[The Shifters Committee 01.0] Time Shifters

by Rebecca Foxx

  “Here,” I said as I reached into my pocket, pulled out a scrap of paper, and offered it to him. “That’s my number. You can call or text me whenever you want, but I really want to see you tonight if you can.” The words came out faster than my mind could think them.

  “I mean…” Lewis started to say, his voice drifting off. “S-sure…” he whispered, looking up at me with his amber eyes.

  Looking in to them, I couldn’t help but smile a little. Maybe he has what it takes to break the ice after all…

  Ch. 4

  Palms sweaty, head cloudy, eyes unsure of where to look—I couldn’t remember the last time I was like this. Everything went a little too fast for me to understand. The bar stools were still there, groups of guys fought over the sports playing overhead on the screen to my right, and the background noise was filtered through the old jukebox records, but something was off. It was just enough to stir my wolf—to make me think the worst.

  What would happen if I lost control? If he came and I couldn’t handle him? My hand trembled as it tried to grasp the mug’s handle. Below, my other hand clutched the phone tightly, and I was hardly able to keep from checking for more messages even though I knew there weren’t any. He said he was going to be here at eight, right? Said he knew where everything was, right? I don’t have to worry about it… He’ll be here… He wouldn’t set this up just to let me down…

  “Well, well! If it isn’t the heartbreaker himself,” said a familiar voice to my right as a great weight landed on my shoulder. His touch brought a sudden shock up my arm, but I refrained from uttering a low growl at him in defense.

  I took a deep breath and then turned to face him with a strained smile. “Yeah, it’s me,” I said with weaning confidence.

  The man covered in grey grinned back, cleaning a glass. “It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?” I nodded. “Here to see anyone in particular, Jared?”

  “Well, actually… I am.” I let out my breath, trying to calm my nerves.

  “Always figured you’d get tired of ‘hunting’ eventually. Should I know him?”

  I shrugged and said, “No idea… His name’s Lewis. You ever—”

  “Ah, the red haired boy. Yeah, I know him. He comes in here sometimes, but never seems to do much except, well… Talk to me on occasion.”

  At his words, I shifted my body around to face the bartender, my full attention now his. “What? He comes in here that often?”

  The bartender nodded slowly. “Yep. It’s surprising the two of you haven’t ran into each other sooner. He’d come in whenever you were through making your ‘rounds’ as it were…”

  I didn’t know what to say—my mind went blank. “Really…?” For some reason, I’d never considered the idea that Lewis might be a lot closer to me than I’d imagined. He wasn’t just some guy I’d only shared a few words with and moved on—he was someone that knew me. It wasn’t just rumors…

  He shrugged and looked around at the other men. “Looks different from how it used to be, eh?”

  My eyes followed his as I replied, “Yeah… It does…”

  After Darrel, I never thought I’d have another chance at happiness. I’d given up. Looking at the men around me, I figured they were in a similar predicament. The lazy stares from across their lonely little tables to the group sitting next to me, spending their time guzzling down cheap beer and howling at the screen.

  Maybe I should’ve taken Lewis to a better place… I thought to myself absently. “Hey, um… Did he ever…?”

  “Say anything about you?” the bartender asked with a raised brow. I nodded. “Perhaps in passing a few times. He definitely noticed that you liked ‘variety’.”

  “Oh…” But is that a bad thing…?

  To my left, I heard the bar door swing open and I nearly pulled a muscle looking to see who came through. My heart, since being calmed, kicked right back up again as soon as our eyes met. Trying to retain my composure, I waved at Lewis and ginned a little at him.

  As he walked over and sat beside me, my heart couldn’t stop racing. I heard the beating in my ears going faster and faster. The adrenaline awoke the wolf in me and my hyper infused senses reacted to everything around me. I could feel Lewis’s warmth even through the thick, black coat he wore and his scent—even through all the cologne he wore intoxicated me more than any drink ever could.

  How are you doing this to me…? I wondered as I watched him order his drink and turn to me. He kept one arm on the bar and his other on his thigh, while I kept both of hands on my mug, clutching it close to my chest. “So, um…” I started to say, turning my attention to him, “Hey.”

  “Hey,” he echoed. “Hope I didn’t take too long…” He turned away from me a little, pulling his collar up.

  “No, no,” I started to say, shaking my head. “You’re fine, believe me. Only been here for a couple minutes.”

  “Oh… Well, that’s good…”

  Just from sitting close to him, I could feel his nerves mixing and bouncing off mine. My shallow breaths and swirling thoughts distracted me, but his eyes always brought my attention back to him. Is this really happening…? I wondered. Could he really replace Darrel…?

  “So, what did you want to talk about?” Lewis asked.

  His question helped snapped me out of my thoughts. I shrugged and replied, “Anything, I guess. I haven’t had a drink with someone in a while… Most of my friends are off doing other things or working when I have the time.”

  He nodded slowly. “Yeah, my friends are the same… Usually a bit of a drag.” Lewis twitched, pausing for a moment. I was about to ask him if he was all right when he said, “It’s… I, um…” Dashes of red skirted across his cheeks for a second. “I didn’t think you’d ever ask a guy like me to have a drink with you if I’m being honest.”

  I sat up, shifting my posture. “Oh really? Why’s that?”

  Lewis looked around meekly and sighed. “It’s just… You’re this big strong guy… I used to see you around here and…”

  Oh Christ… Here it comes…

  “I don’t know if I want to be just another flavor, you know?” There was something different in his tone. It was a tone that made my nearly wolfish ears try to tuck away behind me.

  Without thinking, I acted on impulse and reached out to put my hand on top of his. His hand trembled beneath mine, and I used a thumb to stroke along its side. Timidly, we looked into my eyes and I held the gaze. A wash of warmth helped me take in a breath before I said, “I’m not much of a sampler man these days.”

  It took a moment, but eventually, my words broke through to Lewis and bit by bit, he broke into a smile. A few seconds later, he was chuckling—absolutely hysterical. I shook my head, not understanding what was so funny, but I couldn’t help but smile a little. “What is it?” I finally asked.

  He pointed at me and said, “You! ‘Sampler man’? That’s hilarious. Sounds like a knock off super hero that’d fly around giving people mini sausages or something.”

  Normally, I would’ve stayed rigid, but the sudden rush of energy going from him to me managed to reach me. After a few dry chuckles, I found myself laughing alongside him—the image firmly planted in my head.

  As we both started to calm down, the bartender came around to refill my mug and give Lewis one of his own. Lewis nodded to him and he nodded back, but all the tenseness from earlier was seemingly nonexistent. In that moment all I could feel was a pleasant warmth I’d long forgotten.

  “So, I know things are kind of weird between us, but… I told myself that it was finally time to take chances,” I said as Lewis took a sip of his drink.

  “You think I’m a chance?” he asked as he set the mug down.

  “Well… It’s more that there’s a good chance you won’t end up liking me,” I said in a throaty tone.

  “You’re kidding, right?” I shook my head. “Huh… That’s funny… I was thinking the same thing about you. Not even my own friends know why they like me.”

  I scrat
ched the back of my head. “Oh, come on! I’m sure that’s not true… I mean, you’re pretty cute and I think I’d like to get to know you better.” It was oddly comforting talking to Lewis. He didn’t look at me with judging eyes that I felt nearly everyone else did. Even with his knowledge of me, he looked into my eyes as if he believed in every single word I said.

  Another streak of crimson went across Lewis’s cheeks and he reached for his mug before answering. “You…think I’m cute…?”

  As soon as I nodded he downed the rest of his mug, slamming it on the bar. The bartender came around immediately to give him another mug, but from the alcohol on his breath, I could tell he was already near his limit. He wobbled in his seat, unsure of how to steady his weight. “Sorry, did I say something wrong?”

  “No… It’s just… I don’t really expect someone as hot as you to—” He clamped both hands on his mouth and swallowed his next words. I couldn’t help grinning a little as I watched him down some more beer and decided to join him by taking a few gulps.

  “Why, thank you. I guess it’s safe to say I’m your type then, eh?”

  He shifted in his seat a little, adjusting himself. “You have no idea, Jared…” For a second, I caught him bite down on his lip and the wolf in me reacted immediately—sending a shiver down my spine.

  “Maybe you should tell me,” I said in a deeper tone, leaning into him. The beastial, feral growl came directly from the wolf clawing at my heart—he wanted more. The sudden compulsion took me aback, but a sliver of a smile spread across Lewis’s face.

  “You think so…? Well… From the moment I saw you I knew you were big, muscular, and… I don’t know… There’s something else about you that just drove me crazy about you, you know? Maybe it’s your smell or something…” Lewis giggled a little, taking another sip from his mug. “I probably sound like an idiot right now… I don’t know how many times I’ve been called a light weight by my exes at this point…”

  “Yeah, I kind of got the feeling you weren’t much of a heavy weight…” I said in the throaty tone, my words trailing off. “I guess you’re not gonna be able to drive home tonight, huh?”

  Lewis slowly shook his head. “N-no… I d-don’t think so… I drank a lot more than I thought I was…” He sighed a little. “Shit… I knew I should’ve… Should’ve…”

  I reached out to Lewis and put a hand on his shoulder. “You know, I can take you home if you want…”

  His eyes lit up and he looked up at me. “Wow, you’d r-really do that for me…?”

  I nodded as I said, “Yeah, of course I would. I don’t know if you’d really…”

  “J-Jared, please… I can’t take the embarrassment…” It was strange—as if his mood had shifted completely.

  I moved my hand over to Lewis’s and gave it a soft squeeze as I said, “All right.”

  But if I take you home, then that means you’ll have to sleep in my bed… There’s no way I’m letting you sleep on the couch… Dammit. Why must things be so difficult? I could feel my manhood fighting against my jeans at the thought of Lewis sleeping in my bed, but I tried to shake it off.

  Dammit… I can’t be that much of a monster, can I?

  Ch. 5

  It was a long drive home—longer than I remembered for sure. All the way back to my apartment, I couldn’t decide on what to do or what my next move would be. The wolf in me, more than anything, wanted to mate with Lewis and make him mine. His scent only drove me wilder as he threw his coat of sitting next to me, propped up in the seat like a slightly wilted flower.

  As soon as we were at the steps to my place, I knew that it’d be a while before I could get Lewis up all the stairs. Oddly enough, he seemed to come back to life once I’d checked on him and reminded him of where he was. “Oh, don’t worry… I think I’ve sobered up enough for that…” he mumbled as he put a foot on the first step. “That’s one…”

  I watched over him intently, my muscles tense as he went up to my door. True to his word, he didn’t seem to have any problems or even get offset atop any of the steps. I shrugged it off, blaming the long ride home and the quick nap as the reason before joining Lewis at my door.

  “So, how are you feelin’?” I asked him as I opened the door, letting him through.

  “Feeling pretty good actually…” Lewis replied as he walked past me and walked into the front room.

  I looked around, immediately noticing all of the empty bottles still on the floor around my feet. To my surprise, Lewis didn’t seem to mind as he stepped over them and then collapsed onto the couch. I sat down beside him and asked, “Do you need a pillow or anything?”

  He shook his head as he replied, “Hmm? Oh, no, no… I’m quite fine, thanks…”

  “You sure about that?” I asked in a firm voice. Suddenly, he leaned in close to me and laid his head on my chest, sliding it down to my stomach. I gasped, shaken from his action. “Wh-what are you doing…?” I asked in a shaky tone.

  “Mmm…” he hummed contently, nuzzling into me softly. “Why would I need a pillow when I have you?” he asked quietly, making my cheeks grow warmer.

  Hesitantly, I laid a hand atop his head and ran my fingers through his soft hair. I drew in a deep breath looking down at him, a small smile spreading across my face as we shared warmth. “Well, I hope you’re comfortable down there…”

  “Very…” Lewis murmured, bringing one of his hands up to rest on my thigh. Feeling his fingertips so close to my manhood provoked the wolf in me, but I hoped that he wouldn’t notice.

  My muscles tensed up as his fingers went along the side of my shaft, making it continue to harden behind the fabric. “Ah…” I gasped quietly, my heightened senses making the feeling more intense than it usually would have.

  “Jared… What’s this…?” Lewis asked in a whisper, turning his head to look up at me.

  We locked eyes for a moment and I lost every word I’d ever known. My mind went blank—I couldn’t think of anything. “I… Er…” As the man started to whither away, the beast stepped forward, making fangs grow instead of teeth and claws replaced nails. In a low, throaty growl I asked, “Do you like it…?”

  A shiver ran through me as he pressed his fingers against the outline harder, making it painfully obvious through my jeans. I bit down on my lip and caught him licking his as I dug a claw into the couch. “I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it once or twice…”

  “Oh yeah…?” I growled, reaching down to unbutton the top of my jeans.

  “Mm-hmm…” he hummed, slowly pulling my zipper down with his teeth. In seconds, he tugged my jeans down to expose the tent once kept hidden. I laid back into the cushions, trying to relax my muscles while my heart raced. Lewis’s fingers pinched the sides of my shaft, slowly going along the stiff length with the fabric of the boxers.

  I grinned, running my clawed fingers through his hair again as I melted into the cushions, pulses rapidly running up and down my hardness. “Ahh…” I gasped, letting my mouth hang open. “That’s great…”

  “I think I can do a little better…” Lewis said in a bubbly voice, starting to pull the waistband down with his thumb.

  I cocked my head to the side and asked, “You sure you feel good enough for this, Lewis?”

  Lewis grinned up at me, desire flashing in his eyes. The look I’d never seen before on his face brought upon a feeling of recollection upon me. It was as if I’d gone back in time and it was just me and Darrel again. Wait… No… You aren’t Darrel, Lewis, but that doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is that you’re here with me now.

  I cupped the side of his face, using my thumb to stroke his cheek. It’s what Sam wanted, wasn’t it…? Slowly, he pulled the waistband down my shaft until it popped out—fully stiff and twitching right in front of his face. And damn me if I don’t want this to happen just as much as him…

  “That’s it, Lewis…” I groaned as he started at my base, dragging his tongue up my underside. I could feel it shimmying against m
y throbbing hardness, making me grunt as the first traces of pleasure washed over me. Eyes closed, I threw my head back, trying to enjoy the waves as they came without rushing for more.

  After so long rushing the pleasure—forcing it—I could finally allow someone to do it for me without worrying about it for even a second. A hand rested at the back of Lewis’s head, grasping his hair and playfully tugging on it as his lips pressed against my tip. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying not to let any sounds escape beyond the heavy breaths.

  “Damn, that’s good…” I grunted through gritted teeth, my hand firmly grasping Lewis’s hair. He hummed around my manhood, making my thighs quiver as he suckled my head into his warm mouth. Past his soft lips, I couldn’t hold back anymore—I let out a faint moan of pure pleasure. “Ahhh… Ohh…”