The Way of Two Paths: M/M Wolf Shifter Paranormal Romance (The Moonstone Legacy Book 2) Read online

  “The Way of Two Paths”

  An MM Wolf Shifter Romance

  The Moonstone Legacy – Volume 2

  Apollo Surge

  © 2019

  Apollo Surge

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18. Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2019.09.02)

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  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: RB, JayBee and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  It was a bright, starlit night and Mel was once again lying beside Todd, gazing at his handsome features. His skin was smooth, like porcelain. He had an ethereal beauty about him, almost like he wasn't from this time at all. Never before had she been so taken with a boy. She'd always been attracted to people older than herself, and had wanted to wait until college before she met the perfect guy. Someone who could talk to her about philosophy, acting, and the meaning of life. Todd had come out of nowhere.

  There was some power about him that completely magnetized her, and she couldn't understand how she would ever feel these intense sensations again. It was as though he had opened up her mind and her soul, and she would never be the same. She'd always heard that first love was the truest, and she had no reason to doubt it now. In her more rational moments she understood that it might be too early to call it love, but when she looked at Todd and felt her heart being swept away inside she didn't know what else to call it.

  And yet, since she was inexperienced in the ways of love, the path was fraught with worry and doubt. She was usually a confident girl, but with Todd she felt as though she was walking on hot coals. There were times when he would gaze into the distance and lose himself to his thoughts, as though nothing around him mattered, including her. Then, other times, he looked at her with devotion. He held her in his strong arms and she didn't know why she ever doubted him at all.

  Although she enjoyed talking with him about interesting matters, her favorite moments were the quiet ones when she was held in his arms and could lose herself to the rhythm of his heart and the rise and fall of his chest. That's the position they were in now. She was draped over his body, a blanket tossed over them. Their flesh pressed together and the heat of passion still simmered through her soul. Idly, Mel caressed Todd's exposed chest, running her fingers down the middle of his body, letting it rest against his flat, rippling stomach.

  The only other boy she had loved was Johnny, but this was an entirely different feeling. Johnny was like a brother. The love between the two of them was comfortable and deep. With Todd, it was intense, like a raging storm. So far she had been lost in a world of make believe with him, losing themselves in the roles of the play he had written, but she wanted more.

  “You sure you're cool with meeting up with my friend and his new boyfriend?” Mel asked anxiously.

  “I already told you I was,” Todd replied with a smile. “It's my firm belief that nobody should ever do anything they don't want to do. Trust me, if I say I want to do something then I'll do it.”

  “I know, I just, I don't want you to think that I'm pushing something on you. I know that we're both going to college soon and this is-”

  “What?” Todd challenged. Mel wilted under his gaze. “Look,” he continued, “I like what we're doing, I like hanging out with you, and I'd like to meet your friends.”

  He wrapped an arm around Mel and kissed her on the head. He gazed out of the window at the stars and the moon. Then, something happened. A strange expression came over his face and there was a sharp intake of breath. Her heart swelled at how moved he was by the beauty of nature.

  “It's beautiful, isn't it,” she said, nestling into him.

  “Yes, indeed it is. The moon is shining. Everything we've been waiting for is coming to pass.”

  Mel assumed he was talking about graduation and the future, but as she looked up at him there was a strange look in his eyes, as though he was aware of some secret of eternity that she couldn't comprehend. She hugged him more tightly and enjoyed a smile, excited about all he could teach her with the wisdom that went beyond his years.

  Chapter One

  “So Tyler, what are your hopes for the future? Are you thinking about school or anything?” Rita asked. Johnny almost cringed at the question. This was the first proper dinner with himself, Tyler, and his parents. The past few days had been difficult. Finally, his parents knew the truth about him, and not much had changed. This took Johnny by surprise. He'd always thought that when the truth came out everything would be different, that the world would shake, but it was all pretty normal. His mom still grew frustrated with him when he forget to do his chores, the only difference was that now Johnny didn't have an excuse to be awkward around them.

  Well, aside from the fact that he was still hiding something from his parents, except this time it wasn't his own secret he was keeping from them, it was Tyler's. When Johnny glanced over at Tyler his body tingled with a desire that burned as powerfully as a thousand suns. Every time he looked though he couldn't help but think about Tyler's other form, the wolf.

  In truth, it still unsettled Johnny, not the fact that Tyler turned into a wolf, but that Johnny wasn't as scared by it as he should have been. Honestly, Tyler looked majestic as the powerful werewolf, his body bigger, more intimidating, stron
ger, but Johnny was only sexually attracted to the human side. However, it did excite him to know that Tyler had this secret hidden part of him. It made him seem like a superhero.

  Of course, it was one thing that he had to keep secret. His parents could accept that they were gay, but a werewolf? There was no chance of them being that understanding, nor would Johnny expect them to be.

  Tyler's true nature was something that explained all the events of the past couple of weeks. Uncle Christopher had died, and they'd only been made aware of Tyler when Rita, Johnny's mom, had learned that Christopher had left everything he owned, most importantly the big manor house in the forest, to Tyler. At first, Rita had been apoplectic with rage, afraid that Tyler had been taking advantage of the lonely man, but it turned out to be something genuine and touching.

  Johnny had discovered that Tyler had been left on Christopher's doorstep as a child, and Christopher had taken him in. He didn't tell anyone for a number of reasons. One being that the authorities would likely take Tyler away and place him in the foster care system, the other because Tyler was a werewolf. Johnny's uncle had kept Tyler's secret, and now the same was Johnny's duty.

  But his parents weren't the only people from whom Johnny was keeping a secret. There was a shadow in his heart when it came to Tyler as well. While rooting around his uncle's office, Johnny had discovered a letter meant for Tyler. After reading it, Johnny had decided not to show Tyler, as it only pointed to more trouble ahead. Tyler needed a normal life, not something about the moon shining and being a protector. Uncle Christopher had been ill during the last few months of his life so he had probably been delirious anyway when he wrote it. Johnny decided that it didn't matter much, and that he tell Tyler about it when the time was right.

  “I don't think so. Dad taught me everything I need to know,” Tyler said. He spoke calmly, but Johnny could sense the edge to his words. Tyler had lived a sheltered life and was always on the defensive. Johnny couldn't really blame him when it came to Johnny's mom, since the two of them had gotten off to a rocky start. Johnny appreciated that the two of them were making the effort though, he just hoped that the tension would dissipate.

  “I loved Christopher, but whatever he taught you couldn't have been as well-rounded as a high school education,” Rita said.

  “It's probably too late for me anyway,” Tyler said tersely.

  “There are always night school classes you can use to get your high school diploma. One of the most important things in this world is to get a good education. It's a stepping stone to better and brighter opportunities. You can't really get anywhere without a good foundation.”

  “All I want to do is draw,” Tyler said through gritted teeth. Johnny thought he should interject before anyone began to raise their voice.

  “Tyler is really good mom, I mean really good. You don't always need an education if you have talent. You should see his drawings, they're really impressive.”

  At Johnny's praise Tyler shifted uncomfortably, but he flashed a thankful smile at Johnny.

  “Either way, you need discipline and determination, otherwise your talent isn't going to mean a thing,” Frank said in a fatherly tone toward Tyler. “I remember this guy I grew up with, Stuart was his name. He was an amazing writer, he was always winning the school competitions for poetry and short stories, he even had a few published in an anthology, but as we grew older he got lazy. He used to be writing all the time. Whenever I saw him he'd be scribbling something down, losing himself in another world, and then one day it was as though he looked up and thought the world had more to offer him than the page. He could have been a best-selling novelist, but in the end he amounted to nothing. His talent couldn't carry him by itself.”

  “I know that. All I want to do is draw. It's one of the few times I truly feel free,” Tyler said.

  None of them were sure about what to say to that.

  “That's an interesting necklace,” Rita said, trying to change the subject, “where did you get that from?”

  Tyler's hand instinctively went to the crescent moon that hung from a cord around his neck. His thumb ran over the smooth texture. As Johnny watched him, he remembered how the necklace had felt pressing into his chest as the two men had embraced. Johnny's breath caught in his throat and he could feel his cheeks flushing red. He took a sip of water to try and calm himself down.

  “It's the only thing left from my parents. I think it was my mother's. It was around my neck when Father found me,” Tyler said.

  Rita said something else, but Johnny wasn't listening. He was transfixed by the necklace, and the phrase 'the moon will shine,' which had been written by Uncle Christopher. Johnny didn't know what it truly meant, or how the moon would shine. Did he mean the necklace or the actual moon? Either way, it didn't seem as though either of them could actually shine, which was another reason why Johnny was inclined to believe his uncle had been delirious when he'd written the farewell letter to Tyler.

  Thankfully, dinner didn't last too much longer. Johnny and Tyler helped to clear the plates away and then retreated up to Johnny's room. Johnny closed the door and Tyler sank on the bed, letting the tension drain from him.

  Chapter Two

  “That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do,” he said, rubbing his face, pushing his jet-black hair away from his face. He was wearing a black t-shirt, which only made his skin seem paler than it already was, and black jeans. He didn't seem to own many different clothes. Johnny sat at his desk as he turned on his computer and put some background music on.

  “It wasn't that bad, was it?” Johnny asked.

  “No,” Tyler said, giving him a reassuring smile, “but this is a lot different than what I'm used to. This whole life...whenever father and I had dinner it was usually in the study together, or we'd eat alone. We never had these family meals. I guess it felt a little like I was being judged.”

  “They don't mean that,” Johnny said. “I know mom can be a little forceful sometimes, but she means well. I think she's just worried. Don't take this the wrong way, but she has a thing about strays. If she ever sees a wounded bird or a lost animal she'll always take them in and try to make sure they're given the best chance at life. And I guess she feels responsible for you now since she's the only family you have. I know the two of you haven't gotten off to the best start, but she means well, and she was only like that because she wasn't sure who you were.”

  “But now she knows, well, most of it anyway,” Tyler said. The two of them shared a secret smile. “I get what you're saying and I appreciate that. It's just going to take me some time to adjust to all of this. It's not like anything I've ever known before.”

  “You have lived a deprived life. I mean, I'm glad uncle Christopher took good care of you, but he was lacking in a lot of ways,” Johnny said as he stopped the music and clicked onto Netflix and presented the screen to Tyler. “What do you want to watch?”

  Tyler looked at the images on the screen and shrugged, overwhelmed with the choice.

  “I honestly have no idea. I guess something funny?” he said.

  “I can do that,” Johnny said, cycling through his list until he found an appropriate movie. It began to play, Johnny made the movie full screen and went to turn the lights off.

  “Are you going to come with me or are you going to stay at the computer?” Tyler asked. The outline of his body was bathed in the glow from the computer screen. He looked almost like a ghost. Johnny couldn't wait to be in his arms again. He smiled as he nestled into bed and into Tyler's open arms, feeling instant relief as he was enveloped in Tyler's warmth.

  Johnny was comforted by the beat of Tyler's heart that thrummed against him. He ran his hands down to interlock his fingers with Tyler's and pulled their hands together. Johnny was always filled with desire around Tyler, but in this moment it was just nice to feel close with Tyler, to enjoy the sensation of Tyler's breath washing over the back of Jonny's neck. In the darkness, it felt normal to be this close, and Johnny dreaded t
he idea of Tyler going back to the manor house.

  It had been agreed that Tyler could sleep over, but he had to stay in the guest room, although the two of them were allowed to stay in Johnny's room with the door closed. Johnny didn't like the thought of speaking to his parents about sex so a lot of it went unspoken, but it was hard to resist the natural desires, especially when Tyler was pressing himself close against Johnny's body.

  “Not here,” Johnny whispered, and instantly regretted it, but it had to be said.

  “What's wrong?”

  “I just feel...inhibited in this house. I like doing it in the forest, where we can be alone, and we don't have to worry about being quiet,” Johnny said, a teasing look in his eyes.

  Tyler grinned at that.

  “I guess sometimes it's good to build anticipation,” he said, leaning in to whisper the words into Johnny's ear. As Tyler did so, he caught Johnny's earlobe in between his teeth and nibbled on it gently. Johnny hadn't realized that was such an erogenous zone for him, but his body convulsed.

  The movie wasn't anything special, and Johnny found his mind wandering. Tyler evidently felt the same as he began to speak.

  “I'm glad we can do this,” he said.

  “Me too,” Johnny replied.

  “I was afraid that after you found out about me you wouldn't want anything to do with me.”

  “Not at all. I'm just glad you felt comfortable sharing it with me.”

  “I had to. I thought about keeping it a secret, but father told me never to be ashamed with who I was, and I thought that if we were going to get to know each other then you had to know that part of me as well. And I guess I also thought that it would hurt less if you decided you wanted to run away.”

  “I wouldn't have chosen that. I have to admit that I was shocked at first, I mean, it's not something you see every day. I guess in some ways I almost feel that I should be more uneasy with it. But I can't be. I like you too much, and that's a part of you, so I like that too. Just...I mean, I don't know how much control you have over it, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't go changing on me without any warning.”