GENRE: Gay Erotic Romance
LENGTH: 62,887 words
RATING:

Morgan O’Connor takes a long vacation to try to sort out his commitment issues, but his trip takes a mysterious turn once he crosses into Canada. There he begins to have vivid dreams, and is followed by a grey wolf only he seems to be able to see.

On his way home, Morgan stops at a woodcarver’s shop, where he meets James Standing Elk. The two men have a strong and immediate connection. When Morgan learns James’ Ojibwe name is Grey Wolf, he’s more than a little unnerved and leaves before he can uncover the link between his visions and James.

Back home, Morgan can’t keep out thoughts of either the wolf or his feelings for James. When he returns to the woodcarver’s shop, the true nature of his attraction and spiritual connection to James is revealed, and it’s more than Morgan could ever have imagined. Can this be the reason Morgan has never been able to make a commitment to anyone? What strange forces are at work to bring Morgan and James together?

EXCERPT:
Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

Soon everyone was singing camp songs and telling tall tales as they made s’mores. Morgan was thoroughly enjoying himself when he became aware of the strange feeling that he needed to go down to where the canoe was beached on the shore of The Big Lake. He quietly got up and, without anyone noticing, left the clearing. He made his way down the darkened path to the beach where they’d landed that afternoon. Once there, he crouched down on the rocky shore and rested an elbow on his knee. He looked out over the water. The full moon was rising. A finger of silver spread across the water toward him. An owl hooted. The gentle waves lapped the shore. Crickets chirped in the bushes.

The group had been singing the paddle song as Morgan left the campfire. He began to hum the melody. Then, without realizing it at first, he found himself softly singing.

Full moon is shining bright
Over still water
Song of a lone grey wolf
Pierces the air.

Morgan’s voice trailed off. This wasn’t a verse from the song that he remembered from scout camp. He’d never heard these words before. Where were they coming from? Without conscious bidding, he continued slowly speaking, rather than singing the words that seemed to be forming in his mind.

Wolf moon and Great lake shore
You call me home once more.

Morgan stopped speaking. He looked up at the moon hanging in the sky and at the waves gently lapping the shore. The silver finger of the moon now seemed to be pointing directly at him. As he gazed at the scene before him, contemplating the words of the song that had appeared in his mind, he had a feeling someone or something was watching him. His pulse quickened. He turned his head slowly. There, sitting, looking at him from the edge of the forest, was a large grey wolf.

Morgan felt a surge of fear. At this, the wolf’s ears relaxed and the creature lay down, crossing its paws.

The fear drained from him. Morgan turned and sat cross-legged, facing the animal. They looked at each other for some time.

Feeling silly, but at the same time sensing it was the appropriate thing to do, Morgan asked, “Was it you who called me here?”

The wolf tilted its head to one side and blinked its large, amber eyes three times.

“Why?” Morgan asked.

The wolf raised its head and looked up at the moon, the water, and then turned to look back into the forest. Morgan followed its gaze.

“Morgan!” a voice called out.

Morgan turned and looked in the direction of the call. It was Nate. He looked back to the wolf, but it was gone.

Morgan stood up. “I’m here,” he called out, feeling irritated that this moment had been interrupted.

Nate stepped out of the trees. He walked to Morgan. “Are you okay? Why did you disappear like that? You scared me.”

Nate’s word’s softened Morgan’s reaction to the wolf’s disappearance.

“I’m sorry. I just felt I needed to be alone for a while. The moon on the lake is so beautiful, and I’m enjoying being here so much.”

“But you’re okay?” Nate asked again.

Morgan smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” But he wasn’t entirely sure he was.

“Why did you leave the campfire?” Nate asked again, as if sensing there was something Morgan wasn’t telling him.

“I just needed a little space. Like I said, the night’s so beautiful.”

What Morgan didn’t add was the feeling that something had called him away.

“Yeah,” Nate agreed. He walked up to Morgan and slipped his arms around Morgan’s waist. Nate kissed Morgan lightly on the cheek. Morgan had a strange reaction to Nate’s touch. It was almost as if he were betraying someone, as if he was doing something he shouldn’t. Morgan tried to shrug it off.

Morgan turned and stood with his back to his boyfriend. Nate wrapped his arms around Morgan. The two stood looking out over the same scene as Morgan had just moments before. He felt Nate’s growing arousal against him. Nate began to kiss Morgan’s neck. His hand traveled down, and he began to massage Morgan’s cock. Morgan wasn’t sure how to deal with this. In what seemed a past life, he would have welcomed Nate’s sexual excitement. Nate was, after all, Morgan’s lover, his boyfriend. Why did he now have the feeling that doing what Nate’s actions were leading to was somehow wrong?

Morgan pushed this aside and turned to face Nate. He allowed Nate to kiss him, to give Nate’s tongue access to his mouth. He tried to allow himself to relax into Nate’s embrace. But as he did, he looked over Nate’s shoulder to the place where the wolf had been and couldn’t continue.

Seizing on a logical excuse, Morgan said, “They might miss us and come down here to find us.”

Nate pulled back, sighed, and said, “You’re right. But it’s going to be a long, frustrating night.” He smiled, kissed Morgan again, and said, “Come on.”

Nate took Morgan’s hand and began to lead him to the path back to camp. Morgan looked back over his shoulder once more. The wolf was sitting at the edge of the forest again.