by Fel Fern
Aiden used to envy them, admired how strong and fast they were. Not anymore. Price had stolen his humanity from him, and he wanted it back badly.
“Don’t fight him. It’ll only get worst. Trust me.”
Ryder asked for too much. Was he crazy? They’d only met yesterday. Ryder and he were complete strangers, and yet the werewolf’s voice had a calming effect on Aiden and the panther in him. Ryder was safe. Would never hurt him.
Aiden took Ryder’s advice. He’d let the cat take over for now. This room felt a little claustrophobic, too small. Like a cage. What he needed was a good run out in the woods, the feel of soil under his paws, the wind against his fur, and being surrounded by fresh pine.
He tried his new legs. Paws. His face hit the floor. Weren’t cats supposed to be more graceful than this? Aiden tried to balance himself up again. Slow steps. Aiden padded forward, then back. Aiden circled the bed. He did it again and again, until he finally got the hang of his new body.
“Good boy.” Was that appreciation in Ryder’s voice? The cowboy grinned at him like he’d performed a complicated trick.
Aiden turned his nose up at that. He wasn’t a dog to be praised. Aiden was a wild cat. Ryder was about to find that out soon enough.
“Hey, Ryder? I saw Alec driving your healer pal back to town. I figure your guest would want something to eat. I brought muffins,” said a new voice.
Aiden flattened his ears and narrowed his eyes. He dropped his tail. Intruder. He didn’t like the smell of this newcomer or the fact he’d ruined Ryder and his private little moment.
“Shit, Teddy. Stay back, he’s changing for the first time, and his inner animal’s confused and angry,” barked Ryder.
Too late. Whatever soothing spell Ryder had cast on him earlier broke. Aiden was in full-blown panic mode. He couldn’t think straight anymore. Aiden growled, ran his long tongue over the sharp points of his fangs. He felt good actually. Full of pent-up energy that needed to be expended.
This new body of his wasn’t brittle or breakable like his human one. Price and his buddies wouldn’t ever mistake him for easy pickings again. Next time he saw them, he’d fight like hell’s fury unleashed on earth. Aiden could do anything he wanted. Right now, he wanted to hunt. To practice being a bad ass. To feel the life bleed out from his prey.
He sprinted past Ryder. The werewolf tried to grasp a handful of his fur, but Aiden was quicker. Oh, that was fun. Play with me, he thought. Try to catch me, wolf.
He bared his fangs at the confused brown-haired man holding onto a plate of muffins. Wolf. Enemy. Aiden barreled towards him, claws out.
“Teddy, get out of the way,” Ryder yelled.
Teddy moved to the side. Could Aiden take him? This werewolf didn’t smell like Ryder, wasn’t dominant. Aiden looked at him, then left the cabin. The sunlight streaming through the front door beckoned him. Aiden shouldn’t waste any time. He wanted to get a head start. Ryder was going to play chase with him, and Aiden didn’t intend to make it easy for his cowboy.
He scrambled out of the cabin and down the porch steps.
A growl made him lift his head, followed by another. Two unfriendly men, giants, with identical gold hair and blue eyes that bled to yellow stared at him. He hissed at them. One of the scary bastards flashed his fangs at him. The feeling of being trapped bore down on him. He couldn’t go back. The only way was forward.
Aiden glimpsed a third man coming out of one of the cabins, one with dark brown hair and a scowl on his face.
“You’re far from home, kitty cat,” the male said.
That definitely sounded like a threat. Tangling with that male and the other two would only bring him a world of trouble. A terrifying howl made his fur stand up. Time slowed. He’d heard that frightening sound before, and it emanated from the scary-ass creature with blood-red fur and murderous yellow eyes.
An Alpha. He looked hungry, saw Aiden as free meat. Just like Price.
Aiden froze. Oh hell. The odds were stacked against him.
He was in a land of monsters. They would rip him to shreds. Aiden bolted to nearest line of trees, panting, desperate to get away. These bastards would soon give chase. He wouldn’t get very far, but he had to try.
Aiden felt out of place in a pack full of crazy, bloodthirsty werewolves, but he didn’t belong in Price’s cannibalistic pride either. Aiden was stuck. An outsider. That knowledge felt like a thorn in his heart.
“Kris, Alec, back away. Talon, don’t you dare. He’s mine, you hear me?” Aiden heard Ryder yelling behind him. “Aiden, come back. You don’t know these woods.”
Ryder. Only Ryder smelled safe, but he wasn’t a cat. He was a wolf, a monster like the rest of his friends. Would Ryder end up seeing him as prey like the others? Aiden couldn’t risk it. His heart tore in two as he ran deeper into the forest. It felt like he was leaving something or someone vital behind. Aiden couldn’t explain why.
Chapter 6
“Ryder, have you gone crazy? You brought back a fucking Black Claws panther to our home?” Kris demanded, blocking his path.
Kris shoved at his chest. Bad move. Ryder growled into Kris’s stupid face. Kris threw a punch, but Ryder caught his fist and pushed him, furious. The other werewolf understood nothing. Ryder had been supportive. He’d accepted and welcomed the mates his pack brothers chose for themselves. Why couldn’t Kris do the same for him?
“No fighting,” Dom called out.
“Kris, back off,” Alec said, gripping his brother’s shoulder. “That panther shifter wasn’t a member of the Black Claws. He was the one that albino freak Alpha attacked. Right?”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s a cat. We’re wolves. He doesn’t belong here,” Kris said, eyes gold. The big bastard was asking for a fight, but Ryder had better things to do.
“Kris, he’s a victim,” Alec said, nodding to Ryder. “Do whatever you think is right.”
At least he had one pal who had his back. Ryder thought he’d sensed Talon’s presence earlier, but the Alpha was nowhere in sight. Dom joined them. The Beta didn’t look like he’d side with Ryder, but whatever. He was losing precious time.
“I’m going after him and I’m bringing him back here. I’ll fight whoever disagrees with me,” he said. Ryder padded to the edge of the campsite where Aiden had disappeared. Aiden’s scent was fresh. Ryder could catch up. He discarded his clothes in a pile and let his wolf take over.
Trust his pack mates to ruin everything. He knew Teddy only had good intentions bringing Aiden some breakfast, but he shouldn’t have interfered. Ryder could relate to what Aiden was feeling and experiencing. Memories of the past he’d shut the door to opened.
He could still remember the taste of acid fear when he woke up in the hospital, ankles and wrists restrained to the bars of the footboard and headboard. He’d been clawed up bad. His chest and neck hurt, but it was nothing compared to the frosty silence from his family.
His father and older brothers had looked at him through the glass like he was no longer part of their family. He’d been reduced to vermin, a monster in their eyes.
Ryder fell on all fours and began the hunt for his errant cat. His mate.
That word no longer daunted him, not since he’d glimpsed Aiden’s prone body last night, with that freak cat Alpha standing over him, mouth covered in blood. That fucker would pay for what he did to Aiden. Ryder would make sure his heartbeats and his breaths were numbered.
Following Aiden’s trail was easy. His cat still lacked experience in the basics of hunting, of moving quietly through the forest. Ryder followed Aiden’s paw prints deep into the forest. He wasn’t worried that much. This parcel of land still belonged to the Wild Manes, and he’d already told his pack mates to keep their paws off his future mate.
Ryder still didn’t know how he’d manage to convince the other werewolves that Aiden’s place was by his side. He’d come to that problem later. Ryder halted. The paw prints stopped. Movement through the trees.
For a moment, Ryde
r raised his hackles. He tensed up, ready to strike, then remembered he wasn’t up against a Black Claw, an enemy. This was Aiden, only in cat form. Smart kitty. Aiden had figured out how to climb.
Aiden fell from the tree next to him, a sandy-colored blur. Ryder anticipated the attack. He rolled with Aiden on the ground. Leaves and broken twigs stuck to their fur.
Aiden pawed at him, even tried to nip at him, but he wasn’t attacking Ryder. He was being playful. They continued their play. Ryder snuck in a bite to Aiden’s ear. They tangled until exhausted, then lay facing each other, motionless. Time for serious business.
Ryder turned back to human form. He could almost sense the panic rising from Aiden.
“It’s okay,” he told Aiden. “I won’t hurt you. Neither would my pack mates.”
Aiden hissed at that.
“They weren’t exactly welcoming before, but they mistook you for a Black Claw. They won’t make that error again.”
Ryder reached out, his movements slow. Aiden swiped his left claw down his left shoulder, drawing blood. Ryder snarled softly but ignored the pain. He watched Aiden for a little longer, then touched Aiden’s muzzle. His kitty calmed down, relaxed as Ryder stroked the fur on his chest, his tender underbelly.
“Good kitty.”
Aiden seemed to give him an indignant look. Ryder chuckled. “You let me touch you, so you trust me a little. Give the human Aiden back to me, cat.”
Ryder was speaking to Aiden’s inner panther. Aiden might not accept the two sides of him yet, but Ryder accepted all of him. “Aiden, shift. You can’t stay in animal form forever.”
There were cases where newly Changed shifters weren’t able to transform back to human because they’d been in animal form for too long. He decided not to mention that to Aiden. Those unfortunate individuals didn’t have a mentor to teach them.
“I get it. Right now, you might be feeling alone, scared, but I’m right here. I know what it’s like. I come from an anti-shifter family of ranchers. When a Feral werewolf bit me, I got cast out. They shunned me, forgot I existed. I had to go through the changes in my life alone. That won’t happen to you.” Ryder sat up.
Aiden did the same. His cat stared at him for a few moments, waiting.
“Remember how you looked like in human form. Cling to that image,” Ryder explained. “Grasp onto it. Tell your inner cat you want to be on the driver’s seat. Remember. Ultimately, you’re still in control.”
Aiden began to pace back and forth. Nothing happened. Aiden let out a snarl. Ryder could sense his mounting frustration.
“Don’t worry. It’s not instant.” Ryder lay back on the ground and put his arms behind the back of his neck. Seeing him relaxed might calm Aiden down. “You can do it. I believe in you.”
* * * *
Ryder looked completely relaxed, at ease with being naked, lying on the pile of leaves like it was his afternoon off. Why shouldn’t he? Ryder looked gorgeous. Sexy. Inviting. Noon had fallen during their run. Afternoon sun hit Ryder’s tanned skin, the solid muscles of his body, and highlighted the tattoos on his chest and neck. Ryder was a bad ass.
Aiden envied him a little. He wished he could look that good. Aiden pictured what he looked like, just like Ryder told him. Skinny. Awkward. People pusher. Aiden remember how much it hurt to shift. This body, on the other hand, was powerful and fast. He even managed to catch Ryder off guard earlier. Fancy that.
Part of his mind knew he couldn’t stay like this forever. He wanted to touch that golden perfection. Ryder lay so close to him. Being a cat was no good. Aiden tentatively reached for the beast he was frightened of, the monster that now lived in his skin.
Parasite. The panther growled inside him, hating that word.
Allies. That sounded better. The predator relaxed in him. The cat understood Ryder was special to him, to them, although the human in Aiden still couldn’t figure out why. He needed answers. God knew he needed Ryder’s help to navigate his new life.
Aiden reached for his inner cat. The panther didn’t fight him. It felt like an eternity, but Aiden found himself naked, on his knees, and staring at his dirty human fingers. He touched himself. The bandages wrapped around his chest and neck were gone, destroyed during his change. He touched rough scars, shocked.
“I’m healed?”
“One of the benefits of becoming a part of the monster race,” Ryder remarked. Ryder’s brown eyes met his. Such a unique color, Aiden thought, like whiskey. Ryder patted the space next to him. “Come join me.”
“I don’t have any clothes on.”
Ryder rolled his eyes. “Scared of me, kitty cat?”
“Hey, you were the one who pushed me away last night.” Nonetheless, Aiden lay down next to him. Grass and dry grass tickled his skin. The ground was hard but didn’t feel unpleasant.
Aiden bit his lip and asked, “Was it because I’m—was human?”
He corrected himself at the last minute. Aiden was still a long way from coming to terms with what he’d become, but he decided to take it slow. Acceptance would come with time.
“No, because from the moment I scented you, saw you, my wolf knew who you were.”
“A coward?” he teased. He sucked in a breath as Ryder rolled on top of him, motion fast and predatory. Ryder placed his hands on either side of his head, keeping his weight off Aiden.
“No, because I didn’t want to end up hurting you, but things have changed.”
“How so?”
Aiden swallowed. How was he able to think with Ryder staring at him right in the face? God, but Ryder was cut. Hard muscle everywhere. He wanted to reach out, pet him. Wait a second. What? Aiden always took a back seat when it came to relationships, to intimate matters in the bedroom.
He’d only been in one serious relationship, and that was a bust. Aiden had never been intensely attracted to any guy before. Not like this. He became aware of everything. The sweat drying on his skin. The heat coming off from Ryder and his own body. His cock, beginning to thicken. Aiden snuck a quick peek, pleased to see Ryder rocked an erection for him.
Ryder was also impressive in that area. His cock was long, thick, and meaty. Aiden squirmed, already imagining how Ryder’s cock would feel inside his ass.
“You’ve gotten really hard for me. I like,” Ryder said, licking his lips.
“You haven’t answered my question,” he blurted. Aiden was blushing hard. He bet he looked like a tomato right now.
“What was it again?” Ryder bent down, took his mouth. More of Aiden’s brain cells died little. Ryder kissed him hard, rough, without apology, and he sucked and kissed the werewolf back. So good. Turning to a shifter seemed to make every gesture more erotic, and he was so hyperaware of his own body and how it reacted to Ryder.
Ryder pulled his mouth away so Aiden could answer.
“You said things changed,” Aiden said, breathless.
“You’ve gotten yourself in a sticky situation. Hate to break it to you, kitty, but going back to your old life’s impossible now.”
“How come?”
“Because you’ve entangled yourself with the worst group possible on Murder Mountain.”
“I never wanted this. I didn’t ask for Price’s panthers to kidnap me or for Price to Bite me,” he whispered. Tears hovered in the corners of his eyes. Just great. He was being a cry baby. That couldn’t be sexy at all.
Ryder leaned in close and licked away his tears, shocking him.
“I know, but what’s done is done. Price will go after you now and those you care about. You’re a loose thread, and to a psycho like him, he wants you simply because he Changed you. Price considers you his property.”
“Apart from Tom, there’s no one else. My parents died in a car accident when I was eighteen. Even when they were alive, we weren’t close. More like strangers. I don’t have close friends.” He paused. Aiden sounded pathetic to his ears, but Ryder didn’t seem put off. “You sound like you know Price.”
“I’ve crossed paths with a gu
y like him.”
“Tell me more about him.”
“No. Later. You being under me feels good,” Ryder said, kissing him again, slowly this time around. “I should control myself, but it’s hard. I don’t want to. I need to have you. Fuck you right now.”
Wow. Aiden’s head spun. He’d never met a man who was so crass, so upfront about what he wanted. Aiden found that really hot.
“Guess what?” he whispered.
“What?”
“I don’t want you to hold back either.”
Chapter 7
Ryder couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew backing away was the right to do and yet Aiden looked so tempting, so sexy. Aiden was being offered up to him on the platter. He didn’t miss how hard Aiden’s dick had gotten for him. His kitty wanted to play with him.
Ryder planted kisses down the right side of Aiden’s neck, the uninjured part. He left more down Aiden’s chest, over the new scars there. He gave Aiden little bites as well until Aiden squirmed for him. Ryder went lower, past Aiden’s ribs, to his flat stomach. He parted Aiden’s legs, exposing his cock, balls, and tiny pink hole.
He put his mouth to Aiden’s dick and blew at it. Aiden groaned above him.
“Be sure of what you want,” Ryder said.
“I am.”
Ryder stuck his tongue out and used it to swipe the pre-cum gathered on the tip of Aiden’s shaft. He licked Aiden from the root to stem. Ryder gathered Aiden’s balls into his mouth and sucked at them.
Aiden cried out under him, clawed at the ground. Ryder pulled away and took Aiden’s prick between his lips. He went down on Aiden, not stopping until Aiden’s cock head hit the back of his throat. He blew Aiden, bobbed his head up and down until pleas spilled from Aiden’s lips.
Ryder pulled away, climbed on top of his mate, and plundered his mouth, making sure Aiden tasted himself. He curled his fingers over Aiden’s shaft. One squeeze over Aiden’s tip had Aiden coming. His kitty gasped, eyes flying wide open as he emptied his jizz into Ryder’s waiting fingers.