by M. A. Church
Once he shifted, he ran until he found a clump of trees and bushes. A little rest wouldn’t hurt, he decided, and dropped down on his belly. As carefully as he could, he crawled into the middle. It was hardly big enough for him to stretch out, but the tree limbs did a good job of camouflaging the space. After he crawled inside, he used his paws to arrange the limbs and debris around him.
Curling up, he glanced at the starry sky. What was Warwick was doing now? Was he out there, hunting? Of course he was. Had he already honed in on Avery’s trail? Was he even now close, hidden out there somewhere, watching him?
Warwick wouldn’t bring the hunt to an end this soon, so he should be okay to rest and collect his thoughts for a few moments. Closing his eyes, he tried to relax his body. He drifted, his mind clear and his body settled.
Time marched slowly until a low growl echoed across the forest. Avery popped his head up. What was that? An animal? Maybe Warwick? Avery twitched his ears as he scanned the darkness. Barely daring to breathe and careful not to make a sound, he listened.
Something moved not far away. Yes. There was something in the bush nearby. He sniffed, picking up the smell of some rodent nosing around for a meal. Avery sighed as he picked up another scent. A small animal shot across the clearing, followed closely by a bigger one.
He relaxed as it moved on, intent on what it was chasing. Only then did he realize his heart was pounding, not in fear but in excitement. And, okay, maybe he was a little bit jumpy. The role of prey was not one he was used to.
Avery sighed again as he glanced around. Looked like break time was over.
Before he moved, he listened closely. All he heard were the chirps and calls of the nighttime predators and the small sounds of prey skittering through the brush around them. Once more he sniffed the wind, seeing if he could detect the smell of chocolate. Satisfied there was nothing near him that shouldn’t be there, he crawled out of his niche.
He loped along, listening for anything that didn’t belong to the night. As he moved farther into the wooded area, he kept his eyes open. Where was Warwick now? Glancing up at the sky, he was surprised. More time had passed than he originally thought. He roughly calculated they’d been at this for at least three hours total, including Warwick’s delayed start.
Time really did seem to fly when there was fun involved, and this had been fun, even though he hadn’t seen a hint of Warwick. His thoughts turned to later tonight. After the Chase was over, Warwick would make love to him. How big was he? Would it hurt when Warwick entered him?
Images of the gay videos he’d watched flickered in his mind. The guy who bottomed didn’t seem to be in pain. Avery was sure there would be a little soreness after the act, but he wasn’t worried. He wanted to experience everything Warwick had to show him—he only hoped Warwick didn’t find him lacking.
He shook his head in annoyance. Warwick knew he didn’t have any experience, so it was up to him to show Avery what to do. Avery chuckled, the sound resembling a huff of breath. He certainly had some ideas and things he wanted to explore also.
Giving himself a little shake, he ducked under a low-hanging branch, being as careful as he could not to leave a trail. Frankly he was surprised he hadn’t seen or heard anything from Warwick yet.
He peered into the darkness. Damn dragon had to be out there somewhere. He’d bet on it. Could Warwick be close enough to see him? Smell him? Was he out there right this very minute, crouched at the top of some tree, staring down at him, waiting?
Avery shivered as a breeze caressed his neck. Was Warwick watching him now? Plotting his next move? Had he somehow missed Warwick’s presence? He looked up at the moon wondering if Warwick was looking at it too. Had the regular nighttime sounds that surrounded him suddenly stopped, or was he only now noticing how quiet it was? Did something move out there in the darkness?
Avery scanned the darkness again. Maybe Warwick was out there. The thought pleased him. Avery dropped his chest to the ground, his back end still up in the air, and wagged his tail. He thought about barking, but… yeah. That would certainly be a dead giveaway.
He jerked upright, bounced around, then dropped his chest back to the ground. Come play! Maybe if Warwick was out there, he’d know what that meant. Avery chortled in his mind. He could imagine the look on Warwick’s face if he did see Avery’s antics. He stood there, listening closely for a return snort. Avery frowned. Nothing.
Disappointed, Avery turned and trotted off. After a while, he came upon a tall group of rocks. He prowled around, making sure there was nothing hidden that might attack him, then climbed up, the moonlight falling upon him.
He lifted his head, the urge to call out for Warwick strong. Enough hours had passed, and he wanted Warwick. Avery howled, a sound of pure longing. The call echoed through the woods.
Something far away answered, a deafening roar breaking the silence that cloaked the land. He shivered, need curling through him. Only one thing he knew could possibly sound like that.
His dragon.
Chapter Fourteen
WARWICK calmly walked through the woods, following Avery’s delightful scent on the breezes. He’d dressed in warm black clothes to help fight the chill, but the coldness that lay heavily upon the land didn’t bother him for once. Excitement thrummed through his body, heating his blood and keeping him burning with need.
He chuckled softly, remembering the look on the werewolves’ faces earlier. Maybe he’d been showing off, but he wanted to make an impression. He was pretty sure he had.
Once the hour delay was over, Alpha Montgomery nodded at Warwick, telling him it was time. He couldn’t shift into his dragon form, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of making a statement. Instead of immediately walking into the woods, Warwick had stripped off his heavy, fleece-lined sweatshirt and tied it around his waist. Under the sweatshirt he wore a black sleeveless T-shirt with extreme dropped armholes.
He cleared his mind, closed his eyes, and reached toward his other form. There was a slight tingling around his eyes as the scrollwork appeared when he tapped into his dragon power. Opening his eyes, he glanced around the pack.
The gasps were amusing but expected. He knew what he looked like since he’d seen himself in a mirror before. His pupils were now slitted, and the purple of his eyes glowed slightly. His fangs lengthened and sharpened, and his blunt fingernails quickly grew into claws. Patches of purple scales rose on his on stomach and chest, and along any part of his body that was vulnerable.
But he wasn’t quite done yet. The shocked exclamations when his large, leathery wings burst forth from his back had been gratifying. Very few knew dragons were capable of a partial shift beyond what was decorative. The wings were not nearly as large as they were in his dragon form, but they didn’t need to be when he was still mostly human.
He crouched and called forth a cold gust of wind. Leaves swirled around him. Muscles bunching, he launched himself into the air, taking advantage of the wind stirred by the vortex of his power. His wings flapped strongly as they lifted him. He circled the group once and was again amused by the sense of astonishment, unease, shock, and envy.
The latter didn’t surprise him. Those who had previously shook their heads in sympathy for Avery having to mate a dragon were quickly changing their tune, he’d bet. As they should. Avery was no longer just a werewolf, or just an Omega. Avery was soon to be mated to one of the most fearsome predators on this planet.
Warwick glided across the sky, enjoying the moonlit night. Since they had time to waste, he wasn’t actively hunting Avery at that moment. After he left the pack behind, he found a clearing, where he landed. Folding his wings back, he sniffed the air.
There. There was that alluring summer scent he associated with Avery. He walked, his boots crunching the dead leaves, but he wasn’t worried about sounds. He wanted Avery to know he was coming for him.
After targeting Avery’s scent, he followed it through the woods, impressed with how carefully Avery had moved through the f
oliage. The scent of water called to him, and he followed Avery’s path to the stream.
“Smart. Good idea to use water to kill the scent.” But there wasn’t much that could throw a dragon off his prey.
Warwick found the fake trail and tracked it, knowing full well what Avery was doing. Suddenly the scent ended. The smell of wolf had suddenly disappeared, and a human scent became more prevalent. Interesting. He studied the surrounding area, then laughed softly, glancing up. Ah yes. Smart wolf. Avery had shifted and taken to the trees.
With Avery’s strength and agility, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to move from tree to tree. But considering Warwick was as much a creature of the air as he was of the land, the ruse didn’t fool him. He followed Avery’s return trail back to the water. The false trail had led one way, but Avery had gone in the other. The thrill of the hunt snaked through Warwick as he leaped, his wings snapping out. With a few powerful thrusts, he landed on the opposite bank. The scent of crushed berries teased his nostrils. Impressed, Warwick circled the bush. Avery had picked the berries from all over instead of just one area. It made it less obvious berries had been picked. Avery had used the berries in an effort to hide his natural scent.
A mental image of Avery, nude in the moonlight, rubbing the berry juice over his body, sent Warwick’s libido raging. He wanted to lick the juice off Avery and…. Warwick rearranged his hard cock and reminded himself not to get distracted. But that was going on the list of things to do later. Avery had obviously shifted back into his wolf form, but there was no trail and the berry scent was fading. Warwick glanced at the sky. Hours had passed now, and he was ready for this to end so they could move on to the next part of the ritual. Again he sniffed the air, and this time Avery’s scent was stronger. He was closing in on Avery.
A lone howl erupted across the woods. Even though he wasn’t a werewolf, Warwick recognized it for what it was—a call for his mate. Avery was as ready for this to end as he was.
Throwing back his head, Warwick roared his answer.
Warwick climbed a nearby tree, moving up through the branches easily, until he reached the top. Free from the obstructions offered by the woods, he leaped into the sky. With a few powerful beats from his wings, he headed straight for where that howl came from.
There in the distance was a white wolf standing on top of a monstrous rock pile. The moonlight gleamed silver on the wolf’s white coat. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight. Warwick arrowed straight toward the wolf. He found a clearing close to the rocks, and flapping his wings gently, he landed on his feet. The magnificent creature in front of him held his head high, waiting patiently.
Struck by the beauty of the wolf in front of him, he approached. “I’ve seen a lot of things during my lifetime, but you might be the most glorious.”
The wolf leaped from the rocks and jogged over.
Warwick held out his hand as Avery approached. Avery nuzzled his palm, his long pink tongue darting out to lick Warwick’s fingers. He ran his hand down Avery’s coat, surprised at the softness of Avery’s fur.
Now that Avery was out of the pool of moonlight, he noticed Avery’s coat was actually a silvery white, not pure white as he first thought. The muscles beneath his hand bunched and flexed as Avery moved restlessly, rubbing against Warwick.
“Scent marking me, huh?”
Avery yipped as he sniffed at Warwick’s leg and belly.
Avery’s eyes were more of an amber in this form instead of the hazel Warwick was used to seeing. Warwick was tempted to ask Avery to shift, but seeing all that naked skin might lead to snapping what little self-control he had. Damned if he was taking Avery’s virginity on dead leaves in the cold. No, there would be a bed, a warm fire, and lots of lube. “Do you think significant enough time has lapsed?”
Avery nodded his head, then head-butted his hip.
“In a rush to get back, are we?”
Avery nibbled at Warwick’s fingers, then whimpered.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Warwick dropped to one knee and wrapped his arms around Avery’s neck. Now that they were closer in height, he realized how tall Avery was in his wolf form. And Omegas were supposed to be the smallest of the werewolves? “Let’s get back, then. I have plans for you.” Warwick hugged Avery, then stood.
Avery bounced around his feet, yapping and barking. Laughing, Warwick untied his sweatshirt from around his waist. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind and shifted back into his human form. A slight tug on the shirt brought a smile to his face, and he opened his eyes to see Avery tugging gently on it. He wished Avery could transform back into his human form, but understood why he couldn’t due to the cold.
“Soon. I promise, soon.” He pulled it on, and walking with Avery by his side, they started the trek back, Warwick’s hand frequently brushing against Avery’s fur. Avery might not be able to speak, but he showed his eagerness by refusing to get distracted by small animals and such. He barked playfully as they walked and occasionally nipped Warwick’s fingers. Sometimes Avery would dart behind Warwick and nudged him to move faster. No, no human words were needed to express Avery’s happiness.
IT seemed to take forever, but eventually they left the woods. Avery’s pack milled around, waiting for them. As they drew closer, people began clapping. Someone had built a bonfire, and the scent of roasted meat lingered in the air.
Avery pranced in front of him, tail up and wagging, as he made a beeline straight for his father.
“Well done, son. A most excellent hunt.” Alpha Montgomery bent and hugged Avery. He straightened as Warwick approached. “I see now why you asked if my pack could be trusted with your secret. It most assuredly will be kept quiet.”
Warwick nodded, pleased. He held out his hand in a gesture of goodwill. After all, by tomorrow morning he’d be related to the Alpha.
Laughing heartily, Alpha Montgomery pushed Warwick’s hand out of the way and embraced him. Shock caught Warwick off guard. Werewolves, as a rule, didn’t touch outsiders. This more than anything told Warwick he’d been accepted into the pack.
As they hugged, Alpha Montgomery whispered, “Thank you for honoring Avery so by making the Chase last as long as it did.”
“Of course I would. He’s my mate, regardless of how we came to meet,” Warwick answered.
Alpha Montgomery stepped back and faced his pack. “The Chase is concluded! Avery led his mate on a worthwhile Chase, one he should be proud of, especially considering who his mate is. Soon we will gather to celebrate the joining of Warwick and Avery. I’ll send out a pack email later. Avery? Son, I’m so proud of you. Please shift and dress.”
Avery’s form blurred and in the place of the wolf stood a man. Alpha Montgomery brought Avery’s clothes, and he quickly dressed. Warwick caught a quick glimpse of luscious golden skin tinted by berry juice, and a bubble butt to die for. Avery’s attention was certainly on him, and Warwick sniffed the air. A small smile spread across his face.
Avery hugged his mother and father, then accepted congratulatory pats on his back from his sisters… all the time staring at Warwick. As soon as Avery got away from the crowd, he hurried to Warwick.
All Warwick could focus on was Avery. Nothing else mattered to him. As Avery approached, Warwick struggled to keep himself under control. His dragon’s demands were getting harder to ignore.
Warwick, overcome with the feeling of rightness, opened his arms, and Avery plowed into them. “Thank you for making it last,” Avery said softly, his head resting under Warwick’s chin.
“I must insist you repeat that tomorrow morning too.”
Avery looked into Warwick’s eyes. “I’m sure I will.”
Unable to deny the urge any longer, he threaded his fingers through Avery’s soft hair and tilted his head back. He trailed little nibbling kisses up Avery’s throat. Avery buried his hands in Warwick’s long hair and tugged frantically until finally he slammed his mouth down upon Avery’s.
The ever-present passion between them exploded. The ov
erwhelming scent of sunshine on cut grass almost brought him to his knees as Avery rubbed his hard cock against Warwick.
All that mattered was the man in his arms. When the need to breathe drove them apart, he stared down at Avery. Avery’s lips were wet and swollen, the need clear in his eyes.
“Can we leave now?” Warwick’s dragon was riding him hard, and he was a few slippery steps away from claiming Avery right there in front of everybody.
“Hell yes.” Avery moaned. “Let me get my overnight bag, and we can get the hell out of here.”
“Don’t dally. I’m about at the end of my rope.”
Avery didn’t bother to answer. He turned and all but ran toward the pack house.
The minutes dragged by. Warwick desperately tried to maintain polite conversation with those gathered around to congratulate him, but he caught himself constantly glancing in the direction Avery had gone.
Avery reappeared, and Warwick was momentarily worried about how he could successfully extricate them without causing a scene. The decision was taken from him when Avery shouted a goodbye to everybody, then dragged Warwick from the pack house and over to the waiting limo. His chauffeur barely got the door open in time, thanks to Avery’s mad rush. Avery threw his duffel into the limo and climbed inside.
Warwick took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself, but the summer scent of Avery’s growing arousal was slowly driving him mad. He ducked inside, settled next to Avery, and rolled up the partition between them and the driver.
“Avery, I wanted to say—oomph!”
Avery straddled him and slammed his mouth down on Warwick’s. Warwick grabbed Avery’s ass and squeezed. Avery’s moan echoed through the limousine; then, just as quickly as he started, he leaned back. “If we keep this up—”
Warwick struggled to get his emotions under control. What was it about Avery that scrambled his thoughts so? “Then you’re going to lose your virginity in here, and I don’t think either of us wants that.”
