Crouching Vegan, Hidden Werewolf Read online

Why couldn't Dark disappear, too?

  That wasn't totally fair. Dark had made him feel things that he'd never even imagined before, let alone felt, as a man or wolf.

  He supposed he should bite the bullet and go upstairs. Dark was clearly not going anywhere. He opened the door, jogged up the stairs, embarrassingly eager to see the man again.

  Dark was still in the back booth, sitting there, relaxed and smiling at him.

  "Restaurant's closed." Fuck. Fuck, so hot.

  "I know. And now you don't have an excuse to keep hiding in your kitchen." Dark's eyes watched him like he was the man's next meal.

  "I was busy. Did you enjoy your supper?"

  Dark shook his head, but his words belied that. "I don't know how you do it, but you make vegan amazing."

  The words warmed him, bone deep, and he couldn't fight his blush. "Thank you."

  "Maybe it's because I can taste you in the food."

  "Hush." He wanted to wag.

  "You know that doesn't work on me." Dark stood and stalked toward him.

  Erik stepped back, sliding around tables.

  "Where do you think you're going?"

  "I don't know." His cock was full, aching in his pants. "You make me stupid." Made him want stupid things, things that he'd given up a long time ago.

  "No. I make you hungry. I make you need. I make you want to embrace your simpler side. But you're not stupid."

  He'd stopped running and suddenly Dark was right there, staring into his eyes.

  "Tell me to leave. Tell me you don't want me and I'll go."

  "I..." He couldn't. He didn't want Dark to go, not with the scent of the man like perfume in his nose.

  Dark's hands slid around his waist, pulling him up tight against the large, muscled body. "I thought so."

  His moan escaped him, his exhausted body flooded with sudden energy. The marks on his neck began to throb.

  "We can't do this here." He wanted to touch.

  "Why not?" One of Dark's hands slid up and tugged at the neck of his turtleneck shirt he was wearing to cover up the hickeys that peppered his neck.

  "Windows..." He moaned, goose bumps covering his body.

  "Okay." Dark grabbed his arm and dragged him into the kitchen.

  "Downstairs. Office." His heart was slamming against his ribs.

  "What's wrong with the kitchen?" Dark's voice had gone all growly.

  "I work here."

  "You work in the office, too." Dark pushed him up against a wall and tore at his turtleneck, ripping the material so Dark's hot lips could descend on one of the marks.

  Erik snapped, his body feeling like he'd been hit with a live wire. Dark's mouth drew up an ache, lips and tongue and teeth getting in on the action. One mark after the other was brought back to life. His cock was diamond hard, his balls aching and heavy, even though he'd have sworn earlier that he'd never get it up again. Still working on one of the marks on his neck, Dark tore his turtleneck right off, baring his torso to the hard, questing fingers.

  "Brute." Fuck, this was blisteringly hot.

  Dark didn't even try to deny it. "Whatever gets you naked." Yanking on his chef slacks, Dark sent the button at the top sailing through the room.

  "If that ends up in someone's soup tomorrow..."

  Dark laughed. "You'll get hard while you're trying to apologize." One big hand pushed into his open pants and wrapped around his prick.

  "No way..." They were closed tomorrow anyway. Thank God.

  "Way." Those big fingers dragged along his flesh.

  "Dark..." He arched, pushing up into the touch, hips moving wildly. God. God, please. He had been craving this all evening.

  Dark didn't tease, didn't make him wait. The hand around his prick moved hard and fast, urging him to go with his feelings. He barked out his pleasure, his head cracking against the wall. Dark growled for him, the sound sending electricity along his spine.

  "My good pup." The words buzzed along his skin, like they were alive.

  Dark pinched the tip of his prick, the burn damn near fucking perfect. Knees buckling, he shot, entire body on fire.

  Dark held him up, held him close. "I've got you, mate."

  He moaned, cuddled in. Damn.

  Dark nuzzled, nose sliding along the marks on his neck. His skin tingled, his nipples hard and aching, his cock full, again. Still. What the fuck ever.

  Dark turned him, pushing him up against the wall, cock hard as it rubbed against his ass.

  "Tell me you need me, mate." Dark's growl was pure hungry male. He pushed Erik up harder against the wall. "Tell me."

  "Need you. Need you, you bastard." Like nothing and no one else ever.

  "Name's Dark."

  His pants were pulled down, and he could feel Dark's prick, hot and hard.

  "No one's named Dark."

  Dark bit at his neck, feet kicking his legs apart. "I am."

  Erik pushed his ass out, making his offer clear. He felt Dark rub the fat head against his hole, then Dark began to push, spreading him open. The burn shot up his spine, teasing him, driving him mad, and he pushed down against it.

  Growling softly, Dark pushed in deeper. "So fucking good, mate. Been looking for this all my life."

  Erik moaned, the words so fucking welcome, so wonderful. Dark's lips covered the mark on his neck, biting once again.

  "Always biting." There was going to be a scar on his neck. Maybe even more than one.

  "It's what we do."

  He shook his head. Not him. He was a human. Hu-man.

  "Yes." The growled out word was accompanied by a hard thrust.

  He yelped, entire body going tight. Groaning, Dark thrust in again Then once more. Then they found their rhythm and ran with it, slamming together, skin sweat-slick and sliding. Unbelievably, his prick had started to fill again, as if Dark's cock was blowing it up.

  He reached down and slowly jacked himself.

  "Beautiful fucking cock." The admiration in Dark's voice was clear, thick and wanton.

  "Feel like a teenager." Erik couldn't deny it felt so damn good.

  "Randy. Horny. That's the bond."

  "I can't stop." He just wanted to come, over and over.

  "I don't want you to stop."

  Erik didn't want to stop either, to be honest.

  One of Dark's hands joined his around his prick, squeezing tight.

  "Yes." He growled the word, his ass grabbing at Dark's prick.

  "Together," muttered Dark, pounding in harder.

  "Uh-huh." His body shuddered, his balls drawn up hard under his prick.

  "Now," growled his mate, hot breath sliding over the marks on his throat.

  It was like his body was connected, soul-deep, to Dark, spunk spraying from him, even as Dark's filled him. He leaned his head back, swallowing over and over, pleasure like a fire inside him.

  Dark rested against him, chest rising and falling along his back.

  "I'm going to have to get the kitchen deep-cleaned tomorrow." He wasn't sure there was enough bleach in the world, really.

  "God, you're anal." Dark sounded like he was teasing.

  He squeezed Dark's sweet cock. That earned him a groan, and a soft, "fuck." Erik chuckled, feeling like he just got a little of his own back.

  Dark began to move again, cock still hard inside him. "You make me need, mate."

  "I want to." He wanted Dark as crazy as he felt.

  "It's in our blood." Dark was so in touch with his inner wolf.

  Erik, on the other hand, had fought his baser nature for years. Years. He'd never, ever felt like this before, though. He'd never wanted anything so deep in his bones.

  Dark's cock was still hard, pressing into him again and again, making him burn. His thighs were beginning to shake, his belly burning. Dark picked him up and turned him, pressing him down onto the prep table.

  "Dark..." He reached out, grabbed the other end, going white knuckled.

  "Right here," Dark pushed into him again.

  His
lower belly pressed against the smooth, metal edge of the prep table, his pubes tugging. He could feel the heat of Dark's body against his ass, his back. Most of all there was the pressure of Dark's cock, filling him up. Dark started humping, pushing into him.

  "Fucking insane." This was crazy. How could they both still be hard?

  "Should I stop?"

  Dark knew fucking well he shouldn't.

  "Bastard." Erik gripped the heavy cock, squeezed.

  "Your bastard, mate." Dark laughed and thrust in hard.

  "My bastard mate." His laughter felt good, felt right hiccupping out of his chest.

  Dark growled and smacked his ass.

  He yelped, the sting hot as hell. "Not apologizing."

  Dark swatted him again.

  "Fucker." He slammed back into the cradle of Dark's hips.

  Dark's pulled out halfway, that strong hand coming down on his ass again.

  "Fuck me! Quit playing!"

  "You're not enjoying this?" The word this was accompanied by another spank.

  "I..." Was he? "I'm anti-violence!"

  Dark chuckled huskily. "This isn't violence, mate, any more than this is." Dark leaned over him and bit his neck where it met his shoulder.

  He cried out, his entire self shorting out, and he gave himself to the call of his mate.

  Dark's teeth sank in and stayed, the man's hips pumping in and out. The burn filled him and he screamed, his cock spurting, balls aching. Dark slammed into him one more time, filling him with more spunk.

  He slumped onto the table and Dark followed him, covering his back. Their breath huffed from the both of them, and he could smell them, the strong musk of need and heat.

  Fuck, he wanted a steak.

  Chapter 5

  * * *

  For two whole days, Dark and Erik mated, over and over, sealing the bond between them. He'd never felt anything like it. It was magnificent.

  He rolled over in bed, watching Erik get dressed. "Are you really going back to the house of vegetables?" He wanted Erik to stay at home longer, with him.

  "I have to. The full moon's coming, mate. I have to get things prepped so I can take the moon off."

  Uh-huh. Like he was going to allow his mate to be kenneled for the moon. If Erik insisted on leaving him today, just maybe he'd have to dismantle that odious room that locked from the outside. That was an abomination.

  "You'll spend the moon with me." He had no doubt of that. They would run together under light and it would be glorious.

  "With you? Where?" That wasn't a no.

  "The woods to the north of the city." He watched Erik cover that glorious body with chef clothes. How many damn pairs of those things did Erik have? He'd torn at least two.

  "You have a place there?" Erik asked.

  If Dark had his way, he'd keep his lover naked, hard, close. "I have the woods." And yes, he had a little cottage to spend the days, a lovely deck that saw sunshine on it in the afternoons. He'd bought it before coming to the city, spent three moons there, learning the land. He knew it would be a good place to bring his mate.

  "I...I can't, love. I'll change."

  "Of course you will. We'll change together. We'll run!" No more caging the wolf. No more insanity. They would give themselves to the moon, be free.

  "I can't. I'll hunt." Erik had backed away and was shaking his head.

  Dark growled softly. That was the point--they were meat eaters, not fucking vegans. "You're a wolf, mate."

  "I'm human. I don't eat meat."

  Growling more loudly, he stood and stalked over to where Erik was. "When the moon comes, you'll be wolf."

  Erik could fight it when the moon wasn't full, but once it was, there would be no denying it.

  "That's what I mean. I can't fight it in the woods during the moon."

  Dark was going to beat him. "You aren't going to fight it anymore, Erik. You and I are going to run together. We're going put our heads back and howl. We're going to hunt. We are a mated pair and we need to celebrate the moon. Together."

  Those pretty, worried eyes met his. "How can I? How can I do this and still live with myself."

  "It's the circle of life, mate. The predators eat the prey." He reached out, having to touch, needing the connection, and Erik pushed into his arms. He held onto his lover, his hands roaming over Erik's back. "You'll be happier if you stop denying who you are."

  "I don't know what to do."

  "You listen to me." It was fairly simple and he had Erik's best interests--and his own--at heart.

  "Bossy old man." Erik chuckled and kissed his nose.

  "Silly vegan pup."

  "I'm trying to do what's right. Save the animals." He could hear how important this was to Erik, it was there in his voice. He wanted to be able to make his mate happy about this.

  But they would always be wolves and there was no such thing as a vegan werewolf. Still. They were also human and as much as it might make him growl, humans could compromise. For his mate, he could do that. "So you save the damn animals twenty-seven days out of thirty. The other three you run wild with me."

  Erik leaned up, offering him those sweet, hungry lips. Ah, he'd found something Erik didn't want to argue about. He was on to something. He took the change of subject, though, his need for Erik's scent and flavor not the least bit abated by the last two days of rutting.

  "I have to go into the restaurant." The words were murmured against his lips.

  "Aren't you the boss? Doesn't that mean perks?" Surely someone else could do the work.

  "Means long hours."

  He pouted. Erik was his mate. They needed to be together. "I'm coming to the restaurant." He wasn't being left here at the apartment alone all day.

  "Yeah?" He got a warm, pleased look. "I'd like that."

  "I'll even eat the crazy-no-meat-food and like it." He gave Erik a wink. Truth was, even without the meat, Erik's food rocked. It was probably the best food he'd ever eaten, if he was being entirely honest.

  His mate kissed him hard, tongue pushing. "Maybe...maybe there's the compromise for us, huh? My wolf wants to run with you."

  He knew that. He'd seen it. He nodded. "We have to find a way because I'm not going anywhere."

  "No? Not even if someone wants to take you away to protect them?"

  He snorted. Like a job would ever come between them. "I'll only take jobs that coincide with your hours, mate. I can do that--I work for myself."

  "Mate." The word coming from Erik's lips made him shiver.

  "You don't deny it anymore." There was only so long one could pretend the bond between them didn't exist.

  "I can't. You're mine."

  Pleasure flooded through him at the words and he rested their foreheads together. "Mate. Love."

  "Yeah." Erik smiled, lips to eyes. "Yes, love. Mate."

  He took another kiss, his eyes drifting closed as he filled his other senses with his lover.

  They would head to the restaurant, and then he would take his Erik to the woods and they would run and hunt. It was close enough to the moon that it would be easy to shift, even for someone who didn't do it regularly anymore. And he needed some meat, craved it.

  Still, he was pretty sure he could make do with vegan the rest of the month. He could put up with whatever he had to for his mate.

  And he knew Erik felt the same.

  Even if the man was a damned vegan.

  Sean Michael

  Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the Kama Sutra by channeling the long-lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to Chicago.

  A long-time writer of complicated haiku, Sean is c
urrently attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate-spinning and soap-carving sex toys.

  Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

  To learn more about Sean, please visit: www.seanmichaelwrites.com.

  * * * *

  Don't miss Carved In Wood, by Sean Michael,

  available at AmberAllure.com!

  Can a rescue turn into love?

  In a brutal world where werewolves are hunted and killed, Wood runs a group that smuggles wolves out of the city to safety. But when Wood meets Daniel, nearly dead from the silver bullet in his shoulder and with a story about entire packs being stolen and forced to work in labor camps, Wood begins to question whether or not he's really helping anyone at all. Is he simply smuggling wolves out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire?

  Meanwhile, as Daniel heals, he and Wood form a bond, coming together in a way neither man ever expected, and bringing up feelings neither man has ever experienced. Will their becoming mates muddy the waters, or make everything perfectly clear?

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