Jake managed a smile, but it turned into a wince when Kelan reached for the towel to inspect the damage.
“It’s nothing, ‘m okay. Was making you breakfast. Cut my damn hand with the knife.”
Kelan pulled the towel off Jake’s hand and sucked in a sharp breath. The cut on the pad of Jake’s hand was deep and bleeding profusely. Kelan squeezed the the edges of the wound together to try and stem the flow, but the bleeding continued.
“Jesus, it’s deep, Jake.”
“Yeah, think I need stitches.”
Kelan thought for a moment. He remembered hearing that a wolf’s blood had healing properties for his human mate. Without hesitation, he grabbed the knife from the counter top and slashed it across his own wrist. Jake’s eyes widened.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jake asked, horrified.
“Here, drink this,” he said, holding his wrist to Jake’s lips.
“Are you crazy?”
“Do it. It will help you heal.”
Jake was dubious, but he was starting to feel light-headed from the blood loss, so he used his good hand to hold Kelan’s wrist to his mouth and drank. The first drop of blood that entered his mouth tasted bitter and tangy, but the more he pulled into his mouth, the sweeter it became.
Jake began to feel better at once. The dizzy sensation left his body and a feeling of euphoria rushed through him. He pulled back reluctantly when Kelan’s blood ceased pouring into his mouth. He looked at Kelan’s wrist in shock. The cut had already healed over. He looked down at his own hand, surprised to discover the blood pouring from his hand had slowed down to a light trickle. He watched in awe as it stopped bleeding altogether and the deep gash started knitting back together before his eyes.
“That should do it,” Kelan said, nodding.
In a few moments, the slash on Jake’s hand had closed completely. A small pink scar was all that remained.
“Wow. How?” Jake asked, stunned.
“A wolf heals faster than a human. By taking my blood, my healing ability transferred to you. But it only works between mates, and only with human mates, at that. Wolves that are mated don’t need their partner’s healing ability—they have their own.”
Jake sat down heavily at the kitchen table.
“So we really are mated?”
Kelan took a seat at the table and reached out to grab Jake’s hand.
“Yes. Are you okay with that?”
“Yeah. It’s just a lot to take in, you know?”
“I know, baby, but we have all the time in world for you to get used to the idea. I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m beginning to think you mean that,” Jake said, averting his eyes from Kelan.
“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life. It’s you and me, Jake, till the end.”
“I like the sound of that. I like the sound of that a lot.”
“Jake? What happened with the wolf you were involved with before? Did he hurt you?”
Jake hung his head. He wasn’t sure he was ready to tell Kelan about Matty, but if things were going to work out between them, they shouldn’t have any secrets. He let out a long sigh then nodded.
“Yes, he did.”
Kelan’s eyes darkened and a ripple passed over his skin. Jake noticed Kelan’s knuckles were white as he gripped the kitchen table. He placed his hand over Kelan’s and stroked it lightly.
“He did hurt me, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“What do you mean?”
“I met Matt when I started college in Boston. We were both juniors. Matt was a business major and I was studying finance and economics. It was kinda funny, actually, when I saw him for the first time at a frat party. I remember thinking he had an animal magnetism about him.” Jake chuckled. “Little did I know.”
Kelan smiled. “What happened?”
“Matt sauntered over to me and asked if he could buy me a drink. I said, ‘But the drinks are free here.’ Matt just grinned and said, ‘Sure, but we’re not staying here. I’m taking you out to dinner and then you’re coming home with me.’ Believe it or not, I was a shy little thing back then. I’d never met anyone as confident.”
“Did you go home with him?”
Jake blushed. “Yeah, I did. We had dinner together, got along, and pretty much from that night on we were inseparable.”
“So how did he come to hurt you?”
“We dated for a few months. I was head over heels for him, and Matt said he loved me, too. He told me his secret, told me he was a wolf. I didn’t believe him at first, so he showed me. After that we became even closer if that was possible. Then…” Jake paused.
“Go on,” Kelan prompted.
Jake sighed. “After about a year, I got a new roommate, Chris. He was gay, too, but I wasn’t interested in him, of course. For me, no one could compare to Matty. One day I came home from class and I caught Matt and Chris in bed together.”
“Shit,” Kelan said. “That’s harsh.”
“Yeah, it was. Thing is, Matt seemed to be as cut up about it as I was. He said he loved me but that didn’t matter anymore because Chris was his mate.”
“Ah. I see.”
Jake nodded. “At the time I thought it was a line, you know? Just something he said to get rid of me. But now, after meeting you, I think maybe he was telling the truth. Still, it hurt like hell back then and, after that, I guess I stopped trusting people altogether.”
“It sounds like he didn’t set out to intentionally hurt you. I’m sure he did love you, but when a wolf finds his mate, it’s not something that can be overlooked. You don’t just want to be with that person—you have to be. It’s a yearning you can’t control.”
“Is that how you feel about me?” Jake asked.
Kelan nodded. “It damn near broke my heart when you sent me away the night we met. I can’t describe how painful it was, and I didn’t even know you at all then.”
“I’m sorry,” Jake said, leaning forward and placing a kiss on Kelan’s lips. “It won’t happen again.”
Kelan grinned. “I sincerely hope not.”
* * * *
Jake and Kelan skipped breakfast and instead took a long shower together to wash off the dried blood they were both covered in. Jake leaned his head back against the shower stall and closed his eyes while Kelan soaped up his body with firm yet teasing strokes of his hands.
Kelan couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Jake’s body. With each slow sweep of his hands over Jake’s muscles, Jake’s cock grew harder, twitching every time a moan escaped Kelan’s lips. Kelan lathered up Jake’s chest, then slid his hands down his abdomen before reaching the dark curls above his hard cock. He was driving Jake insane.
He groaned when Kelan’s hand skimmed over his dick, but Kelan didn’t stop there for any length of time. He moved his hands lower, massaging soap onto Jake’s balls and below. Kelan’s eyes were hot on him, his own breathing becoming as shallow as Jake’s own.
“Turn around, Jake,” Kelan commanded.
Jake didn’t hesitate. His legs were already trembling, so when he turned around he placed his hands on the wall in front of him to brace himself while Kelan set about soaping up his back and shoulders.
Kelan’s hands moved lower, tracing patterns down his spine with almost feather-light touches. He skimmed over Jake’s ass and slipped his fingers into the crease, cleaning Jake in his most private place. Jake’s breath caught in his throat. He was so turned on he thought he might explode, but he needed more.
“Kelan,” Jake breathed.
“Yes, baby?”
Jake looked over his shoulder and met Kelan’s eye. The lust on Kelan’s face made his mind up.
“I want you inside me.”
Kelan gasped and closed his eyes. He reached down, grabbed hold of his cock and squeezed hard. Jake’s words nearly had him shooting where he stood.
“Are you sure?” he asked, voice thick with need.
“Yes.”
Kelan
nodded. He leant forward and kissed Jake tenderly, teasing his lips with his tongue. At the same time, he reached down with his soapy fingers and traced the crack of Jake’s ass. Jake gasped into the kiss and thrust his ass back to meet Kelan’s fingers. Without preamble, Kelan slid one finger smoothly into Jake’s eager hole. Jake broke away from the kiss and turned his head away, leaning his forehead against the wall.
“Oh God,” he breathed. “More.”
Kelan gave it to him. He sped up the finger in Jake’s ass, adding another when Jake’s hips thrust back to meet his every movement. He curled his fingers and felt the raised nub inside his mate’s ass and stroked it a few times.
“Fuck! Please, Kelan. I need you in me now.”
Kelan growled and moved his fingers in Jake’s ass with more force. His other hand snaked around Jake’s hips, holding him in place. He leant forward and licked a path up Jake’s neck until he reached the small scar from the mating mark he’d given Jake the night before. He felt Jake go loose and pliant in his hands as he scraped his teeth over the wound. A whimper escaped Jake’s lips. He was shaking and seemed barely able to stay upright.
“Please,” he moaned again.
Kelan removed his fingers from Jake’s ass and squeezed a generous helping of liquid soap onto his hands. He smoothed it over his aching cock and positioned the head at Jake’s hole.
“I’m going to fuck you now,” Kelan whispered into Jake’s ear. “Then I’m going to bite you again, baby, just like I did last night.”
Jake’s only response was a low moan. His head fell back against Kelan’s chest and he ground his ass back against Kelan’s cock, forcing the head inside.
“Jesus, Jake,” Kelan breathed.
Kelan grabbed hold of Jake’s hips and eased his cock the rest of the way inside his mate’s ass. Jake was so hot and tight wrapped around him, he didn’t think he’d make it all the way inside before emptying his load. He managed to hold on, but only barely. Kelan stilled his hips and took a deep breath to calm down. He desperately wanted this to last but Jake wasn’t making it easy on him.
When Jake started wriggling and grinding his ass back into Kelan’s groin, Kelan knew Jake was ready. He started thrusting his cock, slowly at first, pulling almost all of the way out before plunging back inside, hard. Jake gasped, his hands slipping on the wall in front of him when he tried to find purchase.
Soon Kelan was pounding into Jake, grabbing Jake’s waist and pulling the smaller man onto his cock to meet his thrusts. Jake cried out every time Kelan nailed his prostate. His legs were trembling so much he knew Kelan’s strong hands on his hips were the only thing keeping him upright.
“You feel fucking perfect,” Kelan growled in his ear. “Better than I ever imagined. I want you to come for me.”
It was as though Kelan’s words tripped a switch inside Jake—as if he had been holding out, staving off his orgasm until Kelan told him to come. He threw his head back and screamed out his release, his spunk shooting out and hitting the wall in front of him. He shot harder and cried out again when Kelan’s teeth sunk into his neck and white-hot liquid spurted in his ass.
Kelan continued to jerk, Jake’s ass milking every last drop out of his cock. When he eventually stopped coming, he withdrew his teeth from Jake’s neck and licked over the wound to close it. He was barely able to keep upright, and the fact he was supporting Jake’s weight as well as his own made it even more difficult.
He slipped his cock out of Jake’s ass, eliciting a low moan from his mate. He chuckled and turned Jake around in his arms.
“You still alive?”
“Don’t know. Can’t think right now,” Jake said around a yawn.
Kelan switched off the shower and lifted Jake out onto the bathroom floor. He towelled him dry then roughly dried himself before carrying Jake to his bed. He got in behind Jake and pulled him to his chest, wrapping his arms around Jake’s waist.
“Come on, it’s still early. Let’s take a nap,” Kelan said, making himself comfortable against Jake’s back.
Jake nodded and within minutes his breathing had deepened and Kelan heard a light snore muffled by the pillows. Kelan closed his eyes and buried his face in the damp curls on the back of Jake’s head, inhaling his mate’s scent. He’d fucked out all of the tension his body had carried earlier. While his own eyes drifted shut, it occurred to him that things between Jake and him were going to work out after all.
* * * *
The first letter arrived later that morning. It was in a plain white envelope with no address and no postmark, hand-delivered. The words on the page were succinct.
Jake, I’m going to make you pay.
Jake stared at the letter in confusion, then handed it to Kelan to read. Kelan read the line three times.
“What the fuck does this mean?” he fumed, staring at the letter in outrage.
“Damned if I know,” Jake replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He took the letter from Kelan and threw it in the trash. “Some weirdo who gets his jollies trying to scare people?” he wondered out loud.
Kelan frowned. He retrieved the letter from the waste paper basket and read it again.
“I don’t like this Jake, I don’t like it one bit.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s probably just a prank.”
Jake’s words did nothing to ease Kelan’s mind. If some nut job thought they could threaten his mate, they had another think coming. They certainly hadn’t reckoned on a six foot four, pissed-off Texan wolf, that was for sure.
“What are you doing later today?” Kelan asked.
“Well, Saturday mornings I usually work out, but seeing as I missed it this morning, I was going to go later this afternoon. Why?”
“I’m supposed to be helping my brother move, thought you could give me a hand, maybe have some dinner there.”
Jake went rigid, staring at Kelan in shock.
“You want me to meet your brother?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Kelan. Don’t you think it’s a bit soon for the whole meeting the family part?”
“No, I don’t. Besides, after that letter, I don’t want to let you out of my sight until we figure out who sent it and deal with them.”
“I think you’re taking this a bit far. I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. I don’t need protecting. I can look after my—”
Kelan raised his eyebrow, staring at Jake and willing him to finish that sentence.
“Fine, I’ll go to your brother’s with you,” Jake conceded.
Kelan turned his face away from Jake and grinned. It seemed his mate was starting to see things his way. Perfect. Now if he could just convince Jake to move to Texas with him…
* * * *
It was starting to get dark by the time Jake and Kelan made it to Cody’s apartment. Jake stood nervously at Kelan’s side while they waited for the door to open. Kelan knew his mate still wasn’t sure about this, but it was too late to back out now. Stefan opened the door with a huge smile on his face and ushered them both inside.
“Cody! Your brother and Jake are here!” Stefan shouted over his shoulder.
Cody poked his head out of the bedroom and squeaked when he saw them. He rushed across the room and flung his arms around Jake.
“Oh my God, it’s so good to meet you!” he cooed.
Kelan and Stefan both growled at the same time. Kelan pulled Jake away while Stefan grabbed hold of Cody and tugged him away, too.
“Hey!” Cody shouted, still wriggling in Stefan’s arms. “I was just saying hello to my brother’s mate. Back off!”
Stefan and Kelan shared the same look of guilt while Jake just stood stock-still in the middle of the room, shocked and very wary.
“Don’t take any notice of these two idiots,” Cody said, glaring at his mate and brother in turn. “You’ll find that all alphas have over-inflated egos and even bigger jealous streaks.”
“Sorry,” they mumbled in unison.
Jake stepped forward and shook Cody’s hand, ignoring Kelan’s glare.
“It’s good to meet you, Cody.”
“Come on in, Jake. Can I get you something to drink?”
“He’ll have a scotch with a little water,” Kelan said.
“I can answer for myself, thank you,” Jake reprimanded. “I don’t need you to do my talking for me.”
Jake didn’t miss the knowing look that passed between Cody and his mate.
“He’s got teeth,” Stefan said with a chuckle. “I’m glad you’ve mated with someone who can keep you on your toes, Kelan.”
Kelan mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, “Figures.”
“I don’t know what you’re being so cocky about,” Cody chided. “You’re just as bad as he is. Come on, Jake, come and help me in the kitchen.”
Cody threaded his arm through Jake’s and poked his tongue out at Kelan before dragging Jake into the kitchen. When they were safely out of hearing distance, Jake turned to Cody and sighed.
“Do you ever get used to that?” he asked, nodding his head towards the living room.
“You will. It’s different for me because I grew up around alpha wolves so I knew exactly what to expect when I met Stefan. Just don’t let Kelan get away with any shit. For example, if you want him to do something for you, you have to plant the thought in his head and make it seem like it was his idea in the first place. That always worked for me with Kelan. Stefan is a little different,” Cody said. “But whining and moaning until I get my own way seems to do the trick with him just fine.”
Jake laughed. He was already warming to Kelan’s brother. He’d been nervous before arriving, but Cody made him feel right at ease. If only he were staying in New York. Jake was sure they could become friends.
“Kelan told me you’re moving to New Mexico to live with Stefan. Aren’t you going to be sorry to be leaving New York?”
“Yes and no,” Cody said, tilting his head sideways, thinking about the question. “I’m an artist, so, although I can paint anywhere, all the galleries that show my work are here in New York. We’ll only be staying in New Mexico for a short while until Stefan’s brother takes over as pack leader, then we’ll be moving to Texas, which is home for me. It’ll be a hassle coming back and forth to New York, but it’ll be worth it to be with Stefan.”
Kelan's Pursuit Page 5
