by Lisa Oliver
“So wet for me.” Shadow was still growling. Rowan was focusing on trying to breathe as the pressure on his ass grew. “Waited so long.”
Shit. This is it. Rowan was panting hard. The stretch in his muscles was so intense he was sure his ass would split in two. How big is he? His head down, Rowan panted, then panted some more. He was still panting when Shadow groaned, “I knew you’d be the perfect fit for me,” and he felt the slap of skin against his ass cheeks.
Yeah, well maybe there were things we should’ve talked about before this happened. Like, how I’ve never done this before. Rowan wasn’t sure what came next. Shadow wasn’t pushing in him anymore, which was a relief, because his poor muscles could finally relax. His cock had drooped despite Shadow’s intoxicating scent and his arousal earlier. The knee of his bad leg was starting to ache.
“Ready, babe?”
Rowan just nodded. With his arousal at an all-time low, he was starting to think sex wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. He felt a drag against his insides. Shadow was moving. He’s pulling out. Is that it? Rowan’s whole body jolted as Shadow slammed back into him again. I guess not.
All Rowan could do was hang on for the ride. He’d heard others using that expression but now he finally knew what it meant. It was like being on a bucking horse, except instead of his butt slapping down on the horse’s back, he was being pummeled on the inside. Shadow was moaning and grunting with every slap, mumbling terms like “so good” and “oh my gods.” Rowan was just doing his best to stop from hitting his nose on the mattress.
Shadow changed positions slightly, and Rowan jolted as something foreign bloomed on his insides. It was like a spark of electricity, and to his surprise his cock started to firm up again. This isn’t so bad, he thought as he arched his back, trying to get more of the sensation.
But he didn’t get a chance to build on those feelings. Without warning, Shadow’s bulk dropped over him as he slammed into Rowan’s body hard. Teeth pierced the sensitive skin on Rowan’s neck, and he screamed as he felt their bond snap together. It seemed only seconds later, Rowan felt Shadow withdraw his teeth, licking once over the wound Rowan knew would scar.
“So good,” Shadow mumbled. “Mine now.” He toppled over to the side taking Rowan with him, his cock still wedged in Rowan’s ass. Within seconds he was snoring.
Rowan looked down at the mess on the covers. He’d climaxed, an automatic reflex so he’d been told that happened anytime a true mate was bitten. But there was a hollow feeling in his heart. He wiggled his hips, just a bit, and grimaced as Shadow’s softening cock squelched and plopped out of him. He felt sticky and just a tiny bit used.
Shadow’s arm around him was solid and heavy. Rowan debated for all of two seconds before moving it from around his waist. The bigger man didn’t even stir. Scuttling across the bed, Rowan turned to look at the man who’d claimed him. In sleep, there were shades of the Gray he remembered around his eyes, the long straight nose, and the tight lips. The hard look Shadow had given Percy was gone, leaving a handsome man who’d seen a hard life.
Despite his feelings about sex, Rowan felt a fissure of hope. He had loved Gray for so long, and so desperately… And now he’s mine. Praying the sex side of things would get better over time, Rowan got off the bed and went in search of a bathroom. No one had ever told him how messy sex could be.
Chapter Six
Shadow was instantly awake, his brain automatically assessing where he was. The ceilings above him were in need of a fresh coat of paint, but the bed was soft. The chinks of light around the drawn curtains indicated it was daylight. But it was the smell of sex in the air that really jolted his memory.
“Little red,” he murmured, rolling over expecting to see his mate asleep beside him. But the bed was empty, and a quick scan of the floor showed Rowan’s scattered clothes were gone. He’s probably downstairs having breakfast, Shadow thought, leaping out of bed and heading for the bathroom. I bet he worked up an appetite after last night.
Or had he? As Shadow did all he needed to do, including a quick shave, he started to feel uneasy as his actions from the night before replayed in his head. His wolf was letting him know Rowan wasn’t in the house, and there was a dull ache in his gut. Worse was the knowledge Shadow might not have been the sweet and caring lover he should have been for Rowan’s first time.
His suspicions were confirmed when he was greeted with three accusing faces around the kitchen table. He took the nearest seat, eyeing his friends warily.
“Rowan said he had to go back to his apartment. Something about some work he had to do,” Marco said, slamming a cup of coffee on the table in front of Shadow.
“What did you do to him?” Craven said, sounding just as pissed. “The poor little guy slunk out of here like someone had kicked his dog, limping as if he’d been beaten. You had to know it was his first time. Tell me you went gently with him at least.”
Limping? Oh, my gods his poor leg. I didn’t even think of that. “I fucked up, guys.” Shadow ran his fingers through his hair. “Ten years I’ve waited, knowing he was my mate. Ten fucking long years.”
“That didn’t stop you fucking anything that moved in the meantime,” Dominic reminded harshly. “It’s not as though you were celibate, even knowing you had an unclaimed mate back home. I bet Rowan didn’t behave like that. Even if he didn’t know he was yours, that guy has never been within spitting distance of another man’s dick until last night, I’d stake my pension on it.”
Shadow knew Dominic was right. Rowan’s innocence showed from their first and only kiss. “He was a kid when I left. A beautiful gangly boy, with the face of an angel and a body I could not touch!” Shadow slammed his fist on the table. “You know how much it gutted me, walking away but I had no choice.”
“And no one blames you for fucking your way through the ranks while you were apart,” Dominic said quickly. “Alpha wolf and all those natural urges. Understandable. But that’s the point. You’ve had close to fifteen years’ worth of experience, meaning Rowan’s first time should’ve been out of this world, the way claiming sex is supposed to be. Was it? I’m figuring it wasn’t or he would have hung around for more.”
Shadow thought back. He remembered the kiss that scorched his soul. He remembered ripping Rowan’s clothes off that gorgeous frame and flipping the man over. “It was his ass,” he said, shaking his head. “Rowan has the most delectable heart shaped ass I have ever seen. He has a light dusting of freckles, right there.” He ran his hands through the air, remembering how they dusted Rowan’s lower back.
Then he remembered what followed. “I behaved like a fucking cave man,” he said bitterly, picking up his coffee mug and cradling it in his hands. “I forgot about Rowan’s bad leg, I forgot he was a virgin and possibly didn’t even know what was going on. I got a taste of his slick, my wolf surged, and I just plowed in and staked my claim. Did I tell you he has the most perfect ass I’ve ever seen?”
“You mentioned it,” Marco said drily. “But okay, so the claiming might have been a bit harsh, but Rowan’s a wolf shifter, and he’s bound to have seen porn before. He works on a computer, right? But what happened afterward? You know, when he was lying in your arms looking at you with utter adoration, just like you’ve always dreamed? Lots of lovey-dovey kissing and cuddling, right?”
Shadow took a sip of his coffee. Then another one. He looked around the table at three of his closest friends, men who’d had his back through thick and thin, and who knew absolutely everything about him. “I rolled to one side and fell asleep. It’d been a long day, what with traveling, finding my father in that state, and then killing my brother and his friends.” He shrugged. “I guess the day’s events caught up with me.”
His three friends groaned in unison. “Oh, fuck, Shadow,” Craven said, shaking his head. “You have got some major sucking up to do. You’ll be lucky if Rowan lets you anywhere near his perfect globes again. You totally ruined it. His first time, his claiming sex, and you treated him li
ke a back alley hook up.”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t know what that was like,” Shadow said quickly. “It’s not as though he’s had back alley hook ups.”
“He lives on the fringes of a wolf pack,” Dominic pointed out. “He’s bound to have seen it.”
“And you’d better hope he doesn’t think what happened last night was normal,” Marco added. “Or he’s going to be making excuses not to be naked with you any time soon.”
“That’s a thought,” Shadow blinked and took another sip of his coffee, his mind working overtime. “What was Rowan wearing when he left? His shirt and pants wouldn’t have covered much after I’d finished with them.”
“That would explain the bundle under his arm,” Craven smacked Marco on the shoulder. “Told you he wasn’t stealing anything. He was wearing dirty gray sweats. I assume he got them from the clothes boxes scattered around this place.”
“You thought my mate would steal from me?” Shadow fixed Marco with a glare.
“I was joking,” Marco said shaking his head. “The guy looked like the slightest scare would spook him. I asked him what he’d found worth stealing seeing as he was sneaking out of here in such a hurry, and he took off. I didn’t mean to upset him.”
“Fucking brilliant. I’ll be lucky if he even talks to me again, let alone anything else.” Standing, Shadow took his cup to the bench and left it there. His gut rumbled, reminding him his last meal was lunch the day before, but he wasn’t about to stop for breakfast. He had a mate to find and apologize too.
/~/~/~/~/
Rowan jumped as his computer pinged, letting him know he had a message. It’d been three hours since he’d snuck out of the alpha’s house, and while he’d showered and was a lot more comfortable in his own clothes, his gut kept churning and it wasn’t because of food. He had a strong feeling his mate was upset with him. Looking away from the lines of code that weren’t doing a lot to keep his attention, he clicked on the chat box.
I messaged you last night. Did you finally get laid? It was Cassie, one of his best friends from university, a human with a personality as bright as her yellow blond hair. Scrolling up, he saw Cassie had indeed messaged him four times.
I had a late night, Rowan typed back quickly. His fingers hesitated above the keys. Met someone but…
He watched as the dots and bubble indicated Cassie was typing.
OMG, OMG, OMG. Who? Where? Tell me he’s drop dead gorgeous and h-u-n-g.
Despite his upset, Rowan grinned. Cassie had no filter. Before he could stop himself, he typed, I guess he was, seeing as my ass aches this morning. I didn’t get to see his dick to be honest.
The face palm emoji showed up, and the bubbles and dots to show Cassie was typing again. You promised followed by a sad face emoji. The words sounded accusing on the screen, which was ridiculous, because they were just words, but Rowan knew what Cassie was talking about. When Cassie learned he was still a virgin, which was one of those things that just came out when he was half-drunk on sherry, she made him promise he wouldn’t give his “gift” as she called it to just anyone.
I didn’t give my v-card to a random stranger, he typed back. Remember me telling you about Gray?
The stud muffin you were crushing on as a teenager? Did he come back home finally?
Yep. Rowan thought for a moment. It wasn’t as though he could describe mates to a human. It turns out he thought a lot about me while he was away.
There was a pause, and then the bubble dot thing started up again. Rowan could imagine his friend typing madly.
Ro, you know a guy will say anything to get into your pants, right? Remember Clay who claimed he loved me to the moon and back?
Rowan remembered the nights sitting and listening to Cassie crying, while eating copious amounts of ice cream. A broken condom threw a pregnancy scare into the mix, and it was ages before his friend dated again.
Gray isn’t like that, he typed even though he knew how lame that line was, at least to humans. And besides, Clay was training to be an astronaut, so who knows, he might come back once he’s been to the moon.
Yeah, yeah, and I’ll be old and gray with a dozen grandkids around my ankles by then. The bubble/dots continued after she’d hit send. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing. You are not distracting me with HIM. Did lover boy live up to expectations?
For a moment, Rowan wished he was back at college, sitting in Cassie’s messy dorm room, holding her hand and eating ice cream. Not exactly, he typed back. It was a bit… Rowan stopped for a moment, stumped for a good word. Mechanical, he typed finally. Then, because Cassie was his best friend, and far more experienced in sexual matters than he was, he added another line. Is it always like that?
As Rowan watched Cassie typing, he thought back to the morning. It was strange how his hopes the night before didn’t hold up when hit with sunlight. He woke up with Shadow’s chest plastered against his back and it took some maneuvering to get out of the man’s octopus grasp so he could use the bathroom.
It was as he was sitting on the loo, Rowan realized Shadow hadn’t been the most considerate of lover. He remembered reading a book a few weeks before where a big strong alpha had taken his little omega gently, worshipping his body and bringing him to screams of ecstasy. While he didn’t expect his mating to be like the books described, his encounter with Shadow was reminiscent of sex between guys who weren’t even sure if they liked each other. Ripped clothes and a punishing rhythm were more descriptive of angry sex, than the loving actions of a man intent on making his claim.
I probably read too much, Rowan thought sadly, remembering how Marco had teased him when he left. Rowan had wished he could have sunk through the floor in embarrassment when he saw the three men heading to the kitchen on his way out. His computer pinged to let him know Cassie had finally finished her message.
I know you still have deep feelings for this guy even though it’s been ten years since you saw him last, Rowan read, And I don’t blame you one bit for giving up your v-card for him, especially if he’s as hunky as you used to describe. But not all men are looking for their HEA, you know? So, don’t go thinking bad thoughts if you don’t hear from him again. And from what I’ve read, first time anal sex hurts big time and it can take a while for people to get used to it. It’s all about perspective. It was your first time. Maybe you’re actually a top? The message was followed with a dozen smiley faces.
Hahahahaha. Rowan typed back. We both know I’m not built that way. And Cassie had no idea how not built for topping he was. His omega nature made him cringe at the very thought and that was without throwing Shadow’s alpha nature into the mix. I’m sure I’ll see him later, maybe we can talk about it then. Him and me, I mean.
Yeah, well if he shows up, and if you find a man who’ll actually talk about that sort of stuff, he’s a keeper.
You have no idea how right you are, Rowan thought as he made his excuses and said goodbye. Slumping back in his chair, he thought about what Cassie had said about perspective. Maybe I am looking at this the wrong way. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from the drawer in his desk, Rowan started to write.
Shadow/Gray is my fated mate.
He’s known about me for the whole ten years he’s been away.
He’s an alpha wolf with a strong sex drive.
He really wanted me last night.
Rowan considered his list for a moment, then drew a line down the middle of the page and started writing on the other side.
Prep (lube not needed due to omega slick, but don’t people stretch you with fingers first?)
Rowan didn’t think a tongue counted as an ass stretching tool, although he thought he might have to research that.
Kissing – foreplay? Do alphas do that?
Going slower?
Could I…
A loud knock at the door stopped Rowan’s train of thought. Throwing down his pen, Rowan walked to the door, his nose sniffing wildly. As soon as he caught a whiff of Shadow’s unique s
cent, he quickly disengaged the locks on his door and threw it open. Just seeing Shadow standing there looking as delicious as he did the day before, made Rowan feel small and shy. “Hi?” He said, as his cheeks heated.
“Don’t leave our bed again without telling me.” Shadow pushed past the door and strode inside. Rowan barely had time to shut it before his feet left the floor and his face was smushed against Shadow’s chest, a hot hand gripping his ass.
Is it possible he missed me? Rowan wondered as his lips were taken in a fierce kiss.
Chapter Seven
As far as Shadow was concerned, it’d taken him far too long to get to Rowan’s grandmother’s, secure Rowan’s address and make his way to his mate’s small apartment. Rowan’s grandmother’s eyes held the same twinkle they always had, even as he muttered something along the lines that he might have fucked up. She made him sit down and eat two of the muffins she placed in front of him, under the guise of searching for Rowan’s address. Considering she eventually pulled it out from under an old phone book sitting on the kitchen counter, Shadow knew it didn’t have to take that long.
While he’d eaten, she chatted generally, although as he was driving to Rowan’s he realized she’d made some good points about the pack. The children, who all scattered when he strode away from Grandma’s house, did look thin and wary, something he’d only seen in war zones. He didn’t see any adults, although he was aware of eyes peering at him from out of the houses as he went to his car. Hopefully the pack meeting will help, he thought as he drove away.
