by Jana Downs
A drop of pre-cum formed on the tip of Hope’s cock, and Steve’s mouth immediately began to water. He’d only sucked dick a few times in his life, and each time had been a sort of take-it-or-leave-it experience. For whatever reason, the prospect of sucking Hope’s cock nearly sent him over the edge of oblivion.
“You want it?” Hope demanded, a downright evil glint in his eyes.
Steve groaned. “Yes. Your cock. Want it.” The force is not with your grammar, Obi-Wan.
Hope chuckled. “Good. Come for me.”
The command caught him by surprise, seemingly pulling the cum from his cock like Hope had flipped some sort of internal switch. He erupted like a geyser into the circle of Hope’s fist. It seemed like he hadn’t come in months if the amount of jizz painting Hope’s wrist and arm were any indication. His balls drew up so hard he was pretty sure he was going to pass out as Hope carried him through the most intense orgasm of his life.
It’s just a hand job. The annoying naysaying voice could shove it.
Tell that to my cock.
His thighs shook as the muscle trembled from contracting so hard. He stared into Hope’s green eyes and saw a wicked satisfaction there. There was only one way he could really pay the male back.
He dropped to his knees on the ground and swallowed Hope’s cock into the back of his throat in one fell swoop, gagging for his enthusiasm. Hope immediately threaded his hands through Steve’s hair, holding on as he pushing and withdrew from Steve’s lips with abandon.
There was something deeply satisfying about pleasuring this man. From the second a drop of sweet-tasting pre-cum hit his tongue, he and his wolf all but howled utter contentment. Everything with Hope felt too freaking amazing.
“That’s it, my boy,” Hope rumbled. “Suck me good.”
Steve whimpered around his cock, not even registering how insane it was to be called “my boy” by a guy he’d met half an hour ago. They didn’t know jack squat about each other besides that their cocks seemed to be in perfect agreement.
Warm cum hit the back of his throat without warning, making him swallow to keep up with the flow of release Hope was giving to him. Steve closed his eyes, savoring the moment as he continued to gently suck his new friend’s dick until it went flaccid in his mouth.
Endless seconds later, he pulled off with a soft pop. “Well,” he drawled, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. “That was fun. Gotta say, you know how to ask a guy out on a date.” It was the endorphins talking. It had to be, but Steve just went with it. He’d not felt this giddy, this happy in a very long time.
“Come on,” Hope said, offering a hand to Steve. “We need to get back.”
Steve took the hand he’d been offered, but he didn’t like the serious look Hope was wearing on his mug. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “I was totally fine with what just happened.” He didn’t want to give the impression that he’d somehow taken advantage.
Hope shook his head. “I know. I just shouldn’t have taken things that far that fast. I wanted…” He trailed off, sighed. “Never mind. Everything is just going to be backward with you. I can see that already.”
What the hell does that mean? “Um, okay then.” A curious sense of disappointment welled up. “I’m not a whore or anything.” He hadn’t always been able to say that. He’d once thrown himself at any willing partner that he had a passing attraction to but he wasn’t throwing himself anywhere now.
“I know.” Hope raked his hand through his hair. “It’s not that. I just wanted to do this right.”
Steve’s lips twitched. “You wanted to romance me before we hooked up?”
Was that a blush on Hope’s cheeks? “Well, yes. My father would kick my ass for taking advantage after a night like last night.”
“Jeez, man. It’s just a hookup. We didn’t even have sex.” Yet. Because he knew without a doubt that if they continued like they were going they were going to fuck like it was going out of style.
Hope didn’t reply. He stared ahead of them like there was something very interesting just a few feet ahead. “Aw shit,” he muttered almost too low for him to hear.
He looked up and searched the edge of the yard for whatever had made Hope curse. A very pissed-off Mustang stomped toward them like a man on a mission, Grayson trailing not far behind.
“Aw shit,” Steve echoed. He glanced over at Hope. “So, you sure you want to go out with me?”
“I’m sure,” Hope said, raising his chin. “Just keep in mind you have to doctor me if Mustang kicks my ass.”
“Noted. I’m hella good with a Band-Aid.”
Then there was no time for talking as Mustang barreled into hearing range. Steve braced himself as he caught sight of the murderous look on the Alpha’s face.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Mustang shouted. “I’ve had people out looking for you! I didn’t know if you’d gone off reservation or hurt yourself or—” He cut himself off, shook his head. “Where the hell did you run off to?”
Steve opened his mouth to growl right back, but Hope beat him to it.
“It’s my fault, Alpha,” Hope cut in. “I’m sorry about our late return. We went hunting last night and fell asleep in the clearing. We woke a few minutes ago and were taking out time in getting back.”
Mustang turned his attention to Hope. “He was with you?” He frowned like he was chewing on something beyond his pay grade. He sniffed.
“Mustang,” Gray warned.
Mustang growled. “You’ve been doing much more than hunting.” He bared his teeth. “If you think for two seconds that I’ll let you take advantage of my ward—”
Hope puffed up like he was gearing up for a fight. “He’s mine, Alpha. I hope you’ll be supportive.”
Understanding lit Mustang’s expression, and his menace instantly melted away. “Oh. Well, that’s a horse of a different color. Does he know?”
“I don’t believe so.”
Steve frowned. “Yeah. I’m missing something. What gives?”
Hope reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll explain when we go to Riders. No worries.”
Uh-huh. He did not like the level of secrecy that he was dishing out at the moment. He looked over at Mustang. The Alpha looked far too smug and happy with himself for Steve’s peace of mind. Grayson looked pale and unsure of himself, which made him feel marginally better.
Apparently, hooking up with a wolf had more strings than a marionette doll.
Chapter Four
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Mustang asked as Hope opened the door to his truck.
Hope sighed.
He’d expected Mustang to corral him long before now, but he’d actually restrained himself while Hope had exchanged numbers with Steve and promised to call with a pick-up time for their date. Steve had seemed distracted but had been agreeable with their proposed date. The Alpha had seemed pleased with everything, but that didn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things. He’d known he was getting the hurt-him-I’ll-break-your-neck speech at some point.
He turned around after securing his princess in her dog carrier. “Of course, Alpha.”
“So he’s your mate?”
“Yes.”
“Are you ready for the sort of damage you’re about to encounter?” He stopped himself. “No. You wouldn’t. We’ve kept things under wraps.”
Hope went cold. “What sort of damage? From being in the other pack?” He’d known something about Steve was broken. “I want a full history. I need to know what I’m dealing with if I am mating him.”
“If?” Mustang asked, raising his eyebrows. “You better be damn sure that you are past an ‘if’ since you asked him out.”
Hope winced. He had been determined to give himself a few days of contemplation before he committed to pursuing his mate. Between last night and this morning, he’d come to the realization that he missed having someone in his life. Having someone to laugh with and share experiences with was something he missed having day in
and day out.
“I just got out of a relationship, Alpha.”
“And you just jumped feet-first into another one, son,” Mustang said, expression stony. “You can’t half-ass this. You can’t stick a toe in. It’s all or nothing.”
Hope nodded. “I know, Alpha. I’m ready.” He was a liar. He was nowhere close to ready for what was to come, but he had known his entire life that his duty when meeting his mate was to follow certain protocols. He’d quickly rejected the idea that he would be able to walk away from his mate after a few hours spent in his company. He hadn’t had that much fun while shifted in a long time.
Mustang nodded. “That’s what I want to hear. Stop by the shop tomorrow so I can give you the rundown on what you’re dealing with.”
“Yes, Alpha.” There was nothing else he could say. Obedience to the Alpha was not optional. “What time?”
“What time do you take lunch? I’ll order carry-out at Mac’s.”
“Hm, I’ll have to call you after I check my schedule at the office. I’m pretty sure I have a three to four free but I have to make sure.” He could push appointments if he had to but he didn’t like to reschedule with his clients. Sure, some of them were just yearly checkups, but some of the animals were no doubt sick and the sooner he could end the suffering for them, the better.
“Fine with me. I’m strictly walk-ins tomorrow so if I need to push some of them off at Regan and Ryan, that’ll work out just swell.” Mustang cracked his knuckles. “If you want to walk away or are thinking about backing out, do it now. This is the first time he’s shown any enthusiasm for a future event since we brought him here.”
The fact that the Alpha kept offering him an out made him more than a little nervous. “What happened to him?”
The tic in Mustang’s jaw started instantly. “Nothing good since he became one of us. I’ll give you all the information tomorrow. If you want it. I’m giving you tonight to rethink your decision.”
“How can I make a decision with only part of the information?” Hope asked. He didn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but it seemed like everywhere he looked there were danger signs but no actual explanation for why it was dangerous.
“You’re going to have to,” Mustang said, voice absolute. “The story isn’t really mine to tell, but I will because I know that his mate won’t take that information and use it for gossip fodder. I don’t think you’d do that, Hope, but I need to know the depth of your commitment before I share that sort of thing.”
Hope sighed. That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, but he supposed he had no other choice. “All right. I’ll let you know tomorrow.” He’d give the proper consideration to his potential mate. Steve deserved nothing less. “Tell me one thing. Will we ever be able to have a normal relationship?” That was the one thing he’d craved since he’d known about mates. He wanted to have a relationship like his mother and father, a simple, loving relationship. He didn’t think it was too much to ask.
“Do I look like I have a fucking crystal ball, man?” Mustang asked, a grin stretching his lips.
Hope didn’t find it nearly as funny. “You know what I mean. Is he ruined?” There was a difference between ruined and broken. Broken, he could glue back together. Ruined was beyond hope. He’d seen more than one man who had been a dead wolf walking. That had been before Mustang had taken over, when the old Alpha had ruled his people with an iron fist and had not given two shits if he shattered the souls of the people he’d punished.
Mustang’s grin vanished. “Before he walked out of the woods this morning, I would’ve told you to walk away. He was ready to be sent to the Circle.”
A chill washed through Hope’s soul. “Oh shit.”
“Yeah,” Mustang said. “But now… He looked like he had hope. Whatever you did last night did more for him than the entire time he’s been hanging out at my place.”
Hope didn’t think he’d done anything that was particularly different than what Mustang would do. Steve had reacted like a nervous submissive responding to a threat in feral form. Once he’d realized his Dominant would take care of him, he’d settled right down. Though he’d known Steve had issues from his reactions, he hadn’t seen the depth of his pain like Mustang was describing.
“I don’t know what I did that you haven’t,” he admitted.
“You’re his, and his wolf trusts you. Every other Dom he’s come into contact with has been instantly distrusted, myself included. You might be the only one in this world with a chance of helping him through this.” Mustang took a step back and waved his hand. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. And, Hope?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for making last night good for him.”
The way Mustang said it made him feel like maybe last night had been more serious than Hope had originally thought, like they’d all narrowly avoided tumbling over the edge of a cliff Hope hadn’t even known existed.
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“Drive safe.” Mustang turned.
“Will do.” His puppy yipped as if to indicate her readiness to get on the road.
He climbed in his truck and cranked the engine as Mustang climbed the steps to the wraparound porch of his house. Hope didn’t immediately put the truck into gear, waiting to see if he would be able to catch a peek of his mate.
What are you doing, Hope? You wanted simple. Steve is not simple.
But he’s mine.
Really, that was all that mattered to his wolf anyway.
* * * *
Steve counted down from ten, knowing that his little brother wouldn’t be able to resist busting in and demanding details on what exactly had gone on in the woods. The problem was, he wasn’t certain what had gone on. Granted, the orgasms had been great and their chemistry was off the charts, but he still wasn’t sure why he was so keen on giving the guy a go. He had been more than willing to die yesterday.
“Hey, Steve?” Grayson’s voice wasn’t surprising in the least bit.
He smiled. “Yeah, Gray?”
“Can I come in?”
“Since when do you ask?” In the entire four years he’d known Grayson, he’d much rather ask forgiveness than permission.
Grayson’s huge frame ducked underneath the doorframe before straightening. At six six, there weren’t many doorways Grayson didn’t have to duck under. The big blond reminded Steve of some kind of Viking from his history classes. He’d been intimidating as hell until he’d opened his mouth and spoken in the shy, reserved way he normally did. Steve had been crazy about the kid since he’d come into the frat house his freshman year.
“I was trying to polite. You don’t care for my company lately.” Gray may have said it nonchalantly, but Steve heard the underlying note of hurt beneath that tone.
The bastard knew how much Steve hated hurting his feeling. The big lug was a gentle giant and one of his best friends. “Yeah well, I’ve had a really shitty day for a few months now.”
Gray nodded as he sat on the edge of Steve’s mattress. “That’s been hard to miss.” He searched Steve’s face. “You seem different today, happier.”
Steve shrugged. “I don’t know. Had a good night.” He raised his fingers to his lips before he could think not to do it.
“Gave good head?” Grayson teased, a smile splitting his lips.
Steve laughed. He missed their bawdy banter. “It was more than passable, let me tell you.”
“Hm, so does this mean you’re no longer interested in taking a trip to see the Circle?” Grayson asked, smiling softly.
Steve stretched, nudging Grayson with his leg as he did so. “Don’t look so smug about it. I’m pretty sure giving head doesn’t take suicidal tendencies away.” Though, the release took an incredible amount of the misery away.
“Wanting sex is pretty indicative of avoidance of death,” Grayson reasoned. “So… Hope Harris, huh?”
“Is that his last name?” Steve asked. He hadn’t exactly had an in-depth conve
rsation with the guy before agreeing to accompany him to a BDSM club. However, now that he thought about it… “What kind of parents name their boy ‘Hope’ anyway?”
Gray shrugged. “I’m not sure. Mustang hasn’t mentioned much about him, so he must not be a troublemaker.” He nudged Steve, and Steve accommodated him by scooting over.
The first time Mustang had walked into the guest room to find him and Gray lying side by side chatting, he’d been a little peeved. Luckily for the both of them, he trusted Grayson explicitly.
“Well, that’s not helpful. Come on, Gray. You’re my inside track for any info dealing with your furry friends.”
Gray chuckled. “If you asked for any info on the subs in the pack, I would’ve been able to tell you everything but their blood types. Hope is on the dominant side of things. He’s more Mustang’s territory.”
“Grayson!” Mustang barked from somewhere in the house. “Your dog needs to be taken out for a walk!” Mustang didn’t care for the little yippy thing that one of the pack members had dropped off as a gift for the Alpha Mate.
“Coming!” Gray called back. He sighed. “It wouldn’t kill him to walk him just once.”
“You know he doesn’t care for the furry things even if he is one,” Steve said. He yawned. “Go deal with your puppy and try to wring some info out of your man. I’m going to take a nap. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” He just wished he remembered what had kept him up to the wee hours of the morning.
“Bah. Fine.” Gray huffed. “When I get back I want details.”
“Not on your life.” He didn’t kiss and tell.
“First of all, gross. I don’t need those kinds of details. I want to know all the fun stuff that led up to that.” Gray rolled to his feet and then made his way back over to Steve’s open door. “You know dominants expect submission from their partners in the pack, Steve.”
Steve rolled his eyes. “I’m aware. You know I don’t play like that.”
