The Pack or the Panther

by Tara Lain

  Marketo pointed at the papers lying on the stand. “What we have here is a marriage agreement between Pack Harker and Pack Marketo. The two packs agree to an alliance.” A lot of pack members started to cheer and clap. Marketo nodded and smiled then motioned for silence.

  “This agreement says that the alliance will be both symbolized and realized by a marriage between the two clans. In this case, of course, that will be a marriage between my only daughter, the Alphanta Analiese—” More cheering. She nodded but didn’t smile. “—and Pack Leader Harker’s only son, the Alphanta Cole.” He paused while the Harker Pack bellowed. “The alliance is agreed upon by this document but will not be finalized until the legal marriage contract is signed. However, it is in motion!” He gave another flourish and handed a pen to Cole.

  The whole place erupted in cheers and applause.

  Cole stared down at the paper. All he could see were years of that stiff back and pretended civility and back-alley liaisons. His stomach turned.

  “Yay, Cole.” Someone cheered and Cole looked out at the laughing, applauding wolves and let their needs wash over him. For them. Not for him. It was his duty. Deep breath. He leaned over the document, glanced at it with a legal eye though he knew exactly what it said, and signed his name.

  When the chips were down, he’d chosen pack.

  He turned to Analiese. She was trying. He could see her body shaking but probably none of the pack members could. She took the pen from him and stepped to the stand. She laid her hand holding the pen on the paper—and froze. Her blue eyes got wide. Deer in headlights came to mind. Marketo stepped closer to the stand with a big smile and made a show of putting his hand on the paper to hold it in place as she signed. Cole also saw his very pointed look.

  Like automatic writing, her hand moved. Cole glanced down. She’d signed A. P. Marketo. And that was that. A promise was made. His life as a gay man was over, or at least seriously compromised. Someday he’d get over the nausea.

  Marketo held up the pen grandly and stepped back with a wave of his arm to Cole. The message was clear. Take the floor and inspire them.

  Cole felt his eyes widen. Shit. Landon hadn’t told Marketo that Cole’s oratory couldn’t inspire a raccoon.

  Cotton bloomed in his mouth like the fields of Tara. He could try thinking of them all in their underwear like they always told people who were afraid of speaking. Except most of these wolves didn’t wear underwear, and he’d already seen a lot of them naked.

  Eyes. Eyes all over the room stared at him. Some looked compassionate. Some Harker wolves knew he was a man of few words and suspected his fear. But the Marketos looked expectant and a little challenging. Show us something.

  He opened his mouth. “Uh, uh….” He swallowed. “I, uh….”

  Oh God. He would vomit.

  That voice like honeyed chocolate came from behind him. “I think Cole is shy of expressing his feelings at a milestone such as this. So perhaps he’ll let me share the thoughts he told me earlier.” The golden gaze leveled at Cole, and his beautiful lips curved in a small smile.

  What the fuck had he told the cat earlier? Nothing. Hell. But no way was he getting words out of this Sahara of a throat, so whatever the feline said would be better than this. He nodded.

  Paris stepped to the center of the circle. All the eyes moved to him. Who wouldn’t watch him?

  “Cole said that even though he just met my sister, he already feels a great kinship with her. They’re both alphanta and value the well-being of the pack above all things.” The crowd murmured. Approval for sure. “At the same time, he knows of her exceptional personal gifts—her intelligence, talent, charm. And he knows what a great partnership they can have sharing their skills and passions on behalf of the new alliance.” That brought a cheer. Cole didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. All he wanted to do was listen to that silky tenor.

  Paris put on a small smile. Naughty schoolboy. Devastating. “And then he whispered to me that she was a pretty gorgeous female with a seriously, hmmm, hot body and he was going to be the envy of every wolf on both sides of the Atlantic. I know I should have beaten him up for leering at my sister, but he does outweigh me by a hundred pounds.” He stared at Cole with wide eyes, grinned, and a huge wolf howl went up from the group. Paris laughed as they calmed down. “Altogether, he thinks he’s a pretty lucky wolf.”

  What had the guy done? Saved his fucking ass, that’s what. Why? No idea. Maybe to make sure the pack didn’t think Marketo had made a bad deal?

  Cole breathed deeply and cleared his throat. “Uh, couldn’t have said that better myself.” Man, was that the truth. Cole grabbed Analiese’s limp hand and reached toward the ceiling. Everyone cheered. The pack leaders beamed. Home effing free thanks to one confusing cat.

  Chapter Four

  Keep moving. Keep moving. Get as far away from that pack of wolves as possible.

  Paris walked five steps and paused, then took two more slow steps and stopped in the middle of the parking lot. Yes, he wanted to get away, but his skin was on fire, his balls too full, and his damned cock had taken up a permanent half-mast condition. That’s because there was one wolf he didn’t want to get away from at all.

  Move, feline. Thou shalt not covet thy sister’s gay fiancé. He took two more steps.

  Merde. The wolf was gay. What were these insane canines doing marrying a gay male to his sister? How to wreck both their lives in one easy step.

  “Hey!”

  The big voice came from behind him. He didn’t even have to look. He already had goose bumps on his prick. He turned slowly.

  Cole, the ridiculously sexy werewolf, walked toward him. Dear God, look at that. He must be six four or more. Powerful but not bulky, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His face would have been classically handsome, chiseled like some movie star, if it weren’t surrounded by the thick silver mane that screamed “wolf.” And, of course, the eyes. Humans had to feel how supernatural he was, even if they didn’t have a clue that werewolves existed. Paris understood that “otherness” down to the ground. It made you special. It made you alone.

  Cole stopped a few paces away. Good, because Paris was likely to bite.

  “Hey, I didn’t know if I’d see you again and I wanted to say thanks for, uh, you know.”

  Paris laughed. He was cute. “Saving your hot ass?”

  “Uh, yeah. I mean, not hot, but bailing me out.” He cocked his handsome head. “Why did you do it?”

  “You were tongue-tied. I couldn’t let you just stand there and wither.”

  The lights from a car passing on the highway reflected off Cole’s silver eyes. And Cole probably saw the gold in his.

  Cole narrowed those eyes. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why couldn’t you let me wither?”

  Well, that was a helluva question. “No idea.”

  Cole looked down at his feet and shuffled a little. “I guess you’re a Marketo too and want to see the alliance work.”

  Paris shrugged. “I don’t care shit about the alliance. I think it’s a recipe for disaster to marry my sister off to a gay husband.”

  “But the pack—”

  “Ah, there you see. I detest big piles of furry wolves.” He cocked his head. “You know what I am?”

  “Yes.”

  “My father told you?”

  “I smelled you first, then he told me how you happened to have been born.”

  Paris raised an eyebrow. “Ah. Happened to have been born. A fitting appraisal for a freak of nature.”

  Cole frowned. “I didn’t mean that. Hell, you’re a phenomenon more than a freak.”

  Paris gave a little twirl like a ballet dancer. “Ah yes, I like that much more.”

  “But you’re still half wolf.”

  “Yes, and I wish wolves well, but all of them together give me the heebie-jeebies.” He laughed. “As a small child, I shifted early and turned straight to panther. That’s when my father decided I’d better n
ot grow up with the pack and sent me to school. I came home on holidays but never spent much time with the pack. Most of them don’t even know what I am.”

  “So you grew up with humans?”

  He blew out his breath. “Yes. I had no one to show me how to be a panther. There aren’t many panther shifters on this continent. But instincts are wonderful. Besides, you don’t have to learn a lot to be alone.” Hell, this line of discussion was not sexy at all. “I live my panther life away from all that wolfiness.”

  “So we’re back to the question. If pack means so little to you, and you think this marriage is ridiculous, why did you bail me out?”

  Paris took a step forward and Cole stepped back. He smiled. Scaredy wolf. “I suppose it could have something to do with the fact that I wouldn’t mind a big pile of wolf at all if it was you on top of me.”

  Cole’s silvery eyes widened. “You’re gay.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes, but I’m sure you already knew that. With your famous sense of smell, can’t you detect my attraction to you?”

  Cole’s head kind of moved in a circle. “No, uh, kind of. I’m not used to cat smell. It throws me off.”

  “Do you find it unappealing? My smell?”

  “Uh, no, not really.”

  Paris stalked forward two more steps. Cole mirrored the move backward. Paris laughed. “If we keep this up, we’ll be back in the meeting hall, dancing.” He stuck out a hip. Teasing this wolf was just too much fun. “You can lead.” He took another step.

  Cole stood his ground but held up a hand. “This is weird. I just got engaged to your sister.”

  “Surely you’re not planning on being faithful to a person to whom you’re not even attracted?”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know.” The pup was damned confused. He shook his head. “I’m not the unfaithful type.”

  Well that was a little spike to the heart. The boy told the truth. This was a big, honest, faithful, true creature. Why in the hell was Paris attracted to him? He didn’t do earnest. “Nature’s a bitch. If there was any justice in the world, you’d be straight and irresistible to Analiese and the two of you would live happily ever after.”

  Cole nodded and looked quickly at his feet.

  Were those tears behind his luminous eyes? Damn, the guy was sweet. Still, this was not an amusement park ride.

  Paris crossed his arms. “But the fact is, you’re gay. Sex with my sister is not going to do it for you, and I seriously doubt that you’re made of celibate stuff.” Paris walked closer and Cole stared. “So why not keep it in the family? I’ll be happy to drop these Armani trousers right here, bend myself over that available tree branch, and show that cock of yours where it was meant to be.”

  Cole’s throat worked and he pulled his suit coat closed.

  Paris grinned and stepped closer. “Don’t hide, baby wolf. Show me the goods.”

  Cole shook his head.

  “Aww. Let me see.” Paris reached out and pulled up the edge of Cole’s jacket. Ah yes, a fine wool tent. He grinned. “So you like that idea a lot.” He stepped in close. The wolf had inches on him, but he was hanging his head. Good.

  Come to daddy. He took one more step, rose up, and captured Cole’s mouth with his. The big body went rigid. Paris wrapped a hand around Cole’s neck, then pulled his mouth a tiny bit looser so he could slide his wet tongue across the wolf’s slightly parted lips, back and forth.

  “Mmmmffff.” Cole pressed his lips tighter.

  Paris kept caressing. Oh my, wolfy tasted so wonderful. Like a forest and ice cream all at once. He sighed and pressed the tip of his tongue harder against the seam of Cole’s mouth. A soft little “ummmm” escaped.

  Everything happened at once.

  Cole pulled away and yelled, “Shit!”

  Whoa! Then Cole’s hand whipped out, ripped Paris off his feet, and pressed that pretty mouth right where he wanted it. Well, one of the places. Tongue, teeth, heaven. But he was dangling with his very expensive loafers in the air. And he knew just what to do with his legs. He wrapped them tight around Cole’s hard, slim waist and swallowed that tongue as far into his throat as he could get it. Oh damn, damn.

  Growls and moans rumbled around them. From whom? Who cared? If he could eat the guy alive, he’d do it.

  He had to get closer. But pressing tighter just got his cock rubbing against Cole’s waist. He couldn’t quite get to the guy’s dick. Damn. Frustrating. He slipped his hands into Cole’s silky, silver hair and slid one leg down that hard werewolf ass. Closer. Closer. Almost there.

  Cole sucked Paris’ tongue hard and deep. The boy knew what he was doing when he got down to it. Paris slid his hips until their cocks made contact. Oh God, huge and hot and—

  Down! Crap. Falling. Untethered from his partner, he dropped like a stone, and hit the asphalt on his ass. Ouch.

  “Unnnnnh.” Cole half moaned and half screamed as he turned tail and ran across the parking lot, onto the grass, and into the trees. Clothes went flying. Cole’s jacket landed on the edge of the lot next to a BMW.

  Well, damn. Paris pushed himself up off the ground. Ow. He didn’t have enough meat to take a fall that hard. Cats were supposed to land on their feet, not their asses. That was one freaked werewolf.

  Rubbing his butt, he walked slowly across the lot and picked up the suit coat. Cole might regret the loss of such a nice suit tomorrow. A white shirt lay a few feet farther on the grass. He picked it up, then followed his night vision into the trees, where the trousers lay. Poor guy. Where would he end up with no clothes to wear?

  He picked up the pants. His nose twitched, and he held the soft gabardine fabric against his cheek and inhaled deeply. Wolf and man seeped inside his nose, his head, out his limbs, then dive—straight to his cock. A very unsatisfied cock.

  Stupid. Never set out to fuck a sincere werewolf.

  * * *

  Pine, cedar, grass, earth. Rabbit! Pine, decaying leaves, ants, crickets, frog, frog. Dew, mist, earth, earth. Fast, run, fast, faster. Wait. Slow, slow. Home. Slow, home.

  Fire! Heat, ow, ow, pain. Shit. Naked.

  Cole lay on the damp grass outside his home. The shift-fire felt like your basic bath in acid. Damn. He had to calm down. Every inch of skin hurt. His joints screamed. But that wasn’t the only thing screaming.

  He raised his head and sighted down his body. Sinew, muscle and one very prominent flagpole blocked his view of the trees. How the hell could that—that damned erection—have survived twenty wolf miles of flat-out speed and two screaming seconds of shifting agony?

  Oh crap! He had to get rid of it. Walking into his house nude with a tentpole between his legs wasn’t an option.

  He grabbed his hot, rigid meat and began to pump. Don’t think. Just come. Just come. Forget how you got this way. Forget those bright, laughing cat eyes and the hard ass waving in your face. That one second of amazing cock connection. Don’t think about it. Just come, damn it. Come. Pump, pump. His hands tightened and stroked, hand over hand. Squeeze hard. Harder. Harder. Shit, yes. Shoot it. Straight down that damn cat’s throat. Shoot it. Yes. Yes!

  Spunk spurted from his cock, flew into the air, and splattered all over his abdomen and chest as it landed.

  His breath came in pants, from running as a wolf and jerking off as a stupid-ass man. Oh great. Now he got to sneak into the house naked and covered in jism. He took a deep breath and rolled on the lawn like the big dog he was.

  Finally, covered in the bits of grass now stuck to his cum, he crossed the lawn and headed up the back stairs to his suite of rooms. They’d added the staircase for him when he became a man. Some man he was. Couldn’t even decide his own future and stick with it.

  He made it down the short hall, into his big bedroom, and had piled his bare ass into the shower before he smelled Landon and heard movement in the bathroom.

  At least he didn’t have to explain why he was shifting in Connecticut.

  “Hey Cole, sorry to bother you, but your door was open and you
r mother and I were a little worried when you disappeared.”

  Okay, explain that. He turned off the water, grabbed a towel from the high rack above the glass surround, and wrapped himself in it. What? You think your father can tell just by looking that you’ve been whacking off over a damned panther?

  He stepped out and grabbed another towel for his hair. “I went out to thank Paris Marketo for bailing me out. That was a pretty amazing thing for him to do.”

  Landon cocked his head. “You mean you two didn’t work that out in advance?”

  Cole shook his head, then scrubbed his wet hair with the towel.

  “Interesting.”

  “Anyway, we talked for a while and I decided I’d just leave.”

  His father’s expression held a world of diplomacy. It didn’t suggest that he knew that Paris was gay and so was Cole and what the fuck happened when they were “talking.” It just made Cole squirm. God, why couldn’t he be that good at politics?

  “So tomorrow night is the bachelor party.”

  Cole sighed. “Yeah. But it’s for males and females together, so how is it different from tonight?”

  Landon smiled. “No parents.”

  Cole walked to the mirror and ran a brush through his chin-length hair. It looked brown more than silver when it was wet; then, as it dried, it got fuller and wilder and shone in the light. “So is that what you wanted? Just to see where I went?” There was a little accusation in his question.

  “No. I want you to come to Stony Ridge in the morning. We need your nose and tracking skills. The Eliazers keep moving their encampments, and we have to know how many there are and how armed they are. I can probably do the numbers, but I can’t smell weapons as well as you.”

  “No problem. I want to come.” Maybe a good day in the woods would get the smell of cat out of his nose.

  * * *

  Cole stood by the cars at the edge of the clearing with five other males and watched his father come out of the trees with his team. He and Landon had the best noses in the pack, so they’d split up. Hopefully, his father’s findings were less scary than his.