by Fel Fern
“You did the best you could, got help for your brother.” Max’s voice was soothing. He nodded, looked around, unsurprised to see more trees. Jack recalled Max entering the woods and turning down some kind of small dirt path, but in front of them was a modest looking cabin
“Is this our stop?” he asked. “Does the pack usually bring guests here?”
“The pack seldom allows outsiders in these days,” Max answered. “No, this is my place.”
His heart skipped a beat as Max got out, and he followed, eyes wide as Max gently carried Glenn out of the truck and walked up the door.
“Can you open the door for me?” Max asked.
Feeling foolish, he quickly darted ahead of the werewolf and turned the knob, letting Max in.
“You don’t keep your door locked?” he asked with surprise.
Max settled Glenn on the nearby couch before turning the light switch on. Outside the windows, he could see the sun setting. Glenn and he left New City just before noon. Now, it was nearly nighttime. He surveyed the space, which looked much bigger than his initial view from the outside. They were in the living room but he spotted a tiny kitchen, a table that sat four, and a corridor which he assumed led to more rooms.
“Don’t need to. Everyone knows each other around here and only a fool will try to rob an enforcer of the local wolf pack.”
“Oh. Right. You have a point.” Jack shifted one foot to the next, unsure of what to say next. “Thanks again, you know. For sticking your neck for Glenn and me.”
“It’s not something I usually do,” Max said.
Jack lifted his face, recalled how his entire body turned fever hot when Max claimed his mouth. “What makes my brother and me different?” he had to ask.
“You, just you.”
His heart beat a little faster.
“Hold on,” Max continued. “You might want to shower after driving the whole day.” He was relieved when Max disappeared inside one of the rooms, only to come back with a towel and spare clothes. “These will look too big on you,” Max said, handing the items over.
“It’s fine. I appreciate this.”
Max growled, making him jump. “You don’t need to keep thanking me all the time. Go on, shower. Once you come out, I’ll have dinner ready.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“You’re still a guest in my home. Bathroom’s through the first door on the right.”
To that, he had no answer, so Jack headed to the bathroom. He shut the door behind him, part of him still unable to believe he was in Max’s house. He slowly stripped, motions almost robotic. Finally alone, Jack no longer to pretend to be the older brother who knew what to do. With shaky hands, he left the last of his clothes on the floor and entered the shower. He turned the tap on to the highest pressure, letting the water pound on his head and body.
Jack gripped the shower tiles, chest heaving. He shut his eyes, imagined his parents cornered by the Squad with one of those monsters. They weren’t soldiers, but they’d fight. His father would protect his mom to the death, even if he was only human, and his mom? What was the last vision she’d see?
“I’m so sorry we couldn’t get to you both,” he whispered, realizing he was angry at himself. Jack hated feeling helpless, but knew his mom made the right decision to send them away, because if Glenn and he returned to the apartment, they’d only be captured or shot down.
How did the Squad find out, anyway? Glenn’s university was in the city, but still an hour’s drive away, while he didn’t live in New City anymore. Jack remembered bumping into Mr. Sanders in the elevator, and the woman who left the apartment just as they arrived, probably to see his mom about her future.
He shivered. Any of those two or someone else could have rang up the Squad. No way in hell his parents, Glenn, or himself would slip, because they’d been careful all their lives. He let out a frustrated growl of agony. Max wouldn’t hear him, not with the running water. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Jack had been so stupid.
What made things a thousand times worse was the fact he hadn’t seen his folks in a long time. Jack recalled all the times he’d been homesick but was too chicken to reach out, because he’d been away for so long. Now he no longer had a chance to right his wrongs, to sit in the kitchen, chatting with his mom while she made cookies, or watch TV with his dad.
He clenched his fists by his sides, whipped his head as he heard the creaking door hinge. Max leaned against the doorframe, watching him. Oh God. He remembered he had no clothes on.
“You all right?” Max asked.
Yes, leave me alone, he could have said, but instead he shook his head. “No. Nothing will ever be right again.”
Max closed the bathroom door behind him, locking them together. He waited for Max’s next move, frozen to the spot when Max opened the shower door, then simply wrapped his huge muscled arms around his skinny frame, chest pressed against his back.
Jack breathed in and out, slumped against Max, who felt like a solid force anchoring him.
“Talk to me,” Max said.
“I’m getting your clothes all wet,” he blurted.
“Doesn’t matter. Talk to me or don’t, it’s your choice, but let it all out, Jack. It’s unhealthy to keep grief and anger inside.”
He twisted in Max’s arms, so they looked at each other face-to-face, then glared. “What do you know?”
Max curved his lips to a tight smile. “I know. I grew up, an angry kid after my parents and all my brothers died.”
He widened his eyes, not expecting that. Guilt rammed into him. “I’m sorry. What changed?”
“I trained hard, worked my way up from pack soldier to enforcer. My need for revenge turned into something else. I wanted to protect my weaker packmates, to make sure no one else would be orphaned or lose their loved ones. It’s all thanks to the support of my grandma, my best friend, and my packmates.”
“All I have left is Glenn, and we aren’t close anymore,” he whispered.
“Wrong, little Esper. You have me.”
“But after tonight, I’ll lose you, too.” Jack sounded needy even to his own ears, but he didn’t care.
“Again, no. The moment my wolf set its sights on you and when I caught your scent, I knew you were mine to keep.”
“What?” he asked, stunned by those words, and truth be told, a little overwhelmed. Maybe this wasn’t real at all, maybe he was dreaming, still in the car with Glenn, with the Discipline Squad and those scary monsters on their tail. If that was true, then he didn’t want to wake up.
Chapter Six
Max knew now might not be the best time to tell Jack the truth, but he didn’t want to keep secrets, not from Jack. So he looked the Esper in the eye. He closed one hand on the back of Jack’s neck. “You’re my mate, Jack.”
“I thought shifters mated for life.”
“Don’t tell me you can’t feel this undeniable chemistry between us,” he stated.
“I do. I’ve never been this attracted to another man, but it scares me a little.”
“You and me both. For so long, I didn’t think I’d ever find my mate. My wolf and I searched for years, but I resigned myself to believing I’d live the rest of my life alone, settling for hook-ups. But when I see a good thing right in front of me, I’m not about to let it go.”
Jack bit on his lower lip, the gesture maddening. This might not be the best first step to claiming Jack, but this was all new to Max, too. He’d never had a serious relationship in his entire life, never grew interested in any other man long term, and he finally understood why.
His wolf had been waiting for Jack. Given the chance, he wanted to rut Jack right there, show his mate how good he could make Jack feel, until Jack was begging him for more, for his mate mark. He reeled in his wolf, because one wrong move could ruin everything. Max only had one shot.
“C-can you kiss me again?” Jack asked, blushing.
“I’ll give you anything you want, baby.” Max le
aned in close, pulled Jack into an embrace, and took Jack’s mouth again. Heat and the sweet taste of Jack washed down his throat. He became all too aware of their slick bodies, rubbing against each other, his big one pressed up against Jack’s slender frame. His dick pulsed, thickened between his legs, felt like a damn steel pipe.
Jack parted his lips slightly and he thrust his tongue down Jack’s throat, pleased Jack sucked on it hard. He ran his hands down the sides of Jack’s body, memorizing every inch. Possessiveness flared inside of him.
“Mine,” he said once he pulled his mouth away.
Jack didn’t correct him, merely moaned when he left a trail of kisses down the side of Jack’s neck. He brushed his teeth against the spot between shoulder and neck, the best place to put his mate mark. Jack was right. Shifters mated for life, but would the Esper react badly if he left his personal brand on his neck?
He reeled in his eager wolf again, decided to distract himself with Jack’s body instead. He curled his hand around Jack’s shaft, which stood at half-mast, and began to stroke. Jack gripped his shoulders, began thrusting his prick into his hand.
“That’s it, baby. I want to see you get yourself off,” he said. Max swiped the pre-cum on Jack’s tip, worked his way from root to balls, giving those a squeeze earned him a whimper from Jack.
“Are you always this crass?” Jack managed to ask.
“Yeah, I am, better get used to it.”
Jack gasped as he pinched Jack’s cockhead. In moments, the Esper came, spurting his jizz all over his fingers, blissful expression on his face.
“God,” Jack murmured. “I haven’t felt this good in ages.”
“Oh? Haven’t been jacked off by any of your lovers recently?” Max fished for information but he didn’t care. Envy surged through him at the thought of another bastard touching what rightfully belonged to him. His mate was his better half, the one who would complete his soul and life force.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone. I’m not a virgin, but sex had always been,” Jack hesitated, “disappointing to me.”
Max smirked, unable to help himself. “I’m about to rock your world.”
He spun Jack by the shoulder, so Jack faced the wall. “Wait.” Max got out of the shower, stripped down and grabbed the lube, which he kept in a drawer under the sink. He returned to position, finding Jack obediently waiting for him.
“Good boy,” he said against Jack’s ear, liking the Esper’s shudder.
He nipped at Jack’s shoulder, then uncapped the lube. Fuck, but Jack smelled good, and soon enough, he’d scent mark his mate so any other male in Devil Hills would instantly know Jack was taken, his. Jack spread his legs automatically for him and he nudged his engorged tip into Jack’s entrance. Max didn’t push in yet, merely smeared his pre-cum over Jack’s puckered entrance.
“Tell me, do you want this in you?” he asked.
“Hell, yes. Please.”
He chuckled. “So polite. Beg me.”
“Fuck me, Max. Please.”
Shit, that was going to be Max’s new favorite word, and hearing the plea in Jack’s voice only made things so much better. He applied the slick liquid on his fingers and plenty more into Jack’s ass. Max inserted one finger in, added in a second while Jack panted.
“What’s taking so long?” Jack asked, jumped when he gave Jack’s ass a swat.
“Be patient or this will hurt, baby.”
“What if I want it to hurt?”
Max made twisting motions. “If you crave rough, I’ll give you that, but I can do gentle, too.”
“Where did you come from? Sometimes, I’m not sure if you’re real. You’re just too good to be true.”
“That goes both ways.” Max pulled his hand out, gripped Jack’s hips, and nudged his cockhead into Jack’s tight little ass. He pushed in, groaning when Jack’s inner muscles clamped down on his dick.
“Breathe,” he instructed.
The hold loosened, and once he passed through the thick ring of muscles, it was easier. Max didn’t just push in all the way, though, but kept to a steady pace, because hurting Jack was the last thing on his mind and he wasn’t exactly small. Finally, he sheathed himself fully inside his mate, balls resting against Jack’s ass cheeks. It felt like heaven, Jack and his bodies a damn perfect fit.
* * * *
Jack could feel Max’s massive dick stretching him completely and his own pulsing back to life.
“You okay there?” Max asked behind him.
“Yes, please.” Those two words seemed sufficient to get what he wanted across.
Max began to move, strokes sure and steady, before building up speed. He pressed his cheek to the tiles, the events of earlier that day fading. The only thing that mattered now was his body, connected to Max’s on the most intimate level.
It wasn’t like him, coming on to a stranger like this, but Max’s words made sense. Mates. Jack found it a little hard to believe at first, because what would a catch like Max want with a guy like him?
Jack might not know Max well enough but he knew this man, this wolf, had the heart of a protective warrior. He, on the other hand, what had Jack achieved in his life, except hide what he was?
Max soon purged those thoughts from his mind when the werewolf tightened his hold on his hips and began to ride him faster, deeper with each turn.
“More,” he uttered.
They didn’t speak after that, merely let their bodies do all the talking. Each time Max breached him, it felt like Max coaxed a wilder, different side of him he never knew existed. Max must have hit his sweet spot on his next entry, because he gasped.
He arched his back, panting as Max repeatedly went for his prostate. Max reached between his legs, gave his balls a tug, before pulling and working at his rock-hard dick. The dual sensation of Max keeping his most intimate part captive and Max burying himself deep inside him proved too much.
“I’ll come soon,” he admitted.
Max closed his mouth over the side of his neck, breath warm.
“Bite me.” He didn’t know why he said that, but Jack wouldn’t mind wearing the marks of their passion.
“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Max replied, voice a little harsh.
“Then tell me,” Jack managed to whisper.
“I do this and you’ll be mine forever.”
“Why is that such a bad thing?” he threw back, eyes flying wide open as Max gave the tip of his dick a pinch, at the same time sheathing himself deep inside his ass. The pressure building in him burst open and he came, screaming out Max’s name.
Max locked his mouth over his neck, biting hard enough to leave one deep bite mark, nearly drawing blood, but the werewolf pulled his head back and climaxed. Jack let out a moan of content, his head floating in a sea of nirvana. He slumped against Max, but Max caught him in his arms with ease.
“It’s going to be all right, baby,” Max said, and this time, Jack believed him. Max began stroking his back, the motion making him purr, as if he were some kind of feline shifter, not a confused and lost Esper. Could he even call himself that, when he spent his entire life pretending his powers didn’t exist?
Being different meant courting certain danger, especially in a world controlled by humans, but hiding also made him miserable. It took a long time for Jack to accept that he would never be like everyone else. Maybe here, in the warm arms of this lethal werewolf, he could let his true self out, embrace it.
An emotion took root in his chest and it took him a second to identify it. Hope and fuzzy feelings that were more than lust. God, Jack was in danger of falling hard for his wolf protector.
Chapter Seven
Max felt like a stalker, lingering outside his own bedroom. After plenty of persuasion, Jack finally agreed to take the bed. Jack, he mused, could be stubborn when he wanted. When he first caught sight of Jack, he thought the Esper would break any moment, but Max was wrong. Jack had a spine of steel underneath that skinny frame.
After their shower, Glenn had woken up briefly while they ate dinner. Max was no cook but his grandmother had sent over a large casserole dish of his favorite pie while he was gone, so they heated that up. Jack had updated his brother and Glenn joined them for dinner.
Glenn seemed wary of him, but then again, that was the reaction most outsiders had when they first encountered a dominant werewolf. He found Glenn snoozing on the couch, snores quite similar to Jack’s.
Sensing the presence of another werewolf outside his home, he suppressed a snarl, not wanting to wake the brothers up. Nearing the door, Max relaxed a fraction, because that scent was familiar. He headed outside to find his best friend, Joe, in human form, small duffel bag at his feet.
“Heard you found your mate today,” Joe drawled.
Max expelled a breath. Joe and he had a little falling out when jealousy reared its ugly face and he suspected Joe’s mate Theo of being a spy for the Squad. Well, that much was true. Theo had been tortured and brainwashed by Voss, the head of the Squad, programmed to kill Daryl, Deacon’s mate. In the end, Theo’s love for Joe won over and Joe giving Theo his mate mark broke Voss’s conditioning.
Still, a gap existed between them, one he didn’t know how to fix completely.
“Who told you that?” he asked.
“Lance did, well technically, it was his duty to inform the rest of the inner council. You should have seen Santino, he was laughing like it was the funniest thing he heard.”
Max recalled the number of times he emphasized to Santino that he’d ride solo for the rest of his life, that he wasn’t interested in mates. Damn that cocky, silver-eyed bastard.
“Lance said that, called Jack my mate?” he had to ask.
“Well, the Beta used the words ‘special someone,’ but we all knew.”
“Just great,” he grumbled. “What else did Lance say? Are we having a meeting tomorrow about Jack and Glenn?”
