by JC Holly
“Well, then,” he said with a smile. “Where were we?”
Bernie swallowed hard and glanced toward where the bear had run. “What the hell just happened?”
“Old trick,” Snow said. “A trapper taught me a few years ago. Never thought I’d actually have to try it.”
Bernie shook his head in disbelief. “That was a bear. You told a bear to go away, and it listened!”
Snow nodded. “Lucky I was here, eh?”
Bernie laughed the nervous laugh of someone who’d just escaped probable death and didn’t quite know how to process it. Snow had faced an animal that could turn them both into jerky, and had proceeded to shout at it. It made no sense, and if he’d heard it from a friend, he’d have never believed it.
“So, now what?” Bernie swallowed and glanced up the trail. “Should we leave, in case it comes back?”
“It won’t,” Snow said. “Bears avoid people normally. It’ll be doubly careful for the rest of the day. And I’d quite like to see this view you mentioned. Of course, if you want to head back, I’ll understand.”
The man oozed confidence, despite the near miss. Bernie truly believed if they came across another animal, Snow would get rid of that one, too. Even so, it was a risk, wasn’t it? A risk that’s worth it? Bernie took a deep breath and hopped off his bike. Snow shot him a questioning glance.
“We go on,” Bernie said. “But I’m pushing. My legs are like jelly.”
Snow kept pedaling, finding it just as easy, despite starting on a hill. He kept Bernie’s pace, and they exchanged small talk about a hundred silly things. After a few minutes Bernie had calmed enough that he could begin to enjoy himself again. When they reached the top of the hill he climbed back into the saddle and the pair followed the snaking trail until it opened onto the side of the hill.
“Wow,” Snow muttered.
To their left the hill rolled steeply down, giving them a view for miles. Trees stretched out in every direction. A river ran straight through, the sunlight making it a ribbon of silver amidst the green canopy.
There was a fallen log behind them that someone had carved into a bench years ago when the trail was still popular. The bench was a little worse for wear these days, but it was comfortable enough after an hour on a tiny hard saddle. They wheeled their bikes to one side, then walked to the edge and took in the view.
“Worth it,” Snow said with a nod. “Definitely worth it.”
Bernie smiled. “I haven’t been up here in a long time. It’s better than I remember.”
Snow took a step back and made a show of looking down at Bernie’s ass in the tight shorts. “That’s a pretty damn good sight, too.”
Bernie smirked. “One-track mind.”
“Hey, you’re the one who came out in the skintight shorts.” His hand slid over Bernie’s ass cheek. “I’m only human, y’know.”
Bernie felt himself blush, but he didn’t stop Snow. Instead he turned around, so that the man’s hand moved from his ass to Bernie’s hardening cock. Snow smiled wide and gripped the shaft, gently pulling Bernie closer, then leaned in and whispered into Bernie’s ear.
“Come sit down.”
Bernie followed the man and sat close beside him. Snow ran his hand along the shaft, then pulled it out from Bernie’s shorts. At the same time, he pulled out his own stiffening cock. Bernie didn’t need to be told what to do. He wrapped his fingers around Snow’s length and began to stroke him as he thickened. Snow did the same, and Bernie blew out a long breath as he realized just how big Snow was getting. He had to be at least eight inches long, and thick too.
“Wow,” Bernie said, his voice low. “You’re…wow.”
Snow smirked. “Thanks.” He squeezed Bernie. “You’re no slacker yourself.”
Their hands on each other’s cocks, they worked in tandem with matched speed. Bernie was acutely aware that even though it seemed deserted on the hill, it was still a public trail. With every movement of Snow’s hand, though, he found he cared less and less.
His worries about moving too quickly disappeared, too. He’d been apart from his ex long enough. Besides, this felt too good for guilt. He moaned softly as Snow picked up the speed, and Bernie matched the pace. Within a minute they were both breathing harder. Neither slowed, though. This wasn’t about making it last. It was about fun, as was clear by the smile on Snow’s face. Bernie realized he was doing the same, and laughed as Snow sped further.
Bernie came first. It caught him by surprise, and by the time he realized how close he was it was too late to do anything about it. A thick gout of cum spurted from his cock, hitting his chest and dripping over Snow’s hand. Another spurt followed, and Snow moved his hand faster to drain the rest.
Snow wasn’t finished, but he was close. Bernie decided to speed it up, and quickly moved off the bench and dropped to his knees in front of a surprised Snow. A second later the man’s thick shaft was in Bernie’s mouth, and he worked fast, bobbing up and down on the cock hard enough that the cockhead bumped against the back of his throat. He massaged with his hand what he couldn’t in his mouth, and it wasn’t long before Snow gasped.
“I’m coming,” he almost cried out.
Bernie pulled back and put his hands behind his back. “Come in my face.”
Snow raised an eyebrow, but certainly didn’t complain. He took hold of his thick shaft and began to jerk rapidly, aiming for Bernie’s lips. He came moments later, and his hot load splattered into Bernie’s face. He opened his mouth and caught the second half, relishing the taste on his tongue as he swallowed all that Snow could give him.
When there was nothing left, Snow sagged and blew out a breath, then chuckled and shook his head.
“This is slow for you, huh?” he asked, grinning.
Bernie waggled his eyebrows as he ran a finger through the cum that dripped down his face. “I lost interest in slow the moment you grabbed my ass.”
“My plan was successful, then.”
“Plan?”
“Hiring a bear to scare you into horniness.”
Bernie laughed and joined Snow on the bench. “You evil genius, you.”
Snow shrugged. “I’m just that awesome, I suppose.” He leaned over and nudged Bernie’s shoulder with his own. “Of course, now there’s a problem.”
Bernie turned to him. “Problem?”
“Now that we’ve done this, I won’t be able to go for very long without fucking you.”
Bernie’s stomach flipped at the thought. Screw going slow. He wanted that, and he wanted it soon.
Chapter Eight
Snow sat on the rooftop opposite the police cordon and waited.
The shifter attack had been cut short when someone had seen what was happening and called for help. That meant the police had to investigate, regardless of whether they knew it was shifter business or not. If they didn’t, people would ask questions.
He recognized two of the cops from previous meetings. He wasn’t in the mood for a chat this time, though, so he stayed where he was and watched the area in case somebody decided to revisit the scene of their crime. It was unlikely, especially given the kind of crime, but it had happened before.
He wondered what Bernie was doing. Their bike ride had gone well, especially with the added bonus at the top of the hill. It had left him wanting, but he could wait a little longer yet. Judging from the lust Bernie was exuding on the ride back to the parking lot, he’d be less patient. Always a good thing.
The only problem had been the bear encounter, but Bernie had seemed to swallow Snow’s improvised lie. The question was whether he’d be as willing to believe it once he’d had more time to think about it. Snow would have to prepare some answers, in case of questions.
“Damn bear.”
Usually animals stayed as far away from shifters as they would any other predator larger than themselves. The bear must have been distracted by something, and that combined with Snow being in human form had thrown off its senses.
Still, it cou
ld have been worse. Thanks to his heightened wolf instincts, his first instinct was to shift to wolf form and give chase. That would have certainly given Bernie something to question. They’d have to have “the talk” at some point, sure, but not on their second date, in the middle of a bike ride.
He couldn’t help but wonder how Bernie would take the news. Snow would of course break it gently, starting with talk beforehand about the supernatural and gauging his responses, but there was a big difference between “weird stuff exists” and “I’m part of the weird stuff.”
He’d seen all kinds of reactions over the years. He’d had boyfriends who refused to believe him, ones who freaked out and never spoke to him again, and even a couple that had barely even blinked. He’d even had one work it out before he told them. That was possible in this case, after the averted bear attack, but hopefully Snow would have time to ease Bernie into it.
The sun had dropped behind the trees by the time the police officers finally climbed back into their cars and drove away. Snow waited for five more minutes to be safe, then stood and headed to the fire escape on the side of the building. To speed things along he skipped the final part of the descent and hopped the railing, dropping two stories to the alley below.
Sticking to the growing shadows, he moved closer to the scene. Yellow police tape cordoned off the small area of asphalt behind a secluded parking lot. The scent of perfume was strong in his nose. It overrode every other smell, and it took him a few deep breaths to focus on anything else.
The shifter had come from out of the nearby trees after a run, and was headed to her car when she had been jumped by three men. Two had been armed with bats, and all had been human as far as she could tell. Droplets of her blood lay around the area, along with the pervading scent of perfume. Neither were of much use for identification, though. Perhaps an expert could identify the particular kind of perfume, but Snow needed something more distinctive.
He closed his eyes and took in another deep breath. This time he tried to focus on all the scents, identifying and discarding them one by one. Some were easy. Exhaust fumes, garbage, the recently departed police officers, the shifter’s blood…Snow frowned and cocked his head at that particular scent. A slow smile spread across his lips. The blood wasn’t entirely the shifter’s.
Snow began to turn on the spot, sniffing the air and trying to work out where to look first. He quickly narrowed down the area to just next to one of the plastic cones the officers had used to hold up the cordon tape. Sure enough, a small patch of blood lay a few feet from the rest. It looked like the shifter had managed to hit one of her attackers.
He dropped to his haunches and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, then soaked up some of the blood. It was a ghoulish task, but it was his only option. He brought the tissue to his nose and inhaled. The scent was still strong. He’d get it back to the pack and make sure they all got the scent. Then the tracking would begin. If the attacker was still in the city, they’d find him, and Snow would get some answers from him.
At least that was the idea. It changed when Snow realized he wasn’t alone. There was someone behind him, in the shadow of the trees. Someone human, with a very familiar scent.
“Come to clean up your trail?” Snow asked, as he turned. “You’re a little late.”
The man, a young blond in a gray bomber jacket, turned and fled into the trees. Snow’s lips curled into a wolfish grin and he gave chase, tearing at his shirt as he moved. By the time he reached the tree line his clothes were loose enough, and he leapt into the air, willing the change to wolf form as he did. He touched down on all four paws and howled as he took off after the man. He didn’t stand a chance.
* * * *
Bernie closed the lounge window and joined Nadia back on the couch.
“Thanks,” she said with a full mouth. “Wolves give me the creeps.”
“Oh, I dunno.” Bernie snatched a handful of popcorn. “Whatever it was doing, it sounded pretty happy about it.”
Nadia shrugged. “Better than a bear, I suppose.”
Bernie nodded his agreement, but didn’t reply. The episode on the trail was still a little too fresh in his memory. No doubt he’d be dreaming about wild animals all night. Or Snow. He smirked. That would be preferable.
“So,” he said as he stretched his arm around Nadia and pulled her close. “The exams are done, and you’ve got a couple of weeks to yourself. What’s the plan?”
“Plan?” She frowned for a moment. “Oh, you mean what am I going to do with my free time?”
Bernie grinned and squeezed her tighter. “You’ll have this American stuff down pat in no time.”
“Down pat? You only used that to confuse me.”
He laughed. “Maybe. So come on, tell me.”
She shrugged. “At first, nothing. I want to spend some time watching TV and relaxing. After that, I might take a trip to see the sights.”
“That sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll come with you.”
“Won’t you be occupied with your beau?”
“Possibly. It’s still early days yet. He may never call me again.”
“After what happened on the bike ride, I am doubtful.”
“A bear attack isn’t exactly a mem—”
Nadia smirked. “Not what I meant. I saw the smile on your face when you came home. You had a little fun, yes?”
Bernie felt his cheeks flush. That was all the answer Nadia needed, and she laughed and nudged him with her shoulder.
“I knew it! You got laid! In public!”
“Not completely laid,” he said as his face burned. “We had some fun though.”
She nodded. “And that is why he’ll call.”
Bernie blew out a breath. “I hope you’re right.”
Nadia could read him like a book. “You like him that much already?”
“I think so, yeah. I mean, it’s only been a couple of days, but Snow isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. I could see myself being with him for a very long time.”
Nadia grinned and they turned back to the movie, but Bernie’s mind was elsewhere. He wondered what Snow was doing at that moment.
* * * *
The chase had lasted for nearly half an hour, but that was only because Snow had allowed it to. He wanted to see if the guy would lead him anywhere interesting. He hadn’t, so instead Snow let him think he got away a couple of times before catching up again. It was easier to get information from a scared man, after all.
Twenty minutes later Snow pulled his car into the small parking lot around the back of a warehouse his pack used for their interrogations. It had been empty for decades, and lay in a dead part of town. The man could shout until he was blue in the face and nobody would hear a thing.
Snow climbed out of the car and headed around to the trunk. Inside lay the attacker, gagged and trussed up like a turkey. His eyes were pure hatred, but Snow could smell the underlying fear. He grabbed the rope that wrapped the man’s chest and lifted him out like he weighed nothing more that a child, then deposited him on his feet and pointed to the warehouse.
“Walk.”
Surprisingly the man didn’t try to run away, and instead did as he was told. Snow followed a few feet behind, then stepped ahead to unlock the heavy-duty padlock that kept the rear door sealed. It opened with a creak and Snow shoved the man inside.
“I’d like to say this was nothing personal,” he said as he closed the door behind them, “but that would be a lie. You and two of your friends—friends you’ll soon be telling me about—attacked someone. Tried to kill her, in fact. That sort of thing tends to mess with my sunny disposition.”
The man tried to say something and Snow pulled his gag away. The man stretched his jaw, then spat at Snow’s feet.
“I know you,” the man said, venom in every word. “Snow, the happy one. You’re no threat.”
Snow walked past the man to the center of the dust-strewn warehouse floor. A chair sat in the middle of the room, bolted to the floor. He gav
e it a nudge to make sure it was still fixed in place, then gestured to the blond man.
“Sit.”
“Isn’t that what I should be saying to you?” The man sneered. “Sit. Stay. Good doggy.”
Snow smiled and strolled back to the man. “Do you know why they call me Snow?”
“Your stupid fucking hair?”
“That’s what most people think, yes. It’s not actually true.”
Moving faster than the man’s eyes could track, Snow lunged forward and grabbed the man, then threw him through the air. He hit the ground hard and rolled until he bumped against the legs of the chair. Snow walked toward him, and began to roll up his sleeves.
“It’s because I’m not what I seem,” he continued. “Like snow. It’s nice to look at, fun to play with, but beneath that?” Snow’s smile disappeared. “It’s cold.”
The man’s cocky expression melted, and with some effort he wriggled up and onto the chair. Snow quickly undid the ropes, then tied him to the chair.
“You’re bluffing,” the man said, though he didn’t sound too certain. “Nobody’s ever seen you anything other than happy.”
“That a fact?” Snow yanked the knot tight. “Why don’t you ask the other people who’ve been in the same position you are? Oh, wait. You can’t.”
He put the gag back in the man’s mouth and stepped away, pulling his phone out. Creek answered on the first ring.
“I found an old friend,” Snow said. “We’re going to have a good long chat, down by the river.”
“Excellent.” Creek’s voice was anything but jovial, though. “Let me know when you’re free again.”
Snow hung up, but stayed facing away from the man in the chair. As good as he was at intimidating and getting information from people, it wasn’t in any way something he enjoyed. He detested it. Thanks to his own experiences, though, he was the best at it by far, and he had long ago come to terms with that fact. If the pack didn’t track down the people in charge of the attacks, they would continue, and people would die.