Shifting Too

by Shifting Too (anth. )(Rob

"You're chewing on me, Pretty." He hooked his finger around one lengthening canine and brought Jax down for a kiss.

  "I like the way you taste." Jax said it right into the kiss, tongue pushing into his mouth over and over, proving it.

  He groaned, stretched out beneath Jax, letting his lover rub against him. Rubbing was Jax's forte. They moved together, still a little slippery, a lot hot, and starting to get hard again. Jax moaned into his mouth, tongue curling to touch his teeth, the outside of his lips. His fingers searched out all the hot spots, touching and petting and stroking, digging in where Jax liked it.

  "Uhn. Adam. Hon. I like it." The way Jax's eyes rolled when he hit the nape of Jax's neck told him that as clear as the words. So did the way Jax arched when he ran his hands down Jax's spine.

  "More here?" He found that spot on the base of Jax's spine, scratched good and hard, watching those pretty eyes.

  "Yeah. Like that. Driving me crazy." Those eyes had gone yellow, and they looked at him, narrowing. "Catnip. You have catnip soap."

  "I do." He stroked again. "And you like it."

  "I do. But that's cheating." There was the tail again, waving back and forth. Snapping, really. "I think I'm going to have to fuck you for that."

  "You think?" Adam leaned in, nuzzling Jax's throat. "You'll have to catch me first, pretty."

  Then he rolled, scrambling for the side of the bed.

  "Oh!" Jax thunderfooted after him, chasing him down out in the hallway. Those hands slid on his skin as Jax reached for him, missing once, closing around his waist on the second grab.

  Fuck, Jax was fast. Strong. Amazing. They went down, landing on the hall floor together, Jax hot on his back. Rubbing like, well, a cat in heat. Rough purrs vibrated all through Jax right into him.

  "Tease. Catnip covered tease. Mmm. Tasty."

  He nodded, hips arching up and back, rubbing his ass against Jax. "You have an idea what you're going to do with me?"

  "I could groom you. That'd teach you." Rough and wet, Jax's tongue slid across the nape of his neck, making him shiver. Definitely cat tongue.

  "That's evil." That tongue set every nerve on fire. Every single one.

  "You bring it out in me. You know," Jax went on between licks. "I think sometimes if they did a study, they would see you're to blame for my inability to hold it in. The beast within..."

  It was an old joke, but accompanied by the scrape of that tongue down every bump of his spine? He didn't care.

  "Only because I love all of you, beast and all." Fuck, he was hot.

  "Oh, good. Because I love every bit of you. This one." Jax tongued the small of his back. His toes curled, back arching like a bow.

  "Like that. Yeah." Growly. Very very growly. Moving down, Jax licked the join of his butt and thigh, right along the little crease. "And here."

  Oh, that pushed a whimper out of him, deep and rough and maybe even a little growly himself. "Jax. Pretty. Damn."

  "Mmmmhmmm. You just... taste so good anyway. But now you smell so... uhn." He was starting to get non-verbal Jax, all toothy and licking, spreading him and biting gently at the inside of his thigh. There was something about those teeth so close to his balls, about trusting Jax -- all of Jax -- that made him ache, made him need. That purr vibrated his balls for sure, sending goosebumps all over his body.

  Adam went up on his hands and knees, spreading wide.

  "Oh. Adam." Tongue scratching, sliding, Jax licked around his hole, strong hands spreading him for better access. Fuck. Oh, fuck.

  "Love you." His heart pounded, heat spreading from his hole to his cock to his belly, making him shake and shudder.

  "So much." Jax licked him again, tongue pushing in, over and over, driving him crazy. He scooted forward, heart pounding, the sensations huge, overwhelming. Just pinning him with one strong hand, Jax held him there, loving on him with that sandpaper tongue until he was ready to scream.

  "Are you ready for me, babe?"

  "Uh-huh. Please. Pretty. Fucking need." He was babbling. Desperate. Starving.

  He could swear he felt the tip of Jax's tail against his legs as Jax pressed against him, the broad cock pushing at him. He wasn't quite wet enough, wasn't quite stretched, but Jax slid in like he belonged there anyway, the burn as good as that cat tongue. Adam groaned, pushing back, damn near ending in Jax's lap.

  "Good idea, babe." Low, guttural, the words were barely understandable. Jax sat back, pulling him up and back, settling so deep he felt it shake him all the way to his bones.

  He moved, shifting, cock slapping his belly. The body behind him was heated, the hands on him clawed and strong. Fuck. Wild. Teeth closed on his neck, sharp and urgent. Jax lifted them both and brought them back down, cock moving inside Adam in short, sharp thrusts.

  "Jax. More." He squeezed, making Jax grunt, pull him down harder. He got more, Jax's fingers digging into his hips, that tail definitely there now, lashing his calf, curling to tickle his belly. They rocked and rocked, Jax's growl low and constant.

  His balls were tight, cock leaking, so fucking close. He grabbed it, started pumping in time with the deep thrusts inside him. Jax grunted, the soft-soft tip of that tail touching the head of his cock as Jax yanked him down hard, just yowling as he came hard, filling Adam right up.

  "Love!" The sheer perversity of that tail, so soft, stroking his cock, sent heat pouring out of him in pulses.

  They tumbled, Jax curling around him like the giant kitty he was and just purring, hands kneading his hips.

  "Mmm... Gonna buy a metric fuck ton of that soap, pretty one."

  "Okay." Yeah, Jax was verbal again. "I'll buy stock."

  "Cool." He brought one vaguely pointy hand up to his lips, kissing and licking it.

  "And sort of minty." The chuckle rasped against his neck, Jax grooming him a little. "You spoil me."

  "No. I just love you, Jax." Simple as that.

  "And you do it better than anyone, ever." Jax laughed. "But now I think we need a bath."

  The Wraith King’s Bargain

  Sara Bell

  The midsummer night was thick and moonless, but Aswyn and the five canine sentries padding through the lush undergrowth behind him had no trouble finding their way back to the base of the hill. Once there, Aswyn gave the signal for the others to fall away as he alone climbed the rocky peak. He stayed in wolven form until he reached the copse of trees at the hill's crest, beginning the shift as soon as he stepped into the safety of the sheltering elms. As always, the jarring change from wiry animal sinew to corded human muscle took his breath away, causing Aswyn to stand panting in the shadows for a full minute while he recovered. Once assured his legs were strong enough to hold him, he winced away the last twinging pains of the transformation before striding naked and unashamed to the spot where his liege waited.

  Courtesy commanded most vassals to fall on their knees at first sight of their king, but Aswyn made no such supplication. He and Xandor were more than king and commander. Having been raised together, they were as brothers -- friends until the last breath parted them. For that reason, Aswyn greeted Xandor with nothing more than the words, "'Tis done."

  Xandor's only response was a tense order thrown against the stillness of the night. "Tell me what you've found."

  Aswyn hesitated. His next words would damn the governor beyond redemption, but there was no help for it. Oskar of Graywald had hung himself with his own misdeeds, and now he would pay the price.

  "We found most of the items he stole from you tucked away in the cellar."

  "Most?"

  Aswyn nodded, knowing Xandor could see him despite the darkness. "Several substantial pieces were missing, but 'tis possible he has them hidden somewhere in the main house. My soldiers and I were unable to conduct a more thorough search without alerting the household to our presence, but we can go back and search anew if you so desire."

  "There's no need. I imagine the varlet has already traded my family's treasures for coin, anyhow." Aswyn's keen night eyes caught the spar
k of outrage in the king's black gaze. "So I was right about his treachery, after all. I'd hoped perhaps I was mistaken, but now…" Xandor broke off and looked away, but not before Aswyn saw the flash of pain that creased his regal face.

  It hurt Aswyn to see Xandor so wounded, and renewed anger toward the governor fired his blood. "You've only to say the word and my men and I will roust the villain from his bed to answer these charges."

  Xandor was shaking his head before Aswyn even finished. "We'll move tomorrow, in full light of day. I want the entire village to bear witness to Oskar's arrest. Let his humiliation run so deep that even his ancestors feel the sorrow of his shame."

  Aswyn tilted his head to the side, studying Xandor's face. "And what of Tynan? Do you seek to punish him for his father's misdeeds as well?"

  "Tynan plays no part in this," Xandor said, his voice flat and emotionless. "Whatever happens tomorrow is between Oskar and me. I care not what Tynan thinks."

  Aswyn snorted. "You might be able to peddle that tale to someone else, but I know you too well to buy it. And there's something else I know." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Tynan will not stand idly by while you call his father out as a common thief, evidence be damned."

  Xandor shrugged. "So be it. Let Tynan wail and gnash his teeth to his heart's content. So long as he stays out of my way, that is."

  Aswyn was quickly losing patience was Xandor's cool façade. "Creator's sake, man, you loved him once."

  Xandor whirled on him then, eyes sparking with anger. "A love which he killed the day he refused what I offered."

  Aswyn fought the urge to scream from pure frustration. "He was only ten and eight when you told him the truth about yourself, Xandor. A mere boy in all the ways that count. How could you expect him to embrace a full mating with you?"

  "I would have done no less for him, and well he knew it. Instead, he turned his back on me. Me." Xandor jabbed a thumb against his own chest. "The man who loved him." His voice fell a full measure. "The man who would have died for him."

  Aswyn ached for Xandor, but he'd seen enough to know that Tynan had suffered as well. "You could have given him time to come to terms with all you asked of him. Time to make up his mind instead of ordering him out of your life."

  Xandor's face closed then, the mask of iron control firmly back in place. "'Twas a long time ago, and I'll discuss this no longer." He turned his back on Aswyn and started down the backside of the hill. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, "Tell your men to report back to the keep. We'll descend on the governor at dawn."

  Long after Xandor was gone, Aswyn stood in place, praying The Creator of All would give them all strength enough to greet the morrow. He had a feeling 'twould be a prayer much needed.

  ***

  'Twas the thunder that woke him. Tynan blinked, coming awake by degrees. He groaned as he sat up in bed, even that slight movement causing a deep pain to stir within his chest. Willing it away, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and glanced out the window, surprised to see the sky clear and the sun rising. He frowned. If it hadn't been thunder he'd heard, then what? Struck by the need to investigate, Tynan dressed as quickly as he could manage, forcing his exhausted body to cooperate as he pulled on his hose and tunic. He'd just stuffed his feet into a pair of soft leather boots when the bedchamber door flew open and Jib, his father's manservant, skittered inside.

  "Lord Tynan, you must come quick." Jib's wrinkled face was deathly pale as the old man wheezed and gasped for breath. "Your father, he needs you."

  Tynan needed to hear no more. He followed Jib into the keeping room of the manor, thankful his father had seen fit to grant him a room on the main floor. Stairs were the last obstacle Tynan needed to deal with this morning. Not now, when the disease was so close to tearing him apart.

  Shaking away the dark thoughts of his soon-to-be demise, Tynan glanced about the room, finding nary a trace of his father. Lifting puzzled brows to Jib, he said, "Where is he?"

  "Outside, my lord." Jib lifted a trembling hand toward the door leading to the gardens. "They've come for him, Lord Tynan. You've got to help him, please."

  Tynan could make little sense of what Jib was saying, but he dared not waste a second with more questions. After instructing the trembling servant to take a seat, Tynan made his way to the door, stepping into the early morning light and coming face to face with the very image that had haunted his dreams every night these eight years past.

  Xandor of Alden sat astride a charger as dark as his eyes, his muscular legs holding the horse's sides while keeping his back lance-straight. The Wraith King, the villagers called him. Xandor's ability to glide through the night undetected made him the subject of tavern gossip the kingdom over, but Tynan knew his former lover was no ghost, but a man of flesh and blood.

  Tynan hadn't seen Xandor since his own return to Graywald village, and if anything, the passing years had made the king more handsome, a feat Tynan would ne'er have thought possible Xandor's midnight hair was bound with a leather tie at the nape of his neck, but the restraint did nothing to disguise the lush softness of the rippling waves. Tynan swallowed, remembering all too well how it felt to run his fingers through those silken locks. Against his will, Tynan's eyes drifted to Xandor's full lips, as sensual as the last time he'd kissed them, even pinched as they were in a hard frown. A spear of pain that had little to do with his illness knifed through Tynan's chest. It hurt to look at Xandor, to think of all his mother's curse had cost him. Swallowing, Tynan tore his eyes away from the beloved face and cleared his parched throat.

  "What goes here?" Tynan glanced around the soldier-filled garden. At least fifteen mounted men and fourteen foot soldiers crowded the small space. Shielding his eyes against the rising glare with the flat of his hand, Tynan searched anew for his father. He found him a moment later, struggling to free himself from the two burly soldiers holding him captive. Tynan started forward to offer his father what feeble assistance he could, but Xandor's voice -- still as smooth as honeyed ale -- cut through the near silence of the courtyard, causing Tynan to stop short.

  "Stay where you are, my lord." Xandor made the title sound like an insult. "Your father stands accused of the high crime of treason against his king." His dark brows came together in a hard line just above his rod-straight nose. "I'll accept no interference from you as the governor answers to these charges."

  "Treason?" Tynan gave Xandor a long, searching look, half certain the man must be daft. "Surely you jest."

  "Unfortunately for you and the cur who sired you, I'm stone serious." Xandor looked to his right where Aswyn sat astride a red roan. "Tell Lord Tynan the truth of what you found."

  Tynan fastened his eyes on Aswyn, praying Xandor's commander could make sense of this all. He'd always liked Aswyn, had become rather fond of the man during his time with Xandor. If anyone would tell Tynan the truth, he would. Silently, he beseeched Aswyn to speak.

  Aswyn cleared his throat, his wide neck flexing with the motion. "Lord Tynan, I…" He swallowed before beginning again. "Last eve, five of my men and I paid a visit here while the household slept. We had reason to believe someone from Graywald Manor has been stealing from Alden Castle." His raspy voice was laced with pity. "'Tis with a heavy heart I tell you that we found the ill gotten gains in yonder cellar." One thick finger pointed to a set of thatched doors leading underground. "As well you know, one of the governor's chief duties is reporting to the castle once each fortnight to update village records -"

  "Meaning the bastard had ample opportunity to plunder my house." Xandor broke in and finished the sentence with heartless candor. Turning to look at a still struggling Oskar, Xandor said, "How could you betray the House of Alden? My family has entrusted the keeping of Graywald Village to yours for generations without measure. In return, you and your kin were given wealth, title, and privilege." Barely controlled rage simmered beneath the surface of his words. "Is this how you chose to repay our kindness, with treason against the very house that made you what yo
u are?"

  Tynan's eyes darted to his father's milky blue ones, silently begging him to deny it all. "Father, did you -"

  Tynan never finished his sentence. Oskar stopped his struggles, his thin body sagging in the arms of his captors. With tears streaming down his dry, leathery cheeks, he gave Tynan a half nod.

  Bile rose in Tynan's throat as the truth of it hit him full on. He need not ask Oskar why he'd done it, the answer all too clear. Oskar had stolen from Xandor to pay the cascade of leeches and healers who'd attempted to heal Tynan, all to no avail. Hands knotting into tight fists at his sides, Tynan once again lifted his eyes to Xandor's granite-set face.

  "What punishment have you in mind for my father?"

  "A full stripping of his wealth and title, for one."

  Tynan fought the urge to laugh. Thanks to him, there was no wealth. "What else?"