by M. D. Grimm
“Goddamn it, Derek. Now. Fuck me now.”
Gasping, Derek released Brian’s cock and leaned over him. He pressed his chest to Brian’s back and nuzzled his neck. Then he gripped Brian’s long hair and pulled his head back, Derek’s four fingers still knuckle deep inside him.
“You sure you’re ready?” he whispered in Brian’s ear.
Brian’s eyes were bright with lust as he answered. “Fuck yes, you asshole.”
Derek grinned and leaned back. He removed his fingers and rolled on the condom with a generous amount of lube. All the while, Brian was moaning and cursing him for taking so long. His wolf was also growling at him. Derek panted as he pressed against Brian’s hole and slowly slid inside him.
His finger fucking had done the trick and resistance was miniscule as he bottomed out. Brian groaned deep in his throat and bucked against him, urging him to start to move. Derek gritted his teeth and gripped Brian’s hips before giving them both what they wanted. Brian’s inner muscles squeezed him tightly and securely as he began to move. His body wanted to come right then but he held on. He couldn’t allow their first time to end so quickly. But, God, was Brian tight. They quickly found a rhythm and the bed banged against the wall as their pace quickened and turned rougher. Brian rose up on his hands and pushed back, demanding more. Derek was more than happy to give it and gripped all that long soft air, tugging just a little too hard. That only seemed to make Brian wilder.
Derek grunted and snarled as he left love bits along Brian’s back and shoulders.
“There! Right there!”
Derek did as he was told, and it wasn’t long before Brian grabbed his cock and stroked himself to completion. Only then did Derek allow himself to come. His shout almost turned into a howl but he managed to abort it in time.
Brian collapsed onto the bed, and Derek slumped beside him. He had enough strength to yank off the condom and fling it in the trash. Technically shifters didn’t need condoms with nonshifters but he wasn’t ready for that conversation yet. He turned back and wrapped his arms around Brian, hoping he was a snuggler. It seemed he was because Brian curled into him and wrapped his own arms around Derek before nuzzling his neck. Derek held him tight and thought they had a good future together if their sex was always this explosive.
“Pretty good for someone who hasn’t done this in a long time,” Derek murmured.
Brian let out a breathless laugh. “It’s easier with the right partner.”
Derek held him tighter. The right partner. He was on top of the world. Brian had given himself to Derek and that made Derek feel special. Loved. Cared about.
And he was determined to give all that and more back to Brian. Brian was special.
Brian was his.
Chapter Eight
Brian smiled lazily as he woke up. Derek was a god. That was the only explanation for the explosive sex. Brian couldn’t be sure what a god tasted like, of course, but he was sure it wouldn’t be very different from Derek’s taste. The man was hung, and he actually knew how to use his equipment. That wasn’t as common as some might think. Not that he’d ever tell Derek, of course, the man had a big enough ego.
Brian released he was being watched. He opened his eyes and stared into soft, deep brown ones. His smile widened.
“What time is it?” he asked, his voice roughed by sleep.
“Still early.” Derek was propped on his elbow with his cheek in his palm.
Brian stretched before rubbing his hands over his face.
“I didn’t see anything lacking in your… performance,” Derek said with a cheeky grin.
Brian laughed and rolled his eyes. “Well, good. I worried that being old and out of practice would make me rusty.”
Derek put a hand on Brian’s chest and nuzzled his cheek. “Not at all. And you’re not old.”
Brian patted his hand, unwilling to argue. He felt way too good for that.
“Wanna tell me now just how long you’ve been out of practice?”
Brian grimaced but knew it was time. He should just tell Derek and get it over with.
“Almost six years.”
Derek’s eyes widened, and he stilled. “Six years?”
Brian sat up, his face heating. Derek sat up with him.
“There must be a story behind that.”
“There is,” Brian said softly.
Derek touched his shoulder. “I’d like to say I won’t pry if you don’t want to talk about it. But I’d be lying.”
Brian snorted and tried to calm the frogs in his stomach. “It’s a sorry tale.”
Derek slid his arm across Brian’s shoulders, pressing closer, and said nothing.
Brian took a deep breath. “I was in college when I told my parents that I was gay. For a couple of months, they wouldn’t believe me and tried to talk me out of it. As if it’s something you can convince a person not to be. They were the scary kind of religious, you know? And it only got worse as they grew older. When they realized they couldn’t talk me around to being the perfect son, they disowned me. They cut all contact.”
A faint growl came from Derek, and he nuzzled Brian’s neck, his warmth and obvious support motivating Brian to continue.
“I was in a daze after that. I threw myself into my schooling. My sister reached out not long after but at first, I didn’t take her calls. She finally got through and told me she’d never let me go, that she loved me. She said I was her brother, and she supported me and that our parents were idiots.”
“They are.”
Brian nodded, swallowing hard. “I clung to her but despite her words, I was still raw. Vulnerable. Then… Kyle came sniffing.”
Brian glanced at Derek’s face, noticing his expression darken.
“I’d wondered if you’d been an abusive relationship before moving here.”
Brian nodded. “That’s a nice way to put it. Abusive. That word always felt too clean and civilized for what actually happened.”
Derek squeezed him close.
“I was still reeling from losing my family, even though Anna was still on my side. So I bought his bullshit and he gaslighted me expertly, making sure I knew that he was the best person for me. I would be nothing without him. I was too weak to stand on my own. Blah blah.”
Derek shifted his position until he sat behind Brian, his leg on either side of Brian’s thighs. Then he wrapped both arms and legs around him, holding him as if to cocoon Brian in comfort.
“You’re one of the strongest people I know,” Derek said softly.
Brian curled into the embrace. “Thanks. I’m glad you think so. Kyle worked slowly. Methodically. I continued school. He let me have at least that much but he never missed an opportunity to make me feel guilty for neglecting him.”
“Motherfucker.”
“He couldn’t keep a job very long so he needed me to bring in the money. It was as simple as that.” Brian cleared his throat before continuing. He was glad Derek was behind him so he didn’t have to look at Derek as he spun out his miserable story.
“He was sweet at first, they always are. He was attentive and liked to buy me things. He always made sure that I rewarded his generosity, that I understood that I was a burden he righteously carried and endured.”
“I want to rip his face off,” Derek said, hot breath against Brian’s neck. “You’re a gift.”
Brian had never felt safer and more loved in his life than he did at that moment, in Derek’s arms, in his bed. If he needed additional proof that Derek wasn’t Kyle, he needn’t look any further.
“When we moved in together, about a year and half after meeting, his true personality came out. But I was under his control already. Everything was always my fault. Every problem was mine to solve. Every time I was the one to concede. Anna tried to help me. My coworkers tried to help me. I didn’t see it. I couldn’t.”
He paused. Derek waited.
“Then Anna died. I reeled again. But this time, I reeled the right way. Kyle tried to keep me from the fun
eral. He tried to turn me against Anna’s memory. Either he made all the wrong moves or I was finally ready to break free. Whatever the reason, I woke up. After three years, I finally opened my eyes. I packed some essentials and went back home for the funeral. They shunned me, of course, but I had every right to be there. And I was in her will. She gave me Fenrir.”
Derek blew out a breath. “I’ll never tease you about him again.”
Brian smiled, his eyes burning. “It’s all right. I like your teasing. Anyway, my family tried to fight it, just because of spite. It held up and I left my family for the last time with a two-year old pug under my arm. I didn’t return to Kyle. I was free and he could fuck off. I finally opened up to my coworkers and they helped me. I couch surfed for a while before getting my own place. Then Kyle started stalking me.”
“Fucking hell, Brian.”
Brian nodded. Derek laid small kissing along his temple, his cheek, his chin and neck.
“I got a restraining order but I still had to endure that psycho for another six months before he slipped up and tried to burn down my apartment.”
“Shit, fucking asshole,” Derek said, his chest rumbling with another strange growl.
Brian leaned his head back and kissed Derek’s chin. “He did a piss-poor job of it, and the firefighters saved almost everything. No one was hurt—it was a complex—but it finally did the job and the cops threw him in jail. I pressed as many charges as I could, hoping to give him the max. Then I traveled up and down the east coast for while before deciding to move west. All the way west. That’s why I’m in therapy and I take self defense classes. That’s why six years have passed since I’ve considered a serious relationship. The few dates I went on just didn’t work out.”
“Understandable. Fucking hell.” Derek rocked them both as Brian wiped his eyes of the few tears that escaped his control.
“How long was his sentence?”
Brian sighed. “He’s out now, if that’s what you’re trying to ask.”
Derek cursed again, low and intensely.
“He doesn’t know where I am.”
“You sure of that?”
“Haven’t heard a peep. Don’t want to. He’s not a part of my life anymore. I’ve wasted enough time on him already.” But then Brian took another deep breath and pulled away just enough to turn and face Derek. Derek’s face was flushed and his eyes shone with anger. But his grip was gentle as he rubbed and stroked, trying to comfort.
Brian met his eyes. “Kyle had a nasty temper, Derek. He smacked me around a couple of times. Forced himself on me, too.”
Brian knew that Derek heard the unspoken question. Fire leapt into Derek’s eyes, and for a moment, Brian’s muscles tensed on instinct. But then Derek reached up and gently touched Brian’s cheek, cupping it in his palm. The fire was gone, now there was only steady strength.
“You know I’ll never hurt you,” Derek said softly. “I doubt you’d be in my bed if you thought otherwise.”
Brian smiled. “You’re right.”
“But I’ll say it anyway, so you never doubt me. I swear upon my life that I will never harm you. Ever. I don’t hurt the ones I love. I protect them and I support them. I want to cherish you. I know I have a temper and I’m working on it. I might throw and break things, but I have never lifted my hand to someone I love in anger. My family made sure I knew what was acceptable and what wasn’t. You’ve seen me at my worst and you stood strong. I’m proud of you, Brian. I am so damn proud of who you are and humbled that you gave me a chance.”
With a heart so full, he thought his chest might burst, Brian surged forward and kissed Derek. He wrapped his arms around Derek’s shoulders and pushed him to the bed.
“Thank you,” Brian whispered, making sure to lay completely on top of Derek.
They explored each other, touching and seeking with finger and mouths. But it wasn’t long before Brian wanted more. He wanted to show Derek how much he wanted him, how much he trusted him.
Brian straddled Derek’s waist and lowered his head to kiss and nip Derek’s nipples, laving them with attention. Derek gasped and trembled as he gripped Brian’s hair, tugging a little but clearly not wanting him to stop. Brian found it amazing how easily he could manipulate Derek’s gorgeous body. He could make this strong and passionate man shudder and shake underneath him. He could make this warrior surrender. His warrior.
Brian slipped his hands down to Derek’s erection, and it grew harder under his fingers. Derek growled, the sound putting Brian in mind of a wolf. He chuckled, his tongue tracing the indentation of Derek’s ribs.
“Come on, baby,” Derek said with a grunt.
Brian grinned and took him into his mouth, craving his taste. He sucked hard and then lightly, keeping Derek guessing. He squeezed the base of the erection and played his tongue across Derek’s tip as he massaged Derek’s balls with his other hand. He kept up the tortuous teasing for as long as either of them could stand. When Derek started begging and cursing like a sailor, Brian knew it was time.
He straddled Derek again and the need in Derek’s eyes was pleasure all its own. Derek made him feel like the most desirable man on the planet. Derek said he was a gift and Brian was inclined to believe him from that look alone. Then he noticed, vaguely, that Derek’s eyes were glowing. Odd, but sexy. Brian got the lube and prepared himself before gently slipping a condom on Derek. Meanwhile, Derek panted and cursed as he played with Brian’s nipples, pinching and twisting.
“Hurry up, baby.”
Brian held Derek’s cock steady and then lowered himself. Derek filled him up as perfectly as before. He had never felt this sort of completion with a lover. None had made him crave like he craved Derek. There was no guilt or fear or obligation. They both enthusiastically wanted this. Brian felt Derek’s heat right through the condom, and he wondered if he’d get burned. He bit his lower lip and moved slowly at first. Derek gripped his hips hard, digging his fingers into his flesh. And those intense eyes never left his face. He looked less like a puppy and more like a hunting wolf.
Derek grabbed Brian’s cock, doubling the pleasure. Brian gasped and moved faster, bouncing on Derek like a wild thing, letting go of everything but the need for more. Derek continued to stroke him, keeping the pace quick and hard. Brian came first, squeezing Derek, making him come with a shout.
Brian collapsed on top of him, and they both gasped for breath.
“I can’t stay long,” Brian managed to gasp minutes later. “My dogs need me.”
“Yeah, I know,” Derek said. “But it’s Saturday. Wanna come back?”
Brian grinned wide and lifted his head, meeting Derek’s gaze. “I really would.”
Once they got dressed, however, Brian made the offer for Derek and his dogs to come to his house, which Derek immediately accepted. After the usual feeding and pooping, Derek packed his three dogs into the back of the Jeep and drove Brian home. Brian’s house, though comfortably big, felt very crowded with two humans, six dogs, and one irritated cat. Tinker stayed on the top of a bookshelf and hissed at the new dogs.
Brian took a quick shower and changed his clothes while Derek watched the dogs. They were friendly enough to each other, and Derek approved of Brian’s two German shepherds. Although Joan and Gable eyed him suspiciously. They were very protective of Brian, and Derek was clearly invading their turf and messing with the leader of their pack. Fenrir, though, trotted up with a wagging tail and sniffed his shoes before plopping down and rolling onto his side, exposing his stomach. Derek chuckled and knelt, scratching the pug into ecstasy. Seeing their packmate get such attention, the shepherds wandered closer and sniffed him.
“I’m just here to be friends,” Derek said softly. His wolf was ecstatic to meet other playmates, and he let a bit of his other half come out. Joan and Gable gradually started to wag their tails and nudge his other hand. He obliged and took turns scratching their ears.
“See? Good wolf,” he said.
His own dogs were focused on sniffing e
verything and everyone in their vicinity. Goliath woofed at Tinker who hissed back at him.
Goliath wagged his tail like the big dummy he was.
Brian returned shortly. Derek held Fenrir in his arms and received kisses from the shepherds.
“You have restored my faith in you as a dog lover,” Derek said.
Brian snorted. “Wonderful. You know that’s my entire goal in life.”
Derek snickered.
When Brian had fed and pooped his animals, they and the dogs piled into Derek’s Jeep, somehow, and he drove them to a wooded park. Derek smiled and let the dogs loose. They ran around each other and barked in canine joy. Derek grabbed Brian’s hand, and walked down the trail, hand in hand, with the dogs sniffing and running around them.
It was the most beautiful experience of his life. He looked around at their packs, content and satisfied. Could this be his life? Could he be this lucky?
He was grateful that Brian had shared so much with him. Now Derek understood the true courage and strength of Brian and was ready to work harder at controlling himself. His wolf was also on board, desperately not wanting to lose Brian so close to truly forming something strong.
And if Kyle ever came sniffing, Derek wouldn’t hesitate to tear him to pieces.
Joan ran up to Brian with a stick in her mouth. Her tail wagged so hard, it was ready to fly off.
“Okay, okay, girl.” Brian grabbed the stick and threw it.
Derek laughed.
Brian glared at him. “What?”
“You throw like a girl.”
Brian punched his shoulder and Derek laughed harder.
“Hell, you hit like a girl too.”
Joan ran back, all the other dogs trailing her, and didn’t look at all annoyed that Brian hadn’t thrown the stick very far.
“Just wait, Derek, and I might pull a girl on you.”
Derek grinned. “What does that mean?”
“It means that if you don’t apologize, you will be spending a very cold night in bed.”
