Excessica Anthology BOX SET Winter (60 page)

“You
didn’t exactly tell me you were waiting.” Conner stopped and took a deep,
shuddery breath, trying to will away a stitch in his side. He felt winded and
tired. “Is it like this every time?”

Rand
touched his arm and back, then pulled him close, cradling him. “First time’s
the worst,” he said softly. One hand rubbed down the length of Conner’s arm and
over his stomach, and the other circled around behind his shoulders to hug him
back against Rand’s warm chest. Rand’s voice was a whisper in Conner’s ear.
“You get used to it, believe me. What you’re feeling now is your body getting
ready to change.”

With
a shaky laugh, Conner said, “Like puberty all over again.” He leaned into
Rand’s embrace, savoring it. This moment, Conner thought, was worth the cramps
and nausea and pain. A sudden fear crossed his mind, and he half-turned in
Rand’s arms to ask, “Are you going to stay with me? When…it happens?”

Rand
laughed. “That’s sort of the point of me being here,” he said.

Concerned,
Conner asked, “Do you change too?”

“Every
month,” Rand assured him. When he smiled, his teeth gleamed in the darkness
like a Cheshire cat grin. “Don’t worry so much, Conner. It’ll be okay.” At the
unsure look on Conner’s face, he added, “Just relax. Stressing over it only
makes it worse.”

“Relax,”
Conner scoffed. “Like I can.”

Rand
grinned wolfishly. “What you need is a distraction,” he said. “Take your mind
off everything for the next fifteen minutes or so, until it’s over.”

“Fifteen
minutes?” Conner asked.
It’ll take that long?
he thought, but then a
sliver of fear trickled through him and he wondered,
So soon?
He shook
his head. “It’s kind of hard to take your mind off something like
this
…”

Rand’s
lips touched Conner’s ear, barely there, then his tongue licked out to rim the
soft earlobe. Conner’s words dissolved as he shuddered with pleasure and, below
his belt, his dick hardened immediately. “Oh
God,
” he sighed, laying his
head back on Rand’s shoulder. His knees felt weak, and if Rand weren’t holding
him up, Conner was sure he’d melt to the ground. The ardent mouth closed around
his earlobe, the wet tongue behind his ear now, Rand’s breath filling his
world. Lower, the hand on his stomach trailed to his waist, fingers fumbled to
unbutton his jeans, then his zipper slid down and Rand cupped Conner’s erection
through his thin briefs. Conner thrust into the strong hand, rubbing his hard
cock into Rand’s palm. He sighed, his words a breathless mix of Rand’s name,
and God’s, and
oh yes.

Rand
kissed his way around Conner’s jaw, then covered Conner’s mouth with his own,
this kiss gentle compared to the one earlier. Conner opened to him, eager for
the taste of soft tongue, damp lips. He turned towards Rand, his hands
smoothing over Rand’s chest to bunch in the collar of his flannel shirt,
pulling him closer, further,
in.
Lower, Rand rubbed at Conner’s stomach,
fingers tickling up beneath his shirt until he found the band of Conner’s underwear,
and then his hand slipped inside, pushing the briefs down to grasp at Conner’s
hard length. Conner’s stomach fluttered, but whether from Rand’s touch or the
cursed sickness, he didn’t know. At this moment, he couldn’t possibly care.

A
growl deep in Rand’s throat made Conner pull away. Then he realized the sound
came from his own throat, not Rand’s, but when he stepped back, his foot caught
in the folds of his fallen jeans to trip him up. Rand’s shirt slid through
Conner’s fingers as he fell unceremoniously to the ground. He landed with a
sore ass amid the crunch of dead leaves, slightly dazed from the kiss. His dick
jutted from his groin at a hard angle to poke his navel.

Above
him, Rand laughed. “You’re classic,” he said, but before Conner could ask if
that was good or bad, Rand shrugged out of his shirt and tugged the tank top under
it off. His chest was smooth and hairless, unmarked except for the bruised bite
beneath his left arm. He unzipped his jeans, pushed them and his underwear
down, and stepped out of both. Naked, he stood over Conner for a second, his
body glorious in the shadows and sporting an erection, as well. Then he lay
down over Conner to claim another kiss. The fact that they were mere inches
apart made Conner raise up his hips to touch his dick to Rand’s. He did it a second
time, and Rand caught both cocks in one fist, pressing them together.

Rand
nibbled Conner’s lower lip and squeezed their erections with a gentle, steady
rhythm. Then he trailed tiny kisses over Conner’s chin and down his neck, his
tongue tickling in the hollow of Conner’s throat. As he bit at the collar of
Conner’s shirt, Conner buried his nose in Rand’s hair, breathing deep the
clean, dry scent. His lips found the top of Rand’s ear and he licked the folds
of skin, hoping it felt as sexy to Rand as it had to him a few moments ago.
Judging by the way Rand thrust against him, Conner thought maybe it did. This
time, the growl came from Rand, and it set Conner’s blood aflame.

“Take
this off,” Rand told him, picking at the front of Conner’s shirt with his
teeth. Conner hurried to comply. The moment the fabric uncovered his chest,
Rand’s tongue was there, circling Conner’s hard nipples and licking a path down
his navel over the faint line of hair that led to his pubes. Rand moved down,
releasing his own dick but holding fast to Conner’s. When that hot, wet mouth
touched the tip of Conner’s cock, he almost spasmed in release at the
sensation. His shirt tangled once he got it up over his head and he struggled
to free himself as Rand went down on him. With practiced ease, Rand took Conner’s
length in completely, his tongue and cheeks working as he sucked the hard
shaft. Then he let it slip partway out, took it in again, released everything
but the tip and sucked only the swollen head while Conner bucked beneath him.
The shirt suffocated him, adding a sense of danger to the moment, and not being
able to watch Rand as he worked turned Conner on something fierce. He no longer
felt any pain in his body—all he knew was Rand’s willing mouth on him,
bringing him closer to climax. Rand’s growls mingled with Conner’s own, sexy
sounds that spurred him on.

A
few seconds later and Conner got the shirt off, finally. He saw Rand crouched
between his spread legs, the hair on his head longer now, wild and thick, his
eyes narrowed and faintly golden. The fingers wrapped around Conner’s dick
sprouted dark tufts of hair from each knuckle. As he watched, his own legs
erupted in long, dark hairs that pushed through his skin to cover his knees and
thighs. When Conner opened his mouth to say Rand’s name, a lusty howl escaped
his throat. The sound was so animalistic, so
primal,
that it made Conner
come in short, quick spurts that beaded in the sudden hair on Rand’s cheeks.

Now
Conner felt the changes in his body. He felt the hair growing from his skin
to cover him like a carpet. He felt his limbs lengthening, his fingers and toes
curling into paws, his nails sharpening like claws. He howled again simply
because he loved the sound of it, and between his knees, Rand matched his call.
Conner’s thighs bent into haunches, his legs shortening until his back paws
were free from the confines of his jeans. Suddenly his vision changed and the
night around him deepened, each shadow taking on a million different contours
and layers, a million different possibilities. His legs itched to run.

A
rough tongue began to clean the fur between his legs. Conner relaxed back against
the ground, spread-eagle, savoring the impromptu grooming. His spent erection
wilted and pulled up tight against his belly, but the tongue cleaned his balls
and the long hair on his haunches and his tail.
Tail
…Conner felt it wagging
like a puppy’s beneath Rand’s ministrations. It thumped on the ground happily
and tickled between Rand’s hind legs. When a cold nose nuzzled Conner’s lower
belly, he yapped and rolled away.

Growling,
Rand caught Conner’s shoulder between powerful jaws. His bandage fell away,
exposing the bite. Conner lay on his side, still, as Rand began to clean the
wound. As his eager tongue flicked along, Conner’s leg scratched at the air,
wanting to scratch behind his ear. His paw found Rand’s stomach and he tried to
push the older werewolf away without success. He settled for his leg against
Rand’s lower belly, his unsheathed claws barely resting against the tender fur,
and he turned to lick his own juices from Rand’s face. Rand gave off a delicious
scent, one Conner wanted to chase down and pounce on, pin beneath his paws,
roll around in until it covered his own smell completely. He looked in Rand’s
golden eyes and saw himself mirrored back, his blue eyes staring from short,
black fur that matched his black hair. Rand’s shading was lighter, like the
ponytail he favored in human form, and his hair hung in shaggy lengths. Rand’s
tongue lolled from his mouth in a rapid pant. He watched Conner closely,
anxious to see how the change affected him. Conner woofed softly—the pain
was gone, and after Rand’s amazing ‘distraction,’ he couldn’t imagine feeling
better.

Little
brother.
It was Rand’s voice but not spoken out loud. Conner heard it in
his head, and understood his meaning beyond the use of modern words. It was an
ancient language, a shared dreamworld of senses, sight and sound and smell. For
the briefest moment, their wet noses touched, and Rand stuck out the tip of his
tongue to taste Conner’s canine lips. His bright eyes held a promise that excited
Conner.
I have so much to show you.

About
J.M. Snyder

An
author of gay erotic/romantic fiction, J.M. Snyder began in self-publishing and
now works with a variety of e-publishers, most notably Amber Allure Press and
eXcessica Publishing. Snyder’s short fiction has appeared online at websites
such as Ruthie’s Club as well as in anthologies released by several publishers,
including Alyson Books and Cleis Press. For book excerpts, free fiction, and
purchasing information, please visit
jmsnyder.net
.

CLAIMED

By Dakota Trace

Brazil,
South America

As
the beat of the jungle drums grew louder, Shu fought the memories of her past
humiliation in the Mating Circle. Inside the circle her father, in jaguar form
looking so powerful and dangerous, his dark coat gleaming, was in the process
of claiming the hissing female jaguar at its center. The flickering torches
cast a seductive glow over the aggressiveness of his advances. Once upon a time
she’d wished for the same for herself—a powerful male stalking her and claiming
her.

But
the mating circle is not meant for a half-breed such as me.

Relief
flooded her as her father finally pinned the female under his weight and she
submitted to him. As they exited the circle, Shu cowered down, showing respect
to her father’s new mate. Keeping her form submissive and head lowered, she
prayed inside the body of her hybrid tigress-jaguar, Maria would pass her
without incident. An unexpected rake across her shoulder of Maria’s deadly
claws assured her Maria did not appreciate her presence at the gathering.
Flattening her ears, Shu fought to control the large white Bengal tigress. Next
to his new mate, her father hissed then knocked her over.
Despite the fact
I’ve left the pride, gone away to school, and live as a human, I still cause trouble
by just existing.

Her
father’s rough tongue traced over the wound on her shoulder. Lying still, she
accepted his gesture of comfort as she had many times in the past. Her
luxurious white coat with pale silver rosettes and dark stripes was scarred in
many places from her constant battles within her own pack. She had too much
pride and strength to become the beta but it hadn’t stopped the others from
trying to force her into the role.

* *
* *

Picking
up her bag, Shu headed for the front door of her father’s home. The screams and
grunts of her father and his new mate had kept her up most of the night. When
they’d finally quieted at dawn, she’d fought with her promise to remain for the
week celebration of her father’s mating and her own desire to leave. The
vibration of her pager had finally made her decision for her.

“Shu,
you promised to stay.” Her father appeared in the doorway. His dark hair was
mussed and his skin had several bite marks from Maria. She looked at them
impassively.
Possessive as always it seems. She had to mark my father as
hers and take away my last tie to the pack.

“I’m
sorry, Dad, but an emergency has come up, one I can’t ignore.”

He
walked closer to her. “What is so important that it would make my honorable
daughter break her promise?”

“A
xiamen
tiger has been hurt. It was brought to the doctors at the Beijing
zoo. Ry-lin called me. The tiger won’t allow anyone near enough for treatment.
He said they’re thinking of sedating him but the tiger reeks of human. If his
hunch is right, we’re dealing with a hybrid and if they sedate him and he
shifts…” She knew she didn’t have to go further. Her dad knew the importance of
keeping their secret from full-blooded humans.

Sadness
appeared in his eyes. “Go, Shu. Thank you for humoring me and attending the
Mating Circle. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you after…”

“Let
it rest, Dad. I’m happy with my life. I get to travel and treat all kinds of
exotic animals. I am needed.”

He
frowned. “You think you’re not needed in your own pack?”

“It’s
your pack, Dad. Yours and Maria’s now. I’m a very unwelcome reminder of what
happens when mating occurs outside the pack. No jaguar wants to mate me nor
does any tiger, so I’ll use my education and pull as a human to further our
causes. Insuring the continuance of our endangered species will be a suitable
replacement for not having cubs of my own.”

He
lifted his hand and touched her cheek. From behind him the warning hiss of
enraged jaguar came. His hand fell before he turned and faced his mate. “Maria,
do I need to remind you again? She’s my daughter.”

Taking
advantage of his distraction, she slipped out the door. Seeing Raphael, her
father’s second in command and her cousin, waiting, she smiled. He was one of
the few, aside from her father, who tolerated her presence. She winced as the
mating scream came from the house. Her dad was once more exerting his dominance
over his new mate.

Raphael
shook his head. “Ready?”

“Yeah.
Thanks for taking me to the airport.” Sliding into the Jeep, she leaned her head
back against the seat and closed her eyes. The familiar smells of the jungle
comforted her as they headed towards the small airstrip where she could catch a
flight out and begin the journey to China.

* *
* *

The
rhythmic thud of the wheels touching down in Beijing woke Shu from her light
sleep. Without opening her eyes, she could smell the stewardess coming down the
aisle. The clicks of the overhead compartments being opened finally had her
opening her eyes. The reoccurring dream of the tiger had plagued her over the
last twenty- four hours and uncountable miles. The piercing amber eyes haunted
her and wouldn’t leave her alone. Whether it was the dream or her words to her
father, they promised she was his.

Standing
and trying to shake off the dream, Shu grabbed her carry-on and headed down the
aisle. She bumped into a large Chinese man. “Bào qiàn.” Her apology spoken in
soft Chinese made the man pause.

When
he turned and rambled off several words in Mandarin, she held up her hands
laughing. “That’s all I know how to say.”

The
muscular and pale skinned man quickly switched to English. “Such a pretty lady
as yourself should learn more than how to say sorry. I’m Daniel Sun.” He gave
her an informal bow.

“Hello,
Daniel. I’m Shu Rodriguez, and don’t let the name fool you. I was born and
raised in Brazil.”

“Interesting.
I’ve been to Argentina but never Brazil. “ While they waited for the line to
move, he continued, “So have you come here for pleasure, Shu?”

She
shook her head. “No. I’m here on business. I’m a doctor—a vet. I’m here
because of an injured tiger. This will be my fourth visit to the Beijing Zoo.
One of these times I’m going to come over for a visit and actually get to do
the tourist thing. ”

Daniel’s
eyes narrowed before his expression smoothed out. “Ah, I see. What a
coincidence. I’ve come to here for the same reason. I have contracted a car to
pick me up, why not share it?”

Taking
a deep breath, she smelled nothing but human.
He’s safe enough.
As a
hybrid, Shu had all the strengths of her base form. Strong and agile, if she
was pitted against full-blooded humans, she would have no problem defending
herself and winning.

“I
would like that.”

* *
* *

When
they pulled up in front of the Beijing Zoo, Shu was met by Ry-lin. His wide
face was lit with relief. “Dr. Rodriguez, I’m so glad you could make it. Mr.
Chen wants to sedate the tiger but I’m afraid it will do more harm than good,”
he said softly as he led her away from Daniel. Looking over his shoulder, he
nodded to Daniel.

“I
understand. We’ll see if I can work my magic on him tonight after hours.”
Glancing at her watch, she estimated she had just enough time to tour the other
cat exhibits before they closed. She turned back to Daniel before addressing
Ry-lin again. “I’d like to see this tiger after checking in on some old
friends. Would you like to join me, Daniel?” 

On
their ride over to the zoo after dropping their luggage at a small hotel, she’d
found out Daniel was a protector of
Xiamen
tiger. At first she’d thought
his words odd but shrugged it off as part of the language barrier, assuming
he’d meant he was one of the people who were vital in protecting tiger’s rights
by holding protests and raising awareness.

He
seems like a nice enough man and Lord knows I haven’t had any male companionship
in ages.

“Sure
I’d love that!” Daniel joined her. “Lead the way.”

* *
* *

Daniel
followed the dusky skinned doctor.
What the hell kind of mess has Gregory
gotten into this time and why has the zoo called in a specialist? For the love
of the Goddess, I hope they haven’t sedated him!
Telling himself that if
they had, it would’ve already made the news had done little to help. And
despite the assurances from Ry-lin, he was leery of the doctor they’d chosen.
This
isn’t some pure bred tiger she’s going to be dealing with. This is my very
special brother.

As
they approached the first pen, he watched her easy and confident handling of
the Bengal tiger.

“Good
afternoon.” She spoke to the tiger as if it were human. Entering the cage at
the back, she walked up cautiously on the large Bengal who was lying in the
sun. Touching the flank, she continued to speak softly.

Across
the pen, Daniel noticed the young tigress who was watching Shu and the male.
When it surged to its feet, Daniel readied himself to tackle the cat, who
outweighed him even in his cat form. Before he could get into the pen to place
himself between the cat and Shu, it pounced.

“Shu!”
His warning came too late.

She
went down under the weight of the tigress. Outside the pen, the few people who
were still there screamed.

He
pushed at Ry-lin, trying to get into the pen. “No, Daniel.”

“She’s
being attacked! Let me in there. If she’s his only hope, I can’t let her die!”

* *
* *

Under
the pinning weight of the tigress, Shu chuckled.
“You’re getting very good
at pouncing, Ling. You’ve been practicing haven’t you?”

“Oh
yes, Shu. Lang even lets me practice on him. But the old growly bear won’t
admit to it.”

“Enough,
Ling.”
This came from the older male. “
These humans don’t realize you’re
playing with Shu. Get off her or they will rush in with the tranq guns.”

“I
have to agree with him, Ling. Let me up. After I deal with the Xiamen tiger,
I’ll come back and we can play away from prying eyes, okay?”

“
Okay!”
The young tigress gave her one more push before springing away and heading
back to the other side of the pen.

Dusting
herself off, Shu stood slowly. Aware of the few people who still loitered at
the edge of the pen, she made a display of backing away slowly. Ling gave a
roar. The people at the rail backed away quickly.

“Once
a show off always a showoff, Ling.”

“And
don’t you forget it.”

When
she reached the door, she was snatched through its opening and it was slammed
shut. Daniel was running his hands over her.

“I’m
fine, Daniel.” She pushed his hands away. He looked down at her and crossed his
arms over his chest.

“You
were just attacked by a tigress and you say you’re fine?”

“Yes,
Ling was just playing. I treated her the last time I was here—”

A
man in a lab coat ran up. “Thank Goddess, you’re here Dr. Rodriguez. The tiger
is attacking Dr Chen. Come quickly!”

Pushing
past Daniel, she raced after him.

* *
* *

Sliding
to a stop inside the exam room, Shu couldn’t believe the pure stupidity of
Chen. He was cowering in the corner and a snarling but obviously hurt tiger
stood over him. Although she didn’t see any blood, the crying and babbling from
the doctor assured her he was still alive but very scared.
I can’t believe
that idiot brought a wounded tiger into an exam room. If I told him ten times,
I’ve told him a hundred, caging in a hurt animal is a sure way to lose a limb.

“What
have you done?

Her
voice was low enough the doctor could hear it but not loud enough to startle
the cat.

“Get
him…off…of…me.” Chin’s voice trembled with fear.

Looking
up quickly, she saw Ry-lin through the glass observation room. He gave a quick
thumbs up, letting her know he’d switched off the recording equipment. It was
safe for her to begin.

Pulling
deep within her, she let a rumble fill her chest. As it escaped, the unexpected
sound of her natural call filled the air. A mixture of the jaguar’s cough and
the Bengal’s purr sounded oddly sensual to cats and Shu knew it. She only hoped
it would grab the attention of the injured male.

With
a warning hiss at the cowering doctor, the male limped back and turned to face
her. He was favoring his right foreleg. Shock rolled over her as the tiger’s
eyes met hers.
It’s the tiger from my dream!

She
swayed on her feet with the realization but held it together by sheer
willpower. Passing out from shock wouldn’t help Dr Chen. Issuing another low
purr, she backed towards the door. Her intent was to get the injured male to
follow her out of the exam room and allow Dr Chen to be rescued. The door
opened behind her. The tiger limped closer, obviously intrigued by the sounds
coming from her chest.

“Let
me deal with him, Shu. I’ve handled him before. Injured tigers are notorious
for attacking…” Daniel’s voice was insistence.

Finally
frustrated with his interference she looked over at him. “Daniel, I know what
the hell I’m doing, back off.”

He
gripped her arm, hard. “You have no clue what you’re dealing with, Shu!”

A
roar ripped free of the tiger and he lunged at Daniel.

“Let
go.” She shoved him away and met the tiger head on. 

Daniel’s
cry rang out. “Gregory, no!”

Going
down for the second time in less than twenty minutes, Shu was at end of her
patience.
It’s one thing to be pounced on by Ling and entirely another to
have a pissed off injured tiger try to hurt some stupid human.
Clinging to
the soft fur at its neck, she hung onto the massive body, pitting her own
strength against the male’s. When he lunged at her throat, she shoved her arm
up under his jaw.