by Anya Byrne
Much to his shock, Clayton smiled. "It's okay. Thanks, V." He took Perry's hand and kissed it. "As long as he's safe, I'm happy."
Their gazes met, and for a few seconds, time seemed to slow. In that moment, Perry wanted nothing more than to lean over and press his mouth to that of the werewolf. The impulse was more than sexual. He ached to get to know this man, to earn the right to call him Clay instead of Clayton, to share smiles and stories and to find out everything that made his mate tick.
The moment broke when Clayton suddenly freed his hand and got up, clearing his throat. "All right. We should pack up and be on our way before the hunters return."
Perry opened his mouth to protest, to say that surely, there had to be another way—and then he realized that really, there wasn't. His herd couldn't help him, and if Clayton's pack had been able to provide assistance, the man would have mentioned it.
Come to think of it, Clayton hadn't mentioned his pack at all. For all Perry knew, his mate had another lover, a werewolf like him with no baggage and no problematic legacy.
Shoulders slumping, Perry resigned himself to the unavoidable and nodded. "Sounds good."
"I'll... I'll wait outside," Clayton stammered.
V didn't say anything. She just watched the exchange in silence, and remained quiet up until the point Clayton left the room. Once the werewolf was gone, she sat next to Perry on the bed and took his hand. "Come. I know things are bad now, but you can't give up."
Perry couldn't really bring himself to muster the slightest bit of optimism. "I have nothing to give up on, V. Just my life and my hope that it will serve for something." He stared longingly at the door, wishing it would open again. "I can't ask for more, not now."
"I'd love to say that fate would not be cruel enough to separate you now that you've met, but I know better," V answered. "Just keep this in mind. As long as the two of you live, you'll always be connected. Death is the only thing that's certain—and sometimes, love can transcend even that. So give yourself the chance to believe. You might be surprised at what happens. Running isn't always the way to go, for you, or for him."
Perry blinked, wondering what she meant by that. He might have asked, but before he could do so, a wave of power swept over him. "Hush now," she whispered. "Don't be afraid. For now, my magic will protect you. You're safe, and you still have hope."
Perry listened to V's words and wondered if he could dare to believe her. He didn't know—but he wanted to, and that scared him. More than the strange magic that made his own energy tingle, more than the knowledge that the hunters were still after him, he was scared that he would love, and it would be for nothing.
He couldn't do it. He was still a deer-shifter, and his lessons had never failed him before. He had to run, and he had to keep Clayton safe. His own selfish desires didn't matter.
Chapter Two
They left mere hours after Perry had woken up, once Clay's mate had recovered from the sonic attack. V made all the arrangements, and she could be very resourceful when she wanted to. Clay didn't even have to go back to his apartment. She provided him with clothes, documentation, money, and anything else they would need.
Clay almost resented her for it, because if only she'd delayed it a little longer, perhaps he could have spent more time with his mate. However, he also knew she was right to hurry. She might have gotten rid of the hunters nearby, but those men hadn't been working alone, and more would come.
It was these thoughts that passed through Clay's mind as he drove out of the city and onto the freeway. The moon shone brightly up above, and the light that he'd have normally found comforting now seemed cold and lonely.
They didn't speak. Perry couldn't have missed the fact that they were mates—Clay was sure of that now—but he obviously realized that their situation didn't allow for any romantic entanglements. Clay hated that it made them both so awkward with one another, hated that what little time they did have would be spent like this, in this heavy silence. Still, he couldn't come up with anything to say, because he felt like he was failing his mate. He should have been able to find another way to keep Perry safe. They shouldn't have to be separated.
In the end, it was Perry who spoke first. "So... How did you meet V?"
Clay barely managed to suppress a sigh of relief. It was as good a topic as any other, and quite frankly, he didn't care what they talked about as long as he got to hear Perry's voice. "In a way, she saved me too. She does that... sort of collects people who need help and steps in to give them a hand."
"So she's like... A shifter fairy godmother?" Perry joked.
Clay chuckled. "They aren't always shifters." If V had any particular criteria for her choices, Clay had yet to figure them out. "As far as I can tell, they're just people. And she's not a fairy."
"I know," Perry mused. "I can't read her at all. She's... interesting."
"That's one way you could put it. Anyway, she helped me out when I was at an all time low in my life, and now I work for her."
"You do?" Perry sounded intrigued. "Is that why she called you for this... mission?"
"Not really." Clay considered what he was about to do, then decided that he didn't have time to keep secrets. "The thing is, Perry, I'm a lone wolf."
So far, Perry had been staring straight ahead, perhaps in an attempt to keep the conversation light. Clay's words surprised him so much that he released a small gasp and looked straight at him. Clay could see him through the corner of his eye, and dared to toss him a smile—one he didn't really feel. "Relax. I'm not going to attack you or anything."
"That's not what I was thinking," Perry replied, wrinkling his nose cutely. "I just... I don't know that much about lone wolves, but in my herd, we were always taught to stay away from them."
Clay had figured that was the case. "Whoever said that probably had a good point. Lone wolves are dangerous for two reasons. There are only a handful of crimes that warrant exile from a pack, so the wolf in question is usually a criminal. Second, purely by the fact that they're isolated from their pack, lone wolves lose their humanity."
He could still remember the all-encompassing chill permeating his bones, making everything gray and meaningless. To this day, he didn't know what V had done to save him. "I was lucky. V managed to protect me from that, at least to some extent." He hadn't really felt like before until today, until the moment he'd sensed his mate, but that was something entirely different. "She also kept me from being found by my pack or other enforcers and silencers."
"But why would someone like you even be exiled?" Perry cried. "What could you have possibly done? It's unfair."
Clay was so startled by his mate's fierce defense of him that he couldn't help but look away from the road and meet Perry's gaze. The emotion in his mate's brown eyes shocked him to the core, warming him from the inside out. He shook himself and quickly focused on driving again. "It's not what I did. I'm a born Alpha, and so are my older brothers. When the time came for my oldest sibling to take over the pack, he banished me, claiming I was spreading sedition."
"That's awful," Perry murmured. His small hand landed on Clay's knee. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. It hurt at the time, but it was for the best. I wasn't happy there. And besides, if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met you."
It was the wrong thing to say, since it brought them back to the impossibility of their relationship. Perry's fingers left Clay's leg. "Clayton, I—"
Clay interrupted his mate before the man could say anything else. "Please, call me Clay. And don't sound so upset. I'll never regret meeting you, and neither should you."
"I just wish things were different," Perry replied, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible. "I can't help but feel this isn't right."
"I know," Clay answered quietly. "But all things considered, I still think I'm lucky. After all, if V hadn't found you..."
He didn't dare to finish the phrase, because just uttering its beginning made his wolf rise up angrily inside him. He tried to make him
self sound optimistic, as if comparing their situation with the time his pack had abandoned him, but things weren't remotely the same. Being left without a pack had hurt, yes, but losing his mate—or at least, being separated from him—would be a million times worse.
He pushed back that knowledge, since he'd have plenty of time to dwell on the misery of his future. "Never mind that. Tell me more about yourself. I've never met a deer-shifter before—or a pixie for that matter."
Perry jumped at the chance, and they fell into a conversation that, given their previous awkwardness, was strikingly comfortable. It was fascinating for Clay to hear about the way of life of other shifters, especially of his mate. Apparently, Perry had never known his pixie father, but he hadn't felt the absence, because his herd had loved him anyway. Of course, they'd also pushed him away when his presence had endangered the herd, and that made a growl swell up in Clay's throat. He reminded himself deer-shifters weren't werewolves, and allowed his mate's soft voice to flow over him and calm his temper.
They exchanged all sorts of stories, and Clay ended up telling Perry about his job as an exotic dancer at V's club. The wave of embarrassment-arousal-jealousy that flared over the car nearly made Clay pull over. If he didn't, it was only because at the back of his mind, he always remained focused on the fact that this was for Perry, for his safety and for his future.
The fairy circle they were aiming for was far closer than he'd have liked. Even if these days, the portals were pretty rare, Clay had no trouble finding it. He half-expected something to go wrong, but no one stopped them, not even human patrols. He headed onto rougher roads, into a deep forest, and the trees started to block the moonlight. If not for his advanced senses, Clay would have had real trouble maneuvering through the terrain.
All too soon, Clay reached his destination and parked the car. "I think we need to go on foot from here."
"Have you been in this area before?" Perry asked as they abandoned the vehicle.
Clay nodded. "Back before I met V, when I left my pack. I know it well, which is why V asked me to come with you to begin with. Of course, at the time, I wasn't aware there's a fairy circle nearby, but you learn new things every day." And this had definitely been a day for revelations.
In truth, Clay had no idea what to look for in terms of the fabled fairy circle. V had given him a tentative map with references that he understood, and he could only hope that he didn't get himself and his mate lost. He needn't have worried. They were just about to reach the area Clay was roughly heading toward when his mate suddenly stopped.
"Perry?" Clay asked. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Perry stared up at the sky, or at least, at the foliage blocking their view of it. "I can see the fairy circle ahead."
He pointed to a grove a hundred feet from them. To Clay, it looked like just another random clearing, with nothing particularly special about it, but obviously that wasn't what Perry saw.
Clay's mouth went dry. This was it then, the moment when they had to say goodbye. "I—"
"No, wait," Perry interrupted him. "Here's the thing. The two of us are mates. It's fair to assume that the danger I'm in won't pass overnight, and as long as that's the case, it's not safe for me to be around you. But... Right now, tonight, V's spell still protects me. It won't hold, I know that, but just for a few hours... Would you stay with me?"
A weight lifted off Clay's shoulders. His mate was perfectly right. V had already explained that her spell would not be able to keep Perry safe, since, unlike in Clay's case, Perry was actively being tracked down by a very determined group. However, right now, not even the hunters could find them so quickly. The fairy circle was very close, and if something happened, Perry could easily make his escape. They had some time to themselves.
By rights, it was a bad idea to prolong this any further, but Clay couldn't bring himself to say no. "Of course I'll stay. I'll always stay. I'll always be here for you."
Something seemed to click inside Perry at his reply. In the blink of an eye, Perry was in his arms, soft lips pressed against Clay's own. The world exploded into a rush of need and desire, and everything beyond this moment ceased to matter. For now, he had his mate in his arms. For now, they were together, and nothing could keep him from taking what was his.
****
Perry had not intended to push his mate into sex. Sure, he'd wanted it. How could he not? His mate was a walking wet dream, all rippled muscles and virile Alpha. Perry wanted nothing more than to lick him all over.
He'd tried to keep his libido in check, and for the most part, he'd succeeded—with one notable exception when Clay had mentioned his job. But when he'd gotten close to the fairy circle and realized that in minutes, he'd lose the one chance he had to touch Clay... He couldn't bring himself to take that final step into the glittering magic.
It was selfish, he knew that. It would make their separation more painful. But Perry didn't want to think beyond this moment. Because it was unfair, unfair that he'd finally found what he'd been looking for, only for it to be torn out of his hands. It was unfair that Clay had lost his pack and would now have to lose Perry too. He couldn't, couldn't allow it to happen sooner than he absolutely had to.
Perry might have been the one to make the first step, but after that first moment, Clay took over. He thrust his tongue into Perry's mouth, devouring him with a hunger Perry could have only ever found in a predator.
He buried his fingers in the werewolf's dark hair and succumbed to his mate's domination, moaning as Clay pinned him to a tree trunk. The bark was rough against his back, but the feel of it seemed to add to the sensation of being owned, being taken, being claimed. Clay's scent, his taste, his strength overpowered everything else, made him forget, disregard his past, his fears, his doubts into the wind.
The need to breathe forced them apart, but Clay didn't pull away. He licked over his neck and nibbled on his earlobe, whispering gruffly, "Please tell me this is okay. Tell me I can have you."
Given that Perry had kissed Clay first, the question should have seemed superfluous, but Perry understood what he meant. This was more than sex. Clay wanted a real bonding, a real claiming, by the ways of his kind.
Deer-shifters didn't have individual mates, not like werewolves did. They often coupled in groups of three or more people. But Perry was different. His magic had already sensed the truth about Clay, and in his heart, he saw no reason to wait. In fact, he thought the only way he could survive the separation was if they bonded now.
"Yes," he agreed eagerly. "I'm yours."
No sooner had he said the words than his mate was kissing him again, devouring him with even more greed than before. And Perry knew then that he'd never spoken truer words in his life, that he did belong to Clay and had belonged to him before they'd even met.
The thought inflamed him, and the kiss, no matter how intoxicating, no longer satisfied him. He clawed at Clay's shirt, desperate for skin, desperate for more. He couldn't quite get a good enough grip to tear through the stupid thing, which frustrated him beyond belief.
And then, Clay hissed and the scent of scorched cotton filled the air. Perry's eyes widened when he realized he'd accidentally summoned his magic and had burned a hole through Clay's shirt.
"Oh, no," he gasped out, breaking their kiss. "Did I hurt you?"
Clay didn't reply, at least not through words. The growl he released was all wolf, wild and feral with unleashed lust. Perry took one look at Clay and realized his pixie fire had not burned Clay's flesh. It had, however, demolished whatever barriers had been keeping Clay's true self in check. And Perry had truly never loved his magic more, because the next thing he knew, he was on his back on the grass, his mate's hands already working on his clothes.
Despite Perry's propensity for speed, even he had trouble tracking down the blur of Clay's motions. He was dizzy with lust, with need, his magic pulsing wildly under his skin. He tried to control it, and maybe to a certain extent, he was successful, because the flame under fingertips turned
into light instead.
For a few moments, Clay stopped, watching Perry with wide eyes filled with something akin to awe. Perry smiled and a wave of light curled against Clay's cheek. Just like that, Clay shot into action again.
It was quite literally, like magic. Clay seemed to weave a spell around him, because the moment Clay's mouth found the first patches of his skin, Perry lost track of the sequence of events. His tunnel vision focused on Clay's clever touches, but he couldn't quite take in everything Clay did.
It was Clay's touch and the heat of his mouth that made him aware that he was naked. When Clay's clever tongue zeroed in on his nipple, he gasped and realized his shirt had at some point been the victim of Clay's zeal. When Clay's fingers gripped Perry's dick in a tight, almost ruthless hold, he finally grasped that his pants had followed in the shirt's wake. He wondered if he should have been amused by the fact that he had no idea if he was still wearing socks and shoes. Quite frankly, amusement couldn't have been further from his mind.
Clay bit down on his nipple, making him groan in delight as pleasure zinged through him and pooled straight into his cock. His free hand tweaked the other fleshy nub, while the other toyed with the tip of Perry's cock, driving him wild with ecstasy. It was so good, and yet not nearly enough.
Perry spread his legs wider in wordless invitation. His mate didn't delay in taking him up on it. He released Perry's nipple with a wet pop, and while Perry immediately felt the absence of the caress, the anticipation burned through him even brighter. Clay kissed down his chest and abs, his fingers trailing over his sides and his hips. Completely at his mate's mercy, Perry could only lay there and burn.
When Clay lowered his mouth over Perry's cock, Perry almost came right then and there. He wasn't exactly a virgin—he'd done some things with other deer-shifters in his herd—but right now, he felt like it. Nothing he'd ever experienced in his life had prepared him for this.
Clay devoured his dick the same way he'd done earlier with his lips. He didn't tease, didn't wait, didn't give Perry any quarter. He bobbed his head up and down Perry's cock, all the while keeping up that weirdly arousing growl that sent pleasurable vibrations through Perry.
