by Zoey Marcel
“What’s wrong, baby girl?” Mark rubbed her back.
“I’m just so happy.” She squeezed Jack and patted Mark’s butt.
“Okay,” Jack said with uncertainty.
“Haven’t you ever been so happy you cried?”
“Uh, no.”
“Men don’t celebrate their joy that way,” Mark explained. “Have either of you ever cried your eyes out because you were so delirious with happiness?”
Quinn grinned. “Hell, no.”
Damon blushed. “No, geez. Stop looking at me.”
Mark nuzzled her neck. “I mean I would totally cry if anything awful happened to you, like if you died.”
“Well, I should hope so,” Morrigan teased.
Jack looked saddened by the topic as he rubbed her arms affectionately. “She’s not going to die. She’s a banshee she-wolf now.”
Quinn shook his head. “This pack gets stranger and stranger.”
* * * *
They stepped into the cool August night air. It had been in the eighties earlier but hovered around forty or so now. Jack and Mark walked a little bit behind the others on the way back toward the car.
“Thank you for banging her with me. That was the best birthday present you could have given me. I celebrate unbirthdays, too, though, in case you were wondering,” Jack said hopefully.
Mark chuckled. “I’ll remember that. How do you even know your birthday? Did your wolf mama tell you?”
“No. I just picked a date once I became human.”
“Geez, it can’t be lower than thirty-eight degrees and I have goose-bumps and chills. What the hell’s wrong with me?” Mark rubbed his arms.
Jack removed his gray hoodie. “Maybe you’re twitterpated.”
“What?”
“It’s from Bambi. It means smitten.”
“What the hell were you doing watching Bambi?” Mark felt warm from the hoodie and completely aroused from Jack’s simple touch on his arms as he helped him into the garment.
“Damon was babysitting a while back and watching it with the kid. I overheard some of the movie.”
“Uh, huh, sure.” His heart skipped a beat when Jack stood in front of him fixing the collar and making sure it sat securely around his shoulders. He wasn’t cold anymore. “Thanks for the hoodie, but you didn’t have to help me put it on.”
“I wanted to,” Jack said in a hushed voice made of fire.
He looked amazing in the moonlight. The darkness cloaked him like a veil of mystery beckoning in a seductive chant to be revealed. The blue-white light of the moon cast an amorous glow on him that was so breathtaking, to Mark he looked like an angel of the night.
“Won’t you get cold?” he whispered.
Jack brushed his cheek gently as he held his entranced gaze. “I don’t get cold whenever you’re around.”
The delicate touch from the rough, masculine palm gave him chills and Mark realized why he had them in the first place. The wildfire of lust and something more he saw burning in Jack’s eyes inflamed his core.
“We could pat each other on the back or high-five,” Mark blurted nervously. “That looks less weird.”
Jack ran his fingers up his nape and through his hair as he drew closer. “This town won’t mind, and even if they did, I don’t care what anyone thinks.”
“Not even me?”
He sighed and released him. “You already gave tonight. I didn’t mean to be greedy.”
Mark felt bad when Jack started to walk away. “Jack.”
He turned back to look at him.
“I…I care about you…a lot. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
Mark held open his arms.
Jack smiled and returned to him. The hug wasn’t the firm, quick bro slap Mark anticipated. It felt deep and intimate. The simple embrace turned into them leaning into the other man’s body and rubbing their mate’s back in the gentle, soothing manner of lovers. It was strong, loving, and enduring—everything a hug between soul mates should be.
Jack pulled back and met his eyes with a telling absolution that shook him up inside. Mark knew he should turn and walk away, but something held him there. Jack slid his hand up his chest in a manner that wasn’t at all threatening or intimidating. His mouth moved down on Mark’s and slowly, intimately, their lips met. Jack’s lips were smooth and sensual as he massaged Mark’s between his, gently coaxing them apart. The loyal beta surrendered to the desires of his alpha and opened his mouth slightly so his luscious tongue could enter. He wasted no time in getting his tongue into Mark’s mouth. The tips touched like a timid couple losing their virginity to one another but goaded by the fervent potency of first love.
Jack’s low, erogenous grunt inflamed him as he absorbed the unique, primal flavor of his best friend. His warm mouth felt like the balmy caress of a midsummer night’s breeze. The steamy silk of his ardent tongue twisting with his own reminded him of the entwining legs of lovers rolling in ecstasy beneath satin sheets.
Jack slid his hands into the back pockets of Mark’s jeans, pulling him closer and Mark did the same to him. Jack’s ass felt tight and perky. Mark could only imagine how snug and hot his asshole was. His penis tightened at the memory of Jack burying himself in his ass and showing him the illicit pleasure to be had when two men joined their bodies together as one.
His feeble moan of pleasure wouldn’t be suppressed, try as he might. Their genitals flirted before coming together in a decadent compression that set his libido on fire. The kiss became more intense as Jack slowly tore down his inhibitions.
Mark gasped and broke the kiss, trying to catch his breath when Jack gave his growing bulge a squeeze. “I’m not going to make it, am I? I won’t be able to go my whole life without touching you.”
Jack traced his lips with his thumb, smiling wickedly. “Sorry, mate. I’m irresistible. We’d better get to the car before they wonder where we are.”
Mark trembled as he walked with him. A wave of tenderness and exhilaration flooded his senses when Jack took his hand in his.
“Morrigan’s sleeping in my room tonight since it’s my birthday.”
“Yeah, I know. It was my idea.”
“I want you in there with us.”
He swallowed. “In your bed?”
“It’s a king-size bed. There’s plenty of room.”
“Will she be in the middle?”
Jack winked at him. “Of course. Unless you had your heart set on being in the middle.”
Mark felt warm. “No! I just wanted to make sure this wasn’t some freaky ploy of yours.”
“Mark, when have I ever tried to get you into bed with me?”
“All the freaking time! I’ll do it if she’s in the middle and you wear pajamas.”
He shook his head with a sly smile. “I’m wearing my birthday suit. She’ll be naked, too, so you may as well be, otherwise it would be weird and awkward.”
“Oh, and sleeping naked in a bed with you isn’t?”
“Mark, don’t be a pervert. Morrigan will be there. It’s not like we’re sleeping together just the two of us.”
“Fine, but no ogling my junk.” He tried to pull his hand away when he realized his palm grew sweaty from their discussion, but Jack tightened his grip.
“I bought a king-size bed on purpose, you know. I always imagined you in it with me and us sharing a woman.”
“Manipulative bastard,” he muttered. “That’s actually kind of sweet.”
“I am a sweet one. When we have her naked and cuddled between us tonight, you tell me it isn’t the perfect paradise.”
Mark’s heart softened when Jack’s thumb caressed the top of his hand. He squeezed his hand in reply. “I know it will be. When we had her trapped between us back there, I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Neither have I. When I inherited some of your memories, I learned that you weren’t entirely honest with me when you said you were only in a three-way with two women before me.”
> Mark felt disloyal for some odd reason. “Back in the 1800s, my best friend at the time shared his woman with me for a night. I didn’t touch him or anything. We were straight.”
“Having experienced that before, why did you hesitate to share Morrigan with me in the beginning?” Jack seemed offended.
Mark pulled his hand away without looking at him. “I had a ménage à quatre with you in Klamath Falls.”
Jack sent a text in the awkward silence before taking his arm and leading him away.
“Where are we going?”
“I want to show you something.”
They ended up alone together in a meadow at the edge of the woods. The consuming darkness and the hard passion in Jack’s gaze left him unsettled and vulnerable. “The others will miss us.”
“I texted them to meet us at home.”
Mark swallowed. “What are we doing here?”
Jack plopped down in the grass. “Sit with me. I want to stargaze.”
Mark sat next to him, hugging his knees as he looked up at the countless stars. “They’re beautiful.”
“They are,” Jack agreed before the silence followed his words. “I’ve been in lust with you since we first met.”
“Oh, thanks.” He wasn’t sure how exactly to respond to that.
Jack smirked and then became serious. “I can remember the precise moment I started loving you.”
Mark’s heartbeat quickened.
“Remember that Fourth of July when we were still living in Klamath Falls? You invited your girlfriend at the time to watch us set off fireworks.”
“I remember that. That was the year the one almost shot up into the tree.”
“Yes, that’s the one. We stargazed afterward and made small talk. None of us really said anything of significance, simply how beautiful the sky looked and random what-if questions, but every word you said was gold to me. The way you looked beneath the starlight put the celestial lights to shame.”
Mark felt something move through his chest. “I thought you were ogling my girlfriend.”
“No. When you kissed her goodnight and took her home, I remember wishing I was her.”
“I had no idea.” Words seemed inadequate, but they were less awkward than the deafening silence.
Jack stood, staring into the night sky.
“Jack, the reason I hesitated to share Morrigan with you in the beginning…when we had that ménage in Klamath Falls, I felt something for you and it scared me. I don’t know if that’s when I started caring for you, or if I just didn’t realize it until then.” Mark stood with uncertainty. “I probably should have said that sooner.”
“Yes, you should have.” Jack approached him slowly. “I know you think this is wrong and I believe it to be otherwise, but what does it matter which of us is right?”
“It matters because somebody’s wrong.” Mark backed into a large tree.
“I love you, Mark. Whether it’s wrong or right, I don’t care.” Jack cupped his cheeks between his palms.
Mark lowered his gaze. “Don’t say that. You’re just going to make it harder.”
“Damn it, look at me. Stop telling me what’s in here.” Jack flicked his finger against his head and then placed his hand on his chest. “Tell me what’s in here.”
“I can’t. I’m not supposed to feel this way.”
“But you do.” Jack fondled his arms. “Say what you want to say.”
“Let me go, Jack.”
“No.”
“Damn it, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep fighting you. I’m not even sure I want to anymore.”
“Then don’t.”
“If I give into temptation I’m a hypocrite.”
“Denying your feelings is just as hypocritical as living contrary to your views. I’m supposed to be an evil son of a bitch, but now I have a conscience, so I’m a hypocrite in the reverse.”
“You may have a soul, but you’re still an evil son of a bitch. I should punch you in the face for leading me out here and trying to seduce me.”
Jack stood back and spread his arms. “Fair enough, hit me with your best shot if it makes you feel better.”
A part of Mark cringed at the thought of hurting Jack, but the idea sounded tempting. “That’s okay.”
“I’m serious. Let it all out and hit me.”
“No.”
Jack shrugged, unfastening his jeans.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I take your inaction as consent to my previous terms. If you don’t hit me, then I’ll hit that.” Jack nodded, ogling Mark’s ass hungrily.
“What the hell, man?” Mark punched him before he could pull his pants down.
Jack stumbled but remained standing. “Do you feel better?”
“A little bit, actually.”
“Good, now tell me what else you’d like to do to me.”
The air felt suddenly warm and suffocating. “Punch you again.”
Jack grinned. “What else?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “God, Jack, just drop it. I had a threesome with you for your birthday.”
Jack stepped closer. “That’s not why you shared Morrigan with me back there and you know it. You miss our ménage relationship and you want more. Say it.”
Mark shoved Jack when he shook him. “All right! I fucking want you all the time! Sometimes I get lost in your eyes and I never want to look away. Sometimes I wake up from raunchy dreams of you and come all over myself like a freaking adolescent. You piss me off so much I want to smack you silly and other times I just want you to hold me down and make me surrender, so I can be with you and still convince myself I’m a saint because you forced me into sin. You didn’t coerce me to feel this way when you bit me. You just enhanced what was already there and I don’t know which of us I blame more for that. I only know that when I look at you it’s too much. I love you so much my chest literally aches when I think about you.”
Jack appeared moved and rammed Mark back up against the tree with their mouths plastered together. The savage kiss betrayed hunger and desperation too long denied. Their erotic grunts and moans blended with the melody of the night around them. The quiet fumbling of jeans opening to the will of another sounded faint in the chorus of harsh breathing and heavy panting.
“Don’t fight it,” Jack whispered. “Just let it happen. Let go with me.”
Mark’s blood boiled inside of him at the heady words and electric kisses. A smooth swoosh could be heard as cotton grazed masculine bodies in the divesting of shirts and underwear. He ran his hands all over Jack’s sturdy torso, losing his breath when the alpha forced his hand lower.
“Touch every part of my body. Don’t you dare hold back with me.”
Mark groaned as Jack guided his shaking hands all over his penis and testes. The man felt too exquisite for words. He wailed when Jack groped his cock and played with his balls.
“That’s it, just feel. This is really happening. You don’t have to dream anymore. This is real, Mark. What we have is real.” Jack nuzzled his nose against Mark’s.
He whimpered at the intimate cuddling and the bawdy touches on his genitals. “Oh god, it feels too good. I can’t take it.”
“You’ll take everything I give you.” Jack jerked him faster, making him cry out. “You’ve never had a hand job like this before, have you?”
“No. This is so much better than jerking off. Oh, Jack, I’m going to come.” He whined when Jack let go of his dick. “Why’d you stop?”
“I’m not fucking around with you, Mark. This flipping-flopping back and forth like a politician is driving me crazy. You can’t have my friendship if you hate me and you can’t have this orgasm if you don’t want to commit to me without condition.”
“Damn it, Jack, why the hell did you wait until we were naked and horny to say this? You should have told me before instead of defrauding me.”
“You defraud me constantly. Giving me hope and then tearing it down. If you were my sub I’
d thrash your ass good for it.”
Mark smirked. “Well, I’m not.”
“I’m fucking you, Mark. That makes you my sub.”
“Wow, talk about fine print.”
Jack grinned, tracing the head of his cock with his thumb. “You knew it would come to this. You know what I like.”
“Fine, I’ll just jack off in the shower later.”
Jack pushed him back up against the tree. “No, you won’t. Your answer determines our future together. Either you want to be with me or you don’t.”
“I already told you how I felt.”
“And for all I know tomorrow you’ll spurn me again unless tonight you can convince me otherwise. Tell me we belong together and I’m your mate.”
“It’s not that simple. Ow!” Mark glared at him when he slapped his nuts. “You ornery bastard!”
“It was a simple question, Mark. Am I or am I not your mate?”
He mewled when Jack pumped his erection swiftly again. “Yes, you are.”
“And do you believe we belong together? That we were meant to walk through life together and fuck each other no matter what anyone thinks?”
He drew in a sharp breath. “Yes.”
Jack stepped back with a vindictive smile. “Good. Then suck my cock.”
“What? You can’t just leave me hurting and expect me to get your rocks off for you.”
“Can’t I? On your knees.”
“Go fuck yourself.” Mark tried to walk past him, but Jack shoved him to his knees on the cool grass. Being coerced gave him a rush.
“I said on your knees, bitch.” Jack growled.
“I’m not your bitch, whore.”
Jack appeared as amused as he seemed irritated. “You’re the whore worshipping your master’s cock.”
“What fantasy do you live in? You’re not my master and I’m not worshipping—” Mark gasped when Jack yanked his head back and forced his dick into his mouth. The surge of desire shuttling through him from the aggressive domination startled him. Despite his guilt, he wanted this. He wanted to suck Jack’s cock almost as badly as he wanted to feel his hands on his goods again.
“You look like a slutty chipmunk with your cheeks stuffed full of penis.” Jack smiled when Mark blushed. “That’s right. You’re bending to my will like my slave. Your only purpose is to serve me. I give meaning to your pathetic existence, skank. You should be groveling at my feet in offering. Now worship my cock like the divinity it is.”
