by J. D. Light
It took me back to a time when that very same tone was directed at Burke and me. It was always quickly followed by pain or humiliation. Or sometimes both.
But it was their words that struck me in the heart more than their tone. For once, I felt safe and protected from people like them. But when they'd mentioned that Barron had never been into men before, my heart sank.
Never? Then, how could he possibly be happy with the decision thrust upon him? To be stuck with a mate that was clearly male for the rest of his very, very long life?
For the thousandth time since I'd overheard them talking, tears pricked at my eyes and I had to take deep breaths not to start bawling on the spot. I'd done that enough last night while my phone continued to ring and endless voice and text messages popped up on the screen. And then even more when they all stopped.
Barron would be getting home within the next couple of hours and I had absolutely no idea how I was going to handle it. He'd want closure, and I honestly couldn't blame him for that. But I didn't know how I was going to give it to him.
The only thing I could say to him that I'm sure would drive him away was more than I could handle. To let that gorgeous, perfect, special being believe that he was boring or plain, just to get him to leave me, was more than I was capable of.
The bell overhead rang and I plastered on the fakest smile I could muster with my heart broken in pieces. Why had I picked a vocation with such a romantic background? Now I was going to have to see endless amounts of happy men buying flowers for their first dates or anniversaries, or just because they were so in love, they wanted a physical display, just to show how much.
When I found Barron standing nervously in the doorway, clearly unsure of how to proceed, and obviously taking everything on himself like he was the one who caused this somehow, I knew I wasn't going to be able to do it. I wasn't going to be able to break it off.
I wanted him entirely too much, and simply could. Not. Fathom the idea of causing him pain in the name of trying to protect myself in the future. If he was happy with me right now, then I would take it. I would take it as long as I could get it and I would cherish it completely.
"I'm sorry––" he started, his shoulders already crumpling, doing exactly what I knew he was going to do. Take the blame on himself.
"I'm so sorry, Barron!" I yelled, interrupting him and launching myself into his arms, rapping my legs around his waist, and sobbing into his neck. "I don't care if the mate pull is the only reason ya want me. I'll take whatever I can get."
"What?"
"I know ya don't actually like men," I said, burying my head in deeper, nearly trying to climb inside him as he held me in the air. "I overheard a couple of your leap members talking about it when I was standin' in line at Bunny's. But I swear I'll be the best mate in the whole world. I'll never cheat. Hell, I haven't wanted anyone else since the first time I saw ya. I'll always listen to your problems, and try to make ya smile. I'll rub your back when you're feelin' stressed and give you the prettiest babies in the whole world."
"So, you're not already bored of me?"
Pulling my head back, I took his face in both of my hands. "Barron Franks, there is not one single thing about ya that I find borin' or plain. Well, your shirts are pretty plain. But I like that. I like that you're simple. I'm not a fancy guy either. I enjoy the simple things in life. Ya do realize I've spent almost every night for three fuckin' months sittin' in the dark with every light in the house off, just so I could enjoy the scenery around your backyard."
"So, you're not giving up on me?" His eyes looked so hopeful and happy, I couldn't help but tear up. He really did want to be with me.
"I don't know who made you think that you weren't worth the world, but they were absolutely insane, and I will gladly take what they were too fuckin' stupid to latch onto."
"It was just a couple guys I was thinking about trying to have more than just a one off with."
"Well, they can just…wait. Did you say guys?" My brain had been so focused on wanting to kill the person who would hurt such a perfect man, I'd almost completely missed what he'd said.
Nodding, Barron smiled. "I've always leaned toward men, but every shifter is prepared for the fact that their mate might be a male or female. I would have loved you even if you had breasts. The mate pull isn't just some random thing. Your mate is the one person in the whole world who completes you. The person who you are most compatible with in every way. It's a natural draw. I'm not forced to love and want you just because you're my mate. You're my mate because you are the person I'll want and love most."
"Well, fuck." When he explained it like that, it seemed ridiculous that I'd been so worried. This man was literally the best match for me in every way.
"How close are you to finishing up here?"
"Are you fuckin' kiddin'?" I ran to the back, disappearing through the swinging door and reappearing with my keys before the thing even finished swinging. "I haven't seen you in years! Even if there were a line of forgetful husbands willin' to pay triple for all the flowers in my store, I'd gladly shoe them out." I stopped directly in front of Barron, looking up into his beautiful black-brown eyes. "I missed you so much."
I felt myself crying again, the tears running down my cheek, and pausing for a second before dropping to my shirt, or running down my neck.
Barron pulled me close, pressing his trembling lips against the side of my head. But not before I saw the wetness of his eyes. "I missed you too, sweet Sutton. I was scared to death that you had realized how annoyingly boring I am, and decided you couldn't handle it. I was thinking about asking Bennett to point us in the direction of the nearest sky diving place."
I jerked my head back. "Have you lost your mind? May I never be stupid enough to jump out of a plane." I frowned looking up into his shimmering, dancing eyes. "Seriously, Barron. You can't let anyone talk me into it when I'm drunk either. I'm way to brave when alcohol is involved."
"I'll keep you safe, sweet Sutton."
"Good luck with that, Barron."
***
Because neither of us could stand the idea of being separated from the other for another minute, I climbed in the cab of his truck, after locking up my shop and tried to keep my knee from bouncing the entire drive to his house.
I wasn't sure what I was so nervous about, I'd had sex before, but the anticipation was an itch under my skin. The closer we got to our houses, the more my stomach twisted with nerves.
"We don't have to do anything tonight, sweet Sutton," he said, reaching over to lay a heavy hand on my leg when I'd forgotten to keep it in check. "I'd be happy to just hold you until we fall asleep. I just need you close to me. My leopard is struggling with the idea that we almost lost you."
"Well, my inner human isn't all that happy about it either," I said, crossing my arms. "And I don't know if you heard me correctly, but I've been lustin' after you since I moved in. Which is pretty damn close to four months ago. Not to mention how pathetically weird I was the entire time. If you haven't run by now, we aren't leavin' whichever bed until you've claimed me. Do I make myself clear?"
The grip on my knee tightened and a low grow vibrated the air around me. Suddenly, the truck lurched forward, making me squeak, as I bounced against the back seat, and was then plastered there.
I guess someone was in a hurry.
"Once I pull into my driveway, you have exactly thirty seconds to get out, and make it up to my room with whatever clothes you don't mind me ripping off of you only. Otherwise, you'll be wearing another one of my plain white t-shirts, because thirty seconds is about all the patience I have."
I didn't know whether to believe him or not. So, when he pulled in, he didn't even have it in park before I was racing toward the house, unbuttoning my shirt, and pulling it free from my pants as I went.
I nearly fell down the stairs when I reached the top, and missed a step while fighting with the zipper of my pants. Strong arms wrapped around me, saving me from my tumble, and I was still
able to get the zipper down, before I was tossed on the bed. I kicked my shoes off as Barron yanked his shirt over his head, and then my pants were being dragged off of my legs while I struggled the rest of the way out of my shirt.
When the wrestling match was complete, I looked down at my attire and giggled. I was in an undershirt, my bright yellow boxer briefs, and my black and gray argyle socks. I looked ridiculous, but I forgot why I was giggling, when I looked up, and met Barron's dark gaze.
My breath caught at the look of pure lust that was consuming his face. I was something special to him. I mattered.
"It's a good thing I like that outfit, sweet Sutton. Because you're not quite naked enough, and I need all the access to your beautiful body. I'm going to give you one more chance. By the time I get these pants off, you better be completely nude, or there will be retribution.
It was like we were in some western. We stared at each other, clearly wondering who would make the first move. It was me. Quick as I could, I grabbed the hem of my underwear, and shoved them down to my knees, letting my legs take over in kicking them off as I wrestled my undershirt over my head. I wasn't fast enough for the socks, but was still surprised when a naked Barron growled, narrowing his eyes at me when his pants hit the floor and he saw that I still had them on.
Reaching out, he grabbed my ankles, his claws extending, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was going to use them to shred my socks.
Suddenly, I was flipped on to my stomach, and then there were extremely sharp teeth nipping at the sensitive skin at the backs of my knees. First one, then the other.
I never in my life thought of taking socks off as being erotic, but as a clawed finger slipped between my leg and the material, grazing the skin, and making it tingle, as he slipped the first sock off, following the path softly with his lips, before nipping and then sucking on the strangely sensitive spot just below my calf muscle, I felt the precum ooze onto the bed beneath me. I couldn't help but grind my cock against the blankets, as I felt the throb of arousal beat a rhythm in my dick.
The moan I let out was muffled against the pillow, but it sounded filthy and needy, and I couldn't help but do it again, as he did the same thing to the other leg.
I knew it wouldn't take much for me to come, but my hips kept grinding of their own volition.
"Sutton," my mate growled, licking the back of my thigh. "On your hands and knees, now."
I groaned, knowing he was aware of my situation, and was keeping me from my release. When I didn't immediately obey, Barron put his fingers beneath my hips and raised them, forcing me to lose the friction I so desperately wanted.
I opened my mouth to protest, but his tongue was traveling along the lower half of my ass cheek and my breath stuttered and held, as he got closer and closer to my crease. I waited, arousal and anticipation causing my heart to race, and my entire body to tingle. When he finally lightly licked up over my hole, my body convulsed, and suddenly I was coming as Barron completely ravaged my ass, growling the whole time.
By the time I regained awareness of the room around me, Barron had two fingers inside me, stretching my body to accommodate his. When had he gotten the lube out?
When he added a third, and penetrated deep enough to graze my prostate, I whimpered, and my barely flagged dick plumped back up.
He nudged my hip, urging me to lie on my back, and I flopped over with very little grace, my dick giving an excited jump when I took in the strong, handsome man that would be mine forever.
"I want to suck you so bad, right now," he growled, pressing the outside of his knees against the inside of mine before lowering his body down on top of mine. "But I'm desperate to claim you. Are you sure about this, sweet Sutton? Forever is a long time with a plain, predictable, boring man, like me."
Glaring, I snagged him around the neck and brought his face closer to mine. "If you don't stop fuckin' talkin' about my mate like that, I'll have your ass." And then I slammed our mouths together, pressing my, once again, aching cock against his rigid abs.
Chuckling against my mouth, Barron pressed down harder, giving my dick the friction it was seeking, while rubbing his own against the crease between my balls and thigh. "You can have my ass anytime you want, mate."
That both surprised and aroused me. "Really. You don't mind bottomin'?"
"I wouldn't do it for anyone but you," he said, rubbing against me again. "But the idea of having you inside me, makes my leopard and I extremely excited."
"Hmm. I could definitely work with that. I've never done it before, but you have an amazin' ass. I bet it would feel perfect wrapped around my dick."
"Fuck, Sutton." Leveraging back so he could grab the lube and squeeze a generous amount directly on his dick, he kissed and nipped up my neck as he coated his dick, bumping slightly against my balls and making them draw up tight.
His gorgeous brown eyes met mine as he found my stretched and ready hole, and pressed inside. The stretch was exquisite pain. Almost like every nerve ending was exposed and the pleasure was too much.
"Gawd, Barron. You feel absolutely amazin' fillin' me up." My voice was broken and husky, and the world shifted, as my body bowed off the bed in increments, while he slowly sank all the way in.
We both froze. The pleasure was so sharp and so exquisite, it almost hurt.
When I couldn't take anymore, when I needed to move so bad I was actually clawing at the sheets, and then Barron's back, he finally pulled out gently, and then slammed forward. The noise I let out was so unmanly, I would have been embarrassed if my brain would have been capable of doing anything other than take in all the dopamine swamping it.
With every thrust, Barron nailed my prostate. With every slow slide out, the ridges and veins of his perfect dick, tugged deliciously on my sensitive rim. His sweaty skin slid against mine in the most erotic caress. I had no doubt I could easily get off just from the prostate stimulation alone, but the hard ridges of his abs dragged against my cock, and I was tipping over the edge of oblivion by the forth powerful thrust.
I'm not sure how loud I yelled, but I know I made my own fucking ears ring. And I seriously nearly put a kink in my back from how hard I arched up off the bed. When the spots started dancing in my vision, I realized I was about to pass out, and managed to suck in some oxygen, just as my gorgeous mate went tense above me, and I felt his seed fill my ass.
He was gorgeous. Absolutely perfect.
When his bright, catlike eyes landed on my neck, I felt my dick twitch as I cocked my head to the side. Barron leaned down, and bit my shoulder. And even though there was definite pain, the orgasm that shot through my body was more than worth it.
He growled against my neck, as I felt another pulse of cum shoot within me, and a feeling of wholeness encase my heart.
This man was mine now. All mine. Forever. He would never leave me. Never cheat on me. My needs would be put above his own. He would protect me, and cherish me forever. For once in my fucking life, I mattered.
Barron became aware of the tears before I did. He pulled back, looking horrified as he whipped the side of his face, and looked at the glistening drops in his hand before looking into my eyes. He opened his mouth, probably confused about why I would be crying from the most amazing experience of my life, but I smiled, and cupped his face.
"I love you, Barron Franks. I love you so fuckin' much." And then I was sobbing like some crazy person. But I couldn't help it. I'd never been so happy in my entire life. I'd never even dreamed that I could be this happy.
It was amazing and beautiful and a bit terrifying.
"Gawd, sweet Sutton. I love you too." He nuzzled against the skin where he'd placed his claiming bite, and I didn't say a word when I felt wetness against my neck.
CHAPTER SIX
The ringing of a phone had me grumbling against the soft skin at the back of my mate's neck. I knew instantly it wasn't mine, because it was playing some pop song about milkshakes. When Sutton tried to sit up to reach for it, I growled, and dragged him
back against me.
Giggling, he tried again. "That's my brother's ring tone. I have to answer it."
Reluctantly, I released him. But only because I had to assume a call at three o'clock in the morning Georgia time, meant something was up.
"What's up Burke? You okay?" Sutton's voice was still husky from sleep. And maybe from screaming a little too. I wanted to press into him again, where he was no doubt still stretched and slick, but I felt like maybe getting fucked while talking to your brother on the phone, might be a bit of a turn-off.
The sobbing, hysterical sound that greeted my mate from the other side of the line had me jerking to attention.
"Burke! Burke, what's wrong? I can't understand ya. What's wrong?"
Sitting up, I grabbed the phone from my mate, switching it to speakerphone while simultaneously dragging Sutton into my lap. "Burke," I barked, making the young man squeak, and then immediately stop yelling nonsense into the phone. "Breathe for me, okay? We can't understand you."
"Who…are you? Where is…Sutton?" The sobbing had stopped, and the panicked hysteria had stopped, but it was obvious the boy had been worked up, because he was still hiccupping.
"I'm right here, B. This is Barron. He's my…uh, boyfriend?"
Smiling softly at my mate, I brushed a kiss to his cheek. "What's going on, Burke? Are you okay?"
"Can I come stay with you, Sutt? I really need to get away from here." He sniffled again. "I think I'm going crazy."
Poor kid. He sounded wrecked. I was surprised when my mate turned to me with pleading eyes. Did he think I was going to say no?
"Of course you can come, Burke," I answered both him and my mate. "I've heard a lot about you, actually. I've never met a nerdy boy bander."
"Fucking Foster," he grumbled, making my mate and I chuckle.
"Uh, like I told your brother. I'd rather be dickless," I said, liking that the sass Burke was known for––at least if you asked Sutton and Foster––was back in his voice.
After a snort. "Okay. I'm super glad you said yes, because I'm boarding the plane now." He laughed, but it sounded a bit hollow. "Do you think you can pick me up at the airport? It says I should be getting there around an hour and a half. I don't have any luggage."
