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Taming
The Wolf
Ben
felt the first ripple rising to the surface, skin turning to fur, as his wolf
felt him thinking about it, and was demanding its share of time.
The last few days he hadn't allowed it control as much as normal and it
was starting to get frustrated. Snarling,
he regained his feet and stalked off, forcing the beast back.
For Nathan's sake, he had to teach him control, then teach him how to
partition his time between wolf and man.
Nathan
moved to stand behind him, his hand light against his shoulder.
"Ben?"
The
question in his voice elicited a moan from Ben.
It had been so long since a man had been this close to him, so long since
he had felt the touch of another on his skin.
He wanted it, craved the feel of two bodies sliding against each other in
passion, of thrusting deep into another man's body and feeling him tense in
pleasure. More than that though, he
was coming to crave Nathan's touch; not just anyone would do anymore.
Ben
flashed back to the previous day when he had provoked Nathan into a fight, had
felt the pressure of the other man attempting to pin him down. Ben had almost
given in to the sensations cascading over him and kissed the younger man,
especially when he felt the press of Nathan's erection against his hip.
Then he had felt the brush of fur against his skin as Nathan lost control
of his body and the wolf worked its way to the surface.
That fact allowed him the control he desperately needed.
"It's
nothing you did Nathan. Nature is just kicking my ass at the moment."
The
warmth of his touch shifted, as he slid his hand down Ben's back, lightly
caressing him, trying to sooth as was his way.
Tipping his chin to rest against his chest, Ben closed his eyes and
fought the dueling sensations. Selfishly,
he wanted to enjoy Nathan's touch, but by the same token he was denying the wolf
the same courtesy. And it was
biting and clawing at the injustice.
Embracing
the Leopard
Brandon
shrugged, the rise and fall of his shoulders drawing Erik's
attention. The wind shifted directions again, masking his scent
but pushing the other man's towards him. The faintest wisps of
curious arousal teased his nose. Allowing his gaze to trail over
the other man, slowing pursuing the lines and curves of his
body, he waited to see if there was any reaction. The silence
stretched between then, then
Brandon
slowly grabbed the edge of his T-shirt and pulled it over his
head.
The
briefest of smiles curled his lips, a dare implied by the
twinkle in his eyes. He was pushing Erik's inner beast, but it
was the smell of
Brandon
's building arousal that was torturing him. It had been so long
since he had been around another male who shared his interest in
men. Only once had he come across another shifter who
unquestionably preferred men, and he was already mated, thus out
of his reach.
"I
was thinking to camp here tonight, so if you have any
suggestions for a good camping spot that's out of the way, I'd
love to hear them." As he spoke his hands went to the top
of his jeans and started unzipping them. The button had never
managed to be slid through its hole when he had hurried to dress
earlier.
Erik
pushed his leopard to the back of his soul as he watched the
other man strip. Unlike the hurried movements of before, this
was almost a strip tease. All that was missing was the loud
music and the presence of other man clamoring for
Brandon
's attention.
Growling
softly at the idea of sharing the shifter with other men, Erik
yanked his shirt off, sending buttons flying. The smile on
Brandon
's lips grew wider in response, and the scent on the air
currents subtly changed. Judging by the change, and his facial
expression, Erik gathered he liked the forcefulness of his
motions. His motions slowed, turned almost teasing as he
finished undressing. The backs of his hands brushed against his
nipples, tightening the buds into tiny black pearls that stood
out proud against rich dark skin.
Erik's knees almost wouldn't hold his weight at the sight.
Unleashing the
Jaguar
The
creak of his cage door startled him and had him rising to his
feet before he really thought about it. As a dark form slipped
into his enclosure, a soft growl welled within him. The scent
wasn’t altogether unfamiliar, yet completely unexpected.
“Mike?
Damnit man, what have you gone and done this time?”
Michael
stalked towards the dark-clad form, close enough that he could
hear the other man’s heartbeat. As he stepped into a shaft of
moonlight, Michael took in the subtle changes to Danny’s
features. Three years weren’t enough to change him completely,
but there was a bit more silver in his dark hair, and a few more
laugh lines around his green eyes. Maybe his tan had lightened
some, but spends months traipsing around the jungle provided a
good deal of cover from the sun.
His
scent had also deepened, although it was still as seductive as
before. The mate bond called to him, demanding he shift to his
human form and reassert his claim to the man standing before
him.
“Let’s
get you the hell out of here. Come on.”
Michael
shook his head, unwilling to risk his people. Even at the
personal cost to him, made worse now that Danny was back in the
picture.
“Look,
I went to a lot of effort, and broke quite a few laws, to find
an actual jaguar and get his ass here. We have less than twenty
minutes to get him unloaded out of the back of my van, get him
into this cage and get out of here before the guard comes
around. I managed to black out the cameras, and make it look
like a tree branch took them out, but that’s not going to do
us any damn good if the guard finds this cage empty. Now get
your stubborn ass moving and let’s go.”
Thanking
whatever deity might be watching, Michael moved into the shadows
and shifted into his human form. Catching the bundle of clothing
Danny tossed at him, he pulled on a pair of black jeans and a
long-sleeved black shirt, as well as a pair of worn tennis
shoes.
Before
he could think about it, he grabbed the other shifter, and
kissed him hard on the lips. A soft gasp rushed against his
mouth, then Danny’s lips parted and Michael swept his tongue
past. The taste was so familiar, for a moment Michael was able
to ignore the heartache the other man had caused, and savor the
touch of another person.
All
too soon Danny broke the kiss. “You sure pick the worst times
Mike. Thank me later, after we get your ass out of here free and
clear.”
As he turned on his
heel and stalked off, Michael allowed himself the watch the
fluid movements of his former lover as he quickly and
efficiently reached the edge of the zoo and climbed over the
fence.
Caging the
Tiger
Pressing
an open-mouthed kiss against the hollow of Mark’s neck, he decided to take a
chance for one in his life and really trust someone. Experience had taught him
not to give lightly, but after five years, if he couldn’t trust his best
friend, his mate, with his heart, then he couldn’t trust anyone.
“Make
love to me,” he whispered against the side of Mark’s neck as he placed soft
kisses, his tongue swiping at the salty tang left behind by his sweat. Rather
that break their embrace, Kyle felt Mark slowly coax him backwards, guiding him
into the bedroom, even as his hands kneaded his ass.
“You
know there’s no going back once we mate Kyle. Neither of our tigers will let
us walk away. The separation would kill them. We do this, and you’re packing
up and going on the road with me tomorrow.”
Kyle moved his head back and nodded. “Nothing holding me here.”
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