by Maggie Walsh
Chapter 4
Crew groaned as he tried to open his eyes, but they got assaulted by a bright light. “Relax, Crew. I’m just about done.” He heard the soft, familiar voice in the distance. He tried to shake the cobwebs from his head, but couldn’t move. “One more minute, Crew. Just hold still for one more minute.” He knew that voice. It was Aaron. But why was he asking him to stay still? “Okay, brother, I’m done. Just relax. I’ll be right in to help you get up.”
Get up? Get up from where? Crew tried to open his eyes again, and this time there was no bright light, but there was a light gray tube above him. He blinked, trying to figure out where the hell he was. He looked down his body and saw that he was in some kind of tube. He tried to turn his head but it wouldn’t turn. “What’s happening? Where am I?” he said weakly. Suddenly his body began to move, he was sliding out from the tube. His eyes focused on the ceiling above him, and then the most handsome face he had ever seen appeared, and it was smiling down at him. Haven, he thought with a contented sigh.
“Hey, pup. It’s so good to see those pretty eyes of yours. I missed you,” Haven said with a bright smile.
“What happened?” he whispered. “Haven, are you real?”
Haven chuckled, and he felt his hand being wrapped in a warm hand. “Yes, baby, I’m real.”
“I thought I was dreaming and you weren’t real.”
“Why would you think that?” Haven asked and kissed his forehead.
“Because you won’t claim me, but you don’t have the mating heat. So this must be a dream. You can’t be real. My mind made up the most beautiful man I have ever seen, but it can’t conjure up the sex. Gods, even in sleep I’m pathetic,” Crew whimpered.
“That’s enough of that, baby,” Haven admonished gently. “I don’t ever want to hear you talking about my mate like that again, do you hear me? You are not pathetic, you are not dreaming, and I am most certainly real. I’ll prove it to you.” Haven leaned down and kissed Crew’s lips. He slid his tongue against the crease, asking for entrance. Crew opened his mouth, and Haven slid his tongue in to mate with Crew’s. The kiss was soft and gentle, and it took Crew’s breath away. Haven pulled back and smiled down at Crew again. “There, now did that feel like a dream?” Haven asked with a smirk.
“Must have been a dream, because you never kissed me like that before. And I know my mate wouldn’t have kissed me like that for the first time while I’m trapped in some kind of tubular coffin,” Crew said and returned the smirk.
“Once we get you up to your room to rest, you and I will have a long talk.”
“Will we talk about why you haven’t claimed me yet? Or will we get to the good stuff and you’ll fuck me all night?” Crew teased.
Haven blushed and smiled down at Crew. “Well that is a very good possibility, and then maybe you’ll return the favor and fuck me all day tomorrow.”
Crew whimpered, which caused Haven to laugh.
“Let me help you out of this contraption, and then we’ll talk okay?” Aaron said as his face appeared above him too. “Then you two can go off and fuck to your heart’s content,” Aaron teased.
“Okay,” he whispered in confusion. Am I hurt? Did something happen?
Aaron reached over his head and released something and a weight fell off his head, then his chest, hips, thighs, and calves. Haven grabbed one arm and Aaron grabbed the other, and they helped him to a sitting position. His head spun and his eyes got fuzzy. Crew shook his head and blinked his eyes, trying to clear them.
“Just take it slow, Crew. You’ve been out for a few hours and you may be a little dizzy,” Aaron instructed. Crew nodded. “How do you feel besides having the feeling of cobwebs in your skull?”
“Everything is a little blurry, but it’s getting better. My head’s clearing, but I feel a pressure across my forehead, and my gut hurts like I was punched. But it’s not too bad. More like a dull ache.”
“I couldn’t find anything in your blood work and the CAT scan came out clear. So after you still didn’t wake up for a few hours, I wanted to get a better look at your brain, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. So that’s where you are now. I just completed an MRI of your brain. Everything looked good and normal in the scans. I’ll look them over again just to make sure, but everything looks fine.”
“So what happened? One minute I was at the kitchen table and the next―” He snapped his fingers and disappeared. Aaron and Haven jumped back and looked at each other in shock. Suddenly Crew appeared again. His eyes were the size of saucers as he looked at one of them and then the other. “What the hell was that?” he said with a hint of fear in his voice.
Micah and Jesse came rushing through the door. “Where’s Crew?” Micah yelled in a panic and then stopped when he saw Crew sitting there. “How did you do that?” Micah asked.
“What did I do?” Crew asked, still in shock.
“You were in here talking to Aaron and me, and you snapped your fingers and disappeared. Then suddenly you were back,” Haven explained.
“Jesse and I were in the kitchen working on dinner, when you suddenly appeared at the table and then vanished again.”
“I was talking about being in the kitchen and then―” He was gone again. All four of them looked at each other wide-eyed. Suddenly Crew was back again. “Damn, that’s fucked up. I thought about the―” Haven covered Crew’s mouth with his hand.
“Okay, you thought about the kitchen and suddenly you were there. Then when you were there, you thought about here and suddenly you were here?” Haven asked. Crew nodded.
“Teleportation,” Aaron said excitedly. “Crew, I think your power just showed up. Teleportation.”
“Shit, that’s so cool,” Jesse said with a laugh.
Crew moved Haven’s hand from his mouth. “So all I have to do is think of somewhere and I go there?” Crew asked in awe.
“It appears so,” Micah answered.
“Well that will save me a lot of money on gas and plane fare.” Crew laughed. Then he disappeared again.
“Shit, I have a feeling I’m gonna have to tie my mate down,” Haven grumbled.
They all laughed. “I don’t think even that will help. All he has to do is think of somewhere and poof, he’s gone.” Aaron snickered.
Crew popped back onto the table in front of them, laughing. “You should have seen Taylor’s face. It was classic.” He continued to laugh.
“What did you do?” Aaron asked as he joined Crew in laughing.
“I thought of the game room. I popped in right on the pool table where Taylor and Gabe were getting their freak on. I winked at him and then came back here. But Taylor’s face was priceless. Gods I wish I had a camera.”
“I would have loved to have seen that,” Micah agreed and laughed, too.
“Hold on,” Crew said, then disappeared again.
“Jeez, he’s like a kid with a new toy.” Haven laughed.
“Why isn’t he back yet?” Jesse asked. They all looked at each other and waited. A few minutes later, Crew popped back in, but his face was serious.
“I think you need to go find Cass, Micah. He’s behind the garages in the backyard.” Crew’s voice was full of worry.
“What is it?” Micah asked, concerned.
“You’ll see. But I think you and Jesse should go now. I’ll be okay. Go.” Micah grabbed Jesse’s hand and the two of them raced from the room.
“What is it, Crew? What’s wrong with Cass? Should I go, too?” Aaron asked in a near panic.
“No. Not now. Just let Micah and Jesse talk to him first.”
Aaron nodded. “Okay, well let’s get you back to your room to rest. No more popping in and out for a little while until we’re sure everything has passed. Okay?”
“Okay, Doc. I promise. I am pretty tired all of a sudden.”
“It’s your powers. Ask anyone. Once they got their powers, they were wiped out when they first started using them, until their bodies became accustomed. Now it’s only if the
y overdo it. So go get some rest, then get claimed by your mate, and we’ll see you guys in three days. I’ll send food and drinks,” Aaron said happily and winked.
“Thanks, Doc,” Haven said and picked Crew up.
“I can walk, you know?”
“Yes, I know. But how about you humor me just this once?”
“I can pop up there,” Crew said with a big smile.
“I know, but I can’t, and I don’t know where your room is yet,” Haven said and gave him a pointed look.
“Good point. Okay, sexy, you win. This time,” Crew growled the last two words. Haven laughed and carried Crew from the room.
* * * *
Once Haven got Crew settled down under the blankets in just his briefs, he sat on the edge of the bed and held Crew’s hand. “So honestly, how are you feeling?”
“I feel good. A little tired but good. My eyes don’t bother me anymore, my head’s not pounding, and that dull ache is gone.”
Haven smiled. “Good. Now you can get some rest.”
“Why don’t you want to claim me?” Crew questioned bluntly, with a hint of sadness.
“What makes you think that I don’t want to claim you?”
“It’s been four days since we met and you haven’t tried anything beyond a small kiss. And I don’t see any signs of your mating heat,” Crew explained, and shrugged.
“I do want you. Oh do I want you. I didn’t want to push you to soon though. We only just met, baby, and it seemed so…uncaring and selfish of me to just jump you. I figured I could wait a few days, and let us get comfortable with each other first. And as for the mating heat, I’m up to eight cold showers a day. Plus, in between the showers, I keep this around the back of my neck,” Heaven said and pulled a wet washcloth from under his collar. “It doesn’t work that well, but it does help a little. A small trick I learned from a human woman friend I had back home. She was going through menopause and said she used this trick to help with her hot flashes. I was hoping it would help me, too.” Crew stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, then busted out laughing. “I know. Laugh it up. But I am four days into my heat, and I’m not clawing my skin off, so I think I’m doing pretty good.”
Crew squeezed his hand and controlled himself. “You’re doing great. I’m sorry I laughed.”
“Why? It’s funny,” Haven said.
“You have been great and considerate. Thank you. But I know all about your heat and how you only have a limited amount of time before that heat takes over and you can go feral or die. And now that I’m looking closely at you, you don’t look to good. Your skin is flushed, and you’re beginning to sweat.”
“It is getting harder to hold my cat back,” Haven agreed and wiped his brow.
“Then don’t hold him back. Claim me, mate,” Crew whispered.
Haven’s eyes grew big with surprise. “Are you sure?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure.”
“You do know that I’m the leader of Storm’s guard right?” Haven asked hesitantly.
“Yes, what does that have to do with it?”
“I know you’re an enforcer and I’m not quite sure how to approach this.” Haven swallowed hard.
Crew watched Haven’s face as he spoke, and what Haven was saying dawned on him. “Oh. So the problem is that we’re both tops,” Crew stated.
“Well, not exactly,” Haven hedged.
“Then what is it, Haven?”
“I know you wolves see yourselves as the dominant ones, the tops, and you would never submit, but us felines don’t think like that. We pretty much all like to switch.” Crew’s eyes went wide at Haven’s confession. “I know you said downstairs that you want me to fuck you all night, but I think you meant―” Haven was cut off by Crew covering his mouth with his hand.
“Again, I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure. Claim me, mate…and then I’ll claim you.” Crew gave him a sexy smile. Haven returned the smile and his whole body relaxed. “Top drawer,” Crew said and motioned toward the nightstand.
Haven opened the drawer and was surprised at some of the things he saw in there, but he figured now was not the time to question his mate about it. He snatched up the tube of lube that he was sure was the reason Crew had told him to go in there. Later after they were relaxed, he would ask his mate about the other items.
Crew had never been so shocked in his life to hear the confession from Haven that he switched. He couldn’t believe that this big, strong leader of the guard was a switch. Haven was essentially the equivalent of Phenex or Raith. He knew for a fact that Raith didn’t bottom, and he figured Phenex was the top. Even though Ryland was the King of the fae and just as big as Phenex, he always got this bottom vibe from the man. But then again, Ryland was a big, strong, powerful man and he would probably top. No there was no way that Phenex bottomed.
“They probably switch, too, baby.” Haven’s words broke through his inner dialogue and his focus snapped to meet Haven’s gaze. Then it hit him that if it were inner dialogue, then how could Haven answer him? They hadn’t claimed each other yet, so the mating link didn’t work yet.
“You said it out loud.” Haven snickered. Crew’s eyes grew wide. Haven laughed and cupped Crew’s cheek. “You said how I was essentially the equivalent of Phenex and Raith, and you finished with, there is no way that Phenex is a bottom.”
“Shit, I said all of that out loud?” Crew turned red as he cringed.
“Yes, baby. And as for how I knew what you were thinking after that―when I told you that you said it out loud, your facial expression gave you away.” Haven chuckled as he explained.
“Shit. I have a bad habit of saying what I think I’m thinking.”
“Why is it so important to you about who tops and who bottoms?” Haven asked gently.
Crew looked away and sighed. “My dad. He always told me that real men don’t take it up the ass. Real men control everything, especially their mate or bed partner. He drilled it into me and my brothers’ heads,” Crew whispered.
“Well your father sounds like an asshole.” Crew’s eyes locked on Haven’s again, and Haven gave him a big smile.
“Yeah, he was.”
“Did he know you were gay?”
“No. I left home before he ever found out.”
“How old were you when you left?”
“Sixteen.”
“Shit, baby. That’s awfully young. Is that when you found Micah and the pack?”
“No, I didn’t meet up with them until I was thirty.”
“Can I point something out to you?” Haven asked and waited for Crew to nod. “You met Micah, Raith, and the others when you were thirty, and you’re two hundred and thirty now. So you spent sixteen years with a man who, as I see it, was a bigoted, asshole, control-freak, stupid fuck, and you spent two hundred years with this pack of understanding, caring gentlemen. Yet you listen to the fucktard who obviously knew nothing. Who you have sex with and how you express yourself while you’re having sex does not define if you are a man or not. Being who you are, and not letting anyone else tell you who to be, or how to be, is one way of being a man. Just because you like men, or like to take a good cock up your ass, doesn’t mean you’re not a man. It does however mean that you are a man who knows what he wants and what he likes. You have never hidden the fact that you’re gay―you’ve always accepted it and have lived your life as a gay man, right?”
Crew nodded.
“Then continue to be who you are and fuck you to everyone else. So what if you like to get fucked or do the fucking, or you like both. That’s part of what makes you you. The experiences you have in life. All the experiences.
“I for one think that it is because I like giving and receiving that makes me a better lover. I know what each side experiences, and all the little nuances that each role feels. So when I am on top, I know better how to please my bottom. And when I am on bottom, I know better how to please my top. I love the feel of a warm, tight ass wrapped around my cock, stran
gling me, as it grips me and pulls me in. But I also love the feel of a hard cock stretching me open and sliding into my depths. The slight burn and then the feel when your muscles relax and that cock bottoms out and presses against your sweet spot. Mmmm.
“I love watching a lover writhe and squirm below me as I plow into them, driving their pleasure higher, until they release. And I love the way my body reacts in the same way when a lover is riding my ass. Or the feel of a warm wet mouth as it opens and sucks my cock in. The way that tongue swirls and massages the underside of my cock as those lips close around me and clamp down, sucking me to the back of the throat. And on the flip side, when that hot, heavy, silky cock slides between my lips and the skin slides against the hard rod underneath, the bulging vein that runs across my tongue. And then when that leaking blunt tip hits the back of my throat and I swallow it down. I love the way it causes the owner of that cock to tremble and their knees to shake, like they can’t stand anymore. Then the sensation of that cock shooting and that warm liquid hitting the back of my throat. Damn, it’s all so good, baby.
“Each side has its own unique pleasures that are indescribable. Only someone who has experienced it can truly understand what it’s like. I love every side of being a gay man, and I love experiencing it all. And I have never once questioned my manhood. I am a big, strong man who loves to plow and to get plowed.”
The groaning and moaning noises Haven made as he talked had Crew rock hard. His heart was beating faster and his breath was coming in quick pants. His eyes were locked on Haven’s face as he listened to every word the man spoke. The facial expressions of bliss and pleasure as the man explained the pleasures he felt in each act made Crew hungry to have this man inside him. He wanted to be the cause of those looks. He wanted to be the one to give this man, his mate, pleasure. Crew almost came in his briefs from listening to Haven explain his exact feelings of why he loved to be on both sides. It was as if the man were looking into his brain and telling of what he saw there.
When Haven finished, he opened his eyes and met Crew’s gaze. Haven’s eyes were dark and infused with passion. He lowered his head and rubbed his cheek against Crew’s, the motion causing Crew to shudder. “I want to fuck you so bad, pup, and then I want you to fuck me,” Haven whispered in his ear before he gave the lobe a nip. Crew moaned and brought his hand up to the back of Haven’s head. He fisted his hand in Haven’s hair and held him tight as Haven buried his face in the crook of Crew’s neck and began to place openmouthed kisses along his neck and jaw. He shuddered when he felt Haven’s lips skate across the shell of his ear.
