Claimed By The Billionaire Alpha (Gay Werewolf Shifter Mates - An M/M Mpreg Billionaire Romance) (4 page)

During his spare time, Ethan found himself often in the company of Devin Grimes.

Devin was a fabulous conversationalist, and Ethan found himself enjoying many of the same things he did.

One Saturday night, Devin had called Ethan up to invite him to a night of fights in Queens. While the subway ride was a bit far, Ethan agreed, and met him at the subway station.

Devin was dressed handsomely as usual. This time he was in a pair of CK jeans, dress shirt, and Timberland boots. Ethan felt happy that he was dressed more casual, as he himself was wearing only his own jeans, a Yankees t-shirt, and Nikes.

"You ready?" Devin asked, greeting Ethan with a friendly hug.

Their physical contact had progressed over the next few weeks, from handshakes to little touches, and finally to a friendly hug.

It just felt... natural to Ethan.

"Of course. Now, you said this wasn't all boxing, right?"

Devin paid for their tickets on the subway, and handed Ethan his stub. "Yes. It's a mixed card. It's supposed to be five boxing bouts, two kickboxing, and two amateur MMA bouts."

"I've never seen MMA live before," Ethan commented as they passed the turnstiles. "Only on TV."

"Every time they have professional bouts anywhere nearby, I make it a point of going."

Ethan turned to Devin, surprised. "Really? I would've never thought that you'd be into that. You seem so.... cultured?"

Devin chuckled. "Well, beyond this accent and pretty face, I do love it."

The night of fights was thrilling. Ethan had a wonderful time, and was fascinated that Devin had been able to score ringside seats, allowing him to see every inch of the action for all nine bouts.

While he found the kickboxing somewhat boring, the other fights made up for it, with quite a few knockouts.

Afterwards, he and Devin enjoyed discussing and rehashing the events as they took the train home, until it was time for him to get off. "Well, here's my stop," Ethan said, as the train slowed to a crawl. "I had a really great time tonight, Devin."

"I had fun too," Devin replied, standing up with him. The doors opened, and he stepped out onto the platform with him.

Ethan turned to ask him what he wanted when Devin swept him up in his arms, and suddenly they were kissing.

It was a tender kiss, soft and gentle, and Ethan could feel himself wrapping his arms around Devin’s neck, his lips opening to allow his tongue to taste his.

They kissed for a few seconds, and when the kiss was over, Ethan was breathless.

"Wow.., I wasn't expecting that," Ethan breathed, blinking rapidly.

"Neither was I, honestly," Devin said, his hands reaching out to hold Ethan’s. "I just went with it."

Ethan smiled, feeling hot underneath the collar. "Good night, Devin. Take care."

Ethan turned and headed up the steps of the platform, his last sight being Devin waving to him while he waited for his next train.

A week later, Ethan was at his desk when his office phone buzzed at about six in the evening. It was Talen, needing Ethan in his office.

He got up from his desk and went inside, closing the door behind him. Talen was sitting at his desk, his coat hung casually over the back of his chair.

"Can I get you anything, Talen?"

Talen sat back in his chair, smiling. "Not really, Ethan. I was just seeing how you're coming along. It's been close to six weeks since you joined us. Karina's been nagging me to write a performance review for your file. I just wanted to get your input before I sent it to her."

Ethan walked over to one of the plush leather chairs in front of Talen's desk and sat down. "Honestly Talen, this has been a dream job for me. I've worked my butt off, but you're a great boss to work for and I've learned a lot. I'm looking forward to a future here."

"That's great," Talen said, sliding a piece of paper over for Ethan to read. "Here's what I wrote up for your performance review, by the way."

Ethan skimmed the document, and was happy with the words that jumped out at him. He was a hard-worker. He was flexible, and skilled in his duties. Talen was very happy with his work.

"Geez, thank you Talen.”

"No, thank you Ethan," Talen replied, leaning forward. "I'll be honest, this has been some of the best six weeks for me ever since I took over as CEO of Morgan Investments. You've made my work fun again."

Ethan blushed at the compliment. "I haven't done too much, Talen. I just keep your calendar up to date, you know."

Talen stood up and came around his desk, taking the seat next to him. "Ethan, you've done much more than that," he said intensely, his blue eyes almost glowing in the early evening light. "Your insight, your comments, and your humor has been invaluable to me."

Ethan's jaw burned, and the room suddenly felt a few degrees too hot. He had seen Talen looking at him over the past few weeks, most often on their little out of office trips, and he had sensed that Talen was attracted to him.

It had come as a pleasant surprise to Ethan that Talen was into men. He just pictured the powerful CEO as one who would have women lining up at his feet.

Still, Ethan was just as attracted to Talen. The man had a certain aura about him that gave Ethan chills.

"Talen, I don't want to say the wrong thing…”

"You’re worried that you might offend me because you’re not totally clear on my sexuality?"

Ethan nodded. “Yeah and your sister…”

“Don’t be. Just to be clear, I have always had a thing for both men and women,” Talen said, placing his powerful hand on top of Ethan’s. Talen’s flesh was hot to the touch, but Ethan liked the feel of it.

"And don’t worry about what Karina thinks. Besides, I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend, I'm just saying that I'm interested in you beyond the fact that you make one killer cup of coffee. I'm hoping you might be interested in me, too."

Ethan swallowed, his heartbeat quickening. Part of him wanted to tell Talen about Devin, and their kiss on the subway. But part of him wanted to see if Talen was as good a kisser as Devin was.

What was he to do?

After debating internally with himself for a moment, Ethan made a decision. "Talen, I'm not saying no, but I am saying not right now," Ethan said, looking him in the eyes and trying not to cringe. "You are a great guy, and yes I find you very, very attractive. But I want to get to know you outside of work first, before I make any decisions."

Talen smiled, and Ethan’s heart flopped in his chest. It was a kind, sad smile, one that said Talen would be willing to wait for as long as Ethan wanted.

Ethan reached out with his hand to stroke Talen’s chiseled jaw, and returned what he hoped was a comforting smile.

Just as Ethan finished caressing his jaw, Talen sat up, seemingly electrified.

"Oh no," Talen groaned. He jumped to his feet and glanced out the window. The sun had finished setting, and the night sky was barely visible against the Manhattan skyline. "Not now. Not today"

"What is today?" Ethan asked curiously.

Instead of responding, Talen doubled over in pain.

Ethan shot to his feet and rushed over to Talen’s side, where he was holding his stomach groaning. "Talen! What's wrong?"

"I should have told you earlier," gasped Talen, turning and blindingly making his way towards the sofa on the far side of his office. "I knew if you were to keep working here, you had to know."

"Know what?" Ethan asked. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do I need to call 9-1-1?"

"No!" Talen growled, his voice dropping an octave. The powerful CEO collapsed on the sofa, and looked at Ethan, his eyes so bright they seemed to be glowing. "I should have told you.... about my monthly cycle."

"Your cycle?" Ethan asked, not understanding. He just couldn't put together what was happening. "I thought only women had a monthly cycle."

Talen laughed, a weird sound of pain and mirth mixed together. "Ethan, I do have a monthly cycle. I have not told you because most people aren't strong enough. But I trust you, and I want you to know the truth. I was just hoping to do it at another time when I thought it through."

The first rays of the full moon broke through the window, casting themselves on the wall above Talen's head. His eyes fixed on the bright whiteness, and his hands went to his shirt to start unbuttoning it. "It won't be long now, Ethan."

"What won't be long? And why are you taking off your shirt?"

Talen glanced at Ethan, and he yelped at the fiery glow emanating from his eyes. "Simple," Talen said, his voice dropping lower. Ethan could hardly understand the raspy tones that came from his lips. "What's about to happen would tear my clothes, I'm just preventing that from happening. Don't be afraid, I won't harm you. Just... wait. And watch."

Ethan backed up, dropping nervelessly into Talen's work chair as Talen finished unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it off to reveal the chiseled muscles of his upper body.

Talen slid his shoes and suit pants off as well, leaving him in only a pair of white boxerbriefs.

As the first rays of the moonlight touched Talen’s skin, his muscles began to shift, flowing and rippling like oil as he closed his eyes and groaned. The groan quickly morphed into a feral growl.

Ethan watched in fascinated horror as Talen fell to the floor on all fours, his muscles and bones contracting, jerking and snapping as they realigned themselves.

He started to grow hair all over his body, a thick pelt that was the same auburn color as his hair, until it covered every inch of him.

Most terrifying of all was Talen’s face, which transformed itself, his jaw line elongating, pulling his face with it until it stuck out inches beyond what a human face should be, his eyes taking on a creepy luminescence.

Letting out a snarl, Talen stood up in the clear white light of the full moon. Except it wasn't Talen.

Instead, a werewolf stood before Ethan.

Ethan’s mouth gaped open, like a fish out of water, as he stared at the sight before him. It was too much for his brain to handle.

The room spun around Ethan, and within seconds he passed out, thankful for the warm darkness of oblivion.

"He's coming around."

Ethan felt strange. The last thing he remembered clearly was sitting at his desk at about six, entering the last details into Talen's planner for next week. Then suddenly, reality blurred into insanity. He must have dreamed it all, watching Talen reveal his true feelings for him, then turn into.... a werewolf?

Ethan rubbed at his eyes, and opened them to bright morning sunlight on the wood panels above his head.

This wasn't his apartment!

He sat up abruptly, flinging the light blanket that someone had covered him with across the room. He was in Talen's office, lying on his sofa.

He was still wearing his suit from the day before, but his shoes were thoughtfully removed and lying on the carpet next to Talen's desk.

"What the hell?" Ethan asked, blinking and looking around somewhat panicked.

The first thing he saw was Talen, wearing one of his suits, resting in his office chair with a worried look on his face. Sitting on his desk, her legs crossed at the knee, was Karina.

Her face carried a somber, serious expression that left Ethan worried.

Sitting up, Ethan became aware of Jasmine White next to his head, helping him sit up. He looked at Jasmine, who gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, you've just had a fright, and it sort of knocked you out for a bit."

"I'm sorry," Ethan apologized, not knowing why he was apologizing. "How did I get here?"

Talen walked over to Ethan and knelt on the carpet next to him, his hand coming out to touch Ethan's jawline.

Ethan marveled at how gentle Talen was. "Ethan, what do you recall of last night?"

"Well," Ethan replied, gathering his thoughts, "I recall getting a buzz from you that you wanted to talk to me, and I remember you telling me about a feedback report, but then... I must've...I don't know, it's all a bit fuzzy."

"You can tell me."

Ethan looked into his eyes, and felt his chest tighten. "Talen, I must be going insane, because I remember you saying you were interested in me, and then.....I thought I saw you turn into a gigantic werewolf. I think I may have gotten a concussion."

Talen blinked a few times, then smiled and took Ethan’s hand, kissing his fingers gently and sending desire rushing through Ethan’s veins.

At the same time, Ethan’s mind was torn in two. Didn't he just kiss Devin on the subway last week?

"Oh great," he could hear Karina mutter while still sitting on Talen's desk, "He likes him too."

"You aren't crazy, Ethan, and you didn't hit your head or eat bad Chinese for lunch. What you saw.... was the real thing." Talen sat down on the couch next to him, his fingers still entwined in his own. "What I'm going to say is not what you'd expect to hear, but I swear on all that I am that it is the truth. I am a lycanthrope, or what you so aptly called, a werewolf."

Ethan sat there dumbstruck and at a loss for words.

Talen gave his hand a comforting squeeze. "It is the truth. I'm not much on talking about this without getting my emotions in the way, so I'll let Karina explain it to you. Karina?"

Karina hopped off the desk and leaned against it, her arms crossed over her chest as she gave Ethan a measuring look. Ethan felt like he was under a microscope. "All right, if Talen wants me to tell you, I guess you deserve the tale. Yes, Talen is a lycanthrope."

"I'm a lycanthrope too. So are fifty four other members of Morgan Investments. Normally we're sure to get out of the building and to a remote location when the full moon approaches. Regrettably, my brother allowed his emotions for you cloud his perception of time. I was surprised to get a call from him at five in the morning from this office telling me what happened. You act like you've never seen a lycanthrope before."

"I haven't," Ethan said, before massaging his temples. "At least, I don't think I have."

Ethan turned his attention to Jasmine. "Does that mean you are a lycanthrope, too?"

Jasmine shook her head sadly.  "While lycanthropic DNA is dominant, there are times when a child is born of two lycanthropes but the child is not. I... I am one of those children." Jasmine's shoulders shook softly, and tears welled up in her eyes. Ethan felt empathy, and wanted to reach out to hug her.

"But why can't you just be turned into one?"

"Because children like Jasmine are born with a condition that resists lycanthropic turning," Karina said, going over to wrap her arms around Jasmine. "We've got scientists working on a solution, but so far nothing. It's not something we share with the human world."

Ethan watched as Karina comforted her assistant, still not understanding their whole dynamic. "So what happens now?"

"That's up to you, Ethan," Talen said, letting go of his hand and walking back to his desk. "You have choice to make. You can stay here as my assistant. Or you can walk out the door, never to return. I would give you letter of recommendation, and you'd be set up with a job as far away as you wish. Or, you can consider staying.... and maybe be more than my assistant."

"Oh for Artemis's sake Talen, will you please keep your mind off your love life for a few moments?" Karina turned, snapping at her brother. "I don't care if you're Hunt Leader for the Family or not, I am the Shield, and this is starting to get on my nerves!"

Ethan shook his head, partially in shock, and partially in disbelief. He had never seen anyone speak to Talen in such a fashion, and when put on top of everything else he had experienced over the past twenty four hours, it was just too much to take. He held his hands up, and both siblings quieted down.

"Wait," Ethan said, gathering his will to find the words he felt he needed to speak. "First, I'd like to thank you for trusting me enough to tell me your secret. As for the rest... I can't give you an answer. I need some time to digest all of this."

Jasmine took the lead and spoke up. "I can understand. Listen, Ethan, take the next day or two off. I'll cover your work for Talen, and when you're ready, come back. You can talk to all of us then. Hopefully things can go back to the way they were before last night."

Ethan laughed cynically, and gave Jasmine a sideways glance. "Jasmine, I don't think I could ever go back to the way things were before last night."

"Jasmine speaks wisely," Talen said, standing up. "Ethan, take a few days off. When you come back, we can discuss things more. Karina, if that's okay with you?"

But it wasn't a question.