Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Akai had never sat in a vehicle, and even though Cole had a large work truck, it was very apparent that he was not going to fit in the passenger seat without crushing his wings.
“If people see you in the front, they’ll panic. So maybe it’s for the best,” Cole said as if he didn’t agree with what he was saying.
“They will see a wolf.” He wasn’t about to sit in the truck and let everyone see him.
Cole rolled his eyes. “Because that is so much better.”
“I will lie on your back seats. Then people will think you have a large dog if they see me at all.”
“If I get pulled over…”
“They will see a large dog.”
“I’m pretty sure cops can tell the difference between a dog and a wolf.”
“Most humans ignore what they are seeing and make something up. Besides, it’s not my only trick to avoid detection. I can also melt into shadows and create a distraction.” At Cole’s less-than-impressed face, he reminded him. “I did suggest driving at night.”
“You still couldn’t sit in the front.”
“No.” Which was disappointing. He’d been hoping to tease Cole all day and then fuck him as soon as they got into the motel.
They were going to a human motel tonight, simply because of the location.
Tomorrow there was a monster house. He’d already asked if there was room and if he could bring a human.
He may have lied and said he was traveling with his mate…
“You’d better make sure you are comfy in the back seat. I can grab an extra pillow and blanket if you need.”
The back seat was going to be fine. He peered into the back of the truck, where Cole had already placed a sleeping bag and blanket, along with other camping supplies. “We could sleep in the tray of your truck, under the stars.”
And avoid humans and monsters who might ask too many questions.
Cole nodded. “Yeah, but that’s the last-ditch plan.”
Which they may have to use if the monster house was busy because everyone was heading to Yellowstone.
With the truck packed, there was no reason to linger in the quiet safety of the cabin.
Cole was right; here, the rest of the world didn’t matter, and they never needed to answer to anyone.
They could just be. But the cost was ignoring the world for the rest of their lives.
Cole had a family and job in the human town, and he had family further south, mines to raid, and jewelry to make.
It didn’t seem possible to bring everything together.
He caught himself realizing that he was contemplating a future with Cole like they were mates or something. Which was ridiculous. He was barely old enough to even be thinking about mates, and harpies didn’t take human mates because they couldn’t fly.
Is that what he really wanted? A mate he couldn’t fly with? One who would struggle to get into his nest?
But Cole had already been in his nest. How hard would it be to make a ladder so it would be easier for him to climb up?
“Are you okay?” Cole asked.
Akai blinked. He’d been staring at the cabin. “Yeah, thinking. Who knew being shot could be so much fun?” He grinned and tried to make light of his words even though they were the truth.
Cole smiled. “Would you like me to shoot you again?”
“Surely it’s my turn to shoot you?” Though he much preferred to hear Cole moaning in pleasure.
“Maybe we should try not hurting each other for a change?”
Akai put his hand over his heart. “Wow. I thought it was part of our…” He swallowed the words mating ritual. But from the way Cole was looking at him, it didn’t matter, as he knew what Akai had been going to say.
Cole tilted his head. “I think we’ve found more fun things to do, don’t you?”
“Yes. There are many other things I’d rather do to you.”
“To me or with me?”
“Both.” He climbed into the back seat of the truck and shut the door, not wanting to discuss further in case he dug himself a deeper hole and got stuck.
Lying on the back seat was fine for the first hour, but then he got bored, and being uncomfortable soon followed. “Are we going to stop?”
“I was planning on finding somewhere to grab lunch. A drive through would be best, then perhaps I can find a quiet spot to pull over so we can stretch our legs.” Cole glanced at him in the rear-view mirror. “Perhaps you can find somewhere since I’m driving?”
Akai grabbed his phone. “Takeout near a national park or a parking lot near a trail. On it.”
He checked where they were, then looked for places that were out of the way, because it would be nice to get out of the truck, though he was more worried about stretching his wings than his legs.
It took him several minutes to locate a suitable place.
“You’re going to need to take the next exit, then the next right, which will take you past a burger place.
After acquiring burgers and fries, keep going for another mile, and you should be able to pull over near the forest.”
“No carpark?”
“No.”
“Rest stop?”
“Also no. Not unless you want to drive another five miles, and I thought you wouldn’t want to get too far off the route.”
“I’d rather not pull over on the side of the road.” Cole followed his directions and pulled into the drive-through. As they waited, he asked, “Got a preference?”
“Chicken burger…and some chicken nuggets.”
Cole placed the large order and paid. The scent of the food in the bags had Akai reaching out to steal a fry. Cole slapped his hand away. “You can wait.”
He sat up, figuring there weren’t that many cars around, and he could hold the illusion of being a wolf easily enough. “I can, but I don’t want to.” He licked the side of Cole’s neck and kissed his cheek. “Sitting up is far more fun.”
“You’re distracting the driver.”
“Let me steal a fry.”
“No.”
Akai slid his hand over Cole’s chest and lower until he cupped Cole’s denim-covered crotch. Cole hardened against his palm. How easy would it be to make him come?
“That is very distracting.”
Akai grinned. “You’re teasing me with the fries, so I’m returning the favor.”
“I also want to eat the fries.”
“How about I feed you fries?” That way, they could both eat fries, and he got to tease Cole so that there was a chance they did more than eat at the stop.
Cole glanced at him. “Fine.”
Akai didn’t bother to hide his glee, grabbing the bag and pulling out a cardboard container of fries, while also locating the packet of chicken nuggets. He snuck one into the palm of his hand to eat while Cole was distracted by eating his fry.
He offered one to Cole, who readily opened his mouth, in much the same way he had this morning when Akai had offered his cock. He was so transfixed by Cole’s mouth that his nugget was almost an afterthought…a tasty one, but no longer his priority.
He waved another fry at Cole, tracing the tip over his lower lip.
Cole bit it in half. “I know what you’re doing, and I’m not sucking your dick in a carpark.”
“I can suck yours.” He popped the other half of the fry in his mouth.
“We are not stopping for sex. You will appear as a large dog, which means that if anyone catches us, it’s going to get really awkward, really fast.”
“We don’t have to stay in the truck.” They could walk into the national park.
“We are staying with the truck.”
“No bathroom break?” Akai fake pouted.
“That’s the point of the stop.”
“Ah, so we are leaving the truck.”
Cole opened his mouth, and Akai pushed a fry inside, so Cole had something to do with his mouth besides arguing, except Cole talked with his mouthful. “No sex in the public toilets either, for the same reason. I am not getting caught fucking a wolf, or a monster.”
Putting it like that did not sound great. “I see…because being seen with me would be bad.”
“You don’t want to be seen by humans.”
“That is a problem. But I can hide in shadows.”
“I can’t, so I will look like some kind of half-naked weirdo humping in the shadows. As much as I like the idea of stopping so you can suck my dick.” Cole grabbed a fry out of the container. “I don’t see how it’s going to work in daylight. And no, I’m not driving at night.”
“We don’t have to stop.” He maneuvered between the seats, dropping the fries back in the bag, which was less than comfortable.
“What are you doing?”
He lifted Cole’s elbow up and ducked underneath, thinking that it was obvious what he was about to do as he undid Cole’s jeans. “Just keep driving.”
“This is not a…”
He licked the head of Cole’s now hard cock—it hadn’t taken much—but it was too crowded to really do more than lick and tease. He tongued the slit and around the pronounced head.
“Jesus. You’re being very distracting.”
“I’m staying occupied while you drive.”
Cole lifted his hips, and Akai seized the opportunity to tug the jeans open further and free Cole’s cock from his briefs, so he had more to work with. He took the head in his mouth and wrapped a couple of fingers around the shaft.
“Fuck. We’re going to be there in a minute.”
Akai didn’t bother answering; he was not sure who was going to arrive first, but he wanted it to be Cole.
He doubled his efforts but felt the truck slow and turn as pre-cum coated his tongue.
The truck stopped, and Cole put a hand on the back of Akai’s head.
His fingers threaded through his hair as he lifted his hips, thrusting up into his mouth.
“You are a hazard,” Cole gritted out.
Akai sucked harder, his fingers moving over the shaft.
“Fuck.” Cole went still as he came, his hand still on Akai’s head like a comforting weight, not enough to hold him in place. “An absolute monster.”
Akai lifted his head and licked his lip. “You noticed that about me?”
Cole stared at him. “That’s not…” He sighed. “It’s hard to miss. But you’re also a menace.”
Akai grinned. “You’re full of compliments. Now can we eat before it gets cold?”
“Yeah.” Cole went to kiss him, but Akai pulled back.
“There is someone staring at you, and since you wouldn’t kiss your dog…” He laughed and slithered back to the back seat.
Cole muttered a curse and did up his jeans before getting out of the truck. “Damn dog.” He dusted off his jeans, then opened the door for Akai to jump out on all fours.
He sat next to Cole like he was well-trained and definitely not a dangerous wolf.
The man walking toward his car paused, his gaze dropping to Akai.
Cole reached into the truck and grabbed the bag of burgers. “He’s an absolute burger fiend.”
“He’s the biggest dog I’ve ever seen. Is he part bear?” the man asked, keeping a wide berth.
Akai rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the comment. How were bears related to dogs?
“Nah, part wolf, we think.” He nodded to Akai. “Come on. I got you a burger.”
“Only one?” The man laughed.
“He shouldn’t be eating them, so yeah, only one. Hopefully, it will distract him for long enough that I can eat.”
If Cole was worried about sex in public, Akai would keep his hands, and tongue, to himself outside of the vehicle. Inside was another matter.