Bite Me Tender

by Kate Lowell

  “I showered.” Levi sniffed his underarm. Glyn laughed, then groaned but kept chuckling. It felt good to see Glyn laugh, see the lines of stress fade away from around his eyes and his mouth. He pulled out another steak and shredded it. This time Glyn reached out with his left hand to take a piece himself.

  “I think I can sit up now.”

  “Not yet. Give it a bit.”

  “Levi.”

  Levi put two fingers in the center of Glyn’s chest and pushed, just hard enough to keep him from wiggling into an upright position. “You’re pack now. Which means you have to toe the line with the council.” He watched as Glyn absorbed the implications of this and quashed an unsympathetic chuckle.

  A chorus of howls in the distance told them the pack had found something to hunt. Good. He hoped it was a couple of deer or something else large, and not some farmer’s cow. That would be bad, though the rest of the day had been good. McCourt was dead, Glyn was turned, and the young man with the black hair was still hanging around, sitting on the bumper of Levi’s truck. Maybe someone else could change him.

  Or maybe he’d try Glyn on Bryan’s idea of the threesome. That thought sent a flush of blood straight to his cock, which sent another one straight to his face. Glyn’s eyes widened, and he stared at Levi’s face, then down at his stiffening cock.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked in a too-casual tone.

  Shit.

  Glyn frowned. “You’re thinking about that little tart over there, aren’t you?” He struggled up onto his elbows, cursing under his breath and favoring his shoulder. Giving way as gracefully as possible under the circumstances, Levi helped him sit up. He cradled Glyn between his legs and let him lean back on Levi’s chest.

  It felt perfect. It smelled perfect too, with the resinous background of the conifer forest around them, the cold tang of the meat from the cooler, and Glyn’s own scent changing as his body adapted to his wolf. Glyn rested the back of his head on Levi’s shoulder and panted, his face white and glistening with sweat from the pain. Levi supported him as best he could.

  “You still want to fuck him, don’t you?” Glyn’s voice was thin, and his tone made the words more a statement than a question.

  Levi picked up Glyn’s left hand and kissed it. “It doesn’t matter. I have you.”

  “I know.” Glyn canted his head carefully to one side to look up at Levi. “Talk to me in a couple of months. Is there any more meat?”

  Holy shit, Bryan was right. Levi grabbed another steak out of the cooler and passed it to Glyn. “Maybe,” was all he said, though some part of him was yelling Yippee! He thought it might have been the wolf. And maybe a little bit of him. Not that he was interested in keeping Connor, but those legs around his waist… “How are you feeling now?”

  Glyn tilted his head and appeared to think about it. “Better. A lot better.”

  Levi kissed his hair. “Good. We might head home, then, if you think you’re up to it.”

  “You don’t need to hunt?”

  Levi nodded his head at the bloody scatter of flesh and bone that had been McCourt. “I had my hunt. Twice.” He laid a kiss on Glyn’s temple and slid his hand up the inside of Glyn’s thigh, testing for a response. The muscle quivered under his hand, but nothing else happened. “The next step doesn’t need wolf form.”

  Glyn grinned cheekily at him. “Let’s do it.”

  Levi slowly moved away from Glyn and looked around for his pants.

  “I have your clothes,” came a soft voice from behind him. He turned to see Connor holding a bundle that had to be his clothing. Shit. That was going to set Glyn off. Or maybe not, given his current mood.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  Connor nodded at Glyn, who was still sitting in the middle of the clearing, staring dazedly at the trees around them. “You want some help with him?”

  Levi thought about it. “Maybe. You brave enough to poke that bear?”

  Connor grinned back. “Maybe.”

  Levi laughed. The kid was all right. He slid into his jeans and T-shirt and jammed his feet into his shoes.

  He crouched down beside Glyn. “Hey, gorgeous, you still with me?”

  Glyn looked around, focusing with some effort on Levi’s face. “Huh? Oh, yeah. It’s just…different.”

  Levi nodded. “Connor and I are going to get you into the truck and take you home. You gonna behave?”

  Glyn frowned. “Connor.”

  Levi tapped him on the nose, which made Glyn cross his eyes. “Don’t pick at the poor guy. He’s just lost out on three months of hot monkey sex with me. His ego’s got to be feeling a little bit bruised.” He heard a muffled snort of laughter from behind him and frowned half-seriously over his shoulder at the young man before turning back to Glyn. He swung Glyn’s good arm around his neck and worked his own under Glyn’s thighs. “Okay, there, wolf-pup, I’m going to carry you to the truck. You ready?”

  “Suuuurrre.” Glyn sounded drunk—exactly how Levi had felt when he’d been changed, with all his senses in high gear and his overworked brain pedaling frantically to keep up.

  Levi laughed and kissed Glyn’s forehead. “Here we go.” He got his legs underneath him and lifted as smoothly as he could. Glyn still cried out as his shoulder was jostled, but he seemed to become comfortable again fairly quickly, lying with his head nestled in the crook of Levi’s neck.

  Connor opened the passenger door when they arrived at the truck. Levi scooted Glyn into the center of the bench seat and pulled a blanket out from behind the seat to cover him, then stepped out of the cab to let Connor climb in. A low growl met the young man, and he froze, one foot on the floor of the truck, the other still on the ground.

  “Glyn,” Levi snapped. The growl stopped. Levi nodded at Connor. “Get in. He won’t hurt you.” Connor gave him a doubtful look but obeyed. Levi listened, but the cab remained quiet. He hid a smile as he walked around to the driver’s side and jumped in. Glyn was a possessive, dominant little shit. It was going to be fun watching him mow through the pack like a combine at harvest season. He dropped a kiss on Glyn’s still-pale lips and started the truck.

  “Home,” Levi said on a sigh. “Where can I drop you off, Connor?”

  Connor smiled, bright teeth flashing in the moonlight. “The Nip, if that’s okay. I need a drink after this.”

  Levi nodded. “Come talk to me later. If you still want in after all this.”

  “Oh, I do,” the young man said, and Levi could smell the salt and bitterness of his arousal. He glanced across to see Connor staring—not at him, but at Glyn, who had closed his eyes and pillowed his head on Levi’s shoulder. Interesting.

  “Put your fucking eyes back in their sockets, tart,” Glyn said without opening his eyes.

  Levi squashed a laugh. Oh, it was definitely going to be fun.

  Love Me Tender

  Glyn was sitting up and blinking rapidly at the world by the time they hit the town limits.

  “You okay?” Levi asked.

  “Yeah. Witchsight.”

  Levi waited, but Glyn didn’t add anything more to the explanation. Levi guessed he meant that the witch power and the wolf were coming to some sort of partnership agreement over Glyn’s body.

  Once in town, Levi swung by The Nip to drop Connor off. As Connor slid across the seat, Levi had to grab the leg of Glyn’s jeans to stop him from helping the man out of the truck with the toe of his boot.

  “Behave yourself!” Levi snarled, exasperated.

  Glyn ignored him and stared after Connor until the man was inside the bar. Levi sighed and put the truck in gear.

  As the truck pulled away from the curb, Glyn shuffled back across the seat until their legs touched, and ran his hand up the inside of Levi’s thigh to cup his cock.

  Levi shifted, spreading his legs a little, and covered Glyn’s hand with his own. “Yes, I know. Yours.”

  Glyn smiled his sly, witchy smile and rested his chin on Levi’s shoulder.

  Levi smiled hi
s own version back. “Doesn’t mean that Connor doesn’t want yours, though. And I might think about sharing, in a couple of months, if you’re really nice to me.”

  Glyn sat up, startled, and winced, his hand going briefly to his shoulder before returning to its place between Levi’s thighs. “What do you mean, he wants mine?”

  Levi grinned and pressed Glyn’s hand harder against his cock. “It wasn’t this one he was all worked up about. It was yours. One word and he would have been on his knees for you. Bite or no bite.”

  “Fuck.”

  “I think that’s the idea.”

  Glyn eyed him suspiciously. “And you’re telling me this why?”

  Tread carefully, Levi. Get him onside, and it could solve a lot of problems. “Well, you’ve seen him. He’s not you, but he’s sweet enough. I think the two of you would make an awfully pretty picture. Like sunshine and stars.”

  It must have been the right thing to say, because Glyn sat back with a thoughtful look on his face. He didn’t remove his hand, though. In fact, Levi realized, his fingers had started to flex, ever so slightly, an unconscious motion that hinted at desire.

  It’s starting. The thought shocked him—it never started this fast. But then, he’d never had anyone sitting up and talking within half an hour of the bite either. He wondered what other changes there would be because of Glyn being part witch.

  Looked like he was going to find out, and soon.

  He pulled in to their driveway and cut the engine. The lights died, leaving only the glow of the weak porch light. “How’s the shoulder?”

  Glyn moved it carefully. “Weird. Sore, but not sore. Kind of itchy, but not a normal itch.”

  “Hmmph.” Levi didn’t remember it like that, or anyone else describing it like that, but he’d never turned another paranormal before either. “You stay there. I’ll help you out.”

  “I’m not a Southern belle that needs help managing her skirts. I can get out myself.”

  “You’ve just been mauled by a werewolf. I’m helping you out. Sit.”

  Glyn growled at him, but Levi ignored it. He opened the door and slid to the ground, then turned to hold his hand out to Glyn. Glyn left off cradling his other arm and took Levi’s hand. Glyn’s was warm, sending a shock of sensation up Levi’s arm. Very like the first time they had set eyes on each other, in that bar in New York. It brought back memories and that same sense of something momentous happening in that very moment. He looked up and saw his own emotion reflected on Glyn’s face.

  “Come on,” he said gruffly, tugging on Glyn’s hand. “Let’s get you into bed.”

  Glyn’s face lit up. “Now you’re talking.”

  Levi laughed, wrapped his arm around Glyn’s waist, and helped him slide carefully to the ground. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, gorgeous. Nothing’s happening until your shoulder is better.” They walked up the path and slowly climbed the stairs to the porch.

  “I thought it started pretty much right away.”

  Levi shook his head. “The first bit of wolf, the part from the bite, burns itself up healing the damage. Once you’ve healed enough, what’s left will start looking for more wolf, enough to complete itself…” His voice trailed off as the puzzle pieces came together. “Oh, dammit, Glyn, I’m so sorry!”

  Glyn looked up as they maneuvered toward the door. “About what?”

  Levi couldn’t meet his eyes. “I never thought… I never cared as much about someone I changed the way I did about you. So I always held back. I never bit you hard enough to give the wolf a good foothold in your body.” He fumbled with his house keys, using them as an excuse not to look up and see the disappointment in Glyn’s eyes. And there would be. He’d tortured Glyn once a month for a year, just because he didn’t have the balls to do the job properly. McCourt had been more right than he knew.

  He dropped the keys when Glyn’s laugh rang out. “That’s what Gram said.” Glyn stepped away, wobbling slightly but standing on his own. “Why do you think I punched you?” Levi gaped at him. “Pick up the keys, honey,” Glyn told him. “I want to be home. With you.”

  Levi picked up the keys and clumsily opened the lock on the inside door. As the door banged open, he turned and scooped Glyn up in his arms.

  Glyn squawked and laughed. “We’re not married!”

  “Maybe I’m thinking about asking you,” he said as he sidled through the opening, careful of Glyn’s head and shoulder.

  “Maybe,” replied Glyn as his feet touched the floor, “I want to try the milk before I buy the bull.” He pulled Levi into a kiss, hardly favoring his shoulder at all now.

  “What, a four-year test drive wasn’t enough?” Levi slid his hands down to cup Glyn’s ass.

  “I don’t know,” Glyn told him between kisses. “I’m a wolf now, right? Maybe I’ll want to take that little tart out for a test drive myself. See whether I like the sports model or the heavy-duty version better.”

  Levi growled and let his fingers close on the meat of Glyn’s ass with bruising force. “Thought you didn’t like him.” Neither he nor his wolf had any interest in sharing right now.

  Glyn snorted and licked Levi’s neck, making him gasp. “Situation’s changed. That was before you told me he was interested in me. You knew when we moved in together that I don’t share well. But playing with others was always my best grade in high school.”

  Levi laughed and buried his nose in Glyn’s hair, breathing in his scent. He wanted to wallow in it, paint himself with his lover’s smell and cover Glyn with his. His wolf could feel Glyn’s almost-wolf within him, crying out to be fed. Soon Glyn would feel it as well, and then all bets were off.

  “Give me a couple of months of having you to myself, and you can have whatever you want.”

  “Really?” Glyn pulled back in amazement. “Seriously?”

  Levi nodded. “I hurt you, over and over. There’s no way I can undo that. So if you want him, you can have him. But not for keeps!” He took Glyn by the chin and squeezed for emphasis.

  Glyn looked up at him, his face solemn. “I don’t want to keep him. I just like to play with pretty things.”

  “What are you doing with me, then?”

  That made Glyn laugh, like he’d hoped it would. “You’re plenty pretty for me.” Glyn wrapped an arm around Levi’s neck—his right, Levi noted with glee. Fast healer. Way faster than anyone else. What a fantastic addition to the pack. He couldn’t wait to rub it in Bryan’s face that he’d been right all along.

  Levi smiled down at Glyn, who watched him with curious eyes.

  “So, when should I start feeling the effects of— Oh!”

  Levi smiled at the startled amazement on Glyn’s face. Any second now…

  “Shit,” Glyn said, his hands already at Levi’s fly. “You could have warned me!”

  “Would you have believed me?” It was hitting him too, his own half of the arousal, and his hands were busy getting Glyn’s pants off in turn. He was hard as a rock, as was Glyn, but being the older wolf, it was up to him to make sure Glyn didn’t hurt himself in his need.

  Clothing fell to the floor, and Glyn drove him up against the wall, his hands fisted in Levi’s cropped hair. Glyn’s wounds were angry red welts now, still painful-looking, but closed and healing. He demonstrated his recovery by wrapping his right arm around Levi’s waist and pulling them together so he could rub his cock against Levi’s. They both groaned together.

  “Now, Levi!” Glyn demanded, working his left hand in between them.

  Think, Levi, think. “Lube,” he stuttered out. “Not without lube.”

  “Dammit, I’m not a virgin!”

  “Tonight you are. Stay here!” Levi pushed away, headed for the downstairs bathroom. He heard Glyn following him and spun around. “I said, stay there!” He picked Glyn up, took him back to the entryway, and put him down facing what was left of the side of the staircase.

  “Shit. What happened here?” Glyn’s surprise dragged him momentarily out of his erotic daze.r />
  “I got drunk and angry,” Levi replied brusquely. He wrapped Glyn’s hands around the broken newel posts and lifted one of his legs to plant Glyn’s foot on the edge of a step. He couldn’t resist sliding his hand up that long leg, enjoying the quavering moan he pulled out of Glyn as he dragged his calluses over it, until he had that perfect curve of ass cupped in his palm. “I want you here. Stay!” And then he left to find the lube he was sure he’d seen in the vanity drawer.

  Glyn was still in place when he came back, and the beauty of the scene took his breath away. His lover gleamed with sweat, the lights in the hallway throwing highlights along the muscles that quivered before him. Glyn still held tightly to the posts in front of him, staring blindly ahead as he panted. Levi could see the slight flex and relax of Glyn’s hips as his arousal built. Levi’s wolf howled inside and urged him forward.

  “Soon, gorgeous,” he reassured Glyn.

  Glyn laughed, ending it on a pained moan. “Hurry, please?” Glyn rarely sounded so plaintive.

  “Right now, love.” Levi slicked himself and Glyn up and tossed the bottle on the stairs. With a relieved groan, he grabbed Glyn’s hips and eased himself inside. In his current state, Glyn wasn’t likely to appreciate any foreplay. Levi guessed that neither of them was going to last long. He slid his hands up to cover Glyn’s where they still held their death grip on the staircase posts, and threw his control to the wind and the wolf.

  He felt Glyn brace himself against the stairs as his hips began to move. He tried his best to keep the force to a reasonable level but was ruefully aware that Glyn would probably need cushions or a day in bed after this.

  Levi’d gladly spend a day waiting on him hand and foot after tonight. More, even.

  Glyn moaned and pushed back against him. Levi could feel his balls drawing up and knew he only had moments left. He reached around to check Glyn, who gasped and shuddered under the touch. Glyn was close too, his cock hard and slick with precum. Levi wrapped his hand around Glyn’s shaft and began stroking him in a ragged rhythm that matched the progressively more frantic beating of Levi’s heart. So close…