Kyran was afraid to ask, but he sensed a need in Saxton to tell the whole of it. "What did you do?" Saxton said, "I remember looking at him, wishing I could make him hurt the way he'd hurt my mother. I must have blacked out because the next thing I remember is Edward lying on the floor next to my mother's body and clutching his head. The clan guardians came not long after and took him away. Two days passed before they told me he was dead and I was the reason."
Kyran had heard about shifters like Saxton before, but he'd always thought them more myth than fact. "You have the power to control minds, don't you?" "No. My power is much more sinister than that. I have the ability to transmit pain from mind to mind." He fixed his eyes on a spot near the window, as if trying to distance himself from the memories. "In Edward's case, my anger and the agony I felt over losing my mother went straight into his brain. I guess it was too much for the sorry bastard."
Kyran squeezed his hand. "Maybe, but it was no less than he deserved for all he'd put both of you through." "I know, but you have no idea how scared I was. I mean, I didn't even know what I was capable of until that night. I probably wouldn't have figured it out then, if one of the clan elders hadn't realized what I was and took me under his wing." He shook his head as if to clear it. "This elder, a man by the name of Whitman, recruited a shifter from another clan whose power was identical to mine. The two of them trained me until they thought I was ready."
"Ready for what?" Before Saxton could answer, it hit him. "You weren't banished from your clan, were you?" "No. The elders wanted to use me against their enemies. I was to be a living, breathing weapon. I left as soon as I realized their intentions. That was thirteen years ago and I've never been back. I traveled for a while -- taking on odd jobs to pay rent and buy food -- before finally making my way here. I apprenticed myself to an old blacksmith kind enough to take pity on a know-nothing kid. When he died, I bought the forge and this house from his family. I've lived here ever since."
There was one more question Kyran had to ask. "Those wolves that attacked me... are they dead?" Saxton stood then, and walked to the window. "No, they'll live. They'll have one hell of a headache when they wake up, but it's nothing they won't survive."
"Good. I wouldn't want you to have that on your conscience." Saxton moved the curtains aside to stare out into the night. "After Edward, I vowed never to use my powers to kill again. Even though his death was an accident, I promised myself I would hold all life as sacred from then on." He turned and Kyran could see the fear and confusion on his face. "Tonight, when I saw those wolves attacking you, I was tempted for the first time since taking that vow to let my powers loose to their fullest extent. I wanted those sons-of-bitches to die for hurting you. What kind of monster does that make me?"
Kyran pulled the covers off himself and stood on shaky legs. "It makes you human," he said as he made his way to the window. "As human as shifters can be, anyway." He stopped mere inches from Saxton's face, the closeness in their heights putting them nearly nose to nose. "Don't you think I'd have felt the same way if our positions were reversed?"
Saxton shuddered. "It makes no sense. You and I have known each other less than a day, but I feel drawn to you, like you own some piece of me. I can't make it stop." "Maybe you aren't supposed to." Kyran backed up a step to better see Saxton's eyes. "Most werewolves believe that the human part of ourselves cancels out the whole wolves-mate-for-life theory, but my father always held to the belief that every one of us has a mate out there, the one person capable of owning our very souls."
Saxton took a ragged breath and Kyran could feel the moist heat on his face. "Is that what you believe?" "I didn't, until I saw you for the first time and it hit me." He placed his hand on Saxton's forearm, painfully aware that he was standing naked before Saxton, both physically and emotionally. "I've had my share of lovers, but never anyone I felt the urge to bond with. Before, it was just about the sex, a quick way to get off. With you, it's different. Irrational though it may be, I know you feel it, too."
Saxton started to deny it, but Kyran wouldn't let him back away. "Tonight, when I thought I was dying, it was your face I saw. Not when you rescued me, but before, during the attack itself. I was dying and it didn't matter, because I could see your face."
"I heard them -- the wolves -- coming through the village. They must have doubled back down the mountain following your scent." Saxton shuddered. "I didn't know if I'd get there in time."
Kyran reached out for him, but Saxton sidled away and headed towards the door.
"Wait. Where are you going?"
"I know what you're asking of me, what you want. I can't... how can you want me that way?" "You mean, how can I want someone capable of killing any number of men without lifting a finger?"
"Yes." "You aren't a murderer, Saxton. You did the best you could under the circumstances you were given. As far as that goes, wolves are called on to kill more times than I can count. Clan wars, territorial disputes. Hell, I may have to kill Elias in the course of the blood challenge. Then again, I could be underestimating his abilities. My blood could just as easily be spilled on that arena floor two days hence. All I'm asking is that you stand by my side, whatever happens."
Saxton kept backing away. His breathing was labored, as if he were fighting for air. "I have to get out of here. I have to run, to feel the night." Kyran watched him go with a mixture of sadness and understanding. Sometimes, when one of their kind was pressed against the wall, the only ease came from shifting, from becoming a part of the night in all her mystery. Running in its purest form. Kyran only hoped Saxton's course would bring him back and into Kyran's arms. At this point, he seriously doubted either of them had a choice.
***
He ran until his muscles ached and his body heaved, but it did nothing to ease the burning inside of him. Kyran's words rang in his head, the acceptance and the longing. Kyran had come looking for protection, but it was Saxton who needed saving. Was Kyran strong enough to free him from his self-imposed exile? More importantly still, was Saxton strong enough to let him?
The questions plagued him as he plodded a steady course through the woods surrounding Camden. He was aware only of his inner struggle. Not even the wonders of being in wolven form provided a distraction. It was only when he found himself on the road back home that Saxton gave in to the truth. Soul mates did exist and his was waiting for him.
Saxton shifted just outside the door and found Kyran waiting on the threshold. "You're here."
Saxton nodded. "I've stopped running."
"Thank God for that." Kyran wrapped warm arms around his neck and drew him inside The kisses were rough and primal. Saxton groaned as Kyran nipped his lower lip with sharp teeth and led him toward the bedroom without ever breaking contact. The slight blond fur on Kyran's chest tickled Saxton's skin as Kyran lay down on the mattress and pulled Saxton on top of him.
"No, not yet. You're still too weak."
Kyran licked a trail from the base of Saxton's throat to the edge of his ear, tracing the tender shell of the earlobe with his tongue. His voice came out a husky whisper. "I'm strong enough for you."
Hearing the echo of his earlier thoughts on Kyran's soft lips was all Saxton needed to send him into a frenzy of longing and need. He thrust himself against Kyran's growing erection. "Please tell me you're a bottom."
Kyran laughed, the sound as enticing as the man himself. "I am tonight."
Saxton shivered. "Let's get you ready, then." And before Kyran could answer, Saxton made his way down Kyran's body. He paused halfway to his target, laving and biting first one nipple, then the other, gratified at the way Kyran wiggled and moaned beneath him. Spurred on by the sounds, Saxton licked a wet trail down Kyran's taut abdomen, pausing at the hollow of his navel to tease and play.
Kyran groaned. "I'm ready. I can't take any more."
"You can." And he spread Kyran's legs. Ignoring the throbbing cock, Saxton lowered his head straight to Kyran's entrance. Kyran nearly shot off the bed, but Saxto
n held him firm as his tongue made laps around the delicate bud. A minute later, Saxton worked the first finger of his left hand deep inside.
Kyran was tight as a fist. Saxton added another finger, stretching and opening him with gentle intent. For his part, Kyran rocked against Saxton's hand, hastening the process any way he could. It wasn't until Saxton added a third finger that Kyran grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up. "Enough. Any more of this torture and I'll take you by force."
Saxton settled himself between Kyran's thighs. "Like this, then. I want to see your eyes." Kyran opened for him, taking Saxton's mouth at the same time as he claimed Kyran's body. Saxton thanked all that was holy for making werewolves immune to the sexually transmitted diseases that plagued humans. He wanted to feel nothing but Kyran's slick inner flesh against him. With short, even strokes, Saxton pushed his way inside.
It was a mating. There was no other way for Saxton to describe it. He'd been with men before, usually random encounters resulting in only small snatches of pleasure, but nothing in his past experience had prepared him for this. He felt wholly alive, like racing through the forest, only better. He shifted position, bringing himself in direct contact with Kyran's most sensitive spot. At the same time, Saxton reached between them, taking Kyran in his hand and mirroring the strokes. Two short and shallow, then one long and deep, repeating the pattern over and over again until Kyran bowed beneath him and filled the space between them with his seed. Saxton followed a second later, Kyran's spasms milking him into a blinding release that had him collapsing on top of his partner in ecstasy.
*** A furious pounding on the front door woke him. Kyran moved toward the sound, wincing as his well-used muscles protested. Saxton sat up, smiling at the expression on Kyran's face. "Anyone looking at you would think you spent the whole night in a marathon of torrid sex."
"It was only torrid the first three times. The fourth time, in the shower, was pure romance." The pounding continued. "Want me to get it?"
Saxton shook his head and reached for his jeans. "I will, but you'd better get dressed. I have a feeling it's for you. Grab one of my t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants from the drawer." Kyran nodded and watched him slip, bare-assed, into his pants before heading to the summons. Kyran had just gotten dressed when Saxton came back with a wide-eyed Nuncio. "I came to make sure you were all right." He glanced from the rumpled bed back to Kyran's reddening cheeks. "Looks like you're doing better than I thought."
"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but how did you find me?" Nuncio shrugged out of his coat. "I used the same address I gave you, day before yesterday. I figured the place you were supposed to be going was the best place to start searching for you." He hesitated. "Can we talk in private?"
Kyran shook his head. "Anything you have to say, you can say it in front of Saxton."
Nuncio's smile went wide. "It's like that, is it?"
"It is."
"Under the circumstances, then, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we have a situation on our hands."
Kyran sighed. "Let's take this into the living room where we can all sit down. I have a feeling this is going to be a long story." It turned out to be shorter than he thought. Once they were all seated -- Kyran and Saxton sharing the couch, Nuncio perched on the edge of his chair, his agitation palpable -- an accounting of the night's events began to unfold.
"Twelve of our own were found murdered in their beds this morning, their throats ripped out. Two of them were your own guards."
"Let me guess. The other ten were members of the Luzerne family." When Nuncio nodded, Kyran looked to Saxton. "Elias’ hit squad." Back to Nuncio. "They attacked me last night. Would have killed me, too, if Saxton hadn't intervened."
"Damn. I knew you were good. I'd heard how you were attacked by ten shifters a couple of years back and about how you held them off, but twelve?" Nuncio was like a small child meeting his hero for the first time. "That must be a record."
Saxton shrugged. "They were members of my former clan come to track me down. I did what I had to do. As for those from last night, they were alive when we left them."
Kyran steepled his fingers in front of his face. "I'd be willing to bet all I own that Elias killed them as soon as he returned. They'd failed and he didn't want any witnesses to his treachery left behind."
"The problem is, we have no proof." Nuncio threw up his hands in frustration. "If you take this to the clan council, Elias will only turn it back on you."
Saxton spoke. "He'll make it sound like you killed those men yourself to eliminate the faction against you. You'll have only my word -- that of a stranger -- to back you up."
"Which leaves us no choice but to pretend last night never happened and continue with the blood challenge as scheduled."
"Agreed. Shall we leave now, then?" "No." That from Saxton. "I want Kyran so stay here today and tonight, on my own turf where I can best protect him. We'll drive down tomorrow afternoon, just before the challenge." He looked to Kyran for approval and received an answering nod.
"I understand." Nuncio stood just as Saxton and Kyran did the same. He clapped Saxton on the shoulder. "For what it's worth, thank you for saving his sorry skin."
"I'd do it again without thinking twice."
Kyran walked Nuncio to the door and came back to where Saxton was standing. "I just realized I never even thanked you for saving me last night."
Saxton pulled him in close. "You heard what I told Nuncio. Did you think I was joking?"
"No." Kyran burrowed in closer. "You've been away from clan life for a long time. Think you can handle being a part of it all, again?"
"Won't know until I try, I guess."
Kyran pulled back. "There is an alternative." Saxton sighed. "You're talking about giving up your place as Alpha. I won't let you do that for me." "This thing between us may have come out of the blue, but I'm smart enough to know it's real. I'll do whatever it takes to make this happen and that includes handing over the reins to someone else. Nuncio, perhaps. He's proved himself more than worthy."
"Let's take it one step at a time. This is the last thing you need to be worried about with a blood challenge hanging over your head."
Kyran knew Saxton was right. He had the fight of his life -- literally -- looming in front of him. He should be focused on that and nothing else. But a question burned at the back of his brain. Would Kyran survive the challenge only to have Saxton walk out of his life after all was said and done?
*** Saxton expected to feel caged in once he arrived at Kyran's home, but that wasn't the case. Whether it was the ease with which Nuncio and his wife seemed to accept him or Kyran's quiet presence, Saxton wasn't certain, but he felt completely comfortable in the rambling manor house. Too bad that sense of peace ended with dusk.
The council chamberlain, a stout fellow named Bundy, stopped at the open door to Kyran's private rooms. "The challenge begins three hours hence, Excellency."
Kyran nodded to him from his place near the window. "Thank you, Bundy."
Bundy turned to go, then stopped. "For what it's worth, Lord Durand, you have my full support."
Kyran smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way. I suppose tonight will prove whether or not I'm worthy of the faith you've placed in me."
As soon as Bundy left, Saxton rose from his chair near the door and crossed over to Kyran. "How can you be so calm in light of what's coming?"
"Should I collapse into a fit of nerves instead?"
"Yes. No." Saxton expelled a rush of air. "Hell, I don't know. I'm tense enough for the both of us."
Kyran took his hand, leading him from the sitting area to the bedroom and locking the door behind them. "You know what they say the best relief for tension is, don't you?"
"How can you crack jokes at a time like this? What if--"
Kyran put one finger against Saxton's lips. "Be with me. If right now is all we ever have, it's enough." Saxton moaned and allowed Kyran to undress him. He wanted more than just right now -- wanted Kyran every da
y for as long as he drew breath -- but he would take all he could get with savage greed. This time, though, Saxton was ready to make the one surrender he'd never allowed himself. "I want you inside me."
Kyran paused halfway through the shedding of his own clothes. "Are you sure? Have you ever-" "No man's ever taken me. I want you to be the first." And the last. Saxton didn't say it, but the implication was there. Kyran finished disrobing and picked up his hand, again, leading him to the four poster monstrosity that dominated the room. He then released the bed curtains, shrouding them in a haven of darkness.
Saxton knew the preparations, having experienced them a myriad of times, himself. Being on the receiving end, though, brought a world of difference that left him breathless and needy. When Kyran bent and took him into his mouth, Saxton did all he could not to spill his release down Kyran's throat.
"Not that way. Please. Together." Kyran did as he was told, sliding up Saxton's body to snake his tongue inside Saxton's mouth. Kyran kissed him until Saxton was half crazed, then said, "I want you on your knees. It'll be easier for the first time."
Saxton didn't care if Kyran took him upside down and hanging from a willow tree. All he wanted was for the craving to be satisfied. He flipped to his stomach and pushed himself into position. He felt Kyran move into place behind him and the coupling began.
It came with a cleansing pain so acute Kyran stopped twice just to allow him time to adjust. Saxton didn't want to stop. He pushed back against Kyran, eager to be claimed. Saxton's ready acceptance ignited a fire in Kyran as he began a wild thrusting that had Saxton all but begging him to keep going. The world past the curtains faded as a quiet symphony of fevered pleas and broken cries filled the sheltered space. It was as the climax neared that Saxton felt a vicious sting to the back of his neck. Before he could question what had happened, Kyran came inside him with a driving slam that forced Saxton over the edge without ever touching himself. They became an uneven tangle of arms and legs as Kyran withdrew and pulled Saxton against his side. Long minutes passed before either regained the will to speak, but it was Kyran who broke the silence.
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