by Sy Walker
“Don’t apologize,” Jonas said, his rugged face breaking into a large smile. “You should never apologize.”
“You sound like my father,” Bruce sighed.
“Your father? Is that a bad thing?” Jonas asked, taking off deeper into the woods. “It sounds like a bad thing.”
“Well…we’re different. He’s always getting on me about being too feminine. Thinks my sister has more man in her than I do.”
“Is that so?” Jonas asked, turning to him with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Yeah, I –“
“Shh!”
Bruce paused and peered in the direction where Jonas was looking. Jonas had the best hearing that Bruce had ever witnessed. He was always hearing things coming and going from miles away that Bruce couldn’t see until they were right in front of his face.
“There,” Jonas said, his voice hushed. “It’s a deer. We have to get it!”
“How did you…”
But Jonas didn’t hear him. He was already moving silently toward the deer, expecting Bruce to either keep up or stay out of his way. Bruce followed, keeping his eyes on Jonas as he moved with the grace of a woodland creature toward their prey. He paused for a moment, hesitating as he considered his next move. Bruce thought maybe he was just contemplating the best way to kill it, but when he neared the broad man, his head was bowed and his mouth was moving silently. He was praying for the soul of the deer before he released it into the next world.
Bruce felt an unexpected contraction in his chest, a gush of warmth. He hadn’t thought this handsome, rugged man was capable of such sensitivities. The men he was used to hunting with were crude and vulgar, enjoying their kills and exploiting their strength. Although the highlander culture revered nature, most men still considered themselves above it and chose to display brute strength at any and all opportunities. They didn’t care that they were snuffing a life out of existence or give it the proper reverence most of the time. But somehow, Jonas was different.
He had been growing on Bruce, who had never had such a close friend before. Although it seemed they were polar opposites, Jonas was soft-spoken and gentle. His fierce body didn’t betray his gentle nature, and Bruce had seen him act more than once in ways that were shocking and surprisingly brutal compared to the quiet man who made him feel so easy in his company.
He had seen Jonas pounce on an animal three times his own size with no fear. He was completely composed and confident, knowing just where to stick his blade to end its life. But then he would lay it down gently in the grass before giving Bruce a formal nod and dragging the prey deeper into the forest, disappearing as he headed to wherever it was that he called home.
Jonas stood silently, drawing an arrow from the small pouch he had slung over his shoulder. He aimed at the deer and shot quietly at the deer. It dropped immediately and Bruce couldn’t help but look away, pained by the thieving of the beautiful creature’s life. He expected Jonas to immediately go toward the kill, but for some reason he seemed locked in place, staring at the corpse of the deer.
“Are you all right, Jonas?” Bruce asked softly, approaching him and touching him on the shoulder.
“Yes,” Jonas said softly. But something in his voice was off.
“What is it?”
“I try not to kill animals that will be leading a full life ahead of them,” he said softly, gazing sadly at the corpse of the deer. “But this one had plenty of time left to live. I feel sad for it. Guilty for robbing it of several years.”
“How can you tell if they will be leading a full life? Maybe another creature would have taken it. A wolf perhaps.”
Jonas looked fiercely at Bruce, his eyes fiery and angry.
“Wolves aren’t barbarians. They take the sick and the old. Those who have lived their lives.”
Bruce was taken aback by the reprimand and swallowed hard as Jonas stalked away from him and dragged his kill off into the darkness.
Chapter 6
Bruce didn’t go into the woods for the rest of the week, worried that he had horribly offended Jonas. He felt terrible, and the swirl of angst in his chest didn’t go anywhere. Eventually though, he became too overwhelmed by the difficulty of staying in the castle without a friend in the world. Aileen was curt with him, as much as she could get away with, and Lord McNeil was always cooped up in his study, giving orders to everybody from afar. It was stifling, and he soon found himself missing the comfort of the outdoors.
He managed to slip away a few hours before dusk, hoping that Jonas wouldn’t be anywhere around. He felt miserable after their last altercation and had hoped that they would be able to avoid each other. Jonas was usually around in the early morning or late evening, so he thought he would be safe by trying a time in between.
It seemed he was correct and he wandered quietly through the trees, admiring the way the sun shone its golden light through the trees, creating shadows and illuminated green leaves that looked ethereal and beautiful, as if from another world.
He was startled out of his thoughts by a deep, rumbling voice.
“I wondered when you’d be coming,” Jonas said, appearing suddenly behind him. He spoke directly into Bruce’s ear, sending goosebumps breaking out along his entire body. Bruce closed his eyes and exhaled softly, hoping that Jonas wouldn’t notice his tension.
The large man’s warm body was close behind Bruce, and he felt Jonas’ broad, muscular pectoral muscles graze his back. It ignited a forbidden longing deep within him, one he had never felt before. Somehow, Jonas had managed to stir it within him, and he didn’t seem intent on stopping any time soon.
“Jonas,” Bruce said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“Let me apologize,” Jonas said, gripping Bruce’s muscular shoulder in his large hands. “I shouldn’t have been so harsh with you. I’m…wolves make me sensitive. They’re close to my heart and I take it personally when anybody insults or misunderstands them. I hope you understand.”
“I’m not angry with you Jonas,” Bruce said, turning to face the tall, beautiful man face on. He was surprised by his own forwardness, and the sincerity with which he spoke. He was usually timid and quick to escape conversations with other men, knowing they would more often than not end with confrontation. But he wanted Jonas to know that he was really just wishing that they might have another chance at friendship. It was the feeling he had been hiding well, even from himself. But now he realized what the awkwardness between them had meant.
“That’s good,” Jonas said, a few of the lines disappearing from the slope of his forehead. He had been worried, Bruce realized. But there was no need. “Come, let me show you something special.”
Bruce was immediately fascinated, wondering what this beautiful man might have to show him. He flinched when he realized that he was shamelessly attracted to Jonas, something that would without a doubt horrify anybody who knew about it. He was especially worried that Jonas might realize it, and their intimate encounter just minutes beforehand had been interpreted completely inappropriately by Bruce. Of course a handsome, virile man like Jonas would be disgusted by his attraction. He had simply been hoping to work through their problems together. That didn’t mean he wanted to throw him into bed.
But now they were heading deeper into the forest as the setting sun painted the sky oranges and pinks. When Jonas stopped, Bruce paused behind him, looking over the tall man’s shoulder as he pointed toward a deep burrow.
“Wolves,” Jonas said. “Watch them with me.”
Three pups were playing on the ground, tugging at one another’s ears and rolling around in the grass. Several adults were patrolling the boundaries of their camp, while one lay down with his head on his paws, lazily watching the children as they played. Bruce felt his heart catch in his throat as he observed the scene, completely entranced by the family. They seemed perfectly harmonious. Nothing like the snarling beasts that many men described roaming the forest, ready to retaliate if hit by an arrow.
“They’re so calm,” Bruc
e said softly. Jonas smiled, draping his muscular arm around Bruce’s shoulders. He looked Bruce in the eye, smiling calmly.
“Yes,” Jonas said.
There was an electricity behind Jonas’ eyes that made Bruce tingle. Feeling the weight of the man’s body along his shoulders was unexpectedly intimate, and his eyes searched Jonas for any sign that he might share the attraction. Jonas smiled gently and dropped his arm, letting his fingers trail along the center line of Bruce’s back. Bruce had to do everything in his power not to moan out loud as Jonas turned away and began walking in the opposite direction of the wolf den.
Bruce scrambled behind him. When they were halfway back to the castle, he realized that he had absolutely no desire to return to the stuffy brick prison. Not when he could spend more time with this man; this handsome, gentle man who seemed to have stolen his heart. Jonas seemed oblivious to his thoughts, and a sudden courage swept through Bruce.
“Jonas,” he said, his voice firm and courageous. He reached out and took Jonas by the shoulder, turning it so that Jonas was facing him. Jonas looked at him curiously, waiting for him to finish speaking. “I…”
Suddenly, Jonas seemed to be glowing, and he was inches from Bruce’s face.
“Me too,” he whispered.
Chapter 7
Bruce didn’t have time to ask him what he meant, or how he seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, before Jonas had pinned him against a tree and was kissing him hard. Bruce had never known passion like this could exist anywhere in the world. He had heard tales growing up about great love, but he had never expected to experience anything like it for himself. His father’s conquests suddenly didn’t seem so strange and foreign after all as his body woke up to all the promises that Jonas seemed to be making him silently with hips writhing against his own.
“Jonas, I –“
“Shhh,” Jonas said, covering Bruce’s mouth with hot, fervent kisses. Bruce moaned out loud despite himself and allowed himself to be swept up in the sweet, savory lips that seemed to know exactly what he wanted before he even knew it himself.
Bruce allowed his hands to roam up and down the strong man’s muscular torso, emitting a sharp gasp as Jonas dragged his teeth along the sensitive lobe of Bruce’s ear. Suddenly, he was being turned around and Jonas was hiking Bruce’s kilt up, allowing his strong fingers to roam the curves of Bruce’s gentleness with a tenderness that Bruce hadn’t realized that Jonas was capable of. Bruce groaned loudly as he became uncontrollably hard under Jonas’s touch, and Jonas grinned mischievously as he pressed his own groin against Bruce’s backside. He could feel the man’s temptation, the effect of their raw attraction on him physically.
Jonas thrust himself against Bruce’s backside, and Bruce had to steady himself against the tree’s trunk as his legs began to tremble wildly with desire. Jonas grinned and held him upright with his strong arms, allowing one hand to wander beneath the kilt, reaching around to grip Bruce’s cock tightly in his fist and tug it with a rough but sensual motion. Bruce was afraid he would spill his seed right then and there, but Jonas had other things in store for him.
He whipped Bruce around again and knelt down on one knee. Bruce watched him curiously as Jonas lifted the kilt over his own head. Bruce felt self-conscious, as if he was being given an examination. He almost lifted the kilt and asked him to get away from there, when suddenly his member was submerged in the hot, moist cavern of Jonas’ mouth. The unexpected pleasure was so good that Bruce couldn’t keep himself from moaning out loud. This encouraged Jonas, who began running his tongue along Bruce’s throbbing stallion. Bruce gasped in pleasure as Jonas bobbed his head under the kilt, running a thick finger along Bruce’s balls and squeezing lightly.
This did the trick and Bruce tried to caution Jonas that something was about to happen. The tendrils of pleasure had culminated deep in his abdomen, tingling with the desire to erupt. He moaned deeply as his seed evacuated, sending strands of white liquid into Jonas’ mouth. Jonas pulled away, tugging on Bruce’s member and collecting the seed in his cupped hands.
When he stood, he dropped his kilt and Bruce was able to see Jonas’ massive erection. He’d seen men naked before, but never had he seen a man built like Jonas. His face was serious, sensual, and he began running his shimmering, wet hands along his thick shaft until it was glistening and standing straight up. He turned Bruce around again, gently this time, and pushed his cock against Bruce’s thighs. Bruce inhaled sharply as he felt Jonas begin to probe the sensitive erogenous zones of his ass, and reached around to grip Bruce’s cock again. It had been flaccid, but at Jonas’ command it came back to life.
Jonas began rocking his hips, gently easing himself inside of Bruce. The feeling was powerful and unyielding, and although it was overwhelming and slightly painful, it was the best thing he’d ever felt. Soon, Jonas was thrusting gently in and out as Bruce groaned, a low, animalistic sound that seemed to encourage Jonas to keep going as hard as he wanted to.
“Yeah,” Bruce whispered, closing his eyes as Jonas gripped Bruce’s cock and rammed into him powerfully. The man was absolutely majestic, and they both cried out as Jonas’ rod began to quiver inside of Bruce. They knew what this meant, and Jonas shoved Bruce onto his hands and knees, unleashing a torrent of hard thrusts that enhanced both of their pleasure.
Bruce moaned out loud, his neck craned on the ground so that he could see Jonas ramming inside of him, holding him by the hips as he had his way with Bruce’s body. Suddenly, Jonas growled loudly as Bruce’s insides became filled with his hot seed. Bruce gritted his teeth hard and watched himself cum, creating dark brown mud on the forest floor as Jonas pulled out of him. He could feel the hot semen spilling out of his body as Jonas unplugged him.
Bruce collapsed to the ground, panting hard. He suddenly felt Jonas tugging on his shoulder and pulling him up. He helped Bruce to his feet and scratched his head as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Then he took a few steps toward his kilt and stopped, turning to Bruce with a look of contemplation on his face.
“Thank you for that,” Jonas said. “I was worried you wouldn’t come back. You were all I could think about. If it’s all right, I’d like to show you something. It’s a secret. The reason why Lord McNeil refuses to claim me. Is that all right?”
Bruce nodded dumbly and Jonas grinned.
“Are you ready?”
“Aye.”
Bruce thought he was going to see some strange birth mark or something strange, but he wasn’t expecting the ray of light that seemed to shine from the inside of Jonas and outward. The handsome man held his gaze steadily as his body seemed to contort and shrink, until finally he was in the shape of a beautiful white wolf.
“A shape shifter,” Bruce breathed. “I’d thought your kind were only silly tales meant to amuse children.”
The wolf tilted its head at Bruce, as if to tease him for having such silly thoughts, and then bounded away into the forest. He’d forgotten his kilt, and Bruce almost called to him. Instead, he noticed the time. The sun had set. Dinner would be served soon. And he had some thinking to do.
Chapter 8
Bruce was able to get to his chambers undetected. He hid Jonas’ tartan under his pillow. Aileen was more than happy not to have to sleep with Bruce in his bedroom, as was Lord McNeil. He didn’t fancy the idea of his daughter having a bedmate, and although they’d been wed, they still hadn’t had any intimate encounters. If Bruce had any say in it, that’s the way it would stay.
He nearly moaned out loud as he remembered how sinfully good it had felt when Jonas touched him; the way his body had felt afterward. Cleansed and new, in a way. Lighter than air and capable of taking anything. He’d jumped into the stream for a quick rinse before heading back to the castle, just in case somebody might notice something amiss. Besides, he could still feel traces of Jonas inside of him. Although he would like to keep it there forever, he didn’t want his secret to be discovered.
Dinner was casual and as strained as eve
r. Lord McNeil ate quietly, only speaking once in a while to check into the health of his daughter and to see if Bruce had been able to make a kill during his trip into the woods. They’d become used to the idea that Bruce was a hunter, although Bruce had never killed anything of his own accord. Sometimes Jonas allowed him to bring his kills home to the McNeil’s though, to give himself a proper alibi for wandering into the woods alone.
It was pretty considerate of him, which was something that Bruce had come to really love about Jonas. Although he was masculine and really strong, he had a vulnerability that he didn’t apologize for. Bruce had always been shamed for not being the walking and talking representative of all things manly and barbaric, the spitting image of his father in other words, but when he was with Jonas, masculinity seemed to take on a whole new definition all together. It was something that was puzzling but it felt so much more comfortable than he had ever expected he could feel with another man. He thought all other men thought the same way that his father did; he had never expected to find somebody who could be so caring and kind, and yet still qualify as a vicious highland warrior. The two things were difficult to intersect in his mind and now that they had, he was surprised but pleased.
When Bruce finally got a few minutes to himself alone in his chambers, he took out the tartan that Jonas had left on the forest floor before their escapade. He couldn’t imagine being with anybody else. As he thumbed the tartan and let his mind wander to Jonas, he felt suddenly just how lucky he was to be able to have met such an extraordinary man. Not only was he a handsome, fierce powerhouse, he was also a wolf shifter. The stuff of legends.
He could understand why Lord McNeil would be so quick to dismiss his illegitimate child, especially not knowing that the woman he had taken to bed outside of his marriage had been from such a rebellious and troublesome clan. The wolf shifters were notorious trouble makers. In the myths and tales, they were always doing what they wanted and paying no heed to the rules. Bruce had never paid much attention to them before, but now that he knew a wolf shifter first hand, he tried to bring to mind everything that he had learned from them through legend. If they existed, maybe there were other nuggets of truth buried in the gossip as well.
