His body felt as if it had been drained of all strength and energy as he threw himself onto the cool grass. He’d spent all three nights of the full moon running with the pack. Kieran hadn’t been exempt from participating in the normal day to day activities either. He’d spent his nights running free, and his days swimming, hiking, and had even forced himself to try a few of the sparring matches the camp held. He was more exhausted than he’d ever been before in his life.

Kieran wasn’t going to complain though, despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t remember ever feeling this relaxed and happy. That first night running with the pack had been magical for Kieran, and the other runs had been just as liberating. He couldn’t find the words to express just how freeing it had been to run through the woods on all fours, howling for no other reason than to express his joy. He’d had no problem keeping up with the rest of the pack, and he’d thrilled at the strength and agility of his body as they’d leapt and run through the thick woods.

The other lost pups had noticed something different about Kieran, but for all their questions, Kieran had kept his mouth shut. He so badly wanted to explain to them what it was they were missing. There was such freedom, not only from the running itself, but in experiencing the other side of his soul that he’d repressed for so long. His only comfort, was that each and every one of them would hopefully reach that point. Then perhaps, he could sit down with them and share the pleasure that came with howling at the moon as they ran free.

Artemis’ face appeared above him as she stood over his prone body. “Well, don’t you look comfy?”

Kieran squinted up at her. “Well, I was until you decided to block my sunlight and disturb me.”

Artemis rolled her eyes. “You and I need to have a little talk.”

Sensing the gravity in her voice, he sat up. “Sure, is everything okay?”

Artemis nodded. “More than just okay, you’ve graduated.”

“Graduated?” Kieran asked in confusion.

“Yes, once a lost pup has changed and learned how to get those changes under control, we’ve done everything we can for them. The only thing left for you to do is to return home,” Artemis answered.

Kieran blinked in surprise. “I didn’t…so soon?”

Artemis shrugged. “You’ve made great progress. Sometimes a pup comes here and they’re here for months, others can end up being here for only a few weeks. You’ve proven to be one of the faster ones.”

“I guess I didn’t realize we’d gone that far,” Kieran said quietly, thinking of Cole.

“Well, you know, we don’t really mind when someone comes here and stays for only a short time. It means that’s one more person we helped, and one more space here that opens up,” Artemis said.

Kieran nodded. “I take it space is a problem?”

“I don’t really want to go too much into it, but yeah. It can be hard to house all the people we want to. This place works like it does because to the best of our ability Apollo and I run a tight ship. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to help as many as we have. Hopefully, we can get out from under the cloud of debt one day and be able to expand. I’ve always wanted to add more to the camp,” Artemis said wistfully.

“Do you…need help with that?” Kieran asked, thinking of his own savings.

Artemis shook her head. “No, don’t you worry about that. That’s our concern, and the others in the pack if they really want to be pushy about it. The only thing you need to worry about is getting into the swing of things back in the real world. We brought you out here to help you, but that only put your life on pause. I’ve already told Martin you’re free to go, so I’m sure he’ll pass along the message to your bosses.”

“Um, when do I leave?” Kieran asked.

“We’ve got you scheduled to head out tomorrow afternoon. Two days’ from now, you’ll be safely back in your own home,” Artemis said with a smile.

Kieran hesitated. “So, I have until tomorrow afternoon.”

Artemis nodded. “You won’t be expected to do anything else with the camp. We’ll announce your graduation over dinner tonight, so everyone will be on the same page. I’ve already told Cole he’s free from having to do anything until after you leave, so enjoy the time you have.”

“Thanks, but uh, any chance you might know where he’s at?” Kieran asked.

“I think he went back to his own cabin to change,” Artemis said.

“Thanks, I’m…gonna go spend time with him,” Kieran said as he stood up.

* * *

Sure enough, he found Cole in his cottage, but he wasn’t changing. The smaller man sat on the edge of his bed with a drawn expression on his face. Kieran waited at the open door, unsure what to say. He thought he finally understood why Cole had been so quiet and distant since Artemis announced she was taking Kieran on the moonlit runs with the pack.

“Hey,” Kieran said softly.

Cole started, jerking toward Kieran before trying to smooth out his reaction. “Hey, Artemis find you?”

Kieran nodded. “Yeah, she came and found me after we got back.”

Cole nodded. “So, she told you the good news then?”

Kieran sat beside Cole on the bed. “Yeah. Is that why you’ve been so quiet lately?”

“I haven’t been quiet,” Cole insisted.

Kieran chuckled, reaching out to pull Cole closer to him. “You’ve been very quiet.”

Cole’s shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to keep my shit under control but it’s been hard when I know you’re going to be leaving me soon.”

Kieran reached out, taking Cole’s hand in his. “Hey, don’t say it like that.”

Cole sighed. “What, like the truth? You’re leaving to go back home, that’s what’s happening.”

Kieran frowned. “Yes, but that’s not the way you meant it.”

“Then how did I mean it?” Cole asked.

“You’re saying it like I’m going to leave and never come back. Like I’m going back to my life and leaving you behind,” Kieran said.

“Isn’t that what’s happening?” Cole asked.

Kieran shook his head. “No, I’m going back. But I’m not leaving you behind. You’re not something to be forgotten and left to rot Cole.”

Cole gave him a soft smile. “I want to believe that, I really do.”

“So believe it,” Kieran insisted.

Cole sighed. “These past few weeks together have been wonderful for me Kieran, but that’s the problem. I don’t want to get hung up on how great things have been while you’re here. Everything could change once you’re back home, working at your job, surrounded by all the things you know and love.”

“And suddenly I’m going to forget all about you and the time we’ve had together?” Kieran asked.

“You say that like it wouldn’t have been the first time it happened,” Cole said with a chuckle, but Kieran didn’t hear any real humor in his voice.

Kieran took a deep breath. “Look, I want you to come with me. I want to keep you by my side while I try to figure out how to get back into the life I left behind. I don’t want to go without you, but you wouldn’t come, would you?”

Cole chewed his bottom lip nervously before finally shaking his head. “No, this is where I belong.”

“And my life, as far as I know, is still back in the city,” Kieran said.

Cole nodded, looking away. “That’s what I’m talking about. We’re going to end up living two different lives, on opposite ends of the country. I wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to continue what we’ve had. It’s not like we ever committed to each other. Maybe we shouldn’t have gone that far.”

Kieran tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. “Are you saying you regret it?”

Cole looked at him and sighed. “No, I don’t regret it. Everything you and I have shared since you came here has been one of the most important things in my life. I just mean that if it’s going to sting this much to lose you, I’m going to end up wondering what it was all for.”

“Are you going to give up that easily?” Kieran asked.

Cole looked at him in surprise. “Give up? It’s not about giving up Kieran, it’s about facing reality. We both have lives that are so different from one another there’s no way we could make things work. That’s why we only said we would try things.”

“I want more than that,” Kieran blurted out.

Cole frowned. “More than what?”

“I want more than for us to just ‘try.’ I want to be more to you than just a guy you tried things out with,” Kieran clarified.

“Kieran, are you…trying to commit to this?” Cole asked, bewildered.

Kieran nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Is the term ‘boyfriend’ still used?”

Cole scoffed. “On the day before you’re supposed to return to your home thousands of miles away, you want to have the boyfriend talk?”

Kieran shrugged. “And? We’ve already been acting like boyfriends as it is haven’t we? I don’t see a problem with committing to you. We’ve been in a relationship in deed, but I want to make it official through word.”

Cole stared at him. “You’re not serious.”

Kieran raised a brow. “Does it look like I’m kidding?”

“Kieran, come on. Have you been listening to anything I just said?” Cole asked.

Kieran nodded. “Yep, I heard every word, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with you.”

Cole shook his head in what looked like disbelief. “You’re crazy.”

“About you,” Kieran said simply.

Cole snorted. “That was the cheesiest thing I think anyone has ever said to me.”

Kieran knelt on the floor in front of Cole, looking up at him with what he hoped was an earnest expression. “I mean it though. The idea of being your boyfriend, partner, whatever you want to call it, makes me…lightheaded and excited. I always used to scoff at the idea of ‘butterflies’ but it’s exactly what it feels like when I’m with you, and they go nuts when I think about the possibility of spending my life with you.”

Cole smiled softly. “Is this you asking me to be your boyfriend or a marriage proposal?”

“Shouldn’t you want to be boyfriends with someone who you believe you have a good chance of spending your life with?” Kieran asked in confusion.

Cole chuckled. “Okay, fine, you’ve got me there. But are we going to address the whole ‘living at opposite ends of the country’ thing?”

“You do know I have plenty of this thing called money, right?” Kieran teased.

“What, you’re going to just fly across the country to come and see me once in a while?” Cole asked.

Kieran shrugged. “Why not? I mean, if my company was willing to let me come out here for a ‘retreat’ then that should tell you plenty about their vacation policy. Me being out here didn’t even count since they covered it for me, well, they covered the time off, bastards still made me cover the cost of being here.”

Cole laughed. “That’s what you’re going to complain about.”

“Since it meant meeting you, absolutely not. I’d pay way more than I did if I’d known that. But my point is I’m going to make more time to see you, and money isn’t an issue. Sure, it’s not seeing each other every day, or only having to drive a little ways to see you whenever I want, but I don’t mind. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours,” Kieran insisted.

He could see Cole wanted to believe what he was saying, even as he battled internally with his own fears. What gave Kieran hope was that he could see the fear and pain in Cole’s eyes retreating, he looked tentatively happy. Kieran’s head had been filled with the very same words he’d spoken to Cole, but he’d never been able to bring himself to say them aloud. He supposed he probably should have chosen a better time than when circumstances forced him to, but he meant every word.

Finally, Cole smiled. “You’re very persuasive when you’re like this, you know that?”

Kieran felt hope swell inside him. “Does that mean you accept?”

Cole laughed. “Like I could tell you no when you’re giving me those puppy dog eyes.”

Kieran returned the laugh, hugging Cole’s waist and laying his head in the man’s lap. Cole bent over him, laying his head on Kieran’s back, kissing him gently. Kieran had never asked anyone out before, since most of his poor attempts at relationships had simply fallen into his lap. It seemed being with Cole had brought a whole new range of experiences into his life that he hadn’t been expecting.

“So, we haven’t got much time left before I leave. What do you feel like doing until then?” Kieran was in half a mind to just cuddle up on the bed and hold Cole close until he left for the airport, but it seemed Cole had other ideas.

“If it’s going to be weeks, months even, before we see each other again, I want something to remember while you’re gone,” Cole smiled but Kieran could see it didn’t reach his eyes.

“What exactly did you have in mind? Oh!” Kieran jumped in surprise as Cole pushed him back onto the mattress and straddled his legs. He obviously wasn’t going to waste any time, and before Kieran knew what was going on, Cole was naked. Kieran’s shirt was flying across the room and his pants were half way down his legs. The only thing left between them was Kieran’s underwear.

Cole leaned forward and kissed Kieran deeply. There was a passion in the kiss that resonated through Kieran’s entire body. He didn’t want to rush this; he wanted to show Cole he was committed to continuing their relationship even after he left.

“Slow down, tiger. We’ve got all night and tomorrow morning.” Kieran pulled his lips away from Cole’s mouth, almost with a sense of regret.

“Tiger! Who the hell are you calling tiger?” Cole was trying to appear insulted, but the tremor at the corners of his mouth gave the game away.

Kieran was determined to make this special. Tonight was not for fucking. Tonight was for making love. He was conscious this could be the last time the two men might be together for a while.

Placing his hands on Cole’s hips, he gently lifted and turned his boyfriend and resumed their kiss, more sensuously this time. His eyes and his hands roamed over Cole’s skin trying to take in every detail, memorizing each scar and freckle for the lonely nights he knew were to come; he didn’t want to forget a thing.

“You do know you still have your boxers on, right?” Cole whispered, grabbing the waistband and struggling to pull them down past Kieran’s hard cock. Kieran pushed up on his elbows to help the removal of the last barrier between them. When Cole threw them across the room, Kieran lay across Cole, covering the man with his larger body and trying not to put all his weight on him. Staring into Cole’s eyes, he ran his hand down his neck and across his collarbone, stopping to tweak his nipple before continuing on over his abs to where he knew Cole’s happy trail led to his beautiful and now fully erect cock. His lips followed his fingers, nibbling on all the sensitive skin he could find.

Cole arched his back as best he could with Kieran on top of him and let out a long sigh, which turned into a soft moan as Kieran gently bit his nipple.

“You’re killing me here, Kieran.” Cole breathed into his ear.

“You won’t die from what I have in mind,” Kieran chuckled as he reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the lube. Smearing the cool liquid on his fingers, he gently reached down and parted Cole’s thighs just enough to be able to reach the pink pucker hiding between the round globes of his ass. He ran his fingertip around the rim before pushing in slowly to the first knuckle as he listened to the rapid breathing coming from beneath him.

“Oh God! Kieran, please, if you go any slower, I’ll explode before we get to the finale.” Cole pushed down on Kieran’s finger, and Kieran pushed it in as deep as he could while curling it up to rub across Cole’s special place. Cole bucked his hips involuntarily and growled.

Determined not to be forced into rushing, he captured Cole’s lips with his own as he replaced one finger with two, and scissored them to open him up more.

“Patience, Tiger,” Kieran teased, removing his fingers and placing Cole’s legs over his shoulders. Cole’s feet gripped his back muscles and Kieran lined his hard, lubed cock up with Cole’s now pliable hole. He pushed in slowly as Cole raised his hips to push back against him.

As soon as Kieran’s cock breached the ring of muscle, he stopped and waited for Cole to loosen up.

“I’ve told you before. You don’t have to be gentle with me; I won’t break,” Cole tried to push harder against Kieran to force his cock deeper. Kieran stayed still, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Cole’s and kiss the tip of his nose.

“Won’t break, eh?” Kieran thrust into Cole until they were as close as they could get, then he pulled out, oh so slowly. He kept that same slow rhythm, gyrating his hips slightly each time he pushed in, making sure to hit Cole’s sweet spot with every thrust.

Both men were sweating now, as Kieran picked up the pace slightly.

“I want to see your face as you come,” Kieran said as he pulled his own face away just far enough to see Cole’s blue eyes properly. Cole nodded and stared back into Kieran’s darker blue orbs. Their bodies moved together in perfect rhythm, the heat and tension building rapidly as both men chased each other’s orgasms.

“I need you to come for me, Cole,” Kieran stated, as he reached between their sweat-coated stomachs and wrapped his hand around Cole’s shaft.

“Ah!” Cole screamed as his sensitive cock jumped at the first touch and spilled ribbon upon ribbon onto his stomach and even up onto his neck.

As his cock erupted, Cole’s ass clenched down on Kieran’s cock causing his orgasm to crest and rush through him like a shockwave.

Kieran bit back his own shout and kissed Cole deeply as he stroked them both through the aftershocks. Both men were breathing heavily, but Kieran found just enough strength to pull out and fetch a warm cloth from the bathroom to clean Cole up. As he gently washed the come from Cole’s body, he had to bite his tongue before he said anything foolish. His emotions were running high, and he didn’t want to make a fool of himself or worse, scare Cole.

They lay on top of the bedclothes, limbs tangled, breathing in tandem, neither one wanting to break the spell just yet.

Eventually, Kieran wriggled enough so he could sit astride Cole’s lap and just stare at him, a silly grin on his face. It was Cole who broke the silence.

“So, now we’re boyfriends, are we going to talk about how difficult this is going to be?” Cole asked after a moment.

Kieran carefully extracted himself from Cole’s lap and shook his head. “If we do that, we’ll just spoil the moment. We’re both going to end up thinking about it anyway, and neither of us have a solution yet. Let’s just do what we did before and see how things go and then we’ll figure it out.”

“If we figure it out,” Cole said.

Kieran ran a finger along Cole’s jaw. “We will figure it out.”

“Are you sure about that?” Cole asked nervously.

Kieran nodded. “I promise.”