Things That Go Hump In The Night (47 page)

Ezra

The road was jagged and empty as it snaked its way through the mountains. Beneath me, my bike rumbled and roared, tilting ever-so-slightly as I eased around the deadly curves. I was traveling a good twenty miles per hour over what the state had designated as “safe”, and each curve brought me a little bit closer to the fiery crash that a typical, boring human would have experienced. Fortunately for me, my inner tiger’s instincts were far more evolved than the hairless apes who had long-since overpopulated the planet.

I grinned against the wind, letting my helmetless-hair blow in the wind behind me as I sped toward my destination. Or, rather, my lack of destination. For the better part of my life, I’d been on my own. Going where I wanted, when I wanted. No strings attached.

It was, for lack of a better phrase,
the life
.

I made my way from town to town, city to city, state to state, country to country, as I pleased. If there was one that my tiger appreciated more than danger, it was freedom. And I had all the freedom in the world.

In fact, I made a point of owning no more than I could carry. Everything else was just material and either exchangeable or easily discarded. I’d picked up the bike in the last town, having won it in a poker match with some thug at a biker club. He’d been a little less than thrilled with me winning, but I’d put the fear of God in him and his biker friends with one glance from my inner predator. I had to admit, though, I liked the bike.

I liked the raw, unbridled power that the machine possessed. I liked the freeing mode of transportation it provided. And I liked the dull but constant hum against my cock.

I continued down the winding road, barely focusing on my surroundings as the sun sank beneath the mountain ridge behind me. It wouldn’t be long now, and I’d be in another city. I’d find somewhere to sleep through the night, then get back on the move. That was the plan anyway. And, hey, maybe I’d even find a good lay while I was in town.

I smirked at that. The last guy I’d fucked had been some closeted college kid, looking for a night of final expression. My tiger had given him that, and then some. In fact, the kid had even tried getting me to stay in town. He’d even given me his phone number, which I’d left lying on the dresser in the hotel room. The meaningless sex was one of the better perks of having zero attachments. I could go where I wanted, do what I pleased, then pick up and move on. No complicated relationships, no whiny or obnoxious significant others. There was literally
nothing
to tie me down.

Catching sight of the city in the distance, I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into the bike, willing it faster. As much as I liked the bike, it did grow tiring after a while. That, and I seriously needed to take a piss.

As I rolled into the city, the sudden bombardment of lights and sounds contrasted sharply against the silent mountain road. It was a Friday night, so clubs were starting to fill up and the streets were full of college kids and partying adults looking for a good time. There were more than a few decent looking prospects roaming around as I rolled by, and I flashed each of them my signature smirk. Even the women, who I had zero interest in, stopped what they were doing to gaze my way as I coasted down the busy downtown streets. And, really, who could blame them?

Finally, I found a hotel near downtown with a “vacancy” light on in the window. I pulled into the parking lot, parked the bike, and retrieved my possessions from the saddlebags. I shouldered my backpack, adjusting it to relieve some stress from where it’d been sitting during the trip, and made for the hotel’s entrance.

The guy at the front desk was small in stature, thin and wiry, and with an air of femininity about him. He was cute, with his long jet black hair combed to one side. I could tell by the way his eyes shot open and he bit his lip that he was into me the moment I walked in the door. Unfortunately, the guy was a little too small for my taste. I’d probably break him.

“Need a room,” I said as I approached the front desk. I leaned against it, propping my elbow up and looking back out the window toward the city lights.

“By yourself?” The guy stammered, his breath speeding up. I could feel his pulse rising and my tiger could sense the increase in his body temperature. Clearly, the man was smitten.

“For a while,” I shot back, turning to look at the guy for the first time and flashing him my roguish grin.

“Oh, well,” he stammered, forcing his eyes down to his computer. He was shaking by this point, fumbling with the keyboard as he took down my information. “Okay. So, I have a room for one, for Ezra Tier.”

I nodded at him, “Sounds good.”

“When will you be checking out, sir?” the man said, his breath growing more and more rapid the longer I stood there.

“I’ll let you know,” I offered, winking at him.

The man’s jaw dropped slightly and he licked his lips. Then, recovering, he grabbed a keycard from under the desk, slid it through a slot on the keyboard, and handed it to me. “Enjoy your stay, Mr. Tier.”

I waved him off, “Ezra is fine. Mr. Tier was my father.”

Then, without another word, I made for the nearest elevator, feeling the gaze of the front desk attendant’s eyes on my ass the entire time.

***

I climbed out of the shower, towel in hand, and dried myself off. In the mirror, I watched as I moved the coarse hotel towel over my muscular frame. My tattoos stretched from my forearms and up to my chest, where yet another tattoo covered my hard pectorals. My rippled abs led perfectly to a well-defined Adonis belt, with a “V” that pointed to - in my opinion - the most impressive part of my body. Even without an erection, my cock was a sight to behold.

Yeah,
I thought to myself with a smirk.
Definitely would’ve broken the guy
.

I finished drying off and stepped back into the bedroom. I’d thrown my clothes into the room’s tiny washing machine in hopes of freshening them up, so I went to my bag instead to retrieve my extra pair. I dressed myself in a pair of silk boxer briefs, a pair of worn-out denim jeans, and a black tank top that clung tightly to my muscular frame. Throwing on a pair of socks, I stepped into my worn-down hiking boots and laced them up. I then retrieved my wallet, the room’s card-key, and the key to my motorcycle and shoved them into my pockets. Ruffling up my sandy-blond hair with my hands, I glanced in a nearby mirror.

“Works,” I told myself, then made for the door.

Both nearby elevators were already in use, so I dismissed them in favor of a nearby stairwell. Working my way down the stairs, I hummed to myself, bobbing my head from side to side in time with the music playing in my head. One thing about being alone most the time, you learned how to keep yourself entertained. Humming to myself was just one of the ways I managed that.

I finally reached the bottom of the stairwell and was happily surprised to find that it exited to the exterior of the hotel, spilling out in an alleyway adjacent to the parking lot where I’d abandoned my bike. I strolled out of the alleyway and onto the sidewalk that ran parallel to the street. Judging by the lights and sounds from downtown, the weekend festivities were just getting started.

I made my way to my bike and hopped on, revved it up, and pulled back onto the street. I coasted into downtown with a smolder plastered on my face. The steady beat of the club music spilled out onto the streets and I hummed in time with it, doing my best to compete with the hum of the machine between my legs.

After a few minutes, I pulled into a parking spot on the side of the street near bar named
Dash’n Trash
. Judging by the patrons filing in and out of the building’s front door, it was
exactly
the kind of place I was looking for. I attracted the eyes of more than a few men as I strolled up to the door and I did my best to ensure each of those sets of eyes that yes, I had noticed.

And that, yes, one lucky contestant would be getting the fuck of his life.

Matthew

I packed my bag as quickly as I could, stuffing clothing, cash, and a few valuables into the pockets until I had to force the zipper closed. I’d had it. I was done. I wasn’t going to take any more.

As much as my father wanted me to, I wasn’t just going to roll over and go along with the prearranged mating. It wasn’t my idea, my plan, or my desire. No, I wanted to get away. I wanted to get as far from Black Canyon as possible, and I wanted to do it now.

When I’d finished stuffing my bag, I grabbed an extra pair of cargo shorts, slid off the still-damp pair I had on, and slipped them over my bare flesh. If I had to shift, my clothing would be shredded anyway, so there was no sense in throwing on a pair of perfectly good boxer briefs just to have them ruined. I did retrieve a striped polo shirt from one of my drawers and pulled it on over my head, the fabric clinging tightly against my broad and muscular chest. I slipped on a pair of sandals, checked my reflection once in the mirror, and then made for the door.

I did my best to stalk through the house without being noticed, my bag slung over one shoulder and my car keys in hand. With any luck, I could get away unnoticed.

Luck, however, tended to not favor me.

As I stepped into the garage, I was greeted by a pair of bright, golden eyes that rose to just under my nose. The man behind the eyes was handsome in a way, with sharp and defined features that complemented his large and muscular frame. “Where are you off to, Matt?” my younger brother asked, one eyebrow arched as he stood in the doorway.

“Nowhere,” I told him, trying to will myself between him and the door frame. “Step aside, Mark.”

Mark put a hand on my chest, stopping me dead in my tracks. He may have been younger than me, but he had more of an alpha personality than I ever would. Even at a few inches shorter than me, he was still an imposing figure, and I had no doubt that, if he wanted to, he could take me in a fight. The guy was a born and bred dominant and if not for his birth order, he’d have made a wonderful figurehead for the Bruner clan. Unfortunately, Fate must have been drunk when dictating our birth order.

“Doesn’t look like you’re going nowhere,” Mark said, nodding toward the bag hanging over my shoulder.

I swatted his hand away from my chest, rose up to my full height, and glared directly into his eyes. “I said
move
.”

For a brief moment, my bear clashed with Mark’s. At that moment, I felt Mark’s bear reluctantly relent. Not because he was weaker than I was - not by a long shot - but because Mark and his bear did value the hierarchy, and they both knew that I was a few slots above them in the pecking order.

Dipping his head in a show of respect, Mark stepped to the side, letting me slip past him and into the spacious garage. I grunted a thanks in his direction, then strolled over to the metallic blue Mustang parked in the corner. I opened the passenger door and tossed my bag in the seat then started toward the driver’s side of the vehicle.

“He’ll find you, you know,” Mark called out from the doorway. “It doesn’t matter where you go.”

“We’ll see,” I told him, staring across the garage at my younger brother. This was for the best. I’d leave, he’d become alpha, and my father would finally have the heir he really wanted. Everyone would be happy. Everyone would win. “Goodbye, brother.”

“Don’t do this, Matt,” Mark said, panic starting to lace his voice. “Please.”

I shook my head at him then, without responding, climbed inside the Mustang and keyed the ignition, flipping the switch on the automatic garage door opener as I did. I threw the car into gear, revved the engine, and pulled out of the garage. I was halfway out of town before the regret set in.

***

The road snaked its way through the mountains as I drove east toward the nearest city. With any luck, I’d be there before midnight and be able to find a place to crash for the night. I’d get some shuteye, wake up, evaluate my situation, then decide on where to go from there. In the meantime, it felt nice to finally be free.

While part of me hurt
deeply
at having abandoned my ancestral home, my family, my
mother
without so much as a goodbye, the largest part of me only felt cause for celebration. For the first time in my life, I was
free
. Free to be who I was, to do what I wanted. No more arranged mating, no more preparing to lead the Bruner clan. I was free to be me. What that meant, I had no idea. But I could figure that out tomorrow.

The city lights came into view as I rounded one final mountain pass. It had been years since the last time I was in the city, and even then it was only for half an hour while my father conducted business. Bears tend to be secluded creatures, and we rarely go out of our way to socialize with non-bears. Humans, especially, can be troubling. Even though shifters had long-since been outed and (for the most part) accepted within the populace as a whole, a lot of humans still held dangerous thoughts and dark suspicions about us. For bears, it was better to just leave them alone in hopes that they’d do the same. It’s why we holed up in bear colonies in some of the most secluded places in the world. Black Canyon was just one of many bear colonies, after all.

The sights and sounds of the city were a far cry from my mountain home, and I found myself immediately appreciating the beauty of it all. Just the architecture alone was enough to give me pause, and I slowed the Mustang down to coasting speed as I made my way through the near-empty streets just to appreciate it. I rolled my window down, letting the sounds of weekend parties and booming clubs fill my ears.

Being there, in the heart of a throbbing, living, pulsing city was a breath of fresh air. For a brief moment, I almost considered spending the weekend there, but the reality that my father would be hot on my trail once he realized I was gone (I’d convinced myself that Mark would keep quiet as long as he could) reminded me that I could stay a night, at most, before getting as far away as possible. Even still, the thought of joining the crowds as they moved from one bar to the next was enticing. I’d almost convinced myself to grab a beer or three but knew that I needed to stay as far out of sight as possible.

With a reluctant sigh, I pulled off down an empty street and worked my way up and down the city streets until I found a hotel with a sign signaling vacancy in the window. I pulled into the near-empty parking lot, killed the ignition, grabbed my bag, and climbed out of the Mustang, locking it behind me as I did.

I headed straight for the hotel’s front entrance and made my way through a pair of automatic sliding doors. Once inside, I was greeted by a pleasant looking young man with long black hair that was combed over to one side.

“How may I help you?” the man - his employee tag read Chris -asked.

“I need a room for the night,” I told him, offering my best smile.

“No problem. I’ll just need to see an ID and a credit card,” Chris replied, matching my smile. The man was cute, I had to give him that, but small. My bear perked up when he spoke, but I dismissed it. As cute as he was, he was a bit too small for my taste. I tended to like men who, like me, were a bit more on the muscular side. As huge as I was, anything less would be awkward. And besides, it was obvious that he was human, and even if I had abandoned my clan, sex with non-bears, much less
humans
was considered taboo. There are some lines you just don’t cross.

“Right,” I told him finally, fetching my wallet from my bag and digging out my ID and credit card. I handed them over to Chris and waited patiently while he prodded at the computer for a few minutes. Finally, after what felt like ages, he returned the cards to me and grabbed a keycard from under the desk, activated it, and handed it my way as well. “Appreciate it,” I told him.

“No sweat,” Chris called out as I walked away. “Enjoy your stay!”

I threw up a hand and waved over my shoulder at Chris as I neared the closest elevator. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long for the doors to open and I stepped inside and keyed in my destination. The elevator was an older model, and it made an awful creaking sound as the doors started to close.

“Wait! Hold that!” A voice called out and I stuck an arm out to stop the doors from closing all the way.

The doors reopened to reveal a pair of men racing toward the elevator, hands locked together as the larger of the two men seemed to drag the other impatiently across the floor. I stepped to the side, letting the men enter. “What floor?” I asked, turning to the keypad.

“Same as you,” the larger man said, his voice thick and sultry, each syllable threatening to melt my clothes off my body.

Holy shit.

By the time I turned back from the keypad in order to actually take a good look at the man, he was already tongue-deep in the smaller guy’s mouth. The two lovers were at it hot and heavy, their hands moving liberally over each other’s body’s. The scene itself was incredibly erotic, and I felt my cock bulge against my shorts as I stood there, awkwardly watching it take place. The larger man, in particular, was especially interesting. He was tattooed from forearm to chest, and I could just make out the continuation of the tattoo beneath his black tank top as he and his partner shifted around. The man was incredibly muscular, almost as much as I was, and only an inch or so shorter than me. He had tousled sandy-blond hair that my bear begged for me to reach out and run my hands through. I salivated at the thought, and at the thought of being the man he was currently locking tongues with.

More than that, though, there was something distinctly exotic about the man. He had a scent about him that I couldn’t place, and I had to force myself to keep from sniffing the air around him.

The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival at our floor, and the two men separated as the door opened. The other man, a smaller, but still fit-looking college-aged kid, caught my eyes and glared at me.

“Got a problem with queers?” the college kid spat at me. “Fucking perve.” Then he darted out the elevator, turning back only to extend a hand toward the larger man.

For the first time since he’d entered the elevator, the larger, tattooed man looked directly at me. The moment our eyes met mine, my cock sprung up in my shorts, threatening the fabric that held it down. His jaw quivered a bit as he looked at me, a sense of longing in his eyes. Then, as quickly as it had come, the look vanished and he returned his gaze to the college kid.

“That way,” he pointed own the hallway, directing the kid toward their room. His voice felt like silk on my ears. Then he was gone, chasing some barely-legal twink in the opposite direction from my own room.

When they vanished around the corner, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and stepped out of the elevator. My heart was pounding in my chest and my bear was roaring in defiance, urging me to go after the man. To track him down. To drag him back to
my
room.

I shook my head, doing my best to clear my thoughts of impressively bodied man. No good would come from letting my thoughts linger on him. I needed to get to my room and get some sleep.

Tomorrow was a brand new day, and I needed to be ready to embrace the bright new world that awaited me.