RufflingThePeacocksFeathers by Charlie Richards Page A

blushed, his gaze straying to the ground.
    “Hey, I’m not blaming you. You didn’t know what you were doing.” The fact that Rueben was Ricky’s brother, and that they’d talked after he’d left, suddenly nagged at him. “Did you?”
    “No,” Rueben quickly denied. “I didn’t. I didn’t even know you were a shifter until afterward.”
    Lamar placed a hand on Rueben’s arm. “Hey, I believe you. If you were lying, I’d be able to scent it,” he admitted.
    Rueben’s brows shot up. “You could?”
    “Yeah,” he said, then waved his hand. “Now, tell me what you think happened.”
    “Well, actually, Sam figured it out when I came to track you down this morning,” Rueben explained. “He congratulated me when I arrived. He asked about you, thought we’d been holed up together.” Rueben grimaced while pulling his jeans up his hips.
    Lamar remembered his mate’s injury and frowned. “Geez, you shouldn’t have put so much exertion on your leg,” he said, worrying his mate had aggravated his foot. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
    Rueben nodded. “Oddly enough, even with all the exertion we’ve done, it’s been doing really well the last few days.”
    A thought niggled at his brain and Lamar’s brows shot up. “Oh, that’s probably because we mated. Bonding with me sped your healing ability.”
    “I’m sorry.” Rueben frowned. “Faster healing?”
    “Guess Sam missed that part,” Lamar mused. “You’re not completely human anymore either, Rueben,” he explained. “My saliva and cum, however the hell it got introduced into your system, it changed your DNA. It’s why we have our own pack doctor and nurse. We can’t go to a regular hospital.
    “Your bones are stronger now. Harder to break. You won’t get standard colds or viruses. You’ll heal faster, which means your break is probably almost healed, since it’s been…” He tried to figure it out quick in his head. It didn’t work. “Each day is like a week in human terms,” he explained. “You’d said you’d already healed for five weeks, add the last three days, so that means a total of eight weeks.” He nodded. “Another few days you’ll probably be good as new. Better even.”
    Rueben’s eyes were wide. “Wow, that’s…okay I really like that part. Very nice.”
    Lamar chuckled and grabbed his jeans, pulling them on as he took in Rueben’s pleased look. As the fabric scraped over his skin, he grimaced. What I wouldn’t give for a shower. As a peacock, he groomed himself often. Rolling around in human form… that , he’d never done before.
    Eyeing his lover, Lamar realized Rueben had him doing a lot of things he’d never done before. That would bare thinking about later…much later, maybe when he could admit how much he liked doing those things with his mate. “Okay, we’re off track. How did we bond, again?”
    Sighing, Rueben answered, “I played with my ass when you were in the bathroom. It was the same hand I’d used to play with the cum you’d spayed across my chest.”
    “Damn.” Lamar couldn’t hide his surprise. “That’s…that’s unconventional.”
    “Yeah, I, uh, I caught that from Sam.”
    Lamar chuckled. “Okay, let’s get going.”
    He helped his mate to his feet and handed him his crutches. As they wandered out of the forest and into the park, Lamar gratefully saw the park was still empty.
    Rueben gave him a cheeky grin and wink. “Doesn’t look like we disturbed anyone.”
    Flushing, Lamar nodded. When they reached Rueben’s truck, Lamar realized they hadn’t discussed where they were going from here. He nibbled his lip, wondering how to ask.
    Leaning against his truck, Rueben snaked his strong arms around Lamar and pulled him to his chest. “What are you thinking about so hard?”
    “Just wondering where you think we’re going from here,” he admitted. “The pack…they’re my family. But you’re my mate.”
    “I’d never make you choose me over your family, Lamar,”