by Anya Byrne
Jessie ended the call and set the phone down. Suddenly, he felt completely drained. He plopped down onto the couch and curled into a miserable ball. God, how pathetic could he be? He wanted nothing more but to find Andreas and bury himself in the other man's embrace. A million questions whirled through his mind. What was Saul and Andreas's nature? Why had Andreas claimed there was something not-human about Jessie? And perhaps most importantly, would Jessie fall pregnant now too?
The thought freaked him out so much that he snapped out of his self-pity party. "Okay, Jessie. You need to focus. Remember you still have a life and a job to go to in the morning. Just breathe, take one thing at a time, and you'll figure it out."
He ended up completing his task of grading the tests on the Scarlet Letter, which just gave him a headache he didn't need on top of everything else. The abysmal scores of his students didn't encourage him. Damn, one would have thought that teaching at a private high school meant dealing with teens more open to learning, but apparently not.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly, since questioning his career choices was the last thing he needed. By this point, a new lesson plan was out of the question, and given that his students didn't even know the old material, it would have been irresponsible.
In the end, Jessie put together a plan for a new assignment, which left him with just enough time to shower and get dressed for the day. Skipping breakfast, he rushed to his car and hoped to God he wouldn't have any further surprises at the school.
****
It hurt. God, it hurt more than Andreas could have ever imagined, his wolf whining in distress, shying away from the memory of his mate's rejection.
For the longest time, Andreas just stared at the door, wanting nothing more than to follow his beautiful lover. He ached to bury his hands in Jessie's chocolate brown hair and feel its silkiness under his fingers as he claimed Jessie once again. He wanted to see affection replace the anger that had filled Jessie's emerald gaze. However, he could feel Jessie's emotions through their half-completed bond, and he realized all too well that Jessie needed space.
And so, he slid onto the floor, just lying there with his head in his hands, kicking himself over the way he'd approached the matter. That was where Erdi found him, what seemed to be hours later. "Hey, are you all right?" the silencer asked. "I saw your mate leave earlier."
Andreas gritted his teeth, trying, but failing to suppress his anger and frustration. "I tried to explain, but he wouldn't let me."
"Well, can you really blame him?" Erdi asked. "I mean, he's human. Even if he does know something about the paranormal world, he's bound to be wary of it." He took Andreas's arm and pulled him up. "Come on, snap out of it. This isn't the time to fall into a funk. Your mate is upset. So get out there and fix it, and remember what I told you earlier."
Just like that, Andreas managed to shake out of his trance. Erdi was right. He couldn't succumb to his wolf's desperation. As much as it had hurt to hear Jessie say those words, it didn't mean he'd lost Jessie for good. Furthermore, they needed each other if they were going to survive this. Jessie needed him. That was what mattered.
Mustering his composure, Andreas finished dressing, a plan already firm in his mind. He nodded at Erdi, acknowledging the silencer's help. "I do owe you for this," he said. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," the other wolf replied. "Now go and stop staring at me. You'll ruin my rep."
Andreas went. He had a meeting to attend and a mate to coax into obedience. And moon be blessed, he certainly looked forward to the latter.
He briefly dropped by his hotel, knowing that he was likely being watched, but acting like he didn't have anything to hide. His skin itched with impatience, his wolf pacing with the need to reunite with his mate. Even so, he didn't fall into the trap of going to stalk Jessie.
Taking a shower seemed like a good idea, as stalling techniques went, but of course, once he was inside the cubicle, his cock immediately proceeded to demand some attention. Andreas stared down at the weeping member and resigned himself to the unavoidable.
As hot water flowed over him, he reached for his dick and started to move his hand up and down the shaft. He closed his eyes, imagining his mate there with him. It was so easy to summon the memory of Jessie, as he had been a few hours earlier, on his knees in front of Andreas. He'd taken Andreas's cock deeply in his mouth, sucking it greedily, and fuck, it had felt better than anything Andreas had ever experienced before.
Even now, Jessie showed such enjoyment of it, licking Andreas's cock from head to tip, swirling his tongue over the glans and moaning when he tasted Andreas's precum. His slender fingers reached down to cup Andreas's balls, and Andreas made a mental note to spank Jessie later on. He'd told Jessie to keep his hands out of it, hadn't he?
Not that it mattered anymore. Nothing did, except the hot, wet torture of Jessie's mouth, the simple carnality of the moment. Andreas buried his fingers into Jessie's soft chocolate brown hair and started to fuck his mate's mouth, taking his pleasure, seeking the orgasm that was already impossibly close.
It was all over with embarrassing speed. Jessie just had to look up at him with his big, green eyes, and Andreas fell over the edge. He came, his body going rigid as his cock spurted jets after jets of hot spunk into Jessie's mouth.
Only... Jessie wasn't there, not really. Andreas simply climaxed all over his fist, the vision he himself had summoned disappearing into the steam of the shower. The pleasure faded and turned into a feeling of empty loneliness. His mate wasn't here with him, and by rights, he might never allow Andreas to touch him again.
But no, Andreas refused to resign himself to that. He'd just talk to Jessie and explain the circumstances. Finding refuge in that decision, Andreas finished showering in quick efficient motions. He exited the cubicle just in time to hear his cell phone ring in the bedroom.
For a few moments, he dared to hope that the caller could be Jessie, but reason reminded him Jessie didn't even know his phone number. There was only one person who could be calling Andreas now. His guess was confirmed seconds later when Andreas retrieved his cell phone and stared at the screen. His Alpha. Damn it.
With a mental sigh, Andreas plopped down on the bed and took the call. "Good morning, Alpha," he said.
Wendel Adler didn't even bother to make a comment on the early hour, not that Andreas expected him to. "How are things going, Andreas?" the other werewolf asked. "Have you made any progress?"
"I'm due to meet with the target soon, Alpha," Andreas reminded him. Technically speaking, it was true. Never mind that he'd already met, and had sex with Jessie tonight. Wendel didn't need to know that, and hopefully, he'd never find out.
"I see," Wendel replied. "What about the preliminary investigation? Any news on Gavin Price and Saul Simmons?"
Distantly, Andreas wondered why in the world the man had called him at six in the morning to ask about things Andreas would have reported anyway. "Nothing, Sir," he replied. "They seem to have disappeared."
The Alpha hummed thoughtfully. "Well, try to learn their whereabouts. And keep me posted. I want a progress report from you as soon as you've found out anything relevant. If the human shows any sign of knowing of our kind, just leave it to the silencers."
"Of course, Alpha," Andreas replied. Thank fuck the silencer meant to handle the matter was Erdi. Whatever the man's reasons, he clearly didn't want to harm Jessie, so for the moment, Andreas didn't have to hunt him down and cause a bigger mess.
"Oh, and be very careful," Wendel said. "I understand the Simmons pack is quite unstable right now," his so-called leader warned him.
Did the man even realize that Andreas could hear the barely concealed satisfaction in his voice? Probably not, or if he did, he must be covering all his bases, preparing for the moment when he'd claim Alpha Simmons had attacked him.
Well, Andreas had too much to live for. If he could help it, he refused to play along with Wendel's game. "I understand," he said simply.
The conversation ended
on that less-than-positive note. It seemed clearer than ever that Wendel had plans for Dean Simmons's territory. Right now, Andreas's main concern was Jessie. How could he keep Jessie out of a potential pack dispute? How could he be sure that, when Andreas's world was crumbling around him, Jessie would stay safe? He didn't know, and that scared him.
Chapter Four
"Remember to send me your essays by next Friday. And if I catch you using Spark Notes or Wikipedia, your parents will hear from me."
The students grumbled, but gathered their books without too much protest. Perhaps they realized Jessie was giving them a chance to up their grades, and all for their benefit.
As the teens left the room, Jessie wiped the whiteboard, readying himself for his next class. Predictably, his mind wandered to his predicament, and especially to Andreas. He couldn't help but remember how good it had felt to take Andreas's dick inside him. His own cock hardened in his slacks, and he took a deep breath, trying to get his libido under control. Jesus, what was wrong with him? He had so many problems, largely connected to Andreas, and still, he couldn't help but lust for the Dom? He must have lost his mind.
The sound of a cleared throat snapped him out of his furious scrubbing of the already clean whiteboard. Jessie abandoned his task, somewhat thankful for any distraction. He found the principal of the high school, Valentine Smythe, standing in the doorway.
"Good morning, Mr. Orwell," he greeted Jessie with that combination of kindness and stern politeness that had always characterized him. "Would it be possible to steal you away for a minute? I need a word."
"Of course," Jessie replied. It was always possible, and necessary to spare time for the principal. They didn't know each other that well, since Valentine had only taken over the school when his father had suffered an unexpected heart attack, but Jessie respected the other man. "What can I help you with?"
Valentine stepped into the classroom—something that had always amused Jessie about the young principal. Instead of summoning people to his office, he came to them. "As you know, the school has always taken great pride in caring for the best interests of our students," he said. "One of our most solid stand points was the guidance councilor department. Your friend, Mr. Gavin Price, has been an invaluable resource for us."
Jessie frowned, unsure as to where the principal could be taking this. "Indeed," he replied. "I'm told that he should be returning to work in a few weeks, a month at most."
"And in the meantime, you've agreed to take over his duties, and you've been doing very well." He shot Jessie a knowing look. "But it's too much effort for one person, and we can't expect you to continue carrying this burden alone. So I've made some arrangements and we'll be receiving a new guidance councilor today."
Jessie went rigid. He had to agree that doing both jobs tired him, but Gavin loved his job. Bringing in another person would just imbalance the kids who already had a shaky faith in their teachers.
"I'm not sure that's—"
The principal cut him off before he could finish the phrase. "He's already arrived, and I was hoping you could show him around. Of course, keep in mind that once Mr. Price returns, his job will be waiting for him. This is only temporary."
That was, at least, a relief. Although Jessie still didn't like having a newcomer here butting into his business—and, all things considered, it was the last thing he needed —he would play nice with the substitute.
"I see," he replied. "Well, of course I will be happy to help in any way that I can." He looked at his watch checking how much time he had before his next class. Fifteen minutes, give or take. The substitute might work as a good distraction from his memory of Andreas, because Jesus, his lustful instincts were getting worse. "Well, my schedule is open for the next fifteen minutes," he told the principal, more than ever thankful for the low cut of his suit jacket. "It's not that much, but after that, I have another class."
As if on cue, another man entered the classroom and said, "That should be fine. Thank you so much for your generous offer."
Jessie froze, staring past the principal's shoulder in disbelief. This couldn't be. He'd somehow fallen into a particularly vivid dream, no, into a nightmare. Andreas couldn't be standing a few feet away from him, dressed up in an elegant suit, a knowing smirk on the full lips Jessie remembered so well from last night.
If Valentine noticed the tension, he made no comment on it. "Mr. Orwell, this is Andreas Brandt. Mr. Brandt, this is Jessie Orwell, our excellent English teacher and temporary guidance councilor."
Andreas stepped forward and offered his hand to Jessie. "It's a pleasure. I've heard so much about you."
On auto-pilot, Jessie took Andreas's extended palm. As their skin touched, electricity rushed over Jessie, canceling out any possibility of this being a dream. Impossibly, his dick hardened further, throbbing furiously in his pants and practically begging to be touched.
He bit the inside of his cheek in a quest for control and finally managed to reply, "Welcome. I will do my best to help you during your stay here."
The exchange seemed to satisfy the principal, who smiled and clapped his hands together. "Excellent. I will leave you to it. Mr. Orwell, Mr. Brandt, have a good day."
As the principal left, Jessie closed the door behind him. His hands on his hips, he turned toward Andreas with a furious huff. "What in the world are you doing here? How could you follow me at work? I—"
Moving faster than the eye could see, Andreas crossed the space between them and crushed their lips together. Jessie opened his mouth, intending to protest, but his attempt only served to give Andreas the chance to thrust his tongue into Jessie's wet cavern. And as the Dom devoured Jessie with an intensely punishing kiss, Jessie couldn't remember how to pull away. He melted against Andreas, surrendering to the unavoidable, wanting nothing more but for the kiss to go on forever.
Alas, no such thing happened, and much sooner than Jessie would have liked, Andreas pulled away. "That was for saying you regretted last night, and I'm still not done with you," the other man told him fiercely. "As for the rest, I was going to tell you about it, but you didn't give me the chance."
Jessie had to admit the other man had a point. Then again, Andreas's kiss had turned his brain into mush, so he might have admitted to anything.
Shaking himself, Jessie struggled for focus. "How could I possibly trust you when you yourself admitted your intentions were to stab me in the back?
Andreas sighed. "It's far more complicated than that, and I can't explain it here. Just play along, all right?"
Jessie frowned. Andreas's vagueness bothered him a great deal, and he didn't even understand what he was supposed to be playing along with. The fact that they supposedly didn't know each other and Andreas was only the unwanted fill-in for Gavin's position? Probably.
"All right, Mr. Brandt," he said. "Would you like me to show you to the guidance councilor's office?"
Andreas nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Orwell. That would be perfect."
Jessie gathered his papers and put them all in his briefcase. He led Andreas out of his classroom, blabbing about the history of the high school, how Valentine's father had set it up as an elite institution where children would be safe from the bullying in regular schools. He explained the role of the guidance councilor, with Andreas making the occasional sound of appreciation or approval.
Jessie didn't really think the other man was listening, and that guess was practically confirmed when they finally reached the guidance councilor's office. As the door closed behind them, a strong hand grabbed Jessie's wrist. Before he could even try to protest, Jessie found himself pinned to the wall, Andreas's larger bulk blocking his escape.
"Moon be blessed, I love your voice," the other man whispered in his ear. "I want to hear you scream my name, like you did last night."
Jessie wanted to free himself, he did. He planned to tell Andreas to get off him immediately. Sadly, the only thing that came from his lips was a nauseatingly imploring whimper, "Please."
; He would have really been ashamed of himself if Andreas hadn't proceeded to fulfill Jessie's request. The Dom fused their mouths once again, all the while exploring every inch of his body he could reach. He even managed to pull Jessie's shirt from his pants, sliding his hands underneath the material to caress Jessie's over-sensitized skin.
It felt so right, so hot, so perfect, just like Jessie remembered it. Before long, he was grinding against Andreas, their cocks nudging each other through the material of their suit pants.
It was only when Andreas's frantic hands began to work on Jessie's belt that Jessie remembered where he was. With great difficulty, he pushed the other man away. "We can't do this here," he breathed out, his dick throbbing in protest even as he said the words. "It's a school. It's not appropriate."
As much as the thought excited him and the danger of possible capture aroused him, he reminded himself of his responsibilities as an educator. He couldn't just throw all that to the wind because he wanted to be fucked by an admittedly devastatingly handsome Dom.
Andreas took a deep breath and straightened his back. Just like that, he seemed the consummate professional once more. "You're perfectly right," he said. "My apologies. I was out of line."
He brushed his fingers over Jessie's lips, a gesture that still seemed impossibly intimate even if they'd been making out not a few minutes ago. "Later?" he asked.
Jessie nodded. "That sounds great," he replied, his voice so choked and low he almost didn't recognize it himself.
Andreas's nostrils flared and he took a couple of steps back, his hands clenched into fists. His eyes were glowing, Jessie noticed, just like they had been last night. No doubt about it, Andreas wanted him, and if Jessie stayed here for much longer, he'd end up jeopardizing his job and his professional integrity for a fuck with a Dom who wasn't even human.
And so, Jessie turned on his heel and fled the room.
Shit, he still hadn't gotten any answers out of Andreas, and they hadn't been able to clarify the situation in any way, but he'd already agreed to another meeting, during which he would probably get fucked again—both literally and figuratively. Not to mention all the mixed signals he was sending. Last night, he'd refused to listen, and now, he'd practically posted a 'fuck me' sign on his forehead.
