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Ashwood kissed his cheek. “Wherever our hearts lead us.”
Chapter 27
Once they shifted and left the area, they took their time, but used caution as well, in case they came across anyone suspicious.
They explored the countryside, stopping at streams for refreshment or in a clearing for sustenance, hunting together. Bellamy didn’t have the skill yet, but Ashwood was patient and taught him how to prowl and sneak up on unsuspecting creatures. His human form might’ve recoiled at such an idea, but the wolf knew it was part of his nature and necessary to survival.
They had no earthly possessions, not even a stitch of clothing, and there was freedom in that as well. Whereas before he’d been desperate to belong and feel tethered to something, now it was as if he belonged to the earth and the sky—and, of course, to Ashwood, who’d never truly left him, at least in spirit.
The sun set, the shade from the trees cooling them, and as the full moon rose in the night sky, they shifted to their human forms to kiss and touch and fuck. First leisurely and soft in a clearing, and then later on the forest floor, Bellamy pushing into Ashwood’s body and biting his throat at the same time, claiming him.
“Right there, Bell,” Ashwood hissed. “Take me, own me.”
That was exactly what he did, fucking into him like the animal he was, spending his seed deeply inside him and then pushing his fingers into his hole to feel how they were part of each other in body and mind.
The third time they shifted into humans, it was nearly dawn, and they had only a general sense of the direction they headed. They found a cool stream to wash the dirt from their bodies and swim for a spell. Afterward, Ashwood pinned him against a tree, Bellamy facing away from him, then sank down to the forest floor and spread his cheeks wide open.
“Mine,” he said, licking and kissing his hole. Reverently at first, then ferociously, growling as he did so, and Bellamy loved it.
“More,” Bellamy cried out when Ash poked his tongue inside him. “Deeper.”
He tormented Bellamy by circling and thrusting his tongue inside, kissing and laving the rim. It was filthy and sensual and adoring. It patched up Bellamy’s heart, made him feel whole, and he’d beg and plead for eternity as long as Ash kept doing it.
Deciding Bellamy had enough, Ashwood spit into his crease to smooth the way, then stood and fucked into him. It was powerful and brutish, Bellamy’s palms scraping against the rough bark of the tree. He cried out and spent, surprising himself, merely from the tenor of his lover’s voice. Ash belonged to him, and Bellamy would devote his life to showing him how much.
Afterward, they napped near the stream for a couple of hours, completely sated. Lunar’s Reach and Moon Flower felt far away from his thoughts. He knew he’d see his friends again, but for now, he was the most content he’d ever been.
Once they roused, they shifted and ran some more, eventually coming upon a quaint village and smiling at each other when they saw the sign.
Solar’s Edge.
The twins had described where Galen and Azriel lived as a cozy home on a hillside, surrounded by lavender fields. They’d also told them the story of a Mr. Blackburn and his beloved’s tragic endings. As the sun rose on the horizon, Ashwood pointed out two grave markings a stone’s throw away from a charming cottage.
“Do you suppose this is the place?” Ashwood asked.
“Perhaps. Let’s wait a spell and see.”
They plucked ripe apples from a tree and stayed hidden behind a crop of bushes, enjoying the delicious fruit.
Bellamy stiffened when the door to the cottage opened, but out walked Azriel and Galen, hand in hand. Galen was carrying a basket, which he handed to Azriel before delivering a lingering kiss. Perhaps Azriel was on his way to the apothecary, where he apparently worked with a Mr. Browning.
“Are those your friends?” Ashwood whispered, and Bellamy nodded.
Bubbling with excitement, he stood to reveal himself. “Don’t intend to startle you,” he said, reaching for Ashwood’s hand to help him up and making sure they remained at least partly hidden by the bushes. “Seems we have the right place.”
“Bellamy?” Galen blinked, and Azriel gasped, looking between them.
Galen took several steps toward them before Bellamy held up his hand. “Better keep your distance. We’re without clothing.”
Galen’s eyebrows lifted to his hairline. “I assume this is for good reason?”
“Indeed.” Though Bellamy wasn’t sure what excuse they would use. They hadn’t thought that part through yet. Honestly, they hadn’t known if they’d even find the village, only setting their sights on settling somewhere comfortable and safe.
“Would this be Ashwood, by chance?” Azriel asked in a cool voice, reminding Bellamy that the two of them knew very little of Ashwood, only that Bellamy had been avoiding him for some time.
