This story is fictional, I'm sorry (actually I'm jelous) if it resembles your life in any way shape or form. Constructive criticism is welcome. If gay relationships offend you, then "How did I manage to start reading this story?" is a good question to be asking yourself. However you're still welcome to read it!
This story is owned solely by Gaco and may not be copied by any means by any unlicensed individuals, groups, or organizations.
Copyright 2020 Gaco. All Rights Reserved.
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Chapter 21
`Lick' My wolf said to me in my mind. The urge to lathe Justin's disgusting wound with my tongue was overpowering.
I twitched my head in denial of the desire.
`LICK. Heal.' The thought and desire was even stronger this time and I was forced into my wolf before I knew what was happening. Everyone turned to me as I was suddenly on all fours and covered in fur. I approached Justin cautiously, still trying to deny the desire, the instinct, to lick the large bleeding slice in his side.
"What are you..." Bryce began before I started licking the closest part of the wound.
As soon as my tongue touched Justin and the foul taste of the poison touched my tongue I was able to back away. I shook my head attempting to get the taste out of my mouth. As we looked back to Justin, however, we watched as the skin in the area I licked began to nit itself back together.
"Wow." Bryce said, shifting to his wolf and attempting to heal Justin with a lick himself.
Just as quickly as his tongue had touched Justin, Bryce immediately shifted back, coughing and choking from the taste of the poison. Everyone looked to the wound to watch it heal but Bryce's attempt did not result in any additional healing.
After getting his breathing under control from his coughing fit, Bryce turned back to me.
"I think it only works for you, Tom." He said looking at me with pleading eyes, begging me to save his friend and beta.
I whimpered as I approached, truly having no desire to taste the foul poison again. Knowing it was the only way to save Justin, however, I began to lathe the entire wound with my tongue. More and more of the disgusting poison accumulated on my tongue, and just as I thought I couldn't stand it any more, the wound closed up completely. Justin immediately fell out of his wolf, panting on the ground as a human moments later. I also shifted back to human and attempted to stand but immediately fell back to my knees and promptly vomited on the floor. The foul odor of my own spew was only made worse by all of the poison I had inadvertently ingested while healing Justin's wound.
Bruce came over to me and gently ran his fingers through my hair, attempting to calm my stomach. I could feel the warm heat of his hands on my head and chest as he pushed some of his healing energy into me.
"Better?" He asked and I could only nod, attempting to not open my eyes or move if at all possible.
"Justin?" I asked, still unable to look up or turn.
Bryce turned back to Justin to look him over for a moment before returning his attention to me and wrapping his arms around me from behind.
"He's gonna be ok." He said softly, emotion heavy on his voice. "Thank you pup... I'm not sure I could stand to lose any more of them."
Bryce turned his head to Alexi. "Get Justin upstairs and cleaned up then put him into his bed. Someone should stay with him at all times to make sure he doesn't have any complications. John, keep an eye on the cameras for the rest of the night to make sure we don't have any more uninvited guests."
"I'll clean up down here." Zeke said in his usual soft manner while unspooling the hose kept in the basement to clean up after fights and training.
As Bryce carried me up the stairs I could hear the hissing spray of water as Zeke hosed down the basement floor, washing away the blood, vomit, and poison that had tainted the fighting and training area.
I woke up in bed the next morning alone. Bryce's warm alluring scent soaked into the bed kept me relaxed as I relived the events of the previous night. I pulled his pillow to my chest as I thought about what could have happened if the vampire had been able to strike Bryce with his poisoned sword as well.
I had truly become burnt out on the constant worry my life had become. Wolves, shifting, angry murderous betas, rouge packs attacking our den, vampire assassins stalking me and attempting to murder me and anyone else who got in their way. It was too much.
I tightened my grip on Bryce's pillow, thinking about how I managed to end up in this situation. Somehow I had gone from a normal college student to `Destroyer of Worlds' and undeclared boyfriend of a pack alpha. A pack of werewolves who could take on the shape of either a normal wolf or a half-man half-wolf beast that can tear through even the most vicious predators with ease. I shoved my index finger into the palm of my hand, hard, remembering from when I dabbled in lucid dreaming that that was the suggested method to check rather or not you are dreaming. If your finger doesn't go through your palm, you're awake. I looked down at my traitorous hands only to see and feel that my finger did not go through my palm.
I growled softly to myself. I wanted off this ride, I wanted out of this nightmare. My wolf jabbed into my brain that if it were a dream we wouldn't have Bryce as our mate. My wolf was quite capable of keeping me honest with myself, at least. When I was doing something he had an opinion about he was always bouncing around in my mind, usually speaking in individual words and ideas. I could tell he wouldn't be afraid to make it hurt when I did something he though of as a mistake.
I sighed and climbed out of bed, dragging my feet and rubbing my eyes with the heel of my palms as I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As I stepped into the rainfall effect of the shower I could feel my mood improving. The worries and constant dread I had been experiencing the past few weeks began to feel like it was melting away under the barrage of steaming hot water that cascaded over my body.
I stepped out of the shower to find Bryce waiting for me with a large towel spread between his two hands.
"Morning pup." He said with a smile.
"How are you so happy all the time?" I asked softly as I walked into the towel he was holding out.
"I have a mate for the first time in my life. He's sexy, smart, strong, fights like a demon and helps protect my wolves." He replied happily.
"He sounds too good to be true. You sure you're not hallucinating, maybe he's tricked you into thinking he's something or someone he's not?" I groaned as he massaged my muscles a bit as he dried me off.
"Your moans sound like heaven." Was his only response as he finished drying me with a soft kiss on the lips.
Without a word he took my hand and led me back into the bedroom. On the bed I found a polo shirt, khaki pants, and a very sexy pair of black and blue briefs which I definitely did not remember ever owning laid out and ready to be put on. I looked to Bryce and noticed he was similarly attired.
"Are we going somewhere?" I asked, curious.
"We're going on a date. We still haven't had a real chance to get to know each other and, while the sex has been amazing, I can tell you're still not entirely comfortable with me or the whole mate thing yet." He said as if unsure of his decision.
"Is now the best time to be running off from the pack?" I asked, thinking about everything that has happened in just the past week. I had grown protective over our pack and had begun to think of Zeke nearly as our son. We had a strange family dynamic going which made me simultaneously freaked out and brimming with joy over having such an amazing pack.
"Seth isn't likely to return so soon and the vampires can't be out in daylight so now is as good a time as any. I don't want us to live our lives worried about what could happen and miss the important things." He said, clearly having already thought through his reasoning.
An escape from the house did sound good to me. I definitely wanted to spend more time with Bryce to get to know him since he and my wolf both seem to think we're magically linked or something.
`Mate!' My wolf said forcefully into my mind once more, pushing images of Bryce and I together into my thoughts.
When I looked back from the clothing on the bed to Bryce I saw the pleading look in his eyes, begging me to go with him on whatever he had planned.
"Okay." I said, with an exasperated laugh. "Between you begging with your eyes and my wolf screaming in my head I don't think I have much choice."
"Yes!" He shouted excitedly like he had just won the lottery and ran downstairs.
I got dressed in the clothes he selected and followed the sound of his voice down to the first floor where he was speaking to Justin and John. I took a minute to watch them interact and was surprised that Justin appeared to be completely recovered.
"We'll be back before sunset." Bryce finished patting them both on the shoulder before turning to me and holding out his hand for mine. "Ready?"
I took his hand and he led me to the front door instead of the garage. I opened my mouth to ask why but he stopped me with a finger to my lips before I could speak.
"You'll see." He said with a smile.
When he opened the door I could see a limo idling at the street.
"Really?" I asked as he pulled me along towards it.
"I wanted today to be extra special." Was all he said as the driver got out and opened the door for us with a silent nod of his head in greeting.
We slid into the back of the limo and the driver got back into the front and pulled away from the curb.
"Where are we headed?" I asked, noticing the driver didn't ask.
"It's a surprise!" Bryce said with a smile.
"I hate surprises." I grumbled out which only made his smile grow larger.
Forty minutes later we were pulling into downtown Atlanta and the limo pulled up in front of the Aquarium.
"I've been to the aquarium before, Bryce." I said with a soft grin, not wanting him to think I didn't appreciate all of the effort he had clearly put into the day.
"Not like this you haven't!" He said with a smirk of his own.
He pulled me out of the limo and led me to a small entrance away from the main ticketing area. A very gay looking man in his twenties appeared to be waiting for us as we approached.
"Bryce and Tom?" He asked with a slight lisp.
"That's us." Bryce confirmed, wrapping his arm around me possessively.
"I'm Lucas, your guide for today. Right this way gentlemen." He practically purred as he opened the door after swiping his badge on a reader off to the side. While holding the door for us he gave each of us a very long appreciative look that made me feel like we weren't wearing any clothes at all.
Once inside, I noticed that there weren't any other people in the building except for a token few staff members going about their day. Lucas guided us through each exhibit telling us in great detail what the animals names where, where they came from, how they came to be with the aquarium, and a flurry of other information about each exhibit. When we got to the otters he could tell that my interest was piqued.
"They're so cute!" I exclaimed as they swam around in their enclosure and played with their toys.
"Would you like to feed them?" Lucas asked.
"Really?" I asked back excitedly.
"Come this way." Lucas led us to a door around the corner that led into a service area for the enclosure.
As soon as we entered the door several of the otters we had been watching swam under a low wall that dipped into the tank and jumped up onto the floor of the small room. They churred and chittered excitedly at us, begging us with their paws to be fed. Lucas held out a platter of several small fish and both of us took turns hand feeding the otters who squeaked in thanks after each treat. After all of the food was gone the otters quickly dashed back into the water and were back inside their enclosure.
The tour continued and we were eventually led into a large auditorium with a deep pool at the front. As we were approaching a large splash drew our attention.
"That's Otto, he loves to splash around and soak the audience." Lucas laughed.
A trainer I hadn't noticed stepped forward after giving some sort of hand signal and the splashing stopped. After giving a demonstration for about ten minutes of everything Otto could do Lucas and the trainer led us up to a stage and to my surprise the dolphin flopped out of the water next to us.
"Would you like to pet him?" Lucas asked.
Bryce and I leaned down and softly rubbed the dolphin's rubbery skin and I laughed as it's tail errantly splashed water up one side of Bryce's legs.
"Scamp." Bryce growled and glared at the dolphin, only making me laugh harder when the he did it again.
A short time later we were led through a glass tunnel that ran beneath and through the largest tank in the aquarium. We both looked up as the massive whale sharks swam by, schools of fish darting in and out between them as they slowly flew overhead. My stomach chose that moment to rumble and I realized we had left the house without eating breakfast.
"Getting hungry pup?" Bryce asked as his excellent hearing had no doubt picked up the sound over the myriad of other noises in the aquarium.
I just nodded as Lucas continued to drone on about how many different species of fish, sharks, and reptiles inhabited the massive six million gallon tank. As we reached the end of our tour I began to notice the smell of freshly cooked beef. When we came around the corner to the gigantic viewing window for the tank I saw that a small table had been set up right in front of the window. The table was covered with a white tablecloth and set for two with a small flickering candle in the center. My eyes went wide and I turned to Bryce in surprise. His grin told me how proud of himself he was about this surprise.
"After your meal you are welcome to continue to explore, or you can leave through any of the exits." Lucas said with a smile before excusing himself.
Bryce took my hand and led me to the table, pulling out my chair for me before going around to the other side of the table. After we both sat down servers in white aprons appeared from the entrance rolling a cart with trays of food and drinks. Bryce must have told them ahead of time what we wanted because without asking they set a tray of steaming steak, potatoes, and warm buttery bread in front of each of us. Before I could ask, they hurried back to the cart and I could hear the sound of ice and liquid being shaken as the two silent servers began to mix drinks for us. Quickly it was just the two of us again in the dimly lit room as the fish swam by in the massive window we were sitting next to.
"Tom" Bryce began as he took my left hand in his right across the edge of the table, a huge grin on his face. "we haven't been together long. I don't think I've even had the chance to ask you yet. Will you be my boyfriend? My mate?"
I smiled back at him, at a loss for words for a moment as I took in everything he had put together for this moment. A gentle squeeze to my hand reminded me that I had not yet spoken my response.
"Yes!" I said, my excitement and happiness spilling out as laughter.
We then turned to our exquisitely prepared food and drink and enjoyed a very relaxing candle lit meal. It was perfect with just the two of us and the fish swimming silently in the large window next to us. After everything that had happened in the past few weeks it was amazing to just have a quiet and relaxing meal with Bryce.
After our meal Bryce took my hand once again and we idly strolled around the aquarium for a few more minutes before he led me back outside to the limo which was still waiting at the curb for us. After helping me into the seat Bryce spoke quietly to the driver whose name I had still yet to catch.
"One more surprise for you today." Bryce said with a smile and another squeeze of my hand as he leaned in to kiss me softly on the lips.
Before I knew it we were out of downtown again and when I looked up from our kissing turned groping in the back seat we were pulling into the back entrance of one of the smaller airports in the area.
"Are we going somewhere?" I asked with surprise as we were waved past the gate.
"You'll see." Bryce said with a smile, not elaborating further.
After a few moments we pulled in front of a large aircraft hangar and stopped. The driver came back around and opened the door for us once again. Bryce led me to a man waiting by a helicopter and I began to get anxious. I had flown a few times in my life but those few times were in planes with redundant engines! I had never been in a helicopter and was suddenly very nervous about my first time in a helicopter. Bryce just smiled at me and squeezed my hand tighter as we approached what appeared to be the pilot of the machine.
"Bryce! It's good to see you again." The man said, shaking hands with Bryce.
"Paul. How long has it been? Three years?" Bryce nodded in greeting. "This is Tom, my mate."
I quirked an eyebrow at him introducing me to this man as his mate. I lifted my nose and sniffed the air trying to scent this man who I took for human. While the smell of jet fuel was almost overpowering in the airport I could just barely catch the scent of an unknown shifter. This man, who I had never met before was another wolf!
"Nice to meet you, Tom!" Paul said while shaking my hand. Bryce's hand on my shoulder gave a reassuring squeeze.
"You live in town?" I asked in surprise after he released my hand.
"Yeah, I'm kind of a lone wolf I suppose." The man laughed at his own joke. "Never had the need for what Bryce and most others do."
I could tell he wanted to elaborate further but just then another man came around the helicopter and shook both our hands as well.
"This is Levi, my copilot. Let's get you guys situated." Paul said while opening a couple doors on the helicopter for us to enter before getting in the front of the machine himself.
Levi helped Bryce and I strap ourselves into the comfortable back seats and helped get our hearing protection wired into the helicopter's communications system. After that he gave us a quick rundown of what to do in an emergency, which did not help my anxiety in the least. Before I knew it, the extremely loud engines were spinning up and Paul was speaking to us over the headsets.
"We'll head north and start over Lake Lanier and work our way down through all of the sights until we're back downtown then return here." Paul's voice crackled into our ears over the whirr of the helicopter spinning up.
We lifted off and I squeezed Bryce's hand until my own hurt as my stomach did summersaults inside my belly. We were pushed down into our seats for a few moments until we leveled off and tilted forward to head north. After gathering my courage I looked out the window and was awed at how much you could see from above. The canopy of trees usually kept you from seeing very far while on the ground, but from above you could see so many things at once. I noticed that I could see much more detail than my few times flying both because we were lower to the ground as well as my due to newly enhanced shifter eyes.
Paul talked for the majority of the flight, pointing out landmarks and sights that could only be seen from the air. Bryce sat next to me in the seat with his arm around me the entire time as we flitted from one area to the next. Flying in a helicopter and seeing the city I had grown up in from this prospective was a very unique experience that I had never had before and would definitely not forget. Having Bryce at my side through the experience made it that much more invigorating.
After just an hour we were landing once again at the airport and the whirr of the engines spooling down drew my attention away from Bryce who had practically shoved his entire tongue down my throat the second we had turned back north from downtown. I was panting in an attempt to get more air into my lungs by the time the kiss was complete.
"You two seemed to enjoy yourselves." Paul said with a smirk after opening the rear door of the helicopter.
"It was definitely a unique experience!" I said in return as we climbed out.
"Paul, there are some things you need to know about what's happening in town right now." Bryce began before Levi came around to our side of the helicopter again, stopping him from saying more.
"Give me a call when you get a moment and I'll update you on everything that's been happening." Bryce said simply while keeping an eye on Levi who seemed a little too interested in our conversation.
"Sure thing." Paul said with a sniff of the air towards me. "I have a few questions of my own."
"I bet. We'll see you around." Bryce finished before leading me back towards the waiting limo which hadn't moved since we exited it over an hour earlier.
Once again our silent driver opened the door and helped us inside before returning to the driver's seat. This time the front divider opened before we began moving.
"Where to?" The man asked, his eyes looking to Bryce in the rear view mirror.
"Home please." Bryce said with a nod.
"Traffic has picked up a bit so it might be about an hour before we get there. If you guys want to finish what you started on the helicopter before you arrive my lips are sealed." He said with a smirk and I could scent his arousal in the air around us.
I blushed deep red as I realized that our khaki pants had not hidden our obvious erections after we got out of the helicopter and got into the limo. Bryce chuckled as the solid black window dividing the front and back of the car rolled back up silently. He reached down and groped me through my pants.
"What do you say, Mate? You down for a little fun?" He asked with a chuckle before he kissed me, once again taking my breath away as he pulled me into his lap until I was straddling him.
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