Bloodlines (16 page)

Redford

R
EDFORD
RAN
.

Nothing else existed but him and the forest. The wind through his fur, the ground under his paws, the noises of insects and night birds that guided him. To his sight, the forest was alive with movement, flora and fauna swaying together as a single organism, one that he was instinctively in tune with.

He had never felt so free.

The aggression and the fear that his instincts were usually edged with were nowhere to be found. It was just him and the forest and utter freedom.

Every once in a while, he caught a glimpse of another wolf. His instincts reacted first, wanting to chase and growl, but once his human mind kicked in, he recognized them for who they were. Edwin, a lighter streak amongst the darkness. Anthony, stalking a deer. Randall, curled up next to a stream to watch the play of moonlight over water. Then, later in the night, the three of them gathered together. Redford could smell them and the deer they were eating.

He approached cautiously, loitering on the edge of the clearing they’d dragged their prey to. Though Redford understood that they were wolves and they were just eating, the whole scene looked briefly terrifying to him: three wolves gathered around a carcass, blood shining on their muzzles. But it was just the Lewises, all of whom gave him a happy welcome. Redford sounded a low huff in return and trotted over.

Edwin had saved him the liver. Redford wasn’t sure why, but from the expectant body language of Edwin, it was probably his favorite part. They fed, and splashed around in the river to clean, and wound up collapsed in a pile afterward, warm and full. Randall’s nose was pressed into Redford’s stomach, Edwin was draped across him, and Anthony was warm at his back. The moon bathed them and the river sang to them and they were at peace.

Redford closed his eyes, and the rest of the night drifted past him. His instincts and the wolf in the back of his mind were peaceful and satisfied, for the most part. But Jed wasn’t there. That was the only thing that would make it better.

As the sun started to rise over the horizon, Redford lifted his head and opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. He hadn’t slept so much as he’d
rested
. Detaching himself from the pile, he sneaked a few short steps away to change back, biting his tongue so he didn’t disturb the brothers. They didn’t look like they were waking up anytime soon, so Redford left them, unable to help smiling briefly as he started the walk back.

He wished he’d had the foresight to bring along clothes or to change back closer to the van. It felt very strange, strolling the woods in nothing but his skin, but it also felt like an extension of the night and everything it had contained. Freedom. Freedom from worry and boundaries. The freedom to do exactly what he was doing.

It felt
amazing
.

The walk back didn’t take him as long as he’d anticipated. Jed was hovering at the tree line, looking anxious and worried. The playful spirit of the night lingered in Redford, and he grinned to himself as he stalked behind the trees, keeping himself hidden until he got close enough to pounce on Jed, tackling him to the ground.

“That was
awesome
,” Redford enthused, happily thumping his hands on Jed’s chest. “We should do that every full moon.”

The tension faded from Jed’s face into a slow grin, his fingertips brushing along Redford’s cheeks. There was guilt under the smile, but Jed shook it away to laugh lowly. “You look like you had fun, babe,” he murmured, kissing Redford’s chin.

“It would have been more fun if you’d been there,” Redford replied. “But it was good. I ran around, and Anthony killed a deer. And then we rested a bit.” Self-conscious, he reached up to swipe a hand over his mouth, making sure there wasn’t any blood remaining. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be. “And I liked it earlier too, when it was just you and me.”

Jed’s hands ran through Redford’s hair, down his back, Jed’s idle touch exploring his skin. Making sure he was all in one piece. It was a touchstone for Jed, Redford knew. A way to assure himself that Redford really had come back to him. “Nah,” he huffed out a rueful breath. “Couldn’t have kept up with you. You’re much better off with the furry brigade.”

Redford rolled off Jed and flopped down to lie in the grass next to him on his back, their arms still pressed together. “Our time together was my favorite bit,” he murmured, finding Jed’s hand with his own, linking their fingers together.

He hadn’t felt quite this
satisfied
in a long time, like every part of him was exhausted in the best kind of way. It was actually similar to how Redford felt after a round of really good sex with Jed, only this time his instincts were happy too.

Jed raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed Redford’s knuckles. He almost looked embarrassed by the gesture, but he didn’t let go. “It’s always mine too, Fido,” Jed said gruffly. He wore the same look he always got when he said something sentimental but didn’t want to acknowledge it. So Redford rolled over again, sprawling himself on top of Jed to kiss him, reaching his arms past Jed’s head to stretch.

“I’m going to need a massive breakfast,” Redford announced, nosing his way in against Jed’s neck. He smelled the same as always, pine and gunpowder, mixed together with what Redford knew was his own scent. “Did you have a good night?”

“I slept in a van with Victor goddamn Rathbone,” Jed muttered, head arching back to give Redford more room, a pleased little murmur as Redford found that one spot on his throat that always made Jed’s toes curl. “What do you think?”

“Poor Jed,” Redford laughed. “Did you have to put up with lectures?” He didn’t know what Victor could possibly think of to lecture Jed about, but he was sure Victor could come up with something.

“It was
terrible
,” Jed pouted, a gleam in his eyes as he wiggled a bit under Redford. “I’m traumatized for life.”

Redford lifted his face from Jed’s throat to briefly sniff the air, glancing up at the sun. If he figured correctly, the Lewises would still be an hour away, considering how deeply they’d been sleeping. Victor too smelled like he was fast asleep. For now, it seemed, they had the entire forest to themselves.

He wanted to say something potentially cheesy about making better memories for Jed after his lecture-based trauma, but instead Redford just kissed him, leisurely and slow, lifting up to grin at him. “I’m sorry. I’ll never make you sleep in a van with Victor ever again.”

“Good.” Jed arched his neck up to catch Redford in another kiss, his legs wrapping around Redford’s hips to keep him there. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Redford ducked down to kiss Jed’s throat, biting him lightly. The instinct was there, wanting him to bite harder, to give Jed a mark that would last for the next few days, but that could wait. For now, Redford was content and comfortable, the sun warming his back, and he had Jed underneath him. He wanted to relish this.

He kissed Jed, smiling into it, lazily running a hand down his chest. Redford still wondered if he should feel weird about the fact that he was naked in the middle of a forest clearing, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world, especially with Jed there. “You have
far
more clothes on than I do,” he pointed out, getting his hands under Jed’s T-shirt.

With a laugh, Jed tumbled out of his shirt, tossing it away and sliding his hands through Redford’s hair, down to his shoulders, tugging him in to meet in a sweet clash of lips and tongue. “God forbid,” Jed mumbled with a smirk, kicking off his jeans, sprawling out under Redford happily. He looked more than comfortable to be in the same naked state. If a car happened to drive past on the nearby road, Redford had no doubt that Jed would just flip them off and attempt to charge them for viewing rights.

Jed’s hand slipped between them, wrapping around Redford’s cock, his lips trailing along the slope of Redford’s shoulder. “God, you’re gorgeous,” he murmured, nipping lightly at Redford’s neck, burying a smile into his skin. “How do you just keep getting more beautiful?”

“Wolf secret,” Redford replied, giving the words a lofty tone, grinning down at Jed. He still felt heat rising to his cheeks, though, just like every time Jed complimented him. There was a laugh buried against his skin as Jed painted a trail down his chest, tongue teasing across his nipple. In retaliation, Redford bit harder at Jed’s neck, grinning to himself at the gasp it produced. “You’re getting predictable,” he teased fondly, doing it again. Every time, Jed would get this glazed look in his eyes like he’d temporarily lost all sense of anything else that was happening.

It was satisfying to know that Redford could have that kind of effect on Jed—a man who normally divided his attention between fifteen different things. Not now, though. Now the hands that would be reaching for weapons, that would be focused on violence or planning, were gentling down his sides. Now the eyes that scanned rooms for exits, that picked people apart, that looked for weaknesses and opportunities, were dark with want. Were only focused on Redford. Every part of Jed was in tune with him, every shudder and sigh was only for Redford. Jed tipped his head back, baring his throat, a slow smile slipping across his lips.

“Yeah, I’m predictable,” Jed muttered. “I’m so fucking into you, Red, you have no idea.” Redford smiled against Jed’s throat at the words, soothing the bites with a kiss.

“Predictable is good,” he replied lowly, moving his way down to Jed’s collarbone, giving him another bite there. He liked knowing exactly what to do to make Jed lose his mind, and knowing the steps didn’t make it any less exciting.

As for himself, he thought he might try to be a little unpredictable this time around. Redford knew he was still a little shy when it came to things like this, something he hadn’t quite managed to break out of yet. But on the morning of the full moon, and after a night of running, he was feeling confident. It was a good feeling. So he bit at Jed’s throat again, then down lower, nuzzling over his stomach, then licking a long line up his cock, grinning up at Jed. Jed certainly seemed into it, if the moan was anything to go by, so Redford grasped his hips, settling in, contentedly ducking down to wrap his lips around Jed, sucking him gently. He could go hard and fast, and maybe he would later, but for now the sight of Jed, free and happy, sprawled out on the grass, was something Redford wanted to savor a little longer.

Jed’s heels dug into the ground as he sucked in a quick breath, as he spread his legs farther for Redford. One of Jed’s hands dropped to Redford’s hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands. “God, Red,” he managed, voice throaty and low. “Fuck, that’s so good.” As much as Redford could with his mouth full, he grinned again, the expression in his eyes. He was addicted to making Jed come undone.

He let his eyes fall closed, concentrating on the scent of pine and gunpowder, the heavy weight of Jed’s cock on his tongue, the gasps and groans Jed was making. Redford knew Jed’s favorite moves, and he employed them with enthusiasm, drawing back to tease, licking at the tip and using his hand, watching the almost frustrated little frown that Jed would get. But making Jed lose his mind also had the effect of making Redford very quickly get single-minded too, so he stopped teasing, stopped the light touches, and took Jed as deep as he could—he was
almost
at the point where he could deep-throat Jed, and practice made perfect, as Jed was fond of saying—lifting Jed’s hips to encourage him.

Yelping out a surprised little whimper, Jed scrambled his free hand into the dirt. His eyes were closed, that look of blissful concentration on his face as he gave himself over to Redford. There was so much
trust
there. Jed wasn’t watching his back, wasn’t worried about what happened next. His body rolled up into Redford’s mouth, and Jed was moaning loudly, uncensored and uncaring who might hear. All he cared about in that second was Redford. Reaching up, Redford took Jed’s hand, twisting their fingers together.

Maybe he’d have to practice deep-throating more often, if
this
was the reaction he got.

His eyes still closed, Redford redoubled his efforts, one hand curled under Jed’s hip to lift him up slightly. If Jed’s whole world was the pleasure right now, then Redford’s was the giving of it, in tune with every little noise Jed made, every faint twitch of his muscles. He smoothed his fingertips over Jed’s hip, down to his thigh, smoothing his palm over the trembles he could feel that told him Jed was getting close. He wanted to turn his head and bite at the muscles, but with his mouth busy, Redford used his fingernails instead, scraping over soft skin, laughing to himself when Jed’s leg jumped.

That little touch of pain with the ecstasy was what tipped Jed over. Redford could see it happen when he opened his eyes again—the blush that curled across Jed’s body, the way his eyes were glazed over with need, the twitches in his muscles, the soft, keening gasps of air. With a hoarse moan of Redford’s name, Jed came, body jerking up like it was caught on a string before he sagged back into the grass, panting and spent.