by JC Holly
“So, last thing, and this is the toughie. Comparatively, anyway.”
Darren tensed a little until Paul calmed him, rubbing his chest with his free hand.
“Hey, it’s nothing too bad. They just need to make sure you can defend yourself.”
Darren smiled. “Thank god. I thought it was something serious. With this new strength I can stop a mugger cold, I’m sure.”
Paul coughed. “Uh, no. Sorry. I meant defend yourself against a Were. You and whoever they put you against would be shifted.”
* * * *
Paul felt Darren tense against him a second time as he explained the reasoning.
“I know it sounds scary, but it would be in monitored conditions. They’re not going to have you defend yourself against a random attacker.”
“Oh.” Darren laughed. “I guess that makes sense.”
“Chances are it’ll be one of the enforcers, and there will be no disabling attacks allowed.”
He tensed again. “But there will be attacks? As in with teeth?”
“Yeah. It’s not like they can gauge you on cunning deflections. With wolves it’s all fangs, reflexes, and very little else.”
“Shit.” Darren was quiet for a minute. “So how was yours? Were you hurt?”
Paul shrugged his free shoulder. “I was, yeah. It all healed up fast, though. You have to remember that I was applying to be an enforcer, though. My combat trial was much tougher.”
“So you fought Ethan?”
“No. Avani, and two others.” He smirked at the memory. “I spent half the time running.”
“And that wasn’t frowned upon?”
“Against three wolves?” Paul laughed. “I don’t care who you are or how long you’ve been a Were, if you stand your ground against three wolves, you’re screwed.”
“Not helping.”
Darren groaned and stood up, then began to pace. Paul stood and took his hands, holding him still.
“Look, it’s not as bad as it sounds. We’ll practice until you’re confident, and if you’re still not sure, you don’t have to join.”
Darren smiled. “Thanks. I want to join, though. It’s just that I’ve never been in a fight in my life.”
“Neither had I until I was turned. It’s a lot easier when you’re shifted, trust me. Your instincts are that much closer to the surface. Think about when you’re running as a wolf. How freeing it is.”
“That’s true, certainly.”
Paul grinned and pulled Darren into a hug. “Well, then. What about you and I get naked and then go play in the woods.”
“With fur, or with lube?”
He laughed and squeezed Darren again, surprised at how right it felt despite their short time together. “Fur. Lube comes later if you play nice.”
“Now that’s my kind of incentive.” Darren broke the embrace and headed to the kitchen. “You’ll be the first guest in my shed.”
“I’m honored.”
Paul followed Darren into the kitchen and tried to keep his mind on the present, rather than the fact that he had just agreed to kill a man for Gabriel. Of course, he had no intention of going through with it, and was only following Ethan’s plan, but that didn’t reduce the risks involved. Only changed them. Instead of killing a stranger, he’d be tracking the man’s movements to keep up the pretense, then trying to find a way to warn the man without Gabriel getting wind.
At the very least, Gabriel finding out would mean he’d likely be hunted by his pack. At the worst, Gabriel would take the fight to Ethan’s pack, and the more Paul thought about it, there was a chance that was Gabriel’s plan all along. He didn’t even want to think about that.
“Are you coming?”
Paul snapped out of his musings to find Darren standing by the open door, an amused look on his face. “Sorry, my mind wandered. Show me your shed.”
They stepped out into the back yard of Darren’s home. Paul took a lungful of fresh, crisp air while Darren locked up, then followed him to the shed.
It was smaller than Paul remembered, though that was probably because the last time he was close to it, he was on all fours. The shed was a basic model that Darren had probably picked up flat packed at a hardware store, but it served its purpose well enough. Darren opened the door, and Paul stepped in first.
“Hey, this isn’t too bad,” he said, genuinely impressed.
It was big enough for the two of them to shift in, though only just. Shelves on each wall held the usual shed-type items. Jars of screws and nails, some tools, a small amount of gardening equipment. To the untrained eye, it just looked like a regular shed. As he stepped farther inside to allow room for Darren, he clumped over a hollow-sounding piece of wooden floor.
“That’s where the tunnel is,” Darren said as he closed and locked the door. “Use the knot hole to open it.”
Paul did as he was told, revealing a wide and dark hole. “Good job I’m neither claustrophobic nor afraid of the dark.”
“Eh, you get used to it anyway.” Darren lifted another wooden hatch and dropped his house key into a box contained beneath. “Now get your clothes off, stud.”
Paul smirked and shrugged out of his clothes, placing them in a neat pile in the corner, then placed Darren’s on top once he was out of them. He straightened then rolled his shoulders.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d rather look in the opposite direction as we shift. It’s not a pretty process, as I’m sure you’re aware.”
Darren smiled and turned, too. “I was about to say the same thing. See you on the other side.”
Paul let out a long breath and let the change fall over him. The pain radiated through his core and spread to every inch of his body. It had lessened through the years, but he doubted it would ever be truly painless. He put it out of his mind and concentrated on his heightening senses instead, and before he knew it, he was done.
He turned at a small yelp to find Darren was done, too. No doubt his shifts were still excruciating. Poor guy. He made a mental note to tell him once they’d shifted back that the pain eased.
Darren moved in close and licked Paul’s face. Paul chuffed a laugh in response, then nuzzled his head into Darren’s neck. Darren sat back on his haunches, then nodded to the hatch. Paul took the hint and headed down. He was a larger wolf than Darren, but the tunnel was just large enough. He scrambled out the other end and moved to the side, still under the bush, then chuffed again to let Darren know he was out of the way. He appeared a moment later, dirt in his slick coat.
As one, they took in the scents and sounds of the cold night, then, Paul leading, headed out to the trees. Paul went slow at first, enjoying his surroundings and adapting to the lack of light, but when Darren came alongside him and nudged his shoulder playfully, Paul sped up. Darren matched him, and within a few seconds they were both sprinting along the old walking trail, yipping and barking in excitement. Paul kept an eye out for walkers, but he needn’t have bothered. They ran for what felt like an hour and saw nobody.
By the time they stopped underneath a great old tree, Paul was panting hard. He turned to look at Darren to find he was barely out of breath. The guy who bit him must have been a hell of a Were. Assuming that Darren wasn’t a complete klutz when it came to fighting, he was a shoo-in for joining the pack.
Paul took in another deep breath through his nose to check the area. Gabriel had said he’d leave Darren alone, but his word was hardly something you could take to the bank. The guy was as slippery as the day was long. Still, there were no familiar scents.
He turned to the side to find Darren staring straight at him, though he turned away once Paul noticed. Paul stepped forward and nudged Darren with his head, then licked the side of his face. Darren chuffed in response and danced away. Paul followed, moving in close again to try and do the same a second time. Darren moved fast enough to dodge this time, but Paul faked a move to the left then went right and planted his tongue on the wolf’s nose. Again, Darren chuffed in laughter and darted aw
ay. Paul followed. It wasn’t exactly combat training, but it taught the basic rule, don’t let the other guy close. I can step it up to something more complex once the premise is down.
Dawn was only a few hours away by the time they gave up and headed back home. Darren had soon got the hang of dodging Paul’s movements, and by the end had even managed to plant a few licks himself. His reactions were exceptional for a Were so new, and it put Paul’s mind at rest. Even if he decided against joining Ethan’s pack for some reason, he had the skills to look after himself.
Once they were in the shed and pulling on their clothes again, Darren leant over as if to whisper in Paul’s ear, then licked his face. “Gotcha.”
Paul burst out laughing and faked a growl. “I’ll get you back for that.”
“Yeah?” Darren flexed and struck a pose. “Think you can take me?”
“In every sense of the word.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m only interested in one of them.”
“I bet I can guess which one.”
* * * *
Paul led Darren upstairs toward the bedroom, and Darren was more than happy to follow. Despite aching from the night spent playing, not to mention the shifting, he was more focused on another ache. The one in his already-hard cock.
Paul waited at the top of the stairs, a smile on his lips. As Darren neared, Paul gestured to the bed.
“Clothes off again, then lay on your back.”
Darren did as he was told and got into position in the middle of the bed, his arms behind his head so he could watch Paul. Paul stepped into the room and came over to the bed, climbing up beside Darren, then leaning in to kiss him on the mouth. With one hand he caressed Darren’s cheek, and with the other he trailed down his stomach.
Darren jumped in surprise as Paul’s fingers twirled in his pubic hair, so close to his cock but not quite touching. He deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue against Paul’s lips until they parted. As his tongue probed, he let his hands do the same, moving to Paul’s shirt as he unfastened the buttons and then slid his hands underneath and around Paul’s waist.
Paul’s hand drifted up Darren’s bare chest to his hard nipples, pinching the sensitive flesh. Darren gasped into the kiss, then restrained a frown as Paul pulled away.
“I figured it was long past your turn,” he said with a smile.
Paul’s lips met Darren’s nipple and he kissed softly, before moving across to the other. His hands moved to Darren’s waist, caressing his skin as his lips moved lower, not leaving an inch of skin untouched until he reached Darren’s navel.
His hands came down to rest on Darren’s hips, and before he could take a breath to prepare himself, Paul’s lips were on his cockhead.
“Fuck,” he said.
Paul grinned in reply, then drew a lazy figure eight on the tip with his tongue, before licking the length of Darren’s cock, stopping at his balls. “You did so well with mine, I thought I’d do the same with yours.”
“You’ll get no complaints,” Darren muttered, his eyes half-lidded.
Paul laughed, then ran his tongue back up Darren’s cock, before taking the first couple of inches into his mouth. Slowly he drew back up, then slid farther down, taking more cock into his mouth. Darren shuddered at the sensation, his hands clenching the bedspread. He’d never expected to get anything more than a hand job from Paul. After all, he was a big burly top. Not that he would have complained, given what he could do with his cock, of course.
“Don’t stop,” Darren murmured.
Paul sped a little and went even deeper until his nose brushed against Darren’s belly. He tried not to laugh as it tickled, and instead focused on making the moment last. It wouldn’t last forever, though. He was too damn horny.
Almost as soon as he’d thought that, a familiar urge began to build, and he clenched his fists even tighter. Paul noticed and pulled off Darren’s cock, smiling.
“Get on all fours,” he said. “I want us to come together.”
Darren did as he was told and shifted into position as Paul jumped off the bed to strip and grab lube. He reappeared a moment later, his firm grip on Darren’s hips as he lifted him into a better position. The cap of the lube bottle flipped open, and Darren flinched as the cold liquid dripped into his ass. The cap flipped shut again, and the bottle fell onto the bed. Darren relaxed, remembering how big Paul had felt last time, and let out a long breath.
“Ready?” Paul said, softly.
“Less talking, more fucking.”
Paul chuckled and pushed his cock against Darren’s ass. “You’re the boss.”
Paul increased the pressure slowly until his cockhead slid inside Darren. Darren groaned at the heady mixture of pleasure and pain, relaxing further to let Paul further in. Paul responded by pushing, his cock moving in what felt like a least a few inches. He withdrew again, going slow while Darren adjusted.
“You feel unbelievable,” Paul muttered as he worked. “Perfect.”
Darren pushed back against Paul, hinting that he was good to go, and Paul took the hint. He pushed farther inside, filling Darren’s ass with his huge cock. At the same time, Darren felt Paul’s hand quest up his side, then around his body until fingers wrapped around his cock.
“Fuck,” Darren said with a moan.
“I said we’d come together,” Paul said, matching the speed and motion of both his hand and cock. “I meant it.”
For the longest time they maintained their steady rhythm. As Paul pushed forward, Darren pushed back to deepen the stroke, and vice versa when Paul pulled away. He didn’t want it to end. Unlike last time, neither was in a hurry. Every thought and worry Darren had had earlier fled from his mind, leaving only the here and now, and the sensations that came with it.
After what felt like an age, Paul’s breathing began to deepen, and Darren realized his own had become ragged, too. The movements began to speed as he felt an orgasm building. Paul’s hand on his cock gripped a little tighter and moved faster, and his own thrusts into Darren sped, too. Darren reciprocated with his own thrusts, and they built further in speed.
The orgasm hit like a wave, and Darren cried out as he came hard. Paul kept working his cock, draining it of every drop before moving to hold Darren’s waist with both hands as he railed his ass. Darren groaned as Paul’s cock slammed into him again and again, going faster than he thought possible. Again and again, Paul’s cock slid in and out of him, the strokes so long that Darren thought he’d pull out by mistake. Just when Darren thought he’d never stop, Paul pulled out and almost roared as he came hard, the hot ropes of cum hitting Darren’s back.
“Sorry about that,” Paul said, breathing hard. “I wanted us to come together.”
Darren laughed. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Besides, it just means we get to try again.”
“Again?”
“Well, in half an hour or so.”
Paul grinned. “I think I can manage that.”
Chapter Eleven
Paul was the first to wake the next morning, and managed to extricate himself from Darren’s sleeping embrace and creep out of bedroom without waking him. He smiled to himself as he padded down the stairs. Last night had been wonderful. The best he had in a long time. And he wasn’t just thinking about the sex.
It had been so long since he’d been with someone that he’d connected with so fully. They shared a sense of humor, had similar interests, and, yes, had great sex. And since Darren was a Were, they could discuss that, too. Even if Darren decided against joining the pack, Paul had no plans to walk away from the relationship. He’d be a fool to even think it.
All of the coffee cups were perched on the rack in the dishwasher, unwashed. He pulled two out and washed them in the sink, then set the coffee machine while he pulled out a frying pan and opened the fridge. He’d just finished the bacon and eggs when Darren appeared in the doorway, a bemused smile on his face.
“That settles it,” he said as he sat at the table. “I’m keeping you.
”
Paul grinned. “That a fact?”
“Yup. You have no say in the matter.”
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t disagree.” He put a plate and coffee in front of Darren. “I’ve got to run out first, but do you want to try some training later?”
Darren sipped his coffee, then nodded. “Sounds good. I’m not exactly looking forward to it, but I know I’m in good hands.”
“The best. You’ll do fine. Your reflexes are that of an experienced wolf, if last night’s lick fest was anything to go off.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ll be able to stay the hell away from the other guy’s teeth, at the very least.”
“And get a few snaps in before they get chance to move away. A few minutes of that and Ethan will be satisfied that you can look after yourself.”
They sat and ate their breakfast in a pleasant silence, then Paul announced that he had to leave. Darren frowned.
“Is this about Gabriel?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Is it dangerous?”
Paul considered it for a moment, before shaking his head. “No. Just picking something up. I have to play along for a time.”
“Play along with what? You haven’t told me what’s going on yet.”
He sighed. “You’re right, I haven’t. When I get back later, we’ll discuss it.” And maybe you’ll never want to see me again.
* * * *
Paul found Gabriel’s folder waiting for him on the passenger seat of his truck. He was certain he’d locked it last night. There was no sign of forced entry, either, but there were more than a few ways of breaking into a truck unnoticed.
He ignored the folder for the time being and waved to Darren then pulled out of his drive and headed back to his own place. Ideally he’d head to Ethan and share the details immediately, but Gabriel would certainly have someone watching him. It wasn’t worth the risk. Instead, he’d have to study the folder himself, then find a way of getting the information to the club without anyone realizing what he was doing.