The S.E.X. Factor 1

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Blue has always considered himself an anomaly, a freak. Always

watched by his parents, he lives a hopeless existence due to his

butterfly wings. His only comfort is a mysterious dream lover with

golden eyes who comes to him at night. But Blue can’t even see

his face and can’t even be sure the man is real.

When he dares to attempt an escape, Blue meets Wallace, a wolf-

shifter. Wallace teaches him that there is so much more out there

than Blue ever believed, that he is not alone like he’d thought.

As Blue struggles to accept the new revelations, emotions also

emerge, paving the path to a brighter future. But there is

someone still waiting to crush his dreams and his wings. With

Wallace’s support, can Blue become a beautiful, bright butterfly,

or will he forever be trapped in the cocoon of his own pain?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F) Shape-shifter,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 39,257 words

ON THE WINGS OF A

BUTTERFLY

The S.E.X. Factor 1

Scarlet Hyacinth

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

ON THE WINGS OF A BUTTERFLY
Copyright © 2012 by Scarlet Hyacinth
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-326-2

First E-book Publication: January 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

HIM. Lyrics. “Wings of a Butterfly.” Dark Light. Sire Records,
Finland. © 2005.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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Scarlet Hyacinth from BookStrand.com or its official distributors,
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DEDICATION

Heaven ablaze in our eyes

We're standing still in time

The blood on our hands is the wine

We offer as sacrifice

Come on, and show them your love

Rip out the wings of a butterfly

For your soul, my love

Rip out the wings of a butterfly

For your soul

HIM, “Wings of a Butterfly”

ON THE WINGS OF A

BUTTERFLY

The S.E.X. Factor 1

SCARLET HYACINTH

Prologue

About S.E.X.
Sex — Coitus, sexual intercourse
S.E.X. (also S.S.E.X.) — The selenic and solar extreme

xenogenesis. Syndrome affecting children conceived during nights of
the full moon or during lunar and solar eclipses, manifesting as a
mutation between the newborn’s genes and that of the parents.

S.E.X. factor — The determining factor or factors that influence

the development of the children affected by the syndrome.

S.E.X. Lupus strain — Form of selenic xenogenesis. Children

attain wolf-like impulses that can manifest violently. Upon puberty,
they can even shift into wolves.

S.E.X. Lepidoptera strain — Rare form of solar xenogenesis.

Children attain a fragility of bones and a flighty behavior that can be
mistaken for the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or, in some
cases, the Asperger syndrome. Upon puberty, butterfly wings emerge
from their backs, or they even shift into butterflies.

S.E.X. Corvus strain — Form of solar xenogenesis. Children may

be fascinated with death from a very young age. Upon puberty, crow
wings emerge, and they can even shift into crows.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

S.E.X. Leo strain — Form of selenic xenogenesis. Children may

alternate bouts of extreme inactivity with athletic hobbies. Boys are
likely to be very territorial and girls protective of younger siblings.
Upon puberty, they can turn into lions.

S.E.X. Delphinidiae strain — Rare form of solar xenogenesis.

Children are playful, social, and very intelligent. If living inland, they
might develop light breathing afflictions similar to asthma. Upon
puberty, they can shift into dolphins.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter One

It was dusk, and the stray rays that filtered through the curtains of

Blue’s room barely provided enough light for Blue to focus on his
work. The flower in front of him moved lightly, as if demanding
attention, and Blue hid a smile. He always did enjoy spending time
with the plants. He loved their perfume, the scent they exuded, and
the way they greeted him every morning with joy. And then there was
their pure beauty. Nature had perfected everything about its children,
and Blue had always loved admiring every detail of the flowers. For
him, the true essence of life was in the details. It was why he loved
detective stories, too, and why he enjoyed watching movies. Sitting
on a comfortable couch, holding his lover’s hand, and simply
watching a film or reading a book. That was his idea of heaven.

As if brought about by Blue’s thoughts, a presence appeared

behind him. Strong, familiar hands landed on his shoulders, and
Blue’s smile turned wide. They were good hands, of a warrior and a
man who could stand by Blue’s side no matter what. Blue left his
notepad on a nearby table and turned toward his lover. Bright golden
eyes met his. “Are you done with work?” a husky voice came.

Blue nodded, and the next thing he knew, his man lifted him up as

if he were as light as a feather. His lover carried him to their bed and
dumped him on the soft mattress.

Anticipation coursed through Blue, and a familiar heat swelled

inside him. He trembled under that golden gaze, feeling both
apprehensive and excited. He knew what his man wanted, and God,
he needed the same thing, so badly.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

His lover joined him on the bed and gently started undressing

Blue. It was fast, and yet, so gentle. Blue’s clothes seemed to melt off
him, as did those of his man. One minute they were sitting on the bed,
still dressed, the other, they were both completely nude.

Blue should have been taken aback by this, but he wasn’t. Instead,

he accepted it wholeheartedly as one of the miracles that always
happened when his man touched him.

Those strong hands traveled over Blue’s skin, mapping every

muscle, teasing Blue’s oversensitized body. They tangled in Blue’s
azure hair, caressing and petting. Blue’s lover lowered him on the
bed, bringing their bodies together. The other man’s thick prick
nudged against Blue’s thigh, and Blue’s anus clenched in need and
desire. “Please,” he begged. “I—”

His words were cut off when his man pressed insistent lips against

Blue’s, practically devouring him. Blue moaned and wrapped his
arms around his lover’s neck, intent on pulling the other man closer.
The kiss deepened even more, and Blue found his mouth invaded,
ravaged, plundered by the one person that made Blue’s life
worthwhile.

The kiss seemed to go on forever, their shared passion fueling an

even deeper need, the need to come together as one. When their lips
parted, gold eyes fixed on Blue’s face and a husky voice whispered in
his ear, “Mmmm, baby. You taste so good.”

Blue couldn’t find an answer, but then again, he’d never been a

very vocal person. When his lover touched him, it always short-
circuited his brain, and all appropriate replies dissipated. However,
the other man never held it against him. This time, as well, Blue’s
lover chuckled and whispered, “Let’s see if I can find a place where
you taste even better.”

And he proceeded to do just that, exploring Blue’s body with his

tongue instead of with his hands. Soft, light kisses landed on Blue’s
face, a gentle caress that spoke of the true affection behind the

Scarlet Hyacinth

passion. Blue’s lover licked over his collarbone, delving in the hollow
of Blue’s throat, as if he found the spot particularly fascinating.

He then progressed over Blue’s chest to his nipples. The tiny bits

of flesh had already peaked, demanding attention. Blue’s lover
suckled on each of them, and it was as if the two buds were directly
connected to Blue’s cock. His prick throbbed, reminding Blue that it
wanted to be let in on the action.

Blue arched against his man, his reluctance to speak now

forgotten. “Please…Oh, God. Please…I need more. Fuck me.”

But his man had never been one to rush, and he seemed intent on

doing exactly what he’d said, tasting Blue all over. He abandoned
Blue’s nipples and traveled to his taut abdomen. For a few moments,
he lingered over his navel, stabbing his tongue in the tiny hole. It
tickled, but it was also very arousing.

Lower down Blue’s lover went, unfortunately choosing to bypass

the place Blue wanted him most in, well, other than his ass. But when
the other man licked over Blue’s thighs and down to his calves, Blue
forgot about all protest. His legs had always been very sensitive, and
he particularly liked it when his man touched his feet.

As always, his lover knew exactly where to touch Blue to drive

him wild. His tongue licked over the arch of Blue’s foot, and he
fellated the toes, groaning in obvious pleasure. Blue grabbed the
sheets on his bed in an attempt to remain still. He didn’t want to kick
his lover in the face and spoil the moment.

But it was hard, so very hard, when his man’s mouth was doing

sinful and delicious things to him. A mix of relief and dismay coursed
through him when the sensations stopped, and his lover changed
positions. Just that brief pause made Blue feel bereft, and he reached
for his man, more than ever desperate for reassurance.

In reply, his lover kissed up Blue’s legs until he reached Blue’s

prick. Without giving Blue one single warning, the other man took the
throbbing shaft into his mouth. Blue’s cock was already leaking
copious amount of pre-cum, and Blue’s lover drank it all in as if it

On the Wings of a Butterfly

were the sweetest nectar. He growled—he actually growled like an
animal—and the primal sound sent vibrations through Blue’s
sensitive flesh.

Blue was close, so very close. When his lover took him all the

way and swallowed, Blue screamed and found his peak, sending his
seed down the other man’s throat. By some miracle, he didn’t lose
consciousness, and with the bottom of his mind, he registered his
lover cleaning him of all the spunk, lapping it all up as if it were
cream.

As he released Blue’s cock from his mouth, his man threaded his

fingers through the azure curls of Blue’s pubic hair. “I love this,” he
murmured. “So beautiful. Like you.”

When his lover spoke to him like that, Blue could actually think it

was true, that he was indeed beautiful. He smiled up at his man, the
afterglow of climax mingling with the pure affection inside him.

But of course, it wasn’t over yet. Relaxed after his mind-numbing

orgasm, Blue couldn’t even move when his lover inserted two
lubricated fingers into his ass. When had the other man retrieved
lubricant? Blue didn’t know and didn’t care. The invasion drove
renewed arousal through Blue, and he impaled himself on his man’s
fingers.

His lover finger-fucked him, and each second that passed made

Blue’s need grow more and more. The digits were a poor replacement
for what he really wanted. And when his man hit a particular spot
inside him, Blue saw stars and dissolved into incoherent pleas.

Thankfully, his man didn’t torture him for much longer. He

retracted his fingers from Blue’s ass and lifted Blue’s legs high. A
thick cock prodded at Blue’s hole. In one single thrust, Blue’s lover
slid in.

It was just like Blue knew it would be, beautiful, perfect, and oh,

so hot. Blue loved heat, always had, and his lover was like a volcano
of passion threatening to burn him alive. If that happened, Blue would

Scarlet Hyacinth

die happy, because this…This couldn’t be compared with anything
else on the planet.

His man began to thrust in and out of him, falling into a rhythm as

familiar to them as breathing. He supported Blue’s legs over his
shoulders, at the same time leaning even closer. His breath fanned
over Blue’s face, and the gold of his eyes seemed to twinkle like stars.

His lover didn’t speak. Instead, he moved in and out of Blue’s

channel, his cock always hitting Blue’s prostate. The proximity of
their bodies made Blue’s prick rub between their abdomens, and the
friction added to the whirlpool of sensation sweeping through him.

Blue chanted his lover’s name, but it didn’t quite register. The

pleasure was getting too much, and even if he’d just come a few
moments ago, he was close to orgasm once again. The heat of his
lover’s prick scorched him from the inside, the relentless massage on
his prostate too much to endure.

And then sharp canines pierced the flesh of Blue’s neck. A

rainbow of colors burst in Blue’s vision as he came once again. This
time, he could not hope to keep hold of his consciousness. It was all
too much, and the sweet pleasure-pain drugged him.

As the pleasure began to fade, though, Blue was struck by a

sudden sensation of wrongness. He cracked his eyes open, but as he
looked around, he realized in dismay his lover was nowhere to be
seen.

He pinched himself, trying to figure out what had happened. As he

got up from the bed, his hair fell forward. It was black, not blue.

Realization gripped him. It had all been a dream, another of the

beautiful dreams Blue had been having for as long as he could
remember. They hadn’t always been erotic. As a child, he’d simply
dreamt about a young man that would come to him, hold his hand,
and tell him stories, beautiful tales of the sun and the moon. But after
he’d reached his teenage years, they’d gained a different undertone. A
mysterious lover came to him, taking possession of his body and
claiming his heart. The worst thing was that he could never remember

On the Wings of a Butterfly

the man’s name, or even his face. It made it all seem even more
hopeless. Something inside Blue told him the man with the golden
eyes was real and close by. But the times he’d escaped, he’d never
been able to find a single clue to his dream lover’s location.

His heart heavy, Blue climbed out of bed and started gathering the

now-dirty sheets. Seeing them would piss his father off, and the last
thing he needed was another beating.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to cover the lingering

traces of his wet dream. He heard a key turn in the lock, and then the
door burst open and his father walked inside. He gave Blue a cold
look. “Hello, Robin. How’s your back?”

Blue dropped the sheets and couldn’t help but take a step back.

Fears coursed through him at the recollection of the torture his father
could inflict. “F–Fine,” he replied. “Fine, Father.”

“Turn around. Let me see.”
Blue obeyed, knowing he didn’t have much choice. He removed

his light pajama top and faced the wall. His father’s hands were rough
on his back as the man examined his handiwork. “Hmmm. Looks
okay.”

In his mind, Blue began to chant the litany that comforted him. He

hated it when his father touched him, and he had to force himself to
stand still and not cower in a corner. Such behavior would only
trigger a violent reply from the other man.

Thankfully, Blue’s father released him without further comment.

With trembling hands, Blue began pulling his pajama top back on. He
focused on slipping each button through their respective holes, and so
intent was he on this task that he nearly jumped when his father
suddenly asked, “What’s all this?”

Blue looked up, realizing in horror that his father was staring at

the mess Blue had made of the sheets. “I–I…” He struggled to find a
reply, but couldn’t come up with anything.

Scarlet Hyacinth

His father’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll be generous today and look the

other way because you seem to be making some progress. But clean it
up at once. You wouldn’t want your mother to touch your filth.”

Blue nodded eagerly. “Y–Yes, Father,” he stammered.
A distant part of his mind screamed at him that his parent’s words

were unfair. He might not know much about the world, but trapped
inside the house, he could do nothing but read and study. He gathered
that his reaction to the dream wasn’t uncommon to a young man in his
prime.

But of course, his father wasn’t probably bothered by the actual

concept of the wet dream, but rather, by the fact that the seed on the
sheets belonged to Blue. The man considered Blue an aberration, and
that was something he couldn’t argue with.

As his parent left the room, Blue began to gather the sheets and

took them to the bathroom. The washing machine was downstairs, so
he would have to clean everything by hand. Blue didn’t mind. He
knew he was lucky he’d even been allowed living in this room with a
private bathroom. After he’d run away from home last time, he’d
thought he would forever be trapped in the basement beneath the
house. But of course, his luck had nothing to do with his father’s
kindness, but rather, with the man’s need to reinforce appearances.
They often had guests, and sometimes, they wanted to see Blue, who,
to their mind, was the sickly child respectable Mr. and Mrs. Clements
cared for. Many times, he’d been forced to stand there, pretending,
frozen because of his fear.

He shuddered as he thought about that and pushed the memory to

the back of his mind. He heard the door to his room open again, and
moments later, his mother walked inside.

Whenever Blue saw her, his heart clenched. Her once brown hair

had turned prematurely gray, and Blue knew her suffering was all
because of him. If he hadn’t existed, she would never have been in
this situation.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Of course, he also realized that she could stop this at any time, and

a part of him couldn’t understand why she allowed his torture to
continue. But at least she’d never hit him, and when she spoke, she
sounded gentle and almost apologetic.

“Are you all right, Blue?” she asked.
Blue nodded, to a certain extent dismayed at her use of the

nickname. She was the one who’d created it in the first place and also
the only person who ever acknowledged that part of him. And yet, she
always held back, and there was a distance between them that
couldn’t be denied, ever since It had happened.

“I just have to wash this,” he told her.
His mother didn’t offer to help him or do it in his stead. Truth be

told, Blue didn’t mind, although he’d have liked to at least have some
gloves to protect his hands from the bleach he used on the sheets.

But he didn’t dare to ask, and she didn’t say anything else.

Instead, she turned his back on him and left the room. The sound of
the key in the lock told him that he was once again trapped inside.

Angrily, Blue dropped the sheets in the tub. He couldn’t take this

anymore. Everything in his life was controlled by his father. He dyed
his hair to keep its color from startling everyone, but kept it long just
so that the other man would have leverage when he wanted to
immobilize Blue. He pretended to be sick and allowed his father to
walk all over him, to kill his sense of self, even his will. He felt like
he was choking. His dreams were the only thing keeping him alive.

Still thinking about his mysterious lover, Blue returned to his

bedroom and opened his drawer. He had very few personal
possessions. The books his mother brought him from time to time
were not his. But those things he did own, he attempted to keep away
from his parents’ eyes. He retrieved his notepad, scanning through the
scribbled pages. Sometimes, he took notes of new names of plants he
discovered through his studies and reread them once his parents took
the books away. Other times, he imagined himself in a detective story,
where he was in charge of discovering the culprit.

Scarlet Hyacinth

He’d never dared to put his dreams on paper, but now, he found

himself picking up a pen and beginning to list what he remembered of
his dream lover. His man had been tall, muscular. Blue could
distinctly recall the sensation of being pressed into the mattress by a
much larger body. His hair had been chin-length, soft, perhaps shaggy
in a way. Blue had many times run his hand through it. God, it felt so
real. And of course, there were those beautiful golden eyes. How
many people could have eyes like that? He caught himself before
writing “big cock” and threw the notepad away. What was he doing?
Even if he did remember how his dream lover looked—something
he’d never been able to do—and even if the man with the golden eyes
was, indeed, real, Blue had very little chance of finding him in a city
the size of New York.

Outside, Blue heard his father’s car start. The man would be going

to work, leaving Blue with only his mother. Blue bit his lip. He was
so sick of this, so sick of yearning for his freedom and a man he could
never reach.

His heart hammering, Blue went to his bed and lifted his mattress.

There, in his hiding place, he had an old, battered wallet with a few
bills still inside. He’d managed to find it by luck, once when he’d
been locked into the basement. It wouldn’t help him get anywhere,
and if he escaped again, his father would probably kill him.

But Blue didn’t care. He’d overheard his parents talking with a

guest about a 3-D movie running at the local cinema and licked his
suddenly dry lips. Did he dare?

He wanted to. He’d always been fascinated by visual beauty, by

colors, by the details, in nature and on the screen. Sometimes, when
he looked really close at a television set, he thought he could see
individual pixels. He loved it, loved the way the tiny things banded
together to create an image.

And honestly, he couldn’t withstand the enclosure for much

longer. Always under his mother’s close supervision, living in fear
and terror so that no one would know. This would be his little

On the Wings of a Butterfly

rebellion. He knew they’d catch him, of course. They always did. But
until then, he’d wanted to enjoy one afternoon, a single afternoon of
normalcy. He’d have liked to be able to be visit the botanical garden,
but his parents would find him there. The movies, however…He
might have a chance.

Taking a deep breath, Blue found a change of clothes and

formulated a plan. His father had left now and Blue trusted he could
find a way to fool his mother. Or at least, he hoped so. Because for
Blue, this life was worse than death.

* * * *

Wallace leaned against his seat and took another sip of his beer.

“You know, I’ll never understand how you do it, Rav,” he told Raven.

His friend grinned at him, his jet-black eyes glinting with

amusement. “Of course you don’t. You and the rest of our…friends
don’t get along.”

Wallace snorted. That was the understatement of the century. He

had few friends, and he didn’t like spending time with those of his
kin. He found them tiresome and likely to stab him in the back.

Raven, however, was, like his name said, a raven, the only one

Wallace actually knew. He generally hung around Wallace and other
wolves, and since Wallace had never been forced to compete with
Raven for anything, they were best friends. Of course, it helped that
they’d essentially grown up together, so they were more than friends,
almost brothers. True, Raven often went off to do his own thing,
something Wallace didn’t blame him for. Sometimes, though, his
choices honestly confused Wallace. But Raven was simply just that
kind of guy, and in spite of having somewhat morbid hobbies and
tastes, he had a way of getting under one’s skin.

“You know, Wal, you should really loosen up a bit. The others

aren’t so bad once you get to know them.” Raven’s grin turned into a
smirk. “And the sex can be very hot.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

To everyone else, the words might have sounded like a come-on,

but Wallace and Raven had never crossed the boundaries of
friendship. Truth be told, Wallace could objectively see why Raven
was so popular with people of both genders. His black eyes and hair
spoke of a mystery that many had tried to decipher. He was athletic,
but his form held an elegance Wallace’s bulkier frame didn’t offer.
Not to mention that he was smart as hell and made a very nice income
from his job. To this day, Wallace couldn’t understand why Raven
still chose to share an apartment with Wallace when he could have
very well afforded living alone. Or he did understand, but he didn’t
want to think too much about it. He hated the mere concept that he
might be pitied.

Wallace abandoned his beer on the table, suddenly not in the

mood to continue the conversation. Hell, it was very early in the day.
He shouldn’t be at a bar, at all. But clients had been slow in coming
in, so Wallace had decided to take a brief break.

“Whatever,” he told Raven. He disliked discussing his love life or

lack of thereof. It just brought to mind the dreams he’d been having,
ones he couldn’t understand and that continuously tortured him. “You
know how I feel about that.”

Raven’s expression turned serious. “Still having trouble sleeping,

huh?”

Wallace nodded. His friend was the only one with whom he’d

shared the existence of the strikingly vivid dreams. He could never
remember them completely. He just recalled having a lover, a lover
with beautiful azure eyes that made his blood boil. Many times, he’d
told himself it was just his subconscious telling him to get a stable
relationship already, but Wallace had never been able to believe it,
especially when the erotic dreams turned into nightmares. They
pictured a lover Wallace could never save from a fate worse than
death. He’d never really known what scared him so much, what peril
plagued his dream man, but the worst thing of all was that he could
never reach his lover in time to save him.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Raven had advised him to go see Doc, and it wasn’t a bad idea.

Doc had always been there when Wallace needed it, offering her
support and affection. But Wallace didn’t feel ready. He trusted her,
but this was something very personal, something he wouldn’t share
with just anyone.

He might have offered a reply to Raven, but he noticed another

man approaching. His instincts bristled as he detected a fellow wolf
encroaching on his territory. He knew the man well. His name was
Lowell, and they’d had a few fights in their early days.

Lowell made his way to their table and looked from Wallace to

Raven. “Hello.”

The greeting seemed drawn out of his throat, and it wasn’t hard to

figure out it had been said for Raven’s benefit. Wallace’s friend
arched a brow at him. Resigning himself, Wallace stood and
grumbled a “hello” back. “I hate to be the third wheel, so I’m off.
Gonna see a movie or something.”

“Alone?” Lowell taunted him.
“Yes, well, you know me. The lone wolf.”
Without looking back, Wallace left the bar. Watching a movie

seemed like a lame way to spend the afternoon. He might be better off
just going back to the office. But with the economic crisis, people
seemed to have lost interest in finding out if their spouses were
cheating or if their kids were doing drugs. Good detective cases had
been rare even before, and now more so. Wallace had just finished his
latest job, and just sitting at his desk twiddling his thumbs drove him
crazy.

He’d have liked to go running, but he only did that at night, and it

was still high noon. The only other option would be to visit the
orphanage, and as much as he liked it there, he wasn’t in the mood. It
would just remind him of those strange dreams, the ones he both
wanted to hold onto and forget. What did they mean? Wallace had so
many questions and so few answers.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Sighing, Wallace resigned himself to an afternoon of cinematic

entertainment. Sometimes, it really sucked to be a lone wolf. Perhaps
one day, he would find someone after his own heart, but until then, he
was stuck alone with his nightmares and his dilemmas. An image
flashed into his mind, that of clear blue eyes. Who? Who was his
dream lover? Was he even real, or merely a fantasy? Wallace feared
that he might never find out.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Chapter Two

“You wanted caramel popcorn, right, kid?”
Blue nodded, wiping his sweaty hands against the material of his

jeans. “H–How much?” he stammered.

The cashier gave him a bored look. “Five fifty.”
With trembling hands, Blue retrieved his battered wallet. His

vision was a bit fuzzy, and he blinked to dispel the dizziness. Finally,
he managed to produce two bills and offered them to the salesman.

Behind him, someone jeered. “Get a move on, you little faggot!

There are other people waiting in line here.”

The insult made Blue tremble even harder. When the cashier

handed his much desired popcorn, his shaking had gotten so bad that
he couldn’t keep his hold on the box. Popcorn went flying
everywhere, over the floor and the people behind him.

Blue froze. His popcorn. God, his popcorn. For a few moments,

he didn’t even breathe, so focused on his utter failure and
ridiculousness. He might not have moved at all, but someone kicked
him, and he fell facedown on the floor. Snickers sounded all around,
and Blue struggled to suppress his tears. Why had he even thought
this would be a good idea? He was a freak, and he would never get
over his social awkwardness. Besides, he shouldn’t have been out of
the house anyway. His father would be so pissed, and Blue had taken
the chance for nothing. The sweet popcorn he had anticipated so
much landed all over the floor. Somehow, it seemed fitting. Blue was,
himself, a mess.

The knowledge of the extreme injustice made Blue want to

scream. Still, he forced back his anger and pain. He could do very

Scarlet Hyacinth

little to fight anyone who hurt him. He was small and lacked the
physical strength for that sort of thing. In his earlier years, he’d shown
some aptitude for running—thank God, for that much. In fact, he was
quite fast and would have easily outrun many of his fellow students
back in high school. But he was also very clumsy and, more often
than not, tripped over his own feet. Besides, he hadn’t been able to
finish high school anyway, because It had happened.

As if triggered by Blue’s thoughts, an itch started in his back. The

sudden terror gave him the strength to shoot to his feet. He dodged
past the people who were still jeering. God, if only they knew. If they
knew, they would kill him. His parents were right. He should never
have escaped the house for a trivial thing like going to the movies. He
needed to go back, back to his little room, back to the pain he knew,
the enclosure and the house that smelled like dead leaves.

The itch began to get even stronger and melted into a dull pain.

Blue knew it all too well and dreaded it. He knew what it foretold. He
didn’t want it anymore. He just wanted to be normal.

As if his terrible situation wasn’t enough, a strong arm reached for

him and stopped him in his tracks. “Where do you think you’re going,
little faggot?”

It was the same voice that had taunted him earlier. Blue found

himself immobilized in the hold of a big, burly man. He grinned,
exposing tobacco-stained teeth. Blue couldn’t suppress a grimace. He
could practically see all the particles of scale formed on them, and the
stink from the guy’s breath nearly made him lose his small breakfast.
The man’s meaty hands squeezed Blue’s arms, threatening to break
his fragile bones. “What? Don’t you like me? Little bitch.”

Blue simply waited without speaking. In his experience, bullies

gave up faster if their persecution was received with a straight face.
Crying or begging would only encourage them. Blue knew better than
to believe witnesses would jump to his aid, so he braced himself for
the pain that would follow. He wished the guy would hurry up. At
least that way, Blue would be distracted and It might not happen.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

The punch he anticipated never came. Instead, a large hand landed

on his attacker’s shoulder. “I’d let him go if I were you.”

The burly man released Blue and turned toward the new arrival.

“Fuck off. It’s none of your—”

His words died in his throat. At first, Blue didn’t understand the

problem, but then, he dared to peek over his attacker’s shoulder. He
gaped in shock at what he saw. Blue’s savior was even bigger than the
foul-scented man, but not in a burly, fat way. Rather, he was covered
in rippling muscle. His shoulders seemed to go on for miles, and his
mere presence threatened to make Blue’s knees buckle. Black hair
curled around a strong jaw, framing a face that could have belonged
to a movie star.

He wore sunglasses, something Blue found very peculiar. If the

man in front of him thought the same, he didn’t show it. Instead, he
backed away from Blue slowly. “Sure, man,” he said. “Whatever.”

As the guy left, Blue’s savior turned toward him. “Are you okay?”

he inquired in a soft voice.

Blue nodded, still a bit shaken—not so much by the attack, but by

the rescue. “I’m fine, thank you,” he replied in a whisper.

“You sure?” the other man insisted.
Blue offered his rescuer a shy smile. “Yes, you arrived before he

could hurt me.”

“Okay.” The man paused, as if thinking about something, then

grinned back. It nearly stopped Blue’s heart. “What’s your name?”

At first, Blue almost forgot to reply. No one ever asked him his

name. It meant socializing, which led to getting to know each other,
and maybe making friends. “Blue,” he blurted out without really
thinking about it.

“Blue?” the man repeated in surprise.
Blue felt his face heat. “Well, it’s Robin, but my…friends call me

Blue.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Or at least his mother called him that. “Blue.” The other man

smiled again. “I like it. It suits you.” He lowered his voice to a near-
whisper. “It suits the color of your lovely eyes.”

Blue almost choked at the compliment, for two reasons. His

mother always said he had beautiful eyes, but Blue had never believed
her. Hearing it from this man, however, was very different. He found
his body responding in an embarrassing way and he prayed his savior
wouldn’t notice. At the same time, he realized he’d lost his contacts
somewhere along the way, probably during his flight from the house.
He didn’t actually need them to see, but they disguised the strange,
almost bubblegum-blue color of his eyes. Oddly, the other man didn’t
seem surprised at it, and judging by his words, he must have realized
this was Blue’s real eye color.

Blue should have denied it, but he found himself saying

something different. “T–Thanks,” he answered, this time unable to
keep himself from stammering.

His rescuer just grinned again. “I’m Wallace.”
“That’s an interesting name.” Blue perked up. “Like William

Wallace?”

Wallace nodded. “My mother had a passion for Scottish history

and bodice rippers.” He grimaced. “Unfortunately, she didn’t expect I
would one day share a name with a kids’ show. At this point, I’ve
heard it all.”

Blue frowned. “Well, I think it’s a great name. Besides, it suits

you. You’re brave, and you saved me. Braveheart.” And if Blue
wanted to be honest, he had a total crush on Mel Gibson. Braveheart
was one of his all-time favorites and one of the many things he’d
missed since his parents had isolated him from the world.

Wallace burst into laughter. “Whatever you say. And on that note,

come on. I’ll get you some popcorn, and we can go watch the movie.”

So focused on his new friend, Blue had completely forgotten

about that. He licked his suddenly dry lips. “I’d like that.”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Amazingly, he didn’t stammer, and he might have done a happy

dance if he hadn’t thought he’d fall on his face should he even try it.
He waited while Wallace went and bought the popcorn. They’d
already purchased tickets, so when Wallace returned, they retrieved
their 3-D glasses and headed into the cinema.

The theatre was dark, the preshowing commercial rolling. The two

of them found seats in the back. In a considerate gesture, Wallace
made sure no tall person blocked Blue’s view of the screen. They sat
down and put their glasses on. Blue probably wouldn’t need them,
because of his special vision, but he wanted to pretend to be
somewhat normal, for Wallace’s sake.

Ironically, during his childhood, Blue had been very nearsighted,

albeit still fascinated with colors. The problem had gradually
disappeared, even if Blue still wasn’t sure why. He couldn’t
understand many things about himself, but he preferred to avoid
thinking about them.

They watched the movie for a few moments, and Blue found

himself growing increasingly comfortable in the other man’s
presence. He felt safe, which was strange, because he never felt safe
in the rare occasions he escaped his house. Sure, he still felt
embarrassed about Wallace buying him popcorn and leading him
inside. Hell, he couldn’t even understand why he managed to accept
Wallace with such ease when everyone else made him nervous. Hell,
even the slight pain he’d experienced dwindled, soothed by the other
man’s presence.

He was so lost in his thoughts he was completely taken aback

when Wallace’s arm came to settle around his shoulder. “Is this
okay?” Wallace asked.

Blue jumped, unaccustomed to the touch. The itch in his back and

shoulders started again, stronger than ever. God, no. Not now. Not
when things seemed to be looking up for him. Intellectually, he knew
Wallace’s touch was very gentle and didn’t even reach the most
vulnerable spots of his back. But he could not escape the panic. There

Scarlet Hyacinth

was only one person who ever touched him there, and always, always,
that person inflicted pain on him.

He shot to his feet and, without further hesitation, jumped past

Wallace. For once, he didn’t stumble as he ran out of the theatre. The
burn in his back was getting worse, though, and Blue knew he would
never have the time to get home.

Terrified, Blue fled toward the bathroom. Thankfully, there was

no one there, although the smell of urine still lingering under that
chlorine made him want to hurl. Still, he didn’t have much choice, so
he took refuge in one of the stalls.

Just in time, too, because seconds after he shut the stall door, pain

wracked through him. He covered his mouth to choke his cry as two
sets of wings burst from his back, a blue iridescent color, just like his
eyes. Now, though, they were tainted with red, the red of his blood.

Weak and frightened, Blue collapsed on the floor. He had no idea

how he would get out of here now. He’d been so stupid. He should
never have left his home.

It had taken him quite a bit of effort to free himself from the

locked room. His father had returned from work faster than expected,
and Blue had actually thought his plan would be useless. But he’d
been in luck. His father had brought a coworker to visit. Whenever
people came to the house, Blue was allowed outside, for the same
reason he’d been released from the basement, to preserve the
appearance of normalcy. Blue had played along, at least until the
moment his parents had been distracted. He’d made a run for it and
headed straight to the cinema.

But of course, he hadn’t expected any of this to happen. He closed

his eyes, knowing it was too late for regrets now. In the end, who
gave a shit if other people saw him? What could they do that hadn’t
already been done to him?

He imagined the botanical garden that was his solace, his safe

place. Once upon a time, when he’d still been a child, before his
wings had emerged, his parents had taken him there. Sometimes,

On the Wings of a Butterfly

when he managed to slip out of the house, it was where he went.
Perhaps he should have gone to the garden instead.

Shaking his head, Blue began to whisper to himself. “Acacia,

Achillea, African Boxwood, African Lily, Agapanthus, Ageratum,
Ageratum houstonianum…” Over and over, he continued his litany of
flower names. He’d reached calla lily when he heard something
outside.

“Blue? Baby, are you in here?”
It was Wallace’s voice. Blue froze as footsteps closed in on his

location. A knock sounded outside the stall. “Please, baby, open the
door,” Wallace pleaded. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I didn’t mean to.”
Then the other man’s tone changed. “Blue, are you all right?”

Blue couldn’t reply. He simply watched in horrified fascination as

the knob turned, once, twice, three times. What followed didn’t
surprise him in the slightest. Wallace released a curse and then forced
the door open and stepped inside the stall.

* * * *

Wallace stared in astonishment at the sight in front of him. The

last thing he’d expected upon meeting beautiful, delicate Blue was
this. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, for a few moments unable to
believe what he was seeing.

His shock disappeared, though, when the smell of blood once

more assaulted him. He’d felt it even before he’d burst into the stall.
At first, he hadn’t thought it came from Blue, but then his advanced
senses had localized the source of the scent, and in terror, he’d opened
the door.

He knelt next to Blue, checking the beautiful young man over.

“Baby, talk to me. Where are you hurt?”

Those azure eyes fixed on him. “B–Back,” Blue stammered,

sounding dazed.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Gently, Wallace picked Blue up and turned him to check. He

couldn’t be sure, but the gorgeous butterfly wings seemed to have
burst straight through the flesh. No wonder there was a lot of blood
around. But that couldn’t be right. If Blue truly was like Wallace, the
wings shouldn’t have hurt him.

Either way, the whys and the hows didn’t matter right now. This

sort of injury could even kill Blue, not in and by itself, but through the
blood loss. With as much gentleness as he could, he took Blue in his
arms, avoiding touching the youth’s injured back. “I’m taking you to
a doctor.”

At that, Blue seemed to snap out of his trance. “A doctor? What

doctor? No one can help me. I’m a freak. And how exactly do you
plan on walking out of here with a guy with butterfly wings?”

Wallace retrieved his cell phone and speed-dialed one. “Yeah?” a

familiar male voice replied.

“Hi, Rav. I need some help. I found one of us, and he’s injured. I

need cover to take him to Doc.”

Predictably, Raven’s tone turned all business. “Have you called

home?”

“Not yet. I figured you were closer.”
“How bad is it?” Raven inquired.
“He has butterfly wings. I’m not sure why, but it doesn’t seem he

can control them, so I can’t get him out without being seen.”

Raven cursed. “On my way, Wall. I’ll call Doc. Just focus on

caring for him.”

They ended the conversation, and Wallace peeked outside the

stall. There was still no one, but people were bound to wonder why he
and Blue were staying so long inside. Besides, he didn’t know how
long it would take for Raven to get here. He needed to do something
to stop the bleeding.

“Don’t worry,” Blue said, as if guessing his thoughts. “This

happens all the time. It’s a bit messy, but I won’t die or anything like
that.”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

All the time? Wallace didn’t even want to ask what Blue meant by

that. He carried Blue out of the stall and walked to the bathroom door.
After locking it, he stopped by the sink.

“Can you stand?” he asked Blue.
A bit hesitantly, Blue nodded. “Sure.”
Wallace didn’t believe him for a second. He ran the water in the

sink and gently placed Blue down without releasing his hold on the
youth. There were all sorts of germs around this place, and Wallace
didn’t know if Blue’s biology was the same as his. Wallace was very
resistant to all diseases, bacteria included, but Blue might not be,
since in nature, butterflies were so fragile. It seemed like Blue would
break if handled wrongly, and Wallace was terrified.

Unfortunately, leaving was out of the question, so Wallace chose

to tend to the wounds instead. Doc had given all of them basic
medical lessons, just in case they ran into situations like this. As
quickly as he could, Wallace helped Blue out of the ripped jacket and
tore it into makeshift bandages. He washed the injuries, nausea
invading him when he realized there were scars all around the
beautiful blue wings. Wallace suppressed a growl as he realized what
had happened. Someone had been chopping the wings off or even
ripping them out. “Who, baby? Tell me who.”

Blue was silent, and Wallace couldn’t blame him. They’d only

just met, and Wallace couldn’t expect an obviously abused young
man to trust him just like that. He didn’t insist with his questioning.
Instead, he did his best to stem the blood flow. It proved to be quite
awkward due to the positioning of Blue’s wings. The youth didn’t
seem to know what to do with them, and he moved them around
almost erratically, therefore straining his wounds.

Before he knew it, Wallace was cooing softly in Blue’s ear,

caressing his hip, and whispering random words of comfort. It
actually worked, and Blue relaxed in his arms. The azure wings
stopped twitching, allowing Wallace to finish cleaning the wounds.

Scarlet Hyacinth

As it turned out, Blue hadn’t been lying. The wounds began to

close, although that didn’t diminish Wallace’s concern. If anything,
Wallace got even more worried with each second that passed. In the
end, he didn’t have the patience to wait any longer. As soon as he
finished bandaging Blue, he covered the young man with his own
jacket and made a decision.

He knew how risky blood loss could be, especially for their kind.

Unlike normal humans, they couldn’t benefit from blood transfusions,
unless it was from someone of their own strain. And Wallace had
never in his life heard of, let alone known, a butterfly-shifter. If Blue
lost too much blood, he wouldn’t have a donor.

Therefore, he wrapped his big jacket around Blue’s shoulders,

doing his best to cloak Blue’s wings. It was hard, since they were
quite large. But the difference between Blue and Wallace’s build
allowed Wallace to create a makeshift cloak that hid Blue’s most
striking feature. He hated putting Blue into such a situation, but
Raven and Doc were taking too long, and Wallace would just have to
chance it. The alternative was risking Blue’s life, and that was
something he couldn’t even consider without feeling ill.

“Wait,” Blue whispered. “Someone is going to see.”
But Wallace didn’t wait. He opened the door and rushed outside.

His keen senses always told him of the location of his enemies, and in
this case, alerted him of where the humans in the area were. Using his
abilities, he snuck through the building, managing to dodge the
incoming people. Most were in the theatre, but a couple were coming
toward the bathroom or hanging around the shop to buy more snacks.
And of course, there were the regular late arrivals who
inconvenienced Wallace most.

Thankfully, they were at a smaller cinema, where video

surveillance wasn’t quite so valued. Wallace managed to avoid most
of the humans, until he reached the main entryway. From there, he
would have to be out in the open for a few moments. The alternative
was running at a supernatural speed, but that meant putting not only

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Blue, but all of Wallace’s friends in danger. He’d seen an emergency
exit that didn’t seem to be guarded and headed that way. Thankfully,
they left the building without being stopped. All the while, Wallace
kept caressing Blue’s hip under the jacket to keep the young man
calm and his wings motionless. It would take one single slipup from
Blue, and they would be discovered.

Wallace walked out of the cinema into a side alley and headed

straight for his car. At this hour, the area was teeming with humans,
but he’d parked close to the alley. Still, parking spaces were always
sparse in the city, so there was a five-minute walk there. Normally, it
wouldn’t mean anything, and Wallace might even enjoy walking at
Blue’s side, but Blue’s wings could put them in a very troublesome
situation.

As it turned out, he wasn’t forced to take any further chances. A

familiar-looking Jeep stopped in front of the alley, and Raven walked
out. “Come on, Wal. I called Doc to set things up.”

The words seemed to spur some life into Blue. “S–Set things up?

Where are you taking me?”

His wings started their agitated motion again, and it pushed

Wallace’s jacket off Blue’s shoulders. His wings emerged briefly,
before Wallace hastily covered them up again.

Raven’s eyebrows shot up. “Whoa. He really is a butterfly.”
Wallace ignored his friend. “Don’t worry,” he told Blue. “Like I

said, I have a friend who’s a doctor. She’s very nice, and she’ll help
you.”

“But you won’t go anywhere, right?” Blue seemed hesitant. “I…I

just don’t know.”

“I’ll be by your side all the time, I promise.”
As he spoke, Blue quieted down again, and Wallace opened the

door to Raven’s car. He slipped in with Blue, paying close attention
so as not to hurt the sensitive membrane of Blue’s wings. Raven got
behind the wheel and started the vehicle.

Scarlet Hyacinth

The windows were tinted, so Wallace relaxed and allowed the

jacket to fall off Blue’s shoulders. Now free, the wings burst out in all
their glory, nearly dazzling Wallace with their delicate beauty.

But as gorgeous as they were, those wings were also trembling,

signaling Blue’s nervousness. Wallace started talking in low voice,
explaining exactly where they were headed.

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered. “You’re among friends. We

understand what you’re going through.”

Blue leaned against Wallace, his voice weak as he protested, “No

one can understand. I’m a monster.”

Through the rearview mirror, Wallace shared a look with Raven.

“You’re not a monster or a freak,” Wallace told Blue. His heart hurt
for the young man and what he must have been through. “You’re just
different, and so are we.”

He placed his hand on Blue’s and allowed the change to flow over

him. Unlike Blue, he could control his nature, even more so than
others of his kind. His hand shifted and grew fur, while his fingernails
turned into claws.

Blue yelped and pushed away from him. The sudden motion made

him land on the seat next to Wallace, but at the same time, jostled his
still-injured back. Wallace cursed his own foolishness. He was forever
surprising Blue when the youth clearly had no concept of his own
abilities and what they implied.

“Careful now, baby. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Fur.” Blue gave him a wide-eyed look. “You grew fur.”
“Why so surprised?” Raven asked. “You have wings, right?”
“Well, yes. I just never thought there are others like me.”
“Of course there are.” Wallace brushed a lock of long, black hair

out of Blue’s eyes. “But don’t think about it right now. Just know that
I’m your friend, all right?”

Blue nodded, suddenly looking very pale. “Wallace, I don’t feel

so well.”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Wallace had actually thought Blue was doing better, but

apparently, the young man had been running on pure adrenaline. “Go
faster,” he shouted at Raven just as Blue fainted against him.

Raven obeyed, but each second that passed seemed to stretch into

a lifetime. Blue’s skin now felt cool and clammy to the touch, and his
heart rate elevated. Wallace cursed himself. He should have known an
injury like Blue’s could not disappear just like that. Perhaps Blue
even had internal bleeding. If so, by the time they reached the clinic,
Blue could die.

Fortunately, Raven understood the urgency and broke several

traffic rules to get them to their destination on time. Finally, Raven
drove through the gates of the orphanage and parked in front of the
main building.

Doc and her brother Ford were already outside waiting. Their

younger sister, Doctor Charity Goldwin, was with them, something
that distantly surprised Wallace. She’d been gone for several years
now. She must have just recently returned. Thankfully, during the
time he’d spent here, he’d learned to ignore the apprehension he
naturally felt around Ford. The last thing his beast needed now was to
be challenged by another predator.

He burst out of the car and took Blue in his arms, paying close

attention so as not to hurt the delicate azure wings. “This way,” Doc
said as she led him into the clinic. “Hurry.”

She directed him into an already readied examination room. There

were all sort of medical utensils, as the clinic was well used to dealing
with conditions out of the ordinary for normal humans.

Wallace placed Blue facedown on the bed. Doc and Miss Goldwin

ushered him out, and Wallace had no choice but to exit the room.
Outside, he plopped down on a bench and buried his face in his hands.

Raven and Ford sat next to him. “Don’t worry,” Raven said.

“They’ll save him.”

“If anyone can do it, it’s my sisters,” Ford added.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Wallace hoped they were correct. The mere thought of losing Blue

made him cold all over. He didn’t know why he’d immediately felt
such closeness with the young man, but whatever the reason, he
needed Blue safe and whole again.

Wallace closed his eyes and thought about Blue, about his deep,

innocent, azure eyes, his soft voice, and his shy laugh. “Please don’t
die,” he mentally begged. “Please, baby blue. Don’t die.”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Chapter Three

When Blue woke up, the first thing he saw was an unfamiliar

green wall. It struck him as odd, since at his house, everything was
painted a sterile white. He then realized the wall was in front of him,
not above. He lay on a soft bed, on his belly. The position was the
only thing he felt in any way accustomed to, as he slept like that all
the time.

He struggled to get up, and as he did so, felt a strange weight

against his back. Memories rushed to him. He’d run away from home
and, in a fit of rebellion, gone to the movies. There, he’d met Wallace.
And then his wings had emerged again. After that, everything was
kind of a blur. Had he really seen Wallace’s hand turn into a wolf
paw, or had it all been a dream?

His dizziness subsided, and he got to his knees. He realized that,

at one point, his clothes had been replaced with a loose hospital robe
that didn’t constrain his wings. Of course, it also didn’t cover his ass,
but Blue gathered the sheets had been doing a good job of it, and
anyway, now was hardly the time for such thoughts. Exactly where
was he and how had he ended up here, half-naked?

A woman’s voice snapped him out of his musings. “Welcome

back. How do you feel?”

Blue turned toward the speaker and saw a beautiful blonde woman

sitting on a chair next to his bed. She had a pretty smile that should
have been encouraging. Instead, it made Blue anxious.

He gathered his knees to his chest and tried to cover himself up

with the sheets, distantly aware of his new wings beating a quick
rhythm against his back. “Where am I?” he asked.

Scarlet Hyacinth

“You’re in my clinic. But first, let me introduce myself. I’m

Winnifred Goldwin, but you can call me Winnie or Doc.”

“You’re Doc?” He couldn’t suppress his disbelief. Somehow, the

lady on the seat struck him more as a model than a doctor.

She laughed. “Yes. Now, we managed to stabilize your condition,

but you might feel a bit weak in the next couple of hours.” Her
expression sobered. “You were very lucky. You lost a lot of blood,
but you seem to have regenerated it quite easily. I have my theories
regarding that, but we’ll discuss it later.”

Blue couldn’t get over the fact that she was sitting there, talking

normally, while he had his wings out. “Aren’t you freaked out at all?”
he inquired.

She shook her head. “A lot of the people I treat have special

abilities like yours. And of course, I myself am one of them.”

Once again, Blue recalled Wallace’s paw and then the man with

the big, black Jeep. “You? Wallace? His friend?”

She nodded. “As a brief explanation, we suffer from a form of

gene mutation. My father called it the selenic and solar extreme
xenogenesis, S.S.E.X., because it is caused by lunar and solar events,
like eclipses, full moons, or solar explosions. If you were conceived at
such a time, you have a chance of having this syndrome.”

“Wait, did you say…sex?”
Doc gave him a sheepish look. “My father was the quintessential

absent-minded genius. He didn’t even realize how the abbreviation
sounded until it was already established. The name stuck, though
these days, we use variants.”

This was surreal and too much for Blue to process. “Where’s

Wallace?” he asked in a choked voice. He wanted his Braveheart. He
wanted the man close. Only Wallace could make him feel like the
world made sense again.

As if guessing his thoughts, Wallace burst into the room. “Well,

Doc, what’s the verdict?” he asked.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

The woman got up. “You can stay with him. We’ll see about what

we discussed after that. But don’t tire him out, and if he shows any
signs of relapse, call me at once.”

Wallace thanked her, and after offering Blue another smile, she

took her leave. Wallace pulled the chair she’d vacated closer to the
bed and sat down. “So, how are you feeling?”

“Fine,” Blue replied. Strikingly, he realized that he did, indeed,

feel fine. He was still a bit weak, but his strength returned more and
more with each passing second. “I don’t get any of this, though.”

“I imagine you don’t.” Wallace reached for his hand, and Blue

couldn’t help but stare at it, remembering the fur and the claws.
Obviously sensing his apprehension, Wallace released his hold on
Blue’s palm. “I frightened you,” Wallace added. “I’m sorry.”

“No, you didn’t.” Blue snatched the other man’s hand back. “I

frightened myself.”

It was true. His wings always grew back after being ripped out,

but after a longer period of time. Blue had just recovered from one of
the episodes. He’d never have dared to leave the house if he’d thought
it would happen again.

Even now, he was very scared. He didn’t understand half the

things Doc had told him, and the entire explanation had been so brief
he could barely remember it. Once more, Wallace seemed to guess his
thoughts. “So, how much did you get from what Doc told you?”

Blue grimaced, and Wallace rewarded him with a brief laugh. “In

English, it’s like this. If you are conceived during the night of the full
moon, during a solar eclipse or similar phenomena, you can end up
being a shape-shifter. It seems the particular species of shifter
depends on many things.”

“What things?” Blue prodded.
“It’s complicated. For example, it involves the position of the sun

or moon at the time of the conception, the alignment of other planets,
and your actual location on Earth. Apparently, each place has
different energies, and some might be more likely to produce a shape-

Scarlet Hyacinth

shifter than others. Doc calls the sum of these things the S.E.X.
factor.”

Blue just stared. He might not be allowed to watch a lot of TV,

but he’d seen glimpses of a certain TV show during the brief
moments he was freed from his room. “Pardon?”

“I know. Funny, right?” Wallace grinned. “At any rate, to make

you understand a bit better. I, for example, am a wolf. Predictably, I
was conceived during a night of a full moon. I’m not sure of the time,
since there were never clear records of it, but I suspect from what I
know of other wolves that it must have been at midnight. My friend,
Rav—Raven—is…well, a raven. He was conceived in a graveyard,
during a solar eclipse. Insofar as we could tell, at least. I’ve looked
into our pasts, but nothing is certain. Things like that never are.”

Blue’s eyes widened. He didn’t even want to know how such a

thing could happen. “And Doc?” he asked in a choked voice.

“Oh, she is a dolphin. It’s actually quite tiresome to have her

around. She’s so freaking smart it gives me a headache. But here’s
where it gets interesting. Her twin, Rutherford, or Ford as everyone
calls him, is a lion. At the time of their conception, her parents were
yachting somewhere on the coast of Africa. As you know, fraternal
twins can be conceived hours apart, and it seems to have happened
with them. With Doc, it happened on the boat, while in Ford’s case, it
was inland.”

“Wow.” It was such an unbelievable story that Blue had the urge

to pinch himself. Suddenly, Blue needed to make sure that this wasn’t
a dream, that Wallace truly was like him and didn’t just say these
things to indulge him. “Could you show me? I mean, shift for me.”

“Of course.” Wallace grinned at him, got up, and began to slowly

strip. He took off his clothing and abandoned it on the chair. Blue
made a conscious effort not to stare at the delicious specimen of
manhood revealing himself in front of his very eyes, but it wasn’t
easy.

Finally, Wallace was naked. “Ready?” he asked.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Blue nodded, his mouth dry with a combination of apprehension

and arousal. In front of his very eyes, Wallace’s form started to blur,
his muscles shifted, and his bones morphed. Fur sprouted all over his
body. It must have taken a whole of four seconds, and then a gorgeous
black wolf lay on four paws next to the bed.

The entire process had seemed painful to Blue, but Wallace didn’t

look inconvenienced in the slightest. He padded to Blue’s bed and
plopped down, wagging his tail like an oversized dog.
Experimentally, Blue pet Wallace’s head. The fur felt soft and so real
under his fingertips. Wow. This was true.

A sense of belonging invaded him, chasing away the loneliness

he’d always felt. He was no longer alone in the world now, no longer
a freak. He had Wallace, who would protect him. He still wasn’t sure
if he could trust Doc, but Wallace was different. Blue already felt
incredibly close to the wolf, more so than he’d have thought possible.

As he thought this, Wallace turned back into his human form,

pulled on his clothes, and sat down again. The covering of all that
delicious flesh caused a mix of regret and relief in Blue’s heart. He
yearned for Wallace, but at least he could think coherently now. Blue
found his voice and finally managed to ask, “So that means…I’m a
butterfly?”

He simply couldn’t fathom it. Did that mean he would change into

a human-sized butterfly? That would be crazy and scary.

He must have asked his question out loud because Wallace

proceeded to answer, “No, you won’t turn into a huge butterfly, but
into a normal one.”

Blue still couldn’t understand. “But my wings…They’re big.”
“The appearance of your wings is just part of the shifting process,

like changing halfway. After that, your body will shrink and turn into
that of a butterfly. I’ve seen it before, with Rav. You probably don’t
know how to control your power, and that’s why it’s scary. But we’ll
teach you.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

His expression darkened. “I gather you’ve grown up around

unappreciative people. But don’t worry. No one will ever hurt you
again. You don’t have to see them anymore. I’ll make sure of it.”

Blue blinked in shock. He’d never even considered what his

parents must be thinking by now. Okay, so truth be told, he was
terrified of his father, but in her own way, his mother loved him. He
cared for her, and the thought of her suffering dismayed him. “I don’t
want that,” he told Wallace. “I love my mother.”

Wallace opened his mouth, obviously meaning to protest. At the

last moment, he seemed to change his mind. “We’ll see. For the
moment, you need to recover and learn about yourself.”

Blue admitted to himself that right then and there, he couldn’t find

the courage to face his parents. He wanted to sink into the comfort
Wallace provided, into the warmth the other man emanated.

Their gazes met, and for the first time, Blue realized he’d never

actually focused on Wallace’s eyes until now. They were gold, a
clear, liquid gold that hypnotized Blue. For some reason, they seemed
familiar. How strange. Blue was sure he’d never met Wallace before.
He remembered Wallace’s light touch at the cinema. He wondered
where things would have gone had he not freaked out and sprouted
wings.

“Wallace?” Blue asked in a small voice.
“Mmm?” was the wolf’s husky reply.
Blue didn’t know who reached for the other first. The next thing

he acknowledged was Wallace’s lips crushing against his, so hard he
tasted blood. He heard the chair crash to the floor as the wolf leaped
onto the bed.

Wallace licked across the seam of Blue’s lips, demanding

entrance. Blue had never been kissed before. He’d seen couples
making out in the one year he’d spent at high school, and on
television, but he himself had never been at the receiving end of it.
And of course, there were the dreams. The dreams Blue had never
been able to fully remember. But these kisses were real, not like the

On the Wings of a Butterfly

ones that had carried him through years of loneliness. He didn’t even
know why he was thinking about those dreams now, but he almost
feared he was dreaming now, as well. If that were true, though, Blue
didn’t want to wake up. He lost himself in Wallace’s kiss, in his scent
and embrace. He might not have known what to do, but his body did.
In fact, it didn’t seem like it was his first time with Wallace at all.

Blue pushed aside the sheets that had been protecting him from

sight, now feeling they were like a barrier between him and Wallace.
Wallace seemed to approve as he pulled Blue closer. Their bodies
melded together perfectly, and Blue found it the most natural thing in
the world to climb into the other man’s lap. He parted his lips for
Wallace, gasping lightly when the other man’s tongue invaded his
mouth. It was foreign, yet it felt so right that Blue soon forgot about
everything that wasn’t Wallace.

Wallace tasted wild and untamed, with a touch of detachment that

reminded Blue of the distant, white moon. Under Blue’s touch,
though, that aloofness melted, and as Wallace explored the crevices of
Blue’s mouth, the heat and closeness between them seemed to grow
unbearable. Wallace ravished him, seeming as desperate for the
closeness as Blue himself. Blue couldn’t get enough. Wallace simply
made him ache, and Blue’s every nerve ending sizzled with desire.

Never once breaking the lip-lock, Wallace started undressing

Blue. Blue was now grateful for his new clothes, since Wallace didn’t
have much trouble with the robe. He reached under it, caressing
Blue’s sensitive skin, leaving trails of fire wherever he touched. It felt
oddly familiar, and yet, so very new. Blue was drunk with it. His
prick throbbed, and on instinct, Blue rubbed against Wallace, seeking
friction.

He startled a bit when Wallace reached for his ass and kneaded his

buttocks. He might be a virgin, but he knew what happened between
two men. How could he not know? He’d dreamed about it many
times, and some of it must have been right. But that didn’t mean Blue
wasn’t nervous. Hell, his nervousness was almost comforting, since in

Scarlet Hyacinth

his dreams, it never existed. He always imagined himself as being a
perfect lover, but now, he couldn’t help but think that he would be
very inadequate. Wallace would hate it, and he’d never want to touch
Blue again.

Obviously sensing Blue’s anxiety, Wallace stopped his more

daring caresses. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,”
Wallace said as their lips parted. He looked pained. “In fact, we
probably shouldn’t do this at all. You’re still weak.”

The mere thought of Wallace stopping his kisses and caresses

frightened Blue. He wasn’t good with people, and he had no idea how
to seduce. The only thing he knew was that he needed this man who
called out to him like no other.

“No, Wallace,” he replied. “Please. I want you to. I just…I really

don’t know how.”

Once more, Wallace’s golden gaze fixed on him, and the

familiarity of the sight almost bothered Blue. He couldn’t remember
for the life of him why he felt so close to the other man. But when
Wallace pressed their lips together once again, that thought ceased to
matter. He would find out the answer to all his questions in time. For
the moment, he just wanted to have Wallace take him, to feel
Wallace’s heat inside him, just like in his dream.

This time, the dance of tongues was slow, almost lazy. In spite of

the passion growing between them, Wallace was now excruciatingly
gentle, paying close attention so as not to jostle Blue’s wings. Blue
relaxed, the slow, sweet rhythm both fueling and leashing his desire.
His need simmered beneath the surface without boiling over, and he
rode it out, allowing it to flow over his every nerve. Wallace took his
time with him, and even if the wolf didn’t speak, Blue could sense the
man’s emotions, the true affection Wallace felt for him.

It was so very strange. By rights, he’d only just met Wallace, and

he knew very little about him. Hell, hours earlier, he’d seen his hand
turn into a paw. But Wallace had also seen his wings, and he didn’t
seem to have any problem with that. Their connection seemed to go

On the Wings of a Butterfly

beyond anything Blue had ever experienced. It should have frightened
him, and perhaps later, when he’d have time to think about it, it
might. But right then and there, Blue could only embrace it with every
bit of his lost, lonely heart.

As Wallace broke their kiss, he helped Blue out of his robe. To

hasten things along, Blue was forced to briefly leave Wallace’s lap.
He’d have gladly returned to his previous position, except he found
Wallace staring at him, more particularly, at his wings.

His heart fell as he realized Wallace must really find him a

disgusting freak. He bit his lip, looking away. His arousal began to
fade, and even his cock lost interest. He suddenly felt very cold, as if
there were no longer any sunlight in his world.

But the clouds were only temporary. Seconds later, Wallace drew

his attention again. “Baby, look at me,” the man whispered.

His voice was so gentle that Blue couldn’t help it. He obeyed,

even if he knew he chanced seeing disgust in Wallace’s eyes.

But Wallace was smiling, his gold eyes glinting with arousal and

something else, a darker emotion. Anger, perhaps. Blue didn’t know
why Wallace would be furious, but the emotion didn’t seem directed
at him. “Yes?” he asked.

“Your wings. They’re so beautiful. Can I touch them?”
Blue would have expected anything except that. “T–Touch them?”

he stammered. He really wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d
never had anyone touch his wings except to hurt them. But as he
looked into Wallace’s eyes, he knew now was the moment to let go of
his fears. He could be afraid forever and let his dark memories rule
over him, or he could take a leap of faith and make the attempt.

In the end, if something happened and it did hurt, Blue had no

doubt Wallace would stop. After a few more moments of hesitation,
he nodded. “Okay.”

Taking a deep breath, Blue turned with his back to Wallace and

brushed his long hair to the front, giving the other man access. His
back and shoulders still ached a bit from where the new wings had

Scarlet Hyacinth

emerged, but the lingering ache was quickly fading. He thought there
must be bandages against the base of the wings, since he could feel
them pulling slightly at the skin. The realization made him
uncomfortable. With all that, he mustn’t be the most attractive sight.

He couldn’t control the slight twitching of his wings, but then,

Wallace hugged his back, pressing a kiss to his nape. Wallace’s
fingers brushed over the delicate membrane of the four appendices.
To his surprise, Blue found it wasn’t unpleasant. Quite the opposite.
Goose bumps covered Blue’s skin, and he sighed as he dropped his
head on the other man’s shoulder.

Wallace’s caresses grew bolder, and he explored the azure wings

from tip to base. Blue began to tremble, his cock hardening once
again. He’d never realized that part of him could cause him so much
pleasure, but every touch showered Blue in pure flame. Part of it was
because of the simple knowledge that Wallace accepted him the way
he was. The other, the primal, raw, lustful part, made his brain fuzzy,
and his fears dissipated into a cloud of seduction.

He didn’t know how long Wallace took with that simple

exploration, but by the time Wallace decided it was time to take
things further, Blue was already beginning to get desperate. Wallace
turned him around, and Blue swallowed around the sudden knot in his
throat as he looked into Wallace’s gaze. “You sure about this?” the
wolf asked.

Blue could only nod. Carefully, Wallace lowered him over the

bed, murmuring soft words of encouragement. Hypnotized, Blue
allowed his soon-to-be lover to do whatever he wanted. And he was
not disappointed. Wallace pressed a brief kiss to his lips and then
started down on the rest of Blue’s body. He hadn’t even taken off his
own clothes, but he didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by it. He
took his time with licking every bit of Blue’s skin he could reach, as if
he couldn’t get enough. Earlobes, nipples, belly, navel, toes, they all
got Wallace’s full attention. Soon, Blue was writhing on the bed, his
mind short-circuiting under the assault. His legs seemed extra

On the Wings of a Butterfly

sensitive, and when his soon-to-be lover licked the hollow of his knee,
he could almost swear he could feel Wallace’s taste in his mouth.

It was very strange, but just another sensation that added into the

delicious cocktail of his pleasure. And Wallace wasn’t content with
only that. He kissed up Blue’s legs until he reached Blue’s genitals.
Blue had a brief feeling of déjà-vu, but it disappeared when Wallace’s
fingers experimentally touched Blue’s smooth sac.

“You shave?”
It wasn’t even much of a question, but rather a statement. Blue

wouldn’t have believed he could be embarrassed at this point, but
there it was. He was bare in the genital region, but not because he
particularly wanted to be. Unlike the hair on his head, he couldn’t dye
it to hide its real bright-blue color. A more practical option had been
chosen, although Blue had never actually felt very happy about it.

“Ummm…I was kind of forced to.”
He hated the weak, hesitant sound of his own voice and knew that

if he dwelled too much on the reason behind that situation, he’d just
spoil the moment again. Thankfully, Wallace didn’t allow it. Instead,
he cupped Blue’s balls, rolling them in his hand, teasing the wrinkled
skin. Blue found it surprising that it felt great, and for once, he was
glad about being hairless down there.

And then Wallace took Blue’s cock in his mouth, and heat burst

over every atom in Blue’s body. As his lover bobbed his head up and
down, Blue couldn’t help but move up, fucking Wallace’s mouth.
Wallace picked up the pace, sucking for all he was worth.

Blue tried to hang on, to prolong the moment, but he didn’t have

any hope of succeeding. Wallace rubbed a dry finger against his
virgin hole and, at the same time, swallowed around his glans. Blue
cried out, a wave of pleasure sweeping his through him. Unable to
resist, he came, filling Wallace’s mouth with seed. Wallace gulped it
down greedily then released Blue’s spent prick. “Okay?” he inquired.

Still dazed, Blue nodded. As he lay there, he realized his wings

hadn’t bothered him at all during the amazing blow job. In fact, they

Scarlet Hyacinth

seemed to have retreated, as if of their own accord, somewhere within
his body.

Just as he thought this, the damn things erupted from his back

again. Blue yelped. It didn’t hurt, but it was surprising, and it made it
hard for him to lie down. Wallace chuckled. “Don’t worry. You’ll
learn to control it.”

When Wallace said it, Blue could actually believe it. Wallace

pulled him upright, and Blue took advantage of the occasion to finally
help the wolf out of his clothes. With every item he got rid of, he
revealed more and more of Wallace’s gorgeous body. His mouth
watered at the sight of Wallace’s muscles. Going with his instinct, he
lowered his mouth and licked Wallace’s neck. His lover groaned and
pulled Blue even closer, teasing at the base of Blue’s wings, ever
mindful of the bandages.

“You drive me crazy, baby,” Wallace said. “I want you so bad.”
Even clothed, the thick prick nudging against his ass told Blue

exactly what Wallace wanted. It was a no-brainer, and Blue shared
Wallace’s desires. Gone were the doubts and fears. He was on fire,
and he needed Wallace so much it hurt.

“Yes,” he somehow managed to say. “God, yes.”
He thought his agreement would be enough, but Wallace suddenly

tensed and cursed. “What is it?” Blue dared to ask.

“I don’t have condoms,” Wallace replied, obviously frustrated.
The idea of protection had never occurred to Blue. “I haven’t been

with anyone,” he said hesitantly.

“And I’m clean. Most diseases don’t stick to people with the

syndrome, but I always use rubbers anyway. But I can’t expect you to
believe that.”

Blue squeezed his new lover’s arm. “I do believe it. You’d never

do anything to harm me. And I want my first time to be with you.”

His words seemed to trigger some instinctual response inside

Wallace. The wolf growled, and in a few jerky motions, finished
taking off his clothes. It was quite a wonder, since Blue never once

On the Wings of a Butterfly

left Wallace’s lap. Blue admitted Wallace’s full nakedness was a
definite improvement, especially since he could now feel the heat of
Wallace’s cock against his skin.

Lifting Blue with one arm, Wallace reached for the nightstand

with the other hand. He found a small tube of a lotion of sorts. Blue
very much doubted it had been placed there for the reason it would be
used, but he didn’t care.

With deft fingers, Wallace undid the cap of the tube and poured

some of the slick liquid on his fingers. The next thing Blue knew, his
new lover’s digits were prodding at his hole. Blue bit his lip and made
a conscious attempt to relax. It was probably counterproductive, and
the invasion of one single finger felt kind of strange and
uncomfortable.

Then Wallace’s other hand petted his hip, teeth nibbling Blue’s

ear. The wolf started crooning gentle endearments, and Blue melted.
The digit no longer felt odd. In fact, he took a second one without any
sort of problem.

Then Wallace crooked his fingers inside Blue and touched the

spot that made him see stars. It felt so good that Blue found himself
pushing back against the invading digits. To his surprise, a growing
need emerged inside him, and he imagined taking Wallace’s cock up
his ass, like the fingers. He knew it could be done—otherwise he’d
never have dreamt it—but he gathered that in real life, it could also
hurt a lot. But Blue trusted Wallace and knew everything that came
from the wolf would be great.

Gently, Wallace scissored his digits inside Blue, stretching him,

preparing his passage. Another finger went in, and Blue’s body
swallowed it right up, now eager and ready. Wallace groaned. “I have
to have you, baby.”

It was a warning as well as a question, and Blue nodded, giving

Wallace permission. The wolf retracted his fingers from Blue’s ass
and positioned Blue’s body over his cock. “You’re in charge here,” he
said. “Just go with what feels best for you.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Blue was a bit worried that he would do things wrong, but

Wallace seemed to anticipate his anxiety and added, “I’ll help you,
baby blue.”

Indeed, Wallace’s hands, still slick from the lube, went to Blue’s

hips, guiding him down. Blue went with it, lowering his body over
Wallace’s prick. At first, he didn’t really know what to expect, but the
slow rhythm helped him. He actually felt the moment the head of
Wallace’s prick breached his body, taking his innocence and giving
back something else, something Blue didn’t dare to acknowledge yet.

The invasion burned, but it also felt so very amazing. The

continuous downward motion, guided by Wallace’s strong hands,
entranced Blue, and perhaps because of it, he was completely
surprised when he finally felt Wallace’s pubic hair tickling his
buttocks. He’d taken his lover fully inside him. He couldn’t believe it.

True enough, he felt full, stretched to capacity, almost impossibly

so. But at the same time, he experienced a sensation of fulfillment,
like he was finally complete, as if until now, he’d had a hole in his
heart which was now being filled.

His body moved without him actually making a conscious

decision of it. He lifted himself up then pushed back down, taking
Wallace’s prick inside once more. His lover’s cock massaged his
inner walls as Wallace met him thrust for thrust. And when the thick
member hit Blue’s prostate, Blue became a being of pure sensation.
Over and over, he impaled himself on Wallace’s prick, every time
seeking an even deeper penetration. The friction, the pleasure, and the
burning passion threatening to consume them both reached an almost
unbearable peak.

One more thing, Blue needed just one more thing to come again.

He could feel his climax within his reach, sizzling in his balls, just
waiting and keeping him on the edge. As always, Wallace knew
exactly what to give him. White-hot pleasure-pain swept through him
as Wallace bit down on his neck, embedding strikingly sharp teeth in
his flesh.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

It was too much. Clinging to Wallace’s shoulders, Blue shouted

his lover’s name and came. Wet heat splashed between them as his
spunk hit Wallace’s chest and Blue’s own. For one beautiful moment,
Blue’s mind seemed completely in synch with Wallace’s. He could
tell what the other man was thinking and feeling. He could at last be
certain of the genuine emotions Wallace had for him.

And then Wallace thrust one more time inside Blue and filled him

with his seed. It might have been the knowledge of his lover’s
pleasure or something else entirely, but to Blue, it seemed like he
could feel Wallace’s climax as well. With a choked cry, he came
again, something that should have been impossible. His body had no
more seed to give, but the wave of ecstasy that swept over him
couldn’t be opposed.

His mind became a haze of pleasure, but Blue could still feel

Wallace. He experienced an acute sense of loss when Wallace’s cock
left his body, but the connection between them remained there, a bond
that surpassed the physical.

They collapsed on the bed, both of them exhausted and

completely spent. Once more, Blue met Wallace’s golden eyes and, in
that moment, realization struck him. He didn’t know how he could
have forgotten it. “I dreamt about you,” he told Wallace in awe. “I’ve
been dreaming about you for years.”

* * * *

“I’ve been dreaming about you for years.”
The words lit a lightbulb in Wallace’s brain. He now realized why

Blue seemed so familiar. Blue’s eyes were the ones Wallace had been
dreaming of for years, and Blue was the lover who, all this time, had
been in danger.

Wallace recalled the marks on Blue’s back and all the blood in the

bathroom stall. He could only imagine what Blue had been through
this whole time. The lingering arousal he felt turned into

Scarlet Hyacinth

bewilderment and an acute sense of guilt. He should have been there.
He should have protected Blue from the people who’d hurt him.

Wallace wrapped his arms around the younger man, squeezing

him to his chest. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”
Blue sounded genuinely puzzled, even a touch apprehensive. His

eyes widened, and he began to tremble. “Oh, God. Did I push too
hard? Will he hate me?”

“I don’t hate you, baby blue,” Wallace replied vehemently. “What

could ever possess you to say something like that?”

Blue froze. “You heard that?” he murmured.
“Of course.” Wallace frowned. “Why wouldn’t I?”
His lover still seemed shell-shocked. “I didn’t say it out loud.”

Blue took a deep breath and suddenly asked, “Can you really hear
me?”

Now that he was paying attention, Wallace realized Blue’s lips

hadn’t moved. For a few moments, he just ruminated over Blue’s
words. It seemed mind-boggling that he’d be able to hear something
the youth had thought, not spoken out loud. But the more he thought
about it, the more sense it made. If he and Blue had dreamt about each
other, it seemed obvious that now that they’d come together
physically, as well as emotionally, that bond would only grow.

It was almost surreal to even think it. Wallace had learned from a

very young age that what normal humans thought about the world
they lived in was largely false. For example, the shape-shifters of B-
grade horror movies were very different from people who suffered
from S.S.E.X. But still, even with himself being a living proof of the
odd twists nature could take, he’d never thought such a bond could
exist.

How stupid of him. Perhaps if he’d realized this earlier, he could

have saved Blue from years of torture. He could have taken the man
he loved away from the darkness of those who did not understand
how special Blue was.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

“You love me?” Blue whispered.
The question showed such uncertainty that Wallace was taken

aback. His mental acknowledgment of his feelings for Blue had
come…well, out of the blue, naturally, without him thinking about it.
Even so, he knew it was true. A deep, primal part of him reached out
to Blue, and even if they had technically speaking just met, he felt
they’d known each other forever.

Still, as a lone wolf, he rarely spoke about his feelings. It just

wasn’t him. He didn’t know if either of them was ready for
acknowledging the depth of what had happened between them. He
pressed a kiss to Blue’s forehead and hugged him tight. “You know
how I feel already,” he replied.

Blue was content with that. He cuddled closer to Wallace,

obviously reassured. “Yes, I do.”

Blue didn’t actually say the words, but Wallace heard it anyway.

Smoothing his hand through Blue’s long hair, he urged the younger
man to get some sleep. The day had been incredibly taxing for Blue,
and he needed all the rest he could get.

For Wallace’s part, he simply lay there, watching Blue sleep and

wondering. He knew one thing, though. He might not have been able
to protect Blue until now, but starting today, no one would ever harm
his butterfly ever again. Those who had would pay. He imagined
himself tearing those people into pieces and immediately felt better.
Yes, he would make them suffer for what they’d done.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Four

A few hours later, Blue woke up feeling a bit sore, but otherwise

refreshed. Wallace provided him with new clothes and took him to
see Doc. After giving him a checkup, she smiled at him. “Looks like
you’re out of the woods, Blue. Your ability to recuperate is fantastic.”

Blue thanked her, already knowing what she said was true. Even if

he had suffered from many injuries, they always healed really fast.
Still, he was more than relieved that she deemed him well enough to
remove his bandages.

“Is it safe to take him out for a walk?” Wallace asked after she

finished. The wolf had silently been berating himself during the entire
meeting about the effort he’d put Blue through. Blue could hear it in
the back of his mind.

“It’s safe,” she answered. “And so is having sex, as long as you

keep yourself from doing any acrobatics.”

Embarrassment flooded Blue, and he made his escape out of the

doctor’s office. Wallace came with him and took his hand. “Don’t
worry. She means well. She didn’t intend to make you feel bad.”

“I know,” Blue grumbled. “I’m just not used to it.”
It wasn’t that he was ashamed of Wallace, but the way he’d lived

until now didn’t match with Doc’s open assessment of his love life.
While Blue felt comfortable with Wallace, it didn’t apply to everyone
else. But he needed to make an effort, since they’d practically saved
his life and were doing their best to include him.

Wallace led him out of the clinic and into an interior garden, and

as Blue started to calm down, he said, “So tell me more about this
place. Where are we exactly?”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

“This is the Goldwin Orphanage, founded in the fifties by Heather

Goldwin, Doc’s mother.”

Wallace took his hand, and together, they began to walk through

the garden. “The clinic is an addition, and it’s the only one we know
of that caters to people with S.E.X.”

Blue couldn’t suppress a giggle at the phrase. “I’m sorry. It’s

just…It’s a funny name.”

Wallace grinned back at him. “You get used to it, in time.”
Blue sobered, realizing that this was truly no laughing matter.

“You’re right,” he said as they sat down on a bench. “So is everyone
here like us?”

Wallace shook his head. “Most of the kids are actually normal

humans. That’s why this garden exists in the first place. The children
with the syndrome come here when they need to release their inner
beast. Anyway, Doc strives to give the normal kids good homes with
parents who can take care of them. Actually, the orphanage’s original
purpose was exactly that. But in time, things changed.” Wallace
paused, his expression growing a little distant as he remembered.
“Their dad, Gregory, was a brilliant scientist. Once he figured out
they were different, he started studying the reason, but always
wanting to make sure his kids were safe. And then their sister,
Charity, was born, which made things stranger because she was
normal.”

Blue felt surprised at that. “So Doc’s younger sister is normal?”
Wallace nodded. “I know. Strange, right? At any rate, what

happens is that many of the kids brought here were dumped in the
orphanage because no one else would take them. Like me, for
example.” Wallace released a self-deprecating laugh. “My parents
died when I was little, and I remember few things about them.
Growing up, I was quite violent, and no one could get to me. Until
Heather and Winnie Goldwin, that is. They were the ones who raised
me.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“The Goldwin Orphanage got the reputation that it could deal with

harder kids, so children with problems are brought here all the time.
Sometimes, they had the syndrome, but more often than not, they just
came from troubled homes. These days, I believe Ford is looking into
a more direct approach, trying to find other peoples with S.E.X. He’s
had moderate success, and he was the one who found some of the
most recent children here. At any rate, Doc does her best to help all
the kids, whether they have the syndrome or not.”

Blue couldn’t help but feel jealous at the clear admiration in

Wallace’s voice. “You care for her a lot?”

“I suppose she’s like a big sister. I would call her a mother, except

it’s strange with her young looks.” Wallace met Blue’s gaze and
grinned. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to be jealous over anyone.”

Blue’s face heated, but he knew better than to deny it. Instead, he

changed the topic. “So you’re all kind of like a big family? You and
the others with S.E.X.?”

Wallace sighed. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. Doc does

her best, sure, but there are so many kids who need her. And we’re all
very different from one another. For example, I get along with Rav,
but with others, not so much. Growing up, we were often at each
other’s throats. That’s why we all moved out as soon as we were
eighteen.”

Blue hadn’t expected that. Seeing this organized place, hearing

Wallace talk about the Goldwins, all of it gave him the impression of
a warm, loving environment.“Really?”

Wallace took his hand and squeezed it. “It was a long time ago. It

doesn’t matter.” He gave Blue a serious look. “I wanted to talk to you
about something. I know you said you wanted to see your parents
again, even if they hurt you.”

Blue had consciously not been thinking about his parents and the

fact that they must be going crazy looking for him right now. “It’s my
father who hurt my wings,” he corrected. Of course, his mother didn’t

On the Wings of a Butterfly

do anything to stop him, but Blue couldn’t bring himself to say that
out loud.

“All right. I won’t keep you from seeing your mother, but you’re

not going back there.”

With that, Blue couldn’t agree more. He shivered at the thought of

being trapped in the house again. But what could he do? He’d never
before managed to escape for so long. His parents must be looking for
him like crazy, and Blue feared the problems it would cause.

Wallace wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him

close. “I’ll find a way around that. I promise.”

Blue allowed himself to lean into the embrace. He felt safe

whenever Wallace was around, and he had no doubt that Wallace
could do exactly what he’d said.

From the chaste, almost friendly hug, Blue somehow ended up in

Wallace’s lap. They were all alone in the interior garden, which
proved to be quite fortunate when Wallace pressed his lips to Blue’s.
Blue sighed softly and melted against his lover. It still seemed
amazing that he’d found his man with the golden eyes, and that they
fit together just like he’d dreamed.

Their tongues entangled as they fed off each other’s mouths,

drinking in their shared passion. Blue’s cock hardened, and he gasped
as his lover touched his wings. They might have gotten much further,
but all of a sudden, Wallace broke the kiss.

“Sorry, baby blue, but we have company.”
When he could focus, Blue realized his lover was right. He

climbed out of Wallace’s lap just as the man from before appeared in
the garden. “Hello, boys. Remember me, Blue? I’m Raven, but you
can call me Rav.”

“I remember.” Blue offered Raven a small smile.
“What’s up?” Wallace sounded impatient. Not that Blue blamed

him. Raven had popped up at the worst possible moment. “Find out
anything?”

Blue was surprised. “Anything about what?”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Raven’s black eyes were impenetrable. “Wal sent me out around

your neighborhood and the surrounding areas for a look-see.”

“Huh? How did you even know where I lived?”
“You had your ID on you, baby blue,” Wallace reminded him

gently.

Blue deflated. He’d completely forgotten about that. He couldn’t

find an answer, but Wallace didn’t have this problem. “So stop
stalling. What do you know?”

“Blue’s parents are looking for him all right. They have fliers and

everything. The police haven’t stepped in yet.”

Alarm coursed through Blue, and he shot to his feet. “I have to

talk to them. They can cause you problems.” His wings, which for
once had quieted down, beat an almost angry rhythm against his back.
He was practically hyperventilating. “We have to do something.”

Wallace pulled him back down on the bench. “Calm down, Blue.

We can’t do anything right now. It’ll be dark soon, and then it will be
safer for us to visit your house.”

Blue supposed that made sense. He still couldn’t control his

wings, and running around looking like a human-butterfly wasn’t very
smart. How would he even learn to hide them? From what he could
tell, there weren’t other shifters like him at the orphanage.

As if guessing his thoughts, Raven offered, “Hey, I know you’re

still new here, but if you’re planning to stay, I could help you with
your wings.”

“I’d like that,” he replied automatically. He couldn’t stop thinking

about his parents and what they would say. “Thank you.”

Wallace got up and took Blue in his arms, as always careful with

Blue’s wings. Blue might have protested being carried like a baby, but
Wallace’s warmth felt too good against him. It might be childish or
weak of him, but Blue wanted to indulge, shower himself in his
lover’s affection.

“Come on. I’ll take you to your room,” Wallace said.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

They said their good-byes to Raven and headed back inside.

Wallace moved fast, and in moments, they’d reached the room.
Wallace placed Blue on the bed and sat down on the mattress. “Go on.
Just close your eyes and get some rest.”

Blue had gotten quite enough rest. He’d slept better than he could

remember in his lover’s arms, even if his wings still made him
uncomfortable. With Wallace there, though, Blue found himself
relaxing. He didn’t actually fall asleep, but he did doze off a bit.

Before he knew it, night had fallen. Blue almost couldn’t believe

the entire day had passed, but there it was. And it had been quite a
day, one that had changed his life. Now that he needed to face his
parents, Blue found that he was afraid to do it.

“You don’t have to,” Wallace told him as he helped Blue change.

“We can simply call and establish a meeting for a different time.”

Blue shook his head. This needed to be done. True, Blue didn’t

feel ready. Hell, just last week, his father had been tearing his wings
off. But his father had friends, and if their investigation found the
orphanage, all these nice people could get hurt. The research on their
syndrome would be in danger. He was thankful that his hosts had
been thoughtful and provided him with a limited wardrobe. At least
he wouldn’t have to go back to his parents’ house in his old bloody
clothes. It gave him a measure of odd relief.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “We won’t stay long, right?”
Wallace didn’t look like he believed Blue, but he didn’t comment.

He took Blue’s hand and silently led him out of the orphanage
through a back exit. A car was waiting there, probably Wallace’s.

Accommodating his jacket better on his shoulders, Blue slipped

inside. Wallace slid onto the driver’s seat and started the car. They
drove in silence to the suburb where Blue’s parents lived.

In the darkness of the night, the neighborhood almost seemed

haunted. Twisted shadows played across the sidewalk where obscurity
met with the pale light offered by the night lamps. Blue shivered. He

Scarlet Hyacinth

wished Wallace would go faster so that they could get over this
torturing visit already.

Wallace parked the car a few houses away from their destination.

“We can still go back, baby. You’re not ready for this.”

“I have to be. Let’s just go and be done with it.”
Wallace still seemed concerned. Blue could practically feel the

worry radiating inside him. It was like a warm blanket settling
between him and the world. The shadows outside began to look more
like his own fancies and less like reality.

He offered Wallace a small smile. “I can do this. I can.” He

needed to, if he was going to start a new life with Wallace.

Together, they left the car and headed toward Blue’s parents’

house. He could no longer think of it as his. It had never belonged to
him, and neither had his own life. Today, he was finally claiming the
right to be happy, and he would not allow fear to hold him back.

Of course, it was easier said than done. Once the house was within

view, Blue’s insides started trembling again. He clutched Wallace’s
hand like a lifeline, suddenly thinking it might be a very good idea if
they returned to the orphanage.

His vision began to grow dim around the edges. Wallace cursed.

“I never should have brought you here.”

They would have returned to the orphanage, but at that moment,

the door to the house opened. His mother stood in the doorway,
carrying a bag with the day’s trash. When she saw him, the bag
promptly fell to the ground. “Blue…Oh, my God.”

For a few moments, they just stood there, staring at each other.

The sight of white paper sheets drifting through the courtyard of their
home snapped Blue out of his trance. One of them landed at his feet,
and Blue knelt to retrieve it. It was his picture, but it looked so very
alien to him. He looked lifeless on the black-and-white poster, like a
zombie. And he didn’t have his wings. Under his image, there were
words printed out. Missing. Robin Clements, aged 21. Suffers from
Asperger syndrome. Answers to nickname Blue.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

The phrasing struck him like a slap in the face. They seemed so

cold, as if he were a dog, not a person. Blue felt sick. He forced
himself to speak and finish what he’d come here for. “I just wanted to
say I’m not coming back. I have friends now and a new place to live.
Don’t look for me.”

His mother took a step forward. “Wait, Blue. Other people can’t

care for your needs like we do.”

In that moment, Blue came to a realization. All this time, he’d

convinced himself that his mother disagreed with his father’s
treatment of him, when she’d silently approved it all. He leaned
against Wallace, feeling like he would fall over any moment now.

He could see himself, all these years, trapped in the house that

looked so beautiful outside, too afraid to truly escape. His few
attempts had been bouts of rebellion and nothing more. He’d honestly
thought he would die here. And he might have, if not for Wallace.

To make things worse, his father chose that particular moment to

exit the house. “I thought I heard your voice.” He frowned at Blue.
“Get into the house, boy. Now.”

Blue’s knees threatened to buckle, but his lover was there to

support him. “He’s not going anywhere with you,” Wallace said. His
voice was full of authority. “This is a warning, Mr. Clements. Stop
trying to find him. He has people looking out for him.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Blue’s father sounded

furious. “Do you even know what that boy is? He’s a freak.”

“He knows,” Blue replied weakly. He lifted the jacket a little,

allowing his father to see his wings, then quickly put it back on. “See,
not everyone is like you. Some people do understand.”

Finally, Blue’s mother found her voice. “Blue, don’t you see we

only want what’s best for you? You need treatment.”

“Maybe, but not the kind you can give me.” Blue felt exhausted.

Through his bond with Wallace, he told the wolf, “Please, let’s go. I
can’t bear being here for much longer.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

But his father wasn’t done. “You’re not going anywhere. I’d

rather kill you first.” Out of nowhere, he retrieved a gun. Obviously,
he’d come outside ready for anything, including to force Blue inside.

Blue panicked. His father had been in the army, and he would not

blink an eye at killing Wallace. But the man didn’t even get to point
the lethal weapon at them. In a flash, Wallace crossed the space
between them and grabbed the gun out of Blue’s father’s hand. He
tossed it to the ground and grabbed the other man’s neck. With
seemingly no difficulty, he lifted Blue’s father in the air.

Blue’s vision allowed him to see the claws now replacing

Wallace’s fingertips. Blood bloomed under them, and Blue’s father
began to turn purple.

Blue raced to his lover’s side and grabbed Wallace’s shoulder. He

didn’t want the wolf to taint his hands with the blood of an
undeserving bastard. “Please, don’t,” he whispered. “Let’s just go.”

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Wallace released his hold on Blue’s

father. The other man crumbled to the group in a heap, clutching his
neck. “Holy shit,” he said in a rough, raspy voice. “You’re one of
them, too.”

“I have no idea what you’re referring to, Mr. Clements.”

Wallace’s faux pleasant tone sent shivers down Blue’s spine.

“You’re a freak!” Blue’s father shouted.
Blue caught sight of one of their neighbors peeking through their

curtains. They needed to go before this escalated even more. His
parents weren’t worth it.

Obviously agreeing, Wallace spat on the ground. “I should kill

you for what you did to Blue. And make no mistake, I will if you only
just make a wrong move or even think about finding him.” His tone
shifted into cool sarcasm. “Have a nice evening now.”

Blue’s mother helped her husband up, and they retreated into the

house. It was clear whose side she’d taken. In turn, Blue and Wallace
began to head toward the car. Blue managed to pass his former

On the Wings of a Butterfly

neighbor’s house, and then his legs gave out. As always, Wallace was
there to catch him.

“Don’t worry, baby blue,” the wolf said. “I’m not going to let

them hurt you ever again.”

With every step Wallace took, Blue began to feel more reassured.

Perhaps one day, he’d be able to come back here without being
frightened, but for the moment, the terror he’d lived through was too
recent.

Wallace kept a brisk pace, and in minutes, they reached the car.

Wallace unlocked it and gently placed Blue on the backseat. “Lie
down for a little while. It might make you feel better.”

Blue would have preferred to take shotgun, just because it would

have been closer to Wallace, but he found there were advantages to
having the backseat to himself. He rested his head on the comfortable
leather and closed his eyes, willing his nausea to pass. At the
background of his mind, he could still feel Wallace’s strong presence.
The wolf’s scent surrounded him, and slowly, but surely, Blue’s
anxiety eased.

Distantly, he wondered what his parents would do. How would

they explain his sudden disappearance to the rest of the world?
Somehow, he couldn’t believe they’d give up so easily.

“I’ll keep watching them,” Wallace said. “I meant what I told him,

you know.”

“You can’t always be there,” Blue replied.
Wallace laughed. “I have my ways. Besides, it’s what I do for a

living. I’m a detective.”

Blue got up and stared at the back of Wallace’s head. “A

detective?” he repeated. He almost couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.” Wallace met his eyes through the mirror. “Although it’s

not as glamorous as you might think it is.”

“I don’t care.” Blue suddenly felt very excited. “Can I work with

you? I’ve always wanted to do that. I have an eye for detail.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Maybe later on, once you’ve recovered fully.” Wallace eyed him.

“For the moment, you should take Raven up on his offer. The most
urgent thing is to learn how to control your wings.”

Blue nodded. He wasn’t offended by Wallace’s refusal. In fact, he

kind of understood. He’d never had a job or a prospective for one.
Ever since he’d been forced to leave high school due to the
appearance of his wings, he’d been cooped up in his parents’ house,
hidden away from the world. He had a lot to learn, and not only
regarding the control of his abilities.

For the first time in his life, he truly felt enthusiastic. This would

be his new life, a life where he could become someone new, someone
his lover might be proud of. Right now, he knew he wasn’t much to
look at, but he had to toughen up, to be stronger, so that one day, he
would deserve the affection Wallace showered him with.

“You already do, baby blue, and I don’t want you thinking you

don’t. Not ever again.” Wallace growled at him, actually turning away
from the wheel as he did so. “Got it?”

Blue shivered again, but this time, it wasn’t from fear. Wallace’s

tone awoke the primal part of him, the one that ached for the wolf’s
possession. Suddenly, all he could think about was having his lover’s
cock pounding inside him.

Wallace released another groan. “You’re going to be the death of

me.”

He shifted gears and, with a speed that might have earned them a

ticket had a policeman been around, he changed directions. “Where
are we going?” Blue asked, clinging to the sidebar for support.

“My place,” Wallace replied shortly. Through their bond, Blue

saw the images already crossing Wallace’s mind. Himself, writhing
under Wallace, taking the other man’s cock in his ass. Blue’s prick
went rock hard, his entire body demanding Wallace’s domination.

It seemed to take forever before they at last reached their

destination. Finding a parking space at this hour was hellish, but
Wallace must have had experience with it. He crawled between two

On the Wings of a Butterfly

other cars that were so close to each other that Blue wondered how
Wallace even managed to make it fit.

The thought vanished when Wallace shut the engine and, faster

than the eye could see, left the vehicle. He opened the door and
grabbed Blue, draping him over his shoulders. Blue managed to keep
the big jacket on his shoulders, although with the agitated beating of
his wings, it was quite a feat.

Fortunately, the trip to Wallace’s place didn’t take long. Carrying

Blue, Wallace stalked to an ordinary-looking building with four
stories. Blue caught sight of the usual street detritus on the sidewalk,
but not even his interest in details could make him focus on anything
except Wallace.

The wolf entered the structure and ran up four flights of stairs, all

the way to the last level. He retrieved a key and burst into a cozy-
looking apartment. Blue managed to catch a brief glimpse of the
darkened living room and what seemed to be a bedroom to the right,
before Wallace carried him through another door and shut the door
behind him.

“Do you live here with someone?” he found himself asking.
“With Rav,” Wallace replied, voice nearly animalistic now. “But

why in the world are we talking about Rav now?”

Wallace pounced on Blue, and Blue’s mind short-circuited. He

forgot all about fears, new acquaintances, and possible new jobs. The
only thing that remained was Wallace, only him.

* * * *

Wallace crushed his mouth to Blue’s, greedy for his lover’s taste,

for his body. Seeing Blue’s father today had really put things into
perspective for him. If he’d decided not to go to the movies after all,
he could have easily never have found Blue. He knew he should be
calm and take it slow with his lover. Blue had been through so much

Scarlet Hyacinth

today, and the visit to his parents’ home hadn’t helped. Wallace
wished he’d never taken Blue there. God, he was so stupid.

He demanded entrance to Blue’s mouth, his mind working a

million miles an hour. He was torn between lust and apprehension, the
knowledge of what he could have lost going deep within him.

Wallace thrust his tongue inside Blue’s wet cavern, more

aggressive than he himself would have liked. A part of him couldn’t
understand the sudden heat that coursed through him. It was so
intense, more than anything he’d ever felt before. He felt light-
headed, and his impulses seemed completely out of control.

He tore at his lover’s clothes, his erratic emotions dissipating the

care with which he’d have liked to always treat his beautiful Blue.
Blue didn’t seem bothered by it. Instead, he answered with echoing
passion.

Wallace had to force himself to briefly break the kiss between

them, knowing he still needed to be mindful of the fragility of Blue’s
wings. Blue released a huff of frustration. “I’m not going to break,”
he said. “I just need you to take me.”

Blue sounded breathless, but decided, and their connection nearly

overflowed with the younger man’s desire. Wallace couldn’t have
denied him if he wanted to. He reached for the nightstand where he
kept the lubricant he mostly used for his lone jack-off sessions and his
rare hookups.

He also had condoms there and hesitated briefly before deciding

to forgo them. What was the point? They’d already been together
without protection, and besides, they didn’t need such barriers
between them. After feeling Blue’s hot ass squeeze him, Wallace
didn’t think he could dull that sensation with latex.

He retrieved the lubricant from the drawer. It seemed Blue had

gotten over his original shyness, as when Wallace directed his
attention to the younger man again, Blue had already finished taking
off his clothes. He sat there, waiting, azure eyes glittering with need
and lust. He was so beautiful Wallace’s breath caught.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

He left the bottle on the bed and pulled his lover into his arms.

This time, when their lips met, it was slow and gentle, a reassurance
and a manifestation of the awe Wallace felt simply at looking at Blue.
Their tongues entangled in a lazy dance, and Wallace once more
drank in his lover’s taste, amazed at the mere concept that he’d ever
lived without this.

For a few minutes, they simply made out, enjoying the moment,

the knowledge that they were together and nothing could part them.
Gradually, though, the need inside them both grew unbearable.

It occurred to Wallace that he’d just taken Blue hours before, and

the young man had gone through so much. Doc had said Blue had
recuperated almost miraculously, but that didn’t mean Wallace should
put such strain on him. They could do something else, not necessarily
penetration. Stopping now would be the hardest thing Wallace had
ever done in his life, but for Blue, he would do it.

Obviously, Blue overheard the thought. He tore his lips away

from Wallace and glowered at him. “I don’t want something else.”
Rubbing his ass against Wallace’s crotch, he added, “I want this. I
want you.”

Wallace’s impulses had always been stronger than those of a

regular human. He didn’t know if it was caused by the syndrome and
his affinity with the beast he could turn into, but he’d long ago
accepted it. Now, that instinct burst free, and he couldn’t hold himself
in check anymore.

In a flash, he pushed Blue down and flipped him on all fours. Blue

released a yelp of surprise, but stayed where he’d been placed.
Wallace was glad for his lover’s agreement, as it allowed him to
admire the beautiful curve of Blue’s back. He simply couldn’t get
over how lovely Blue was. His wings should have looked odd on a
human, but they didn’t. Their base melted into Blue’s body perfectly,
and even if there were still several scars there, they no longer looked
so raw and ugly. In fact, many of the marks from before seemed to
have faded. Wallace wondered why that was. He pushed away the

Scarlet Hyacinth

thought, focusing on the present, not the past. It was his job to make
Blue forget about all that, to give his lover what Blue had never had
before.

In this position, he had perfect access to his lover’s ass and his

beautiful, azure wings. He cupped the globes of Blue’s buttocks and
kneaded them gently. As he parted the cheeks, his eyes fell on Blue’s
pretty, pink hole. He rubbed a dry finger over it, making Blue moan.

He lowered his body over Blue’s, pressing a kiss to Blue’s nape.

He allowed himself to explore the expanse of Blue’s back and
couldn’t resist touching Blue’s wings. He pressed soft kisses over
their surface, butterfly-light because his lover was, after all, a
butterfly. Their delicate consistency marveled him, as did the sounds
that escaped Blue whenever Wallace merely brushed against them.

“Please, Wallace,” Blue moaned at last. “I need you inside me.”
Blue seemed at the brink of climax simply at the touches to his

wings, so Wallace stopped, wanting to be inside Blue when the
younger man came.

Wallace retrieved the tube of lubricant and uncapped it. He poured

a generous amount on his fingers and spread the slick liquid over
Blue’s hole. His lover’s wings twitched every so often, and Blue’s
opening seemed to want to draw him inside.

Wallace gently slid a finger into Blue’s body, seeking the spot that

would drive his lover crazy with pleasure. When he found the spongy
gland, Blue gasped out his name. “Please, Wallace. Fuck me.”

And Wallace intended to do just that, but first, he needed to

prepare Blue. Wallace was quite generously endowed, and he didn’t
want to hurt his lover. He added another finger, then a third one,
indulging himself with watching Blue’s ass stretch around the digits.
Soon, he could no longer take the torture he was inflicting on them
both. He needed to fuck Blue. No. He needed to make love to him.

He removed his fingers and quickly slicked up his prick. Holding

onto his lover’s hips, he positioned his cock at Blue’s entrance.
Slowly, gently, he pushed inside. The heat of Blue’s channel

On the Wings of a Butterfly

squeezing his cock threatened to consume him, and he didn’t know
how he managed to keep control of himself and not simply shove in.
When he was fully inside Blue, he stilled, allowing his lover a few
moments to get used to the penetration. His instinct ushered him to
seek friction, especially when Blue’s passage clutched him so
deliciously, but Wallace still waited.

If he’d had any doubt about Blue’s genuine desire, the feelings

that overflowed through their bond eliminated it. Blue’s mind and
heart seemed to be a whirlwind of a thousand emotions, all centered
on one thing—the strange new love he felt for Wallace. The
knowledge both humbled Wallace and aroused him beyond measure.
Both the human part of him and his wolf ached for Blue. When Blue
at last became relaxed, Wallace pulled out and thrust back in. He
gritted his teeth, struggling not to come on the spot. It just felt too
good, but he refused to climax like a teenager. He wanted to make this
last.

In the end, he was helpless, and he surrendered to the lust and the

desire for completion. In, out, in, out, he fucked his lover over and
over, while Blue thrust back against him. Blue’s beautiful wings
trembled, and his entire body was taut with sensual tension. Through
their connection, Wallace could sense his butterfly’s pleasure, feel
how close the younger man was to climax.

Just like earlier, he felt his wolf howl inside him, demanding the

full bond with its mate. Mate. It should have been strange for a human
to think in those kind of terms, as if he were a wolf in the wild who
bonded with his chosen partner. But in his heart, Wallace knew it was
true. Strange or not, Blue was his soul mate.

His human teeth turned sharp, and the lust, the need, and the

emotion were suddenly too much. Wallace sank his canines into
Blue’s neck, and his wolf howled inside as sweet blood invaded his
mouth.

Ecstasy burst over both of them, and through their connection,

Wallace felt the pleasure with twice the intensity. Clinging to Blue, he

Scarlet Hyacinth

thrust one last time inside his lover and filled Blue’s channel with his
spunk. Blue’s ass muscles tightened around Wallace’s prick as the
young man came as well, prolonging the moment, drawing every drop
out of Wallace.

Even with the nirvana burning through him, Wallace still

remembered to release Blue’s wound, mindful of Blue’s earlier injury.
Hastily, he licked the mark clean, relieved when it closed, leaving
behind just a hickey. When he did so, he was invaded by a sense of
contentment that went beyond the physical simply at the sight of his
mark of possession on Blue’s pale skin.

The intensity of the pleasure slowly began to dwindle, but even as

Wallace’s cock slid out of Blue’s ass, Wallace acknowledged the
extent of their bond. Yes, Blue was his mate. There was no other
word that could fit their connection.

They collapsed together on Wallace’s bed, and Wallace didn’t

delay in hugging his mate to his chest. “Mate,” Blue said softly, as if
testing the way the word sounded in his mouth. “I like that.”

Wallace pressed a brief kiss to Blue’s forehead then got up from

the bed. He went to the adjoining bathroom and cleaned up, then
retrieved a wet washcloth and returned to the bedroom. By the time he
climbed into the bed again, Blue was already asleep.

With a smile, Wallace rushed to wipe his lover down and then lay

down next to Blue. He sent a prayer of thanks to whoever up there
had granted him the gift of his mate and closed his eyes. Sooner than
he expected, slumber took him, and he fell into dreams filled with the
sight of azure eyes.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Chapter Five

Blue floated in the unconsciousness of pleasant slumber. For once,

he didn’t dream about Wallace, well, not exactly. In his sleep,
memories of his Braveheart came to him, the first time he’d seen
Wallace at the movies, Wallace’s voice in his ear, his golden eyes,
their first kiss, and then the pleasure of the sex between them. Heat
coursed through him at the mere recollection of those moments. It had
felt so good.

Even now, Blue could recall the way Wallace sucked him, the

volcanic heat of the other man’s mouth pleasuring Blue as Wallace’s
hands teased Blue’s anus. So right, so real, and so true, the pleasure
couldn’t even be described in words.

Arousal flooded him, and all of a sudden, Blue realized the need

now coursing through him was no dream. He opened his eyes, and as
he came to, the first thing he saw was his lover’s head bobbing up and
down his cock. Just like in his supposed dream, Wallace spread
Blue’s legs, a slick finger teasing at Blue’s entrance.

Blue might have been surprised at Wallace’s initiative, but he had

no intention of refusing it. He started thrusting in and out of Wallace’s
hot mouth, gasping at the way Wallace growled. The sounds his
lover—his mate—made sent vibrations of ecstasy through Blue. And
when Wallace inserted a digit inside Blue’s anus, Blue’s coherent
consciousness disappeared like smoke.

He distantly heard himself begging and pleading, asking Wallace

to fuck him. He was close, so very close. He needed to have Wallace
inside him when he came.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Wallace added two more fingers into his hole, stretching him

while at the same time keeping the drugging suction on his cock. But
Blue’s body was already well fucked from the day before, and even if
the soreness had all but faded, his hole took in the invading digits
with ease.

Wallace snatched his mouth off Blue’s prick and lifted Blue’s legs

on his shoulder. His prick nudged at Blue’s entrance, his heat and
scent surrounding Blue like a protective cocoon. But just as Wallace
was about to push inside, they heard a noise outside.

Both Wallace and Blue tensed. Wallace opened his mouth,

intending to say something Blue couldn’t quite grasp. He didn’t get
the chance. The door to the bedroom burst open, and a tall, muscular
man burst into the room.

The sight of the stranger immediately dissolved Blue’s arousal.

He rushed to find a sheet, and in his haste to cover himself, kicked
Wallace in the face. The wolf went down, onto the floor, with a dull
thud.

Blue was torn between extreme embarrassment and concern.

Repressing the urge to simply hide under the sheets, he crawled to the
edge of the bed to see if his mate was all right. Thankfully, he seemed
to be concerned for nothing. Wallace shot to his feet and glowered at
the new arrival. “What the fuck, Lowell?”

He was still as naked as the day he was born, but he didn’t seem

to mind. The stranger, apparently named Lowell, snickered. “Just
wanted to check out if it was true you finally hooked up, and with a
butterfly.”

A vein twitched in Wallace’s forehead. “Get the fuck out of my

house.” He released an animalistic growl and began to threateningly
step forward.

Lowell just grinned again. “It’s not just your house, remember?”
The situation might have escalated into violence, but Raven burst

in the room. “I can’t believe you.” He fumed, glaring at Lowell.
“What did I say just earlier?”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Lowell smirked lazily. “Aw, baby, don’t be like that. I was just

having a bit of fun.”

“Out.” Raven pointed to the door. “Out now.”
He sounded pissed, and for the first time, a touch of concern

appeared in Lowell’s gaze. “Okay, baby. Got it.”

But before doing that, he leered at Blue. “Although I have to say, I

very much enjoyed the show. Seems you had better luck than me,
Wallace.”

The callous remark startled Blue more than it embarrassed him.

Obviously, Raven and Lowell were lovers, and the insulting comment
was directed at Raven. Wallace’s friend screeched at him, an inhuman
sound unlike anything Blue had ever heard. Lowell turned to Raven in
obvious surprise, and in that moment, Raven attacked him. His
fingernails became talons, and he raked them over Lowell’s face and
chest.

Wallace broke the fight before it could grow further, but Raven

wasn’t done yet. “I’ve had enough of your flirting and degrading
observations,” he shouted at Lowell. “Get the fuck out of my house
and don’t return.”

Lowell didn’t answer. He seemed to be shocked at this outcome,

as if he’d never expected Raven to stand up for himself. Blue half
expected him to fight back, or to at least say something. Instead,
Lowell turned his back on them and took his leave without further
comment.

As he heard the entry door open and close, Blue breathed a sigh of

relief. Through their bond, Wallace sent waves of calm to him, while
attempting to help his friend. “You okay?” Wallace asked Raven.

Raven smiled tightly. “Fine. I’m sorry for bringing my drama

here. I spoiled your morning.”

Blue couldn’t allow the other man to blame himself for someone

else’s stupidity. He might not be completely comfortable around
Raven, but the guy was Wallace’s friend. If he wanted a life at
Wallace’s side, the best place to begin with was getting close to

Scarlet Hyacinth

Wallace’s loved ones. Besides, he felt kind of bad for Raven. Raven
deserved better than a jerk like Lowell.

Wrapping himself in a sheet, Blue climbed out of the bed and

went to Raven’s side. A bit awkwardly, he squeezed Raven’s arm.
“It’s not your fault. Besides, it’s already quite late.”

“You can make us breakfast to make it up to us,” Wallace offered

with a grin.

The teasing comment brought a smile to Raven’s lips. “My

pleasure. But don’t expect me to deliver it in bed.”

With a grin, Raven left the room, seeming a bit calmer. As soon as

the other man was out of earshot, Wallace sighed. “I always knew that
guy was bad news. I wish Raven had listened earlier.”

“He’ll find someone else,” Blue replied. “He’s a nice guy, and he

deserves it.”

Wallace turned to him and smiled. “Thanks, by the way. I really

thought you’d freak when he screeched.”

Blue shrugged. It had been strange, but Raven had only ever been

nice to him, so he had no reason to be scared. “It’s nothing.”

Wallace didn’t answer, at least not out loud. However, Blue could

tell his lover thought his small kindness toward Raven meant much
more. Wallace pecked his lips in a chaste kiss and then pulled the
sheet away. “Come on. We need to wash up and get dressed. Rav’s
always quick with breakfast.”

Indeed, a few minutes later, enticing scents reached out to them

from outside the room. Blue and Wallace rushed to get ready for the
day. If they occasionally brushed against each other while doing so
and always lingered around each other, neither of them made any
comment about it. They managed to get washed and dressed without
any considerable delay and left Wallace’s room. They entered the
kitchen just as Raven was setting the table. “Breakfast is served,
gentlemen,” he said.

There were omelets, toast, orange juice, and pancakes, on the

whole a simple, but delicious-looking breakfast. All three men sat at

On the Wings of a Butterfly

the table and dug in. Blue ate his eggs quickly, eagerly anticipating
the sweet treat. As he reached the pancakes, he piled several on his
plate, slathering them with syrup.

“I hope you’ll like them,” Raven said. “I figured that, since you’re

a butterfly, you’d appreciate something sweet.”

Blue stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth. It hadn’t

occurred to him that the pancakes might have been for his benefit.
Tears prickled at the corner of his eyes, and he forced them back.
When he’d lived with his parents, sweets had been forbidden, since
his father believed they encouraged the growth of his wings. Blue
didn’t know if the other man had been right about that, but he did
know that these pancakes meant much more than a simple sweet
breakfast. He’d made a new friend.

“Thanks,” he replied with a smile. His discomfort was beginning

to disappear, and with Wallace there, he found that he’d actually
started to relax. “I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” Raven grinned back. “I was thinking. If you want,

we could start training on your wings today.”

“I’d like that,” Blue answered, “if it’s not too much trouble for

you.”

“Only if you feel up to it, baby,” Wallace warned.
Blue arched a brow. “Doc said I’m fine, right?”
“She did, but it wouldn’t hurt to check with her first,” Wallace

replied.

Blue felt warm inside at his mate’s concern, but still wanted to

reassure Wallace. “I feel fine. In fact, I’ve never felt better.” For the
first time, it occurred to him that the night before, he hadn’t
experienced any problems with his wings at all. In fact, he couldn’t
remember their presence disturbing him during his and Wallace’s
lovemaking last night. “Rav, how does one draw his wings inside his
body?” he inquired.

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Well, it takes some training, but in time, it will come to you

naturally,” Raven replied. “You have to accept your wings as a part of
you, and then you can command them and your nature as you please.”

The explanation sounded kind of strange, and Blue didn’t

remember things that way. “I think I did it a couple of times, when I
wasn’t really thinking about it.”

Realization seemed to dawn for Wallace. “That’s right. Last night,

when we…Uh…” The recollection of their session of lovemaking
passed through Blue’s mind, this time coming from Wallace. “You
didn’t have any trouble with your wings,” Wallace finished.

“That’s very promising.” Raven couldn’t have missed Wallace’s

meaning, but he didn’t even blink an eye. Blue couldn’t say he was
surprised, given the situation Raven and that bastard Lowell had
caught him and Blue in. “If you’re up for it, we can pass by the clinic
today and see what Doc says.”

Blue nodded. As things were now, he would not be able to leave

his house without fearing discovery. His bright-blue wings were a
dead giveaway, and his control of them now was erratic at best. Now
that he was free from the captivity imposed by his parents, he would
not accept one forced on him by his own nature.

After they finished breakfast, Wallace retrieved Blue’s large

jacket and draped it over his shoulders, cloaking his wings as best he
could. Raven went ahead to bring the car closer. After locking up the
apartment, Wallace led Blue to the car as quickly as possible. They
went down the stairs slowly, first making sure there was no one
around. All the precautions truly brought home for Blue exactly how
much he needed to control his wings.

Outside was even more difficult, but thankfully, Raven had parked

the vehicle at the back entrance of the building. Even if there were the
occasional homeless around, no one paid them any close attention.
The jacket managed to cloak his wings for the five seconds it took to
get him from the exit of the building and into the big car. Behind the
tinted windows, Blue immediately felt safer.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Wallace slid into the backseat next to Blue, and Raven started the

car. Just as they drove off, Wallace’s phone rang. Wallace retrieved it
and frowned. “That’s odd. It’s Doc.”

Wallace took the call, and Blue could feel the apprehension he

was trying to disguise. “Oh, hey, Doc. What’s up?”

Blue’s sensitive hearing—which seemed to have gotten even more

sensitive lately—permitted him to catch her reply. “Hi, Wallace.
How’s Blue?”

“Fine,” Wallace answered. “He’s right here with me.”
“Oh, all right. Could you come to the clinic? Charity and I would

like to talk to you.”

“We’re on our way there now. Anything wrong, Doc?”
“We’ll talk when you get here. Bye, Wallace.”
And with that, she ended the conversation. It struck Blue as odd.

From what Wallace had told him, she didn’t seem like the type of
person to randomly order people around. Something must be wrong.
But what?

None of them spoke throughout the drive. Blue found himself

clutching Wallace’s hand, absently staring at the slideshow of
buildings outside. Blue was half relieved, half fearful when at last
they reached their destination. He told himself it was probably
nothing. He’d been quite sick yesterday, so even if Doc had given him
a clean bill of health, she might want to see him just the same.

They didn’t park out front, but rather next to the clinic, away from

the view of the normal kids. Distantly, Blue wondered how Doc even
managed to administer both sides of the orphanage. It seemed strange,
like two worlds coming together under the same roof, but without
really touching. Although truth be told, Blue somehow doubted the
normal children hadn’t figured out something was strange about
Wallace and the others. He remembered his young years, before his
puberty, when he’d still been considered largely normal. In spite of
his frail nature, he’d been curious and inquisitive. He thought most

Scarlet Hyacinth

children must be like that. It must be quite a feat to try to keep the
existence of the syndrome a secret.

Blue expected to see Doc, since she’d been the one to call them.

As they left the vehicle, though, they ran into another person, a
woman older than Doc. Her light gray hair was tied in a traditional
bun, and she wore a long skirt and a sedate blouse with a lab coat over
them. There were slight wrinkles at the corner of her eyes and stern
mouth. “Hello, gentlemen,” she said. “I was looking for you.” She
looked at Blue and smiled, but Blue couldn’t read her. “We haven’t
met. I’m Doctor Charity Goldwin.”

This was Doc’s sister? Blue barely managed to disguise his shock.

From Wallace’s words, he’d gathered Charity must be perhaps in her
twenties or something like that. She wasn’t. In fact, she looked maybe
a bit older than Blue’s mother. That must make Doc in her fifties. No
wonder Wallace had compared her to an older sister, or even a
mother.

“Hello, Doctor,” he said when he recovered. “It’s a pleasure to

meet you.”

“I’m glad to see you are better.” She turned toward Wallace.

“Wallace, can I have a moment?”

Wallace frowned. “I have no secrets from Blue.”
“I insist.” Charity Goldwin’s smile grew tight. “It’s very

important.”

Wallace still seemed reluctant, but Blew found no reason why the

wolf would refuse. Blue would find out about the topic of the
conversation anyway. Blue and Wallace didn’t live in each other’s
heads, but neither could they hide much from each other. Still, he
didn’t feel comfortable sharing the knowledge of their special bond
with a stranger.

“I’ll see what she wants and be right back,” Wallace sent to him

through their bond.

Blue couldn’t help but feel a bit excited at communicating with

Wallace like this. “Okay. I’ll wait for you in the car,” he replied.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

He started to change his mind when Wallace got up and walked

away with Charity. Blue felt a pang of apprehension. In the past
twenty-four hours or so, Wallace had never really left his side, but
there was more to it than that. Blue couldn’t help but remember the
look Charity had given him. He wondered what was it that the woman
had to tell Wallace that couldn’t be said in front of him.

“Don’t worry,” Raven told him as they returned into the car. “It’s

probably nothing.”

Blue nodded, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t quite believe

that. All of a sudden, he felt very cold.

* * * *

Wallace wasn’t very happy with leaving his lover’s side. In fact,

he’d have much preferred to remain in Blue’s company as much as
possible. He knew Blue understood, but at the same time, the young
man was still so new here. He needed Wallace. At least he had
Raven’s company.

He didn’t go very far before stopping and demanding an

explanation. He cared about Charity a lot, but his priority was Blue.
The thing that most concerned Wallace was the knowledge that
Charity realized his affection for Blue. She’d always been very
perceptive and wouldn’t have interrupted them had a serious situation
not existed.

“What is it, Doctor Goldwin?” he inquired, concerned. “Is

something wrong?”

Unlike with Doc and Ford, she’d always been more formal to all

the people at the orphanage. The only ones who called her by her
given name were her older siblings. Wallace wasn’t bothered by it.
The late Mr. and Mrs. Goldwin had been very formal people, and
Charity had just inherited it from them.

When she didn’t immediately reply, Wallace grew even more

worried. “Doctor Goldwin? What’s the matter?”

Scarlet Hyacinth

She sighed and looked away. “I don’t know how to tell you this,

Mr. Malloy. I noticed you are very attached to our new arrival.”

Alarm bells started ringing in Wallace’s head. “Is something

wrong with Blue?”

“We performed some tests on a blood sample from him,” she

answered. “The results were…unexpected.”

The first thing that crossed Wallace’s mind was surprise. What in

the world were Doc and Charity doing drawing blood tests when Blue
had been suffering from a severe hemorrhage? Surely, that couldn’t
be safe. Besides, they hadn’t even consulted him regarding it.
Granted, at the time, Doc might have not known about Wallace’s
affection for Blue. Who was he kidding? Neither Doc nor Charity
were idiots, and Wallace had made no secret of his concern for the
young man.

“Why did you draw blood in the first place? Wasn’t it risky in

those conditions?”

Charity frowned. “I know how to do my job, Mr. Malloy. The

sample we took was very small, and he was already bleeding badly.
Tests needed to be done to check his blood type for a possible
transfusion. Would you like to hear what we discovered or not?”

Wallace made a mental note to look into it further, later on. For

the moment, it seemed Charity did indeed have something important
to say. “Of course.”

“Well, I’ve been studying Blue’s blood cells and DNA and

comparing it with those of other people with the syndrome. The
closest thing to his case is Winnifred and Rutherford. But…Mind you,
these findings are still inconclusive and preliminary, so they might not
even be correct.”

Wallace’s anxiety grew more and more. “Just tell me,” he said.
“It seems Blue’s body is evolving faster than with other people

with the syndrome. It is the reason why he didn’t need any blood
transfusions. The rush of nutrients necessary for the emergence of the
wings allowed him to heal and live through his injuries. But at the

On the Wings of a Butterfly

same time, this rhythm means his body is burning out. Blue is aging
faster than other people with the syndrome. In fact, he’s aging faster
than normal humans, as well. If I’m right, Blue doesn’t have much
longer to live.”

For a few moments, the words didn’t really process. The phrase

echoed in his mind over and over. Blue doesn’t have much longer to
live. Blue doesn’t have much longer to live. It couldn’t be. Wallace
refused to accept it.

His impulses burst out of him, and he grabbed her arm, shaking

her. “You’re lying. You’re lying to me!”

Charity struggled to get out of his hold, her eyes wide. “Let me

go,” she said, a hint of fear in her voice. “Please, let me go.”

Wallace realized what he was doing and released her at once. He

couldn’t bring himself to apologize, though. He was too lost in his
emotions. “This can’t be right. Doc, me, and the others…We all age
slowly. Why would it be different for him?”

At first, Charity eyed him warily then, when she must have

realized he wouldn’t attack her again, started to speak again. “It’s the
syndrome,” Charity said. “It is different for everyone, according to
their particular strain. While you and Winnifred got the good part of
it, Blue wasn’t so lucky. As you know, butterflies have very short life
spans and are, in general, quite frail. The same way you’ve earned
strength, he would be weaker.”

“No.” Wallace refused to believe it. “It can’t be.”
“Wallace, you know that your shape-shifter abilities don’t actually

prolong your life. They merely give you resistance to diseases and
injuries. It allows your body to remain at peak condition longer
because of the type of shifter you are. Essentially, the regenerative
properties normal humans possess during their youth are stronger and
last longer for you. However, shifters with less strength are unlikely
to have the same ability or to the same extent. Raven, for example,
will probably live fewer years than you. It all depends.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

She paused, and Wallace knew that what she would say next

would be terrible. “However, as far as I can tell, Blue’s body has
suffered from a great deal of abuse,” Charity said. “The continuous
regrowth of the wings is very demanding. While the healing helps
him for a short period, it also puts a strain on his body as a whole.
This is why he is very likely to suffer from a premature death. The
first harsher winter might actually kill him.” She gave him a look that
seemed apologetic rather than compassionate. “I’m sorry. Like I said,
it’s just preliminary testing. The results might not be correct.”

Wallace felt dazed. “But you don’t think so.”
She didn’t reply, and her silence was enough of an answer.

Wallace struggled to find something to say, some way to question her.
He simply couldn’t believe life would be so cruel and steal Blue from
him so quickly.

Through confused eyes, he watched as Doc approached, her high

heels clinking against the tarmac as she ran toward him. “Did you tell
him?” Doc asked her sister.

Charity nodded, and Doc took a deep breath, looking pissed.

“Right.” Turning toward Wallace, she said, “Look, Wallace, I won’t
lie to you. There is a chance that our first discovery is correct. But
Blue had suffered from severe trauma then, and the analysis might be
contaminated because of it. With your and Blue’s permission, I’d like
to take new samples.”

Wallace would have laughed if he could make his vocal chords

work. Now they needed permission? They hadn’t asked for it before.
But if they were right, they could be the only chance Blue had.

“We wanted to tell you first, so you can speak to him,” Doc

added. “You might find better words than us.”

After a brief pause, he finally managed to speak. “I’ll talk to him.

We’ll be right there.”

Both sisters nodded and began to walk away. Wallace watched

them go and then braved himself to face his mate.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Their bond overflowed with confusion and apprehension, and

Wallace knew Blue must have caught at least some of what the two
doctors had said. He headed back to his car, his heart heavy. The door
was cracked open, and Blue was sitting inside, hiding his wings from
whoever might see them, while Raven had taken position in front of
the vehicle.

Raven seemed concerned. “Wallace, what’s the matter?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Wallace replied. “Can I have a word in private

with Blue?”

Raven nodded and headed toward the clinic. Wallace slid into the

car next to Blue.

At first, neither of them spoke. Wallace couldn’t find words to

express the way he felt. Finally, Blue broke the awkward silence.
“I’m sorry,” he said in a whisper.

“Sorry for what, baby blue?” Wallace asked.
“For being sick.” Blue’s voice was soft.
Wallace wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulder, pulling him

close. “We don’t know for sure if that’s true or not.”

For a few moments, Blue didn’t answer. When he did speak again,

his words surprised Wallace. “You know, I always did hate the ending
for Braveheart,” the younger man said. “I thought after all that, he
deserved to be happy.” He turned bright, blue eyes to Wallace. “I
want you to promise me something, Wallace. If something happens to
me, if the doctors are right and I die, I want you to find someone new,
someone else who can make you happy.”

Wallace gaped at his mate. “I don’t want someone else. I only

want you.”

Blue’s eyes held a decision that almost shocked Wallace. “I know.

I can feel it. But, Wallace, death is always hardest on those who are
left behind. I don’t want you to suffer.”

“I won’t have to,” Wallace said fiercely. “You’re going to be fine.

You’ll see.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

“Okay,” Blue answered, even though it was obviously just to

pacify Wallace. “Let’s go inside and give the doctors that sample.”

Without another word, Wallace and Blue left the car. Blue seemed

strangely calm and kept the jacket on his shoulders without any real
trouble. His wings had stilled, something that worried Wallace. In
truth, there was no real need for stealth. The side entrance was kept
for S.E.X. purposes only, and the normal kids were not allowed to
come to this area.

Hand in hand, they walked toward Doc’s examination room. They

found her and Charity there, with Raven and their brother Ford
waiting outside. Unlike Doc and Charity, Ford had dedicated his life
not to medical research, but to security. He was all about protecting
their secret, organizing the orphanage, and making sure all those who
lived here were safe. He kept tabs of the people who came and went,
knowing, like Wallace did, that one of the kids would see through
their precautions sooner or later. Lately, he’d taken up a new project
to build a separate orphanage for children with S.E.X. Wallace
wondered why he’d taken up post outside his sisters’ examination
area instead of dealing with the many issues on his agenda. It was a
fleeting thought, at best, which vanished when he and Blue entered
the room. Doc and Charity had already prepared the necessary
equipment, and seeing all the needles and vials made Wallace feel
queasy.

“This is safe, right?” he asked.
Doc gave him a look that held far too much compassion for

Wallace’s liking. “Of course,” she answered. She gestured Blue
toward the chair. “It’s really easy, and it won’t hurt a bit.”

Blue silently obeyed. He rolled his sleeve and waited while Doc

did her job. Quickly and professionally, Doc collected a sample of
Blue’s blood. “That’s it,” she said. “You can go ahead and do
whatever you like now, although I’d prefer it if you stayed within
clinic grounds.”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

“Actually, we were coming this way intending to get some

training for my wings,” Blue replied. “Can I still do that?”

“As long as you don’t strain yourself too much,” Charity replied.

“It’s very important to rest a lot in this period.”

From what she’d told him outside, Wallace had understood that no

amount of resting would save Blue’s life, but perhaps he was being
too hasty in his pessimism. Doc had a point. It was too early to make
assumptions.

But Blue seemed to have resigned himself to dying. The smile

he’d worn earlier in the day, during breakfast, was gone now. It was
like he’d retreated back into his shell.

Wallace had seen how difficult life had been for Blue. The day

before, at the cinema, he’d stammered and trembled, obviously
unaccustomed to crowds. He’d been shy and dashed off even when
Wallace touched him.

But with their bond in place, Blue seemed to be opening up to him

more and more. With each second they spent together, the guarded
look in Blue’s eyes was starting to disappear. At least, until now.
Wallace realized Blue was taking the doctor’s words as genuine, and
his optimism and enthusiasm had dissipated as if they’d never been.

“All right,” Blue said. “There isn’t much point anyway.”
The two women didn’t say anything. Wallace felt angered both on

his and Blue’s behalf. Doc and Charity should have never scared Blue
like this, at least until they knew something for certain.

There was nothing for it now. They had no choice but to wait.

With a grumbled thanks for the two physicians, Wallace led Blue out.
Raven gave them both a concerned look, so Wallace rushed to dismiss
any questions. “We’re waiting for the results.”

“It could take a while,” Ford warned them.
Ford was right. If the analysis was meant to eliminate all doubt, it

could take a while, indeed. He needed to come up with something to
distract Blue.

Scarlet Hyacinth

It occurred to him that Blue had gone to the cinema the day

before, and for him to take such a chance, it must mean Blue truly
appreciated films. “How about we watch a movie?” he suggested
through their bond.

They couldn’t exactly go to the cinema, but there was a recreation

room here at the clinic, and to his knowledge, it was well stocked with
the latest film DVDs. “I like that idea,” Blue replied. A small smile
appeared on his face. It was certainly better than a blank expression.

A bit more reassured, Wallace told Raven and Ford what they

planned and asked to be notified in case something came up.
Reassured by the two men, Wallace took his mate’s hand and led him
to the recreation room. Thankfully, it was empty.

Blue plopped down on the couch, while Wallace went to select a

movie. “What do you want to see? Braveheart?”

Blue shook his head. “Something with a happy ending.”
Wallace couldn’t agree more. He found an older DVD of

Ladyhawke, one of Doc’s personal favorites, and in fact, his own. Of
course, he would never admit it, since he would have never heard the
end of it from Lowell and other men like him. Nevertheless, it was
quite suitable. Wallace had always empathized with the main
character and now more than ever.

He inserted the DVD and sat next to Blue. Blue smiled at his pick.

“I love this movie.”

“You’ve seen it before?”
Blue nodded. “Years back, before I got my wings. I always liked

the wolf.”

Wallace laughed. “You must have liked him for a reason.”
They settled in to watch the movie and were soon captivated in

the story of two star-crossed lovers, as different as night and day and
separated by moonlight and daylight. It was quite ironic, Wallace
thought. He and Blue were so much like the main characters of the
film. Okay, so Blue was a butterfly, not a hawk like the female lead,
and of course, he was a man. But other than that, the situation was

On the Wings of a Butterfly

shockingly similar. Wallace and Blue both lived plagued by a curse
set by the moon and sun, and while it had been cast by nature, not
man, it was still there, and it might very well kill Blue.

Still, the movie improved his disposition a bit. When it ended,

Blue suddenly asked, “Do you think we’ll have a happy ending like
Captain Navarre and Lady Isabeau?”

If there was a God watching over them, the answer would

definitely be yes. But Wallace didn’t know anything anymore. Truly,
he couldn’t be sure of what would happen. Earlier that morning, he’d
been certain he could protect Blue from whoever might have tried to
hurt him, and that didn’t seem the case.

He was, however, convinced of one thing. They were soul mates,

and not even death could change that. He didn’t know what he’d do if
Blue died, but a part of him would certainly go with the butterfly.

“My Braveheart,” Blue whispered. “You really shouldn’t think

such sad things.”

Blue climbed into his lap, and their lips met for a shy, gentle kiss.

The passion in it was tamed by their sorrow, but the love could not be
disguised. It was a closemouthed lip-lock, but it felt so real that
Wallace couldn’t fathom losing it.

When their lips parted, he clutched his mate to his chest, hoping

against all hope it would be enough to keep Blue from leaving his
side, from fading. He was so focused on his lover he nearly missed
the approach of a new presence.

Raven knocked at the door, and Wallace ushered him to come in.

“Doc has news for you. Wallace, I think it’s good news.”

Immediately, Blue shot to his feet. Those simple words seemed to

reenergize him. Wallace hoped it wouldn’t be a misguided promise
from Raven’s part.

They rushed back to the office, but as it turned out, Doc met them

halfway. She looked bouncy and excited. “It’s amazing,” she said
breathlessly. “These results show such an amazing change.”

“So Blue’s not going to die?” Wallace asked.

Scarlet Hyacinth

“No, not at all. In fact, it seems that in a very short expanse of

time, his body has recovered completely. There is no sign whatsoever
of the cell degradation we noticed on the first sample.”

“Maybe it was just the injury causing what you saw,” Raven

suggested.

“It’s highly unlikely. The hemorrhage wouldn’t affect the actual

DNA or composites of the blood stream, not like that.” She licked her
lips. “Blue, have you done anything in particular since yesterday,
something to justify his change?”

Blue just blinked at her. “Nothing comes to mind.”
Wallace recalled his earlier observation about the scars on Blue’s

back. “The scars. His scars are gone. I noticed yesterday.”

Blue gaped at him. “Seriously? But they never disappeared like

that before.”

“So there must be something, something that can modify or affect

the syndrome.” Wallace had never heard Doc sound so thrilled. She
grabbed Blue’s hands and stared into his eyes. “Please, Blue, think.
This could be a very important discovery. Anything would help.
Wallace, you were with him, right? Can you think of something?”

Actually, Wallace could. Their bond. It seemed to him that Blue’s

scars had vanished after Wallace had bitten him. Blue had also started
to show more control in his wings. And thinking back, Wallace could
recall some changes in himself. In the expanse of one day, he’d
attacked two people, and might have done the same with a third one
had Raven not been there first. He hadn’t felt like this since he’d been
a teen with his impulses out of control. He felt stronger, somehow
more in touch with his second nature.

“Should we tell her about the mind speech thing?” Blue asked

through their connection.

“And the dreams.” Wallace was reluctant to share something so

private with someone else, but it could be important for the research.
Wallace knew how hard it was for Doc to find treatment when one of
the people with the syndrome was injured. Wallace had seen it a lot,

On the Wings of a Butterfly

growing up. There were other wolves around, even if they were often
jerks like Lowell. Even if their blood groups didn’t always match,
every one of them had someone who could jump in should a
transfusion be needed.

However, beyond that, they lacked treatment for anything other

than basic injuries. Thankfully, they all had amazing immune
systems, but their bodies could react strangely to medicine that would
heal a normal human, or even an animal. It was a mystery Doc had
been struggling to decipher for a while now.

Wallace didn’t know if the bond he shared with Blue would be

relevant, but in his heart, he felt it would be fitting if it had been
indeed responsible for the change. He’d sensed it the day before,
known that bond was unbreakable and would help him protect Blue.

Taking a decision, he nodded to his friends and said, “Okay. We

need to have a talk.”

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Six

“So what you’re saying is that all this time, you’ve been having

dreams of Blue?”

They were in Doc’s office, and Wallace had just briefly explained

the extent of his connection with Blue. He nodded at Doc’s words.
“And him of me. Yes.”

Doc continued to speak as if she hadn’t even heard him. “And you

can talk telepathically. Since when? What did you do?”

The invasion of his privacy irritated Wallace, but he didn’t have

much choice but to reply. “I bit him yesterday. That’s when it
happened.”

“So then…It might not be Blue. It might be you.”
Wallace gaped at her. “Me? But there’s nothing about my medical

situation you don’t know.”

“The syndrome makes our DNA unstable, you know that. It might

have changed.”

Wallace felt doubtful. Before Blue appeared in his life, he hadn’t

registered any change in his routine, life, or behavior, just the dreams
that had been getting more intense. Nevertheless, he complied with
their request to offer a sample of blood.

After they were done, he got up and took his mate’s hand again,

intending to leave the office. Doc stopped him. “Oh, you can’t go,”
she said almost absently as she readied herself to study the blood.
“We need you here to monitor your body. Blue can go, though.”

Wallace took a deep breath, struggling for calm. All of a sudden,

from their friend, he’d turned into their guinea pig. “Tell you what,
Doc. Blue and I are going home. To my home. Once you actually

On the Wings of a Butterfly

have relevant results—that are real this time—you can let us know to
come on over.”

Doc’s nostrils flared. “Those results were true at the time. That’s

why we need to find out the reason behind the change.”

“And I’m doing my best to cooperate,” Wallace shot back. “But

I’m not your pet, Doc. You can’t tell me to sit and expect me to obey.
And especially, you can’t treat Blue like that.”

Doc’s eyes widened, and she finally seemed to realize her

mistake. “I’m sorry, Wallace,” she said. “I didn’t think…”

Charity, who had been quiet until then, pressed a hand to her

sister’s shoulder. “How about we just let it go for now. Thank you for
all your help, Mr. Malloy, Mr. Clements. We’ll let you know of our
findings.”

Wallace couldn’t say he felt completely pacified. In fact, his wolf

still seemed very restless, as if it were pacing inside Wallace’s head.
The disregard his own friends showed toward Blue angered him. Had
he not known Doc forever, he might have done something really
stupid.

Shaking himself, he thanked Charity. Grabbing his mate, he

stalked from the room. While they were on their way out, Raven
tossed him the keys to the car. “Go on home. I’ll hang around here for
a while.”

They headed directly out toward the car, and as they exited the

building, Wallace realized one thing. He hadn’t given himself the
chance to celebrate the good news.

Turning toward Blue, he lifted his mate in his arms and pressed a

brief kiss to Blue’s lips. “How about we have a romantic day, just the
two of us? We’ll probably have to stay in, but I’m sure we can find
something to occupy ourselves with.”

Blue gave him a heated look. “You see, that’s why I love you. For

your great ideas.”

The anger in Wallace’s wolf began to calm at Blue’s words,

replaced by satisfaction and arousal. The ease with which Blue said

Scarlet Hyacinth

those three special words made his beast roar in possessive approval
and his human side melt with genuine affection. Suddenly, whatever
Doc had said ceased to matter. Blue was safe. Beyond that, Wallace
could care about the rest later.

Blue’s eyes widened when he realized what he’d said and his face

went bright red. “I mean…What I mean…”

Wallace silenced Blue with a short peck. “I know what you

mean.” He loved Blue’s shyness and appreciated the fact that, with
Wallace, Blue was letting go of those barriers, allowing himself to
relax and follow his impulses.

They got into the car together and buckled in. Gradually, Blue

relaxed a bit, and his wings folded naturally against his back. They
didn’t quite disappear, but Wallace gathered that with some work, it
would be possible. For the moment, they would have to satisfy
themselves with shirts modified to allow Blue’s wings to move
around and big jackets.

As Wallace drove off, he found himself stealing the occasional

peek at Blue. From time to time, Blue looked back at him, but when
Wallace caught him in the act, averted his gaze. There was a small
smile on his lips the whole time, though, so Wallace couldn’t help but
grin back.

And then Blue’s small hand sneaked onto his thigh, kneading his

muscles in a slow, almost hesitant motion. Wallace groaned, just that
simple, innocent touch making him wild. Obviously encouraged, Blue
took things further and allowed his hand to progress, until it reached
Wallace’s lap.

The seat belt must have made things awkward because Blue

unbuckled himself and gave Wallace’s cock his full focus. The hand
on Wallace’s prick unzipped Wallace’s fly. His naughty fingers
slipped inside, bypassed Wallace’s briefs, and wrapped around
Wallace’s cock. Wallace groaned. “Baby blue, I’m not going to last if
you continue doing that. I’ll pull over and fuck you right here.”

On the Wings of a Butterfly

The warning was quite serious since Wallace might cause a car

accident because he couldn’t in the least bit focus on driving. And the
last thing he wanted was to have Blue hurt because he couldn’t
control himself. Still, he couldn’t deny his mate.

He parked in the first alley that seemed a bit private. As Wallace

stopped the car, the images feeding through their connection told
Wallace what to do. Since they hardly had space to maneuver, they
both left the car and slid into the backseat instead. As Wallace
accommodated himself, Blue struggled with Wallace’s belt and
finally released Wallace’s cock from its confines.

Blue looked up to Wallace and licked his lips. “I’ve never done

this before,” he confessed.

Wallace knew that much, but the same time, he was well aware of

the fact that he didn’t need proficiency. The mere thought of having
his mate’s lips wrapped around his prick already had him close to
coming. He did his best to sit in a position that would allow Blue
access and spread his legs.

“It’s okay,” he told Blue. “Just do what feels good and what you

liked the times I did it to you.”

Blue took a deep breath, as if gathering courage. It was the only

warning Wallace got before Blue lowered his mouth to Wallace’s
cock. Wallace’s eyes rolled in his head as wet heat engulfed his dick.
He struggled to focus, his attention fully on Blue. At first, Blue tried
to take too much and gagged. Wallace smoothed his hand through
Blue’s hair. “Easy, baby. Don’t rush it. You don’t have to take all of
me. Use your hands.”

Blue paused and then tried again. This time, his small, soft hands

wrapped around the base of Wallace’s prick, gently massaging. Blue
started to bob his head up and down Wallace’s cock, and as his
enthusiasm made him get over his nervousness, he began to suck for
all he was worth. In fact, Wallace had never experienced such
sensations before. Blue had a mouth like a Hoover, and the suction

Scarlet Hyacinth

fell into a rhythm so naturally Wallace wouldn’t have said this was
truly the first time when Blue did this.

Distantly, he supposed it made sense that Blue would be good at

it, since sucking was what butterflies did to feed. But all reasonable
thought started to dissipate as Blue’s hands traveled lower down to
rub Wallace’s sac, while at the same time, Blue’s throat opened to
take him deep.

Wallace released a choked groan, and when Blue swallowed

around the glans, he couldn’t hold his climax in check any longer.
With a roar, Wallace came, his orgasm short-circuiting his reason and
even his sense of self. There was only one thing that he remembered
to do, by some miracle. At the last moment, he pulled Blue’s head off
his prick, making spunk splatter over Blue’s face.

The mere sight of his mark on Blue made the beast inside Wallace

howl in satisfaction. Blue looked like a debauched angel, Wallace’s
angel, and Wallace intended to make sure Blue knew it.

Blue looked up at him, azure eyes dazed, and Wallace’s cock,

which had never quite gone soft, went rock hard again. He’d always
had great stamina, but with other lovers—no, other sex partners, since
he’d never loved any of them—he hadn’t had much interest in repeat
performances. But with Blue, it was oh-so-different. He couldn’t wait
to be inside his mate.

He gathered he cum off Blue’s face and slicked his cock up with

it. With striking fluidity, Blue pulled his pants off. His shyness
seemed to have melted. He was a creature of pure sex.

Blue’s pants and underwear landed on Blue’s seat, and then the

butterfly climbed into Wallace’s lap. His eyes were fevered, almost
crazed, and Wallace himself felt like he was going to burst. His
instincts were running in overdrive. He needed to fuck Blue so bad it
hurt.

Usually, he’d have never taken Blue without adequate

preparation, but this time, Blue didn’t seem to have the patience for it.
He positioned his hole over Wallace’s prick, finding support against

On the Wings of a Butterfly

Wallace’s shoulders. Holding Wallace’s gaze, Blue pushed down,
impaling himself on Wallace’s prick. Wallace gripped Blue’s hips,
controlling the speed of the motion. Finally, before he knew it, Blue’s
channel swallowed him right up, squeezing him like a velvet fist.

He gritted his teeth and struggled not to thrust up into Blue’s

body. Without preparation, he could really hurt his mate if he wasn’t
careful. Blue, however, didn’t have such fears. He lifted his body off
of Wallace’s pole then, in one single motion, rammed himself back.
Wallace would have tried to stop it, except he felt no real pain coming
from Blue, just amazing pleasure. They both gasped as the friction
showered their already aroused bodies with renewed ecstasy, and the
remnants of Wallace’s control broke.

With a growl, he started thrusting up inside Blue, while Blue rode

him with abandon. What little rational part remained in him was
completely focused on his mate’s pleasure. He aimed to hit Blue’s
prostate, feeling the shocks of nirvana echoing from Blue and into
him through their bond.

It was raw, pure passion, and at a visceral level, the most perfect

union that could exist between two men. Even in a car, in the middle
of a random New York alley, there was nothing that could be better.
On and on, up and down, the oldest dance of passion engulfed them
whole. The tight grip of Blue’s ass on Wallace’s prick made him feel
lost in a whirlpool of lava.

It was the strangest thing. Through their connection, Wallace felt

what Blue did, and it was almost as if he were fucking himself. If
anyone had ever told him a few days ago such a thing was possible,
Wallace would have laughed. Raven always said that if males had
been able to suck their own cocks, the human race would have long
ago died out. It might not be the same thing, but close enough.
Besides, it was physiologically unattainable. However, Blue made
even the impossible possible, and the sensations, filtered through their
bond, were two times more intense, greater and hotter than anything
Wallace had ever even thought existed.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Blue moved sinuously above him, thrusting his head back and

exposing the pale column of his neck to Wallace’s greedy gaze.
Wallace couldn’t resist. He pulled Blue down and embedded his
canines in Blue’s flesh. Sweet blood filled his mouth, better than the
ambrosia of the gods. Coupled with a pleasure that went beyond the
physical, it all became too much.

Wallace thrust one more time inside Blue and found his peak.

Their bond overflowed with their joint pleasure, and Blue’s ass
muscles tightened around Wallace’s prick as his mate came as well.

Tossed in the explosion of ecstasy, Wallace clung to his mate’s

body, mind, and soul. In that moment, they were no longer two
people, but one essence. Wallace couldn’t even tell where he ended
and Blue began. Their minds were like a cohesive whole, and it was
impossible for Wallace to even figure out which thoughts and
emotions belonged to him and which to Blue. It was an amalgam of
love, lust, gratitude, relief, and primal satisfaction, and through it all,
their bond shone brighter and stronger than ever. Wallace could
almost see it with his mind’s eye, so strong it seemed palpable, like a
bridge that had the color of Blue’s azure eyes and his own golden
ones.

Slowly, the sensation began to dwindle, leaving only a haze of

absolute contentment. Wallace retracted his fangs and licked the
wound clean. His spent cock slipped out of Blue’s body, and as soon
as he released Blue’s neck, his mate collapsed on top of him, panting
hard.

“That was amazing,” Blue said.
It had been more than amazing, and Wallace fully intended to

show it, perhaps even take Blue again once he recovered a bit. But he
felt someone outside, approaching fast, and really remembered where
they were. “Fuck. Somebody’s coming,” he told his mate.

Blue scrambled off his lap and reached for the glove compartment

to find something to clean up with. With some effort, he managed to
open it. His search proved to be successful, and he tossed Wallace a

On the Wings of a Butterfly

couple of tissues, while he used a few others to clean up. They pulled
on their pants and straightened their clothes as much as they could.
Just in time, too. A knock sounded on Wallace’s window. Wallace
rolled it down and found himself facing a police officer. “Is
everything all right, sir?”

Wallace offered the man a smile, wondering if the smell of sex

was as obvious to a normal human as it was to him. “Fine. Just fine.”

He didn’t know if the policeman believed him, but it was quite

obvious that the guy had more important things to be worried about
than a couple making out in their car. A few minutes after their little
encounter with the officer, Wallace was free to go. He started the car
and directed it toward their home. All the way there, he grinned like a
loon. So this was how it felt to be happy. Wallace had to say, it was a
nice feeling.

Scarlet Hyacinth

Chapter Seven

A few weeks later

“That’s it, Blue, breathe. Now, imagine yourself lighter, smaller.

Imagine being one with your nature.”

Blue listened to Raven’s words and tried to do as he was told.

He’d been making quick progress in controlling his wings, to the
extent that now he could hide them and summon them at will. It was
almost uncanny.

However, there was one thing he still had very much trouble with,

actually turning into a butterfly. He’d seen Raven turn into his second
form several times, as well as Wallace, but he couldn’t do it for the
life of him. He simply couldn’t understand how it was possible. All
right, so turning into a wolf might not be so hard to comprehend. He’d
seen plenty of werewolf movies. A crow was a little harder to believe,
but still plausible. But a butterfly? His body mass would have to
become thousands of times smaller, or something just as mind
boggling. He simply couldn’t do it.

“You’re thinking too much about it,” Raven chastised. “Just let it

go.”

“It’s easy for you to say,” Blue mumbled. “You’ve learned all this

since you were a kid.”

Raven released a disgruntled sigh. “You’re right, but I did it

nonetheless. Maybe we’re going too fast. How about we take it a little
slower?”

Blue nodded, feeling chastised and a little ashamed. It was unfair

of him to even make such comments when Raven had agreed to help

On the Wings of a Butterfly

him. Together, they’d made such breakthrough that might not have
been possible without Raven’s assistance.

“Hey,” Wallace protested through their bond. “What about me?”
Blue couldn’t suppress a light laugh. “Don’t tell me you’re fishing

for compliments now. Come on, my Braveheart. You already know
you’re my everything.”

He felt Wallace’s smug satisfaction and possessiveness. It had

gotten so familiar, but somehow, it still warmed Blue inside.
Sometimes, he fell back on his previous habits and couldn’t believe
he’d truly found his man with the golden eyes, his dream lover.

They still hadn’t figured out the exact reasons behind his change

in DNA. According to Doc, Wallace had also suffered from similar
modifications, but the two Goldwin sisters had been unable to
discover the cause. Blue and Wallace had cooperated as much as they
could. They’d given blood and saliva and had all sorts of tests made,
from MRIs to EKGs. In an embarrassing turn of events, they’d also
been asked to supply semen samples. In the end, it had all been for
naught. To Blue’s mind, the doctors were focusing more and more on
Wallace, and their continuous insistence had started to piss him off.

Fortunately, Wallace had returned to work and could no longer be

at their disposal every second of the day. He was working on a classic
cheating case, nothing exciting, but it would bring them money. Blue
really wanted to learn how to shift because, hell, no one paid attention
to a butterfly. He could go in and out of homes without any problem
and aid his mate. But of course, he first needed to master this ability
because until then, he was useless to Wallace.

“You’re not useless to me,” Wallace said through their

connection. “You’re learning, and that’s what counts.”

Blue suddenly felt the need to have Wallace close. “When are you

coming home?”

“Just a few more photos of the cheating guy to take, and then I

gotta drop by the clinic. An hour, two tops. I’ll come back home
later.”

100

Scarlet Hyacinth

Blue’s heart fell. That was too long. Even if their bond helped, he

hated being away from Wallace the entire day, yet another reason
why he wanted to learn to shape-shift. But he didn’t have to be
without Wallace when they didn’t even need to. Besides, he knew
better than to believe it would actually take two hours. Only the traffic
in the city could keep Wallace away from Blue for more time. If to
that he added whatever procedure Doc and Charity planned, Blue
would be lucky if Wallace got home in five hours.

It then occurred to him that usually, Wallace and he went together

to the orphanage. “Aren’t you going to pick me up?” he asked. A
small niggling doubt appeared in his mind. Oh, he trusted his lover
with his life. He didn’t believe for a minute that Wallace would cheat
on him, not even if their bond hadn’t been in place and kept him
informed of what Wallace thought or did in bursts of consciousness.
However, he didn’t have the same consideration for the doctors.
They’d been getting increasingly dismissive and making demands
which, while understandable to a certain point, had begun to drive
Blue crazy. Blue was sick and tired of their demands.

“Well, they just wanted to see me,” Wallace answered. “They

mentioned it wasn’t necessary to bring you along.”

Blue couldn’t suppress his shock. “Say what? I don’t like this,

Wallace. If you’re going there, I want to go, too.”

A mental sigh came from Wallace. “You don’t like them, do

you?”

“I like them fine. Doc saved my life, after all. But I just think

they’re getting distracted by their research and they’re forgetting
we’re people, too.” And of course, there was the fact that Blue
wanted to be close to Wallace, to feel his warmth, smell his scent,
simply enjoy his presence. There was nothing quite like being with
Wallace, except maybe flying. Blue still hadn’t learned to fly, but
with Wallace, he felt as if he could do that and much more.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

101

“One of these days, baby blue, we’ll go somewhere far away, just

the two of us. We could rent a small cabin, and just stay there, make
love, and let our inner beasts run wild.”

Blue couldn’t help but snort. Yeah, he was such a beast. Oh, he

could hear the people screaming for help. Here comes the butterfly.
Still, he admitted he liked the idea. To go to a place where no one
would bother them, where they could just focus on each other, and
also, where he wouldn’t have to worry about running into his parents
whenever he went out. Wallace might have freed him from bitter
captivity, but there were some things that couldn’t just disappear, and
the nightmares that followed him to this day still felt far too real and
close.

“Oh, baby. I’m coming home now, okay?” Wallace told him.

“We’ll visit Doc and then maybe go have dinner somewhere nice, just
the two of us. What do you say?”

Blue immediately felt better and much more relieved. The sound

of a cleared throat snapped him out of his trance. He realized he’d
completely zoned out and grinned at Raven. “Sorry about that.”

“Talking to Wallace again, huh?” Raven smiled, but his eyes were

sad. “Must be nice.”

Blue felt bad for the man. He’d hoped Raven would find someone

new to forget about that asshole, Lowell. According to Wallace,
Raven had plenty of options. But so far, Raven hadn’t shown any
interest in another relationship. Perhaps it was too soon. Still, it kind
of made Blue feel guilty for his own happiness, something he
selfishly hated.

He pushed the thought away from his mind and focused on giving

his friend an answer. “He’s coming home soon, and then we have to
go to the orphanage.” On impulse, he added, “Want to come with?”

Raven shook his head. “I’m gonna stay in and finish the last page

of the site. It’s only due next week, but it always pays to be ahead.”

Raven worked in IT and often did web designs for varied

customers. Apparently, he loved IT and everything that went with it.

102

Scarlet Hyacinth

Wallace had once confessed that it was all the shiny metal that first
attracted Raven to it, but Blue thought Raven was quite suited to the
task. He wished he would find the courage to pursue his own dreams,
perhaps have a small greenhouse and work with Wallace. That would
be nice.

Thankfully, Raven didn’t allow him to wallow in self-pity. They

did a little more work on controlling Blue’s so-called beast, and
sooner than Blue expected, he sensed his mate approach. As soon as
he felt it, he shot to his feet and ran to the front door. As Wallace
stepped inside the apartment, Blue leaped on him. His wings burst out
of his back, beating excitedly as they often did when Wallace was
around. Their lips pressed together in a sweet kiss they kept brief only
as courtesy for their company. “Welcome back,” Blue said when they
broke away.

“Mmm.” Wallace released a low growl. “With such a welcome, I

might want to stay away more often.”

Blue stuck out his tongue at his mate, knowing Wallace didn’t

mean it. “Yeah, right. So, any idea what Doc wants?”

Wallace shook his head. “She didn’t say. She just mentioned that

an idea occurred to her and Charity and it might help the research a
lot. She wouldn’t tell me what the idea actually entailed.”

Blue hummed thoughtfully. “Well, okay. I guess we’ll see once

we get there.”

They said good-bye to Raven after Wallace thanked their friend

for helping Blue out with his training. As always, the man waved off
their thanks and told them to have fun. Apparently, they were quite
transparent in their desire to spend a romantic evening together. No
wonder Raven had refused Blue’s invitation.

Unlike during other trips, Blue kept his hands to himself after they

got in the car. As much as he wanted to touch Wallace, they needed to
get this whole thing with Doc over with first so they could properly
focus on themselves. Even so, simply his mate’s presence made Blue
feel warm inside, as if he were basking in the sun’s rays, stretching

On the Wings of a Butterfly

103

his wings for a new flight. Yes, they had to go on that trip, and as
soon as possible.

Thankfully, they didn’t run into any horrible traffic jams, and in

an hour or so, they reached the orphanage. As always, they parked
next to the clinic. Doc and Charity were already waiting there, and
behind them were two men, a smaller man that looked away from
them as they descended from the vehicle, and a tall, broad-shouldered
guy who reminded Blue a bit of Wallace.

When they saw Blue, Doc didn’t look too pleased. “You shouldn’t

have bothered to come,” she said in a faux pleasant voice.

“Oh, it’s no bother,” Blue replied, just as pleasantly. “You know I

always like coming to the orphanage.”

Wallace cleared his throat. “Introduce us to your guests?”
“Ah, yes.” Doc turned toward the two men. “This is Maddox

Finney,” she said as he nodded toward the bigger man. “You might
have heard of him, Wallace. He was among the first people with the
Lupus strain to grow up here.”

Through his connection with his mate, Blue felt Wallace’s

awareness of the other man, as if the two were really wolves and were
preparing to fight for the same territory. Finally, Maddox extended his
hand, and Wallace took it. They shook briefly while Doc introduced
the second person. “Maddox came to the city to bring us a new
visitor. This is Avery Creed, and he will be staying with us for a little
while.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Wallace said. “I’m Wallace Malloy, and this is

my mate, Robin Clements.”

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Maddox said. Was it Blue’s

impression, or did the guy narrow his eyes at Wallace as he spoke?

He shook himself, deciding Maddox’s opinion of the two of them

didn’t matter. They should get this show on the road already so that
he and Wallace could take off by themselves for that romantic
evening together.

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Obviously overhearing the thought, Wallace focused his attention

on the two doctors. “So, what’s this famous idea you needed me for?”

Doc gestured them inside. “Please, let’s talk in the office.”
Blue didn’t like the slight strain in her voice. Already, he knew

this wasn’t a conversation he would enjoy. Nevertheless, he followed
Wallace’s example and took Doc’s invitation. After they were all
inside, Maddox and Avery, too, as Blue noted with some
apprehension, Doc closed the door behind them.

“Well?” Wallace asked, apparently as impatient and apprehensive

as Blue. “What’s with all the mystery?”

Doc and Charity shared a look, and then Doc cleared her throat.

“Well, Wallace,” she said, “you know we haven’t had much luck in
isolating the aspects that influenced the S.E.X. factor.”

Blue’s mind was beginning to hurt. In the past weeks, he’d heard

those two words so many times he was sick of them. The S.E.X.
factor, over and over. At first, it had been funny, but no longer. Now,
he didn’t want to think about whatever solar or lunar activity that
changed his DNA. He merely wanted to focus on Wallace and their
life together.

Oblivious to his thoughts, Doc continued to speak. “So we figured

that maybe, we should try repeating the experiment.”

Blue wasn’t following her trail of thought at all. “Experiment?

What experiment?”

“I mean, have Wallace bite someone else. We asked Maddox and

Avery here, and they agreed to participate. This way, we can study the
effects of your bite on both solar and selenic strains.”

“It would probably be best if you do it during intercourse,”

Charity offered. Doc glared at her, but Charity ignored her sister. “It
would be most useful if we recreate the original event as closely as
possible.”

Blue gaped at the two women. He couldn’t believe his ears. He’d

known they wanted to explore the scientific possibilities of his bond

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with Wallace, of course, but the thought that they would suggest such
a thing made him sick to his stomach.

“No,” Wallace replied, his tone so cold it broached no argument.

“Now, if that was all, Blue and I will be leaving.”

“Wait.” Doc reached for Wallace’s arm and gave him a pleading

look. “Charity was out of line. I’m sorry. But surely, the bite wouldn’t
be too much to ask.”

“That bite is a serious commitment.” Wallace’s voice was a near

growl. “Blue and I are all but married. He. Is. My. Mate. How many
times do I have to say that?”

“But it’s the only way to investigate the reason behind the DNA

change,” Charity pleaded. “Why can’t you understand that?”

“We understand it fine,” Blue found himself saying. All eyes

turned to him. “And we realize it’s important. But so is our bond, and
you don’t seem to realize it.”

His words, while heartfelt, didn’t seem to convince Doc and

Charity. They were readying themselves to launch into another
discussion when Maddox suddenly said, “Look, no one told us
anything about sex with strangers and commitments and DNA
change.” He sounded pissed. “From what I understood, we were
supposed to donate samples of blood and semen and that’s all. I didn’t
bring Avery here to have him be used by you.”

Avery didn’t say anything, but he looked very pale. Obviously,

the idea of having Wallace biting and fucking him didn’t really appeal
to him. In Blue’s opinion, those two activities were his idea of
heaven, but he was kind of glad the other two men didn’t think the
same.

“Then we’re agreed,” Wallace said. “It was nice meeting you,

Maddox, Avery. We’ll be leaving now.”

And this time, forgoing whatever Doc and Charity intended to say

next, they did indeed go. Wallace grabbed Blue’s hand, and together,
they rushed out of the clinic. They were back to their car and buckling

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into their seats in minutes. Blue had never felt such an urge to leave
this place before. It was disconcerting and a bit sad.

Wallace started the car, and they drove off as quickly as possible.

As soon as they were out the orphanage grounds, Blue’s relief began
to dissipate into anger. He kicked at the glove compartment,
imagining Charity’s face there. “I can’t believe they would even think
of something like that.”

“They don’t understand, baby blue.” Wallace tried to soothe him.

“Don’t worry. They’ll come around.”

Selfishly, Blue didn’t want them to come around. He just wanted

to never see their faces again. He took a deep breath, acknowledging
his own irrational behavior. The two doctors had, in the end, helped
raise Wallace, and Blue couldn’t forget that. Researchers often forgot
about the feelings of people in their quest for knowledge, right? Doc
and Charity were bound to figure out their mistake.

“Where do you want to go?” Wallace asked, snapping him out of

his thoughts.

Blue had honestly lost his appetite. “Maybe we should just go

walk through the park for a while.” It might calm him.

Wallace briefly looked away and smiled at him. “And maybe grab

some cotton candy together.”

Blue beamed, the prospect of sharing a sweet treat with Wallace

cheering him up. It took them quite a while to get to the park that was
closest to Wallace’s building, but with Wallace there, Blue found
himself relaxing and putting the unpleasant visit to the orphanage-
clinic behind him. He started telling Wallace about the time spent
with Raven and his slow progress in controlling his so-called beast.

“Maybe it will help if you were in a wild environment.” Wallace

stretched his back as they stopped at a red light. “Honestly, I could
use a run, too. Feels like I haven’t shifted in ages.”

Blue was looking forward to seeing Wallace shift into his wolf

form again. Maybe if they did that every day, it would help him more
than just Raven’s lessons.

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107

They left their car a few blocks away from their destination, since

finding a place to park was hellish. It was a nice day, though, and
Blue didn’t mind walking the rest of the way. Thankfully, he now
managed to keep control of his wings and when they emerged, so he
didn’t have to fear being singled as a freak of nature.

Blue wished he could take Wallace’s hand and walk like that, like

the couple they were. Alas, drawing attention to them was the last
thing they needed, so he contented himself with occasionally brushing
against Wallace.

The park was small by NY standards, and there didn’t seem to be

too many people around. The cotton candy vendor was in his usual
place, and Wallace purchased some of the sweet for them both. They
sat under the shadow of a nearby tree, laughing as their hands grew
sticky with the treat. At one point, Blue couldn’t resist. Looking
around furtively, he grabbed Wallace’s hand and started licking it,
fellating each individual finger. The flavor of cotton candy and
Wallace hit his taste buds. It was the best aphrodisiac in existence,
and Blue’s cock went rock hard.

Wallace groaned and gave him a heated look. “You drive me

crazy, baby blue.”

He shot to his feet and pulled Blue upright. “Come on. I want to

be inside you, and this isn’t the best place to do it.”

They rushed out of the park, this time uncaring as to who would

see them. Both of them slipped into the car, and Wallace didn’t delay
in driving off with a squeal of tires. They were very close to
Wallace’s apartment building now, so Blue was actually tempted to
walk instead of drive, but leaving the car there was asking for trouble.
It might get towed or broken into or God only knew what.

All of a sudden, a deep feeling of apprehension filled Blue. He

shared a look with Wallace, and in Wallace’s golden eyes, he saw the
same emotion. It was the last thing he registered before a powerful
impact crushed him against the door of the car.

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The world turned into chaos as their vehicle flipped and flew in

the air with protesting sounds of torn metal. Instinctively, Blue tried
to shield his head. He only half succeeded, and all the jostling around
made the seat belt crush his sternum painfully.

Of course, with the terror he tasted in his mouth, he barely even

felt it. He was too afraid, for himself, but mostly for Wallace. Oh,
God, Wallace.

It seemed to take forever, but at last, the car stopped flipping.

Unfortunately, instead of falling on all four wheels, it remained on its
side—Wallace’s side. Blue took a few deep breaths, groaning when
even that put a strain on his bruised chest. Gravity wanted to pull him
down, further increasing the pain. Blue wondered if he’d broken his
ribs and put the thought away from his mind. That wasn’t what
mattered in that particular moment.

Dazed, he realized another vehicle had hit them. His concern for

Wallace managed to dispel some of the dizziness. A part of his mind
realized the blow had come from Wallace’s side of the vehicle, and
Wallace might be more hurt than Blue.

Fortunately, the wolf seemed a bit confused, a little worse for the

wear, but otherwise fine. “What in the world—?”

The squeal of tires interrupted whatever Wallace intended to say.

Blue looked out through the crushed glass of the windshield, he
managed to catch a glimpse of a huge car—obviously the guilty party
for their predicament—was heading their way again. Wallace must
have seen it, too.

Wallace fought with the seat belts, obviously knowing that

whoever was driving that vehicle meant to kill them. At the same
time, Blue tried to open the door on his side, since Wallace’s door
was blocked by the sidewalk. From what Blue could tell, they’d
stopped against a wall that was keeping the car upright. The stubborn
metal of his own door refused to cooperate, though. Wallace managed
to free them from the belts that must have saved their lives, and then

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crushed a fist through the windshield. They were going to escape.
They would.

But just as Blue thought this, another blow hit the car, crushing it

against the wall. Large bricks collapsed on top of the vehicle. The
scent of gasoline hit Blue’s nostrils, and it smelled like death, his and
Wallace’s deaths.

This time, there were no seat belts to protect them. Blue screamed

as he hit his door hard. He actually heard his own shoulder bone
crack. Or was it Wallace’s? Blue couldn’t tell.

Any minute now, the car would explode. Blue just knew it.

Through his bond with Wallace, Blue could feel the other man’s pain.
Outside, he heard angry voices talking—a woman and a man—voices
he recognized, but couldn’t quite place. Wallace didn’t seem much
better off. He’d obviously been hit harder than Blue and was lingering
at the edge of consciousness.

Blue struggled to push off the bricks cluttering their only way out.

He pulled Wallace’s arm, desperate. With each second that passed,
the risk of dying increased more and more. Wallace made the attempt
to work with him, but it was pointless. It seemed the wolf had
suffered a harsh blow to the head. His motions were sluggish and
uncoordinated.

“Shift!” Blue advised him. “It might help.” He distantly

remembered Wallace telling him once that the change stimulated
healing by accelerating the production of the cells needed for the
process.

Wallace took a few deep breaths, and his form melted into that of

his wolf. The beautiful black animal seemed a bit more energetic and
clawed at the obstacle keeping them from escaping.

By miracle, they somehow managed to push away all the bricks.

They crawled out of the car and rushed away from it. Mere seconds
after, the vehicle exploded, sending pieces of gravel, torn metal, and
bricks flying around them. The blast made them both fall on the
tarmac, but thankfully, Wallace recovered sooner than him, changed

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back into his human form, and pulled Blue to safety, finding them
shelter behind an abandoned car.

They sat there, panting, the knowledge of how narrowly they’d

escaped death strong in their mind and in their bond. The shock of it,
however, turned out to have an unexpected side effect. They
completely forgot about the reason behind the accident until it was too
late.

A man stepped from the alley in front of them and pointed a big

shotgun at them. “Don’t move,” he said.

His voice was so familiar, too familiar. Blue had thought he’d

escaped it and would only hear it in his nightmares. Perhaps this was
a nightmare. God, this couldn’t be happening. His father couldn’t be
here, pointing a gun at them.

As if that weren’t enough, a woman rushed after Blue’s father. At

first, her identity didn’t quite register. Blue seemed to see only bits
and pieces of her, as if he were staring at a torn photo. He took in the
sedate suit, the traditional hairstyle, and the face he knew so well.
Finally, the pieces came together. What the hell? What was Charity
doing there?

“Remember, I don’t want Wallace dead,” she told Blue’s father.

“You can do whatever you like with your offspring, but leave Wallace
to me.”

“I know the deal,” his father grumbled. “That’s fine. You can deal

with your own messes. I’ll deal with mine.”

Still pointing his gun at them, Blue’s father made his way to their

side. He grabbed Blue’s arm and pulled him upright. “Time to go,
little freak. Now you’ll learn what happens to those who defy me.”

Blue froze, the memories of his past spent in his father’s clutches

immobilizing him. His mate, however, didn’t have this problem. He
turned into his wolf form again and lunged at Blue’s father.

The man must have been expecting it. Perhaps Charity had

warned him to be extra careful, or perhaps he’d learned his lesson
from the first time they’d met. Whatever the reason, he was not

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caught by surprise this time. Before Wallace could reach him, he
pulled the trigger of his shotgun.

The impact of the large bullet from such a small distance sent

Wallace falling back on the ground. Blue screamed in disbelief and
agony, and freed himself from his father’s grip with a strength he
didn’t know he had.

He knelt next to Wallace’s bloody form, tears streaming down his

cheeks. “Oh, God. Don’t die, please don’t die.”

Blue’s father sneered in disgust, while Charity released a sound of

dismay. She brusquely pushed Blue away and started checking on
Wallace’s injury. Blue wanted to lunge at her, but something held him
back—the knowledge that, for whatever twisted reasons, she wanted
Wallace alive.

“There will be police coming,” his father suddenly said. “We have

to get out of here.”

Confirming the other man’s words, sirens rang out in the distance.

Blue didn’t know if the two plotters heard them or not, since they still
seemed quite far away.

Even so, Charity nodded. She sounded pissed, but contained her

anger. “Help me with him, and then we’ll go our separate ways.”

She got up, and Blue’s father handed her the shotgun. “Keep an

eye on my dear son while I do this.”

He grabbed Wallace’s body and began to carry him away. Blue

cried out in dismay. “No!”

The barrel of the big gun was suddenly in his face. “Don’t even

think about it,” Charity said coolly. “I might need Wallace, but I don’t
need you.”

“Why are you doing this?” Blue asked, hating the tremor in his

voice. “If it’s just because Wallace won’t bite Avery and Maddox—”

Charity laughed, interrupting him. “It has nothing to do with those

two. But I won’t bother explaining it to you. Your tiny insect mind
couldn’t possibly understand the extent of what we can reveal through
Wallace’s DNA.”

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Before Blue could figure out what she meant by that, his father

returned, sans Wallace. “All done.”

The sirens were closer now, and both Charity and Blue’s father

grew alarmed. “Let’s go. We’re running out of time.”

But Blue didn’t want to go. He wanted to save his mate, or die

with him if need be.

Wallace’s weak voice came over their connection. “Don’t be

ridiculous, Blue. You won’t need to die. Turn, baby,” Wallace told
him. “You can do it. Save yourself. They won’t kill me. Charity needs
me for her experiments.”

Blue’s heart felt heavy, but he knew Wallace was right. He needed

to get reinforcements. It was time to stop hiding, to take the reins of
his life. If he wanted to help Wallace, he needed to calm down and
think with a cool head.

First of all, he couldn’t escape right now. His father was right

there, and while the other man would be unlikely to catch Blue in
butterfly form, he could return to Wallace and enact revenge upon the
wolf. He had to wait until they went their separate ways and count on
his bond with Wallace to tell him what Charity planned.

Second, it would probably be best if he managed to escape while

his father didn’t realize it. Also, if he was taken in the car, though, his
damn man might close the windows and thereby, Blue’s chance of
escape. The trunk! It was Blue’s best bet. If he got his father to lock
him inside the trunk, he could escape it without his captor noticing,
assuming, of course, that he could turn into his second form.

“That’s my baby blue,” Wallace said through their bond. “You

can do it. I trust you.”

Blue clung to Wallace’s words as he watched Charity hand the

gun back to his father, then rush away from the scene. He allowed his
father to drag him away in a different direction. Apparently, they’d
come in two different vehicles. It made sense, in a weird, twisted way.
Hell, Blue couldn’t understand how Charity and his father had even
come to know each other.

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“Charity must have enlisted him to do her dirty work,” Wallace

suggested. “It can’t have been hard to find him.” Much to Blue’s
dismay, his voice was getting weaker.

“Hang in there,” Blue sent to his mate. “I promise I’ll get us

help.”

The whys and the hows behind their situation mattered too little.

Only the solution was important now.

As soon as Blue and his father reached the car, Blue recognized it

as the one that had hit them. How could he have missed it? It was the
same car that his father often worked on, a huge vehicle that was an
ongoing project. Of course, Blue had only seen it a handful of times,
since he wasn’t allowed in the garage and his father didn’t use it to
drive to work. To a certain extent, it surprised him that his father
would damage it like that. Then again, it kind of made sense. No one
would ask questions about it should his father change parts or need to
paint it again.

He started to struggle, preventing his father from placing him in

the backseat as the man seemed to intend. He needed to be careful, or
else the man might knock him out, and then he’d be of no use to
anyone.

He also had to pay attention not to put up too much of a fight.

Before mating with Wallace, the accident would have certainly killed
him. His father was bound to know it, so he must also realize Blue
had become a bit stronger, even if Charity hadn’t mentioned the
cause. But Blue needed to make his father believe he was weaker than
in reality.

Thankfully, his father walked straight into his trap. He shook Blue

hard, and the cry that escaped Blue wasn’t at all fake. He’d been so
focused on finding aid for Wallace he’d forgotten about his own
injuries. His shoulder hurt like hell, and his ribs weren’t much better.
Even so, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied when his father popped the
trunk open and pushed him inside. Of course, the other man couldn’t
be satisfied with just that. He punched Blue in the face, so hard Blue

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saw stars. For a few moments, Blue actually blacked out, but
recovered quite quickly. His father didn’t seem to notice. He shut the
trunk, leaving Blue in the darkness.

Blue waited and focused on pushing back his nausea and pain.

Finally, the car started. Blue thought back to Raven’s advice, to
Wallace’s words and the time he’d seen Wallace shift. Come on, Blue.
You can do it.

An image invaded his mind, coming through his bond with

Wallace. Blue saw his wings, felt what Wallace did when he touched
their azure surface. Slowly, a picture started to form in his head, that
of a butterfly with bright blue wings. A Morpho butterfly.

As the image finally took shape, Blue imagined reaching out to it.

It was the strangest thing. For a brief instant, he saw his human self
standing in the middle of a hot forest, the butterfly hovering over a
flower in front of him. Slowly, but surely, it flew toward him. Blue
extended his hand. And then the small creature sat on his finger,
experimentally stretching his wings, the blue of their membrane
shining in the bright sun.

The azure glow started surrounding him, as if in a cloud of light.

All of a sudden, the butterfly melted into thin air, and Blue felt a deep
fluttering in his chest. First, just like Wallace had said, his wings
emerged from his back. His heart beat faltered, once, twice, then
revved up again, at a different pace. Most importantly, his body
melted, his human shape disappearing into that of a tiny butterfly.
He’d done it.

The pain was completely gone now, which made sense, since the

broken bones had changed shape and become something different.
Blue felt surprised. A part of him had always feared the change since
it had looked painful to him, but now that he’d done it, he realized
how wrong he’d been. Now that he was no longer resisting the part of
him that wasn’t quite human, becoming a butterfly one hundred
thousand times lighter than his usual weight seemed so very natural.

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Finding a way out of the cramped trunk proved to be almost

stupidly easy. Blue detected a small hole in the metal and simply flew
out. From there, however, it was much harder than he’d expected. The
trunk had been dark, but outside, it was very different. Blue’s new
vision was assaulted by bright, vivid colors that refused to form
shapes he could recognize. He realized in panic that his plan hadn’t
taken into account that he wasn’t at all used to his abilities. There
were cars driving all around him, and only the busy traffic kept him
from running into a windshield.

After a few seconds of dazed, aimless flying, Blue finally

managed to focus a bit and headed away from the road. There,
however, was the incoming mass of people threatening to squash him
like a…well, like a bug. At this rate, Blue would get killed before he
reached his home.

His bond with Wallace overflowed with the wolf’s concern. “Go

to a back alley or something,” Wallace said. “Change back.”

Blue wanted to do that, but he knew it would put him in a

different predicament. Someone might see him shift, and even if no
one did, the change would leave him naked and helpless. He had no
way of procuring clothes, except maybe stealing them from some
apartment, which was too big of a risk. If Blue got caught, who would
help Wallace?

Blue stopped on a windowsill, next to some flowers, and allowed

himself a few moments to get used to his new senses. He imagined
himself as the butterfly again, clung to that part of him that had been
so long buried under layers of fear.

Slowly, he began to find his focus. His butterfly senses molded

with the knowledge his human side offered, and finally, Blue
achieved a clear picture of where he was. Thankfully, his father
hadn’t taken him too far from Wallace’s apartment.

He extended his wings and flew off the windowsill that had been

refuge. His mind completely on the target, he soared past oblivious
people, on occasion registering their conversations. A father berated

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his daughter for dating a no-good biker. A woman argued with her
husband for spending the last of their savings on booze. Two lovers
paid no heed to the daily troubles of all and lost themselves in each
other’s arms. The world was full of emotion, but out of all of it, Blue
only wanted the love, Wallace’s love. And he would do anything to
achieve this dream.

From time to time, Blue found himself forced to stop, since he

was unaccustomed to flying and the strain was getting to his wings.
Thankfully, there were plenty of flower pots and other similar places
to rest along the way. Blue didn’t delay more than a couple of seconds
at each one, since he was acutely aware of every second that passed.
By the time he reached his home, he felt exhausted.

At last, he reached Raven’s window. Thankfully, Raven was

inside the room, but much to Blue’s surprise, so was that bastard,
Lowell. They were arguing again, it seemed. Any other time, Blue
would have allowed Raven his privacy, but this was a matter of life
and death.

Unseen by either of them, he flew into the room. He landed on

Raven’s desk and shifted back into his human form. It was confusing
as hell because suddenly, the world seemed much smaller. He
distantly heard Lowell curse in the background, while Raven released
a squawk of dismay.

Blue took a few deep breaths, struggling to find his focus.

Distantly, he realized that strands of light blue hair now fell over his
eyes. Apparently, the change had removed the last of the dye still
remaining on his hair.

Gentle hands landed on his shoulders. “What’s the matter, Blue?

Where’s Wallace?”

At last, Blue shook off the dizziness. He glanced at Raven’s

concerned face. “She took him.”

“Who took him?” Raven inquired.
“Charity,” Blue replied. “Charity Goldwin.”

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“You’re kidding.” Lowell appeared from behind Raven. “Doctor

Goldwin did that? It’s not possible.”

Blue glowered at the man. “I wouldn’t lie. She wanted to do some

experiment thing. She had my father run us off the road. We barely
escaped with our lives from the car crash, and then he shot Wallace.”

The situation was becoming even more real to Blue as he

explained it to the other two men. He choked upon remembering
Wallace’s blood staining his hands. God, so much blood. It was only
his bond with Wallace that kept him going.

It occurred to him that Wallace hadn’t said anything in quite a

while. Wallace’s pain was still there, at the bottom of his mind, but it
only increased Blue’s concern. He reached out to his mate through
their bond. “Wallace?”

After a few terrible seconds, Wallace finally replied, “Yeah, baby

blue?”

Wallace’s voice sounded focused, but still weak. “What’s going

on? Where are you?”

“She just pulled over. She’s getting her medic bag. It seems she

wants to pull the bullet out.”

Indeed, moments later, their connection was flooded with agony.

Blue felt nauseous, but breathed through it, sending his mate waves of
comfort, knowing Wallace needed him. “It’s all right, baby,”
Wallace told him. “This is a good thing. Without the bullet inside me,
I can heal better.”

“We’re coming to get you,” Blue replied. “Just tell us where.”
“I’m really not sure.” Wallace paused. “Let her take me to the

orphanage. I need to know who else was involved in this. I want to
believe Doc doesn’t know about it, but we have to find out.”

“Not at any cost.” Blue trembled with anger and fear. They

should never have been in this situation in the first place. Why had
Wallace’s friends betrayed him?

“Tell Rav to gather reinforcements. This doesn’t concern only me.

It concerns them all.”

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It was the last thing Blue heard before their connection faltered

and dimmed. “Wallace? Wallace?”

There was no answer, and black despair filled Blue. Something

inside him told him Wallace wasn’t dead, but if he and Raven didn’t
act soon, that might change.

* * * *

Wallace cracked his eyes open and looked around in confusion.

The room he was in seemed very familiar. He was at the clinic. Many
times in the past, he’d ended up here for various reasons. What had
happened? Wallace couldn’t quite remember.

He tried to get up, but much to his dismay, he found that he could

not. He realized in shock that his limbs were bound in thick shackles.
He lay trapped and helpless on a hospital bed, unable to move.

All the day’s events came rushing back to him. God, how could he

have missed Charity’s plan? He was a detective, for crying out loud.
He delved into the dirt of human nature for a living. He’d been so
blinded by the affection he felt toward the Goldwins that he hadn’t
realized the situation until it was too late.

His thoughts must have reached Blue because moments later, the

younger man’s voice slipped into his mind. “Wallace? Are you
okay?”

“I’m fine, baby blue,” Wallace replied. The gunshot wound

seemed to have healed strikingly fast. He usually got better from all
types of injuries much easier than normal humans, but the wound he’d
received from Blue’s father had been serious. If he added the blood
loss, Wallace could even call it life threatening. And yet here he was,
still weak and sore, but otherwise, feeling quite normal.

Before he could further muse over the reason of this strange

situation, he heard the door open and close. He already knew who was
coming into to the room, but for some reason, it still shocked him
when Charity came within his view.

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119

“Oh, you’re awake. That was fast.”
She smiled at him, and Wallace was struck by the surreal quality

of his predicament. That smile was so familiar to him. He’d never
been as close to her as to Doc. There was always the wall of formality
she set between herself and the world. Even so, Wallace had
considered her a dear friend. He’d respected her intelligence, and
even when she and Doc had come up with that blasted idea, he hadn’t
hated her or expected her to do something like this.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked. He needed to know

why he’d been betrayed.

“Oh, it’s quite simple really. I just need a little cooperation from

your part.”

“I already said I wouldn’t bite those two.” Wallace shook his

head, which was somewhat uncomfortable because of his position.
“Why have you reached this extreme?”

“I have my reasons. And I don’t want you to bite them. I want you

to bite me.”

Wallace gaped at her. Out of all the things she could say, that was

the last one he expected. “You? How does that help in any way? I
thought you were trying to recreate the situation with Blue.”

Charity laughed. “You just do what you’re told and don’t ask

questions.”

“And if I refuse?”
“You die,” Charity replied simply. “You’re of no use to me if

you’re not cooperative.”

Following that same trail of thought, he would stop being useful

after she had her way, so he would die whatever he chose. But of
course, Wallace couldn’t and wouldn’t agree to her proposal. He
needed to find a way to stall until Blue and Raven got here.

As it turned out, it wasn’t necessary. Doc walked in the room,

carrying a clipboard. She seemed to be studying whatever data was
there and wasn’t even paying attention the where she was going.

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“Charity, have you seen the files on Maddox and Avery?” she asked.
“I wanted to double check some results.”

She looked up from her clipboard, and her eyes fell on Wallace.

The air seemed to freeze in the room. “Charity?”

From somewhere, Charity manifested a small gun. In front of

Wallace’s shocked gaze, she pulled the trigger. Obviously still in
shock, Doc didn’t even try to dodge the bullet. By some miracle,
Charity’s aim was poor, and the blow hit Doc in the shoulder. She fell
to the floor, grasping her wound, but not lethally hurt.

Charity stared at her gun, at Wallace, and then at her sister. “Why

did you have to come along?” she asked Doc furiously. “Why
couldn’t you stay in the lab to study like you said you would?”

Doc struggled to her feet and gave her sister a look of disbelief.

“Charity, what is this? What are you doing?”

Charity pointed the small gun at Doc again, but this time, Doc

expected it. She ducked, and while she was readying herself to aim
again, Doc shot forward, struggling to remove the weapon from her
sister’s grasp. In normal circumstances, Doc could have achieved her
goal, but she was injured and bleeding badly. Wallace pulled on his
shackles with as much strength as he could muster, trying to free
himself. The shackles were, however, quite solid, and even if
Wallace’s state had improved considerably, he wasn’t up to breaking
them.

He could, however, change into his wolf form. It would break him

out of his bindings. Without hesitation, Wallace allowed the shift to
flow over him. It loosened his bonds, allowing him to free himself.
But just as he jumped off the bed, Charity pushed Doc away and
managed to get a grip on the gun again. Her hands trembling, she
pointed the weapon at her sister. “Don’t interfere, Winnifred. You’ve
already done enough.”

Was she serious? She’d just shot at Doc, and now she was asking

her not to interfere. The woman was seriously disturbed. Wallace
wondered how all of them had missed it.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

121

“And you,” she told Wallace, “cooperate, or I’ll kill her.”
“Charity, whatever problem you have, we can work it out,” Doc

said in a reasonable voice. “Come on. Put the gun down.”

“No!” Charity screamed. “I will work it out. I’ve been waiting my

entire life for this, and you won’t stop me!”

Doc gave her sister a pleading look. “I can understand you want to

discover the reason behind the DNA change, but—”

“Stupid bitch. It’s not about your research,” Charity shouted. “It’s

not about you. It’s about me. You have no idea how it feels like for
me to watch my older siblings stay young, while I’m the only one
who ages. Do you not realize what this could mean? Wallace’s DNA
may be a key to immortality, my immortality. But you’re in the way,
so you’re gonna have to disappear.”

It was so strange to hear her talk like that when she’d always been

so formal. Then again, the entire situation was surreal. Wallace had
enough of it. He lunged at Charity, ready to disarm before a tragedy
could happen. On instinct, Charity turned toward him and pulled the
trigger, but he ducked. It only seemed to anger her further. She began
shooting erratically, at Doc, at him. One bullet narrowly missed
Wallace, but he didn’t let up. Finally, he reached Charity and leaped
on her.

It was a risky maneuver, but luck seemed to be on his side. She

didn’t manage to shoot again, and it was easy to immobilize her and
relieve her of her weapon. Charity kicked and screamed, spouting
insults at him.

Wallace was considering his next course of action when Ford

burst into the room. Wallace froze. He knew how this must look.
Himself, naked, on top of a struggling Charity. Thankfully, he had
Doc to clarify things, but Ford might be inclined to shoot first and ask
questions later.

With a speed typical to his lion nature, Ford reached Wallace and

Charity. Without a word, he grabbed her and dragged her to Doc’s
side. “What happened here?” he asked his sister.

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Doc began to explain, but Wallace could no longer pay attention

to it. Behind Ford, Raven and Lowell had followed, but most
importantly, Blue. Oddly, the first thing Wallace noted was that
Blue’s hair had changed to a beautiful azure color. Blue rushed to
Wallace’s side and cupped his cheek. “Oh, God. I was so scared,
Wallace.”

Wallace wrapped his arms around his mate, love, relief, and awe

coursing through him. He inhaled deeply, knowing how close he’d
been to losing his mate. Because of Charity’s madness, Blue could
have died in the car accident.

Blue buried his face in Wallace’s shirt, and his shoulders shook

with silent sobs. When Blue lifted his head, Wallace met his azure
gaze. “We’re fine, baby,” he said through their bond as he brushed
one crystalline tear away. “We’re all right. No one can ever tear us
apart.”

Blue wiped his eyes and offered him a tremulous smile. “But we

really do need that holiday.”

Laughter bubbled in Wallace’s chest, and the only reason he held

it back was his awareness of the situation. He’d been betrayed by a
person close to him, and Doc had been shot by the same person, her
own sister. Who could he trust in such a world?

“Me,” Blue replied. “You can always trust me.”
Wallace squeezed Blue to his chest. Yes, he could trust Blue and

maybe Raven, but he had his doubts about others. And for that reason,
Wallace would eliminate all the possible perils. And the first thing on
his to-do list was to get rid of Blue’s father. The guy had already done
enough damage. Wallace should have dealt with the problem the first
time, but now, he would no longer let it slide. He didn’t know how he
would do it yet, since he couldn’t kill the man and come back to Blue
with bloodstained hands. But he wanted a life with Blue, and one no
longer shadowed by fears and nightmares of the past.

As he caressed Blue’s hair, Wallace nodded to himself. Blue’s

father might think he’d won now, but he was in for a big surprise.

On the Wings of a Butterfly

123

Epilogue

Blue hummed to himself as he washed the dishes in the sink,

dancing in place to the soft music coming from the living room. He
was in an excellent mood today. Then again, he was often in a great
mood these days. Ever since they’d left the city to come live here,
he’d been able to relax and just be and love.

After Wallace’s rescue, Blue had feared his mate’s intention of

going after his father. Neither of them had been able to come up with
a bulletproof plan to eliminate the threat. Blue’s father had committed
a crime upon shooting Wallace and causing the accident, but they had
no way of proving it. And Blue could claim abuse at his hands, but
again, all his injuries had healed, and it would be his word against that
of his parents.

Or so he’d thought, at least. As it turned out, the solution came

from an unexpected direction. Somehow, word had gotten to his
mother about what had happened. Blue suspected his father must have
told her himself. It was just the type of arrogant behavior the man
would exhibit. But she’d reacted in a way that surprised them all.
She’d gone to the police and accused her husband of domestic abuse
of her and her son.

Blue had only found out about it when he’d received a summons

to give his declaration regarding the events. At first, he’d feared his
parents would say something about his shape-shifter nature, but
apparently, his father knew the authorities would lock him up in a
mental institution and throw away the key should he do something
like that. Thankfully, with his and his mother’s testimonies, his father
was now behind bars and would not bother them for a long, long time.

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Similarly, Ford had taken Charity away from New York. According
to Doc, she was now locked in under close supervision, in a safe place
where she couldn’t hurt anyone.

Blue and Wallace had taken advantage of the occasion to take that

holiday they’d desperately needed. Maddox had been kind enough to
offer his own cabin as a temporary home, since he wanted to stay in
the city with Avery for a while. In exchange, Maddox and Avery had
moved in the apartment Wallace shared with Raven, so it worked out.
Here Blue could be in the middle of nature he loved so much without
fear. He could train his abilities and have Wallace explain the
workings of the detective business. Maddox owned quite a collection
of movies, so they had entertainment as well.

Blue finished washing the last dish, and as he wiped it down, he

indulged himself in stealing a look out the window and caught a
glimpse of Wallace. Nights could get very cold on the mountain, and
while Blue was mainly a creature who reveled in heat, this fact had its
advantages. Among other things, a significant one was seeing Wallace
chop wood, like he was doing now. The play of muscles on the other
man’s back and the light sheen of sweat made Blue’s mouth water. He
wanted to lick his mate all over. He yearned for Wallace, body and
soul.

Wallace’s voice drifted into his mind, “Insatiable, aren’t you?”

He turned toward the house, and even from the distance, Blue saw his
wicked smile. “Don’t worry, baby blue,” Wallace said. “I’ll give you
what you want. Wait for me in the bedroom.”

Blue’s mouth went dry. He put down the plate and the towel he’d

been using and hastily made his way back to the guest room they were
using as their shared dormitory.

His heart hammering, he quickly removed his clothing. He was

still a bit sore from the morning’s acrobatics, but he wanted it again.
God, did he? He wanted it so badly it hurt.

Shoes, socks, pants, and shirt, they all got discarded and

abandoned on the floor. Blue wasn’t normally a messy person, but

On the Wings of a Butterfly

125

right then and there, he couldn’t give a damn. He jumped on the bed
and rummaged through the pillows. Predictably, he managed to find a
half-empty tube of lubricant.

Wallace had told him to wait, but that didn’t mean Blue couldn’t

go ahead and get himself ready. He popped the tube open and squirted
some of the clear liquid on his fingers. He lifted his legs and reached
behind himself. As Wallace had taught him, he slowly inserted the
slick digits inside his own ass. It felt good, but not as good as it would
have been had Wallace been there, touching him.

When Wallace walked in the room, however, the expression on

the wolf’s face instantly skyrocketed Blue’s arousal. Blue thought he
could melt in the heat of Wallace’s gaze.

“God, baby blue,” Wallace said, his voice full of gravel. “Do you

have any idea how beautiful you look?”

“Why don’t you come here and show me?” Blue replied

breathlessly as he continued to finger-fuck himself.

He gasped when he accidently hit his prostate, and his moan was

followed by a growl from Wallace. “You’re playing with fire, baby.”

Wallace began to take off his clothes, never once looking away

from Blue as he did so. With each inch of skin Wallace exposed, Blue
grew even more aroused, his body needier, hotter. “Please, Wallace,”
he begged. “Touch me.”

He never seemed to get enough from his mate. He was like an

addict who couldn’t do without his fix, desperately wanton and
reveling in it.

Growling like an animal, Wallace tore the rest of his clothes off.

He pounced on the bed and crawled over Blue. On instinct, Blue
retracted his fingers from his ass, waiting to see what his mate would
do. The next thing Blue knew, his mate’s lips crushed against his own
in a devastating, ravishing kiss. Blue felt owned, every cell in his
body drowning in Wallace. How had he ever lived without this? It
seemed impossible.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

He wrapped his legs around Wallace’s waist, rubbing against

Wallace’s hard prick. Wallace bit his lip, silently chastising him.
“Show me,” he whispered in Blue’s mind.

Blue knew what Wallace wanted. As it turned out, the wolf had

quite a fetish with Blue’s wings, and he loved touching them
whenever he could. Wallace shifted their positions, bringing Blue to
sit in his lap. With Wallace’s cock nestled in the crease of his ass,
Blue felt the intense urge to simply impale himself on his mate’s hard
prick, but resisted it. Instead, he allowed his power to flow over him,
releasing the second nature he usually kept leashed.

His wings burst from his back, and Blue acknowledged it with a

striking feeling of joy and completion. He only dared to keep them
out when he was alone with Wallace. Even here in the cabin, he
controlled them in order to make sure he wouldn’t accidentally be
seen by some indiscreet hiker. But now he felt free, free to be himself
in Wallace’s arms.

Wallace’s gold eyes had gone almost black with arousal. The

expression that came to mind was black gold. Some people might
think the concept referred to oil, but Blue knew better. It was
Wallace’s gaze, those beautiful eyes that now had a color that
couldn’t even be described in words. It hypnotized Blue, rendering
him unable to do anything except love and lust for Wallace.

Wallace’s hands traveled from Blue’s waist to his wings,

caressing the soft, azure membrane. Pleasure exploded over Blue at
the gentle, yet maddening touch. It was amazing, both physically and
emotionally, the knowledge that his soul mate accepted every part of
Blue without hesitation combining with the stimulation of the
unexpected erogenous zone. Wallace’s mouth enclosed Blue’s
nipples, and shocks coursed through Blue, assaulting him from
various directions. Those hands threaded through Blue’s azure hair.
Once upon a time, he’d hated its length because it allowed his father
to get a better hold of him during their torture sessions. But since

On the Wings of a Butterfly

127

being with Wallace, he’d discovered a whole new side of pleasure at
having his hair played with.

Wallace was so gentle, yet so passionate. He knew exactly how to

touch Blue without hurting him, but he also knew Blue wouldn’t
break if treated a bit rougher. Wallace had given him that gift, and
because of his bond with his mate, Blue now felt stronger than ever.

Soon, Wallace had Blue writhing in his arms, begging for more,

desperate for the consummation of their bond. His wings tingled, his
cock throbbed, and his anus clenched, demanding to be filled.
Thankfully, Wallace didn’t torture him for much longer. He
positioned himself at Blue’s hole and slowly began to push inside.
Blue helped him, moving down on the cock invading him. His anus
stretched to accommodate Wallace’s prick, and the delicious burn
roared over every nerve, every cell in Blue’s body.

The gentle, controlled motion shifted when Wallace suddenly

growled and impaled Blue in one single thrust. Blue’s eyes rolled in
his head, and he cried out as pleasure exploded over him, making his
spine tingle and his skin sing with delight.

He bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from coming. He

didn’t want that, not yet. Instead, he started fucking himself on
Wallace’s cock at an almost angry rhythm. They fell together in a
faultless pace, Wallace’s prick filling Blue to perfection, going so
deep that Blue started to forget his sense of self. He was losing
himself in Wallace, and he didn’t want to ever stop.

Blue’s hard cock rubbed against Wallace’s abdomen, and the

coarse hairs of the wolf’s treasure trail teased the already throbbing
member. Blue clung to Wallace’s shoulders, chasing his pleasure and
Wallace’s, yearning to be one with his mate, with his Braveheart.

Over and over, Wallace took him, never once ceasing the

relentless movements, putting his brand over Blue’s mind, body, and
soul. He was drowning in the same golden eyes he’d dreamed of so
many times. Their first time together, he’d feared it was all his

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Scarlet Hyacinth

fantasy, but no. This was so much better than anything Blue’s needy
subconscious could summon.

And then Wallace pulled on Blue’s hair, exposing the column of

Blue’s neck. Without further warning, Wallace struck. His sharp
canines buried themselves in Blue’s throat. The ecstasy that flooded
their connection could not be resisted. Crying out his mate’s name,
Blue exploded, sending white streams of cum all over Wallace’s chest
and his own. Mere instants later, hot seed filled his ass, and their bond
shone with Wallace’s climax. Their joint orgasm seemed to go on and
on, and Blue became a being of pure pleasure, his very identity
defined through his connection to Wallace. They were no longer
separate beings. They were one.

In that moment, Blue at last understood. The research Doc and

Charity had made regarding the syndrome had failed because they
couldn’t grasp the true cause behind it. They’d believed it was all
Wallace, when in fact, Wallace and Blue had done it together. Their
bond had made both of them grow, accept their second natures
further, and heal, both physically and emotionally. It had turned Blue
from a shy caterpillar into a butterfly that reveled in the heat of
Wallace’s love and passion.

He sensed Wallace realize the same thing, and as the pleasure

began to dwindle, that knowledge finally began to settle, a blanket of
true contentment and bliss settling over him. Blue couldn’t even
explain it well. The only word that came to mind was happiness. Pure
happiness. It was such an obscure concept since it meant different
things for different people. But for Blue, it meant Wallace, being by
his mate’s side, sharing their bond, sleeping in his arms, and meeting
his gaze over breakfast. It was in every moment they spent together,
their private jokes, their secret smiles, and the kisses Wallace couldn’t
help but steal. They were happy.

They fell together on the bed in a sweaty, messy pile. Wallace

gathered Blue to his chest without a word. They didn’t need to speak,
though, not out loud. Their minds were in complete synch with each

On the Wings of a Butterfly

129

other, and their bond transmitted their emotions without them even
having to will it.

Blue wondered how he’d been so lucky. He’d always cursed his

freak nature, but if he hadn’t been a butterfly, he might never have
met Wallace. In the end, Blue’s dreams had come true, in the most
beautiful way possible. All the torture he’d suffered at his father’s
hands had been worth it.

He still had so many questions. He’d never asked his mother

about the circumstances of his birth and what had determined his
shape-shifter nature. Perhaps now that she’d made the first step
toward reconciliation, he would one day dare to approach her.

“One day, baby blue,” Wallace said, “but not now. Today is for

us, and only for us.”

“Today and forever, my Braveheart,” Blue replied with a smile.
And as their gazes met, Blue suddenly knew that with or without

the S.E.X. factor that had changed their DNA, they were soul mates.
They’d been born for each other, and they would never again be
separated.

THE END

WWW.SCARLETHYACINTH.WEBS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native Romanian, Scarlet was born in 1986 and grew up an avid

fan of Karl May and Jules Verne, reading fantasy stories and
adventure. Later, when she was out of fantasy stories to read, she
delved into her mother’s collection of books and, of course, stumbled
onto romance.

As a writer though, Scarlet Hyacinth was born one sunny summer

day, when a dear friend of hers—the same friend who introduced her
to GLBT fiction—proposed they start writing a story of their own. As
it turns out, the two friends never did finish that particular story, but
Scarlet discovered she had a knack for writing and ended up starting
to write individually. And so, between working on her dissertation,
studying for exams, and reading yaoi manga, she started writing the
Kaldor Saga. Along the way, Scarlet met a lot of wonderful people
who supported her, and in the end, she found her story a home and, in
the process, fulfilled a beautiful dream.

Also by Scarlet Hyacinth

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 1: The Lamb Who Cried Wolf

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 2:

The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 3:

The Love He Squirreled Away

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 4:

The Lynx Who Claimed the Sun

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 5:

The Shark Who Rode a Seahorse

Siren Classic ManLove: Mate or Meal 6:

The Gazelle Who Caught a Lion

For all other titles, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/scarlet-hyacinth

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Document Outline

ON THE WINGS OF A BUTTERFLY
THE END

Scarlet Hyacinth The S E X Factor 01 On the Wings of a Butterfly

Document Outline