man's amber eyes found his. "You are
mine."
Butch shook his head. "No."
"Butch, don't talk to him!" Charlie sounded
terrified.
Another growl came from Roman.
Butch knew his engaging this strange 'thing'
was angering Roman to the point of bringing on a change. Butch
turned his back on the mirror and crawled onto the bed, embracing
both of his friends. Even with his mortal senses, Butch could feel
Roman decompress at his reassurance.
Charlie let out a loud exhale of relief and
they held onto each other tightly.
Butch took a quick peek in the mirror and the
image was gone. He closed his eyes and held onto the two men. "I
gotcha. I won't let nothin' hurt you."
He felt Charlie's grateful kiss on his cheek,
and when Butch opened his eyes, he was given Roman's fabulous
smile, dimples and all.
"I'll fight for you," Roman said. "He can't
take you from me."
"All right," Charlie replied, "Let's all calm
down. He feeds on the anger."
Butch rested on the bed beside Roman and kept
touching both men. "Thank you. I mean that."
Roman kissed his hair and the three of them
stayed still and calm, recovering from the incident.
Butch wondered if being bit, changing into
whatever it was the other men were, would be like becoming
super-human. It was food for thought.
At twenty-one, Butch hadn't accomplished
much, felt extremely ordinary, and sometimes even self-conscious
and insecure. With the potency of what that man in the mirror
contained, he wouldn't be Butch Crowell, cowboy ranch hand. He'd be
something special.
He glanced at the two men in bed with him,
and realized they were kissing. It made Butch feel like an
outsider. He relaxed on the pillow and watched.
Chapter 9
Roman looked down over the snow-covered
trees, soaring in the crisp blue sky, his black wings spread out,
feathers open like fingers reaching for a prize.
He surveyed the land under him; the Deer
Creek reservoir, the Wasatch Mountains, and a ranch with several
out buildings. A man wearing a cowboy hat was riding a trail, the
big brown horse under him at least sixteen hands high. Roman
circled, eyeing the man, seeing he was headed to a dead deer
carcass near a wire fence that had been cut. Behind the man was
another rider, a younger man, riding a pinto horse, both making
their way up the trail.
Roman perched on a fence post as the two men
stopped to investigate the dead animal. A rambunctious Jack Russell
was also with them, sniffing, barking, hyperactive…
Roman shifted on the fence post, his long
black talons moving as he folded his wings. He met the handsome
cowboy's blue eyes…
The second man called the first by name.
Charlie.
Charlie…I've been watching you, Charlie
Mosby .
The sound of a shotgun blast woke Roman out
of his dream. He sat up and huffed for breath.
Beside him, two men, stirred, waking from his
movements on the bed.
"Roman?" Charlie narrowed his eyes in the
morning light that filtered in from the window.
The noise of a truck engine making its way up
their driveway caused them all to become alert. Butch leaned up on
his elbows and checked the time. "Christ. It's eight." He climbed
out of bed and left the room.
Roman rubbed his face and jaw tiredly,
feeling his beard growth and the stubble of its bristles.
"I can't believe we slept so long." Charlie
tossed off the blankets and headed to the bathroom, closing the
door.
Roman caught sight of both Charlie's and
Butch's morning erections, and peeked down at the sheet. The
nightmare had taken his away, if he had one.
But it wasn't a nightmare. It was more of a
recollection of the first time Charlie spotted Roman. Roman was a
large black crow. Yes. A bird.
He could hear Butch greeting the men outside,
yelling, "We got up late! Thanks for comin' so early, boys!"
Roman crawled out of the bed, slowly, feeling
achy and worn out. His dreams felt more like work than restful
slumber.
He sat up, rubbing his hair, hearing the
shower starting in the bathroom. Letting Charlie get ready
mine."
Butch shook his head. "No."
"Butch, don't talk to him!" Charlie sounded
terrified.
Another growl came from Roman.
Butch knew his engaging this strange 'thing'
was angering Roman to the point of bringing on a change. Butch
turned his back on the mirror and crawled onto the bed, embracing
both of his friends. Even with his mortal senses, Butch could feel
Roman decompress at his reassurance.
Charlie let out a loud exhale of relief and
they held onto each other tightly.
Butch took a quick peek in the mirror and the
image was gone. He closed his eyes and held onto the two men. "I
gotcha. I won't let nothin' hurt you."
He felt Charlie's grateful kiss on his cheek,
and when Butch opened his eyes, he was given Roman's fabulous
smile, dimples and all.
"I'll fight for you," Roman said. "He can't
take you from me."
"All right," Charlie replied, "Let's all calm
down. He feeds on the anger."
Butch rested on the bed beside Roman and kept
touching both men. "Thank you. I mean that."
Roman kissed his hair and the three of them
stayed still and calm, recovering from the incident.
Butch wondered if being bit, changing into
whatever it was the other men were, would be like becoming
super-human. It was food for thought.
At twenty-one, Butch hadn't accomplished
much, felt extremely ordinary, and sometimes even self-conscious
and insecure. With the potency of what that man in the mirror
contained, he wouldn't be Butch Crowell, cowboy ranch hand. He'd be
something special.
He glanced at the two men in bed with him,
and realized they were kissing. It made Butch feel like an
outsider. He relaxed on the pillow and watched.
Chapter 9
Roman looked down over the snow-covered
trees, soaring in the crisp blue sky, his black wings spread out,
feathers open like fingers reaching for a prize.
He surveyed the land under him; the Deer
Creek reservoir, the Wasatch Mountains, and a ranch with several
out buildings. A man wearing a cowboy hat was riding a trail, the
big brown horse under him at least sixteen hands high. Roman
circled, eyeing the man, seeing he was headed to a dead deer
carcass near a wire fence that had been cut. Behind the man was
another rider, a younger man, riding a pinto horse, both making
their way up the trail.
Roman perched on a fence post as the two men
stopped to investigate the dead animal. A rambunctious Jack Russell
was also with them, sniffing, barking, hyperactive…
Roman shifted on the fence post, his long
black talons moving as he folded his wings. He met the handsome
cowboy's blue eyes…
The second man called the first by name.
Charlie.
Charlie…I've been watching you, Charlie
Mosby .
The sound of a shotgun blast woke Roman out
of his dream. He sat up and huffed for breath.
Beside him, two men, stirred, waking from his
movements on the bed.
"Roman?" Charlie narrowed his eyes in the
morning light that filtered in from the window.
The noise of a truck engine making its way up
their driveway caused them all to become alert. Butch leaned up on
his elbows and checked the time. "Christ. It's eight." He climbed
out of bed and left the room.
Roman rubbed his face and jaw tiredly,
feeling his beard growth and the stubble of its bristles.
"I can't believe we slept so long." Charlie
tossed off the blankets and headed to the bathroom, closing the
door.
Roman caught sight of both Charlie's and
Butch's morning erections, and peeked down at the sheet. The
nightmare had taken his away, if he had one.
But it wasn't a nightmare. It was more of a
recollection of the first time Charlie spotted Roman. Roman was a
large black crow. Yes. A bird.
He could hear Butch greeting the men outside,
yelling, "We got up late! Thanks for comin' so early, boys!"
Roman crawled out of the bed, slowly, feeling
achy and worn out. His dreams felt more like work than restful
slumber.
He sat up, rubbing his hair, hearing the
shower starting in the bathroom. Letting Charlie get ready
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