Snow [The Wolves of Shade County 4] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by JC Holly

  “For now, you should go home,” Creek said. “There’s nothing to be done until tomorrow, and I don’t want anyone getting wind that we’re preparing for anything. The last thing we need is for them to know we’re coming.”

  “What about the Brooks?”

  The Brooks were, in a way, the rivals of the Creeks. They weren’t enemies, save for a few minor scuffles when too many drinks had been imbibed, but they differed in their philosophies enough that they could never be truly brothers. Even so, in matters like these, they would likely be willing to help.

  “Already called their alpha,” Creek said. “He says he’ll send his best wolves.” He smirked. “Brook emphasized the word, too.”

  Snow rolled his eyes. “You’d think he was smart enough to know that by limiting who he’ll accept, he’s hurting his pack.”

  Creek shrugged. “I’ve told him a dozen times, but he won’t hear it. His loss, our gain.”

  Snow couldn’t disagree there. Some of the best members of their pack were animals other than wolves. It made for a greater degree of variation in conflicts, too. A wolf might be able to leap a fence, but there’s something all the more terrifying about a bear running through it.

  With a nod of the head, Snow took his leave and headed home, by way of a local bakery. Big news was always taken better when there was easy access to pastries.

  As he pulled his car onto the road that led around the back of the apartment block, he spotted Bernie parking in the main lot. He waved the man over and opened his passenger door. They kissed briefly and Snow drove under the building, parking in his private space, then led Bernie to the elevator.

  “So, what’s this about?” Bernie asked as they stepped inside.

  “I’d prefer to discuss it in the privacy of the flat, if you don’t mind.” Snow handed Bernie the bag of cakes. “In the meantime, feel free to eat.”

  Bernie smirked. “I’m sure I can wait the whole two minutes.”

  “Patience. I like that in a man.”

  “It must be serious, though.”

  Snow frowned. “Why’s that?”

  “You’re not smiling.”

  “Oh. Well, it is serious, but the lack of smile is related to something else. I’ll explain that after the first part.”

  Bernie nodded once and sucked in a breath. “Okay.”

  Snow squeezed his shoulder. “It’ll be fine. Promise.”

  * * * *

  Bernie let Snow take the lead out of the elevator and into the hallway, and followed him to the apartment door. The man opened it in silence, then gestured for Bernie to go first. He did, and his worries were buoyed slightly when Snow slapped him on the butt.

  “Couldn’t resist,” the man said, his smile returned.

  “Okay, so we’re inside, away from prying ears and sensitive ears.” Bernie sat on the couch and put the bag of baked goods on the coffee table. “Spill it.”

  Snow shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto a hook a few feet away, then tossed his keys in the same manner. They landed on target, too. Snow wasn’t surprised by either. He walked over and sat in the armchair and turned it to face Bernie.

  “Do you believe in magic?”

  Bernie frowned. It was an odd way to start a purportedly important conversation. “I haven’t really thought about it. Why?”

  “Just laying some groundwork,” Snow said, cryptically. “What about those articles that come up in the papers every now and again about weird stuff? People being hit by cars and walking away, or suddenly disappearing.” Snow chewed his lip. “Or animal sightings in the city.”

  “Overexcited journalists?” Bernie smirked. “Are you trying to tell me you’re a magician? It would explain the hair, I guess.”

  Snow returned the smile, though it was strained. “Not quite.”

  “Then what are you saying?”

  He sighed and rubbed at his neck. “I’m a shapeshifter, Bernie.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Bernie stared mutely for a full minute before speaking. “A what?”

  “A shapeshifter.”

  “You mean you think you can turn into other things?”

  He couldn’t help but momentarily glance at the door and wonder if he could get to it before Snow. The conversation had not gone where he’d expected it to. Nowhere near, in fact.

  “I don’t think it, I know it. I was bitten a long time ago by a shifter, and over a short period of time I was transformed into the same thing. It makes me stronger, faster, more resilient.” He took a breath. “And I can turn into a wolf.”

  Bernie laughed. He couldn’t help it. The man he’d spent the best week of his life with had just announced that he was insane. Perfect. He knew it had been too good to be true.

  The worst part was that Snow seemed deadly serious. His trademark smile was gone, replaced with a completely impassive expression. If anything he looked a little hurt at Bernie’s reaction, which in turn made Bernie feel guilty about laughing. He composed himself and cleared his throat.

  “I’m sorry, Snow. You have to admit this is freaking crazy, though.”

  “Remember that fight? Behind the club?”

  How could he forget it? He still had bad dreams about it. “What about it?”

  “Remember what I did?”

  “That only proves you know how to handle yourself. Any martial artist could do the same.”

  Snow conceded the point with a nod. “The bear. You know there’s no way any human can just tell a bear to piss off.”

  “You got lucky.”

  “Fine. I’ll prove it.”

  Snow stood and walked to the fireplace that sat underneath the TV. He bent and picked up the brass poker and handed it to Bernie.

  “Bend that in half.”

  Bernie raised an eyebrow. “I can’t.”

  “You haven’t even tried.”

  With a sigh, Bernie gripped the ends of the poker and tried to bend it. The metal didn’t even flex under his grasp. He tossed it to Snow.

  “I suppose you’re going to bend it into a circle like Superman.” Bernie folded his arms. “Or any half-decent stage magician.”

  Snow looked down at the poker, then up at Bernie, then smirked. “Okay, so it’s a lame example.” He tossed it aside, where it landed with a heavy clunk. “I’ll skip straight to the finale.” He began to remove his clothes. “When I say, close your eyes and wait for the noise to stop.”

  Bernie frowned, but agreed. “I don’t see what you stripping off has to do with anything, though.”

  “Now.”

  Bernie closed his eyes, and immediately winced as a noise unlike anything he’d ever heard assaulted his ears. Crackling, crunching, and other sounds that made him glad he’d done as he was told. It lasted only a second or two, and he opened his eyes to find himself sitting three feet away from a large and completely white-furred wolf.

  “What…” He glanced over his shoulder, but Snow was nowhere to be seen.

  The wolf seemed calm, though it was panting as if it had recently exerted itself. It sat on its haunches and watched Bernie. Despite its size and obvious strength, Bernie could tell it had no intention of harming him.

  “This isn’t possible,” Bernie said. “This has to be a trick.”

  The place only had two rooms, other than the open-plan living area, and both were too far away for Snow to have run into while Bernie had his eyes closed. His stomach lurched as all his theories were one by one discarded. He turned back to the wolf.

  “Snow?”

  The wolf nodded, then stood. Bernie recoiled instinctively, but the wolf didn’t react.

  “I’m going to close my eyes again,” he said, slowly. “When I open them again, I want you back in…uh…Back to normal.”

  The wolf nodded once more, and Bernie closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Snow was sitting in the same place the wolf had been, his skin slick with sweat, his breathing slightly labored.

  “Do you believe me now?” he asked, his smile retu
rned. “Or should I bend that poker, too?”

  Bernie realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly. Had that really just happened? It couldn’t have. People didn’t just turn into frigging animals. That was for movies and books, not real life. Right?

  “You’re a shapeshifter.” It wasn’t a question. “You turn into a wolf.”

  “Yes.” Snow stood. “Can I get dressed now?”

  “I…sure, yeah.” Bernie shook his head. “This isn’t possible.”

  “And yet here I am.” Snow stooped to collect his clothes and began to pull them back on. “If it makes you feel better, almost everybody reacts the same way.”

  Bernie watched Snow dress, and despite the situation, he couldn’t help but admire the man’s body. His perfect skin, taut muscles, his cock…Bernie swallowed and forced his eyes north to the man’s eyes.

  “So what does this mean? Why did you tell me about this?”

  “Because you need to know,” Snow said. “I like you. A lot. If we’re to spend more time together, I want you to know everything about me, even if that means you head out the door and never come back.”

  Bernie wondered how many men had done exactly that. Or worse.

  “How old are you?” He hadn’t intended it to be his first real question, but his brain had other ideas. “I mean, you said you were bit a long time ago, and the way you said it, I doubt you meant last year.”

  Snow nodded as he sat back in the armchair. “A little over fifty years ago.”

  “So you were a teenager?”

  Snow chuckled and shook his head. “I said fifty, not fifteen.”

  Bernie’s mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. He forced himself to calm once more. “Fifty?”

  “Our improved healing means we age slower. I look about thirty, according to most people, but I’m actually in my early eighties. I have friends who were born over a century ago.”

  “I see.”

  His gaze flitted to the door once more, and this time Snow caught it. He smiled, though it looked forced.

  “If you want to leave, I’m not going to stop you,” he said. “You wouldn’t be the first.”

  Bernie blushed. “No, sorry. It was a instinct thing. I’m okay, for the moment at least.” He blew out a breath. “I want to know more.”

  “I’ll answer anything you ask.”

  At least he was open about it all. Of course, Bernie wouldn’t actually know if Snow was lying, but he’d had no reason to suspect the man had been anything other than one-hundred-percent honest in the past. A thousand questions circled in his head, some sensible, some absurd. Did shifters have to change on a full moon? Could they wear silver? What if they got a haircut? Would the wolf have less hair? He decided to start with sensible and work his way from there.

  “Is it contagious?”

  Snow shook his head. “It can only be delivered through a bite, the shifter must be in their animal form, and must want to turn someone. It can’t happen accidentally.”

  That was somewhat of a relief, at least. He wouldn’t be waking up with a craving for raw meat. He smirked as Snow’s rare steak order at the restaurant suddenly made more sense. As did the fight in the alley.

  “So you’re stronger, faster, heal quicker, and can turn into a wolf. What else?”

  Snow chewed his lip for a moment as he considered. “My senses are stronger, even when in my human form. For instance, you had pancakes this morning, and a coffee with sugar and cream. I know you drove here via Market Street, as I can smell a hint of fresh asphalt, and you used a different shampoo since your last visit.”

  “That, uh, that’s pretty damn impressive.” Bernie laughed. “All shifters can do this?”

  “To varying degrees. The older you get, the stronger the senses become. Also, if you’re bitten by a particularly old shifter, you get a little bit of a head start.”

  “Were you bitten by an old one?”

  Snow shook his head. “Only twenty or so.”

  “Do you keep in contact?”

  “We did at first, but we didn’t get along that well. I resented him for what he’d done. Of course, these days I appreciate it a lot more. I’ll track him down one day, see if he’s still alive.”

  “So you can still die, then?”

  “Sure. I mean, I’ve never heard of a shifter who died of old age, but we can still be killed. It’s just a lot more difficult.”

  An unreadable emotion flickered over the man. Whatever it was, it wasn’t positive, and made Bernie wonder just how much experience he’d had with being hard to kill. He kept such thoughts to himself, though.

  “So you can’t catch illnesses or anything?” he asked.

  “Nope. I haven’t had a cold since I was turned. Or any other sickness or disease. Our bodies kill them off the instant we come into contact with them.”

  “That’s a handy skill to have,” Bernie said. Snow smirked for a moment. “What?”

  The smirk became a full smile. “It makes sex all the more fun, that’s what.”

  The comment went over Bernie’s head at first, but when he realized what Snow meant, he felt a blush beginning to bloom. No need for condoms. Bareback.

  “I…” Bernie licked his now dry lips. “The, uh…” Damn it, focus! “The shifting form. Does it hurt?”

  Snow’s smile had turned to a grin at the sight of the flustered Bernie. He behaved himself, though.

  “Yes, it hurts,” he said. “The more you do it, the less it hurts. It’s never comfortable, though. I’m lucky, in that I shift quick, so it doesn’t have time to pain me.”

  The inflection on lucky again had Bernie wondering about the man’s past. An excessive amount of shifting caused the hair? If that was the case, other shifters would have the same issue, right? He kept that question to himself for the time being, though. He could tell Snow’s past wasn’t the best topic of discussion.

  “You can come sit over here, you know,” he said, patting beside himself on the couch. “I’m considerably less spooked than I was.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I am.”

  He wasn’t just saying it to put Snow’s mind at ease, either. Strangely, he was already okay with the idea. After all, it’s not like the guy had come out as a serial killer, or a politician. He was simply a little different, and by the sounds of it, all the differences were positive. His mind flicked back to the idea of doing away with condoms. Bareback had always turned him the hell on, and he was having a hard time hiding that fact.

  Snow sat beside him, then leaned in and kissed him on the forehead. “Thank you for being so understanding, Bernie.”

  “It’s fine. I mean, it’s weird, but I can deal with weird. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

  Snow rubbed at his jaw for a long moment, then nodded. “I won’t go into specifics for now, as it’s hard for me.”

  “That’s okay.” Bernie felt the knot in his stomach return.

  “My hair and my rapid shifting are a side effect of a very bad time in my life. I was captured by someone who…” Snow sighed. “Let’s just say he put my healing abilities to the test for a long time.”

  Bernie’s face fell. “You mean he tortured you?”

  Snow nodded once. “It’s something I try not to dwell on. It was a long time ago, and the man responsible is long gone, but it means I don’t sleep much, and when I do I often wake up from nightmares. I thought you should know that, since I like to think we’ll be spending nights together.”

  The last part buoyed Bernie somewhat, and he smiled and squeezed Snow’s hand. “I understand. And I’d like that too.”

  He bit his lip as another, less serious, question bubbled up. Snow caught the look and raised an eyebrow.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I was just wondering about something.”

  “Go on.”

  Bernie looked down. “It’s kind of dumb.”

  Snow chuckled. “Believe me, I’ve heard them all many times. I promise no
t to mock you.”

  Bernie rolled his eyes. “I’d have more faith in that if you weren’t already laughing.”

  “Sorry.” Snow schooled his expression. “Do go on.”

  “Your body is trim because of all the shifting, healing, and time spent being active, right?” The man confirmed it with a nod, and Bernie went on. “Is that the reason your cock is so big?”

  Snow burst out laughing and Bernie smacked him on the shoulder, which only made him laugh all the harder. It was contagious, and it wasn’t long before Bernie joined in, laughing at his own silliness. Snow recovered first and, wiping the tears from his eyes, grinned.

  “I needed that. Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “And in answer to your question, no. I was just born lucky.”

  “I think I’m the one who’s lucky.”

  Snow quirked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Sure.” Bernie slid his hand onto Snow’s crotch. “I’m the one who gets to suck it, after all.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Snow settled back onto the couch and watched Bernie work. The man was tentative at first, his fingers fumbling the button on the fly, but he quickly pushed past and yanked Snow’s pants open, working them down far enough to expose his boxers. With one hand, he reached inside and wrapped his fingers around Snow’s thickening shaft. He pulled it out of the shorts and began to stroke slowly as it hardened.

  “You’re too good to me,” Snow said, smiling. “I just told you I’m a supernatural being and you stick your hand down my pants.”

  Bernie chuckled and squeezed Snow’s cock. “This way you know I’m absolutely fine with it. That, and I’m horny.”

  Snow grinned wide. “Not arguing, honey. Get to it.”

  Bernie did just that. After shuffling for a better position, he lowered his head and kissed Snow’s cockhead lightly, then flicked his tongue over the sensitive flesh, tracing a circle. Snow blew out a breath and put a hand on Bernie’s back. Not to push, just to feel even closer to the man.

  Slowly, Bernie took the tip into his mouth, sucking softly as he did, then worked lower. He pulled back again, then worked deeper still. It wasn’t long before he had half of Snow’s cock in his hot mouth. With a free hand he stroked what shaft he couldn’t take, making sure no part of Snow wasn’t caressed. It was almost loving.