“If there’s such a thing as fate—” Ian thought about stopping there, not saying what was on his mind, but he felt a compulsion to just get it out. So he said, “If fate exists, I think…you might be my fate.”
Craig studied his expression for too long, and the uncertainty of what he was thinking made Ian almost regret saying anything. He noticed the sudden stillness all around him, wolves who had been quietly talking now making no noise at all.
“If you weren’t injured, I would ask you to mate this very moment. Your confession is a blessing. Your timing isn’t.”
Ian huffed, relief and hope welling through him. “When the timing is right, I’ll go down on my hands and knees for you and submit until I’m so worn out from submitting I can’t move.”
Craig’s eyes closed and his nostrils flared as he dragged in a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, they had a glassy sheen. “And when you can’t move, I’ll have my betas assist you so our pleasure doesn’t end too soon.”
Ian’s gaze darted to the wolves nearest them. More than one wolf had to glance away quickly, too late not to be caught staring.
He remembered Second’s and Third’s hands on him and felt his face flush with heat. He covered an embarrassed cough and thought he might not mind a few extra hands on the goods.
“So, uh, this is official then, I guess. We’ll mate and—”
“I will be your life.”
“About that—”
“You are already mine.”
“I know, I know. I’m yours. ‘Mine’ and all that,” he said in the wolves’ language. “We’ve already—”
“You are my life,” Craig said.
“Oh,” Ian said, thinking about that. “So, it’s a mutual thing.”
Craig touched Ian’s chin with the dark tip of his fingernail, claws fully sheathed. “You really don’t have to worry that I’ll expect you to care more for me than I’ll care for you, Ian.”
“That’s not—okay, maybe it is, but I don’t understand that much about you and you won’t be the first person I’ve, uh, cared about, and caring about people makes you do stupid things sometimes. I don’t want to find out later I’ve done something stupid.”
Craig growled low, and Ian winced as the tingling vibration washed over his body. “Not that mating with you is stupid,” he added.
Craig immediately stopped the sound and moved his hand to Ian’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how the sound affects your human nervous system. If you’re feeling better, we should go. You need medical attention for your injury.”
“You do too.”
Craig looked confused for a moment, and then reached up to touch the deep slashes to his face. He poked at the flesh and a fresh trickle of blood oozed down his cheek.
Ian grimaced in sympathy but Craig merely shrugged. “I’m healing. Don’t worry about me. He wasn’t a very worthy opponent. Another few moments and I would have had his throat between my teeth.”
Ian put his head back against the tree and laughed.
Craig made a sound like a growl but he cut it short. “The alpha was your kill,” he said, and damn if he didn’t sound begrudging and proud at the same time.
Ian started to push at the ground, intending to stand.
Craig quickly took his arm and helped him to his feet.
“There are a lot of things about my society you don’t know yet. You’ll have a lot to learn, and you’ll have to follow rules meant to protect you, rules that we’ve put in place especially for humans, because you’re so—”
“Breakable,” Ian interrupted.
“Yes. Breakable.” Craig looked down at Ian’s broken wrist. “Frighteningly breakable.” His eyes came up to meet Ian’s gaze. “But also resourceful and fascinating and kind. You shared your world with us and your reward was a fundamental change in your way of life, and yet your leaders chose to work with us to mitigate the damage instead of trying to force us to leave. If we can get the drugs working better and find a way to increase our supplies at a faster pace, we can end this hell for all of us before the next heat season. Then we can begin to find a way to repay your kindness in giving us a new home.”
“Yeah,” Ian said. Politics wasn’t his thing. He’d leave that up to Craig. Maybe he’d try to learn what he could about the wolves and spread that knowledge to more humans and possibly even do the same with the wolves. The cultural divide between their species was enormous and someone had to try to stop the spread of lies and misinformation. Might as well be him.
They started to walk back toward the wolves’ den at a pace meant to go easy on Ian. Craig sent a group of his own guys ahead with Brendan, who had to be carried because of his broken ankle.
Brendan glared at Ian and Craig as he passed but he said nothing, and he turned his head away at the end, betrayal and anger written in every line on his face.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen to your friend,” Craig told him a few minutes later as they watched the wolves carrying Brendan fade into the trees. “His fate is in the hands of First Alpha Traesikeille.”
“It’s okay,” Ian said. Their friendship was done. He shouldn’t have held on so long but loyalty was important to him. He couldn’t ask more of anyone than he was willing to give. “He’ll face the consequences of his choices the same as everyone else.”
They walked on in silence for a few moments, and then Craig said, “After we have mated and heat season is over, honor demands I offer you the same submission I require from you during my heat cycle. Will you accept?”
Ian blinked. He would get to fuck Craig? By God, that sounded…like something he definitely wanted to try.
“Hell yes,” he said.
Craig snorted and they continued toward home.
Author’s Note
When I started writing Ian’s Choice, I set out to write a short story, something that would give me a break on a longer work I was writing at the time, Of Mating and Monsters (March 2013). I realized I was in trouble within the first few pages, because I loved the world I’d just created, and Ian seemed determined to have a full-length novel. He got his way. I hope you enjoyed reading about Ian and Craig as much as I enjoyed writing about them.
If you’d like to see more stories set in my Wolves’ Heat universe, let me know. I’m always open to revisiting a world! You can contact me through my website at http://odessalynne.com or by email at [email protected].
Also by Odessa Lynne
HEND & YURT
The King’s Guard
The Queen’s Lover*
NEW CANTON REPUBLIC
Of Magic and Mating
Of Mating and Monsters*
R’H’ANI CHRONICLES
One for Himself
His One and Only
Everything He Wants
All He Needs
*Forthcoming
About Odessa Lynne
Odessa Lynne writes male/male romance. After years of reading romance, fantasy, and science fiction novels, Odessa discovered she liked romance in her fantasy, sex in her science fiction, and love between her heroes best of all! So that’s exactly what she puts in all her own stories now, for readers who enjoy the same. Visit odessalynne.com to find more information about current and upcoming releases. Odessa loves to hear from readers. Contact her by email at [email protected].
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