Dark Wolf (Spirit Wild)

13

The night was perfectly still, the air cool but not yet cold. Not a breath of air, not a sound. No owls or frogs, bats, or even the ever present coyotes. Even the crickets seemed to have toned down their clamor—either that, or he was so totally caught up in the spell that was Alex Aragat, nothing else registered.

Sebastian curled his fingers against Alex’s chest and struggled for control, but there was none to be found. He struggled to breathe, and it felt as if huge, jagged splinters tore at his lungs. Something clogged his throat and burned his sinuses, and unexpected tears rolled silently from beneath closed eyelids. The first ragged sob tore out of his chest, a sound so alien to him, he wasn’t certain at first what it was.

It was followed by another, and yet another, and then Alex pulled Sebastian close and wrapped strong, loving arms around him. That offer of comfort, that freely given masculine strength was all it took. Sebastian gave in to the overwhelming rush of pain and grief, to the demons battering at his soul.

He’d not cried for as long as he could remember. Not when his mother died, not even on the dark day he’d buried her in that small cemetery on the outskirts of Hannibal, Missouri, but he cried now as a lifetime of grief overfilled his heart and soul.

He cried, and it was ugly and embarrassing because he had no control over these foreign emotions. How did a guy deal with something he didn’t understand? But he remembered standing there at his mother’s grave, realizing he was totally alone, knowing he would search for the father his mother had risked everything to be free of. Determination had kept his tears away.

She hadn’t understood how much he’d hoped to find family, a place where he might finally belong. He should have listened to her. Should never have gone looking for a man without a soul.

Without an aura.

Now Alex’s words, Anton Cheval’s acceptance, Lily’s love. This was the family he’d always wanted. This was what called to him, what he’d yearned for.

What he wanted more than anything he’d ever wanted before. Wanted, but couldn’t have. He wasn’t worthy and he didn’t deserve it. He was the son of a killer. His father’s blood ran in his veins. His father’s magic was his magic. He could never be what Lily needed, what Anton wanted. What Alex thought he was. His failure poured out of him, bathing him in horrible, unendurable grief. There was no end to it and he couldn’t stop himself.

Then Alex whispered something. Words of comfort, soft, meaningless words that somehow did it for him. Comforted him, helped him find the balance and the strength to slowly pull himself together without feeling like a fool.

He was almost forty years old—a man grown, and yet his emotions had left him feeling like a lost boy, totally wiped out. When Alex stood, grabbed his hand, and tugged, Sebastian didn’t question him. He merely followed blindly, clutching Alex’s hand as if it were his lifeline. He stumbled on the bottom step to the cottage, grabbed the railing for support, and wondered how they’d gotten here so quickly.

The kitchen first, where Alex handed him a clean, damp towel so he could wipe his face and regain at least a bit of composure. Then Alex led him to the bedroom and pulled back the covers as if Sebastian were still a child, and like a child, he took off his cotton shorts and crawled into the big bed without a word.

Lily rolled over, and he sensed her concern, but she made room for him without saying a word. He lay down beside her, inhaling her scent, breathing in the sense of peace he felt when she was near.

Sebastian figured Alex would get into bed on Lily’s other side, but he scooted in close behind Sebastian and threw an arm over him, holding him close, breathing deeply, slowly. Lily snuggled against his chest. Alex had his back.

So many emotions, pouring through him, almost strangling him until he felt Lily relax in sleep, until Alex ran his hand gently over Sebastian’s hip and across his groin before finally wrapping his fingers around his flaccid cock.

He stayed soft, too enervated from all the emotion to feel any arousal, no matter how arousing the touch. He felt Alex rise against him, the gentle pressure of his semierect penis settling into the valley between Sebastian’s buttocks. Vaguely, as if he thought of himself from afar, he wondered what was coming next.

But nothing happened. Alex merely turned a bit as if finding a more comfortable position. His fingers stayed where they were, holding Sebastian in a gentle caress. Sebastian thought about the way Alex’s hand felt holding his cock and decided it felt right. Lily’s breath tickled his chest, and he seemed to have his tears under control.

It was all good, for now. That’s all that mattered, and it was the last thing he knew before drifting off to sleep.



Sebastian came out of a deep, sound sleep as Alex crawled quietly out of bed and headed down the hall in the direction of the bathroom. Lily snuggled against his chest, all warm woman and tangled hair, but he was awake now and nature called.

Still drowsy and dopey with sleep, Sebastian finally extricated himself from Lily’s arms and headed for the bathroom. He passed Alex going back to bed and grunted as they stumbled past one another. Alex was still half asleep and didn’t reply.

It didn’t really matter. What mattered was the sense of contentment, the knowledge he wasn’t alone. Whether he and Alex ever had sex or not wasn’t what counted. What counted was the fact that Alex had been there for him when he’d needed a friend.

He’d never had a friend he could count on. Not one who would hold him when he needed holding, tease him when he needed to laugh. It was early—still dark out—and his mind wasn’t all that clear, but the sense he was no longer alone filled his heart and mind with peace unlike anything he’d ever known.

When Sebastian got back to the bed, Alex was lying next to Lily and had her tucked close against his chest, probably the way they’d spent a lot of their nights. He was already asleep.

Sebastian crawled in behind Alex. It was cold this early in the morning, and Alex was warm. Sebastian snuggled up close behind him, wrapped an arm around Alex’s waist, and drifted, not quite awake, not really asleep.

His thoughts drifted as well, and he thought of how he’d fallen apart the night before, how Alex hadn’t said a word but had just let him get it out. He’d figured he’d wake up with at least a headache, but he actually felt pretty good, considering.

That was something a lot of friends might not have done for a guy. So what did that make Alex? He’d have to think about that.

He stroked Alex’s flank, running his hands along his muscular thigh, down his leg. Arousal was more a simmering heat than full blown desire, though he had to admit it was pretty arousing to be pressed up against Alex’s back with his cock riding in the crease between his buttocks.

Just the way Alex had been when he’d drifted off last night. Sebastian’s hand brushed against what had to be morning wood, but it was right there, practically begging for attention, so he wrapped his fingers around the thick, hot length and slowly stroked Alex from base to tip and back again.

Alex moaned, a soft, sleepy sound that made Sebastian smile. He kissed his shoulder and then trailed small kisses along the rapidly healing injury that crossed Alex’s neck and shoulders.

He almost stopped when he realized he was kissing a man. Then he thought about it—how it made him feel—and kept kissing.

So amazing. He’d never known any Chanku before Lily, but they were truly fascinating creatures. The healing itself was unreal, but so was that impossible life span. He wondered at the possibilities.

What if Alex was right? If Lily and Anton knew what they were talking about, and he really was Chanku? The question floated away as Alex pressed back against him, against Sebastian’s rigid cock, and he tightened his grip around Alex.

Lube. Top drawer. Table beside the bed.

Obviously Alex was more awake than Sebastian had realized. He thought of what Alex offered. His cock was suddenly hard and goose bumps covered his skin. You’re sure?

Soft laughter filled Sebastian’s head. Of course I’m sure. I do this all the time. The question is, are you sure?

Part of me certainly is. He thrust his hips, pressing harder against Alex’s ass.

Lube. Now.

I really don’t want to let go. He stroked Alex’s cock. Up, down, and up again to sweep his palm over the broad crown. It was damp, already slick with pre-cum.

I don’t want you to let go, either, but ya gotta do it if you’re gonna do it. You’re sure as hell not getting in without it. Alex projected laughter, and the sound sort of bounced around inside Sebastian’s head.

He let go and rolled over, found the drawer, slipped it open, and the lube was right where Alex said it would be. He rolled back and covered his fingertips with a thick dollop of gel.

Alex lay on his belly with his face turned toward Lily.

Sebastian shoved the covers down and knelt beside Alex. For a long time he just stared at Alex’s butt and thought about what they were going to do, and the oddest thing was, the longer he stared, the hornier he got. His cock had been hard, but now it was rising up against his belly.

He’d never touched a guy’s butt before, not with the intent of doing more than just a slap on the ass during sports. He rubbed his left hand over the smooth globes, trailing a line from the lower part of Alex’s back to the dimple just above the cleft between his cheeks.

Alex pressed his hips against the bed and groaned. Just a low, soft sound, but one that registered as pure need. Sebastian ran his fingers down the warm cleft, pausing just over his sphincter and rubbing soft little circles around Alex’s puckered anal ring. He tried to visualize shoving his cock in that tiny opening, and decided he’d rather do the shoving than have Alex trying it on him.

The gel had warmed on his fingers, so he parted Alex’s cheeks and wiped it off against his anus. Obviously, there was more to do, though he wasn’t sure. He felt stupid asking, but he figured that any guy who could hold another guy—a perfectly strange other guy—while he cried like a freaking baby, probably wouldn’t mind answering intimate questions.

“What now?” He kept rubbing over that puckered ring, and he could have sworn it felt softer.

Stretch it. One finger, then two, then three. Slow is best. It doesn’t hurt that way.

That made sense. He pressed with one fingertip, and the gel eased his way enough that his finger slipped right through. Alex’s inner muscles tightened around his finger, and the visual of those same muscles around his cock added another level of arousal. He wasn’t sure how deep to press, but since his cock would go in a good eight or nine inches, he pressed all the way to his knuckle.

Alex pushed back, so he added another finger, scissoring them back and forth, stretching the way Alex had told him to. Then a third, and again he felt the tight clench of muscle around his fingers.

His cock jerked and he got even harder, so he slipped his fingers out of Alex and lifted him up on his knees, rubbed more of the gel over the crown of his cock, and pressed against that fluttering little ring, which, of course, had closed right up again.

His hand was still slick from the gel, so he spread what was left along his shaft, lined himself up with his target, and slowly pushed forward.

It wasn’t all that easy, not with Alex’s involuntary tightening, but then Alex took a deep breath, pushed back, and relaxed, and Sebastian watched as the tip of his cock seemed to reshape and squeeze down from the pressure of his thrust against Alex’s butt, until it somehow fit through that little opening.

Fascinated, he watched the way the puckered ring of muscle stretched, gave way, and then tightened and wrapped around his shaft, just behind the crown. He kept pushing and then resting, pushing and resting until he was all the way in.

Alex let out a deep breath as Sebastian sucked one in, and it seemed to work that way as he pushed forward and Alex pressed back, breathing in, breathing out until they’d found a perfect rhythm. So caught up in the logistics of trying something for the first time, Sebastian didn’t really think about the fact he was f*cking a guy.

No, that barely entered the equation. He thought more about how fantastic it felt. How unexpected the pleasure. The channel he filled was hot and slick, tighter than a woman’s vagina, but it rippled and pulsed along his cock, clinging as he pressed forward. Besides, this wasn’t just any guy. This was Alex, the man Lily loved, the one who’d said he wanted to get to know Sebastian before they had sex.

He probably hadn’t expected Sebastian to cry all over him, but now as the power of their budding friendship took on an entirely new focus, as Sebastian realized that yes, he did like this, and it wasn’t at all awkward or uncomfortable—though he couldn’t really say much for what Alex was feeling—he began to accept that maybe he did belong with these people.

That just maybe, he was Chanku. Part of an amazing family of fascinating creatures.

Maybe he really was part of the pack.


Lily wasn’t certain what woke her, whether it was the slow and steady rocking as the mattress dipped and swayed beneath two men caught in the bliss of morning sex, or maybe it was the thick wash of pheromones that had her coming awake with her senses twitching and her fingers between her legs, slowly stroking herself to orgasm.

Whatever the reason, she opened her eyes to the amazing sight of Sebastian kneeling behind Alex and slowly but methodically screwing him senseless.

Alex had his face turned toward her, but his eyes were closed and his face twisted in a rictus of such supreme pleasure that he was almost painful to watch.

She knew Sebastian hadn’t done this before, but she never would have guessed by watching him. He topped Alex as if he’d f*cked guys for years, the muscles in his taut buttocks and powerful thighs easing and contracting with each deep thrust, his right hand planted possessively on Alex’s hip.

She glanced lower and watched, mesmerized as Sebastian slowly stroked Alex’s thick cock with his left hand. Then she turned and realized she was staring directly into Alex’s wide open eyes.

Hey, guy. She brushed the hair out of his eyes. You okay? You usually top. This can’t be easy for you.

It’s all good. So’s your man. He’s a good guy, Lil.

Thank you. I think so, too. She motioned to Alex to come up on his knees. When he did, she slipped beneath him, brushed Sebastian’s hand out of the way, and tongued the bead of creamy fluid from the tip of Alex’s cock, laughing when his entire shaft twitched in reaction.

Then she opened her mouth and swallowed him down, taking him fully into her mouth. With a little adjustment, Alex managed to get her aligned beneath him, and she felt the first bold strokes of his tongue, separating her labia and dipping into her sex.

She wondered if Sebastian was even aware she’d joined them. When she’d looked, his eyes were closed, his focus entirely contained in the moment. In Alex.

Smiling around her mouthful, she slipped both hands between Alex’s legs and, without warning, cupped Sebastian’s sac in her palms.

What the f*ck? Lily? He jerked hard, driving forcefully into Alex, who groaned against her * and licked harder. Deeper. Faster.

Yep. Just me, sweetie.

Sebastian groaned. Lily lightly squeezed him again and then grabbed Alex’s sac in one hand while holding Sebastian’s with the other. There was something almost mystical about filling her hands with their testicles, cupping the solid orbs, holding them close against one another so that she knew Alex could feel Sebastian, while Sebastian had to be even more aware of Alex.

She opened her thoughts, not certain what to expect, but what she found left her stunned. Alex, reveling in Sebastian’s mastery, in the fact that he’d taken control and yet was fulfilling every desire Alex had.

And Sebastian, so many things swirling through his mind. Accepting he might have found the home he’d always wanted, the family he’d never had. Accepting as well, Lily’s brilliant mind and alpha spirit. Acknowledging her father as a man of honor and integrity, one he could admire while breaking away entirely from the biological donor who had done no more than offer up sperm to create a life.

Whatever the dark nature that was Aldo Xenakis, Sebastian swore to fight it. If he was Chanku, he owed his heritage to his mother.

He owed his father nothing. Not anymore.

Hearing this, Lily wanted to cheer. Instead, she loved Alex with her mouth and hands, loved Sebastian with her heart and soul, opening her mind to both men, linking with them in the way of their kind, sharing the sensations, the very sense of what both Alex and Sebastian meant to her.

And in turn, she felt their love, the wonderful open link that united them. And then, the only thing missing, the one part that would make them whole, opened the door to the cottage, walked straight through the front room, and into Lily’s bedroom.


Annie stood in the doorway and watched the three of them in the dusky morning light, their bodies all tangled in the bedding, the air redolent with the rich wash of pheromones and sex, and thought seriously about strangling her father.

Tinker was going to have to get used to the idea that his little girl was all grown up, that she happened to be an adult and she didn’t need him manhandling her to keep her away from the man she loved.

If he’d let her come with Alex last night the way she’d wanted, she’d be right in the middle of what looked like an absolutely delicious time. Instead, he’d insisted she needed to be with her parents. Which meant that, as always, she stood on the outside, a serious victim of wanting what she couldn’t have.

You can have it, Annie. Alex doesn’t even know you’re here. Take off your clothes and join us. I’ll move over and make room. You can surprise him. He misses you so badly!

Really? She was already slipping out of her pants and ripping her shirt over her head. The cuts and bruises from last night’s battle had already faded, and aside from a few sore spots, she felt as good as new.

Both men jerked in surprise, losing their rhythm as Lily slipped out from under Alex and Annie scrambled in to take her place. Alex’s shock was worth the whole night spent missing him, especially when she took his cock in her mouth and he actually whimpered.

This was a first. An absolutely wonderful first, and the view was nothing short of amazing. Sebastian’s sac was right there, pressing up against Alex on each forward thrust, and she slipped her hand around the heavy pouch and stroked him with her fingers, running her nails lightly over the soft skin.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Hey, Sebastian. Nice to meet you. I’m Annie.

Oh, shit. Don’t come. Don’t come. Don’t . . .

She giggled and squeezed his balls a little harder, sucked Alex a little deeper.

Hold on. Hold on. Not now. Not yet . . .

That had to be Alex, which meant she must be doing something right. His lips settled around her *, taking her from aroused to climax in a heartbeat. She whimpered and sucked him deeper, anchoring herself on his cock as she flew from the highest precipice, her body rigid, her vaginal muscles all rippling and pulsing with the power of her release.

Alex tried to pull out of her mouth, but she wrapped her fingers around his back, holding him down, holding him close, sucking and licking through her own climax until he cried out and his cock jerked in her mouth. She felt the heavy pulse of blood along his shaft as his orgasm hit, and then she was swallowing thick bursts of ejaculate as it hit the back of her throat.

It was the taste of his seed even more than his mouth on her sex that took her over the top again, the fact he’d come in her mouth, that the fantasies and dreams she’d harbored for years were happening now, even better than all the gritty, earthy, messy, wonderful ways she’d imagined.

He tasted good. Better than good—it was wonderful sucking him, holding him in her mouth, sliding her tongue over his shaft, and tasting the intimate flavors of a man she’d loved from afar for so long.

Sebastian’s strokes suddenly went from long and deep to short and fast, and without considering the consequences, she wrapped her fingers around his sac and lightly squeezed.

He cursed; his thighs slapped against Alex as he drove deep, and his muscles froze him in place, with Annie right there, watching from an angle she’d never imagined. She hoped like hell she hadn’t hurt him, but it was hard to tell. She’d noticed that with Alex last night, that when he came, he looked as if he were in the most excruciating pain imaginable.

She wondered if that was how Sebastian looked now, but it didn’t really matter. None of it mattered as her body slowly came down from orgasm, as her muscles clenched and released and her heart pounded in her chest.

Sebastian was the first to move, pulling out of Alex without a word and heading down the hallway to the bathroom. Alex collapsed to one side and curled his body around Annie, hugging her close. She wondered where Lily had gone, and then realized she was beside them on the bed with her fingers between her legs.

Annie stared at her a moment, not really comprehending. Then it hit her. “Oh, Lily. I’m sorry.” Then she giggled, totally blowing her apology. “It looks like I got your orgasm.”

“That you did. You owe me, little girl.” She leaned over and kissed Annie. “But trust me, I got off. You guys looked so damned hot.” She gazed down the hallway in the direction Sebastian had gone and sighed. “Is he something else, or what?”

Annie just lay there in the bed, grinning. It appeared she was going to have to have a long talk with her father. Mom was great about this new chapter in her life, but Dad needed to understand that a woman of thirty wouldn’t tolerate being treated like a child.

Not when she had a man who saw her as a woman and treated her like a queen.


Sebastian stumbled into the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror, totally shocked to see that he looked exactly like he usually did when he first got out of bed.

He cleaned up, thought longingly of a shower but decided washing his crotch and his face would have to do. As he ran the washcloth over his balls, it suddenly hit him.

Last night, he’d met Liana while they were both naked. Just now, he’d met Annie when she grabbed his balls during sex while he was busy f*cking a guy in the ass he’d just met yesterday. He still didn’t really know what Annie looked like—she’d been a wolf last night. An injured wolf.

He planted his hands on the counter and leaned forward. Nope. He still looked like the same guy.

Impossible. “Holy shit, Xenakis. Your social life has definitely gotten an upgrade.”

He was still chuckling when he wandered back to the bedroom. Lily had gone into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, but Annie and Alex lay in the bed together, curled up and talking quietly. He started to do an about-face to give them some privacy, but Alex stopped him.

“Seb? C’mon in.” He laughed and hugged Annie against his chest. “You haven’t been properly introduced.”

“Hi, Sebastian.” Annie turned just enough to peek out from between Alex’s arms. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Hi, Annie.” He flopped down on the foot of the bed. “For what it’s worth, this has officially become the most surreal morning of my life. And you, Annie, are the pièce de résistance.”

Alex chuckled. “See, Annie? I told you he wasn’t mad.”

“Mad?” Sebastian surprised even himself when he crawled across the bed and kissed Annie full on the mouth. “Sweetie, you made my morning very special.”

Then he turned to Alex, but not with laughter. “You, too, Alex. Thank you. Not just for this morning. For last night. I needed what you offered more than you can ever know.”

It’s all good, man. That’s what friends are for.

He stared into Alex’s amber eyes and worked with the great surge of emotion that threatened to swamp him. Finally, he got it under control and nodded slowly. “Yeah, well maybe it’s something that most guys would understand, but for me that was a first.”

He got off the bed and knelt beside it, fished around underneath, and finally came up with the wrinkled shorts Lily had given him last night. He slipped into them, moving calmly while his mind was a swirling mass of thoughts and memories, emotions he barely recognized. He flashed Annie a smile and glanced once more at Alex. “Another first, for what it’s worth. Beyond a couple of kids I played with in my neighborhood, you’re also the first friend I’ve ever had.”

He didn’t say any more. He couldn’t. Instead he left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen, and the peace and sanity that was Lily Cheval.

She glanced up as he entered the room. “G’morning.”

He leaned over and kissed her, grabbed a cup off the counter, and filled it with the freshly brewed coffee. “I left my capsules in the big house. Don’t let me forget to go back and get them. I had one last night.”

“No problem.” She reached into a cabinet over her head and pulled out an identical jar to the one her dad had given him. “Here. These are the same. Take one this morning. It’s not like you can overdose on them. They’re just a grass native to Tibet.”

“Alex told me about that.” He took the capsule and swallowed it with the coffee.

Lily turned and leaned against the kitchen counter with her cup in her hand and smiled at him. “I like this, by the way. Waking up with you in my bed, seeing you here in my kitchen. Thank you for everything you did last night. For taking on our fight as your own.”

He glanced away, almost afraid to agree with her. There was so much not settled. His father was still out there. The rogue wolves had gotten away last night, which meant the entire pack was still at risk.

It made him nervous, this sense of homecoming he felt with Lily. “I like it, too. Too much. It scares me to find this kind of happiness when there’s so much crap we still have to deal with. I’m afraid it could all end in a heartbeat.”

Lily’s smile was laced with sadness. “Sebastian, for Chanku, there’s always a chance it could end. We’re not the dominant race on this planet. We tread a fine line between accepted citizen and hunted beast. We’ve all learned to take what joy we can, when we can. We’re always on guard, always alert, but always . . .” She paused, and the look in her eyes filled him with a sense of purpose, a desire to promise that he would give her always.

“Always, we revel in the joy. In our love for each other, in our sense of family. It’s all about the pack. Do you feel that? The sense of communion, that you’re no longer alone?”

He thought about that, the way he’d awakened in a bed with Lily and Alex and how the sense of family had been so powerful. As if it were a new truth for him to hold on to. Something to give him strength. “I do. I feel it with every one of you I’ve met.” He shot a quick glance toward the bedroom, where the sounds of the bedsprings told their own tale, and smiled. “Definitely with Alex, though I’m not sure why. He’s a pretty amazing guy.”

“Do you know he says the same thing about you?” She walked across the kitchen and sat across from him at the small table. “He’s always been my other half. The one who makes me laugh, sometimes when it’s totally inappropriate. The one who’s there to hold me when I cry.”

A short bark of laughter burst out of him before he could stop it. “I tested that side of him last night.” Amazing. He’d actually admitted falling apart without blushing, but there it was. “He passed, by the way. With flying colors.”

“I’m glad he was there for you.” She took a sip of coffee and her eyes twinkled. “So, tell me. What did you think of this morning? That was a first for you, wasn’t it?”

“It was.” He took a swallow. Set the cup down. “Hopefully not the last. It was actually wonderful, though I’m not sure I’ll be able to convince Alex to let me top all the time.”

She laughed, and he realized he didn’t get to hear her laughter nearly enough. “Probably not. As long as you know what to expect.”

“I didn’t expect Annie. Definitely didn’t expect Annie.” This time he was the one laughing. Sunbeams swept across the room as the sun popped up over the mountains. Lily got up to fix breakfast, and a little while later, Alex and Annie wandered into the kitchen, looking for coffee.

They all sat at the little kitchen table, talking and laughing, eating the big breakfast Lily had prepared, and planning the rest of the day. Alex had to meet with members of the local sheriff’s department, Annie was going shopping with her mom and a couple of other women from the pack, and Lily and Sebastian would be visiting the astral plane.

He was going to meet a goddess. One who really didn’t like him very much. Sebastian glanced out the window at the mountains to the east and thought about that. This morning might have been the most surreal in his life, but he had a feeling the rest of the day just might top it.