The Wizard Wolf (WindWard Triad Book 1)

by Noah Harris

  Pushing his hands farther down, Johnny moved his hand between Kell’s legs, to his ass. Kell spread his legs, lifting his hips from the ground and moaning as Johnny’s finger played with him. Johnny watched the man’s face carefully, holding his gaze as he stroked and teased, pushing his finger forward.

  “Please tell me you have lube on hand,” Kell moaned, pushing his ass toward Johnny’s fingers.

  Johnny grinned wickedly. “I might have some in these pants.”

  Without hesitation Kell groped at Johnny’s hips until he found the small bottle of oil. With a little gasp, he slapped the bottle into Johnny’s other hand. While Johnny took a moment to open the bottle and apply some to his fingers, Kell kicked his pants and underwear off.

  When Kell was laid out once again, Johnny replaced his hand beneath the man. Kell’s breath hitched as Johnny’s fingers continued to tease and play around the sensitive ring of muscle. Lifting his hips slightly, Kell invited Johnny to push forward. Warmth wrapped around Johnny’s finger as he pressed into Kell, earning a low moan from the man.

  Kell’s fingers dug into the rug as the finger slid in, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Johnny found himself enraptured by the look of pure ecstasy on Kell’s face as he moved his finger back and forth within him. A second finger earned another moan and Kell’s hips twitched eagerly. Kell stretched around Johnny’s digits while his hands moved to cling to Johnny’s shoulders.

  Johnny lowered his head, catching Kell’s mouth with his own as he slid a third finger into his lover. Kell’s moan vibrated between their lips, pressing up into the kiss as he pressed down onto Johnny’s fingers. Kell’s hands moved to undo Johnny’s pants, fingers clumsy and hurried as they fought with the button and zipper. Johnny’s own groan reverberated between them when Kell’s eager grip found his cock, pulling it free from his pants and stroking it.

  Kell broke the kiss, panting. “Please, we don’t have a lot of time and I need to have you inside me.”

  Johnny’s cock throbbed against Kell’s grip, and he felt the thrill of need and desire pulse through him. Easing his fingers out of Kell, Johnny sat up just long enough to kick his pants and underwear off. Rolling atop Kell, he bent to kiss his neck, licking where he felt Kell’s pulse pumping furiously. Slick fingers took hold of his cock and Johnny groaned against Kell’s throat as his lover spread the lube generously.

  Chuckling at Kell’s eager, unspoken demand, Johnny propped himself up so he could take hold of his cock. He positioned the head against the entrance to Kell’s ass and pressed forward. There was a moment of resistance before the head slid into the tight warmth his fingers had toyed with earlier. Their moans filled the air as Johnny eased his way inside.

  Kell’s back arched slightly as Johnny moved forward, gently rocking as he worked his cock inside. He was careful, watching Kell’s body and face as he sank deeper. Johnny fought against the primal urge to drive forward, to bury himself in Kell in an instant. Instead, he relished the ecstasy he could see on Kell’s face and the sounds of his pleasure.

  When his hips were flush against the swell of Kell’s ass, Johnny waited, breath heavy. Kell’s legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, his arms thrown over Johnny’s neck. Johnny kissed him, feeling his desire and tasting his tongue as he waited for Kell to adjust. It felt like the two of them were hanging just outside the flow of time, with Johnny deep inside Kell, awaiting permission to move.

  When Kell nodded, Johnny eased his hips back before pushing forward. Pleasure shivered through him, growing as Kell’s back arched. Not wishing to waste any more time before the moon rose, Johnny pulled back. Kell drew Johnny’s upper body closer as he thrust in again, Kell’s breaths coming out in gasps of pleasure against Johnny’s skin.

  Carefully, Johnny began to pick up the pace of his thrusts. Kell held tighter to him, his grip changing to Johnny’s shoulders, his fingers digging in. The slapping sound of skin meeting skin filled the air, mingling with their moans as Johnny buried himself again and again. Pleasure mounted inside him with each thrust, and Johnny could feel his orgasm approaching.

  Beneath him, Kell clung to him, his cries becoming louder and more earnest, encouraging Johnny to thrust harder, and faster. They began to move as one, with Johnny thrusting down while Kell pushed his hips upward. The faint pain of the fingers digging into his shoulders mingled with the pleasure in Johnny’s body, adding to it. Johnny fought for breath, wrapped in the cloud of his and Kell’s mutual ecstasy.

  Kell’s eyes snapped open and his fingers dug in even more fiercely than before. The muscles around Johnny’s cock bore down around him, gripping him even harder. Kell bucked up toward him, crying out as his cock jumped between their bodies. Warmth spread along Johnny’s middle as Kell came, his eyes closing as he cried out Johnny’s name.

  It was more than Johnny could resist and he shoved deep into Kell one last time. His own orgasm slammed into him and the cry he gave turned into a guttural growl. Johnny buried his face in the crook of Kell’s neck, hunched against him as he came deep. Pleasure and mindless bliss washed through Johnny’s mind and body, holding him close to Kell.

  As their orgasms faded, Kell slumped back onto the carpet, boneless. Johnny carefully eased out of him before collapsing on the rug next to him. Using the last bits of his strength, Johnny pulled Kell close, cradling him against his chest. Together, their ragged breathing eased, and their bodies relaxed into their shared warmth.

  “I love you,” Kell murmured against Johnny’s chest.

  Johnny pulled back, startled by the admittance. “Kell?”

  Kell’s big brown eyes peered up at him. “I’ve known it for a little while now but I wanted you to know. Just in case nothing happens with me tonight, I want you to know.”

  Johnny’s eyes stung and he clutched Kell against him roughly. The man was too sweet and loving for his own good, and Johnny wondered what he’d done to deserve someone so kind and warm at his side.

  “Nothing will keep me from you, Kell. I will never leave you, no matter what anyone says, not even my own wolf, you understand me?” Johnny whispered fiercely.

  Kell nodded. “I believe you.”

  Johnny lay holding Kell close to him in silence for several minutes. He didn’t want to say the three little words Kell had uttered, not just yet. Johnny wanted to be sure he absolutely felt that way before he spoke them.

  What he did know, though, was that he had spoken the truth to Kell. No matter what came when the moon rose, he would keep Kell at his side and would fight to the bitter end to have him with him for the rest of their lives.

  His resting mind started awake with a jolt and Johnny grunted. It was the wolf, shifting and clawing from within. He didn’t need to look outside to know the moon had risen in the sky, full and brilliant.

  Beside him, Kell was on his hands and knees, face pressed against the rug as he panted for breath. As Johnny watched, Kell’s skin rippled and morphed. Kell’s eyes flashed open, one taking on the feral gleam of the wolf, while the other was panicked and altogether human. The first change had come upon Kell and he was fighting it.

  Johnny scrambled to kneel beside Kell, resting his hand on his back. “Kell.”

  All that came from Kell was a snarl, which didn’t surprise Johnny. The first shift was always the hardest and he imagined it was even worse for someone who’d had his wolf suppressed all his life, like Kell. The human portion of Kell’s mind was fighting the rising beast inside him and it was driving Kell to the edge of insanity. Any thrill Johnny might have had at knowing his lover was turning was washed away by the urgency of helping Kell through it.

  “Hurts,” Kell moaned, his voice thick.

  Johnny nodded, running his hands over Kell gently. “It hurts because you’re fighting it. You have to accept the wolf, Kell. You have to let it come out.”

  “It’s too, too...” Kell stammered, one of his canines poking out from between his lips.

  “Wild? Bestial? Yes, because it’s a wolf, and th
at’s what a wolf is. But it’s just as much a part of you as the human side. Embrace those feelings, embrace the animal you can feel trying to claw its way out. When you stop fighting it, when you call it, it will stop clawing,” Johnny explained in a low voice.

  “Can’t,” Kell choked out.

  Johnny took hold of Kell’s face, turning it so he could stare intently into his eyes. “You can. It is wild and free, just like the winds and the storms that live inside you. If you can harness the power of the Windward, you can accept the wolf. Give yourself to it, Kell. Let it be, just as you did with thunder and lightning.”

  Kell’s eyes widened and he gave a bellowing cry. As Johnny watched, Kell kicked his legs out behind him, sending him tumbling to his side. Johnny’s attempt to move forward stilled as he watched Kell’s legs shift and move, bowing backward near the knee. Patches of hair sprung out from beneath Kell’s skin, covering him from head to toe with fur the color of spreading embers. From behind Kell, a bushy tail grew out, thumping against the cabin floor. The change was coming faster, Kell’s hands and feet shrinking into paws, his face elongating as his teeth and ears grew out, pointed.

  After a few minutes, in the place where the human Kell had thrashed and moaned lay a panting wolf. Kell’s wolf was slightly larger than a normal wolf. His eyes flashed open, keeping their rich brown color, just as his fur matched his hair. Kell’s gaze turned to Johnny, curious and a little wary as the wolf mind took over.

  Hoping to appeal to the human somewhere in Kell’s mind, Johnny held his hands out. “Hey, Kell, I hope you can hear me. I know the wolf is very strong right now, but you have to hear me enough to make sure it doesn’t bite me.”

  Kell sat up, turning his head in a curiously doglike gesture of confusion. Johnny smiled a little as he watched Kell’s ears flop to the side, apparently not having the full rigidity most wolf ears had. Kell’s tail was unmoving, though, and Johnny refused to stir as he waited for Kell to make his move.

  Slowly, Kell stood up, lowering his head as he took a step forward. Kell scented the air, taking another step toward Johnny. Letting Kell take his time, Johnny hoped the scent was enough to reach Kell’s human thoughts. Even as the wolf reached him, nose inches from Johnny’s face, he kept on the watch for the sight of sentience to reach Kell’s animal eyes.

  It never came, but to Johnny’s surprise, the wolf’s tail wagged happily and it ran its wet tongue across Johnny’s face. The lick had more force behind it than Johnny had been prepared for and he was knocked on his back. The wolf yipped happily and Kell bounded forward to continue licking Johnny’s face.

  Johnny squirmed, laughing. “Oh, good Lord! Kell! Stop! I can’t change with you slobbering on me!”

  The wolf eventually stopped, sitting back and panting happily. Johnny wiped at his face, glaring balefully at the wolf as Kell’s tongue lolled out the side of his mouth. Johnny’s wiping motion stopped as he realized Kell still showed no signs of human intelligence in the slightest, his gaze holding only an animal’s pleasure at having met someone it treasured.

  Johnny reached out, stroking Kell’s fur. “Kell?”

  The wolf blinked, cocking its head but showing no signs of recognition.

  Johnny chuckled. “I’ll be damned, your wolf recognizes me.”

  Closing his eyes, Johnny let his happiness flow into the urges of his own inner wolf. Kell’s transformation had been messy and overly long as it had been his first time. For Johnny though, his muscles and bones melted and reformed with ease. Onyx black fur sprung up almost at once around his body as his paws formed and his tail sprung into life. With a shake of his head, Johnny felt his muzzle stretch out before him, clicking his teeth together as he tried them out.

  Kell barked happily, recognizing Johnny for who he was still and rolling onto his back. The red wolf wiggled happily, tail thumping on the hardwood floor. Johnny bent forward, licking Kell’s muzzle happily. It didn’t matter what form either of them was in, they knew each other on the spot.

  Johnny turned, bounding toward the cracked open front door and nosing it open. He breathed deeply of the fresh air as he paced out onto the porch. Everything wild and growing filled his senses, and the open air brought a sense of eagerness. Excitement poured through him and he threw back his head to let out an almighty howl. The sound carried into the woods for miles.

  Another howl joined his from behind and Johnny turned his head to see Kell standing just behind him. Together, the wolves howled in sync, filling the night with their joy and the thrill of the upcoming run. A chorus of howls met theirs from somewhere in the woods, the rest of the Pack singing out to them. Theirs was one of welcome and the thrill of a new howl mingling with theirs.

  Without hesitating, Johnny leapt forward, hurdling over the gate and making for the woods. The heavy sound of paws behind him told him Kell was following, as he had from the start. Now they would run together, free of everything heavy and cumbersome for a night.

  Just him and his mate.

  Epilogue

  The smell of summer was growing thicker in the air with every passing day and Kell was hard pressed to believe he’d been living on the Children’s land for almost two months. Yet as night drew down around them, and the first flickers of fireflies showed themselves above the grass, he told himself time waited for no one.

  Johnny laughed from the cabin behind him, bringing a smile to Kell’s face at the rich sound. So many things had changed recently, and Johnny’s attitude and demeanor were a few of them. Kell had noticed him smiling more, and it was easier to get a genuine laugh out of him instead of the hesitant one Kell had heard in the beginning. The confidence Kell thought Johnny had always deserved to have was making an appearance as well, and the doubts Johnny had were less crippling.

  Part of that might have been due to Kell’s influence, but he didn’t think that was it. The witches and werewolves had grown more welcoming of Johnny as the days had passed. It turned out, Johnny had never guided a pup through their first shift before, and his aiding of Kell through his had been a rite of passage. The witches had been a little slower, but they were warming up to Johnny, willing to look past the mistakes from years before to forge a new future.

  As if called, Johnny popped his head outside. “You coming in anytime soon?”

  Kell leaned back from his place on the porch steps, smiling. “I think I’m going to watch the fireflies come out and play for a little bit. Summer’s almost here—it’s my favorite season.”

  “The stormy season,” Johnny said with a wink before going back inside.

  Kell hadn’t made the connection before but he laughed at the thought. His inner wolf stirred, wanting to follow Johnny back inside. Kell quieted it, knowing he would have plenty of time later to be with Johnny.

  “Plus, we have guests,” Kell reminded it.

  Alyssa had paid them a visit and she’d brought along the werewolf twins she’d made friends with. When Alyssa had described them as young, Kell had pictured teenagers. Who had shown up beside her, however, were two very large, very adult werewolves. The twins, Artemis and Apollo, were an impressive duo. Apollo didn’t seem to have much to say, while Artemis seemed to have enough conversation and bawdy jokes for the two of them. Kell was almost sure it had been her that had sent Johnny into a fit of laughter moments before.

  Their other guests were their newest neighbors, a family of witches. Unbeknownst to Kell, there had been another cabin nearby, larger than his and Johnny’s. A family of witches had moved into it a couple of weeks before, though they’d kept their distance from him and Johnny. Undeterred, Kell had steadily worn them down until they were charmed into coming over for a casual and friendly dinner. Johnny insisted they’d simply had their resistance worn down by Kell’s pushing, but Kell liked to think it was his winning smile.

  Johnny’s voice echoed out from the open door. “I don’t rightly care how badly you were injured in the fight, Alyssa, it doesn’t give you special privileges to my oven. Now back away. You will be
fed when the rest of us are fed.”

  Alyssa scoffed loudly. “You be nice or I’ll sick Kell on you.”

  “And Kell will back me up on this,” Johnny insisted.

  They knew full well he could hear them, but Kell chose to ignore them. The two had fallen into an old rhythm of antagonizing one another. Well, it was mainly Alyssa picking on Johnny, but the man gave as good as he got some days. Kell never had to worry if Johnny was making any friends with Alyssa’s frequent presence. It was during some of those many visits that Kell had learned his lesson about allowing himself to be drawn into their bickering.

  Artemis’ voice came next. “Do you think they’re going to fight over it?”

  Knowing they had in the past, Kell turned around to bark through the door. “If they do, they’d better take it outside and out of my house!”

  “I promise, I’m the one behaving,” Johnny called, accusation thick in his voice.

  “I get desperate and a little pushy when I’m hungry,” Alyssa insisted.

  “Well, push your way out of my kitchen,” Johnny told her.

  Alyssa yelped. “Poke me with that spoon again and see where it ends up, Oakes.”

  “Mind your language around the children,” Johnny said in a bored voice.

  If the dual sound of giggling was any indication, Kell didn’t think it was the children Alyssa had to worry about. The Verbena family were nice enough but Kell wasn’t sure if they were comfortable with the rowdy group. If he’d known Alyssa was bringing company with her, he might have had the Verbena clan show up on a different night. As far as witches and werewolves had come in cooperating with one another, he didn’t want to scar the poor family.