TITLE: "SWEET SURRENDER"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Highlander"/"Wolf Lake"

PAIRING: Duncan MacLeod/Tyler Creed

RATING: NC-17. M/M. *SLASH*

STATUS: New.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

SERIES/SEQUEL: SEQUEL to "CRY OF THE WOLF"

WEBSITE: http://www.carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Duncan stays to tend Tyler while inwardly promising that there will be a reckoning. Sherman has a surprise visitor."

The usual disclaimers apply. No infringement of copyright is intended.

It felt odd but comforting to be in Duncan's arms. To let his friend care for him and gently tend to his wounds. Once he had changed his bed linen, Duncan put another sheet folded in two on top of the bed then laid him on it. Not to let him sleep but so that he could tend him properly without soiling the clean sheets. Tyler did not want him to fuss but forcing Duncan to do anything he did not want to do was not an option. The man was as obdurate as a piece of granite when his mind was set. Duncan washed his hands thoroughly then came back into the bedroom with a small selection of ointments and salves. Tyler's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you carry those around with you?"

Duncan chuckled and kissed his lips tenderly, lingering to paint his tongue inside his lover's mouth. Not daring to do more than taste him on his lips. "I like to keep in shape. Some salves have proved more proficient than others. Over the years you learn."

He watched Duncan open a small pot of salve and generously annoint his hands. Duncan explained what he was going to do. "I have to work this salve into the foreskin, Ty. I won't lie to you. It'll hurt like bloody hell but once the initial burning shock is over it will get to work very quickly and within the hour you will be out of the worst of the pain and able to sleep."

Tyler wanted to call him a liar but did not. He wanted to sleep more. Duncan talked softly to him as he took him in hand, Tyler stiffening and pushing his head back in the pillow with the bright flare of pain as he fought to hold back tears. It made Duncan want to cry out for him, do

anything but hurt him even if it was the only way to treat him so he could heal. He stroked him as gently as he could, working the Chinese salve into his skin and rolling the foreskin between his gentle fingers to get it into the creases and into every cut and abrasion he could find. The salve now began to have a warm numbing effect and Tyler sighed with tentative relief. "That's beautiful, Mac..." Murmured Tyler.

"Sssh, don't talk. Close your eyes and let me work."

He fell silent, did exactly as he was told. Duncan worked assiduously, making sure he missed nothing. He checked his testicles and noticed the scratches on the head of his cock and frowned. What on earth had caused these marks, these injuries? He raised his head and looked at Tyler but the man had drifted off to sleep. Just as well. Carefully he rubbed some of the salve into the head of his cock, Tyler's body shuddering as the pain penetrated and a moan escaped half waking him. Duncan murmured soothing words of love and kept going, the salve now working its' magic and sending him back to sleep. He looked down at his friend, worry and concern mixing with a slow building rage that Ruby could do this to him for none of these injuries could be accidental. He could find no more cuts or tears on his front. Gently he rolled him onto his stomach and checked his back then noticed where he had been bleeding from his back passage. Duncan cursed and washed him out gently, inserting a finger to carefully check for tears and anything worse. Tyler mumbled painfully in his sleep. Duncan kissed his neck and shoulder then paused until he had gone quiet again then lathed his finger with salve and gently inserted his finger and rubbed it into the interior walls of his passage. Making sure he coated him all the way inside, the touch of his finger making Tyler tremble and moan. He jerked suddenly as the finger slid against his prostrate, little aftershocks shivering through his body. Duncan paused, mentally apologised, then continued until he was satisfied. He rolled Tyler off the spare sheet then lifted him back into the centre of the bed so he could lie on his back.

When he had washed his hands and put everything away he returned to the bedroom and gazed down at his friend. Tyler was drifting in and out of consciousness. He wanted to sleep but he also wanted to talk to his friend. Duncan knew. Understood that he did not want to be alone. He sat on the bed beside him and caressed his face, his deep voice murmuring endearments.

Anything that would give his friend ease.

"Stay, Mac..."

"Of course. You go to sleep now."

"No. Not without you."

"I'm here, Ty. Sssh, calm down."

"Come to bed, Mac. I want you to hold me."

Duncan smiled gently and kissed him. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. Fighting to keep his eyes open until he could wring a promise from him. Duncan agreed and stripped off his clothes then carefully slid in beside him, rolling on to his side and hooking a leg over Tyler's but being careful not to brush against his crotch. He stroked his chest and plied him with tender kisses. "Now," Said Duncan in a voice tinged with love. "Will you go to sleep?"

"Yes." Tyler paused. Eyes slowly closing. Duncan's fingers lightly skating over his face and drawing the lids shut then trailing down his cheek as if in mute adoration. "Thanks." Tyler mumbled before sleep claimed him.

Sherman Blackstone felt a lot better. The poultice had done its' job and with his wolven half invoked the healing had speeded up considerably. He could now move his shoulder with no more than a small twinge of pain. He finished a last circuit round the house then flipped back into human form and went inside. A nice long relaxing bath to soak in with music playing in the background was just what he needed. He lit the fire and arranged the logs to give it plenty to feed on while he bathed. He mumbled as he sang, not the correct words to the songs but whatever fancy popped inside his head. Once the water was ready he added sea salt and herbs along with sweet mint and lavender then lowered himself in the foggy water. The tang reminded him of a

garden by the sea. Perfect. He lay back, eyes closed and let the music take him.

Outside the figure paused and stood for several long minutes just listening. Quiet, furtive almost, except that this was the natural caution of the wolf. She changed then let herself in the back way. She could hear Sherman singing - badly - from the bathroom. A smile touched her lips and she made her way into the kitchen, no longer concentrating on stealth. In the bathroom Sherman froze. That sound. It was coming from the kitchen.

Ruby rumaged around, put the kettle on for a hot drink then proceeded to make herself a sandwich. As she bit into it she smiled. He had stopped singing which meant he must have heard her in the kitchen. She padded to the bathroom and stuck her head through the door. It was empty. The water still in the bath with steam coming off it as it slowly cooled. The voice behind her told her that she was slipping. The day she let an old man creep up on her was a warning to get in better shape.

"What are you doing here?"

She turned and smiled taking another bite from the sandwich while she looked at him. The bread a patchy red where the blood was seeping through the raw meat. She licked the trickle of red that squeezed out of the side of the sandwich whenever she took a bite and licked her fingers. He was

standing dripping wet and naked making little pools of water on the thick carpet. "Is that any way to greet a friend?"

"So you're a friend now are you?"

Ruby took another bite then poked Sherman in the chest with her free hand. "Are you going to stand there dripping on the carpet or get dressed?"

He straightened a little. "My house. My carpet in fact. I'll drip where I want."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." Ruby started to walk round him. "Aren't you interested in hearing what happened?"

"Why would I be interested?"

She paused and grinned back at him. It was not a nice grin. "I thought you were interested in everything that Tyler did?"

* * * * *

It was almost mid-morning now but still Duncan did not get up. He watched over Tyler, his body gently cradling his friend as he slept. All the windows and doors were locked and bolted. He was taking no chance on anyone disturbing them. He stole gentle kisses, his lips sliding slowly down his cheek as he tasted him on his tongue. Nipping him gently round the ear but stopping every time he began to stir. He did not want to wake him, to undo all the good his ministrations had already accomplished, but he had to admit it was becoming harder and harder not to touch him even more intimately. Duncan sighed soundlessly and outlined the sleeping face with his fingers. Like a man in prayer. The man was so damn perfect for him.

Tyler stirred. Duncan continued to gently stroke his face, his neck. Rub his warm palm so softly over his chest and nipples, the breath from his mouth stirring the light hairs on his chest. The eyes flickered open and caught Duncan's in a liquid blaze of amber. Duncan felt his tongue thicken in his throat, his gut twist with want and need, and his throat go dry. He paused for a fraction of a heartbeat but looking into those eyes it felt like eternity. "Mac. How long have I been asleep?"

He found his voice with difficulty. Concentrated hard on trying to sound normal. "Just over five hours."

"Five hours?"

Duncan smiled at the sound of alarm in his voice as if five hours sleep was some kind of crime. "How do you feel?"

He thought about the question. Realised that though he still ached the sharp excruciating pain had gone. "I feel good, better than good. I feel great!"

The Highlander laughed and leaned in to kiss him, lips sliding over Tyler's lips. Tongue slipping between his teeth as Tyler went to say something. After a couple of minutes of having the breath sucked out of him and replenished from Duncan's own sweet lungs, he was finally allowed to come up for air. A stir of amusement shone in Tyler's eyes. "Don't you have anything else on your mind, Mac?" He said, eyes glittering with a lust of his own.

"Like what? Doing the dishes, going into town, making small talk? I want to make love to you Ty, need you so much. But I can wait until you're healed. I'm not completely heartless."

That made Tyler really laugh, his laughter drifting off into a chuckle which just made Duncan feel hornier than ever. He closed his eyes and groaned, only opening them when Tyler began to kiss him and slid a hand down his chest to stroke him.

"Tyler, you're injured..." He protested quietly. Unable to hide the ache of need in his voice.

Tyler huffed in his ear just before biting down on the lobe, his hand continuing its' journey down until it stopped at his erection. "But you're not." He teased.

He gasped in Tyler's mouth, tried to keep his mind in some kind of working condition. "I should put some more salve on you."

"I feel just fine," Mumbled Tyler, working a lovely rythym on Duncan. He wanted to do something for Duncan, something that would in some small way repay him for all the love and passion he had already gifted him with. That it would be a pure unalterated pleasure for him too was a moot point. You could not blame a man for loving his work, could you?

Duncan held back a groan and flung his arm passed Tyler's shoulder until he could reach the modest little pot on his bedside table. His stretching brought his chest close to Tyler's face and he was nothing if not opportunist. As Duncan's hands closed on the pot he felt Tyler's teeth on his nipple, grazing gently back and forth while he licked with his tongue making him tremble. A groan escaped his lips then he leaned back, lying on his side facing Tyler once more, letting the younger man's hands wander wherever they wanted and trying hard not to give in to the gorgeous

sensations being fired off in his body as he was caressed to within an inch of his self control. It nevertheless took him two tries to undo the lid and get to the salve, rubbing a generous amount into his palms before reaching for Tyler and gently running his hands over his sensitive shaft. Tyler jerked at his touch, flashes of pain returning though not with the original intensity. He trembled and paused. Duncan spoke soothingly to him, kissing him whenever he could as he worked the salve in as deep as he could without killing him. By the time he had finished Tyler was so hot for him that it was affecting Duncan in a most primal way as well.

Tyler took the pot off him, screwed the lid tight and tossed it to the bottom of the bed then pulled Duncan into his arms, heedless of the way he was burning from the salve. A greater fire had hold of him now and it would not be put out by anything but the quenching of his passion.

* * * * *

The old man sipped his coffee slowly. No music now. He sat in his kitchen cradling the mug of coffee, looking at Ruby as she lounged against a chair. His eyes were watchful, his thoughts dashing off in a thousand different directions but always coming back to the same two questions. "What are you doing here, Ruby? And what makes you think I have any interest in anything Tyler does?"

Her smile was disingenuous. He always felt wary around Ruby. She was sharp as tacks and gave her loyalty to no one. Her father had idolised her. Headstrong and hedonistic the young Ruby Cates was not a woman to take kindly orders of any kind, even those intended for her own good. Whoever mastered this little firebrand was certainly welcome to her. She was the result of Willard's union with his first wife, not Vivien. He had no doubt in his mind that Ruby was playing for high stakes of her own. Was John Kanin partner or pawn? Was Tyler Creed manipulating her or was that just a smoke screen to gain sympathy? Whatever was going on, her actions did not make reading the truth any easier. He would have to be careful of anything that came out of her mouth. "I get married in a couple of days."

"And?"

"And I don't want to."

Sherman shrugged as if he didn't care one way or another. "Then don't."

"If I don't he'll kill John."

"Who?"

"You know who."

He raised his head. "Ah."

For a moment neither spoke.

"You could just run away."

"Already tried that, remember?" She picked at the tablecloth. "Came back."

"Why?"

"Why did I run away or why did I come back?"

He made a face that implied both.

"I ran away because I didn't want to be told who I had to marry."

"And you came back because?"

Her voice dropped an octave. "Because of John."

"Ah."

Her eyes narrowed. "Ah what?"

"Nothing." He paused. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"Why you answered the first question but not the second."

They stared at each other for a full thirty seconds before a sly little smile skated across Ruby's face. "The one thing I always liked about you was that you are smarter than you look."

He just looked at her, sipped his coffee slowly and waited. Ruby was here for a reason and she had not divulged it yet which meant she wanted something first.

* * * * *

Vivien Cates tried again. They were outside her house and she was trying to coax him to come inside. "You always refuse me, Matt. Why?"

"You know why."

"We'd be so good together."

"Vi, it's not always about sex."

She ran her hands up and down the front of his jacket, giving him a coy look that he was not buying for a minute. He knew Vivien too well and his memory was long. "I know you're not afraid of me so it must be something else."

"I'm tired. I just want to do my job."

"And Sophia?"

His looked sharpened but he kept things amiable. "What about her?"

"Luke is very interested in her."

"She's too young."

Vivien shook her head. "You can't play that card any longer, Matt. She'll be facing the change any day now and you've kept her sheltered for too long."

"Is that what this is about? Getting me to agree to let Luke have my daughter?"

She could see him tightening with anger. She stroked a hand up and down his arm, leaned in to kiss him briefly. "No. This is about us."

"There is no *us*, Vi." He said quietly.

She was almost purring now, her scent rising up to him as she got hotter. "There could be. Just say the word."

"It's late, I have to go."

"You mean *run*."

He deliberately did not pick up on what she said. Official again, he straightened and tipped his hat. "Be seeing you, Vi."

She watched him go then let herself in. From the shadows a figure watched then faded away.

* * * *

He was so excited. Rousing Duncan had been child's play. As soon as Tyler had woken he knew his partner was having difficulty holding himself in check. It amused and delighted him. It also made him hungry to return the compliment and right now he had Duncan in the throes of a passion so strong it could kill them both. All caution thrown to the wind he loved him so completely, so beautifully that Duncan actually saw stars. The bed upon which he lay was formless. He could not see, touch, sense anything but Tyler. The man pervaded his every sense, his pheromones excited every pore. His touch on his cock was electrifying, bringing him again and again to the point of orgasm but not letting him come. Not yet. He teased a little longer then carefully turned himself around so he could dip his head and take him in his mouth to finish him off. Duncan gasped lightly and gave himself up to the most erotic blow job he had ever had. Automatically he stroked Tyler, so far in his own ecstasy that it took a moment to penetrate that he was hurting him. He was about to let go but Tyler was so close and the amber flecks in his yellow eyes were dancing where he was so aroused. He growled at Duncan to keep going, to let him come. Duncan was happy to oblige, out of his head with the sensations Tyler was rousing in him his spine suddenly snapped and he came in his warm mouth. Closed his eyes and savoured the way he was sucked off, his own hand increasing the pressure on Tyler's tender cock. Tyler wept as he came, the sticky jism carrying the last of the infection out of his uretha and cleaning the sensitive tube as his come sprayed up Duncan's chest.

Duncan was pleased. Once he got his breath back he checked Tyler carefully, saw that the jism was now clear. He was about to clean them both off with a cloth but Tyler was gripping him hard, his eyes so bright that for a moment he wondered whether he was in the throes of madness. The growl that reached his ears was the only warning he had then suddenly Tyler flipped, Duncan too close to him to jump clear. His limbs too intimately entwined, his hands still gently caressing his cock as he cleaned him off. If he had not had a foretaste before he would have cried out in surprise and more than a little fear. But he knew what was happening, cursed himself for getting

Tyler so excited, so worked up that he could not control the change. From a purely scientific point of view, Duncan was totally fascinated. In awe. The rough spikes of coarse hair shooting up through Tyler's skin, his nose elongating into a snout, legs shifting, bones cracking as they rearranged into lupine form. Duncan's mistake was purely instinctive. Instead of laying quietly back and letting the wolf go he had tried to hold Tyler, calm him with voice and hands so that he could control himself and not flip. Not realising they had already gone too far. The result was a blur of limbs and a flurry of cuts and tears as the wolf struggled to free itself of the human.

He tried to soothe him with his voice but the wolf was howling, in pain and a mix of ecstasy and sorrow. The howl chilled Duncan, was also strangely exciting, heating his blood like a call to arms. Then the wolf turned and leapt through the window leaving a bloody and shaky Duncan MacLeod looking out through the broken glass and frame into an overcast sky. "Bloody hell,"

Muttered Duncan darkly. Clearly shaken. No thought for the numerous cuts and gashes on his naked body. "That's another sodding window to repair."

* * * * *

END