Chapter 11Somehow feeling like the lamb to the slaughter as Ezekiel playful offer tried to take root Brandon shook his head. “No. Not on your life.”“No? Why not?” Ezekiels tone took on a slightly goading overture. “You can’t be afraid to spar with me are you? You seem to know how to handle yourself in a fight.....”Something about the way that he said this sounded like a clear challenge. And damn him....but Brando had never been able to turn away from a challenge. “I do know how to handle myself!” He replied sharply.Knowing that he had won part of the battle Ezekiel smiled, like a Cheshire cat. “Well then...” HE intoned putting out his hands to his sides, palms up. “Spar with me...”“Are you serious? You really want to do this?” Brandon sighed.“Well were out here for the rest of the afternoon.” Ezekiel said back dropping his hands and motioning to the sun that wasn’t even halfway past the wide clear sky. “And it will be a good way to pass the time...”“And I guess that’s important
Chapter 12The beast was thrice his size, with creamy yellow fur dusted with black splotches, triangular ears, tufted with soft white, long silvery whiskers trembled against his skin, while ferocious fangs gleamed, and dark blue eyes glared at him. Brandon stared in shock into the beasts gaze, until a tongue was suddenly lapping across the tip of his nose and a long soft snarl filled the air.“WHOA! “With a shout of surprise Brandon shoved and kicked out ward, while scrambling backwards and he was moving in such a panic that he soon slammed back into a pine tree.His first thought was to get up onto his feet, but he was frozen in mid scramble as a vicious rumble vibrated on the air. Slowly, afraid to look at the beast, Brandon glanced up and was horrified to be staring into the angry, tail lashing, snarling, three hundred pound face of a Leopard, with eyes that glowed a supernatural tint of blue.The moment Brandon looked at the Leopard head on, it got riled up. It snarled and roared
Chapter 13“The leopard made YOU Shift?” Brandon asked him, glancing down at Ezekiel’s hands. Somehow he strangled the growing need to reach out and un-ball the hard fist that Ezekiel had formed. The same need that had urged him to reach out and pet a giant snarling Leopard, instead of run.But a moment later Ezekiel had dropped the fist with a curse. “Damnit!” Ezekiel growled in sudden and visceral agitation. He reached out, possibly intending to touch Brandon’s cheek, but at the last moment a look of guilt flickered across his face and he pulled back. “Did he hurt you...?” Ezekiel asked him softly, looking Brandon over for injuries as he spoke. “Our strength....our anger....I can’t control them when I’m Shifted.”Hoping to sooth Ezekiel’s obvious anxiety Brandon shrugged both of his shoulders and shook his head. “No I’m fine.” He reported, then feeling a small smile growing on his face he said. “When he first appeared he did sort of swipe and snap at me. But then he just sat on top
Chapter 14After arriving back at the Mansion Brandon and Ezekiel silently agreed on heading up to the second floor. The sun was setting. Night crept up over the home and in the silence their beds called to them.The smell of burning candles and soft pine danced all along the halls as Ezekiel and Brandon stepped off of the top of the staircases and Ezekiel walked beside Brandon to his room.The moment Brandon saw the door to his room, he mumbled a quick good night to Ezekiel and tried to disappear, but his name on Ezekiel’s lips held him in the hall, before he could manage to even turn the door knob.“Brandon? Wait...please.” Ezekiel called as they started to part ways. The call was a question and a demand all rolled up into one.All throughout the hike back to the Mansion it had seemed he wanted to say something, but until now the words had remained unspoken....and because Brandon partially feared what he would say....he had allowed Ezekiel to remain in silence.Brandon sensed someth
Chapter 15That night, after a slow afternoon of quiet patrolling alone, Ezekiel retired to his room.Snarling and hissing he prowled in the confines of his room, eventually forced to admit to himself that he was in fact avoiding dinner, his family....and the one man that was making him feel just a little bit insane. Not to mention tense, and pent up, and on edge.Ezekiel didn’t want to be around his family feeling the way he felt. He didn’t want to be around Lander thinking what he was thinking. He didn’t want to be near Brandon with the heat of his body only a few hours forgotten.So, not bothering to remove his clothing and feeling bone tired, Ezekiel crawled into his sheets, punched a few pillows into shape beneath him....and promptly collapsed in exhaustion.IT was sometime later before he began to stir. He moaned, tossed in his sheets and bit his lip in his sleep.In his mind he felt the electricity running down his spine, gathering in his gut, tightening his balls, emanating fr
Chapter 16The next morning Brandon looked as shitty as Ezekiel felt. Almost as though his night had been filled with an erotic parade of sex dreams with no release or freedom in sight. They nearly ran each other down in the hall leading to the stairwell as they each rushed down to the kitchen.Coming around the corner Ezekiels was already aware that he would be standing at the hallway exit. Brandon’s strong scent flowered the air, heavy, and sharp it alerted Ezekiels to his presence.But when he got there....Ezekiel was taken in.Brandon was leaning with his back to the railing. And his head was bowed forward in silent contemplation. He was dressed in a white tee that seemed to enhance the normally hard to detect muscularity of his form. He was also sporting a long pair of jeans, which bunched up around the top of the boots that he had taken to wearing every morning. Stood with his arms crossed, and his long legs crossed at the ankles....and the ever-present black leather gloves stra
Chapter 17Who are you to make me feel so good?Who are we to tell ourselves that we’re misunderstood?Were always falling on each other like were both lost in in the dark.I don’t think you know me much at all, all, ALL!-Ellie Goulding (This Love)Ezekiel caught him off guard with his fire. A kiss so sweet that it hurt and then so deep, that it had Brandon panting for air. And when Brandon made the mistake of letting his mouth drift open the tip of Ezekiels tongue flicked across his parted lips, then pooled inside his mouth. Brandon moaned and pulled him closer, his senses zeroing on Ezekiels elusive taste before, Ezekiel kissed him again.Oh GOD! The dreams didn’t compare! They were pale imitations to how this mans body felt fitted against his own...Brandon gasped as Ezekiels thigh slipped between his legs, pressing against the hardening behind Brandon’s zipper. The shaft growing thick and pulsing hard in moments. A flare of new lust ran down his back as Brandon rocked against the
Chapter 18The moment the bed room door came into view Brandon broke away from Ezekiels stride and disappeared inside of his room, leaving Ezekiel behind him with no explanation and dashing any hopes the Shifter had of smoothing over things between them.Ezekiel let him go. He didn’t call him back or follow him. He lacked both the words and the desire to keep pushing the man after so much lay unresolved between them.***But Brandon felt Ezekiels eyes burning into his back as he slipped into the room, slammed and locked the door closed between them as if it were a barrier....but Brandon wasn’t trying to keep Ezekiel out. He was praying that he could keep something in.His entire body was alive, his skin prickled with awareness of the heat that Ezekiel had ignited inside of him when he claimed his lips only moment ago.Brandon trembled with that sweet taste on his tongue, but he shivered in fear as well, because Brandon knew that if he didn’t do something quickly to stem the flow of th