They had been riding in silence for a while now, enjoying the good weather and the sun, eyes on the land around them. Out here, no sign of settlers or hunters showed. A few dared to enter the heart of the Territory on a regular basis, but they chose the early summer times for those trips. It was the safest time of the year. Too many had become lost, some forever, as they tried to best nature on her terms throughout the other seasons.
Spring was prone to sudden weather changes, even within minutes. Summer was an incredibly hot affair this deep inside Four Corners Territory, and winter was simply a too treacherous time. Snow could turn a traveler around and around until they simply gave up, exhausted.
Chris had had to rescue a few of those adventurous types, and every guide or trapper in town refused to lead even the most wealthy of visitors in winter.
Coming out here this early in spring had been based on reviewing the weather situation, their travel route and Vin's take on the matter. He was a pretty good judge of what to expect and since neither Chris nor Ezra planned to go over the mountain pass to the other side of the Territory where it bordered to Beacon Hills, they would be on the safe side.
xXxXxX
It took them almost a day to reach their first stop. Their pace was sedate, the horses moving at an easy gait. Chris kept assessing his surroundings, but there was no threat, either human or from nature. Even the occasional winter storm hadn't been as devastating as the Centennial had been.
Their stop was a basic shelter and Ezra looked at it with a bright smile and a mischievous light in his eyes. A shelter meant a bed and the bed meant not sleeping on the ground.
Chris simply shook his head, amused. "Only for tonight," he told his mate.
"We could make it work for a few more."
It was almost reminiscent of the ERSS, though less sturdy and more of a hut. They had heat, which was a plus, and the bed, but no running water or electricity.
Chris pointed that out with a knowing smile and Ezra rolled his eyes.
They unsaddled the horses and had moved their things inside within a short time. It was still cold outside at night and the shelter was a welcome luxury.
xXxXxX
That the bed was actually barely wide enough to accommodate two men was of little consequence. There was hardly any room between them anyway as Chris pushed into the willing body, felt Ezra clench tightly around him, fingers digging into muscular arms. He looked into the green eyes, pupils blown wide, and Chris captured the moist lips, kissing his mate deeply.
xXxXxX
They lay together afterwards, bodies almost overheated, enjoying the afterglow, and Larabee nuzzled against the short hair at Ezra's neck.
::I love you::
Ezra answered with a hard kiss, reflecting those emotions quite clearly. "Mine," he murmured.
"Always."
Chris rested his hand over the four white scars on Ezra's side, protective and possessive in one, and Ezra nuzzled against the damp throat, leaving tiny bites against it.
His alpha rumbled softly, shifting a little as arousal coursed through him. Ezra grinned.
"Adventurous," Chris whispered.
"You know me."
"Only too well." He pushed himself up and looked into the green eyes. Eyes that were alight with emotions.
Chris dove into the next kiss, very willing to give in to Ezra's demands.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
They went past the invisible border drawn on almost all maps and into the true heart of the Territory by midday the next day. As of now, there was no route to follow. Now it was instinct and letting the land take them to their next stopping point. Except for the most hardy of trackers and hunters, no one really went this deeply into the Territory. No one had tried to settle here, no one wanted to stay too long.
The ley lines were running together, forming nodes, making technology completely superfluous or absolutely useless because the devices were erratic or broke down. Nothing worked out here, not even a basic radio signal. Towers that had been erected along this border were prone to interference, especially after storms, and there was an unwritten rule about not venturing out here alone.
Chris had accompanied Vin a few times, and all Seven had skirted the border quite a lot. Sometimes Buck and JD would come along, JD trying out a new device, but it would fail, as every time.
Ezra's eyes were alert, scanning the horizon, on the look-out for anything at all that might be dangerous.
"Nothing's going to jump us," Chris told him an hour into their otherwise silent ride.
"How would you know?"
"Vin and I have been here often enough. Vin's told me a few things, explained some more. All that's different from what we know is that the ley lines scramble the tech. It's why the Men of the Land live here, away from us."
"So we're intruding," Ezra sighed, shaking his head.
"No. My pack is not seen as intruders." There was a slight edge to Chris' voice. "The land accepts us."
Ezra nodded slowly. He knew. Vin and him had talked about it often enough. "It feels different here," he said after a while.
Yes, it did. Chris could feel it in his very bones, the call to his shifter side, the way he was more at ease, despite the strangeness, and how it felt like home. The pack was at home in the Territory and each member felt it, but out here, with no interference, with nothing to distract him, Chris sensed it all the more.
"Vin says it calls to one," Ezra voiced those feelings. "The few times we passed along the border I knew what he meant, but now… it's stronger than I ever felt it before."
"It's always this strong, Ez. You just didn't want to feel it."
"Are you channeling Mr. Tanner?" he teased. "Because he sounds just like that. Almost the same words, too."
Chris smirked.
Some people were sensitive to these strong energies, other had never felt a thing in their life. Those with a sensitivity were usually freaked out and kept away from the heart of a Territory. Ezra didn't feel freaked out, but he could tell there were tiny shifts around him, like water moving back and forth in a pond.
xXxXxX
They made camp while the sun was still over the horizon, seeking out a protected area near water. The little stream looked peaceful enough and they had trees and rocks sheltering them. Chris unsaddled the horses near the river while Ezra made up their little camp.
"Feel like running?" the alpha asked softly when they were done.
Ezra felt something shiver through him. He could feel the call, the sense of calmness he had out here, despite the fact that he was in the middle of nowhere. A place he didn't know, unlike Four Corners. Chris seemed to be almost bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to shift and run, and Ezra couldn't deny that he wanted the same. His alpha's energy was infectious. Seeing the other man so unburdened, so free of his responsibilities, of having to be the leader all the time, was liberating in turn.
He nodded.
Chris' smile was open and happy, and the black wolf looked more like an overgrown puppy as he impatiently waited for his mate to follow him in changing shape.
Ezra undressed, meticulously folded his clothes, and shifted into his gray fox form. Chris playfully licked over one dark ear, yellow eyes alight and filled with playful teasing.
The fox darted off.
The wolf followed with a happy rumbling huff.
xXxXxX
Ezra gave in to the pull inside him halfway throughout the chase. He unfurled his wings seemingly out of nowhere and took off. He heard Chris' yip of delight and let the winds take him high, angling his wings to swoop down again, evading teasingly snapping jaws as the Fenris jumped and tried to catch him.
Their game continued, the black shape racing over the ground and following the gray fox as Ezra flew easy, almost lazy circles, until he landed and was bowled over by his mate.
On his back, wings spread out underneath him, tongue lolling, Ezra looked into the black face, saw nothing but pure enjoyment and happiness. He batted at the black snout and Chris retaliated with a wet lick over his face. He playfully caught the offending paw between sharp teeth and Ezra countered with his still free paw.
Chris let go and nuzzled against him, tongue bathing him, and Ezra wriggled, pushing out from underneath the Fenris. Chris let him, watched him shake the dust and sand out of his wings.
Ezra sat down on his haunches, wings properly folded, and tilted his head. There was a mischievous grin on his lips. Chris simply huffed and trotted over to a grassy spot, plopping gracefully down. Ezra chuckled and joined him, let the Fenris lay his head on the winged back.
::Addict:: he murmured.
Chris snuffled and buried his muzzle in the feathers.
They stayed like this for a while, watching the shadows grow longer, and when the waning light turned toward night, both knew it was time to return to their camp site.
Ezra didn't fly, actually let the wings disappear, and both listened to the night around them, for anything out of the ordinary.
Nothing stood out.
xXxXxX
They curled up in their shifted forms, not bothering to become human.
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Leaving the horses in a makeshift corral with access to water, Chris and Ezra continued to run in their shifted forms, enjoying the freedom and the different sensory perception. Ezra flew more than he ever had before in his life and if he silently whooped to himself, there was no one there to hear it.
Aside from his alpha.
Who didn't mention the noises of joy or the open happiness Ezra radiated.
Chris himself was just watching him with the same happiness and a lot of delight.
xXxXxX
No one witnessed the gray, winged fox in the air, except a few startled birds and the occasional reptile or lizard.
xXxXxX
Chris felt incredibly at home, free, the weight of the world suddenly off his shoulders. For now he was just the wolf, the man in love with Ezra Standish. And Ezra showed him just what he was capable of.
He shifted.
Into different forms.
And Chris watched in awe and fascination, encouraged him to shift to whatever he wanted, and Ezra did.
They were free out here. There was no pressure, no expectations, no past, no future. Just the present.
"You're an amazing man, Ezra Standish," he whispered against his mate's lips when they were both human, laying near the river and enjoying the dry, cool weather. Sun on their skin, nothing between them.
Ezra's smile was open, no shields hiding the crossbreed from Chris' eyes, and his light-hearted caresses spoke lengths.
Their time together was simply just them. It wasn't just about sex, though they easily found together, uncaring of the world around them, and while outsiders might have expected Chris to mark his mate over and over, it wasn't about that. Yes, there were marks of passion on both men, but just touching freely, reaffirming the connection they shared, was so much more important.
No one would take this from him.
No one would make Ezra hide who he was, what he was, or hurt him over his genetic difference.
Rocking into the welcoming heat, feeling Ezra clench around him, listening to his soft encouragements and groans as Chris hit the right spot, Larabee let himself just be. He felt the land around him, his Territory, and everything that came with it. His very soul was connected to the land now, just as Vin had always told him they were. The pack was part of this.
He came hard, whispering Ezra's name into the kiss, felt Ezra's blunt fingernails dig into his hips. He lowered himself onto the muscular form, still rocking gently, enjoying the wet heat, the heave of their chests, their hearts hammering.
"Damn, Ez," he murmured.
Ezra chuckled and drew him close, lips playfully nipping at Chris'. Strong arms came around him, pillowing his head against one shoulder. Warm skin, Ezra's scent, the soft breath against his hair, it all made him relax even further. He felt incredibly content. Safe and content.
The embrace tightened briefly and Ezra nuzzled his hair. He trailed his fingers over the naked skin within his reach, all comfortable heat and well-known scent.
"Good?"
Chris grunted softly. He was good. Better than good. He felt amazing.
Ezra smiled happily.
tbc...