under him and he practically flew through the forest. Usually he felt like such a shit, so tall and gangly without a lick of coordination. This body, though…This body could do almost anything.
Then it hit him like a punch to the gut. This body was going home to Jazzy Blue tonight. Jazzy and that long, lean, dark and gorgeous body of hers, all to himself. As much as he loved sex with Logan, he’d never once been alone with a woman like Jazzy. Never dreamed he’d have the chance.
Tonight. Tonight he had more than a chance. He already had Jazzy’s promise. Jaws agape, ears forward, Deacon ran like he’d never run before.
They killed an elk, a huge beast they found in one of the upper meadows, but a dozen wolves made short work of the animal. Logan prowled on the fringes with the other males, snarling and growling while the females fed first.
Tiny little Tala had been the one to actually bring the animal down. She’d circled around and surprised it, fearlessly charging in, avoiding the slashing hooves and locking her jaws around its throat. Keisha and Xandi went after hamstrings and Eve and Jazzy leapt on the animal’s back, latching on to haunch and shoulder with their powerful jaws. The elk was already dying when it hit the ground.
A clean kill from what Logan could tell. It made his blood run hot. The females aggressively defended their meal while the males circled, snarling, occasionally snapping at one another.
Anton was the one who instructed them, who explained that theirs was a truly matriarchal society, that the females usually led in the hunt and the kill was theirs, to share as they saw fit. He held them back when Logan would have rushed in, anxious for his first taste of the freshly downed elk.
His human mind saw his behavior for what it was, a bloodlust brought on by the thrill of the hunt, the successful kill, the smell of warm blood. His animal side understood only that meat was hot and fresh, blood flowed and the scent of death meant a full belly.
Once the females let them feed.
Eventually all of them ate, leaving little more than scattered bones and strips of hide. They cleaned their muzzles, rubbing their faces in the dried grass and drinking from a nearby stream, rolled in the frosty grass and slowly broke away, each wolf to go off in his or her own direction.
Keisha, Xandi, and Eve, Adam’s mate, headed back to the house together. Anton and Stefan chose to run farther into the woods, while Tala, Mik, and AJ headed in to get a good night’s sleep. They were going back to San Francisco in the morning, without their three young Chanku.
Jazzy nuzzled behind Logan’s ear and nipped the thick ruff of his neck. Deacon and I are going back to the house. I love you.
I love you, too. You looked magnificent, going after the elk. He lowered his head and butted her chest. I got hot, just watching you.
Save it for Adam.
Her mental laughter filled his heart and soul, and then she was gone. Deacon trailed along behind her. He turned and glanced over his shoulder at Logan. Then he trotted into the brush right on Jazzy’s heels.
Logan watched them leave with mixed feelings, expecting jealousy, finding none. He loved them both. He felt relief that Jazzy wouldn’t be alone tonight, that she’d have someone with her who would protect her, watch over her…make love to her.
An owl hooted. He realized he stood alone in the meadow.
Alone except for Adam.
Are you okay with Jazzy going home with him? Adam’s muzzle rested on Logan’s shoulder. I hadn’t thought about the fact you were newly mated.
It’s okay. I guess I’m surprised that I don’t feel jealous. I love both of them. He shook his head in a very unwolflike manner. It’s all new to me, my changing attitudes and feelings about sex. Having sex with a guy is new to me.
A lot of us were bisexual before we became Chanku. It’s that overwhelming sex drive we were all born with.
I wasn’t. I mean, the drive was there, overwhelming at times, but I never even thought of sex with another man. There were always enough women. Logan turned and gazed into Adam’s amber eyes. Mik was my first experience with a guy. Then Deacon, but it’s all still new. Scary, in a way. It’s so intense, being with another man. Getting into his head. Tonight, with you…This is my first time alone with a man.
Thank you for telling me. Quiet laughter flowed into Logan’s mind. I promise to be gentle. C’mon. Let’s go back to Oliver and Mei’s cottage. They’re staying at the big house. Eve’s staying with Keisha and Xandi tonight and we’ll have the cottage to ourselves. Adam turned away and trotted back along the trail they’d come in on.
Logan watched him for a moment, and then he followed. His body was already tight with arousal. It took everything he had to control the desire to stop Adam here, in the deep woods. Stop him and fuck him now, without the long run back to the cottage.
A question slithered into his mind—was this really about the knowledge Adam could give him?
Or was he lying to himself? Was it Adam Wolf he wanted? And was Adam’s knowledge merely the excuse Logan needed?
Deacon couldn’t think of anything at all to say, so he followed Jazzy in silence all the way back to the house. The night was cold and clear and the stars so bright they looked almost fake, hanging like silver ornaments in the midnight sky.
He hardly saw them. His entire focus was the she-wolf leading him through the forest. Her scent drew him onward, her lean body, the tilt of her ears, the way her tail moved with each step she took. He ignored the night sounds, the myriad scents, the life surrounding them in the deep woods.
There was only Jazzy. Only the wolf mattered.
They trotted out of the forest and crossed the meadow to the back deck. There were a few lights on in the house, but at first he sensed neither sound nor movement. He wondered if the others had gone to sleep.
Concentrating on Jazzy as she trotted up the stairs and headed toward the open back door, Deacon slowly picked out other sounds with senses much sharper than he’d had before. Women’s laughter came from the end of the house where Anton and Stefan had their rooms and he recognized Mei, Keisha, Xandi, and Eve. A man’s voice broke in…Oliver. Deacon would have laughed if he’d been human. So the guy with the new set of balls was in bed with four women? It seemed only fair.
Jazzy slipped through the door and shifted as soon as she was inside. Deacon followed her and suddenly he was a man again before he’d even thought to worry whether or not he could do it right.
Someone had cleaned up the remnants of his cast. It felt so good to walk without pain.
“C’mon. I need a shower.” Jazzy grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hallway to their rooms. He started to head for his own room, but she pulled him into the one she shared with Logan.
“He won’t be back for hours. Shower with me, okay? I know this is your first run, but aren’t you hornier than you’ve ever been in your life? I can’t believe how shifting makes me go so crazy.”
She stood there, holding on to his hand and smiling at him, and he thought his heart would pound right out of his chest. Like an absolute dolt, he nodded in agreement and let her tug him toward the shower. He must look like a total idiot, but Jazzy had taken charge and Deacon wasn’t about to say no to anything she suggested.
And she was right about being horny. Everything about him felt extra sensitive. Just walking turned him on, the way his cock bobbed against his belly with each step he took. The slight contact when his balls brushed against his thighs sent shivers along his spine.
Jazzy flipped on the water and he followed her into the shower. She was tall, but he still towered over her. He’d always felt so damned awkward with legs and arms too long, hands and feet too big and a cock so huge it scared most women.
Now the damned thing was even bigger than usual, swollen and hard, standing high and hot. His balls ached. If she so much as touched him,