“What if once we’re mated you discover you don’t want me? That you don’t like me?”
Keenan scoffed. “I can’t believe I’m the one saying this to you since you’re the shifter here, but you do know that we’re perfect for each other, right? We wouldn’t be mates otherwise.”
“I know that, but being mates doesn’t guarantee we’ll be good together and for each other. I’ve seen people mate and hate each other afterward.”
Keenan scrunched his nose. “Does it mean you don’t want to mate with me?”
Jonah sighed and the movement made Keenan realize that his mate was still holding him up as if he weighed nothing. “I didn’t say that. I like you, Keenan, and I do think that we’re going to be good together, but there’s still that tiny doubt in the back of my mind that’s telling me to be careful, to take it slow.”
Keenan felt his hope disappear. He’d known Jonah might refuse, but he’d hoped he wouldn’t. Until now, all the shifters he had met had been elated to find their mates—well, except for Bryce, but he’d had special circumstances. The others all had been more than happy to meet their mates and to bind themselves to them. He should have known his mate would be different. He had never had a lot of luck in love, as his previous only serious relationship had shown. He’d just hoped it would be different with his mate.
* * * *
Jonah saw the happiness and hope bleed out of Keenan’s eyes. Keeping his eyes on Jonah’s chest, Keenan wiggled around and tried to get back on his feet, but Jonah had no intention of letting him go. He hated the dejected look on his mate’s face, and he hated even more that he’d been the one to put it there. He would have done anything to have Keenan smile again, and he knew what it would take.
“Keenan, I didn’t say I didn’t want to claim you.”
“No, you just said that you weren’t sure we would be good together. I guess it means you have doubts about our mating and me.”
Jonah shook his head and held Keenan tighter as the man tried once again to climb down. “That’s not what I said.”
Keenan’s face snapped up, his eyes blazing. “That’s exactly what you said. Now put me down.”
Jonah did not intend to have Keenan walk away from him before he could explain himself. The only problem was that he wasn’t sure how to do it, because he wasn’t even sure what his feelings about their mating were. He knew he wanted Keenan and he knew they would definitely end up mated eventually. He knew Keenan would be perfect for Jonah, and he liked what he already knew of the man, but he was still hesitant.
“I’ve seen a lot of matings in my ninety-one years, Keenan, and not all of them went well, even if the people involved were fated mates. Shifters usually rush and bond once they meet their mates, because they feel as if they don’t have a choice.”
Keenan stiffened and Jonah saw immediately that he had said the wrong thing. “So you feel as if you have to be with me?” Keenan slapped Jonah’s chest and Jonah resigned himself to put him down. It didn’t mean he was going to let him go, though, and he kept Keenan pressed against him even when the man started to try to get away.
“I’m not forcing you to be with me if you don’t want to. You know where the door is, so feel free to run away. And let me go, damn it!” Keenan said, stomping his foot and narrowly missing Jonah’s.
Jonah grabbed Keenan’s chin and tilted it up. Keenan stubbornly kept his gaze fastened on Jonah’s chin, but it didn’t matter. Jonah kissed his mate’s forehead before trying once more to explain. “Okay, here are the facts. I want you. I want to mate with you, and I know we will. But this is for life, Keenan. What if we wake up in ten years and decide we don’t want each other anymore? We’ll be bound together, and we won’t be able to do anything to solve the problem.” It wasn’t exactly true, of course. Keenan would be able to put some distance between them and their bond would slowly fade. It would be much harder for Jonah and his wolf, though.
Keenan finally looked into Jonah’s eyes, and Jonah wanted to lose himself into the green pools. “Jonah, I understand what you’re saying, really, but waiting to mate won’t make a difference, unless you plan to be with me without bonding us. Even if we wait months, there’s still the possibility we’ll decide to break up some day. There’s always that possibility, in every single mating. It didn’t stop Ward and Jamie, or Dominic and Ani, or all the other mated couples we know. Ask any one of them, and they’ll all tell you they’re happy.”
Keenan raised his hand and cupped Jonah’s cheek. “Everyone takes a risk in deciding to have a relationship. Sure, the risks shifters take are greater, but still. You have to decide if it might be worth it.”
Jonah knew Keenan was asking if he was worth it, and yeah, he was. He also knew that if he said no right now, it might mean he would have to renounce Keenan. Keenan might walk away and Jonah would lose his chance with him. He wasn’t ready for that. He probably never would be. So there was only one thing he could do, really. He had to let go of his fears.
Jonah leaned down and pressed his lips against Keenan’s, nipping at the lower one when Keenan didn’t open for him. Keenan gasped and Jonah dove in, happy when Keenan surrendered and started kissing him back until they were both breathing hard.
“What does this mean, Jonah?” Keenan asked hesitantly.
“It means that I don’t want to lose you, and if I have to get over my fears of what could happen to avoid it, I’ll do just that.”
A spark of hope appeared in Keenan’s eyes. “Does it mean... ”
“Yeah, it means I’m going to take you up to your room and claim you.”
Keenan gave him a cheeky smile. “You’re going to do a lot more than claim me, wolf.”
Jonah raised a brow at him. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I haven’t been laid for months. I have a lot of pent-up sexual needs to catch up on.”
Jonah grinned and grabbed Keenan’s waist, hauling him up in a fireman’s carry. He quickly made his way up the stairs while Keenan squeaked and yelled at Jonah to put him down, but he had no intention of doing that—that was, until he felt two hands grab his ass.
Keenan squeezed and kneaded Jonah’s ass, and Jonah let out a small moan, stopping at the top of the stairs. His mate’s touch was heaven, even through his heavy jeans, and his cock was already starting to respond. It was plumping in his pants, and soon they would be damn uncomfortable. “You want to get down?”
“Nope, I changed my mind. I’m having way too much fun right now.” With that, Keenan slipped both hands into Jonah’s jeans, grabbing naked flesh and stroking it before Jonah felt one finger running down his crease. It was enough to make him lose all rational thought—nearly enough. He did remember that there were children in the house now, and that they had to take this to Keenan’s room.
“Where to, Keenan?” Jonah asked, ending the sentence with a groan when Keenan’s finger found his hole. Keenan just skimmed it, really, but the sensation shot right to Jonah’s dick. “Keenan?” Jonah’s voice was rough, and he squeezed Keenan’s ass cheek with one hand, just to be sure that his mate was listening to him.
Keenan squeaked before he finally answered and guided Jonah to his new room. Jonah knew Keenan had moved into Soren’s old rooms, but he didn’t know where they were.
Once he found the suite, he quickly opened the door and strode in, his mind set on finding the bedroom. There was only one other door in the living room, so it didn’t take a genius to know that it led exactly where Jonah wanted to go.
He strode to the door, opened it, and walked to the bed, where he dumped Keenan without so much as a by-your-leave. Keenan yelped as he bounced on the mattress, but Jonah had already stepped away and was taking his T-shirt off. It was weird how just ten minutes ago he had been so hesitant about doing this, but now that he’d made a decision, he felt a sort of urgency. He needed to claim Keenan, and his wolf was definitely on board with that.
Pulling the T-shirt off, Jonah cast a glance in Keenan
’s direction, smiling at his rounded eyes and his mouth open in shock. It was obvious the man was just as confused as Jonah was about his sudden change of mind.
Jonah threw the shirt away, not caring where it ended up, and went to work on his jeans. That seemed to jolt Keenan back to life. He scrambled to his knees, yanking his shirt off without even opening the buttons, and threw it away like Jonah had done with his. There wasn’t any finesse in the way they were taking their clothes off, no seduction. They were both too frantic to get their hands on each other, to touch skin, and they would have the time to take it slow later.
Jonah pushed his jeans down his legs and scowled at his boots. He hadn’t gotten around to taking them off yet, so he sat on the bed and quickly went to work. He was just taking the second off when hands circled around his waist, stroking the skin just above his groin as a hot body plastered himself against Jonah’s back.
“No underwear? Naughty, naughty wolf,” Keenan murmured in a throaty voice.
Jonah shuddered at the sound, feeling as if it was sliding along his skin. He could feel that Keenan was already naked, his hard cock pressed against Jonah’s back, the tip leaking pre-cum on Jonah’s skin.
Keenan’s hand slid lower, circling around the base of Jonah’s cock, stroking along his length. He suddenly felt overdressed, even if the only garments he still had on were on sock and his pants around his ankles.
He stood up, dislodging Keenan from his back, instantly regretting not feeling his warmth and his weight against his skin anymore. It wouldn’t last long, though. He shed the remaining sock and the pants and turned to face his mate, his mouth going dry at the sight in front of him.
No one could ever say that Keenan was subtle. He was on his knees, his shoulders on the bed and his ass up in the air, his hands gripping his ass cheeks as he exposed himself to Jonah.
Damn.
Chapter Four
Keenan knew he was probably being a little too rash, but he was like that. He was impulsive, always said what he thought, and wasn’t afraid of taking what he wanted. Right now, he wanted Jonah to fuck him and to claim him, and he was working on getting just that.
He felt Jonah climb on the bed, the mattress dipping as the man got closer to Keenan’s ass. Keenan shivered just thinking about what was about to happen. He could already imagine how Jonah’s hands were going to feel on him, how his dick was going to feel in him.
“Damn, Keenan. You’re incredible,” Jonah murmured, stroking a hand down Keenan’s spine. The touch was firm and a little rough, and so damn good Keenan wasn’t sure he was going to be able to survive it when Jonah really started touching him.
“I’m going to take that as a compliment. I just hope you don’t mean I’m incredibly slutty or something like that.” A hand landed on Keenan’s ass, the smack loud in the silence of the room.
“You spanked me!” Keenan let go of his ass and tried to get to his knees to face Jonah, but the man put a hand on his back and held him down. Keenan knew Jonah would let him up if he asked, so he wasn’t worried. “I did, and I’ll do it again if you talk about yourself like that. You’re not slutty.” Jonah’s tone was hard, making it clear that he meant what he had said.
“Well, it’s true. Just look at me. I am a little slutty. Besides, I used to have sex with a lot of girls, although I haven’t for quite some time.” Another smack resounded, and damn if Keenan didn’t enjoy that. It wasn’t the first time someone had spanked him, but it was the first time he’d enjoyed it that much.
“What did I tell you? No self-deprecation. And I think we can wait to have the conversation about old lovers.”
“Well, I’m not going to stop if you continue spanking me. It’s not really a good incentive when I actually like the punishment.” Jonah grabbed Keenan’s ass and kneaded the heated flesh, making Keenan moan. “Lube is in the drawer.” Keenan pointed at the nightstand, relieved when Jonah moved and opened it. He was finally getting laid!
The sound of the cap getting open was loud in the room, making Keenan even more impatient, but Jonah was taking his time. “Are you trying to make me go crazy?”
Jonah chuckled and his hand finally landed back on Keenan’s ass. It wasn’t slippery with lube, though, and Keenan was tempted to twist around and check what the heck was taking so long. Just then, he felt Jonah’s teeth closing on his ass cheek. The man bit lightly, making Keenan groan. Damn, was he into biting as well? They hadn’t even had sex yet, and he was already discovering that sex with Jonah would be different and much, much more interesting than with anyone else.
A wet finger prodded at Keenan’s entrance, Jonah’s mouth still sliding on the heated flesh he had smacked before. Jonah gently massaged Keenan before slowly sliding his finger inside, and Keenan let out a sigh. This was what he’d been waiting for since the first time he had seen Jonah. He hadn’t known for sure that the man was his mate then, but he had been able to feel there was something between them, something that would grow into love eventually.
This wasn’t only sex, or even only Jonah claiming him. They were coming together, becoming one. When have I become so sappy and mushy?
Keenan lost his train of thought when the finger in him became two and Jonah started scissoring them, preparing Keenan to welcome him. Jonah’s mouth was tracing hot, wet lines on Keenan’s spine, up to his neck, then down again, making him crazy. “I’m fine, Jonah. Come on, I want you.” Keenan tilted his hips even more, offering himself to Jonah, but his mate wasn’t easily moved.
He just continued to open Keenan up, sliding a third finger in and moving them in and out until Keenan was writhing and moaning his name, telling him to hurry. It was almost too much sensation, too many sensations to keep track of.
Keenan arched his back, trying to get Jonah deeper inside him. However, there was only so much he could do with fingers. “Please, please, Jonah. Do I have to beg you?”
Jonah chuckled and slowly removed his fingers, giving one last kiss to Keenan’s ass cheek. “It would be nice, but I’ll pass this time. You’re ready.”
“Of course I’m fucking ready! You just spent hours getting me ready!” Keenan looked over his shoulder, scowling at the sight of the wicked grin on Jonah’s face.
“Hours? I wouldn’t know. It seemed more like minutes to me.”
Keenan couldn’t take it anymore. He rose on his knees and reached for Jonah, grabbing the first part of him he could get his hands on. Too bad for the man it was his cock.
Jonah hissed, but Keenan took care not to squeeze his hand too hard as he pulled until Jonah was pressed against him, both of them on their knees, cock against cock. He didn’t want to maim his mate, after all. “Are you going to fuck me or not? Because if you don’t, I just might have to go out and look for someone who will.”
That did the trick. Jonah growled, a shiver running along Keenan’s spine at the sound, and he grabbed Keenan’s hair, tilting his head backward. “You’re mine, Keenan. Mine!”
Their lips crashed together as Jonah pushed Keenan to his back, and Keenan went more than willingly. He liked this side of Jonah, liked that his mate was taking what he wanted from him. He let Jonah push him into the mattress and opened his legs, making space for Jonah. Jonah settled between them like he belonged there, and he did.
Their lips never separated as Jonah pushed into Keenan. Keenan wrapped his legs around his mate’s waist, his hands locking around his neck as he reveled in Jonah’s weight on him, pinning him down and making him feel safe. He moaned at the feeling of being full, his ass stretching around Jonah’s length, the burn almost too much, yet not quite enough. Keenan wanted more, he wanted Jonah to own him, brand him as his.
Jonah started to thrust slowly, but Keenan wasn’t sure he could take slow and gentle, not this time. He moved his hips, following Jonah’s movements, pushing his heels into Jonah’s ass to spur him to move faster, harder.
It didn’t take long until the sound of flesh against flesh filled the room, interr
upted only by the moans and groans coming from both of them. Keenan could feel he was close, so close, and he knew what he was missing to tilt over the edge, to fall over.
He tilted his head to the side, offering his neck and his future to his mate. Jonah didn’t hesitate. He struck, his teeth sinking into Keenan’s neck without problems.
Keenan yelped, pain radiating from the wounds, but it soon disappeared, engulfed by the sheer pleasure Jonah was giving him. He was still pounding inside Keenan’s ass, his cock stroking against Keenan’s prostate with every motion, and at the first pull of Jonah’s mouth, Keenan came.
He closed his eyes, his back arching as his mouth opened on a silent cry. He didn’t even realize that Jonah had somehow managed to open a wound into his own neck until Jonah pressed even harder against him and pushed his head up with the hand that was locked in Keenan’s hair.
Keenan scrunched his nose at the idea of drinking blood, but it didn’t matter. He did it anyway, the need to feel his mate inside him too acute to ignore it. He sealed his lips around the wound, giving it a tentative lick, just to taste.
It tasted like blood, of course. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t that bad either, and Keenan sucked hard. Blood flooded his mouth and he drank it down, trying to ignore the metallic taste.
It wasn’t hard to ignore it, not when he felt Jonah’s rhythm falter, the last thrusts erratic as he came deep inside Keenan. Then something happened, something that went beyond their physical union. Keenan’s heart beat harder when Jonah’s presence appeared in his mind, firmly there but not so much that it was distracting. He could feel Jonah’s hesitance, but he could also feel how happy he was that their bond was complete.
Following Jonah’s guidance, Keenan stopped sucking and kissed his mate’s neck as he felt Jonah lick the bite that was now impressed in his flesh forever.
They had done it.
Keenan smiled at Jonah after he rolled them to their sides, still pressed together, as if Jonah didn’t want to let Keenan go. “So, mates, huh?”
Keenan Page 6
