Winter’s Wolf (20 page)

Winter kissed Matt’s hand but stopped talking. Matt took his hand away and stared at the spot Winter had kissed. How could the universe be this totally crappy? “I can’t go with you. I have responsibilities here.” He looked up and traced the crevice between Winter’s brows with his fingertip. “I take care of my father, who’s very ill.”

Winter grabbed his hand and held it. “That’s okay. I understand about family. My type of person is very loyal. I want to take care of your father. We’ll choose a town. I’ll go get a place to live and get it set up, then you’ll bring him—”

No, God, make him stop.
He couldn’t keep offering everything Matt had ever dreamed of. Not if Matt was going to stay alive. “My father has to stay here. To be near his doctors and all.”

“There’re other doctors.”

“It would probably kill him to move.”

“Oh.” Winter wiped a hand across his face. He looked up. Who would have thought that proud, confident man could look so broken? “If I stay here, I can’t live with you or take care of you. My family wouldn’t let me.”

Matt shook his head. “Does your father not approve of you seeing me?”

“No. He’s good. It’s the rest of them. I’d need to get pretty far from them to make it work.”

Matt tried to smile. “I’m truly honored that you’d want me.”

His frown deepened. “Maybe I can persuade them. Figure out a way.”

“I’m sorry, Winter. No.” How did he say
my father’s nuts and so am I
? “I can’t plan anything long-term.”

“Would you, if you could?” Actual pain radiated from the beautiful, icy eyes.

Matt gazed at that sad, glowing face. “Yes, yes I think I would.” He stared at the dirt—the precious dirt of this precious place. “That means a lot.”

Winter made a low sound, like a groan. “Then I think we need to make the short-term count.” He grabbed Matt’s biceps and pulled him forward until he tipped into Winter’s arms. “I hope you’re used to sex on the ground, because I expect we’ll be having a lot more of it.”

Matt looked up at the moon and let the light flow through him like a tonic. “Love me like there’s no tomorrow?”

“Precisely.”

“My pleasure.” He wrapped his arms around Winter’s neck, and Winter pressed his lips to Matt’s eyelids and cheeks. How amazing that this most extraordinary creature would want him, ordinary Matt Partridge. But he believed it. Winter’s face, as he made plans for a future so perfect Matt could barely grasp it, had conveyed his sincerity. Everything might fall apart tomorrow, but as he spoke those words, he’d meant them. That would have to be enough. Knowing Winter Thane cared, even for one night, could hold Matt until his mind finally gave out. “Kiss me.”

Winter pressed his hands against the sides of Matt’s face and plundered his mouth, exploring every recess and hidden place with his fluid tongue. Matt shivered. That tongue might as well be licking his balls. Every nerve seemed to have a one-way ticket to Cockville. Winter maneuvered Matt so that he was kneeling between his powerful thighs, then pulled him, without breaking the kiss, until Matt got the idea and straddled Winter’s lap.
Oh yes, perfection.
He wiggled until the lump of his cock pressed hard against the bigger lump of Winter’s. Matt pulled back from the kiss. “Oh man, yes. Like that.”

Winter tightened his hands on Matt’s ass and pulled him even closer, then thrust up his hips so that the friction burned them into one giant incendiary device. Matt pushed forward under the pressure of Winter’s hands and met Winter’s cock bulge head-on, literally. Each thrust shot electric bolts into his gonads and up his spine until his head swam in a mixture of fire and moonlight. “Oh God, great but not enough. Fuck me.”

Winter growled. No other description worked. The sound vibrated through Matt’s chest like a secret language. Winter pushed Matt backward until his spine hit the dirt and had his jeans off so fast they might have been Velcro. The moon shone in his eyes. One large paw ripped Matt’s briefs and tossed them aside. He rose on his knees, unfastened his own jeans, and pulled them over his huge, swollen cock with two hands, down his legs, and then threw them on top of Matt’s ruined underwear. Matt’s head swam and his heart tripped so hard he had to be dying and didn’t give a shit. Winter shoved his legs back beside his ears, and bits of rock dug into Matt’s spine.
Good!
Winter stuck two fingers in his own mouth, then pushed them into Matt’s hole, panting like a big white dog. A shot of pain paved the way for searing pleasure. “Jesus, yes, like that.”

Winter pulled out his fingers and walked forward on his knees until he got his cock above Matt’s mouth. “Suck.” He shoved the thing between Matt’s lips, holding it so it wouldn’t spring back. He pounded his hips twice and Matt opened wide to take it, but just as fast, Winter pulled out, scooted back, lined his cock with Matt’s hole, and shoved.

“Shiiiiiiit!”

Winter paused, still breathing like a bellows. “Hurt or good?”

“Hurts good. Don’t stop. Shit, don’t stop.”

Winter pressed his body down on Matt and began to pound his hips, each stroke threatening to come out Matt’s mouth, which would be fine since then he could fuck and suck all at once. “Unh, unh unh.”

The words spilled out of Matt’s mouth. “Want to live like this. Never stop fucking. Live to fuck you. Forever.”

“Only me?”

“Only you, Winter. Only you.” And the tears that threatened earlier when Winter had made his impossible promises spilled out of Matt’s eyes as he screamed his pleasure to the moon. The fucking liar of a whore moon who showed him a life of joy he could never have.

W
INTER
PUSHED
open the door to the cabin. No lights on. Of course, neither he nor Damon really needed them. He closed the door and leaned against it. How could life get so totally fucked up?

“I smell sex all the way from here. Human sex.”

Winter walked the few steps until he could see past the back of the couch they had positioned in front of the fireplace. Damon lay there, one arm thrown over his head. Winter sighed. “Hi. Good thing you didn’t want to kill me. Talk about not paying attention.” Hell, he should have smelled his father before he opened the door.

“You’re distracted by too much sex.”

“You’ve got a one-track mind, old man.”

“Just envious.”

“You shouldn’t be. I had sex with a man.”

“I figured that.”

“Not freaked?” He sat on the end of the couch past Damon’s feet.

“Anyone I know?”

Should he tell him? Hell, he wanted to talk to someone. “Yes, but you can’t tell anyone and I’m serious, so if you feel in the mood to bare your soul, warn me now and I’ll shut up.”

Damon gave him
the look
. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Even your lady friend?”

He snorted. “Yes, even her.”

“Remember the FBI agent we saw that night we first arrived? He was sitting with Cole and Freedman.”

“You’re kidding? The FBI is gay?”

“We come in all flavors. Have you met Lindsey’s husband, Seth Zakowsky?”

“No.”

“Toughest cop around.”

“So you know this guy how?”

“I’m helping him on a case.”

Damon sat up and leaned on his elbow. “Winter Thane, boy FBI agent?”

Winter shook his head. “Not really. I just stumbled on some information relating to this drug case the local marshals are working on with the FBI. So I passed it on.”
How much to tell Damon?

“And you took advantage of the proximity to seduce him?”

“Kind of mutual seduction, but yeah.”

“I recall the agent is very human.”

“Don’t be calling any kettles black.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. So what happened to getting out of this hellhole?”

Winter took a deep breath. “I asked him to go away with me.”

Damon’s feet hit the floor. “What the hell?”

“Don’t panic. He said no.”

“Does he know what you are?”

“Of course not.”

“So what were you thinking?”

He shrugged. “I was figuring I’d go someplace and live like a human. Hell, that’s what we did most of our lives until recently.”

“But we had each other.”

“Yeah.”

“So you must really like this guy.”

Winter leaned back against the cushions. “It’s weird. I haven’t been much interested in anyone else since I met him. I didn’t intend to ask him to go. It just ran out of my mouth. There’s something about him. Special.”

“But he turned you down?”

“Yeah. He takes care of his dad, I guess. Can’t leave him or move him. But if I hook up with him around here, the pack could hurt him. Rock, meet hard place.”

“I understand.”

“That’s why I told you. How about you?”

“Same rock. Plus I’ve got Lindsey as a chaperone. He’s got so much to lose.”

“I don’t think he gives a damn about the money.”

“No, but he’ll protect his mother and grandfather from harm with his last breath. Plus, from what I can gather, he’s involved with the family businesses at every level. Shake that up and you have a mess.”

Winter shook his head. “What a ridiculous state of affairs.” Ice ran up his spine. He raised his head and sniffed the air.

Damon leaned in. “What is it?”

“Not sure. Danger.”

His cell phone began to ring.
Who the hell had the number? Shit.
He clicked. “This is Winter.”

Matt sounded hysterical. “Winter, thank God. I need you, please. My father’s disappeared. I don’t want to call the police.”

“Don’t call them. Tell me where you are. I’m there.”

Matt began to rattle off an address. Winter absorbed the number. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me until I find him.” He smiled. “Then you can thank me all night.”

T
HE
YOUNG
woman sitting on the couch sobbed into her hands. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how it could have happened.”

Winter ignored her and roamed the apartment.
Strange.
He sniffed and frowned. The place looked more like a nursing facility than someone’s home—especially the one bedroom. He peered in the door. What the fuck? Restraints lay torn on the sides of the bed. “Matt, what is this?”

Matt stepped beside him, then walked into the room and fingered the restraint. “We have to use them when he gets really bad or he’ll hurt himself. Rita has no idea how he got out of them. They look partly torn, but he’s an old man and he’s not well.” He looked up at Winter, his face a mask of pain. “I can’t explain it.”

Winter prowled the room, touching objects—a spy thriller that lay open on a side chair. Someone must have been reading to Matt’s father. “What’s wrong with him?” An odd tingle traveled up his arm when he touched the sheets.

“He has a heart condition, and he’s schizophrenic. Delusions. Most of the time, he’s harmless to himself and anyone else. Then when the full moon occurs, he goes crazy.”

“Full moon?” He looked up.

“Yeah, like tonight.” Matt held his hands together tightly. “Can you find him?”

“Yes.”

“Oh thank God. Can we go now?”

In truth, Matt going with him would make it harder. Ordinarily, Winter would shift, stick his nose on the ground, and head straight for the old man. As it was, not an option. So he’d have to play human the whole time. “Give me something personal of his.”

Matt walked to a hamper and opened it. “A pajama top, maybe? It hasn’t been washed yet.” His eyes looked wide and bright.

Winter took the garment and pressed the fabric to his nose.
What the hell?
He shivered. Matt walked back to the living room where Rita still sat huddled. Winter stared at the pajama top in his hand. The German shepherd growled low and backed up slowly.

Matt patted the dog’s head. “Come on, Buster. Winter’s here to help.” He shook his head. “He’s usually so docile. I don’t get it.”

Winter smiled. The dog knew an alpha predator when he saw it. “No worries.” He flicked a finger. “Down, Buster.” The dog immediately lay on the floor, peering up at Winter anxiously.

“Good boy.”

Matt looked startled. “You’re good with dogs.”

“Yeah.” He looked at Rita. “Did he give any indication where he might have gone? Anything he said?”

Rita glanced up at Matt, and he gave her a little nod. She stared at Winter. “He always talks about going to the forest. He’s obsessed with it. It’s part of his mania.”

“Mania?”

“That’s what we call it when he gets like this. Hard to control. Normally he’s a pussycat. Admittedly a pussycat with some weird ideas, but as nice a man as you’d ever meet.”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Oh no. I went in to do a load of wash in the garage, and when I came back the door stood open. I ran out and yelled for him, but there was no sign. When I checked the bedroom, I saw the restraints and couldn’t believe it.” She shook her head. “I called Matt and then went out and combed the neighborhood, but I couldn’t find a trace or anyone who said they’d seen him.”

Winter inhaled the scent again. The whole apartment had a unique odor. Like the sandalwood and trees he associated with Matt, but muskier, more acrid.
Familiar.
“I could go look for him myself and bring him back when I find him.”