With the Boys in the Band by Marie Medina Read Free Book Online Page A

and taking several breaths. Emerson leaned over and put his lips to his ear. “It’s gonna be okay.”
    Vince’s eyes snapped open, and he stood slowly. He unzipped his jeans and dropped them. Emerson had just taken in the fact that he was, for some unknown reason, sporting an erection when he crouched low and began to change. The shifting of his face proved too disturbing, as his nose elongated and his skull shifted, so Emerson focused on the rest of his body, watching his arms and legs twist and transform. Moments later, a wolf stood next to the bed, looking at him.
    It had gray fur that darkened almost to black around its face. It was about the size of wolves he’d seen in the woods around town over the years, but it wasn’t as thin as they tended to be. He moved slowly and went down on his knees in front of the wolf.
    “Can you still understand me?”
    It moved its head up and down in a nod.
    Emerson reached out his hand and gently touched one of its ears, watching it flick as his fingers brushed it. He let his hand slide down its neck. The wolf bent its head forward and nuzzled against his chest. After a moment, he realized it was rubbing its nose over his tattoo.
    “Is this why you’re always drawing wolves?” He still remembered the day Vince had drawn it for him when he’d mentioned wanting to get a tattoo on his chest. He’d laughed when he saw it, asking Vince why he’d thought a wolf would look good there. He’d shrugged and tried to take the picture back, but Emerson had snatched it away and gone out and had the tattoo done that very night. An image flashed in his mind, Vince smiling when he saw that he’d had the tattoo done over his heart.
    Emerson pulled away and looked down at Vince, his chest suddenly tight. He kept stroking the wolf as if the action might make things clearer. “Vince? Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?”
    The wolf backed away, and he saw that it was beginning to change. He lowered his eyes as it happened. After a few more moments, Vince stood, and Emerson kept his eyes averted as he slipped his jeans on. He didn’t bother zipping them before going down on his knees as well.
    Emerson lifted his eyes, focusing on his face because he was not sure what he might do if he saw that Vince still had an erection. What had caused that? Had it been part of the change, an uncontrollable reaction? Or had it been Emerson touching him, whispering in his ear?
    “Is there something else you think I might have been hiding?” Vince asked. “Is there something you’d like to hear from me?” His fingers played across Emerson’s knee briefly.
    “I can’t make you say something you don’t want to say. What you just told me had to have been hard. Could anything really be harder than that?” His stomach churned, and his palms grew damp as he waited.
    “You two made love last night?”
    Completely thrown by the change of subject, Emerson drew back a bit. “Yes.”
    “You said last night was amazing, that you wanted to tell me all about it.” He smiled sadly and gazed past him. “I just dropped one bomb on you. Are you really ready for another?”
    “What does that have to do with me and Alicia?” He knew the answer, and now he was the one shaking. He tried to steady his breathing, but it proved very hard.
    “I want nothing more in this world than for you to be happy. So I’m gonna give you some time to—”
    “Vince, answer my question!” he cried, rising up to his knees and grabbing Vince’s shoulders.
    Vince licked his lips and said, “Okay.” He took Emerson’s face in his hands and kissed him, a deep and searching kiss that took Emerson from stunned to elated to terrified until he felt nothing but the warmth and sweetness of the contact. They were both breathing hard when it ended.
    “You said nothing could make you stop loving me,” Vince said, pressing their foreheads together. “And all I ask is that you still love me … even if it can’t be the way I