Where Foxes Hunt with Wolves - K.A. Merikan Page 0,50

upstairs, back to the bedroom where this pathetic scene had started. His heartbeat was strong, so its rhythm was affecting Radek, calming him as his own pulse craved to sync with Yev's.

He lay down and placed Radek next to him, scooping him close with one arm and covering him with the other. There was some relief to at least knowing Yev wasn’t angry, but even now, cuddling up to him, Radek couldn’t have felt more alone. No one would ever understand what he was going through. He was lucky that Yev knew of witchcraft, but other than that? He’d always have to keep this secret. He could never again be honest with anyone.

He whimpered softly as Yev pulled the comforter over them and continued the soothing stroking of Radek’s back.

Chapter 11 – Yev

Yev couldn’t fall asleep. Some of it might have been due to the upcoming full moon, but as he lay in bed with the soft furball stretched against his chest and small, black paws curled against his abs, his thoughts kept wandering. The attachment he’d developed to Ember wouldn’t go away just because he turned out to be the snotty—and painfully attractive—brat Yev had met twice. So he was angry over being lied to, but the fact that Ember had deceived him out of fear what Yev might do bothered him even more.

What was it that Ember had expected him to do? Have the vet put him to sleep as punishment for owning a fur farm? Locked him up in a cage? Thrown him to the neighborhood wolf pack? After all this time, did he really have a reason to believe Yev to be that kind of monster?

But as Ember’s breathing evened out and his cute, slender body relaxed, Yev too was slowly lulled to sleep by the familiar scent of fur and musk that he didn’t mind at all.

He woke to cool light in his face, but he’d been up until later than usual, and sleep wouldn’t let go of him so easily. Reality was intent on breaking into his safe cocoon however, reminding him that Ember hadn’t smelled like washed hair, and his legs weren’t long enough to entwine with Yev’s.

Heat shot to his head, and he refused to open his eyes, eager to live in the bubble where he stayed in the lodge with his pet fox, and where nobody could accuse him of breaking the rules. But then, Radek let out a very human sigh, and his fingers rubbed Yev’s pec, and there was no lying to himself anymore.

He was in bed with a man he knew and whose company he enjoyed.

Yev opened his eyes wide, breathless at the sight of milky skin and freckles scattered across the angular cheeks, long neck, and well-formed shoulders like pieces of candied fruit floating on top of cream. Radek’s long hair shone like polished copper reflecting fire where it lay in shiny waves, smelling of lusty promises.

And of him.

Radek carried his scent, as if they were lovers, and this would continue if they kept touching like this and sleeping in the same bed. But not longer than that. They wouldn’t carry each other’s scent as if they were true mates.

Mom and Dad were recognizable as a couple, just like Burian and his wife. Their scents had become complementary when they got together for good, but Yev would never have that.

He could physically never have that with another man, because the Moon-Eyed God only connected women and men this way.

For now though, Ember was here with him, and the longer Yev looked at him, the stronger grew the need to lean closer and taste the full yet pale lips, regardless of Radek's transgressions. He didn’t know whether the loss of articulate speech had allowed Radek to express his true personality, or if a fox simply couldn’t be as rotten as a human, but the new form changed nothing in the bond Yev had with him.

He could no longer think of Radek as someone other than his Ember. The boy didn’t even smell of any cologne humans used, and instead carried a faint scent of his fox form. But here he was—naked, freckled, lovely, and all Yev could think of was that moment Radek had asked Yev, “Where do you want me?”

There were so many more layers to why Yev couldn’t have him. He’d been supposed to get rid of Radek because he’d seen too much, to push him away because Yev was supposed to give up men, but