Special K Page 6

  Once he had everything he thought he might need, Keeland headed for the front porch. There was a definite anxiousness on Gabe’s face as the man stared at him. Keeland paused when he reached the steps.

  “How is he?”

  “About the same. Chay and I got the bleeding to stop, but…”

  Bleeding, jeez…

  Keeland lifted an eyebrow. “But what?”

  “You’d better see for yourself.”

  Well, that didn’t sound ominous at all.

  Keeland followed Gabe into the house and down a hallway. When they reached the door at the end, Gabe stopped and turned toward him.

  “Don’t freak out, okay?”

  That was like telling someone on a tightrope not to look down. Of course he was going to fucking freak out when someone told him not to. It was human nature.

  When Gabe opened the door and stepped back, giving Keeland enough room to enter, he couldn’t make his feet move. He couldn’t breathe. He could barely speak as he stared at the jet-black panther panting heavily on the bed.

  “Is…is he real?”

  “He’s very real,” Gabe replied.

  “It’s true,” Keeland whispered as his knees went weak. He grabbed onto the doorframe to keep himself from crashing to the floor. “Everything he told me. It’s all true.”

  “Yes, it’s all true, Keeland,” Gabe agreed. “We’re shape-shifters.”

  Keeland stared, mesmerized. “Ca-can he understand me?”

  “He can understand you just fine. We’re sentient in whatever form we’re in.”

  Keeland carefully scanned every inch of fur visible, cataloging the injuries he could see. There were several spots matted with blood, some deep gouges, and one paw that looked as if it might be broken. This poor panther had definitely seen better days. His natural instinct to care for a helpless animal went into overdrive.

  “He ran into a bit of trouble on his run last night,” Gabe said.

  “Will he attack me if I get closer?” Keeland asked.

  Gabe snorted. “You’re probably the safest one in the whole house right now.”

  Keeland had no idea what that statement meant, and he was in too much shock to ask. His entire world had narrowed down to the furry creature staring back at him from the bed. Keeland swallowed tightly before slowly approaching the bed. He set his bag down on the floor, just then realizing he still had it in his hand.

  “So I guess you weren’t crazy after all, huh?”

  The look the panther gave him made him wonder if they weren’t both crazy.

  “Sorry I didn’t believe you,” he continued, “but you have to admit, this is a lot to take in.”

  Huh. Large predator cats could roll their eyes.

  Who knew?

  “I’d really like to get a look at you.” Keeland bit his lower lip as he glanced down Dom’s furry body. He really hoped there were no internal injuries or broken bones. “You’re bleeding in a couple of places.”

  Keeland had moved to the edge of the bed, so when Dom began to shimmer and his fur receded, Keeland stepped back hastily before tripping and landing on the floor on his butt. He missed seeing Dom shift, but there was no way he could have overlooked the man’s deep chuckle as he peered over the side of the bed.

  “You okay?” Dom asked. “Did you hurt anything?”

  Keeland felt like the comic relief as he stood and rubbed his butt. “Only my pride.”

  “Too bad.” Dom’s eyebrow lifted with the wicked grin that crossed his lips. “I would have loved to kiss your boo-boos better.”

  For just a moment, Keeland considered complaining that there were several parts of his anatomy that were paining him, but a not-so-subtle cough from behind him reminded him where he was and that he and Dom were not alone.

  “I’m good, thanks.” Keeland’s brows drew together as he moved back to the edge of the bed and got a good look at Dom’s body. His very naked body. He had to swallow hard—twice—before he was able to ask, “Are you okay?”

  “A little sore,” Dom replied. “Nothing another shift won’t fix.”

  “But your injuries…” Keeland trailed off when he realized the open wounds he'd seen before were now just puckered pink flesh. Yes, Dom had been injured, but it looked as if those injuries were over a week old. “How?”

  He didn’t realize he was stroking his fingers over Dom’s skin until the man inhaled. His face flushed with embarrassment as he jerked his hand back. “Sorry.”

  “I wasn’t complaining.”

  Keeland gave Dom a weak smile. He was fascinated by this new world he had found himself in. He had a hundred million questions. “Shifting helps heal the wounds?”

  “Well, yeah, most of the time.”

  “Most of the time?”

  “Nothing really heals a bullet to the head or being decapitated, but beyond that, most things will heal with a few shifts.”

  “What about diseases?”

  Dom shook his head. “We can’t catch human diseases.”

  That had to be handy.

  “Broken bones?”

  “Some wounds take longer to heal than others,” Dom said. “The more severe the wound, the more shifts needed to heal it. And since shifting takes energy, the more we shift, the more taxing on our energy, which is—”

  “Which is why some wounds take longer to heal,” Keeland finished. That made perfect sense to him. “Can you…were you…” Wow, this was a delicate question. “Were you born a shifter or made one?”

  Dom glanced toward the door, where Gabe stood. “We were born shifters and as far as I know, you have to be born one. I don’t think Hollywood got that part right.” He had another one of those wicked smirks on his face when he looked back. “Of course, if you want to find out, I’m more than willing to bite you.”

  This time, Keeland was the one to roll his eyes. It was obvious Dom was trying to get a reaction out of him. Keeland just didn’t understand why. He decided to ignore it for the time being.

  “Would you mind if I looked you over?” Keeland knew those were the wrong words as soon as they left his mouth.

  Dom grinned before rolling onto his back, folding his arms behind his head, and stretching his legs out. The entire front of his body was on display.

  Keeland heard a soft chuckle from behind him as he tried not to drool. Staring down at Dom’s tanned, muscular body all spread out before him made that nearly impossible. Ignoring the hard cock jutting up from Dom’s groin was even harder.

  Keeland drew in a fortifying breath, then leaned over Dom to look at the wound on his biceps. He tried to concentrate, but his gaze kept straying to Dom’s cock. It was a very pretty cock, thick and long, a nice rounded head. Keeland had fantasies about cocks that looked that delicious. He imagined most gay men did.

  When it bounced, Keeland jerked back. At Dom’s low chuckle, Keeland snapped his gaze to the man’s face. His eyes narrowed. He didn't like being made fun of. “I don't find this the least bit amusing, Mr. Pantarius.” He reached down and grabbed his medical bag. “If you feel the need to play jokes, play them on someone else.”

  He turned to leave, only to be brought up short by the hand that wrapped around his wrist. When he pulled, the fingers tightened. Keeland huffed as he turned to glare down at Dom. He cocked one eyebrow and nodded toward his captured wrist. “Do you mind?”

  Dom grinned. “Not at all.”

  That was all the warning Keeland had before he was yanked hard toward the bed. He dropped his bag and scrambled to stop his forward momentum, but he still ended up sprawled over the top of Dom’s naked body.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he snarled as he pushed up onto his hands. He was acutely aware of the fact that Dom was naked. The man’s hard cock was pressing up into his abdomen. Dom was obviously enjoying Keeland’s struggles to get away.

  Dom’s grin was pure evil.

  Chapter Eight

  Dom had Keeland exactly where he wanted him. He just needed to con
vince Keeland that being in Dom’s arms was where he wanted to be. He wrapped his arms around the man and rolled him onto his back, then settled himself between Keeland’s thighs.

  “Dom, what—”

  Dom kissed Keeland.

  Keeland glared at him when he lifted his head. “What—”

  Dom kissed him again.

  “Dom—”

  Dom kissed him again.

  He liked this game. It was fun.

  When he lifted his head for the third time, Keeland was still glaring at him, but there was less anger in his eyes. When Keeland opened his mouth again, Dom cocked an eyebrow. Keeland huffed and rolled his eyes as he pressed his lips together.

  Good boy.

  Dom smiled as he cupped his hand around the side of Keeland’s face, then gently stroked his soft skin with his thumb. “You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.”

  The glare left Keeland’s eyes as he lifted his eyebrows. “Me?”

  Dom frowned at the tone of disbelief in Keeland’s voice. The man was stunning. How could he not know that? “Yes, you.”

  “You think I’m beautiful?”

  “I think you’re amazing. I’ve thought that from the very beginning.” Dom had no idea if that came from the possible connection between them or from the fact the man was just that damn gorgeous, but he knew it was true.

  He didn’t know what to think of the smile that spread Keeland’s mouth.

  “You think I’m amazing?”

  “You are amazing."

  Keeland’s face flushed as he glanced away.

  “Keeland?”

  Since he had Keeland pinned to the bed, his shoulder shrug was barely evident, but Dom noticed everything about the man. He smiled as he traced a line over Keeland’s cheek with his thumb.

  “The first time I saw you, I admit, I was pissed, but then I smelled you.” Dom chuckled when Keeland looked back at him. The man’s eyes were huge. “Shifters are big on scent, and you smelled so damn good. I wanted to lick you from head to toe, figure out what I might have missed, and go back and do it again.”

  Keeland’s eyes grew rounder. “You want to lick me?”

  “There are a number of things I want to do to you, but yeah, that’s one of them.”

  “Wha-what sorts of things?” Keeland asked, sounding breathless and needy.

  Dom always felt that actions spoke louder than words, so instead of telling Keeland what he wanted to do to him, Dom decided to show him. He leaned in to claim Keeland’s mouth, but what he received was an electric shock that started at his lips and sparked hot until it reached his toes. His whole body came to life as Keeland opened for him.

  Dom pulled Keeland’s shirt over his head and tossed it away, then unsnapped Keeland’s pants. He quickly removed Keeland’s shoes and socks, and then pulled the pants the rest of the way off.

  Spanning his hand over Keeland’s stomach, Dom smiled down at the handsome man. “I was right. You are beautiful.”

  Keeland blushed, which only made Dom’s dick throb even more. Keeland pulled Dom down for another kiss. He was caressing Dom’s lips more than kissing them. It sent a ripple of pleasure down Dom’s spine.

  Dom ghosted his hands over Keeland, taking in his beauty as he kissed his way around the man’s slim neck, feeling the hard pulse at the base of his throat as he licked his way to the other side.

  He wanted to taste every inch of him.

  Groaning, Keeland grabbed Dom’s hair and tugged, sending shards of pleasure over his scalp and down his back. Dom rested his forehead on Keeland’s chest, breathing deeply as the feeling of an orgasm approached.

  Dom didn’t want this to end so soon. Beating back the impending release, Dom rasped his lips over one small nipple, teasing it with his tongue. Keeland writhed beneath him, whimpering as he pulled at Dom’s hair harder.

  “Dom, this feels so good,” Keeland whispered as his hips bucked, driving his erection into Dom’s chest.

  “And I plan on it feeling even better.” Dom kissed his way over to the other nipple. Keeland’s skin was smooth, flawless, and soft as hell. Dom couldn’t seem to stop touching the man. It seemed no matter what area his hands skimmed over, Keeland’s skin was as smooth as silk.

  “You’re so soft, Keeland,” Dom said as he kissed his way from one side of Keeland’s body to the other, listening to Keeland’s quiet moans of pleasure. Dom slid his body next to Keeland’s then pulled the shorter man close.

  He dipped his head, licking a long line up the outline of Keeland’s underwear. He leaned back, pulling the boxer-briefs from around Keeland’s hips and down his thighs. He sat back and took in the sight of Keeland’s cock for the first time. “You really are beautiful.”

  “You keep saying that,” Keeland teased.

  “I don’t think I can say it enough.” And that was a fact. Keeland was perfect to Dom, in every possible way. He wasn’t sure how he'd gotten so lucky, but he would thank the fates until his dying day.

  He pulled Keeland’s underwear the rest of the way off and tossed them aside before leaning in to nuzzle the heavy sac between Keeland’s legs, inhaling deeply and taking in the scent of his mate. God, his mouth was actually watering. The man smelled like ambrosia, all male and musky. He was perfect.

  Dom licked from one orb to the other, hearing Keeland’s approval as the man cried out softly and spread his legs farther apart.

  Placing his hands on Keeland’s thighs, Dom pressed his face farther into Keeland’s body, licking the entire sac as he worked his way up to Keeland’s cock. It was thick and throbbing, pre-cum leaking from the head. Dom licked a path up Keeland’s shaft and then sucked the length into his mouth.

  “Dom!” Keeland shouted as he bucked, driving his cock deeper into Dom’s mouth. Dom opened wider, taking the length as he worked his throat muscles until his nose was touching Keeland’s curly pubic hair.

  “Oh, hell,” Keeland cried out. “You’re gonna make me come, Dom. I swear you are.”

  Dom smiled around Keeland’s cock as he worked his tongue over the shaft, enjoying the feel of the weight in his mouth.

  “Please, it’s been too long,” Keeland cried out. “Get the lube!”

  Reluctantly, Dom eased back. He couldn’t help but smile as he reached into the drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube. He quickly popped the top off and then lubed his fingers before tossing the bottle onto the bed.

  He swallowed tightly before reaching between Keeland’s legs and rimming his tight ring of muscles. Dom sank one finger in and nearly came. If Keeland’s hole was this tight around his finger…God. Dom was going to lose his mind with this man.

  Dom slid another finger inside Keeland and scissored them, watching Keeland as the man rocked his head back and forth, nearly chewing his bottom lip off. Keeland looked magnificent as he squirmed underneath Dom.

  “Hurry up, Dom. I need to feel your cock inside of me.”

  “Patience, Keeland.” Dom smiled. He loved the fact that Keeland was desperate for him. It made Dom feel ten feet tall. After adding a third finger and making sure Keeland was well stretched, Dom removed his hand and then stared down at Keeland in anticipation. “Hands and knees or on your back?”

  “On my back,” Keeland replied with a blush.

  Dom eased forward, dropping to one arm as he grabbed his cock with the other hand and pressed it against Keeland’s snug body. Keeland inhaled sharply and then pushed his ass down onto Dom’s cock, his eyes rolling as he groaned.

  Dom pulled his hips back and then thrust forward, groaning at the tight feel of Keeland’s ass. Keeland lifted his legs and wrapped them around Dom’s hips.

  Pleasure swamped Dom in huge waves, seeping deep into his skin and setting him on fire from the inside out. He grabbed Keeland’s hips and gave him what he seemed so eager to receive, pounding into him at such a rapid pace that Keeland almost went sprawling across the mattress.

  The noises Keeland made inflamed Dom. They were soft a
nd mewling sounds, growing louder each time he thrust his cock into Keeland’s tight little hole. He could feel the pressure building as Keeland’s inner muscles put a stranglehold on his cock. They were both so close.

  Dom bent over Keeland, covering his body. He licked a line up the side of Keeland’s neck to just below his ear. Keeland’s entire body shuddered when Dom’s fangs scraped over his salty skin.

  “Yes! Yes!” Keeland’s desperate pleading speared Dom’s soul. “Bite me.”

  Dom sank his teeth into the soft skin right below Keeland’s ear. He heard Keeland cry out. Sweet blood flooded his mouth just as Keeland’s release filled the space between them, and both sent Dom right over the edge along with Keeland.

  He roared around the skin caught between his teeth and thrust his cock as deep into his mate as he could possibly go as his orgasm swept through him. He shouted Keeland’s name as his body convulsed, his seed emptying into Keeland.

  Dom gently withdrew his teeth and licked at the bite wound, closing it before looking down at the man who'd just rocked his world. Keeland’s body was languid beneath him, the man’s eyes closed. Dom stroked his hand down Keeland’s chest, watching as the rapid panting slowed to a low rise and fall.

  He reached down and brushed the sweat-dampened hair back from Keeland’s face, only to find a set of dark-brown eyes peeking up at him. He tensed, wondering what was going through Keeland’s mind.

  “Hey.”

  Keeland’s cheeks flushed. “Hey.”

  “I wasn’t too rough on you, was I?”

  The flush deepened. “I kind of liked you rough.”

  Good to know.

  Dom’s gaze flickered to the bite mark on Keeland’s neck. It was a little pink and there were a few flecks of drying blood on his skin, but other than that, the wound looked as if it were at least a week old. It was healing fast.

  When Keeland reached up to touch the bite mark and his fingers skimmed over the puckered flesh, he hissed.

  “What?” Dom asked harshly. “Does it hurt?” Stupid question. Of course it hurt. Dom had bitten him. “I'm so sorry, Keeland. I never meant to bite you like that. It just…you told me to bite you, and my panther took over.”