STORY EXCERPT

He shook his head and walked out his front door. He knew if he stayed a moment longer he’d succumb to his own grief and lose it right there in his living room and in front of Alec.

Slade’s house sat just on the north edge of Zarantaria where the Toban River met with Ranier’s Ledge. He’d chosen the spot for its close proximity to the Ulstrea Sea and Sergin Valley. He was always at peace when he was outdoors. Residing in a location smack dab in the middle of the various places of wonderment offered him the ideal excuse to slip away from time to time and just get lost in his surroundings.

Right now he needed that more than anything. He wanted to forget what he’d come home to tonight and go back to a time when his life was normal again. Back to a time when his father wasn’t dead and his mother wasn’t heartbroken. He looked up to the stars and saw the western star flicker in the night sky.

He started to leisurely stroll toward the forest, not exactly sure where he was going. Thoughts and memories of his father flooded his mind. He wished that he was a magician and not a blacksmith. If he was then maybe he could concoct a potion or create a spell to turn back time. Would that even save his father though?

Slade remembered something his dad always used to say to his two sons whenever one of their family pets died. He’d tell them that sometimes things died. It was the circle of life, and even though he hated losing them, he reminded his boys how lucky they were to have the gift of having them in their lives.

His dad was full of wisdom. He always knew the right thing to say and exactly how and when to say it. What Slade wouldn’t give for a piece of that wisdom now. Gage Marx would probably come up with something witty and then tell everyone to stop crying over him. That was just the type of man that he was, giving, humble, and completely selfless.

A flash of light caught his attention, and Slade turned his head. His house was now in the far distance. He hadn’t realized he’d gotten as far as he did, but he could see that his bedroom light was now on as Alec prepared for bed. He felt a little guilty for leaving them both home. He knew he should be there, but his mind was so muddled right now that he needed to clear it. He’d be no good to anyone if he couldn’t think straight.

The bedroom light turned off, and suddenly his house seemed that much farther away. The small, two-floor structure seemed to dwarf next to the massive forest Slade stood beside. The bright moon shone over the forest and cast thick beams of light through the trees. Even despite the beauty of the forest, Slade was seething with anger. His heart pounded inside of him, while his blood boiled in his veins.

His father was dead. Suddenly and without warning, he no longer had a dad. It wasn’t fair, dammit!

Slade abruptly ran through the tree line and wailed into the quiet night. A guttural scream ripped from somewhere deep inside of him. It was fueled by an inexplicable grief that he never knew was possible until that night.

His emotions took control of his body, and anything he wanted to do didn’t matter. His body began to shift. He could feel the prickly sensation of thick hairs poke through his skin with each step that he took. Even if he wanted to fight it, he knew he wouldn’t be able to. His sorrow and fatigue made it impossible to fight.

In mid stride, Slade kicked off his shoes. As he continued to run he rid himself of his jeans and then his shirt, dropping them along the way as he ran through the trees. Now naked, he felt the thickening hair growing longer and filling up his body. His bones stung with a burning pain as he fell forward. He languished for a moment, working his head around in a circle as he stretched his neck and body in an attempt to reacquaint himself in his Spartician body. His nails sprung outward from the round pads of his paws. The sensation offered an odd portion of pain and tickling all at once, and he dug his claws into the thick brush of the forest floor.

Arching his back, he stretched every limb and remembered how it felt to become something completely different. His body shook instinctively when his tail sprouted out from his lower backside. He wasn’t sure how, but somehow he had managed to forget how shifting tickled up the back of his spine. His nose twitched when his whiskers took their shape, growing outward on the sides of his face.

Slade looked up at the sky, watching as the western star reached the tip of Culipt’s Bow and aligned with the constellation. It was now midnight in Zarantaria, and despite his pain he somehow felt better.

Slowly he took a step forward, listening for sounds in the night. For several minutes he strolled leisurely in the forest, the hum of his purr reverberating off the trees and bouncing back to him, causing an eerie echo.

He increased his pace finally, jogging through the vacant forest and forgetting about the tears in his mother’s eyes. The carefree feeling made him wonder when the last time was that his father had shifted. It was said that once one got older one’s ability to shift became less and less, but Slade never knew if that was true. Shifting was said to be good for a Spartician’s health, so he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something he should have or could have done to make sure his dad wasn’t taken from them so abruptly.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Damn…look at you.” Riker began stroking himself. “Fuck, your cock looks so good. Way better than even I pictured it.”

“You pictured me?” Slade asked, both excited and curious about what Riker had thought of.

Riker looked down at Slade’s cock and licked his lips. “Oh yeah. You better believe I did.”

“Tell me about it.” Slade darted his tongue out and gently sucked on Riker’s head before adding, “Tell me everything.”

The deep passion Slade saw in Riker’s eyes was bringing out the dominant streak he kept hidden. He wanted to hear Riker’s fantasies. He wanted to know what made him hot, what made him hard, and what kept him up at night.

Riker reached around and pulled Slade’s head closer while both of the men continued to stroke their own cocks. Slade opened his mouth and willingly accepted Riker’s cock back into his mouth. Even without moving his head, Riker slid back and forth inside his mouth. Slade could feel Riker’s cock swell even thicker under the slow and gentle ministrations Slade offered.

“Mmm…that’s it.” Riker dropped his head back and pushed his hips more forward. Then he looked back down and asked, “You want to hear what I’ve been thinking about at night?”

While Riker continued to gently fuck his mouth, he continued to massage the back of Slade’s scalp. Unable to talk, Slade nodded his head in answer. He wanted to hear it all. Anything and everything that Riker thought of, he needed to know. Because whatever it was, Slade would give it to him.

“So many things, Slade. I imagined so much. All the different ways I could take you. All the different ways you could take me. I imagined different positions, different angles. Different places while you and I fucked one another over and over again. All that mattered was that it was with you. Only you. Fuck, but I’ve wanted you so damn bad.”

Slade looked up at him. Through watery eyes he tried to tell Riker how much he wanted him, too. His words came out as mumbles as he fought the battle between his need for Riker and his need for oxygen.

“What’s that, baby?” Riker gently rubbed his hand along Slade’s jaw line and caressed his cheek.

Begrudgingly, Slade released Riker from his mouth and licked his taste from his lips. “I want that, too. All of it. Everything you said and more.”

Riker offered a sexy grin. “Do you want to fuck me?”

Slade’s words caught in his chest. It would have been so easy to say yes and admit his true feelings, but he felt frozen as he stared up into those magnificent eyes that seemed to put him under a spell. Did he want to fuck him? Hell yes he did, but he wanted so much more than just a fuck. He wanted all of Riker. He wanted his heart, his soul. He wanted to mark him for his own, so no one dared to go near him ever again.

“Hey…” Riker lifted his chin. “What’s the matter? Did I say something wrong?”

Slade shook his head in answer. “No. Not at all. You said everything right. I do want that. I want you. I want more than you may realize.”

“Maybe we both want more. Maybe you should just take whatever you want,” Riker suggested.

The idea filled Slade with mixed emotions. Happiness, desire, and possessiveness consumed him all at once. He cocked up an eyebrow and looked up at the beautiful man who stood before him. He wondered if Riker was serious, or if it was merely a playful challenge. Whatever it was meant as, Slade was done being passive. Riker told him to take what he wanted, and he intended to do just that.

Riker’s fingers worked their way through Slade’s hair, combing it gently while his fingers gently massaged the back of his head. Slade looked up at him for only a moment and then told Riker exactly what his intentions were.

“I’m going to suck you off. I’m going to make you come so hard. And when I’m done, I’m going to fuck you like no one has ever fucked you before.”

Slade didn’t wait for a response. He averted his gaze back down and lifted Riker’s cock up in one hand. Then, starting at his ball sac, Riker teasingly licked at them, sucking first one and then the other into his mouth before he allowed his tongue to swipe along the tight skin which led from his balls to the underside of his cock. He continued his relentless seduction for several minutes until he turned his head and brought his tongue to the base of Riker’s cock.

With pursed lips, Slade closed his lips around the thick vein, which worked its way up the underside of Riker’s length. Slowly and methodically, Slade sucked his way up Riker’s dick until he reached the top.

The journey may have lasted only seconds, but it was obviously driving Riker crazy. His fingers clutched at the back of Slade’s hair while he groaned and bucked his hips forward. Slade had never spent so much time drawing out a lover’s pleasure before. It was something he vowed to change with Riker.

With Riker’s hands holding him firmly in place, Slade opened his mouth just wide enough to suck in his cock. He went slowly at first, careful to draw out the pleasure and pain as he took in the delicious taste of Riker’s cock. Then when he wasn’t sure if either of them could take it much longer, Slade picked up his pace, taking Riker fast and deep into his throat.

For several minutes Slade continued to bring Riker close to the edge and slowly bring him back down again. Each time he felt the swell of his dick fill his mouth, Slade relaxed his hold and drew the pleasure out that much longer.