The Beast Within (26 page)

He was Aaron’s first RecAcc. A shifter, now, the kid had lost much of his innocent countenance to the wolf inside him, but when he looked at Aaron there was nothing but admiration and gratitude. It turned Aaron’s stomach.

“Yes, Agent Finley?”

“You’ve had a message from the medical ward.”

Aaron bolted out of his seat.

“He’s awake, sir.”

“Thank you.” He dismissed the agent. The kid, sensing his distress, beat a path back to the elevators and disappeared. Aaron fumbled for the phone, catching the receiver under his chin and punched the extension. “Robert?”

“You can use the ‘com, Aaron…”

“I need you to lockdown for the day,” he interrupted.

“But, Braven…”

“Tony’s awake,” he cut off Robert yet again.

“Gotcha.” The sound of fingers pounding the keyboard carried through the earpiece. “Lockdown initiated. Interviews canceled. I’ll handle the director if—when—she calls.”

“She’s going to be mad.”

“Understatement. But, she’s got a sweet spot for geeks. Back in the day it was a white coat and not a bulletproof vest that did it for our lady of the white hair.”

“Too much information, Robert, but thanks.” Aaron dropped the phone back on the receiver and ran to the elevators.

* * * *

The guards nodded at Aaron and buzzed him through the secure door. Since his departure, Tony’s bed had been moved to the center of the room. Tony was sitting up, nodding at the physician as she asked questions. Aaron hovered by the door until she pronounced Tony, “Good,” and promised to drop in on him later in the day. Tony watched her go, seemingly ignoring Aaron’s presence until the door closed behind her. Aaron took a tentative step forward, but stopped when Tony’s attention riveted onto him.

“I’m sorry.” His apology was lame, of course. How could such a simple word cover what he had done to Tony out of pure selfishness?

“I’m not.”

Aaron started. He shook his head. The words were too good to be true.

“I mean, I was, for maybe a few days.” Tony waved him forward. When he hesitated, Tony flashed him his trademark grin. “What? Afraid of me now? Think I’ll bite you and turn you into a hellhound?”

Aaron’s limbs refused to function. His mind sped through all of the information facing him, processing none of it. Tony’s smile grew.

“You want me to get your kit bag so you can take some swabs or something?”

“I, uh…” Aaron shrugged. “I don’t know what to say.”

“How about you just come over here and stop staring at me like a zoo animal?”

“I can do that,” he said. Although it took a few moments for his brain to convince his legs to move, he found his way over to Tony’s bedside. He hovered for a moment then settled in the visitor chair.

“I had these weird dreams,” Tony said. “Fire and the moon, people being devoured. When I woke up those were the first things I remembered. I was afraid I was like Him, that the Tony I used to be was gone forever. So I asked them to drug me. But the dreams still came.”

Aaron nodded. He knew those nightmares all too well.

“I knew you did it to me. I woke up a little when I fell off of the gurney.”

“I knocked you off.” He shrugged at Tony’s incredulous expression. “There was a fireball coming.”

“Oh. Well, thanks, then.” Tony looked at his hands resting on the rumpled sheets.

“Turns out it was just coming for me, but I, uh, didn’t know that part at the time.” Aaron shifted in his seat. The pain of this awkward interaction seemed unending.

“Anyway, I woke up and felt you on top of me. I could smell you. It was strong, almost chokingly so. And then you bit.”

“The werewolf virus was in your system. It was giving you all this power, trying to shift you, but your body was rejecting it. Your senses were temporarily heightened while your body…” He passed a hand over his face to cover the unexpected spring of tears. “While your body died. I couldn’t take it. I’m sorry.”

“Hey.” Tony pulled his hand away from his face. “I’m here. With you. That’s all I care about.”

Tony reached out for him with his other hand. The IV jerked him to a halt. With an annoyed grunt he yanked the needle from his arm. An alarm pitched an ear-piercing wail. Ignoring it, Tony cupped his hand around the base of Aaron’s skull and pulled him in. Their mouths met. Relief flooded up through Aaron with such powerful force it swayed his body. Tony, mouth firmly moving against his, steadied him. His grip, strengthened by the demon they both now carried inside them, was like iron. Aaron let Tony guide him on top of him. He hesitated a moment when he neared Tony’s abdomen. Tony broke off the kiss long enough to raise his hospital gown and show him the faded pink scars—all that remained of his injuries. The movement also bared the very tip of his cock as it peeked out from under the thin blanket. Aaron took a moment to study the thick ridge hidden by the cotton. His own dick growing hard, he returned to Tony’s mouth with renewed vigor.

The doors buzzed and a nurse came in. She paused for a moment, uncertain then said, “Sir, you’ll have to stop that.”

Tony began chuckling uncontrollably beneath him.

“This is an internal matter,” Aaron barked in his best authoritative tone, which sent Tony into paroxysms of laughter. He pulled his ID badge from his pocket. “Deputy Director of RecAcc, here.”

“You’re the one who helps the agents who are turned?” the nurse asked, doubt edging her voice.

“I’m the one who’s going to try.”

The nurse looked at him, then at Tony, who was still struggling to regain his composure. She walked over to the IV Drip and punched a series of buttons. The racket ceased.

“Food cart comes in an hour.” The nurse turned, snapped shut the privacy curtain and left the room. Through the thick door, Aaron heard her tell the guards to stay outside until dinner.

“Looks like you’ve found some footing, deputy director,” Tony said. “And maybe a fan club.”

“I have some openings on my staff,” Aaron replied. “Interested?”

“In your staff?” Tony reached down and grasped his cock through his slacks. It jolted under the pressure of his grip. “Absolutely.”

Tony stroked the tip with his thumb. The silky fabric of his pants slid across the ridge. He was rock hard in an instant. Aaron pressed his chest to Tony’s and pushed him back onto the mattress. Tony curled his arm around his neck and grabbed a handful of hair. Tony opened his mouth to his and slid his tongue inside. Aaron kissed him deeply, feverishly. He ran his hands along Tony’s arms, pausing only a moment at the bandage that still wrapped the bite he had delivered. Tony pulled his hand away and placed it on his side, urged his palm to slide lower. He moved away from Aaron’s lips, kissed along his neck up to his jawline and ear.

“Thank you,” Tony whispered.

A noise, something between a sob and moan, escaped Aaron’s throat. Tony covered his mouth with his own once more. Tony worked the buttons of Aaron’s shirt with deft hands. When his chest was freed, Aaron reared back and pulled his arms from the sleeves. Tony ran his hands down Aaron’s chest to his belt, undid his waistband with the same efficiency and slid down his trousers. Aaron held himself over Tony with one arm as he swiped his tongue across Tony’s lips and plunged it into his mouth. He fed hungrily at Tony while he struggled to untie the tiny knot behind his neck. He let loose a growl of frustration. Tony went rigid beneath him. Aaron looked down, afraid of what he had done. But Tony stared back at him with widened, yellow lupine eyes. Another growl came from his throat at the sight and Tony returned it, low, submissive, excited.

Tony yanked the tie free and stripped off his gown so he lay naked beneath Aaron. A bead of moisture rested at the tip of his cock. Aaron growled again. In response, Tony seized Aaron’s hips and guided them up to his face. Aaron grasped the bedrails to hold himself above Tony, who flicked out his tongue and ran it across the burgeoning ridge of his cock’s head. Aaron groaned. Tony closed his lips over his shaft and sucked vigorously. Tony tightened his grasp on Aaron’s sides and guided Aaron’s dick deep into his throat. Aaron arched his back into Tony’s ministrations. Tony controlled Aaron’s motions with his hands, moving Aaron’s hips in a pumping rhythm. Aaron looked down at Tony. Tony’s upturned, newly wolfish eyes were fixed on Aaron. Those eyes watched Aaron as Aaron fucked his face. Aaron’s body soon took over the rhythm and he thrust down into Tony’s willing mouth. His cock spasmed.

“Wait,” he breathed. “Wait. I’m gonna come.”

Tony moved Aaron back ever so slowly. Aaron’s dick scraped gently against Tony’s sharp teeth, but a soothing caress of tongue quickly erased the discomfort. Tony mouthed the tip of his dick, lapping up the dewdrops that formed there. When Aaron moaned once more, Tony released him.

Aaron released the handrails and shifted so he was eye-to-eye with Tony again. He kissed Tony and caressed his partner’s erection with his thumb.

“What do we have?” he asked as he fondled the tip.

“In the drawer. Usually some lotion or something,” Tony gasped the answer.

Aaron reached over Tony, pausing to lap at his erect nipple then opened the nightstand drawer. He fumbled past a shower cap, a spit tray and a bottle of shampoo before he found the tiny bottle of hand lotion.

“Do we need…?” Tony asked.

“We’re both beyond human disease, now,” he answered. He buried his face in Tony’s neck and nibbled at the skin. “One of the benefits of our unfortunate fates.”

“What are the rest?” Tony asked as he twisted the lid off the bottle Aaron still held.

“I’ll show you.” Aaron let Tony squirt the liquid into his palm. Tony was hot against the cool lotion. He began to stroke. “I’ll show you everything you need to know. I promise. And what I don’t know…” Aaron let go of Tony and pushed him onto his side. He slid his fingers across Tony’s buttocks and pushed two of the digits against Tony’s hole. “We’ll learn it together.”

The hot opening yielded to Aaron’s touch. Tony moaned and looped his arm back around his neck. Aaron leaned over and let Tony pull him in for a kiss. His cock shuddered against Tony’s back. Tony let him go, shook a handful of lotion into his palm, then reached back and slipped his fingers around Aaron’s cock. It was Aaron’s turn to moan. He worked against Tony’s skilled touch, pleasure coursing through the tip all the way to his groin. Tony guided him to his ass and reached back to press his anus against his engorged tip. Aaron collapsed onto his shoulder so they lay parallel, then plunged inside Tony.

Tony cried out in pleasure, repeating soft, almost barking sounds. It made Aaron’s already rock-hard dick throb with the need to come. He pumped into Tony and growled. When Tony ducked his head and thrust his ass at him, Aaron bit the back of his neck. He clamped down on the soft skin and growled again.

“Oh god, yes,” Tony breathed.

Aaron reached around for Tony’s cock. Tony’s hand hovered near it and Aaron pushed it away. With slick fingers he grasped the shaft and began working at it with the same urgency he felt building in his groin. Tony pushed against his thrusts as if trying to bury Aaron deep inside him. Aaron responded, slamming into Tony, reveling in the hot, tight passage. Tony’s hard-on grew large under his fingers.

“Come for me,” Aaron breathed through his clamped teeth.

Tony bucked against him and thrust his pelvis so Aaron’s hand worked against his dick. Aaron’s cock swelled inside Tony. His groin ached for release. Sweat dripped from his forehead.

“Fucking come,” Aaron cried. His voice had dropped to that telltale gravelly sound.

Tony cried out at his command and his body lurched. His skin turned dark gray. Tufts of hair sprouted at his fingertips. Heat swelled up from under his skin. Tony looked back at Aaron with fiery eyes that widened in shock. Aaron glanced down. His skin matched the same demonic hue. His hands were larger, clawed at the end. His cock became massive inside Tony’s ass, Tony’s cock swelled in his grip.

Tony let out a surprised laugh, showing a mouth full of fangs. Aaron smiled and leaned in to him Tony’s enormous erection twitched delightfully in his hand. Ecstasy rolled through Aaron and he slammed through the tight hole with uncontrolled lust. Beneath him Tony clawed the pillow to shreds. He pumped his hips and cock-filled fist to the same inaudible beat.

Tony moaned deeply and threw back his head. A stream of cum shot across the bed. The sight of it brought Aaron’s own orgasm crashing around him. He exploded inside Tony. As Tony twitched beneath him, Aaron thrust frantically into his ass. The slickness of his cum covered his cock and he slid through the warm substance a few more times, then pulled out with a howl.

Tony laughed beneath him and pulled his arm around him like a blanket. Aaron pressed his lips into Tony’s neck. Soon, he felt Tony’s breath even out. A tiny snore escaped his throat. Aaron pressed his forehead against the teeth marks he had made and closed his eyes.

Chapter Thirty-One

Duty Calls

“Home sweet home,” Aaron said as he ushered Tony out of the elevator and into the cavernous RecAcc office.

“This place could use a picture or two,” Tony replied.

“At least we don’t have to share.” Aaron pointed to the small wooden workspace mirroring his own. He looked at the dingy desk facing his and smiled.

“What’s that for?”

“Just thinking how last week I was staring down that huge hallway, wondering what in the hell I was going to do. And now I get to look at you.”

“And we deal with the guys behind those doors together.”

“We do.”

“And Robert gets to stay in the janitor’s closet.” Robert hustled in, his white coat sweeping behind him like a cape. “No, don’t worry about me. I like a good storage room. I mean, how often do you get close enough to interviewees to smell every single thing they’ve eaten in the past month on their breath?”

“Hi, Rob,” Tony said. “It’s good to see you.”

Robert immediately thawed. “You too. Glad you’re not too…” He gave an exaggerated overhead sweep with his arms, hands extended into pretend claws. “You know, grrrr.”

“Well, I’m a little ‘grrrr’,”Tony said. He sat down at his chair and picked up the file resting there. “But, not too…” he mimicked Robert’s motion with one hand.