by Kate Douglas
Anton released his grip on Stefan’s genitals and backed away just as he fell. The wizard’s flaccid penis slipped easily from Stefan’s body. Without a word, Anton turned and left the room.
There was no pain beyond the rhythmic clenching of his muscles in the aftermath of orgasm. No humiliation. No feeling of any kind, other than the knowledge that what had happened had to happen. What Anton had done to him was not meant to humiliate or destroy. No, it had been a lesson. A very graphic lesson, an act of love as much as an act of dominance, a sharing of knowledge that had more than rocked his world.
Stefan raised his head, almost afraid to look at Xandi.
Free now of whatever spell had trapped her, she knelt before him, her knees spread wide, her nether lips pouting and moist. She reached her hand out and touched his shoulder. Stefan felt the link strengthen between them and knew immediately that the knowledge Anton had given him had not been shared. Xandi didn’t know. Still, he sensed compassion, love, need—overwhelming need.
There was no pity. He couldn’t have borne pity. He needed her passion. It was his, not Anton’s. She could have chosen the alpha wolf. She chose Stefan. She needed him. He felt desire rolling off of her in waves of heat, in the racing beat of her heart pounding in his ears, in the ripe, musky scent surrounding her body.
He covered her hand with his, pulled her fingers from his shoulder and kissed them. Then he carefully stretched her out on the thick carpet and knelt between her legs.
She moaned when he covered her labia with his mouth. Arched her back and cried out when his lips suckled her clitoris, then raised her hips to meet his mouth as his tongue swept the weeping walls of her vagina. He licked and suckled, scraping tender flesh with his teeth, lifting her hips with his fingers spread wide across her buttocks.
He found the cleft between her cheeks and probed gently with clasping fingers, lifting and licking, letting his thoughts of love and passion mingle with hers, drawing her closer to him, mentally and physically, until his wolven tongue stretched deeply inside, licked the walls and tissues, covered the sensitive bud, bathed the fleshy lips.
Suddenly her body stiffened. She cried out, a long, low keening wail that reminded him of a wolf’s howl, a desperate, needy cry that turned to choppy, whimpering sighs and pants. He brought her down slowly, steadily, his tongue a silken caress on sensitized flesh. Her thighs quivered, her hands grabbed for his head, his shoulders, stroked his back, fluttered over his scalp, across the tips of his wolven ears.
Finally he knelt over her and drove his cock slowly into her waiting folds. She welcomed him with raised knees and thighs spread wide. He thrust into her once, twice, then buried himself as she climaxed once more.
The clenching, grabbing undulations of her pussy caught his swollen cock, sucked it deep and hard, until his own orgasm burst out of him, the huge knot at the base of his penis slipping through her tight opening, linking them, holding them together.
He felt her thoughts in his mind again, her mental sighs of release, her love, her myriad questions. He lowered himself to one side, their bodies still tied, his cock pulsing in rhythm with her muscular contractions. Her slim arms wrapped around his neck, her face burrowed into the hollow between his neck and shoulder. He heard as much as felt the soft exhalation of moist breath against his muzzle.
He brushed her hair back from her face. Nuzzled her forehead, her lips, the closed lids protecting her eyes. Why didn’t she look at him? The link was gone now. The sense they’d been two bodies with one mind, then a single body, a single mind. Now she closed her eyes and sighed against his throat, and he wondered if she felt shame for him. Felt pity. Regret.
“I love you,” she said. Her lips moved against his throat, and he wanted to weep. “I’m not sure what happened here tonight. I’m not sure I even believe what I saw. But I do love you.”
He couldn’t ask for more. Not now. Later, maybe. Later he would tell her what it meant to be part of the pack. What it meant to be female when the alpha male demanded his rights.
What would happen when Anton decided it was his time to claim Alexandria.
Chapter 6
His clothes were shredded, hers just gone. Xandi sat up and covered her breasts with crossed arms as the door at the far end of the room opened.
“Oliver? What the hell?” Stefan leapt to his feet as the familiar figure of his servant crossed the room carrying two terry-cloth robes. “You’re supposed to be visiting your family. What are you doing here?” He took the robes Oliver offered and handed one to Xandi. She was thankful Stefan stood in front of her, providing some protection from Oliver’s view.
“This is my family, sir.” Oliver refused to meet Stefan’s eyes. Instead he nodded his head and turned away, giving them both privacy to cover themselves. “The Master will explain. First, though, I will show you to your room. Follow me.” On that cryptic note, Oliver directed them to a staircase leading to the upper floors.
At the base of the stairs, Xandi placed her hand on Stefan’s forearm. “Are you okay?”
He laughed. “Other than a really sore ass, you mean?”
“I…” She closed her mouth. Awkward didn’t begin to describe how she felt.
He covered her hand with his own. “It’s okay. There is so much I need to tell you.” His eyes were very bright, his expression almost carefree. “I’m fine. Now.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I know you don’t understand, but what Anton did was inevitable. It makes sense now. Eventually, it will to you, too.”
She hoped so. For now, nothing made sense. She knew she must be in shock. She’d seen an old man turn into a wolf. That was impossible, wasn’t it? But the man she loved was also a wolf. Impossible. There was no such thing as half man, half wolf…yet Stefan walked beside her. Had made love to her.
She should have felt outraged over what was essentially the assault of her lover, yet in the midst of the act, she’d sensed Stefan’s desire, had actually felt his passion, even as he submitted.
She’d been every bit as aroused as Stefan.
Shaking her head, confused and filled with questions, she followed Stefan and Oliver up the stairs.
An hour later, freshly bathed and dressed in a soft, deep red velour pantsuit she’d found waiting for her in the bathroom, Xandi held tightly to Stefan’s arm as they once more followed Oliver. He led them down the stairs and along a wide hallway, to what appeared to be a library on the lower floor.
A man sat in an overstuffed chair by a large window, his face partially hidden in shadow. He was impeccably dressed, his black hair swept back from his forehead and tied in a neat queue at the back of his neck. His elbows rested on the arms of his chair, and his long fingers were steepled in front of his lips. He nodded to Stefan, acknowledging his presence, then smiled at Xandi.
His beauty when he smiled almost took her breath away. It was an ageless beauty she would never have expected from a man capable of doing what he had done to Stefan. Then she’d seen only the predator, the wild eyes and snarling visage of one man showing his supremacy over another. She’d not seen this man, but still, she knew, it was the same person, the wizard Stefan seemed to both love and fear.
Anton greeted them with a reserved nod of his head, the sweep of his hand directing them to a low couch near his chair.
Following Stefan’s lead, Xandi sat close to him on the comfortable couch. “Master.” Stefan inclined his head in greeting, but offered no subservience in his manner. Xandi did, however, sense the respect Stefan held for the other man.
A respect she’d certainly not noticed in him earlier.
“Please introduce me to the lady.” Anton’s eyes, eyes the same unusual shade of amber as Stefan’s, focused directly on Xandi. His voice was deep, melodious. Powerful. Surprisingly, she sensed a subtle link, the same link she’d learned to associate with Stefan. Xandi knew her surprise showed on her face, though she tried to keep her expression under control.
“Master, I would like to introduce Alexandria Olanet.
Alexandria, this is Anton Cheval, the wizard I’ve told you of.” As if the scene in the great room had never occurred, Xandi found herself shaking hands with the wizard. His grip was firm, the flesh warm. He held on, covering her hand with both of his, when she tried to pull away.
“My dear, it is a great pleasure to meet you. I sense your questions, and I understand them. They will all be answered.” He glanced at Oliver, waiting quietly in the doorway. “Wine for my guests, please, Oliver?”
Still holding onto Xandi’s hand, Anton turned his gaze on Stefan. She was surprised by the honest concern in his voice when he said, “I must ask you. Are you all right?”
Stefan dipped his head, this motion a subtle acknowledgment of the other’s superiority. “Yes, Master.”
Anton gave a quick nod, and Xandi realized that, with this brief exchange, the two men had put the morning behind them. Forever. She wondered if she would ever do the same. The image of Anton fucking Stefan, first as a wolf, then as a man—the look of pure animal lust on the faces of both men—no, this would stay with her.
Her pussy clenched, and she closed her eyes, willing her restless body to be still. Anton’s fingers stroked her hand. He tilted his head and looked deeply into her eyes.
He knows. He knows what’s in my mind. She shuddered, aware of a deep pulsing in her vagina, the brushing of the taut points of her erect nipples against the soft velour shirt. Anton looked away, but there was a slight smile on his full lips. A look of satisfaction.
Once more he addressed Stefan. “Does the word Chanku mean anything to you?”
Stefan shook his head. “No. Should it?” He glanced down, as if studying Xandi’s hand, still cupped in Anton’s, then reached over and carefully pried her fingers free of Anton’s grasp. “No disrespect intended, Master.”
“None taken. She is quite beautiful. She is also very special. More special than you realize.”
Oliver entered the room with a chilled bottle of white wine and three long-stemmed glasses.
“Thank you, Oliver. I will pour.” Anton nodded, and the smaller man left the room. “Oliver has been in my employ for almost ten years.”
He paused, as if giving Stefan time to consider the implications. Xandi watched the play of emotions on Stefan’s face, read his understanding and acceptance.
“So, you have watched me all this time?” The corner of his lips curved up in a wolven smile. “At least it explains the map. I wondered how you placed it on my table. I wondered if your powers had grown beyond all understanding.” Stefan took the glass of wine Anton offered him and handed it to Xandi, then took a second for himself. “So, Oliver never was my servant. He was your spy. Why?”
“Because you are Chanku. You are the most powerful one I have been able to find, and I could not risk losing you.” Anton’s eyes blazed, and he took a swallow of his wine, as if to calm himself. “I will explain, something I should have done five years ago, when I confirmed what you were. My only excuse is that I was still learning then. Still trying to understand all the implications.”
Anton paused, set his glass down and clasped his hands in front of him. “There was an ancient race, a wolven race, that coexisted with early humans in the Himalayas, long before the advent of villages and towns, before man began to settle in communities. Legend calls them Chanku, but they no longer exist as the people they once were.”
“What do you mean by wolven? Animals that coexisted with people, the way dogs do now? Or are you talking about werewolves? They don’t exist.” Xandi clutched her wine glass. She already knew Anton’s answer. Sensed exactly where this conversation was going. But why? How should she know? Why should she know the word, the name Chanku?
Know that the Chanku were much more than wolves, much more even than humans?
Anton nodded, and she was certain he read her thoughts. “No, my dear. Not werewolves. Those are mere creatures of myth and legend. Still, I knew you would understand.” He turned to Stefan. “You do as well. However, you are more stubborn than the woman.” He smiled once more at Xandi, and sighed. “He’ll believe me eventually. It’s okay.” When he looked back at Stefan, he was smiling as if he’d just shared a private joke with Xandi.
“The Chanku, like the fabled werewolves, have the power to shift their bodies from human to wolf and back again. In our case, though, it’s nothing paranormal, not supernatural. We don’t need a full moon or any type of spell, nor must we remain under cover of darkness. It’s physical, actually, all based on a small part of the brain near the hypothalamus, an extension of that organ that exists only in the Chanku, an insignificant bit of flesh that without certain nutrients, loses its ability to function.”
He stood up, as if the information spilling out of him controlled his movements. “I discovered the history of the Chanku during my studies of arcane sciences, learned of the grasses once common to the area that is now Tibet, grasses that have the ability to draw certain nutrients from the soil in precise percentages, nutrients perfectly formulated to stimulate this small organ. It, in turn, exerts influence on the functions in the body needed to shift.”
Anton wheeled around and pointed his finger at Stefan. “You thought I turned you into a wolf as punishment for your arrogance. You were only partially correct. I gave you the nutrient in sufficient quantities to allow you to make the shift. You didn’t understand how or why it happened, nor did you understand the changes in your very nature. It frightened you—I frightened you—so you blamed me and left before I could explain. Without the nutrient, you were unable to shift back to human form. It wasn’t your magic that helped your partial shift. It was the residual effect of the nutrient still in your system. Not enough to complete the shift, it left you caught between man and wolf.”
Anton paused in his tirade, took a deep breath and faced Stefan, once more in control. “I frightened you then. I was wrong, but I let my own arrogance get in the way of the truth. I exposed you to your nature without explaining the background that might have allowed you to accept what you were. I won’t make that mistake again. You will stay here. You and Alexandria. You will learn the way of our people. You will both be given proper amounts of the nutrients, and you will find your true selves.”
Stunned, Xandi turned to Stefan. “Selves?” She licked her lips, stared up at Anton, hovering over them. “Selves? I…I don’t understand.”
“Yes, you do. You understand much more than you’re willing to admit.” Anton knelt in front of Xandi and took her chilled hands in both of his. “How do you think Stefan found you? Lost, dying in a blizzard? He sensed you. Sensed a kindred spirit. You carry the genes of the ancient ones. The link when you make love with him?”
Xandi blushed and turned her head. How could he possibly know?
“Don’t hide from me, Alexandria. I felt you. I know you were there, a part of both of us, of both Stefan and myself. When I covered Stefan, when I penetrated his body, what did you feel?”
Xandi blinked. Her eyes stung with unshed tears. How could he know?
“Xandi?” Stefan turned her so that she had to face him. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. If anyone should feel shame, it should be me, for dragging you into this without proper warning. I suspected what might happen with Anton. I wanted it. I should have told you. I am so sorry.” Stefan brushed her hair back from her eyes. “You were there. In my mind, so much a part of the experience that I felt your desire. Your passion.”
“I was there.” Tears were coursing down her cheeks, and she felt the sense of brotherhood, as well as the desire. Desire from both men? It was too much, too powerful. She looked from Stefan to Anton, then back at Stefan, at his beloved wolven features. Looked at him and felt the sense of kindred, of belonging, she’d not known before.
Suddenly the words came tumbling out of her. “I should have been horrified, but I wasn’t. I watched the old servant turn into a wolf, saw the wolf force you to the floor, tear your clothing from your body, and I couldn’t move. It was the wizard’s power holding me ag
ainst the wall, but instead of fear, instead of the horror I expected…oh, Stefan! I was getting so turned on, I could hardly stand it! When he entered you, I felt you inside me—felt your cock filling me. When he shifted to human form, my senses seemed to shift, and I felt Anton’s cock deep inside me, and I didn’t care! Stefan, I didn’t care that another man was fucking me!”
She burst into tears, and Stefan pulled her into his lap. Anton sat back on his heels and brushed her long hair back from her face, his free hand resting on Stefan’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Stefan rubbed his muzzle against her hair. “It’s okay. I think you were supposed to feel this way. Anton? Maybe you need to be more specific. There are things I think I understand, but I’m not sure if I can explain them to Xandi.”
Anton sat close beside them, one hand still on Stefan’s shoulder, the other hand brushing the hair back from Xandi’s face. She found it oddly soothing, comforting, to be curled tightly into Stefan’s lap, yet sharing connections with both men.
“The Chanku are a polyamorous race. I found old writings that corroborate what my instincts tell me are true. We mate for life, but we share our mates within the pack. The alpha male rules by physical domination when necessary, but it’s usually the female who leads the pack, whether in human or wolven form. It’s her decision whom she will take for sexual pleasure, whether it be only one or all the males. Often the women have sexual encounters with other females in their group, though they love one male above all the others. Chanku females can only be impregnated while in wolf form, and then they can choose when to reproduce. I have no idea how that works.”
“How do you know these things?” Xandi took the handkerchief Stefan pressed into her palm and wiped her eyes. “How do I know you’re not just making this up?”