Page 21 of Unicorn Unashamed

“No,” Josh continued. “We can figure this out. I…” He raked a hand through his hair, and Raymond followed the motion. “What do you need?”

You.

Raymond lowered his eyes, overcome with shame at how weak he was. That he’d been affected this badly. That he’d put Josh in this position. “It’s your scent,” he forced out. “And it’s not your fault,” he added quickly, feeling sick. “I don’t know why—something’s wrong with me. What I need is to get away from you so I don’t… so I don’t…”

“Raymond,” Josh said carefully. “I know you’re a werewolf. Are you an alpha wolf?”

Raymond nodded, trying not to whine. It was something he usually kept on the downlow from people who couldn’t tell, because the alpha label often gave off the wrong impression. Aggressive, domineering, and brutish. Raymond dealt with that enough just being a big guy who liked to work out. “Y-yeah. Why…?”

“Oh,” Josh said quietly. Louder, he said, “It’s another pheromone thing. Virile scent can really do a number on alphas. You’ve already got the extra-enhanced senses, and so being around someone who gives off this specific pheromone… it dials your instincts up to eleven.” He cursed. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think—I never even considered if you were an alpha wolf or not—”

Raymond shook his head, clenching his fists. “Not your fault. I can control myself.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “I can.”

“Of course, you can,” Josh said softly. “Of course, you can. But… but what if you didn’t have to?”

Raymond jerked his head up. “W-what?”

“Well, we have two options,” Josh said evenly. “Option one is I lock myself in my room and let you pace my apartment until morning, where you’ll be able to drive when it's light out and hopefully avoid the hazards that came from the monsoon. But I think that would make us both miserable.”

It would. It would make Raymond so miserable. “I—”

“Or we could just have sex and get it out of your system.”

Yes, Raymond thought immediately, barely keeping himself from lunging forward. Yes, god, please.

Then his sense clawed its way through the fog. “No! No, Josh, don’t—I can’t ask—”

Josh shrugged. “You’re not asking, I’m offering.” He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt then, looking suddenly unsure. “I’ve never had someone react like this to me before, but if it would help, of course I’m willing.”

Raymond pressed himself back against the kitchen wall, trembling, as Josh took a step forward. “Please, Raymond. Please let me help you?”

“You’re… you’re sure.... you’re sure I’m not—I’m not making you—you’re sure?”

Josh reached out and took Raymond’s hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss his knuckles. Raymond shuddered, his eyes sliding shut. God, he wanted so much.

“Come on,” Josh coaxed, tilting his head up. “Come on, it’s okay.”

Allowed, Raymond’s wolf screamed. Allowed to touch. His hands were shaking as he reached out to cup Josh’s cheek.

Josh exhaled, his breath warm against Raymond’s palm, and Raymond had to lean in to finally, finally kiss him. To watch as Josh’s eyes closed in a sweep of lashes, his hands coming to Raymond’s shoulders as Raymond pulled him in closer, as close as he could.

Almost unable to help himself, he bit at Josh’s bottom lip and pulled, sucking on it after to ease the sting, and Josh sighed into it, his scent blooming in the air.

“Do you… do you like that?” Raymond asked when they’d parted a little.

“Maybe,” Josh said, eyes bright, before curling a hand around Raymond’s neck to pull him down again.

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