Under the Moon

Under the Moon by Julia Talbot

Torquere Press www.torquerepress.com

Copyright ©2011 by Julia Talbot First published in www.torquerepress.com, 2011 NOTICE: This eBook is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution to any person via email, floppy disk, network, print out, or any other means is a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines and/or imprisonment. This notice overrides the Adobe Reader permissions which are erroneous. This eBook cannot be legally lent or given to others. This eBook is displayed using 100% recycled electrons.

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Under the Moon by Julia Talbot

Under the Moon By Julia Talbot "Do you swear under the moon to protect and serve the pack, to watch over the elders and children, and to keep our secrets to your death?" Jamie fought the urge to roll his eyes and stuck his nose deeper into his book. His roommate was a nice guy, really. The whole werewolf gaming thing was annoying as all hell, though. Really, who laid their dice and candles and shit out on a moveable altar made out of a silver platter? The assholes who came to play smoked in the bathroom, spit and peed in the yard and had no fucking idea what wolf culture was really like. They had no idea that was why Jamie had left home. The whole pack thing could be... limiting. Either you were an alpha or a beta and alphas needed to mate and shit. Being gay was not so much frowned on as just not very useful. It was also really unpopular to be bookish in wolf society. Athletic? Sure. Forceful? Absolutely. Being a walking dictionary was just not a handy skill where the pack was concerned. That would be why Jamie had gone to college and was now on his second advanced degree. He was also stuck with a very smart yet creepy roommate who studied social theory and anthro, and liked to game on the weekends. Anton thought werewolves where really a cool idea and had given up D&D in favor of berserking super-wolf beings who communed with nature like giant hippies. 3

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Bizarre. Before the little granola girl Anton was waving an athame at could answer, there was a knock on the door. Anton frowned, his forehead wrinkling in a very unattractive way "Jamie, could you get that? That's probably our last player." Jamie pondered telling Anton no. He really should just go to his room instead of silently protesting this nonsense by sitting in the front room and sighing a lot. He finally got up and headed to the door, an unholy sort of curiosity making him go see who would be coming to play wolf. Opening the door, Jamie found a mountain of a man standing there. The guy was tall, maybe six four, and had to weigh a muscular two-twenty. He had shoulders that blocked the dying sunlight, dark brown hair that curled wildly, and bright green eyes. He was amazing and a little intimidating. He smelled like heaven. Jamie tried to ignore the instant hard-on that sprang up in his pants, stepping back to let the guy in. "You here to game with Anton?" "He invited me to come over for a beer if that's what gaming means, yeah. Maybe watch some werewolf movies." The smile was wry, the little twist of the guy's lips making Jamie want to pant and show his belly. ENDEXCERPT "Jamie." He stuck out his hand instinctively, not even thinking about it until after. "Tyler. Ty. Nice to meet you. You're the roommate?" "I am." 4

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Ty took his hand and brushed past him, their skin touching in all sorts of places as Ty went by. Jamie's nerves jumped, his nipples going tight. Christ. He might as well just start scratching his balls and whining. "Well, it's nice to meet you," Ty said, squeezing his hand before letting go. "You, too. I'll, uh, get you that beer." He had to escape before he did something stupid. Ty almost smelled like pack, and that was just silly. There was no such thing in this part of Boulder. That was why Jamie was there, right? He'd gotten away from that, and he didn't need to get dragged back in. When he'd pulled the beer out of the fridge and turned around, Ty was right there, making him jump near out of his skin. He hadn't heard the man follow him at all. He was slipping, living soft like the townie he was and all. "Here." He thrust a Coors at Ty, hoping that was okay. They had Fat Tire, too, which might be more manly or whatever. "Thanks." Ty watched him, eyes bright with curiosity. It made Jamie's nose want to twitch, but he controlled himself. "Sure. So, uh, do you like werewolf stuff?" Tyler smiled, a little toothy thing that made Jamie's leg want to thump. "I'm studying wolf conservation. I guess that makes Anton think I'm into them, yeah." All of a sudden Jamie relaxed, smiling and feeling almost normal. That would explain why Ty smelled a little wolfy, if he worked with one of the local sanctuaries. It made perfect sense. 5

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"Neat. I grew up where ranchers shot u— wolves. I guess that's why I study something more esoteric." Language theory applied to wolfpacks, he guessed, but most people wouldn't know that. Ty raised a brow, but didn't push him on that. "So, Anton is expecting me to game? As in roleplay?" "Yeah. You didn't know?" "Nope." Ty's lips twisted in that little ironic grin again. "I guess I thought his interest in wolf studies and werewolves was more a general thing, not a weird roleplaying thing." "Hey, Ty! Come say hello," Anton called, and Ty shrugged. "Guess I'd better go make nice. I'll let him down easy, watch a movie with him. Thanks for the beer." "No problem." Jamie wanted to follow and sniff Ty's butt or something equally stupid. He stayed put instead, waiting for Ty to get settled. Then he snuck through the living room to the back hall where he hopped in the shower and jacked off furiously to the memory of how Ty had smelled. His roommate really had no idea about wolf culture, no matter how much he purported to be blessed by the full moon or whatever. Anton had no idea at all. **** Ty waited outside the coffee shop, watching Jamie move around at the fixings counter. Sugar, two packs, a tiny dribble of cream, and a little shake of cinnamon went on the top of an Americano with an extra shot. 6

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Good thing he read lips, or he'd never have gotten Jamie's order, which he might need sometime in the future to impress the guy. Coffee shops overwhelmed him completely sometimes. He could go in and order to go, but he couldn't stay in very long. The smells just made him want to jump up on the counter and howl before tearing into the pastry case and eating everything in sight. Coffee gave him the jitters just by being in the air, he guessed. Mmm. Pastry sounded good, actually. Something with cream cheese. He knew it was probably stalkery to follow Jamie around, but Ty had taken one sniff of the man and been completely smitten. Jamie might not know he had the werewolf gene, a lot of folks didn't, but he smelled like family. Not like, 'he's my brother' family, but like 'I'm going to pin him down and fuck his ass raw' family. Ty could hardly wait. Anton had tried to take up all of his attention the other night and Jamie had snuck off, but Ty had been able to smell the man, even over the candles and incense and beer. Over the running water and soap smell from the bathroom. Ty could have told Anton the very moment that Jamie came. He almost had, just to see the look on the weirdo's face. If Anton had blathered on about the moon and some worm/wyrm thing for another moment, Ty might have hit him with a rock. Hard. He'd been so focused on Jamie that it had saved Anton's face.

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Still, Anton was the reason Ty had met hot little Jamie, the beta wolf, so Ty had erred on the side of polite disinterest to Anton's games rather than outright hostility. Now he just needed to wait for Jamie to come out of the coffee shop so he could get the hunt back on track. He wanted that ass, wanted to do all sorts of nasty things to it. Jamie patted some girl on the shoulder on the way out the door, making Ty growl a little. Anton had told him Jamie was queer. Ty knew Jamie had been jacking off to him the other night. He'd better not swing both ways, damn it. Ty wanted that fine little ass all to himself. The girl just waved, though, saying something about class, so Ty relaxed. When Jamie came out, sipping his coffee, Ty crossed the patio and fell into step next to the man. "Hey." Jamie jumped, staring at him over the rims of his little wire glasses. "Oh, hey. Ty, right?" "Yep. How's it going?" "Good." Jamie sipped his coffee again, then again, like it was liquid courage or something. "How did gaming go with Anton?" "Well, I didn't kill him." Ty grinned. "We watched movies, and he and that little gal played some. How do you live with that, man?" Jamie laughed. "Oh, he's weird and all, but harmless. How goes wolf biology?" "Pretty good. You like wolves?" He watched Jamie carefully for a reaction. If the guy didn't know he had the gene, he 8

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might be scared of wolves, not knowing why he was drawn to them. What he got was hunched shoulders and a pinched frown. "I don't dislike them, as a rule. I just don't want to be out in the boonies running with them or anything." Ah. Ty bit back a chuckle. This one probably knew exactly what he was and was trying to run away, which explained his dulled senses and lack of recognition Jamie had for another of his kind. Too cute. "I like them. They have a great social structure. Everyone has a thing they do." Jamie snorted. "They're as closed-minded as any small town, and a little grumpy if someone falls out of line with what the alpha wants for them." Jamie blinked, then shrugged. "Or so I've read." "Uh-huh. You read a lot?" Jamie's mouth took on a mulish straightness. "I do. Is that a problem?" "No." He put a hand on Jamie's back, letting the man feel the heat of his palm. "I'm just making conversation. I like you and want to get to know you. I'm not judging." Jamie relaxed, tense muscles loosening. "Sorry. I get a little sideways about things sometimes. My family is very tight-knit and disapproving. I always feel like people are pushing." "No problem." "So, do you not like coffee?" It was Ty's turn to blink. "Huh?' 9

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"I saw you. Waiting outside. I forgot when I saw Mandy, which was why you surprised me. But you were waiting for me, right? Why not inside?" "Oh." Wow, the kid wasn't as unaware as Ty had thought. "It's a little like catnip to me. Coffee. Overwhelms me." "I used to be like that." Jamie was grinning again now, looking relaxed. Touchy little bastard. "I got over it once I moved to Boulder, you know? Coffee is a thing here." "I know. Does it seem stalkery? Me waiting out here?" "I don't know. Are you stalking me?" One eyebrow rose almost to Jamie's hairline. "It seemed easier than trying to get to know you by gaming with Anton. I don't like to use people like that, and more sessions might just get him killed." "Anything is easier than that." Jamie stopped at a little park table, the kind with the attached benches. "I have a few minutes if you want to talk." Talk. Lord. "Sure." They sat, and Ty was pleased that the table was small enough to really be close, even sitting across the way. He was a big guy. "Cool. So, why wolves?" "I feel a kinship." Man, he couldn't believe that Jamie hadn't caught on yet. "Why Anton?" "As a roommate you mean?" At his nod, Jamie shrugged. "He answered my ad first. It's a good location. I didn't know he was a werewolf fan until we moved in together. That might have been a deal breaker otherwise." "I bet." Anton would make Ty want to kick his ass out in about three hours. "What do you do for fun?" 10

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"Coffee. Movies. I read." Jamie gave him a wry grin. "I'm dull. What about you?" "I like to have sex." Jamie choked on his coffee, and Ty bit back a bark of laughter. God, he loved to get a rise out of people. Those sharp cheeks went a dull red. "Do you dance naked under the moon, too?" "Occasionally. I gotta admit, though, that I don't do the whole Gaia and the wyrm thing. I don't get it." "Good." Jamie eyed him, chewing that lovely little lower lip for a moment. "Do you have sex with men?" "I do. That's my very favorite thing." It was, too. Better than bacon, even. "Is that why you're stalking me?" "Not to put too fine a point on it, yes." Might as well be up front. There was something about Jamie, about the way he moved, the way he smelled, that made Ty want to rut with him. Made him want to climb on top of that lean body and spread Jamie's legs and just hump. "Neat." Those cheeks were flaming now, but he had to give Jamie credit. The kid wasn't backing down. "I don't think anyone has ever come on so directly." "You like it?" "I like you, what I've seen." Jamie was back to chewing that lip. "Do you have a roommate?" "Nope. Wanna go to my place?" Jamie stood, the coffee cup going into the trash, the lid and sleeve into recycling. "I do." 11

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"Cool." That was the best possible result, and Ty was glad that Jamie might be unaware of Ty's true nature, but he knew what he wanted. That always made for better fucking. **** Jamie couldn't believe he was going back to Ty's apartment. No matter how familiar and attractive the man seemed, Jamie didn't know anything about him, really. For all he knew the guy really was a stalker who was out to beat him to death once they got inside. Or a gamer. Who knew what had really happened once he went to take his shower? It was hard to believe that, though, the way Ty looked at him. The man was hungry, but Jamie didn't think violence or roleplaying figured into it. It was physical for sure, but not in a bad way. Ty's apartment was just off campus, in a little wooded area that sat back against a creek. Boulder was cool that way, with little pockets of green and calm among the bustle. The interior of the apartment was all sustainable bamboo and saw grass floor mats, all of the fixtures low-slung and covered with pillows and cushions. It was a little decadent looking, which almost seemed at odds with Ty. The neatness was no surprise, though. Ty didn't look like the kind of guy who would foul his own nest. It was a refreshing change from his and Anton's place. "This is nice." Jamie said, glancing around for dogs. He would have thought Ty would have dogs. 12

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"Thanks. I have a German shepherd. His name is Rufus. He's at the vet today. He had to have a lump removed from his ear." Jamie chuckled. "Wow, am I that obvious?" "Pretty much, yeah. But this is Boulder. I was surprised Anton didn't have a dog. Want something to drink?" "Only if coffee breath will offend you." "Nope. Not a bit." Like that was all the encouragement he needed, Ty stepped up and slid a hand up behind Jamie's head, just like in the chick flicks his sister liked so much. "Do you kiss?" "Yes." Jamie tilted his head back, lips open a tiny bit, inviting. Ty took his mouth, bending to press his mouth open even more with a firm touch. It made Jamie gasp, because it felt like a little electric shock, the pleasure of it buzzing through him like he'd swallowed a bee. "Mmm." Ty treated him like dessert, like something yummy he'd gotten at the coffee shop. That mouth devoured his with a thoroughness that left him gasping. He raised his hands to cling to Ty's shoulders, his fingers digging into the soft cloth of Ty's T-shirt. He could feel the amazing heat of Ty's skin under the shirt, the hardness of the heavy muscle. Suddenly Jamie wanted to see that heavy body, wanted to see if Ty was ripped, or if he was more like a forties movie hero, wide of chest and shoulder, yet smooth and flowing.

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He slid his hands down, grabbing the hem at Ty's waist and pulling up. Ty helped, grabbing the shirt and tugging it off. Oh. Oh, God. Jamie fought back drool, which was harder than a basset hound looking at bacon. Ty was put together like a modern-movie Greek god. He had hard shoulders, arms bulging with muscle, and pecs that most guys would kill for. The abs were ripped, but not weird looking. He was damned near perfect. Jamie felt scrawny and awkward all of a sudden. "Stop it." Ty kissed him again, then again, easing his worry. "Let me see you, too." His T-shirt disappeared, like whoosh. He fought the urge to cross his arms over his chest, which was helped by the admiration in Ty's eyes. "Nice. You're lean and pretty, man." "Thanks." All he could do was take a deep breath and reach out, putting a hand on Ty's bare chest. Crisp hair tickled his fingers, and he scratched a little, instinctively treating Ty like pack. Ty's eyes crossed, his nipples going hard in seconds. "I like that." "Me, too." It was true, so he might as well own up to it. He grinned, scratching his fingertips over one nipple, watching Ty shudder. It was much easier to forget his insecurity when Ty was spreading those thick thighs for him, taking a wider stance to accommodate the bulge that rose up under the tight jeans Ty wore. "Fuck, man, that feels amazing." 14

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"I like your skin. It's really warm." He stroked down over Ty's belly, fingers dipping under the waistband of Ty's jeans. "I— uhn." Ty reached out and picked Jamie up by the upper arms, like he was a dancer or an ice skater or something. The world spun a little, and before he could blink off the vertigo he was on one of the long couches, the cushions arresting his light fall. "Hey." Jamie shook his head, smiling at Ty, who had the good grace to look a little abashed. "Hey. Sorry. I want to touch you, too, and I figured I'd fall." "Just give a guy some warning." "Okay." Ty winked. "I'm taking my jeans off." It was a good thing Ty had warned him about that or he might have passed out from sheer need when Ty skinned out of the tight denim. Christ. The man was fucking hung. Jamie licked his lips. "Bring that here." "Yeah?" Ty laughed, the sound a bark of pure joy, and brought him that long, hard cock, one big hand going underneath it to lift it toward his mouth. He grabbed Ty's hips, encouraging the man to straddle him there on the couch. He was surrounded by Ty's scent, by hair-rough skin and muscle. The pressure on his chest was intense, but it didn't cut off his air or anything. If anything it made Jamie's erection harder, made him want Ty's cock even more. He opened his mouth, his tongue flicking out to touch the tip of Ty's prick, and the flavor hit him like a ton of bricks. Pack. Ty was one of his kind. 15

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Jamie closed his eyes, refusing to think about what that meant or how stupid he'd been not to see it. He refused to panic, damn it. This was too good to ruin right at the moment. That would come soon enough. Since he couldn't think of anything else to do, he sucked, letting his cheeks hollow out so he could pull Ty in deep. The tip of Ty's cock hit the roof of his mouth, and Jamie took a deep breath through his nose. That was wild, how good Ty tasted, how he wanted more. He hadn't expected anything like this at all. Ty was moaning, hands on Jamie's head, gently at first, then holding his head in place while the man fucked his face. Jamie didn't think of himself as particularly beta, but there was something about Ty taking what he wanted that made Jamie hard as a rock. They moved together, Ty really going to town on him, letting him have the full length and breadth of that amazing cock. It was hot. Real hot. "Jamie. Fuck. Oh, fuck." Jami would have smiled if he could. He could feel the tremors run through Ty's body, the man ready to go off for him. Boom. That would be fucking amazing. He pulled harder, closing his eyes so all he had was taste and feel and smell. That made it so much more intense. "Jamie. Gonna." Ty tried to pull back, but he fought it, letting his lips seal as far down Ty's shaft as he could. He tugged with his mouth, letting the whole thing get a little toothy, and bam. 16

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Orgasm. "Fuck!" Ty curled down over his head, big body surrounding him completely for a moment. That was the hottest thing ever. It really was. When Ty uncurled and pulled him up for a kiss, he had to amend the hottest thing award. Jamie figured Ty could taste himself on his tongue, which wasn't near as freaky as Jamie had always thought it would be when he read about it in the Nifty archive. "God, you have an amazing mouth," Ty murmured, licking Jamie's lower lip. "You have an amazing dick. I could get used to being a size queen." Ty barked out a laugh. "Cute. What do you need, man?" "A hand, at least." Jamie wiggled, and Ty got off his chest, helping him skin out of his clothes. He wasn't built or hung like Ty, but he wasn't ashamed of what he had, either. His cock was long, and he had a shock of dark hair down there that almost always caused a stir. Ty reached down to tug at Jamie's curls. "Nice. I like it." "Thanks." Jamie spread like butter, determined not to think too much. That could so ruin the mood before he got off, and he wanted to get off so bad that his balls hurt. "Touch me, man." "No problem." Ty's fingers curled around his cock and moved up and down. The hold was a little loose, though, so Jamie reached down and squeezed his hand over Ty's. "Harder." "Mmm. I like a guy who knows what he wants." 17

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"Me, too." Jamie grinned, showing his teeth. "I almost blew when you grabbed my head." "Yeah? I like it." Ty started stroking harder, really giving what he needed. That meant he could raise his hands and stretch out, grabbing the arm of the couch behind his head for leverage. He pushed up, his butt leaving the cushion so he could get more and more. The tip of his cock was wet with pre-come, his balls drawing up nice and tight to his body. Ty pressed the tip of his thumb to Jamie's slit, making Jamie's toes curl. Oh, fuck. That was perfect. "Again," Jamie moaned, thrashing a little. "Like this?" Ty did it again, harder, widening the tiny hole there just enough to sting. God almighty. The man should be a national treasure, hitting as many of Jamie's kinks as he had in like, five minutes' time. "Yeah. Yeah." Jamie was chanting, his hips rising and falling with Ty's rhythm. He was so close he could feel static building in his fingertips, could feel the hair rising on his scalp. He held on, though. He had to enjoy this while he could. He'd just have to leave Ty's place after. He didn't fuck around with pack. He really didn't. "Come on, man." Ty pressed the hand not around Jamie's cock to Jamie's belly, keeping him from humping so hard. The pressure put an extra tug into every thrust, put extra stress on his overloaded balls. When Ty pinged him again with the thumb maneuver, it was all over but the shouting. He shouted so loud, in fact, that he was hellacious grateful they'd gone to 18

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Ty's place and not his. Anton surely would have come knocking. His lay there panting, his come all over his belly and Ty's hand, grinning at the ceiling. The grin faded when Ty kissed him, muttering, "You're a hot little beta, baby." "Thanks." He pushed Ty aside and rose, searching for his clothes. It was time to get moving when someone started talking in pack language. "Did I say something wrong?" Ty watched, sprawling naked on the floor. "Nope. I just don't date other weres, man. Bad for the soul, or whatever." The expression in Ty's eyes sharpened. "I wondered if you even knew." "About me or you? Sussing you out took me longer to figure it out than it should have, I admit. If nothing else I get credit for assuming crazy Anton could never have found two of us in Boulder. Mainly I was just hoping it wasn't true." Ty curled a hand around his ankle. "What's the big deal? It could be nice, not having to hide it." "It could, sure." He pulled his foot free. "That's mitigated by the fact that with you, I'd always have to adhere to pack structure. You alpha, me beta, and if I did something you didn't like, I'd pay for it." "Hey, have I given you reason to believe I would mess with you?"

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He pulled his shirt on, then his pants. "Nope. But you're an alpha wolf, man. You would do all sorts of shit out of instinct and not even mean to." "Bullshit. You don't know me." Ty climbed to his feet, which was a hell of an endeavor as big as he was. Jamie tugged on the rest of his clothes. "Hey, I'm not trying to be a butthead. I just know me. I left the pack a long time ago." He gave Ty a meaningful look. "So long ago that I didn't even know until I tasted you, okay? I just can't go back there." Ty reached out to touch him, but Jamie danced out of the way. 'You're serious? You don't even want to try to get to know me?" Jamie shrugged, his shoulders hunching up permanently halfway through. "I'm sorry, okay? I told you, I don't date other weres. This was fun, but I have to go." He didn't give Ty a chance to reach out for him again. If he let those amazing hands that smelled like his come fall on his skin one more time, he might not be able to ignore the confused-moving-into-pissed expression on Ty's face. "See you around," Jamie said and high-tailed it out of Ty's apartment. Too bad Ty was a wolf. Wolves were just on his automatic no list. Such a shame. If Jamie wasn't such a coward, he really could get to like the guy. **** Ty waited three days. 20

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He spent the first day chewing on anything he could find. He started out with potato chips and moved on to rawhides once he went to the vet to get his dog Rufus. They loved to have a good duck-wrapped rawhide together, lying on the rug in front of the sliding glass door and watching squirrels. The second day he drank coffee, which was totally out of character for him, and when he got the jitters he went jogging, cursing Jamie's name with every breath. Ty loved to run as a wolf, but jogging was for insane people. The third day he went to the wolf sanctuary where he volunteered. It was a day to take blood samples, and having him there always seemed to calm the wolves. It was while he was watching the most beta male of the pack tuck his tail and duck his head that it occurred to Ty that as the alpha of the pairing it was his job to make Jamie feel safe, and his job to do the pursuing if anyone was going to do it. He was a good hunter, patient and prepared. Why couldn't he get Jamie if he wanted? He was going soft if he really thought that no meant no, especially from someone who could suck him off like that. Duh. So Ty called Jamie's roommate, Anton. "Hey, man, it's Ty." "Ty. Oh! Hello, Tyler. I didn't expect to hear from you." "No, I guess not." He'd been pretty rude to the guy, really, showing up, refusing to game, watching movies instead of doing what Anton had clearly expected him to do. "I thought I'd see if you still wanted me to come by and roll up a character." 21

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"I would very much, yes. I don't have anyone else coming tonight, but you could come make a character and then come back when I have a game going." "Cool. Would you like me to bring anything?" "Well, I like Coors. Jamie likes chicken wings with bleu cheese if you want any hope of Jamie coming out of his room. I swear under the moon, that boy has no social skills." "Oh, hey, I'd hate to leave your roommate out. I'll drop by and get some wings on the way. And some beer for you, of course." He kind of felt a little guilty about using Anton to get to Jamie, but he'd try to make it up to the guy somehow. Hell, as obsessed as Anton was with the whole wolf thing, maybe he could take the man to his wolf sanctuary and just show him around. He went by the store and got beer before going to the local Wing Stop to get boneless wings and bleu cheese sauce. The smell made his mouth water, and he ended up getting another order to munch on the way. He liked the really hot ones better than the sour buffalo, so he got habanero. That was how he ended up with a ring of fire around his lips and a terrible watery eye where he'd rubbed buffalo sauce in it while trying to get rid of the sweat that dripped in his face. Those were some hot wings. Anton opened the door and immediately stepped back, eyebrows rising. "What happened to your face?" Handing over the closed bag of wings and sauce, Ty summoned up a smile. Or he thought it was a smile. From 22

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Anton's horrified expression, he thought maybe it was more a baring of teeth. He just knew it hurt. "Can I use your bathroom, man?" he finally asked when Anton just stood there. "Shit. Sure. I'm sorry. Come on in." Anton finally took the bag of wings and let him in, waving vaguely toward the hall where Ty remembered the bathroom living. He went in and scrubbed his hands, which at least made it look less like he'd murdered someone. Washing his face just made it more rawlooking, though, which was not helpful at all. The bathroom door was just yielding under his hand again when he heard Jamie in the hall. "Do I smell wings, Anton?" He hated to jump out and go boo, but that was almost exactly what happened. Jamie met him face to face, stopping dead and staring at him. "Dude, what are you doing in my bathroom?" Ty spread his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture. "Anton said you liked wings." One dark brow rose almost to Jamie's hairline. "So you ate them on the way over?" "I got a double order. Mine were habanero. That was a mistake." He could barely see Jamie out of his left eye. With the other he noticed how good the man was looking. Lean but fit, Jamie moved easily, and smelled damned good. "I can smell it. Those are vicious." Brushing past him, Jamie headed toward the kitchen. "So, are you here to see Anton?" 23

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"I told him I would roll up a character." That was the truth, but he hoped it also told Jamie what he was really there for. "Yeah? Well, beware. It just gets scarier from there." He was kind of afraid of that, but since he had no real intention of gaming with Anton, it was no big deal. How weird would it be to roleplay a werewolf? "We could go get coffee instead." "You don't do coffee." Jamie glanced back at him, frowning. "And I told you what I don't do. Smells good, huh, Anton?" Anton stood at the counter, busily arranging wings on a platter. "It does. I told him they were your favorite. I was hoping they'd entice you to roll up a player character." "Wow. You two are just full of conspiracies." Shit. He hadn't meant for it to come across like that. Ty just spread his hands. "What can I say? I like your company." "Uh-huh." Jamie grabbed a wing and munched. "Mmm. Boneless. Nice." "Thanks." Anton looked back and forth between them, an unreadable expression on his face. Ty couldn't blame the guy if he was confused. He had no idea Ty and Jamie had spent some quality sex time together. "Well, Jamie. Will you join us?" "No. Not if you game. If you watch a movie, sure." Ty bit back the huge grin hat threatened to take over. "Surely we can put on a movie while I roll some dice and make a sheet, huh?" Anton nodded slowly. "Of course, of course. I'll go get something started." 24

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"Thanks." Anton left the little galley kitchen, and Ty immediately invaded Jamie's space. "You smell good." "And you smell like burnt flesh. Dude, habanero? What were you thinking? You'll shit fire for days." "I did kind of overdo it." He reached out, but Jamie ducked. "Don't be touching me with your burny hands, okay? You probably have enough capsaicin on there to take down a small village. Your face is burning up." Okay, so he hadn't thought about how so non-sexy that would be. Really, his wolf had been telling him about his empty belly, and he'd gone on a wee bender. Stress did that to him "Sorry. It was better than jogging." He had about a million things he wanted to say, some clever, a lot of them suave. What came out was, "I got you extra bleu cheese." Jamie grinned a little, even though the expression looked rueful. "I thought I told you I don't do this." "You said you don't date guys like me. This is not a date. This is hanging out." Ty kept a straight face, but it was tough when Jamie's expression turned incredulous. "You are too much, man. Come on. Anton will be getting antsy." They sat, Anton and Jamie ate, and Ty squirmed uncomfortably through The Howling. Not because it was bad or anything, but because his eye was swelling shut. "Do you want some Benadryl?" Anton finally asked, frowning in apparent concern. "You look awful." 25

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Ty opened his mouth, but nothing came out but a croak. Oh, crap, even his throat was swelling a little. Jamie licked his fingers, which was insanely hot, even under the bizarre circumstances. "I'll get it. I have some liquid for when I get a mushroom every now and then." Ah, so with Jamie it was nightshades. Ty figured he'd best avoid habaneros from now on. Way to be smooth and patient and alpha, he thought. This was like something from a bad chick flick comedy. Two little caps full of Benadryl made everything better in about twenty minutes. It also knocked him out cold halfway through Teen Wolf. He didn't even manage a single dice roll for Anton, who was being very nice about everything, bless his weird little gamer heart. He heard Jamie and Anton murmuring to one another, and he felt someone ease his boots and socks off before covering him with a blanket. He hung off the couch a little, but that was okay. It was time for a nap. **** Jamie stared at the behemoth asleep on his couch and shook his head. Then he started gathering up plates and beer bottles. "Thanks for hanging out with us tonight, Jamie," Anton said, coming to help clear up the napkins and stuff. Wings, even boneless ones, made quite a mess. "No problem." "Yeah, you like him, don't you?" 26

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Jamie's head snapped up so he could stare at his roommate. "What do you mean?" "You don't want to, but you do. I get it. He was here for you, not me." "Well, yeah. I mean, no offense, Anton, but you're not queer. Ty likes guys." "I figured. I wasn't trying to get in his pants. Just get him to game with me. He has this great personality for an alpha berserker in the game." Anton's brown eyes glowed with zeal for a moment. Such a weird little obsession. Jamie only smiled. "He's kind of a dork." Anton nodded. "He is. Way more than I would have thought. Will you keep an eye on him? I need to run over to Marie's and pick up some manuals. Proofreading job." "Sure." Jamie worked hard not to roll his eyes. It was like ten at night. Picking up manuals was obviously code for I'm going to get laid. "Thanks." Anton finished washing up and headed out, leaving Jamie with a sleeping, and snoring, Ty. He went back to the living room to study Ty while the man was unaware. Ty was pretty when he was asleep, blond hair all crazy, that ridiculous rash on his face fading. Poor guy needed some Chapstik, though, in the worst way. Whatever had possessed the guy to eat a whole bucket of habanero wings, Jamie thought it was kind of endearing. If Ty had nerves about coming over and pressing Jamie into dealing with him again, it made him less wolf and more human, and Jamie was all about that. 27

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He sighed and put on another movie, curling up in the big easy chair next to the couch. Anton's throne, he called it, because that was where the man game-mastered from, and he always acted like royalty. He wrinkled his nose a tiny bit, because Anton's scent was a little acrid with smoke, whether cigarette or green, and a little off, somehow. It always had been. What a mess the whole Ty thing was. Jamie liked the guy, damn it, and that made it super hard to be mean. Or indifferent. Jamie sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He'd have a little nap, too. Then he'd decide what to do with the big, wolfy elephant in the room. **** Ty woke up with a crick in his neck that just wouldn't quit. Evidently he'd fallen asleep somewhere that was too short for his fairly sizable form. He muttered a curse, levering himself up and glancing around, trying to piece together the events of the... Night. It was showing night out the window at the end of the room. Rubbing his face brought everything back, because it stung like crazy. He stood, his back popping, his shoulders creaking, and went to look in Jamie and Anton's fridge. He grabbed the milk bottle and drank directly from it, the cool stuff putting out the last of the fire on his tongue. "See? That's just like an alpha," Jamie said from the doorway. "Drinking from someone else's milk carton." "I didn't see any glasses." 28

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"Where did you look? The ceiling?" Jamie stared up at the ceiling, mouth open, eyes vacant. "Oh, I can't find any glasses. Boo hoo." "Very funny." Ty had to grin, though. He was kind of a neat freak, and it would bother him to have someone drink out of his milk. "I'll get you a new one." "Nah. Anton doesn't drink it, and you and I have swapped spit already." "Mmm. Not nearly enough. I promise that the burning is gone. Can I touch you now?" "I think that would be a really bad idea." Jamie stayed right where he was, but there was something there, suddenly. Something in Jamie's scent. It told Ty bad idea or not, Jamie wanted his touch. "I disagree." He stepped closer, then closer. "I'm a scientist, though. We have to prove stuff through trial and error." "Uh." Jamie's eyes widened, dark and a little startled. "Stop." "Nope." Ty moved right up until their chests touched. "I want you, Jamie. I'm willing to fight your instincts and make a real play, too. " "What if I'm not?" "Then you would have kicked me out when I showed up. After your dramatic exit the other day, that would be the only answer if you really weren't interested." Ty reached up to touch Jamie's cheek, fingers sliding back into the lush hair behind Jamie's ear. 29

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"I like the way you taste." Jamie closed his eyes and sighed, leaning against Ty's hand. "I don't want to get involved." "But you want me." Jamie's eyes opened, met his. "I do. Bad." "Excellent." He bent and kissed that amazing mouth, remembering instantly how it had felt wrapped around his cock. Thank God they had both had the bleu cheese, or it could have gotten really ugly real fast. As it was, the most difficult thing to deal with was how hard his dick got as fast as it did. Jamie moaned for him, hands coming up to rest on his shoulders, squeezing a little. It felt almost like a massage, easing his soreness from sleeping on the couch. He hummed, deepening the kiss a little. When Jamie broke away, he frowned, missing the feel and taste of the man already. "Don't worry, man." Jamie kissed his lower lip quickly. "I'm not stopping, stupid as it is. I just think we should move it to the bedroom. I don't want to be all hot and naked and have Anton walk in on us. "Good idea." Jamie had a valid point. "Show me which room is yours." Jamie's bedroom was small and a little chaotic, with clothes strewn all over and bright pillows covering the bed. The colors were almost Navajo, bright and orange and yellow. The place smelled like Jamie, too, which made Ty's cock push against his pants. He did like that smell. 30

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"Bed's bigger than I thought it would be." The big double dominated the room. "I don't do much here but sleep. Figured I might as well make it comfy." Jamie tugged at Ty's shirt, and Ty raised his arms obligingly. Looked like once Jamie made up his mind to do something he got it done, even if he protested the intelligence of it. "I like it." It had a nice four-poster set up, which meant he could tie Jamie up if he needed to, just to convince him how good it could be if Ty stayed around. "Me, too." His belt went flying, then his jeans. "Mmm. I didn't get to really look last time." Ty kept his arms raised a little and turned in a circle, letting Jamie look his fill. "You like it?" "I do. This was the only part I got to see, really." Jamie pushed one hand under Ty's cock and lifted, letting it fill his palm. "Still the best part." "God." Ty jerked, his cock slapping Jamie's skin. "Yeah." "I mean, the belly is nice. Ripped. And your ass is to die for. But really, your cock is like, perfect or something." Jamie licked his lips, a motion that sent a fresh wave of need straight through Ty's body. His balls tightened up. "Thanks." Ty lowered his arms, his hands on Jamie's arms. "Now you." "Mmm. 'Kay. Lube is in that drawer." Jamie pointed, and Ty was suddenly torn between watching Jamie undress and grabbing the lube. The lube won out, and proved to be damned hard to find in Jamie's underwear drawer. By the time he found it, Jamie was 31

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completely bare, that nice long cock standing straight out from the man's bushy pubes. Jamie grinned at him before very deliberately turning and bending over the bed, ass at a perfect, irresistible angle. "Come and get me, Ty." "Hot little bottom boy." Ty took the two steps forward necessary to reach that amazing and tight little ass. He tossed the condom he'd pulled out on the bed so he could use both hands on the lube. "I am not." Jamie wiggled, though, ass wagging back and forth like it had a tail attached. Oh, man. Best not to ponder fucking wolf-Jamie as wolf-Ty. That lead to freaky things like mating for life, and who had time for that? Ty groaned at the thought, unsure if it was hot or scary. He went with hot for the time being, because he sure as hell didn't want to waste the hard-on he had. He got his fingers wet once he finally opened the little tube, got them good and slick. Then he pushed one against Jamie's hole. "Ty." The word was long and drawn out and sounded so good on Jamie's lips. Ty pushed deeper, letting Jamie feel him. "Fuck, you're tight, Jamie." Tight was a complete understatement. The man was tight and hot and just having his finger in there made Ty afraid he would blow. He moved his finger in and out, slowly working up to two. "More." Jamie's skin was flushed all the way down the man's spine, and muscles quivered everywhere from strain. "Anything you want." He pulled his fingers free and got the condom open, pushing it on with shaking fingers. He got it 32

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slicked up before putting both hands on Jamie's ass and spreading that little hole wide open with his thumbs. "Ready?" Jamie made a strangled noise. "God, yes. More. Please." "In." He pushed the head of his cock right where it wanted to go, squeezing in, feeling Jamie's body clamp down around him. He gave Jamie time to relax, gave them both time to catch their breath. Ty's chest heaved, and sweat dripped into his eyes. He felt like he'd been running a marathon and he still had the final sprint to go. "Okay. I'm okay. Move now." Moving in short little pulses, Jamie pushed back against him, panting, begging. The words started to jumble up, almost like wolf sounds, but that was okay. Ty got it. Grabbing Jamie's hips in an iron grip, Ty started to really thrust, moving his hips strongly. His skin slapped against Jamie's, the sound almost like a spanking, which he would love to try sometime. Right now all he could do was hold on and enjoy the ride. Straightening his arms, hands flat on the bed, Jamie started to push, demanding more, body squeezing Ty's cock in rhythmic waves. Ty cried out, so close now that he could go over any moment. He bent almost double to take a deep bite at the nape of Jamie's neck, needing that taste, that connection Jamie howled for him, fucking howled like the wolf Jamie should be. That lean body convulsed under his, Jamie's ass slamming back into the cradle of Ty's hips that Ty's balls swung and slapped back against his own body. 33

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Christ. He bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood, hard enough to keep his own howl down to a, "Nghhhh," tendons standing out in his neck. He came so hard that he figured his head was going to pop right off, so hard he almost lost himself in the change. He hung on by the barest thread, because wouldn't that be awkward. Jamie slumped down on the bed, head on a pillow. "I made a mess." The words were muffled, but audible. "On the bed?" "Mmmhmm. I may never come again." "That would be a shame." Ty knew he was leaning too hard on Jamie's back, but he couldn't move. That bite... Something had changed with it, some connection between them had been born. He wanted to stay right where he was. "My cock is going to fall off if you don't move," Jamie finally murmured. "It's caught between me and the bed. Blood circulation is going fast." "Sorry." He was. He moved back, easing out, condom in place. Mostly. He hadn't blown it, but man, it had been close. "S'okay." Jamie crawled up on the bed after pulling the comforter off. There were tons of pillows and blankets left for them to make a nest out of, so he didn't protest. The one pillow that caught under Ty's knee when he flopped on the bed had to go. It was covered in some kind of scratchy tweed. He kicked it off. The rest could stay. "Still think this is a bad idea?" he asked, stroked Jamie's side as he pulled the man back against him to spoon. "Terrible. I gotta say that it's worth it, though. Gimme a few and we can go again." 34

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Ty licked the bite mark he'd left on the back of Jamie's neck. Electricity shot through him, and he and Jamie both shivered. "I thought you said you'd never come again." "I got blood supply back to my dick when you let me up." Ty snorted, the sound just like the one he made when he was in his wolf form, blowing his lips at some pack member's antics. "Hooray for blood flow." "You know it." Jamie went silent, stroking the back of Ty's hand, and Ty could almost hear the mental gears grinding. He wanted to ask what was up, but he decided to exercise patience again. He waited silently, just nuzzling and licking Jamie's skin. "If we do this, this you and me thing?" "Mmmhmm?" "I won't ask you not to go all alpha on me or whatever. I know that's second nature. What I will ask is that you don't try to force me to fit in with a pack." Ty thought about that one. He ran with a pack, sure, but he wasn't a super pack law freak about it. He lived a pretty self-sufficient life. "I can do that. You left a long time ago, huh?" "For a variety of reasons, yeah." Jamie turned to face him, wiggling until they were eye to eye. "I can't go back to that. It's too hard to be a nerd and be queer and all." "I can't promise I won't try to get you to run with me during the moon, but I can respect the need to be separate." Ty tilted his head. "I am a bit more wolfy than you, though. 35

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You might have to promise to put up with sniffing and growling and shit." "I can probably do that." Jamie kissed his chin. "It might take some practice." "Practice makes perfect, babe." He bent his head to kiss Jamie, pushing his tongue deep. They were really going to do this. This 'us' thing. Fuck him raw. His cock was just taking an interest in another round, despite the shattering orgasm he'd already had, when the door to Jamie's bedroom flew open, the wood around the lock splintering away. Ty whipped around, rising to his knees on the bed and putting Jamie behind him. "What the fuck?" Anton stood in the doorway, a small police style battering ram in one hand and a really big pistol in the other. Creepy little Anton, with his crazy eyes and spittle flying out of his mouth. Christ. This whole thing was just getting out of hand. What did a werewolf have to do to have a decent date, anyway? **** "Seriously? What the fuck, Anton?" Jamie peered at his roommate over Ty's shoulder. "What the hell are you doing in here? With a gun?" His heart was racing, his body going into fight or flight mode. His wolf rose to the surface wanting to protect Ty. Too bad Ty wasn't about to go along with that plan. 36

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Ty puffed up, shoulders looking immeasurably broad. "What do you want, Anton?" Anton dropped the battering ram and wiped his mouth with the back of his free hand. "I knew it. I knew you would try to steal Jamie from me. But I need him, don't you see? I thought you could help me, too, but you only wanted him!" Jamie stared, his mouth dropping open. "Dude. You're not even queer." "No!" Anton actually stamped his foot. "No, no, no. That's not what I want from you. You know what I truly want. I want you to make me one of you. So I can defend Gaia!" Blinking, Jamie sat back on his heels. That was the craziest fucking thing he'd ever heard. Ty started laughing. Not just chuckling, or making some sort nervous sound. This was full-on, deep-chested laughter. It grew and grew until it was a roar of sound. "Stop! Stop laughing at me. Make me one of you, and I swear under the moon I will do everything in my power to be a productive member of the pack." Ty kept laughing, actually bending over to slap his legs. Jamie whacked him. Hard. "Sorry," Ty wheezed. "That's just too rich. Anton, man, you can't become one of us. That's crap. You have to be born this way." Anton's eyes widened, and Jamie watched that trigger finger tighten a little. "No. I read all about it. There are two kinds of werewolves. You can help me."

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"No." Ty wasn't laughing now. He was growling, an alpha sound that made the hair stand up on the back of Jamie's neck. Sadly, Anton wasn't smart enough to be afraid or heed the warning signs. The man just kept waving his pistol and blathering about the moon. Ty tensed up, one muscle at a time. Jamie knew what was coming, knew what that stance meant. His chest went tight, and he cast about for something to use as a weapon, something to protect Ty with if things went down in a bad way. "You really want me to bite you?" Ty asked, cutting Anton off in mid-sentence. "Yes. I do. I won't shoot you, or him, if you do. These are silver bullets. I'll kill you both if you don't change me." "Silver bullets, huh?" Ty's head tilted back and forth, and Jamie knew the man was scenting Anton, testing the balance of hormones and chemicals pulsing in the man's veins. Waiting for the best time to strike. Ty pushed one hand back and pressed against Jamie's right leg. Okay. Go right. "Well, then," Ty murmured, the sound such an obvious warning growl. "I'll do what you want." Anton smiled, the smile of a child who was getting just what he wanted. The gun in Anton's hand wavered for just a moment, but that was all the time Ty needed. The air crackled with magic, the sound of tearing skin and cracking bones sounded in an awful cacophony, and Jamie 38

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leaped to his right just as Ty leaped at Anton, fully wolfedout. The gun didn't go off, which was what Jamie had expected. Instead, it clattered across the floor, and Anton screamed, a short sound that cut off quickly when Ty's teeth closed around the crazy bastard's throat. The sound of Anton's body thudding to the floor was almost drowned out by Ty's snarl when the wolf changed back into the man. Jamie raised his head to peer over the side of the bed. "Did you kill him?" "No." Streaks of blood covered Ty's limbs. That was one of the worst things about changing back to human. It was always dirty. "He passed out from fear and lack of air." "Should we call 911?" "Only if you want to press charges. I mean, this is going to be hard to explain, and I'm not leaving you with him for a roommate if you decide not to send him to jail." Jamie pondered everything for a moment. "How long will he be out?" "I don't know. We can tie him up. Drop him off at the hospital." "That's a good idea, I guess." It was like, three in the morning. No one would see them. He hoped. "You okay?" Ty came to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Jamie hadn't realized he was shaking until his teeth started to chatter. He reached up and grabbed Ty's wrist, letting it be his solid thing in a spinny world. Jamie tried to grin. "I'm okay. Okay." 39

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Ty pulled him close, hugging him tight. "We'll figure out what to do with him, huh? Hell of a start to this whole you and me thing, huh?" "Yeah. Told you that you'd go all alpha on me and do something crazy." "Well, I told you I couldn't help that." Ty kissed him quickly before stepping back to grab his clothes off the floor. "We need to deal with this guy, huh?" "We do." Jamie climbed down off the bed, grabbing some sweats out of his chest of drawers and getting some bungee cords out of his closet to tie Anton up. "This has to be the weirdest second date I've ever been on," Jamie said, grinning at Ty. Ty laughed out loud. "You said you don't date other weres. This was hanging out." "Right. Then I hate to see what's going to happen when we do decide to go out." "We'll take it slow, huh? Maybe our third date will be me helping you move into my place."

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Epilogue Jamie laughed, watching the antics of Rufus the German shepherd. He'd never had dogs growing up. It had just seemed too weird. He had to admit, though, that taking Rufus to the park filled some deep-seated need that he could usually only get satisfied once a month, if that. Ty laughed, tossing a big stick for the silly dog, who bounced and barked and just generally cavorted. Jamie had broken down and moved in with Ty three weeks after the whole Anton incident. He'd kicked Anton out and gotten a restraining order against the guy since Anton didn't seem to realize that popping up at Jamie's classes and the coffeeshop might be bad. How weird was that? Ty had been after him to move in every day, and Jamie had finally agreed because all of Anton's gaming friends kept dropping by and wanting to get their dice rolling on. "So, does it count as a date if I live with you now?" It was a running gag with them, every time they went out and did something together. Jamie straddled the bench of a picnic table, torn between watching Rufus and watching the sun go down. "Well, you don't date other weres, so I'm gonna go with no. You want your burrito now?" They'd stopped and gotten huge burritos at Bocaza, and they both dug in, eating together as natural as anything now. Oh, they growled at each other when Ty was getting his pack member face on, or when Jamie was too lone wolf, but they were comfortable as old mates most of the time. 41

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"So, what's on your agenda tonight, Mr. Nerd?" Ty teased him unmercifully about his class load, and Jamie teased Ty about stinking of wolf every night when he came home from playing scientist. "Oh, I was thinking I might go home, read a few chapters, maybe fuck my boyfriend." Ty sat up straight, tossing his burrito wrapper in the trash. "I like part of that plan a lot." "Which one?" He raised a brow, waiting for the little growl. It came right on cue, and it had Rufus running back to them to put his head in Ty's lap. Poor baby got all sorts of mixed signals from them when they were playing. Ty stroked the dog's ears, but only had eyes for Jamie. "I think you know which part." "Mmm. Well, then, we'd better get on home, huh?" Jamie stood, tossing his wrapper in the trash, too, and tossing Rufus' leash to Ty. "I'd hate to disappoint you. Maybe we could do a little gaming, too. Watch a werewolf movie." Ty grimaced. "You are not funny. I don't ever want to think of that freak again." "Hey, you should thank him." Jamie had been grateful that Ty hadn't killed Anton, if nothing else because Anton had introduced them. He would never have given Ty a chance otherwise. "Why is that?" Ty stepped up, sliding an arm around him a brief embrace and a hard kiss. Jamie blinked the stars out of his eyes from the kiss. "He gave you a mate on a silver platter." 42

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Now it was Ty's turn to blink, his expression surprised, then pleased, a wide smile dawning on his face. "Are you my mate?" Jamie nodded, laughing, something he seemed to do a lot these days. "I am. I swear under the moon." end ****

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