STORY EXCERPT

Sherman shook himself from his thoughts of the past and returned to the present again, rolling the bike to a stop beside a tree for shade, and then dismounted.

Cal had said the sports complex was almost complete, and from what Sherman could see, there wasn’t much to finish off. He saw a crew of workers paving the walkways, others putting up signage, and another group of landscapers planting shrubs and perennials in raised planters. There was an air of anticipation about the place, and he was in awe of what had been achieved here.

The structures were large but were designed to fit in with their surroundings, complimenting the environment rather than dominating it. Murals were painted on each one, depicting which sport they represented, tinted in earth tones and featuring Native American and animal themes. On the outside of the main arena was a scene, which showed three shifters racing against three humans…the shifters shown in each stage of their transformation between animal and into human form. Another building depicted an aquatic scene, with an otter, a beaver, and an orca leaping out of the water just as a human diver did a swan dive off a high-board. Sherman eyed that painting curiously, and couldn’t remember ever hearing about any otters or beavers or whales that were shifters.

“Don’t strain yourself, buddy, it’s meant to represent the unity between animal and human kind, not a literal translation,” a dry voice said. Sherman turned and saw one of the wolverine shifters who ran the tattoo shop in Sage. The guy was of average height, kind of stocky, with a bald head, which had a short-ish ponytail sprouting from the back, dyed an iridescent purple and blue.

“Hey, Slug,” he greeted, then gave the mural another look. “You and your mates do this?” he asked, having a new respect for the wolverines. He’d met a few in the slammer, and they had a way about them…mean, usually. Slug and his mates were not that way, and were actually kind of cool…even if they had the gift of sarcasm down pat.

“Sherman, we surely did,” Slug replied, smirking slightly. He tilted his head a little, eyeing the lion shifter with a look that had Sherman tensing warily.

“What?” Sherman asked, frowning as he crossed his big arms across his chest. He felt as though he was being measured in some way.

“You haven’t entered any of the events yet, have you?” Slug drawled, his dark brown eyes glimmering with amusement.

“I’ve been a little busy since coming to town,” Sherman replied defensively, uncomfortable with the feeling.

“Yeah, having a mate can cut into your time, can’t it?” one of Slug’s mates said with a quick grin as he walked up. This guy had a long, blue plait down his back, his build slim and wiry, his head shaved on both sides to reveal a dragon tattoo on one side and a wolverine on the other.

“You’d know, Lash,” Sherman shot back, scowling a little. He absolutely knew he was about to be conned into something. “How’s that delightful little jaguar shifter?”

Lash and Slug both chuckled at the sharp, loaded question, and exchanged grins. “Ethan is just fine,” Slug retorted, tugging on his ponytail. “He keeps us…busy…too,” he added, high-fiving Lash when Sherman snorted.

“Have you met our friendly resident leopard shifter, Alfie, by any chance?” Lash asked innocently, the gleam in his amber eyes anything but.

“We’ve met, certainly,” Sherman said cautiously, preparing for the punchline he just knew was coming.

“We need another team for soccer,” Slug said, arching one eyebrow meaningfully. “I reckon, with your build, and the buddies you rode into town with, you’d be up for the challenge. We start the trials this week...if you think you won’t be too busy, that is.”

“Aston issued a challenge to the Two Spirit team, said something about needing to put some pussies in their place,” Lash chuckled, shaking his head in amused disdain.

“Yeah, what he doesn’t know is he should be worrying about more than just a bunch of washed-up old military types,” Slug added.

“Washed-up?” came an outraged voice, followed by a low growl of wounded pride.

They all turned to see Cody striding up with his mate, Thomas, in tow. Cody had a big scowl on his face, his hefty frame practically vibrating with anger. Thomas was grinning, and winked at the wolverine behind Cody’s back.

“He missed the part about the pussies,” Lash whispered, sotto voce, which had Sherman laughing aloud and Cody squaring up to him when he reached them.

“Oh, you boys are going down,” Cody snarled, cracking his knuckles. “Prison fodder and scrawny weasels against professionals…should be a short match, pipsqueaks.”

Sherman drew himself up to his full height, which matched the big jaguar shifter, and scowled at the insult. “Prison fodder?” he asked in a dangerously soft voice. “Pipsqueak?” This last was said in a roar. “Count me in, shorty,” he said, pounding his fist into his open palm menacingly. “I guess you don’t know much about survival if you think you’ll be taking me and my boys on and thinking you might win. Pussy.” He spat the last word at Cody, and heard muffled laughter from the wolverines.

Cody grinned, slapping Sherman’s shoulder. “Prepare to have your ass handed to you, stud,” he said, then stalked off with his husband. “Trials start in a week. We’ll send details to the apartment. Just make sure you have enough players…you need eleven for soccer, and if you fancy basketball or football…well, you know how that goes.”

Sherman blinked, and realized he’d just been had.

“Crap,” he said.

ADULT EXCERPT

Chaz enjoyed the taste of his mate under his tongue. Warm and wet, the flavor was musky and a little sweet and a little salty, an addictive combination. Water sluiced off of a living statue. Chaz moved to the front, taking Sherman’s huge dick between his lips, and dipping a finger into the moist heat of his mate’s hole. Fishing around, he found the tiny gland hidden there, and began to stroke it gently. Sherman bucked, his cock jamming deeper, and Chaz choked a little, easing back until he could relax his gag reflex, then swallowed again, taking as much as he could.

Bobbing his head, Chaz sucked his mate off, swirling his tongue around the crown and dipping into the well of pre-cum already forming. Sherman gripped Chaz’s head, holding him in place, and then began to fuck his face with short, shallow thrusts. Humming with pleasure, Chaz’s jaw ached from being stretched so wide, saliva trickling down his chin. He gamely kept going, and drove a second finger into Sherman’s ass, raking his gland over and over until Sherman gave a loud grunt, and delivered a gallon of cum right down Chaz’s gullet. Swallowing, Chaz eased off his mate’s cock, licking his lips. He squeaked when Sherman grabbed him under the armpits and lifted him, then dragged their lips together, tasting his own cum hungrily. Moaning, Chaz wrapped his legs around Sherman’s waist, holding on tightly as they shared ardent kisses.

“That ass play has got me wanting some dick in my mouth,” Sherman growled, tilting Chaz backward so that he had to slap his palms against the wall for balance. Lifting Chaz up higher, he gripped his mate’s butt as he swallowed his cock, his teeth grazing the length of it. Chaz yelped when he felt two thick fingers shoved into his own ass, groaning at the pleasurable burn at the sudden intrusion. He bucked in Sherman’s arms, his claws biting into the wall for traction, and gave himself over to his mate’s talented mouth. Already hard and dripping, it didn’t take long, between the sucking and the finger fucking, before Chaz was coming hard himself, spurting down Sherman’s throat.

“That’s the ticket,” Sherman purred, still sucking gently, his rough tongue lapping every bit of cum from Chaz’s spent cock. “Now let’s dry off so I can make you all wet again,” he suggested. Chaz blinked, then realized what Sherman meant, and groaned again when he was lowered, right onto his mate’s cock, and then carried from the stall. Flipping off the faucet, Sherman grabbed a large towel and wrapped it around them both, then went into the bedroom, dropping Chaz onto the bed.

Chaz laughed up at Sherman as he bounced a couple of times, lifting up and presenting his loosened hole as he grabbed his legs behind the knees. “Fuck me, baby, one more time,” he said seductively, yelping when Sherman pounced, dragging his legs over his shoulders, and then finding the mother lode with one, hard thrust. Chaz gasped at the sudden invasion, his ass clenching around the thick cock, feeling the burn as he was stretched wide.

“I’ll fuck you more than once, my love,” Sherman replied gruffly, and began shunting in and out, hard and fast, giving no time for Chaz to catch his breath. “Hang on for the ride, darling.”

Chaz bounced with each slam of Sherman’s hips, the big shifter taking him with an intensity that left Chaz reeling. Giving no quarter, Sherman grabbed Chaz’s cock in his fist, pumping in time with his steady strokes. Chaz cried out, feeling the slap of Sherman’s nut sac against his ass, the steep angle driving Sherman deep, filling Chaz again and again. Since Sherman had recently come, he took his time to get to flash point, alternating the hard thrusts by changing the angle every so often, at one point standing on the bed, with Chaz’s body practically vertical as Sherman speared down into him. Crying out, Chaz was babbling by the time he came a second time, with Sherman not far behind him, emptying a load of warm fluid deep inside Chaz.

They clung together, cuddling and kissing, still joined. “I love you,” Sherman sighed, replete for the moment. Chaz hugged the words to his heart, placing tiny kisses over every inch that he could reach, then mashing his mouth to Sherman’s again, desperate for the taste of him.

“I love you, too, Sherman,” Chaz replied, and felt Sherman’s cock begin to thicken again. “Really? Already?” he asked, moaning needily when the big shifter began to rock gently, delivering a series of slow, long strokes.

“Are you trying to insult my manhood, sweetcheeks?” Sherman teased, rubbing his body against Chaz’s as he lay snugly between Chaz’s thighs.

“Never,” Chaz retorted, sucking on Sherman’s tongue, then licking a languid trail down his mate’s slick throat. He writhed beneath his lover, smearing his cum over them both, increasing the friction against his cock, trapped between their undulating bodies.

“I might have to take exception to that. Did you think you’d get away with just a couple of orgasms tonight?” Sherman drawled, nipping at Chaz’s earlobe. “I may have to fuck you all night, just to prove myself.”

Chaz chuckled, gasping at the drugging sensation of Sherman’s mouth against his skin, the slow glide of his cock in and out of his well-fucked hole. “If you put it like that, lover, perhaps I need to insult you some more,” he said, grabbing Sherman’s butt in both hands, and inserting two fingers back inside his mate’s sleek ass. “I think maybe, being older, that you may have a problem keeping up with me…maybe you should just prove to me that you can.”