Graham Ran Over A Reindeer (11 page)
Read Graham Ran Over A Reindeer Online
Authors: Sterling Rivers
Graham gasped, his lungs burning as he fought for air. Something was holding him down.
“Its okay, Graham!”
He knew that smooth, lightly accentuated voice… Rudy. Graham realized his eyes were close and when he peeled his lids open, the face of the man he loved hoovered over him. Rudy’s lips curled up in the corners and a gentle palm came against Graham’s cheek. It was the most beautiful sight Graham had ever seen.
“Welcome back… again,” the man said. “How do you feel?”
Frowning, he zeroed in on Rudy’s features, needing a rock to ground him. “Back? Again?”
“You’ve been slipping in and out of consciousness for a few days now. Grandfather said that is normal.” His bottom lip went in between his teeth for a moment. “You look a lot better now.”
“Days?” he croaked. “It feels like seconds… Jesus, Rudy. I saw… Light. And—”
“I know. It’s all you’ve been talking about,” he said. “Looks like you’ve been through one hell of a trip. I saw it the first time I chose my form, too.”
Graham blinked blankly at the man. Slowly, his smile creased his face as he remember his journey through the cosmos. He wasn’t sure if what he had seen was a figment of his imagination, or something grander had happened, but it had been amazing none the less. As his body relaxed and his mind eased, something touched his nose. He sniffed, then narrowed his eyes on Rudy, the man standing out against the background.
“You look… weird,” Graham said.
“Your vision is sharper now. Smell, taste, scent… even touch.” Rudy skimmed his fingers down Graham’s neck and he shuddered. “You’ll get used to it.”
I’m like him now. Elementir.
The realization rocked him to the core. He’d done it. It didn’t seem real, but he could feel something was different about himself. Rudy settled in next to him, and pushed away a stray lock from Graham’s forehead. A long life filled with happiness and family and kids flashed before his eyes. He was about to get everything he’d ever wanted—everything people longed for, but so few found. Grinning, he thought about them together, a hundred years from this moment as they frolicked in the snows and tangled their antler is mock fight.
A tidal wave of pain rushed up and he shouted in discomfort. He heard Rudy yell his name, but Graham lost his mind to the agony running through his entire body. It was unbearable and he was sure he was going to pass out—he prayed he would. His vision twisted, the world stretching and reforming. Rudy was with him, his face a mask of concern. Unusual feelings assault Graham—Danger… run… seek brother and sisters for companionship and protection… Rudy. Mate.
Darkness.
Light.
“Welcome back for the umpteenth time,” Rudy said as Graham squinted his eyes.
“How much time?” he croaked, his body feel stiff as if he’d pulled every muscle in his body.
“A few hours.” Rudy smiled, his sparkling grey eyes filled with unshed tears. “Are you sore?”
Graham shifted and his body lit up. He groaned. “Yeah. I feel like I just ran a hundred miles.”
“In the beginning, it hurts to shift, but it gets easier in time.”
Shift?
Craning his neck so he could regard Rudy closely, he said, “Do you… mean… I?”
The man grinned, his expression brighter than the summer sun. “You chose. The moment you made the decision, the instinct brought about the change.”
The implications hit Graham head on and all he could do was stare. He was caribou now? He remembered the simple, basic thoughts that had crossed his mind in that moment and the more he thought about it, the more he realized how animal like the emotions felt. He hadn’t thought choosing his form would be so easy, but…
I love this man. I want to be with him for the rest of our lives.
There was no alternative. Rudy was caribou and there was no option for Graham to be anything else.
Relaxing against his mate, he sighed and spanned the man’s shoulder with his hand, remarking at the vivid sensation sliding against his palm. Arching a sly brow, he chuckled. “You said touching would feel different now. Does that include sex?”
Rudy growled like a feral animal and pressed his lips against Graham’s. Fireworks exploded in his mouth, the sensation sending shivers throughout his body and the man’s taste made him moan with need.
Breaking away, Graham purred, “Oh yeah. I can so get used to this.”
“We are life-mates now,” Rudy murmured, bumping his head against Graham’s. “I am yours and you are mine.”
“I do like the sound of that. But the same goes as before… I need to ease into all this. A lot of weird stuff is running through me and I need you to guide me.”
“I promise. We will have many, many years to figure it out.”
They lay staring at each other for a long time, the outside world slipping by. In this moment, nothing mattered except that they were together. A laugh bubbled up Graham’s throat.
“What?” Rudy inquired.
“Nothing. I’m just glad I ran you over,” he said.
Beaming, Rudy tackled him and covered Graham’s body with his own.
About the Author
Sterling Rivers is a romance author in the gay genre—after all, what’s better than a sexy guy falling in love? Two! She lives in Chicago—home of the best music scene on the planet!—with her Doberman Danni, and mutt Rascal.