Unfortunately, it did end, faster than I had intended, and I was slightly embarrassed as Elias chuckled while he stroked his own cock to completion. “It’s okay. It was your first time. I didn’t expect you to last forever,” he assured me.
Honestly, it had been my first orgasm brought on by someone else’s body. I’d climaxed before, but it was always by my hand and nowhere near as satisfying. I knew I’d want to do this again and again and again. To repay Elias for giving me such pleasure, I leaned forward, taking his cock into my mouth and sucking him the way he had done me. Now, this, I was quite skilled at, but I couldn’t let him know. I gave tentative licks and sucks and took his direction as I worked him to climax. He pushed me away seconds before he came and I stroked him as he convulsed until the last drop pumped from his slit.
“Bloody hell,” he gasped and collapsed back onto the bed.
I laughed and laid next to him. “That was amazing,” I said truthfully.
He nodded. “It was.” He took my hand into his and I turned to face him. “I want you to stay with me, Deacon.”
“I can’t. I promised your father I’d leave by end of a fortnight. That’s in four days,” I told him.
He looked away for a long while and when he turned to face me again, there was a look in his eyes that held a darkness I’d only seen fleeting from time to time when our discussions turned to his father. “I will not let him send you away from me.”
“I can’t stay.”
“You can if he is no longer there to make you leave,” Elias said.
That made me sit up and look at him. I cocked an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”
“I… I don’t want to live there if he is there anymore,” Elias said.
“But you shouldn’t have to leave your home simply because your father has a problem with a bit of buggery between lads,” I said.
“I agree.”
I knew what he was aiming at and I needed to play this one smoothly. “But if he is gone, then everything that was his becomes yours, right?”
Elias nodded. “And that means you can stay with me.”
“How would we make such a thing happen?” I asked, giving him enough rope for me to wrap around him.
“He is old, it could happen a number of ways,” Elias stated.
“It would be a shame if he took a tumble down the stairs?” I asked, prodding for suggestions.
Elias snarled, “One accident he might be stubborn enough to survive.”
“Old enough to die in his sleep, perhaps?”
Elias nodded slowly as he ran the scenario through his mind. “Everyone would think he went peacefully.”
“I think it best that I not be at your home when your father takes his final breath.”
“Why?”
“To remove suspicions,” I said.
‘But… But I can’t do it. I haven’t the heart to,” Elias protested.
I placed my hand on his. “You love your father, I know. You both have been at odds, but I know you love him. I wouldn’t dare ask you to do such a thing.”
“But how will it get done?” he asked, his brown eyes searching mine for the answer.
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as if I were really struggling trying to wrap my head around our dilemma when I knew all along what the answer was. I needed to let Elias believe that he had me. That his company, his wealth, and the pleasure he’d just given me was enough to seduce me to murder. Him acting confused about his own plot to kill his father was a sure giveaway. But I let him believe I had taken the bait.
“I’ll do it,” I said, swallowing hard to sell my resolve.
“No, I can’t let you take the chance,” Elias protested with a shake of his head.
“I won’t be. Listen to me. I will leave as planned and a week henceforth, I will return in the middle of the night. You make sure I can get inside. I will climb into your window and from there, I will enter your father’s room and place a pillow over his face. Once he stops breathing, I will leave. You will then write a letter to me somewhere outside of the city, so no one would suspect that I was so close. I will return to you and then we can be together?” I offered. This wasn’t a plan I had just happened to come up with. The moment I realized I wanted to stay in the luxurious surroundings of Elias’ home, I had been steering Elias in this direction, but he needed to believe that it was his own idea. It was rather simple, really, as the internal hate he had toward his father only needed to be stoked to get the flames going.
Elias nodded. “Yes, yes, that will work. I will keep the servants away.”
“Don’t send them away. We don’t want make anyone doubt your innocence,” I told him. “Or mine.”
Again, he nodded. “You’re quite right. Oh, Deacon… I can’t believe you’d do this for me.”
“For us,” I corrected. Really, I was doing it for me. Winston had given me the option to not come back and I was going to take it. For me, it was a win-win, whereas the pack got their foothold on Elias and his wealth and position and I got to be free on my own terms. Cultivating this relationship was my best chance at that. When we had sex again for the second and third time that night, I was on top and his legs were around my waist. Fitting, considering who was in charge.
CHAPTER SIX
The Last Breath
I spit the mixture of wine and semen from my mouth into the chamber pot on the side of the bed. Winston was laying on the covers, a satisfied expression on his face after I’d pleasured him with my mouth. He’d come to visit me to check in on my progress in recruiting Elias Longwood. Needless to say, I was not happy to see him.
“So, tell me about this Elias. How is his character?” he asked me.
I rose off the bed and made my way over to the fire in the hearth. I poked a few logs to keep the flames going. The inn I was staying in did get chilly once the sun set and me being human, I still felt warm and cold temperatures. Not as acutely as a full human would, but good enough to want to be comfortable.
“He is friendly, intelligent, as he’s been well-schooled. He is teaching me some words in French, Sir.”
Winston chuckled. “That’s not what I mean. In your opinion, will he be beneficial to the pack when the time comes to bring him in?”
Of course, I should have known Winston wouldn’t have cared if Elias and I were actually becoming friends on some level. I turned to face him. “It was my mission, was it not, to bring him in? My opinion on if he’s worthy shouldn’t matter if it’s what the Alpha wants, right, Sir?”
“Bloody hell, what a scamp you turned out to be. You are bonding with this boy, trying to become a part of his life. Maybe you want to stay with him. I know you, boy, how your mind works. Our Alpha told me about the conversation you had with him. Where you cried about having my cock inside you. You are a fool if you think that you won’t have to return to me.” Winston’s cold eyes stared at me, daring me to challenge what he believed to be true. That I was his and soon, he’d have me back. “Any way, there is a rumor that his father loathes his son’s… how should I say… bent behavior,” he laughed. “Is that why you are in this inn and not with Elias in their big house with its many spacious rooms?”
It was true, but of course, Winston didn’t know of my plan to kill Elias’ father to ensure that I could grow even closer to Elias. He knew me well enough to know some of my motivations, but I would never let him truly know the depths of my soul or my hatred for him. I squared my shoulders as I prepared to confront him. “I realized immediately the mistake I made with our Alpha. I had a moment of weakness, one that I will not allow to cloud my judgement again, Sir. As for Elias’ father, he has his suspicions, but I want him to only see me as Elias’ friend. It will take time for me to earn his trust, Sir.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “And this plan of yours?”
“What plan, Sir?”
“Whatever you have constructed as a way to stay with Elias and not return to me?”
“I have no plan outside of befriendi
ng Elias. It is what I was commanded. I let the pieces fall where they may, Sir.”
“So, is the rumor true that Elias and his father have a strained relationship on account of Elias’ vulgarity… his perversion?” Winston asked, fishing for details.
“It is true that the two are often at odds as I’ve seen with my own eyes,” I said. “Sir,” I added. “He is aware of his son’s affection for other males and as I’ve said, he has his suspicions of me.”
“Have you given him reasons?”
I shook my head. "None that I am aware of, Sir. But if I’m to bring Elias into the fold, I should stay close, which is why I’m staying at this inn. It isn’t to refuse coming back to you. I am but loyal to my pack and only want to please our Alpha by not failing my first mission to bring such a person of note and quality into our pack.”
Winston laughed then and climbed off the bed. He closed the distance between us faster than any human could have moved. He grabbed my chin, tilting my face up to his. “Have you fucked this boy?”
“Does that vex you, Sir?” I asked. I didn’t know what made me counter with such a bold response, but a part of me wanted to see his jealousy. To know that something I’d done had angered him, yet there would be nothing he could do about it. Our Alpha’s orders trumped his in every way.
“Watch your tongue, boy,” he warned and tightened his grip on my chin in response.
I winced, but didn’t try to pull away, nor did I downcast my gaze. “I have, Sir.”
“Do you like how his cock feels inside you?” Winston asked.
I smirked as best as I could considering he still held my face in his hands. “It is my cock that he enjoys, Sir.”
Winston cocked an eyebrow at that, then released me. He laughed and crossed his powerful arms over his broad chest. “You think you’re a man, now?”
I turned from him, looking at the fire. “I stopped being a child a long time ago, Sir.”
The last time I’d been allowed to be a child was the night my parents had been taken from me. What I was now, well, was a work in progress as he had once said about me five years ago.
“You are right about that.” He walked away toward his cloak and tossed it over his shoulders. “The Alpha will want you to bring Elias in the year of his twentieth birthday. By then, he wants him to know about our pack, to have a desire to be a part of it. So that when he is turned, we can avoid forcing his hand to benefit our pack.”
“Why not turn him now, Sir?” I asked, not really wanting to dedicate years of my life to preparing Elias to become a wolf. Something I still desired, yet had to wait for nature to take its course.
“Once one becomes a wolf, it is for all time. He is seventeen now, he will be stronger at twenty. And he will also look the part of a man. Haven’t you noticed that there are no child wolves in our pack? Or younglings like yourself?”
“I always thought you were waiting for me to reach my age of maturity, Sir.”
“For a natural-born like you, yes. Your time will come. But we do not turn humans of a certain age. They would be considered too weak to survive the transformation. And even if they did, they would always have problems being taken seriously. Appearances count, Deacon. Concentrate on the plan and when it’s time, bring him into the pack,” Winston said, then he left.
I thought about what he’d said, and on some level, it made sense to me. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was more of a test for me. I was forced to accept their pack after they slaughtered mine, so I knew if Connor really wanted to bend Elias to his will, he’d have no problem doing so. He wouldn’t need him to already be pliable. I’d seen them force humans into the pack, those who weren’t given a choice. What made Elias different? Was this really about Elias at all?
I cleared my mind of thoughts and prepared to leave. It would take me a few hours to get to Elias’ home, and by that time, it would be in the early hours of morning. The dark of night would give me the cover I’d need to get in and get out after the deed was done. I climbed onto my horse, making sure my face was covered as I traveled. I stopped only to relieve myself and drink some wine to keep me warm. When I reached the mansion, most of the rooms were dark and very few candles were lit, which was good. Seeing as his home held many valuables and he himself was an important London elite, Augustus Longwood had hired security and had servants on the premises, but I knew how to avoid them.
I reached Elias’ window and climbed up the lattice work with its twining vines until I reached his window. As we had planned, it was open, and when I climbed through, he leaped from the bed to come to me.
“I thought you would not come, that you were having conflicting thoughts,” he said, then kissed me.
I shook my head. “I would be with you. Nothing will stand in my way.”
“You must think me a monster to put this burden on you,” he said and pulled back.
I took his face into my hands. “It is a burden that would be worse had it been yours. I have no love for your father. I only have love for you,” I half-lied. Truth was, I didn’t give a shit about his father. But I also didn’t have love for Elias. I did, however, love his wealth and his companionship. I’d be lying if I didn’t feel some kinship with him.
Still, it was words he needed to hear, and his face brightened as he kissed me again. “I love you, too.”
I ushered him over to his bed and urged him to get in it. “You must be fast asleep if anyone should happen to check on you.”
He climbed under the covers. “Make sure he doesn’t suffer.”
“I will be merciful,” I promised. Truth was, a quick death would be the best way to end his father’s life.
I walked over to the door and pressed my ear to it first to make sure the hallway was clear of servants and patrol. I then cracked it open to take a look. The corridor was lit with candles, the flames dancing as they illuminated the way. I dashed out of Elias’ room and tiptoed to his father’s room, which happened to be halfway down the corridor. I cracked open one of his double doors and looked around. The thick curtains were drawn, but the single candle flickering in the corner of the room gave me enough light to see he was sleeping soundly on a grand four-poster bed.
I stepped in, closing the door behind me, and slowly made my way over to his bed. I climbed on top of him and took hold of the pillow, placing it above his head. He opened his eyes just as I pressed the pillow over his face. He thrashed about, his feeble hands clawing at my clothing. It was all in vain as I was stronger than he was, and I added more weight to the pillow. The bed creaked under his struggle to survive, but soon, all of his movements stopped. I held the pillow over his face longer, making sure his chest remained still. When I removed the pillow, Mr. Longwood’s eyes were open as he stared forward at me.
I couldn’t help but look at him, the first person I ever killed. To be honest, I wondered if I’d be able to do it. I’d taken the time I’d been separated from Elias to work up the nerve. Perhaps, it was easier because he was so old and it was a neat death, no blood. I’d never been in war, even though Winston had reminded me on many occasions of boys my age fighting on battlefields. For all intent and purposes, I had been sheltered. Now, I was face to face with a death that was of my own making. It felt surreal. I placed the pillow back on the bed, flattening it out, so it would look as untouched as it did before. I closed Mr. Longwood’s eyes, which was a little difficult, and I posed his body so he looked as peaceful as he had before I’d murdered him.
I climbed off the bed and walked over to window to see that the fall would be too great if I’d tried to jump. Instead, I kept to the plan and made my way back to Elias’ room without incident. “It’s done,” I said, then climbed out of his window and down the lattice the same way I had gotten in. My horse was tied to a tree a nice distance from the mansion, and I ran as fast as I could to him. I arrived back at my inn before noon and settled in my bed. Now, all I had to do was wait for Elias to call for me. Our pact sealed with the last breath of his father.<
br />
~*~
Two more weeks passed and I still hadn’t heard anything from Elias. I was beginning to grow concerned. Perhaps, I should pay him a visit. One doesn’t just ignore the person who committed murder for you, and I would not be so insulted. The knock on my inn door caused me to stop pacing the floor. I opened it to see a well-dressed servant with a letter in his hand.
“Mr. Gables?” he inquired.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Mr. Longwood requests your presence,” he said, then handed me the letter sealed with the official Longwood crest in red wax. That same “L” was on the front gate of the sprawling mansion and on their nightgowns. I thought it was fancy, but something I could not afford. I took the letter, opening it, and read its content.
My Dearest Deacon,
It is with great sorrow that I write this letter to inform you that my father, Augustus Longwood, has passed away. The depth of my pain cannot be measured and as my most loyal friend, I seek your comfort, and even your guidance during this trying time. I have been pulled in many directions as I handle my father’s affairs and this is the unfortunate reason why this letter finds you so late. Please come,
Your Beloved Friend,
Elias.
Well, I had to give him credit, he was playing the role of the grieving son to perfection. I looked at the messenger, my hand going to my chest. “Oh my, I had no idea. When did Mr. Longwood pass?”
The servant frowned a bit. “It was a fortnight ago, Sir. He passed in his sleep, no pain.”
“Well, I supposed that is what mercy we all hope God will grant us,” I said.
“The carriage is waiting to take you to the mansion, Sir,” the messenger informed me.
I looked and saw that I would be traveling in style. I nodded. “Please, give me a moment to gather my belongings.”
“Of course, Sir.” The messenger backed away and I closed the door.
I looked at the letter again and laughed. I had to hold it in while I read the letter in front of the messenger, but I didn’t have to hold any such pretense now. I wondered, just how happy was Elias the next day when the servants informed him of his father’s death? Did he fake tears, did he collapse to the floor screaming “no” like in one of those Shakespeare plays? I supposed I’d ask him when I saw him again. I quickly gathered my things, more than ready to be out of that inn. The ride back to the mansion was a pleasant one, and Elias greeted me at the door when I arrived.
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