Nick pulled his knees up and scooted closer to his fire. He was high up in the mountains, and even this late in the summer the nights were chilly without a blanket. The distant rumble of thunder was closing in; the wind was picking up and the temperature dropping. The small fire offered Nick a tiny amount of comfort. He was against an escarpment but had no real shelter against the coming storm.
He was seriously starting to rethink his actions and plans.
When Todd had come into the wagon only long enough to gather some clothes and then slipped back out again, it had been too much. Nick’s whispered “You’re leaving me alone here,” had either gone unheard or ignored. Nick preferred to think it was the former, but it had been the last straw. He couldn’t take any more, and he didn’t know how to face Todd after literally destroying his master’s life.
So Nick had taken the few things he considered truly his possessions and run. He’d pulled on the sweatshirt Todd gave him the night after Todd had come to the village for him, stuffed the hunting knife Todd had sent him for his sixteenth birthday and the small carved bear Todd had given him into the pockets, and crept away from the wagon and into the night. He’d never steal from a stranger, let alone the man he loved and worshiped.
He could hunt and build a shelter; he had the skills. A gun was something he was forbidden by law to carry unless with his master, so the knife was useful as well as having an emotional value. Tomorrow he’d find a better place deeper in the wilderness to live. For now, it was this meager fire and hoping the storm blowing up wouldn’t drench him too badly, that the escarpment offered enough protection.
The sound of someone with unfamiliar footsteps approaching set Nick on edge and on guard. A man stepped out of the woods. He had a pack slung over one shoulder and carried a rifle in his hand. Several smaller handguns and a knife in a sheath hung on various parts of his legs.
“Where’s your owner, boy? Runaway, eh?”
Nick shook his head and groaned inwardly. He knew he should have taken off his collar, but it was the last tie to Todd. He may not have felt he deserved Todd’s love anymore, but he wasn’t ready to sever his only remaining link to Todd.
“No, sir. He told me to stay here and wait for him.” This guy didn’t look too smart. Nick hoped he could pull this off.
The man snorted. “Well, finders, keepers.”
Definitely a real genius. “I need to wait here for him.” Nick turned on the most innocent expression and tone he could muster.
After pulling a handgun from one of the holsters on his leg, the man paced around Nick, keeping it pointed at him. “You’re a fine, strapping kid. Bet you can do a good day’s work. Pull a plow, haul equipment. Let’s go.”
Nick shook his head but froze when the man cocked the gun. This was the type of person Todd kept him very protected and sheltered from, so Nick’s experience in dealing with someone like this was sorely limited.
The sound of horse’s hooves reached Nick’s ears a split second before the sound of a gun being fired made him start. Hands fisting against his pants, he looked up.
Swinging toward the sound of the gunshot, the man lowered his weapon.
“He said he was ordered to stay here, and he was. You plan on stealing my property?” Todd snapped. “Last I checked, stealing a slave could get a man hanged.”
“You got proof he’s yours, mister?”
Todd held up Nick’s papers in one hand so the man could see them. He pulled his shirt away from his chest, exposing his tattoo. “Show him your brand, Nick.”
Silently, Nick did as Todd instructed. The man looked from one to the other, nodding slowly.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding. You shouldn’t leave him alone like that.”
“You shouldn’t want to try and steal slaves. Now, if you know what is good for you, you’ll get out of my sight and never get into it again.”
After tipping his hat and nodding to Todd, the man mumbled another apology, turned on his heels, and jogged back through the woods.
“What are you doing, Nick?” Todd holstered his handgun but stayed mounted on the horse. He’d obviously left in a hurry. He was riding bareback and had brought nothing other than what he could carry.
Nick looked up and dropped his gaze to the ground almost at once. Todd looked absolutely shattered. “I disobeyed you. I ruined your life. Everything you’ve ever worked for is gone because of me.”
“Nick, you disobey me daily.”
Nick flinched. Did Todd honestly think he was so horrible he was constantly rebellious and untrustworthy?
Todd sighed and rubbed at the back of his neck. He slid from the horse, took a few steps forward, and crouched on the opposite side of the fire, almost as if he was afraid Nick would bolt. “It was a joke. You used to laugh at my stupid jokes, and two weeks ago you would have laughed at that one.” He took a few deep breaths and spoke softly. “Look, Nick, you’re my mate, you’ll always be my mate.” Todd’s words choked off, and he looked away from Nick and at the trees for a few seconds. “But I’m not an asshole. You’re not happy, and if you want to go, you’re free to go. I’d never force you to stay, and you’re always welcome back.” He stood abruptly, wiping at his face. “But for Pete’s sake, come back to camp and get your clothes. Take two of the horses or the wagon if you want.” Todd waved one hand in Nick’s direction, adding roughly, “You might want to take off that stupid collar.”
Lifting his head, Nick looked at him again. “What?” he said, startled, hands going instinctively to the band around his throat, suddenly shaking.
“Take it off, Nick,” Todd ground out. He held his hand out, fingers jerking in a “give it here” movement.
Sniffing, Nick let his fingertips brush over the soft leather he loved so dearly, slowly pulling it around so that he could unbuckle it.
He couldn’t do it.
Maybe he was unwanted, but he didn’t want to give this up, too. He let his hands drop to rest on his lap. He couldn’t take off Todd’s collar.
After a moment, Todd’s hand dropped, and he spoke in a low, desperate voice. “The only person whose life here was ruined was yours, Nick. I turned you into a fugitive. You never did anything wrong. I have nothing left to give you, no home, nothing but what’s in that wagon—” Todd broke off, voice thickening, then continued in a hoarse whisper. “What the hell did you do that you think is so bad compared to that?”
Wiping the back of one hand over his nose, Nick stared at the ground as he spoke. “I—he—the kelbit, I tried not to…but he…You told me it was just us and you never…and—”
“And what, Nick?” Todd’s voice was tired. He closed his eyes. “What did he do? Was it something you wanted to happen?”
“No!” Nick barked at once.
“But you let him anyway?” Todd’s voice was like a hard-edged knife. “Is that it?”
“No! It wasn’t like that!” Nick felt tears spill down his cheeks. “He forced me!”
“He what?” Todd spat.
“He forced me!” Nick didn’t mean for it to come out as a shout.
“Yeah, Nicky, he forced you.” Todd’s face and voice softened, and he hunkered down beside the fire again. “He forced you. That’s my fault, Nick, because I wasn’t there to stop it or protect you.”
Shaking his head, Nick said, “No, there wasn’t anything you could have done. It’s not your fault, nothing is your fault.”
“Nothing is yours either,” Todd said quietly. “And for the record, if it’s the choice between your life and a sexual favor or two, dude, fuck them blind, for all I care, as long as you come out okay.”
Todd sighed and stood, brushing the dirt from his jeans. “One more thing, Nick. The only thing I have that I really worry about losing and care about keeping is sitting in the dirt next to this measly fire.”
Todd waited a few seconds more, then turned and walked slowly back to his horse. He grasped the horse’s thick mane, swung himself astride in one smooth, fluid motion, and settled himself on the horse’s back once more.
Looking back at Nick, Todd held out his hand and said softly, “Please, Nick…”
Nick glanced at the fire for a few seconds. He turned back and looked up at Todd. His master’s face was open and unmasked. Todd looked scared, unsure, and hopeful all at once. It hit Nick hard in the gut. Todd was expecting his rejection, for Nick to decide to strike out on his own.
The last place Nick wanted to be was out on his own.
Nick got to his feet and made his way over to where Todd sat on the horse. Looking up at his master, his mate, his love, he rested his hand on Todd’s leg and drew in a trembling breath. “The only home I care about is the one with you.”
Todd closed his eyes, releasing a deep breath, stroking his fingertips over Nick’s cheek. Nick leaned into the touch. “And it’s not stupid,” Nick added.
“What?” Todd exhaled.
“My collar, it’s not stupid.”
Todd leaned down and let his hand slide around to the back of Nick’s head. Todd’s fingers wound in his hair and tugged gently up. Rocking up on his toes, Nick met Todd halfway. The first press of their lips sent a zing of excitement through Nick. When Todd’s tongue slipped into his mouth, Nick gasped, reached up, and pressed his hand to the small of Todd’s back.
Todd pulled back just far enough that when he spoke, Nick felt breath against his cheek. “Are you going to put out that fire and get on this horse, or,” Todd glanced at the sky, “do you want to spend the rest of the night out here with a storm on the way?”
Lips pulled into a slow smile, Nick said, “Low blow.”
“All’s fair and all.”
Todd waited patiently while Nick threw some dirt over the fire. The thunder was getting louder, the lightning brighter. It would be raining soon; that would take care of putting the fire out properly. He sprinted to the horse, grasped Todd’s outstretched hand, swung onto the horse, and settled behind his master.
Wrapping both arms around Todd’s waist, Nick rested his chin on Todd’s shoulder and kissed Todd’s neck. “You should probably punish me.”
Todd chuckled and turned his head, tipped it to the side to look at Nick. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He reached back and patted Nick’s thigh. “No coffee for a week.”
“What?” Nick couldn’t help how his voice cracked and he sort of sputtered. “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”
Laughing outright, Todd grasped Nick’s chin and gave it a gentle shake. “It’s supposed to be something you don’t like.”
“But no coffee? That’s…that’s…sort of inhumane.”
“Hmm.” Todd shifted so he was pressing hard in the V of Nick’s crotch. “And I’ll make sure to sip mine very slowly in the morning, probably have some with lunch and dinner, too. Don’t forget after dinner.”
“You wouldn’t.” When thunder cracked close by, Nick tightened his grip and turned his head so his face was pressed to Todd’s neck.
“If you don’t stop your nonsense about ruining my life, I sure as hell will. You are my life, Nicky.” Todd nudged the horse to a canter as the wind kicked up even more.
“You’re not angry?” Nick asked shyly as they came to a stop a few yards from their wagon.
Todd twisted and poked at Nick, nudged him off the horse. He slipped to the ground and reached out, wiping his fingers through Nick’s bangs. “Yes, Nicky, I’m very angry. I’m angry that happened to you and I didn’t stop it, I’m angry there are things in the world that treat people the way it treated you, and I’m really angry that we’ve been tossed out in the cold after what we did to help. But what I’m not angry with is you.” He pressed a soft kiss to Nick’s forehead, then turned and started leading the horse to where he’d bedded them down. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get your ass into that wagon and be completely naked when I get there.”
Lightning streaked the sky, making Nick and the horses restless. Darting forward, Nick grabbed Todd’s arm. “Come inside, please.”
Todd smiled and patted Nick’s hand before removing it from his arm. “I’m just going to get this horse bedded down, and I’ll be right there. I promise.”
“But the lightning—”
“Still a few miles away.” Todd led the horse away, then called over his shoulder, “And I taught you how to cover your tracks far better than you did. Yes, I noticed.”
Nick felt his cheeks burn red. He hadn’t bothered, thinking he wouldn’t be followed, and on the off chance he was, he wanted to be sure there was a trail to follow. Todd had taught him how to completely obliterate his trail. If Nick hadn’t wanted to be found, Todd wouldn’t have found him so quickly or easily, or at all, and they both knew it.
Convinced something horrible was going to happen and not wanting to be alone in the wagon right now, Nick sat on his heels on the steps of the wagon, watching Todd care for the horses.
Todd turned and arched an eyebrow, pointing to the wagon then he grinned and started jogging toward it.
Laughing, Nick was up and diving into the wagon in no time.
All of his clothes weren’t quite off when Todd tackled him to the bed inside the wagon. Wrapping both legs around Todd’s waist and tugging him close, Nick immediately decided that had been a bad move. His shirt, boots, and socks were off, not his jeans, and Todd was fully clothed. The buckle of Todd’s belt dug into the tender skin of Nick’s abdomen as Todd’s mouth covered Nick’s and his weight dropped onto Nick’s body.
“Ow, ow, ow…belt.” Nick pressed his head back far enough to break the kiss.
Todd pushed up on his forearms and grinned before swiping a path with his tongue from Nick’s jaw to his mate’s navel. He pulled at the button on Nick’s jeans. “I said be naked when I got here. This, off, now. See, always disobeying me.” Todd undid Nick’s jeans and pulled at them as Nick kicked his way free.
Todd’s mouth, tongue, and hands worked over him until Nick was a quivering mass of want begging for release.
After giving him a truly wicked smile, Todd slithered the length of Nick’s body until he was nibbling along Nick’s jaw and ear. He whispered, “Nope, you will obey me.”
Somewhere along the way—Nick wasn’t exactly sure when—Todd had shed not only the offending belt and buckle but the rest of his clothes, too. Todd flipped Nick over and gave him a few good cracks to his ass, making Nick squirm. The entire world narrowed down to the sensations between his legs, Todd’s fingers working him open and hitting his prostate, sending jolts up and down Nick’s spine.
He was so hard he thought he’d literally explode, yet Todd kept at him, teasing him, then backing off just shy of allowing Nick his release.
Finally, when he thought he could take no more, Todd rolled him onto his back. Nick brought both legs up to wrap around his master’s torso, kneeing Todd in the stomach in the process, eliciting a hearty oommppfff from Todd.
“Sor-sor-sorry,” Nick panted out, fingers digging into the beefy part of Todd’s back, drawing him closer.
Todd chuckled and rubbed one hand through Nick’s hair before using the same hand to press Nick tightly against the pillow, holding him in place. “We definitely make finding a bigger place a priority.”
The small laugh building in Nick’s chest turned to a gasp when Todd’s mouth pressed down on his windpipe and Todd’s cock slid deep inside him. It barely took any time before Todd’s thrusts faltered and he was throbbing and pumping hard into Nick, biting along Nick’s neck and gasping out Nick’s name.
When Todd pulled free of Nick’s body, Nick twisted around, trying to get some friction against his master’s rock-hard belly.
“Something you want?” Todd drawled, hand skimming lightly over Nick’s side and between his legs, fingertips barely brushing over Nick’s hard, dripping cock.
Nick’s response was a breathy moan.
Todd chuckled, fingers gliding through Nick’s slit, rubbing in the fluid pooling for a few seconds before it oozed along the length of Nick’s cock.
Groaning, Nick gasped and tried to thrust up into Todd’s fist but was held in place by Todd’s other arm wrapped around his middle. All Nick could do was grip Todd’s shoulders and alternately knead at his ass.
Todd moved so he was more on top of Nick than beside him and stroked Nick faster, twisting and pulling, grip tightening. Todd licked along Nick’s lower lip for a few seconds before his tongue wormed inside Nick’s mouth, entwining with and caressing Nick’s tongue, swallowing Nick’s moans.
The sensation of the sheets against his back, the feel of Todd covering him, the sheer need coursing through him were the only things Nick could process. Nick’s body bucked up, every nerve and muscle firing at once. Todd continued stroking, twisting, and tugging on his cock until Nick lay panting in huge breaths, sweat plastering his bangs to his forehead, and he was completely spent.
He didn’t even have the energy to move when Todd reached around and grabbed a towel to wipe them down. Todd pressed a soft kiss to Nick’s forehead as he slipped his arms under Nick and pulled his mate tight against his side.
“You never even noticed the storm,” Todd murmured against Nick’s temple.
Nodding slowly, Nick smiled but didn’t bother opening his eyes. “All proud of yourself, aren’t you?” His words were drawn out and slurred, and he wasn’t even completely sure he’d finished speaking them.
He realized he must have when Todd replied, “Sure am. Go to sleep, Nicky.”
Wrapping arms and legs around Todd, nuzzling closer when Todd’s strong arms tightened down on him, and tucking his head under Todd’s chin, Nick sighed and nodded. He’d obey that order.
* * * *
“We can’t even stop at Jimmy’s for a day?” Nick asked. He was riding behind Todd. They were both on the black horse Nick had named Obi, short for Obsidian. Todd decided his mate really did have a thing for rocks, especially the volcanic kind.
Three days had gone by since Todd had found Nick missing and chased after him, and Nick hadn’t let Todd go farther than an arm’s length, which was fine by Todd. He’d learned long ago a stressed Nick equaled a Nick who needed him close. Todd needed to keep him close.
They were scouting some of the trails, having left the other horses and wagon hidden in the woods. It was easier this way, though it had been Nick’s idea to ride one horse. Todd decided he gave in to Nick far too much some days. Yet the feel of Nick’s solid body behind him gave Todd a large dose of pleasure and comfort. Maybe it was really himself he was giving in to and not Nick.
They’d gotten into the habit of checking the roads and trails on foot or horseback before driving through, just in case.
“No, not now. Maybe by next year, but if anyone is watching, they’ll watch there. Not only bad for us but would cause too much trouble for Jimmy. We can write, though.”
That seemed to please Nick. He relaxed against Todd’s back and let his chin rest on Todd’s shoulder. The sun was warm, Nick against his back was even warmer, and Obi plodded along at a leisurely pace. Todd could actually get used to this.
“What’s that?” Nick straightening and pointing in the direction of the main road put Todd more on alert.
After turning the horse in that direction and nudging him to a faster walk, Todd leaned forward and squinted through the trees. He brought the horse to a stop near the edge of one of the caldera ridges. It gave them a clear view for miles of the land below the caldera, including New Colorado City.
Pops and cracks filtered up from the city, as did countless plumes of thick black smoke. The distinct sound of cannon and high-powered weapons being fired came a minute later.
“Holy crap. We were lucky, Nicky.”
Nick tightened his grip on Todd’s middle and pulled himself closer, looking over Todd’s shoulder. When he spoke, his voice sounded small. “Everyone we know. Everything, the whole town, it’s being burnt to the ground?”
Todd nodded. What had once been their home was now a battlefield. War had come to roost in New Colorado City.
Todd turned the horse away abruptly and squeezed his legs against Obi’s sides, urging the animal to a canter. “We’ll keep heading north. Get as much distance covered as we can every day until we find somewhere to live. I don’t know about you, but sleeping and whatnot in that wagon is getting old. I need room to stretch. It’ll be getting colder in a month or two. I want to be in some kind of building, even if it isn’t permanent.”
Nick nodded and hugged him even tighter, if that were possible.
War might have come to New Colorado, but the Rugers, Todd decided, were staying out of it and getting as far away as possible. They were sentries. They’d always have work, especially now. They’d make a new life somewhere secluded and safe. Todd didn’t care where. He had Nick. That was all he ever really needed or wanted.
They were forever and always together bound.
THE END