by Lisa Oliver
“I know you’re not lying, baby. That’s not what my dad means.” Sean held him close, letting Caden breathe in his scent, his strong arms so tight that nothing could pry them apart.
“Caden,” the voice on the phone was a lot gentler this time. “I didn’t mean to upset you. That was never my intention and you’ve done nothing wrong. But your Alpha has. All packs, prides, herds, flocks, you name it - any group of shifters – they have to be registered with the council. It helps the council keep track of territory boundaries, disputes, and when complaints are made, the council send in their own people to investigate.”
“That makes sense.” Caden still didn’t know what that had to do with his ex-Alpha and his home pack.
“The point dad’s trying to make, precious,” Sean said softly, “is that the Cannon Falls pack isn’t registered. The only reason an Alpha wouldn’t register his pack or his territory, is if he is hiding from the council himself. Caden, there’s a very good chance that your ex-Alpha is a rogue wolf and that makes him a very dangerous and unpredictable man.”
“Which is why you need to stop that photo being published.” Caden didn’t need Sean or his father to tell him his Alpha was dangerous. He already knew that from first-hand experience. “Felix made sure that I couldn’t be traced through my social security number or birth certificate. My bank account is a trust held by Marla and Felix. I don’t ever have publicity photos nor do I give interviews. There is no physical record of my appearance anywhere. I can’t afford to have that photo published, not with my name and location attached. He’ll find me in no time flat.”
“Liam and Felix will do their best, precious, I promise.” Sean didn’t look very happy and from the sound of Sean’s dad’s voice, he wasn’t happy either.
“Son, if you’ve done something to bring Caden to his Alpha’s notice, then you need to get your ass back here. I can call the council and get them to meet you on our grounds. I’m not underestimating your strength, or Liam’s either, but two lone Alphas against a rogue Alpha with a pack are not good odds. You need to do what’s best to keep Caden safe.”
“I can’t leave Felix,” Caden said quickly. “He’s human and apart from Marla, he’s the only friend I have. He could be in danger too.”
“I don’t have a problem with humans in the pack, Caden. Felix is welcome here. It will be nice to meet both of my son’s mates at the same time.”
“I’ll call Liam and fill him in on what’s going on,” Sean said and it sounded like he’d made a decision. “We’ll get some sleep and head up there in the morning. If you can arrange for the council to meet us there any time after lunch tomorrow, that will be fine.”
“I’ll get your rooms ready,” Sean’s dad said and then he abruptly hung up.
Sean had an unreadable look on his face and Caden wasn’t sure if he was pleased to be going back to his home pack or not. Although it sounded like Sean and his father had a good relationship, Sean must have left home for a reason. Unsure what to do or say, he carefully cupped Sean’s cheek in one hand. When Sean looked at him, his dark eyes guarded, Caden said the only thing he could think of.
“I’m sorry.”
Chapter Twelve
Sean looked at Caden’s beautiful face. It was horrifying to think of someone so pretty, so vulnerable and an Omega to boot, in the hands of a rogue wolf who clearly knew enough about the way a shifter should live, to hide from it. If Caden hadn’t had the strength…Sean shuddered at the thought of his small mate in the hands of a ruthless rogue Alpha.
“What’s wrong? I’m sorry, I don’t know what else you want me to say.”
Wait, what? Caden thought he was upset with him? Sean didn’t know where on earth Caden got that idea from, but he was quick to reassure his mate.
“Precious, you have done nothing wrong. My mind…sometimes…I…the thought of you being kept by your ex-Alpha. Abused by a rogue. I can’t help it – my wolf is going crazy and I have this strong urge to hold you in my arms and never let you go.”
Okay. He meant to be reassuring, but Sean thought he might actually be coming across as a crazy person. He tried again. “I want to keep you safe. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you. I…” Oh crap. He should just shut up. To think he’d had the nerve to tell Caden that he should make more of an effort to express himself. For someone usually so fluent and confident, Sean was floundering now.
“You’re worried about me?” Aha, a question. Sean could answer that – or at least, he nodded.
“You don’t have a problem with taking me back to your home pack?” Sean shook his head that time. He couldn’t wait to introduce Caden to his dad. His dad was going to adore Caden.
“Do you think you’d feel better if you fucked me?”
Sean’s mouth dropped open. Did those words really come out of his sweet, shy little Omega’s mouth? Caden’s cheeks were bright red, but there was strong hint of lust in his eyes and looking down, Sean could see Caden’s slender cock was pushing the limits of his pants. Sean closed his mouth and nodded, quickly. Caden’s eyes scanned his face for a moment, and then he nodded in return, slipping off Sean’s lap.
“I have to get my pants off,” Caden said, when Sean tried to grab him and pull him back. Oh, right. Fuck. What was the matter with him? Sean had never felt so befuddled in his life. His wolf was all possessive and snarly as hell. Sean’s human side was still trying to process how easily he could have gone through life and never even met the man who was currently slipping off his boots and pulling his pants down. Caden was blessed with the grace of a gazelle and Sean felt like a monstrous hulk in comparison. Caden looked down at his shirt and then shrugged and pulled that off too, dropping it on his pants.
Now Sean’s mouth was open for a totally different reason. He was panting, his dick rock solid to the point of pain, his fingers gripping the arms of his chair in an effort not to lunge and push his sweet mate to the floor. Caden had the most beautiful face Sean had ever seen on man or woman, but his body was pure male – small, but in perfect proportion, with slim well defined muscles, smooth pale skin that was currently flushed slightly with pink and a sweetly dripping cock that Sean had a strong urge to take in his mouth and swallow. He gripped the chair tighter, not wanting to frighten Caden with any quick movements. But his restraint earned him another small frown from the Omega.
“I guess I have to do everything myself,” Caden said pertly as he sashayed across the short distance between them, bending down to unfasten Sean’s pants. Oh My God. The relief. Sean moaned as the head of his cock hit the cooler air, and a small strong hand took command of the base.
“Now what am I meant to do with this?” Caden murmured, not looking at Sean in the face at all. He was giving all of his attention to the cock in his hand, and Sean honestly didn’t have a problem with that, although he did have a few suggestions. Sean kept his mouth shut, curious to know what his mate would do. Caden’s sexual experience was limited to two days’ worth of Sean’s attentions, but he’d never instigated anything himself before.
Caden ran his hand softly up Sean’s full length before letting it sit carefully on Sean’s lap. Then he turned around, bent over, his head peeking between his legs. Caden’s face was so gorgeous, even upside down.
“I didn’t think this through,” Caden said, as though discussing a science experiment. “Do you think you could guide me backwards, I’d hate to miss my mark and break something important?”
So sweet, and so damned cute. Then Sean caught a glimpse of that loosened hole, already well slicked up and winking at him, and changed his opinion. That vision was pure sex. Reaching for Caden’s hip with one hand, and holding his cock away from his body with the other, Sean roughly guided his mate into position, letting Caden take over as soon as the head of his dick started kissing Caden’s hole.
Caden groaned as his body opened and took Sean’s length inside. Sean arranged Caden’s limbs around his own legs, encouraging Caden to lean back on his chest. Caden wiggled a bit, got him
self comfortable and then twisted his head, his eyes shining as he took in the small smile on Sean’s face.
“Is this all right?”
Sean nodded. He was still having trouble forming complete sentences, but this time it was lust clouding his brain. The heat of Caden’s body encased his cock, his scent of arousal was taunting Sean’s nose. Sean’s wolf, still incensed with the idea that Caden was in danger, wanted their Omega completely smothered in their scent and Sean just wanted to rut hard and come deep inside of his mate. Then he noticed another frown on Caden’s face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing really,” Caden said, looking at how they were positioned. “But I don’t think I like it this way. I can’t kiss you, can’t touch you much, and I’m not sure how to move to bring you pleasure from this angle.”
Sean gave a brief thought of the countless men he’d taken from behind, bending the bodies over so he didn’t have to see their faces, didn’t have to kiss or show any signs of intimacy. Caden was right. The only part of his body getting any attention this way was his cock, and with his mate, that wasn’t enough.
“Hold on,” he said, grabbing hold of Caden securely in both arms, before standing up, feeling his pants fall to the ground. Damn it. He still had shoes on and his pants were too slim cut to go over them. His shoes were laced tight, so they wouldn’t slip off, and he couldn’t let go of Caden while the man was impaled on his cock. Caden wasn’t tall enough to stand on his own. It didn’t help when Caden started to giggle as Sean tried to free at least one of his legs, and then giggled more when he proved unsuccessful.
“You wouldn’t be giggling if I tripped over my pants and fell on you,” Sean said grumpily, feeling like a bit of an idiot. He couldn’t see his feet because of Caden’s body against his front, and he knew if he took one step towards the bedroom he would fall on his ass, or worse, on Caden.
“Put me down,” Caden said, with a wiggle and a giggle that was erotic all on its own. “Put me down, and I’ll take care of your shoes.”
Unwilling to lose the heated grip around his cock, Sean debated for about ten seconds before carefully lifting Caden off of his cock, and putting his feet on the ground. Caden winked at him and knelt, taking care of Sean’s laces, his shoes and then his pants. Sean took care of his own shirt, ripping it down the middle, pinging buttons all over the place, before picking Caden up in his arms, chest to chest this time.
“Oh, this is a lot better,” Caden said, lifting his mouth for a kiss which Sean was happy to give him. In his head, Sean agreed. Sex – getting one’s rocks off for the sake of it was one thing. But this, what he shared with Caden, was a thousand times better. Sure, they shared their bodies sexually, but in all his years of dipping his wick, Sean had never felt the emotions he had felt over the past two days. He was almost ashamed of his experiences in the club, even though they all happened well before he’d met his mate. But this, now, with Caden’s tongue shyly dipping into his mouth, his slim arms wrapped around his neck, and that delectable ass teasing the head of his cock, Sean wanted to immerse himself in the whole body experience.
Moving with the assurance of the Alpha he was, Sean negotiated the two of them towards his room. Caden’s breathing had sped up, his delicious cock was rubbing against Sean’s abs and from the trembling Caden had running through his body, Sean knew his little mate was about to blow. The urgency fueled by his own dick wasn’t making things any better, but Caden deserved a lot more than being pounded into the nearest wall. The only thing Sean could give him differently than the casual fucks Caden had been confronted with that evening, was the comfort of a bed. Sean just wasn’t sure if he could make it that far.
/~/~/~/~/
Caden moaned into Sean’s mouth, the teasing bump of Sean’s cock against his hole was driving him mad, and he couldn’t work out why the man didn’t just fuck him into the nearest wall. He was so damn horny, he thought he would combust with the heat. Sweat was pouring down his back, and he could feel the fluids from his ass dripping who knows where. Bump and tease, bump and tease, and there was nothing Caden could do about it because his wretched mate had his hands firmly under his buttocks in a death grip. How big was Sean’s house, for fucks sake?
Wrenching his mouth from Sean’s delicious lips, he managed to gasp, “Please. For the love of anything decent, fuck me right now.”
Sean looked confused for a split second, but then it was as if lust took over, and Caden got his wish. His back slammed against a wall, plaster if he wasn’t mistaken, but then he felt Sean’s length scorch his insides and he groaned as he felt his internal muscles conform to Sean’s size. By the Fates that felt amazing, and Caden knew even after two days, that no one would ever, could ever bring his body alive like the man that was currently pounding into him like a pile driver. He held tight to Sean’s shoulders, his cock massaged by the man’s abs. He was so freaking close…
“Your heat…your body…fuck, your beautiful face…” Sean grunted, his hips on high-speed automatic, his lips dropping feather kisses all over Caden’s face. “The things you do to me…the way you make me feel…” Sean moaned the last word into Caden’s neck, and Caden threw his head back, giving his mate more access.
“Oh my God, yes, yes, yes.” Sean grunted out every word. “Can’t last…don’t want to stop…but can’t help…” Caden could feel the big muscles under his hands tighten, and then Sean let out an enormous roar before dropping his head back into Caden’s neck. The pinch of the bite, a big bite, but oh man, so pleasurable was more than enough to set Caden off, yet he could only let out a whimper as his own cock found release. Sean’s whole body was pressed up against his and Caden could barely breathe, but he didn’t care. The heat, the hormones zinging around his body like neutrons on crack, Caden was in heaven. He closed his eyes, his head resting on the wall, and soaked up the closeness with his mate.
A large hand cupping his cheek long moments later had Caden opening his eyes again. Sean’s face was still flushed, a trickle of sweat making its way down the side of the man’s gorgeous face. But it was the concern in Sean’s eyes that snapped Caden out of his lust filled haze.
“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?”
Caden snorted, then laughed. He may be an Omega but he was still a darn sight stronger than the scores of men his mate had fucked at that club of his. Sean apparently misunderstood because he growled, and pushed away from the wall, Caden still impaled on his cock. A blur of movement and Caden was deposited, gently, onto a soft clean-smelling bed, still encased in Sean’s arms.
“There’s nothing funny about being concerned about you,” Sean said roughly, and Caden was caught by the intensity in his mate’s eyes. “You deserve so much better…”
“Than what? To be fucked up against a wall?” Caden was feeling so good, so cherished, so fucking proud of himself, knowing he was the cause of Sean’s loss of control. Sean was in danger of killing Caden’s buzz and that gave him the spirit to continue. “I liked it. I loved it. I may be small, but I will never be human. And to think that I managed to get you to show your Alpha side? Fucking magic.”
Sean searched Caden’s eyes, but Caden had nothing to hide and didn’t flinch. He knew his mate would smell any deceit and frankly, there wasn’t any, so Caden took the time to do some looking of his own, with eyes and fingers. Damn, his mate was big all over. But to his surprise, Sean kissed his forehead and then pulled away. Caden frowned as he felt Sean’s cock leave his body and the telltale trickle of their fun running down his leg.
“Where are you going?” Okay, it wasn’t normally in Caden’s nature to question anyone, but he felt safe in Sean’s arms, and now the sex was apparently over, Caden just wanted to sleep cuddled against his mate’s body.
“I’ll clean you up,” Sean said, heading to the bathroom. “Then I have to get my phone,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared through a door.
Just like that, Caden’s buzz was gone, and he definitely didn’t feel sleepy a
nymore either. His breath quickened, and he curled up on what was a really comfortable mattress, wrapping his arms around his legs. Why couldn’t the real world just go away for a while?
Chapter Thirteen
After more than six hours in the Viper, Sean was ready to scream. Caden’s anxiety was growing with every mile they got closer to the Kaibab Forest. He could understand, to some degree, what was upsetting his little mate so much – weak wolves didn’t usually go into another pack’s territory and Caden had nothing but bad memories when it came to pack behavior. But he had more things on his mind than the fact that Caden clearly didn’t trust him enough to keep him safe. His pocket-sized hunk probably had good reason for thinking that way, but it didn’t make Sean feel any better.
No, it was their situation in L.A. that was worrying him. Liam had pulled him aside before they’d left that morning. Ted Elliott was a pushy fucking reporter and no amount of money, or promise of exclusive stories was going to stop the man from publishing what was undoubtedly the only picture in existence of the elusive artist, Caden Wolfe. Sean knew he was going to have to prepare Caden for that eventuality, but he decided that his Omega didn’t have to contend with that, on top of meeting Sean’s dad for the first time. That didn’t stop him worrying about it though.
Sean flicked another quick glance at his mate. Caden had sat silently as they had driven through the Arizona countryside. Sean wasn’t silly enough to think his mate was riveted by huge cacti, massive stretches of barren land and the majestic mountains that glowed orange in the distance. Caden was shutting himself off emotionally, as though he expected to be hurt, and Sean cursed under his breath – he didn’t have a clue how to make Caden feel any better.
“My dad’s a bit of a character,” he said at last, in an effort to break the silence. “He’s quite big, and definitely an Alpha, but he seems to walk around with a perpetual smile on his face. He’s going to adore you.”
