Feral Dawn Page 4

  Somehow, Ivan would give Hugo back what was rightfully his. It was the least he could do to repay him for his kindness. For saving him and offering him a home. Ivan would do anything for Hugo.

  He’d start with a trip to town for supplies, and while he was out he’d conduct his own investigation of what Lars was up to. If that bastard still led Hugo’s pack, there was no telling how his family had fared. Hugo might be ready to let the past go, but Ivan thought the story needed a just conclusion. At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek.

  Hugo’s large hand caressed his hair, brushing the long strands back over his ear, pulling Ivan from his thoughts.

  “What are you thinking about? You left me for a while.”

  Ivan turned into Hugo’s hand and was rewarded with Hugo’s warm palm cupping his face. The wolf ran hot, and Ivan loved it.

  “Thinking we need a second chair,” Ivan said with a grin as Hugo trailed fingers along his jaw. Ivan opened his mouth, and Hugo’s path continued, exploring Ivan’s lips and tongue next. Instead of answering further, he closed his mouth over Hugo’s finger and sucked.

  “Or you could sit in my lap?” Hugo grinned.

  Ivan bit the digit gently before setting it free. “I like the way you think.”

  “You’re right though. You should have whatever will make you comfortable living here with me.”

  “I can make it to a town and back before daylight.”

  “Can you really?” Surprise sparkled in Hugo’s eyes, and Ivan decided he liked that look on the wolf.

  Ivan nodded and leaned in for a kiss. “Easy. I’ll be back before you know it. Can I get you anything?”

  “Just you.” Hugo gave him another kiss, then a peck on the cheek.

  How long since someone had kissed his cheek? Ivan couldn’t remember being on the receiving end of a gesture so sweet in his adult life. Warmth expanded in his chest, the soothing sensation settling in his ribcage. The peace it brought felt almost so real as to be something he could hold in his hands, put in a safe place for later and come back to whenever he needed.

  Nothing he could give Hugo would ever compare.

  But Ivan would try.

  Ivan blazed into town. A vampire could cover hundreds of miles with ease. He didn’t get out of breath, didn’t have a heart to start racing, only a preternatural ability for speed and an innate sense of direction to aid him. He procured a few things he hoped no one would miss—including a chair, which would make the return trip slightly more difficult—then he stowed his items in the woods and set out unencumbered. Ivan searched the foothills for signs of a wolf pack, letting his intuition and sense of smell guide the way.

  Careful to stay downwind, Ivan sprinted through acres of evergreens and cedar, dodging branches and leaping over roots and rocks. The crisp night air held the fragrance of fresh pine sap. Ivan took in lungfuls of the pleasant scent as he traveled until he finally caught the faint aroma of wolves.

  Ivan slowed his pace, listening attentively for signs of a guardian wolf making rounds. Nothing. The pack would be sleeping, and he could slip in and out of their territory without a trace.

  Log cabins stood clustered together in a flat space between hills. Under the cover of a thick canopy of old growth trees, the small village was well hidden from prying eyes, but Ivan had found them easily enough. The isolated pack, likely unaccustomed to outsiders, had only one guard that Ivan could spot. He crept closer, waiting for the perfect moment and slipped past the guard as the wolf ambled in the other direction.

  Listening to the even breathing and steady heartbeats of the sleeping wolves, he estimated no more than six dozen souls. In the flashes he’d seen of Hugo’s memories, this group used to be much larger. Their numbers were dwindling.

  What could have happened?

  Was Lars still alpha? Were Hugo’s mother and sisters here? How had they fared? Ivan would have to wait for the answers he sought. He must come back in the early evening when the wolves were still up and about. Risky, but essential. Before he could tell Hugo what he was up to, he needed more information. He didn’t want to bring the wolf bad news.

  For now he used the privacy of the early morning hours to scout a decent location for a stakeout. The hills past their dwellings would provide sufficient cover.

  Ivan would be back.

  7

  Hugo

  Hugo and Ivan settled into a routine seamlessly. They woke together, began their evening with tender touches and greetings, then spent the early part of dusk apart. Hugo roamed and hunted his territory. Ivan had his own private time. Once night had truly set in, they’d return to each other for conversation, a game of cards, or to go back to bed and continue discovering each other.

  Hugo had never been so content. Ivan saw him as a hero—the wolf who’d saved him. The provider who’d brought blood when he’d needed it, put a roof over his head, and curled up with him to sleep at night. To be needed brought deep satisfaction. Ivan made him feel confident again. Worthy. And along with these new feelings came a curiosity. What would it be like to live as a couple among others? Among a pack? Would his mother like Ivan? His sisters?

  Hugo hadn’t let his thoughts wander in their direction for years. Too painful. But Ivan’s presence bolstered his nerves. The holes inside him were beginning to fill, and Hugo’s curiosity grew with each passing night. How was his family getting along without him? Were they well? Safe?

  Sometimes when Ivan searched his face in their quiet moments, Hugo was tempted to speak his thoughts aloud. The vampire invited it, but as of yet, he’d refrained. What was the first step? If he tried to visit his family, what would Lars do?

  Hugo shoved the thought aside in favor of the present.

  If the sounds Ivan’s stomach was making were any indication, the vampire was hungry, and Hugo had an idea.

  He wet his lips before asking, “Ivan?”

  Ivan glanced up from shaking out their blankets. “Yes?”

  “Will you let me take you hunting?”

  “You mean…for deer?”

  Hugo nodded. “Or something else. Rabbit, possum, skunk—”

  “Deer sounds lovely.” Ivan’s eyes sparkled with interest. “I’d love to learn.”

  Hugo grinned as he shrugged out of his shirt. “Yeah, I’ll teach you.” Ivan could probably find and kill a deer on his own, but it would be fun to teach. To know Ivan watched as he stalked their prey.

  Always ready and willing to shift into wolf form, Hugo let his pants join the shirt in a pile on the floor. He didn’t mind putting on a show, and Ivan enjoyed watching the transformation. His soft tissue shifted beneath his skin as fur raced along his shoulder blades, expanding outward to his claws. Muscles bunched and grew, his thighs becoming haunches, his neck gaining its thick mane of gray fur. Hugo flicked his ears, which stood tall and attentive, twitching them and cataloguing their surroundings. The world opened up to him, coming alive in a way the other form could not appreciate.

  Hugo arched his back, stretched his forelegs, and preened for Ivan.

  IVAN

  Ivan’s mouth fell open as he watched, amazed each time he got to witness this transformation. Goosebumps rose along his forearms. In his wolf form, Hugo stood before him: proud, strong, and nearly as tall as Ivan’s chest. No wonder the old alpha had been intimidated. Hugo would outmatch any other wolf with ease—the combination of his size, his athleticism, and his instincts presented a formidable opponent.

  And he was all Ivan’s.

  A wave of desire peaked and crashed. Now wasn’t the time. Hugo nudged Ivan’s hip, jolting him back to reality. They would hunt.

  Ivan followed the wolf out of their den and into the night. The moon hung low in the sky, only a sliver of light, but Ivan could see fine in the dark. Recent rainfall left the air moist and heavy. Humidity dampened the sounds and made the forest quiet, just how Ivan liked it.

  Hugo set a quick pace toward the ridgeline where they’d have a better view. One minute his snout h
ung low, close to the ground, and the next it lifted, scenting the air. At the top they followed along the rim until they came to a saddle, and Hugo descended with a glance over his shoulder. Ivan threw him a grin.

  Hugo’s pace slowed to a crawl before stopping, his entire body radiating his alertness, poised and ready for a chase. Something had caught his attention.

  Ivan listened carefully. Now that they were still, he heard them.

  Deer.

  A small herd, maybe six or seven in number, sleeping nearby.

  Hugo and Ivan stayed downwind, their approach silent as a falling leaf. Hugo’s scent-tracking skills were excellent to have found them here, this far from home. Ivan wondered what would happen next. Would they pounce? Grab whichever animal was slowest to wake? He waited patiently as Hugo crept closer, crouched low, his tail held level with his body. Long and elegant. A hunter in his element.

  Ivan didn’t know what he wanted more, a deer…or Hugo.

  Hugo’s focus strayed from the deer to Ivan. Was the wolf checking to make sure he paid attention? Ivan nodded to him and continued his observation. Hugo turned back to his quarry. They were close enough now to attack.

  Hugo’s muscles rippled, coiled tight, then released in an explosion of movement, the speed of which took Ivan’s breath away. Unencumbered by his bulk, Hugo moved like a predator, sleek and agile.

  The deer startled from their bed of pine needles, darting away, their desperation palpable. But Hugo’s chosen prey had already fallen. Mighty jaws closed around the old doe’s neck, and Hugo thrashed with such violence her struggle ended mercifully fast.

  With the rest of the herd long gone, the sound and fury of the kill faded back to silence. Hugo stood proudly over their meal.

  “Well done,” Ivan said. “I’m impressed.”

  Hugo bowed and stepped back.

  “Shall we dine together?” Ivan asked. The scent of her blood had stoked his hunger. His mouth watered.

  The wolf took another step back.

  “She’s for me then? But aren’t you hungry?” Ivan approached the deer. “Thank you, but I insist we share this time.”

  Hugo whined.

  “Are you worried I’ll think it’s foul? Too gory? I know how wolves eat, Hugo. I won’t be repulsed. I promise.”

  The wolf hesitated.

  “Please?”

  Hugo gave in with a disgruntled snuffle, coming to stand next to Ivan.

  Ivan crouched next to the deer. “You first,” he said with a grin. “Show me how it’s done. Tempt my palate.”

  Hugo emitted a low growl, and his hesitation fled like the rest of the doe’s herd. He tore into her belly. Fresh blood spilled onto the leaves, dripping into the soil.

  “Atta boy.” Ivan followed his lead, fangs sinking into the thick muscle of her neck, searching for a vein. He found it with a pleased sigh and dug in, sucking the vital fluid from her body before it could cool.

  Hugo chewed noisily at his side. The noise, the scent, and the taste had Ivan feeling high, drunk on his senses. Hugo as the hunter who’d brought down a deer for their dinner was intensely alluring. The blood in the air only heightened his mood.

  When the flow slackened to a trickle and Ivan had drunk his fill, he pushed the doe’s neck aside to get a better view of Hugo. The wolf had the doe’s innards spilled outward and was working his way through some plump, pink organ. Teeth and claws tore bite-sized chunks to be swallowed down his gullet. Gleaming red coated the gray fur of his snout and glistened in the low light of the moon.

  Hugo growled as he ate, low and throaty, oblivious to Ivan, but not for long.

  Ivan wanted him.

  He removed his shirt, kicked off his shoes and pushed his pants off his hips, flinging them away. Hugo paid him no attention, immersed in his meal as he was.

  Naked now, his cock growing hard against his thigh, Ivan leaned back on his elbows and waited to be noticed. His belly full, he was content to watch as Hugo enjoyed his dinner. The magnificent imposing wolf carried on unaware of Ivan’s designs on him, and even that, Ivan found tantalizing.

  Basking in the anticipation, Ivan took his cock in hand and gave it a tug. He moaned, loud enough to be obvious.

  Hugo heard him, eyes darting from his food to Ivan, then to Ivan’s hand. Pupils dilated, he dropped whatever was in his mouth to focus on the motion instead.

  His hand working steadily, Ivan spread his thighs. A clear invitation. Another moan for good measure. Raw throbbing energy pooled low in his stomach as he basked in Hugo’s attention.

  The wolf stalked forward.

  Ivan shivered. “Yes, Hugo. Come and get me.”

  Hugo didn’t stop until he loomed large over Ivan, taking up the entire space and transforming even the air Ivan breathed to electricity, his presence all encompassing.

  Hugo’s bulk forced Ivan to lie back, their bodies vibrating with anticipation. He sank his hands deep into the fur on Hugo’s flanks and tugged. The wolf’s jaws hovered over his chest, then near his face. Hugo licked a broad stripe over his mouth, and Ivan’s tongue darted out to taste the trail of blood left behind.

  The fur in Ivan’s grasp began to recede as Hugo shifted seamlessly. He returned to his human form, still braced on all fours over Ivan, only the cool night air between them. The dominant posturing went straight to Ivan’s dick, which twitched where it lay on his stomach.

  “You’ve started without me,” Hugo rumbled.

  Ivan stroked the smooth skin of his back. “You were otherwise occupied. I didn’t want to rush you.”

  “Didn’t you?” Hugo raised a brow and gave a light laugh. “I heard you moaning.”

  “Maybe a little rush.” Ivan spread his legs wider to make room for Hugo, who settled between them. The hot, heavy weight of him filled Ivan with lust. Their cocks trapped against each other, Hugo remained frustratingly still. Ivan rocked his hips as much as he could, pinned beneath his lover.

  “What can I do for you?” Hugo’s voice came lush and low, whispered into Ivan’s ear followed by his tongue.

  “Move,” Ivan demanded, seeking friction.

  Hugo began a rhythm, hips syncing with Ivan’s. “Anything else?” He gave Ivan’s earlobe a nibble.

  “Everything else. I want all of you.”

  That drew a groan from Hugo along with a stutter in his rhythm. “You can have me.”

  “Then fuck me, Hugo. I need you.”

  Hugo dropped his face to Ivan’s neck with a growl, mouthing at his throat and rocking his hips steadily down to meet Ivan’s thrusts. Surrounded by Hugo, pinned down against twigs, leaves, and dirt, Ivan reveled in every feeling. A delicious tingling spread outward from his spine and didn’t stop until even his fingers and toes were ablaze with anticipation.

  Hugo slid down Ivan’s torso with a trail of licks, kisses, and bites from neck to groin. Ivan squirmed under his attentions, skin slick with Hugo’s saliva, covered in the wolf’s earthy scent.

  Taking handfuls of Hugo’s hair in his fists, Ivan directed him where he needed him. He pressed his hips up, and Hugo took his cock between open lips, sucking.

  “Yes, oh god please,” Ivan whined.

  Hugo wrapped his arms beneath Ivan’s hips and held him close, encouraging him to thrust. Ivan tried to be gentle, but the wet heat of Hugo’s mouth tempted him to take. He let go, rutting into Hugo’s throat with fervor. Thighs fallen wide, calves resting over Hugo’s back, Ivan gave himself to sensation.

  Hugo’s tongue laved his length, circling the head, teasing the frenulum. Ivan’s grip on his thick mane of hair tightened as Hugo began the slow slide back to the root.

  Ivan didn’t want to come yet, not until Hugo was inside him. With no small amount of effort, Ivan released his grasp and cupped Hugo’s cheek instead.

  “Hugo. So good. But stop.”

  Hugo glanced up, his big, brown eyes glossed over with lust, and stared at Ivan expectantly.

  “Was gonna come,” Ivan explained, catching his breath.


  A hint of frustration crossed Hugo’s face. “I want you to.”

  “Don’t wanna come till you fuck me,” Ivan added, stroking his cheek. “Please.”

  Hugo took a breath, holding back another growl. “Can’t. We don’t have any oil. Don’t want to hurt you.”

  Ivan let loose a breathy chuckle. “I’m a vampire, Hugo. I can take it. Whatever damage we do will heal in minutes.” Ivan reached for him. As hot as it was to see him between his legs worshipping his cock, it was even better to have his weight against his chest. “Come here. You don’t have to be careful with me.”

  Hugo returned, and Ivan could taste himself in their kiss. He sighed against Hugo’s swollen lips.

  “You sure?” Hugo’s low voice rumbled.

  Ivan licked his hand and took Hugo’s shaft in his grip, coating it with saliva. “Quite sure.”

  Hugo shuddered over him.

  It had been a while since Ivan had let anyone inside him, but he wanted Hugo and he wanted him now. He added more saliva to his fingers and worked himself open quickly. It would hurt, but it would also feel good, and Ivan loved that mix of pleasure and pain. He barely had the patience to get himself ready, and certainly not the patience to let Hugo do it.

  Ivan angled his hips. “Mm, ready.”

  Hugo still looked wary, but he positioned himself the way Ivan wanted. Adding his own spit, he began to push in. “Okay?”

  Ivan’s eyes rolled back into his head as he relaxed, his every nerve ending exploding with expectation. “Yes, feels good. More.”

  When Ivan opened his eyes he found Hugo watching him closely, every bit of his self-control on display as he took Ivan so fucking slow. So delicate. Ivan smiled, and apparently that was what Hugo needed. He bottomed out with a groan.

  Ivan savored the stretch and burn of it, willing himself to stay still until Hugo was ready to thrust. “Please…”

  Hugo leaned down for a kiss. “You’re good?”

  “So good. I want you to move,” Ivan said, writhing under him, already close.