Page 30 of On the Road

“I always am.”

They were different together than with me. Good different. Zee had learned exactly what fired Victor up, and Victor knew what Zee needed. They bickered and slung insults at each other outside the bedroom, but all that discourse resulted in an inferno between the sheets.

Zee worked Victor like Victor had done with me earlier, but Zee didn’t need to bend him over for them to be physically joined. His allure had already wrapped around Victor, feeding off Victor’s pleasure, and his wings were ablaze, casting shadows that danced sensually on the walls with the soft rocking motion of their bodies.

It was beautiful.

Whatever Zee said when he bowed his head and whispered into Victor’s ear, his words brought a rare flush of red to Victor’s skin, and tipped him over the edge of coming. Those soft, satisfied grunts had me wishing I was over there too, but this was for them.

Victor liked to be in control, but sometimes he also liked the wild, uncontrollable power that Zee wielded better than anyone else. Sometimes he wanted to be held down, or guided, and that was something I had the impression he’d only ever explored with us, even after all his years of experience.

Brimming with sexual energy, Zee kissed Victor’s neck and brought his wings around them both, rocking Victor gently back into his whole-body embrace. He murmured something that had Victor swallowing a knot of emotion. Then flicking out his wings to vanish them, Zee carried a smug smile as he headed into the bathroom, leaving Victor braced and panting against the dresser.

It was an honor to see them at their most vulnerable with each other. They fought and slung insults, and generally treated each other as though they couldn’t care less. But it was all a game. “That was one hell of an apology,” I purred.

“I forget sometimes . . .” Victor breathed the words, still reeling. “How powerful he is.”

“Fire!” Jenny yelled from outside. “In the forest! Someone! Help, fire!”

“Get dressed,” I barked, and sprang off the bed.

Dashing from our room, I met Jenny in the lot, where she was pointing the werewolf pack toward the forest. It seemed impossible that anything would burn out in the misty, wet forest, but I saw it too—a distant glow, like a burnt-orange smudge in the murky sky.

Jenny’s face fell. “Oh no, that’s Zander’s cabin.”

CHAPTER 8

“It’s a fuckin’ tragedy,” Zee said, standing by the edge of a swathe of burned timbers still radiating heat and the occasional ember.

“I know, it’s terrible.” Poor Zander didn’t have anywhere to call home anymore.

“All those antique dildos. Gone.”

“Uh . . . yeah. Tragic.”

A few of the pack members ambled through the cabin’s remains, kicking over charred timbers and poking bits of half-burned, brightly colored furniture, but the only solid thing left of Zander’s home was the stone fireplace. Unfortunately, Zander’s collection had melted in the inferno, so all that was left were colorful splodges that could pass for melted candles.

Zee spotted Victor picking through the debris, then he grinned at me. “We still got our antique dick.”

We did, but Zander’s home was gone. He’d probably be able to stay at the motel, but if the pack didn’t want him back, his options seemed slim.

It wasn’t right that bad stuff happened to nice people.

Someone or something had set the fire deliberately. But why? Why go to these lengths? Was it just because Zander was different, just a random encounter, or had the loup-garou—if that’s what had done this—needed the cabin and Zander destroyed?

“It’s not right,” I huffed.

“Nope. And do they care?” Zee gestured at the packmates. “You guys need to get onto this.” He’d raised his voice, making the werewolves take notice. “You let this happen to one of your own in your back yard? What the fuck is wrong with you? You gotta get a grip and stop this shit. Find whoever did this and make them pay!”

“Uh, Zee? That’s kinda our job.”

“And we are fuckin’ on that. Right now.” He pointed a finger at them all in turn. “We will save the day.”

The werewolves went back to rifling through Zander’s things and collecting anything salvageable, hopefully to give back to him after he’d recovered.

Victor made his way over. “There’s nothing more we can do here. Let’s regroup back in our room.”

After we’d hiked back to the motel and Zee had helped himself to another pack of Oreos, Victor lingered by the window. He perched his ass on the sill and hmmmed, deep in thought to the sound of Zee’s munching.