by Lynn Tyler
Michael burst out laughing. He immediately felt bad at his Alpha’s glum expression. “What did you do?” he asked.
Quinn answered for his mate, “They’re holding a grudge because Declan was the one who dropped them off at Trina’s. In their mind, he’s the only one to blame.”
“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” Declan accused, though it was clear from the amusement on his face he wasn’t actually angry.
“Maybe,” Quinn admitted.
The chuckle bubbled up Michael’s throat before he could stop it. The twins reared back at the new voice, searching the room for the person they hadn’t noticed before. They squealed as soon as they saw him, pushing away from their father and scrambling to him.
Before he knew it, he had two little eagle shifters trying to scale his legs.
He chuckled again, knowing exactly what they wanted. For some reason, every child he’d ever met had decided he made the best jungle gym in the world.
And he loved it.
Obligingly, he stretched out on the floor and let them crawl all over him.
He tightened his abs as the boy, Taggart, bounced on him. Isabella found the hollow of his throat and snuggled up.
He glanced up and found Declan and Quinn watching the three of them. The Alpha had his arm around the omega’s waist and there was such a soft look of love on both of their faces as they gazed at their children, Michael’s heart constricted.
What would it be like to have babies of his own? To have the warm little bodies of his own children pressed against his heart while Justin looked on? To see Justin cradle a sleepy baby late at night and know that his family was totally and completely safe?
Rylan had said there were plenty of orphaned eagle children. The Eagle Council had allowed Declan and Quinn, both wolf shifters, to adopt the twins. They would probably let him and Justin adopt, especially since Justin was an eagle himself.
Did Justin even want children?
“Daddy,” Taggart announced from his seat on Michael’s belly. “Milk.”
Isabella sat up and echoed the demand.
The Alpha moved to the fridge but Taggart howled. “No. Naughty Daddy Dec. Daddy Quinn.”
Michael choked on his laughter, dislodging the twins. They glared at him before rushing to Quinn and clinging to his legs. Who knew a couple of two year olds could hold a grudge for so long?
Declan rolled his eyes and extracted a couple of sippy cups from the fridge. He knelt down and offered a red cup to his son, who simply turned his back on the Alpha, muttering about naughty daddies.
Isabella stuck her thumb in her mouth and looked at Declan with teary eyes.
“Oh, baby girl. Daddy’s sorry. But didn’t you have fun at Trina’s? Look at your pretty fingernails.”
The little girl let go of Quinn’s leg and waved her hand in Declan’s general direction. “Pink,” she said around her thumb.
“Yes, they are. And they’re so pretty.”
She stepped into Declan’s arms and accepted her cup. “Not naughty,” she announced.
Taggart peeked out from behind Quinn’s leg but didn’t seem ready to forgive Declan. Declan would be back in the little boy’s good books by the end of the day though, especially if he bribed them.
Trina laughed from the doorway. “Was staying with me that bad?”
Both children shook their heads.
“Thanks for watching them,” Quinn said, bending down to pick up his son. Taggart reluctantly accepted the cup Declan held out for him, still refusing to look at him.
“It was fun. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Mikey, have fun with your mate.”
Startled, he hauled himself to his feet and followed her to the front door. “You’re not coming to our mating party?”
“Of course I am,” she said, patting him on the arm. She slipped into her shoes and was out the door before he could remind her the mating party was only a few hours away.
A tug on his pants drew his attention downward, where Taggart stared up at him.
“Daddy Declan naughty,” the little boy whispered.
Michael heard Declan’s sigh from the kitchen and took pity on him. He scooped up Taggart and tickled his tummy. “Nope. Daddy Declan’s not naughty. He’s nice. Who else sneaks you cookies when Daddy Quinn says no more?”
“Hey,” he heard Quinn squawk.
It worked though, and Taggart brightened. “Daddy, cookie?”
Michael spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon with the little family, basking in the easy love Quinn showered on him and preening under the steady stream of pride Declan kept pulsing through their pack bond.
“I should probably get ready,” he said as Quinn settled the twins into their highchairs for an early dinner.
“Declan will have your clothes ready when you’re out of the shower,” Quinn said as he dropped a few strawberries in front of the babies.
What clothes? He’d only been planning on wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans because he’d have to strip down to nothing but skin before the ceremony started.
He didn’t think much of the cryptic statement until he’d left the steamy shower only to find a pristine suit spread out across the mattress.
Declan smirked at him from the door. “Consider the suit a mating gift.”
He eyed it again. He’d never, in his entire life, worn something so fancy. Then again, why not look nice for the ten seconds Justin was going to see him before they got naked?
Thankfully, he recognized the underwear as his own and he slipped it on before Declan helped him into the suit.
“I’m going to have a hell of a time getting out of this,” he remarked when the Alpha had to help him button his cuffs.
“Oh, I’m sure Justin will be more than willing to help you out.”
The omega grinned when he came down the stairs. “Well, you clean up well. Have a good night.”
He waved as Isabella threw a cube of cheese in his direction. “Bye, Daddy.”
Declan ushered him out of the house. “Come on. Your man’s waiting for you.”
Something was going on and, judging from the look on Declan’s face, he was going to like whatever it was.
The Alpha walked him straight to his house but stopped at the bottom of the porch steps. “See you tomorrow. But not too early. Come over around five or so.”
“But…Dec? What’s going on?”
The other man’s smile was mysterious. “You’ll see.”
He recognized his Alpha’s expression. He wasn’t going to get anything more out of him.
The door was open a crack and he slipped through, toeing off his shoes in the foyer because there was nothing Justin hated more than tracks in the house. He bent down to arrange them neatly on the mat.
“I knew that suit would look good on you. Remind me to thank Declan later.”
Justin’s voice, warm and affectionate, wrapped around him like a blanket. The only thing that stopped him from closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling was the hint of sensuality in his lover’s tone.
He straightened and turned in one fluid movement.
Then froze.
His mate-to-be stood in front of him clad in a full on tuxedo. The eagle always looked like he’d stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine, but he was simply stunning in the formal wear.
Justin blushed a lovely shade of pink and he wanted nothing more than to chase that pretty flush up his throat but his feet seemed to be cemented into place.
Stepping forward, Justin took his hand and led him into the dining room, where a feast waited. He looked at the food, at Justin, then back at the food. When the hell had he had time to pull something like this off?
“Don’t worry,” Justin whispered, nudging him forward a couple of inches. “Shannon did most of the work.”
He glanced around the room, searching for someone, anyone, who would stand as witness to their mating. He already knew they were the only two in the house.
“Justin…wh
at’s going on?”
Chapter 6
Justin smoothed down the front of his tux, watching Michael’s face carefully for a sign that he’d screwed up.
“I wanted to give you a mating gift,” he said.
The confusion didn’t leave Michael’s face. God, his wolf was the cutest thing on earth. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the corner of Michael’s mouth.
The kiss was returned as understanding started to leak into the wolf’s eyes. “Declan and Quinn aren’t coming, are they?”
He shook his head. “No. My gift is a private mating. I spoke to Declan last night and arranged it all. We’re still going to have a pack celebration, but it’s going to be tomorrow at the Alpha House.”
Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he watched Michael’s eyes widen. Had he made the wrong decision?
Michael stepped into him, bending his neck until their foreheads were pressed together. “If you want a traditional mating, I’m fine with it. Last night I decided I’d just focus on what’s important.”
“Yeah?” Justin whispered. He skimmed his fingertips up the wolf’s arms, feeling the man shiver. “What’s that?”
“Us. Our bond.”
Oh. Oh God, his mate was killing him. He blinked back the tears he felt welling in his eyes and raised one hand to cup Michael’s cheek. He rubbed his thumb over his lover’s cheekbone and breathed in his scent.
How many times had they done this? One hundred? A thousand? He’d lost track of how many times they’d stood like this. Sometimes it was after one of Michael’s long shifts and they were getting reacquainted, happy to be together again after a full two days apart.
Sometimes it was after a particularly bad fire, leaving Michael in desperate need of comfort.
And sometimes, it was after a fight, as a silent apology to each other and a reaffirmation of their feelings.
But he would never forget this moment as long as he lived. This time, Michael stood in his arms, completely vulnerable in a way he’d never shown, willing to give Justin whatever he wanted despite how uncomfortable it made him.
“Baby,” he whispered. “I appreciate it. I do. But I don’t need a traditional mating. I only need you.”
Michael closed the distance and kissed him. It was sweet and chaste and full of emotion.
He’d always known how deeply Michael loved him but the man had a tough time showing his feelings. And as lovely as it was to finally see the depth of his feelings, Justin didn’t want an intense mating. He wanted fun, light, full of laughter and love.
Pulling away from his lover was hard but Justin somehow managed. “Besides,” he said, stepping completely out of Michael’s embrace, “your confession inspired me to think about how I feel about the whole public mating thing. I came to the same conclusion. I don’t want to share that part of you, or our relationship, with everyone else.”
He couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up at Michael’s thrilled expression. “What’s so exciting?”
This time it was the wolf who blushed. It was such a rare sight, it enchanted Justin.
Michael cleared his throat. “I sort of like the idea of you being jealous over me.”
“Sort of?” he teased.
“Okay, a lot.”
A familiar glint appeared in Michael’s eyes and a shudder worked down Justin’s spine. He glanced at the table and wondered if the food would taste just as good cold. “We should eat.”
“We should,” Michael agreed.
The wolf didn’t sit down. He stalked around the table until it was between them. “Run.”
A thrill shot through Justin at his lover’s words. He only stalked when he wanted to hunt. And being hunted by Michael was the best thing ever.
He spun on his heel and started to run just as he heard a thump. He’d seen Michael vault the table before and knew it was only a matter of seconds before his mate was on him.
He veered to the right and thundered up the stairs two at a time. A shiver worked its way down his body when he felt Michael’s hot breath right on the back of his neck. His stomach fluttered for a different reason. Even his damn toes tingled.
Michael let him get to the bedroom before he was tackled. The momentum carried them to the bed and he found himself under the hard body of his wolf.
“The food will get cold,” he murmured.
“That’s what a microwave is for,” Michael said.
He didn’t really care about the food. He tugged the wolf down and kissed him.
Michael smiled into the kiss, nibbling at his lower lip a little. “Love you.”
It wasn’t the first time the wolf had said the words first. And Justin was sure it wouldn’t be the last. But tonight, in light of what they were about to do, it meant everything.
“Love you too,” he managed.
Michael’s lips felt like velvet sliding over his skin. He arched his neck to give them more room and whimpered when he was rewarded with a sharp nip on his Adam’s Apple.
“You know, I’ve always wondered something,” Michael muttered against his skin.
Talking? Michael wanted to talk now, when all they had to do was get out of their clothes and writhe around on the bed.
His expression must have given away his thoughts because the wolf laughed, low and rough, into his ear. “Don’t worry. You’ll want to know what I wonder about.”
“What do you wonder about then?”
Michael pulled him up and slipped the tuxedo jacket off his shoulders. He threw it into the corner. Justin almost protested but shut his mouth when the wolf started working on his shirt buttons.
“I always wonder what you do when I’m doing one of my long shifts at the firehouse.”
The soft cotton parted over his chest and Michael bent down and kissed the skin over his heart. “What do you mean? I go to work, I come home, eat and sleep.”
The wolf nosed his way down Justin’s abdomen, pausing to dip his tongue into his naval. “I meant, how do you get yourself off?”
His stomach swooped at Michael’s bold words. “What?”
Michael nuzzled the sensitive spot right behind his ear and his breath caught. “Tell me how you get off so I have something to think about when I’m all alone in my bunk at the firehouse.”
He fought off a blush, knowing Michael was playing with him. His lover had figured out months ago how much Justin liked dirty talk when they were in bed.
Thing was, he’d figured out not long after that Michael loved it just as much.
“Are you sure you want to be thinking about sex when you’re at the firehouse and you can’t do anything about it? It’s not like we can have phone sex, although I’ve heard phone sex can be quite satisfying,” he teased.
Sharp teeth scraped against the side of his neck and he threw his head back, hoping Michael would take the hint and fucking bite him. He longed for the mate connection. But the wolf soothed the small sting with his tongue. Justin wondered if he would have to beg.
“Please,” Michael whispered into his ear. “Indulge me. Just this once.”
He wanted to point out that he indulged the wolf on a regular basis.
Until Michael closed his lips on his earlobe and sucked.
“Playing dirty,” he gasped, his cock going from half hard to rock hard in the space of a single second.
Michael pushed back until he was kneeling between his outspread thighs. The look he shot under his lashes melted all of Justin’s resistance.
“First,” he said, smiling at the wolf’s expression of delight, “I strip down to my underwear. Help me?”
Michael licked his lips, sending a bolt of desire straight through him, and pulled the already unbuttoned shirt off him.
“Pants too?” he asked.
“I’ll do it.” Justin loosened his pants and lifted his hips far enough to push them down his thighs. “If you touch me, I won’t be able to control myself.”
The wolf pouted adorably but he scrambled off the mattress. He plopped into
the armchair Justin had insisted they place in the corner. “Good thinking. I’d better stay over here.”
The pants joined the jacket and shirt on the floor. The silk socks came off next until Justin was lounging on the bed in nothing but his boxer-briefs.
He hesitated, a small flutter of uncertainty unfurling in his belly. What he was about to do was so intimate, so personal. He’d give Michael anything, but was this something that he really needed to do?
“I imagine you sometimes,” Michael said quietly. “I imagine you in my arms, your back arching from my mouth on your nipple. I think about the way you call my name and the way your nails dig into my shoulders just before you’re about to come.”
Justin tracked the wolf’s hand as he reached down to adjust himself in his pants. “But you know what? Mostly, I think about how well I fit against you when we’re done. About how right your hands feel smoothing down my spine and I know I was meant for you. I think about how grateful I am to belong to you and how happy I am that let me love you and you love me in return.”
Justin’s heart melted at the words and his uncertainty vanished. “I do love you. So much. And I ache in every way when we’re not together.”
“Would you show me what you do when we’re not together?” Michael whispered, leaning forward. There was a sheen on the wolf’s cheeks, a faint trail of moisture. “Give me a happy thought to hang on to after I’ve been to a fire and need to concentrate on my mate instead of on the loss I’ve seen?”
How could he resist such an earnest plea?
“Do you want to only see, or do you want me to describe it, too?”
A shudder wracked Michael’s body. “God, you have no idea what your voice does to me.”
Description then.
He closed his eyes, trying to replicate what the nights felt like when Michael was away. “At first, I don’t do much. I imagine your voice in my ear and your body next to mine. I sweep my hands down my chest and belly and back up.”
“Show me,” Michael moaned.
Oh, hell, that voice. The wolf’s voice was made for phone sex.
He swept his hands down his body slowly, until the brushed the elastic waistband of his underwear. As slowly as he could, he trailed his fingers back up. He repeated the action a couple of times.
