After arriving back at his property, Draven parked in the boathouse. He jogged up to the house, wishing he could go for another run in his wolf from to expend some of the pent-up longing the mating urge caused. He couldn’t, though. Going wolf would only make things worse for him. The instinct to claim and take what was his would be harder to resist. Until he figured out how things would go between him and Wyatt, he had to keep himself under tight control.
Having over an hour before he had to return to Wyatt’s cottage, Draven decided a swim in the lake would have to do for now. Since it was the middle of the summer, the water wouldn’t be too cold, but there were spots where the water was cooler than others. He’d find as many of them as he could and see if that would help with his racing libido. He doubted it would, but he’d find it more palatable than a cold shower.
* * *
After a forty-five minute swim that did nothing but tire him out a bit, Draven took a quick shower before he dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. As he walked to the boathouse, the thought of seeing Wyatt again had his erection pressing against the front of his pants. In the throes of the mating urge, he knew he’d be walking around with a hard-on, or at least be semi-hard, all the time until he claimed his mate. If he could claim him, that is. It was already complicated enough that Wyatt was mortal, more than likely not knowing werewolves even existed, but Draven not being sure of his sexual orientation just made it even tougher.
Draven threw his fishing rod and tackle box into his boat before he started it and backed out of the boathouse. His heart beat a little faster the closer he came to Wyatt’s cottage. Thoughts of all the things he wanted to do to him while he explored every inch of Wyatt’s body flashed through his mind.
After securely tying his boat to the dock, Draven headed for the small cottage close by. The building was in need of a paint job. It looked as if the outboard motor wasn’t the only thing the owners had neglected. He didn’t like the thought of his would-be mating staying in a place like this. He had a feeling the inside wouldn’t be much better.
Draven knocked on the door and Wyatt opened it. A smile spread across the other man’s face. “Draven. Come in. You’re right on time.”
He stepped into the cottage as Wyatt backed up to give him room. “I do try to be punctual.” Draven sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”
“Thanks. I have the burgers cooking outside on the portable charcoal grill I brought with me, which I’m glad I did, since there isn’t one here. Would you like a beer?”
“Sure. I could go for one right about now.”
“Then make yourself at home and I’ll get you one.”
Draven walked farther into the large room, which was the combined living room and kitchen. He sat on the couch that had seen better days. He looked around, noting less than stellar furnishings and flooring. There wasn’t even a television. Since cable wasn’t available at the lake, it wasn’t too surprising. At his place, he had satellite TV.
Wyatt returned, carrying two bottles of beer. After he passed one to Draven, he sat next to him. “Just a few more minutes, then the burgers will be ready. Dinner is nothing fancy, since I’m not that great of a cook. But it’s eatable.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Draven took a sip of his cold beer. “So are you ready to do some fishing after we eat?”
Wyatt nodded. “Definitely. I ended up calling the owner of this place and told him what happened to the outboard motor. He apologized, but he won’t be able to get it repaired until after I leave. He’s an older man, and I don’t think he has much interest in this place. It’s probably the reason why he rents it out.”
Draven had never met the owner, and to be honest, he really hadn’t met any of the other people who owned cottages on the lake. He liked to keep to himself. Plus, there was the fact that if he got too friendly with them they’d soon question why he wasn’t aging at all over the years. Werewolves being very long-lived, the oldest his kind reached was three thousand. It was just easier for him to keep his distance.
Wyatt and he drank their beer in silence before his would-be mate spoke. “So you said you just arrived this morning. Was it a long drive for you?”
“Not really. Only a couple of hours. I live in Toronto.”
Wyatt sat up straighter. “I’m in Mississauga, so we’re almost neighbors.”
Draven chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.” He paused, then asked, “What do you do back in Mississauga?”
“I’m the manager of a small electronics store.”
“I bet that’s an interesting job.”
Wyatt laughed and shook his head. “No, not really. To be honest, it’s damn boring at times. Then there is the whole having-to-deal-with-customers thing. The majority of them are easy to be around, but there are others who have me biting my tongue over their insults. As you can probably tell, this isn’t my dream job, by any means.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” he said with a smile. “It wouldn’t be my choice, since I’m not much of a people person.” Draven sniffed the air. “It smells as if those burgers are done.”
“Crap. I forgot all about them.”
Wyatt shot to his feet and went out the back door at the kitchen area. Draven stood and walked over to where Wyatt had disappeared. Standing at the screen door, he watched his would-be mate take the burgers off the grill and put them on the plate he held.
“Do you need some help, Wyatt?”
The other man looked up from what he was doing and shook his head. “No, I’m good. You can get the door for me, though.”
Draven pushed it open and held it as Wyatt walked by him. It wasn’t long before the small kitchen table was set and they were sitting to eat. He took a bite of his burger, enjoying the taste of it, but would have liked it better if it had been more on the undercooked side. As a werewolf, he liked his beef rare to the point it was basically raw.
After they finished their meal, Draven and Wyatt got ready to go fishing. Draven had left his windbreaker in the boat, so he told Wyatt to meet him at the dock when he was ready.
He’d just finished checking over his rod when a god-awful stench filled his nose. It felt as if it were burning his nostrils. Turning to face the dock, he saw Wyatt walking down toward him. Whatever it was, it came from the other man.
Once Wyatt drew even with the boat, Draven asked, “All ready to go?” He took another deep breath, which caused him to sneeze, repeatedly, his body’s way of clearing out the offending smell from his nostrils.
“Yeah, I am. Are you okay? You’re not coming down with a cold, are you?”
Draven shook his head. “No…ah, I think it’s something you must have put on. Your scent is a bit…different. Stronger.”
Wyatt gave him a confused look. “Really? It’s mosquito repellent. I didn’t think it smelled that bad. It’s supposed to be the kind that doesn’t have an unpleasant odor.”
Draven scrunched his nose. The repellent was not only repelling the insects, it was doing it to him as well. He didn’t want to get anywhere near Wyatt because of it, which didn’t sit well with him. He’d hoped to put some feelers out while they fished, to see if his would-be mate was into men or not. But as it stood now, that wouldn’t be happening. With his heightened senses, if he smelled the repellent long enough, it would feel as if the inside of his nose was burning. Draven would have to somehow get Wyatt to wash the crap off before he did any of that.
“Why would you use that?” Draven asked. “I thought the DEET inside the spray wasn’t supposed to be good for you.”
Wyatt stepped into the boat, carrying his fishing pole and tackle box. “I figure it’s better to use repellent, rather than risk the chance of a mosquito biting me that has West Nile virus. You should probably use some as well.” He pulled out a spray bottle from his jacket pocket and held it out.
Draven backed up as the smell of the repellent grew stronger. “Ah, thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need it, anyway. The mosquitoes leave me alone. I ne
ver get bitten.” Which was the truth. Being what he was, there had to be something in his blood the insects didn’t like.
“Lucky you. I wish I could say the same. When I get bitten, I break out in huge welts and they itch like crazy.”
“Why don’t you get seated, then I’ll take us out.” Wyatt drew near and Draven sneezed repeatedly again.
Wyatt gave him a worried look. “If you aren’t coming down with a cold, I have a feeling you’re allergic to the repellent.” He backed up a little. “I think it would be better if I don’t get too close to you while we’re fishing.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Draven sneezed again.
“Oh yes, I do. I don’t mind.”
Draven sighed, then said, “Once we’re finished, you can wash it off and get as close to me as you want.”
At Wyatt’s sharp, indrawn breath, Draven realized what he’d just implied. His gaze met his would-be mate’s and he found uncertainty lurking in his hazel eyes. Had he said too much? Draven was about to do some backtracking, but Wyatt spoke before he could.
“So you still want to hang out after we’re done fishing?”
Draven nodded. “Sure, but back at my place. I have satellite television. We can look for a movie to watch or something while we have a few beers.”
Wyatt gave him a crooked smile. “Yeah, the cottage doesn’t have that. Watching some TV later sounds good.”
“Let’s go see what kind of fish are biting this evening.”
“I’m ready. I even have the worms. I bought some on the way here.” Wyatt held up his tackle box.
Draven gave a short nod, then started the boat’s motor. He focused on what he was doing as Wyatt settled himself on the seat next to him. If not for that stench masking most of his would-be mate’s scent, Draven would have enjoyed his closeness. He made a mental note not to take Wyatt out fishing in the evening again.
* * *
Wyatt watched as Draven put a worm on his hook before he cast his line into the water. His was already out, and he sat almost at the very end of the boat while Draven was closer to the front. He still didn’t think the repellent was that bad. Draven must have a really sensitive nose, or allergies like Wyatt had thought if it affected him that much.
If it weren’t for the fact he’d be eaten alive without it, he would have used some of the lake water to rinse it off his skin, though he’d sprayed it on his clothes as well. Wyatt looked over at his line, seeing the float was still above the surface. No takers yet.
He glanced at Draven again. Thinking of Draven’s reaction to the smell of the repellent, Wyatt recalled what Draven had said about him being able to get as close to him as he wanted once he washed it off. Right after Draven had said it, a shot of intense arousal had surged through Wyatt. Then he’d questioned if Draven actually meant what Wyatt thought he implied. That one statement did give him some hope that Draven was attracted to men the same as he was.
But being able to see one way or the other wasn’t a possibility at the moment, not with them practically sitting at opposite ends of the boat. The notion that Draven could be interested in him in that way had his cock hard.
Wyatt’s attention soon focused back on his fishing pole when he felt a jerk on the line. The float attached to it bobbed in the water, then sank beneath. He gave a hard tug on his rod, able to feel that he’d managed to keep the fish on the hook.
“I’ve got one,” he shouted.
Draven looked over. “Reel it in.”
Wyatt did exactly that, quickly working the reel to bring the fish to the surface. Once he brought it out of the water, it appeared to be a good-sized bass, but not the smallmouth variety he was familiar with. This fish was darker in coloring and the scales were bigger.
“Rock bass,” Draven said. “Full of worms. With some of the fish, you can see white lumps on their sides from them.”
At closer inspection, Wyatt saw what Draven had described. “They’re there. It’s going back in the water.” Making sure to push the dorsal fin flat along the fish’s back, he took out the hook before throwing it into the lake.
Draven and he spent the next hour catching nothing but rock bass. A little disappointed, Wyatt agreed there was no point in staying out much longer after Draven suggested they pack it in for the night. Wyatt remained at the back of the boat as Draven started it and headed to his lake house.
Wyatt hopped out of the boat when Draven pulled up to the dock and grabbed one of the ropes to secure it there. That done, they both walked toward the large house. Wyatt kept some distance between them.
Draven opened the door and stepped aside for Wyatt to enter. As Wyatt walked past, Draven sneezed again. He met Wyatt’s gaze. “Sorry.”
“I’ll take my jacket off, then go wash up in the bathroom.”
Draven pointed to the left. “It’s just down the hallway over there.”
Wyatt shrugged out of said garment before he went where Draven indicated. He found the bathroom no problem and used the soap in the dish on the corner of the counter to wash off the repellent.
Wyatt headed out of the bathroom and back to the main part of the house, admiring Draven’s place. It looked as if it had been professionally decorated with dark, hardwood floors and modern furniture. Reaching the spacious, cathedral-ceilinged entrance, he didn’t see Draven anywhere.
“Draven?” he called.
“I’m in the living room.”
Wyatt followed where the sound of Draven’s voice had come from and found him sitting on a black leather couch across from a large HD LCD television. Two bottles of beer sat on the dark wood coffee table in front of him.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Draven said as Wyatt crossed the room. “I hung your jacket outside on the porch.”
“That’s fine,” he replied with a chuckle. “It’s your place.”
Draven stood and stopped Wyatt before he could sit on the couch next to him. “Wait.” Draven leaned in and took an audible deep breath. He then quickly turned his head away and sneezed. “I thought you washed off the repellent.”
“Yeah, off my skin, but I can’t do much about it being on my clothes.” Wyatt’s heart beat faster at Draven’s closeness. The other man hadn’t moved away.
“I guess there isn’t much you can do about that then.”
Draven’s gaze seemed to heat with desire, making Wyatt hope like hell he was reading him right and not seeing what he wanted to. The more time he spent with Draven the more Wyatt wanted him.
Wyatt reached for the bottom of his t-shirt and yanked it over his head. He didn’t mind taking that off, but his jeans, which had been sprayed as well, were another story. The problem wasn’t that he didn’t have any underwear on, because he did; it was the state of his cock. Being so close to Draven had turned him on. If he were to remove his pants, there was no way in hell he’d be able to hide the fact he was attracted to Draven.
Holding his t-shirt in front of his crotch to help hide the state he was in, Wyatt said with humor in his voice, “Will this help?”
He looked at Draven and found the other man’s gaze hungrily roaming over his bared upper body. There was no mistaking the desire that lurked in Draven’s eyes this time. Wyatt’s heart beat even faster, forcing more blood into his already hard cock.
Draven lifted his gaze and met Wyatt’s. “Yes. What would you say if I told you I wished that wasn’t the only thing you’d take off?”
The husky timbre of Draven’s voice seemed to wrap around his erection, stroking it. Wyatt swallowed. “My answer would be I’d want the same from you.”
Wyatt swore Draven’s eyes glowed mutedly for a split second before the other man closed the short distance between them and cupped his face. Draven’s lips descended on his, hungrily taking them in a heated kiss. Wyatt dropped his shirt and put his hands on Draven’s waist.
The feel of Draven swiping his tongue over the seam of his lips had Wyatt opening to allow him entrance. What sounded like an animal-like growl rumbled out of Dra
ven. The sound had Wyatt pulling the man who kissed him so thoroughly against his body so their cocks met. He moaned when he felt Draven’s hard length pressed against his own.
The kiss seemed to go on forever, but Draven pulled away first. He had his eyes closed while he breathed rapidly. Wyatt had thought Draven couldn’t look any sexier, but seeing the other man’s face flushed with desire and his lips swollen from his kisses, proved him wrong.
After a few seconds passed, Draven opened his eyes. “I guess I don’t have to worry about you being straight anymore.”
“I’m most definitely not. And now I can say the same thing about you.”
Draven dropped his hands and took a small step back. “If you’re in the mood to take off your clothes, I might as well put them in the washer.”
A thrill shot through Wyatt’s body at Draven’s words. He dropped his hands to the top of his jeans. “You want them, you can have them.”
He quickly undid the button and pulled down the zipper. He pushed off the jeans and stepped out of them before he held the pants out to Draven. The other man took them and bent to pick up the discarded t-shirt before he straightened.
“Don’t go anywhere,” Draven said. “I won’t be long.”
“Even if you didn’t have my clothes, I wouldn’t leave.”
Wyatt turned to follow Draven with his gaze as the other man walked out of the living room. Alone, he let out a shaky breath. Arousal pounded through him. That one kiss hadn’t been enough. Now that he knew Draven wasn’t off-limits, he wanted to act on every hot, sexy thought he’d had about him. With his clothes in the wash, Wyatt was sure Draven and he could come up with something to help pass the time.
Chapter Three
Draven fought to keep control of his mating urge as he took Wyatt’s clothes to the main floor laundry room. Kissing his would-be mate had his hold over himself slipping a tiny bit. Now that he knew for sure Wyatt was gay, the instinct to claim him as his mate rode him harder. There was no longer any need to pussyfoot around.
Were wolf Claimed bcp-oc-4 Page 2
