STORY EXCERPT

He was beautiful in his wolf shape, as large as any full-grown black bear, his back to them as he faced the nearly full moon.

It seemed larger tonight, and it highlighted Remy’s silver-and-black furred body with light.

It took Jules’s breath away.

Remy’s long, pointed ears twitched, and he turned his head.

Jules came to a complete halt when he was spotted. Their eyes met, and Remy turned to face him.

The wolf, who was taller than Jules in both his man and wolf shapes, was sitting, so regal, so beautiful and perfect that Jules really started to doubt the wisdom of showing up here.

Jules put his hands in front of him, onto his belly since he didn’t know what else to do with them. “I, uh, wanted to see you. I woke up, and you weren’t there. I’m sorry if this is a bother.”

Those golden exotic eyes flicked to Leo.

Jules looked behind himself just as Leo nodded, some unspoken agreement between the two shifters, and Leo turned to leave, leaving them alone.

Then it was just the two of them. Jules was still getting used to the fact that his life partner, the man who was to be his mate in life, was the alpha of the forest. He didn’t know what Remy was thinking and was still getting used to deciphering body language, but right now, he was fairly sure that it was perfectly all right for him to go closer, that Remy wouldn’t mind it if Jules wanted to stand beside him.

So that was what he did.

Remy stood, keeping his eyes on Jules the entire time, and then turned to face the moon again when Jules came to stand beside him. Though those golden eyes remained locked on Jules.

Jules couldn’t help himself. He touched Remy’s fur. It was coarse in some places and softer in others, like the ears. Jules just needed the comfort of knowing he was close to his mate.

“I’m sorry if this is a bother,” Jules said, smiling softly and leaning his entire body closer. It was almost as good as a hug. “I just...I had a bad dream. I know that’s dumb, but I needed to see you. Wasn’t trying to ruin your time alone.”

And considering Remy had two sides of himself to think about, that alone time was important. Jules didn’t want to take all of that away from Remy, so he felt as though he needed to be so much more careful.

Jules shut his eyes as he leaned into the fur. It was so peaceful, so warm, and so comfortable right where he was that he nearly dozed off while standing. He probably would have, if Remy hadn’t shifted.

The wolf melted down, smaller, into the shape of a naked man, his fur pulling back into the pores of his skin.

Jules opened his eyes just as a pair of strong, tanned arms curled around his body.

Remy’s hair, his human hair, was the same color as his wolf hair. Silver and black, an interesting shade for a man, and it had gotten a little longer lately, almost down to his shoulders.

“You’re not ruining anything,” Remy said softly.

His eyes were kind, his words gentle. Jules never thought he would need those things before, especially since he was a man, but now that he had them, he didn’t think he would ever be able to let them go.

Remy stroked the back of Jules’s neck and hair, a comforting gesture. “Tell me about your dream.”

Jules told him as he held his mate back. “I feel bad for bothering you about it, though. It was just a dream.”

“An important one,” Remy said. “Not much time has passed.”

Jules shivered. “I know, but I’m a grown man. I should be able to handle this on my own without coming to you all the time.”

“I don’t mind,” Remy said.

“But—”

“Shhh, no more,” Remy said, pulling back just enough so that Jules could look into his eyes. There was so much sincerity in them that Jules was always taken aback by it.

“You are my mate. I love you, and it is my responsibility to care for you.”

“It shouldn’t be a responsibility,” Jules said, his face heating up, despite the cold in the air.

“It is one I enjoy,” Remy said. “I am also wise enough to be able to tell the difference between a mate who is unable to care for himself and one who requires comfort from time to time. I know you are not weak and helpless, but the child inside of you does make you a little more tender to these things. I’m also aware that you respect my need to be in my other shape. I take no offense when you require my time.”

Jules damn near sighed in relief as he leaned closer to Remy’s chest, pressing his cheek to the man’s heart.

“I love you,” he said softly. “I know I don’t say it a lot, but I do. You’re...you’re the best thing to ever happen to me.”

“Am I, now?” Remy asked, a tone in his voice that Jules didn’t quite understand.

He moved to pull back, to look up into Remy’s eyes, but was too late as he cried out when Remy leaned down and scooped his arms under Jules’s legs.

He pulled Jules up and began walking away from the silvery view of the moon and valley, carrying Jules like a bride.

This had been how Remy had carried Jules the first time he’d been brought to the pack, after his father had tried to kill him for fornicating with a werewolf and allowing a spell to be put on him.

“Where are we going?” Jules asked, curling his arms around Remy’s neck. The man had so much strength that he managed to carry Jules around, despite the added weight from the child.

ADULT EXCERPT

Remy moaned as his cock throbbed. He had to touch, had to curl his fingers around his dick just to settle the ache.

“Not fair,” Jules said, panting for breath. “Why do you get to do that, but I can’t.”

“I said you could pleasure yourself,” Remy replied, smirking as he let his hand slide leisurely up the length of his cock. He did not do this to give himself pleasure, however. He simply wanted to tease his mate. Remy gripped the base of his cock just hard enough to prevent his orgasm from coming. He said he would wait until he was inside of Jules before release, and he meant it.

Jules threw that in his face, however. “But I can’t come until you’re in me.”

Remy nodded. “That’s right, so now you must decide how much you want to tease yourself.”

Jules’s eyes widened just a little, more than enough for Remy to see the whites all around them.

“Tease myself?”

“You are preparing yourself. I can hardly say anything should your fingers come into contact with your prostate.”

Remy leaned closer. He didn’t linger. He went only close enough so that he could press a kiss to Jules’s mouth and then pull back. “Tell me when you’re ready, when you’ve made yourself so desperate that you can’t stand it. Then, and only then, will I fuck you. I will fuck you, and you will beg me for more.”

“Oh God,” Jules said. The man threw his head back into the sheets, his back stretching out, his muscles tensing, before he looked back into Remy’s eyes.

Jules’s eyelids were half shut. He looked almost drunk, desperate, for the love and affection that Remy was promising him.

“Make yourself need it as much as I do,” Remy said. “Then I will take care of you, just as an alpha is meant to care for his mate.”

Jules groaned. He reached his free hand down for his cock, but Remy grabbed him by the wrist and yanked the man’s hand above his head. “No touching that,” Remy said, smiling as the game became so much more fun and exciting. “You can touch your asshole, and stroke your prostate, but you can do nothing else. Do you understand?”

It was the alpha inside of Remy that also demanded Jules comply.

Jules nodded, a moan leaving his mouth. “Yes, yes I understand.”

“Good,” Remy said, releasing Jules’s hand and pulling back.

He liked holding Jules’s hand above his head, however. He would have to try that later, when they weren’t already in the middle of a game.

Until then, he sat back to enjoy the show that his mate wanted to perform for him. He watched as his lover, his little human, continued to thrust his fingers inside of himself. Jules scissored his fingers, stretching his hole wider.

Remy was forced to keep one hand on his cock just to contain the pleasure that wanted to burst free. He could already tell that he would not last long before orgasm once he pushed his cock inside of his mate.

He couldn’t wait.

Jules used his free hand to play with his nipples, to stroke and touch his chest and neck. He seemed to desire the touch a great deal, and Remy leaned in to press his tongue to one of Jules’s nipples after Jules finished playing with it.

It became apparent when Jules was no longer stretching himself, but also pleasuring himself, as his moans increased.

“Oh God. Fuck. R-Remy, I’m...I’m ready. Fuck, please fuck me.”

“Tell me you need me,” Remy said, feeling the wilder side of himself come out a little. He needed those words more than he needed anything else right now.

His mate thought he was a bother, that he should not be coming to Remy for assistance, no matter what it was for.

That was exactly what Remy was supposed to be doing. He was the alpha, and he was Jules’s mate. It was his place to keep Jules happy and content, and he needed to hear the man tell him that.

“I need you,” Jules said, his hips thrusting forward as he tried to get his fingers to sink in even deeper.

That was what Remy needed. He grabbed onto Jules’s hand and gently pulled back.

Jules moaned when his channel was empty, and then both of his hands were grabbing Remy’s shoulders again, trying to yank him closer.

“Not yet, sweet. Almost,” Remy promised.

Jules moaned impatiently. “What? But—”

“I know,” Remy said, reaching for the oil. He grabbed the vial and used the last of the contents to coat his cock with it.

He stroked his erection only to spread the oil, but he moaned and shivered even then as his pleasure spiked.

So close. He was so damned close that he could taste it.

Remy had to force his hand away from his dick. It was not an easy thing to do. He’d spent so many years of his life, decades, in his wilder form.

That form simply did not stop when pleasure like that was within reach.

Remy needed to be patient and wait.

He thought about the best way to take Jules in this moment. He’d had the man in a number of positions since they’d met, but none of them were overly ambitious or exciting.

With the pregnancy, there was always the worry, and the fear, that anything too wild would cause harm.

“Turn onto your side,” Remy said. His fingernails turned into small claws. If he did not gain control of himself, then they would become longer, more hooked, and he did not wish to frighten his mate with that.

Jules noticed the claws, looked from them and up to Remy, but he said nothing as he turned onto his side.

Remy slid up behind him, keeping one hand on Jules’s hip.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said.

Jules seemed to swallow hard, and then he nodded. “I know.