by Sy Walker
“Mostly," Quinn said, trying to walk on his ankle and nearly collapsing from the pain.
“Looks like you had a hard fall," Brandon said, his dark eyes boring into Quinn's.
Quinn was tempted to say that yes, he had fallen hard for Brandon, but he didn't think that kind of a flirtation would fly well. And besides, even if he was bold, he was in no mood to be flirting. Brandon's eyes narrowed, and he approached Quinn, offering him support from his wounded ankle. His strong arms were warm around Quinn's cold back, and Brandon had to think fast about where to take him to examine his wounds. Fortunately, he knew just the place.
“There is this cabin a few minutes away from here, nobody really uses it this time of year. It's for random hikers to settle in. I think that we should go there and take a look at that. It'll be fine, no mountain lions can get in.”
Brandon laughed, but deep down, he was terrified and concerned for Quinn. If he hadn't heard Quinn's cry of pain, or smell the fear in the air, Quinn could've been a goner. And it would've been Brandon's fault for leaving him alone in the forest. He had been too careless. They walked side-by-side for a few minutes until they reached the cabin. Brandon opened the door and led Quinn inside, lowering him gently down onto a large sofa. Brandon gently removed Quinn's boots, and Quinn watched him, his green eyes dancing wondrously as the attentive, gorgeous man tended to him. This wasn't where he thought the night would go. It was nice to see Brandon being soft for once, instead of running toward whatever danger might lay ahead of him.
“Hold tight for a second, I'm going to get you some water for that.”
As Brandon walked toward the kitchen, whistling, Quinn's eyes roamed the man's body. For some reason, he had taken his shirt off sometime throughout the night, and now his muscular back was descending away from Quinn, sculpted and beautiful, almost like the statues that Quinn would stare at when he went to the museum. He tried to shake the thought away before Brandon returned with a bag of ice and a towel.
“Those clothes of yours are all muddy now. You should probably take them off,” Brandon said, not realizing how sexual it sounded until it was out of his mouth. He laughed nervously, and Quinn's green eyes fixed on him intently.
“That would make sense," Quinn said softly, his eyes lowering to his hands.
“I'm really sorry that I ditched you like that," Brandon said.
“I understand, I'm sorry too," Quinn said.
“I was really worried about you, when I heard you cry out like that. I'm really glad that nothing happened. It's just that –“suddenly Brandon wanted to tell Quinn everything. Everything about himself. He didn't want to have any secrets anymore. He wanted to be seen. He wanted somebody to talk about the stress of his life with. Somebody who cared about the wolves enough to risk his life after dark to find them. Somebody like Quinn.
“Listen Brandon, I have something I should tell you. I don't really know how to say it, I haven't really said it to myself yet. But I think that I'm falling for you.”
Brandon was startled, and looked into Quinn's eyes, realizing that he was much braver than he gave him credit for. He had faced the mountain lion alone, and now he was also facing his own demons. The fact that Quinn was taking the plunge and being brave first almost made Brandon cry. The man was just so beautiful and so sincere, there was nobody he wanted more to be his Omega mate, and maybe one day bare his wolf pups. The only way that could happen was if Brandon was honest too.
“I have a secret too," Brandon whispered. He looked into Quinn's eyes and held his hands firmly, terrified that he would ruin everything for himself and his people if he told the wrong person, but it was burning there in his chest, and Brandon wasn't the kind of person who listens to his fears. He did whatever he wanted in the moment and dealt with the consequences later. It was time for him to follow his instincts about Quinn.
“You can tell me anything," Quinn said softly, holding Brandon's hands in his own.
“It's not really something I can tell you, it's something that I have to show you."
Quinn watched curiously as Brandon stood up from the big sofa and turned to face him. His eyes softened as he stared at Quinn, and then finally a bright light flashed and Brandon's perfectly sculpted body began to glow and transform. Quinn watched in disbelief as Brandon contorted, until he was in the shape of a great black wolf – the same wolf that had left all those tracks, Quinn suddenly realized, and the same wolf who had saved him from the mountain lion.
“But – but how?” Quinn asked, shaking his head in disbelief and standing up to approach Brandon. “You're just so... so beautiful!”
Quinn's eyes were brimming with tears, both confused, and frightened, and awe-struck. He reached a shaking hand out to Brandon's head and Brandon nudged it, encouraging Quinn to give him a long, loving stroke. Brandon transformed again, shifting back into his human self, and Quinn watched with his mouth agape as his whole, naked body appeared before him.
“I'm so sorry. I had to protect my pack. That's why I'm part of the Forest Service, there's no other way to make sure they will be safe. I didn't want to mislead you but, their lives are at stake. Nobody can know about us, Quinn. If they do...”
Quinn's eyes suddenly lit up with understanding.
“I see, yes that would be a disaster,” he said softly, almost to himself, as he thought about all of the torture and experimentation beautiful people like Brandon would have to endure. “I won't tell a soul.”
Brandon peered into Quinn's eyes, and knew that he meant it. Quinn touched Brandon's hand gently, gripping it reassuringly, and then longingly. Brandon could see the pleading in his eyes and touched his cheek with his hand. They embraced, Brandon standing and Quinn on the couch. Quinn's head was pressed firmly into Brandon's navel, and Brandon shuddered as Quinn covered his abdomen with unexpected, soft kisses. He could feel himself harden against Quinn's chest, and Quinn felt it too. He looked up at Brandon with twinkling eyes and let his hand loop around Brandon's back, touching every inch of him as he lowered his face and brought his hot lips gently around the sensitive head of Brandon's penis.
Brandon threw his head back and moaned, running his hands through Quinn's thick golden hair as he began to suck gently, sending tendrils of unbearable pleasure throughout Brandon's body. The raw masculine power of Brandon's body began to crave a takeover, and he shifted power into his own hands, tugging Quinn's shirt off and gently pulling away from the blissful pleasure of his lips to carefully remove the rest of his clothes. Brandon lifted Quinn off the couch, and carried him into a rustic bedroom, laying him gently onto his stomach on the bed and pressing the weight of his body on top of him. Quinn shuddered in anticipation as he felt the intensity of Brandon's longing pressing against his ass. Suddenly, Quinn's erection was in Brandon's hands as he continued pressing hard into him. Quinn came quickly with a blush, wetting Brandon's hands. Brandon grinned and used the semen as a lubricant, rubbing his member with it and sliding himself deep inside of Quinn.
They both groaned in pleasure, and Brandon unleashed the animal inside, wildly making love to Quinn until they were both breathless and sweating. He tensed up, his muscles contracting with the intensity of his desire, until finally, Quinn shuddered with another powerful orgasm and Brandon couldn't help but join in his climax, an explosion of pure ecstasy flooding inside of Quinn, giving them both the most intense sexual encounter either had ever experienced.
Brandon collapsed onto the bed beside Quinn, showering him with tender kisses and scooping him into his strong arms. Quinn sighed blissfully, his body buzzing with satisfaction. Is this what he had been so afraid of? He made a vow to himself never to be so scared of his own instincts again, and nuzzled his perfect, unique lover, who had already fallen asleep, and seemed to be dreaming about running on all fours. Quinn laughed softly. It would take some getting used to, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Epilogue
Quinn had been nervous about meeting the pack for the first time, but since he and Brandon
had been together for three months, Brandon had decided it was time. Plus, they had a special announcement to make. Quinn dressed nervously, settling on a sweater and jeans that made him feel like a laid back professor rather than a biologist. Either way, Brandon's pack wouldn't care how he dressed.
“Are you ready?” Brandon asked, his handsome face recently shaven.
“Yeah,” Quinn said finally, giving himself one last, nervous peek in the mirror.
“You're going to be fine,” Brandon said, wrapping him up in his strong arms and kissing him warmly. It was reassuring, but it didn't fully settle Quinn's stomach.
“We're going to be meeting in the forest,” Brandon said. “So wear the right shoes.”
Quinn laughed. When other gay couples talked about wearing the right shoes, he was sure this wasn't what any of them had in mind.
They finally made it to the area where Brandon's pack was staying, and Quinn stepped forward nervously. Some of them were in wolf form, while others were in their human form. Brandon shifted and stood in front of them all, a little protectively, to give them a sense of security. Quinn was surprised that he recognized a couple other people from the Forest Service, and he waved to them with a smile. They bowed their heads in greeting and suddenly, a woman was standing in front of him.
“No way!” she exclaimed.
“No way what?” Quinn asked, confused.
“Pups,” she breathed to the rest of them. “They're having pups!”
The crowd gathered around Quinn, sniffing and licking and tugging playfully at him. Brandon grinned proudly at his omega mate, and Quinn laughed as the crowd tickled and greeted him affectionately. He had known he was going to parent Brandon's pups for a while now, and now that everybody else knew it too, he was truly accepted as a member of the pack. He suddenly realized that this was the best way he could have ever found the wolves he was looking for. He wouldn't have had it any other way.
The End
SECRET OF THE WOLF
Chapter 1
“Honey, have you seen my –”
Mack Johnson pushed the bedroom door open, hoping that Lance had been able to find his contacts. He had a big presentation to do at the office and didn’t want to go in without them. He’d thought they were in his desk, but had to run home when he realized that they weren’t.
What met his eyes when he opened the door was worse than anything he could have imagined. Lance was in their bed, bent over for another man. Someone Mack vaguely recognized from the bar they had been drinking in the night before.
“What the hell is this?!” Mack exclaimed, slamming the door shut on the scene. He could hear Lance scramble to retrieve clothes from the floor.
“It’s not what it looks like!” Lance cried, his voice muffled through the door.
“Like hell,” Mack grumbled, grabbing his car keys and heading out the door.
“Don’t leave; we can talk about this!” Lance was saying, struggling to open the door. His hands must have been slippery. Lubed up from his affair. Mack growled to himself and went outside, slamming the door behind him.
He climbed into the front seat of his luxury sports car and backed out of the driveway. In a way, the end of their relationship seemed fitting. Mack had been questioning the validity of his lifestyle for the past few months, realizing that he wasn’t as happy as he thought he should be. It seemed that he was living the dream; a successful man in the corporation he worked for, quickly moving up the ladder and rubbing elbows with the elite. He had a gorgeous car, a beautiful home on the coast and a boyfriend nobody could take their eyes off of. But the reality was that he’d never been more depressed in his life.
All day long he had to keep up appearances. He had to pretend he was thrilled to see people he barely tolerated, working for a company that didn’t line up with his personal moral values. They were going to be tearing down a forest in a conservation area in the Joshua Tree National Park, an area where Mack had spent many pleasurable childhood vacations. The spot the company was targeting had been set aside so that endangered wolves might have a chance to thrive again and increase their populations. But the plan he was supposed to propose was the most efficient way to wreck that for the wolves.
When Mack approached the exit he was supposed to take to work, he had a brief moment of contemplation before he passed it altogether. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed as he was halted for a traffic jam going the opposite direction from the company. His boss picked up, surprised that Mack’s number had shown up on his line.
“Hey, champ,” Eddie said to him, oozing the ass-kissing “team spirit” that Mack couldn’t stand. He was good at playing into it though, which was apparent by the way he had moved up so quickly.
“Hey…you know, I was thinking about the project and I decided it’s really fucked up what you plan to do with the conservation lands. I know this was supposed to be hush-hush, but I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. My next call will be to the newspaper. You can’t do this. Got me, champ? I quit.”
The line was quiet and Mack hung up the phone, feeling better than he had in years. Maybe this was what he had needed all along. A sign to wake up and do something about the life he was living and couldn’t stand. He was going to make sure that he was living for himself from now on. No more settling.
Chapter 2
The gravel crackled under his tires as Mack pulled into Joshua Tree National Park. It was a place he remembered fondly from his childhood, before his life had been complicated by dreams of his ideal life in LA. While he’d been able to make those dreams a reality, it hadn’t been quite the experience he had been hoping for. He felt emptier than he had in years and didn’t know where he had gone wrong.
On the way, he had stopped at a sporting goods store and bought everything he would need to sleep under the stars. While he was at it, he had cancelled Lance’s credit cards and withdrawn everything he’d contributed to their joint savings account. Lance was just a pretty face. He would make money here and there doing modeling, but Mack had been the real breadwinner. He would send someone by to sell the house later, and kick Lance out while he was at it. Even pretty boys had consequences for being louses.
Mack pushed thoughts of Lance aside and gazed up at the mountains in admiration. He had forgotten how beautiful they were. It was as if he had been seeking this experience in the mountains in everything he had accumulated in LA. Why had he been so stubborn? So ready to throw everything away for a chance to live in the hustle and bustle of the city, thinking that if he kept trying, eventually he would be somebody. Whether he recognized that person or not didn’t matter, just so long as he was able to call himself a success.
Maybe success can’t be measured the way I thought.
The realization made Mack sigh out loud. It didn’t matter how successful he was if he didn’t feel happy. As far as he was concerned, nobody could call themselves a success unless they could sleep well at night. And working for Eddie’s company wasn’t cutting it. He was tired of the pretention and arrogance of everybody who was trying too hard to define success the way everybody else did. It was time to start living for himself.
Mack parked and locked his car, hefting his huge backpack onto his shoulders. It was already getting pretty late. He would set up camp, and then head up the mountain in the morning. He had gone mountain climbing with his father long ago and considered calling him to say hello. The old man would probably never guess where he was in that moment. He had assumed Mack would never head out to the great outdoors on his own. Maybe that was Mack’s fault for never telling him how much those ventures meant to him.
Mack considered this as he set up camp. Once he had a roaring fire going and had roasted some hotdogs, he picked up his cell phone. Once he headed into the mountains, he wouldn’t have another chance to use it.
“Hey, Dad.”
Chapter 3
Mack awoke under the stars, startled by the feeling that he was not alone. He sat up, thirsty and with a heavy bladder, and pe
ered into the darkness. A pair of glowing, golden eyes were staring at him, before turning silently and disappearing into the inky darkness of the forest. Mack’s heart began to hammer in his chest as he realized that he had just encountered a wolf.
He was too nervous to get up again and cowered in his sleeping bag, falling back into an uneasy sleep until daylight. He stood up and stretched, feeling refreshed. He had definitely made the right decision. He was already feeling much better. He was excited to go hiking. The great outdoors had revitalized his spirit. And that was exactly what he needed.
Mack packed up his things and slung his bag over his shoulder. He wanted to do some rock climbing. It had been a while, but he figured it would be like riding a bike. He was still fit, and had managed to keep in shape at the gym, so there was really nothing to worry about.
He headed excitedly toward the mountain, considering whether to leave his backpack at the base or take it with him. He worried he might forget where he put his supplies, and survival would be pretty difficult without them, so he strapped it securely to his back and headed on his way.
Things were going well until he arrived halfway up the mountain. Exhausted, he had hoped to reach the plateau to get a drink of water. Mack’s arms trembled with fatigue, but he couldn’t rest yet. He forced himself to continue upward to the area he knew he would be safe to take a break. It would have been fine, had he left his cumbersome backpack behind, but the extra weight threw him off-balance and he lost his grip on the rock.