Trick of Silver

by Jamie Craig

Darren circled the crown with his tongue, then skimmed his lips over the velvety skin, collecting more come and drops of warm water. “Why?”

  “Because I don’t usually want them that close. It’s easier to let them go then.” He was tired of waiting. It felt like he’d been holding back for hours. “Open, gorgeous. Let me fuck that pretty mouth of yours.”

  Darren obediently dropped his jaw, his grip tightening on Aden’s hip, though he still didn’t try to pull him forward. He didn’t need to. Aden pushed his cock past his lips, along the rough length of his tongue, and to the back of his throat. He kept pushing until Darren’s nose was buried in the hair at the base of his cock, and his balls brushed against Darren’s chin.

  Pure pleasure rippled through Aden. Cupping Darren’s head, he held there, motionless, savoring each constriction around his length. It was hotter than Darren’s ass had been, each swallow another jolt through his veins. Even better, he could see those wide open eyes, gazing up at him in expectation. Hungry. Wanting more. Subservient to whatever Aden wanted.

  Aden wanted more, too.

  He took his time sliding out. He wanted to feel that hot tongue against every inch of his cock. When he felt the crown catch on the back of Darren’s teeth, he plunged forward again, barely giving him time to catch a breath before filling his throat.

  Darren’s moan might have been one of satisfaction or approval. Either way, it spurred Aden to ease out and thrust forward again. Each time he hit Darren’s throat, another moan vibrated down Aden’s length and into his groin, making his balls ache and his thighs tight. Darren didn’t move. He kept a firm grip on Aden and let his head tilt back, passive—receptive to anything Aden wanted to do.

  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a partner like this. There were more reasons why he didn’t let lovers into the pack, but he didn’t think Darren needed to hear those yet. It still shocked Aden more than a little bit that he knew so assuredly that this was the right thing to do. If Darren had passed on his offer of protection, Aden knew he would have found some way around it. He had known from that first kiss on the patio that he wanted this man for more. Now he was finally going to get it.

  His strokes quickened, his balls slapping harder and harder against Darren’s chin every time he buried his cock. When his orgasm started rolling closer, he couldn’t tell if it was the heat of Darren’s throat, the vibrations going through his cock, or the sheer hunger in the man’s eyes that got to him the most. Maybe it was a combination of all of it. All Aden knew when he exploded was that he wouldn’t be done with Darren for a very long time.

  Darren’s throat worked as he swallowed each spurt of come, which had the additional effect of coaxing more of the salty fluid from his cock. Once his shaft stopped jerking, Darren pulled his head back. He didn’t abandon Aden’s cock, though. He ran his tongue across Aden’s heavy balls, and then up his length, lapping softly at the skin. Each flick of his tongue made him shiver, and Darren didn’t seem interested in stopping any time soon.

  “This wasn’t exactly the cleaning up I had in mind.” Aden caressed Darren’s cheek, an odd sense of peace flooding through him. “Though I’m not complaining.”

  Darren shifted his attention to Aden’s thighs and anywhere else he could reach from his position. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to scrub the blood and makeup off.”

  “Probably not.” But neither one of them made a move to do so. Aden continued to graze his fingertips along Darren’s sharp cheekbone even when Darren nuzzled into his sac. “I’m guessing we’re clear on the reasons you should stay?”

  “Crystal. Even though it sounds like you’re scary possessive.”

  “Only with what matters.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He sat up and pulled Aden down at the same time, straining to reach his lips. Darren still tasted of come, and his mouth was still hungry, still enthusiastic to plunder Aden’s.

  Water splashed around them, cooler than it had been, but a welcome respite to the heat permeating his flesh. Aden wrapped his arms around Darren and pulled him flush against his body. Already, the other man’s cock was stirring. It wouldn’t be long before he was begging for release again.

  They had all night. With the ritual stopped, all Aden needed to focus on was how to ensure Darren didn’t leave his bed for a long time to come.

  Chapter 7

  Darren didn’t think he would actually fall asleep, no matter how physically exhausted he was. How could he sleep in a werewolf’s bed? Everything inside of him rebelled against the idea. Every second of training tried to stop him. Jasmine’s voice, unwelcome and unnerving, warned him that he wouldn’t wake up again if he closed his eyes. But he trusted Aden. It didn’t seem like a contradiction to him to trust and fear Aden at the same time.

  He couldn’t let on that he was uneasy, though Aden probably sensed some of that. He wished he could set aside everything about his life and see Aden as only a man, but that was simply impossible. Despite what Aden said, so much of who he was and his personality was directly related to being a wolf. And so much of who Darren was stood in opposition to werewolves. So how could he sleep with one?

  Except once he was in Aden’s bed, with the man’s chest pressed to his back, and his strong arms wrapped around him, he forgot his concerns. He was so tired. And confused. And emotionally drained. And Aden was offering so much. Darren didn’t actually believe that Aden’s pack would be willing to accept him. He didn’t know if Jasmine really intended to kill him. And he thought Aden would probably get bored with him quickly. But as he drifted to sleep, he decided he’d deal with all those problems later. Maybe even much later.

  As soon as he closed his eyes, Aden stiffened and jumped off the bed, startling him awake. At least, that’s how it felt. But a glance at the clock told him that he had been asleep for nearly two hours.

  Darren pushed himself up into a seated position. “What’s going on?”

  Aden didn’t bother with a light. He strode across the room, but only made it halfway before he froze. His entire body poised in readiness. Darren just wished he knew why.

  “Where’s your gun?” he said in a voice Darren could barely hear.

  Darren leaned over the side of the bed and snagged the duffle bag. Instead of answering and risk making noise, he held it up so it caught the light from the full moon. The fog was gone from his head, and adrenaline pumped through his bloodstream.

  “Someone’s in the house. Stay here while I take care of it.”

  Darren could just imagine how Aden intended to take care of it, but he didn’t offer any protest. As far as he was concerned, breaking into a werewolf’s home on the night of a full moon was pretty much asking to be torn apart and dismembered. So he just nodded his agreement.

  The floorboards didn’t even creak as Aden went to the door. He tilted his head, listening for whatever it was Darren couldn’t hear, and rested his hand on the doorknob. Darren didn’t hear that turn, either. It just did, and Aden slipped out of the room, the door closing silently behind him.

  A gunshot split the air. Glass shattered, and the walls vibrated.

  Darren flicked the safety off and ran for the door, forgetting Aden’s instructions to stay put. He wished he had more ammunition. He wished he had his regular gun. He wished he wasn’t running blind out into the cabin. Most of all, he hoped whoever had fired was a lousy shot. He opened the door slowly, gun at the ready.

  Glass fragmented on the floor in front of the nearest display cabinet, and one of the heavy couches had been overturned, clearing a path to the open cabin door. Droplets of blood splattered like black ink along the carpet, but otherwise, the living room was empty. Darren ignored his nudity and bare feet to race across the room. Only the night greeted him.

  * * * *

  Aden admonished himself with every pounding footstep. In focusing on Darren, he had completely forgotten to reset the security at the front gate. He should have been warned long before Ray Giessen was on his front step that he had an intr
uder. He should have been prepared. Instead, he was wrapped around the biggest distraction he’d had in years, sleeping like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  He was going to have to be very careful about that in the future. He couldn’t afford to be so sloppy.

  Of course, the easiest solution to that was to rescind his offer of protection. If Darren wasn’t around, Aden wouldn’t be so lax. But Aden knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he wouldn’t do that. For one thing, if something happened to Darren, he wouldn’t forgive himself. For another—and to be honest, it was more pressing than Darren’s safety—he didn’t want to give Darren up. This was a man who would make the world interesting again. Aden was too excited about seeing where exactly this could go.

  It simply made him push himself even harder to catch the bastard who’d dared to break into his home.

  As soon as he’d seen the gun, Aden had shifted and lunged. That was why the shot went wide. Ray had seen him approach, and for all his bravado, turned tail. When Aden had broken into the clear moonlight, Ray had been moving faster than any human should, sleek and nimble in ways that only animals could be. If he’d needed any proof that the rituals had been for Ray’s personal benefit, there it was.

  Aden snarled when he saw where Ray headed. The path he’d chosen led back to the main road, but there was no telling what kind of back-up he had for himself out there. Aden angled his trajectory to cut him off, forcing Ray deeper into the reserve instead. This was his territory. Nobody knew it like he did.

  If Ray wanted to play a little game of tag before Aden tore him apart, then so be it.

  * * * *

  It was a long shot, but Darren rummaged through Aden’s bedroom searching for bullets. He didn’t expect to find silver ammunition, but then, he didn’t expect to be shooting at werewolves. He did find some, but they weren’t the right size for his gun. With a growl of frustration, he moved to the kitchen. Aden would have knives, at least. Which wasn’t ideal, but it was better than nothing. He wasn’t going to be a sitting duck, waiting for Ray or…

  “Darren? Are you here?”

  Jasmine.

  His first thought was one of relief. Jasmine always knew what to do. She always made everything look so easy. She had a quick mind and quicker reflexes. Her presence meant nothing could get fucked up. It meant everything was under control. He didn’t know her real age, and he doubted Jasmine was her real name, but he did know she had been leading Argenti for at least a decade and she had more kills than any other agent in the history of the organization.

  Darren slipped a small knife into the pocket of his baggy jeans. He didn’t know if he had found Domingo’s clothes or somebody else’s, but they didn’t fit properly. He should have insisted Aden went to his house first.

  “I know you’re here. Come out.”

  The last was said with an air of authority that Darren couldn’t ignore. Even if he had known he was walking out to certain death, he still would have felt a strong urge to do exactly what she said.

  “I’m disappointed in you, Darren.” She stood by the door, her arms folded, her face obscured in the shadows. A thrill of fear went down his spine.

  “Why?”

  “I never thought I’d find you in here. A monster’s lair.”

  “Maybe you thought you’d find me dead at the party?”

  “That’s not fair, Darren.”

  “I’m wrong?”

  “I knew Aden wouldn’t kill you. I was counting on that, in fact.”

  “Look, Jasmine, I just need to know what’s going on here. Why were you capturing wolves for Ray? Did you know he was killing them?”

  “I guess you do deserve to know. I wanted to tell you sooner.” She took a step forward and light from the moon fell across her face. Her eyes glittered in the silver light, but she looked normal. “Darren, we’re going to change the future of Argenti, and you’re going to help us.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We’re not on an even playing field. The wolves are stronger, faster, and have better senses. But you can keep up with them. Because you’re special. So I got to thinking, what if we could make more agents like you?”

  Darren swallowed. His tongue felt like sand paper. “Like me?”

  “Human but with the strength and abilities of werewolves.” The corner of Jasmine’s mouth lifted. “I’d be unstoppable.”

  “But what does that have to do with me? Why were you trying to kill me?”

  She actually looked appalled at the question. “I wasn’t trying to kill you. I need you. Unfortunately, you’ll still die. But isn’t it worth it, Darren? To know that one day soon werewolves will be wiped out and we’ll be free of that horror?”

  “Not like this. You shouldn’t do it like this. Look, we can talk this over and…”

  “The time for talking is over.” She pulled a long knife from the sheath on her hip. “Don’t make this hard, Darren.”

  Darren didn’t need a second invitation to flee.

  * * * *

  The full moon did more than make it easier to shift. It made a wolf stronger. It gave power denied to him when the moon hid her face, allowed him to conserve energies for other, more fruitful tasks.

  Aden’s feet barely touched the cold, damp grass as he sailed over the reserve. His body had been screaming for this all night. Though he was strong enough to control his shifting at will, it was better when he didn’t have to fight his own nature. The moon called to him. It was a relief to finally answer her.

  Ray’s scent carried easily on the slight breeze. Aden chased him into a small copse, but when the trail began to fade, he skidded to a halt. His head swiveled back. Somehow, he’d passed his prey. It was possible Ray had swerved upon reaching the trees; Aden had been running very fast. But there was another possibility, one that drew his gaze upward, that prompted Aden to drop to the ground.

  Slowly, he crawled over the wet grass, his belly growing damp with each foot. The scent returned, stronger than before, and he tracked it to the base of a thick maple tree. Aden examined it more closely. Knotty bark made it easy to climb, and a low-hanging branch offered a foothold to go even higher. If Aden wanted to follow, he would have to shift back into human form.

  The only thing that made him pause was the gun. Aden hadn’t seen it after Ray had taken flight, but to assume he no longer had it would be foolish. It would only take one lucky bullet to kill Aden. Considering the way his luck had been all night, he wasn’t sure it was worth pursuing.

  Except Ray had come onto his land. Ray had been plotting to kill him all along. And if Aden’s assumptions were right, the second sacrificial bed at the Giessen house had been meant for Darren.

  Ray had to die.

  He started climbing before the shift was complete. The night grew colder without his pelt, but Aden focused on his grip, on digging his fingers into the thick bark, using his toes to help stay balanced. He kept to the shadowed side of the trunk, too aware of the pale moonlight filtering through the leaves overhead. All the while, he focused on the scent, letting it fill his head as he inched closer.

  Branches rustled. Something dropped by Aden’s ear, and he had to let go of one of his grips in order for it not to hit his shoulder. He looked down in time to see the silver shot fall harmlessly to the ground, but before he could regain his hold on the tree, a solid foot connected with the side of his head and sent him crashing to the earth.

  * * * *

  Darren had to concentrate to extend all of his senses. The full moon helped in navigation, but it also minimized the shadows and places to hide. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hear Jasmine behind him, unless she made uncharacteristic mistakes. She was too light on her feet. But she wasn’t the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve, and Darren had been a good student when she trained him.

  He wished he had thought to ask Aden for a map, or at least a description, of the reserve. Darren hated being unprepared and out of control, and it felt like he had been nothing but si
nce the night began. Any other time, it might have knocked him off-balance, but now it just made him angry, and that anger kept him focused. He wasn’t going to let Jasmine harm him—or kill him—in her insane pursuit. He wasn’t going to let her kill anybody else. He still cared about her too much to allow her to completely cross those lines.

  Though even Darren could acknowledge that she might already be beyond saving.

  The moon kept his sense of direction intact, and he zigzagged east and north, leading her farther away from Aden’s cabin. He hoped she would become disoriented and he would be able to stop her before Aden found them. He had no doubt that if Aden fell upon her first, that would be the end, and there would be no chance for mercy.

  “Darren.”

  Her voice might have carried through the still night, but it was far too close. He heard something slice through the air, but he barely had time to dodge before a blade caught his shoulder. It didn’t embed itself in his flesh deep enough to seriously harm him, but it still hurt like a motherfucker when he pulled it out. He felt the blood crawling down his back and pooling in his waistband, sticky and hot.

  He veered to the left and dove into a hollow beneath a tree. He couldn’t stay there all night, but he needed to stop the bleeding. If she had hit his arm, he could have used his shirt as a tourniquet, but the wound was too high for that. The ground was damp enough to form in a ball, but it wasn’t quite mud. With a wince, he spit into his palm and made the soil more pliable before reaching under his shirt and packing the mud against the wound.

  Darren forced himself to inhale and exhale slowly, trying to calm his rapid breathing and even faster heart. He couldn’t hear Jasmine, but he saw her shadow as she slowed and surveyed the area.

  “I know you’re hurt, Darren. It’ll be easier for you if you just come out now.”

  “Okay. I’ll surrender.”

  She spun in the direction of his voice and Darren could see her hands were empty. “I’m sorry I threw a knife at you. But I needed you to stop.”

  “I’m sorry you threw a knife at me, too.” Darren pulled himself out of the hollow, hands over his head. She never took her eyes from him as he straightened. “I’m getting blood everywhere.”