Bound by Nature: Forces of Nature, Book 1

by Cooper Davis

Hell, even his voice was betraying him now, he thought, feeling his face flush, and not from windburn.

  “Yeah, getting hot out here, isn’t it, Hayden?” Josh smiled up at him, his bright-eyed gaze pure innocence.

  You bastard. The heat crept from Hayden’s face, all the way into his neck. Of course Josh didn’t want to go out on a run or be drinking buddies. He’d been mocking him all along, having a little fun at the gay wolf’s expense.

  Mortified, Hayden muttered a lame goodbye and set off across the tarmac to the terminal, stepping gracefully around patches of ice and snow. Thanks to his very long legs, he was to the terminal in no time, but not before Joshua’s damned husky voice and scent appeared right behind him.

  “Hayden.” Josh’s hand came around him, pressing the door shut before he could open it. Hayden stared at Josh’s forearm, braced only inches from his own shoulder, rippling with barely checked strength. Josh’s parka sleeve rode up, revealing a muscular arm dusted with curling, dark hair. It was truly a man’s arm, no longer that of a boy.

  He didn’t remember Josh being so physically mature in the past. Somewhere along the way, he’d grown from a pup into a strong, virile Alpha wolf, which only made him more dangerously alluring.

  “Hayden,” Josh repeated, his voice even softer. “Hayden…just look at me. Please.”

  He would not turn around. Josh had given him shit and tortured him for as long as he could remember, and even though it was all a bunch of Alpha male posturing, it still stung.

  Josh’s heavy hand came down on Hayden’s shoulder. “You forgot your bag.” His voice was strong and firm, and even—was it possible—apologetic. “You were supposed to pick it up out there, by the plane.”

  Hayden nodded, turning slightly, and Josh was right up against him, clouds of condensation forming with each breath. He was huffing slightly from having sprinted to catch up with Hayden’s much longer strides. As Josh offered him the bag, their hands brushed together, sending a shower of electricity through Hayden’s entire body.

  “Thank you, Joshua,” Hayden said formally, and with a slight smile, opened the door. “I’ll see you around soon, no doubt.”

  “How you getting out to your folks’ house?” Josh called after him. He just wasn’t going to let it go. For a solidly straight ladies’ man, he certainly was persistent.

  “Taxi,” Hayden said simply, wanting to get away from the other guy with an almost fevered itch.

  “Nah, nah, that won’t do. Not for an old friend.” Joshua shoved past him as Hayden wheeled his bag. “Lemme see if I can take an hour from work and give you a lift. Snow’s starting up again, too, and supposed to get heavy real quick. Those taxi drivers aren’t safe sometimes.”

  Then, Josh was off, chattering away on his headset, moving with the same fluid power Hayden had always admired in him. But why would Joshua Peterson care about giving him a ride home, or even call him an “old friend”? They’d been nothing more than acquaintances…except for one midnight run three years ago.

  Hayden broke into a cold sweat. He couldn’t do it, couldn’t bear up for a thirty minute drive in the same car with Josh—not looking into those eyes, not feeling the heat radiating off his gorgeous, straight-guy body. His own body would naturally respond, releasing strong scents all its own—the arousal scent, the mating scent, the seduction one. God, probably a half dozen or more definable odors would be seeping out of his pores, betraying his not-very-secret attraction. Josh would probably smirk about it for years and years afterward. No way, wasn’t going to happen.

  Hayden started walking toward the curb and fast, ready to hail a cab, but then suddenly Josh was beside him again, reaching for his bag.

  “Got it,” Josh said and pointed to the main parking lot. “My truck’s over here.”

  This was a bad, terrible idea. Because Josh knew. He’d always known how attracted Hayden was to him—and always left him twisting in the wind about it.

  Right then, Joshua tilted his face toward the sky and started sniffing. The familiar, smug smile slowly returned to his face. “Thought I caught an unusual scent in the air,” was all he said, walking again.

  Hayden stood stock still where he was, releasing a spattering of curses under his breath. Josh glanced back at him, surprise in his light-colored eyes. “What?” he asked innocently. As if he hadn’t just remarked on the arousal scent Hayden was throwing off like steam after a summer rain.

  Hayden shook his head, clenching his fists against his thighs. “I’m not doing this,” he said. It was high time he got firm with the object of his attraction.

  Josh stopped and faced him, looked genuinely surprised. “Not doing what?” he asked, cocking his head sideways.

  “I’m not going to ride in your damned truck, that’s what.” Hayden could feel the hair rising on the back of his neck, could sense his chest beginning to sprout slight fur. He was so worked up, he could hardly hold back his transformation. Not exactly a good idea, at least not here in public.

  Josh seemed genuinely confused, and no wonder since Hayden had just gone Alpha on him over a polite offer of a drive home. Well, and Josh’s smartass crack about catching Hayden’s arousal scent on the air.

  Lifting both hands up innocently, Josh’s eyes widened. “Whoa, buddy. No problem. Ease down, okay?” He laughed as if embarrassed on Hayden’s behalf, then pointed back to the curb. “Cab line’s right over there.”

  Hayden couldn’t get his reaction under control. nostrils flared, his lungs dragging at the rustic aroma radiating off the other man. “Thank you,” he said, about to turn. But then Josh was directly in front of him, staring him down.

  They pressed close, chest to chest, each heaving hot breaths at the other. For a moment Josh’s eyes narrowed, the color turning much darker—with anger or…something else Hayden could’ve sworn he almost scented off the other Alpha?

  Hayden wasn’t going to back down. He’d come this far, and standing up to his long-term nemesis felt invigorating. He had nothing to lose by simply being blunt and putting the truth out there, finally.

  “I may never get the nerve to do this again, so I’m going to say it now,” Hayden said. “You’ve always been amused by the strong scents I put off whenever you’re around. Gotten off on how…how attracted I am to…”

  He couldn’t bring himself to finish, but it was more than obvious that Joshua caught his full meaning. He blinked in surprise, the lighter hues returning to his eyes, and Hayden would have sworn a slight flush hit his cheeks. “Hayden,” the other wolf said quietly, staring at his boots, “I’m really sorry if you think—”

  Hayden cut him off in a rush of sudden confidence. “Forget the lame apologies. I see it in your face every time. Subtle, mocking amusement about how I react to you. Well, you know what?” Hayden stepped closer, lowering his voice as he whispered the last into Josh’s ear. “I’m a werewolf, Joshua. Maybe I can’t help how I naturally react to your scent…and you. Maybe it’s nothing more than nature kicking in.”

  Hayden sniffed Josh’s face dramatically, lingering as he did so to drive his point home. His pants tightened in automatic reaction to Josh’s heady scent, his cock filling with blood and heat all over again. He swallowed hard, keeping his mouth close to Josh’s ear.

  “I can’t control my instincts, Josh, but I can choose whether I respect you or not. You think it’s hysterical that I’m gay? Fine. I think it’s hysterical that you’re a small-town loser with no real future.” Hayden took two steps back, holding both palms up. “I’ve always liked you. I used to respect you, but I’m done here. Done with you.”

  He spun, and put as much distance between himself and Joshua as he possibly could.

  Josh scowled, watching Hayden stalk off to the cab line. He’d honestly been looking forward to catching up with the guy, excited when he’d spotted his distinctive, tall frame exiting the airplane. Josh had recognized him instantly; few men were so massive without appearing overbearing. But Hayden Garrett had always been surprisingly gentle f
or such a large man, with a body anyone would admire for its elegant power and controlled strength.

  Josh rubbed his stubbly beard, trying to figure out how he’d managed to offend the other wolf. Hayden was so twitchy, always had been, but then again you didn’t attend a school like Dartmouth and maintain a 4.0, majoring in…well, all kinds of shit, apparently. Josh had even heard Hayden was working to finish his honors thesis at the moment. Anyway, you weren’t special like that without being a little…unusual. Sensitive. Whatever.

  The thing was, Josh really had wanted to catch up with Garrett. Was curious what life was like off at college since he’d never get the same shot himself, especially not with an Ivy League school. Hayden had his entire future carved out for him, seemed to be shooting straight for the stars, whereas Josh only had the promise of one day serving as pack Alpha. He wasn’t exactly going anywhere outside their small, secretive world.

  They trotted two different trails in life, which might’ve made another wolf jealous, but for Josh, he was insatiably curious about Hayden’s world. It wasn’t like the two of them had ever been friends, not precisely, although Josh had tried making overtures on numerous occasions. But Hayden was just too defensive, and about most topics, including that long-standing crush he’d just brought up.

  The main problem with Hayden was he was so damned intelligent, he tended to assume other guys were the same way. He didn’t realize his unique mind was in a class all by itself—or that Josh had never been making fun of him or laughing. He just didn’t have such complicated agendas. Yeah, he knew Hayden had a thing for him, and no, he wasn’t gay himself. That was why he always smiled at Hayden, or “smirked” as the guy put it. Josh couldn’t help it: the situation made him feel a little shy and uneasy. No other man had ever been into him, and certainly no one nearly as smart and powerful as Hayden Garrett.

  Josh wished Hayden would just let that crap go because he seemed like a possible friend. Well, perhaps friendship wasn’t quite the right word for it, but they’d always been on the brink of something significant. Something that never fully materialized because of the macho Alpha posturing that reared between them. They stayed on the verge of connecting, yet kept missing the mark.

  Josh sighed heavily, walking back to the front of the airport, and was going to head inside when he spotted Hayden over in the cab line. Noticing his massive height and broad shoulders and short-cropped, dark hair…well the sight just ticked him off.

  Damn it, the ridiculous bickering between their two clans had gone on long enough. Here was a solid, intelligent Alpha—a worthy wolf and opponent—and Josh wanted to be friends. Friends, adversaries, whatever. He wanted to know the thrill of pitting himself against such a brilliant wolf and winning, or at the very least challenging himself in the process.

  Forget all the other bullshit about attraction. He ought to be able to get through to the guy, and if it meant playing up to his obvious infatuation, well he’d do that, too. It would only be this one time, harmless enough.

  Josh didn’t question the thrill that shot right through the center of his body just then. Or the way his pulse quickened, and his internal heat rose. No, he didn’t acknowledge any of those immediate, instinctive reactions as he considered flirting with Hayden Garrett. Nor did he wonder why he was so determined to see him before he returned to New Hampshire for another six months.

  All Josh knew was it had suddenly become imperative that he do so.

  He jockeyed his way through the curbside crowd until he located Hayden, and stepped right in his path.

  The other Alpha sighed, looking very annoyed. “What do you want now, Joshua?” His voice was tight with frustration, his blue eyes icy cold.

  Tilting his head up—Hayden had a good four inches on him—Josh gave him his sexiest, most alluring smile. He was playing a dangerous game, but something inside of him clicked, propelling him forward anyway. It was as if a long-held dam ruptured, carrying Josh along with the raging current and giving him permission to do something risky, new…and possibly insane.

  He narrowed his eyes with wolf-like hunger and, gazing up into Hayden’s handsome, intelligent face, said softly, “Have a good Christmas, Garrett. Expect a call from me on the twenty-eighth. In fact, you can count on it.” Then, with a quick wink, he loped off to his job—his loser, small-town, nothing job.

  Yeah, that remark had stung, but he’d never pegged Hayden for a cruel man. So if he’d lashed out, it had been in an understandable need for dominance in a frustrating, vulnerable situation. What Alpha wouldn’t do the same? Especially an Alpha who possessed the keen intelligence and self-respect like Hayden did.

  Besides, Josh was willing to overlook one verbal barb if it meant he could get through to Hayden. The futures of their packs rested in their hands, which meant it was up to Josh to begin forging a new link with the other pack’s heir apparent.

  He kept telling himself unity was the only reason he’d practically chased Hayden Garrett across the airport, was why he kept humming holiday tunes to himself with particular enthusiasm. Of course he was pumped. It was a time of year for goodwill to men, and he’d just made the perfect opening gambit for it.

  But as he moved bags all afternoon, his nostrils kept burning with those strong scents of arousal and seduction, the ones Hayden had given off like intoxicating, musky cologne. In fact, it almost seemed as if Hayden’s powerful wolf scent had permeated his own skin somehow, had woven its way deep into the wool of his sweater and the fibers of his faded jeans and the cotton of his long johns.

  While Josh worked and sweated all the rest of the snowy afternoon, he whistled, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, promising himself that his interest in Hayden Garrett was all about peace.

  Chapter One

  Five years later

  Hayden could have just gone ahead and shot himself. At least it would have gotten the torture over with. Butterflies kicked around inside his gut, his heart pounded with expectation, and his palms sweated with the worst kind of dread and embarrassment. No fucking way was this prearranged meeting going to end well. It wasn’t even going to happen. The hair along Hayden’s nape kept prickling, giving him a bad feeling about the whole set up.

  The council elders had decided that drastic measures were called for in order to stop recent escalating violence between the two rival packs in the area. Lately the aggression and marking had breached boundaries, and just last week two males—one from each of their packs—had wound up dead after a bloody brawl. As a result, the elders demanded a peace settlement. That’s why they’d arranged this meeting between Hayden, second in line of his own pack, and the secondary Alpha from the other clan.

  Hayden was hardly involved with pack policies or dealings these days, but as heir apparent, he’d shown up as requested. And Joshua Peterson—curse his unreliable, smug ass—was supposed to be here representing his own pack in the exact same capacity. Hayden cringed inside just thinking about seeing the other wolf.

  Josh Peterson was literally the last man alive he wanted to face, not about anything and definitely not about the council’s current proposition. Now, it appeared Josh didn’t even have the balls to show for the sham of a meeting.

  Hayden had known the idea sucked from the first moment the council members approached him, suggesting this unique way of brokering peace between the warring clans. “Given your special…situation,” they’d said, “we thought this initiative might have particular appeal to you.”

  Because he was gay he was supposed to roll over and play dog? Supposed to be satisfied with taking a rival and near enemy as a lifemate? Hayden couldn’t imagine anything more mortifying than binding himself to a man whom he’d always wanted, but who would never return his own desires and longings. Especially not with as primal and powerful the mating act was between any two wolves, gay or straight. The supernatural bonding linked their souls and bodies together, a process that began during sex and continued to solidify over a period of weeks. Weeks when two literally became knit tog
ether as one. Weeks when the sheer power of the connection inhibited the mated pair’s ability to transform from human to werewolf.

  Hell, no, he didn’t want to share anything that intimate or emotional with Joshua Peterson, not now, not ever. Hayden had finally gotten over the damned guy, and he wanted to keep it that way—not talk about some jack-off council member’s idea of them mating for peace.

  Hayden snorted at the ludicrous nature of the proposition. He was gay, had been sure of it since he was fifteen. Josh, on the other hand, was a strong, brooding alpha male who—although also unmated—probably didn’t have a gay hair in his fur. At least not one he’d willingly own up to.

  Great, perfect plan, especially given their past. Hayden buried his face in his hands, shuddering at the memory of that horrible December night five years earlier. He shivered at the images flashing through his mind, hating that a spiral of desire shot straight to his cock. He felt it swell, pressing tightly against the rough denim of his jeans, and he shifted slightly in his seat so he wouldn’t ache so badly.

  Yeah, dude, you’re over the guy. Clearly.

  He was here for his people, not for Joshua—well, for Josh’s people, too, in a strange sense. They were all werewolves, after all, a secret that bound them together, even as it separated their two packs, which was how the council had managed to gain Hayden’s participation so far. Because of one simple reason: He believed peace was possible between their clans. In theory, at least, the elders’ idea made sense. What better way to bring harmony and unify their packs, than through their younger alpha males bonding to each other? Such same-sex pairings were not entirely unheard of among werewolves, although extremely rare.

  So rare, in fact, that Hayden remained single and unmated at almost twenty-seven years old. Joshua Peterson, on the other hand, was a prowler of women, a connoisseur of what lay between their feminine legs. Normally Josh hung in bars just like this one, going on the hunt every weekend. Hayden had sometimes glimpsed him across the way, working his moves, and what he’d observed left absolutely no doubt as to how straight the other wolf truly was.