Two Howls

by Sean Michael

  “I hope so. I’ll be right back. You… you still want me to stay?” He’d brought trouble with him, just like he’d thought.

  Ulf grabbed his jaw, fingers digging in. “You’re mine. I expect you to stay.”

  “I want to stay. I want to, but I’d understand if I had to go.”

  “You’re my mate. You’re staying.” Ulf sounded very sure.

  Something deep inside Max eased. “I’ll get my boots.”

  “Mine too. We have some graves to dig.”

  ***

  After burying the bodies, Ulf had Max help him set traps around the place so they’d be warned sooner if more wolves were sent after his pup. It made him growl, that anyone else thought they had the right to dictate to his pup. The snows were coming and the roads couldn’t be impassable soon enough for his liking.

  Satisfied that they would be warned before they were invaded again, Ulf brought Max into the cabin and lit the fire for them. His pup needed to be warmed up. Max was silent, shaking and shaken, all at once. Once Ulf had the fire built, he tugged Max into the middle of their nest and wrapped around him.

  “I’m sorry.” Even Max’s words shivered.

  “What for?”

  “Bringing them here.”

  “You’re worth it.” Totally. Ulf would do a lot to keep his mate alive and happy.

  Max didn’t respond, his eyes down.

  Ulf put his fingers under Max’s chin, tilting his face up. “I will fight a hundred wolves for you. A thousand.”

  “A thousand…Goddess, don’t say that.”

  “I’m not tempting fate, I’m showing you how important you are to me.” Ulf highly doubted even a cult-like pack would be able to send a thousand wolves after one.

  “I’m just me. You know that.”

  “Don’t you know how wonderful just you is?” Ulf thought that his pup didn’t.

  Max didn’t answer, only stared at him.

  Ulf had no more words. They weren’t his best forum anyway. He spent months not talking to anyone. So he leaned in and kissed Max. Hard.

  Max’s eyes flew open, so wide. Ulf stared into them, giving himself to his mate. He kept kissing until the shame and fear were gone from Max’s eyes, until all Max knew was him. Then he began touching. He started with Max’s jaw, fingers finding every part of it.

  The snow was falling outside, the sky steely and dark, but the cabin was warm, perfect for this, the snow isolating them further.

  Ulf kissed his way along Max’s arms, then drew them up over his head. Max gave him a curious look, but allowed it without argument. Ulf took both wrists in his hand and kept the muscled little body stretched out for him.

  “Ulf?” It was heady, the way Max responded to everything he did.

  “Yes, pup?” Ulf flicked his finger across Max’s right nipple.

  Not answering with words, Max moaned for him, tugged at his grip.

  “You’re mine and I’m going to make you scream with pleasure.” It was a promise.

  Max blinked at him, obviously caught in pleasure. So he flicked Max’s nipple again, then did it a little harder. That made his pup jerk, pull hard at his hands. Ulf didn’t let go, though. This was his pup.

  “I have things to teach you, Max. So many things.” And they had all their lives for him to do it.

  Leaning in, he bit at Max’s other nipple.

  “No biting.” Max rolled, fighting to escape him.

  “The biting is the best part.” He nipped Max’s shoulder, his jaw. At Max’s lower lip, sucking when he drew blood.

  Max’s cock was diamond hard against him, heated where it pushed against his hand. He pressed his fingers into Max’s slit, watching Max’s face and wanting to howl at the expression he found there.

  One of Max’s legs drew up, the motion immediate and no doubt instinctive.

  Dragging the liquid from Max’s slit, he laid a trail along the thick cock, right to Max’s balls. Max watched him closely, eyes glowing, heated. He rolled each ball in his hand, then stroked back to that little hole. His pup clenched, but the heat in those eyes didn’t fade.

  Stroking until Max eased, he then pushed his fingertip right in. Max opened for him, body responding beautifully. That was it. This was his pup.

  Bending, he pulled his finger away and licked at the little hole instead.

  “Ulf!” There was pure need in the sound and Max rolled and went up on hands and knees, offering him that fine ass.

  Oh yes!

  He spread Max’s ass with his fingers and began to lick at Max’s hole vigorously. Max cried out, begging him, so eager, so hungry. Rubbing Max’s perineum with his thumbs, he tongue-fucked his pup. The scent was perfect, and Max’s eager acceptance was more so.

  Ulf’s fingers dug into Max’s flesh. He would leave marks, his marks on his mate’s ass. He growled deep, imagining the sight of his handprint on Max’s flesh. Fingernails pressing against skin, into skin, he searched to drive Max wild.

  His pup howled, pulling away and then pushing back onto his tongue. That eagerness, that’s what he wanted, for Max to take his need, to accept it and share it with him. Growling, Ulf flicked his tongue faster, more.

  “Please. Please, touch me,” Max begged.

  “No, you’ll come like this first. Without a touch to your cock.” He pushed a finger in with his tongue, pressing against Max’s gland.

  “Ulf!” Max arched, muscles clenching tight.

  He grinned for a moment before concentrating on making Max come with his tongue and his finger, from only this.

  Max tried to balance, tried to reach for his cock. Growling, Ulf smacked Max’s hand, his finger and tongue leaving Max’s ass. “No touching yourself.”

  “Ulf! Mate!”

  No. This was his pack. His rules. “I said no touching. I get to choose when you’re touched, when you come.”

  Max didn’t respond and Ulf growled, laying down a swat on Max’s butt, drawing a low cry.

  “Did you hear me, pup?” He was ready to swat Max’s amazing ass again if he didn’t get a response.

  “Yes! Yes, I heard, you ass!”

  He smacked Max’s other butt cheek for that. “It’s Master ass to you.”

  Max cried out again, but didn’t pull away. Ulf carefully licked at Max’s ass, moving slowly toward tongue-fucking his pup again. He added a few, gentler slaps, warming the skin. The backs of Max’s thighs also received a couple of swats, the skin just very lightly pink. Then he pushed his tongue back into Max, ramping things back up now that the rule of no touching had been laid down.

  Max pushed back into him, eager for the thrusts, for the swats.

  Good pup.

  Ulf worked his finger back into Max, finding his gland again.

  “Please.” Max shook his head, back and forth.

  He knew what Max wanted, what his pup needed. “You’re going to come like this,” Ulf reminded Max, hitting that spot again. He used his free hand, swatting steadily, gently. “Answer me, pup.”

  “Yes. Yes, mate.”

  That was more like it.

  Ulf pushed his tongue in with his finger, working that little hole and soft sounds filled the air, Max wild for him. He drove his mate higher and higher, finger touching Max’s gland every second, tongue keeping everything slippery and wet, intense.

  Max gripped down, squeezing him like a fist. Ulf knew Max was close, so he swatted that amazing ass again, pushing his tongue in hard.

  The sting seemed to push Max over the edge, the scent of male need, of Max’s come, heady. Groaning, Ulf kept licking, working the sweet hole. Max began to tremble, muscles jerking and rocking.

  Finally, when he felt Max on the verge of collapse, he pulled his finger and tongue out and, in a quick, smooth motion, he rose up and pushed his cock into Max’s ass. Grabbing Max’s hips, he yanked the tight sheath of Max’s body over his prick.

  Putting back his head, he howled at the pleasure he found there.

  Slapping his hips hard against Max�
�s ass, he let them both sting and feel every inch.

  More than just good, this felt right. Powerful.

  Ulf worked hard, hips sawing back and forth. Finally, Max began to drive back, meet his thrusts, his need. That’s when he wrapped his hand around Max’s cock, giving his pup the stimulation he was craving.

  “Mate!” Oh, yes. This pleasure should be marked by his name.

  He pulled harder on Max’s cock, timing it with his thrusts. His pup would come again, and perhaps again today until the only thing Max was worried about was what Ulf was going to do to him next. Ulf would see to it.

  His thrusts sped, all his focus on his mate. Max’s song—needy and joyous—swirled about him. He joined in with his own, making their home ring. Max shuddered around him, hot and tight.

  “We come together this time, when I say.”

  “Together. Together, please.” Max begged so very prettily.

  “When I say.” Which was going to be any second now—he was as close as Max was.

  “Yes. At your will.”

  The words made him growl, and latch onto Max’s nape with his teeth. He bit hard and made sure the mark was deep. He let go only to give the order. “Come now.” He slammed in hard, jostling Max’s heavy balls.

  His own come poured from him as the scent of Max’s filled the air once more.

  Sweet pup.

  Ulf lapped at the bite on Max’s nape. That was his, his mark, his way of showing others that Max belonged to him. He nipped again, humming low. He pressed Max down into the ground, staying right there with his mate, his cock rested inside the perfect heat, holding his seed within.

  “Mate.” Just the one word with a soft growl. He had faith that Max would understand that meant everything.

  Max reached up, twined their fingers together and squeezed. Oh yes. His mate understood.

  Now all they needed was for the snow to come before anyone else could invade their territory.

  Chapter Seven

  Max ran the perimeter twice a day—once at night and once in the morning. The ground was covered in snow, but not enough, not deep and he knew they would come again. Knew it. Ulf didn’t tell him not to patrol, and even came with him now and then. That told him he wasn’t the only one who believed more wolves would be sent to take him.

  He ran hard, driving through the cold, searching the road, the trees. Ulf was chopping more wood and Max was eager to get back to the cabin, to watch that stunning body move.

  Something moved in the trees, catching his attention, and he stopped, vibrating from nose to tail. Then came another movement, this time from the other side of him and there was a noise from straight ahead.

  He was surrounded.

  He had enough time to howl, to sound the alarm before a needle sank deep into his shoulder and the world went black.

  Mate! Mate, run!

  ***

  The moment he heard Max’s howl, Ulf dropped the ax and shifted, not even waiting to remove his clothing first. It was easy enough to shuck as he ran. Moving quickly, he headed in the direction of Max’s call.

  His mate’s voice went silent, missing from his mind so quickly that he stumbled. He knew he had to be careful, so the moment he became aware of a foreign scent, he stopped, nose in the air. There were four this time and in human form as well as wolf. And something chemical, wrong.

  Fear stabbed through him. No. No, he would not lose his pup, his beloved mate. His own. Max had only just come to him and he would prove his worthiness by saving Max from this attack and keep him safe for eternity.

  Moving slowly, carefully, Ulf found the place where the interlopers had attacked his mate. One wolf and three men, though he could tell the men were shifters as well. He wasn’t letting them have his mate, no matter what tricks they used.

  Moving silently, he followed the trail back to the road where he found the tracks of a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Damn it!

  Ulf had to make a choice, run after the vehicle, or go back for his own SUV? He didn’t like either choice very much. He would much rather just meet them head on, right now. Of course, they would have to move slowly until they reached the bridge.

  The bridge. The bridge! He ran as hard as he could, ignoring the road. If he could get to the river gorge bridge and pull the boards from the end, they’d have to stop. They might even turn around thinking the road actually led somewhere.

  When he got to the bridge, he found the tracks coming across, but the snow was falling and there were no new tracks to indicate they’d returned this way yet. Cheering, he shifted to get the job of dismantling a portion of the bridge done.

  It was fucking freezing, but he didn’t care, using all his strength to pull up enough boards that a vehicle couldn’t make it over the bridge. He was pretty sure three would be enough to make a hole big enough for the invader’s vehicle’s wheels, but just to be sure, he removed four. Then he hid the boards behind the thick bushes that bordered the bridge.

  There. There. This was his home. His world. His mate. He would never allow interlopers to take what was his.

  Shifting once again into his wolf form, he slunk behind the cover of some trees, waiting for the assholes who’d taken his mate to get there. When they got out to investigate, he would make his move.

  A Jeep came trundling down the road, squealing to a halt as the driver saw the broken bridge, the wheels stopping just before the hole. That had been close.

  From here, though, Ulf could see through the Jeep’s windows and he could see Max’s body bound in the back, rolling back and forth. Unconscious? Dead? Bound so tightly he could not control himself from the Jeep’s movements?

  Ulf wanted to snarl and growl, but he forced himself to stay quiet, to observe and wait for his chance. His mate was not dead. He would not accept that answer.

  Why would they come for Max if not to return him to Miami? Ulf decided that Max was just waiting for a chance to escape.

  Two of the humans stepped out of the Jeep, standing around, looking for him he presumed, and for the boards.

  Ulf had to wait, had to be patient and choose his moment well. There were four of them and at the moment, two were still in the vehicle with his mate.

  “Guys. Guys, come help.” One of them waved the others over to where the bridge met the road, its missing boards leaving a large gap.

  “What about Max?” asked one of the others.

  “What about him?” the first one asked. “He’s secure, yes?”

  “Yeah. He’s out for the count.”

  Ulf’s lip curled and he had to hold back another angry snarl. Patience would serve him well here. Patience would free his mate.

  The four assholes all went over to the hole in the bridge, gesturing and arguing with each other, voice raised slightly.

  If he ran for them, Ulf could maybe knock two over the edge before they even knew he was there. It was a bold plan, but would cut his enemies in half.

  Mate.

  Ulf heard the soft whisper.

  Mate.

  Max! I’m here!

  Mate. I can’t move.

  Ulf wasn’t sure he could take all four by himself, not and escape with Max if Max couldn’t move. It was then he noticed the Jeep was still idling. And there it was. The solution he needed.

  He’d take the Jeep and strand the men. Then, once he’d freed Max, they could fight the four together. He could see that Max was already fighting hard to free himself, fighting to get loose and make a stand.

  Keeping his wolf form in case he was seen and needed to make an escape, Ulf crept silently toward the Jeep. He made it to the side of the vehicle without being noticed, the men at the bridge still arguing, voices louder, more angry now.

  Shifting into his man form, he opened the Jeep’s door and slipped in. He managed to get it in gear and moving before anyone noticed. Max was flopping and biting now, working the ropes.

  Ulf backed up in reverse for a dozen or so yards, then turned the Jeep and floored it, one of the men managing to jum
p and grab onto the back of the Jeep as they sped away.

  Refusing to slow down despite the narrowness of the road, he bumped along, the asshole clinging to the back being thrown around. Perfect. Ulf could take one on easily. That would bring their numbers to three.

  Ulf made it nearly back to where he’d first discovered the Jeep’s tracks before he slammed on the brakes and leapt out, shifting mid-air. Snarling, he went for the man still clinging to the back of the vehicle.

  Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Max pop free enough to shift, diving for the back seat.

  Ulf took his target down, going for the jugular and opening the intruder’s throat. Snarling, he stepped up, his front paws on the man he’d taken down.

  Max came around the Jeep with a dart gun in hand, growling deep in his chest, glaring at the dead guy at Ulf’s feet.

  Shifting, Ulf again ignored the cold. “Three more, back at the bridge, headed this way.” He nodded at the dart gun. “We take one of them out with that and send him back with a warning.” The other two were not going to make it. He would see to that.

  “Yes.” Max nodded immediately. “I have had enough. No more.”

  Good. It was about time his mate stood up for himself against the people who’d hurt him, and who wanted to keep on hurting him. “Let’s go get them.”

  Before they could decide whether they were driving or shifting and running, the three remaining wolves from Miami burst out of the woods around them. Max shot immediately, hitting one of the wolves in the chest, felling him. One down, two to go. The odds had just come firmly into their favor.

  Snarling, Ulf leapt at the closest of the two wolves left, once again going straight for the jugular. Meanwhile, Max shot again, but nothing happened, so when the other wolf leapt, Max swung the gun like a bat.

  Tearing out the neck of the wolf he’d brought down and making sure his mark was dead, Ulf then turned to make sure his mate didn’t need assistance.

  The other body—either dead or badly injured—lay there, Max panting, caught between wolf and man.

  Ulf shifted and called to Max, needing his mate human so they could deal with the one intruder they’d let live. He went and stroked the furry head, knowing that kind of mid-transformation was painful, and hard to finish.