by Joyee Flynn
“I–I, it means,” I whimpered, scared I was going to get hit. I hopped off the couch but couldn’t go far as I was hooked up to the IV. When Randall moved toward me, looking completely pissed off, I did the unthinkable. I peed on the carpeting in fear.
“Would you quit peeing everywhere?” Randall yelled and ran from the room. “You’re supposed to be part human, Toby.”
“You scared me,” I whispered when Randall came back in the room with a bunch of paper towels. “I don’t do well with yelling. I’m sorry.”
Randall just stared at me as if I’d grown a second head. After several moments, he burst out laughing, but it wasn’t a good laugh. I lay down on all fours, tucking my head under my paws as my mate laughed like a madman.
“I brought home a beagle who’s really a man.” Randall laughed like a loon as he cleaned up the carpet. “Who’s a shape shifter that’s sick with a deadly dog virus and pees when he’s yelled at. Oh, and let’s not forget that he peed on me, which marks me as his mate. And now I’m bound to him for the rest of my life. Did I leave anything out, Toby?”
Instead of answering, I whimpered as I tried to make myself a smaller target.
“I’m not going to hurt you!” Randall growled at me. “I’m Sheriff, for god sakes!”
“But you’re mad at me,” I cried. “And you’re scaring me.”
“I’m not mad—well, yeah, I am, but I’m not sure if I am at you. Fuck,” Randall yelled as he left the room again. I couldn’t believe how my luck was turning. One minute, I leave my sick pack to find help and find my mate, too. My mate is loving and great, getting me the help I need. But when he finds out that I’m really a man, he freaks out, yelling, laughing, and going off the deep end. What next?
Randall came back in the room, and I started whimpering again. I watched the large man sigh and walk toward me. I was leery when my mate knelt in front of me.
“I’m sorry I yelled, okay?” Randall said quietly. “I need to sort all of this out, but I think I’m on information overload right now. So, let’s just focus on getting you better, and we can work the rest out as we go along. Sound fair?”
“Will you still pet me?” I asked, dying to feel my mate touch me some more.
“Yeah, come here, little guy,” Randall chuckled as he opened his arms for me. Immediately, I leaped into them and licked Randall’s face. “Do you have to stay in dog form right now?”
“I think it’s better if I do when I’m getting the medicine,” I answered, not really sure. “I mean, that kinda makes sense to me.”
“It’s a good point,” Randall replied as he sat back down on the couch with me. “I figured we had some things to also discuss, man to man.”
“I can take my medicine later,” I said quietly.
“No! The most important thing is getting you better,” Randall replied before leaning down and kissing the top of my head. I felt a thrill go down my spine at the feeling of my mate’s lips on my body, and I wanted so much more.
“I’m sorry I mated you without asking you first,” I said, hoping I wasn’t pushing at Randall’s calm mood. “I didn’t really realize I was doing it until you shouted.”
“I believe you, Toby,” Randall whispered, holding me tighter. “I need time to process. But no more making decisions without me or doing things without discussing them with me.”
“I promise, Randall,” I replied, snuggling into my mate’s broad chest. It felt so right and comfortable that it didn’t take long for me to find sleep. The last thought I had before succumbing to sleep was that if mates were real and not a myth, what else was true?
Chapter 2
Randall moaned as he felt a soft tongue lick along his neck and collarbone. The warm body lying on him made the experience that much better. Squeezing the ass he was holding on to with both hands, he felt himself get even harder.
This is the best dream I’ve had in a while, Randall thought to himself as the small man moaned and rubbed his hard cock against Randall’s stomach.
“I want in your firm little ass so bad it hurts.” Randall moaned, going with the dream even though it seemed more real than any erotic dream he’d remembered having.
“Yes, my mate, I want you to take me,” Toby replied, nipping at his neck. That was when it hit Randall that this wasn’t a dream.
“Fuck.” He gasped as he sat up and stared down at the man sprawled out on his body. Toby stared up at him, his soft, ear-length black hair hanging in his big, brown eyes. “I thought I was dreaming.”
“You don’t really want me?” Toby asked softly as he started to shake. “I’m sorry. You were touching me, and it woke me up. I thought you’d decided to have sex with me.”
“No, yes, I mean, no,” Randall answered as his heart broke when Toby’s eyes filled up with tears. The hot smaller man moved off of him and went to get off the bed. Randall reached out and grabbed him around the waist before Toby could escape. “Baby, wait, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to be sorry for not wanting me,” Toby whispered, not looking at Randall. He sighed and pulled the gorgeous man back against his chest and onto his lap.
“I do want you. I meant what I said,” Randall said as he kissed Toby’s neck. “I want your firm little ass so much it hurts. But yes, I thought I was dreaming. I didn’t realize I was touching you. So, no, I didn’t consciously make the decision to have sex with you.”
“Will you make that decision now?”
“Oh, god, baby, you’re killing me here.” Randall moaned as Toby moved his hot ass over his morning wood. “We still have a lot we need to talk about.”
“Sex first, talking later,” Toby begged, looking up at him with the same big puppy dog eyes that Randall had seen in the beagle he’d saved. “Please, Randall? I need my mate to be inside me.”
“I don’t know, Toby,” Randall whispered, trying to still his hips. Instead of stopping, Toby wiggled in his arms enough to turn around and straddle his lap. When he kept moving his hips and rubbing his cock against Randall’s, all responsible thought left his mind. “Fuck, I want you so bad, baby.”
“Take me, then, Randall. I’m yours.” Toby whimpered, leaning forward to lick Randall’s lips. “Please, I want you so badly. Show me what sex is like.”
“Wait, you’ve never had sex?” Randall asked gently as that though pulled him out of his lust-filled haze and he stopped Toby’s hips. “You’re a virgin?”
“Is that bad?” Toby replied, turning the prettiest shade of pink that made Randall’s cock twitch. “I wanted to wait until I fell in love or met my mate. I figured it would be the first one since most of us thought mates were stuff of legends. But I wanted to give myself to the person I’d spend my life with.”
“That’s hot, baby,” he groaned, rubbing his hands over Toby’s slim hips. “So, you’re saying I’m the only man who’s ever going to be in this sweet ass?”
“Yes,” Toby answered as he looked down, not meeting Randall’s gaze. “I’m not sure I’ll be any good at it, but I promise to learn. Or you can teach me what you like, Randall. I’m smart. I swear I am.”
“You’re killing me, Toby,” Randall said as the firm ass on his lap shifted. His cock moved between the cheeks of Toby’s butt as if knowing exactly where it wanted to go. “It’s not right to take your virginity until we’ve worked everything out.”
“But it’s yours to take,” Toby replied, looking confused. “I’m your mate. My body and soul belong to you.”
“Normally, people wait longer than a day, baby,” Randall said gently when Toby’s innocence shined through. It made him realize something he needed to ask. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-two,” he answered, tilting his head to the side and studying Randall. “Does that matter to you?”
“No, you’re legal, but you are kind of young,” Randall replied slowly, choosing his words carefully. “I mean, I’m twelve years older than you, Toby.”
“Then that’s perfect. You’ll know how to keep me safe,” Toby said happ
ily, once again reminding him of the excited pup he’d met.
“Why would you need to be kept safe, baby?”
“We’re not very respected in the shifter community,” Toby answered sadly. “I mean, there are strong were-wolves, tigers, bears, and all kinds of aggressive animals. There are even dog shifters of all types. But I’m a puppy shifter, Randall. Do you understand what that means?”
“That you turn into a beagle,” he replied, feeling it wasn’t the answer Toby was talking about. He got a soft smile in response before Toby leaned forward and licked his lips.
“Well, yes, but that’s not what I was getting at.” Toby giggled, and Randall bit his lip to keep the moan inside of him. The hot little twink in his arms just giggled, and Randall loved it. “Shifters take on a lot of the traits of their animals. Wolves are aggressive and growl a lot while cats can be more passive sometimes and purr. I’m a beagle puppy. I get excited easily, need lots of affection, will always want to be touched, and yes, pee on the carpeting when I’m scared.”
“I’m not a very affectionate person, Toby,” Randall said, feeling himself tense up at the idea of PDA. “I’m not a touchy-feely kind of guy.”
“Then that’s why I’m your mate,” Toby replied, his face brightening up as if the lightbulb went off over his head. “My parents used to tell me when I was little that special people were mated to puppy shifters. That they were always people who’d had a lot of tragedy in their lives and needed the extra love and affection we tend to give to heal their hearts.”
Randall grimaced as Toby pretty much hit it on the head. There were reasons from his past that made him as jaded as he was. But that didn’t mean the smaller man in his arms would be able to heal him. Did it?
* * * *
I was worried I’d stuck my foot in my mouth again when I saw how Randall reacted to what I said. He wanted me to be honest with him, but maybe reminding him of painful memories wasn’t the right way to go.
“I’m sorry, Randall. I didn’t mean to upset you,” I whispered, feeling like an idiot. “I don’t always think before I speak. That memory just popped into my head, and you said you wanted me to be honest with you.”
“I do, Toby. I always want you to be honest with me.” Randall sighed, still looking sad. “I need to know things like this and what’s on your mind.”
“Like I want us to have sex now that we’ve talked?” I asked, completely excited that now we were getting to the sex. I moved my hips again in that way that made him moan before. “How do you want me my first time? Should I lie on my back or get on my hands and knees? Do you have a favorite position? I can start getting myself ready for you.”
“Oh, fuck, baby.” He moaned as he rolled us over so I was on my back. Randall mashed his mouth down to mine, and I licked his lips. He did the same to me, and I opened my mouth for him. I whimpered at the pleasurable sensations running through my body as his tongue explored my mouth. Randall’s hands seemed to be everywhere all at once, and it was driving me crazy. “I can’t think of anything besides burying my cock into you, Toby.”
“Then don’t,” I panted as I stared up into his eyes. “Take me, Randall. I want it. I want you. Please, my mate?”
“Thank you, baby,” he said softly, rubbing his thumb over my cheek. I wasn’t sure what he was thanking me for, but I whimpered as he moved off of me and reached into the nightstand. Randall smiled at me as he held up a tube of lube as he crawled back to me. “I wasn’t leaving you, just getting what we need. But I need to ask about condoms. Do we need them? I know I’m clean.”
“I can’t get or give STDs,” I replied proudly, knowing that no shifter could. “It’s something to do with our DNA.”
“Well, that’s a bonus.” Randall chuckled as he moved between my legs and squirted some on his fingers.
“Why were you thanking me, Randall?” I asked, not sure if my question would ruin the mood but needing to know what he’d meant.
“I was saying thank you for being willing to give me your virginity,” he answered with a smile. I spread my legs wider for him as he got even closer to my body. “It’s a gift that you’re giving me, and I promise to cherish it.”
“I’m just glad you want it and me,” I said, gasping when his fingers rubbed against my hole. “I like that. It feels so good.”
“I promise to make this really good for you, Toby,” Randall whispered as he leaned forward and licked the head of my cock. He pushed a finger in at the same time, and I moaned at the good feelings it stirred in me along with the burning. “Your first time will hurt, but I promise it won’t last and will turn into pleasure.”
“I trust you, Randall,” I panted as his finger stopped moving once it was all the way in me. After a few moments, he started moving it again as he kissed my dick once more.
His finger rubbed something inside of me that sent so much pleasure up my body that before I’d even realized what was happening, I came. I cried out his name as my cock shot out ropes of my seed all over my stomach.
Randall kept moving his finger and then pushed in another one as my climax was still going on. It seemed to start it all over again as he focused on that one spot in my body. Lights flashed behind my eyes as I tried to get more air into my lungs. Finally, when I started to come back down from my bliss, I lay there panting as he stared at me. I couldn’t tell what emotion he was feeling from the look on his face. But then it hit me, and I felt humiliated.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen yet,” I whispered. I felt the tears burning my eyes as I backed away from him, his fingers slipping from my ass. “I’m so sorry I came so fast and couldn’t please you.”
“Toby, baby,” he said gently as he reached for me. I shook my head and kept backing away, mortified that I’d failed my mate our first time together.
My whole body shook as I reached the end of the bed, and I couldn’t see him through my tears. I shifted, leapt from the bed, and ran from the room. Hiding behind the side of the couch in the living room, I cried. Randall had to hate me, probably cursing the fact that he’d been stuck with a reject for a mate.
“Toby, please, where are you, baby?” Randall called out as he ran into the living room and looked around. I didn’t want to risk his anger, so I moved until I was almost under the couch. “Baby, please talk to me. I’m not upset that you came. I plan on you coming a lot more today if you’ll talk to me.”
I wasn’t sure what I should do as I watched my mate search the room for me. I couldn’t help but get horny at the sight of his naked body.
“Toby, watching you come was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said as he sat down on the chair opposite the sofa I was hiding by. “I’ve never been so hard in my life, baby. It was amazing to see you open up and come from my touch.”
“Really?” I squeaked out before I’d even realized it. Randall’s head swung in my direction, and our eyes met. He smiled at me as he got off the chair and walked toward me. I watched him as he knelt in front of me, not touching me yet, but so our noses almost touched.
“Really, Toby,” Randall whispered. “And I’d very much like to finish what we were doing if you’d shift back and let me. I wasn’t upset. I was just shocked at how beautiful the man in my bed was when he came. You didn’t do a damn thing wrong. It was one of the hottest moments in my life, baby.”
“Okay,” I replied before licking his nose, getting a chuckle from him. Crawling back out from where I’d hidden, I shifted back as soon as I could. Randall sat up and opened his arms for me. Smiling widely, I straddled his lap and licked his neck. “You’re really sexy, Randall.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you, Toby,” he said firmly against my ear, causing me to shiver. Randall wrapped his arms around me, his hands under my ass as he stood up. I wrapped my legs around his hips as he carried me back into his bedroom. “You are the sexiest, hottest man I’ve ever had in my bed and in my arms.”
“So, you’ll keep me?” I asked, completel
y excited as I felt myself get hard again. I realized after I’d said it how much it sounded like I was asking him to adopt me like a stray dog, but I didn’t care. I just wanted him to answer. He laid me back on the middle of his bed as he moved on top of me. As I stared up into his eyes, Randall stroked my cheek gently.
“Yeah, baby, I’m keeping you,” he said with a smile. “We’ll figure the rest of this all out. I’m not sure how, but we will. All I do know is that you feel so right in my arms, Toby. I know that I want you more than anyone I’ve ever met in my entire life. And I know without a doubt that Toby the man is worming his way into my heart as the beagle puppy that peed on my leg did.”
“I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you, too, Randall,” I whispered, feeling my heart sore at his words. “And I give you my heart, my mate. I want us to be together always.”
“I’ll be careful with it, Toby,” Randall promised before kissing me again. Wow, could my mate kiss. I could live off of his kisses and touches. The fact that he’d make me come that hard was one hell of a bonus, though. I was so lost in our kissing that I’d missed the fact that somehow, he’d poured more lube on his fingers. It seemed I’d also not noticed that he pushed two fingers back inside of me until he hit that spot again.
“Hurry, Randall, please,” I whimpered as I moved my hips against his hand. “I want you inside of me when I come this time.”
“Just a little more, baby,” he said as he changed the way he touched me, wiggling his fingers back and forth instead of just rubbing that one spot. I kept my hands on his biceps as I stared up into his light green eyes as he took me to heaven. When he slid in a third finger, I arched my back and gasped. “Am I hurting you? I can go slower.”
“Doesn’t hurt.” I moaned as I pushed my hips down on his hand. “Feels amazing, Randall.”
“I want you to feel amazing during your first time,” Randall assured me, licking along my neck. “Your first time having sex should be amazing.”
“It is,” I panted, wanting to say more but coherent words escaping my mind.
