by Lisa Oliver
“Sex,” one boy said, running his hand down his tanned torso.
“Glorious sex is so good for magic,” another boy said, running his hand over his friend’s torso and tweaking a nipple.
“Shifters are so good at sex,” another one said, leaning in to get a fondle of his own.
“Powerful.”
“Go all freaking night.”
“It can leave you feeling buzzed for hours afterwards, as I recall,” Morgan added with a wink in Rex’s direction. “Truthfully, things have been getting a little staid around here. We used to sample guys from the pack, whenever we could get one interested, but over the past two years all of the truly strong wolves are gone, or slightly clueless.” He shot a look at Rogan and licked his lips. “That enforcer Beau was divine. Do you remember him, boys?”
“Oh, he had a dreamy monster cock, and he always knew what to do with it,” one of the other boys agreed. “He always spoiled it though, getting an attack of the guilts afterwards and running off as though his tail was on fire. Damn shame, because he was a fine looking man.”
“He came back, more than once,” one of his friends reminded him. “He wasn’t feeling that guilty, unless he needed a strong dose of shame to help him cope with his alpha’s demands.”
The boys all laughed. Rex felt increasingly uncomfortable. But Devyn who’d sat silently for the most part, asked, “Why don’t you just go to town and pick up guys, or scry for your mates, if that’s what you’re looking for?”
“We’re not looking to be mated. We like it here, and besides, we’d never leave Mother.” Morgan rested his hand on the woman’s shoulder. Her smile was cat that got the canary variety.
“Truth told, I’d forgotten about that deal with your father,” Ma Adams said casually. “But when the boys started complaining, pickings were so slim….”
“So, you were another one who thought someone like Rex could be manipulated just because you’re horny. You’re stinking the house out.” Devyn’s fury was coming through their bond loud and clear now. “Don’t you get it? It’s no wonder none of the wolves stick around if you treat them like sex toys to be picked up and used whenever you felt like it. None of you mentioned having emotions for any of the men you have sex with. You didn’t stop to think that maybe that pack needed help, not just you sneaking around catching the guards doing their duties. Sex, sex, sex. That’s all life is to you.”
“Tell me, Omega,” Ma Adams’ voice was like ice. “What would you give to have your limbs restored? What would you sacrifice to be able to walk beside your mate instead of being carried around like a child? If one bout of sex with my boys could do that for you, would you consider it?”
“Never.” Devyn’s word was absolute. “Besides, it’s not me you want in your little orgy, it’s Rex. I’m nowhere near strong enough as a wolf to give you the buzz your boys all lust after. The fact that you would even bring this up – that you would willingly tear my mate’s soul apart, dangling something like the use of my legs in front of a man who only ever wants the best for me, makes me sick. You might have kept me warm that day in the forest. You might have even checked on me since. I don’t know and I don’t care. Inside you’re just a mean-spirited lady who is only looking out for your own interests. Nothing more.”
“Ooh, I bet you’re kicking yourself you can’t just storm out of here like a diva on too much coffee.” Ma Adams cackled with laughter, her boys joining in. “But no. You can’t do that because to kick someone you have to have feet.”
Rex fumed – impotent fury because he knew even if he shifted, he’d be zapped before he got within five foot of the smug woman. But Devyn wasn’t finished.
“The spirit of my wolf is whole, even if it doesn’t look like it on the outside,” Devyn tapped the area above his heart. “Rex and I have a spirit connection, something you know nothing about. I don’t need feet to love him. I don’t have to be able to walk to stay by his side. And I don’t even need feet to get out of this room.”
Rex’s lap was suddenly empty. He watched, amazed, as his mate walked on his hands, out of the room, stopping only to give Ma Adams the finger as he left. Not an easy thing to do, given it meant he was resting his whole body weight on one hand at the time. Rex stood, as Tony and Gregor clapped and cheered. Even Rogan managed a whistle.
“I’d say that was ten points to the omega, don’t you?” Rex cupped his package, which was understandably large given his mate’s close proximity up until that moment. “Your deal was with my father. What you choose to do with him, is your affair. As for me and my pack – we’re going back to town where we belong. Good hunting.”
“Rex,” Morgan yelled, while Ma Adams sat with her mouth open. “Come on babe. Just one more time up against the wall maybe, for old times’ sake?”
“Fuck off, Morgan,” Rex shook his head and kept walking. “Maybe try investing a few of those feelings my mate was talking about into the next wolf you corner in the forest. You might get somewhere then. I’ve got more than enough to handle with the omega who just sauntered out of this house after he kicked your ass.”
“And he did it without any feet,” Gregor added as they left the house. “I taught him that, you know,” he added in aside to Rex.
Rex didn’t care. His mate was sitting in the wagon, brushing the dust and pebbles off his palms. Sliding in beside him, Rex pulled him back into his arms.
“You’re amazing, did you know that?”
Devyn’s lips stretched into a tired grin. “I might need a bit more practice, seeing as I haven’t done that since I was eight. I almost fell over twice getting down those steps.”
“Fucking amazing.” Rex breathed in his mate’s scent as Tony started the SUV and they headed for home.
Chapter Twenty Five
A week later Devyn was lying outside on his back porch, enjoying the sun on his fur. Rex was inside, dealing with phone calls and papers. Rex’s father died just before their day off, and while the council were happy to send a new alpha to their ex-home pack, as the eldest son, Rex had to deal with his father’s personal estate issues, the pack takeover, and a myriad of other details Devyn wasn’t interested in.
The night his father died, the shaman called to let Rex know, pleading one last time for his mate to take up the position he was born into. Rex’s emphatic “no,” settled the last niggling worry in Devyn’s soul. Devyn knew, despite Rex not saying anything, that Rex’s father’s death would plague him for a long time. While Rex claimed to have no feelings left for the man who tried to use him to pay off a debt, Devyn was sure another breakdown loomed in their future, and when it did, he’d be there for his mate.
In the meantime, Rogan was settling into town life with Tony and Gregor. Gregor barely came into Devyn’s shop anymore, leaving Rex and Devyn alone most days while he helped out at the bar. The change wasn’t something that was discussed, it just happened, but Devyn was happier now he and Rex spent most of their time together. His non-alpha alpha was proving to be a wonder at charming Devyn’s clients. Business had never been so good.
Unfortunately, with everything that was going on there was precious little time for either man to let their wolves out. The first time he’d shifted in front of his mate, in the bedroom after Rex spent half an hour pleading with him, Devyn felt supremely uncomfortable. Rex’s wolf had embraced his spirit animal, but seeing the physical deformities was another thing entirely. But he shouldn’t have worried. The big alpha was gentle with his shifted form, and now Devyn’s wolf loved to come out to be petted by the bigger man.
Which was why he was sunning himself on the porch, panting lightly, his head tilted up as the sun warmed his bright white fur. Rex promised he’d join him just as soon as the last of the papers had been sent off, and that he had a surprise for him. Devyn wasn’t worried about that. He was just keen for Rex’s giant dark brown wolf form to make an appearance.
Footsteps on the porch had Devyn turning his head. Rex was still in human form, although with only a pa
ir of jeans hugging his hips, it wouldn’t take much for him to get naked. Devyn eyed the huge box in Rex’s arms, and then the almost sheepish grin his mate was wearing.
Is that my surprise? Did you get me a doggy bed so I’m more comfortable on the porch? Devyn’s human form wasn’t the only one who got aches in his legs sometimes.
“It’s not a doggy bed, no.” Putting the box on the porch, Rex kneeled down, and Devyn stretched out as rough fingers fondled him between the ears. “Precious, you know how much I care about you. In the few short weeks we’ve been together, you’ve proven how strong you are as a man. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
Devyn whined. He could feel a “but” coming on.
“One of the most amazing things I notice about you,” Rex continued, stroking that hard to reach spot between his shoulders, “is how you’ve taken your wheelchair and made it a part of you. Like yesterday when you just plowed up that ramp at the lumber yard as if nothing could stop you.”
Hmmm. That was nice to hear, but what did that have to do with the box? Rex’s fingers were awesome at giving scratches. He’ll get to the point eventually. In the meantime, between the sun and Rex’s scent filling his nostrils, the omega wolf was happy.
“Wouldn’t it be great if your wolf had a way of getting around, too?”
Devyn tensed, turning his head so he could look Rex right in the eye. Wolves don’t have opposable thumbs, or hands to push a wheelchair with. He hoped his glare made his point.
“Precious, I know, but look….” Reaching for the box, Rex tore open the top of it, reaching inside and pulling out a… thing. Devyn eyed it warily. It had two wheels on it, but that didn’t make it a wheelchair.
“I got the idea when I saw you walking on your hands,” Rex went on hurriedly. “Precious, there’s nothing wrong with your spine, hips, shoulders, or your front legs. Your back legs just need a bit of support while the rest of you is moving, that’s all. See here, there’s a sling to support your back end for you, so your bent leg doesn’t get caught in one of the wheels. The straps are nice and wide, so they won’t dig into you and I got this one custom made to account for your size, but bigger canines use these all the time. Wouldn’t you like to run with me on the wider trails?”
Rex was pointing out the features of the “thing,” but Devyn wasn’t watching. He had his head on the porch, his front paws covering his eyes. He was torn, and it wasn’t helpful that his wolf was currently in control.
Of course, I want to go running with you. But… but….
“Precious, is this about you having to have me strap you into this thing?” Rex’s hand was comforting as it moved down his spine. “Don’t you remember, I held you upright when you peed that time I got you back from my father.”
Devyn did remember. He’d rather not remember anything about his capture and rescue. But his mate had a point. Devyn trusted his mate then, and he trusted him now. Lifting his head, he let out a small whine and licked Rex’s hand.
“I don’t expect you to be dancing around over the moon about this,” Rex said. “I know it’s unnatural. But could you try it one time? I promise it won’t make your lovely wolf form look silly, and there’s no one out here to see anyway. It’s just you and me. Haven’t you ever dreamed of running the way a wolf was born to run?”
Sneaky mate.
“Yes, I am a sneaky mate, but I know if I asked you, you’d make some excuse not to try it. Come on, precious, for me?”
It’s not as though Devyn could resist Rex’s puppy eyes. He huffed, that’s as much as he was going to say about it, but Rex took that as a yes, and seconds later, he was swept into Rex’s arms.
“It will be better to try this first time on the grass,” Rex explained, as he carried Devyn down the steps. “We don’t want the wheels getting away on you because of the hardness of the porch.”
Don’t we? No, I suppose we don’t. Not that Devyn was seeing much of this “we” business. It was his body that was going to be trussed up in that thing. He amused himself, licking Rex’s thick neck. Sun-kissed skin tasted delicious.
“You wait here. I’ll get the cart.”
I’m not a freaking horse. But Devyn sniffed around the grass he was lying on. He didn’t get a lot of opportunity to source the different scents in his yard. Lying on the grass meant he could appreciate the deep musky scent of the earth, the bright tang of fresh grass. Devyn watched a small trail of ants carrying bits of something as they walked in single file.
“Here we go,” Rex held up a harness. “I need to put this on your first, and then we’ll get your back end comfy.”
Devyn’s wolf had never been restrained – that wasn’t natural. But Rex must have sensed his reluctance, because there was a lot of those yummy scratchings going on, and before he knew it, Devyn felt a slight pressure on his chest and around his back.
“I have to make sure this fits properly,” Rex explained. “The woman I spoke to said it was really important nothing was too sloppy. If the cart’s snug on you, then you have better control over it.”
Rolling over, onto his back, ignoring the harness, Devyn batted his mate’s hand with his paws. “I love that you’re doing this for me,” Rex leaned over, letting Devyn lick his cheek. “Now come on. The sooner we get you into this, the faster I can shift too.”
It seemed like an awful lot of fuss, in Devyn’s opinion. The harness had to fit snugly, then Rex hauled his back end off the ground and that meant more fiddling with the poles of the frame, and a belly cushion. Devyn yelped and looked over his shoulder as his back legs were put in stirrups, but Rex’s smile was priceless.
“You’re upright, precious,” he said stepping back. “How do you feel?”
Upright? Devyn looked down at his front paws, and then over his shoulder at his back end. I’m standing up. He felt his tail start wagging. Babe, I’m standing on my own paws. Oh, my gods, I’m actually standing!
“You look amazing.” Rex sniffed and hurriedly swiped at his face with his hand. “It’s just… technology, you know. It can really work for canines like you. Now how about you try taking a few steps? Let me know through the mind link if there’s anything rubbing that shouldn’t, or if anything’s uncomfortable at all.”
Steps. For a wolf, walking was as instinctual as breathing. From as young as two weeks old, natural wolf pups take their first stumbling steps – often falling, banging their noses, and flopping on their bellies until they get it right. Devyn wasn’t a pup – he was fully grown. And yet, he’d never taken a step in his life.
But his wolf knew how it was supposed to be done. Moving cautiously, Devyn lifted one front leg and stepped forward. Then the other. His back end, supported by the wheelchair, clunked a bit as he moved, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. He moved a little faster, the grass tickling the pads of his feet. This was so different to wheeling himself in his chair in his human form. I’m actually walking. Babe look at me, I’m walking!
I know, precious. I’m walking right beside you.
The pride in Rex’s response was unmistakable. Looking across, Devyn saw Rex’s huge wolf form watching him move. He couldn’t help his excited yip. He wanted to dance and prance, but he wasn’t sure the chair was that versatile. I can do it. I can do it. I am doing it.
I’ve said it before. You’re amazing. Let’s go.
His tail wagging furiously, Devyn followed his mate. Slowly at first, but as his confidence grew, so did his speed. His loving mate never went too fast, picking out the smoother trails so Devyn’s back end didn’t get jolted around. That level of consideration would have made Devyn weep if he hadn’t been having so much fun. Everything was so new and exciting. The birds swooping overhead calling to each other; the excited chatter of a squirrel as he scurried up a tree, the rustle of rabbits in the undergrowth – Devyn could see, smell, hear, and experience it all.
It was over too soon. Without even realizing it, Rex had led them on a huge circle, and as Devyn’s house came into view, he realized just how tired h
e was. His back ached from being in an unusual position for him, his front paws were covered in mud. Rex’s human form loomed above him. “Here, little wolf, let me help you with that. It seems someone’s got mucky paws.”
For the first time ever. Devyn waited patiently while Rex unhooked his back legs, lowering them gently on the ground, before unclipping his harness. As soon as he was free, Devyn shifted, reaching for his mate.
“What you did… the gift you’ve given me… I can’t… No one’s ever… I can’t….”
“Oh precious,” Rex held him close. Devyn buried his nose in his mate’s sweaty neck. “You mean more to me than anything. I’d give you the world if it were mine to give. Seeing you out there, actually walking, sniffing the trails, and chasing that squirrel up a tree. That’s how a wolf’s supposed to be in the wild.”
“I’ve always known what it should be like.” Devyn inhaled sharply, trying to get his erratic emotions under control. “It’s just, I stopped dreaming about it years ago. When I shifted for the first time and I saw my wolf was afflicted the same way I was.” His exhale was shaky. “Seeing my wolf spirit go bounding up to yours the night you claimed me was the first time I’ve ever considered myself whole.”
“You are perfect as you are,” Rex rumbled. “There is so much more to a person than the physical body we show the world. It’s the heart of the person that counts. Their spirit. Their soul, and your soul, my precious has always been strong and pure. I’ve known that from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”
“You’re just saying that because we’re mated.” Devyn reached up stroking his mate’s face. He was blessed, he knew that. The Fates had really been looking out for him when they bound his lifeline to Rex’s. And as Rex carried him inside, and ran them a bath, his mate made a point of showing him just how truly blessed he was.
