by T J Nichols
Mack smiled. “Almost there.”
The place Mack led them to was a small clearing, not what Jude would’ve called a campsite at all. While it was obvious it was used—there was a small fire pit—Jude doubted anyone came here except Mack. They’d had to hike for an hour from the car park to get here, carrying the bags. Mack had crammed everything into two backpacks.
Jude sat and pulled off his boots. While they looked good and were great for wearing around town, they were not made for traipsing through the woods. “Don’t say anything.”
Mack had warned him, suggested that he wear runners or buy new boots. He should’ve listened. While he massaged his feet, Mack made a fire and set up the tent. Jude would’ve offered to help, but he figured he’d get in the way and he didn’t want Mack grumbling at him.
If Jude died out here, no one would ever find his body. They could both be killed, and eventually someone would stumble over their skeletal remains—that had probably been torn apart by scavengers and scattered wide—and wonder what had happened. He shivered even though sunlight filtered through the trees and the birds were chattering in the branches.
“Maybe we’re too far away from town and they won’t find us.” Maybe that would be a good thing. The idea of facing those creatures without a solid wall between them cut the marrow of Jude’s bones.
“Put your boots on or put them in the tent, unless you want something to crawl inside them.”
Jude couldn’t face putting the boots back on so pulled on his runners instead. But he followed Mack’s advice. “I’ve just remembered how much I don’t like nature,” he muttered as he zipped up the tent.
“What’s not to like?”
He hadn’t realized that Mack could hear him from the other side of the fire where he was setting up two little chairs and a big container of water.
“We’re too far from help. What if we need an ambulance?” Did Mack not worry about that kind of stuff? What if they got lost, or shot, or bitten by snakes? Aufhockers were not the only thing out here that could kill them.
“Worst case, we spend the night in one of your circles.” Mack smiled like everything was fine.
Jude wished he hadn’t given in and agreed to this. But when Mack had talked about the kids who lived next door, Jude wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if they got eaten. That and the Coven would have his magic for screwing up. “And the best case?”
“We eliminate the problem and walk out of here tomorrow.”
His mission for the Coven would be complete. “And then the Coven breaks the bond.” With no magic, he wouldn’t get the chance to be an investigator. He wasn’t minding the research.
Mack added some wood to the fire. “Will you be okay by yourself here for a bit?”
No, he wouldn’t fine for even five minutes. He’d probably get attacked by a squirrel or something. He tried to sound calm. “Where are you going?”
“I thought I might shift and go for a wander.”
“And how will I know it’s you returning not some random bear?”
“I’ll give you a sign.” Mack pulled off his shirt and undershirt, revealing the muscles Jude had only glimpsed when helping Mack undress for the shower. Then Mack unlaced his boots as though stripping right in front of Jude was perfectly normal.
Jude couldn’t help but watch. “I thought you shifted near the car.”
“I do sometimes. Sometimes I spend the night. Either way, I leave the car unlocked and a change of clothes on the passenger seat.”
“Even today?” Jude hadn’t paid attention to anything except how to make his backpack more comfortable.
“Yes. There’s a spare key in my pack.”
Which wouldn’t help Jude at all because he wouldn’t be able to find his way down the hill and to the car even if a random bear was chasing him.
Mack’s fingers closed on his belt buckle and hesitated. “I can’t do this in the tent.”
Jude blinked, then realized what Mack wasn’t asking. “You want me to go into the tent.”
“Just while I shift.” Mack wasn’t meeting Jude’s gaze. It was almost as if he were embarrassed.
“I’d like to see you shift. To see you as a bear.”
It was the wrong thing to say because Mack glared at him and growled. “It’s a private thing.”
Jude didn’t wait to be asked again and made for the tent, but he didn’t zip it up all the way. He watched as Mack stripped off his jeans and jocks, his body fit and lean and golden brown, except for the paleness of his ass cheeks. Someone spent more time almost naked than he’d let on.
As if sensing Jude’s gaze, Mack turned, giving Jude an eyeful of his junk before he walked out of Jude’s line of vision. For several heartbeats, Jude didn’t move. Then he figured it was safe to come out of the tent.
A large cinnamon-colored bear was ambling away.
Fear spiked through him, even though he knew it was Mack and Mack’s brain was in there. How would he know it was Mack returning? “What’s the signal?”
The bear stood on its hind legs and gave Jude what appeared to be the middle finger with both front paws before dropping to the ground and continuing on its way.
Jude guessed that wasn’t natural bear behavior, but he really had no idea. He glanced around the campsite. He was totally alone with not even his phone for company.
Mack ran, and he scratched, and he re-marked what he considered his territory. He didn’t smell any other bears in the area, which was a relief. There was something so right about being able to bound through the woods on four legs. Even better when there weren’t any humans about. He had the forest to himself.
Except for Jude.
Jude lingered in his thoughts even when he should think only of finding the perfect tree to rub against. The witch’s rapid, lust-filled heartbeat had given away that he’d been watching from the tent. Jude knew what he was and still wanted him. And Mack didn’t know what to do with that.
The sun was high as Mack circled back to camp. He had no doubt that a creature that could track his truck to his house could find them out here. It was better to pick the location of the fight than to get ambushed, and out here innocent, non-paranormals wouldn’t get in the way or get hurt.
He approached the camp quietly then sat and watched Jude.
Jude sat by the fire, but he wasn’t napping or reading one of the cheap thrillers that Mack had thrown in the bag. Sitting and reading by the campfire was another thing Mack loved to do when he went camping. Usually he’d get himself a fresh fish or rabbit for dinner, but he didn’t think Jude would appreciate the effort, so he hadn’t bothered. Sparks trailed over Jude’s skin, and the campsite smelled like a storm. A sapling was now a twisted burned matchstick, and there were scorch marks on the ground. He hadn’t seen or heard anything, so Jude must have kept his storm small.
Mack got up and meandered toward the campsite. Jude stood, his fingers crackling with static. His hair had lifted, and his eyes were bright. He looked dangerous.
And hot.
And Mack was in entirely the wrong body to be having those thoughts. He stood and gave Jude the finger.
“I think it was both paws,” Jude called.
Mack growled, a low rumble that had the power to make people run—he really tried not to chase them, most of the time. Jude spread his hands, and white arced between them. Mack put up both paws, middle claw extended.
Asshole.
But there was no hiding from Jude now. Mack should’ve shifted behind the bushes and walked back to the clearing as a man. He didn’t need any heightened senses to see the curiosity in Jude’s electric-green eyes.
“If I pat you, will you bite me?”
It was so very tempting. But there were other things he’d much rather do to Jude. No one who’d seen him as a bear had ever looked at him with anything other than fear, or the desire to kill him and claim the trophy. To other bear shifters he was nothing special.
You don’t like the wild. Why do yo
u like me? But Mack shook his head. He wouldn’t bite Jude and he didn’t want the witch to fear him.
Jude took a few more cautious steps closer. “I’ve only ever seen bears in zoos. You seem bigger.”
He wasn’t that big. His father was massive. He didn’t move as Jude stepped within touching distance. For half a second, he was tempted to roar, just to see if Jude would run, but he didn’t.
Jude reached out a hand and touched the fur on his shoulder. Mack swung his head around. The least Jude could do was scratch his ears. Jude’s eyes widened, but he seemed to get the hint, because his fingers found the spot, and he scratched.
No one had ever done that, and Mack leaned into it, enjoying the touch.
Jude started to smile. “I can’t believe I’m touching a bear.”
You aren’t, dumbass. A real bear would’ve mauled you by now.
But for Jude, who lived in a city and didn’t like ‘the wild’ as he called it, this was probably as close to nature as he liked to get.
Jude brushed his fingers over Mack’s snout. “Your eyes are the same.”
Mack licked Jude’s hand. Even like this the witch’s skin tasted good. His nose was more sensitive than even his human nose, and Jude’s worry and desire eddied around him.
“Can I watch you shift this time? I won’t interrupt you. I swear.”
No. Shifting wasn’t a trick he performed for people. The body did things. It warped and twisted, and for a moment he was half man, half bear before the shift was finished. He didn’t want anyone, especially not Jude seeing him like that. But Jude had already seen him stuck with paws, and he hadn’t run away in horror. He’d been there to help. It was Mack who’d pushed him away.
Jude’s hand fell away. “Or not.”
The brightness of Jude’s eyes shuttered, and even though neither of them moved, Mack could feel the gap widening like a maw that would swallow them both. He didn’t want the distance. He shouldn’t want Jude, and he shouldn’t be encouraging the bond. But he also wanted to survive…and maybe explore what was possible. This was a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and Jude was right about them needing to be together.
They needed whatever gifts the familiar bond would bestow. He’d proven he could get out of a partial shift and he could do a normal shift just fine. He nudged Jude’s thigh with his head, hoping that Jude would understand that was a yes. He’d let Jude watch, and if it gave the witch nightmares, then it wasn’t his problem.
He took a few steps back, stalling because he’d never done this with an audience before. His fur bristled and his skin twitched. What if he couldn’t shift with an audience? Even an audience of one trusting witch?
Tension thrummed in his body, and he wished he’d let Jude be disappointed. While running around the forest was freedom, having someone see him as he was and not run from him was a freedom he’d never expected to find.
He closed his eyes, not wanting to see if Jude was revolted by the sight of him shifting. But he was aware of the witch’s heartbeat, his breathing and his anticipation. The scent of his skin, the worry and lust.
His own heart fell into rhythm with Jude’s, and for one bright heartbeat he felt the bond pulse and draw tight as it thickened and strengthened. It was there, a real and living magic between them that was terrifying and wonderful.
Then the shifting heat washed over him, his skin tingled, and his bones ached. The snapping of tendons and the cracking of joints were all familiar to him.
Jude gasped.
Mack kept his gaze lowered, both hands on the ground where he crouched, now fully human. He clawed his fingers into the dirt and forced himself to look up.
Jude hadn’t fled or even stepped away. He was crouching, his elbows resting on his knees, staring at him. “Does that hurt?”
“Yes, a bit, but I’m used to it.” He was not used to this.
Jude reached out a hand. Mack took it without hesitation. He was afraid of the changes the bond would bring, but he was more afraid of failing. They were a long way from town. They were the only two people around. And they could die tonight. If that was the case, he didn’t want to waste such a beautiful afternoon when he had a beautiful witch right in front of him.
They stood and ended up toe to toe, Jude fully dressed and Mack naked. If he was all alone, he didn’t bother putting on more clothes. His body betrayed how he felt, and he didn’t have any clothes to hide behind. He wished he did.
Jude lifted his hand to cup Mack’s jaw. Static leaped between their skin, then Jude kissed him. His lips tasted like a summer storm, sweet and deadly.
“You were okay here on your own?” What kind of host ditched his guest to rub up against trees for the morning?
“I was working on my magic. With no electricity around, there’s nothing I can damage. I like it.” Jude glanced away.
“I like you. With the magic in your eyes and the sparks on your skin…” As much as he wanted to touch Jude like that, he knew better than to unless he wanted to get a shock.
“And my hair all standing on end.” Jude raked his fingers through his hair, still not meeting Mack’s gaze.
“Yes.” Mack finally let himself reach out and brush the blond strands off Jude’s face so he couldn’t hide behind them. He dropped his hand lower to undo the buttons of the old shirt, wanting Jude as naked as he was. “I owe you.”
“I’m not keeping count.”
But Jude’s fingers were undoing the buttons from the bottom of the shirt while Mack worked from the collar down. He was never washing this shirt. It smelled of Jude and him and would always be a reminder of when he’d been a familiar to a witch. Although right now that didn’t seem like a bad thing, or something that should end. All he wanted was Jude, and Jude wanted him.
Jude’s clothes came off swiftly with both of them helping. Jude’s body was lithe and pale. Mack kissed his way down until he was again kneeling in the dirt.
He breathed in the scent of Jude’s skin and wanted to taste him all. He went slow, licking and kissing as if they had all the time in the world. They had this afternoon. Come dusk, they needed to be on alert.
Mack cupped Jude’s ass cheeks as he licked along the witch’s hard length before taking him in his mouth. It had been a while since he’d done this with someone new. There weren’t that many new people in his life, and no one ever came here. No one had ever shared a shift with him. He glanced up to find Jude watching. Pink flushed Jude’s cheeks.
Mack took him deeper and drew back slowly.
Again their racing heartbeats synced. It was unsettling, and he lost his rhythm.
“Let’s go to the tent,” Jude whispered.
“No one will catch us here.” He teased the head of Jude’s shaft with his lips. His own dick was hard and aching to be touched.
Jude shook his head. “I have condoms…”
Oh, well, that was interesting. “I didn’t realize you were so well prepared.” He nuzzled into Jude’s balls and licked. The taste of the witch was like ambrosia. Right now, he didn’t even care if it was the magic making them want to spend the afternoon naked and exploring each other’s limits. There were much worse ways to waste an afternoon.
Jude sucked in a breath. “It’s called hope.”
Mack was never that hopeful. He skated his finger down Jude’s ass crack. “Lube?”
“I was very hopeful when I went to the shop. Unless you aren’t, then this is fine. I’m not trying to take advantage of this.”
“I’m happy shocked.” He hadn’t packed anything because he’d been trying to deny what was between them.
Jude gave him a tentative smile. “I thought after last night...”
Mack licked the head, tasting the pre-cum seeping from the slit. He should’ve given in last night. His fear of the bond was less than his fear of the aufhockers. Now he wanted whatever this meant.
With a final kiss on the tip, Mack stood and led Jude to the tent. It took Jude several minutes to find what he wanted, but Mack was doing a good
job of distracting him with his hands and mouth.
Jude held his prizes. “We can go back out if you want.”
“Do you want to?”
He hesitated before finally nodding. “I’ve never…outside.”
Mack had, but it had been an innocent camping trip, no shifting involved. It had nearly killed him. He’d broken up with Ned soon after. “The breeze on the skin.” Mack trialed his hand down Jude’s side. His nails were filthy after running around the woods on all fours. “The tiny risk of someone walking past.”
Jude’s eyes rounded.
“I was joking. There’s no one around for miles. That wouldn’t stop me anyway. But I do need something.” He reached for the pocket in his pack where he kept the wipes, for emergency camping cleanups. He pulled one out and washed his hands, removing the worst of the dirt.
Jude took the opportunity to tease. His mouth was a warm, wet heat that engulfed his length with no warning. Wrappers crinkled, then Jude released him and rolled the rubber on before taking Mack in his mouth again.
He took far longer than he should wiping his hands, so he could watch. Jude underestimated his abilities; he didn’t need magic to tame Mack, just his tongue. It would be too easy to stay there and let Jude continue, but he wanted more. He pushed himself up to sitting. “Outside.”
Jude turned and crawled out of the tent. The lube was between Mack’s feet. He picked it up and followed. The small fire crackled, and sunlight danced over the ground. Mack didn’t crawl, he got up and walked to the camp chair. If they were sturdy enough to take his father’s bulk, they wouldn’t collapse under the two of them. He sat and beckoned Jude over.
He half expected Jude to crawl, but he didn’t. That had been for effect only, and it had worked. The way his ass had wiggled as he’d left the tent was a tease Mack didn’t need. Jude slid onto his lap like he’d done it a hundred times before and knew exactly how to wrap his arms around Mack’s neck and where to press against him.
Mack knew what Jude wanted. Not in the vague take-me-now way, but the way he wanted to be touched. It was magic. It had to be the magic. He either fought it—which he’d done last night—or he surrendered to it. Surrendering was the much better option. Maybe the Fates weren’t trying to mess up his life, and this was meant to be a good thing.