“I talked to Dominic yesterday before going to bed, and he said he recognized the tattoo on the guy’s wrist. I don’t know anything more, though.”
“But you and Darin are okay?”
“Yeah. What about you?”
Yanis put his mug on the nightstand. “We’re fine. Still adjusting.”
“How’s Adan?”
“Good. Working things out. It’s going to take a while.”
“Do you need help, anything?”
“Nah, don’t worry about us. We’re working on it.”
“Okay. I’ll come by once you’re settled, then.”
Yanis nodded. “Please. I miss talking with you.”
Ira suddenly felt guilty. “Sorry. I know I haven’t been around much.”
“I get it, don’t worry. Just... you know where I am, okay?”
Ira hesitated, then stepped forward. He quickly hugged his friend, surprising both of them from the look on Yanis’ face. “Right. I need to call my parents, so...”
“Good luck with that.”
“Yeah. I’m going to need it.”
“I bet. Let me know if I can do anything. And I mean anything, Ira.”
Ira patted Yanis’ shoulder and left the room. He started thinking about what he could do for his friend and his mate, but before he lost himself in thoughts and projects, he knew he needed to make the phone call he’d been avoiding making. It would be worse if his parents found out about Darin on their own.
Ira went to the library, since it was usually silent and empty. The only person who was there regularly was Jayden, but he always used the same table, so Ira chose a couch as far away from it as he could and took his phone out.
He found his house number on his phone and pressed the green icon. His mother answered. “Lisbeth Johnson.”
“Mother, it’s me.”
“Ira. It’s been a while since you last called. Are you finally ready to come home?”
Ira rolled his eyes and leaned back against the couch. “I already told you I’m not coming back.”
“Why not?”
“Mother... I have a new life here, and I have no intention of going back to the old one.”
Ira’s mother sighed. “All right. Call me when you change your mind.”
Ira didn’t even try to insist. He’d done so too many times, and his mother never accepted it. It was no use, and Ira preferred to spend his energy on things he actually could change. “Is everything all right at home?” he asked, just to waste a little more time.
“Of course. Your cousin Lila had her baby a few weeks ago.”
“That’s... good for her. So, umm, I have something to tell you.”
“Oh?”
“I met my mate.”
Ira waited, and sure enough, the words he’d been expecting arrived. “Your mate? You know what your father and I think about mates.”
“Of course I do, Mother.”
“Knowing you, I’m not surprised. I suppose it’s a man?”
“Yes.”
“Is he at least a snake shifter?”
“No.”
“Ira!”
Ira straightened. “Mother, I know what you think about mates and being with shifters from another species, but I don’t care about those things.”
“You should. How else are we supposed to keep the species pure?”
Ira snorted. “Please. Our skin would be a lot darker if the species had been kept pure, Mother. I’m white.”
“You are not.”
Ira rolled his eyes. “Fine, not completely, but still. I’m mostly white, and you know that means people in our family tree married or mated with other kinds of shifters or even humans.” Ira’s mother made a small, strangled sound, and Ira decided it was as good as any moment to give the last blows. “Besides, Darin and I already mated. And he’s a sugar glider shifter.”
There was another sound and Ira’s mother took a deep breath. “A rat?”
“He’s not a rat, Mother. Besides, even if he was, I’d still have mated him.”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that.”
Ira could hear the disappointment in his mother’s voice, but he honestly didn’t give a shit. “Well, I have to go. I’ll call you, yeah?”
Ira’s mother made the small sound she always made when she wanted to say something but didn’t. He rolled his eyes again—it seemed to be a given when he had to deal with his family—and hung up.
He leaned back against the couch and smiled. There. Now he felt better, lighter. Ready to go wake Darin up and go see what Keenan and Nysys had been up to since they’d opened Darin’s shop.
* * * *
Darin was in the kitchen—again. It was where he felt most relaxed, and he had promised champagne cupcakes to Nysys. Nysys deserved them, since he’d taken care of the shop most of the day, along with Keenan. And okay, Darin and Ira had gone too, but since they’d been there Darin had finally had the time to do all those little things he’d put off doing until then, like cleaning behind the fridges.
Darin scowled at Ira, who was adding the eggs white to the mixture of butter and sugar. Ira smirked at him, completely untouched by Darin’s bad mood, and Darin stuck his tongue out.
Ira laughed. “Way to show you’re a grown up.”
“I am a grown up. I have a shop.”
“True.”
They fell silent again and Darin finished putting the liners in the cupcake forms. “Have you talked to Dominic yet?”
“Uh-huh.”
Darin pressed his lips together. “And what did he say?”
“About?”
Darin threw a liner at Ira’s head. Ira threw it back and Darin put it to the side. “About what happened? Has he managed to get something out of the guy we brought back? I know someone said something about a tattoo.”
“Yeah, they did. Wolf tattoo.”
“On the wrist.”
Ira stopped mixing and looked at Darin. “How do you know that?”
“Because I’ve already heard about it.”
Ira put the mixer down and Darin took the bowl from him. He started adding the dry ingredients and the champagne while Ira stared. “Care to explain?”
Darin nodded and added the last of the champagne. The bottle was still mostly full and in the fridge waiting for Nysys, but Darin hadn’t felt up to taking care of the guy if he got drunk tonight. Tomorrow would come soon enough anyway. “There’ve been several attacks on small groups of shifters recently, and every time Dominic manages to get his hands on some of the guys who did it, he finds the same tattoo. They’re apparently all part of a hunters’ group or something.”
“Hunters?”
“Yeah.”
“And they hunt shifters?”
“Any paranormal creature, from what I know, but yeah, mainly shifters.”
Darin started filling the liners, and once the first batch was ready, Ira slid it in the oven. They worked around each other, Ira cleaning up and putting the liners in the oven, Darin filling them. It was seamless, like they’d been doing this for years. It felt weird, because Darin usually worked alone, and when he didn’t, he almost always had to bat hands away from batter and frosting.
He prepared the second batch and left it on the counter to swap with the first one when it was ready. He saw Ira reached for the champagne and pour himself some as Darin pureed the raspberries and mixed them with vanilla extract. Ira stole a raspberry and Darin slapped his hand. “No stealing.”
“Why not?” Ira asked as he rubbed his hand.
“Because I won’t have any raspberries left if you do.”
“But they’re so tasty.” Ira pressed the one he’d managed to steal on his lips. The fruit burst and red juice spilled on Ira’s lips. Darin looked at them, unable to stop. Ira noticed it and smirked. He slowly ran his tongue over them, taking all the time in the world, and Darin thought his mate might not be so smug if he jumped him.
&n
bsp; “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Darin told Ira.
“Why not?”
“Because it might get you something you weren’t planning to have.”
Ira frowned and looked at the ruined raspberry. “Like what?”
Darin distracted himself from the small spot of red juice Ira had missed on the corner of his mouth. He reached for the champagne and added it to the frosting until it had the consistency he was looking for and gently mixed everything a bit longer. Ira waited, tapping the counter with his fingers until Darin thought he’d go mad. “Stop it.”
“Tell me what you meant.”
Darin put the pastry bag away and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean anything.”
“Bullshit.”
Darin risked a glance up, and sure enough, Ira’s mouth was still dirty. He checked the cupcakes in the ovens and took the first batch out, Ira still hovering close. Darin took his time exchanging the baking trays, looking at Ira again only once everything was either cooling or in the oven.
Ira was smirking like he already knew what Darin had meant, and Darin stopped hesitating. He crowded close to Ira and pulled on his mate’s head. Ira let Darin move him around and leaned down, and Darin licked the juice. He’d wanted to do that ever since he’d noticed it, and the raspberry was almost as good as Ira. Almost.
Ira swiped his tongue on Darin’s lips and Darin pressed their mouths together. Ira backed Darin against the counter and Darin hit it a bit too hard, but there was no way he was pulling away from the kiss, even though he might have a bruise on his back the next day.
Ira put his hands on Darin’s hips, and Darin yelped when he was hauled up and put down on the counter. A spoon was digging into his thigh and he wiggled it out, throwing it somewhere in the sink’s direction as Ira attacked his neck.
Darin tilted his head backward and let Ira do whatever he wanted. He licked a strip up Darin’s neck and bit at the soft skin just under Darin’s right ear. It felt good, and Darin almost forgot where they were. He wrapped his legs around Ira’s waist and pulled him closer. They kissed again, Ira grinding against Darin’s crotch, their erections hard. Darin pressed forward, trying to get more friction, more something. His jeans were too tight, too restricting, but when Ira put his hands on their button, Darin suddenly remembered where they were.
“Hey,” he panted.
Ira stopped. “Yeah?”
“We’re in the kitchen.”
“I know.”
“Shouldn’t we go back to our room to do this?”
Ira smirked. He reached up and slowly unbuttoned Darin’s shirt. Darin shuddered and let him do it. It wasn’t like no one in the house had ever seen him shirtless, so they were still good. They were good, until Ira reached around Darin and grabbed the bowl of frosting.
He dipped a finger in the pastel pink mixture and Darin choked. “Hey, that’s for the cupcakes!”
“Aren’t you my cupcake?”
“That’s... so sweet it’s sickly.”
Ira slid his frosting-covered finger on Darin’s collarbone. Darin shivered at the cool sensation and looked down. “You better clean that up.”
“Oh, I will.”
Ira leaned down and licked along the frosting line. He sucked at Darin’s skin and made him squirm. Darin wanted more, but really, they were in the kitchen. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Ira looked up. His lips were shiny with frosting and spit, and oh so appealing. “We’ve never done it in the kitchen.”
“Yeah, well, we should get our own house if you want to do it in the kitchen.”
Ira straightened and his breath ghosted on the skin of Darin’s neck when he leaned closer. “Just think about how hot it would be.”
Darin snorted. “That’s because we’re next to the ovens.” His eyes widened. “Shit, the cupcakes.”
Ira rolled his eyes and moved quickly toward the ovens. He checked the cupcakes and pulled them out, putting them on the stove. He turned the ovens off and stalked toward Darin again.
Darin hadn’t moved, enthralled with the way Ira moved. He’d never really noticed, but Ira was sinuous. It didn’t surprise Darin—everyone took something from their animal half, and in Ira’s case, it obviously was the grace.
Ira put his hands on the counter, caging Darin in. “So? Kitchen sex?”
Darin thought for a moment. It was late at night, and most of the pride members had already retired to their rooms. The house was silent, a sign there was no one in the living room, so even if someone was still awake, they wouldn’t hear anything. Unless they came into the kitchen, of course, and with the smell of cupcakes, they might.
A glob of frosting on his cheek made Darin’s thoughts screech to an halt. Ira licked it off and Darin tried to protest again. “I’ll have to go buy new ingredients if you continue eating my frosting, and I want to have these done to—mmm.” Darin let out a moan when Ira nipped at his neck, right where he’d bitten him when they mated.
“Not fair,” Darin murmured.
Ira smiled. “When have I played it fair?”
* * * *
Ira saw the exact moment when Darin surrendered. He knew biting Darin’s mating bite was a low move, but he wanted Darin to stop thinking for once.
Ira hadn’t expected Darin to play along, not without some more convincing of the biting kind, but Darin sank a finger in the frosting bowl and offered it to Ira. Ira felt his tongue shift just at the thought of wrapping around Darin’s finger and licking the frosting off. He opened his mouth and flicked his tongue out. Darin’s eyes were wide, but he didn’t try to move away, didn’t pull his hand back.
Ira licked the offered finger, making sure to get all the frosting off, then dipped his own finger in the frosting again. He painted a pattern on Darin’s chest, drew a heart over his heart, then slid down. He dipped his finger in the bowl again and went to work on Darin’s stomach. Once he was satisfied, he took a step backward to admire his work. Darin’s chest was rising and falling in a fast rhythm, and his skin was covered in light pink goodness. Ira wanted to lick it, and he did.
He leaned forward and ran his tongue over Darin’s skin, stopping to lick his lips clean every so often. He licked the heart away and kissed Darin’s nipple, followed the swirls he’d drawn and licked the frosting from the jut of Darin’s hip.
Darin started moaning when Ira got back up to his nipple, and the sounds became louder as Ira worked his way down again. This time, he didn’t stop at Darin’s jeans. He unbuttoned them, but since Darin was still sitting on the counter, he couldn’t do much more.
He grabbed Darin’s hips and helped him slide down the counter. Darin stumbled and Ira kept him upright with a hand on his chest. Darin’s skin was sticky and smelled sweet. Ira needed more of it, so he pushed down Darin’s jeans and underwear. He reached into the bowl and smeared a bit of frosting along the hard length of Darin’s erection.
Darin shivered. “Cold.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
Ira got on his knees and went to work. He cleaned Darin’s dick from the frosting and slipped his hand behind Darin. Darin opened his legs as wide as he could with his jeans still around his ankles, and Ira stroked up and between Darin’s ass cheeks. He pressed a finger against Darin’s hole, satisfied to find it still lax and a bit slick from when they’d had sex earlier.
“I think you should stop teasing,” Darin said.
Ira looked up. Darin’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes wide, and he looked like he was about to explode. Ira wouldn’t have minded, but he wanted in, so Darin would have to wait.
Darin swirled around, almost falling on his face. He grabbed the edge of the counter and reached up. He opened the cupboard, took the bottle of olive oil, and twisted sideways to press it into Ira’s hand. Then he leaned forward and placed his chest on the counter, putting his ass on display.
Ira didn’t have to be told twice. He pushed the bottom of Darin’s shirt up and exposed his mate�
��s sweet cheeks. He pondered whether or not he should play with the frosting some more, but Darin was right—there wasn’t much left. Besides, Ira really wanted in before he came all over Darin’s thighs, or worse, in his pants.
Darin wiggled his ass and Ira freed his dick. He slicked it with the olive oil, wrinkling his nose at the smell. He trickled some of it between Darin’s cheek, put the bottle down, and pushed two fingers in his mate.
“Don’t play around—get in,” Darin insisted.
He knew better than anyone what he was ready for, so Ira obeyed. He slipped his fingers out, cleaned them on a towel, and angled his cock between Darin’s ass cheeks. He pushed in and Darin made a keening sound that was interrupted when he snapped his mouth shut and pressed a hand against it.
Ira snickered and Darin scowled at him over his shoulder. Then he squeezed with his ass, and Ira groaned. He draped himself over Darin’s back, glad for the difference in height between them, and nuzzled Darin’s nape as he thrust.
Darin pushed back against Ira’s dick and kept his hand on his mouth in an attempt to muffle the moans that came out of it. He mostly succeeded, and it made Ira want to go faster, thrust harder, until Darin lost the control he was clinging to.
Ira licked up Darin’s back and Darin groaned. Ira smiled and bit on his mate’s nape, careful not to break the skin. He slipped a hand around Darin and jacked him off slowly, until he was writhing under Ira and his hand had fallen onto the counter.
Darin put both his palms on the marble surface and used them to push backward harder. His muscles rippled and Ira moved his hand faster. He tightened his jaw. Darin whimpered and came over Ira’s hand.
Ira didn’t slow down. He kept his hand right where it was and slammed into Darin, not slowing even when a yelp came from behind him rather than from under him. He was coming in seconds.
He breathed against Darin’s back, unable to move, until a loud voice said, “What do you mean we can’t go in the kitchen? Move aside, Trevor. I need those cupcakes. Darin promised I could have them.”
Ira tried to move fast, really he did, but Nysys and Trevor had obviously been right behind the kitchen door, because it opened only seconds after Nysys was done speaking.
Darin Page 11
