On the Wings of a Butterfly

STORY EXCERPT

“You wanted caramel popcorn, right, kid?”

Blue nodded, wiping his sweaty hands against the material of his jeans. “H–How much?” he stammered.

The cashier gave him a bored look. “5.50.”

With trembling hands, Blue retrieved his battered wallet. His vision was a bit fuzzy, and he blinked to dispel the dizziness. Finally, he managed to produce two bills and offered them to the salesman.

Behind him, someone jeered. “Get a move on, you little faggot! There are other people waiting in line here.”

The insult made Blue tremble even harder. When the cashier handed his much-desired popcorn, his shaking had gotten so bad that he couldn’t keep his hold on the box. Popcorn went flying everywhere, over the floor and the people behind him.

Blue froze. His popcorn. God, his popcorn. For a few moments, he didn’t even breathe, so focused on his utter failure and ridiculousness. He might not have moved at all, but someone kicked him, and he fell facedown on the floor. Snickers sounded all around, and Blue struggled to suppress his tears. Why had he even thought this would be a good idea? He was a freak, and he would never get over his social awkwardness. Besides, he shouldn’t have been out of the house anyway. His father would be so pissed, and Blue had taken the chance for nothing. The sweet popcorn he had anticipated so much landed all over the floor. Somehow, it seemed fitting. Blue was, himself, a mess.

The knowledge of the extreme injustice made Blue want to scream. Still, he forced back his anger and pain. He could do very little to fight anyone who hurt him. He was small and lacked the physical strength for that sort of thing. In his earlier years, he’d shown some aptitude for running—thank God for that much. In fact, he was quite fast and would have easily outrun many of his fellow students back in high school. But he was also very clumsy and, more often than not, tripped over his own feet. Besides, he hadn’t been able to finish high school anyway, because it had happened.

As if triggered by Blue’s thoughts, an itch started in his back. The sudden terror gave him the strength to shoot to his feet. He dodged past the people who were still jeering. God, if only they knew. If they knew, they would kill him. His parents were right. He should never have escaped the house for a trivial thing like going to the movies. He needed to go back, back to his little room, back to the pain he knew, the enclosure and the house that smelled like dead leaves.

The itch began to get even stronger and melted into a dull pain. Blue knew it all too well and dreaded it. He knew what it foretold. He didn’t want it anymore. He just wanted to be normal.

As if his terrible situation wasn’t enough, a strong arm reached for him and stopped him in his tracks. “Where do you think you’re going, little faggot?”

It was the same voice that had taunted him earlier. Blue found himself immobilized in the hold of a big, burly man. He grinned, exposing tobacco-stained teeth. Blue couldn’t suppress a grimace. He could practically see all the particles of scale formed on them, and the stink from the guy’s breath nearly made him lose his small breakfast.  The man’s meaty hands squeezed Blue’s arms, threatening to break his fragile bones. “What? Don’t you like me? Little bitch.”

Blue simply waited without speaking. In his experience, bullies gave up faster if their persecution was received with a straight face. Crying or begging would only encourage them. Blue knew better than to believe witnesses would jump to his aid, so he braced himself for the pain that would follow. He wished the guy would hurry up. At least that way, Blue would be distracted and it might not happen.

The punch he anticipated never came. Instead, a large hand landed on his attacker’s shoulder. “I’d let him go if I were you.”

The burly man released Blue and turned toward the new arrival. “Fuck off. It’s none of your—”

His words died in his throat. At first, Blue didn’t understand the problem, but then, he dared to peek over his attacker’s shoulder. He gaped in shock at what he saw. Blue’s savior was even bigger than the foul-scenting man, but not in a burly, fat way. Rather, he was covered in rippling muscle. His shoulders seemed to go on for miles, and his mere presence threatened to make Blue’s knees buckle. Black hair curled around a strong jaw, framing a face that could have belonged to a movie star.

He wore sunglasses, something Blue found very peculiar. If the man in front of him thought the same, he didn’t show it. Instead, he backed away from Blue slowly. “Sure, man,” he said. “Whatever.”

As the guy left, Blue’s savior turned toward him. “Are you okay?” he inquired in a soft voice.

Blue nodded, still a bit shaken—not so much by the attack, but by the rescue. “I’m fine, thank you,” he replied in a whisper.

“You sure?” the other man insisted.

Blue offered his rescuer a shy smile. “Yes, you arrived before he could hurt me.”

“Okay.” The man paused, as if thinking about something, then grinned back. It nearly stopped Blue’s heart. “What’s your name?”

At first, Blue almost forgot to reply. No one ever asked him his name. It meant socializing, which led to getting to know each other, and maybe making friends. “Blue,” he blurted out without really thinking about it.

“Blue?” the man repeated in surprise.

Blue felt his face heat. “Well, it’s Robin, but my…friends call me Blue.”

Or at least his mother called him that. “Blue.” The other man smiled again. “I like it. It suits you.” 

ADULT EXCERPT

Taking a deep breath, Blue turned with his back to Wallace and brushed his long hair to the front, giving the other man access. His back and shoulders still ached a bit from where the new wings had emerged, but the lingering ache was quickly fading. He thought there must be bandages against the base of the wings, since he could feel them pulling slightly at the skin. The realization made him uncomfortable. With all that, he mustn’t be the most attractive sight.

He couldn’t control the slight twitching of his wings, but then, Wallace hugged his back, pressing a kiss to his nape. Wallace’s fingers brushed over the delicate membrane of the four appendices. To his surprise, Blue found it wasn’t unpleasant. Quite the opposite. Goose bumps covered Blue’s skin, and he sighed as he dropped his head on the other man’s shoulder.

Wallace’s caresses grew bolder, and he explored the azure wings from tip to base. Blue began to tremble, his cock hardening once again. He’d never realized that part of him could cause him so much pleasure, but every touch showered Blue in pure flame. Part of it was because of the simple knowledge that Wallace accepted him the way he was. The other, the primal, raw, lustful part, made his brain fuzzy, and his fears dissipated into a cloud of seduction.

He didn’t know how long Wallace took with that simple exploration, but by the time Wallace decided it was time to take things further, Blue was already beginning to get desperate. Wallace turned him around, and Blue swallowed around the sudden knot in his throat as he looked into Wallace’s gaze. “You sure about this?” the wolf asked.

Blue could only nod. Carefully, Wallace lowered him over the bed, murmuring soft words of encouragement. Hypnotized, Blue allowed his soon-to-be lover to do whatever he wanted. And he was not disappointed. Wallace pressed a brief kiss to his lips and then started down on the rest of Blue’s body. He hadn’t even taken off his own clothes, but he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by it. He took his time with licking every bit of Blue’s skin he could reach, as if he couldn’t get enough. Earlobes, nipples, belly, navel, toes, they all got Wallace’s full attention. Soon, Blue was writhing on the bed, his mind short-circuiting under the assault. His legs seemed extra sensitive, and when his soon-to-be lover licked the hollow of his knee, he could almost swear he could feel Wallace’s taste in his mouth.

It was very strange, but just another sensation that added into the delicious cocktail of his pleasure. And Wallace wasn’t content with only that. He kissed up Blue’s legs until he reached Blue’s genitals. Blue had a brief feeling of déjà vu, but it disappeared when Wallace’s fingers experimentally touched Blue’s smooth sac.

“You shave?”

It wasn’t even much of a question, but rather a statement. Blue wouldn’t have believed he could be embarrassed at this point, but there it was. He was bare in the genital region, but not because he particularly wanted to be. Unlike the hair on his head, he couldn’t dye it to hide its real bright blue color. A more practical option had been chosen, although Blue had never actually felt very happy about it.

“Ummm…I was kind of forced to.”

He hated the weak, hesitant sound of his own voice and knew that if he dwelled too much on the reason behind that situation, he’d just spoil the moment again. Thankfully, Wallace didn’t allow it. Instead, he cupped Blue’s balls, rolling them in his hand, teasing the wrinkled skin. Blue found it surprising that it felt great, and for once, he was glad about being hairless down there.

And then Wallace took Blue’s cock in his mouth, and heat burst over every atom in Blue’s body. As his lover bobbed his head up and down, Blue couldn’t help but move up, fucking Wallace’s mouth. Wallace picked up the pace, sucking for all he was worth.

Blue tried to hang on, to prolong the moment, but he didn’t have any hope of succeeding. Wallace rubbed a dry finger against his virgin hole and, at the same time, swallowed around his glans. Blue cried out, a wave of pleasure sweeping through him. Unable to resist, he came, filling Wallace’s mouth with seed. Wallace gulped it down greedily then released Blue’s spent prick. “Okay?” he inquired.

Still dazed, Blue nodded. As he lay there, he realized his wings hadn’t bothered him at all during the amazing blow job. In fact, they seemed to have retreated, as if of their own accord, somewhere within his body.

Just as he thought this, the damn things erupted from his back again. Blue yelped. It didn’t hurt, but it was surprising, and it made it hard for him to lie down. Wallace chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll learn to control it.”

When Wallace said it, Blue could actually believe it. Wallace pulled him upright, and Blue took advantage of the occasion to finally help the wolf out of his clothes. With every item he got rid of, he revealed more and more of Wallace’s gorgeous body. His mouth watered at the sight of Wallace’s muscles. Going with his instinct, he lowered his mouth and licked Wallace’s neck. His lover groaned and pulled Blue even closer, teasing at the base of Blue’s wings, ever mindful of the bandages.

“You drive me crazy, baby,” Wallace said. “I want you so bad.”

Even clothed, the thick prick nudging against his ass told Blue exactly what Wallace wanted. It was a no-brainer, and Blue shared Wallace’s desires. Gone were the doubts and fears. He was on fire, and he needed Wallace so much it hurt.

The Wolf and the Raven

STORY EXCERPT

“Don’t look now, but your beau is closing in fast,” Ivory said as he prepared another drink.

Lowell didn’t react to the bartender’s words. He knew Raven was here. He’d known it from the moment Raven had entered the club. His entire being was focused on staying on the seat and not turning to see his former lover.

In their time together, Lowell had realized Raven and Wallace had never really been fucking. However, he was convinced Raven was holding a torch for the wolf. Now that Wallace had a boyfriend, though, Lowell had hope Raven could let go of the past. Only he’d fucked up and lost his temper too many times, and Raven had broken up with him before he’d had the chance to take advantage of Wallace’s new relationship.

He’d tried everything to get Raven to listen. Nothing had worked. Finally, he’d found himself forced to resort to a deception, something he’d have preferred to avoid. He’d known that eventually, word would get to Raven about Lowell’s supposed fucking around. He’d made sure to tell Ivory to spread the word, just in case. Tonight, his hard work seemed to have paid off at last. But the question was, what would he say to Raven now that the man was here?

He’d come up with a great number of scenarios, some more unlikely than others. He’d have liked to believe he could go ahead and apologize to Raven. Raven would just forgive him, and they could go fuck in Lowell’s far-too-expensive condo. It wouldn’t hurt to use the damn place as much as he could before he had to give it up. But he knew better than to think things would happen like that. He could still remember Raven’s talons ripping into his flesh. It was in that moment that he’d known he’d gone too far. He’d crossed the line, and getting Raven back would take a lot of effort from his part. In light of this knowledge, his financial difficulties really didn’t matter.

All those thoughts mingled in his brain as Raven finally reached him. This time, Lowell couldn’t suppress the urge to turn. Raven was as gorgeous as ever, even more so in fact. He looked over Lowell’s shoulder, and his expression darkened. If nothing else, the presence of Lowell’s supposed boyfriend bothered Raven. Perhaps it was a good sign, perhaps not. Lowell trusted that once he explained the whole thing had been just a ruse, Raven would manage to forgive him for the deception. His date for the evening, Rio, knew all about Raven and had agreed to help without demanding anything in exchange. Of course, getting Raven to actually believe that would be a challenge.

The noise was highly inconvenient, but somehow, they understood each other without words. Lowell gestured toward the back exit, and Raven nodded. They both knew they needed to talk. Lowell waved at Rio then left his seat and navigated through the crowd, trusting Raven to follow. Finally, he reached the back alley, and Raven was right behind him.

“What was that all about?” Raven immediately inquired. “Who was that guy?”

“His name is Rio,” Lowell replied, facing his former lover. “He’s a friend.”

Raven crossed his arms over his chest in a defensive posture. “A friend.” He snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“It’s true. I want you back, baby. When are you going to believe that?”

Raven frowned at him. “You’ve got a funny way of showing it.”

“I tried everything else.” Lowell threw his hands in the air. “I had to do something to get you to listen.”

Raven’s eyes widened. “So this is you attempting to make me jealous? Are you kidding me?”

Lowell shook his head. “It’s not a joke.” He sighed. “Why did you come here, Raven? What did you expect me to say?”

“I wanted to see for myself if you were truly dating someone else.” Raven laughed, a bitter, brittle sound that tore at Lowell’s heart. “Guess I was stupid, huh?”

“I’m not dating him. I’m not even fucking anyone. You’re the only one I want.”

Raven looked away from him. “After everything that happened between us, you chose jealousy to bring us back together. Forgive me if it doesn’t sound very believable.”

“I have no reason to lie.” Lowell gritted his teeth, struggling for control. “I get that I fucked up, but you have to understand it’s not easy for me either.” He took a deep breath. “With Wallace always around—”

“What does Wallace have to do with this?” Raven cut him off. “You don’t like him, but I never asked you to.”

Was Raven being deliberately obtuse? Could he truly not realize Lowell had more reasons to be jealous than Raven ever did? The beast inside Lowell burst free, and he grabbed Raven’s wrist. Baring his teeth, he pulled his lover close. “Don’t play with me, Raven. I want you, and I’m sick of living in another man’s shadow.”

Raven tried to break away from him, but Lowell was stronger and refused to let his man go. “No, you’re not going anywhere, not this time.”

“Lowell.” Raven’s voice was dangerous and low. “Let me go.”

But Lowell couldn’t do it. Raven would just walk away from him again, and Lowell couldn’t allow that. Instead, he pinned Raven against the wall of the building. “I want you so badly,” he whispered in Raven’s ear. “How can I accept someone else when you’re the only one I can think about?”

ADULT EXCERPT

Finally, with a ding and a swoosh, the elevator door opened. Lowell caught Raven before his soon-to-be lover could fall into the hallway, and rushed out of the lift. His heart racing in his chest, he dragged Raven to his condo door. His hands trembled as he retrieved his key, and he cursed in annoyance and relief when he finally managed to stab it in the lock. The damn thing yielded, and at last, they were in Lowell’s condo, in private, behind closed doors.

“Nice place,” Raven said breathlessly.

“Right, whatever.” Lowell didn’t allow Raven to say anything else, cutting off the other man with another kiss. He walked them toward the bedroom, pulling Raven’s shirt off as he moved. Raven helped him with his own clothes, apparently forgetting all about the appreciation of his surroundings and preferring to show his appreciation for Lowell’s body instead. But it was too slow, much too slow, and with a frustrated growl, he grabbed Raven in his arms and stalked up the stairs and into the bedroom. Raven didn’t protest in the slightest. In fact, being manhandled seemed to arouse him. A brief thought flashed through Lowell’s mind as he wondered if Wallace did this to Raven, as well. He swatted it aside like he would with an irritating fly. He would not allow thoughts of Wallace to intrude on this moment.

Lowell dumped Raven on the bed and reached for Raven’s pants. There, he found himself in an impasse. Just like he’d earlier noted, the damn things were too tight for him to successfully remove them. He’d have torn them off, but God, they clung to Raven’s body in all the right places. It would be a pity if he had to destroy them.

Chuckling, Raven toed off his shoes and undid his own zipper. “I’ll handle this, handsome. Strip for me.”

Lowell obeyed. He got rid of his own boots and started to work on his jeans, but his gaze never wavered from Raven. Raven moved his hips in a sinuous motion, peeling off the tight pants with practiced ease. It was like watching a present open itself on Christmas morning. Lowell’s entire being vibrated with arousal, especially when he realized Raven had gone commando. Of course. He should have known. After all, how could Raven have snuck in underwear under those tight pants?

Finally, Raven was naked, his clothing dumped in a heap next to the bed. Raven arched a brow at him. “Well, are you going to just stand there?”

Lowell realized that he’d completely forgotten about his own jeans. With a savage snarl, he tore them off, getting rid of both the denim and his underwear in a few swift motions. He pounced on the bed and, surrendering to the passing, crawled onto Raven.

At first, Raven seemed a bit surprised, but he surrendered to Lowell’s touches, regardless. When Lowell pressed their lips together once again, he wrapped his arms around Lowell’s neck, pulling him closer. This time, there was no bigot there to break the moment, and Lowell lost himself into the kiss, greedily fucking Raven’s mouth, thrusting his tongue in that wet cavern, claiming and devouring. He didn’t allow his hands to remain idle, either, and he caressed Raven’s sides, taking in the silk of Raven’s skin. Raven’s erection nudged against Lowell’s, and Lowell rubbed against Raven’s body, craving more friction, more of the maddening kisses and touches.

As addicting as the kisses were, Lowell had to tear himself from Raven’s mouth. He had to taste each inch of Raven’s flesh. He peppered Raven’s face with kisses and licked down Raven’s collarbone, swirling his tongue over the hollow of the other man’s neck. Raven released a choked sound, and meaning to see just how many erogenous zones he could discover, Lowell nibbled on Raven’s earlobe, nipping the shell with his teeth. Raven arched against him and moaned. “Oh, Lowell. Please, fuck me.”

The words crashed against the remnants of Lowell’s control like a tidal wave. As much as he’d have liked to pursue a slower seduction, the need and sexual tension were far too much to withstand. He wildly reached for the nightstand, where he found a half-empty tube of lubricant.

Snatching his prize from the drawer, he flipped Raven on his stomach. Raven went with it and pushed his ass out, wiggling it invitingly. Lowell almost swallowed his tongue at the sight and had to take a few moments to calm down before he touched Raven again, lest he come without even getting inside the other man.

When he thought he was sufficiently in control, he opened the tube of lubricant and squirted a generous amount on his fingers. Raven spread his own ass cheeks, exposing his hole to Lowell’s greedy gaze. Lowell rubbed his slick digits across that tempting opening and slid one inside. He couldn’t suppress a groan when Raven’s body opened up to the invasion, swallowing up the finger. Lowell couldn’t resist. He added one more digit, his arousal skyrocketing as Raven’s ass muscles clenched.

Raven’s moan echoed his own as he impaled himself on Lowell’s fingers. Lowell did his best to prepare Raven, but the need that had been escalating through an entire evening of foreplay blurred his reason. He scissored his fingers inside Raven, crooking them just so in search of the tiny gland that could give Raven so much pleasure. When he found it, Raven cried out, pushing harder against him, his entire body trembling with desire. Finally, Lowell couldn’t take it anymore. He removed his fingers and slicked up his prick.

“I’m sorry about this, baby,” he whispered as he positioned his cock against Raven’s opening. “We’re going to have to take it slow next time.”

Raven nodded eagerly. “Just…in me. Please. In me.”

Lowell didn’t delay in taking Raven’s invitation. In one smooth thrust, he pushed inside.