Heart of a Cowboy (10 page)

“Merry Christmas, Derek,” Ishwar said.

“I don’t usually celebrate Christmas for myself.” He remembered all the crappy Christmases he had endured. Times he wished he had a real family, people who loved him unconditionally, and none could compare to today. He had friends for the first time in years and a lover. This had to be his best Christmas ever.

“Why not? Did you not believe in Christmas?” Ishwar asked thoughtfully.

“No, I just never belonged anywhere before.” A weight lifted off his chest with that admission. “Never really had a family.”

“Well, this is your home now and we’ll be your family for as long as you want us. Isn’t that right, Ishwar?”

“Absolutely,” Ishwar agreed.

Derek had never been happier than that moment and he could honestly say the ranch felt like home.

* * * *

Angela sensed they wanted more private time to themselves and disappeared.

“We should probably get back inside before someone misses us.” Derek felt odd being alone with Ishwar for the first time in weeks, and at the same time a sense of peacefulness overcame him.

“They won’t miss us for a while. We have plenty of time before someone would come looking. We could probably do it three or four times before someone figured out what we were up to, unless you want to go back now.”

Fuck going back. He’d rather fuck his friend.

“No.” There was no going back now.

Ishwar closed in on him. His hand reached for his face, cupping it with his strong, lean fingers. Derek’s dick hardened and lengthened. Ishwar could turn him on, turn him over, and take him right then and there. He was putty in the man’s hands when he touched him like this. He closed his eyes, engulfed by Ishwar’s masculine scent, his strength.

No other man could make him feel so loved and so turned on with just a look. Well, there was one other man, but he was a distant dream, a one-night stand in a bar, and he never planned on seeing Lucas again, much less fucking him.

They kissed, freeing Derek’s mind from the memories of the past.

Derek shed his shirt and his pants in seconds, letting them fall to the floor in his enthusiasm. Ishwar followed suit, removing his shirt, but he kept his tight-fitting blue jeans on. He just opened the zipper to unleash his giant erection.

“Did you want to break in the saddle?” Ishwar’s mouth tilted up at the corners. The tips of his fingers drew soft circles on Derek’s thighs.

“Dunno. Riding bareback sounds kind of fun.”

“Trust me. This can be fun too.” Ishwar lifted him by his waist onto the saddle. The hard leather felt cool beneath his ass and molded to his backside.

“Show me.” Derek’s legs circled the other man’s waist. Their dicks touched and his breath hissed out in pleasure.

“If you insist.” Ishwar gripped Derek under his ass and lifted his legs over Ishwar’s shoulders to lock in place around his neck. He pulled a bottle of lube from his pocket and opened it, spreading the oil in an even coat across his dick.

His fingers gently pressed into Derek’s rosy pink hole and opened him slowly to prepare him for his size.

“Just fuck me,” Derek begged. He tightened his muscles around Ishwar’s probing fingers. And then suddenly released them. He wanted to feel that fat dick inside of him, not pressed up against his thigh.

“Say it again.”

“Fuck me!” He could feel the tip of Ishwar’s cock enter. He forced himself to relax, allowing the Indian to push deeper, until he was buried balls deep in his ass. He held his position with his legs up over the other man’s ass, and he was sure it would be a funny sight if anyone walked in on them.

“Give it to me!”

Ishwar was merciless in his sexual torture, moving slowly in and out.

“Ah, you like that?” Ishwar asked in mid-thrust.

“If I could cut off your dick and keep it, I would.” Derek’s erection burned with frustration. He cupped it with the palm of his hand, sliding it over the length, back and forth. “Fuck me, but that feels so good!”

“Who feels good?”

“You do. Damn, I love this. I love you, Ishwar!”

He felt Ishwar press hard, his load being unloaded between Derek’s butt cheeks. Ishwar unhooked Derek’s legs from behind his neck and pulled Derek close to his body, holding him under his arms. His lips pressed against Derek’s, tasting salty but good.

This was what it felt like to be loved. Derek wrapped his arms tightly around Ishwar’s neck, never wanting to let him go. It didn’t matter that Ishwar didn’t say the words back. He showed him in every step of their lovemaking session how he felt about him and how much he needed him. Derek could wait to hear those words.

Chapter Ten

“I’ll meet you back inside in a few minutes, Ishwar. Just gonna lock up.”

“Hey, I understand if you want to choose a horse over me. You can say it,” Ishwar joked lightly, chuckling under his breath.

“I would never make that choice, but I do love my gift.” Derek pulled him close to kiss him quickly. “I’ll be inside in just a minute.”

“All right, but don’t take too long.” Ishwar gave him a playful squeeze on his ass before turning to leave him alone in the barn. Derek picked up a brush and entered the stall of his new roan mare. She was surprisingly friendly, meeting him at the gate.

“Hey girl, you sure are pretty.” He talked to her in soothing tones, brushing her loose hair from her coat. Her shiny coat was proof that she had been well cared for before. She was healthy, not too fat or too skinny that you could see her ribs beneath the skin. She moved like she was a young horse; her ears perked forward with a healthy curiosity and she responded well to his touch. The temperature was supposed to drop to freezing tonight and he noticed the short hair of the horse didn’t have the insulated layer of winter hair to protect her. “I am going to take really good care of you.”

He got a blanket and threw it over the horse. Then he locked up for the night. One last visual check and he turned off the lights before shutting the side entrance door and leaving.

This next year was going to be a great year for him. He was in love with a man who treated him right, and his future looked even better. He had a good job if Jesse would let him stick around, and a man who loved him. His new horse could turn out to be an asset. He could train her, maybe even participate in a few rodeos. If she won, her babies could be worth some money if he wanted to breed her in a few years.

The cool night air was laced with tobacco smoke, putting Derek on the alert. He recognized that brand of cigarette and the man who smoked it. He hugged his jacket tighter to his body and sped up his pace to get back to the main building and the party. It didn’t leave a good feeling in the pit of his stomach to be out here alone.

“Hey, there!” Bo’s lazy voice called from the darkness, setting the hairs on the back of Derek’s neck on edge. “What’s your hurry, Derek?”

“I don’t want any trouble, Bo.” Derek paused mid-step, his eyes locked on the space of darkness that the voice came from. The cigarette glowed red as the man took a deep breath, but even that light disappeared as it was tossed to the ground and squished beneath his heel.

“What? Scared now that your boyfriend isn’t here to protect you?”

“Just leave Ishwar out of this.”

“Oh, so now you’re getting hot and heavy with the Indian?” His laughter sounded sick and twisted. “He can’t help you either, and if you scream for help, I’ll just kill him too.”

He must have thought he was dating the guy from the bar or something. Little did he know that Derek had not seen Lucas since that fateful night. “What do you want, Bo?”

“You are going to come with me so we can settle a score.”

“And if I say no?”

“Nobody will hear you scream, nobody will even know what happened until they find your body. You owe me.”

“I don’t owe you shit.” Derek took one step backward.

“You got me fired, horse shit, and cast out by my pack.” The feral growl carried in the night air, and Derek tried to move but couldn’t, paralyzed by the hypnotic glow of Bo’s eyes. He felt like a trapped animal, knowing he was about to be someone’s dinner. After his last run-in with Bo, Derek was through trying to fight the pecker. He knew he’d just get his ass kicked again. The asshole’s strength was superhuman and he could overpower Derek with little effort. “You owe me everything.”

Derek opened his mouth to scream, but Bo was there before he could make a sound. Bo held his hand over Derek’s mouth. “Because I like to play with my food, I am going to give you a sporting chance. I’ll give you till the count of ten to see how far you can run.”

Bo pushed him down to land on his hands and knees before beginning to slowly count. Derek didn’t look back, just ran like hell. He ran as if his life depended on it, because it did.

* * * *

Ishwar hated the feeling gnawing at his stomach. He’d been watching the door for a while now, but Derek wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Sure he said he’d be locking up, but a half hour had passed.

He exited the party and looked over to the barn. The lights were off except for the security lights outside the building, making Ishwar think something was wrong.

Ishwar scoured the area for tracks in the soft dirt. It was a full moon and the ranch was well lit, but he never expected to find results so quickly. There had been a struggle, and then the footsteps took off in the opposite direction of the building, toward the distant plain. He couldn’t see anyone or anything in the distance, but his instincts were telling him that Derek was in trouble and needed help.

“Damn.” He called Jesse on the way to saddle his horse. This just seemed too close to Bo’s getting fired to be a coincidence, and if he had another run-in with Bo, he wasn’t sure he could help him.

Ishwar could ask for help another way. Being a shaman held its advantages. He could communicate with wolves telepathically and charm them, but there would be a price to pay.

Magic always had a price, but tonight he would pay anything to ensure his love lived to see another day.

Chapter Eleven

The call came on the wind. Desperate. Images pulsed through Lucas’s mind asking for help to search for a lost human. When a picture of Derek’s face flashed in his mind, he knew he would have to give aid.

It was up to Lucas whether he wanted to answer or involve the pack, but if he helped the medicine man, he could demand a new treaty from the Indians.

One that would give him and his kind a whole lot more respect.

He let out a long, low howl with his answer, and his pack returned his call. He would help.

He ran at a full gallop, all four paws hitting the ground, sending clay and sand into the air. He used his senses to help him find the right direction. His hearing was sharper than that of a human, and his sense of smell was five hundred times better in this canine form.

Lucas covered distances that no human could compete with in only a few seconds. His fur parted with the wind, and as he panted his tongue rolled to the side. He never felt as free or close to nature as when he was in his wolf form.

He ran wild and free toward the moon, his nose in the air to catch the scent of his lost human.

* * * *

Damn it.

Lucas found the human he was looking for battered and in a bleeding pile of dirty rags.

Raw, unbridled emotion hit him like a ton of bricks wrapping around his chest.

Lucas curled his body next to Derek’s, hoping to share warmth and comfort. The man didn’t seem to be conscious; his breathing was shallow and labored, and Lucas was still weak from the last time he healed him. He couldn’t do it a second time in the same moon cycle. He could only call the man who’d asked for his aid and hope he arrived soon enough to help. He recognized the smell of another. Derek reeked of Bodine.

Anger flooded his veins and his fur bristled protectively while lying there. How could he have been so stupid to leave his mate unprotected and alone?

He had communicated to Ishwar the images of Derek’s twisted and bloody body the moment he found it. All that was left was to wait for the Indian to arrive.

Minutes seemed like hours and went to go on forever until he heard the sound of approaching horse steps.

A tall Indian sat atop a black stallion. The horse was breathing hard after running for so long, and the passenger turned pale the moment he saw the trail of blood leading to the body Lucas sat next to.

Lucas growled from deep in his throat, the hair bristling on the back of his neck. He didn’t like what he was feeling from this man. His mind shouted out one thought. One word in response.

Mine.

The Indian slid down from his horse, hands out in front of him, to show he was no threat, but even with a weapon the man would have a hard time competing with Lucas’s wolf side. Soft human flesh was no match for his speed or his sharp canine teeth capable of ripping flesh and smashing bone.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” The Indian tried to use a soothing voice and charm him with his magic, but Lucas resisted the desire to please him. He was the alpha wolf. It was his choice to stay or to go, and he would lay down the law here and now. Derek belonged to him and him alone.

Mine.

“You can’t help him, but I can. Let me help him.” The Indian took another step forward and stopped inches away from him.

Lucas stopped growling as he considered his options for a moment. Stay and protect, or trust the Indian would do the right thing and save Derek’s life. Then he could go and find the man who had done this. His first choice was to protect the life of his lover, but if he didn’t get some type of medical help soon, there would be no saving him. His life force was weak, barely hanging on.

He couldn’t let him die no matter the cost.

Lucas made a decision on the spot that could have cost him his life. He transformed in front of a human, exposing his secret and that of his pack. Fur and fang became soft flesh and teeth; bones contorted and muscle changed shape, shifting to another size, another form, another shape.

He stood naked before the Indian, waiting for judgment. Lucas was surprised to see fascination whirl in the Indian’s eyes and not fear. Ishwar mouthed the word “Wendigo,” and that one word told him the Indian knew his kind from ancient legends.