by Fel Fern
“I can never sneak up on you, can I?” Dale asked.
“Sure you can, if this cat wants to be caught.”
“Gimme a kiss.”
“What a demanding little human.”
“What? You like me this way.”
Malik smiled, ran a hand down the line of Dale’s tempting body, and watched Dale shiver in anticipation from the mere touch alone. He reached for Dale’s cock, already at half-mast. “Someone woke up happy today,” he can’t help but remark.
Dale scoffed. “Speak for yourself.”
“Sore from last night?” he asked.
“A little, but I can definitely have some morning fun.” Dale leaned forward and gave him a kiss.
Malik responded with equal passion. When he pulled away, he smiled.
“Oh no.”
“Hey, I haven’t even done anything but kiss you,” Malik protested.
“That mischievous smile tells me you’re about to do wicked things to this poor defenseless human.”
“Horny human you mean.”
“Yep, absolutely.”
Malik laughed, began kissing the side of Dale’s neck and moving downward. He took his time, running his hands over the planes of Dale’s body, memorizing every detail. Soon enough, he’d know Dale’s secret places, sensitive spots, and the ones that could make Dale laugh. They had their whole lives ahead of them, but Malik was a believer in starting now.
“Are you going to tease me all day?” Dale demanded, looking a little breathless, bewildered when Malik left another bite mark on Dale’s other unmarked nipple.
“Hmm, actually. I want to find out if you’d purr for me.”
“W-what does that mean exactly?”
Not answering Dale, Malik went lower, past Dale’s stomach to nuzzle at Dale’s groin. Dale moaned, about to reach forward, but Malik gave him a warning. “Keep your hands there, little human, or I’ll tie you up. I don’t want to be interrupted, when sampling my decadent morning delight.”
Dale placed his hands above his head, then wore a big grin on his face. “I’m your decadent delight?”
He laughed. “Only you.”
Malik made a show of licking Dale’s entire prick with his tongue. “Did you know cats are well-versed in using their tongues?”
Dale groaned as the realization dawned on him.
“Purr for me, little human.” Malik swirled his tongue around Dale’s cock head, paying attention to the sensitive spot underneath.
“I’ll hold out, you see.” Although Dale said that, the little human’s breathing increased, and Malik could hear Dale’s racing heart.
“Want to make a bet then? If you come before my say-so, then you’ll do whatever I want.”
Dale paled, although Malik could taste his mate’s excitement in the air. “You’re on.”
Malik used his hands to hold down Dale’s thighs. He alternated between fast and slow strokes, dragged his tongue down Dale’s balls, past Dale’s cease. Prying Dale’s legs opened, he traced Dale’s hole with his tongue. Dale groaned.
“Oh God, Malik. You’re going to drive me insane.”
Malik paused. “Baby, by the time I’m done with you, you’re going to beg me to fuck you.”
He pushed his tongue in, exploring the muscles which clenched at his entrance. Dale mewled above him, clawed at the sheets. Malik reached for Dale’s cock, began to work it with his hand until Dale’s prick was at full length, ready to blow. He licked, nipped, hell-bent on getting that particular reaction from his mate. Knowing Dale was close, he raised his head, then squeezed Dale’s balls.
Dale did purr for him, crying out as he came, painting his abs and stomach with jizz.
Malik smiled. “I win. Now turn over because it’s my turn to drill you.”
* * * *
Henry was the first to notice. “Dude, what is that big-ass bandage on your neck?”
Wren’s eyes widened. “No. Really?”
Dale nodded and jerked the collar of his shirt down to show off the mark. He thought his friends would have judgment in their eyes, tell him it had been a reckless, impulsive move. Dale was wrong.
“Congratulations, man!” Henry declared. “Lunch is on me.”
“You don’t have to do that. You guys aren’t going to tell me I’m insane?” he had to ask.
Wren shook his head. “We sort of suspected something was going on. I mean, come on, Dale. You guys are living together already. Plus, Cole told me he hasn’t seen Malik that happy, genuinely happy in such a long time.”
“Spencer said the same thing,” Henry pointed out. “Malik’s hard to hard to figure out.”
“But,” he continued. “His real self shines through once you get to know him.”
“So, details. Tell us everything.”
He did, leaving no secrets from his friends. Well, except the more private moments with his mate of course.
“You guys actually seem perfect for each other, despite your differences,” Wren said after, then paused, concern in his eyes. “But, Dale, what’s going to happen? What if you make it big and some producer hears you and wants you to move? Will Malik move with you?”
Those questions hit him like the ammo of a machine gun. Dale froze, unsure of how to answer Wren’s questions, but they did bear some weight. Then again, his music career didn’t seem to be going anywhere, but Malik taking him to sing his frustrations out had reminded him why he loved music in the first place.
“I don’t know,” he finally admitted, but Dale intended to find out.
After the lunch meeting, he went back to the cafe. His shift seemed to go on longer than usual. Perhaps it was the lack of afternoon customers that made him restless, his mind wander. When it came for his fifteen-minute break, he saw a missed call from an unknown number on his phone.
Dale rang it up. “Hello, this is Dale Fisher, and I received a missed call about thirty-minutes ago.”
“Dale Fisher? Hold on a second while I get the list.” There was the sound of shuffling papers. “Right, could you come down to the club tomorrow afternoon? The bar owners loved the video link you sent us. We have a free opening slot. Oh, I have another call waiting. I’ll e-mail and text you the address of the Shrieking Wolf as well as the time.”
The person on the other line cut the call, and he blinked, wondering if he’d imagined it all. The Shrieking Wolf was one of the up-and-coming bars in the city, one rumored to have a couple of agents scouting for new talents. Sweat tickled down his back.
His phone beeped again with promised address and time. He swallowed. A ten o’clock slot, and Malik had invited him to dinner with his brothers and their mates tomorrow, too.
The old him would have dropped everything at a moment’s notice to head for the auditions the next day. He’d practice his ass off, too excited to sleep, except Dale was no longer that immature or impulsive now. There were other things to consider.
Would Malik stop him from going? God, Wren’s words came back to him. No. Of course not. Malik had never once discouraged him from his dream though. Hell, even when they were merely friends, Malik had always found ways to encourage him. Except now, Malik was his mate, his better half.
His phone rang again. He picked up, thinking it was the agent.
“Dale, I picked up a flare of anxiety through the mating bond. Are you all right?”
“The mating bond can do that?” he blurted.
“Of course. Well, it sort of sends a warning signal, when you experience certain emotions.”
He bit his lip. Communication and trust were the key of any relationship, and theirs was so new. His old worries ebbed away, after hearing Malik’s voice. “I need to talk to you about something later tonight.”
Chapter Nine
“So, that’s the gist of it,” Dale explained later that dinner.
“Fuck, baby. I’ve wished you told me sooner.” Malik was out of his seat and suddenly hugging him from behind, not the reaction he’d been expecting. “I’m so proud of you.�
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“You are?” he asked, blinking. Oh, this was nice. He thoroughly enjoyed being on the receiving end of Malik’s snuggles, kisses, dirty deeds, and, well, everything.
“Of course. Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
“Worry, why?”
Malik expelled a sigh. “The other day, I wanted to confront you about why you were taking double shifts at the cafe when you should also be paying equal attention to your music.”
“I got depressed because there were no responses, but I should know by now that this side gig of mine has its ups and downs.”
Malik settled back in his seat. “Tell me about your gig tomorrow.”
Dale knew he got excited too much when talking about his passion. Sometimes, he rambled on for long periods of time, boring his friends, but Malik listened the entire time.
“So,” Malik eventually said. “Super big deal.”
“Very. If you want…” He sounded embarrassed, damn it. “I can get someone to video me playing and show you?”
“A video from someone? What for? I’ll do it myself.”
Malik’s words took some time to sink in.
“Uh, baby, it’s like a three-hour drive to Nashville.”
“Yup, so I’ll be the one driving so you can be at your best, not that you’re not amazing already.” Malik grinned. Dale stared, still unable to believe Malik didn’t even hesitate to offer to drive him.
“Are you sure?”
“Don’t want me to be there?” Malik threw back. “Of course I want to be present at every special moment in your life. Plus, who wouldn’t want epic bragging rights?”
Still, Dale had to make one point. “What about dinner with your brothers? I mean, isn’t this dinner a weekly thing?”
Dale backing out at the last minute would definitely leave a bad impression.
“They can man the grill without me. Dinners can wait. Besides, this happens once in a lifetime, right?”
“Will they think poorly of me?”
“Why are you worried about what they think?”
Dale blinked. “They’re your family. Of course I want them to like me.”
“Spencer and Cole already do.”
“Really?”
“It seems to me you’re giving too many reasons for me not to come. Why, did you like, write an embarrassing love song about me?” Malik grinned. Damn it, but the jaguar Alpha knew Dale had a terrible weakness for his smiles.
“Of course not.” He didn’t mention he was, in fact, in the midst of writing one, but that song would be just for Malik’s ears.
“Aw, you are, aren’t you?”
“Nope. I know you changed topic, because you think I’m nervous.”
“You aren’t?”
“I really am,” he confessed. “Do you mind if I practice in the living room?”
“You don’t have to ask permission for that, baby. This is ours now, and since you’re not using that guest room any longer, we can even make it a private space for you to write songs and practice.
Sunned, Dale’s heart threatened to burst out of his chest. Damn it, how lucky was he? His parents had thrown him out, because they never believed he could do anything with his music. Dale might never make it big, but he liked singing in front of an audience, to know his song reached their hearts, made them smile.
Tears welled in his eyes. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me by killing it in tomorrow’s performance.”
* * * *
That night, after bullying his mate into taking an early night’s sleep, Malik made sure Dale’s snores filled the room. He kissed Dale on the cheek, pulled up the comforter over Dale, and gave Dale a pillow to hug, before heading out. Unlike the times he went out to run, his animal wasn’t worried, not eager to rip out of his skin.
Malik drove up to his usual spot, unsurprised to find Nash there. He’d updated his brothers about what happened. Well, it seemed Spencer and Cole had been the first to know. Neither men had been surprised by Dale and his mating, although Nash was concerned and invited him for a night run.
“Hey,” he greeted his brother. “Been here long?”
“Just arrived.” Nash regarded him. “You look good. I thought your jaguar would be ripping out of your skin by now.”
He snorted. Anger sparked inside of him, but only for a moment. Nash was just worried about him, that was all.
“I appreciate the concern, but I actually feel better than ever. I’ve always known my jaguar was little untamed, but Dale’s the right man to calm the beast.”
“He’s your mate.” Nash blew out a breath. “Sorry for making the wrong assumptions.”
“It’s okay. We’ve been avoiding addressing the big elephant in the room for so long that tension’s bound to explode, but when Dale offered himself to me, it wasn’t an impulsive reason. Dale merely confirmed what my inner animal knew along, that we’re mates.”
“So, not up for a run?”
Malik wanted to prod, to wonder what had really prompted Nash to ask him out here, but unlike Cole and Spencer, Nash had always been more closed off, although Nash never hesitated to help either of them when they got into trouble. The best thing to do, Malik learned from private experience, was to wait until Nash was ready to talk. When he did, Malik would be ready to listen and provide advice.
“Nah, a run would do me some good, but one thing first. I came here to tell you Dale and I aren’t going to be able to make it for dinner.”
Nash raised an eyebrow, and a brilliant idea struck him.
“Hey, I need to ask you and the others a favor though.”
* * * *
You got this, baby. I’m with you every step of the way. Malik’s encouraging words echoed in his head. Malik’s belief in him made his hand stop shaking. Dale strummed a few strings on his guitar, took a deep breath, and tried to block out the sounds of the audience. After this song, it was his turn on stage.
Dale should have never doubted Malik, because his mate was out there, along with his brothers, even Wren and Henry, cheering him on. The thought of them all watching should have made him nervous. He was terrified he’d disappoint Malik especially after all the support and encouragement Malik gave him.
Heck, yesterday evening, Malik had been offended that Dale even considered not going for the gig.
“Fisher, you’re up,” said the manager, Mr. Dawson. “You ready?”
“I am.” He took deep breaths.
Dale wasn’t a newbie. Heck, he’d been in more of these ever since he could remember, except those had been smaller stages and an even smaller audience. Still, unlike before, he was no longer alone. Dale thought of the first time Henry and Wren had gone to one of his gigs, the sheer surprise he’d felt that they had made an effort to come. Dale stepped onto the stage.
This would be the biggest crowd he sang to so far, but he only had eyes for his new family, his mate. Every drop of worry and fear ebbed away. Dale adjusted the microphone.
“I’m supposed to sing a cover, but here’s an original I’ve worked on for a long time. I hope you folks like it.” Dale rushed the first bit of the song on his guitar, but quickly got over his initial mistake and went with the flow.
The words poured out of him, seamless and smooth. Most gigs he went to, his nerves sometimes got the better him. Tonight, it felt like Malik’s confidence rubbed on him, and the rest of the song went without a hitch. He sang three more songs, blushing at the deafening applause after.
Dale took off his guitar as he exited left of the stage, to feel Malik’s corded arms around his waist. He spun and buried his face into Malik’s chest, breathing in his scent.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
Malik’s warm laugh made his insides melt. “For what?”
“For supporting me, even dragging the others along.”
Malik kissed him on the lips. “Baby, they’re happy to be here. Look how far you’ve gone.”
A few more questions hovered on the tip of hi
s tongue, but he’d discuss them with Malik later. They joined the others for dinner, some good beer, and excellent music. He didn’t expect to enjoy himself so much, or laugh so much either. Wren and Cole left early, because they’d left Tricia with a babysitter. Nearing midnight, Malik and he drove back home, but he wasn’t sleepy, not by a long shot.
“Baby,” he hesitated. “What does this mean for us?”
“What do you mean? If you have a gig, I’ll drive you to all of them. If you ever make it big and if it’s necessary to move, then we’ll go ahead.” Malik’s direct response stunned him.
“You’re okay with that?” he blurted. Then he looked at his hands. “You know, dreams can change, too.”
“Are you saying that for my sake?”
“No, not at all,” Dale explained himself. “I don’t mind driving on the weekends to somewhere far to perform, but Snow Valley is my home and yours. Our future is there.”
Malik frowned, but kept his eyes on the road. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah, I am,” Dale replied without hesitation.
Malik grinned. “Well, tell me if you ever change your mind. I can work remotely or make an arrangement with my brothers. You’re my mate, and I’ll go wherever you go.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
Malik laughed. “Careful now, little human. You don’t want my ego to become overinflated, do you?”
“Oh, I think I can handle one cocky gorgeous jaguar Alpha.”
“Let’s see about that.”
Chapter Ten
Two weeks later
“Dale, can you hand me the drill?” Malik asked his mate. He frowned when Dale didn’t respond. Malik craned his head to see his mate still seated in one of the dining room chairs, nursing a coffee, watching him. A smile curved his lips. “See something interesting?”
“Well, you’re walking eye candy and you’re mine,” Dale said, pleasure filling him at those words.
It sated his jaguar, too, noticing Dale was settling into the role of his mate. Today marked the official day Dale moved in with him as his mate, because they recently went out to look for furniture.
