by Coyote Starr
"Soccer?" Taking another long sip through the straw, he assessed the man's responses.
"You mean football?"
With a shrug, Ethan let the glass clink to the bar and hooked a barstool with one ankle to pull it closer. Hitching himself up onto it, he leaned forward and, letting his voice go throaty, asked, "Does it matter what we call it, as long as we agree on the rules?"
"No. I do not think it matters at all." Finally, the other man stepped fully into Ethan's personal space, closing the distance between them.
* * *
Jamal pulled up short of actually touching the beautiful man in front of him, though the blond had all but invited him to do so every time Jamal looked at him. Jamal had immediately established that the other man was a standard Beta-male wolf shifter--unable to either give an Omega a child or bear one--but Jamal inhaled his scent a second time, just to be sure. The individual smell of a lightly scented soap, something like rain on fresh-turned earth, and clean sweat over pure man ignited a heat inside him like nothing else he had experienced before.
I should at least learn his name.
Even if every inch of him strained toward the blond, urging Jamal to clasp the man to him now. His cock had hardened instantly at the way the blond dropped his voice when he mentioned playing by the rules. From the way he leaned toward Jamal now, he felt the same way.
What Jamal wanted to do was shift his hand enough to bring out his claws and shred the boy's clothes until they were no longer in his way. Then he would lean the boy back, push his legs up high, and drive into him with every ounce of power he had.
He wanted to lose himself in the Beta.
But he knew better.
Betas couldn't take an Alpha's full strength—he'd tear the boy apart.
Jamal stifled a groan at the thought.
No. He would maintain control, even if everything about him called out to him to let go of his carefully cultivated restraint. Drawing in yet another deep breath, this one designed to help hold back his inner beast, he gently curled one white-blond lock of hair around his index finger. "What are you called?"
"Ethan." His voice came out in a rasp.
The artificial light of the bar glinted off the golden highlights wrapped around his fingertip. He trailed his other hand down the side of boy’s face, watching the play of light on the dark skin of his hand contrasted against the golden glint of a slight beard.
The artificial light of the bar glinted off the golden highlights wrapped around his fingertip. "Such a dark name for someone so fair." He trailed his other hand down the side of his face, watching the play of light on the dark skin of his hand contrasted against his pale, soft cheek. He tilted his head to give him access to his neck, as well.
"And yours?" his wolf-bright eyes regarded him through half-closed lids.
"Jamal."
"Know what it means?"
Jamal nodded. "Beautiful, handsome—something like that."
Ethan smiled. "Sounds ... about right." The pause between his words drew out for a long moment as he looked around the bar.
"Want another drink?" Jamal asked.
With a slow smile and a long look that surveyed every inch of Jamal's body, Ethan said, "I think we could come up with a better activity for the rest of the evening."
With that, he placed his hands on either side of Jamal's face and pulled him down. As their lips met with an almost electric spark, Jamal felt his inner wolf chuckle with a happiness he didn't often feel—the two sides of his personality, beast and man, for once in perfect accord.
* * *
That first kiss in the bar had been almost intoxicating, even without the drinks. Ethan had intended to dive into the beautiful black man, to taste every part of Jamal that he could reach within the first few seconds. But the instant their mouths had touched it had been like everything around him slowed down. He could feel the warmth of his lips pressing against the other man's, the coolness of the air rushing into his mouth as he drew in a breath, the gentle pressure of Jamal's tongue flicking against the seam of his lips, urging Ethan to open his mouth.
That pressure became more demanding within seconds, and when Ethan's lips relaxed against his, Jamal's tongue all but dove into his mouth, their bodies pressing together. Ethan had never considered soccer a sport to particularly build one's upper-body strength, but Jamal's arms banded around him more intensely than he had anticipated, wrapping Ethan to him like silk-covered iron. Jamal's chest, too, pressed against Ethan with a pressure and a force he hadn't anticipated—but he welcomed it.
It had been a long time since Ethan had found anyone who could match him in bed; most of the men he picked up after a hunt were either humans—inherently too soft—or other wolves unwilling to engage in the kinds of sex-games that allowed them to play rough.
And invariably, the ones who wanted to play the kinds of games he did wanted to take it too far—they wanted to believe that they could control Ethan.
That would never happen.
All too often, the Hunter ended up hurting the man he picked up, either inadvertently or because he needed to put him back in his place.
With this man, though, Ethan suspected he might have found a match. Pressing his entire body against Jamal's, he pulled his mouth away enough to say against those amazing, full lips, "Do you have somewhere we can go?"
"Oh, yes, I do," Jamal rasped out in that sing-song accent of his.
"Then let's get out of here."
* * *
Outside, the air was thick and warm—autumn in the Deep South didn’t cool things down much.
For once, Ethan was glad of it.
“Is your place nearby?” Ethan murmured into Jamal’s ear, flicking his tongue along the shell of it in between words.
Jamal nodded. “Just a couple of blocks,” he replied, pointing toward the hotel district, only a few blocks away.
Moments later, Ethan let out a low whistle as they entered the lobby of the Hyatt. “College soccer must be more lucrative than I thought,” he said, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at Jamal.
Adrian would have told Ethan to hold his tongue, to practice fitting in with those around him. “A Hunter,” he was fond of saying, “is all but invisible, in the world but not of it.”
Tonight, though, Ethan was not a Hunter—or, if he was (“be always vigilant,” Adrian would have scolded), he was a Hunter without a mission, at least for one evening.
Without a killing mission, anyway, he corrected himself. He definitely had a mission—and it was to get this hot man up to his room as soon as possible.
Ethan’s companion didn’t seem to mind him gawking at the hotel lobby. He simply laughed, and wrapped one arm around Ethan’s waist to tug him toward the elevators.
Apparently, he had a mission, too.
In the elevator, Jamal pressed Ethan against the cool metal of the back wall, grasping his hands and sliding them up the wall behind Ethan. Jamal’s kiss was deep and hard, and Ethan could feel every inch of the man pushing against him.
When the elevator doors opened behind them, Jamal pulled away only reluctantly, and led them down the hall.
When the door opened, Jamal threw both the key and the wallet onto the nearest flat surface and beelined for the bed.
Once there, Ethan stopped and ran his hand down the length of Jamal’s cock, hard underneath his jeans. The contact sent a tremor through both men, and Ethan could feel himself harden even more.
Jamal pushed against his chest, backing Ethan up until the bed bumped against the underside of his knees.
Time to see if he really can keep up.
Jamal gave another shove—not hard, but not exactly gentle, either—and he sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Good boy,” he murmured. “Aren’t you the obedient one?”
“You have no idea,” Ethan said.
“Then maybe I should find out.”
“Oh, yes.” His voice grew gravelly with desire. “Please, please do.”
Chapter 3
Ethan crossed his arms in front of his body, grasped the hem of his shirt, and pulled it up and over his head. Holding it out to one side, he gave it a slight flourish before he dropped it on the floor.
Inside his jeans, Jamal’s cock, already hard, strained against his pants. He could feel droplets of moisture from the head seeping into the fabric as he watched this beautiful, commanding man strip for him.
All too often, he had found, Betas were too soft for him. They wanted him to take charge, but were not willing to match his intensity. Worse, they were not willing to tell him what they wanted. He was not weak, but he was an Alpha wolf-shifter, and Omegas controlled their families and their clans. Omegas were not soft. He knew some wolf Alphas who had taken Beta playmates—even life-mates, though they were unable to have children together—but he had always thought there must be something wrong with those Alphas. He had never truly seen the appeal of it.
Until now.
This man, with his demanding mouth and determined hands—Jamal could imagine taking him for more than a night’s playmate.
Slow down, Jamal, he reminded himself. See how the rest of the night goes, first.
The long, pale length of Ethan’s body was almost all muscle, rippling as he reached down to untie his heavy boots and step out of them.
Everything about this man shouted strength and power. He moved with poise and confidence. And as Ethan stalked toward him in his bare feet and underwear, Jamal throbbed with desire.
Tilting his head back to stare up the length of him as Ethan came to stand over him, Jamal’s breath caught in the back of his throat as the other man stopped only inches from him. Jamal could feel the heat rolling off his body, smell his desire, musky and raw, as the scent of it swirled around him.
He chuckled for the sheer joy of having found Ethan tonight.
“Something funny?” Ethan asked, tilting his head as he regarded him with those almost-white eyes.
“I am only happy,” he replied, his smile still holding steady on his face.
“Touch me,” Ethan commanded, smiling in return.
Jamal gently placed one forefinger on his chest. Then he drew it down, passing his waist and his bellybutton, and stopping at the top of his underwear, where Ethan’s cock strained against the fabric.
“Like that?” he asked, a slight smile crooking the corner of his mouth.
Ethan didn’t answer him directly, but instead issued another order as he stepped back. “Take off your clothes.”
Without breaking eye contact, Jamal drew his shirt up over his head and dropped it on the floor, mimicking the gesture Ethan had made when he dropped his. He kicked off his shoes, shoving them under the bed. Then he unbuttoned his jeans, sliding the pants and boxers down his legs in one motion.
Ethan stood and watched all this without changing expression, still with that evaluative look in his eyes. His regard only made Jamal harder.
When Jamal stood naked, cock jutting out proudly, Ethan tilted his head to one side, his gaze sliding up and down Jamal’s entire body. A slight breeze from the air conditioner drew chill bumps up on his arms. His inner wolf wanted to whine and yip with his anxiety for the blond’s approval, but he shoved that desire down, focusing on the way Ethan’s gaze narrowed when he saw Jamal’s cock jump at the inspection.
“Oh, you like this,” he said, the tip of his pink tongue flicking out against the corner of his mouth, and Jamal’s breath left him in a rush.
Taking a step forward, Ethan pressed against the center of Jamal’s chest with his palm, and then kept pushing him backward until Jamal first sat down, and then lay flat against the bed. Ethan crawled onto the mattress, placing first one knee and then the other on either side of Jamal.
Taking Jamal’s hands in his own, Ethan slid their arms out to the sides, and then used his knees to press Ethan’s biceps into the bedding, effectively pinning him to the bed by kneeling on top of him, his fabric-covered cock inches from his face.
With his dick this close, the scent of him surrounded Jamal, making him ache to wrap his lips around the blond. Jamal was strong enough to lift Ethan up, roll him under Jamal, and he could tell from the glint in Ethan’s eye that he knew it, too, but he liked this game they were playing.
With the slightest lift of his head, Jamal could just barely touch his tongue to the fabric cradling Ethan’s balls.
“Oh, not yet.” Ethan’s voice was throaty with desire, but he sat back on Jamal’s chest, pulling the one part of him Jamal most wanted to lick farther away. Jamal’s frustrated groan made Ethan bare his teeth in a smile, and Jamal moaned in complaint.
His breathing grew thick and heavy as he fought to lie perfectly still, waiting for Ethan to tell him what to do next.
“So, pretty boy,” Ethan said. “What do you want?”
Jamal almost answered, “Whatever you do,” but he could sense that wasn’t the right answer. “To taste you,” he finally said.
Fire blazed deep in Ethan’s eyes, and with one hand, he tugged at his underwear sharply. They gave with a tearing sound, and he tossed the ruined fabric aside. Sliding forward, he pressed his knees into the mattress beside Jamal’s ears, guiding his cock into Jamal’s mouth.
With a deep sound of satisfaction, Jamal opened his jaws wide to suck, using newly freed hands to grab Ethan’s ass and pull him down even more deeply into him.
* * *
The vibration of Jamal’s moan against him made Ethan even harder than before.
Never had he met anyone who seemed to read exactly what he wanted as clearly as this man did. Nor had he ever found anyone so instantly ready to play the power games he enjoyed in bed. He wondered if Jamal would be able to switch roles as easily.
Maybe Ethan would try to find out.
Later.
Right now, he planned to slide his cock between Jamal’s pliant pink lips, then push it as deep as he could, as hard and as fast as he could, until he came.
And oh, fuck, Jamal knew how to use that mouth, too, first sucking in the length of Ethan, then pulling away, and then—at just the right moment—opening wide enough to take it deep down his throat, wrapping his arms around Ethan’s thighs to pull him down even farther.
At some point, Ethan realized, he had lost control of this game. Instead of directing Jamal, he was rocking back and forth, letting the other man pull him in completely and push him away again.
He might have been fucking Jamal’s face, but Jamal was setting the pace.
Ethan’s cock grew even harder and began throbbing as the pressure built inside him. Over and over again, Jamal brought him right up to the edge of release, and then backed off.
“Don’t stop,” Ethan ground out through gritted teeth, working to bury himself balls-deep in Jamal’s mouth.
Jamal pulled away and bit Ethan’s inner thigh just hard enough to make him gasp. “I want to fuck you,” Jamal said. “And you’re not ready yet.”
“Make me cum first,” Ethan demanded.
In a motion smoother than Ethan would have guessed possible, Jamal pushed him sideways. He would have tumbled to the bed next to him if Jamal hadn’t flipped over and caught him.
Ethan was still catching his breath, and Jamal was already between his legs, his mouth nibbling and teasing Ethan’s cock, sucking and pulling at it as he slid first one, then two fingers inside Ethan, using his thumb to trace heated circles along the underside of his balls as he rocked back and forth, faster and faster. With his other hand, he followed his mouth, slowing the pace once more but adding long, slow strokes, all but milking Ethan’s cock into his mouth.
In only moments, Ethan felt the bright, hot point of his orgasm begin to build inside him, starting in his balls, then rolling through his abdomen. But again, Jamal stopped.
“Now you’re ready,” Jamal growled. Ethan could only moan in agreement. Whatever this man was planning to do, he was ready for it—but he still gasped in pleasure when Jamal pushed Ethan’s legs high up against his shoulders
, and buried himself to the hilt inside Ethan in one long, smooth motion.
Crying out in pleasure, Ethan met him, stroke for stroke, as Jamal pounded into him, and he whimpered when the black man slipped back out, wanting to clutch him closer.
But Jamal was far from done. He leaned back on his heels, rolling Ethan over and pulling him up onto his hands and knees. This time, when Jamal mounted him, pushing into him suddenly, in one motion, Ethan finally understood what it meant to be fucked by an Alpha, helpless in the throes of passion, desperate to cum but not allowed. Again and again, Jamal brought Ethan to the edge of release, only to bring him down again, until Ethan’s cock ached with need.
With one hand, Jamal finally reached around Ethan’s hip and wrapped his fingers around the other man’s cock, caressing and fondling. Holding tightly onto Ethan, he began pulling him back, pushing deeper and deeper, slamming his cock into him from behind.
Again, Ethan met force with force, pushing back with his hands and knees to thump against him, grinding his ass backwards.
He had been right to choose this man, out of all the men in the bar. Hell, maybe out of all the men in the world.
Certainly out of all the men who had been in Ethan’s bed, Jamal was the only one he had found who could match his intensity—both as giver and receiver of pleasure. Part of him wanted to draw this out longer, but even as Ethan’s own orgasm began to build again, he could feel Jamal’s dick inside him, growing harder and larger, filling him entirely as he got closer and closer to coming. Ethan could feel Jamal throbbing, and his fingers clutched the sheets under him as Jamal’s balls slapped against his ass in a steady, harsh rhythm.
This time, when Jamal stopped him, it was to turn him back over. “I want to see your eyes when I cum inside you,” he whispered.
Just the words nearly sent Ethan tumbling over the edge. And then Jamal was on him, in him—his cock filling Ethan entirely, even as he allowed most of his weight to rest against Ethan. The sweat-slicked skin of Jamal’s abdomen, covered in a fine dusting of hair, rasped against Ethan’s cock.
“Please,” Ethan moaned, and this time, Jamal heeded the request, leaning in more and using one hand to hold Ethan’s cock tight against his muscular stomach.
