In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Eleven

~Monday 28th January 2013~

Malcolm was well aware that he was being watched. He could feel the eyes on the back of his neck, the intense stare burning through him, unblinking yet timorous. Malcolm didn't react to the stare, continued on with reading the labels on various bottles of wine, wondering whether the boy would approach him or remain an admirer from afar.

The latter was more likely. Despite what Eden thought, Malcolm was scary. He gave off an aura that screamed 'stay away' and a simple look from him was usually enough to send someone skittering elsewhere at a swift pace. Yet, that boy just kept on looking. It wasn't any occasional glances, sole staring, his gaze flickering all over Malcolm's body.

Chuckling to himself, Malcolm stooped over, collecting a bottle of white wine, reading over the label and the price. He wasn't even taking in the letters and numbers anymore, too distracted by the pair of bright eyes following his every movement. He wasn't going to get anywhere if he didn't just address the boy. So that's exactly what he did.

"May I help you?" Malcolm asked, standing to his full height, finally looking toward the boy. He was much shorter than him, probably somewhere near five foot two or three, only a little shorter than Eden actually. Malcolm pushed that thought away, vowing not to think about that particular boy.

"No, but I might be able to help you," the boy's eyes flickered elsewhere for a second before they returned to Malcolm's a completely different colour to the striking green they had been before. A wicked, hormone-fuelled thought crawled its way to the forefront of Malcolm's mind, instantly dragged away by his conscience. That was sick, he couldn't do that.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Malcolm checked his watch, knowing that he would have to text his brother that he was going to be late if he continued talking with the boy.

"I'm Shai," the boy held out his ashen hand, his thick lips tugging up into a pretty smile. Malcolm sighed quietly, shaking Shai's hand, his brows knitting together when the boy's hair darkened to the same raven shade of Eden's curls. Stop it. Stop thinking of him.

"Malcolm," by this point, Malcolm knew exactly what the boy was. His species, in general, were uncommon however the particular branch that Shai was was even rarer. Malcolm hadn't met many shifters, despite the amount of SNs that he saw each day. Shai's strain was far superior to the more common shifter, with the ability not only to shift into other animals but also alter their appearance to mirror other humans. They used this to their advantage, often selling their bodies to those who lost loved ones or longed for someone they couldn't have.

"I can be him for you, Malcolm, if you would like," Malcolm's jaw hardened, his conscience fighting with his primal desires. He couldn't truthfully deny that he hadn't paid for sex before, Saige's taunts about the rumours that had surfaced a few years ago were accurate.

Despite his confident appearance, Malcolm didn't get laid as often as Reivon or Slate. He had more similarities to his little brother than Arian ever realised, having to pay for release if he really wanted. He didn't have the charm of Slate, or the convenience of Reivon. He just had to act like everyone other guy with a boner and find a man willing to suck his cock for a couple hundred dollars.

"Maybe some other time, Shai, I'm already late," Malcolm flashed a sympathetic smile, removing his hand from the boy's and striding down the aisle away from him. He didn't even stop to see whatever wine he picked up, simply wanting to get as far away from Shai as possible before he turned around and made a stupid decision.

Malcolm held his pace until he made it to the cash register, picking the one with the shortest line. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing no sign of Shai. Then again, the boy could be stood right behind him and he wouldn't know. That was the trouble with shifters. They were cocky, and that ultimately led to their near extinction a few centuries ago. Hence why they tended to stick to one face in public and a thousand in private.