Werewolf's Way [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 1] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (11 page)

Graham honestly had no clue how that was possible since weaponry like that was illegal. But he’d managed nonetheless, and Graham felt more than thankful for it.

“So where are we headed now?” Caelyn asked as they drove out of the city. “Alaska?”

Graham shook his head. “That’s a good guess, but no,” he replied, absently rapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “That’s among the last places where I’d be inclined to go.”

From the seat next to him, his mate frowned. “But why? I thought draechen avoided cold places.”

“That’s the general concept, but it’s not exactly true,” Graham answered. “You see, in the beginning, after the Directive was first passed, werewolves and vampires thought they could escape draechen pursuit in the Arctic. They thought that, given the draechen’s reptilian nature, they wouldn’t be followed. However, as it turned out, draechen don’t have that problem at all. They seem to actually be a cross between birds and reptiles, so they pursued the vampires and werewolves with no problem. At that point, they were pretty much fucked. So much blood flowed on the ice that no shifter from the ninth caste ever goes there. It’s cursed land.”

Caelyn shivered visibly, and this time, unlike in the plane, it wasn’t because of the low temperature. The car actually provided them with comfortable heating. It didn’t take a genius to realize the reason for Caelyn’s reaction, and Graham cursed himself for having been so graphic. “Look, worrying about it now is pointless,” he said, knowing it was lame, but not able to come up with anything better on the spot. “Just think about us and the future we’re going to have together.”

“How can I?” Caelyn asked. “I remember all those people held captive in the draechen cells. If I hadn’t met you, I likely wouldn’t have done anything about it. How can I possibly forget that?”

“It’s not easy, I know. Every day, when I wake up, I think about all the people who suffered, and not only the werewolves. Unfortunately, angel, we can’t change the past. We have to work to live today so we can change the future.”

That comment earned him a small smile. “You’re right, of course,” his mate answered. “But you never told me. Where are we going?”

“Right now, we have to lay low at all costs,” Graham explained. “The draechen will undoubtedly be looking for us. But at the same time, I want to find my pack. I’m worried about my brother.”

“You have a brother?” Caelyn inquired. “What’s his name?”

“Stuart.” Graham sighed, remembering the last time he had seen his sibling. “He didn’t get captured with me, but I’m still worried.”

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Caelyn said comfortingly. “If he’s anything like you, he must be a survivor.”

That was very true, especially since Graham had tasked Stuart with taking care of the pack. “Maybe when we stop the car, we’ll use that pearl Raul gave us. Perhaps your friends could tell me where Stuart might be.”

For a few moments, Caelyn remained quiet. “What is it, angel?” Graham couldn’t help but ask. Had he accidentally said something wrong?

“Nothing,” Caelyn answered. “I was just thinking about… Well, about my own siblings. I wonder what they think of me, if I’ll ever see them again.”

Graham’s heart clenched as he once more acknowledged the extent of what Caelyn had lost. The guilt and the anger threatened to choke him. He clenched his fists around the steering wheel, clutching it so hard his knuckles went white.

Caelyn gasped. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.” His small hand landed on Graham’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, none of it. The choice was mine, and I don’t regret it for a minute.”

There was such honestly in Caelyn’s voice that it became a warm balm, soothing Graham’s wounded soul. He could truly believe then that he wasn’t to blame for his mate’s loss. The world had placed them in a position that Graham would have much liked to avoid. It wasn’t their fault.

He couldn’t provide Caelyn with the answers he sought or with the brotherly affection he might have lost. However, he could give his mate a new family. And he knew exactly where to start.

They’d left New York in a hurry since one of the most important draechen outposts in the United States and the world was there. The best thing to do right now would be to constantly stay on the road. They had to avoid big cities, as well as national parks or Amerindian settlements, since they were all watched. This meant they would have to mingle with the humans, preferably in some of the smaller towns.

But Graham couldn’t wait until they found a more long-term place to stay. He had to claim Caelyn. He had to show the sprite that they could start something new and beautiful together. Both of them needed it.

Driving with only one hand, Graham reached for his mate with the other one. Brushing a lock of soft blond hair from Caelyn’s eyes, he whispered, “I’m selfish enough that I don’t regret it either. In fact, I’m thankful I was captured. For once, the draechen did me a favor. If not for them, I’d have never met you.”

Caelyn took his hand and kissed his palm, then each individual fingertip. It was so gentle, so worshipful, and yet so arousing that a thousand emotions stirred inside Graham. “I don’t want you to have to withstand anything bad ever again,” he murmured, “not even for something good.”

“Love is worth fighting and suffering for,” Graham argued. He wanted to say something else, but then, Caelyn’s eyes widened and he blushed. Graham realized what he’d blurted out.

Love. The famous L word that so many shifters, especially from the ninth caste, avoided. They couldn’t afford love, at least not the sensual, deep one that could easily turn into obsession. There was too much loss in their world, too much uncertainty.

But there was no denying that, inside Graham, a new, young, and shy emotion had started to build. It was like a sapling, finally catching roots in spite of the less than fertile soil. Caelyn’s affection provided it with overwhelming warmth and sunlight, and that tiny plant was quickly growing into something strong that could easily become a sequoia tree.

As a man, Graham almost didn’t have the courage to name it. He understood the difference between instinct and true emotion, and he realized that he and Caelyn didn’t know each other well enough to decisively claim undying devotion. The extreme circumstances they’d met in didn’t help either.

But as a wolf, Graham grasped more than his rational side ever would. He grasped the truth hidden in the unfurling leaves of that sapling, in the only metaphor he’d been able to create in his entire life. He was no poet and no romantic. He was a werewolf, a warrior, and a realist. And because of all that, he understood that, at one point, he’d fallen head over heels in love with his angel.

He didn’t know how and when it had happened. Perhaps he’d been a goner from the very first moment he’d met Caelyn’s sky-blue eyes. But whatever the case, he refused to hide it.

“L–love?” Caelyn stammered, looking a little overwhelmed.

“Yes, love,” Graham confirmed. “It’s all right if you don’t feel the same. I don’t want to pressure you. I just need you to know that I’m here for you, no matter what.”

Tears filled Caelyn’s eyes and slid down his cheeks like little liquid diamonds. This time, he didn’t bother to wipe them or force them back. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt. “Stop the car,” he said, his voice filled with decision.

It was Graham’s turn to be shocked. “What?”

“Pull over,” his mate insisted. Already, he was reaching for Graham’s dick. All his shyness seemed to have melted like it had never been. Naturally, Graham’s cock was more than eager to cooperate.

As Caelyn lowered the zipper of Graham’s pants, the damn member practically sprung out of its confines, demanding Caelyn’s attention.

“Caelyn, angel, we can’t do this here,” Graham said. The last word came out about ten syllables longer as his mate’s soft hand engulfed his dick. “Oh, fuck… Oh, shit… Angel, you have to stop.”

He didn’t sound convincing even to his own ears, let alone to Caelyn’s. The lovely sprite grinned up at him and rubbed his thumb over the leaking tip of Graham’s prick. “I think Graham Jr. disagrees.”

Hell, yeah, it disagreed. Truth be told, Graham had been half-hard ever since their hasty escape from the draechen’s clutches. His libido remained frustrated that he hadn’t been able to claim Caelyn on the plane. As such, it was really a fool’s errand to try to convince himself, or Caelyn, that this was a bad idea.

Gasping and groaning, Graham still somehow managed to croak out, “I’ll crash the car, angel.”

Sounding amazingly calm, Caelyn started to move his hand up and down Graham’s dick. “Which is why I told you to pull over.”

Seemingly ignoring Graham’s distress, the evil sprite blew a gust of hot air over Graham’s dick. Releasing a choked noise, Graham nearly lost control of the vehicle. Outside, angry honks and human curses sounded as the other cars on the highway tried to avoid a collision. Yes, most definitely they needed to stop. It would be ridiculously ironic if they’d succeeded to escape the draechen, only to die in a car accident caused by sexual frustration.

But there was no place around them where he could park. Any moment now, someone would see them, and if he even attempted to stop, the police would surely notice. Popping up on the radar of the local authorities was the last thing they needed while on the run.

Even that thought did very little to cool Graham’s ardor. “Angel,” he tried again, “I promise I’ll stop. Just let me find a motel.”

“Well, that is quite an excellent idea,” Caelyn answered, meeting Graham’s gaze. “But make sure you’re quick about it, yes?”

Without giving Graham any other warning, Caelyn lowered his mouth over Graham’s dick. Wet heat engulfed him, and Graham’s vision went blurry. The pleasure that exploded through him was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He couldn’t focus on anything else except the sinful sight of Caelyn’s lips stretching around the head of his shaft.

Judging by the way Caelyn had practically seduced him, one would have never thought the sprite was a virgin. His innocence did, however, show, and in his eagerness to please, he tried to take too much of Graham’s dick in his mouth. It made him choke, and his mate’s slight discomfort did what no rational argument could hope to accomplish. It provided Graham with a measure of clarity.

“Slowly, angel,” he whispered, caressing Caelyn’s hair. “Don’t rush it.”

Caelyn looked up at him, his eyes glittering with a hint of frustration. He took a deep breath and slowed down, taking only what he could handle in his wet cavern and using his hands on the rest. It was by no means the most skilled blow job Graham had ever had, but certainly the most enjoyable. What Caelyn lacked in experience, he more than made up for in enthusiasm. Not to mention that he was a very quick learner. He explored every inch of Graham’s flesh, alternating harder sucks with teasing licks. Swirling his tongue over Graham’s glans, he rolled Graham’s balls in his palm. At first, it was a little awkward, but soon, he got the hang of it, as if his body was attuned to Graham’s.

Not coming must have been one of the hardest things Graham had done in his life. Reluctantly, he looked away from Caelyn and struggled to focus on the road. Still, it was only by miracle that he noticed the large sign advertising a nearby motel.

With a relieved groan, Graham veered off the road and directed the vehicle toward the establishment. It seemed to take forever until they reached the motel, but finally, Graham stopped in the parking lot. Obviously noticing, Caelyn released him. Licking his swollen lips, the sprite gave Graham a heavy-lidded look. “Perhaps you should go grab a key for us. We wouldn’t want to draw more attention.”

For a few moments, Graham just stared at Caelyn. Leave? That sounded insane. How could he possibly abandon this car when his mate was here, wanting him? It had to be some sort of crime of nature. But the more he delayed and hesitated, the longer it would take for him to claim his mate.

So he nodded like an automaton and fumbled with the door, struggling to open it. He practically fell out of the car, at the last moment remembering to zip up his pants. His disorientation was almost ridiculous, or it would have been if not for the need burning through his veins.

“I’ll be right back,” he said huskily. “Don’t go anywhere.”

The latter phrase sounded a little strange even to him, but for some reason, he’d felt compelled to add it. Caelyn just smiled sweetly, although lust still burned in his gaze. “Never,” he murmured.

He sounded like he meant it, too, and not only as words spoken in the heat of the moment. Caelyn might not have confessed his love for Graham outright, but that single word was tantamount to the most beautiful declaration.

That knowledge filled Graham with decision. “You know what, never mind that,” he said. “Come with me. I don’t care who sees us. I don’t want you to leave my side, ever.”

Yes, it was a change in approach, and possibly not very smart given that they were still so close to New York. The alternative didn’t appeal to him, though. Already, he was addicted to his angel’s presence.

Caelyn looked quite happy to hear it, so it worked out well. He slid out of the car far more elegantly than Graham had managed. “All right. Let’s go.”

Hand in hand, they walked into the building. The bored girl behind the check-in counter barely spared them a look, having obviously seen plenty of couples stopping by the motel for a romp in the sheets. She popped a balloon of bubblegum and asked, “What’ll it be? The fee per hour is ten bucks.”