by Sy Walker
For one thing, they were supposed to be unbelievably attractive. It must have been what had seduced the rigid Lord McNeil, even though he’d had a wife he was devoted to for thirty years. She had only recently died though, and if Jonas was truly the Lord’s son, he would have been born during the time of his wedlock with the Lady McNeil. He looked as if he were older than Aileen, and far more attractive. Perhaps he had taken after his mother’s side of the family in more ways than one.
Wolf shifters were also known for their big appetites, hearty bonfires, and loyalty and pride. They were fierce and had tremendous power, both in their wolf forms and outside of it. Even the most sensitive of the men would be as powerful as Jonas, he realized, as it was their birthright. They had existed in Scotland for as long as their history could fathom, which was part of the reason why so many had dismissed it as the stuff of legends. People who were trying to make sense of a world they knew little about.
Bruce stared out the window, breathing in deeply as the cool night air washed over his face. It was refreshing and alive. Now that he knew he was breathing the same air as Jonas, who was outside somewhere, with his own clan perhaps, roaming the night and doing what came most naturally to him. Was he still in his wolf form? Would he have any reason to be a man if he hadn’t known that Bruce might be coming at some point? Or did he genuinely embrace both aspects of his personality and physiology?
Bruce couldn’t wait to see him again, and realized that he hadn’t felt this excited since he was a wee lad; ready to take on the world and do fun things; playing outside when his father was still fun and wasn’t sure whether or not he would grow out of his feminine ways. Maybe all boys were a little bit delicate, he had reasoned back then. But now it was too difficult for him to have a real relationship with his father; not when he expected everything to be able to stay defined within his own narrow and rigid idea of the way that life was supposed to be.
It made him sad, knowing that he and his father might never see eye to eye, and that his younger sister might not be allowed to express herself for long either. She would have to be ladylike somehow, pretend that she wasn’t who she was and didn’t love the things she loved. Sometimes he wondered how they might have switched bodies before birth, playing the ultimate cosmic prank on both Bruce and Sophia and their traditional and narrow-minded father. It seemed a cruel trick, but it was how it was.
Bruce sighed and turned onto his back, still feeling too giddy to sleep. He tucked Jonas’ tartan carefully away. Even if he was too shy to approach the man without a reason, now he had one. He could return the tartan the next day and see if things were going to be awkward between them, or if maybe there was something more to their relationship.
Chapter 9
In the morning, Bruce could scarcely wait to leave the castle. He ate quickly, causing Lord McNeil and Aileen to exchange bemused glances. Their looks of disapproval were identical as he stood from the table without a word and headed back to his chambers. He tucked the kilt carefully into a basket and headed out to the forest, grabbing a bow and arrow as he had become accustomed to doing. It would seem suspicious if he came and went without weapons but was still able to supply the household with kills.
He headed into the cool shade of the forest, hoping for the thrilling moment when Jonas would make his appearance. It was as if he could smell him coming from a mile away and would meet him as soon as he caught wind of Bruce. Now that he knew that Jonas was a wolf shifter, it seemed even more likely that he actually had been able to smell him on the wind and would have been able to find his way to Bruce as easily as if he were following a physical trail.
But Jonas didn’t show up. It was a long time wandering excitedly through the woods before Bruce began to wind down and have doubts. What if Jonas didn’t really care about him after all? Would he be disgusted by the deeds they had done the earlier day? Perhaps he was embarrassed and ashamed of himself, thinking that he would not like to repeat the incident. What if he didn’t like Bruce anymore now that he had gotten what he wanted in the first place? How could he possibly like Bruce anyway? He was too awkward, too feminine. Not built for war or anything a solid, practical man like Jonas might value. And he wasn’t a wolf. Maybe Jonas could only love people like himself, and being with Bruce had just been a way to let off some steam before…
“Bruce?”
Bruce’s heart thudded hard in his chest at the sound of Jonas’ voice. It cut into his thoughts just as he was getting to the worst of it. He sighed loudly and stood from the tree trunk where he had perched himself and strode toward Jonas.
“Hello Jonas,” he said, keeping his eyes levelly on the sturdy man. He was watching Bruce cautiously, not making a move to meet him halfway the way that he usually did.
“You’re not usually here this early,” Jonas said, trying to hide the awkwardness behind the statement.
“No,” Bruce said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. He paused, and Jonas seemed to feel bad for making him uncomfortable and started toward him.
“Is everything all right?” Jonas asked, now standing near enough to touch. He looked beautiful, like a sight from a vision, and Bruce had to blink hard before answering.
“You left your kilt. I kept it safe through the night.”
“Thank you,” Jonas said, fixing a level look on Bruce. Bruce handed the basket to Jonas, who peeked briefly inside it and gave Bruce a broad grin. “It’s m’favorite.”
“Wouldn’t want anything to happen to it then,” Bruce said, smiling down at the ground.
“No, that’d be a waste.”
They stood quietly for a moment. Bruce suddenly wondered if his fears from a few minutes beforehand were valid. Would Jonas still want anything to do with him?
“Umm, would you like to meet m’clan?” Jonas asked, as if he could read Bruce’s thoughts.
“Are you serious?” Bruce asked, his concerned frown fading from his face. It was replaced by a relieved smile. Not only did Jonas still want to spend time with him, but he wanted to introduce him to his clan.
“I’d love to,” Bruce said.
“Perfect. We can’t do it today, but soon. I’ll run it by them. It will help them get used to the idea. They are a little bit distrustful of strangers. Especially strangers who don’t carry the shifter gene.”
“I understand,” Bruce said.
“They’ll love you,” Jonas said. “Just as much as I do.”
He moved close to Bruce and wrapped his strong arms around him. He pulled Bruce into a tight embrace that both shocked and pleased him. He let himself relax against the other man’s shoulder and sighed.
“I was worried that you’d never want to see me again,” Bruce said before he could stop the words from escaping his lips. He wasn’t sure why he was always so open with Jonas. There was no reason to think he would bare his feelings so easily with another person, and yet there he was, expressing himself left and right, finding a confidence within himself that he never knew he had. It was surprising that he had that kind of ease. It was Jonas that brought it out of him, and Jonas who he wanted to share it with from then on out. They had known each other for a few months at that point, and they had quickly gone from being close friends to so much more.
“Come meet me tonight,” Bruce said, surprising himself further still with the bold proclamation. “I want to have you in my chambers.”
It would have been ridiculously dangerous to both of them if he agreed, but apparently Jonas was up for a challenge. His eyes twinkled mischievously and he nodded.
“All right.”
They walked together for a while, quiet but peaceful. They listened to the birds chirping and soon the sun was high in the sky as afternoon began to show its face. Bruce took it as his cue to leave, and glanced back at Jonas, wondering if it would be smarter to cancel the invitation. Before he was able to open his mouth though, Jonas smirked.
“Tonight in your chambers,” he said softly. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
Chapter 10
“What’s got you so excited?” Aileen asked. It was one sentence of about four that she had spoken to him since he had arrived in her castle.
Bruce, however, chose not to answer and just gave her a half-hearted shrug. Maybe she really did want to be in his good graces, but it was never something that they seemed to follow up on. Maybe he was truly the cold one here after all, when he didn’t really want anything to do with them but he wanted everything to do with the man just outside the borders of the castle.
It was difficult for him to manage to sit still all day, wondering when Jonas would finally arrive. He wondered if he would be able to sneak into his chambers or if he should meet him at the edge of the forest. It was getting very late, and his eyes began to grow heavy. He allowed himself to close them for a few moments, and was tugged into a reluctant sleep.
He awoke with a start when Jonas pressed his lips hotly against his own.
“Hi!” he breathed in surprise, kissing him back eagerly. “How did you get in here?”
“Window,” Jonas said with a mischievous grin. “How did you?”
“Door…”
“I see,” Jonas said, pressing his lips against Bruce’s again. They kissed passionately.
“You know, I could get into deep trouble in here with you,” Jonas said, slipping out of his kilt and standing fully naked in front of Bruce. Bruce inhaled sharply, taking in the full beautiful sight of Jonas in the candle light. His muscles rippled in the golden light and he gripped Jonas by the wrists, pulling him onto the bed.
“I know,” Bruce said. “So could I.”
He hadn’t known why he’d been so bold as to invite Jonas to the castle. Maybe he had wanted to test the limits of his devotion, or maybe he just couldn’t wait to see him again and couldn’t fathom waiting another day for the chance to sneak off with the handsome man. Whatever the reason, Jonas was there, and now he had to figure out what to do with him.
Bruce surprised them both by getting up and stripping his kilt off. It was the first time that Jonas had seen him fully naked. Bruce could feel his eyes on him. It was the first time he had ever felt so exposed, beneath the scrutiny of this handsome man’s gaze. It made him feel both vulnerable and oddly strong. A strength he hadn’t known he had was something that Jonas seemed to unlock within him so easily. He wished that there was more he could do to show Jonas how he felt, but as he stood there, his dark hair cascading over his shoulders, Jonas smiled at him as if he understood exactly what he was thinking.
The look on his lover’s face was impossible to describe, but it thrilled him. Jonas’ eyes went wide as Bruce’s member began to swell. He climbed on top of Jonas, stroking his cheek with his hands. Feminine hands, his father had called them, not a warrior’s hands, but that didn’t matter to Jonas. He closed his eyes in bliss as Bruce stroked him, soaking it in like he was a cat. Bruce placed gentle kisses on Jonas’ neck, pleasantly surprised by the feeling of his stubble against his lips. Jonas held back a gasp as Bruce let his tongue trail down the man’s neck, and gripped Bruce’s shoulders when he let his hot lips roam along Jonas’ broad collarbone and down his pectoral muscles.
He engulfed Jonas’ nipple in his mouth and sucked, leaving a trail of kisses down his muscular body until he reached his abdomen. Bruce caught Jonas’ eye, and they shared a conspiratorial giggle as Bruce boldly lifted Jonas’ cock in his hand. It was heavier than he’d expected, and it began to firm in his hand. He stroked it, eyeing it curiously as he did so. Soon, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity and took it into his mouth, letting his tongue travel up and down it’s ever curve. Jonas was massive, and Bruce enjoyed himself as he began bobbing up and down just as Jonas had done to him the night before.
A deep, guttural growl escaped from Jonas’ lips, and Bruce paused, worried they might be overheard. He quickly forgot his fear when Jonas thrust into his mouth, forcing him to take it urgently. Bruce met his need with eagerness and sucked him passionately, until Jonas gripped the blanket he was laying on and finally erupted into Bruce’s mouth. Bruce remembered the night before, and his erection became even more prominent. Jonas wasn’t sure what to expect, but Bruce grinned at him and flipped him over with ease. Although he was constantly called womanly, he did have strength of his own.
Jonas moaned as Bruce began to rub himself against his thighs, and they sighed together as he pressed the head of his cock against Jonas’ ass. He took the cue from Jonas the night before to use his cum as a lubricant, and began to slide inside of him. Jonas groaned loudly as Bruce slipped himself easily inside, and began thrusting in long, slow movements. Jonas hadn’t been expecting to be dominated by Bruce, and Bruce hadn’t known he would do it either, but they were both enjoying it. Soon, Bruce was overwhelmed by the contraction of Jonas’ hot body around his cock and couldn’t help but unleash a heavy eruption inside of him. They both moaned softly as Bruce continued to cum, long, hard streams as Jonas shifted under him on the bed.
He flipped Jonas over again and brought his erection into his mouth one more time. Jonas gasped as Bruce began sensually sucking the head of his cock. Suddenly, the door slammed open and Lord McNeil was shoving Bruce away from Jonas.
“I can’t believe this! Of all the things!”
He punched Bruce in the face and Jonas scrambled away from his father, fleeing quickly through the open window the way that he had come in.
“What the hell is wrong with you? I’ll have you hanged!”
Jonas was dangling out the window and heard his father’s murderous rage as he screamed at Bruce. He wanted to come in but he was frozen, petrified for some reason. It was difficult for him to face his father. They had a long and complicated history.
“Take him to the dungeon!” Lord McNeil cried, taking the chance to hit Bruce again. “Put your bloody clothes on, lad! You might as well die with some dignity after all, yeah!”
The room was suddenly flooded with men, and Bruce threw a kilt on as quickly as possible. He didn’t realize until he was being dragged down the hallway that he was wearing Jonas’ kilt. The same tartan that he’d claimed was his favorite. It made him feel slightly better, but he felt embarrassed and humiliated to have been caught in such an act. His father would find out about it for sure. But that wasn’t really the worst part. The worst part was that he might die before seeing Jonas again. He groaned in misery as the guards dragged him on his knees through the stone corridors. The servants were all jeering at him and he was sure he had never experienced anything more humiliating in all his life. If he died before he was hanged, it would be too soon.
Chapter 11
Bruce was in the dungeon for two days, left to starve and have visitors from around the clan to see what a disgusting display had married the daughter of Lord McNeil.
“Now I get why he didn’t want to bed me,” Aileen had said to her father, treating Bruce as if he were just an animal locked up in the cage. Some of the guards had made lewd gestures to him, and some of them had even begged him for details of the sordid affair. They claimed it was to tell their friends, but Bruce could sense the truth. They were secretly aroused by the whole affair and wished they might have something interesting to think about in their own fantasies.
The night finally came, the one that was supposed to be his last. He lay in the dark dungeon, fingering the kilt and imagining a world where Jonas might be able to be with him without causing such a commotion throughout the clans. He sighed
to himself, knowing that this would be impossible.
Suddenly, a commotion began to happen down the hall, and the men were shrieking in agony. He heard the violent growling of a wild beast and felt sure that something terrible was happening to the men. He stood, gripping the iron bars where he was imprisoned, and cried out as the white wolf – Jonas – came into view. Jonas transformed back into his human form and grabbed the keys off of the corpse of the guard who had been in charge of his cell.
“Did you miss me?” he asked, his mischievous smile painted on his face.
“Aye,” Bruce said with a grin.
Jonas unlocked the cell and helped Bruce to his feet just as Lord McNeil rushed down the steps to find out what the fuss was.
“Jonas!” Lord McNeil growled.
“Father,” Jonas said evenly, without bothering to pretend that he wasn’t helping Bruce to escape.
“You’re no son of mine,” Lord McNeil spat. Jonas flinched and Bruce stroked the man’s broad hand with his thumb.
“Yes, that’s what you told my mother before she was killed,” Jonas growled.
Lord McNeil gasped in horror as Jonas began to transform into his wolf form. He lunged unceremoniously at him and pinned him to the ground. He tried to beat Jonas away from him with the hilt of a sword that was laying on the ground, but Jonas was too fast for him. He tore out the man’s throat with ease before turning to Bruce.
Without words, Bruce knew that he was supposed to follow. He was led from the castle by the white wolf. Nobody dared to stop them. They knew what Jonas was capable of and nobody wanted to be the next casualty.
“It’s time to meet my clan,” Jonas said, once they’d made it to the shelter of the forest’s foliage. “I’ve told them all about you and they’re anxious to welcome you to our clan.”
Bruce’s eye welled up with tears and he followed Jonas through the forest, deep beyond the areas they normally met with each other. He realized that the wolves that Jonas had shown him before, when trying to make a point, were a shifter family from his own clan. The children approached him with cautious curiosity, and soon everybody had made their rounds, introducing themselves to the newcomer. It would be difficult for them to adjust to having a human around, but they could tell from his scent that they could trust him.