The wolf led them to a clearing where a patch of old snow remained beneath the rocks. He pawed at it. The panther pounced. For a while they were simply creatures wrestling in the cold night air. Eventually the play faded.
The panther stretched out on the moss. The wolf curled against him. Their breathing slowed together beneath the stars. There was no mission here. No Council. No command.
Only the forest. The cold air. And the steady warmth of the creature beside him.
After a while the wolf rose and nudged the panther. Together they walked back to the cabin. They shifted again on the deck, the change fading away.
Inside, the fire had burned low. Mac stirred it back to life while Melvin spread the quilt on the rug before the hearth. Melvin sat and held out a hand.
Mac took it.
They lay down together beside the fire. Mac stared at the ceiling beams. “I never see the stars in the city,” he said quietly. “You forget they’re there.”
“They’re always there,” Melvin said.
“Knowing it isn’t the same as seeing it.” Mac brushed his nose through Melvin’s hair.
“Down in that facility… it makes you forget there’s an outside.”
“They’re not the only world,” Melvin said.
Mac cradled the back of his head. “When we go back with Reynolds… it won’t be like this.”
“No,” Melvin said.
He lifted himself on one elbow, looking down at Mac. “But this goes with us.”
Mac believed him. He reached up and brushed his thumb across Melvin’s lip. “Show me.”
Melvin leaned down and kissed him, slow and deep. “It goes with us,” he whispered.
Mac rolled them, settling over him. He kissed the mark on Melvin’s shoulder, breathing him in. Melvin’s hands rested in Mac’s hair as he explored the line of his body slowly. The fire crackled beside them. Their breathing deepened.
Eventually Melvin rolled them again, straddling him. He guided Mac inside him and sank down slowly. Mac’s breath hissed out. Melvin began to move in a slow, steady rhythm.
Mac watched him, mesmerized. “Look at you,” Mac growled softly.
Melvin leaned forward, changing the angle. “You feel that?” he breathed. “That’s yours.”
Mac surged up and rolled them again, pressing Melvin into the quilt. Now his rhythm was harder. Melvin met every movement, breath breaking against Mac’s shoulder.
“Now,” Melvin whispered. “Come on, Mac. Show me.”
The command shattered the last of Mac’s control. Release hit him hard and sudden. Melvin followed moments later, tightening around him. They collapsed together, breathing hard.
Eventually Mac shifted to the side, keeping Melvin gathered against him. Melvin’s face rested against his chest. The fire popped softly. Mac’s hand moved over the back of Melvin’s neck until his breathing settled into sleep. The wolf inside him was quiet. Content.
All that mattered now was the cabin, the forest, and the man in his arms.
This was the compass.
Outside, the moon moved slowly over the trees.
Inside, the fire burned down to embers.
Chapter 19 - Mac
They stayed one more day at the cabin.
