Ashland

by Lynn Lorenz

  Tor glanced down at Jin, then back up at Ash. He pulled Jin behind him, keeping Ash at bay.

  “I’ll have to try it sometime.” Ashland gave them both a cocky grin.

  “In your dreams, wolf.” Tor laughed. “Well, maybe mine too.”

  Jin giggled. “Now you’ve started something, Ash.”

  Stoltz’s heart staggered. His wolf was getting surer of himself, flirting with Tor and Jin. Stoltz hated it, but he pushed his jealousy down. He’d wanted it this way.

  Ash was free to make his own choices about who he fucked or fucked him. And to back it up, Stoltz made sure Ash had plenty of time in the locker rooms after training.

  Ashland returned to his corner, and Stoltz slipped the straw of a bottle of hydration drink between the wire cage openings. “Drink.” Ashland obeyed.

  “This round?” Ashland asked, panting through his open mouth. Sweat dripped down his face, and Stoltz wiped it with a towel.

  “Yes. I’ll tell you when. You don’t make a move until I tell you, got it?”

  “Yes, Master.” The werewolf nodded and took another drink. “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  The bell rang, and the two men faced off again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Stoltz’s grip on the cage whitened his knuckles. A lot rested on this one round. He took a deep breath and let it out. Being anxious about the shifting would only put undue pressure on Ash, and that wouldn’t be good.

  The men circled each other, and their low growls filled the air. Stoltz reached out in his mind to Ash, telling him to relax, slow down, and wait for his signal. While the werewolves were concentrating on fighting and maneuvering, it was up to their partners to sense when their competitor shifted and command them to shift in defense.

  The air in the cage vibrated, a sure sign Tor was shifting.

  “Now!” Stoltz sent the command. Ash began his shift, throwing himself toward Tor as the defender did the same.

  The cage took on a life of its own, as if it breathed. The men shifted, and two wolves leaped across the floor and slammed into each other. The snarls and snapping of their teeth brought the hair up on Stoltz’s arms, just as it always had, only now, so much more than he’d ever had rode on this one shift.

  If he could control Ash in a sparring match with another werewolf, not just in practices on their own, Ash would be ready to truly train with the biggest fighters. The money would roll in, and Stoltz could buy his next sparring werewolf.

  Or he could lose Ash to Tor’s superior fighting skills. Sparring partners had been known to be seriously injured or killed working with the fighters. His insurance would cover only half of Ash’s price at sale, and that wouldn’t be enough to replace him with someone of the same caliber. If that happened, Stoltz would lose more than just his fledgling business, he’d lose Ash. And that thought more than any terrified him.

  It pushed him to make sure Ash didn’t fail.

  They parted, Ash shaking off Tor’s grip on his back leg. Blood streamed from the wound, but not enough to worry Stoltz. Ash could heal it with a shift.

  “Get away from him, Ash!”

  Ash rolled away, headed to the far side, got back on four feet, and stalked closer to Jin. Tor plunged across the ring to stop him. Once they’d shifted, the wolves couldn’t think of anything but to attack to gain a mate or to protect their mate. They weren’t capable of strategy.

  “Wait.” Stoltz knew once Tor threw himself into the air, he’d be vulnerable to attack. If Ash would just keep his nerve and obey, he might take Tor.

  Ash whimpered but stayed crouched, bunching his leg muscles, dancing in place, ready for Stoltz’s command. Just as they’d practiced.

  Tor leaped, spanning half the distance of the cage, snarling his fury at his challenger.

  Ash waited…waited…

  “Now!” Stoltz shouted, forgetting himself.

  Ash exploded off the floor, meeting Tor in midair, and clamped down on Tor’s front leg. The wolf howled, and they dropped hard onto the cement floor in a tangled heap.

  With Tor on top of Ash.

  Shit. Stoltz hadn’t counted on that. The wolf had twisted as he fell, trapping Ash on his back under him. Ash still held on to Tor’s leg, but with Tor straddling Ash’s wolf, and Tor’s teeth empty, he smashed his paw down on Ash’s head, breaking his bite and freeing his leg.

  Ash yelped as the bigger wolf’s claws scraped across his muzzle, ripping his ear. Blood dripped onto the cage floor from both wolves’ injuries. Stoltz grimaced and glanced at his watch. Thirty seconds left in the round before the bell rang.

  “Get up!” he told Ash.

  Ash twisted, trying to rise, but Tor grabbed Ash by the throat and held him down. Stoltz grabbed the cage, his heart hammering in his chest. If Tor wanted to, or if Jin lost control, he could rip Ash’s throat out.

  Killing in the cages was forbidden. Dead wolves made for bad press and angry owners. The kind of money invested in a werewolf meant no one wanted any of the werewolves or their mates badly injured or killed, but mistakes happened.

  The fight game had to ride the edge of danger, not cross the line, and the league came down hard on owners whose werewolves caused unnecessary damage to other competitors.

  If Stoltz didn’t tell Ash to submit, and Jin didn’t tell Tor to back off, this could be a disaster.

  “Submit, Ash!” Stoltz screamed it in his mind. Across the cage, he caught Ash’s searching gaze. The wolf’s eyebrow quirked up and Stoltz repeated himself. “Submit.”

  His wolf blew out breath and went limp, his tail coming up between his legs.

  But Tor didn’t stop.

  Stoltz froze, his face pressed against the wires.

  Tor curled his lips back, bit hard into Ash’s shoulder, and shook him.

  The howl of pain from his wolf nearly tore Stoltz apart. He bolted from his place and ran around the side of the cage.

  “Jin! Stop him!” Stoltz shouted at Tor’s little mate. “Stop him!”

  Jin leaned forward, his eyes closed, his body shaking and the chains adorning him tinkling like crystals.

  Tor let Ash go, backed away from him, and then shifted. Jin raced to him and threw his arms around the big man, pulling him farther away.

  Stoltz got to the gate of the cage, charged up the stairs, and slammed it open against the wall. Waves of the animal’s pain seared into Stoltz’s mind as his wolf cried out for him.

  Ash lay on the concrete, eyes closed, unmoving.

  Stoltz fell to his knees and ran his hand over Ash’s body. The deep gash on his shoulder would require more than a shift; it would take stitches to close that wound. Stoltz stared at his hand, covered in Ash’s blood.

  Damn. They hadn’t been ready. He’d been a fool and put everything at risk—his reputation, his business, and Ash’s life.

  Jin and Tor hovered off to the side. Their owner approached them, storming over to the couple. He held a baton. With a flick, it extended, and he smashed it across Tor’s chest. “Fucking wolf! You could have killed him. Cost me a fortune in damages!”

  Tor put Jin behind him. “I’m sorry, Master. I just lost it. It wasn’t Jin’s fault.”

  “Jin, you should have called him off.” Marrack glared at the slave, and then, not waiting for an answer, he turned to Stoltz. “Shit. Is he okay?”

  Stoltz nodded. “He’ll take some stitches and a shift, but yeah, he’ll be okay.”

  Ash whimpered as Stoltz petted his head, doing an inspection of the torn ear. Not too bad. He’d seen worse, he kept telling himself.

  “Good. Jin. Tor. Get the hell out of here. Now.” Marrack pointed toward the locker room with the baton. “Be ready to go in fifteen minutes.” He turned back to Stoltz. “Look. I’m sorry, really. I don’t know what got into him.”

  “Ash was teasing him about Jin.” Stoltz shrugged. “You know werewolves. Tor got pissed off and jealous. I’ll make sure Ash doesn’t push those buttons again.” He stood, swallowed his pride and ang
er, and held out his hand. “I hope you’ll still consider us for sparring.” This was business. If he were going to use Ash for the purpose he’d bought him for, it had to be business.

  “Sure. He gave a good fight. And at least he listened.” Marrack snorted and shook his head. “I can’t say the same for Tor.”

  Nothing Stoltz could say would sound right, so he squatted next to Ash again. Marrack stormed off, muttering about goddamned fucking wolves and their worthless mates.

  “Shift, Ash.” Stoltz pulled the towel from around his neck and dabbed at the wound on Ash’s shoulder. “Come on, wolf. Shift,” he repeated aloud. As a wolf, Ash wouldn’t be able to handle the pain like he would if he were a man.

  The air vibrated, and a moment later, Ash the man lay stretched out on the floor.

  He opened his eyes and grimaced. “This sucks.” The scrapes on his face healed, and his ear looked good, but the bite on his shoulder definitely needed a few stitches.

  “Let’s go see the medic.” He helped Ash sit up. Once the werewolf shook his head and huffed a few breaths, he stood. Swayed. Reached for Stoltz.

  Stoltz wrapped his arm around Ash’s waist and led him out of the cage. He grabbed Ash’s wrap and put it on him, covering his nakedness. The closeness of this man, the way he smelled, even sweaty and bloody, did things to Stoltz no one had ever done.

  There was no denying Stoltz cared for Ash, more than just an owner for a slave. Deep affection? No, more than that; he just wouldn’t give it a name.

  Ash leaned into him, burying his nose in Stoltz’s hair, and snorted, sucking in a deep breath. Chills raced through Stoltz’s body, and his cock stiffened. Thank God Stoltz wore clothing, or his erection would be evident to everyone watching.

  The werewolf wrapped his arm around Stoltz’s shoulder and hung on tight.

  They headed to the medic’s clinic on the other side of the practice hall. Inside, a few other fighters waited on chairs to be seen. One of the clinic’s nurses ran back and forth between them, setting up rooms and getting their owners’ information. The league kept extensive medical records. In fact, not reporting an injury requiring medical attention carried fines.

  She led one man and his owner to the back, where the exam rooms were housed.

  Stoltz eased Ash into a chair and pulled out his owner’s card. Another nurse bustled up, took it, and hurried off. Stoltz sat next to Ash. He put his hand on the man’s leg, letting the heat from his body warm Ash.

  God, I want Ash.

  Next to him, Ash leaned back and glanced at Stoltz from beneath long red lashes. “You know, we’re still connected. I can still hear you.” He smiled, looking cocky and pleased.

  “Fuck.” Stoltz coughed and cleared his throat. “I meant I want you to be okay. Not hurt. Can’t fight you if you’re all banged up and out of commission.” He removed his hand from the man’s leg and clasped them together on his lap. He shouldn’t have touched him like that. Ever.

  “Oh.” The werewolf frowned. Stoltz didn’t want to cause Ash any pain, but down that path lay a bucketful of hurt for both of them.

  They sat in silence until the nurse came to bring Ash back to the room. Stoltz followed, kicking himself all the way.

  They entered the small room, and Ash climbed up onto the table as the nurse got a tray of things ready for the doctor. Stoltz stood against the wall.

  “He’ll be right in.” She smiled at Stoltz and left.

  Ash hadn’t stopped staring at him.

  Stoltz couldn’t look him in the eye, afraid he’d let even more of his feelings for this man bubble to the surface. He couldn’t let that happen, not again.

  The doctor entered, chart in hand. “Stitches?” he asked Stoltz.

  “Yeah. Pretty bad bite, but the wolf shook him, and, well.” Stoltz pointed to the wound sitting high on Ash’s shoulder.

  The doctor looked it over. He rummaged around on the tray and came back with a wad of cotton and cleaned the wound. “Not bad. Maybe three. He’ll heal most of the damage by tomorrow, but sealing it will help.”

  Stoltz nodded. “I think so too. Just wanted to make sure it got cleaned and he got a booster shot. I’m pretty sure his previous owner didn’t keep up with his health regimen. He never handed over the records, and I’m thinking there weren’t any.”

  “Too bad. Some owners are sloppy about it, and some are downright negligent.” He smiled at Stoltz, meeting his gaze. “Nice to see an owner who gives a crap.” He kept smiling, and Stoltz shifted from one leg to another as he leaned against the wall.

  Ash growled.

  The doctor broke eye contact and turned back to his patient. “Possessive?” He chuckled. “Didn’t know it was that way. Sorry.”

  Tight-lipped, Ash glared at him.

  Stoltz frowned. “What way?” Then it hit him. “Oh no. Not that way.”

  “Right.” The doctor finished cleaning the wound. He dropped the bloody cotton into a pail. When he turned around, he held a needle. “This is for the pain. No reason he should be in any discomfort. I’ll warn you, he’ll be groggy. He can’t go back into the cages today.”

  “That’s fine. I didn’t plan on sparring him in this condition. I can get him back to his quarters.”

  He administered the shot in Ash’s arm. As it took effect, he prepared the needle and thread. “Normally, I’d just use some adhesive, but this is pretty deep.”

  As Ash’s eyelids drooped, the doctor took the first stitch. In only a few moments, he’d tied it off and snipped it. “They dissolve in three days. Specially made for werewolves to stay in place during shifts.”

  “Thanks, Doctor.” Stoltz pushed off the wall and took Ash by the arm. “Come on, Ash.”

  Ash looked at him, swayed, and then slid off the table onto his feet. “Okay, Master.” He passed the doctor, who was straightening up the tray of instruments, and leaned toward him. “Mine.” He growled, and Stoltz jerked him by the arm away from the man and out of the room.

  The doctor’s laugh followed Stoltz down the hall to the front of the clinic.

  Stoltz wondered how much of this Ash would remember in the morning. Hopefully not much.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Stoltz didn’t need to support Ash much, just guide him. The big man sort of listed to one side as they headed down the hall to Ash’s quarters.

  At the door, Stoltz pressed Ash to the wall. “Stay.” Ash nodded.

  Stoltz entered the access code to Ash’s rooms, and the lock gave a snick as it opened. He took Ash by the arm and led him inside, kicking the door closed behind him.

  Ash tilted over to his bed, dragging Stoltz along with him. At the bed, he turned and grabbed Stoltz as he swayed; then he flopped back onto the mattress, dragging Stoltz down on top of him.

  Stoltz gave an umph as he landed, hands planted on either side of Ash’s head. The werewolf slid his hand around the back of Stoltz’s neck and pulled him closer.

  “I’m yours.” Ash stared up into Stoltz’s eyes. No mistaking the lust and desire in his green eyes. Stoltz’s cock took notice, and he shifted so Ash wouldn’t know it.

  “Yes. Bought and paid for.” Stoltz had to keep reminding himself, so, why not remind Ash?

  “You said you wanted me.” Ash didn’t let up on his grip of Stoltz’s neck.

  Stoltz shook his head. “I meant—”

  “Liar.”

  Stoltz opened his mouth to speak, but Ash dragged him closer, their gazes locked. It was a battle he would lose, and it was just a matter of time. Fuck. Halfway down, Stoltz gave in to his need for the man and crushed his mouth against Ash’s. Both men groaned as they deepened the kiss, as if they’d been starving for it for ages.

  Stoltz had, he knew that much. From the moment he’d first seen the man on the auction block, he’d wanted him. Had Ash wanted him the same way? Or was this some sort of slave gratitude to his master?

  Stoltz couldn’t think any more about that, because Ash opened his mouth and let Stoltz in. He swept his tongue
in, tasting his werewolf for the first time.

  God, the man was delicious, and Stoltz’s cock responded, hard and fast. No denying it now.

  Ash’s dick rose too, pushing aside the skimpy wrap, and pressed against Stoltz’s erection. Ash arched up into him as Stoltz slid his hand down to capture the werewolf’s prick.

  Ash groaned as Stoltz wrapped his hand around the thick shaft. Despite all the warnings going off somewhere in the back of his brain like tiny explosions, Stoltz dragged his hand up and down. Moisture pooled at the slit, and he used his thumb to rub it over the tip of Ash’s cock. In that moment, Stoltz knew he couldn’t stop. Didn’t want to stop.

  “Goddess!” Ash broke their kiss as he thrust up again into Stoltz’s grip.

  Something deep inside Stoltz gave way, like a dam bursting, and liquid fire flooded his blood. His desire raged so hot for this man beneath him, he thought he’d burn up with it.

  “That’s it, Ash.” He encouraged his werewolf, and Ash responded by fucking Stoltz’s hand, humping as if he’d never had sex before. Like a starving man.

  And maybe he had been. He’d told Stoltz he’d never again shared his body with the slaves in the locker rooms, not since that time months ago. Had he saved himself, held back, for Stoltz, even after he’d given Ash permission to seek his pleasure where he could find it?

  Stoltz had done the same. Except for one time with a fuck buddy, he hadn’t touched another man. And what the hell did that tell Stoltz about where his head was at with Ash?

  What he felt for Ash went way past deep affection, wrapping into a ball of desire and lust, want and need, care and tenderness, all sitting right in his heart.

  He wanted to give Ash this, because he couldn’t let this happen again. And he wouldn’t take anything from Ash. In his condition, it would amount to the same as rape. And Ash had been fucked over enough. But Stoltz could give.

  Ash whimpered as Stoltz plundered his mouth, working his tongue against the slave’s tongue, dominating him. Mastering him.