by Parker Skye
It just wasn’t fair the way the curse trapped not only Izzy in its web, but anyone unlucky enough to be Izzy’s master. He glanced over his shoulder at the group of friends still talking animatedly. He worried it wouldn’t be just Ryan that was hurt this time, but all of them. He shook his head dejectedly and tried to shake off the negative thoughts. There was, after all, nothing he could do other than fight the curse as much as possible to protect Ryan and his friends. He was doing his best to help when the curse let him.
Trying to distract himself, Izzy whole-heartedly threw himself back into preparing their meal. He chopped and sautéed, humming along to the radio playing alternative rock in the background while the wolves’ discussion continued. Voices rose aggressively several times and Izzy fought to show no reaction. The decision was finally made to discuss the situation with Alpha Leikos before taking any further action.
Izzy secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the alpha must have a clearer head than these four young pups. As much as Izzy enjoyed being with them, he didn’t have too much faith in their abilities to pull off anything too complicated. They were just too young, too inexperienced in the dastardly way of human men. He feared if they did anything more than play stupid, the police would see right through them. As much as he liked jewelry, Izzy had no desire to see them all wearing matching silver bracelets.
“Dinner’s ready,” Izzy called, sensing their conversation coming to a close. Ryan quickly joined him in serving, placing bowls of salad and the lemony pasta dish on both eating areas to be served family style. Izzy had already given up on making extra for lunches the following day. No matter how much food he made, there was never a smidge left to put away once the wolves had their fill. The room was soon full of the sounds of a meal well-enjoyed. Forks scraped across plates, humming sounds of approval, sighs as stomachs rebelled against the idea of a third helping. Izzy took in the sensory pleasure of it all, feeling his internal emotional balance starting to resettle as he did.
He finished the last of the chicken on his plate, swirling the crispy morsel in the lemony cream sauce to make the perfect bite. He loved this dish as much as the others had. The combination of creamy pasta interspersed with crispy chicken and tart capers was one of his favorite comfort foods. He scraped the last of the sauce from his plate with the edge of his fork and licked the tines clean. Ryan’s choked out cough had him freezing mid-lick and he looked over at his master in concern.
Obviously, Ryan had been taking a drink of water that went down the wrong pipe. He coughed several times and his eyes watered but it didn’t look like he needed the Heimlich maneuver just yet. Izzy thumped him hard on the back several times to be on the safe side. Ryan’s coughing finally calmed to simple throat clearing and he choked out his thanks for Izzy’s help.
It seemed Logan was going to do the dishes tonight as he stood and started carrying plates to the sink. Ben and Adam kept their spots at the kitchen table, now cleaned of dinner dishes, and pulled out their homework. “Poor Ben,” Izzy thought. “Having to do high school twice must suck.” Izzy wasn’t surprised at the joy evident on Adam’s face as he explained a complicated math problem to Ben. Adam was brilliant as far as Izzy could tell. And, he would make a good teacher one day, when the time was right. The pack was lucky to have him as one of their own.
Izzy felt Ryan’s gaze on him before he glanced back. Confusion flared when he saw the odd way Ryan was looking at him, almost like Izzy himself might make a tasty dessert.
“What?” Izzy asked defensively. Ryan blinked twice as if waking from a deep sleep.
“Um, nothing,” Ryan said, clearing his throat again and rising from his seat at the bar. He rinsed his own plate before putting it in the dishwasher. Ryan turned and leaned back on the kitchen counter. Izzy felt Ryan’s gaze pass over him again like a wave of awareness. Izzy stared back, confusion melting into concern. He anxiously started fiddling with the hoop in his lip again.
Ryan shook his head as if trying to clear it and stalked down the hall, calling dibs for the shower, his voice a deeper octave than usual. Izzy watched him walk away until he was out of sight, deciding not to mention that Ryan had already showered that day. If Ryan needed some time alone, Izzy was happy to let him have it.
Izzy stayed at the bar, pretending to read his book until all the others had gone off to bed. In reality, he was analyzing Ryan’s behavior, at a loss to explain his growing overall strangeness as the day had gone on. For once, the D'Jinn had no idea what someone was thinking.
Chapter 13
Ryan
Ryan flinched as he stepped into the ice cold spray, but forced himself to take it. His wolf needed to chill the fuck out. He had no clue what was going on, but he had come to realize as the day progressed that his wolf was focusing on Izzy in ways that shouldn’t be possible. Izzy wasn’t even human and humans were a big enough stretch for most shifters. Ben finding his soulmate in a human male had been unusual enough in their pack. In the end, Adam had become a shifter, too, which tied their relationship up with a perfect little bow. But, a genie or a D'Jinn? as Izzy insisted. Could they even be in a relationship? Their existence was so far down the mythical spectrum, that Ryan was honestly clueless as to what Izzy’s limitations would be.
Besides, Ryan had never been tempted outside his own species before, though the gender had never really seemed to matter. He’d dated as many men as women and found both equally appealing. When Izzy had sauntered into the room shirtless during their visit from the police, Ryan had almost swallowed his tongue, shocked at his wolf’s reaction to Izzy’s unusual brand of beauty.
While Ryan had never been tempted to pierce any part of himself, Izzy’s penchant for self-decoration only served to draw Ryan’s attention even more. He’d never dated anyone who had more than pierced ears, but he found himself fascinated by Izzy’s collection. He shouldn’t have been surprised with the nipple and belly button piercings, but honestly, he just hadn’t been prepared for them. He definitely hadn’t minded the sight, however, and neither had his wolf. He’d practically panted with lust when he laid eyes on the bejeweled D'Jinn. Ryan was almost surprised that his wolf hadn’t stood up and howled MINE, his reaction to Izzy had been so strong.
Physically, Izzy looked like any other human or the human side of a shifter. At least what Ryan had seen so far appeared human-like. But, Ryan didn’t really know what parts of Izzy were real and which were illusion. He had seen him emerge from a lamp as a cloud of smoke, after all. As much as the human side of Ryan was hesitant to find out, his wolf obviously didn’t care. It knew what it wanted and it wanted Izzy.
Ryan stayed in the ice-cold shower until he was practically blue and shivering. His balls had crawled so far up inside his sac, he didn’t know if they would ever come out again. He quickly dried off with chattering teeth and dressed for bed, wishing he had brought along a sweatshirt instead of a thin short sleeved t-shirt. He took longer than normal brushing his teeth, realizing he was stalling for time. Ryan dreaded walking back into the living room he shared with Izzy. Steeling himself for whatever reaction he might get from the D'Jinn, he finally left the bathroom. As he stepped into the hall, he was relieved at the absolute silence that greeted him.
Both bedroom doors were shut and soft snores could be heard echoing from Logan’s room. Geez, how long was I in there? In the living room, all the lights were out save a small lamp on the coffee table. The bulb must have only been a 20 watter, as the light was barely bright enough to see the floor.
As Ryan crept closer to his bed, he passed the small sofa and spied the covered lump that represented Izzy. He must have curled into the fetal position and pulled the quilt over his head. Not even a finger was exposed. Ryan smiled and he felt his wolf brushing his consciousness with a feeling of fondness at the sight. He did his best to limit the noise as he climbed into his own bed and killed the lamp. His body sliding across the air mattress made unavoidable shushing and creaking noises until he found a comfortable position, but Iz
zy never moved.
Ryan lay on his side watching for any sign of consciousness from his roommate, but finally admitted Izzy was out for the night. He stared until his eyes burned with the fatigue that matched the rest of him. He wondered again why he was suddenly so fascinated with this creature. As he lay there contemplating, his brain eventually surrendered to exhaustion and his eyelids drooped closed.
Chapter 14
Izzy
Izzy lay on the sofa and pretended to be asleep for what felt like hours after Ryan finally stopped hiding in the bathroom. It had taken Izzy a while to admit that was truly what Ryan was doing, hiding from him. There was no other explanation after the odd way Ryan had acted toward him this evening; especially as it was followed by his abrupt departure. Even Logan had noticed something was off, but when Izzy feigned ignorance, Logan had thankfully let it go.
Izzy had sat alone at the breakfast bar and waited patiently for Ryan’s return. He pretended to read his book until the others had taken themselves off to bed, goodnight wishes politely bestowed as they left. Adam and Ben were so wrapped up in each other, they hadn’t noticed anything amiss, but Logan had looked more than a little concerned as he finally abandoned Izzy to his silent vigil.
When the shower finally switched off, Izzy panicked. He didn’t know what to say. What if he’d misread the look in Ryan’s eyes? It had been an eternity since anyone had looked at him with anything more than the basest of emotions -- greed, anger, jealousy, and the like. In that brief moment before he laid eyes on Ryan again, Izzy knew that he must have gotten it all wrong. He must have misread the situation. There was no other explanation. There was no way that anyone would want him like that. He was a demon, after all. Even if Ryan pretended Izzy was something else, Izzy knew he wasn’t capable of being anything more.
Izzy fled to the couch and curled into the fetal position when he heard the bathroom door click open. Izzy was an expert at hiding in plain sight after eons of suffering at the hands of a league of cruel masters. Tonight would be no different. Hiding was his best method of self-protection.
Izzy was firm in his belief that what he had seen in Ryan’s eyes must have been residual anger, nothing more. He pulled the multi-colored quilt all around him until he was so ensconced he could barely breathe. Even though Izzy didn’t truly need to breathe, the act of breathing was still comforting. Izzy fought to stay motionless as Ryan’s soft footfalls entered the room. Surely, if he stayed silent and still, Ryan would leave him be. He almost cracked when he sensed Ryan standing over him, watching for a long moment. Izzy sighed internally in relief as he heard Ryan finally dousing the light and climbing into his own bed.
He lay awake for what felt like hours more until Ryan’s breathing settled into a deep, peaceful rhythm. Ryan’s soft snores started up again as they had every other night and Izzy finally dared to sneak his head out from under the blanket. Ryan was on his side facing Izzy, lips slightly parted. As Izzy continued to watch his master sleep, Ryan shifted slightly and his blanket slid to the floor. Ryan was dressed in grey flannel sleep pants, but his shirt was practically threadbare. The werewolves were all obviously hot-natured as they kept the house cold as a meat locker most nights. Even so, Izzy could tell Ryan was practically freezing. His teeth had started to chatter uncontrollably, but Ryan was obviously too tired to wake up enough to do anything about it. One of Ryan’s hands seemed to be blinding searching the bed for his blankets but finally clenched into the sheets in frustration instead.
Izzy silently rose and settled the blankets back over his master’s body. He couldn’t stop himself from gently smoothing a hand over Ryan’s still damp hair. The urge to bring his master a hint of comfort was irresistible and the strands instantly dried as he ran his fingers lightly over Ryan’s dark brown locks.
His weakness proved to be his undoing as Ryan’s hand shot up and grabbed his wrist tightly. Izzy tried to pull free as Ryan’s eyes popped open, glowing with an inhuman golden light. The werewolf only pulled Izzy closer, proving the D'Jinn was physically no match for him. The deep rumble that sounded from Ryan’s chest was near terrifying. While Izzy was capable of defending himself against anyone else, if Ryan wanted to beat him, so be it. It was his duty as a D'Jinn to take whatever suffering was heaped upon him by his master.
Izzy continued to tremble in growing fear as he was lifted bodily and slammed down onto the air mattress. Ryan quickly covered him and pressed his nose into the juncture of Izzy’s neck and shoulder. A deep, rumbling growl echoed through Ryan’s chest and pierced the very essence of Izzy’s being. Izzy tensed, expecting a vicious bite that never came. Instead, he felt Ryan breathing in his scent deeply. Izzy broke out in gooseflesh at the odd sensation. Ryan’s hand finally released his wrist and ran up his flank instead. He could feel Ryan hard against his own thigh. Now Izzy was really starting to panic. Violence he was used to. This type of contact, he was most definitely not.
Chapter 15
Ryan
Izzy’s whine of fear finally broke through the haze surrounding Ryan’s brain. He was almost totally lost in his wolf’s desires and found himself practically molesting Izzy in his sleep. He pushed himself up, elbows locked and took in the sight below him. Izzy was obviously terrified, his brows so far up his forehead they would have blended with his hairline if not for their darker color. Izzy was panting as if he’d just run ten miles flat-out, but Ryan strongly suspected it was distress, not lust, that had Izzy’s breathing so labored. He guiltily pushed himself off the D'Jinn, hoping there was some way to recover from this ultimate of social faux pas.
“I’m so sorry, Izzy,” Ryan breathed out. “I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“I’m fine, Master. Thank you for your concern,” Izzy’s voice vibrated with tension, pitching into higher octaves than normal. Izzy refused to look at Ryan and continued to tremble, tightly clenching both fists into the sheet below him.
“Izzy, please, look at me,” Ryan practically begged. When Izzy still looked away, Ryan’s voice cracked. “Izzy, please. My wolf can’t bear it if you won’t look at me anymore.” Izzy’s mouth dropped open in surprise and his gaze slowly met Ryan’s. The corner of Ryan’s mouth quirked up in a half smile as Izzy’s breathing slowed to more normal levels, his fear obviously dissipating.
“That’s better,” Ryan softly said, one hand reaching up to cup Izzy’s jaw. His wolf was pleased when Izzy didn’t try to pull back again, allowing the contact. “I’m so sorry I scared you. I was mostly asleep and my wolf took over. I’m in control now and nothing will happen you don’t want,” Ryan continued.
Izzy’s pink tongue flashed out to wet his overly dry lips and Ryan caught sight of the metal ball piercing his tongue, the same sight that had his wolf practically losing his shit at dinner earlier in the evening. Ryan’s pupils dilated and his golden eyes glowed bright with want. Izzy would have to be blind not to see it now.
“I’m so confused,” Izzy faintly admitted. “I’m a D'Jinn. Things like this don’t happen to my kind.”
“I don’t understand it either, but I can’t deny wanting you,” Ryan replied, his hand dropping to cup the back of Izzy’s head. He was fighting against his wolf to keep control. His desire to claim Izzy’s mouth was almost unbearable. Thankfully he didn’t have to fight for long as Izzy practically lunged across the bed and kissed him like his life depended on it. The way his wolf sat up and howled in joy, maybe it did.
Chapter 16
Izzy
Izzy’s brain short-circuited when Ryan admitted his desire for the D'Jinn. He hadn’t tasted another being since before the curse. Ryan was delicious and so much more than he remembered. Even if Ryan changed his mind and this was the only contact they would ever have, Izzy was going to savor every second.
The groans emanating from Ryan’s chest as their tongues twisted around each other gave Izzy reassurance that Ryan had no thoughts of backing out now. Izzy twisted both hands in the waistband of Ryan’s sweats and the
groans morphed into low growling. Izzy pulled back so he could take in the sight of Ryan’s lust-filled eyes. He wanted to be looked at like he was something desirable. He needed it, and now that he’d had a taste of it, he couldn’t get enough.
Ryan’s pupils were blown wide, the black almost entirely swallowing the golden glow. His fangs had slightly descended, reminding Izzy how much Ryan was not human. The mischievous smile that transformed Ryan’s face made Izzy want to do bad things.
“That damn tongue piercing is what did it, you know,” Ryan growled out, his hand returning to cup the back of Izzy’s skull again. Izzy playfully licked his lips, offering another glimpse of the shiny silver ball in question. “You mean this?” He started to laugh as Ryan’s eyes flashed bright again but his laughter didn’t have a chance to escape as Ryan captured his mouth aggressively.
Ryan pushed Izzy over onto his back and covered him better than any blanket. Izzy was surprisingly happy to give up control. Ryan was everywhere. His hands were tangled in Izzy’s hair while he tasted his mouth like a man starved. Izzy could feel Ryan’s desire on his hip as it pulsed and throbbed aside his own, separated by too many layers. When Ryan’s hands brushed down his flanks and grabbed hard to his pelvic bones, Izzy let out a groan of his own. He was sure there would be marks later and the thought excited him like nothing before. He wanted the evidence of Ryan’s absolute possession of him for as long as it would last.
Izzy’s own hands smoothed down the muscular planes of Ryan’s back, forcing away every hint of space between their bodies. Izzy pushed past Ryan’s waistband and filled both palms with an ass that could have been carved out of marble. There was almost no give to the taut globes when he squeezed hard, but the motion had some effect. It obviously destroyed every bit of self-control Ryan had left. Partially shifted, Ryan’s claws shredded Izzy’s shirt and sleep pants, leaving the D'Jinn naked but for the tattered strips that spread over him like a strange form of confetti.
