by Parker Skye
Ben finally stopped torturing Adam’s neck, leaving several marks behind, which he wasn’t sad about at all. He made his way down Adam’s chest and lower. Ben pushed his nose into the crease between Adam’s groin and thigh and breathed deep, loving the musky smell of his mate. Unable to wait any longer, he took Adam into his mouth and laved the head of Adam’s cock mercilessly. The sweet fluid that practically poured from the slit tasted like heaven on his tongue. Adam groaned louder and thrashed, unable to hold himself still as Ben swallowed him down. Quicker than either of them expected, Ben pulled Adam toward the brink and over. Ben swallowed down Adam’s release and continued to gently soothe his length with his tongue until Adam gently pushed him away, too sensitive to take any more.
Ben rested his head on Adam’s flat stomach, happy to see his mate so obviously satisfied. Adam’s pupils were blown wide as he panted, trying to catch his breath. He looked absolutely debauched. Inside, Ben’s wolf puffed out his chest and howled with pride.
Chapter 17
Adam
Adam’s face glowed as Ben pulled himself up until they were face to face again. Adam grabbed Ben’s face with both hands and pulled him in, tasting himself in Ben’s kiss. He thought this at least should gross him out, but instead he found it incredibly hot. Unbelievably, Adam felt a giggle bubbling up and couldn’t contain it. Ben’s answering smile proved how connected they were in that moment. They lay wrapped in each other’s arms, both struggling to regain their composure as they laughed.
Adam was the first to get serious again as he closed the distance between them once more. He sealed his mouth over Ben’s again and they stayed that way for a long time, breathing each other in, tongues tangled in a slow dance of passion mixed with comfort. Adam had every intention of pushing for round two and pushed Ben over onto his back. He took up position straddling Ben’s hips again. His mouth fairly attacked Ben’s neck and chest, bringing forth the most amazing sounds as Ben writhed underneath. Unfortunately, the mood was broken when Adam’s stomach growled loudly, causing Ben to break out in laughter.
“Hungry, babe?” Ben asked, pulling Adam’s face up so their gazes met.
“Enough to eat a small herd of elephants,” Adam replied embarrassed, holding his hands over his stomach as if to quiet the noise. “But I can wait. It’s not fair to leave you hanging.” He could feel the hard ridge of Ben’s cock as he sat back. Damn, that must be uncomfortable.
“Nonsense.” Ben lightly tapped his hand on Adam’s hip, signaling him to get up, acting like there was nothing in the world he wanted to do more than feed Adam. Adam lay there wrapped in the quilt as he watched Ben pull his jeans back in place, leaving the snap undone.
“Um, could I maybe have some clothes, too?”
“Of course! Sorry, I can be stupid sometimes especially when there’s a naked person in my house,” Ben responded, stalking off toward what Adam assumed was his bedroom.
Ben quickly returned and tossed the bundle of clothes in Adam’s lap, turning around dramatically so Adam would feel more comfortable as he got dressed. Adam thought it was sweet, although unnecessary, as Ben had already seen just about every inch of him in close up detail.
Ben’s clothes swamped Adam’s slighter frame. Adam never thought of himself as short until standing next to Ben. Ben made him feel like a shrimp. Adam found he had to pull Ben’s sweatpants up to his ribs to keep them from dragging the floor. Ben’s sweatshirt equally swallowed most of his body, ending up more like a dress, but it was crazily warm and smelled like Ben. Adam failed to suppress the pleasured sigh that spilled out when he shoved the warm wool socks onto his still cold feet.
“Okay, you can turn back around, “Adam said, hugging his chest with both arms. Ben slowly turned around and grinned from ear to ear at seeing Adam engulfed by his clothes. Adam pushed the sleeves of the giant sweatshirt up past his elbows in frustration. They instantly fell back down, covering his hands.
“Shut up, Ben. I don’t want to hear it!” Adam snarled good-naturedly.
Ben laughed again, “What? I didn’t say anything, did I?”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Adam responded, sheepishly. “You said something about feeding me if I remember correctly.”
“Right this way, your highness.” Ben motioned for Adam to have a seat at the bar and handed him a container of strawberry yogurt from the fridge. Getting a spoon out of the silverware drawer, he passed it over with instructions to eat while he made something more substantial.
Adam watched intrigued as Ben proceeded to cook enough food to feed a small army. Adam loved breakfast for dinner, so he had no problem with the spread. There were pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits, and even homemade gravy. While his eyes took it all in, his stomach groaned at trying to imagine eating it all.
Finally satisfied he had cooked enough, Ben joined Adam at the bar. There was silence for a while as they both proceeded to stuff their faces. After his first plate, Adam’s gut was protesting. He continued to push the remaining food around on his plate, fascinated as Ben methodically wiped out most of the rest of the food single-handedly. Adam took his spoon in hand and tapped on both Ben’s thighs. Ben stopped chewing, mouth stuffed full. At his obvious confusion, Adam laughed.
“Just checking for a hollow leg.” Adam said. Ben smiled as best he could with his mouth full. He carefully chewed and swallowed, then took a long drink of his water.
“I guess I was pretty hungry, too,” Ben answered, almost seeming embarrassed.
“I would say so. Do you eat like that all the time? How are you not totally fat?”
“I have a very high metabolism I guess. Besides, I worked up quite an appetite this morning.” Adam gave him a wicked grin in response, pushing the platter holding the last few biscuits Ben’s way.
“Well, you better eat up then. I expect you’re going to need the energy later.”
Chapter 18
Ben
After they had eaten, Ben forced Adam to rest on the couch while he cleaned the kitchen. Adam tried to grumble about it, but Ben could see how fast Adam was fading despite his earlier promises of more sexy fun times. Ben’s own needs were secondary. His mate’s health and comfort was all that mattered.
Finally finished with the dishes, Ben found a softly snoozing Adam curled up in the fetal position on the too-small couch. The picture would only have been more perfect if he was in Ben’s bed. Humming softly to himself he gently scooped up his mate, doing his best not to wake him. Adam startled slightly, but quickly relaxed when he realized what was going on.
“Shhh, I got you, baby. Just go back to sleep. You’re safe,” Ben crooned. He gently settled Adam into his bed and tucked the covers back around him. Ben sat on the side of the bed and watched his mate sleep. His hand strayed to the strands of hair covering Adam’s forehead and gently smoothed them back, only to watch them fall down again. He tensed when he heard his cell phone ringing in the kitchen. Instinctively knowing who was calling, he sighed and went to answer.
“Yes, Alpha, what can I do for you tonight?” Ben asked, answering the phone in his best all-business voice.
“Don’t beat around the bush with me, Ben. What’s the status on your mission?” Alpha Leikos growled. Ben flinched at the harsh intensity to his alpha’s tone. He was momentarily caught off guard, as even in the short time since his takeover of their pack, Ben had never heard Alpha Leikos sound so agitated.
“It’s going well, sir. I’m making more progress every day. I should have the target in possession and on the way back to Florida soon.” The alpha’s relief was evident in his tone when he praised Ben’s abilities.
“I knew you were the man for this job. I look forward to seeing you again soon. Make it back by the end of next week and you can be guaranteed a generous reward for your service, Ben.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll do my best, sir.” The line went dead as Ben stood there staring at the black screen of his phone as the call ended. One week? I’m so dead.
Cha
pter 19
Adam
Adam awoke snuggled under a heavy comforter alone in Ben’s bed. At least he assumed it was Ben’s bed. He knew it wasn’t a guest room, as the sheets carried the slight pine and earthen smell that he’d come to associate with Ben. Adam glanced around, getting a feel for Ben’s personal space. Besides the bed, there was a bookshelf filled to overflowing and a desk covered in papers and more books. The walls were painted a soothing cream except for the wall behind the bed, which was a deep blue. Overall the room looked utilitarian, but he guessed that wasn’t much of a surprise since Ben had just moved to town. Maybe all his family photos and personal items were still packed.
Finally noticing the darkness outside the only window , Adam realized the sun must have gone down long ago. Adam searched for a clock, but found none. His phone was missing, too. Groaning at having to get out of bed, he pushed the comforter down and climbed out. He crept down the dark hall and found his phone on the kitchen counter.
“Crap, it's nine o’clock, already?! I’ve got to get home,” Adam said aloud to the empty room.
He thought he heard Ben talking in another room and headed for the sound of his voice, planning to ask for a ride home. The clipped way Ben was speaking alerted Adam something was wrong. He’d never heard Ben talk like that before, all business-like. A chill raced up his spine as he listened in just outside the open door. When the call had obviously ended, Adam silently sprinted back down the hall to the safety of the bedroom.
He jumped back into bed and pretended to still be sleeping. He felt more than heard Ben’s approach and tried to slow his racing heart before Ben was back in the room. He heard the scuff of Ben’s feet on the wood floor in the hall and imagined Ben standing in the doorway watching him sleep. He tried to repress the trembling he could feel building. Figuring he needed to get this over with, he pretended to stretch and open his eyes slowly as if just waking. He found Ben standing in the doorway just staring with a flat expression. Creepy.
“Hey, wow, it’s dark outside. What time is it?” Adam said, imitating his sleepy voice and yawning for good measure. Ben dragged his gaze away and checked his watch.
“It’s a little after nine. Why?”
“Oh, boy. I didn’t know it was so late. I need to get home before my dad does. Can you take me home?” Adam rushed, immediately getting out of bed and running his hands through his hair as if to straighten it. The worried look on Ben’s face was so blatant; Adam was on instant high alert.
“Can’t you stay? I’m sure your dad would understand. You’ve had a really hard day. I can call him for you if you want,” Ben rushed on, voice tinged with growing desperation.
“Really I can’t, Ben. My father’s not like your parents, I suspect.” Adam looked around the room, awareness dawning as he realized what he’d felt missing all day. “Where are your parents anyway, Ben?”
“Oh, they’re out of town,” Ben said, but Adam could feel the lie. His unease grew. He needed to get out of here.
“Well, more the reason my father wouldn’t want me to stay over. He’d never let me stay at a friend’s house when their parents were gone.”
Ben paced in front of the open doorway, obviously becoming more distressed at the thought of Adam leaving. Adam knew if he let on how freaked out he was right now, he’d never make it out of this house again. How could he have been so stupid to trust this guy he barely knew? He knew better than that. Hadn’t he learned by now?
Chapter 20
Ben
Ben had stayed in the office running through his options for a while after the disastrous call with his alpha. He could only see two choices. One, he could turn Adam over to his alpha as ordered and hope for the best. This was obviously, the more logical of the two options, and the safest for his own personal well-being.
The other option was so much riskier for him personally, but he fought himself not to go with plan B the second he hung up the phone. He could grab Adam and run. Both held risk to his mate, but at least if they ran he would have some ability to protect Adam from harm. Ben knew his brother and close friends would want to support him, but no pack member would be willing to fight their alpha over a measly human. If he took Adam back to his pack, Ben would be outnumbered if the alpha really meant to hurt his mate.
Of course, his alpha didn’t know Adam was his mate. What if he just told him the truth? Would that change anything? A wolf finding their sufletul pereche was supposed to be revered above all else, wasn’t it? But what if his alpha wanted Adam for himself? If that was the case, Ben was certain he wouldn’t stay breathing much longer once his alpha knew the truth.
Ben paced back and forth in the office, running his hands through his hair distractedly. He honestly didn’t know what to do and felt almost paralyzed by the indecision. He pushed his worries to the side when he realized how long he had left Adam alone. He breathed deep and slow, calming both sides of his being, not wanting to bring his stress into Adam’s world right now. He’d had too much excitement already today on his own. Ben caught a whiff of acrid sweat on the air and knew instinctively his mate was unsettled. He purposefully strode through the house to find Adam and make sure he was alright.
When Ben neared his bedroom, he could smell Adam’s fear building, like a cloud of smoke spiraling up from a fire made of wet, green wood. Even if he was blind he would have felt it. He didn’t know what he’d done to scare Adam, but he could feel the distance growing between them again. His wolf paced back and forth, intent on breaking free and claiming his mate. Ben knew for certain there would never be peace between them if he didn’t give Adam time to come to the decision on his own. They would be mated, but they would never truly be one as they were meant to be.
He did his best to calm Adam’s fears and get him to stay the night. Finally, he admitted defeat, having to force himself to give Adam the time he needed. Ben turned his back on Adam’s trembling form and braced himself in the open doorway, practicing his deep breathing. Finally, when he felt in control again, he turned back and tried out a tentative smile. Adam flinched, so he figured that was an epic fail. Ben pushed on, needing to put some distance between them, as well, if he was going to make good on his promise not to hurt his mate unintentionally.
“Okay, let’s go. I’ll take you home now.”
Adam hesitated before moving as if waiting for the offer to be rescinded. Damn Adam’s parents for poisoning his trust in people. Slowly Adam stood and followed as Ben led the way to the garage. Ben clenched his hands by his sides to keep from reaching for his mate’s hand. Adam’s arms crossed tightly across his chest was enough of a rejection for now.
Chapter 21
Adam
Ben dropped Adam off down the street from his house again without any further shenanigans, for which Adam was immensely grateful. Ben had forced Adam to accept his own helmet despite Adam’s protests that he would be fine for the short ride home. Ben refused to start the bike until Adam put it on.
It wasn’t that Adam was that much of an adrenaline junkie after one motorcycle ride, but he just couldn’t stand the thought of anything else of Ben’s touching him at that moment. Adam had finally admitted defeat and taken the helmet when it became obvious Ben was not going to budge on the subject. Beyond that, Ben had not pushed Adam any further past his comfort zone during the short ride.
Adam silently prayed for his father to either be asleep or, even better, still gone as he strolled home. His head was bowed and hands shoved deep in his pockets as he neared his driveway. To his disappointment, he saw Charles’ ancient Subaru station wagon sitting in the dirt drive. He put his hand on the hood as he walked past and flinched at the cold metal. He knew he was in for it now.
Adam tried to stay silent as he turned the key in the knob and pushed in through the front door. He risked a quick glance into the living room and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his father’s recliner sitting empty. Adam pumped his hand in the air in silent victory and headed for his room, pleased he had avoi
ded another confrontation with his father after all the other excitement he had already had this weekend. He wasn’t sure his brain could handle anything more.
The door to Charles’ room was shut tight, which brought a relieved smile to Adam’s lips. He pushed open the door to his room and quickly entered, hoping to hide in the safety of his own space for the rest of the night.
“What the hell are you smiling about, boy?” Charles lay in the middle of Adam’s bed, booted feet crossed, hands folded behind his head. He had obviously been waiting for Adam to get home. Adam prayed to all the god’s that might be listening that he hadn’t been waiting long. Charles launched himself from the bed and had him pinned to his bedroom door before Adam could even think to escape. Charles’ hand was compressed over his windpipe as his flat black eyes drilled into him.
“Did I give you permission to stay out this late? No? I didn’t think so! Where in the hell have you been?!” Charles slammed Adam’s head against the door, not stopping long enough for Adam to answer. Not that he could anyway, with Charles’ hand practically crushing his windpipe. “Answer me, you little fuck! Where the hell have you been?”
