Adrian nodded, rolled over onto his back, knees up and spread. "Oh, yeah. Real ready."

  Oh. His cock jumped, his pulse racing like he was readying for a fight. Connor rumbled, going up on his knees and taking more of the lube, slicking up his prick so he could push it against Adrian's hole. "Oh. Sweet."

  "Yes. Hot. Oh, man, you're hot." Those fingers wrapped around his arms, holding on tight. Tugging at him.

  "So good, sweet. So..." words failed him as he slid home, watching Adrian grimace, making a small, comforting noise. He'd not hurt this man for the world. Not ever.

  "Oh. It's been awhile. So full." Adrian's eyes were huge, staring up at him. "Feels so good."

  "Good? Not hurting?" He was panting, his eyes trying to roll, but he kept them on Adrian, kept looking as they loved. Taking it all in. Their scent made his cock twitch deep in Adrian's body.

  "No. Not hurting. Don't stop. I want you, want more."

  "Okay. All right." He began to move, in and out, his hips rolling. He bit down a little on Adrian's throat, licking to take out the sting.

  "Oh..." That made Adrian jerk, body squeezing him just a little, making him gasp.

  They moved faster, the urgency taking them. Sweat beaded and ran on his skin, steamy and good. His hands slipped on Adrian's hips and he clamped down harder.

  "Yes. Yes, Connor. Love. I need..." They started slapping together, Adrian sliding beneath him.

  Love. Connor nodded, head shaking wildly, and moved faster, moving his hands to rest on either side of Adrian's chest so he could brace himself for kisses, pressing down hard to trap Adrian's cock between them.

  Adrian leaned up, mouth pushing against him, tongue sliding right in to taste him. Their kisses became wild, needy, tongues and lips coming together, both of them groaning at the sweetness of it. So different than anything before, so incredibly right. "I want to do this forever."

  "Yes. Oh, yes, please." God above please let that be. Connor thrust harder, his breath heaving in his lungs. Adrian's fingers tugged him closer, low grunts pushing into his lips. Oh. Oh, close. Tight. Oh.

  The movement of Adrian's body around him finally got to be too much, and Connor cried out, his head hanging between his shoulders, his hips snapping as he spent deep, deep inside Adrian's body.

  Adrian whimpered, moaning against his skin, the wet heat on his belly proving that Adrian was right there with him.

  For a moment he thought he would collapse down on Adrian, squashing him into the pillows and beanbags. But his arms finally obeyed his brain's command, pushing him off to one side, Adrian flowing right with him.

  "Mmm... Thank you, Connor. Thank you." Adrian was kissing his collarbone, his neck.

  "Oh, Adrian. I...Good. So." He just kissed Adrian hard, pouring all he'd not say into it.

  Hands petted his head, his shoulders, his neck, playing music on his skin. Loving on him. Connor relaxed, sinking into the comfort Adrian offered, the sense of home. His place. His very own, where no one owned him and there was just music and laughter and bacon. And he'd managed to get through the day without Adrian asking about the dog.

  Thank goodness for favors, large and small. Connor would take them all, and be glad about it.

  ***

  Adrian wandered around, watering plants.

  Somehow, in the last six weeks, he'd gone from one dying ivy to ten... No, twelve potted plants sitting in windowsills, on tables. Everywhere.

  Bizarre.

  But incredibly cool.

  "Hi, little ivy-looking-type plant. I'm assuming you need water. You're sort of wilty and Connor'll growl if you kick off like the last one."

  Yeah, bizarre.

  Connor had gotten work. It took him out, mainly in the wee hours, to unload trucks and boats and stuff, but today Connor had gone out about noon, mumbling about bacon and tomato pizza. Connor really liked that. When he heard the jiggling of the doorknob, he thought maybe Connor was back, had forgotten his key.

  "Hey love. Just a sec. I'll open." He pottered over to the door, hitting the fern with a splash before opening up. "I watered the plants like you asked me..."

  As soon as he had the door unlocked it burst open, sending him flying with, his watering can splashing everywhere. Two big, scarred men powered through, both of them prowling around the room as a smaller man in an expensive wool coat walked in, smiling at him almost kindly.

  "What the fuck?" He stood still for half a second, then sprinted for the phone. 911. 911. 911.

  One of the big guys growled, moving to intercept him.

  "Get out of my house." Oh, fuck. Fuck. Come on. Phone. He shifted, willing to take the chance. "I don't have shit you want."

  "Actually, lad, you have something that belongs to me." The little man advanced, taking off his gloves.

  "Bullshit." He grabbed hold of the floor lamp, wielding it like a big, skinny bat. "I don't fucking know you."

  "Nor will you, I imagine. But Connor belongs to me. And you will tell me where he is." Such a weird voice, sort of high and not quite...well. Human sounding. One of the bodyguards growled again, sounding like a big freaky dog.

  "Connor?" Oh, fuck no. These must be assholes from wherever Connor got hurt. "Go to Hell. If I did know, I wouldn't fucking tell you psychopathic motherfuckers."

  Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god.

  A tiny motion of the little man's hand was all it took for one of the bodyguards to start moving in on him, hands clenching and unclenching.

  "Help me! Someone! Help me!" He swung the lamp, hitting one of the guys as hard as he could, the metal pole buckling.

  He could feel bruises pop up the minute one of the guys touched him, and he was really starting to flail and panic when the door hit the wall again, a snarling, hurtling ball of fur shooting through to attack the man who held him.

  "Help me. God." He kept hitting, kept screaming, kept fighting as hard as he could. Oh, god. Please. Make them go. Don't let them hurt his hands. Please.

  The hands on him disappeared, leaving him staggering back, beating air. The gray, furry shape resolved itself into the huge dog he's taken in off the street, fighting like a mad thing.

  "Oh, it's you. Thank god." He ran for the kitchen, grabbing the fire extinguisher off the wall. It was heavy. He could... bash someone with it.

  Maybe the weird little guy in the fancy duds. He just stood back watching the one big guy and the...two dogs.

  Two?

  What the fuck?

  He took the fire extinguisher and pulled the little pin. Okay. Maybe this one foamed. Maybe. He closed his eyes, pointed the fire extinguisher and squeezed.

  It foamed. There was a shout a thud, and the sound of scrambling feet. Of course, there was also the high-pitched yelp of an animal in pain and the sound of a heavy body hitting the floor. All of it was sorta obscured by the foam when he opened his eyes.

  "Please be gone. Please be gone." He wiped at his face, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on, if they were still there.

  One dog was down, not moving. It wasn't his, though. It was smaller. Darker. The one big guy was down too, covered in foam, moaning softly, curled into a ball. And the little guy, well, he dangled from Connor's big hand where it wrapped around his throat.

  "Connor. Love. I'll call the police. Be careful."

  "No!" It came out as a bark, those pretty gray eyes almost black as Connor looked at him. "No, please, sweet. No police."

  It kind of occurred to him that Connor was naked.

  "No? Okay. Okay. Connor?" He sort of... vibrated there. "What do I do?"

  "I need... I need a sheet. Or something." Oh, okay, he could do that. Even if he wasn't sure he wanted to leave Connor shaking the little man like a terrier with a rat.

  "Okay. Okay. Don't let them hurt you. I'll be right back." He ran, slip-sliding through the mess on the floor towards the linen closet. Sheets. Sheets. They had sheets, right? Oh, Christ.

  "I can't kill you," Connor was saying when he got back. "I know that. But I swear by all that's holy if you ever invade my home again, I'll tear you to bits and leave you in the gutter."

  "I... I have sheets. You sure about the police?" He wasn't shaking; he wasn't.

  "I am. Please." Connor sat the man down and reached out for a sheet, wrapping it around himself.

  "Your place isn't here, Connor. You know it. One day you'll hurt him."

  "Bullshit. This is where he belongs. Can I hit him with the fire extinguisher?" Hurt him?

  A smile actually lifted the corners of Connor's mouth. "It wouldn't do much good, sweet. He doesn't injure easily.'

  The look Connor turned on the man, though, was fierce. "This is my place. You're the one who doesn't belong, and you'll not ruin it. You'll go, and you'll take your trash with you."

  He was going to be sick. Really.

  Like really, really.

  "I'll go. But when this one is old and gray, you'll be back, Connor. Mark my words." The little guy went to the door and whistled, and damned if more goons didn't show up and haul the... the other ones away.

  He just sort of stood there. Watching. Eyes wide, throat working.

  "Is the door broken?"

  "I think so, sweet. I can...I can fix it." Connor had a smear of blood on his cheek.

  "Are... are you okay?"

  See him.

  See him cope.

  Cope him.

  "I am." The door flapped a little, and Connor went to put a chair in front of it. "Are you, sweet? Are you all right?"

  "Uh. No. I don't think so. They broke my door."

  Connor's face sort of crumpled, those eyes so sad. "I'm sorry, Adrian. I'm... I... This is all my fault. I should never have thought to get away. I'll... I'll go."

  "Go?" Okay. Okay, wait. Hold on. This was. Things like this didn't. "You want to go?"

  Connor stopped halfway to the closet, clutching the sheet. His shoulders slumped. "No. No, love, I don't want to go. But I...I'm a freak, yeah?"

  "Don't go. I can't... Please, Connor. I can't think right now. Don't go."

  Turning, Connor looked at him, brows drawing together, then came over, hands rising to grasp his shoulders. "You're shocky, sweet. You need...oh. I dropped the pizza."

  "I'll order another one. I watered your plants." He closed his eyes for a second, trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. "There were dogs. Here."

  "There was me, sweet. Me and two others like me and... And the owner." Rough fingers stroked his cheek, his throat.

  "Owner?" He just stepped closer. Christ he was cold.

  "I." Reaching out, Connor drew him close, that skin burning up. "I wish I knew how to tell you."

  Under his fingers as he caught Connor for balance, he could feel the scars. Hundreds of them.

  "He hurt you?" Oh, yeah. He was so going to be sick.

  "He fought us. In the pit." Oh. Oh, God, like one of those illegal dogfights?

  Oh. Oh, his poor Connor. He turned and scrambled for the bathroom, sliding through the sludge on the floor and crashing down. Strong hands lifted him, carried him, and before he even knew it he was on the floor in the bathroom, right where he needed to be.

  He hurled until there wasn't anything left inside him. Then he just sat, heart pounding. Breathing. "Why didn't someone stop him?"

  "He's... It's not... There's not rules down there like there are above." Leaning on him, Connor stroked his hair. His voice had that sad lilt again.

  "My poor love." He sort of cuddled, starting to shiver. "You should have let me call the police."

  "And tell them what? My lover is also a wolf who really isn't a wolf anymore thanks to careful breeding by an immortal spirit?"

  "Uh. I guess not." Oh, God. A wolf. A... "The big dog. In the rain."

  "I'm sorry, sweet. I was afraid to tell you." Connor pressed a kiss to his nape. "I'm sorry."

  "Are they coming back?" A wolf. He was in love with a wolf? Okay. Fuck.

  "No. I don't know. I'd hope not, sweet. No one has ever fought back before."

  "Ever?" What the fuck? How utterly fucked up was that? "Connor? We are never going to Ireland. Ever."

  Never. No matter how pretty the photographs are.

  Damn it.

  ***

  Connor wandered. He and Adrian had gotten back into their routine, he supposed. They ate pizza. They cooked bacon. They even snuggled at night in their nest while Connor told Adrian the good things about Ireland, about his childhood, about how the very hills had music in them if you listened. About how he'd lived with his mother until he was grown and the owner came for him.

  They had talked and talked.

  The one thing they hadn't done was...kiss. Love. Be together.

  He sighed, his fingers stroking over the case of Adrian's violin. He looked sideways at where Adrian sat, not moving or swaying or even humming. Just sitting, looking out the window. Connor picked up the violin case and took it over.

  "Play for me?"

  Dark eyes blinked over at him, hands reaching for the case automatically. "What do you want to hear?"

  "I want to hear something you love. Something that will make you smile." He helped, holding the case while Adrian opened it and took out the instrument, then settling at Adrian's feet.

  "Oh." Adrian closed his eyes a moment, tuning and plucking, then set bow to strings. The music was... stilted at first, distant, wrong. Adrian's leg was tense against him, vibrating. Then the music began to smooth out, the sounds becoming rich and sensual and round.

  Connor could smell it, the change in Adrian as he lost himself in the music, in the making of it.

  Oh, thank God. It made him smile. It made him sad, too, to think how much he disturbed Adrian now. He stroked Adrian's leg, listening, humming along.

  Adrian sighed, shifting closer to him, to his touch. The song slipped into a merry little jig, light and quick. Oh, playing for him, *with* him.

  Yes.

  Connor tapped his fingers along with the little beat. He knew this one. Knew the tune. Almost knew the words. The song sped, Adrian's soft laughter adding to the joy, the dancing notes in the air. Connor laughed too, more at ease than he had been in a week or more. Finally he remembered, knew the words, and he started to sing.

  The music softened a little, coming up under his voice, adding to it. Joining with it. Oh. Oh, this was...

  It was perfection wrapped in music. They both faded away to silence at the same moment, the last note lingering so long it seemed like it might break.

  Adrian carefully put the violin into its case, the sound of the clasps shutting so loud that he jumped, almost barked. Then one warm, long hand stroked over his short hair. Those fingers petted him, loved on him a second before Adrian landed in his lap, wrapping around him. He put his arms around Adrian and held tight, burying his nose in the long, floppy hair at Adrian's neck. Oh. He’d thought he'd lost this. He truly had.

  "Love you, yeah?" The words were almost silent, whispered right under his ear.

  "Adrian. Oh, sweet. Love you. Was afraid I disgusted you." He kissed Adrian's cheeks, his nose and lips.

  "Scared me. Those men scared me. What they did to you scared me." Adrian's fingers were on his cheeks, tracing his scars. "I don't know how to start asking questions."

  "Anything. You can ask me anything, sweet. I wouldn't hide from you. Not from you. Not anymore." No more hiding. That had almost gotten Adrian killed.

  "Does it hurt? Are you... still you when you're... whatever it is you want me to call it when you look like a pup?"

  "That's the other me, love. And what do you think?" He laughed out loud, looking Adrian in the eye. "Didn't I still lead you to the bacon?"

  Adrian's head tilted for a second, then that sweet laugh rang out, full and tickled. "You did!"

  "There, you see? I'm still me." He never even thought that it might bother Adrian, that Adrian might think him a mindless animal. But he could see why.

  "Good. Is... is it like... I mean." Adrian sighed, grinned. "Are there times you have to be fuzzy? Is it just whenever? Is it contagious?"

  He pondered that. "I tend to...to change under extreme stress. I think maybe once it was tied to the moon, but we were bred down, if you will, for a specific purpose." Connor shrugged. "That's what my mother always said, any road." As for the other..."It's born, so far as I know, sweet."

  "Oh. Okay. Well, I..." Adrian frowned, dark eyebrows meeting above the long nose. "I guess we need to put in a doggie door. So if you need to, you can come in. I don't want you just hanging out down there in the cold."