Merle

by Catherine Lievens

  Nootaw hoped he wouldn’t end up showing Merle his wolf’s instincts weren’t that good, but he knew that if he started thinking about all the things that could go wrong, he’d never bite Merle. So he pressed the side of his head harder against the pillow and waited.

  Merle didn’t bite him right away, and Nootaw jerked when instead of teeth, he felt soft kisses on his skin. He realized Merle was trying to make him relax—he hadn’t been aware how tense he was until now. He tried not to think about the bites and just revel in the kisses and the licks Merle was giving his neck, and when he finally felt Merle’s fangs sink in, he didn’t even flinch.

  Merle sucked, and Nootaw’s dick was so hard it hurt. He reached down, careful not to dislodge Merle, and tried to push his briefs down his legs. He just managed to free his dick before he gave up, sighing when it rubbed against Merle’s.

  Merle removed his fangs and licked the still raw bite. It made Nootaw shudder and feel oddly vulnerable, something he didn’t think he’d ever felt. But maybe it was okay to be vulnerable with Merle.

  Merle leaned away and looked at Nootaw. There was still a smudge of blood on his upper lip, and Nootaw licked it away. It became a kiss, at least until Merle gently pushed against Nootaw’s chest. They looked at each other, and Nootaw thought he could see the future in Merle’s eyes. Merle seemed to understand him even though he hadn’t said anything, and he pressed his head against his pillow, exposing his neck.

  Nootaw didn’t hesitate. He wasn’t even sure how it worked—would his entire body shift, or would his fangs be the only thing to do it? He probably should’ve thought about it earlier, but he was already biting down, and his body stayed human.

  He sucked down a mouthful of blood and closed his eyes, not knowing what to expect. He didn’t feel the urge to hurt Merle, though, so he sucked down again, and Merle plastered their bodies together, rocking his hips when Nootaw swallowed again. Nootaw moaned against Merle’s neck.

  Then something appeared out of nowhere in Nootaw’s mind. He could feel his arousal thrumming in his groin, but now he could also feel Merle’s, and he knew that if Merle didn’t stop rubbing against him, they’d both come way too soon.

  He let go of Merle’s flesh and licked the bite closed, but when he tried to kiss Merle, Merle pushed away from him. “I said I’d taste you when we were done.”

  Nootaw rolled on his back and stretched out. “Help yourself.”

  Merle didn’t waste time. He moved between Nootaw’s legs and sucked him down, making Nootaw groan. Nootaw let Merle do whatever he wanted and tangled his hand into Merle’s soft brown hair, but without using the hold to guide him. Merle had other ideas, though, because he reached up and tightened Nootaw’s hold on him, then slid his hands under Nootaw’s ass and pushed him upward. Nootaw took it as permission and started to move faster, fucking Merle’s mouth in short, quick shoves. His cock slid between Merle’s lips, coming out slicked and shiny. It was so obscenely hot to watch, and it was something Nootaw had never experienced. He’d known he wouldn’t last long like this, but his orgasm blindsided him anyway, and he came with a gasp. Merle tightened his lips around Nootaw’s cock and swallowed everything Nootaw gave him without complaining.

  Merle moved up and leaned over Nootaw. He kissed his stomach and looked up. A flare of heat passed through Nootaw’s groin, because Merle was looking at him like he was the greatest thing on earth, and it wasn’t something Nootaw expected. And apparently, it was a turn-on for him, because his cock twitched.

  “Now the rest of you,” Merle murmured. He lifted Nootaw’s leg and kissed his ankle, startling him.

  “What are you doing?” Nootaw asked.

  “I’m not done tasting you.” His lips drifted lightly over Nootaw’s skin, up his leg, then down the other.

  Nootaw never thought lovemaking, or whatever the fuck they were doing, could feel like that. He was used to hard and fast—barely satisfying in terms of human contact, but he hadn’t expected the worship. He let Merle do what he wanted without protesting. He could feel Merle needed at least some control right now, and he was enjoying the sensations way too much to try to push his mate away. He had a brief doubt, because he could see Merle’s erection bobbing as he moved and he thought that maybe he should reciprocate in some way. He didn’t want Merle to feel neglected, but Merle didn’t seem to care, and when Nootaw tried to sit up, he pushed him back down and kissed him.

  He kissed Nootaw’s lips, his jaw, down his neck. He licked Nootaw’s nipples, leaving him surprised because he didn’t know it could be so pleasurable. He needed to distract himself, because something was rising inside his chest, and it wasn’t pleasure. The way Merle was kissing him all over, exploring his body, made Nootaw feel vulnerable like he’d never felt before. “You made me come first so you could do this,” he said between two groans. “Didn’t you?”

  Merle smiled as he looked up from where he was dragging his mouth over Nootaw’s bellybutton. “I want to take you. Can I?”

  Nootaw pressed his lips together. To be honest, he’d never imagined himself being the one getting fucked. He’d thought he would be the one to fuck Merle, but then he’d never had sex with a man. Maybe Merle didn’t like it. But what if he didn’t like it either? How would it work then?

  “Stop worrying so much,” Merle whispered. “You can take me next time. I just want to feel you around me right now.”

  Nootaw still wasn’t sure he wanted to submit that way, but how could he say no to Merle when Merle was looking at him like that, his eyes full of affection and lust?

  “Yeah, okay. Just...”

  “Hush,” Merle said. “I’ll take care of you.”

  He gently pushed Nootaw’s legs apart and Nootaw felt a finger nudge against his entrance. He tightened without meaning to, and Merle chuckled. “I’ll feel it if I hurt you, remember? We’re bonded.”

  That didn’t really help Nootaw relax, even though he tried. Then Merle blew on his asshole, and the sensation was so foreign that he forgot to stay tense for the time it took Merle to push a finger inside him.

  Nootaw’s eyes went wide. It didn’t hurt, not like he’d thought it might. Merle slid his finger out, then back inside, and Nootaw frowned. “When did you get the lube?”

  “I might have had some under my pillow.”

  “Wouldn’t that be uncomfortable to sleep on?”

  “Mmm, not really. It was under the upper part of the pillow, and the tube isn’t that big. We might want to buy some more, though. We’re going to need it.” He continued to move his finger, and Nootaw relaxed even more.

  “You know, that’s actually... nice.” Nootaw was relaxed now, and he felt the moment when Merle added a second finger. It stung, but it was nothing he couldn’t stand. Besides, his cock was hard again, and he was starting to feel empty. It was weird, but not bad. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone but Merle, though, and that felt weird too. When had Merle become someone Nootaw trusted implicitly? They’d only met the day before, so how was it Nootaw already knew Merle would never do anything to hurt him?

  Then Merle did something with his fingers, and Nootaw forgot all about trust and worries. “What the fuck?”

  Merle grinned up at him. “Welcome to the wonders of anal sex.”

  He pushed another finger inside, and Nootaw gritted his teeth. It wasn’t pain. It did hurt, but it was the sensation of fullness that made Nootaw feel weird and a bit uncomfortable.

  “You can do this to me next time,” Merle whispered. “Can you imagine it? Or maybe you want me to do it to myself while you watch?”

  “Fuck.” Nootaw didn’t have problems imagining that. Merle touching himself, putting his own fingers inside his ass while Nootaw watched.

  Merle moved his fingers again, and Nootaw’s back arched without his permission. “I think you should stop that if you don’t want me to come a second time.”

  “You can if you want to.”

  “I don’t, not if you don’t.�
��

  Merle stopped cold and Nootaw groaned. He looked down and saw that Merle was slicking his cock. It looked like it might explode, angry red and leaking. It was a bit intimidating, especially if Nootaw thought of where it was going, so he looked at Merle’s face again.

  Merle smiled softly and stretched himself between Nootaw’s legs. He kissed him long enough to distract him, and when Nootaw finally felt him slide inside, the terrible pain he’d been expecting never came.

  It was uncomfortable at first, but Merle distracted him with kisses and nips and soft strokes.

  “Oh.” Nootaw rolled his body. The stretch in his ass was good. Very good.

  “What?” Merle asked. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine, it’s...” Nootaw didn’t know how to explain it, but Merle seemed to understand it anyway. He smiled and kissed Nootaw, and the way he looked at Nootaw made him feel like he was really worthy of being his focus. He’d never had that much attention from another person, not this kind of attention. Merle could have had anyone he wanted to, yet he’d chosen to be with Nootaw, and now Nootaw could have Merle’s time, focus, and laughter whenever he wanted it.

  Nootaw put his hands above his head and arched his body up. Merle’s cock slid all the way home with a satisfying drag and burn, and Nootaw moaned as he took it, forgetting all about pain. Merle looked so concentrated on giving Nootaw pleasure, on making sure his first time like this was good. It made Nootaw feel incredible.

  He wrapped his legs around Merle and pushed his heels against Merle’s ass. Merle smiled at him, but Nootaw could see he was about to come. Their bond was flooded with pleasure and need, and he didn’t want Merle to have to wait any longer.

  He reached down and grabbed his cock, and Merle’s hips stuttered, his rhythm changing.

  “More,” Nootaw gasped as he jacked himself off. “Give me more, Merle. Give me everything.”

  Merle moved faster, harder, and Nootaw moved with him. He just had the time to wonder whether Kameron and Zach were anywhere in the vicinity of their room before he came, screaming through his orgasm.

  He kept his eyes focused on Merle as he relaxed against the mattress, shut his eyes and bit his lower lip. Their bond did something weird, almost like a shiver, and Merle came.

  Merle stayed still for a few moments, and when he opened his eyes, he looked softer, younger, like all the pain he’d had to endure had disappeared for a little while. Nootaw decided there and then that if fucking him meant Merle could be at peace with himself even for only a short while, Nootaw would let him do it any time he could.

  Chapter Five

  Merle had expected Kameron and Zach to be in the house, but not Noah. “Umm, hi.”

  Noah rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like I’m going to make you explode. I swear I have a better grip on my powers now.”

  “That’s what you said a week ago, just before you blew the microwave up.”

  Noah shook a finger at Merle. “Your mother was lucky it was the microwave and not her.”

  Merle sighed. “I know.”

  “She’s still being so harsh?”

  “Yeah.”

  To say that Merle’s mother hadn’t been happy to find out Merle and Nootaw had mated was an understatement. She’d had the unfortunate idea to come by Kam’s house the day after Merle had moved out, and the even worse one of walking into Merle’s room without knocking first.

  Kameron had had to intervene and he’d almost kicked her out. Noah had been there, and he hadn’t taken her words well. Everyone had calmed down when the microwave had exploded, though, so it hadn’t been that bad a thing, even though there still were scorch marks on the wall.

  “Have you tried talking to her?” Noah asked as he rubbed at the dark smudges on the wall. Kameron had been clear—Noah had made the microwave explode, so Noah had to clean up and buy a new one.

  “I’ve tried, my brother tried, even my father tried.”

  Noah looked at Merle. “Nothing?”

  “No. I’ve always known she’s stubborn, but I thought that, you know, since we’re talking about my happiness...”

  “You thought she’d accept it.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What about Brent and your father?”

  “Brent doesn’t care. He’s happy for me, but that’s about all. Dad, well, I know he’s wary of Nootaw, but there’s nothing he can do now. Not that he tried. He just asked me if I was sure and accepted my yes.”

  “I hope your mom will come around.”

  “Me too. I know she just wants me to be okay, really, but she’s making things harder.”

  Noah snickered. “Maybe she wouldn’t if she hadn’t walked in on you and Nootaw getting it on.”

  “We weren’t getting it on!”

  Noah waved his brush at Merle. “Please. You ran in here buck naked and with your stomach still shinning of cum.”

  Merle winced at the reminder. “I really should’ve dressed up before running after her.”

  “Yeah, you should have. Although it did enable me to understand who topped and who bottomed.” He sucked on his lower lip. “I wouldn’t have thought, but then people who see me and Duncan usually think he’s the top.”

  “Can we not talk about your sex life, or anyone’s?”

  “Mmm, okay. If you help me clean this up.”

  Merle sighed and held his hand out. “Give me the brush. Not like I have anything else to do anyway.”

  They worked in silence for a while, but Merle could sense Noah wanted to talk. When Noah’s fingers started to spark, Merle decided he’d had enough. “What are you working yourself up on?”

  Noah shrugged. “Just thinking about your mother’s words, you know. About Nootaw.”

  “That he’s a monster?”

  “Yeah. Doesn’t it make you feel weird? You know, that he ate people?”

  “Of course it does, if I think about it.”

  “You don’t?”

  “Not if I can help it. I know what he did isn’t a good thing, but I also know he did it to survive and that he hasn’t hurt anyone ever since he left his tribe. I can’t let myself think about what he did before. It’s like Jago, I guess. He loves Corbin even though he knows Corbin killed people. Who are we to judge them?”

  Merle heard the front door open, but he didn’t stop scrubbing. The black soot was slowly coming off, but it would take a little longer before they got it completely off.

  “Merle?”

  “Kitchen.” Brent came in, looking angry, and Merle’s stomach dropped. “What happened?”

  Brent waved Merle’s words away and sat heavily at the table. He raked a hand in his hair and took a deep breath. Merle and Noah stopped scrubbing and looked at each other, then at Brent.

  “Come on, Brent. You’re scaring me.”

  Instead of answering, Brent straightened his hands and raised them toward Merle, palms down. Merle gasped. The knuckles on both hands were swollen and red, some of them even split, with blood oozing from the cuts.

  Merle blindly handed the brush to Noah and went to take his brother’s left hand in both of his. He took care not to touch the wounds. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.”

  Merle gently slapped Brent’s arm. “Stop trying to bullshit me. Who did you fight with and why?”

  Brent sighed. “Just some guys. They were talking about you and Nootaw.”

  “What did they say?”

  “You don’t want to know, Merle.”

  “Yeah, I do. I want to know what and who.”

  “Just some of the other recruits.”

  Merle let Brent’s hand go and went to grab the first-aid kit from under the sink. He put it on the table, opened it, and started to clean Brent’s hand. Brent hissed, and Merle tried to be more careful. “So? Who was it?”

  Brent sighed. “You’re not gonna let it go until I tell you, huh?”

  “No.”

  “Alexan
der, Victor, and Eve.”

  Those names didn’t surprise Merle. They were the same ones who’d talked about what had happened to Merle in the lab with snide words, the ones who thought he wasn’t good enough to be a soldier for the pack and protect it. “What did they say?”

  “Merle...”

  “What did they say?” Merle asked again, his voice harsher this time. He poked at one of the wounds on Brent’s hand a bit too hard and Brent flinched.

  “They were wondering how long it would take Nootaw to eat you and how you could stand to, you know. Do it with him. They said it was possible only because you came back broken, and that you did the right thing not coming back to train with us.”

  There was a zip sound behind Merle, and he just had the time to push Brent down before something exploded. Brent swore as they hit the ground and thick black smoke filled the kitchen. Small debris floated down and Merle turned to see what had happened. Not that he could actually see anything. “Noah?”

  “I’m here.” He coughed. “I’m fine.”

  Merle’s eyes burned and he closed them for a few seconds. He heard Noah move around and the sound of the window opening. “What happened?”

  “I got angry.”

  Brent pushed Merle’s arm. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about those three jackasses.”

  “What the fuck?” Zach’s voice came from the kitchen door. “Noah! I bet everything I own you’re somewhere in the kitchen.”

  “Hi, Zach,” Noah said sheepishly.

  The smoke was dissipating already, thanks to a nice summer breeze. There was a strange sound, and Merle saw Zach blowing the smoke out the window with a hair dryer. Merle got up and held a hand out to Brent. “You okay?”

  Brent rubbed his ass. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.”

  “What happened?” Zach asked over the noise of the dryer.

  “Brent was telling Merle what some dickheads said and I kinda got angry,” Noah explained.

  Merle pushed Brent in his chair again and continued cleaning the wounds. They were both silent, but Merle could hear Zach and Noah talking. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it didn’t matter.