho dream and I'll wake up tomorrow and none of it will have happened." Long after Andy had gone, walking out of the house without even bothering to collect his jacket, Ret stayed sitting on the floor. Andy had left, he'd really gone. It felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. 27

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His mate had walked away from him. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Three **** The ringing annoyed him, and Ret was glad when it finally stopped. The phone had been ringing for the past ten minutes, on and off, but Ret couldn't muster the enthusiasm to get up and answer it. He had been sprawled on his couch since Andy had left last night, not even bothering to go to bed. He'd missed breakfast and it was almost lunchtime, but he ignored the pangs of hunger in his stomach. The phone rang again and he rolled over and stuck his head under a cushion to try and block it out. He hadn't ever thought that it would feel this bad, knowing that he had screwed things up so completely with Andy. Just the look on his face as he left had haunted Ret's mind all night. If only he had told him before they'd spent the night together. Sex cemented the bond between mates; it also made it worse should something split the pair up. He'd tried to talk to Andy, to explain, and wanted to get down on his knees and beg for another chance if that was what the man wanted but he couldn't. Andy wouldn't answer his phone or reply to the numerous voicemails he had left. He had even gone to the man's house, but through he heard movement from inside, no matter how long he knocked he couldn't get Andy to answer. He knew that if he continued like this, he would end up with a restraining order taken out against him, 29

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and so he stopped. It was becoming clearer by the hour that Andy had no intention of speaking to him. Four hours later, at around three o'clock that afternoon, Ret heard someone knocking on his door. "Ret? Come on, mate. Open the door." There was a moment's silence, then Jai's voice again, concerned. "Ret? You okay?" He could hear the low conversation—it sounded as though Brand and Dex were out there as well—and then he heard the door open. "This is where you've been all day?" Jai asked, hands on his hips. He glared down at Ret, still laid on the couch. "We had a meeting this morning, or had you forgotten?" Ret hadn't forgotten, he just didn't care. He shook his head. "Well, I know for a fact that you aren't sick since we don't get sick," Jai continued. "Not now, Jai," Ret told him. "Leave me alone." Jai huffed and walked out, Dex following him. Brand stayed behind for a few minutes but when Ret ignored him, he also left. That evening, the three of them returned. Jai actually looked worried now, his anger from earlier replaced with concern. It was rare to see Ret show any sign of weakness, let alone in a depression like this. "What's going on with you?" he asked as he set a plate of food down on the coffee table. "Tell us what's wrong and maybe we can help." Ret shook his head. "You can't. No one can." 30

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**** Two days later, Ret woke up as someone snatched away the cushion he was using as a pillow. As his head dropped to the couch, he opened his eyes to glare. "Don't give me that look," Jai warned him, reaching for the remote control to switch off the TV. He cast a critical eye at Ret. "Have you actually bothered to change your clothes over the last three days?" "Go away." Jai shook his head. "No. Now get your backside off the damn couch—you're coming to work. First, however," he added, sniffing the air and wrinkling his nose, "you need a shower." Seeing that Ret had no intention of obeying, he raised an eyebrow. "If you'd prefer, I could always just toss a couple of buckets of cold water over you whilst you lie there," he pointed out. Grumbling, Ret swung his feet to the floor, sitting upright. "I could kick your arse, you know." Jai just rolled his eyes and manhandled Ret off the couch and upstairs to the bathroom. Quickly stripping Ret of his jeans, shirt, and underwear and tossing them into the laundry basket, he shoved Ret into the shower cubicle and turned on the water before he had any chance to object. Ret yelped and uttered a few choice curses regarding Jai's parentage. "Quit being such a baby," Jai told him, "or I'll get in there and do it for you." 31

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Ret let out a loud sigh and reached for the shampoo, knowing that Jai would make good on his threat. Had any of the others said it, he might have thought otherwise, but Jai wouldn't think twice about getting in here with him. It helped that the wolves were all pretty much impossible to embarrass when it came to nudity. When they changed back from a run they were all naked and the embarrassment simply didn't matter after the first few times. They just learned to ignore it. Jai, however, had spent a few nights in his bed over the years and so he didn't quite have the same boundaries as the others did when it came to Ret. He was contemplating sneaking out of the bathroom and going back to bed when the door opened. "Nice view," Jai said, smirking as he eyed Ret's naked body. "Unless you want to go into the office like that, though, I'd put some clothes on. We're leaving in five minutes." Ret glared as Jai held open the door and waited for him to move. When he passed by Jai he growled, but the other wolf was far from intimidated. He just laughed and went back downstairs. **** Two hours later, he sat in his office, no more enthusiastic than he had been whilst sitting on his couch at home. At least there he'd had the TV—daytime TV might be awful, but at least it didn't involve much thinking like his paperwork did. Besides, it was nice to watch the chat-shows and see that there were at least a few other people in the world who were as miserable as he was. Now he leaned back in his chair, 32

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trying to ignore Dex. The man had been wittering on about something or other for the past five minutes and he didn't seem to take the hint that Ret really didn't give a hoot. "Ret, come on, snap out of it. It's been three days." Dex crouched in front of Ret's chair, but the man didn't respond. He knew that they expected Jai getting him out of his house to break him out of this black mood he had been in for the past few days but it hadn't worked. Ret simply sat in his office, ignoring their efforts to get him into their conversations, leaned on his desk. "At least say something," Dex said. "Tell us what the hell is wrong. You've been sitting around with a face like a slapped arse for days and it's getting old," he snapped, getting annoyed. Ret heard someone else come into the room. "Dex, enough. Why don't you two go and get a coffee or something? I need to talk to Ret." Dex shook his head and went back out to the main office, snatching up his jacket and trailing out with Jai. When they heard the outer door close, Brand sat down. He'd heard enough in the office the other day, right before Ret had started shutting off from the rest of them to guess at what was wrong. While Ret didn't feel comfortable explaining it to the others, Brand already knew he'd been seeing Andy, at least. "So, what happened?" Ret leaned his elbows on the desk with his chin resting on his hands.

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"I fucked up. I told Andy about my wolf and he panicked. He was so scared of me, and he ran." He sighed. "I haven't seen him since; he won't answer his phone or his door." Brand frowned. "Okay, now tell me the rest. I've never seen you like this before. Usually you just move on, find someone else to take your mind off it." "I don't want someone else." "This guy really means that much to you? You've only known him for a few days." Ret nodded. "You don't understand, Brand. Andy was my mate." Brand stared at him for a few moments. "Shit." "He didn't know what it meant. I tried to explain but all he saw was the wolf." Ret scrubbed his hands across his face as though trying to wipe away the memory. "If you had seen the look in his eyes, Brand, he looked at me as though I was some kind of monster. He was terrified of me." "You have to keep trying," Brand told him. "Make him understand. You know as well as I that most of us don't get a second chance when it comes to our mates." "And how exactly am I meant to do that when he won't even talk to me?" Brand shrugged his shoulders. "Give him time to process it all. You just dropped a bombshell on him and it's going to take some time for him to work through that." He went out into the main office and got his jacket. "I'm going to catch up with the others in the cafe. You want to join us?" Ret shook his head and Brand, leaving his friend to his thoughts, closed the door behind him. 34

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**** Brand headed for the cafe in the town square, his hand on the door to go in and join with the others. They were sitting at their favourite table, near to the window, laughing and joking. He stopped, reconsidered, and then strode in the opposite direction before the others noticed him. Ret was going to kill him for this; he just hoped it was worth it. **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Four **** Andy was behind the bar at Howlers when Brand entered— the pub was empty save for a few lunchtime drinkers. He saw Jake sitting with one of his regulars, enjoying a pint and a chat, and he waved in greeting before going to sit on a barstool. "Andy, can we talk for a minute?" The look on Andy's face spoke louder than words as he looked Brand over suspiciously. His heart began to beat just that little bit faster, Brand noticed, but he hid his fear well. "What do you want?" Brand smiled pleasantly. "As I said, to talk." Andy shook his head. "No. Now, do you want to order something or not?" Bloody hell, they're both as pig-headed as each other, he thought, wondering if either of them knew any other word apart from no. To keep Andy happy, and to give himself an excuse to stay, he ordered a pint. "I can sit here all day, you know. Look, I just want five minutes of your time. That's all." Andy folded his arms across his chest. "I'm working," he pointed out. "Well, it's not like you'll answer your phone or your door so anyone can talk to you outside of work, is it?" Andy paled slightly, the scent of fear now stronger. 36

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"He sent you, didn't he?" Brand took a drink from his glass and set it back down on the bar. "He doesn't know I'm here, actually. I came to see you because he's my friend and because I don't like seeing my friends in that state. He laid out his most intimate secret and you treated him like a monster." "But he's a fucking werewolf!" Andy protested, his voice quivering slightly. "We are wolves," Brand corrected him. "Half of the people you've met in this town are pack. You heard me right," he said, seeing the stunned look on Andy's face, "I said we. I turn furry once a month, just like he does." Andy just stared at him, his mouth open, but whatever he was going to say was lost. Brand called Jake back over to the bar. "I need to borrow your bartender for a few minutes," he said. Jake shrugged his shoulders, looking pointedly around at the quiet pub. If he'd heard any of their conversation so far, he didn't show it. Brand was grateful for that. He flipped up the hatch leading behind the bar and took Andy's arm, just above his elbow, to steer him out, his beer in his other hand. The man objected briefly, but allowed himself to be led out. Brand took him into the pub lounge, empty of customers at this time of day, and closed the door. "Sit down. I'm not going to attack you." Andy waited until Brand was seated then did as asked, making sure that he was within reach of the door with no tables or buffets in his path. 37

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"You wanted to talk, so talk," Andy told him, his body tense as his eyes took in every move Brand made. Brand took another swallow of his pint. Andy wasn't going to make this easy. "I want to tell you a story," he began. "There is a legend among us, among weres, of two of our kind. They were the first true werewolves, and they were also deeply in love. They were each other's perfect match, as though they had been made for each other. Soul mates, if you like. They spent their entire lives together and, before they died, they swore to find each other again in the next life so they would be together for eternity. They never did, but they will never stop searching. As with their genetics, their bond also passed on through their offspring, through our people. "From pups, we are told of how their spirit lives on in us and that somewhere out there is the other half of our soul. Some wolves never find that person, their mate, but others manage it. We recognise our mate immediately, and it is only then that we realise just how much of us they make up. From the moment we meet them, they consume our thoughts, and our concerns are for their safety, for their happiness. We yearn for their touch, for their attention. It is as though all of our life, until that point, we have had a piece of ourselves missing that we never knew was missing until now." "I don't understand why you're telling me this." Brand smiled. "I haven't finished. Sometimes, for a number of reasons, two mates meet but it doesn't work. To a wolf, it feels as though that part of himself has been torn away but, where before they didn't realise they needed it, 38

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now they do. Now they remember how it feels to be complete." For a while, Andy didn't speak—his brows knitted together, deep in thought. Brand finished his drink and set his glass down again, and Andy looked up at the sound of glass on wood. "You said before that you didn't like seeing Ret in that state," he said slowly. "That's why you told me about mates, isn't it? He's like the ones in your story. Is he really hurting?" Brand nodded. "He won't like me telling you this, but I've never seen him like this before. He barely speaks to us and he's hardly eating. This morning is the first time we've managed to get him out of his house since you..." "Since I left, you mean?" Andy's shoulders sagged, the fight leaving his eyes. "I never thought..." "That's the point, you didn't think. You reacted to a fear of something you didn't understand without trying to understand it first." When the other man didn't deny it, Brand continued. "I'm assuming that you're feeling something similar, right?" he said. "We don't know exactly how the mate bond affects humans. I've never met anyone who has had a human mate before." Andy nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "I miss him, more than I should for someone I've only seen a couple of times. It's like, even after the other night, I still keep wondering how he is, wanting to hear his voice." A thought appeared to strike him then, and he looked at Brand. "How much has he told you about what happened between us?" 39

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Brand smiled guiltily. "He didn't exactly tell me much beyond the fact that you were mates and that you'd freaked out when you saw the wolf. Werewolves have better than average hearing; I overheard you talking in the office that day." "Are there any other wolves—that sounds so ridiculous—in here?" Andy asked. "Could they be listening to us now?" "Yes, there are others here, but it's not considered good manners to listen in. They won't." He grinned, adding, "I'm just nosy." His humour faded. "Just do me a favour and go and talk to Ret. Please. I know you're scared because of what he showed you but, believe me, you have nothing to fear from him. The last thing he would ever do is hurt you." When Andy didn't reply, he added, "Don't get hung up on what you know from stupid horror movies, what you think you know about werewolves. Get to know Ret instead." He stood up to leave, reaching the door before turning back. "At least consider it." He left, leaving Andy in the empty lounge. **** Andy never heard the door open, but a glass appeared on the table before him. He looked up to see Jake drop into the chair Brand had recently vacated. "Sorry, Jake. I'll be back in a moment." Jake glanced toward the bar and his customers. "They can wait a few minutes." He nudged the glass closer to Andy. "Here, you look as though you need it."

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Andy took a sip and winced as the liquid burned the back of his throat. He didn't drink much and he certainly never drank whisky. "I saw Brand on his way out; he filled me in," Jake told him. "So, you know about us. Pretty big shock, huh?" "You as well?" Jake nodded. "I was born into the pack; our pack is over a hundred strong, one of the strongest in Britain. Most of the businesses around here are run by pack members, but we usually keep our heritage to ourselves. People don't always understand, so we're selective about who we let in. You must have done something to earn their trust if Brand told you after such a short time. I know it can be a lot to take in but, if you want to talk, you know where I am." He didn't correct Jake, leaving him believing that it had been Brand, not Ret, who had told him, and Jake left. Once again, Andy was on his own, left with nothing but his thoughts. His view of the world had been turned upside down. Even his employer wasn't who Andy thought he was. That wasn't the first thought that came into his head, though. He kept thinking about what Brand had said, and he hated the fact that Ret was hurting, and that he had caused that hurt. Andy sighed and drifted, not really paying attention, back to the bar. Jake took one look at him and told him to go home, assuring him that it didn't mean the end of his job, just an early finish. When he got off the bus, still lost in his own thoughts, he glanced around, realising that this wasn't his stop. Without meaning to, Andy had found himself within walking distance 41

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of Ret's house, his feet taking him the rest of the way before he had a chance to rethink. He stared, wondering whether to turn around and go home, but he didn't want to. Despite the revelations of the other night, he wanted to see Ret. That in itself made him uneasy. Was he only here because of a quirk of fate? Was that the only reason that he was attracted to Ret—and the reason Ret wanted him—because of some werewolf trick? Maybe it wasn't even real. No, there had to be more to it than that. He thought back to the night they'd spent together—not just the sex, though that had been amazing. He liked Ret. He'd felt comfortable with him. Eventually, he plucked up the courage to go and knock on the door. There was no answer. Of course, Brand had said that Ret was at his office. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Five **** Ret pulled his bike into his driveway and a fluttering sensation ran over his skin, making him start. He took off his crash helmet and kicked the stand down on his bike to climb off before turning. Andy was sitting on the top step, his arms around his knees. He looked up as Ret approached. "I didn't expect to see you," Ret told him, keeping his distance in case Andy decided to run again. Andy got to his feet and, rather hesitantly, took in Ret's dishevelled appearance. A tiny spark of hope lay behind the sadness in his eyes. "You look awful," he said softly. Ret let out a half laugh. "Gee, thanks." He glanced at the door. "Do you want to come in?" For a moment, Andy frowned, then nodded firmly. "Yes." Ret could hear Andy's heartbeat speed up a little, showing his anxiety, but he didn't mention it. Andy was making a huge effort here; Ret didn't want to do anything that would remind Andy of his wolf side, and being able to hear his heartbeat would certainly do that. He went into the house, Andy following, and felt hopeful for the first time in days. "I wanted to apologise for how I reacted the other day," Andy began. He stood in the lounge, looking uneasy. "I treated you like a monster and you didn't deserve that." "But..." 43

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Andy shook his head. "Don't, Ret. I did, and I'm sorry. You scared the hell out of me—I didn't even know you existed, you know, werewolves—and then you change right in front of me. I still can hardly believe what I saw." Ret sat down on the sofa and indicated for Andy to sit also. To his surprise, Andy chose to sit beside him on the sofa, albeit at the opposite end, as opposed to the chair. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you change your mind?" Ret asked. Andy smiled then. "Let's just say you have a very good friend who explained a few things to me." "Brand?" When Andy nodded, he said, "I never asked him to do that, honestly." "I know you didn't; he told me. That's not the only reason I came here," he said. "I wanted to see you. I—I missed you." Ret moved to hug him, to kiss him, anything, but stopped himself at the last minute. "It's okay," Andy said, closing the gap between them and, a little hesitantly, reaching out to touch Ret's face. The other man leaned into his palm. "I want you to do something for me." "Anything," Ret agreed immediately. "I want you to show me the wolf again." **** "You sure?" Andy nodded. He had to do this. This time, when Ret shifted, Andy stayed seated on the sofa. He watched, knowing what to expect, as the human 44

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before him morphed into the animal. The huge black wolf shook itself from nose to tail, like a dog shaking water from its coat, then turned to fix its gaze on Andy. When Andy held out a slightly-quivering hand, the wolf edged closer and nuzzled it, nudging it with its cold nose. He ran his fingers through the wolf's thick pelt, petting it as he would a dog. "This is really weird, you know," Andy told the wolf, still unable to think of it as Ret. The wolf turned its head to lick its rough tongue over Andy's hand. "I can't talk to you like this." The wolf stepped away from his hand and looked him in the eyes, holding that gaze as it morphed back into Ret's human form. The last parts of him to change were his eyes. It was slightly unnerving, and a little exhilarating, if he was being perfectly honest, to see those amber wolf eyes watching him from Ret's handsome face. After a few moments the amber darkened, gradually returning to Ret's usual dark brown eyes. "Come here." Ret went over to Andy, who stood and held out his hand. He held his breath as Andy pulled him in close and then reached up to touch his face again. It was as though testing to see that Ret felt the same as he had earlier, reassuring himself that Ret was still the same man. He smiled, slipping his hand behind Ret's head and pulling him down for a kiss. "You're a werewolf," he said, and Ret could see that he was still trying to make it sink in. "Yes. Can you handle that?" 45

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Andy laughed shortly and shrugged his shoulders. "Nobody's perfect." Unable to hold back Andy longer, Ret grinned and grabbed Andy around the waist, pulling him into a tight embrace and covering his mouth in a crushing kiss. "You aren't going to leave me again, are you?" he asked Andy, drawing back. Andy shook his head. "I have spent the last three days fighting the urge to call you, remembering how it felt to have you kiss me, to have you inside me, and being driven to distraction thinking about it. I'm not going anywhere." He paused. "Bloody werewolf hocus-pocus; at least you knew why you spent the last three days feeling like you were going crazy." He cast his gaze down to Ret's torso, stroking his palm over the naked skin as he tried to sort through the thoughts filling his mind. "Will it always be like this?" he asked eventually, his hand roaming lower. "Being mates?" Ret nodded. "The separation will become easier, but I will never stop wanting you. To be honest, I did from the first time I saw you, and I wasn't sure we were mates then." "Good. Ret?" "Yes?" "Can I stay here tonight?" Ret took his hand and led him upstairs. He began stripping Andy of his clothes even before they reached his bedroom and, by the time he reached the bed, Andy was as naked as he was. 46

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Kissing the other man hard on the lips, Ret dragged him against his body. There was no hesitation from Andy as he threw his arms around Ret, shifting his hips to press his cock against Ret's until Ret broke the kiss. Ret's fingers went between them, closing around both of their cocks, holding them together in his large hand. Andy groaned softly at the feel of them rubbing against each other, burying his face against Ret's neck, where he kissed the tender skin. His hips moved as he thrust against Ret's palm, against his cock. Eventually, Ret stopped him. "I need to fuck you," he said, his voice strained. Andy nodded; feeling the same need that Ret did but unable to form the words. "On the bed. Turn around." As Andy turned and crawled onto the bed on hands and knees, Ret's hands went to his thighs, spreading him wide. He felt Ret's lips press to his lower back, then a kiss to each buttock before Ret's tongue swiped down his crack. He dropped down onto his elbows, spreading his legs wider as that wet tongue flicked over his hole. Ret's lips closed over it before his tongue probed inside a little way. When Ret moved back, Andy mourned the loss but then fingers, cool and slick with lube, teased at him—first one, then two, sliding into Andy's tight hole. It was almost more than he could take. His knees felt weak as Ret replaced the fingers with his cock.. Ret paused to give him chance to adjust before he began to withdraw, sliding out until only the head remained. 47

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"Okay?" he asked. When Andy nodded, not trusting his voice, Ret told him, "I'm going to fuck you now." True to his word, Ret began to ease back, only to ram himself in harder the next time. The discomfort lessened, leaving only the sensation of the intimate connection between their bodies as Ret thrust into him. As Ret's hand found Andy's erection, Andy gripped the bedcovers, Ret working his cock in the same desperate rhythm in which he fucked Andy. He felt Ret shudder behind him and push forward once more as he came. The hot semen released inside of him, and it pushed Andy over into his own climax. Ret pulled out of him to lay him down on the bed, holding him tight. Andy could still feel the tremors running through him and the damp, heated press of Ret's body. Ret kissed the side of his neck, his breath tickling Andy's skin as he murmured, "You're mine, Andy, and I don't ever want to let you go." Andy smiled, those words sending warm shivers through him. The things that had worried him before seemed to have melted away at some point during their lovemaking, and it was as though this new version of his world had become the norm. Werewolves existed, his boyfriend was one, and so were half of the people he'd met in town, apparently. Only a few hours ago, that would have bothered him. Now, all he cared about was that Ret wanted him. He stroked his hand along the arm that Ret had around his middle. "Why do you always feel hot when I touch you?" 48

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"A were's body temperature always runs slightly hotter than a human's," Ret told him. "It is usually higher around the full moon as well." Andy continued stroking his arm thoughtfully. "So that's true? That you change at the full moon, I mean." Ret laughed softly. "What is this, twenty questions?" he teased. "I realised that I know nothing about you, or rather, about werewolves, that's all," he said. "Sorry; I didn't meant to keep asking you things." Ret sat up and turned Andy to face him. "I don't mind; I'm glad you want to know about us, about me." He noticed Andy shiver and stood up, moving Andy and then getting them both under the bedcovers. "Is that better?" Andy cuddled closer to him and nodded. "So what else don't I know about werewolves?" "What do you want to know?" "You asked for it," Andy joked. "Brand mentioned that you're part of a pack; what exactly does that mean?" "It's like a family. We all have different roles to play, and the chain of command to follow, but it keeps things orderly. We all have somewhere we belong, where we all look out for each other and hunt together on full moons." "What's your role?" Andy asked, genuinely interested. "I'm head of the pack guard, as well as third in line to inherit leadership of the pack someday, providing no one beats me in a challenge. Dex and Jai have been with the pack guard for years—we trained together. There are also others in the pack that we can call on should we need them. As guards, 49

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we have to accompany the Alpha as bodyguards when he visits other packs, and so we have to leave someone behind guarding the pack here whilst we're out of town. And then there's Brand. He's not technically a guard, but he does keep the paperwork side of things running smoothly." "Paperwork?" Andy asked, not really seeing where that could fit into what Ret had told him so far. "Think of the pack like a country," Ret said. "If we travel into another pack's territory, we need permission from their alpha. Kind of like needing a visa to travel between countries. But, there are also matters such as jobs and schooling; some of our younger wolves are studying at universities that are in another territory. They are granted permissions to travel and live there, even being allowed to run with the other pack on full moons, but we have to deal with the formalities." **** Andy is curious, Ret thought, kissing the side of Andy's neck as his mate asked him question after question, but he liked that. He loved the fact that his mate was so interested in his heritage. Eventually, Andy got tired of asking; that, or he was distracted from his quest for knowledge by what Ret's mouth was currently doing. Ret wasn't sure which, but he liked think he had something to do with it. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Six **** "Are you sure about this?" Ret asked Andy a couple of days later as he parked his bike outside the offices. Andy sighed. "For the tenth time, yes, I am. From what I've learned about werewolves, they probably know already." Ret had wanted to give him time to adjust to his altered place in the world, to accept the knowledge about werewolves. Then, as he thought about it, he realised that he was worried about how the others would react. He was human and they were wolf; from what he knew, the wolves were higher in the food chain than humans, so what if they didn't think he was good enough? Now, it wasn't so important. He wanted to be able to just do simple things such as have lunch together without being careful who might see them. The people who mattered to him around here—those he worked with, such as Jake, and Ret's friends—should know. He was happy, and he wanted to share it with them. Taking Ret's hand in his, he pulled his mate—that still sounded weird to him—in for a kiss. "Come on, let's get this over with." **** They had barely taken a step toward the door when a motorcycle roared into the car park and stopped behind them. Ret turned and waved in greeting to Dex, feeling Andy tense 51

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beside him. He might have assured Ret that he was ready for this, but his body language said otherwise. The tension in him said that he was expecting Dex to react badly; Ret decided he'd love to get his hands on the person or people who had made him so afraid of himself and teach them a lesson. He slipped his arm around Andy's waist and steered him inside, ignoring the amused smile on Dex's face as he followed them through the door. The others were already there, standing around Brand's desk and helping themselves to donuts and pastries from a bakery box. "Morning, Ret. Croissant?" Brand held out the box and then stopped when he saw Andy. He smiled looking pleased with himself Andy caught his eye and smiled back. "Thanks." Brand shrugged his shoulders in "no problem" gesture. "Why do I get the feeling we're the last to know?" Dex said to Jai. The other man nodded, then frowned, leaning into Andy and inhaling deeply. Andy turned sharply to see what he was doing and then turned widened eyes towards Ret. Jai glanced at Ret curiously, sniffing at him, too. "You're different." Brand smacked his friend on the arm hard, seeing Andy's unease. "Jai, pack it in." Jai looked apologetic, backing off Andy, and sitting on the edge of Brand's desk. "I know you're all werewolves. Ret told me," Andy said, "but going around sniffing people is just plain creepy." Ret laughed at the stunned expression on Jai's face. 52

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"Everyone, meet Andy—if you didn't meet him in Howlers the other night," he said. "Andy is my mate." For a moment there was silence, and Andy edged closer to Ret, as though wondering if he had misjudged how this would go. Then, Jai grinned. **** "Congratulations, both of you." He gave Ret a half-hug, clapping him on the back before doing the same to Andy. "Sorry about before," he added. Andy felt the relief at their acceptance rush over him as they all added their congratulations. Even after all he'd learned from Ret about mates and what it meant to a werewolf, he didn't realise just how much a cause for celebration it was. Ret had told him that not every wolf found his mate, with some settling down and having families without ever really knowing what it would have been like. Ret's friends were acting as though they had just won the lottery or something; in a way, to the weres, he supposed Ret had. He found the one person in however many millions he was meant to find. He stayed to talk to them for a while before it was time for him to start his shift at Howlers. "We'll see you tonight," Jai told him. They spent almost every night in Howlers. Ret covered Andy's mouth with his, kissing him goodbye, one hand twined in his hair, holding him close. Not that Andy could even think about backing off; Ret's kisses had the ability to drive all other thoughts from his head. 53

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"Go on," Ret said, releasing him, "you're going to be late." Andy turned to leave, feeling just the tiniest bit embarrassed by their audience. Still, he had a sneaking suspicion that it would be Ret who got the third degree after he had gone. It was only a short bus journey to Howlers from the offices—he had turned down Ret's offer of a lift—and he was there earlier than expected. Jake let him in. "You seem cheerful today," he commented as Andy hung up his coat. "Have a good weekend, did you?" Much as he tried, Andy couldn't keep the smile from his face. "Does this have anything to do with that little chat with Brand last week?" Jake asked. "In a way, yes," Andy said. "You're going to find out sooner or later anyway. I've been seeing Ret and we, I mean... I'm his mate." Jake leaned back against the bar and watched him closely, saying nothing. "I want to apologise for the rotten mood I was in last week," Andy told him, "I didn't exactly give you the best impression for my first couple of weeks in the job, did I?" "It's fine; it all kind of makes sense now," he said. "So how are you coping with his wolf?" Jake's a good bloke to work for, Andy thought. From his first shift, Jake had been a friend to him since he was new to worn and didn't know many people. In truth, Jake was the kind of man he usually went for—tall, lean, dark blonde hair, nice looking. If only I hadn't met Ret, he thought. Then again, 54

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it hadn't taken him more than a few minutes of talking to the man to see that Jake was straight as an arrow. He had a different woman on his arm each time Andy saw him. "I admit it freaked me out to begin with, but I'm getting there." At seven o'clock that evening, Andy felt his presence and looked up from where he leaned on the bar to see Ret and the guards come through the door. He could feel the stupid smile appear on his face, but since there was an equally dopey one on Ret's, he didn't mind so much. Ret was dressed in his motorcycle leathers, and Andy couldn't help but notice how nicely those trousers fit. Damn it. It was a bloody good job he had fairly tight fitting jeans on; they might help to hide the fact that his cock was standing to attention just at the sight of Ret. He watched Ret walk across the room toward the bar, unable to take his eyes off the man as he approached, his mind running through all of the things he'd like to do when he got him home. Jake chuckled softly beside him and gave him a push towards the open hatch at the end of the bar. "Go," he chuckled, then leaned in closer to whisper, "but if you two get arrested for public indecency, don't call me, okay?" Andy groaned and covered his face with his hands. Was he really that transparent? "Go on. I'll give you a shout if I need you."

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Ret and the guards came to the bar, putting their drinks order in, and Jake shooed Andy out, closing the hatch behind him. "He's yours for a while," he told Ret. "He won't get any work done anyway, not while you're distracting him." "Me?" Ret feigned offence. "I haven't done anything to distract him." Jake grinned. "Well maybe that's the problem," he teased. Andy went to join Ret, who nodded his head in the direction of the beer garden. At this time of year, when the dark winter nights set in, Jake put floodlights, up but since most of the customers preferred to stay indoors, the garden was deserted. Andy was extremely glad of this when he and Ret walked outside; they were on their own. He let the door close behind him and then drew Ret in closer. Standing on his tiptoes to match that difference in height between them, Andy covered Ret's lips with his own. Ret opened for him immediately, their tongues tangling, teasing, as Andy pressed his groin forward against Ret's, wishing that the barriers of leather and denim weren't in the way. Ret was as hard as he was, and his hands grabbed Ret's arse to pull him closer. He could feel the contours of Ret's buttocks through the tight leather and he let his hands roam for a moment as Ret kissed him back. "Unless you want me to fuck you up against this wall, you'd better stop doing that," Ret told him, a little breathlessly, a few moments later. Tempting, Andy thought, considering it, but probably not a good idea. Reluctantly he let Ret go, taking a step back. He 56

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eyed the wall again, smiling at the images forming in his mind. "Don't even think about it—we'd never get away with it," Ret said, and Andy could tell that he was considering the idea also. Ret reached out to smooth down Andy's shirt from where his hands had mussed before shrugging out of his leather jacket and helping Andy into it. "I won't get cold," he said, "I only wear it in case I come off my bike. Fast healing is a bitch if your skin re-grows over the bits of gravel that get stuck in you from hitting the road." Andy grinned. "Whatever the reason, I'm glad. Seeing you in this is arousing as hell." "So, I learn something new about you," Ret teased. "My mate has a leather fetish." He laughed, studying Andy. "I was expecting you to dispute it." "I would, but you can tell if I'm lying," Andy replied. He pulled Ret's jacket tighter around himself; he wasn't particularly cold but the jacket smelled of Ret. It was a mix of leather and the orange scented shower gel he used that Andy loved so much. Ret was slightly bigger in build and height than he was, so the jacket fell down over his hands. Reaching back out to Ret, he smiled thinking just how right his mate had been. He'd always had a fascination with men in leather, but on Ret? Damn. His cock swelled, as he looked over his mate. Having Ret wearing it whilst he fucked Andy, feeling the cool hide on his skin at the same time as his mate inside him, would be even better... 57

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"You know, there's no one out here," he whispered, pulling Ret down for another kiss. "We're all by ourselves..." Ret hissed in a breath as Andy's other hand found his erection, massaging the hard bulge through the leather, and he pushed his hips forward into Andy's palm. Oh, no one would bother them, a little voice in his mind reasoned. Then again, he didn't really care, thinking of nothing but how much he wanted to fuck his mate. **** Stepping back decisively, Ret took a few deep breaths, trying to clear his head. How the hell did Andy do this to him? As a werewolf he was strong, having more control than many of the others, yet one touch from his mate could undo him. "Behave yourself," he told Andy, unable to stop the smile forming on his lips as Andy feigned innocence. After neatening themselves—and making a hopeless attempt to hide the fact they were both aroused—they went back inside, Andy still wearing Ret's jacket. The others looked up as the door opened and smirked. Andy's face heated up but Ret just laughed and took his hand again. A couple of the other drinkers frowned as he did so. "People are staring," he whispered to Ret. Ret turned to look, making the other customers glance away when they realised they'd been noticed. "So?" "Doesn't it bother you?" Ret shook his head and grinned. "No, I think they're just jealous that I get to go home with you and they don't." 58

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Andy followed Ret back to the others and apologised to Jake for taking so long, going back behind the bar. **** Over the next few weeks, Andy settled into a routine of going into the office with Ret or watching the guards' training sessions before his shift at the pub. He liked being there; the men had taken to treating him as one of them straight away, teasing and joking with him as they did among themselves. One morning, Ret's phone rang shortly after they got there. He went into his office to answer it and when he hung up, he called Andy to come in. "That was my brother," he said. Andy sat down in the chair opposite him. "I didn't know you had any siblings." "Just Ben. He's one year younger than me. He and I were inseparable when we were pups." Andy smiled. "It sounds so strange when you say pups," he commented. "He transferred to London with his job, so we don't see much of each other at the moment," he said, then laughed. "He's a good friend of Jake's and it seems that whilst they were catching up on the phone, Jake told Ben about us." "Oh?" Andy hoped that his voice sounded calm, because he wasn't. He had thought that meeting Ret's pack had been hard, but this was his boyfriend's family. He saw the look on Ret's face and his breath caught. "What is it? Didn't he take it very well?" 59

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"He wants to meet you," Ret blurted out. "I know that this is a big thing and if you don't want to, I'll understand." As Andy remained quiet, Ret continued to talk, as though to fill the silence. "He's got a conference in the city next week and wants us to get together. I said that we would. I know I didn't ask you and so can say no if you want—" "I'd like to meet him," Andy told him, cutting him off. "I won't tell you that I'm not terrified at the thought, though; what if he doesn't like me?" "Of course he'll like you," Ret said. He saw the doubt on Andy's face. "Don't believe me? I guess I'll just have to persuade you." Andy smiled as Ret got up from his chair and stalked around the desk toward him. A little persuasion was always welcome, Ret took his hand and tugged him to his feet so that he was flush against his warm body. Strong arms went around him as Ret leaned down to press his lips to the sensitive flesh of Andy's throat. Ret trailed nips and kisses over his, working his way higher until he reached Andy's mouth. "Are you convinced yet?" "Not quite," Andy teased, pulling him in for a kiss. "I think this might take a while." **** [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Seven **** Friday morning of the following week, Andy waited as Ret locked the garage after getting his motorcycle out, and held out his hand. It was just starting to snow lightly, not enough to settle, but it made Andy smile as the white flakes landed on his upturned palm. "Look at you," Ret teased. "It's only snow." Andy grinned. "I know, isn't it great? Everything looks so pretty when it's covered in snow, just like the front of a Christmas card. I love it when it snows." He turned and glared at Ret. "Stop laughing at me." Ret pulled him closer and kissed his mate. "I'm not, honestly." "You are," Andy told him, smacking him on the arm. "Come on, we should go if we want to be back in time to go to Howlers." Ret started the bike and Andy climbed on behind him, slipping his arms around Ret's waist. He was still looking up at the sky, watching the snowflakes, unable to keep the smile off his face Ben had arranged to meet them at his hotel and Andy walked through the door, still not sure what to expect. The familial resemblance between the brothers was obvious in both looks and personality, and Andy found himself at ease almost immediately. Almost. There were a few shaky 61

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moments, especially when Ben sent Ret out on some obviously made-up errand, leaving him alone with Andy. "So, you're human." Andy frowned. "Yes, why?" "He's a good guy, my brother, and I'd hate to think that you were going to hurt him," Ben said. "He's never been too good at letting people in, but he seems to have with you. I'm not sure how much you know about mates or even how it affects humans, but I just wanted to let you know that if you're screwing with him, you'll have me to deal with." "I have no intention of hurting him," Andy pointed out, "and for your information, the mate bond does affect humans, too. I admit it took me a while to get used to the werewolf stuff, but I do love him." Ben scrutinized him, head cocked to one side in a very wolf-like gesture. "Look, it would really mean a lot to me if we could be friends. If you don't like me, then do it for his sake." Ben's serious expression suddenly broke into a wide grin. "I think we are going to get on just fine," he said, clapping Andy on the back. "I'm just looking out for him, you understand." "So, do you do this a lot?" he asked as he heard Ret returning. "Warning off his boyfriends?" "Never really got the chance before," Ben admitted. "Usually Ret tends to be kind of vague about who he's seeing. I didn't get to meet them." Catching the exasperated look that Ret threw his brother as he came back into the room, Andy laughed. He liked Ben, 62

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now that the "What are your intentions toward my brother?" talk was out of the way. By the time he left, he and Ben were firm friends. Ben had delighted in telling him all about the trouble that Ret had got into as a kid, sharing embarrassing stories that Ret had begged him not to tell. **** As they left the restaurant where Ben had treated them to dinner, Ret glanced at the sky. The cloud was becoming heavier and he wanted to get home before the weather turned nasty. It was just beginning to snow in the city but it was getting colder. "It was good to meet you," Ben told Andy. "Keep in touch, okay?" Andy nodded. "Definitely." Halfway home, as the outskirts of the city fell behind them and the roads became more open, they realised how bad the snow had become. It was falling quite heavily now, coming down in thick flakes that clung to their jackets and the visors on their helmets as the motorcycle sped on. "Is this enough snow for you?" Ret asked, amused as he felt Andy shivering against his back. "This is why I take the bus," Andy grumbled, his voice sounding tinny though the intercom in the helmets. "At least on the bus you don't keep getting snow down your neck." "Some people are never satisfied," Ret's reply came back. "First you think the snow's great and now you're complaining about it." "I'm not complaining about the snow; I'm just cold." 63

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"Oh, I'm sure I can think of a few ways to warm you up when we get home." Andy laughed. "I'll look forward to holding you to that." He looked around at the empty roads. "Have you noticed that we're the only ones stupid enough to be out in this?" Ret had. He slowed the bike as the snow on the roads deepened. Most of the roads had been salted, ready for the winter weather, but it still wasn't perfect driving conditions. **** At Howlers, Jai glanced at his watch again and looked up. "Maybe we should assume they aren't coming." Dex shook his head. "Ret said he'd meet us here," he reminded them. "They'll show up; he or Andy would have called if they were going to cancel." Half an hour later, even Dex was concerned. Jai tried to call Ret and Andy's phones a few times but there was no reply. Eventually, he dug his mobile phone from his pocket and scrolled through the numbers, selecting one. "Ben? Hi, it's Dex." He listened for a moment. "I'm trying to get hold of Ret or Andy." Across the table, the other guards picked up every word; thanks to werewolf hearing, both sides of the conversation were crystal clear to them. "They left ages ago," Ben told him. "Aren't they back yet? They probably got sidetracked on the way." Dex looked around at the others, seeing that they were thinking the same as he was. 64

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"They were supposed to meet us here nearly two hours ago," he said. "They would have called. Why did they set out in this weather?" "It's hardly snowing," Ben told him. "Well, it is here," Dex said. "It's been a blizzard for the past couple of hours." Ben promised to call if he heard anything and they hung up. "I don't like this," Dex said to the others. He tapped his fingers on the table uneasily, before standing and pulling his jacket on. "Jake, can I borrow your Jeep? I'm going to ride over to Ret's place and see if they're back, maybe to Andy's as well." Jake threw him the keys as Dane also stood. "I'm coming with you." "I'm going to take my truck and backtrack them," Jai said. Brand and Will announced that they were going as well. "Keep trying their phones and, if you get hold of them, let us know." Joe nodded and they all trooped out. **** Andy blinked as light shone in his eyes, making his head pound. He went to raise his hand to block the glare but found that he couldn't lift his arm. Just attempting the action sent excruciating pains shooting through his chest. Something was pressing down on his leg, or maybe he just couldn't move it— he wasn't sure. What he did know was that his chest didn't feel right. Breathing was hard; he couldn't seem to draw air into his lungs to breathe or to call out. Where is Ret? he 65

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thought. He tried to call to Ret but another pain shot through his chest. It felt as though it was going to burst. A wave of dizziness swept over him again and he closed his eyes against it. What the fuck happened? The last thing he remembered was holding onto Ret on the bike—oh, shit. That was it. As they had taken the corner, the bike wheels had gone out from under them and Ret tried to get their balance back. They had slid and then hit something. The bike had flipped, throwing Ret, and then... And then? He couldn't remember anything between that moment and being here, right now. He wanted to call to Ret but every part of him hurt if he even tried to breathe in enough breath to even whisper. Attempting to move, to look for his mate, sent pains through his body once more. Tears streamed down his face, mingling with the wet snowflakes that were still falling. Up above him, he saw tree branches. They sheltered him from the worst of the snow, but it was still freezing and the ground was wet beneath him. Forcing himself to move his head he managed to look to the sides and saw that he was some distance from the road. He could see it just up the banking, but there was no way he could get there. Hell, he couldn't even move enough to sit up. Andy couldn't stop the panic that was rising in him. He couldn't move, he couldn't see Ret. What if Ret was hurt, badly? What if he never saw him again? He knew deep down that he wasn't doing too well—no one should hurt this much if 66

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it was only minor injuries—but what if he never got to say goodbye to Ret? The dizziness washed over him again and he closed his eyes. Just for a second, just to rest a while... **** "What's that?" They had been driving down the roads that Ret would have used on his way home for an hour and found nothing. Jai looked out in the direction Will was pointing and slammed his foot onto the brake pedal. The four wheel drive skidded for a few metres before coming to a stop, but Brand and Will were already out. "Shit! He's not conscious." Ret lay face down on the grass verge, against a tree, his prone form covered with a thickening layer of snow. Will pressed two fingers to the side of his neck to check for a pulse, relieved when he found one. "Get his helmet off—we need to check him over before we move him." Jai ran over from the truck, leaving the door wide open. He pulled out his phone and tapped in Dex's number to let him know that they'd found Ret. "Where's Andy?" Brand looked up and shook his head. Jai told them to stay with Ret and set off along the road, calling out for a response, but there was just silence. They didn't have time for this. He wasn't getting a scent to lead him to Andy, but he knew how he could. Ignoring the icy cold wind and the snow, he stripped off his clothes, dumping them 67

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on the driver's seat of the truck. He shivered, shifting quickly. The wolf's fur was better at keeping the cold out than human skin. Lowering his nose to the ground, he started tracking. Five minutes later, Jai shifted back to human and yelled out to Brand and Will. He had found Andy; the bike had skidded off the road and dropped down the low bank just over the verge. Brand appeared at the top of the banking, looking down to where Jai was already with Andy. Jai heard him curse before he began sliding down the slope. "We have to move this off him," Jai said. The bike had come down after Andy, pinning his right leg. Jai and Brand lifted it off; they could have managed it alone, but they had to be careful not to crush Andy at the same time. He lay back in the snow at an uncomfortable angle, the leg that had been under the bike obviously broken. Dark red blood tainted the snow around it. Tearing Andy's jeans with one violent rip, Jai saw that the leg had been smashed, a fragment of bone jutting through the skin. Andy was hurt badly, the pulse he found was barely enough to feel. Brand carefully felt over him, checking for other injuries. He had medical training from his time working as a paramedic, before his change. "We have to get him some help," Jai said. Brand looked up to face him, shaking his head. "It's not going to be enough," he said. "There have to be internal injuries—it looks as though the bike rolled over him, crushing him." He checked Andy's pupils, lifting one eyelid and then the other. "His right pupil is dilated." 68

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Jai frowned. "What are you saying?" "I'm saying that he's human. A wolf might have been able to survive this, but not a human." [Back to Table of Contents]

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Chapter Eight **** "I won't just leave him to die," Jai snapped. "He has a pulse. He's alive." He lifted Andy in his arms, struggling to get his balance before Brand came to help, and they got him back up to the road. The ground was slippery and it was slow going; they were trying not to jolt Andy too much. Jai shivered, for once the cold getting to him. Since shifting back, he was naked in the snow, his clothes still in his truck. He was freezing, extremely glad when they got Andy back to the four wheel drive. Brand laid Andy in the back seat whilst Jai quickly drew his jeans and sweatshirt back on, jamming his feet into his boots without bothering to fasten them. A black Jeep pulled up beside them and Dex and Dane got out, hurrying over. "Get Ret," Jai said to them. "We need to get them back." He and Brand got into his truck, turning the heating on full to try and warm Andy up. "He's fading," Brand said, checking for a pulse again. Jai turned to look over his shoulder to where Andy lay. Brand sat in the back with him, Andy's head on his lap, so that he could keep an eye on him. Jai could see that Brand had almost given up, knowing that it was just a matter of keeping him as comfortable as possible until the inevitable happened. Well, it isn't going to be like that, Jai thought. 70

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Making the decision, he swerved the truck to the side of the road and climbed between the seats. "Ret will survive; he's a wolf, he'll heal," Jai said, rolling up his sleeve, "but he won't survive his mate's death." "What are you doing?" Jai looked Brand in the eyes. "You said it yourself, Brand. He can't heal as a human, but he could as a wolf." He bit into his arm. "Hold his mouth open." Brand hesitated for a moment before doing as Jai asked. He moved in the seat, raising Andy's head and shoulders so that he leaned against Brand and used his fingers to part Andy's lips. He watched as Jai put his bleeding wrist to Andy's lips, tilting his head so that the blood went down his throat. "Have you ever done this before?" he asked. Jai shook his head. "No. I've seen people given blood to heal minor injuries and it only takes a couple of doses. It'll take more than that to change someone." "How much more?" "I don't fucking know!" Jai growled, then his expression relaxed. "I'm making this up as I go along. I don't know what I'm doing; I just know I have to try. For Ret's sake and for Andy's." Seeing that the wound in his wrist had healed, he opened it again. Once Brand had set the bone in his leg, snapping it back into place with a sickening sound, Jai let the drops fall into the open wound. He dripped some into the other cuts on his body before pressing his wrist to Andy's mouth again. This would be easier if Andy were conscious, so that he could help the process, but he wasn't. Brand rubbed Andy's throat to 71

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force his body's reflex, to make him swallow, continually checking for any improvement or change. Jai had heard of others being changed in this way but, having never seen it done himself, this was pretty much trial and error. "Let me give him some," Brand suggested. "You can't keep losing this much blood." Jai nodded, pulling his hand back when the wound healed the next time. He had made the wounds in his wrist deep, to get as much blood into Andy as possible. Brand was right; if he lost too much, he wasn't going to be much use to anyone. He let Brand place his wrist to Andy's mouth. "Should anything be happening by now?" Brand didn't know any more than he did, however. Neither he nor Jai had ever changed someone to wolf before, only heard of it being done. According to the second and thirdhand accounts they had heard, it would only work when the person was on the verge of death. Where the blood would heal minor injuries without permanent effects, the change was a result of the human body needing to almost start from scratch. To heal from the point of death, the only way the blood could heal was to alter the one taking it, mutating them on a genetic level. "I'll keep doing this," he told Jai. "You get us back to Ret's house. That's where they're taking Ret." Jai made it back to Ret's house in record time, despite the icy roads, arriving just after the others. They picked Andy up as gently as they could and took him inside, laying him on the sofa. "How's Ret?" 72

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Dex nodded. "He's as well as can be expected. We put him in his bed. Once we get him warmed up and he's had a couple of hours to heal he should be fine." He looked down at Andy and frowned. "What the hell..." Dex crouched next to the sofa and leaned in to sniff at Andy. "He smells wrong," he said, sniffing again before looking up at them in confusion. "He smells like wolf." Jai heaved a huge sigh of relief. It worked. The question was, why wasn't he waking up? He bent down and pressed his fingers to Andy's neck again. The pulse was stronger, he was sure of it. **** Ret awoke in a bed in a darkened room. His entire body ached as though he had run a marathon. Reaching out one arm, he found nothing but cold bed next to him and he wondered where Andy was. Oh, no. Andy. The bike skidding. The crash. He scrambled out of bed, ignoring the pounding in his head, pulled a pair of jeans on, and raced out of his bedroom. Before he had got two steps outside the door, he tripped over Jai's outstretched legs. Jai was sitting against the wall on the top of the stairs, his head lolling onto his chest as he dozed. When Ret accidentally kicked him, he became animated, getting to his feet. "Ret, calm down." He tried to grab Ret to stop him but Ret shook him off. "You need to go back to bed; you need to heal." 73

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Ret turned on him with wide, frantic eyes. "Where's Andy? Jai, I remember the crash. I have to find him!" Jai planted himself in front of Ret, blocking him. "Get out of my way, Jai," Ret growled, his eyes shifting to amber wolf's. He looked as though he wanted to rip Jai in two. "Move! I need to find him. What have I done? He could be hurt or... or..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. Jai sighed. "I'm sorry about this, really I am," he said and slapped Ret hard across the cheek. Ret stopped fighting and stared at him, stunned and furious in equal measures. "Before you hit me," Jai said hastily, "just listen. We've got Andy downstairs. He was in a bad way when we found him—" "Was? What do you mean 'was'?" Ret barged past Jai, almost knocking him down the stairs in the process. He raced after Ret, bumping into him in the doorway to the lounge. Ret was staring at Andy, still lying on the sofa, his eyes closed. "I was trying to tell you upstairs," Jai continued, laying a hand on his shoulder to steer him to an armchair and making him sit. Ret never took his eyes off Andy. "He was hurt badly and we didn't think he could survive. We had no choice, Ret." Ret got up from the chair and went to kneel by his mate. He leaned in and inhaled Andy's scent, frowning. "It was the only way he could have healed. It worked; he woke up, albeit briefly, about half an hour ago. We reset his leg and the other bones and he seems to be healing." Ret turned to Jai. "He's wolf?" Jai nodded. "You changed him?" 74

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Jai nodded again, unable to read the expression on Ret's face. "And he's okay?" Suddenly, his anger and tension drained away and he sat down heavily. "Thank you." Andy stirred then, the voices disturbing him. "Ret?" "I'm here, love, and I'm not leaving you." Dex appeared beside him and urged him to stand up. "You need to sleep, to give your body time to heal completely," he said. "So does Andy." Seeing that Ret had no intention of leaving Andy even for a second, he signalled to Brand. As Dex steered Ret back to bed, Brand carried Andy up as well, putting him next to Ret and drawing the covers over them both. Ret pulled Andy into his arms, his eyes too tired to keep open. Before, it had been his worry about Andy that had kept him from realising how tired he was but now he knew Andy was going to be fine. His mate was alive and in his arms, and he was wolf. He wasn't sure how Andy was going to feel about that when he came around enough to be told. It was fairly uncommon; not many of the pack were made as opposed to being born wolves. They would cope, however, or at least he hoped that Andy would. It was something they could deal with later, he decided. For now, he let himself go back to sleep, safe in the knowledge that Andy was recovering. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Epilogue **** Two days later, Andy paced around Ret's lounge. His body had healed, leaving nothing to show for the crash that had almost killed him, but the mental scars would take longer to mend. Jai had spoken to him as soon as he was well enough, explaining why they had changed him and of what to expect. Andy had taken it rather well, Ret observed, but then he wasn't a stranger to the world of werewolves. Had he been an uninitiated member of the public who suddenly had this thrust upon him, Ret suspected the transition would not have gone so well. As it was, Andy had a lot to learn; he had to gain control of his new abilities. He possessed strength and speed greater than when he was human, and it would be easy enough to hurt someone if he lost control. His senses were exaggerated, even everyday sounds and scents became overpowering after the limited senses he had grown up with. As Andy paced past again, Ret reached out and caught his hand and pulled him down onto the sofa. "Will you please sit down," he said. "You're making me dizzy." Andy sighed. Tonight was his first meeting with the pack alpha, Michael Davis, as a wolf. Before when he had met the man, he had been Ret's human mate, accepted by the pack 76

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on that basis, but now he was going to Michael as a wolf approaching his Alpha. "Are you sorry that Jai and Dex changed you?" Ret asked suddenly, his expression guarded. Andy shook his head. "They did it to save my life." He leaned in against Ret's chest and his mate put an arm around him, pulling him close. "Why?" "I know that you never asked for this—it's going to be hard to adjust, I know it is," Ret replied. "I felt so selfish when they told me. All I could think was that they gave you back to me, not about how much of an upheaval it would be for you." Andy got up and then settled himself in Ret's lap, knees either side of Ret's legs, arms around his neck. This was the one part of being a werewolf that he already loved. He could smell Ret's arousal, mixed with the scent of Ret himself—the leather and fur smell he had come to associate with the man—and hear that his heartbeat sped up each time Andy touched him. "How could I be angry when they gave me more time with you?" he whispered against Ret's mouth, kissing his lips. Ret looked up into Andy's eyes. They had changed to amber wolf's, arousal removing any control he had. His mate sank lower in his lap, pressing his obvious erection against Ret's and began unfasten Ret's shirt, running his hands over the bare flesh underneath. "Damn, you smell so good. I want you." "How can I refuse?" Ret murmured, helping Andy's efforts to strip him of his shirt. 77

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He quickly removed the rest of his clothing, and then Andy's, saying a silent thank you for the change's effect on Andy's libido. "In my lap," Ret said, watching as Andy did as asked without question. "Ride me." Andy got back onto the sofa, straddling Ret's lap. His cock, already swollen and hard, grazed Ret's stomach as he moved. Andy put his arms around Ret's neck, kissing him again. Ret spat on his fingers, working one into Andy's tight hole, wetting him more with the next. His fingers gripped Andy's hips as Andy began to sink down, allowing Ret's cock to impale him. Andy felt Ret thrust his hips up, that hard cock stretching him. He gasped as he took in rest of Ret's length in one sharp move. "I love you," he whispered, looking deep into Ret's eyes. Ret smiled widely. "'Love you, too." Andy began to move in a slow rocking motion, his mouth closed over his mate's, swallowing the soft moans that Ret made. Ret reached between them and took hold of Andy's prick, working his hand along the length. Ret felt ready to explode, his climax close as Andy's arse tensed around him, gripping his cock. He drove his hips up, hard, filling Andy as he came. He continued to pump Andy's cock with his hand until Andy he let out a yell, semen splashing onto Ret's fingers and onto his stomach. Andy sagged into his mate's arms, Ret's cock still buried inside him. Andy felt Ret's arms around him as he buried his face in the side of Ret's neck, and knew that whatever had happened, he was going to be fine. 78

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All he needed was Ret. [Back to Table of Contents]

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Bark at the Moon by Julia Davies

About the Author **** Julia Davies is the day-to-day alter ego of a leather clad superhero, who spends her nights saving the world and rescuing the innocent... Maybe in her dreams. In reality, Julia lives in Yorkshire, England, where she works in an office while worrying that the characters in her books lead more interesting lives than she does. Julia never intended to write erotic romance, originally starting out with poetry and young adult fantasy novels. The discovery of slash fan fiction changed all that and she began posting stories online soon after. Whilst still pursuing her fantasy ideas, she realized that she could indulge her love of slash fiction and use it in original fiction as well. For more information, visit Julia at www.juliadavies.webs.com. ****

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