Craig [Gilham Pack: 3]

by Catherine Lievens

  The ground disappeared from under Craig’s feet. He yelped, but Thomas had him, and Craig felt himself being lowered to the wet grass. Thomas loomed over him, stopping the rain from falling on Craig and pressing their bodies together, the pressure and the sensations maddening and so, so good.

  Craig arched into his mate’s body, gasping in pleasure, and threw his hand to the side, blindly searching for the lube he knew he had dropped. He found it and dragged it closer with his fingertips, grabbing it and bringing it to his mouth. He ripped one corner with his teeth while Thomas did his best to make Craig go crazy using only his tongue to tease the bite on Craig’s neck.

  Craig held the lube with one hand while he lowered the other one to direct Thomas into a better position. Once Thomas was straddling Craig’s waist, Craig squirted the lube on a few fingers and reached behind his mate, smiling at the slightly nervous glances the man was giving him.

  He followed Thomas’s crack, quickly finding what he was looking for. He circled Thomas’s opening with one fingertip, taking care to spread the lube as well as he could before slowly pushing. Thomas’s hole resisted briefly, then Craig’s finger was sliding inside him, his gaze never leaving his mate’s face, watching for his reaction.

  * * * *

  Thomas tensed. He knew what was coming, but knowing it and actually feeling it was very different. It didn’t hurt, not yet, but it did feel weird, as if Craig’s finger didn’t belong inside Thomas. Thinking of it, it definitely didn’t belong in Thomas’s ass, but since so many gay men had anal sex, Thomas was sure there had to be something pleasurable to it. Hell, he’d heard Zach and Kameron going at it enough times since they’d gotten together to know Zach found it incredibly good.

  He let his head fall forward against Craig’s shoulder as he tried to get used to the moving finger. Then Craig paused and Thomas knew what was coming.

  “Relax.”

  Thomas chuckled. “Easy for you to say.”

  Craig’s finger left Thomas’s body, but not for long. This time he could feel another finger along the first one, and it did hurt some. Thomas gritted his teeth together at the burning sensation but he didn’t try to move away. He wanted nothing more than to do just that, at the moment, but his mate wanted to claim him.

  Thomas startled when he felt Craig’s lips on his neck, sucking over the hickey he’d already left there. “I wonder how long it will take for your bite mark to fade.”

  “A long, long time, especially since I’m planning to mark you again and again.”

  Thomas rose a bit, wanting to see his mate’s face. Craig’s voice was filled with a dark possession Thomas hadn’t expected, not in a human, but it was there, and he felt weirdly thrilled about it. He had never thought he would find himself in this position, never thought he would be the one being fucked, not after twenty years with his wife.

  Craig’s fingers left him again, then returned, making Thomas wince. He felt almost too full and had the urge to push Craig’s fingers out, but when he tried to move Craig tightened the hand he had on Thomas’s hip and kept him in place.

  Thomas squirmed, feeling too exposed, too raw, but Craig was taking his time, and soon Thomas was used to the sensation of being penetrated. Rain was still falling on them and he could feel the drops sliding along his back, adding an entirely different sensation to the experience. It was almost too much, the mix of Craig’s lips on Thomas’s neck, his fingers in him, his strong hold keeping him still, all of that contrasted to the now gentle fall of the rain on his back.

  Craig gave Thomas one last kiss and gently pushed him up as Thomas felt his fingers leave him again. “Come on.”

  Craig pushed him backward and Thomas felt his mate’s dick bump against his crack. Taking a deep breath, he reached behind himself and grabbed it, amazed at the sensation of touching another man’s cock. It felt as hard and silky as his own did, but it was slightly smaller, not that Thomas was worried about that at the moment. In fact, he was pretty much grateful for it, if he was honest with himself.

  He moved his hand up and down, smirking when Craig groaned and exposed his neck to him. Craig wasn’t one to be surpassed though, and he gave Thomas a wicked grin as he reached for his cock.

  Thomas moaned and threw his head backward. He let the rain slide down his neck, his hand stilling as he enjoyed the hand job. Craig rubbed his thumb on the head of Thomas’s cock, spreading the pre-cum and gently pushing down the foreskin, exposing more of it. The rhythm of Craig’s hand was slow enough to make Thomas crazy and feeling as if he needed more. He knew he could have it, too. He just had to move a little bit backward and impale himself on Craig’s cock, and he knew his mate would make sure he was satisfied.

  He just wasn’t sure he could do it, not when Craig’s hand felt so good on him. But when Craig’s fingers left his cock to slip under it, giving his balls a fast caress as Craig reached for the sensitive patch of skin between Thomas’s balls and his hole, Thomas reached his limit.

  He jerked backward, tightening his hold on his mate’s dick and keeping it upright as he sank onto it. Then he froze. “Oh shit, shit, shit.”

  “Why’d you do that?”

  He hadn’t actually thought about it, and he’d taken Craig to the hilt without stopping or even slowing down. Now his ass burned like it never had before and Thomas was fighting against the instinct to push the intruder out and just walk away.

  He gritted his teeth and made to get up, but Craig’s hands on his hips stopped him. “Wait. It’ll get better.”

  “You sure? Because let me tell you, it doesn’t feel like something worth doing at the moment.”

  Craig smiled. “Believe me, I know what you’re feeling, but I promise it’s worth it.”

  Thomas had to admit that the pain was slowly fading away, and while his erection had slightly deflated, Craig was more than ready to take care of making Thomas’s cock hard again.

  His hand was strong and tight as he squeezed Thomas and slid over the sensitive skin, playing with the head before moving down again, and soon Thomas was panting again. He’d almost forgotten about the pain in his ass, even if it wasn’t completely gone. He didn’t think it would, not today, and he knew he was going to be sore after, but now that he could think again, he wanted to complete the bond with his mate.

  He pushed up with his legs, just to give it a try, and a jolt of pleasure shot through him. Craig’s cock dragged against something Thomas knew was his prostate, although he had never imagined it would feel so good. It was almost enough to forget about the lingering pain, and he pushed down against his mate’s groin, trying to recreate the sensation.

  He didn’t manage to do it every time he moved up or down, but it was still enough to make the experience pleasurable, and his rhythm increased, his thrusts downward becoming faster and harder. Craig’s hands were still on Thomas’s hips, but instead of holding him still they were helping him keep up, especially when Craig started thrusting into Thomas and nearly unseated him.

  Thomas had no idea what he was doing, and he was grateful for the small help. He was in unknown territory, and it made him feel both terrified and elated. Craig’s body was hard under him, lean and absolutely, gloriously, male, so different from what he was used to, yet so good.

  Thomas eyed Craig’s neck. He wanted to bite him again, to reaffirm his bond with the man. The way he had claimed Craig might have been enough for his wolf, but Thomas’s human part wanted something more meaningful than a quick, non-consensual bite.

  Thomas saw Craig register where Thomas was looking, then tilt his head. Thomas hoped Craig knew what he was offering, because there was no way he was going to be able to stop himself, not when Craig was spread out under him, his skin wet from the rain, his mouth slightly open as he panted, his eyes wide and the pupils blown.

  Thomas shifted the nail of one finger, just enough that he could make a cut in his own neck, right where the mating bite usually was. It wouldn’t leave a mark, but it was enoug
h for now.

  He leaned toward his mate, offering his own neck to Craig as he bit into the flesh in which his mark was already imprinted. Craig’s blood flooded his mouth, making Thomas’s wolf howl with delight. He took only a bit, because his side of the bond was already in place, but before he could move away and seal the wound, Craig pressed his lips against Thomas’s neck and sucked.

  The sucking motion reverberated directly into Thomas’s groin, pleasure running along his spine, and his back arched. Craig’s hands were keeping him close as his lips ran over Thomas’s skin and his tongue lapped at the wound. His hips were still pumping into Thomas, and when Thomas felt Craig’s teeth sink into his skin, he howled and came. Hot spurts splashed between their stomachs, mixing with the rain, and Thomas let himself fall down on his mate, sure that Craig was strong enough to hold his weight.

  He licked the mating bite in Craig’s neck clean just as he felt Craig tense under him, his hands squeezing Thomas’s ass almost painfully. They were both breathing hard, wet and sticky, but Thomas took a few seconds to bask into the warmth of their new bond.

  He could feel that Craig was doing the same, contentedness and smugness coming through the bond. Thomas answered with a chuckle and sat up, looking down at his mate. It had stopped raining while they were making love, and he hadn’t even noticed.

  “You okay?”

  “I should be the one asking you that.”

  Thomas flexed his muscles. The only thing that hurt was obviously his ass. “I’ll be sore, but you were right, it was totally worth it.”

  A squeak came from behind them and Thomas spun around and moved away from his mate, wincing when the movement yanked Craig’s cock from inside him but ready to defend his mate if he needed to.

  Elias was standing there, his hands pressed against his eyes, his mouth twisted in a grimace while Zane was looking at them with awe and more than a little embarrassment. “Eli, what are you doing here?”

  Thomas scrambled for his clothes as Craig laughed his ass off, but they were too soaked to put them back on, so Thomas held them in front of his dick. “Zane, snap out of it,” he barked, satisfied when Zane blushed and looked away.

  “Sorry, dad. We didn’t mean to, uh, see you guys, you know. It’s just that we were wondering if we could stay here for the afternoon since everything’s wet, and ugh, this is so embarrassing.”

  “Trust me, I never wanted you to see this.”

  “I don’t mind,” Zane piped in, and Thomas narrowed his gaze at him. Craig slid his arm around Thomas’s waist and Thomas was relieved to see his mate had managed to put his shorts back on.

  Craig kissed Thomas’s temple and gestured toward the house. “Come on, boys. I have beer and popcorn.”

  Elias’s face lit up and Thomas quickly stopped him. “I don’t think so. You can have the popcorn, but no beer.”

  “Aww, come on, dad. You can be so boring sometimes.”

  “He looked anything but boring a few seconds ago,” Zane said, and while Thomas scowled at him, it was nice to see his son and his mate laugh together.

  Chapter Seven

  Craig watched the three kids standing in front of him with a critical eye. He knew Kameron wouldn’t have lied to him, and he knew better than most what the Glass Research Company was able to do, but he still had a hard time believing they had actually created those kids from scratch. The fact that someone could do something like that—could create what was essentially a new species and raise the children as coldblooded killers—gave him the creeps. The way two of the kids were looking at him wasn’t helping him feel better.

  Of the three, Nathan was the only one showing any type of emotion, while Amy and Luke were assessing Craig. He knew they were thinking about the best way to bring him down, and he knew Kameron was right. They were tiny killing machines, and if they really had shifter speed and strength, Craig would have a hard time beating them, even with his experience and the fact that he was an adult.

  “How do we do this?”

  “I want them to fight against you. I need to assess just how good they are against a human,” Kameron said.

  “What if I hurt them?”

  “Trust me, you won’t be able to hurt them. It’s probable they’ll hurt you, though.” Oh, Craig was feeling so much better now.

  “Okay, kids. Let’s do this. Nothing lethal and no weapons, okay?”

  Luke actually pouted at that, and it made Craig feel the heebie-jeebies, especially since by mating with Thomas he’d basically become the boy’s new uncle. Luke lived with Kevin and his mate, and Craig could only imagine what nefarious plans the kid and his foster father were making for him. It sure would make their future Christmas lunch interesting.

  Craig nodded to Amy and watched her as she joined him on the mats. Her foster parents were there, and Craig hoped they wouldn’t try to intervene. He was only doing what his alpha was telling him to do, and wow didn’t that sound weird to even think. Kevin too was there, and Craig really didn’t need to give the man another reason not to like him.

  “Start when you’re ready,” Kameron said, and Craig felt the tension in the room rise.

  He barely had time to take a defensive position when Amy was already on him, aiming for his stomach. Craig blocked the blow only to have another one coming at his face. Still, he hadn’t been a guard for the company for nothing.

  He blocked Amy’s punches and kicks easily enough, but she still managed to have a few hit him. It was true—she had shifter speed and strength, but luckily for Craig, at her age it meant that she hit like an adult human male, and he’d gone through plenty of fights with other guys, so he knew how that felt.

  He reached for Amy with the intent to block her arms, but she back-flipped and got away. Whoever had trained her had done a good job, and while Craig was managing to hold his own, it wasn’t as easy as he’d thought it would be.

  Amy ducked and tried to sweep Craig’s feet from under him, but he saw her coming. He jumped, landing in a crouch and lunging for her. Grabbing one of her wrists, he wrestled her to the ground, flipping her on her front and catching her other hand when she tried to punch him in the face. He secured both arms behind her back and placed a knee on them, trying to keep himself as light as he could without actually letting her go.

  “All right, that’s enough,” Kameron called.

  Craig jumped up, releasing the girl and holding one of his hands out to her to help her back to her feet. She looked at him as if she didn’t quite understand why he was being nice, but in the end, she grabbed Craig’s hand and let him haul her up. “You did a good job.”

  “Not a good enough one, since you beat me.”

  Craig cocked a brow. “I’m an adult, and I trained for more years than you have.”

  Amy nodded and walked back to her foster mother. Isabel cooed and ran her hands over the girl’s body as she tried to find injuries, but Craig had been careful not to hurt Amy. He turned to Kameron. “Should I tell you now or do you want me to fight with the boys first?”

  “Finish the fights and we’ll talk.”

  Nathan was next, and Craig was happy to see he acted more like a kid than the other two. He knew Nathan was younger by a year, so his training and conditioning wouldn’t be as advanced, and he was glad for that. These kids needed to live a normal life, not to go out and fight.

  It wasn’t hard to pin Nathan to the ground, but Craig knew the boy hadn’t tried to beat him that hard. “Why did you let me win so easily?” Craig asked quietly. He wasn’t sure Kameron and the others could hear him, but he wanted Nathan to be honest.

  Nathan looked up at him. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I thought if I lost, I wouldn’t have to.”

  Craig ruffled the boy’s dark-blond hair and helped him up. “You won’t have to, I promise.”

  He watched as Nathan ran to his fathers, smiling when Andy caught the boy and spun him around. He knew being rescued by the pack was the best thing that had hap
pened to these kids. They would be able to choose what they wanted to do when they reached maturity, and if Nathan didn’t want to be a fighter for the pack, he wouldn’t have to.

  The only one left was Luke, and he scared Craig more than a bit. He was the only one of the three who hadn’t yet given him any indication about how deep his conditioning was. “It’s your turn.”

  The boy attacked without giving Craig the time to ask Kameron if they could begin. He managed to clock Craig in the stomach before kicking his legs out from under him, and Craig went down like a potato sack. It hurt like a bitch, but Luke clearly wasn’t going to try to lose like Nathan had done.

  Craig rolled to the side and jumped back on his feet, barely avoiding the small punch that came his way. He was having a harder time defending himself than he had with the other two, and he knew that if he didn’t fight back, Luke had a chance to beat him.

  It went against everything Craig had been taught and against his ethics, but he had no other choice. He struck, trying not to put too much force behind his punch, and hit Luke on the side of the face. Someone yelled from the side of the gym, but he didn’t have the time to see who it was, because Luke barely reacted.

  It had to have hurt, but he didn’t give Craig any indication of it. Instead, he swung his leg as high as he could and sank his foot into Craig’s stomach, hard. All of Craig’s breath whooshed out of his lungs and he swore.

  The next minutes were pretty much a repeat of the beginning of the fight. Luke managed to hit Craig more and more as time went by, and Craig knew he had to rely on brute force if he wanted to win. His speed just wasn’t up to it, not when Luke was faster. He also had to forget about going easy on the boy, because Luke certainly wasn’t going easy on him.

  Craig lunged, grabbing Luke’s waist and using his weight to push him to the mats and keep him there. He took another punch right on the eye but he didn’t budge, even as Luke tried to sink his small finger into Craig’s eye. He just grabbed the wrist that came his way and pinned it to the mat next to their bodies.