Chapter 24
Krys blinked out of unconsciousness. His hands and knees were anchored in the wet grass, a silvery moon shining overhead against the pitch-black sky. He sat back on his heels and scanned his dark surroundings while his wolf receded. Behind him, he spotted the dim light coming from their tent.
The night before, after dancing and fighting at the club, they returned to the hotel and watched TV.
Virgil fell asleep first, his arm fastened around Krys as he dozed off in the middle of an alien movie.
Krys stroked his hair while sitting against the headboard.
The intimacy between them was more than physical, and Krys felt a pull he couldn’t explain.
He craved Virgil’s companionship. His laugh, his stories, the way he made him feel alive and in the moment. It wasn’t anything new either. He’d always felt this way, but now it was staring him in the face that the love he’d always felt for Virgil was more than that of a brother or a packmate.
They had gotten a late start that day and drove only a few hours before Krys decided his wolf wasn’t happy and needed to run.
The sensory magic from the night before had done a number on him, and even though he didn’t have a hangover, the residual aftereffects of the magic lingered.
He called up the guy who rented out land and made a reservation.
It would set them back a day, but if he didn’t keep his wolf happy, he might come out unexpectedly, and they still had a long drive ahead.
The landowner promised an abundance of small prey for their wolves to hunt. After setting up the tent, they had returned to the vehicle and discovered raccoons rummaging through their stuff. Virgil thought it was hilarious until one of them bit his finger when he picked it up.
They left an electric lantern in the tent so they could find their way back after dusk. Wolves didn’t always shift back in the location they wanted, and both of them planned to run together. Virgil must’ve come out of his shift early, since his wolf wasn’t around, and wolves always stuck together.
Their large tent brought back memories of his first time meeting the pack. Since it was tall and spacious, Lakota packed only one.
Krys approached the partially opened door and stepped through. It was warm outside, and a nice breeze rolled into the tent. The pale grey fabric interior soaked up the dim light from the lantern near Virgil’s head.
Straight ahead, Virgil was fast asleep on his stomach, completely nude, his head turned to the left, his leg bent at the knee. Krys painted the visual into a memory. Since the air vent was open, he zipped up the door so those raccoons wouldn’t wander in.
Now that his wolf had settled down, Krys sat inside the tent by the opening and rested his arm on the ice chest on the left where all their clothes were neatly folded and shoes lined up.
His thoughts drifted to their time alone in the city—how excited Virgil had been to show him his favorite places.
They always had fun together, but this time was different.
Their connection was growing stronger, and Krys was slowly learning to enjoy life a little more, even if that was just chilling out on a park bench while staring at a lake.
It was another reason Krys rented out the land for the night.
He wanted to extend their vacation, since he didn’t know what would change when they got back home.
He wondered what Cleo was up to. As much as it hurt to say goodbye, seeing her with her mother made him realize she would have something he never did: parental love. That made the sacrifice of letting go worth it.
Virgil stretched and then groaned as he relaxed. His dark blond hair was always perfect after a shift, but Krys liked it when it was messy and misbehaved, just like him.
“Are you watching me?” Virgil asked, peering over his shoulder.
“I like watching.”
Still lying on his stomach, Virgil rested his head beneath his arm. “Your wolf had a good run. We hunted together. He caught a rabbit for me, but I had to black out before my wolf ate it. That’s not something I like to experience.”
Krys felt a strange tingling in his stomach.
My wolf hunted for him?
That was wolf behavior between mated couples. Virgil knew it, he knew it, and silence fell between them.
Virgil patted the empty spot next to him.
“I don’t want to sit on your ghost.”
“She’s guarding the car.” After a yawn, he added, “In fact, it was her idea. I think she’s shipping us.”
“Shipping?”
“You know, when you root for a relationship between two unlikely people. It’s called shipping.”
Krys scratched his arm. “So we’re unlikely, huh?”
“Everyone in Storybook says you’re hard to get.
That’s why some of those women are always orbiting around you like little moons.
” Virgil chuckled and rolled onto his back.
“Now we know why you were so hard to get.” When he patted the spot beside him again, Krys crawled to Virgil’s right and lay on his stomach.
“You want any pretzels?” Virgil asked. “I already ate my peanut butter.”
“That’s not what I’m hungry for.”
Virgil turned onto his side. His eyes sparkled, but it was the amorous look behind them that made him so attractive. He gently caressed Krys’s back before kissing his shoulder.
Krys kept one arm tucked beneath the pillow and savored the feel of Virgil’s soft touch. Sometimes he craved tenderness. Closing his eyes, he relished the light brush of Virgil’s fingers skating down his back and up again.
Finally, Krys rose up on his elbow and kissed his pliant lips.
Intoxicated by Virgil’s scent and taste, he rolled him onto his back.
Krys’s touch was light, but his eye contact was heavy as he tenderly traced Virgil’s Adam’s apple and the slope of his neck.
His lips were perfect. The stubble on his jaw was soft and pale.
Virgil rubbed his palm over Krys’s chest. “We should talk about what we need—what we like.”
Krys worried his lip. What he needed might not be doable.
“Go on and say it,” Virgil said. “I’ve heard it all.”
“I need you to be submissive, but I’ve never done this with another guy. I’m not sure how this works.”
Virgil’s lips twitched. “I’ve always wondered.”
“Is that okay with you?”
“More than okay, but I have limits. The rough stuff isn’t my thing. I don’t mean playful pinching or biting, but hard slapping or treating me like a subhuman isn’t my scene. If you want something, ask. I’ll let you know if it’s a problem or if I’m willing to try it.”
Krys sucked in a breath when Virgil circled a finger around his nipple and then pinched. “Better stop.”
“Or what?”
Krys was getting hard, but he wasn’t sure how to initiate this. “I mean it. My wolf doesn’t like when I’m weak.”
“Vulnerable isn’t the same as weak,” Virgil pointed out. “I like a man who takes control. It’s what I was hoping for.”
“I’m worried about my wolf.”
“Say no more.” Virgil sat up and rummaged through one of his bags. When he turned around, he offered Krys a leather collar with small studs. “I picked up a few things on a recent shopping trip. It’s not like I carry these around.”
Krys sat up and felt a pinch of shame. “It’s a dog collar.”
A laugh burst out of Virgil while fastened the collar around Krys’s neck. “With this, you won’t have to walk around wearing a belt with an extra hole. How does that feel?”
It felt damn good. Krys slid his fingers beneath it to make sure it wouldn’t choke him or cut off his blood supply. “Did you plan all this?”
“Do I look like a planner? I saw it and thought it was you. Was thinking about putting it in your Christmas stocking this year, but Santa came early.” Virgil reached into his bag and offered more leather straps.
“What’s that?”
“A harness.”
“If you think you’re gonna pull out a leash and take me for a walk—”
“Where’s your sense of adventure, lover boy?”
“I thought I told you not to call me that.”
Virgil straddled him and secured the latches. “If you want to be in charge, you need a uniform.” The harness went around his shoulders and connected over his clavicles. Virgil admired the leather with his fingertips. “It’s definitely you.”
Krys tilted his head. “Kiss me there.”
The second Virgil obediently did as he commanded, a surge of desire flooded his veins. The leather was meant to subdue him, but instead, Krys felt empowered. Now that his wolf was contained, he drew from that energy without fear.
Virgil was so fucking hot. The sensual way he moved, his natural smell, the rich timbre in his voice, the way his lips and tongue delivered the utmost attention to Krys’s neck above and below the collar, teasing him with light nibbles and lazy kisses.
Virgil worked his way up to his goatee before drawing back. “Tell me what you want.”
“I’m not sure how this is supposed to go.”
“You do whatever feels good.” He wrapped his arms around Krys’s neck and imprinted a kiss on his jaw. “If you mean intercourse, that’s not something we have to do. I like being a bottom, so I’m just putting that out there in case you ever want to try new things.” He teased out a kiss.
“Sex isn’t a big deal for me,” Krys admitted, feeling the heat of embarrassment as soon as the words left his mouth.
“Maybe it wasn’t a woman you needed.”
Krys explored Virgil’s chest: his small nipples that tightened beneath his fingertips, his flat pectorals dotted with pale hair. He gave those round ass cheeks a firm squeeze. “Fucking is too much work.”
“Oh my God. You’re a lazy lover, aren’t you? I would’ve never thought that Krys Kelso likes to lie around like a princess…”
Krys flipped Virgil onto his back and smothered him. Their hearts pounded in competition.
Virgil tugged on the harness. “If you want inside me, you’ll have to wait for another time. I prep beforehand.”
“Did you run out of lube?”