Brian had to admit that seeing Derek like this even scared him; the growling
wolf s face looked like something out of a nightmare. But that s what he had
been going for. This plan could only work if Derek was ferocious.
Kyle, Brian said softly, stepping over to stand behind Derek, so that Kyle
saw both of them. Think of this as your chance to really change. I want you to
think about this wolf. Think of him and know that he will tear your throat out if
you ever come near me again. He s my guardian, and he will kill you slowly.
Kyle looked terrified. His eyes were impossibly wide and his pupils were the
size of pinpricks. His mouth was opened in a silent scream, and his entire body
trembled. He was paler than a ghost, all color had drained from his face. Kyle
might have been a monster, but he was also a coward. Brian hoped his
cowardice would guide his actions and make him leave. If not, he would look
the other way as Derek finished him off.
Brian walked away, and Derek followed a short time after, still in wolf
form, trotting beside him. He glanced back once to see Kyle slowly roll over. And
vomit. He was shaking visibly, and Brian turned away, determined to move on.
He would never forget, but he would place Kyle in his past once more. His
future was walking beside him, silent on the wet grass. Brian looked down at
Derek and watched the sleek muscles move and flex under his black fur, his
ears moving back and forth, catching all the sounds around them; the cars, the
birds. The wind through the leaves.
Brian placed his hand on Derek s back and he heard the gentle growl,
almost like a purr, that rumbled in his lover s chest. He was so beautiful.
It was still early and most people were home, inside, opening Christmas
presents. They walked a short way to a swift moving river, and Brian emptied
the revolver before tossing it into the water. He waited a few minutes for the
water to take the revolver away before tossing in the bullets. Hopefully it would
be a while before the revolver was found.
He took a deep breath and released it slowly. He glanced down at Derek,
who had been gulping down water from the bank. Derek looked up, his hair wet
and stringy around his jaw, and wagged his tail. Brian smiled and scratched
him behind the ears. Derek s eyes rolled back into his head in response, and
Brian chuckled.
Let s go home, mate, Brian told the wolf.
Derek gave him a doggy grin before jumping up, placing his paws on
Brian s shoulders and licking him enthusiastically on the face. Brian laughed
and shoved him away, stumbling backward and struggling to keep his balance.
Stop it, you mutt, or you ll make me topple into the water.
Derek snorted and raced off. Brian followed, shaking his head. They hadn t
parked far from the dog park and the river, so they reached the car in just a few
minutes. Once there, Derek shifted back into human form and dressed.
That better do it, Derek said as Brian drove them home. I will kill him if
he shows up again.
I know. Brian did know. And he accepted it.
FINALLY. It was the only thought Derek had as they all sat down the ten of
them, counting the animals by the Christmas tree and began to open
presents.
Derek had taken a look at Brian s leg, and after determining that the bullet
wound was minor, he had done the stitching himself. Still, it had enraged him
to see Brian s blood, to know who had harmed his mate, and to know that the
bastard was still out there. He had been seconds away from killing Kyle,
seconds away from feeling Kyle s warm blood in his mouth. It had only been
because of his mate that he had held back he had felt Brian s emotions and
had seen what his mate wanted him to do. In retrospect, he had hoped their
plan would fail, just so he could chew on Kyle s neck. The man was better dead.
Shaking off the unpleasant thoughts as best he could, he turned his
attention to the festively wrapped presents and to Brian, who was grinning and
laughing as he opened the presents they each had gotten for the dogs: treats, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]