Trick of Silver

by Jamie Craig

  They reached the top of the stairs, and Aden pushed open the door. It hadn’t been locked. Clearly, he wasn’t as worried about security here as he was at the reserve. They stepped into another room that took Darren by surprise, a studio apartment that matched the size of the store below. Vaulted ceilings and hardwood floors made it seem even more spacious. Sleek leather furniture marked one corner, stainless steel appliances and an island mapped out the kitchen, while a circular staircase led up to a loft bedroom.

  “It’s pretty cut and dried.” Aden stood back to let Darren get a lay of the land. “You’re welcome to settle in wherever you want. Nothing’s off-limits, if you were worried about that.”

  Darren dropped the duffle bags with a sigh of relief. “Thanks. Have you…lived with anybody like this before?”

  “Here? No. But I did before I bought the store.” He smiled. “You’re not worried I’m not going to know how to share nicely, are you?”

  “No, it’s not that. I guess I’m just a little nervous.” He hooked his fingers in his pockets and kicked the tip of his shoe against the smooth floor. “I’ve never tried living with anybody before.”

  Aden remained motionless, though Darren didn’t think for a moment he wasn’t utterly prepared to pounce if he had to. “You’ve had a lot of change thrown at you in a very short period of time. Take the evening to get acclimated to the place. I’ll close up early and if you’re still not comfortable, maybe we can go out.”

  It would have been simple enough to nod and let Aden get back to his shop. But Darren didn’t want him to leave. Especially not when he looked like that. All Darren wanted to do was run his hands over Aden’s body. He felt ridiculous, standing there awkward and unsure, like he was talking about moving in with a stranger. Especially after everything they’d experienced.

  “How’s your back?”

  “Still a little sore. I don’t think I’ll be going shirtless again to any parties any time soon.” He crooked two fingers at him, gesturing for him to approach. “Come here.”

  That was enough to unlock the paralysis on Darren’s legs, and he closed the space between them without hesitation. Up close, Aden smelled differently than Darren expected. Like he was using a different soap, or a citrusy aftershave. Just being that close to the other man made Darren’s cock twitch.

  “Yes?”

  Aden cupped the back of Darren’s neck and held him still. The grip didn’t pull them closer together, and Aden didn’t lean in, but it gave Darren strength just the same.

  “You’re here because we both want you to be here.” Aden’s low voice flowed over him, a balm to his jittery nerves. “This isn’t about doing you a favor. We both know that. This is about this thing between us, and about how far it’s going to go. I gave you my promise last night, so there is nothing, and I mean nothing, you have to be afraid of while you’re here. Understand?”

  Darren answered by swaying forward and pressing his lips to Aden’s. It wasn’t a hard caress or a hungry kiss, but he thought it would be more effective than a simple nod or yes. As soon as their mouths touched, he forgot the remnants of his hesitation and gripped Aden’s arms, holding him tightly as his tongue traced the curve of Aden’s bottom lip.

  Aden opened to him immediately, though he didn’t take over, giving Darren the space he needed to control the contact. His fingers massaged Darren’s nape, relaxing him even further, while the hard line of his erection nudged against Darren’s stomach. The familiarity of the embrace loosened the remaining knots inside him, even when Aden pulled back and gazed down at him.

  “Give me an hour to close the store.” His husky tone was even further proof of how the kiss had affected him. “You unpack, do whatever you want, and I’ll be back as soon as I can so we can continue this.”

  Darren nodded, grudgingly releasing Aden. It would be fun to explore the space and figure out how he fit, but now that he had the taste of Aden on his lips, he wanted more. He promised himself that he wouldn’t let Aden out of his sight—or touching distance—once he returned from the store.

  The hour Aden had given him proved to be much less.

  He heard the door open when he was in the loft, putting away the clothes in drawers Aden had already emptied for him. When he glanced at the clock on the nightstand, he was surprised to see only twenty minutes had passed, but there was no time for questioning why before Aden was at the top of the staircase and marching straight for him.

  “I’ll do the books later,” Aden muttered in the split second before he pressed Darren to the dresser and sealed their mouths together.

  Darren had no choice but to return the kiss—not that he would have wanted to do anything else. This kiss was much harder than the earlier one, and Aden demanded more from Darren. He was careful where he put his hands, wary of aggravating Aden’s burns, but even those sorts of considerations fled his mind as Aden prolonged the contact.

  Aden wasn’t nearly as careful. Fingers dug into Darren’s side, while his other hand slipped behind to cup Darren’s ass. He squeezed, eliciting a gasp from his throat, but before Darren could catch his breath, Aden’s lips were back, his tongue hot and hungry as it sought every corner of Darren’s mouth.

  Darren gripped Aden’s hips, holding him as he ground his erection against Aden’s thigh. Aden responded by flexing his fingers. He was already working Darren up into a bit of a frenzy—his blood rushed in his ears and his skin felt raw everywhere his clothes touched.

  They were both panting when Aden finally lifted his head.

  “Sometimes I think you must not have had sex for a decade to be as eager as you are.”

  Darren smiled. “No, it’s not that. It’s just you, I guess.”

  “Considering how many times you came last night? I’m going to take that as a compliment then.” Aden backed off a few inches, though his grip on Darren held. “How do you feel about restraints?”

  Darren stopped himself from recoiling at the thought of being tied and bound by a wolf. There was always going to be an element of horror at his situation, and Darren honestly didn’t think anything could be done about that. But after he had the chance to register Aden’s words, the horror fled. He wasn’t some random werewolf, after all.

  “I feel fine about restraints.”

  Desire glittered in his eyes. “Strip and get on the bed then. Hands and knees. I’ll be right back.”

  Aden didn’t give him a chance to argue, which meant that the time to voice protests had come and gone. As Aden left his side, Darren focused on getting his clothes off—even though his fingers trembled slightly with anticipation—and settling on the bed. The mattress was surprisingly soft, and the blanket beneath him was thick. He curled his fingers in it as his cock dangled between his thighs. He tried not to fidget, but he felt extremely exposed.

  With each ticking second, the urge to look over his shoulder grew stronger. What was Aden doing? Getting restraints, obviously. Why was he taking so long? To drive Darren crazy, even more obviously.

  Sweat trickled down his balls. Darren clenched his ass to try and relieve the effect without touching himself, but all that did was remind him that Aden wasn’t back yet.

  “Oh, now that’s a pretty picture.” Aden’s voice was too close for him not to be in the loft. Darren hadn’t even heard him come up the staircase. “You squeeze like that because you’re thinking of me, gorgeous?”

  “Of course, sunshine.” Darren looked over his shoulder. “You don’t expect me to call you sir, do you?”

  Aden snorted. “Please. Like I need a title to top you.” When he came around the side of the bed, Darren got the first good look at what he held. Leather. Lots of it. Except for the length of chain link that looked strangely like a leash. “Grab the headboard. I’m going to cuff you to it.”

  Darren obeyed, holding one of the bars between his palms and locking his fingers together. He didn’t even twitch as Aden buckled one leather cuff around his wrist, and then secured that to his other hand. The restraint was ti
ght enough to feel it, but not uncomfortable. “I never, ever would have imagined myself doing this.”

  “Which?” Aden’s strong fingers grasped Darren’s chin to tilt his head upward. Another piece of leather slipped around his neck. “Being in a wolf’s bed, or letting the wolf strap you to it?”

  He swallowed against the leather. It felt strange on his skin, but not unpleasant. “The latter. Not that I imagined the former was all that likely, but this is…really out there.”

  Aden smoothed a hand down Darren’s side, then came back up to let his fingertips graze over the bandaged injury from Jasmine’s knife. “It’s not. Not really. You agreed to be a member of my pack. That requires submission.”

  The thought made him twist on the inside again. He didn’t necessarily want to submit to anybody. Not if it meant changing who he was, or worse, losing who he was. Not if it meant he had to back down and defer to Aden’s judgment in all things. He shook the thought. Aden wouldn’t want some cowering…well, puppy to kick around. He could get that from anybody.

  And it wasn’t such a bad thing to submit to Aden.

  The collar got heavier when Aden attached the chain leash. “This changes nothing between us, though, you know that, don’t you?” Aden continued to stroke Darren’s enflamed flesh, down to his hip again before climbing onto the bed between Darren’s legs. “There are pretty boys everywhere, but I don’t invite them to my home.” His fingers traced up and down between the cheeks of Darren’s ass. “I chose you. Just like I think you chose me, right?”

  Darren nodded, but quickly realized that might not be the best way to communicate. Of course, Aden’s light fingers didn’t make talking any easier. Especially when the tips brushed against his sac, as if in promise of what was yet to come. Darren wished he knew why Aden, of all men, could reduce him into such hunger with the lightest of caresses.

  “Yes, I did choose you.”

  Aden dragged the chain to lay it down the length of Darren’s spine and between his cheeks, the cold links drawing fresh shivers to Darren’s flesh. “Don’t forget that.” He wound the chains farther up, looping around Darren’s cock before pulling back so that the wet tip dragged over the soft blanket. “Even when you think I’m being a bastard—because I can be, trust me—don’t forget it.”

  “I won’t,” Darren promised quickly. He barely got the word out before the chain tightened around his shaft. The links were warming against his heated flesh, and the chain would feel like an extension of his own body. “And I can handle a bit of bastardry.”

  The flick of Aden’s tongue over his ass made Darren jump, but the leash settled him back down almost immediately. “And working for me at the store?” Hot breath washed over his balls. Aden used the chain to pull Darren’s cock even further away from his body. “It’s not as boring as it looks, you know. Sometimes I have to play very dirty to get the books I want.”

  Darren hoped Aden didn’t try to ask for anything really difficult, because he didn’t feel like he was in the position to deny Aden anything. Even if he thought working in a bookstore sounded dead boring. “I’ll work in your store but…you know that’s not going to keep me entirely…satisfied.”

  “I know.”

  His mouth closed around Darren’s sac, sudden and sharp as he sucked it hard against the roof of his mouth. Darren cried out, arching away from the restraints, but somehow, it only served to tighten the chain, each hot link digging into his shaft. Aden soothed the sting with his free hand, caressing alongside the leash, and his suction softened, his tongue stroking back and forth until he released the balls completely.

  “How do you think you’ll need to satisfy your need to hunt?” Aden asked. Though his voice was soft, the words sank into Darren’s sensitized skin and ravaged him even more. “You won’t have Argenti to back you up anymore, and I’m not sure I like the idea of you being vulnerable to other wolves.”

  “Argenti uses certain sources for intelligence…” Darren dropped his head and gasped for breath as Aden dragged his tongue across Darren’s balls. “Sources that I’ve got relationships with. I might…scoop the agency.”

  Aden licked along the chain back up to Darren’s hole. “And Jasmine won’t consider that a threat?”

  “I’ll have to keep it quiet. Besides, Argenti might be the most well-known game around, but they aren’t the only hunters…you know there are plenty of independent operatives out there.”

  “I’m only concerned with the ones who want you dead.” Aden used his hold on the leash to pull sideways, spreading Darren’s cheeks just enough to expose his opening. The tip of his tongue traced the tight muscle in feathery circles that made Darren squirm. “I promised you protection. I’m not going to renege on that.”

  Darren’s stomach clenched. He didn’t think Aden would take back his word, but the reminder of the promise still had a powerful effect on him. “I’m going to be careful. I won’t make your job any harder.”

  Aden chuckled. “Well, not my job, anyway.”

  Darren smiled but he was distracted from his amusement by Aden’s tongue. The tip circled his hole again and then probed at the opening, sending red hot shocks down his thighs and up his back. He wanted to turn his head to watch Aden, but he was immobilized by the leather and the sharp pleasure.

  Aden seemed to be done talking, at least for now. He was too busy working at Darren’s hole, circling it, dragging the flat of his tongue across it, every once in a while slipping his tongue inside. When that happened, Darren pushed back, whimpering for more, but every time, Aden retreated, taunting him with what he couldn’t have.

  His free hand reached between Darren’s legs and squeezed his cock. He didn’t stroke it; for the moment, he was content to merely mirror the attention of his mouth with the pressure on Darren’s shaft. Only when he drove his tongue inside the channel did he sweep up to the head, forcing his rough palm across the sensitive crown.

  When Darren tried to rock back, Aden tightened his hold on Darren’s cock, but not in a pleasant way. In fact, it hurt enough to make him cry out in protest. But the sudden pain only lasted for a second before Aden’s fingers relaxed and the bright flare settled into something dull. Still, Darren understood. He would move when Aden wanted him to.

  The longer Aden worked at his hole, the more Darren’s thighs trembled. He’d never had to hold himself so still before, never been victim to such a relentless onslaught. Every time he thought he was going to lose it, Aden would ease back, allowing Darren’s muscles to relax. Then he would start again, harder, more diligently, and the shaking would start anew.

  Sweat rolled down his brow and into his eyes, making his eyes burn. Darren didn’t know what he could do to end the torment. He didn’t know if he should do anything at all. He suspected that Aden would continue for as long as he wanted, regardless of how much Darren whimpered, moaned, or begged. And each stroke of Aden’s tongue brought him closer to begging, made him clench, made him ache for Aden’s cock.

  But he didn’t get Aden’s cock.

  He got his fingers.

  Long, strong, determined, they replaced Aden’s tongue at Darren’s opening, pushing farther and deeper without bothering with mercy. Aden’s hair tickled across the back of Darren’s damp thighs. Everything in Darren slammed into his throat when Aden sucked his balls back into his mouth, sucking at the same rhythm he pumped in and out of Darren’s ass.

  “Fuck…oh fuck…Aden…yes…” The words were weak and more than a little desperate. He’d scream later, when Aden wasn’t working him over with a hot mouth and rough fingers. The occasional thrust brought Aden’s fingertips against his prostate, making stars erupt in front of his eyes.

  His shoulders ached from the tension of holding himself still, and his cock throbbed against the chain. Aden abandoned the sac to run his teeth along the base of Darren’s shaft, but that only made it worse. The promise was there, right there, and all Aden had to do was move a little bit farther. Darren remembered all too well what it had felt lik
e when Aden had swallowed his cock down in the tub. He wanted that again. He wanted it all again.

  “How much more of this can you take?” Aden said. His fingers unceasing strokes twisted inside Darren’s ass. “Should I just leave you like this for a few more hours?”

  “Please…please no. I can’t…”

  “See, I think you can.” Hardened knuckles scraped over his skin, skin he feared grew increasingly raw by the second. “I think you can take a lot more, actually.”

  “No, I…” Darren groaned, in frustration as well as understanding. Aden wasn’t asking. Aden didn’t want Darren’s opinion on the matter or estimation of just how long he could tolerate the torment. “Maybe.”

  Aden bit at the fleshy part of Darren’s ass, before sitting back and pulling his hand away. It immediately left Darren feeling empty, and he twisted around, ready to beg Aden to come back, when the silvered glints in Aden’s eyes stopped him.

  Neither said a word as Aden rose from the bed. He stripped in silence, carefully draping his clothes over the back of the nearby chair. Darren got his first good look at the burns peppering Aden’s back, and winced in sympathy, but that only lasted as long as it took for Aden to step out of his pants and expose the thick jut of his erection.

  Darren licked his lips and his throat felt tight. If his hands were free, he would reach for Aden and draw him near enough to close his lips around his glistening crown. He’d scrape his teeth against Aden’s firm stomach and the line of his hip. He’d bury his nose in the hair at the base of his cock and take a deep breath. The fact that he couldn’t do any of those things made his hands and the bottom of his feet tingle with irritation.

  “Stretched enough?” Aden asked softly. “Because I can’t look at you like this without wanting to pound into you.”

  Darren nodded mutely. He trusted Aden to say exactly what he meant. But he felt he was more than ready for Aden to pound into him—and do whatever else he wanted. And that assessment didn’t change as Aden knelt behind him, or wrapped his hand around the chain, forcing Darren’s head up and back. He didn’t resist the chain or try to pull away from Aden.