Feral Dawn Read online

  Hugo took each of Ivan’s hands, palm to palm, and pinned them to the forest floor. He started thrusting in earnest, unwavering eyes on Ivan.

  “Yes, god. Like that.” Ivan rocked with him, losing himself in passionate motion.

  Hugo snarled and the sound went straight to Ivan’s dick, trapped between their stomachs and leaking steadily. He’d come soon. Nothing was going to hold him back.

  Ivan dug his heels into Hugo’s ass. “Let go, Hugo. Give it to me.”

  Their rhythm grew frantic, Hugo penetrating deep. Ivan’s hips ached, splayed open, his arms pinned over his head. He took it all and wanted more.

  “Please,” Ivan begged. “Gonna come. Come with me.”

  With his hips pistoning and his hands squeezing Ivan’s bloodless, Hugo howled. His thrusts became erratic. He stuttered and bit down on Ivan’s shoulder as he came.

  “Do it,” Ivan ordered, wanting the bite. Needing the teeth to break skin. But Hugo just clung, even now in control, even as he pumped deep inside his lover.

  Ivan’s cock pulsed between them. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as his whole body began to shudder. His cum coated their bellies, and he forgot about Hugo’s teeth against his flesh in favor of the heavy shaft massaging his prostate. Hugo milked him for all he was worth. His orgasm left him panting, his skin electrified, every sensation just shy of too much.

  “Fuck,” Ivan breathed against Hugo’s hair.

  Hugo took the weight off his hands, and Ivan wrapped them around his wolf’s shoulders, clinging to him tightly.

  Hugo kissed over the bite mark. If Ivan were Hugo, it would have bruised, but as he was, the mark would be gone before they made it home. Still, Ivan relished the feel of it.

  “Still good?” Hugo asked quietly as he slipped from Ivan’s body.

  With a wide grin and some surprise force, Ivan flipped them over and settled on Hugo’s chest. Gazing down into Hugo’s amused eyes, he smirked. “Better than good. You fucked me silly.” Ivan leaned in and kissed his throat.

  Hugo let out a breath, relaxing beneath him.

  “Are you good?” Ivan asked.

  “Very.” Hugo held Ivan close.

  “Thank you for the deer.”

  “Anytime. All the time. You need another?”

  Ivan laughed. “Not tonight, but take me home, and I’ll let you finish what you started.”

  “Deal.”

  8

  Hugo

  Ivan lay curled in Hugo’s arms, beginning to stir. They’d woken like this every evening for weeks, and he’d learned Ivan’s habits. The vampire would first nestle closer, seeking Hugo’s heat and pressing together in every place he could. Hugo loved this part. He wrapped his arms tighter around his lover and waited as Ivan emerged from sleep, face snug against Hugo’s chest.

  Hugo kissed the top of Ivan’s head and stroked his back.

  Ivan’s fingers flexed against his flesh and clung to his skin. “Evening,” Ivan murmured, lifting his head for a kiss.

  Hugo kissed him and rolled them over, settling between Ivan’s legs and burying his face in the crook of his neck. He took several deep breaths of Ivan’s intoxicating scent, stronger for having lain still for hours.

  Hugo wanted to bite him.

  Mark him as his own.

  He’d been resisting the urge. They’d only just met, after all, and no matter how much it felt like the right thing to do, Hugo was unsure. But now the man in his arms felt like home, as if they’d known one another for years instead of weeks, and he couldn’t hold back any longer.

  Ivan tilted his head, allowing better access, offering himself. Hugo teased with his tongue, licked him instead, mouthing at the smooth skin of his delicate throat.

  Ivan’s hips began to work beneath him. Hugo ground down, giving the vampire his thigh to thrust against.

  “Yes, Hugo…please.” Ivan squirmed in the most delicious way, his body alive with motion against Hugo’s. Ivan was insatiable in this, and Hugo delighted in the challenge.

  With so much skin on skin, Hugo was drowning in desire. Ivan brought out the animal in him, made him want to fuck and claim, urges that had lain dormant as the seasons turned into years. Now awakened, he couldn’t get enough.

  “Want to bite you,” Hugo said into Ivan’s ear, running his teeth along the shell.

  “Do it.” Ivan held him in clenched hands, nails digging into the skin of his back. “I want you to.”

  The sharp sensation fueled Hugo. He let go of restraint and sank his teeth into Ivan’s shoulder, deep into the trapezius until the muscle gave, tensed then relaxed, blood pooling to the surface. Iron and salt erupted over his tongue. Hugo swallowed, his throat coated hot with the heady metallic nectar.

  Ivan whimpered, but his hold on Hugo never faltered. There was no protest, so Hugo bit harder. He needed this to leave a mark. His mark. This vampire belonged to him.

  Ivan writhed beneath him, hips stuttering, and Hugo realized with pride that Ivan was coming. Warmth spread between them. That Ivan could come from little more than Hugo’s bite ignited his passion further. He thrust against the slick pool of cum on Ivan’s abs and gnawed at the flesh between his teeth with a growl.

  As he lapped at the flowing blood, a vision formed behind his eyelids.

  Ivan, crouched low and stalking in the shadows.

  Ivan creeping forward, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

  Ivan, alone, without him, pursuing what?

  Hugo turned to see what caught his lover’s attention, and the sight halted his senses. Hugo’s body went taut. His mouth slackened against Ivan’s flesh.

  No.

  It couldn’t be. Ivan was keeping tabs on his family! Why? And he hadn’t said a thing. Not one word. He’d found them behind Hugo’s back. For what?

  Hugo tore his face from Ivan’s neck and stared into his eyes, anger burning hot in his throat as he ground out the question.

  “How long?”

  Ivan startled out of the aftershocks of orgasm below him, his body still quaking, his eyes unfocused. “Hugo—”

  “How long?” Hugo asked, this time so loud he hardly recognized himself.

  “Not long. I was going to tell you—”

  “Why didn’t you?” His voice sounded pained even to his own ears.

  Ivan’s gaze cast downward. “I thought you might be mad.”

  “You were right.” Hugo climbed off him, his body flushed and heated, his erection still hard as steel and heavy between his legs, but he needed space to sort this out. He needed an escape.

  Hugo shifted abruptly to his wolf form and fled the cabin for the solace of the woods.

  “Wait!” cried Ivan, but Hugo ignored him.

  He thought he could trust Ivan, but he couldn’t trust anyone.

  IVAN

  Ivan lay panting where Hugo left him, trying and failing to catch his breath. Shock set in. Disorientation gave way to devastation as he processed what happened. Hugo took his clandestine efforts at gathering intel as betrayal, but everything Ivan had done, he’d done for Hugo.

  If only he’d explained earlier.

  Regret clawed at him, twisting in his gut and tightening his chest. He should have told the wolf what he was up to right away. Ivan should have sought his blessing, but he was afraid Hugo would put a stop to it. And Ivan had been so sure he could help.

  Now Hugo didn’t trust him either.

  In his weeks of observing Lars and what was left of Hugo’s pack, Ivan had only become more certain of his beliefs. They needed Hugo. His packmates and his family. Lars was driving them into ruin. Unchecked power had gone to his head, and Lars lorded over all of them zealously. His pack feared him, and though Ivan didn’t know a lot about wolf packs, he knew enough to judge this as wrong. Lars sent the other men away in groups at regular intervals. They came back exhausted and dead-eyed. That wasn’t how pack dynamics were meant to be.

  Hugo could fix it. The wolf was smarter than he gave himself credit for and had a heart of gold. He could restore his pack to the happy, healthy bunch they’d been before Lars went rogue. Hugo would be a better alpha than Lars ever was. Ivan saw his natural talent and wanted to encourage it.

  How could he tell Hugo everything he’d learned? Hugo’s emotions were a fragile thing. Ivan’s stomach clenched with guilt.

  He’d hurt Hugo.

  Pain had shone in his eyes before he’d fled. Ivan had put it there. His shoulders slumped as regret weighed heavy on his chest.

  Should he chase after Hugo? Would he want that, or would following make it worse?

  Ivy would have known what to do. She’d always had a better sense about these things than he did. If only he could ask her. She would tell him what an idiot he was for not being honest with his lover in the first place. But Ivy was safe now, without him. He couldn’t go to her.

  Hugo needed space. The wolf was accustomed to processing things in privacy, and Ivan would afford him that much even if it pained him to stay behind. He told himself to wait. He could apologize when Hugo came back.

  Surely he would come back.

  9

  Hugo

  Hugo blazed through the forest as fast as his four legs would carry him.

  He ran from feelings.

  He ran from memories.

  He ran from Ivan.

  And he ran toward his homeland. Hugo would see for himself what Ivan had discovered. The time had come to face his past. Hurt at Ivan’s deception fueled the yearning for the family he’d lost.

  For hours Hugo ran, until his paws were numb and his chest tight, only slowing when he detected the telltale scent of werewolves on the breeze. A smell he recognized but had long assumed was lost forever. It filled him with an urgent hope and sudden fear.

  What if La
rs had been right all along? What if they all hated him for his difference? Did he travel all this way to be shunned?

  Hugo stopped, exhaustion setting in as his body stilled. He was in no condition to confront Lars now. He needed to rest and recover, but his mind kept racing.

  Had Ivan stood near here, watching his family? Why? Hugo hadn’t bothered to ask. Maybe he’d cast judgment too fast. He hadn’t given Ivan a chance to explain. Ivan had looked wrecked by his accusations.

  Banishing thoughts of the vampire, Hugo crept closer. Light on his feet, he monitored the wind for any shift in direction. He found a perch on high ground where he could rest and observe. It smelled of Ivan.

  His village looked different than he remembered. Smaller. Run down. Many of the cottages were in disrepair, their roofs sagging. Rotted boards that should have been replaced years ago left in place. Fallen fences left where they lay. Hugo’s shoulders sank at the sight.

  Few wolves came and went at this hour. Some Hugo recognized and others he didn’t. None were family.

  Lars was nowhere to be seen.

  Soon all would go to bed. Hugo had grown accustomed to sleeping during the day and staying awake with Ivan at night. He didn’t mind the change. The forest was beautiful under the stars.

  His emotions stirred in turmoil. A deep-seated longing for his family tugged at his chest and stole the space he needed for breathing. Shame at how he’d left Ivan without a word clawed at his insides. Childhood fear of the domineering alpha warped his current perception.

  Hugo shook off the tension, stretching forward and back, and forced his mind to calm. One deep breath followed the next, and he was able to overcome the depth of his feelings and focus on his tasks.

  Find his mother.

  Find his sisters.

  Make sure they were okay.

  Everything else could wait. Hugo scanned the village below, eyes honing in on his old home. Would his mother be there now? He’d have to creep closer to be certain.

  Edging forward on silent paws, Hugo steeled his nerves. He did not want to run into Lars before he was ready. He hadn’t exactly come with a plan, but he wouldn’t run back without answers.

  The farther he progressed into town, the more risk he took of someone catching his scent. Would he still smell enough like the pack to blend in, or would everyone know an outsider lurked in their presence?

  Down the hill and to the edge of the tree line he crept, keeping watch the whole while. A field, a row of homes, and a dirt road stood between him and his mother’s house. After a moment’s hesitation, Hugo stepped out into the field. He walked tall, ears forward, eyes alert. If someone spotted him, he would stay confident, act like he belonged there.

  The closer he got, the stronger the comforting scent of his childhood home grew. He could almost imagine this was normal. Returning home after hunting in the surrounding forest, looking forward to his own bed and the welcoming smiles of his family.

  It wasn’t normal, but the more Hugo pretended, the easier it was to wind through the tattered houses, cross the street, and approach his mother’s doorstep. Voices echoed in the neighboring cottage, but none from his own, though he heard footsteps. Someone was inside.

  Rounding the corner to the back porch, Hugo flicked his ears. The footsteps grew louder. The door creaked on its hinges, and his sister Selma waddled belly first into the backyard, door banging shut behind her.

  Upon seeing Hugo in his wolf form, her eyes blazed wide and a startled yelp escaped her mouth. She dropped the water pail she’d been carrying. Hugo froze in place as water spilled onto the grass.

  “Hugo?” Selma’s hand came to rest on her stomach. She took a step forward. “Is that you?”

  Selma’s pregnancy stunned Hugo to his core, but her voice was a welcome symphony in his ears. His heartbeat quickened, and his chest threatened to burst with love. He shifted as fast as he could and stood before her, grinning ear to ear.

  “Selma.”

  “Hugo!” She leapt at him, crashing into a bear hug.

  Holding her tight, his nose in her sweet-smelling brown hair and her round belly between them, Hugo knew he’d done the right thing. He should have come home long ago.

  “I’m going to be an uncle?” he asked against her ear.

  Selma pulled back enough to meet his gaze and laughed. “You’re already an uncle. Mayla, Opal’s oldest, is nearly six.” She glanced down. “This baby will be the fifth in the lot of cousins.” Her brown eyes sparkled golden with mischief. “Unless of course you have any of your own I haven’t accounted for?”

  Hugo shook his head dumbly. Five nieces and nephews he hadn’t known about? A pang of remorse stabbed ice cold to his gut. He’d abandoned an entire generation.

  “Hey now, what’s that look for?” She stepped out of his reach and took his wrist, dragging him toward the house. “You need to come inside. I’ll get you some clothes and then you can tell me everything.”

  Hugo followed after her, still reeling from her revelation. “Five babies?”

  “Well, four so far. Opal has three daughters, Hattie has a son, and I’ll have this one soon enough.”

  “And Mother?”

  Selma took one hard look at him before bursting with laughter. “The four of us were enough for Mother, Hugo.”

  “No, I meant—”

  “Calm down, I know what you meant.” Selma left Hugo in the kitchen as she walked off to one of the bedrooms. Her voice rose. “Mother’s fine. She lives with Opal’s family down the road, and Paul and I have the old place.”

  Hugo let out a sigh of relief. Everyone was doing fine without him. “Paul?”

  “My mate,” she answered, returning with an armful of clothes. “You might not remember him. He’s my age, but I wasn’t really friends with him back when you were still around. We didn’t match until recently.”

  Hugo took the clothes and began to dress. The name didn’t ring a bell, but Selma was his youngest sister. Six years apart and with two sisters between them.

  “Is he here?” Paul’s clothes fit him well enough. A little snug. The pants were too short, but they would do.

  “No, he’s out. Lars has them hunting the eastern prairies this week.” She rolled her eyes.

  The prairies were on the far edge of their territory. Nearly two day’s walk in one direction. It didn’t make sense they’d hunt the prairies with game so plentiful in the mountains. “Why?”

  Selma let out an irritated sigh. “That’s complicated. I don’t want to think about it. Besides, you’re the one who disappeared for ten years with no explanation and showed up at my door. I think I get to ask the questions here.”

  Fair point. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry?” Her fingers balled into fists at her sides. “How could you do that to us?” she demanded. “To Mother?”

  Hugo knew he deserved this, but he hadn’t had a choice at the time. Words tripped up in his throat. Remembering that day. And Lars. The fear.

  Hugo wrapped his arms around his middle.

  “Aww, hey now. There’s that sad look again.” Selma lowered her voice, her fingers unclenching. “It’s okay. Whatever happened, I’m glad you’re here now.”

  Hugo took a deep breath. “I should have come back sooner.”

  “I wish you would have.” She reached for him, and Hugo took her hand, small and warm in his own. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded. His stomach chose that moment to growl.

  “You hungry?”

  “Always.” Hugo chuckled.

  She motioned to the table. “Sit down. I’ll fix you something. You can tell me what happened, one thing at a time.”

  One thing at a time. Hugo could probably manage that much. And he wanted to tell her about Ivan anyway. Hopefully the vampire wouldn’t be mad when Hugo got back. Hugo had a lot of explaining to do. To everyone.

  10

  Ivan

  Sleep had not come easy for Ivan, tossing and turning alone in their bed. He’d waited all night, but Hugo hadn’t returned. Daylight demanded he stay put, but that was the last thing Ivan wanted to do. He felt trapped.