Of Wolves and Men (10 page)

“You won’t thank me when I make you talk to Vernon.”

“I know.”

“And you still need to muck Scout’s stall. No one’s goin’ to do it for you.”

Butch secured the rope to Scout’s saddle and stared at the bird. “Why isn’t he eating it?”

“Maybe he doesn’t like to be watched.” Charlie worried that Roman would suddenly change into something else, like a naked man or a wolf. Either way, he didn’t need Butch here to see it.

“Come on. Let’s go.” Charlie mounted Spirit and turned her one hundred and eighty degrees.

The bird began flapping its wings wildly and shaking its head.

“Uh oh.” Charlie had a bad feeling. “Butch, get a move on.”

“Why?”

“’Cause it’s time to go.” Charlie raised his voice, “Sometimes you have to do things without askin’ why.”

Butch leapt onto Scout.

“Now go!”

“You coming?”

“In a minute.” Charlie could see Butch’s curiosity. “Did I just tell you to get a move on? Come on, Butch. You want me to defend you to Vernon? After this?” He pointed to the deer. “After comin’ at me with a knife?”

“I get it!” Butch used his boot heels to urge Scout to walk.

Charlie followed only far enough to watch as Butch continued down the trail. The minute Butch vanished from sight, Charlie hurried back to the crow.

Sure enough, Roman was rolling on the grass beside the deer, appearing to be in pain.

Charlie leapt off Spirit and hurried to Roman’s side. He held him in his lap, rocking him. “All right…”

“I can’t keep doing this, Charlie.” Roman’s teeth were clenched as if the constant transitions were agonizing. “Use that fucking knife on me.”

“No way.” Charlie opened his jacket and embraced Roman, wrapping the warm sheepskin around his nakedness. “All right, babe…I’m here.” Charlie rested his head on Roman’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “How do I help you? Hm? How?”

“Find the shaman who cursed me into this hell.”

“How do I find him?”

“Her. Not a him.”

Spirit once again appeared uneasy at Roman’s presence and his ears flapped back a few times as if he couldn’t decide what to do. Charlie said to him, “Don’t you go nowhere, you damn horse.”

“He smells the wolf on me.”

“I figured that out. Can you stand? Do you need to come back to the cabin and eat? I mean, I assume you weren’t really goin’ to peck at the deer.”

“That idiot shot it, then cut out its heart! And you played nice?”

“You let me deal with Butch.” Charlie tried to get Roman to his feet.

“He’s got a hard-on for you.” Roman’s legs trembled as he managed to stand.

“Nope. He’s got two hard-ons, one for each Norman sister.”

“You can’t read his mind.”

“And I don’t want to.” Charlie stood beside Spirit as the whites of his eyes began to show as Roman drew closer. “How am I going to sneak you in? There’s a barn load of wranglers down there, not to mention JP, Goat, Vernon…”

“I’m all right. You go.”

“I am not leavin’ you like this.”

Roman cupped Charlie’s jaw and kissed him. Charlie kept the rein in his fist but still managed to embrace Roman. With his free hand, he ran his fingers up and down Roman’s muscular build.

As the kissing increased in intensity, Charlie felt Roman rub his stiff length over his jeans.

“I got to get you to stay a man. I want you, Roman. Real bad.” Charlie reached between them, feeling Roman’s cock as it thickened and pointed upright. While he stroked Roman’s cock, Charlie closed his eyes and enjoyed the hungry kisses running up and down his neck, his earlobe, and his jaw.

“Tie that horse up so I can make love to you.”

Charlie blinked and looked at Spirit who wasn’t at all happy with Roman’s close proximity to him. He released his embrace and tied the rein to the nearest tree. He peered back at the deer.

“Can we not screw right on top of that thing?”

“You wanna screw me?” Roman wrapped his arms around Charlie’s waist and picked him up off the ground.

“Yeah. And I have to get into town and find enough courage to buy lubrication. Condoms I can handle. But lube? Don’t that say queer all over it?”

“Yeah.” Roman lowered them both to the ground, nibbling Charlie’s cheek and neck as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Tell me how queer you are, handsome.”

Charlie chuckled. “Looks like I’m the new gay boy in town.” He watched Roman open his clothing, spreading it wide.

At Roman’s touch, Charlie relaxed under him, beginning to pant and sweat as Roman worked his way downwards. When his cock was fully engulfed in Roman’s mouth, Charlie moaned and closed his eyes.
How do I keep you? Hm? How?

“It isn’t going to be in a kennel or a birdcage.”

“Stop readin’ my mind. Be quiet and finish what you started.” Charlie raised his hips. Roman went back to sucking. Charlie closed his eyes and focused on the pleasure only. He let go of the chaos for now. They’d figure it out. Somehow.

As the sensation began to rise, Charlie gripped Roman’s head through his thick black hair. He fucked Roman’s mouth, not having intended to be rough, but it felt so good. Roman whimpered in delight, quickening his pace and suction until Charlie was over the edge. “I’m there, babe…”

Charlie threw back his head and climaxed, trying to silence the grunts of pure pleasure.

He kept his fingers locked in Roman’s head of hair as Roman milked him, sucking the last drops. When he sat up, Roman pumped his own cock, giving Charlie a wicked smirk.

Still recuperating from a mind-blowing blowjob, Charlie nudged Roman to his back and knelt over him, taking his turn. He closed his eyes and inhaled, trying to smell Roman’s masculine scent over any animal aromas. He tasted incredible, and the way Roman’s balls tightened in his fingers drove Charlie wild.

Roman began thrusting and moaning as he rose to a climax. Charlie didn’t look. Last thing he wanted to see was that he was giving a timber wolf head. But the touch of Roman was still human flesh.

“Charlie! Holy fuck…” Roman raised his hips high and deepened his penetration of Charlie’s mouth.

Charlie gripped the base and held it firm as it pulsated and shot a load into his mouth. He moaned as well, swallowing it down, enjoying this man on man loving more each time.

The sound of Roman’s gasping breaths echoed in Charlie’s ears.

Roman nudged Charlie off. “Oh, God…no… Charlie, go!”

Charlie jumped to his feet and began fixing his clothing staring at Roman as he once again fought off the change.

Spirit went nuts, stomping and rearing, threatening to tear off the tree limb and bolt.

“I said go!” Roman rolled to his front and began shaking while on his hands and knees.

“I can’t stand seein’ you go through this.” Charlie picked up his hat from the ground, dying inside.

The growl coming from Roman was terrifying. Charlie grabbed Spirit who was on his hind legs trying to get away.

One last word from Roman, “Go!” and Charlie hopped on Spirit and rode off, wiping his eyes with the backs of his hands he was so upset. He caught something from the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look nothing was there. He galloped back to the ranch, trying to get his emotions under control.

Chapter 8

Charlie dusted off his hat and jeans after he had put Spirit into the open paddock. He looked for Scout. “JP,” Charlie called to the man putting hay out into the fields for the horses to graze.

“Yeah?”

“Didn’t Butch come back?”

“Not yet.”

A ball of ice filled Charlie’s belly. He was about to head into the ranch house when JP said,

“There’s the lazy bastard now.”

Butch was walking Scout down the path Charlie had just returned from. He caught a gleam in Butch’s eye even from under the brim of his hat.

Charlie spun on his heels and stormed towards the ranch house to speak to Vernon. This had to be the last straw. He had no doubt Butch had seen he and Roman together. No doubt at all.

“Charlie!” Suzie greeted him with enthusiasm. “We were just going to call you boys down for lunch.”

“Where’s your dad, Suzie?”

“In his study. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. You go call the boys for lunch, and tell the wranglers they can break and go eat.”

“Sure thing, Charlie.” Suzie gave him a look of concern as she left the house.

Charlie walked down a hallway, took off his hat, and stood by the door. “Vernon?”

“Come in, Charlie.” Vernon put the paperwork he was reading down on his desk and asked,

“So? We got another mutilated animal up at the west fence?”

Closing the door, Charlie sat down on the chair in front of the desk and put his hat on his lap.

“Butch killed it, makin’ it look like another ritual slaughter.”

Vernon’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth but said nothing.

“When I first got up that end, he was washin’ his hands in the reservoir. Didn’t matter. He had blood all over his coat sleeves.”

“Charlie, no. Why would the boy do that?”

“He’s tryin’ to undermine me, Vernon.” Charlie shook off his jacket, leaving it behind him on the chair. “My guess is if I hadn’t have caught him literally red-handed, he would have justified his leg-trap idea.”

“So you’re telling me Butch just killed a deer off season, and…”

“And cut its fuckin’ heart out.”

Vernon rubbed his face as he digested the information.

“Vernon!” Butch knocked loudly on the door. “Vernon, don’t listen to him!”

“Get in here, Butch.” Vernon stood, breathing fire.

Butch entered the room, panting loudly, as if he sprinted to the house to try and stop this conversation. “He’s a liar!”

“Sit down.” Vernon pointed to another chair near the wall.

“Charlie?” Butch nudged him roughly. “You ever suck a man’s cock?”

Charlie stiffened up but didn’t make eye contact.
Shit. Goddamn-mother-fucking shit!

“Take a look at this, Vernon.” Butch handed Vernon his mobile phone. “I took them photos just now. Just now!”

Vernon had no choice but to look at the phone as it was shoved under his nose.

Charlie felt like a cornered cat. “What I do in my private life ain’t like what you did up there to that deer!”

“Private?” Butch pushed a button on the phone as if changing the screen and held it in front of Vernon to look. “I don’t think doing what you did with that naked man on ranch property was very private. What if our trail riding tour saw that? Huh? What if all them little kids we have riding up here, saw that!” Butch huffed, nodding his head like he had it all figured out.

“Get out.” Vernon waved Butch to the door.

“But, boss!”

“I said, get out. I’ll deal with you later.” Vernon sat back down in his chair.

As he left, Butch said, “An’ you call me the liar, the one with the problem.”

Charlie shifted uncomfortably, sweat beginning to coat his skin. He didn’t say a word. He was guilty.

“Charlie…”

“I’m sorry, Vernon. I was dead wrong.”

“I…I always thought you were a real man’s man.” “I’m not comfortable talking about this, boss.”

“The girls will be so disappointed. As am I.”

“Right. So now the fact that Butch killed an’ eviscerated a deer off season, tried to stab me with his knife when I confronted him—”

“Let me have a moment.” Vernon waved him off. “I need a minute.”

Charlie grabbed his hat and coat and left the office, closing the door. When he walked into the living room area, everyone stopped talking. Butch had his camera-phone in his hand.

“More show and tell, Butch?” Charlie put his coat on.

“Charlie,” Sherlane said, “Don’t leave. Come eat lunch.”

Charlie made eye contact with JP and Goat. They didn’t look angry, just nervous, as if he was a threat to their manhood. Without another word, Charlie left the ranch house.

He sat behind the wheel of his pickup truck and drove out of the long drive to the main street.

He was so upset with Butch’s actions, the fact that he had been outted without time to even think about his own sexuality, and the turnaround of what had been Butch’s demise becoming his own.

After a half hour of driving, Charlie pulled into the lot of the Other Side Tavern. He shut off the truck engine and climbed out, stuffing his keys into his pocket as he opened the entrance door.

It was dim and smelled like stale alcohol. Men were playing pool, darts, or watching sports on TV.

Charlie approached the bar. When he was given attention he said, “I’d like a beer, please.”

“Certainly. Anything to eat from the kitchen?”

“I’ll have a think on that.” Charlie removed his wallet from his pocket and tossed money on the counter. He took the cold glass and sat down at a table in the corner. Once settled, his hat on the chair beside him, his coat tossed over the back of the seat, Charlie sipped it, staring off into space.

Chapter 9

A group of ATF special agents gathered at headquarters for a briefing. Wearing a black t-shirt and black cargo pants, Roman sat on top of a desk while his supervisor, Nick Hoffman, spoke.

“Our role is one of back up and information gathering.”

Roman was only identifiable as an agent by his badge and gun, hanging from his belt at the moment. Once the men figured out their involvement in this new assignment, they’d know how to dress.

“There’s a rogue group running guns, booze, and illegal tobacco over in Utah, just southeast of Salt Lake City. The local police think it’s the Indian Reservation occupants. Casinos are illegal in Utah, so word is they set up some underground gambling houses and are using heavy artillery to defend it.”

Roman glanced at the squad of men he worked with. They were well-trained, he trusted them, and liked them. He was also out and none of them gave a shit about his sexual preference, which increased his respect for them even more.

“So our job, and the Feds’ job, is to act as intel for the state and local sheriff’s office. The Feds are sending in some agents as well who will assist us.” Nick pointed to Roman. “Burk, you and Dean do some background work on the tribal nations in that area.”

Roman nodded. Philip Dean caught his eye, acknowledging it as well.