The Lamb Who Cried Wolf (3 page)

Truth be told, Brody now placed his trust in Soren. Wolves in general respected matings, but given his position in werewolf society, his decision wouldn’t be easily accepted. Still, he hoped Soren would help him out. After all, the man was not only his brother, but also his Alpha.

In the end, he decided he was better off renting a vehicle, which still left him with a reasonable sum of money to find them a place to stay for the night. Still, Brody knew he had to look for an affordable place, because they’d have to live from his savings for a while, at least until he got access to the rest of his money. He knew several hotels in town that could provide decent accommodations at a pretty good price. They also stopped at a supermarket to stock up on supplies, both foodstuffs and an outfit for Carson. In a bid of optimism, he added a bottle of olive oil to their cart. He didn’t know if he’d get to enjoy Carson’s delicious body in the near future, but he could only hope it would happen.

As they drove around, the scents of the city assaulted them. Soon, Brody noticed it was affecting poor Carson. When they passed by an
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Indian restaurant, Carson turned an interesting shade of green. “Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“I’ll stop the car,” Brody offered stupidly.

“No, no. Just keep driving. I’ll be fine.”

Once they left the area behind, Carson did indeed seem to regain some of his composure. However, the incident put things into perspective for Brody. All the smells coming from the food places around the city seemed delicious for him, but disgusting for Carson.

Of course, he couldn’t blame the lamb for his reaction. After all, Carson must have felt the same thing Brody did when he saw or scented the corpse of a wolf. Still, in the circumstances, Brody felt ill-prepared to care for his mate. Could they really make things work?

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The first rays of the sun were just appearing from the horizon as Carson entered the small hotel room Brody had found for them. He sniffed around experimentally, and watched as Brody did the same.

When the wolf gestured that it was okay, Carson plopped on the bed facedown, exhausted.

He couldn’t understand anything anymore. How had he gone from being at the mercy of the young rams in his town to accepting a wolf’s help?

Brody was a mystery to him. The man seemed besotted with him.

Carson knew enough about wolves to understand what Brody had told his friend. Mates were very important for them, and this was perhaps the only thing Carson always respected about their enemies. Sheep didn’t mate. More often than not, the rams chose the ewes they liked—any number of them—and reproduced. In fact, Ray and Carson were only half-brothers. With their flock dynamics, that hardly mattered, though. Or at least, it shouldn’t have.

For that reason, Carson couldn’t understand what Brody intended.

How did matings for wolves work? Would Brody want another mate, someone who could procreate? Hell, why was Carson even considering it? For crying out loud, they were predator and prey. They didn’t mix.

The answer to his question came when Brody sat by his side. His hand gently caressed Carson’s hair, and he lay down, hugging Carson to his chest. He was warm, and strong, and in his embrace, Carson felt so safe it should have been impossible.

“I don’t get it,” he mumbled. “I don’t get any of this.”

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“I know,” Brody murmured. “It’s hard to accept. Sheep don’t have mates, do they?”

Carson shook his head, and Brody continued. “Well, let me explain to you a little how it works. We wolves mate for life, shape-shifters even more so than our equivalents in the wild. We know who the persons meant for us are from the moment we see them. I knew from the beginning that you were destined for me, meant and born for me. Everything else doesn’t matter. We can work it out.”

“But you don’t know me,” Carson protested. “How can you go on just instinct to choose your life partner?”

Brody chuckled and his laughter washed over Carson like a wave of pleasure. “We’re shape-shifters, little lamb. Instinct is our middle name. What does yours tell you?”

Carson almost laughed. A sheep’s instinct wasn’t exactly reliable.

It just told them to flock together and jump when another one did.

Still, he did feel something when Brody held him, and it wasn’t just because of instinct.

“I…I don’t really know,” he answered. “I feel safe with you, but I don’t understand why.”

Brody pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Because we’re mates. We might not know each other very well, but we have all the time in the world to find out everything.”

Carson met the wolf’s eyes. They were so deep, so green, and so very beautiful. “But, Brody, we are predator and prey. Doesn’t that bother you?”

He didn’t know what he expected the other man to answer, but it surprised him when Brody shook his head. “Not at all. Mates are mates and love is love.”

Carson bit his lip hard, trying to suppress his tears. He couldn’t believe someone like Brody understood what Carson had been trying to say to his flock ever since he’d become a grown-up. How was it that a wolf grasped it? All his life, these predators had been a
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nightmare for the whole of Ramston. How did that fit in with Brody’s behavior?

Brody swiped his thumb over Carson’s cheek, and Carson looked away, realizing he’d lost the battle with his tears. “Don’t,” Brody said.

“Don’t hide from me. How are we ever going to mate if you don’t give me a chance?”

Brody actually sounded upset, and for some reason, Carson felt the need to soothe the man. “I’m sorry. I am. I just…I need you to teach me. I don’t know how to have a mate.”

Brody’s expression changed, his eyes taking up the predatory expression that Carson remembered from Ramston. Unlike that time, however, it didn’t scare him. Wild anticipation filled him, his body burning with a need he’d never felt before.

“I can teach you, Carson.” Brody growled lowly. “Do you trust me?”

Did he trust Brody? The man was a wolf, and his kin had hunted Carson’s from the beginning of time. For all Carson knew, Brody himself had killed people from Ramston. And yet, Brody had been so gentle with him. Could he really say no? In the end, Brody was not just a wolf, but also a man, a man who took Carson’s breath away.

“Yes,” he answered. “Yes, I trust you. Just…take it slow.”

Carson had knowledge of what happened between two men. There were rams in the flock with a preference for other males, and it wasn’t all that unusual. On occasion, Brody had actually seen a few couples rutting, some even in their animal form.

But Carson didn’t know what a wolf would do while coupling.

Sure, he knew the general anatomical part of it since rams all received a solid education on their predators. However, their teachers had only given them the basis of the wolves’ reproduction. The anticipation was killing Carson.

“Don’t worry,” Brody said. “I’ll take good care of you.”

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Slowly, Brody brought their faces together, so close Carson could feel the wolf’s breath tickling his cheeks. Carson’s heart beat a thousand miles an hour as he waited to see what Brody would do.

At last, the other man pressed their lips together. He moved his mouth against Carson’s in a seductive motion. Carson gasped, allowing the wolf entrance. He wrapped his arms around Brody, surrendering himself to the other man’s domination.

Brody must have sensed his silent acquiescence, because the gentle kiss became more aggressive. Brody’s tongue devoured Carson’s mouth, arousing him beyond measure. It was his first kiss, and more intense than anything Carson ever expected. He clung to the wolf, gasping with delight, taking in the other man’s sensual assault.

Brody’s hands began to work at his clothes, desperately tearing at the material. Carson tried to help his mate, but of course, failed abysmally. They ended up tangled in the remnants of Carson’s shirt and pants, frustratingly attempting to push them out of the way.

As their mouths parted, Carson let out a huff, while Brody just chuckled breathlessly. “Be patient, little lamb,” he whispered.

“Everything will come in time.”

But Carson didn’t want to be patient. He wanted to be touched and to touch in turn. He found himself trying to remember all the things he’d seen those rams do together, just so as he could explore the same road with Brody. It annoyed and embarrassed him that he didn’t know how to offer the other man pleasure.

Still, he struggled to obey and wait like Brody said. Eventually, his patience was rewarded. Brody got rid of his own clothes, and as the man discarded each item of clothing, Carson’s entire body began to tremble with heightened anxiety and anticipation. Dear God.

Carson had seen Brody naked back at Ramston, but he’d been in too much panic to fully acknowledge the gorgeous hunk of man he had within his reach. For crying out loud, the man seemed cut from divine cloth. Carson didn’t know where to look first. Michelangelo’s David had nothing on Brody where rock-hard abs were concerned. The
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wolf’s coppery nipples perked up upon being exposed, as if demanding for attention, and Brody’s cock pointed accusingly at Carson. Hell, if it were alive, the statue would be embarrassed upon comparing his dick to Brody’s. The wolf’s shaft was massive. From what Carson remembered, it would have to go inside his…inside his ass. But surely, it would never fit.

As if guessing his thoughts, Brody cupped his cheek gently and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was nothing like the one from before. In fact, it didn’t even seem aimed to arouse him, but rather to soothe and comfort him.

“I know I’m a bit intimidating,” he said, “but don’t worry. We’re mates.”

Carson would have loved to have the same trust Brody did, but he simply couldn’t manage to relax. “Somehow, I doubt you’ll be the one with a baseball bat up your ass,” he muttered, disgruntled.

Brody just chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll love it. I promise.”

Carson gave the wolf a doubtful look. Truth be told, he wanted what Brody offered, but he was afraid of it, too. What if he did something wrong? What if Brody didn’t like it? And what about this mate thing? Did Brody’s attraction originate only from it? What if he hated Carson afterward?

He didn’t realize he was panicking until Brody’s strong arms wrapped around him, squeezing him tight. “Hey, Carson, we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

Carson’s eyes widened as he realized he’d fucked up. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just…I’m nervous. Why do you even like me?”

Brody released him from the embrace and gave him a look of disbelief. “Are you kidding? You’re gorgeous. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a mate, even before I knew I wanted one.” He took a deep breath, as if struggling for words. “You’re…you.”

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Carson couldn’t find a reply for that. He was too overwhelmed, too shocked. His entire world seemed to have gone topsy-turvy, as if he were in
The Twilight Zone
.

All of a sudden, all his doubts ceased mattering. He was a sheep and Brody a wolf. So what? They’d only just met. So what? Who cared? Brody was right. They were mates. Beyond all the anxiety, Carson could sense it, too. Otherwise, he would never have trusted Brody in the first place.

Without allowing himself to hesitate further, Carson pressed his lips to Brody’s, bringing their bodies closer together. They were both naked now, and once Carson took the decision to stop worrying about things beyond his control, he found it easy to focus only on his mate’s nudity. He climbed into Brody’s lap, no longer frightened. Instead, the feel of Brody’s hard prick against his ass aroused him like hell.

At first, Brody seemed surprised, but he quickly took over the kiss. His hands explored Carson’s body, leaving behind trails of fire on his skin. Carson rubbed against his mate, aching for more, yearning for something he couldn’t quite understand.

Much to his dismay, Brody pushed him away. Carson gave his mate a confused look. Had he done something wrong? Was he a bad kisser? “Just give me a second,” Brody said. “I’ll be right back.”

Without further explanation, Brody left the bed. Thankfully, the hotel room wasn’t all that big, and Carson watched his mate as the wolf headed toward the bag with their groceries. He lay down on the mattress in wait as he observed Brody move. God, simply the play of muscles on Brody’s back could make a man come.

Brody retrieved the bottle of olive oil from the bag and returned to the bed. At first, Carson didn’t understand the reasons behind Brody’s fetching of the bottle, but then the wolf said, “Come on, little lamb.

Spread your legs for me.”

Carson obeyed, knowing that this was it, the moment he’d feared from the second he’d seen Brody’s prick. He spread his legs and, on instinct, lifted them, exposing his hole to Brody’s gaze. He was
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rewarded with a groan from his soon-to-be-lover. “Jesus Christ, Carson. Do you have any idea how hot you look?”

“Why don’t you show me?” Carson shot back. He didn’t know where the flirty, coy comment came from, but it seemed to arouse Brody even further. Somehow, Carson could feel it echo inside him.

If he’d had any doubt about the connection between them, that would have settled it. He’d worry about the rest later, much later.

Brody opened the olive oil bottle and poured some of the liquid on his fingers, all the while holding Carson’s gaze. Carson gulped, struggling to keep his nervousness in check, but he couldn’t prevent himself from tensing up slightly at the first touch of Brody’s slick finger on his anus. “Relax,” Brody said. “As long as you relax, we’ll be just fine.”

Carson nodded, but it was easier said than done. Obviously noticing Carson’s problem, Brody lowered his head and took Carson’s dick in his mouth. Red hot pleasure shot through Carson as the wet inferno engulfed his prick. He couldn’t help but push his dick deeper inside Brody’s mouth, at the same time reaching down to thread his fingers through the wolf’s hair.