Ruffling The Peacocks Feathers(21)

Unable to stand not being able to communicate with his mate a second longer, Lamar shifted. Rueben jerked his hand away and he fell backward on his ass, his mouth dropping open in shock.

His body shuddered and his skin goose bumped. Lamar’s muscles popped, his bones cracked, and his tendons snapped. His feathers retracted into his body. Holding back a grunt, Lamar’s head and body grew and altered, his wings becoming arms and his beak melting into his nose.

Lamar had always felt that was the oddest sensation in the world. Just as he did after every shift, he reached up and touched his nose, making certain the hard dark brown beak had truly turned into his slender, pale nose. Vain, perhaps, but he couldn’t keep himself from checking.

Finally, Lamar opened his eyes and looked at his mate. He easily discerned the lines of disbelief, but at least he couldn’t find any revulsion.

“Oh my God,” Rueben whispered. “They told me it was you. I even thought I believed it, but—” He shook his head hard, his eyes wide as he swept his gaze over Lamar’s naked form. “I guess I didn’t, really. I don’t…know what I thought.”

Sucking in his bottom lip between his teeth, Lamar tried to figure out what to say. “I’m sorry,” he blurted.

Rueben’s brows drew together. “Huh? Why are you sorry?”

“Uh…” Lamar really didn’t know.

Then, Rueben’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll tell you why you should be sorry,” he growled. “How about, because I had to learn you’re a shifter from Sam? How about, because I had to learn we’re mates from Sam? How about because you fucking fled instead of just being honest with me? How the hell can we have a relationship if you won’t communicate with me?”

“R-relationship?” Lamar’s brain seemed to be fixed on that one word.

“Yeah.” Rueben seemed to have quickly recovered from his shock of seeing him shift, for he faced Lamar squarely. “Sam says we’re connected now. That we’ve…bonded. It took a hell of a lot of thinking this afternoon, and, yeah,” he admitted, flushing. “I reached the edge of town, but I finally realized I wanted to figure this thing out between us. I feel—shit.” Rueben shifted, stretching his second leg out in front of him. His gaze swept over Lamar’s naked form, his gaze heating. “Why the hell are we talking about our fucking feelings when we should be fucking our brains out?”

Lamar flushed, his pulse speeding up at his mate’s words. Seeing Rueben’s focus drift to his cock, Lamar’s dick had an expected reaction to the scrutiny. It started to thicken. He sucked in a breath and opened his mouth, struggling to get words out. “W-we’re supposed to talk because we need to, we need to figure out our relationship.”

Growling low in his throat, Rueben rolled to his knees, reached out to Lamar, and grabbed his right thigh. Then, using his hold, Rueben yanked Lamar. He tumbled to his backside and felt himself slide along the grass. When he stopped, he found himself between Rueben’s spread thighs.

“Rueben?” he gasped, staring up into his mate’s glimmering green eyes.

“We did it your way last time, Lamar. Talking first and fucking second, and this is where it got us. This time, we do it my way.” A feral grin spread across Rueben’s lips. “Talking is overrated. I want your ass, Lamar.” With his free hand, Rueben pulled a single use packet of lube and a condom from his pocket. “I’ve waited too long to have it again.”

“You…you want me, even though I bonded us without permission? I didn’t mean to,” he added quickly. “I just…I don’t know how it happened. It shouldn’t have happened. Can you ever forgive me?”

Rueben released Lamar’s thigh, then rested a hand on either side of his head, lowering his head until they were only inches apart. “Lamar…that was my fault. Admittedly, I didn’t realize my actions bonded us, but it was still me. If anyone should be asking forgiveness, it’s me.”

Lamar’s jaw popped open. It was my mate’s fault? How could that be? “What?”

“But I’m not going to ask forgiveness. Do you know why?” Rueben continued, as if Lamar hadn’t spoken.

“Why? How? What?” Damn, he needed to get his brain in gear and get past these one word questions.

“Because it kept me from leaving,” Rueben admitted. “I sat in a bar at the edge of town for a good hour, Lamar, but somehow, I couldn’t get myself to keep going.” He rested his forehead against Lamar’s, peering deep into Lamar’s eyes. “I had to come back, had to see you again. It suddenly became more important than anything.”