by V L Moon
“Honey, if you touch him, things are going to get all kinds of nasty up in Wal-Mart. He’s mine and I don’t share. I don’t even like you looking at him. Do we understand each other?” Shaver cocked a brow at her, but there were still doubts on her heavily made up face. He could almost smell the burn of the wheels churning in her head.
With a sniff of dismissal for the girl, Shaver grasped his courage by the balls and turned around. He twined his fingers in Khad’s long blond locks, met Khad’s brilliant eyes for a heartbeat, and then pressed his lips to Khad’s lush mouth.
The world receded. Nothing registered except the taste of Khad and the softness of his lips. Shaver shivered and moved closer. He barely caught the moan in his throat before it emerged.
“What a waste,” Annalise huffed and actually stomped in frustration. Sanity returned like a bolt of lightning. Shaver broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Khad’s shoulder to hide his flushed face. The female spun on her heel and stalked off. Shaver moved to disengage from Khad’s embrace, but the arm around his waist tightened.
“Just in case she’s watching. That one is mental,” Khad murmured against his ear. Shaver nodded once, his mouth was far too dry to speak. The close contact with Khad was driving him crazy. His body screamed with the need for more. It took all of his concentration to keep his response tamped down and hidden.
“Ok, let’s check out and go before she comes back,” Khad’s arm dropped from around his waist, but he didn’t let go. His hand slid deep into the back pocket of Shaver’s jeans, effectively palming his ass. Shaver followed blindly as Khad propelled him toward the registers. The total of their purchase escaped him, but he handed the clerk the Club’s credit card and signed his name. All the while, his mind obsessed at the feel of Khad’s hand on his ass.
The trek through the parking lot seemed endless; yet, it passed too quickly. At the jeep, Khad finally slipped his hand free to help load their purchases into the back. Shaver tried to reel in his stampeding heart and raging libido. His wolf whined at being denied Khad’s touch. Beside him, Khad rattled on about something.
“Shay?”
His name broke through the fog. He lifted his eyes to see Khad standing close. Concern etched his features. “You okay?”
Shaver tried to smile. Play it off, wolf. Get it together! He cleared his throat. “Yeah, I’m cool, or I will be when we get to the island. Need to let off some steam.” He forced a shaky grin and tossed the keys to Khad. “Why don’t you drive?”
Khad clearly didn’t believe him, but he caught the keys and rounded the jeep. Shaver climbed up into the passenger side and settled back against the seat sliding his sunglasses on to hide his eyes. The engine purred to life. Khad skillfully whipped the Jeep out of the parking space and headed for the highway.
Leaning his head back against the seat, Shaver thanked the heavens that the open Jeep limited conversation. He was in a fucking lot of trouble where Khad was concerned and didn’t see a way out. Maybe, the upcoming weekend on the island running in wolf form would bring him some answers.
Several minutes later, Khad swerved toward the marina and the fresh scent of the lake filled Shaver's nose. They transferred the groceries onto the smaller boat as Damian and Alexa had already gone over to open up the cabin. Khad shot him a quick smile.
“Are we going to visit your parents while we're there?”
Shaver pushed aside the melancholy and plastered on a grin. “Well, of course. Unless, you want to deal with Mother's temper.”
Khad mock shuddered and then laughed. “No way, man, I'm her favorite.” The old argument brought a genuine smile to Shaver's face.
“You wish, whelp. Get outta the way. It's my turn to drive.” Shoving Khad to the opposite seat, Shaver took the wheel and started the engine. Clearing the marina, he hit the throttle spraying water behind them as they headed for the island.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Twenty-Three
~*~*~*~
The scent of the Great Lake and the wind tousling Khad's shoulder length hair did nothing to free him from the assault on his senses. God, he wished he could turn back the clock a few hours so he could once again feel Shaver’s lips pressed against his own. Absently, Khad brought his fingers up to his lips and traced over the fullness of his mouth. Shaver's flavor still clung to his lips, like a fine coating of sugar. So sweet, so addictive, it had him craving more.
But then, Shaver always had that effect on him. But, lately it had gotten to the point where Khad hadn't been able to have sex, even of the meaningless variety, for over a month. Oh, he'd been willing, and his wolf had wanted. The bastard howled inside Khad for the joys of release, but as soon as it got to the down and dirties, Khad couldn't…wouldn't. It had gotten so bad he had taken to hiding out in the private booths dotted around Iniquity until the females and males looking to party with the wild wolf tired of his games and scouted out someone a bit more fun.
“Hey, dreamboat. Earth to planet Khad are you there?”
“Huh, what?”
Shaver rolled his baby blues which meant Khad had been completely immersed in his daydream. He nodded. “Yup, count me in. I'm ya male,” Khad tagged on, much to Shaver's amusement.
"Well hell, mom's going to want to take a pic. You doing the dishes after any meal is full on shock factor, but after Sunday lunch? Wow!” Khad immediately deduced the gist of the conversation and flipped a laughing Shaver the bird.
“That look right there, Khadlyn tells me you definitely have no clue what the fuck’s going down. I got a text from Damian. He and Lexi are doing the rounds so we're meeting up back here tomorrow. How about we put away the supplies and head out? We could stay over at my parents’ house if you want.” Shaver smirked and leaned a jeans clad hip against the counter. “That is if you don't mind bunking up with ya boyfriend.”
Khad's heart damn near skipped a beat as he watched Shaver playfully roll his hips and stroll past him. God, if his best friend only knew how much he wished for that very thing. Taking Shaver's game a bit farther, Khad cocked a brow as he rose, brushed past the other wolf and swatted Shaver’s ass.
“Dude, I say we shift and take ourselves off for a few miles. We could end at your mom’s later. If we go now, she won't let those baby blues of yours out of her sight until you’re fit to burst, and we both know you have no chance of catching me after one of mom’s meals. Hell, you know we'll be lucky to make it back in time to meet Lexi and Dame.” The entire time he was talking, Khad played up to Shaver, drawing nearer with each word until he had his best friend pinned against the wall.
Khad laughed low when Shaver's eyes widened. Khad's wolf stirred inside of him. The lick of fur prickled just under his skin letting him know his beast wanted Shaver too. And fuckin’ A, didn't that just stoke the fire in Khad's dick. Right on cue, the fucking thing punched out from his hips and stretched the fabric of his cutoff jeans.
“Last one to change is a whelp and has to do the dishes.” Khad escaped into humor, the only deterrent he had to keep Shaver from noticing the bulge in his pants, or the fact he was suddenly breathless with need.
“You’re on.” Shaver ducked away, face flushed red. Khad swallowed the guilt that choked him and turned back to the sacks of groceries.
He worked fast, shoving everything into the cabinets. Shaver matched his pace. Alexa would bust their balls later if things were out of place, but he needed to get out, change into his wolf and run off the hardness of his sex and the daydreams of kissing Shaver’s beautiful mouth. He finally gave in to the need, leaving the last few bags for Shaver. He dashed outside, changed and sat panting with his long pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. He heard Shay talking on his phone, no doubt letting his parents know they'd be by later and then moving around the cabin making sure everything looked neat for Alexa’s and Damian’s return.
Guilt washed through him anew. He should be inside helping the other wolf, but there was no way in hell he'd have been able to pull it off without
Shaver noticing how God damned hard he was. He was only wearing cut offs and hadn't bothered with a shirt once they'd packed up the boat. Pointed up or down, his predicament would have been largely obvious. How the hell could he explain a raging hard on when they were the only two in the room? Shaver would freak the fuck out.
Finally, Shaver emerged and shifted. They took off in a blur of fur and speed, flanking each other as they ran, dodging trees and weaving in and out of the ground brush. The rush of absolute freedom and power ran through every fiber of Khad's lithe form. There was only one thing that felt better than losing himself to his wolf and that was the hunt. When the wolf’s instincts took over completely, Khad lost the inhibitions of his humanity. His blood sang with the untamed need to hunt and feed.
Exhilarated by the promise of the next few days and the freedom to run, Khad picked up his pace. Shaver read his moves and fell in alongside. Their maneuvers mirrored each other to the point they flowed in twin streaks of golden brown and blonde. Khad ran. Shaver ran. They jostled, played and rolled in the underbrush until the sun dipped toward the horizon and the lake sprawled out before them. Khad sprinted with Shaver to the right; they both sailed over the small stretch of shingle and sand to land with a splash in the vast expanse of the freezing cold lake.
Water drenched Khad’s coat. The chill soon had them both hightailing it back through the woods. They ran until the welcoming lights of Shaver’s parents’ home came into sight. As she always had when they came home together in wolf form, Shaver’s mom had left the window of his bedroom open. They both scrambled inside.
After a quick shift and a shower that left him struggling not to stare at his best friend’s ass, Khad stretched out on the familiar bed he'd shared with Shaver throughout their youth. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek and watched with longing as Shaver slipped into a pair of sweats and covered the peachy smooth curve of his perfect ass.
“You know, you don't have to be so modest now that we're dating,” Khad quipped, trying to keep his banter light. Shaver looked back from the door and flipped him a wink. Heat flushed Khad's face. Shaver let out a low growling laugh as edged the door open. His gaze drifted over Khad spread out across the bed.
“I'll bring us in some food while you get dressed. I’m starved and don't want to mistake that thing on ya thigh for a wiener.”
"Ass,” Khad growled back. “You wish!” He grabbed his junk with one hand and threw a pillow at his disappearing buddy with the other. When the door clicked closed, Khad stretched his long body, cracking his vertebrae before sitting up in the bed and covering himself with a soft throw.
As always when he changed so quickly, his skin felt raw. It prickled with the need to shift back into his wolf form and run; run away from the fountain of colors and auras that seeped from the fur and flesh of his friends. But, he also ran from himself and the hidden secret of his unrequited love for his best friend.
~*~*~*~
Alone in the hall, Shaver’s bare back hit the wood paneling; he slid silently to the carpet. His breath came in uneven rasps. Eyes closed, he saw on the backs of his lids the perfection of Khadlyn stretched out, naked on his bed. His cock bucked in the loose sweats. Shaver groaned. No fucking way he could go into the kitchen. What if his mother walked in while he sported a flagpole at his hips? Dropping his head in his hands, Shaver tried to will the erection away. His traitorous body refused to cooperate.
Instead, images from their day played slideshow in his mind, taunting his already inflamed senses. Khad’s arm wrapped around his waist, and his hard body pressed tight against him. The quickly masked surprise on his face when Shaver kissed him. Strong hands skillfully handling the jeep. Those fucking cutoff jeans that made Shaver’s mouth water. The teasing, yet, smoldering look in Khad’s eyes when he’d cornered him at Alexa’s cabin. The beautiful form of Khad’s wolf as he ran. Shaver’s chest tightened painfully.
“Shaver, you okay?” The deep voice startled Shaver so badly he yelped. Quickly drawing his knees up to conceal his predicament, Shaver lifted his head.
“Dad. Hey, umm, I was just…Khad’s…,” Shaver firmed his lips and blew a harsh breath out of his nose.
“We just got back. Khad’s using the shower, and I’m on dinner detail.”
“Kind of hard to raid the fridge from the hallway, son.” Gaelon Drakos, still youthful despite being several years past the century mark, ass planted next to his son and dropped a heavy hand on Shaver’s closest knee. “You look like you have something on your mind. You need an ear?”
Shaver looked deep into his father’s chocolate brown eyes. The words crowded his throat; he wanted to confide in someone. But, would his father understand? Pack mentality, especially in Trenton’s pack, frowned on gay wolves. They did nothing to strengthen the pack. Revealing his feelings for Khad would not only affect his standing in the pack, it would double back on his parents. They would be the ones stuck on the island to deal with Trenton’s wrath. He couldn’t’ subject them to more torment. Shaver swallowed his words, burying his feelings back deep within his own heart.
“No, dad. I’m fine.” He forced a smile to counter the frown on his father’s face. “Really, I’m good. Hey, is that mom in the kitchen?” Shoving to his feet, he offered a hand to his dad steadfastly ignoring the semi he still sported. Thankfully, Gaelon either failed to notice or chose to ignore Shaver’s condition. He sniffed derisively at the proffered hand and hopped to his feet.
“You implying I’m old, kid?” he teased throwing an arm around Shaver. The tense set of his shoulders relaxed when he realized his dad wasn’t going to pry.
“If the shoe fits,” Shaver taunted drawing a mock growl from the older wolf.
Just before they entered the kitchen, Gaelon pulled Shaver close and whispered, “I’m here, son, whenever you decide to open up. Your mother and I love you.” As they crossed the threshold, Gaelon released Shaver to swoop across the room and wrap both arms around his mate. “Look who I found lurking in the hallway.”
Shaver quickly schooled his features before eyes as blue as his own swept over him. Stoically, he faced her; a half smile on his lips. He didn’t dare breathe. If his mother caught a whiff of his turmoil, she would not be as easy to dissuade as his father had been. A heart to heart would be in his immediate future. With a squeal, Carys slapped her mate’s hands away and bee lined for her only child. Shaver braced himself and caught her easily when she launched herself at him. Her arms wound tight around his neck squeezing hard.
Her fresh rain and vanilla scent enveloped Shaver and calmed him. Only one other scent brought him such peace, and its owner was currently stretched out naked in his bed.
NOT. GOING. THERE.
“Hey, mom. Thanks for leaving the window open. Khad and I had a great run.” Though he set her back on her feet, Carys didn’t release him.
“I’m so glad you’re home. It seems like it gets longer and longer between visits.” She glanced behind him toward the hall. “Did Khad come home with you, or is he out sowing his oats?” Always blunt and to the point, that was his mom. Shaver couldn’t stop the wince or the blush, and, of course, his mother noticed both. Ducking free of her embrace, he moved toward the fridge.
“He’s here. I’m just going to grab us some food…”
“Shaver.”
His mother’s stern voice stopped him midsentence. He froze with a Tupperware container in his hand and swung around to see his parents huddled together. His father’s head shook back and forth. Their eyes were locked together. Shaver knew they were talking using the mental link true mates shared.
After several strained seconds, Gaelon turned his mate in the direction of the door and called over his shoulder. “We’ll see you two in the morning.” Carys made one attempt to turn back to the kitchen, but Gaelon caught her easily against him, dropping his dark head down close to her much lighter one. Her shoulders sagged just before they disappeared from Shaver’s view.
Quickly, before she escaped his f
ather, Shaver filled his arms with various clear containers and snagged a loaf of bread. At his bedroom door, he juggled the load and then twisted the knob. His eyes immediately flew to the bed expecting to find a grinning Khad. But, no. Khad lay on his side, the throw drawn across his still naked hips. In his arms, he clutched Shaver’s pillow; his nose buried in the softness. He slept so peacefully. Shaver’s wolf whined. A howl of longing lodged in his throat.
They were back where it had all started. Khad, in his bed, his and his alone. He loved Alexa and Damian, would die to protect them. But some nights, he resented having to share a bed with them. Selfish, yes, but Shaver couldn’t help it.
On the bed, Khad’s arms tightened around the pillow and he murmured something in his sleep. Goose flesh pebbled Shaver’s flesh. Did he say…was he mumbling Shaver’s name? No way, asshole. Why would he murmur your name? Get ya ass in gear, Shay, or he’ll be awake and you’ll lose this chance.
Cursing under his breath, Shaver traversed the short space to the desk. After easing the dishes onto the cluttered surface as quietly as possible, Shaver crossed to the bed. Following a brief struggle with his conscience, he drew his sweats down over his hips and kicked free of them. His heart thundered in his chest, but he slid onto the bed behind his best friend.
The broad bare expanse of Khad’s back made Shaver’s fingers itch to explore while the sweet curve of his ass robbed Shaver of breath. He closed his eyes and struggled for control. For once, his body obeyed his command and his cock played nice. Barely moving, Shaver aligned his body with the curve of Khadlyn’s slightly larger frame. He held his breath expecting the male to wake at any moment, but Khad never stirred.
