Phoenix Arizona (13 page)

Matt sat numbly down on the bed.
Holy shit!
Phoenix was his
élan vital
. He had heard of the legends among his pack, but he had never thought the legends were true. He thought they were myths, old men telling tales. His arm squeezed Phoenix tight as he crushed his mate to his chest.

“Guard him close.” Valentine’s tone grew serious. “If you remember the legend, then you know that you only have twenty-four hours with him before you two die and then are reborn to find each other again.”

“I will,” Matt said as a lump began to form in his throat.

“Call me if you need me,” Valentine said before hanging up.

“What’s wrong, Matt?” Phoenix asked quietly.

“Absolutely nothing,” Matt assured him. He wrapped both arms around Phoenix, wanting to cry. He couldn’t…no, wouldn’t, believe that he would lose Phoenix when they had just found each other. There had to be a way to beat this. He had heard the legends as a child growing up. He had heard that an
élan vital
died a horrible death, and then the mate soon followed. Matt refused to believe the legends. There was no way he only had twenty-four hours with his mate.

No, they had to be wrong.

“Can we still go for that drive?”

“Anything you want, pup,” Matt said as he rested his cheek on Phoenix’s head, letting the tears slowly fall from his eyes because he knew in his heart that Phoenix was his
élan vital
, his breath of life.

* * * *

Phoenix was struggling to understand what Matt was trying to explain to him. Matt had called Phoenix his
élan vital
. Phoenix took it as meaning soul mate, but Matt said it went a hundred times deeper than that. Matt had tried his best to explain it, and Phoenix had tried his best to understand it, but he was still confused as all hell.

Instead of racking his brain trying to figure out what Matt was talking about, Phoenix decided to enjoy the view of the countryside. It was truly breathtaking. He had never seen a more beautiful sight. Phoenix took it all in eagerly. He clapped his hands together when he saw a real deer standing by the roadside,
oh’d
and
ah’d
when saw a groundhog scurry away, and laughed when he saw a box turtle in the middle of the road. His heart melted when Matt got out and set the turtle on the side of the road the creature was struggling to get to.
What a nice guy.

Phoenix was hooked on the fresh country air and wanted to come back again and again. He’d never been outside of the city, so all of this was new to him.

Matt grinned and laughed often at Phoenix’s bubbly enthusiasm. He loved the way Matt’s hazel eyes sparkled every time the guy looked Phoenix’s way. The man never took his hand from Phoenix’s knee, except when he helped the turtle cross the road. It was as though Matt
had
to touch him. Phoenix didn’t complain. He loved it. It only deepened his connection to Matt when they touched. He wasn’t sure if he would ever understand any of this, but Phoenix was going to enjoy it.

“This seems a good enough spot.” Matt pulled his car over to the soft shoulder and parked. He grabbed a blanket from the backseat. It seemed his man had some cuddling time in mind. Phoenix was all for cuddling. His cock was so hard he was ready to jump Matt in the car. They had some make-up sex to get down and dirty with. Yeah, Phoenix really loved the countryside.

It was dusk out now, but it was still romantic to Phoenix. He did worry a bit about the bears he had seen, but he knew Matt would protect him. Phoenix wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of having a good time with his mate.

“I’m going to shift, so don’t freak out on me. My wolf needs to run.” Matt laid the blanket down on the soft grass and then waved a hand for Phoenix to sit on it. Phoenix was surprised the grass wasn’t wet from the earlier rains.

“Okay, I’m not scared.” Phoenix sat down, tucking his feet under him as he watched Matt undress and then transform into a strong and lean grey wolf. It amazed him how his mate could transform like liquid silver, flawlessly. Matt trotted over and nuzzled Phoenix as Phoenix laughed. Matt’s nose was cold and wet. When Matt licked the side of Phoenix’s face, he batted at his mate and pulled away. “Ew. Doggie breath.”

Matt growled and then licked him again.

“I love you, Matt, but you can keep the doggie breath to yourself.” Phoenix laughed as he leaned back when Matt tried to lick him again. “Go run. I’ll be fine here.” Phoenix lay down on his back and watched the array of colors painting the evening sky. The colors were just as vibrant as the leaves on the trees he had seen. He wondered if the night was always like this in the countryside. It was simply beautiful.

Matt snuck a quick lick at Phoenix’s lips and then took off toward the woods.

“
Ew
,” he complained but didn’t wipe it away. The moisture held Matt’s scent, and Phoenix craved it now. It was like a drug to Phoenix that he couldn’t get enough of. He wondered if he would ever get enough of Matthew Calico. The man seemed to be in his blood now, and Phoenix craved anything about the man. He felt at peace when Matt was with him, and felt like he was fading away when he and Matt were apart.

Phoenix just prayed he never went through withdrawals again. The pain was not a walk in the park.

Phoenix watched the clouds slowly drift past, playing the game of naming the shapes of the clouds as he sighed and feeling content for the first time in forever. He loved the fact that he heard no noise from the city. It was just him and the crickets. There was no polluted air or honking horns to disturb him as he gazed at the fading sun.

If he could afford it, he would move out here. There was something about this place that set him at ease.

Phoenix rolled his eyes. He couldn’t even afford a cell phone, let alone a nice home in the country. It would be nice, though. He and Matt could live in a house out here and never worry about being mugged or living in a crappy apartment building. Phoenix was sick of the city anyway, but he knew he couldn’t afford to move. Being out here in this perfect setting only made Phoenix crave what he knew he could never have.

Phoenix’s wishful thinking was interrupted when he heard a loud sniffing sound. He thought Matt was back already, so he turned to his left and then rolled to his side.

What Phoenix saw froze him to the spot. The brown bear was ambling out of the woods and heading in his direction.

Oh fuck!

Wasn’t he supposed to play dead or something? Fear gripped him as he balled up into the fetal position. Where in the hell was Matt?

The bear roared, and Phoenix watched in horror as the creature charged at him. He pulled his head down as far as it would go and wrapped his arms around it, protecting his head and neck. The bear stopped close to him, sniffing, and then gave a warning growl. It swatted at Phoenix then backed up. Phoenix was paralyzed with fear, damn near ready to piss his pants. The swat hadn’t broken skin, but hell if it didn’t make his hand burn. He was pretty sure there was at least a large scratch.

God, he prayed there was no blood. Didn’t animals eat anything that smelled like blood?

He was truly screwed.

A howl broke through the air, and the bear turned its attention away from Phoenix. Phoenix was too terrified to even try and get away. What if he got up and the bear came after him? He was going to stay balled up and pray for a miracle—and for Matt to save his skinny little ass.

Phoenix whimpered when he heard growling and roaring. There was some scuffling close to him and then there was nothing. The sounds faded, making Phoenix wonder if the bear was still close by. He hoped like hell the howling was Matt. If not, he had another problem on his hands.

“Are you okay, Phoenix?” Matt tried to pry Phoenix’s hands loose, but they were stuck together with fear. “Relax, love. It’s okay, she’s gone.”

Relax?
How was he supposed to relax when a bear had almost eaten him? Phoenix swallowed around the fear that was lodged in his throat as he peeked up at his mate.

“How do you know it was a she?” Phoenix asked from under his arms.

“Because she was protecting her cubs.” Matt tried again and Phoenix finally un-balled his body.

“You didn’t kill her, did you? For protecting her babies?” Phoenix wasn’t sure if he could live with the knowledge that Matt had killed a mama bear to save his ass.

“No, I just scared her off. Although, I was protecting my baby as well.” Matt pulled Phoenix to his feet. “Come on, let’s take a walk.”

“Is it safe?” Phoenix scanned all around them for any more dangerous animals. He was not in the mood to run from another bear. Maybe living in the country wasn’t such a wise choice. Phoenix knew nothing about the animals that inhabited the woods.

“Yeah, I laid my scent everywhere when I ran. No other animal will come close for a while.”

“Are you sure?” Phoenix asked.

“I’m sure, pup.” Matt winked as he grabbed Phoenix’s slim fingers and began to walk backward, smiling widely as Phoenix’s head snapped around. Matt yelped and stumbled backward, falling directly on his ass, Phoenix tumbling down as he made a wild noise when he landed on Matt’s chest.

Matt threw his head back and laughed as Phoenix growled. “You did that on purpose to get me down here with you.”

* * * *

“No.” Matt chuckled. “I swear that it was an accident.” Reaching his hand up, Matt brushed aside his mate’s blond tendrils of hair as he gazed into Phoenix’s amazing blue eyes. The simple touch made Matt feel a rush of desire race through his blood. How could he fall so deeply in love with a man in just twenty-four hours? How could he love someone so much that it hurt?

It seemed impossible, but he couldn’t imagine his life without Phoenix. Just the thought of Phoenix no longer smiling at him, teasing him, or arguing with him was too much for Matt. “I love you.”

Phoenix’s eyes widened slightly and then a soft grin formed across his perfect face. “I love you, too.”

Matt hooked his hand on the back of Phoenix’s neck and pulled his mate down, capturing his lips. The calm Matt had felt just minutes earlier was shattered as their lips touched. The kiss started out slow and drugging, and then Phoenix parted his lips, and Matt plunged his tongue in, closing his eyes as he savored his mate. He placed his other hand on Phoenix’s waist, massaging the soft skin as his mate groaned into Matt’s mouth.

When Phoenix planted the palms of his hands on Matt’s chest and pushed back, Matt’s very breath was stolen from his lungs. Phoenix sat on top of Matt. The dark sky with its millions of sparkling stars played as a backdrop, outlining his mate and making him look like a fallen angel. His chest tightened at the image. “Don’t ever leave me.”

Phoenix smiled, shaking his head back and forth. “Why would I ever leave you?”

Valentine’s words echoed in Matt’s mind as he stared up at perfection. There was no way he was only going to have one day with this gorgeous, gentle soul. No damn way.

He reached up, palming Phoenix’s face as his thumbs ran over Phoenix’s jaw. His mate turned his head, kissing the palm of Matt’s hand. “Never.” Phoenix’s eyes burned with the sincerity of that one word.

Legend had said that Phoenix would always be his, but only for one day. Matt had been alone most of his life, and he didn’t want to be alone any longer. He wanted happiness, and his very existence sat perched on his groin.

“Do you know how much I love you, Phoenix?”

Phoenix threw his arms wide, grinning just as widely. “This much?”

Matt gave a light laugh and shook his head. “Your arms can’t stretch far enough to show just how much I love you, pup.”

Phoenix leaned forward, his head hanging near Matt’s. “And your arms can’t grow long enough to show just how much I love you.”

Matt growled as he rolled them both and then pushed himself to a standing position. Phoenix looked perplexed until Matt waved at hand at him. “You’re overdressed.”

Phoenix’s laughter filled the night as he stood and undressed. As his creamy skin was exposed, Matt couldn’t help but stand there in awe. Matt stood there for a moment, looking at his naked mate smiling at him. In that moment, Matt knew he would do whatever it took to protect what they shared. The man was definitely a nymph, and Matt felt the fear tighten his chest that the legends might be true. He decided to push aside his fears and enjoy the beautiful night with his mate. “Do you want to go for a ride?” he teased as he palmed his cock.

Phoenix lay on the grass and then turned to his side, waving a hand at the spot next to him. “Lay down and I’ll board your train.”

Matt chuckled as he lay back down, but it soon turned into a groan when Phoenix straddled his waist. Matt took Phoenix’s hand and led it to his chest so his mate could feel his heart beating as he lifted his mate up and then pressed the head of his cock at his mate’s hole.

“Lube?”

Damn, Matt had almost forgotten. He was so lost in his mate that he wasn’t thinking about anything other than being buried inside of Phoenix and never coming out again. He reached for his pants and grabbed the small pack of lube and then handed it to his mate. “Open it for me.”