A.O.E.M.: Taboo Read online

  The Vampire turned when Tal called, then gave another smile as he spoke. “I am Jonathan Corelli. My brother --” He emphasized the word, letting Tal know they were indeed not the same person, magically split as he had assumed, or a golem of some sort brought to life by blood and magic. “-- is Jason.” He turned to walk away again, but called softly back, “Well met.”

  Smiling at his retreating form, Tal whispered to himself, “Well met, indeed.” If he weren’t so busy trying to get fed and laid, he probably would have tried to take a friendly bite out of the exotic, dusky hide of the Vampire, Jonathan.

  He eyed the huge wolf, noting his extraordinarily large size even for a Were. Like his brother, Jason possessed, even in Were form, a coat of silky, lustrous curls. The eyes that examined him as he walked past were like topaz fire.

  Falon had eyes similar to those molten orbs, and, like on his golden mate, they were beautiful.

  He had not been close enough to Jonathan to get a good look, but if the brothers were two sides of the same coin, as Tal was beginning to suspect, then they both had to possess those damnably beautiful eyes.

  Tal sighed deeply as he took a seat. He slumped in his chair as thoughts of his mate, of the disappointment he’d seen in Falon’s eyes, filled him with purpose.

  He would find a man and he would get laid. He would prove to them all that he was as gay as they came, and then he and his precious Falon would be happy again.

  Right after he ate, he decided as his stomach again loudly protested its empty state. First feeding, then fucking. He was going to do this and do it correctly if it killed him!

  Chapter Five

  Knight shuddered as she looked around the island, this place of extreme decadence and laziness. She poked her lips out, blew out a hard breath, and rolled her eyes at the many bikini-clad people, running and playing and being too damn happy.

  There was work to be done! Didn’t they know that?

  While she was on this stupid vacation trying to find herself, her clients could be being stolen from right under her nose. Jerkins in room 607 had been eyeing her corner office for years. It would be just like the smug, chauvinistic bastard to try and horn in on her territory when she was away. There was something suspicious about that man, something sly and sneaky about his little beady eyes and his too-soft skin. Too-soft skin was an incredible turn off, she thought, nodding as if those thoughts made sense. Therefore, it was one of the reasons she couldn’t be gay!

  Women were soft, right?

  She looked down at her own hands, callused from many hours of hard work, and time spent typing away at her keyboard. But… but, dammit, who had time for feminine hand creams and flowery scented ointments? She was a working woman -- she had to be on top of her game. Time and money spent on feminine frivolity was just a waste. Give her a good shower with deodorant soap and a grease cutting shampoo and she was good to go.

  But as she looked over the crowd of happily laughing people decked out like brilliant butterflies, something akin to sadness began to fill her heart.

  They looked so happy, so unstressed, so… so… so not like her!

  Knight slumped on the balcony railing and briefly considered jumping off.

  Life was getting so confusing.

  Was she so odd because she denied feminine trappings? Did that make her gay?

  Hell, everyone in the firm apparently believed so, and these were some of the most astute people she had ever known. You had to be to forecast financial gains and losses.

  Had they seen something she had missed?

  She looked down at her legs, noted the dark stubble that stood out against her paler skin and had to resist the urge to cry. When was the last time she shaved her legs? She shaved her underarms; didn’t that count?

  Hanging her head, she decided she needed to come to some very real conclusions, and this was the perfect place to do so.

  “Okay, Knight,” she pepped herself up. “It’s time to get to brass tacks. You need to find out if your job is worth keeping, if you have been living a lie, and above all else, if you’re addicted to hair pie.”

  She shuddered at the thought.

  First things first!

  She rose to her feet and stalked back inside her hotel room, scarcely paying any attention to the huge, round bed that dominated the area or the opulently appointed bathroom. She went straight for the bedside table, grateful there wasn’t a Bible staring back at her, and snatched up the island directory.

  Yes, there were places here that suited her needs.

  She needed a beauty salon -- whimper -- and a spa that did waxing. Hell, she would even get her eyebrows done! They might look at her like the butch, ball-busting bitch at the firm, but here she could at least try for lipstick lesbian.

  Her fingers paused as they ran over the beauty options. What did they mean by Were grooming? There was some really weird shit going on here. Feather preening? Who brought a bird to a tropical island? Hoof trimming, as in horses? Must be a fetish thing, she supposed as she searched for an appropriate listing.

  Ah! Get Your Groove On Hair Salon sounded perfect.

  She skimmed over the ad, noting they were a full service salon and piercing parlor. They also offered specials on body waxing, whisker trimming, beak polishing, and tick removal. She blinked twice as she read that again. Were they serious? Maybe people brought their pets along. That had to be it! Was that even sanitary?

  “Weird,” she whispered to herself, “bringing your own pussy with you to the beach. Women have no choice, but men…” She snickered at the thought of a legion of sun-baked men, wearing zinc on their noses and SPF 45 on their bodies, roasting on the beach, all with whimpering pocket pussies on decorated leashes.

  She shook her head at her own whimsy, walking pocket pussies, begging to be stroked and rubbed the right way.

  But that thought was kind of, well, gay, she decided.

  And that brought her to the second thing she needed to search for.

  Quickly running through the pages of the thin guide, she found gay bars and nightclubs. Damn, there were a lot here that catered to alternative lifestyles. The Roost, where birds of a feather got together -- weird but catchy.

  The Trough, for those who want to graze up and put out -- cute, but not her style.

  The Beehive, to sharpen those stingers… Uh, no.

  Then she found it! The Fae, sparking romance and a touch of magic. Hell, she would need some magic if she could pull this one off.

  It was hard trying to discover one’s true sexuality, especially when you thought that particular bet had been covered after puberty! But now was not the time for whining, she reminded herself. Now was the time for action.

  She reached for the phone and made her first call to the salon.

  The receptionist almost had to shout to be heard, the place was so busy and filled with life. As she made her appointment she briefly wondered if they ever thought about investing or branching out.

  “… piercing?”

  Had she heard that woman right? “Piercing, you say?” Knight warily asked.

  “Did you want a piercing?” the chipper voice continued. “We have brass rings for noses and ear tags!”

  “I’ll reserve the right to make that decision later,” Knight responded, then rolled her eyes at the asinine question.

  And when the lady asked species, she snapped, “Human. Was that question absolutely necessary?”

  “You never know with some of the things we get in here,” the receptionist laughed. “But I had to ask, in order to be ready for everything.”

  “Get a lot of everything knocking on your door?” Knight asked, thinking this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  “Don’t everyone around here?” she chuckled. “Full moons are a blast!”

  Must be jungle fever, Knight decided as she made her appointment for early afternoon. Until then, she had a huge bathtub, a selection of expensive oils, and the business section. She might be away from her coop, but this chic
ken refused to let anyone sniff out the next big, fat, juicy worm.

  Damn, vacationing was hard!

  Chapter Six

  After eating a meal that was, in his opinion, almost heavenly, Tal stepped outside the cool shade the restaurant provided and took a deep breath.

  Then promptly almost vomited when he forgot to spell down his sense of smell. There were so many things here that he wouldn’t find on Tabrizia, so many scents mingling to create this stench that he hadn’t yet grown quite used to.

  There were Weres and Dragons, and Unicorns and Sprites and… the smell of Were was getting closer.

  Masking his expression, Tal turned his head to survey his area. As an Elemental Fae from the House of Aggression, he had several weapons at his disposal for protection, so he wasn’t worried about his own safety. He was, however, curious as to why this were would seek him out. He was sure his scent would be more of a deterrent than anything, but a tall, striped man approached him.

  “May I help you?” Tal asked politely, but he was aware, his stance ready.

  “You look lost,” the man chuckled, thrusting out one hand in his direction. “They call me Carter.”

  “Carter,” Tal repeated, tilting his head to the side as he examined the creature that stood before him.

  Inhaling deeply, he could tell the man was a Were-tiger in its most base form -- humanoid, but possessing the short, tawny fur of the great cat as well as the stripes and tail. Carter was a striking male. Even the tawny hair that hung down his back was striped black. His eyes were like emerald jewels and glinted merrily. He smelled of fresh herbs and something alcoholic.

  “And you are? Besides gorgeous as sin…” Carter let the sentence hang, wondering what the Fae was going to say. It was odd to see an Elemental Fae away from their secret island. In fact, no one could actually ever pinpoint that blasted island, though many had given their lives in the attempt. It was strange to see an Elemental anywhere outside of a paranormal negotiation, a war, or a magical gathering that affected all magical creatures.

  So why was this young one wandering all alone on this resort? It couldn’t be for mating, because bondings were forecast at birth, and this one definitely had the bonding bands placed around his biceps.

  “Forgive my rudeness,” Tal allowed, seeing no danger in the creature, just curiosity. “I am Talcor, First Son of the… Um, Talcor.” Maybe, Tal thought, it would be safer for him to keep his allegiances and family connections to himself for the moment.

  “Talcor,” the tiger purred, smiling slowly, showing long, sharp top and bottom fangs. “And why are you looking so lost?” It never hurt to ask, Carter figured, and he might get some of the answers he craved.

  “I… well… I am looking for some companionship.” He managed to control his blush as he spoke, but decided he needed to know where to go on this island and his best bet would be to ask for help. Were-tigers were known for their unshakable honesty, so this was a better place to start than most.

  “What would a nearly bonded youngling like yourself want with companionship?”

  Sighing, Tal rolled his eyes at the youngling comment and decided to trust the were further. “I am seeking life experience… for my mate. I mean, I want to keep him happy and I need to learn how.”

  “You know, Tal, there are some really good pamphlets out there…”

  “Spare me!” Tal snapped. “I have a full collection, and before I came here, some people were leaving me visual material. I need practical experience. So I am here to get it and to prove a few things to myself,” he added almost under his breath.

  “Ah,” Carter chuckled, his were hearing picking up what Tal had muttered at the end. “Then I expect you will be looking for a gay club, knowing the nature of the Elemental Fae.”

  “Yes.” Now they were getting somewhere. “Is there such a district here? Although on Tabrizia we use a lot of Human inventions and language, we are not really acquainted with all their customs.”

  “On this island, it won’t matter,” Carter assured him. “Merely ask, and you shall receive. And there are no closed districts here. But if you are looking for a high concentration of healthy males, may I suggest the Wallbanger district.”

  “Wall-banger?” Talcor knew those Human words, but they didn’t make sense together. Wall and banger? The words were English, but were they American English or British English?

  “Wonderful spot. Just follow the bright rainbow flags,” Carter advised, pointing one taloned finger. Tal turned to look in the direction Carter gestured, and gasped.

  There were hundreds, thousands, millions of little rainbow colored flags. In fact, rainbows were everywhere. Rainbow pins, and kites, and streamers, hell, there were even a few rainbow planted flowerbeds. It was rather pretty.

  “Over the rainbow,” Carter chuckled. “Follow the Rainbow Road.”

  “Wow,” Tal breathed. “And all these flags mean the people are gay?”

  “Not all,” Carter informed him with a grin. “But that means that they cater to gay clientele and there is a good chance you will run into some nubile gay men.”

  Tal stood to his full height, which made him tower over Carter, and nodded in assent. “My thanks, Good Were Carter, for your assistance this afternoon.”

  “You are very much welcome, Talcor, First Son of some Royal House.” He chuckled at the expression that crossed the young one’s face. “I knew you were royal from your stature and your carriage. But it is your speech that gives you away, young one, proper forms of address and all.”

  Sighing, Talcor shook his head at his own stupidity. “And I thought I was hiding it. Well, no matter, Good Were Carter. I will not attempt to hide what I am. It leads to much confusion. But know this, the House of Aggression is in your debt.”

  He closed his eyes and began to strain. Within seconds, he was surrounded by a golden glow, a glow that pulsed and shimmered with his heartbeat. His eyes snapped open and they too were sparkling, gold stars and streamers swirling through their dark mass.

  Within seconds, the air around them began to shimmer. Just as quickly as it started, it was over, the glow concentrating around his back, taking the shape of a huge pair of feathery wings.

  Carter watched in awe as the glowing light melded and molded itself to the desired shape -- huge bat’s wings with a sharp talon cresting each sloping ridge. But instead of the thin skin, tendons, and membranes of bat’s wings, the surface was totally covered by feathers.

  And not just any feathers but gorgeous, pale cream feathers with a warm peach base. The colors swirled with his magic, silver and gold sparks flowing freely throughout them.

  As the glow faded, Tal reached up and pulled one feather from his right wing, watching as it solidified and turned into a metallic gold, glowing ornament.

  “Whenever you find yourself in need, hold this ornament close to your heart and call my name. I will be there to assist you, no matter what.”

  “This…” Carter blanched as the words hit him hard. He held a boon on the First Son of the House of Aggression. The power!

  “Now that our business is concluded --” Tal grinned, flapping his wings as he felt urgency began to fill him. “-- away I must! There are men for laying and conquest at hand.”

  “Yeah,” Carter muttered, still staring at the feather-shaped ornament in his hand. “Try the bars, and stay away from the exotic drinks.”

  Then he actually looked at Tal for the first time. The man was damn hot, and with those feathers, he looked ethereal. “You know, I could be the one you are searching for, if you are willing to take a chance…”

  Tal paused, staring at the Were for a moment.

  The man was indeed a work of art, his striped body and short fur covering a heavily muscular body that was toned and damn near perfect.

  Of course he was about a foot shorter than Tal, but height made no difference in the bed sheets.

  And there was that tail…

  Grinning consideringly, Tal lowered his head and pressed
his lips softly against the shorter man’s, reaching up to cup the were’s face tenderly. Tal’s tongue eased from between his lips to caress the were’s, pressing inward until the other man parted his lips.

  Carter moaned, sparkles shooting through his body as he felt his mouth penetrated by an insistent tongue. He moaned, shuddering slightly, and latched his fingers into Tal’s vest. The kiss stole his breath, and as the tongue danced over his fangs, he felt his knees go weak.

  For Tal, the kiss was pleasant, but didn’t give him that tingle in the groin feeling he was looking for. Sighing, he pulled away, but smacked his lips, tasting the were. “What were you drinking? I think I like it.”

  “Um,” Carter stammered, still affected by the kiss. “It’s called a Slow Comfortable Screw Getting Banged Up Against the Wall Mexican Style.”

  “I must find me one of those.” Tal nodded as if speaking to himself and turned away.

  “Wait!” Carter called out, incredulous that Tal could give him a kiss like that and then walk away. “What about… me?”

  “You are beautiful.” Tal grinned. “And you have the body of a warrior. But…” He looked down at his drawstring pants. There was no telltale growing bulge and his balls remained tingle-less.

  “I understand,” Carter sighed. “It could have been magical.”

  “Fare thee well, Good Were!” Tal called. He turned and began to make his way up the rainbow road.

  “Too bad he’s straight or just a touch bi,” Carter sighed to himself as he, too, turned and walked away, clutching his ornament in his hand. “It’s a crying shame he doesn’t realize that.”

  Chapter Seven

  Apprehensive, Knight straightened her shoulders and gave the horse drawn carriage her destination.

  “Pay no attention to the idiots,” she told herself, ignoring the pointed looks at her legs. Sure, she looked like she was wearing wool tights, but didn’t anyone notice how muscular they were?