Run with the Moon by Bailey Bradford Page B

coverage.
    Had he set Valen up? There was only one way to find out.
    Valen came out of the forest at a full run.
    “Valen!” Aaron shouted excitedly, a broad smile lighting up his face.
    That didn’t seem to be the expression of a man seeking to deceive him, Valen mused. Even so, he bared his teeth and Aaron looked stricken.
    “What did I—? Oh. You didn’t want to see me again. I’ll… I’ll go.” Aaron started to turn away, his cane smacking the ground.
    Valen lunged for his cane and caught part of the handle in his mouth. He didn’t bite, but he did hold on, backing up and encouraging Aaron to come with him.
    Aaron’s expression went from hurt and disappointed to expressing the beginnings of happiness again. “You didn’t leave.”
    “Aaron! Stop!”
    Aaron peered over his shoulder. “Father? Mother? What are you—?”
    Valen let go of Aaron’s cane and instead clamped his teeth over the wrinkled fold in the front of his pants.
    Come on come on. Come. On!
    “It’s just my parents, Valen. They won’t do anything to you,” Aaron said.
    Barks and growls told Valen that Rivvie hadn’t obeyed and was coming out from the forest.
    “Rivvie!” Aaron waved.
    “Aaron, come back here!”
    Valen recognized the man. Walter, he’d been called the other night. And Walter was Aaron’s father.
    Rivvie darted past Aaron and Valen. Valen barked an order at Rivvie to not attack.
    If, by any chance, Valen was going to meet Aaron’s parents, he needed to be able to talk to them.
    “He’s not going to hurt them, is he? My parents, I mean.” Aaron asked, sinking one hand into the thick fur at Valen’s nape.
    Valen licked Aaron’s leg then started to shift. He pressed his head against Aaron’s thigh and panted through his change before standing up.
    “That’s amazing, you know,” Aaron murmured, his eyes huge.
    Valen surprised them both then. Judging by Aaron’s gasp, he hadn’t been expecting a kiss. Valen cupped his chin then slanted his mouth over Aaron’s. He pushed his tongue past those plump, parted lips and wrapped his other arm around Aaron.
    Aaron’s thin body felt so, so perfect against him. Valen decided in that moment, he wasn’t letting the man go. Not unless Aaron was completely averse to being with him. Only time would tell if they were to be a mated pair—wolf shifters mated for life. Once they committed to a partner or partners, that was it, they were all in. He thought Aaron might be it for him and wanted the chance to see if he was right.
    “Aaron!”
    Aaron jolted and appeared to be dazed as he turned his head aside. He gulped and licked his lips.
    Valen wanted to fuck him there on the spot. He wouldn’t, what with Aaron’s parents hollering at him.
    Rivvie was bouncing in front of them, barking. His ears were laid flat against his head and his tail wasn’t wagging.
    “Valen? Is he going to bite them?” Aaron asked worriedly.
    “He’d better not.” Valen took Aaron’s cane and kept his arm around Aaron to steady him. “Why are your parents here?”
    “I don’t know. I guess because Matthew said there were shifters out here and I took off with the cane as soon as I could?” Aaron postulated. “Things are strange in the village. My father sat down and had a long talk with me right before we heard you were out here.”
    “Weird how?” Valen thought of the scents he’d discovered. He sniffed, and again there was the barest hint of smoke. The wind was coming from the east. Varex’s pack lay in that direction. Valen frowned and glanced east. “Do you see smoke in the distance?”
    Aaron put a hand to his brow. “No. Can you see better than I can?”
    “Yes.” And Valen thought there was a cloud of smoke amongst the white and gray rainclouds. “Are your parents armed with weapons?”
    “Knives, probably.” Aaron lowered his hand. “Mother, Father, please lay your weapons down.”
    “Listen to him, Walter,” Anita said. “I don’t think our son is in