Chapter Twelve Josh

"Sorry?" I scoffed, the self-loathing in my chest nearly driving me to tears. "What the hell are you sorry for?"

"I…" Andy faltered for a moment. "I kissed you back," he said at last. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Ha!" I laughed maniacally. "You're sorry?!"

I just went back to muttering to myself as I gathered my things. I felt like I was going fucking crazy. Here I was, packing up what little I owned in the world so I could run away again. I'd run from Shifter Grove just like I was forced to run from Traverse City. Except this time instead of running away from my disappointed father, I was running away from a man I barely knew because I'd kissed him. This upheaval of my entire life had me so fucking confused that I didn't even know what my goddamn sexuality was anymore. How the fuck does that even happen?

"Josh," Andy said, taking a step into the room. "Please. Just talk to me."

"About what?" I snorted. "About kissing you? About being a disappointment to my father? Or maybe you'd like to hear more about my pathetic existence since I apparently like to just gush about my personal tragedies so much."

"I just want to help you."

"Help me?!" I cried, throwing the folded jeans in my hand at the wall. "Help me?! Nobody can fucking help me!"

"If you'll just let me–"

"What the hell could you possibly do, Andy?" I yelled, the tears threatening to fall. "I've got no reason to stay here now! I hate living in this fucking hotel and I can't go back to work because I just fucking kissed the boss. And the worst part is, I don't even know why I did it!"

My deeply personal words were echoing down the hallway, my problems laid bare for the whole world to hear. Without taking his eyes off me, Andy pushed the door closed behind him and stepped closer.

"It doesn't matter," he replied. "I know you're straight. It was probably just the full moon or something."

There was something about his tone that told me he didn't believe what he was saying.

"I can't stay," I cried, turning away from him as the tears fell at last. "I… I don't belong in Shifter Grove."

"Josh," he said softly. "You belong here more than anywhere else."

His words made my blood turn to ice. I hated what he'd said, but I knew he was right.

"And not because you had to leave your pack either," he continued, his voice getting closer. "You belong here because you have friends here. Matt and Ace both like you. Sam likes you too." He paused. "And… I like you."

"It won't last," I heard myself say. "My own family got rid of me and you all will too, eventually."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do–"

A hand landed on my shoulder, spinning me around until I was face to face with Andy's intense blue eyes.

"No you don't," he growled. "I'm not gonna let you stand there and tell me that I'm not your friend or that I'd just give you up when it was convenient. If you want to tell lies about yourself, that's fine. But you won't tell them about me."

My shoulder tingled where he touched me, the feeling warm against the ice that seemed to be flowing through my veins. That rich juniper scent of his washed over me again and I felt the wolf in me whine. He wanted to reach out and touch Andy again. But I gritted my teeth and forced it back.

"What is this?" I snapped. "Why do you smell so good?! And why the fuck do I want to touch you? I'm not into guys but my wolf… it's acting so weird." I fixed my gaze on him. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm not doing anything, Josh." There was pity in Andy's eyes, like he understood something that I couldn't see. "You told me not to pursue you, so I didn't. I want to respect your wishes." He paused for a moment. "Unless they've changed?"

All the fight suddenly went out of me when he didn't have an answer. "I don't understand any of this." I hung my head, my body leaning forward of its own accord until I was resting against his chest. Hearing the heartbeat under his ribs made me feel warm again. "Am I broken?" I asked at last.

Andy wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "No," he whispered. "You're not broken. I promise."

The touch of his skin against mine was driving me wild. My body was filled with conflicting sensations and emotions. I didn't like guys, but I liked when Andy touched me. I wasn't interested in being intimate with anyone, but Andy was the only thing that made me feel alive. The wolf inside me was running in circles, the excitement almost too much to bear. Not to mention my body was physically reacting to his presence. I wanted him. That much was obvious. And with every passing moment the fortitude I had to resist his pull was melting away.

I lifted my head, my gaze catching his. I stared into those blue eyes, searching them for any hint of malice or trickery. Of course, I found none. We were only a few inches apart, the heat of him seeping through my clothing. He started to pull his arms away, but I instinctually wrapped mine around his waist, all resistance I had left melting away with that final gesture.

"Andy?" I said, my voice shaking.

"Yeah?"

I wanted to ask him to kiss me again, to hold me tighter, to care for me, to fix me, to help me put my life back together, and to give me a reason to live again. But none of it would come out. No matter how hard I tried to force even a single word from my lips, I couldn't do it. And he didn't say anything either. He just stared into my eyes, waiting patiently for me to make a decision.

Finally I realized there was only one decision I could make.

Without warning, I leaned forward, my lips pressing against his. Electricity shot through me, goosebumps breaking out across my entire body. I felt Andy stiffen for a moment before he melted into me, his mouth opening to let my tongue inside. In a matter of seconds, the world and all its woes faded away. All fears I had turned to vapor before being carried away from the nighttime breeze.

Then instinct took over.

My hands were under his shirt in a heartbeat. The bakery hardened pads of my fingers danced over his smooth skin, each ridge and curve of him more exquisite than the last. Meanwhile he had his hand on the back of my neck, pulling me harder into his mouth. I kissed him with everything I had, my tongue swirling around his and my teeth nibbling at his lips.

Finally we pulled apart, staring at one another for a heartbeat or two. The heat between us was intense and the pouty redness of his lips, swollen from my kisses, was driving me wild. I reached down, grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it over his head. My eyes grazed across his flawless tanned skin speckled with freckles. They were the densest around his shoulders where he'd been kissed by the sun. My fingers traced over them for a moment before sliding down to his slim waist.

He fit so easily in my hands, almost like his hips were made to be held by me. I dug my fingers in, feeling the tension in his athletic form. He let out a small gasp, his lower lip clenched between his teeth. The way his blue eyes sparkled with lust nearly drove me mad. Unable to wait any longer, I pulled him back toward the bed, turning him around at the last moment and pushing him onto his back. He fell to the mattress, a big smile on his face as he held out his arms. I crawled on top of him without a second thought.

A flurry of activity followed as we balanced making out with kicking off shoes and socks. Shirts were lost, buttons were undone, flies unzipped, and in less than a minute I was lying on top of him, nothing but thin fabric separating our hard cocks. The wolf inside me was going wild with excitement, the juniper scent driving me to instability. I'd forgotten all about the fact that he was a man and that I had no idea how to fuck him. Then again, dicks go in holes, so there wasn't a lot of guesswork involved.

I ground my hips against him, the sensitive underside of our cocks finding friction against one another. Andy moaned in pleasure, pushing back against me. A low growl filled the back of my throat as I kissed him deeper. I felt his hand slip down between us, his fingers following the trail of hair on my belly until it slipped below my waistband. I moaned into his mouth as his hand wrapped around my thick cock, slowly stroking me. Using my pre-cum, he swirled his fingers around my cockhead, making me shiver with ecstasy. It felt so fucking good that I couldn't help fucking his fist.

Arching my back I continued to stroke, unable to stop myself. A tingling sensation shot down my spine and settled in my balls. Warmth flushed in my face and I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold it back. With my lips still locked with Andy's, I tensed and grunted deeply, filling his hand and my underwear with cum.

All at once my body went limp and I practically collapsed on top of him, our lips coming apart at last. My chest heaved as the waves of orgasm washed over me. At the same time I watched as Andy lifted his cum soaked hand to his lips and slowly licked off every last drop of my seed, moaning with a swish of his tongue.

Glancing down, I saw his cock straining hard against his underwear, his other hand palming it through the fabric. I didn't know if it was the lust or just common courtesy, but I couldn't leave him hanging. Reaching down, I yanked his briefs down, letting his cock spring free. He was shorter than me by an inch or so, but easily just as thick. Taking a page out of his book, I milked the pre-cum out of him, using it as lube to stroke him with.

It felt odd having another man's dick in my hand. In a way it was sort of like jerking off, but the cock was a different shape and clearly not attached to me. However, his reactions were the same. His scent intensified as his muscles tensed. He moaned and grabbed the back of my head, pulling me in for another kiss. I could taste my cum on his lips and something about it drove me fucking crazy. I was overcome with a sudden possessiveness that I'd never felt toward anyone. Andy was mine. The way my cum tasted on his lips proved it. In fact, he should always smell of my seed, inside and out.

"Oh fuck…" Andy gasped against my lips.

Instinctually I stroked him faster, his hips bucking into my fist. His cock suddenly thickened and throbbed, cum shooting across his belly in long semi-translucent stripes. A wave of his scent washed over me as I continued to stroke him. He moaned and moaned, the overstimulation driving him wild. It was natural for me to pull away from his lips and lick the cum off his chest. The salty sweetness burst over my tongue and I felt my eyes dilate instantly, transforming to their Alpha gold.

Mate.

That was the only word I heard in my brain as I fell back onto the mattress. Andy quietly curled up next to me, his head on my chest as he caught his breath. With the taste of him still on my lips, I felt all the tension in my body seep away. Along with it went all my doubts, fears, and insecurities. For the first time in weeks, I relaxed.

A sudden sleepiness washed over me as I pulled Andy in tight against my body. His warmth and scent was all I needed in that moment. Everything in the world felt right for once.

Within seconds I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or awake, but Andy was still there beside me and that was all that mattered.