by DJ Bryce
His words fell heavy in the room, and I knew I’d have to ruin the illusion and talk with Brick once and for all about why we could not be together.
Chapter 10
Brick
I immediately sensed the shift in Mateo, and wish I’d kept my mouth shut.
Things had been going so great, almost as if we were a real couple in a real relationship. Mateo had let his guard down and let me take care of him, then I had to go and open my mouth about Logan and Tasha and make that comment about mates.
“I’m sorry… please, forget I said anything,” I begged, but Mateo shook his head, and my stomach vaulted.
“Listen, Brick…” he began, and I braced myself for rejection.
Again.
“I know you think I’m being harsh, that all I have to do is come out to the pack, and we could be together, just like other mates. But, I swear to you, it’s more complicated than that. It’s more than the fact that there has never been a gay Alpha, or a gay couple in our pack at all… As Alpha, I have to put my pack first. They need to be able to trust me, to have absolute faith in my abilities. They already forgave my deception with Gilly, I don’t know if they’d be able to forgive this too…”
“Forgive what?” I asked, angry and hurt. “You don’t have to apologize for being gay.”
Mateo placed his head in his hands.
“That’s not what I meant… this isn’t coming out right.”
Mateo brought his eyes to mine, and my heart ached at the tortured look in them.
“The only way to lose my status as Alpha, is either for a new generation to be born and the next Alpha to be ready to step up, or… for another wolf to challenge me. When that happens, we fight to the death.”
I gasped.
“You know I don’t want…” I began, the thought of Mateo dying bringing me actual, physical pain.
“I know,” he said softly. “I hate denying that you’re my mate, Brick, because you are, and if these last couple of days have done anything, they’ve shown me what I’m missing. What we’re missing out on by being apart.”
My eyes got hot and the back of my throat burned at his admission.
“I wish I was the type of man that could run away, to leave the pack behind and hide away with you forever… But I’m not.”
“I know you’re not,” I replied sadly. “That’s one of the things I love most about you.”
Mateo’s breath caught and his hands captured mine.
“I love you, too, Brick,” he said, and I knew in that moment, that everything would be okay.
That’s all I needed. Mateo’s admission that I was his mate, and for him to love me. I couldn’t care less about the rest of it.
“That’s all that matters,” I told him, squeezing his hands as I joy burst inside of me. “I don’t need the pack to know I’m your mate, or for you to come out to everyone. All I need, is you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, we can still be together. We can live apart and see each other when we can, or I can be your roommate. What happens behind closed doors is nobody’s business but our own. I just want to be with you, however I can have you… I don’t need a claiming ceremony or a public declaration.”
“I don’t want to do that to you, to hide you like you’re some dirty secret,” Mateo argued, but I got up, rounded the table, and paused before him.
Mateo looked up at me, and I placed a finger on his lips to quiet his words.
“I’ll be the dirtiest secret you’ve ever had,” I countered jauntily, causing him to grin up at me.
Mateo scooted his chair and opened his legs so I could stand in between them. With my hands braced on his shoulders, I leaned down ran the tip of my nose along the length of his, closing my eyes to get lost in the sensation.
I kissed one corner of his mouth, then the other, before laying my lips fully over his and running my tongue along the seam, asking him to open for me. When he did, I delved inside and tasted him fully.
Mateo moaned as I deepened the kiss, his hands coming to my ass and squeezing.
I let my hands drift down, over his pecs, across his nipples, and down his hard stomach to the hem of his shirt, where I snuck my hands inside to feel the heat of his skin.
“You feel so good,” I murmured against his lips, turning my head when he began to trail kisses along my jaw, then down my neck.
When Mateo cupped my rock-hard erection through my shorts, I grunted and thrust against his palm.
“I want to feel you,” Mateo whispered, his voice gruff. “To taste you.”
His words had my blood boiling and my hips thrusting once more, the image of Mateo taking me in his mouth was driving me wild with need.
“Let’s go to the bedroom,” I suggested, taking a step back before I took my dick into my own hand and finished myself off right here in the dining room.
Mateo nodded and stood, then stepped into me and grabbed my face, his lips crashing down to mine as he practically devoured me.
I held on and enjoyed the ride, my body thrumming when our cocks bumped against each other as Mateo claimed me with his mouth.
Mateo tore his mouth from mine with a growl, then turned his darkened eyes on me and ordered, “Take your clothes off.”
“Yes, Alpha,” I said, meaning it as a joke, but when the desire on his face deepened, I felt my cock leak in response to his dominance.
I stripped as fast as I could, then stood before him, naked and eager.
“Get in my bed,” Mateo said, his eyes raking over my naked form.
So, I turned and did as requested.
Chapter 11
Mateo
I was running on adrenaline, instinct, and pure, unadulterated lust.
I may not have ever had any sort of sexual relationship with another being before, but I knew exactly what to do. My wolf was guiding me, just like it had for my first shift, my first hunt, and when I took over as Alpha.
My animal instinct had taken over.
I felt alive, my body thrumming with anticipation and excitement, and the sight of Brick’s exceptional backside had me clenching my fists to subdue the wolf.
His shoulders were wide, his back muscular, and his waist small. He had the body of a swimmer, and the most perfect ass I’d ever seen. Not that I’d seen a lot of male asses… and none naked and in my bedroom.
Unable to deny myself, I quickly got rid of my clothes and placed my hand on my painfully hard cock, stroking as I watched Brick walk to the bed. But, rather than lay back on it, he bent over it, bracing his weight on his forearms and looking back at me over his shoulder.
Eyes heavy with lust, his lips turned up seductively, he glanced down to watch me jack myself.
“I’m ready for you,” Brick said roughly. “I’ve spent the last few years watching every video I could get my hands on and doing everything I could to be ready when you were.”
My eyes shifted to his ass and when I saw the butt plug inserted, I almost came on the spot.
I looked back at him, noticed the pink tinging his cheeks and admitted, “I’ve been getting ready for you, too.”
I crossed to my dresser and opened the bottom drawer. I reached in the back and pulled out a pack of condoms and a bottle of warming lubricant. I clutched them in my hands, feeling momentarily nervous, then stood and went to place the items on the bed.
Needing to touch, I placed my hands on the small of Brick’s back and caressed. Exploring, I moved my hands up to his shoulders, loving the smooth warmth of his skin, and the feel of his muscles bunching beneath my touch.
When I bent, my cock lined up perfectly in the seam of his taut buttocks, and as I dropped a kiss between his shoulder blades, I thrust against him.
“Ahhhh,” we both groaned, and I felt my wolf getting impatient.
I reached around and stroked Brick’s cock as I nipped his earlobe, then whispered, “Are you ready for me?”
Brick grunted, thrust into my hand and gasped, “I�
��ve been ready,” then pushed me to the point of snapping when he pleaded, “Claim me.”
Standing behind him, I allowed myself a moment to allow the sight of his perfect form laid out in front of me, then I reached down and slowly turned the plug.
“Oh my God,” Brick groaned, then lowered his face into the bed, lifting his ass higher, closer to my touch.
I turned it again, the sounds he was making causing precum to form at the head of my cock as it jumped in anticipation, then I gently eased it out of him and set it aside. I sheathed myself with a condom, then reached for the lube.
When I saw Brick shift and reach for his cock, unable to stand waiting any longer, I slapped his ass playfully and said, “Patience.”
Brick grunted, but put his arm back where it had been, his body quivering with need.
I got us both ready by making sure we had enough lubricant, then placed my hands-on Brick’s hips and paused. This was a moment that I wanted to remember forever, the moment I finally claimed my mate, and although I was desperate to be inside of him, to claim him as my own, I also didn’t want it to be over.
“Mateo,” Brick begged, pushing his hip back toward me.
Keeping one hand on his hip, I brought the other to my cock and held it at the base as I guided myself in. Moving as slowly as I could, my eyes fluttered closed as the head of my cock entered my mate.
Heaven, pure fucking heaven.
Brick squirmed a bit beneath me, and I broke from my haze of pleasure to ask, “Are you okay?”
“Fuck, yes,” was his reply. Then he asked, “Can I touch myself now?”
“Not yet,” I managed, then pushed in a little more.
The gratification was almost too much to handle, but I wanted Brick to feel pleasure too, so I eased myself in until we were completely joined. Gasping for breath, I held still, seated fully inside of him, then reached around to grasp his cock in my hand.
“Too much,” Brick whimpered, beneath me, and I totally understood his meaning, but I felt my wolf getting restless, and knew I was about to lose what little control I had left.
Urging him up until he was almost aligned with me, I eased myself down to the tip, then thrust back inside.
“Jesus,” I bit out, because it was too much, and I was no longer in control.
I stroked his cock, tight and fast, as I fucked him, our cries mingling in the air as the pressure in both of us built.
I felt my spine begin to tingle and my stomach clench, as Brick started to pulse in my hand, and, knowing it was time, I reared back with a howl, then bit him on the back of his shoulder, effectively claiming him as my mate until the end of our days.
Brick cried out long and hard, his come spurting and coating my hand as I milked every drop of pleasure out of him. He clenched around me, and I could no longer hold back. The experience was so great that I almost blacked out with ecstasy, and I knew I’d never be the same.
We collapsed on the bed, satiated and exhausted. I put my arms around him and kissed his neck reverently.
“I love you,” I whispered, then promptly passed out.
Chapter 12
Brick
I woke up feeling deliciously sore, with a smile on my face.
I turned my head and took in Mateo’s sleeping form. He looked so peaceful, which was not a look he wore often, especially recently, but I hoped I could help him achieve a sense of peace more often, now that we were going to actually be together.
I couldn’t believe it, had tried not to ever let myself hope that this day would come. Mateo had always been so adamant, that I didn’t think we’d ever find a way to be together. But, now that I knew the forceful pull of being with my mate, I understood why he was now willing to compromise.
Because I was too.
I’d been truthful when I told him I’d keep our relationship a secret for the rest of our days. If it meant we could be together, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to make that happen. Even if it meant lying to our family and friends.
In the end, all that mattered, was that we’d be together.
I got out of bed slowly, quietly, and crossed to the bathroom. Once I was done, I checked to see that Mateo was still sleeping and eased myself out of the bedroom to go in search of breakfast fixings.
Luckily, I’d thrown on my pants, because I was in the middle of frying eggs and sautéing bacon, when Calin, Mateo’s brother, came strolling in.
“Hey,” he said, stopping at the threshold in surprise. “What’s up?”
Knowing it was important to remain cool and calm, considering this was my first of many lies to come, I smiled easily at him and said, “I’m making breakfast, you want some?”
Calin shrugged and came further into the kitchen.
“Sure,” he said, then paused, as if waiting for more information, but not wanting to be rude.
“Gilly stayed with Max last night, and I was worried about Tasha, so I came over to talk to Mateo. We ended up having a couple drinks, so I crashed on the couch.”
“Oh,” Calin said, grabbing a cup and filling it with the coffee I’d made, before sitting in a bar stool and settling in. “Yeah, things have been totally crazy around here lately, but Tasha couldn’t be in better hands than Logan’s.”
He sipped his coffee and watched me butter toast, his expression conveying his ease, and I knew he didn’t suspect a thing.
Seconds later, Mateo came stumbling in, half asleep and naked as a jaybird.
I cleared my throat and looked at Calin, who just let out a chortle and said, “Shit, bro, did you forget you had company? Put some pants on.”
Mateo froze, looking startled, his head swiveling to me and Calin, then back again, before he woke up enough to realize what was happening and turned on his heel to hurry back to his room.
“Sorry about that,” Calin said with a chuckle. “Mateo has always slept in the buff. Made my mom crazy, and caused issues between me and the girls I brought home. One look at my brother naked, and they turned into lovesick idiots,” Calin joked.
I didn’t doubt a couple of the girls he liked used him to get close to his Alpha brother, but Calin was a catch himself, with his good looks, sweet demeanor, and loyalty to the pack. Still, his making light of the situation, and Mateo’s penchant to sleep in the nude, made things easier.
Figuring it was better to let his comments slide and not pipe in on Mateo’s nudity, I slid some eggs and bacon on the plate with the buttered toast, and placed it in front of him.
“Wow, this looks great,” Calin said, barely pausing before digging in. “You can crash at my place anytime, if payback is breakfast like this.”
I chuckled, pleased at his comments, and took the opening he’d unwittingly offered.
“Actually, Mateo and I had discussed my moving in here more permanently last night… as his roommate.”
I paused as I put more eggs in the pan, giving it time to sink in and waiting to see if he’d probe further. When he didn’t, I turned to see he was almost done with his food
“What’s going on?” Mateo asked as he came back into the room, this time fully clothed… much to my dismay.
“Brick made you this sick breakfast for letting him take the couch last night,” Calin said as his finished the last of his bacon. “He said he’s going to be your roommate, which means more breakfasts… which also means, you’re going to see my face a lot more around here.”
Mateo tapped the back of his brother’s head playfully.
“If that’s my payback breakfast, why are you eating it?” he asked, taking the stool next to his brother.
I placed a plate in front of him and went to work on my eggs.
“Thanks,” Mateo murmured, and I looked over my shoulder to give him a smile.
“You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do after last night.”
I let that cheeky statement lie, but not before I saw Mateo blink in surprise, then turned back to my eggs.
“See, there’s enough for all of us,” I
heard Calin say.
“What brings you by this early?” Mateo asked, and I was curious about that myself. At least his question led me to believe that Calin popping by wasn’t a usual occurrence, because if it was, we’d have to be really careful about locking doors if we wanted to keep our secret.
“Just wanted to give you an update,” Calin said.
“Which is?” Mateo asked.
“Kevin is doing great. He’s got women stopping by every hour to check on him and make sure he’s eating, so he’s a happy wolf,” Calin began. “Gilly was kind of freaked out about Logan taking Tasha, but Max said they talked it out and she’s okay now, although both Tasha and Logan are still unreachable. And, lastly, Gregory, Bryan and I went out this morning and all the vehicles were gone from the Threehorn ranch. Looks like they took off.”
“Seems a bit too convenient, and unlikely from what we’ve seen from Josiah… Contact the council and tell them we’ll have a meet at nine this morning. We have a lot of business to discuss, and we need to find a way to get the Threehorn pack out of our area… for good.”
Chapter 13
Mateo
When I’d walked into the kitchen, with a plan to take Brick against the counter, I’d been shocked, then horrified, to find my brother sitting and eating at that very counter.
Luckily, Brick had been quick on his feet, and my brother hadn’t suspected a thing.
It was nice to get a glimpse of what my life could, and would, be like with Brick living with me as my roommate. Hopefully, once we spread that little white lie around, my pack wouldn’t be popping in unannounced, or see anything between Brick and I that would make them suspicious.
I definitely felt guilty about lying, again, to everyone I knew about my private life, but, after getting the chance to see, feel, and live what Brick and I have together, there’s no way I want to give it up without at least trying things out this way first.
