by Shea Balik
“My friends noticed what was happening and no matter how much I tried to pull away from them, they wouldn’t allow it, many times even going so far as to kidnap me and take me to a secluded cabin Talon’s father owned.” Just thinking about some of their antics put a smile on Blade’s face.
“Those were the times I held onto when I felt my humanity slipping. As soon as I graduated high school, I joined the military and got the hell out of my parents’ house. They didn’t approve of my fighting for the Alliance. In fact, they threatened to kill me if I went through with it.” It had been bad enough to have his parents constantly berating him for every little thing, but to actually know they would rather kill him than have him fight for the Alliance was a sobering moment in Blade’s life.
Forest pulled back just enough to gaze up at Blade. “But why? I would think they’d be proud you were a soldier.”
A burst of laughter escaped Blade at the thought of his parents being proud of anything he did. “They hated the Alliance. No. They hated Alek Rykov for giving into the humans’ demands to have us live separate from them.” What his parents had wanted was what the Psy demanded, the destruction of the human race.
His parents had been in one of those human labs. They had been rescued at the age of ten, but still they never got over the horror of being tortured. Blade knew it was why they acted like they did with him. Not that he actually understood it. To him, if someone hated what happened to them as a child, why would they inflict the same torment onto someone else? Especially their own child?
“I’m proud of you,” Forest said quietly, as if he were afraid Blade would laugh at his words.
What his mate didn’t know was how much those few simple words meant to him. They were like a balm to his soul. “Thank you.” Needing to connect with this man who had become the most important person in the world to him, Blade lowered his head.
Chapter 9
The instant their lips touched, they both moaned. Ecstasy washed through Blade as he dipped his tongue into Forest’s mouth. The taste of his mate infused his taste buds with ambrosia. Instantly addicted, Blade delved further inside. Sliding his hands into Forest’s wild untamed curls, Blade tilted his mate’s head to gain more access to the depths of Forest’s mouth.
The need to know every inch of Forest’s body drove Blade to start undressing his mate. It wasn’t until he had the man’s shirt off and his jeans unzipped that Blade realized he hadn’t even asked if this was okay. The fact that Forest not only unzipped Blade’s pants, but pushed them down until they were a pile on the floor indicated that it was.
Forest suddenly dropped to his knees and sucked Blade’s dick deep into his hot, wet mouth without a warning. Blade shouted out his name. Fuck, the kid can suck cock. For several minutes, he let Forest have his way. But eventually his conscience made him stop his mate.
Blade couldn’t stop the groan of regret when he slipped from his mate’s mouth. It took everything in him to pull Forest up to his feet when the man was kneeling before him with his lips swollen. He looked like a debauched angel, but Blade was determined to treat him right.
As soon as Forest was once more on his feet, Blade leaned down until his forehead was against his mate’s. “As much as it might kill me to ask, I have to know if this is really what you want.” His voice was husky as desire hummed underneath his skin.
“Do you honestly think I’d have your dick in my mouth if I didn’t want this?” Forest replied.
“Good point,” Blade said as he took his mate’s mouth with his once more. The need to be buried inside Forest was pushing Blade hard. With his arms firmly around his mate, Blade lifted Forest and carried his mate to the bed. Forest wrapped his legs around Blade’s waist, placing Blade’s cock against the crease of his own ass. It took everything in him not to take his mate right then.
If it weren’t for the jeans Forest still wore, Blade didn’t think he would have been able to stop himself from plunging into that sweet ass. Laying his mate on the bed, Blade didn’t waste any time yanking those jeans off in one swift move before pouncing on top of Forest, effectively pinning him to the bed.
Drawn to Forest’s neck, Blade licked a path between his shoulder and neck several times. An image of biting Forest in that spot burned in his brain. His panther growled in approval at the thought. Blade didn’t understand the sudden urge to sink his teeth into his mate, but he decided to ignore it for now.
Sounds poured out of his mate like a symphony. Resolved to hear more of that heavenly music, he started licking and nipping a path down Forest’s body. A low growl of need was heard when he bit down on one nipple. Encouraged by the noise, Blade did the same to the other one.
“Fuck!” Forest shouted as he pushed his chest closer to Blade for more.
Smiling at his mate’s reaction, Blade continued to torture Forest’s sensitive nips until they were red and swollen. His mate started to whine when Blade pulled back to admire his work.
The sound of submission was too much for Blade. “Forest, I can’t wait. Do you have lube?”
Forest pointed to the bedside table, and Blade ripped open the drawer, almost spilling its contents all over the floor. Fortunately he managed to grab the lube before that happened. Popping the cap he spread some on two of his fingers before shoving them in his mate’s ass.
Green eyes widened while Forest’s mouth formed an O of surprise. Damn. Blade knew he needed to slow down before he hurt his mate, but he wasn’t sure he could. The need to make Forest his was riding him hard.
Determined to give his mate as much pleasure as possible, Blade found Forest’s prostate with his fingers and pushed against it several times. The look of pleasure that crossed Forest’s face reassured Blade enough to keep stretching him.
His mouth watered as he watched Forest’s weeping cock bob against the man’s muscled abdomen. Not willing to deny himself from getting a taste, Blade bent down to lick the tip.
“Fuck, Blade! More!” Forest shouted.
The salty sweetness of his mate’s pre-cum coated Blade’s tongue. Wanting more, he swallowed his mate’s cock down to the base while he slipped a third finger inside his ass. Another shout from Forest told Blade just how much his mate was enjoying this.
“Blade, please. I need—I’m gonna—ungh—” Forest babbled.
Forest’s shaft swelled inside Blade’s mouth. As much as he wanted to swallow the man’s cum, he wanted to be buried inside that tight ass when Forest came more. Pulling his mouth off his mate’s cock with a pop, Blade wrapped his fingers around the base to stave off Forest’s orgasm.
“Don’t you dare come without me,” he ordered his mate.
Green eyes, darkened with passion, pled with him. Not wanting to disappoint, Blade pulled his fingers from Forest’s well-stretched pucker. Swiping his dick with his lubed fingers, he positioned himself against Forest’s entrance, loving the sight of all that creamy white skin next to his own dark skin. The contrast was stunning.
Their eyes met, and Blade thrust hard, burying his cock to the hilt within his mate’s body. He froze at the feeling of finally being home. It was surreal as peace invaded his body for the first time in his entire life. Not sure how to handle that much emotion, he buried his head in his mate’s neck so Forest couldn’t see the tears that were forming.
He could only hope he would be able to love Forest the way the man deserved. It wouldn’t be easy since he hadn’t had many examples of what love was, but he would do whatever it took to figure it out.
When he felt Forest’s body moving beneath him, Blade lifted his head up and claimed those full, lush lips even as he pulled his dick out until just the tip was inside Forest. Breaking away from the kiss to stare into eyes he could get lost in, Blade thrust home once more.
Both of them groaned in pleasure. The muscles of Forest’s channel gripped his cock and pulled him further into his mate. It was as if Forest’s body was determined to keep Blade deeply embedded, which was fine by him since he had no plans of
leaving his mate’s hot, snug body anytime soon.
But then his mate whimpered in need. Those emerald green eyes so dark with desire silently begged Blade. But when Forest tilted his head in submission, every possessive cell in Blade’s body wanted not to just fuck his mate, but to own him body and soul.
It was no longer enough to be just inside him, now he needed to prove to Forest he was the only one who could satisfy his desires. He started a punishing pace. Gripping Forest’s hips hard enough to leave bruises, Blade pulled his mate’s body onto his cock even as he thrust inside.
A part of him knew he should slow down, but he was too far gone to stop his brutal pace. When he looked down at Forest, the look of complete bliss on his face told Blade he wasn’t hurting him.
Needing to get deeper, Blade lifted Forest’s legs over his shoulders. Forest’s hand reached down to stroke his own dick, and the sight was almost Blade’s undoing. Too close to the edge, he started pegging Forest’s gland with each stroke of his cock.
“Blade!” Forest shouted out. “Please.” He didn’t say what he was begging for, but Blade had a good idea.
Dropping Forest’s legs, Blade leaned over until his mouth was right next to his mate’s ear. “Are you going to come on my cock, pup?” Blade didn’t know where the endearment came from, but he liked it.
Forest whimpered so sweetly.
Smiling at how he was affecting his mate, Blade whispered, “Are you going to squeeze my cock until I fill you up with my seed?”
He felt the twitch of Forest’s dick against his abdomen even as Forest’s hand stroked himself faster. Blade kept pace with Forest’s hand as he pumped into his mate’s ass.
He felt his balls pull up. The telltale tingling that started deep inside raced through his body. Blade knew he wasn’t going to last any longer. “Come on my cock, pup,” he ordered before he embedded his canines into Forest’s neck.
Forest’s ass clamped down hard just as his dick erupted between them. Blade groaned as his mate’s muscles gripped his cock like a vise while the taste of his mate’s blood filled his mouth with a metallic sweetness that overloaded his senses.
Yanking Forest tighter to his body, Blade’s seed sprayed his mate’s channel. Endorphins zinged through his body even as he continued to thrust through his orgasm. Finally, he extracted his teeth and licked the wound until the bleeding stopped.
Rolling to the side, he pulled Forest close and promptly fell asleep.
Chapter 10
Forest wasn’t sure what to think of Blade falling asleep without a word. Did he enjoy sex with Forest or not? Normally he wasn’t too concerned if the other men enjoyed themselves. Of course they always said they had, but still, this was his mate, not some random hook up.
Was it too much to ask that his mate at least let him know what he was feeling? He tried pushing against Blade, but the man wouldn’t budge, which was becoming a problem since his arms were clamped tightly around Forest. He wanted to clean up, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t get out of Blade’s embrace.
Looking around for some way to get up, Forest noticed the door was ajar. Heat filled his entire body as he remembered Blade had broken the door earlier. They just had sex with their door partially open. Great, the whole hotel probably heard him screaming out Blade’s name several times.
With a glance at the window, he wondered if he could leave through the fire escape and never return. Realizing that would never work since it was the team who would give him the most ribbing, Forest once more tried to wake up his mate.
This time he chose a different tactic. Pressing his lips against Blade’s, he started licking and kissing every inch of his mouth. He was becoming dismayed when Blade didn’t seem to respond, but eventually the man’s mouth started kissing him back.
When those dark brown eyes popped open, Forest nearly cheered. Instead he said, “I need to use the bathroom.”
Those strong arms instantly released him. Forest felt the loss, but quickly got up. Just before shutting the door to the bathroom, he pointed over to the broken door. “By the way, I think we may have given the hotel a show. At the very least, the team heard us.”
Blade’s eyes widened as he stared at the broken door. Then his gaze swung to Forest with a predatory gleam. Frozen, like a deer caught in headlights, Forest just stood there. With grace only a feline could have, Blade stalked toward him.
“No one but me gets to see you like that,” Blade told him with a growl as he pushed Forest into the cramped bathroom and shut the door behind them.
Reaching out, Blade turned on the shower before pinning him to the door for a breath-stealing kiss. It was bad enough he’d fucking begged Blade during sex, but Forest refused to allow his knees to weaken from a simple kiss. Who was he kidding? It was a mind-melting act of ownership.
Still he was not about fall all over himself whenever Blade was near. Ripping his mouth away from Blade’s to suck in much needed air, he saw Blade’s mouth ready to take possession again. “Stop,” Forest said.
Blade held still as his expression went from concerned to hurt and back to concerned in the blink of an eye. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No. Yes. No. I mean, no you didn’t do anything wrong, it’s just,” Forest didn’t know what to say. He was making a mess of this, and yet he didn’t know how to deal with the need he felt to submit to this man.
In bed, it had been a lot easier. He hadn’t had to think. Hell, he couldn’t have thought even if he’d wanted to. Sex with Blade was mind-blowing. There were no words to describe just how good it had felt. Still, that didn’t mean he’d be willing to roll over every time Blade looked at him out of bed.
Steam from the shower filled the small room, reminding Forest they would run out of hot water if they didn’t get in soon. “Can we just take a shower and then talk after?” He asked Blade.
He could tell Blade was confused, but the man consented and let Forest shower alone. Forest was afraid Blade would leave, so he rushed rinsing off. When he pulled back the curtain and saw Blade still standing there, Forest let out the breath he’d been holding.
Blade looked at him curiously once more, but he didn’t say anything as they switched places. Drying off quickly, Forest noticed that while he’d been in the shower, Blade had gone out and gotten him a change of clothes.
The smile had been unexpected, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t get the goofy expression off his face at the thoughtful gesture. Who would have imagined, Mr. Bad Ass himself would care enough to bring him clothes?
He heard the water turnoff just as the shower curtain was flung back. The look of surprise when Blade found him still in the room was brief, but Forest didn’t miss it. He was surprised such a self-assured man felt insecure about anything, but it made him feel a bit better about himself since he’d been just as shocked that Blade had waited for him.
Since the room was so small, Forest left to give Blade space to dress. Nervous as to what he was going to say when Blade came out, Forest started pacing the room. He hadn’t even noticed his mate stood there watching him until he practically ran into his well-muscled body.
Hands reached out to grip his shoulders in order to hold him in place. “What’s going on?” Blade asked.
Forest just couldn’t face his mate, so he stared at the floor instead. But Blade wasn’t deterred as he placed his knuckles under Forest’s chin, forcing eye contact. As soon as those dark chocolate eyes captured his, Forest felt himself calming.
“Just because we’ve mated doesn’t mean I’m going to obey you like some lapdog,” he blurted out. That reminded him that Blade had called him “pup” during sex. At the time he’d actually liked it, but he wasn’t about to admit that. “And I’m not a pup or a kid,” which was the other nickname Blade called him. “So stop calling me that.”
Why was it whenever he tried to talk to Blade, he always sounded like a petulant child instead of an adult stating his wishes? It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but the
way it came out made it seem like one.
Blade started at him for several moments before answering. “First of all, you will obey me as Talon’s second, but that doesn’t include our personal relationship. As far as I’m concerned we are mates, which makes us equal. I can’t say I won’t screw up, as I have a very dominant personality, but I don’t expect you to just obey me because we are mated.
“Second, if my calling you “pup” upsets you, I’m sorry. It wasn’t meant to be derogatory, and I will do my best not to call you that any longer.” It was clear Blade was taking Forest’s demands seriously and not just trying to placate him.
That just made Forest feel like an ass. Worse, he’d actually liked the nickname Blade had given him. He hadn’t expected Blade to agree, since he never stopped calling him “kid” no matter how many times Forest had asked him to stop.
Since he couldn’t go back on it now, he simply said, “Thank you.” At least Blade said they were equal as a couple. That was a big win in Forest’s book.
A knock sounded at the door. They both turned to see Talon. “We have a guest,” the man said before walking back down the hallway.
Blade leaned down to place a quick peck on his lips. “Come on. We better go see what’s up.”
As they walked into Talon’s room, Forest stopped short when he saw Concesionario Muerte sitting in a chair with Kai on one side and Hunter on the other. “Ernesto, what are you doing here?” he asked.
“Wait,” Evan called out. “Are you telling me that the Death Dealer’s real name is Ernesto?”
When Forest nodded, Evan, Hunter, and Paytah burst out laughing. He had to admit he’d had to hold back his laughter when Ernesto had first told him his name. Still, he didn’t think it was so funny that Evan should be rolling on the floor, which he was, literally.
“Knock it off,” Talon ordered, and quiet instantly descended.
Once Evan was back in position near the door, Talon started. “Okay, Forest is here. Now tell us what you know.”
