Unicorn Valley 3: Healer's Heart

by Lena Austin

  Le-An snorted and snatched his hand back. “Harpy droppings. Don’t try to pull that act on me. Now close the door, sit on the chair, and tell me what’s eating you.”

  Shoulders sagging, Brolly gave up and shut the door. A comfortable armchair sat next to the bed, intended for visitors or watchful healers. Brolly plopped into it and folded his hands so Le-An wouldn’t see them shake.

  Le-An put the book aside, not even bothering to mark his page. “Thank all the Gods you came, Brolly. No matter what the reason, I’m glad you’re here to relieve my boredom.” He gestured to his bandaged and splinted leg. “This is taking more than the usual time to heal. Blasted humans.”

  “What did you do this time, Le-An? I swear I’m going to assign a room and a healer to you on a permanent basis, with as many times as you foolishly go outside the Valley.” Brolly shook his head as if he were the elder, not Le-An.

  “It’s not foolish.” Le-An plucked at the blanket covering the lower part of his body. “I get lonely, Brolly. The human village outside the Valley has a place where one can go and purchase drink and a female. It relieves the body, at least.”

  “Purchase? What’s that?” Fascinated in spite of himself, Brolly leaned forward.

  “Trade a small round disk of a metal humans value for something you wish. I keep a small stash of the things. When I am close to running out, I ask one of the mages to make me a few more. Here, I have one.” Le-An took a disk of a dull silvery metal out of his pouch on the bedside table. “It’s called a coin.”

  Brolly examined the coin. The metal was stamped with a human’s face, and lettering he couldn’t read. “They value these? I wonder why.”

  “I haven’t figured that out. But they do and that’s that. If it gets me what I want, I’ll keep a few around. This time, I must have carried too many.” Le-An shrugged. “Some humans followed me when I left and wanted to fight me for them. They wounded me with an arrow in the leg, and then took my other pouch full of the things. Thunder, they could have asked! I’ve plenty.”

  “I’ve got the arrowhead if you want it, by the way.”

  “Thanks. Now what’s got you lurking outside my door?”

  Brolly licked his lips. “I’m not sure how to begin.” He took a deep breath and plunged. “You know Aahz, my Pack Leader, is growing old, correct? I’m one of the few lone jacks that isn’t mated to one bitch. I’ve been approached by several and asked to fight Aahz and take the Pack.”

  “I don’t see the problem. You have a life here, as senior healer. You can’t do both, Pack Leader and healer. I assume you refused the honor, knowing you love healing. So, where’s the issue?” Le-An’s brown eyes were full of curiosity.

  Discomfited, Brolly stared at the walls. “You are the most dual-natured being I know. I’ve come for advice.” He couldn’t go on. He’d never told a soul what he now needed to reveal.

  Le-An leaned back with a soft, “Ah!” His gaze lingered on Brolly’s reddening face. “I think I see. You can tell me when I’m wrong with a shake of your head, perhaps. I must assume you are dual-natured as well, preferring perhaps males to females. Let me think on this a moment.”

  Brolly nodded and willed his face to stop flaming. There was no shame in preferring one’s own gender. Rare, and that was perhaps a blessing, because it was not good for the species as a whole. However, a small portion of the population that did not wish to procreate was no detriment, especially in prolific races, like Werewolves.

  “The Pack Lands are full, aren’t they?” Le-An’s question followed his own thoughts. If Brolly wasn’t positive Le-An could not read minds, he might have suspected Le-An was peeking into his.

  “Yes.” Brolly bit off the rest of his opinion on the foolishness of over-breeding. Hunting was getting scarce enough already that fights broke out over choice prey.

  Le-An’s eyes focused back on Brolly. “Then why won’t the Pack Leaders discuss this and limit breeding? They are the ones with all the opportunities to breed. All they have to do is stop, and the population will reduce naturally over time.”

  “Aahz won’t limit breeding. He’s afraid he’ll lose control.” Werewolves mated, often for life. However, the Pack Leader covered all the unmated bitches that went into heat and saw to their needs. Only in this were they different from the other lupines of the world.

  “I see. So they want a new Pack Leader who understands the issue, who has the self-control not to cover every female in heat. If the heated females seek relief outside the Pack, then the population is reduced.” Le-An fell back against the pillows and seemed lost in thought for a few moments. “You’ve not been discreet. It’s well known you prefer males. They chose you, knowing you have no wish for a female.”

  “They’re wrong about that, Le-An. I don’t mind covering a bitch now and then. I just don’t want to settle down because… because…”

  “Because of that dual nature. You don’t want to hurt anyone.” Le-An finished the statement not with condemnation, but soft sympathy.

  Brolly nodded. “You understand. I was hoping you would.”

  “More than you know.” Le-An swallowed and sadness made his eyes bleak. “I’ve tried myself a few times, to settle down with one or the other. It never works for long.”

  “Exactly. Worse, Le-An, I’m a healer. I feel others’ pain and emotions.”

  “Including the jealousy they would prefer to hide. No matter how much they care for you, they know they are not enough and can never be. You must always seek out, upon occasion, that which they cannot manifest.” Le-An took Brolly’s hand. “I know this more than most.”

  It was impertinent, and Brolly had no right to ask. He bit his tongue, but couldn’t stop the curiosity. “How many, Le-An? How many mates have you had?”

  Le-An’s smile was sad. He sighed. “Mates, not lovers, hmm? I don’t know anymore, Brolly. I don’t even know how old I am, and never did.”

  “But…”

  “Hush.” Le-An put his fingers over Brolly’s mouth. “You don’t want to know. Really.”

  That simple act did Brolly in. He’d maintained as much distance as he could, but those fingers over his lips destroyed his self-control. He closed his eyes and felt his cock rise. His loose pants and tunic wouldn’t disguise it. All he could do was pray Le-An didn’t notice.

  Le-An’s fingers left his lips. Brolly kept his eyes closed and fought for some measure of dignity. He jerked and his eyes flew open as he felt the outline of his cock stroked.

  Le-An’s face was inches from his. Those big brown eyes held humor and interest. “Is that a present for me?”

  Le-An kept the smile on his face carefully playful. What if he was wrong and that lovely erection wasn’t for him? Gods, he had fought the urge for years, ever since Brolly had grown up from a mischievous ball of gray fur into this handsome Werewolf jack. Could the attraction be indeed mutual?

  Brolly opened his eyes and the naked hunger was all the answer Le-An needed. Le-An leaned forward to seal his lips to Brolly’s. That would be the final test. If Brolly didn’t jerk away, well then, they’d see how far things went.

  In fact, Brolly gave one shuddering breath, and leaned into the kiss. Le-An ventured to part Brolly’s lips and slip in his tongue. Brolly’s golden brown eyes slowly hazed, and then closed while their tongues warred for supremacy.

  Le-An continued to stroke Brolly’s hard cock. It wasn’t huge, but this jack was no field mouse, either. Le-An dared to hope for a very pleasant evening.

  Brolly broke the kiss, but kept his face inches from Le-An’s. “Stop treating me like a virginal miss.” His lopsided grin still held a large measure of lust. “I’ll deal with the guilt later.”

  Le-An yanked on the cord holding Brolly’s pants around his waist and reached to caress Brolly’s now rock hard cock. “Me too. Later.”

  Brolly closed his eyes and groaned softly. “Much later, I hope.” He stood, and his pants dropped to his ankles.

  Le-An wasted no time in wrapping his lips
around the sweet tip of Brolly’s upright cock. Even the pre-cum that glistened at the slit was sweet to the taste.

  His healer’s soft hand crept up to fist in Le-An’s hair. “I intended to go lock the door, really.”

  Humming, just for the pleasure of listening to Brolly moan softly, Le-An nursed for a few moments before lifting his head to answer. “No one will visit. But go lock the door if it makes you feel better.”

  Le-An sent a wordless query to V, and felt the shift. In a single magical act, Le-An and Brolly would disappear from the minds of all who knew them. They would have privacy, for as long as they needed.

  The snick of the bolt shooting home made Le-An smile to himself. He couldn’t tell Brolly about V. It never worked to say it aloud. His secret would remain locked in his heart, for as long as Brolly allowed them to sport.

  Le-An watched as Brolly lifted the tunic over his head, revealing chewable brown nipples and a chest just muscular enough to please and entice. Unlike most jacks, Brolly was not so hirsute it was like chewing on a rug to enjoy tasting those nipples. Just a fine dusting, running to a stripe that led to his navel.

  Le-An felt his own nipples harden, as well as other parts of his anatomy. His voice roughened with lust as he commanded, “Come here.”

  Brolly chuckled softly. “Oh, no, Le-An. You’ll not have all the fun. May I point out you still have a shirt on?”

  Le-An yanked off the loose tunic he’d been provided. “If we’re to pleasure each other, may I suggest the rug, as opposed to this narrow little bed?”

  Those golden brown eyes narrowed and the healer came back. “Can you handle it? I don’t want to cause you pain.”

  Impishly, Le-An reached for a small pot on the bedside table. “I don’t think you will, if we use this.” He brandished the oil normally used for healing massages.

  Chuckling, Brolly took the pot from him and put it on the floor. Then he offered Le-An his arm and helped him move to the colorful rug, moving the bandaged leg as little as possible. “We’ll use the oil in a few minutes, Le-An. I’m anxious to taste you.” The low, seductive tone of his voice was enough to make Le-An willing to do anything.

  Facing Le-An’s feet, Brolly knelt over Le-An’s head and slid his cock into his willing and eager mouth. Then, taking his time, he bent over until his hands supported his weight and he could perform the same services on the other man’s rigid cock.

  Le-An thought he’d die of happiness. Brolly was a delight to taste, and his mouth was skilled. Waves of pleasure coursed to his overloaded brain as he tried to divide himself between the mouth fucking he was getting and the one he was giving.

  Without warning, Brolly pulled away. His athleticism amazed Le-An. He’d been doing the equivalent of pushups without pause. Brolly scraped his sharp teeth across Le-An’s cock on the way up to releasing it with a pop of suction.

  Yanking the chair cushions off, Brolly smiled gently. “I’d like to use that oil now, but I’d prefer if I propped you up on these cushions to avoid further injury to your leg.” He piled them high, and helped Le-An roll on top of them.

  Le-An settled himself on the cushions with only one minor grunt of pain. Brolly used the oil generously on his cock, and then moved behind Le-An to lubricate his ass with soft, gentle fingers.

  Le-An thought he’d orgasm then. Brolly was thorough in applying the oil, and spent time making sure there would be only pleasure. “Gods above, Brolly. Hurry up. You’re driving me mad.”

  “Patience is a virtue.” He poised the hardness of his cock at Le-An’s tight ass.

  “Virtue is not what I want right now.” He gasped as Brolly slid in past the first tight ring of muscle. “That is. Next time, it’s your turn.”

  “Yes,” Brolly hissed. He slid in more, working his way in as slowly and carefully as any man could wish. He paused often to allow Le-An to adjust.

  Le-An was shuddering and on the verge of pure ecstasy by the time Brolly was buried deep within him. “Give me all, now, Brolly. I want everything you have to give.” He clamped down once to prove his willingness.

  “I won’t last long if you keep that up.” Brolly’s breath was hot and ragged on Le-An’s back, but he moved, rhythmically.

  “Who said anything about lasting? I’m going to spew any moment and do my best to mess up these cushions.” The wonderful pressure of Brolly’s cock stroking his insides had Le-An on the edge. He gritted his teeth and fought the instincts that said, ‘There’s a predator on your back! Run!’ It made the excitement all the more delicious.

  Brolly complied and began to fuck like he would not live to see the dawn. Le-An, true to his word, began to orgasm and tightened down further as the pleasure ripped through him. Brolly’s strokes were the perfect rhythm and his cock the perfect size and shape to stimulate Le-An to near madness.

  Brolly growled low in his throat and began to thrust his seed deep within. Le-An felt every pump of his own body as well as Brolly’s.

  In the hush that followed, punctuated only by the sound of breathing, all Le-An could feel was joy. Had he finally found a lifemate who wouldn’t feel jealousy? Who would understand his duality? It seemed so.

  He hoped he could persuade Brolly to have him moved to Brolly’s room, where Le-An knew a fine bed large enough for two sat in state. It would be wonderful to cuddle with someone again.

  “Gods above and below! What have I done?” The harsh question, aching with despair, rasped out of Brolly.

  “Um. Fallen in love, I hope?” Oh, no. Was Brolly really feeling guilty already?

  Brolly pulled away, gently. He wordlessly helped Le-An back into bed, tut-tutting over the slight amount of blood staining the bandage on Le-An’s thigh. He put the cushions back on the chair, wiping the stains with a cloth. He dressed, and helped Le-An put on a clean tunic.

  Le-An submitted to Brolly’s ministrations. He could see the many conflicting emotions rolling like the Unicorn herd across Brolly’s face. Some dark, some light, they all flitted past until Le-An was safely ensconced in bed.

  Then, Brolly kissed Le-An tenderly. “Yes. I’ve fallen in love with an immortal mystery. You don’t know how much that frightens me.” Then he unbolted the door and ran from the room as if chased by dragons.

  Le-An stared bleakly out the open doorway. “I’m scared too. Scared for you. May the gods help us both.”

  Chapter Three

  Brolly made it to his room with the shreds of his dignity intact. No one seemed to notice him or care. It was odd that no one realized he was there, but now he was grateful.

  He flung himself down on his bed without bothering to undress again. He’d felt Le-An’s love change tonight, altering from a mild caring anyone might feel, to love; the kind of love that made Werewolves howl with joy and bond for life. So why didn’t he feel the joy? He felt like howling all right -- in terror.

  And guilt. “You selfish bastard. Did you even say a word of thanks? No.”

  He threw his arm over his eyes, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow. “You just took, like an adolescent covering his first bitch. No compliments, no flirtation. Just a quick fuck to get your jollies, and you were out the door.”

  Get to the real issue.

  Now his conscience was talking to him in a cool, impersonal, androgynous voice. Great. It had never been a clear vocalization before. No matter, his conscience was right. “I’m in love with an immortal being whom I know nothing about.” There. That was the real issue.

  Isn’t that part of being in love? The discovery?

  “It’s not right. It’s not moral to love my parents’ dearest friend.”

  Why isn’t it moral? Whose morals?

  Brolly started to say, “Mine.” That wasn’t true. They weren’t related in any way, as far as Brolly knew. His stomach knotted. “It’s Le-An’s age. That’s it. I remember being cuddled by Le-An as a cub. I chewed on his boots, for Goddess’ sake! And all he did was laugh.”

  Memories came to him. Hundreds crowded in, vying for attentio
n. Chewing on Le-An’s boots and being given a huge bone to replace them. Sword lessons. Wishing with all his heart he could change form and gender to suit the needs of the moment. Hunting in the forest, chasing Le-An in any number of forms to perfect his skills. Being gathered in Le-An’s soft feminine arms when Kenalf accidentally bit him too hard. She’d kissed his nose and then declared it was cold and wet, so he’d be fine. He’d been in human form then, so it had made him laugh, just as she’d intended.

  Le-An was the reason Brolly knew he was bisexual. He remembered the day he’d first noticed Le-An’s masculine form was well built. Looking at Le-An’s feminine form with nearly equal hunger. Wondering. Wanting.

  He was the first you lusted after. It didn’t matter which gender Le-An was in. You noticed and wanted. The only one who ever engaged your mind as well as your body.

  “Yes. Goddess help me, yes!” Brolly rolled over and hid his face in a pillow. “Don’t I have enough troubles in my life? Not only do I now have the horrible choice of giving up my life as a healer to be Pack Leader, but now I’ve done something so immeasurably stupid as to fall in love with a mystery.”

  Ask Le-An to explain.

  “Le-An never explains himself. Never. He evades, or, when pressed, outright refuses to discuss it.”

  His conscience was silent. The room even more so. Brolly hadn’t bothered to light a lamp, so the darkness closed in on him like a blanket.

  “All right, Brolly. Think. Stop running on your emotions. You have two separate issues to resolve.” He forced his breathing to calmness and rolled back over to assume the meditative position his mother had taught him. The stench of recent sex provided a musky and distracting backdrop to further rattle his shaken heart. Rolling the thought like a scroll, he pushed it aside in his mind. “The Pack. That seems simpler. I’ll deal with that first.”

  He sat up to pull a light blanket over himself. He often got cold when he meditated. Once his head was back on the pillow, he put his hands on his hipbones where they wouldn’t interfere with his breathing.