Trick of Silver

by Jamie Craig

  “No, not never mind.” Aden reached across the distance between them to shove at Darren’s shoulder, as if the physical jolt would snap him out of this mood. “You have to face what?”

  “Being an Argenti agent isn’t something you do in your spare time. It’s twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It’s my life. The other agents are my family. And now…look, the alpha just kicked me out of the pack, okay? I don’t have anything else.”

  The analogy worked for him. He hadn’t even considered how much Darren might be losing, the possibility it could be more than a job. He knew Argenti agents were devoted, the best trained operatives out there. That’s what made them so dangerous. But he hadn’t considered just how insular they really were. And with Darren cut off…

  “Maybe I’m wrong then,” he tried. “You don’t have any proof Jasmine meant you harm.”

  “Are you trying to make me feel better?”

  “That depends. Is it working?”

  “Strangely, the fact that you’d even try makes me feel better.”

  The city whispered behind them, the open country a dark blanket shrouding the world in front. Aden smiled, though he wasn’t sure whether Darren saw it or not.

  “I told you, you were a distraction. You’re making me forget I’m supposed to kill you before you kill me.”

  “But how could they have known that I, out of all the agents, would work as a distraction? That relies too much on chance. Maybe it has something to do with…something unique to me. You know how they recruit Argenti agents?”

  “I’m guessing they don’t take polls at area high schools to find out who hates werewolves the most.”

  “No, not usually. They look for a rare blood disorder. Basically, elevated levels of silver. It makes a bite fatal to werewolves and keeps the person with the disorder from becoming a werewolf. Only, I don’t have that disorder.”

  “So you’re getting kicked out of the club for not being dangerous enough?”

  “It’s not that I’m not dangerous. I don’t need elevated levels of silver in my blood because…on a genetic level…well, I’m not a werewolf, but I do share a bit of genetic code with them.”

  Aden stared at Darren with newfound interest. He sniffed pointedly at the air, but all he sensed was the same blood, sweat, and come that had coated the man’s skin for the past hour. There was no trace of wolf anywhere in his pores.

  “So what would happen if I bit you?”

  “It would probably hurt. And you wouldn’t turn me into a werewolf.”

  “And no poison?”

  “No poison. You wouldn’t die.”

  “Huh.” He’d never heard of such a thing before. “How is that even possible? You’re descended from a werewolf?”

  “I don’t really know for sure, honestly. There’s family folklore and history that indicates my great-great-great-great-grandmother was either a wolf or involved with one. Honestly, it’s not something anybody was eager to discuss. So the details are sketchy.”

  “So how do they know you can’t be turned into a wolf? Did you get bitten?”

  “Yes.”

  His reluctance to share any more information was a tangible thing between them, strong enough that Aden had the urge to reach across and shake the whole story from him. The more he learned about this man, the more intrigued he became. Wanting amazing sex from him now seemed paltry in comparison to what else they could have.

  They pulled into the long, narrow road that led to the cabin on the reserve. The lights were out on the main gate, which meant Domingo had deactivated it for his arrival. He had to remember to turn the alarms back on once they reached the house.

  “Do you think you’re in danger from them?” Aden asked. The answer seemed important. “How far do you think they’re going to go?”

  “I don’t know. If I knew why Jasmine was targeting me, I’d have a better idea. If it’s because she thinks I’m no better than a werewolf, then I’m in serious danger. If it’s something else…I just don’t know.”

  Aden bristled at his no better than a werewolf, but then again, he was Argenti. He had been conditioned to believe the worst of them. “If you’re in serious danger, you’ll need protection. I could give that to you.” It was too hard not to keep some of the annoyance out of his voice. “Even if I am a werewolf.”

  “You’d do that? You’d protect me?” For the first time, Darren looked away from the window and turned toward Aden. “Even though I’m an agent…well, was an agent?”

  “It would mean certain concessions from you, but yeah, I’d do it.” He grinned. “Besides, it would make it easier to keep you in my bed that way, too.”

  “What sort of concessions?”

  “An amnesty.” He coasted to a stop in front of the cabin and killed the lights, shifting in his seat in order to better address the other man. “You promise no harm to any of mine, and I’ll do the same for you. My pack is very small but I would kill for any one of them. If we do this, you agree to treat them as equals, not prey.”

  “Just your pack? And they won’t give me any reason to fight them?”

  “Just my pack,” Aden promised. “I don’t care about anybody else. They’ll be told you’re one of us, and they’ll respect that. As long as you do the same.”

  “One of you…” Darren lapsed into silence and Aden could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He could probably think of plenty of reasons to turn down the offer, but Aden hoped he wouldn’t. “I’ll honor that. I told you, I don’t kill werewolves indiscriminately. If they’re willing to respect me, I’ll do the same. And…thank you.”

  “Don’t give me reason to regret it.” With that settled, Aden got out of the car and went to the front door, the keys jingling in his hand. “Though I’ll admit, I’m glad you said yes.”

  “Why?”

  Aden unlocked the cabin and pushed the door open, the front light automatically turning itself on before answering. “Because now I don’t have to chase you down to get more of you.”

  “I thought you liked the chase. Besides…” Darren grinned. “I wouldn’t have run very fast.”

  Grabbing Darren’s wrist, Aden hauled him inside, kicking the door shut behind him. “We’ll save that for later.”

  Darren didn’t protest as Aden dragged him through the house, leading him past the huge modern kitchen. Since nobody ever stayed here but Aden, there were only four rooms in the house, but all were abnormally large, including the bathroom off the main bedroom. He’d had a whirlpool tub installed, big enough for him to stretch out completely in without touching any of the sides. There was a shower stall in the corner, but it only got used when he was in a rush.

  He let Darren go once they were in the bathroom, in order to get the tub filled as soon as possible. “I keep emergency things here for pack members. You’re about the same size as Domingo. You should be able to find something to wear after we get cleaned up.”

  “That’s a relief.” He peeled the T-shirt over his head. “Do we really have time to take a bath?”

  Aden straightened and undid his pants. “You’re welcome to use the shower if you want. But I’m getting in the tub. If anything happens, it won’t be for hours yet.”

  Darren watched at Aden with a now familiar hunger. “No, I think I’d rather get in the tub with you.”

  By the time Aden tossed his clothes over a rack in the corner, his cock was fully hard. He ignored the slide of Darren’s gaze as he climbed into the steaming water, sighing out loud at the heat. He stretched out, his arms along the edge.

  “Protecting you is going to be easier if you’re living with me,” he said, deliberately ignoring his rising desires. “My place in the city isn’t quite as spacious as this, but it’s a pretty good life, if I do say so myself.”

  Darren stepped over the edge of the tub and lowered himself to his knees, straddling Aden’s legs. His cock pressed against Darren’s hip, and the tip of Darren’s erection brushed against Aden’s stomach.

  �
��You move fast, don’t you?”

  Aden itched to reach out and touch him, but it was more fun at the moment to focus on how Darren was rocking with the force of the water, small vibrations back and forth that only made Aden harder. “I’m not a fan of delayed gratification, no. I don’t see the point of pretending you don’t want something. But I’m not going to force you, gorgeous. If you’d rather risk living on your own, outside of my immediate help, you’re welcome to.”

  Darren smoothed his hands over Aden’s shoulders, his fingers molding over the firm muscles. Without looking from Aden’s face, he leaned forward to lick a drop of water from his skin.

  “I’m still trying to adjust to the fact that a wolf cares whether I live or die.”

  Aden caught his chin and forced his head up, his hand sliding in until his thumb and forefinger aligned with Darren’s jaw. His other arm reached around the man’s back, pinning him more firmly in place. Though some of the makeup still smeared across his cheeks, more and more of Darren peeked through. He really was a beautiful creature, and the prospect that he was going to be Aden’s was enough to make him ache.

  “One thing you’re going to have to learn. There’s more to me than just the wolf.”

  “I’ll need a little bit of time. But I’m going to do my best. Since you’re willing to see there’s more to me than Argenti.”

  Keeping his hold, Aden pulled his head closer, until their noses touched and he could lick along the full lower lip that had been teasing him for the past hour. “There’s a lot more to you,” he murmured. “And I only got a taste of that back at the party.”

  Darren gripped Aden’s shoulders, his fingernails biting the flesh. “You can have a lot more than a taste now.” He pulled himself closer, pressing hard into Aden’s chest. “And remind me of all the reasons I’d want to stay in your bed.”

  Aden inhaled his hot breath, the smell of desire seeping from Darren’s pores. He had little doubt Darren agreed to the protection because of the chemistry between them; it was half the reason Aden had offered it in the first place. But they both wanted this, wanted to lose themselves in the sanctuary of the other’s flesh, and he stole the last few centimeters to seal their mouths together in a slow, searing kiss.

  Darren moaned softly and parted his lips, the tip of his tongue dancing across Aden’s. Aden skimmed his palm down Darren’s back, and the muscles tensed and twitched beneath his touch. The water was hot, but Darren’s body was hotter, the lines of his slighter form fitting perfectly against Aden’s. Darren’s fingers traveled down his ribs to rest on Aden’s hip, his tongue becoming more and more bold.

  They wouldn’t need lube in the tub, but Aden thought Darren was the kind of bottom who might not miss it, even when they weren’t submerged in water. He had been eager at the Giessen house, and as the seconds passed, grew hungrier here. Part of Aden wanted to not bother with foreplay and flip him over so he could fuck him raw now, but the weight of the body molding atop his own was too delicious to give up just yet.

  Aden slipped his hand from Darren’s jaw to grip his nape. Using the hold he already had on Darren’s lower back, he tore away from the questing tongue to lick and nibble down the salty neck, along the top of his shoulder, rocking Darren upward so that he was the one to meet Aden’s mouth rather than the other way around. He stopped when he faced a dusky flat nipple, but rather than tease it with his tongue, Aden caught it firmly between his teeth.

  Darren gasped, but he didn’t try to pull away. He arched his back, pushing hard against Aden’s mouth. The gasp turned into a long moan as Aden applied more pressure, and the impulse to simply bite until blood filled his mouth was almost too overwhelming to ignore. Darren pushed his fingers through Aden’s hair, clutching at the strands with enough pressure to make his scalp tingle.

  Rather than succumb to the urge, Aden raked his teeth across Darren’s chest to seek out the opposite nipple, biting into that one as well until Darren cried out. He soothed over the small marks he left by dragging the flat of his tongue over the taut skin, but just as Darren’s breathing started to even out again, Aden chose a fresh spot to bite into.

  He repeated the process until shallow bite marks covered Darren’s chest and his upper arms. Each time Aden closed his teeth over his skin, Darren twitched and gasped, as though he hadn’t expected it. His fingers wound tighter and tighter in Aden’s hair. When Aden lifted his head to see the pleasure on Darren’s face, the other man slammed their mouths together in a hard kiss.

  Grasping Darren’s ass, Aden shifted their weight, letting the momentum of the water buoy Darren off so that they could reverse positions. Darren clung to his shoulders, but when he was floating beneath Aden in the water, Aden used his strength to pull free.

  “I think you need more reasons on why you should stay,” he rasped. He slithered back, down the slick skin, as his fingers traced up and down between the cheeks of Darren’s ass. When he was level with the man’s waist, he took a deep breath and sank below the water’s surface, catching Darren’s cock in his mouth and taking it all the way in.

  “Oh, my God.” The water muffled Darren’s exclamation, but Aden heard it clearly—clear enough to catch both the pleasure and the surprise in his voice. Aden gripped his hips, holding him still as he swallowed around Darren’s head, letting his throat muscles constrict around and massage the sensitive flesh. “Oh, fuck, Aden.”

  His fingers continued to glide up and down, over Darren’s hole, but he didn’t press inside even after he slid back up in order to grab some air. His hair dripped down into his eyes, and as he caught his breath, he ran his tongue back and forth over his lower lip.

  “I think that reason just might be for me. You taste even better than you look, gorgeous.”

  “I’m almost convinced. You feel better than I thought was possible, sunshine.”

  Aden’s mouth slanted. Keeping his eyes on Darren as long as he could, he caught another lungful of air and went back down.

  Darren bucked once before Aden caught his balls and yanked, forcing the young man to still. With the twitching cock firmly embedded in his throat, he sought out his hole, carefully twisting three fingers into the tight channel. The muscles gripped his knuckles, sucking him deeper, and he groaned around the length in his mouth as he thought about how good it felt when it was his cock in Darren’s ass instead.

  “Oh….I…” The words stopped as soon as Aden yanked on his balls again. He trembled against Aden, his muscles clenching and twitching. Aden pumped his wrist, pushing his fingers deep and hard with each thrust. When he finally lifted his head to gulp for air, Darren was looking at him with wide, dark eyes, his nostrils flaring with each breath. “Please say you’re going to fuck me soon.”

  “Soon.” He deliberately scraped his fingernails over Darren’s prostate the next time he drove his hand inside. “Not now.”

  Darren’s cry was lost as Aden swallowed him again. He didn’t bother holding Darren in his throat this time. He bobbed up and down, letting his teeth catch the velvety skin more than once. The next time he did this, he was going to make sure he got his mouth on Darren’s balls, too. They responded to everything Aden did. To feel them contract against his tongue, maybe as he jerked Darren to orgasm, would be heaven.

  “Aden…God…” Darren put his hands against the bottom of the tub, pushing himself up to meet Aden’s mouth. Water splashed around them as Aden moved faster, keeping his eyes open to watch each expression on Darren’s face. His color crawled higher and higher, and his perfect little mouth hung open, like it needed something to fill it. His cries told Aden exactly how much he was enjoying the attention. “Fuck…don’t stop. I’m almost…”

  Aden had no intention of stopping. He’d wring every orgasm out of Darren he could, and then take a few more when the man wasn’t expecting it. He had no doubt Darren could take it, and if he couldn’t, well…Aden would train that right out of him.

  He didn’t taste the water anymore when he engulfed Darren’s cock. Pre-come
collected at the slit no matter how many times Aden licked it away. When Darren came, it was going to be an explosion, regardless of the fact he’d already come twice that night. Aden suspected he was the sort who always shot a lot, which meant Aden was even luckier for having found him.

  The tremors warned him of the impending eruption. Aden grabbed Darren’s balls and twisted, swallowing around the head at the same time just to be sure. A sound between a scream and a shout split the air, and hot sticky fluid blasted the back of his mouth. He drank it all, slipping halfway up the shaft in order to get the full effect of its taste, and tightened the suction in order to get as much of the delicious come as possible.

  Water splashed over the sides of the tub as Darren rode out his orgasm, and he cupped the sides of Aden’s head, holding him down as his cock jerked against Aden’s tongue. He didn’t let a single drop get away from him, and he even dug his tongue into the slit to collect the last of the fluid.

  “Fuck…fuck…” Darren gasped for breath and the tension melted from his body. “Nobody else gets to me like you do.”

  Aden crawled back up the length of Darren’s body, fusing their mouths together to take what little breath Darren had gained. Darren opened to him automatically, twisting their tongues together to share the lingering droplets of come, but Aden didn’t let the kiss last long. He had other things on his mind.

  “That’s good.” Aden rose out of the water, planting his feet on either side of Darren’s hips, and leaned forward to tilt his cock toward Darren’s mouth. Holding it at the base, he ran it along the lower lip, smearing pre-come across the rosy skin. “Because I think I’d have to kill anybody else you let touch you.”

  Darren swiped his tongue across the tip, teasing Aden with the heat of his mouth. “I have the feeling that’s not just a figure of speech.”

  “Not even close.” Aden shuddered when Darren grasped his hip. He had to give the other man credit, though. He didn’t try to take control and pull Aden into his mouth. “I haven’t had a lover as part of my pack in over five years.”