The Dom Unleashes His Wolf [Unchained Love 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (8 page)

“Apart, perhaps, from your parents, siblings, cousins, grandparents, childhood next-door neighbors, first-grade teacher—” began Cameron in his lawyer voice.

“No. None of the above. I was the classic case of the baby left on the church doorstep. When the elderly priest opened the door and found me there, he was completely convinced it was some children playing a joke on their baby brother. When several hours passed and no irate mother came to collect me, he phoned the local hospital, which sent a nurse around immediately. Only then did the priest find out I was less than a day old, not weeks or even months as he’d assumed.”

“Surely there was a huge media outcry and search for your mother, though,” said Gaynor.

“Yes, but no one came forward. Of course, when I first shifted into my wolf I realized one, or even both of my parents hadn’t wanted a half-wolf child and that’s why I’d been left at the church.”

“So you’re only a half wolf. How do you know? I mean, what are the traits?” asked Cameron.

“You need to understand that all my knowledge of myself comes from personal experience and the Internet. I’ve never once approached a pack of shape-shifters to get confirmation of my guesswork. But the biggest reason I believe I’m only half-wolf is that I never have involuntary urges to shift. No matter how angry or upset I become, I remain completely human. I only shift by a completely rational decision.”

“Perhaps it would be easier if you gave us the brief version of your life, just hitting the main points on the way through. And add in why you never told us this before. I had the clear idea you lived with a family, your family, even though you almost never speak of your childhood,” suggested Gaynor.

“Okay.” Tor stopped to think. “I was left in the hospital for almost three months, but when no one claimed me I was placed with a foster family who cared for me. To them it was a paid job, but they treated me well, not exactly loving me but always being considerate and helpful. From reading other foster kids’ stories I’ve realized how incredibly lucky I was to be placed with them. Whenever I’ve needed to speak of my childhood I always call them Mother and Father, instead of going into lengthy explanations which are no one’s business except mine. And now yours.”

“Who named you? How did you get your name?” asked Gaynor.

“After a week or two, when no one claimed me, the old priest, Father Brian, went to the hospital and asked to baptize me. The nurses let him name me as well, since I needed a name to be baptized. He gave me his grandfather’s name. Of course, the Child Protection people told my foster family they could change my name if they wanted to, but they decided to keep it, to retain my link to the man who’d found me. Father Brian left me two thousand dollars when he died, with instructions to do something with it that would create a wonderful memory. I used part of the money to travel to the Grand Canyon, which I’d always wanted to see. The rest I saved,” added Tor.

“I’ve always wanted to white-water raft through the Grand Canyon,” said Gaynor.

“I did a two-week hike, and it was truly a memory to cherish. But I’d be more than happy to go back there with you both,” said Tor.

“Getting back to the main point here, how long did you live with the foster family for?” asked Cameron.

Tor pulled his mind away from the priest and his vacation at the Grand Canyon and answered Cameron’s question. “Until I finished high school. That’s as far as the government funding goes. After that you’re supposed to get a job. Which I did. I started working in a hospital as a nursing aide. Part of the reason was because I didn’t really have a sense of vocation, but part of it was in gratitude that I’d been saved and cared for. Anyway, I decided it was a career I could enjoy, and I studied nursing. And that’s my story.”

“Well, not exactly. You’ve conveniently missed the whole ‘I’m a wolf’ part of your history,” said Cameron.

“The hot-shot attorney is correct,” said Gaynor, patting Cameron’s arm.

Tor took a deep breath. Both Gaynor and Cameron were being very polite with him, but he could feel their underlying tension and hurt. He was still blown away by the fact they seemed to have accepted that he was a shape-shifter. Of course, Gaynor had experienced Ramona and the puma, but even so, he was damn lucky they hadn’t called Animal Services on him. Now he had to leverage their innate politeness up into acceptance. All he could do was tell the truth. They did need to hear his story. The time may have been forced on him too soon, but it had come and now it was up to him to show them nothing was changed. His love and desire for them was the same as it always had been.

And to hope that their response was reciprocal.

Tor spoke. “I was eleven and was hiding in my room. The family had visitors, and the visitors had the most obnoxious twin daughters. Little princesses in white lace dresses, and everyone was supposed to wait on them hand and foot. I don’t think they did anything at all for themselves. They just sat there demanding this toy, that book, read them a story, fetch them a glass of soda. Anyway, I thought if I was a dog I could go outside and run around and play and ignore them. I pictured myself as a dog, a big, fierce dog they wouldn’t want to play with—and it happened. At first I about wet my pants with fright, then I changed back and forth, back and forth, and realized I could do it. The next day I was waiting outside the school library when it opened and was on the Internet every spare moment I had, trying to find out what I was.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell anyone? You’ve been in relationships before,” said Cameron.

“Yes. Eleven was awfully young to keep such a huge secret. All the other kids would have wanted to be your friend,” added Gaynor.

“You forget. I was already ‘that foster kid.’ I studied hard at school, always a little fearful that if I failed a test the family may not want me anymore. Every sport I played, I trained really hard, determined to win. It didn’t take me long to guess my parents had abandoned me because I was half-wolf. I didn’t want anyone else to reject me. And it was a fun secret. For a year or two, all my free time was centered on learning more about myself and what I could do. When I’m in wolf form my senses are heightened. Sounds and smells are much brighter, sharper. Going for a run in the national park is a feast for the senses.”

“Everything has changed. Everything I thought was real, everything we had together, has disappeared. So what happens now?” asked Gaynor.

And isn’t that the million-dollar question.

* * * *

The attorney in Cameron weighed up each statement Tor made and decided it had merit. If Tor had been a client he’d have believed him and likely won the case. But this was his private life. He respected Tor, appreciated him as their Dom. Tor certainly orchestrated the best orgasms ever, and they also had a genuine, solid friendship.

Cameron was committed to this ménage. It was a little weird in that Tor was the Dom, yet he shared Gaynor with Cameron. But that was a part of who Tor was. He invariably made sure Cameron and Gaynor received pleasure first before taking his own release. Cameron understood now, after hearing Tor’s story, that having been abandoned as a baby was likely what had made Tor so fixated on control.

Could he live with a man who was a wolf? Particularly when that man was the one in control of his life? What if Tor bit him one day? Would he go all furry and howl at the moon? Hell! What if it was Gaynor who turned into a wolf? Although if her fur was as pure white as her hair she’d likely be an arctic wolf and she’d be truly stunning to look at.

Cameron dragged his mind back on track. Tor was a wolf. Could he stay here knowing that? Well, hell, he’d been as good as living with a wolf for months now.

“You’ve deceived us. I know, I know, it’s the sin of omission rather than the sin of commission, but that doesn’t change the way I feel. I had total trust in you. Now I’m not sure. Do you understand that when you went and lay at Gaynor’s feet there in the trees, all I could think of was that if we were in Texas I could have shot and killed you and no one would have cared?”

“Just as well this is Ohio then. I truly meant to tell you, but not until we were committed to each other and preparing to move into a full bonding,” said Tor.

“How do we know you won’t bite us one day and we’ll turn into wolves, too?” he asked.

“We’ve all bitten each other plenty of times, and there’s never been any consequences,” objected Gaynor.

“I think Cameron means bite bite, not nip bite. I’ve never felt a craving to take a chunk out of anyone. However, it’s possible if we agree to a formal mating ceremony our bites may have some effect. That would be a consideration we’d need to allow for,” said Tor.

“In other words, you don’t know,” said Cameron, staring at Tor.

“We can Google it, I’m sure.” That was Gaynor, ever the peacemaker.

And that’s when Cameron realized he was speaking in his business mode, not in his home mode. These were questions he’d demand answers to for a case he was dealing with. But for his private life there was only one question to answer—did he want to be with Gaynor and Tor? And the answer was an unequivocal “yes.” Wolf or man or half of each, that’s what he wanted. And if he turned into a wolf? Well, he’d deal with that if it happened. After all, Tor had lived as if he were human well enough to keep his secret from the two people he was closest to for several months.

But he needed more information. Then there had to be some ground rules laid down. And who knew how Gaynor felt. He couldn’t read her at the moment. “Do you need to go running as a wolf often? Is it something you crave, like chocolate or coffee?” he asked.

“It’s something I really enjoy doing, but I’m very cautious about where I go. I don’t want to get shot or caught by Animal Services or anything. I find running about once a month is adequate and one of the ‘leash-free’ dog parks is good, although I try not to go to the same ones too often. Also I don’t stay unless there are other big dogs around,” answered Tor.

“All right, I think I’ve asked enough questions for now. I’m happy enough to continue on as we were for the time being,” said Cameron.

“Yes, but I think Tor wants us to move on in our relationship. Step up to the next level. He’s said several times he wants us to be committed to each other and then, later, formally bond as a family. Am I right, Tor?” asked Gaynor.

“I’d always intended the three of us to bond formally together. This has just precipitated the decision making. In this I’m not the Dom, you aren’t submissives. We’re all equal. I want us to commit to each other soon then formally bond when you’re both ready to do that. What do you want? You don’t have to answer right away if you need time to think things through,” said Tor.

Tor was actually fidgeting on his feet. Cameron had never ever known him to that. Tor’s face was as neutral as ever, but his body language gave away how nervous he was. He really wanted them to agree. Cameron had weighed the evidence and knew he’d take the next step to commitment. Bonding—well, he’d decide about that when the time came. But Gaynor…Gaynor he wasn’t sure about. One minute she seemed to accept Tor as a wolf. The next she was reminding him he’d betrayed their trust. Cameron rather thought Gaynor’s feelings were as mixed up as her responses right now.

When she spoke, it just confirmed what Cameron had been thinking about her.

“First of all, how do I know you don’t have any other secrets you don’t want to share with us yet? Then, I’d want to put some frameworks in place. What if we turn into wolves, too? What if I get pregnant? Don’t wolves have, like, triplets each time? Are we going to stay here or get a bigger apartment? Because I’d vote for a larger apartment.”

Cameron wanted to comment on that. “Please understand I’m not looking for children. But if it happens, I’ll help with the child care. I’d like to think human contraceptive measures will continue to work, though, because we’re all human. And hell yes on the bigger apartment. I’d like an office for a start.”

“And a dungeon, plus a bigger bathroom with a hot tub,” added Tor. “On the pregnancy issue, human medications have always worked just fine on me, so I’d assume we’re good to go there. But I’d never abandon a child, ever.”

Of course he wouldn’t. Not after being abandoned himself.

“Do you have any other questions, Gaynor?” asked Cameron.

“Dozens, I expect. Fundamentally I’m good with the idea of taking one, and only one, step more. You both know I love you very much. I just need to get my head around some of the details. Like, I guess we don’t go to city hall and sign a three-way piece of paper. And it sounds more like we need a house rather than an apartment, and I certainly don’t have money to pay that size down payment. I love my job to pieces, but I don’t exactly rake in the big bucks.”

Right then Cameron had a lightbulb moment. “Carey and Jubilee!”

“Huh?”

“You know, Carey Williams and Jubilee Thompson. They’re very active members of a BDSM community. They’re totally into the lifestyle. I ask them questions about BDSM issues sometimes for my court cases. They live on a commune sort of place. Each family has its own house, but there’s a big, shared dungeon, and a huge barn they use for communal events, and acres and acres of wild, uncultivated land.”

“I wonder if some of them are shifters. A lot of wild, open land to run in is exactly what many shifters would love,” said Tor.

“Is there a hot tub? And how far is it from the city? I mean, is it a doable commute, or do they all work on the property or nearby?” asked Gaynor.