Chapter Four

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Lester said.

Chance nodded. “Duly noted.”

Lester stared at him for a moment before sighing. “But I guess it’s not going to change much, so why not? I’m just warning you that they’re not going to say yes.”

Chance leaned forward. “I’m not expecting them to. I just don’t want to be on the wrong side, which means talking to them and seeing if we can solve this diplomatically.”

Charles agreed with Lester. There was no way that talking to the coven leaders would help, but then he suspected that Chance had never thought it would. Chance wanted to be able to say that he’d tried.

Charles still wasn’t sure why he was sitting in on these meetings. Was it because he’d been present at the last one when they’d discussed this idea? Was it because Mark had dragged him here, and Chance hadn’t seen a reason to say something about it? Charles didn’t see how this was his place, but he wasn’t going to argue. He wanted to stay updated and know what was happening, and being here was the best way to do that. Once he knew, he’d tell Red, too, and Red would be able to relax a bit.

Red was taking this hard. He’d thought he’d finally found a home and a place where he could be safe, and now that place was under attack.

Charles could only imagine how that made Red feel, and he wished he could fix things for him. Unfortunately, he was only one man, and the coven had already shown they had the power to take on an entire clan, let alone one dragon shifter. Charles wouldn’t do anything on his own.

But he wouldn’t have to.

Lester reached for the phone on the desk. Chance had unlocked it for him, and he quickly dialed a number he clearly knew by heart. He put the call on speaker, then put the phone back on the desk and leaned back in his chair.

The phone rang a few times before a man answered. “Who is this?”

Lester cleared his throat. “It’s Lester.”

The voice was silent for a moment before snorting. “Why are you calling me? Because you know that Linette is going to say no to whatever you want. I heard about your last call with her. It didn’t go well, huh?”

Lester ignored most of what the man said. “Because I was hoping to find someone who was willing to listen.” Lester glanced at Chance. “I’m here with the alpha of the pack I live with. He wants to talk to one of the leaders of the coven.”

“I’ll listen,” the man said. “At the very least, it’s going to be funny.”

Lester winced.

Charles could already tell this wasn’t going to work and that the man was going along with this because he found it funny, but Chance didn’t seem to care, so who was Charles to say anything about it?

“My name is Chance,” Chance said, taking over. “As Lester explained, I’m the alpha of this pack.”

“Fred. What do you want, bear ?”

The last word was said with disgust and contempt, telling everyone in the room what Fred thought of Chance and the fact that he was a shifter.

Charles wasn’t surprised. The mages hadn’t hesitated to attack the clan, and they’d treated them as if they weren’t even human. Now he knew it was because they believed they weren’t.

“To talk to you.”

Chance’s voice was calm, as if he was talking to an ally, someone he knew could be reasonable. Unfortunately, there was nothing reasonable about the coven.

“I’m listening. What do you have to say to me?”

“We know you’re behind the attack against the dragon clan. I’d like to know why you attacked them and what your plans are. I’m sure we can find a way to solve this without more people needing to die.”

There was a moment of silence, and Charles wondered what Fred was thinking. Maybe he was shocked that Chance dared ask this of him.

“You’re serious,” Fred said.

“Extremely so. Many dragon shifters died because of you. You killed entire families, including children. What you did was horrible, and I’d like an explanation.”

“I’m not about to explain myself to you, shifter. We did what we did for a reason, and that’s all you need to know.”

“Please,” Lester interjected. “The coven doesn’t need to hurt people. You’re powerful enough to take what you want without killing children.”

“What do you know? You left,” Fred snapped. “You have no say in what’s happening, and you need to keep your mouth shut. You’re lucky I answered your call.”

Lester pressed his lips together. He was a little pale, but his expression was set. He probably wanted to tell Fred to fuck off, but he’d leave Chance the opportunity to try to change Fred’s mind first.

Charles smiled at Lester, silently telling him he was on his side, even though Lester already knew that. Still, he smiled back.

“I don’t know what you thought you’d obtain by calling, but you failed,” Fred said. “We will take whatever we want, whenever we want it. We won’t let anyone stop us, dragons or bears. Do you really think you could do anything that would even slow us down?”

“I don’t know,” Chance admitted. “I hoped we could solve this by talking. I thought that maybe if I understood what you were looking for, we could find a compromise that wouldn’t hurt my pack.”

Fred laughed. The sound was harsh and cold. He was laughing at Chance’s attempt to be reasonable. It made him sound like a monster—and he was one.

“You’re worried for your little pack. Well, you’re right to be. You’re next on the list.”

“And nothing I can say will change your mind?”

“You could beg on your knees, and we still wouldn’t stop what we’re doing. We’re taking what belongs to us. We’re using you the way you should be used. Humans use animals all the time, don’t they? Horses, pigs, cows. You’re just the next in line.”

Charles gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to snap at Fred. Lester had warned him and the others that the coven thought shifters were animals, so they’d expected this, but it was still dreadful.

Shifters weren’t animals. Even when they shifted, they had human minds, with their thoughts and memories. Charles never understood why some people believed that shifters were only animals when it was clear they were just as human as everyone else. The mages weren’t less human because they had magic, so why would shifters be? They had similar magic. It just worked in different ways.

“I’m sorry there will be no compromising,” Chance said.

“At the very least, this call was amusing.”

Chance straightened in his chair. He was staring at the phone, and while Fred obviously couldn’t see him, Charles wondered if he could feel that Chance was angry.

It wasn’t only what Fred said but also the way he’d said it. He was scornful and hateful, and his words made Charles’s skin crawl.

“Please,” Lester begged. “These people haven’t done anything to you. They don’t deserve to be hurt just because you want power.”

“Shut it,” Fred snapped. “I’m sure Linette will be interested to learn about this phone call and the fact that you gave my number to a shifter. You chose your side, Lester, and now you’ll have to deal with the consequences of that. I can’t say I’ll be sorry to make you pay. In fact, I look forward to it.”

Mark looked like he wanted to reach through the phone and give Fred a good shake, and Charles couldn’t say he disagreed. It was clear that the man’s contempt wasn’t just for shifters but for anyone who went against what he and his coven wanted. They wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Lester just because he’d chosen the shifters instead of them. They didn’t care that he was on the right side while they clearly weren’t. They hated that they’d lost control over him and that he’d gone to the enemies.

“Lester will be protected,” Chance said. “Unlike you, I care about my people.”

“Continue caring for them. You won’t have to do it for long.”

Thankfully, Chance reached for the phone and tapped the screen, ending the call. It meant they didn’t have to listen to whatever hateful thing Fred had been about to say, but the silence was almost louder.

Charles looked around the room. Everyone had the same expression—angry, worried, and frightened.

* * * *

Red could tell the meeting hadn’t gone well as soon as he saw Charles’s expression. They’d arranged to see each other after the meeting, and Red had been hopeful, but at the same time, he hadn’t expected the phone call to work.

It was clear it hadn’t.

Red wanted to pull Charles into his arms and comfort him, but for a moment, he didn’t do anything. Then he realized that he could do that. He and Charles were being careful with their relationship, but there was no denying one was brewing between them, which meant that Charles probably wouldn’t mind if Red touched him. If he did mind, he’d tell Red that he needed space, and Red would give it to him. But if Charles was okay with being hugged and comforted, Red would give him that. He wanted to help if he could.

He pressed close and wrapped his arms around Charles’s waist. “What happened?”

Charles took in a shuddering breath and hugged Red. They were in front of Chance’s house, where anyone could see them, but Red didn’t care. He had nothing to hide, and he certainly wasn’t planning on hiding his relationship with Charles. It was good that Charles appeared to feel the same way. They still had many things to talk about, but Red didn’t mind taking things slow as long as they could have this.

“It was awful,” Charles said, squeezing Red against him. “I mean, I didn’t expect it to go well, but it was horrible. If that guy was the one Lester thought would more likely listen to us, I understand why he thought it was hopeless.”

“This guy isn’t the only leader, though, right? There might still be someone in the coven we can compromise with.”

“There might. Lester said he knows several people who disagree with what the coven is doing, but they feel they don’t have a choice. We’ll contact them next. He seems more hopeful about those phone calls than he was about the one to this leader.”

“What did the man say?”

“You don’t want to know. He’s evil, though, and I suspect the other coven leaders are, too.”

“You can tell me,” Red whispered. “I heard everything there is to hear when I lived on the streets. People treated us as if we weren’t even human. They barely looked at us, let alone saw us. It was like we were rats or pigeons. We were part of their lives, but the part that didn’t matter.”

Charles kissed Red’s forehead. “You do matter.”

“I know. I never thought I didn’t. Others did.”

“Including the coven. They think of shifters as animals, and they’re willing to hurt us to take what they need from us. Fred said that humans use other animals, too, so he doesn’t see using us as a problem.”

Red wanted to find this guy and punch him in the nose. He didn’t understand how someone could deny that shifters were human. He also didn’t understand how people could think that being human beings who couldn’t shift made them superior to human beings who could. He supposed he couldn’t understand it since he was a shifter. He didn’t want to, either. He just knew people were using this as an excuse, and he hated it.

Charles squeezed Red one last time and let go. Red missed the hug almost right away, but he could get more whenever he wanted. Right now, Charles seemed to have too much energy, and as soon as Red stepped away, Charles started pacing in front of Chance’s house.

Red let him. If Charles needed to rant for a bit, Red would listen to him. He was curious about the phone call, even though it had gone badly. He didn’t think that Charles could give him an explanation for what this guy thought, but that wasn’t what he needed. Bigots didn’t have reasons to feel the way they felt. They used their bigotry as a reason to feel better than others, even though they weren’t.

“What are they planning, then?” Red asked.

“We don’t know. Considering how this guy talked about shifters and how he treated Lester, it won’t be good. If it had been possible, I’m pretty sure Mark would’ve reached through the phone and strangled him. He treated Lester the way he treats shifters, as if all of us are inferior and not worth his time.”

“He thinks magic makes him better.”

Charles nodded. “He does. We’re still not sure what they want and why they need the magic from the dragons they took, but it can’t be good. I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried taking over the world.”

It sounded ridiculous, but Red suspected it wasn’t. Maybe that was why the coven had stayed hidden for all these years. They’d been plotting and getting stronger, and now it was time to put their plans into action. Maybe they wanted to take over the entire region. Maybe they wanted more. Unfortunately, Red and the others would only find out when it was too late.

“Lester was shaken when the phone call ended, but I think it gave him even more reason to fight. Once he gathered his thoughts, more than ever, he seemed ready to take on the coven. He’s going to be honest when he calls these other people. Some will say no because they’re afraid of what the coven will do to them if they help, but I’m sure at least a few will want to try to stop the coven. They have to see this is unsustainable and cruel.”

Red prayed Charles was right, but at the moment, the only mages he trusted were the ones who lived with the pack. He hoped they’d be able to find a way to stop the coven without having to put the pack in danger, but it might be too late for that.

“What did Chance say?” he asked as he took Charles’s hand and pulled him toward the forest. When Charles was like this, the best thing for him was to start walking.

It was still a surprise for Red to realize how much he knew Charles already. He wanted to get to know him even better, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d have the opportunity. It all depended on what happened with the coven. Hopefully some coven members would be reasonable.

But even if they were, what could they do? Could they really find a way to stop the coven from the inside? Red wanted to hope, but at the same time, he didn’t trust the coven or any of the people who still lived with them. They couldn’t afford to wait and see what happened next. They couldn’t trust any of the mages who were still with the coven to be successful or even to want to help. Having someone on the inside would be helpful, but it might not be enough. What would they do then?

“He told Lester the next step was to try to contact these people. Lester and his friends volunteered to do it. Not everyone agrees with the coven leaders that shifters are animals, but they’re still wary because they’ve never had any contact with shifters, so they might not trust Chance. Hopefully, having Lester talk to them will make them see that the time to wait and watch needs to end.”

Red couldn’t imagine this would be easy for anyone. It would be nearly impossible for the mages to go against what they’d been told their entire lives, even more so to work against the people they’d been taught to respect and follow. The coven leaders were supposed to be reasonable people who only wanted the best for the coven. Maybe they did feel that was what they were doing, but wanting the best for their people wasn’t the same as destroying packs and clans to get more power and magic.

Charles stopped walking. There was nothing different about this patch of forest. They were in a small clearing surrounded by trees, and birds sang high above their heads. Sunlight filtered between the leaves, bathing Charles and Red in golden light. Charles closed his eyes and breathed in and out a few times.

Red didn’t want to intrude, so he stayed quiet and watched. He still couldn’t believe this man had chosen him. For some reason, Charles thought Red was the person he needed in his life, and Red desperately wanted it to be true. He wanted to see where this would go, how happy he and Charles would be, and he prayed that the coven wouldn’t ruin all of that.

They had the power to ruin many lives, and it seemed they wouldn’t hesitate to do so. Red couldn’t begin to understand what that would mean, but he suspected that by the end, only the coven or the pack would be standing. This wasn’t something that could be solved by talking like Chance had discovered. This would be solved in blood and pain.

Including Charles’s and Red’s.

* * * *

Charles couldn’t say he felt better once he was in the forest, but having Red with him made it easier to breathe.

When he finally looked down and opened his eyes, he found Red staring at him. He held out a hand, and Red took it without hesitation. He trusted Charles, which was something Charles was still trying to wrap his mind around. He didn’t feel he’d done anything that would cause Red to trust him like this, but he wasn’t going to waste this gift.

Whatever Red wanted from him, he could have it.

Charles pulled Red into his arms. They’d hugged earlier, but that had been for comfort and support. This was different. Charles could feel it as soon as their bodies pressed together.

Goosebumps dotted his skin, and he shivered at the pleasure of having Red in his arms. When Red tilted his head up, Charles leaned down and kissed him, taking control like he had last time.

Red hesitated, but only for a moment. Then he pushed closer and made a pleased sound deep in his throat, telling Charles this was what he wanted. Red had explained why he felt like this, and Charles felt he could give Red what he needed. At the very least, he was going to try.

Thinking about the coven and the phone call made Charles want to scream and cry, so he decided that for now, he was done thinking about them. He didn’t know if Lester would be able to convince some of the mages to come to their side, but whether or not he did, there was nothing Charles could do. Charles could support Lester, but that was it. He’d do that, but he’d also focus on Red because Red deserved it.

There was no way to know how much time they’d have together. Hopefully the coven wasn’t yet ready to take on the pack. If that wasn’t the case and they were already plotting to attack, Charles wanted to make the most out of the time he had with the man in his arms.

The kiss felt like coming home. Charles gentled it after a while, wanting Red to know how cherished he was. Neither of them had talked about what they wanted from this relationship, but Charles didn’t want to play games. He’d already lost too much. He was still grieving the loss of his family, his clan, and his best friend. His heart was bruised and battered, and he suspected it would take more hits before this was over. He needed someone who would take care of it, and he thought that someone might be Red.

“I’m sorry I ranted at you,” he murmured.

Red smiled. “I don’t mind. You needed to talk, and I like knowing what’s going on. I’m sure Theo would tell me if I ask, but he already has enough to worry about.”

“I don’t think talking about what’s happening is going to help, though. Everything is in Lester’s hands right now, and Chance will be the one to make decisions. There’s nothing I can do beyond obeying his orders.”

“Then let’s stop talking about it.”

Charles smiled. “What do you have in mind?”

Red took a step back. Charles wanted to pull him into his arms again, but instead, he watched as Red grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and dragged it up, pulling it over his head and dropping it to the ground.

Charles’s mouth went dry. Red was beautiful. Charles had always wondered why he was called Red, since he didn’t have red hair, but he thought that maybe Red’s body hair was red.

It wasn’t. It was dark, including the trail that led from his belly button down into his jeans. When Red reached for the button there, Charles could only stare.

Red toed off his shoes, then took off his jeans and abandoned them with the rest of his clothes. Once he stood naked, Charles waited to see what would happen next. When Red didn’t move, Charles reached for him, but before he could touch him, Red was gone. In his place was a small animal that Charles hadn’t expected.

To be fair, when Red had started stripping, Charles hadn’t thought it was to shift. He should have, because there was no way their first time would be in the forest where anyone could see them and where they’d be uncomfortable and would find pine needles in places where no pine needle should ever be.

He hadn’t known that Red was an armadillo shifter. He’d never expected to find armadillos cute, but that was the only way he could describe Red. Even the wiry hair on Red’s face was cute. His long snout wiggled as he stared up at Charles.

Charles reached for Red’s back. He’d never touched an armadillo, and he was curious. He didn’t know if he’d offend Red by trying to touch him, but Red didn’t seem to mind when Charles scratched his back, then moved his hand to his head.

Red’s skin was odd, hard but soft, covered in tiny hair. Red wiggled when Mark scratched between his ears, then made a squeaking sound and quickly stepped back. It took Charles a moment to understand what he wanted, and when he did, he smiled.

He took his t-shirt off, throwing it down on the ground to join Red’s clothes. The wound in his side pulled, but it wasn’t painful. It was healing, just like the pack’s healer had promised. What would be harder to heal were the wounds inside of Charles, the ones on his soul and his heart, but he felt like Red would play a big part in that.

Charles would always mourn the people he’d lost, but having found Red helped soothe the pain. If he had a choice, he would never let Red go.

Once he stood naked, he looked around. There wasn’t much space for him to shift, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’d done so in such a small area. Sometimes it felt good to be surrounded closely by trees and nature. It made Charles feel protected, and while it meant he wouldn’t be able to move much, the clearing was big enough that he could take flight if he was careful.

Calling out his dragon, Charles shifted. His skin rippled, and the familiar change washed over him. He was careful as he moved, squeezing himself between the trees as he changed.

He couldn’t fully open his wings, but he stretched out his limbs and his neck, sighing in pleasure. How long had it been since his last shift? He was sure it hadn’t been that long, because that was how he and Red had met, but it had been a while since he’d flown.

He elongated his neck and looked at the sky.

Red squeaked next to him, and Charles looked down, wondering what he wanted.

The armadillo looked even smaller now that Charles was in this form, just like everything else was. Charles waited to see what Red would do, and he wasn’t one bit surprised when Red bumped his head against Charles’s leg. Charles lowered his head, smiling at Red and showing him all his teeth.

Red wasn’t intimidated or scared. He bumped against Charles again, and Charles made a rumbling sound of pleasure.

Red took a step back and peered up at Charles. He seemed to want to explore Charles’s body, so Charles settled down as Red ran around him, bumping into him several times. Every time he did, he squeaked, which was adorable.

When Red reached the front of Charles’s body again and settled between Charles’s paws, Charles gently wrapped one paw around Red’s body. Like this, he was tiny, and he fit perfectly. He didn’t seem to be scared. He looked at Charles with trust in his eyes, humbling him. He hadn’t done anything that would cause Red to trust him like this, but he wanted to. He wanted to be the man Red went to when he needed comfort or someone to talk to. He wanted to be Red’s everything, just like Red was starting to be his everything.

Red made a chirping sound when Charles got to his feet. Charles looked around, deciding this might be worth cutting down some trees. He pushed his body sideways, knocking down a couple of trees, then doing the same on his other side. With Red still in his paw, he jumped, putting as much force into his legs as he could.

He was huge, and this part of the forest was closest to the pack, which meant it wasn’t as dense as it became further on. In turn, that meant it didn’t take much for Charles to get above the trees, especially once he could open his wings and allow the wind to carry him.

Here in the sky, he was free, and he wanted Red to enjoy that freedom. It was the only place where they could have this and where they didn’t have to think about what was happening everywhere else. Up here, only he and Red existed. Charles smiled when Red squeaked again and twisted his head this way and that to look at the world under them.

* * * *

Red had never flown before. He’d never even taken a plane trip, and he’d definitely never dreamed that he’d be in this position.

It was exhilarating. He was held firmly between Charles’s claws, which meant that he could enjoy being so high in the sky and watching pack territory roll under them.

To be honest, he wasn’t really interested in pack territory. He looked at the sky and the trees and let the sun warm his skin. He could hear the heavy beating of Charles’s wings over him and feel the strength of Charles’s paw around his body.

He closed his eyes.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so secure. He knew he was safe in pack territory, but it wasn’t the same. When he was with Charles, nothing bad could happen to him. If anyone tried to hurt him, Charles would eat them.

Possibly.

Red didn’t know how long they flew, but he thoroughly enjoyed his time in the air. He hoped they’d have the opportunity to do it again, but he suspected it would be a while. Everyone was focused on the coven and keeping safe from them, and it wasn’t the best idea to fly around and put a target on themselves.

He held his breath as Charles dropped toward the ground, slowing the beating of his wings. Red had no idea what the dragon needed to do to land, but Charles had been doing this since he was born, so Red had full faith in him.

He was a little jostled when Charles finally landed, probably because Charles had to keep one of his paws in the air so he wouldn’t squash Red.

Red looked around, not at all surprised to see they weren’t in the spot from which they’d taken off. There wasn’t enough space there to land, which meant they’d have to go back to retrieve their clothes. It wouldn’t be a problem for Red because he could easily walk through the forest in his armadillo form, but Charles would probably have to shift back, which meant walking around naked.

Charles’s hold on Red loosened, and Red hopped down. He turned around, squeaking to thank Charles for the flight. Charles’s chest rumbled as he lowered his head. Next to Red’s armadillo, it was massive, and when Charles knocked his snout against Red’s, he almost sent him flying.

Red squeaked in outrage, then bumped his head against Charles’s snout. Charles made a rumbling sound again, and Red realized he was laughing.

Red turned around and led the way into the trees. He wasn’t offended by what Charles had done. In fact, he found it pretty funny. He normally wouldn’t have been comfortable with people beyond his little family teasing him like that, but this was Charles.

Red was comfortable with him in a way he’d never expected to feel with someone who didn’t belong to his family, especially not so quickly. He wasn’t sure what it was about Charles, but he knew when he’d found a precious and rare thing, and that was what had happened. He didn’t want to lose this, and even more, he wanted to see what happened next. What was growing between them? They’d kissed, but they hadn’t talked about it, and maybe it was time to do that.

Red ruminated on this until they reached their clothes. He carefully didn’t look at Charles in case Charles didn’t want to be seen naked. Red quickly shifted back and pulled his t-shirt on. By the time his jeans were on his body, too, Charles was half-dressed. His t-shirt was in his hand, but his jeans were on, which was no doubt more comfortable than hanging around naked.

“That was incredible,” Red said.

Charles grinned at him. He looked younger and more relaxed, and while Red knew it wouldn’t last forever, he was glad he’d been able to give this to him.

“We’ll have to do that again,” Charles offered.

“I’ll be happy to. I’d never flown before, and I can’t imagine a better first experience.”

“I’ll give you as many new experiences as you want.”

Red shoved his feet into his shoes and went to stand in front of Charles, who’d finished dressing. He stared at him for a moment, wondering where he could find the words to say what he wanted.

“What is it?” Charles asked. He leaned forward and gently touched Red’s chin very lightly, as if he was afraid to break Red, but Charles would never do that. Knowing that gave Red the courage to lean forward and kiss him.

Charles made a surprised sound, but he kissed Red back instantly, telling him it was welcome. He wrapped his arms around Red’s waist and hauled him close as if he didn’t want to let go.

That was fine because Red didn’t want him to. “You should come to my house,” Red said when they finally had to separate to breathe.

Charles’s eyes were wide, and he was panting. “What?”

Knowing he’d been the one to reduce Charles to this made Red feel smug. “My house. I doubt there’ll be anyone there right now, and I don’t want to give Theo and the others who live at your place a show.”

“A show?”

Charles really wasn’t all here, but that was okay. Red could take charge for a bit.

He took Charles’s hand and dragged him toward home. Thankfully, Charles seemed to realize what was happening, and as soon as they were out of the forest, he started dragging Red forward. It made Red laugh. It had been a long time since he’d felt this carefree and light, and he owed it all to Charles. He never wanted it to stop, and while he knew it would eventually, as long as he was with Charles, he’d get it back.

Charles slowed down once they reached the house, letting Red take the lead. The door wasn’t locked—it never was since they were in pack territory—and when Red called out, no one answered. Someone might come back eventually, but for now, he and Charles had the house to themselves.

Red dragged Charles to his room. He didn’t want anyone to walk in on them if someone came home. What was growing between him and Charles felt precious and like it should be kept to themselves. Red wouldn’t hesitate to tell everyone who wanted to know that he and Charles were together, but that didn’t mean he wanted people to see Charles’s naked body.

As long as Charles was okay with it, his body was only Red’s to see.

They burst into Red’s bedroom. Red kicked back to close the door, wincing when it slammed shut but not caring one bit. He was already taking off his t-shirt, but it got hooked around his head, and by the time he managed to fight it off, it was to find that Charles had taken off his shoes and t-shirt and unzipped his jeans. He hadn’t pushed them down yet, but the sight made Red’s mouth water.

That was all his, at least for now. To Charles, it might not mean anything more than sex, but that wasn’t how Red felt. He just wasn’t sure that spewing feelings all over this would be of any help.

“Come here,” Charles said as he pulled Red into his arms.

It was more gentle than Red had expected, but he allowed Charles to set the pace. Charles made him feel cared for, which was something Red had been missing for a long time.

“What do you want?” Charles asked as he guided Red toward the bed.

“Anything. Everything. You.”

Charles chuckled. “That’s not very specific.”

“You can’t expect me to have rational thoughts right now.”

That made Charles’s smile widen. Red’s chest warmed at the thought that he made Charles happy.

“How about this,” Charles said as he pushed Red onto the bed. “I want us to date. I don’t want you to do this with anyone else. I don’t know what will happen with the coven or the pack, but I won’t let the fear that we might not be here in a few weeks or months take this away from me. I deserve to be happy and to have someone in my life after everyone I lost, and I want that someone to be you.”

“Yes,” Red whispered as Charles grabbed his jeans and pushed them down. Red raised his hips to allow Charles to pull them off his body. He never wore underwear—it was a bother when he had to shift—so he ended up stretched out naked on the bed, with Charles standing above him, watching him. It made him want to squirm and hide under the blankets, but he forced himself to stay where he was.

“Beautiful,” Charles whispered as he ran a hand up Red’s calf.

“You know what would be even more beautiful?” Red asked.

“I think I can take a guess.”

“Yeah? Then why don’t you get naked and join me?”

“I thought you wanted me to be in charge.”

“I’m fine with whatever, as long as you actually do something.”

Charles’s grin made Red want to jump him. The only reason he didn’t was that Charles finally reached for his jeans to push them down, revealing his body.

It wasn’t the first time Red had seen him naked. In fact, he’d gotten a peek at his body just a few moments earlier after they’d shifted. That was different, though. Here, he knew something that wasn’t shifting was about to happen, and the anticipation was killing him.

He opened his arms, and Charles crawled between them. Red went to hug him, but Charles caught his arms and pushed them up, pressing his wrists into the pillow. Red stared at him with wide eyes.

Charles only smirked. “Am I in charge?”

Red nodded quickly. “Whatever you want.”

“And whatever you want. We both need to be into this.”

Red hooked his legs around Charles’s thighs and tried to pull him closer. “I’m very much into this, in case you couldn’t tell by the way my cock is waving at you.”

Charles laughed. “I wouldn’t call it waving.”

“What, do you want me to stick a tiny hand on its head like the one they use in those videos on social media so it can wave? Because I’ll do it if it means you’ll finally move.”

Luckily, Charles didn’t seem to mind that Red was being mouthy, even though Charles was the one supposed to be in charge. He leaned down to kiss Red, and Red gave himself over. Whatever Charles wanted to do to him, he was up for it.

“You know, I would never have imagined you were like this when I first met you,” Charles said as he kissed down Red’s chest. He was still holding Red’s wrists, but he’d gathered them with one hand. “You seemed almost timid.”

“Because I didn’t know you. I didn’t know if you were going to hurt me.”

“And now you know?”

“I’m sure you won’t. I’m comfortable with you.”

Charles’s smile was almost enough to stop Red’s heart. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to keep your heart intact.”

That was enough for Red. He tried pushing up to kiss Charles, but Charles pressed him down so he couldn’t move. He attempted to use his legs instead, and Charles fell on top of him, laughing.

The thought of who was in control went out the window when their cocks touched. Charles moaned, and Red locked his legs around him, not wanting him to go anywhere. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d said he wanted anything or everything as long as it was with Charles. He couldn’t care less what they were up to in bed as long as they were doing it together.

Charles pushed forward, making their dicks slide against each other between their stomachs. Red groaned, needing more friction. Charles hadn’t said anything about Red using his legs, and Red took advantage of that. He used his hold on Charles’s body to thrust up, pushing their bodies together until they felt like they were one.

There were no more conversations about who was in charge and who wanted what. Charles and Red were lost in each other’s bodies, aiming for a release that Red felt was crawling under his skin. It was right there, just a little farther, and he needed it.

Charles shuddered, and Red felt a warm stickiness slick up their bodies. He blinked, surprised that Charles had already come, but he didn’t have time to say anything. Charles kissed him hard, then pushed away from him, finally letting him go. For one second, Red thought Charles was already done with him and that he would leave him there.

He should have known better.

Charles crawled down Red’s body and swallowed his cock. Red made a keening sound he hadn’t been aware he could make, and since his hands were free, he buried them in Charles’s hair. He stopped himself before doing something stupid like forcing Charles’s head down, but thankfully, Charles seemed to want the same thing as Red.

He sucked harder on Red’s cock, and when Red pushed upward with his hips, he felt Charles’s fingers creep under him. Something brushed against his hole, and Red cried out, coming into Charles’s mouth.

Okay, he could understand how Charles had come so quickly now.

He flopped back onto the mattress, his entire body relaxing. He was panting, and he was sure his whole body was flushed. He couldn’t move, and he was glad when Charles settled next to him. Charles pressed his cheek against Red’s shoulder and buried his nose against Red’s neck, inhaling deeply. He wrapped an arm around Red’s waist and hooked his leg over one of Red’s as if he was afraid that Red would run.

Red couldn’t even think about it.

There was a gentle tug on Red’s pubic hair. He blinked down at Charles, wondering what it meant.

“You know, I thought you’d gotten your name because of your hair. Since I couldn’t see any hint of red hair on your head, I thought that maybe it would be here,” Charles said.

Red groaned. “That’s not why I use this name. I’m not a redhead.”

“I noticed. Why Red, then?”

“I was named after my grandfather. He doesn’t mind his name, but I hate it.”

“Why? What name is it?”

“Rodney. I would have shortened it, but there’s no way I’d allow anyone to call me Rod, so Red it was.”

There was a moment of silence before Charles laughed. His shoulders shook as he wrapped himself harder around Red. “I don’t know. Maybe I could call you Rod when we’re alone.”

“Don’t you dare,” Red threatened, but deep inside, he was pretty sure that he’d let Charles call him whatever he wanted.