Howl for Me

by Dana Marie Bell

  His neck was licked again. “Mmm. You taste good.”

  He tried not to shiver, but damn. Fenris had figured out one of his hot spots without even trying. “Why am I not on the sofa?”

  “You were cold.”

  He glared over his shoulder at Fenris. “I’m pretty sure I had a nice, comfy blanket over me.”

  Fenris shrugged. “Then I was cold.”

  “You had my comforter.”

  “But I did not have your comfort.”

  Jeff grabbed his head. “Ow. Oh, ow.”

  “What?”

  The panic in Fenris’s voice almost made him feel bad. “That joke. It hurt so badly.”

  Fenris rolled his eyes and dug his fingers into Jeff's sides, tickling him.

  Jeff bucked desperate to get away from the man who'd just found his second biggest weakness, and fell off the bed with a thump. "Ow." Now his head and his ass hurt, not to mention his pride.

  "Are you all right?"

  Yup. The big bastard was laughing at him. "You know, paybackas are a bitch."

  "Paybacks. What are those?"

  Fenris wasn't laughing anymore. If he didn't know better Jeff would swear he looked jealous. "You know, payback. You got me, now I have to get you."

  The wolf's expression turned heated. "Hmm. Perhaps payback isn't such a bad thing after all."

  "All righty then." Jeff hopped up. "Coffee sounds good." He grabbed his jeans...When had his jeans come off? He could have sworn he went to bed--er, sofa--fully dressed. He felt up his naked chest. Looking down, he realized his T-shirt had been under his jeans. He must have been really out of it for Fenris to get him practically naked without Jeff feeling it. He stared at Fenris, trying to ignore how absolutely hot the man looked all tousled from sleep and covered in Jeff's sheets. "Boundaries. I has them." Fenris titled his head. "This!" Jeff shook his jeans at him. "Getting me mostly naked without permission is not cool."

  “You are hot?”

  “I would like to think so,” Jeff muttered. “Look. This is not about my cuteness. This is about my lack of clothes and your lack of permission, mister.”

  “I have all the permission I need, mate.” Fenris lifted the covers and somehow managed to stalk out of bed. He, of course, was completely naked.

  Yum. Jeff forced himself not to look. Bad libido! Bad! No cookie for you!

  Jeff managed not to eye the impressive package making its way toward him. He kept his gaze firmly on Fenris’s, um, eyes. “I don’t recall saying, ‘Why yes, Fenris, take it off. Take it all off’.”

  Fenris grinned. “First, you may call me Fen. Second, I believe you just did.” Fenris reached for him.

  Jeff, panicking, held out his hand. “Stay!”

  Fenris started to laugh, but his hands dropped away from Jeff’s waist. “That only works on dogs.”

  Jeff kept his hand right where it was. Fen hadn’t moved any closer. That was good enough for Jeff. “So telling you you’re barking up the wrong tree would be a total waste of time?”

  Fen’s laughter rang out, those amazing eyes of his glowing with happiness. Or was that hunger? Jeff noticed how amazingly pointy his teeth had become and had the urge to cover his neck. “I like you, mate.”

  “Jeff. Mr. Grimm if you’re nasty.” Jeff tugged on his jeans while Fenris dealt with his laughing fit. “Breakfast. Parental visit. Finding Grimm and kicking his ass.”

  “An interesting list of things to do, but I have one to add.”

  “What’s that?” He tugged the shirt over his head. Being even partially undressed around this guy was just asking for it. When his head was free he was startled to see how close Fen was. Their chests were almost touching.

  Fen leaned down and whispered in Jeff’s ear.

  Jeff felt his face flame at the absolutely filthy things Fen was whispering to him. He was pretty sure some of them weren’t anatomically possible, but fuck all if they didn’t have his dick twitching. “Uh."

  Fen looked deliciously wicked as he pulled back. “Where does that go on your list?”

  He opened his mouth to respond just as a knock sounded on the front door.

  “Gktch.” Jeff’s poor brain had departed for Happy Land, and his ability to speak had apparently left with it. He hoped they had a really good time together.

  Fen chuckled. “Someone wishes entry.”

  It wasn’t until Fen turned him and gently pushed him out of the bedroom that his body, if not his brain, finally kicked in. His brain was still firmly down Fen’s pants.

  Fen watched his mate stagger through the living room to the front door, pleased with himself. The man might deny it all he wished, but he wanted Fen. He could run as much as he pleased.

  Fen loved to play chase.

  He threw on some soft cotton pants, knowing how his mate felt about nudity around others. The door opened, and there stood Loki, Baldur and a dark-haired female with sharp features and a huge smile. Fen sniffed the air, some elusive, ripe scent tickling his nostrils. He nearly tripped over his own feet as he realized what that scent was.

  The female was pregnant by both Loki and Baldur. This, then, must be his mate’s older half sister, Jordan.

  “Fen.” Loki’s face paled, his chest heaving in deep, choppy breaths. “Fen!” Loki rushed forward, embracing him so tightly he could barely breathe.

  Fen returned the embrace. “Pappa.” Tears gathered in his eyes. This was the first time in centuries he’d been able to wrap his arms around his father. It felt better than he thought it would. His father’s fiery hair surrounded him, warmed him as only a parent could. He felt safe in a way he hadn’t in a long time.

  His father’s shoulders heaved, and Fen realized the man was crying. He looked through his father’s hair as two new sets of arms embraced them both, one male, one female. Baldur and Jordan were comforting his father. Jordan’s fingers ran through Loki’s hair. Baldur’s hands ran up and down both Fenris's and Loki’s backs.

  “Welcome home, Fenris. We’ve missed you.” Baldur's soft voice, so warm and tender, was filled with tears. Baldur had held both Loki and Fenris together when the pain of their separation became too great to endure. Fenris looked upon him as a second father.

  The three of them surrounded Fen, including him in their warmth and love. Behind them, Jeff smiled at them all, his own eyes suspiciously wet.

  Fen lowered his head to his father’s shoulder and let his own tears fall.

  By all the gods. He really was free. His knees threatened to buckle, but the strong arms of his fathers and his new mother wrapped around him, holding him up.

  “Hey. Let them breathe, guys.” Jeff tried to pry Baldur and Jordan away, but they held fast. “C’mon. Don’t make me break out Vincente.” Jeff waggled his brows, the wicked leer on his face making Fenris see red.

  That made Jordan back up, her hands in the air, a horrified look on her face. “Oh no. Not for love or money or… Okay. For the best sex of my life, maybe. I might think about it.”

  Baldur began to laugh, his head landing on Fen’s other shoulder. Loki’s head lifted, his wet eyes filled with love and laughter. “Care to repeat that when there’s a computer nearby?”

  Fen tilted his head. Who the fuck was Vincente? “Mor? ”

  Everyone except Jeff froze. His mate backed away, biting his lip.

  Jordan’s hands landed on her hips. “Did you just call me ‘Mom’?”

  “You are my father’s mate, yes?”

  “Er, yes. I guess so. Not that we had a wedding or anything.” Jordan glared at Loki, and his father flinched. “But I guess you could say we’re mated.”

  “Then you are Mor.”

  Jordan looked pale and wide-eyed. “Guh. I am?”

  Jeff sat on the arm of the big sofa and watched his sister with an expression of unholy glee.

  “Logan?”

  Wow. The female had a most impressive growl for a human.

  His big, bad father scrambled behind Baldur, who was still laughing. “Yes, dear?�
�

  Jordan just shook her head. “Ya big chicken.”

  Loki straightened up, but remained behind Baldur. “I am not!”

  Jordan shrugged. She cocked her hip, looking supremely bored. “If the cluck fits.”

  Fen glanced over at Jeff. “Are they always like this?”

  Jeff nodded, his expression far too innocent for Fen’s liking. “Oh yeah. Except when they’re having sex in the kitchen.”

  Jordan turned on Jeff, her cheeks flaming. “Ix-nay on the ex-say.”

  “Not on your life!” Baldur protested.

  Jordan reached out and bopped the blond on the back of the head, her gaze still on Jeff. “I thought I told you never to mention that again.”

  Loki looked over her shoulder at Jeff and mouthed Thank you.

  She didn’t even turn around. “Don’t think you’re off the hook, Mr. Saeter.”

  Baldur picked Jordan up. Ignoring her squeals, he headed for the front door. “I think it’s time for a chocolate intervention.”

  Jordan stilled. “Chocolate?”

  Loki, chuckling, followed them to the door. “Chocolate chip pancakes, sweetheart.” He grinned at Fen and Jeff and opened the front door. “Breakfast at our place in thirty. Jeff knows the way.”

  “Gotcha,” Jeff replied.

  Just before shutting the door his father winked at him, his lashes still wet and glittering. “Welcome home, Fen.”

  “Tusen takk, Pappa.”

  The happy smile didn’t leave Fen’s face, even when Jeff insisted on once again force-feeding him the vile substance known as “mint toothpaste”.

  And what exactly did “buzzard breath” mean?

  Chapter Three

  Jeff flopped down on his big sister’s white leather sofa with a groan, careful not to spill his coffee. “I swear, it’s like dealing with a two-year-old wrapped up in the hottest male package ever. I may never get the toothpaste stains off the wall.”

  “He doesn’t like it, huh?” Jamie squirmed next to him, her happy glow a real one. Jeff bet he could read by it.

  Jeff shook his head sadly. “Let’s just say he spits for distance.”

  Jordan choked on a laugh. “Oh man. I’m glad he’s at your place, then. Logan was gonna ask if he wanted to move in here with us, but Kir said no.”

  Well. Damn. Looked like he was stuck with Fen for the duration. Maybe Jeff could ease him into the twenty-first century, get him used to things like jeans and toothpaste and hating the New York Rangers. He could show him rainbow flags and efforts to reintroduce wolves into the wild. Maybe he could get him a job as a bouncer or something.

  Fen moved, his ass looking incredible in the loose sweats. Jeff thought about buying him some jeans and nearly dropped to his knees, ready to worship.

  Jeff couldn’t keep his eyes off Fen. The werewolf was standing next to Logan, and the resemblance between the two men was uncanny. No wonder Jeff had the hots for him. Unlike Logan, Fen wasn’t just available, he was eager.

  It wouldn’t do to let him know Jeff was even thinking about it, not yet anyway, so he turned back to his earlier conversation before he could shout out Here boy! Come! Come! He put the coffee down on the table before he dropped it. “I didn’t know whether to woof or squirt him with the water bottle.”

  Jamie was giggling into her morning coffee.

  “He called me Mom.” Jordan looked both horrified and pleased at the same time. Her hand kept rubbing across her stomach, possibly feeling the protolife rapidly expanding her waistline.

  Jeff snorted, amused. Christ, now Logan had him doing it too. “He calls me mate.” Not that Jeff had allowed any fang near his skin. He’d been reading werewolf novels recently, sharing some of the more amusing stuff with Fenris, laughing along with him over some of the stupider myths. The whole bite and mate thing, though? That was real, so Fen’s mouth was not allowed near Jeff’s skin.

  It was a crying shame. The man had a damn fine mouth.

  Jordan gasped and clasped her chest dramatically. “Really?”

  “Smartass. Speaking of which, your husband is the one who taught me the phrase that has Fenris thinking I belong to him.”

  Jordan hid her mouth behind her coffee cup. “Did he?” She took a quick sip, wincing at the burn.

  “That had better be decaf.” Kir plopped down next to her and propped his feet up on the ottoman. “Unlike this, which is the real deal.”

  Jordan carefully placed the mug on the end table and straddled the blond.

  Kir held up his mug and it was snatched away before Jordan could get her hands on it.

  She glared down at her lover. “You’d better pray for death.”

  Kir jerked his thumb toward Logan, who sipped Kir’s coffee with a satisfied grin. “I have a Get Out of Hel Free card, remember?”

  Jordan growled. She sounded much scarier than Jeff had.

  “There are bugs in your flatbread.”

  Jeff watched as Fen, scowling, tried to pick the chocolate chips out of his pancakes. He looked adorably lost when the half-melted chocolate coated his fingers. Jeff shook his head and went to the wolf. He was just too friggin’ cute. “Here. Lick.”

  Fen’s gaze went immediately to Jeff’s neck. Before he could stop him Fen had hit just the right spot, and since Jeff hadn’t wanted to take the time to teach the man how to use the electric razor…damn. Those whiskers. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “Your fingers, Fido.”

  Fen pulled back and, his gaze glued to Jeff, sucked his finger into his mouth. Jeff could see the man’s tongue working, licking the chocolate off. The hummed sound of approval danced across his skin and skidded right down to his cock. The only thing that would have made it better was if that finger was on Jeff’s hand.

  “Guh.” Once again all the blood rushed to his cock, leaving his tongue a floppy, useless muscle that was only good for grunts and licking. Lots and lots of licking.

  “Oh my God. He’s speechless.” Jamie waved her hand in between Fen and Jeff. “Hello, McFly!” She turned to Travis. “Oh yeah. He’s gone.”

  “Careful! You might step on his brains or something.” Jordan leered at them.

  “Knock it off, you two. Leave the poor guy alone. It’s not nice to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.” Travis reached over to hand Jeff his cup of coffee back, and all hell broke loose.

  Fen snarled and shoved Jeff behind him, threatening Travis with claws and fangs. “Stay away from him.”

  Travis backed up slowly, his left hand in the air, the stump where his right one should have been also raised. “Easy, Fenris. Jeff works for me, and I’m marrying his sister. I have no intention of hurting him.”

  “Sounds familiar. But my mate doesn’t have the teeth to exact his revenge when you betray him.” Fen moved, keeping between Jeff and Travis, his big body curled and ready to fight.

  “Fen.”

  Fen continued the low growl despite Logan’s quiet call.

  “Fenris Saeter.” Jordan stepped between Fen and Travis, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. “You stop that right now, mister . ”

  The growl paused. Fen looked like someone had slapped him upside the head.

  “You called me Mom. Do you think I’d let someone near you, let alone Logan and Kir, who would hurt you? Hurt the babies growing inside me?” Flames danced in his sister’s eyes, the gift she’d gotten from sharing blood with Logan. “If you don’t trust anyone else, trust me.” Jordan held out her hand, palm up. “Please.”

  Fen blinked. He was panting as if he’d run a marathon, the confusion and raw pain on his face making Jeff itch. No one should look like that, but the man who was trying desperately to protect him did, and Jeff wanted to fix it. But how did you fix something that wasn’t truly broken? “I don’t know you.”

  Storms were beginning to brew in Kir’s blue eyes. He watched Jordan and Fen like a hawk, but Jeff had no idea what the God of Spring would do if Fen attacked Jordan, or vice-versa. Logan watched all t
hree of them, his expression damn close to terrified.

  “But your father does.” Her voice gentled. “Do you think he’d let Travis near Kir and myself if he thought Travis was a threat?”

  “He proved himself to me, Fen.” Logan stepped forward cautiously, his arm going around Jordan’s waist. He placed himself to her side, neither in front of nor behind her. Jeff could tell the move earned his sister’s approval if not Kir’s. “Did the Wonder Twins tell you about the apples of Idunn?”

  Fen nodded.

  “But you didn’t believe it, did you? You thought they were trying to fake you out.”

  “Fake me out?”

  Jeff tapped Fen on the shoulder. “It means you thought we were lying to you in order to make fun of you, but in a friendly sort of way rather than a mean one.”

  “Oh.”

  “Which we weren’t.”

  “I know.” Fen patted his hand, but Jeff could see that his claws were still out. “You would not deliberately hurt me.”

  Jeff gulped. The raw faith in the man’s voice was stunning. He truly believed Jeff would never intentionally do something to harm him.

  Jeff wheeled around Fen’s body until he stood between his sister and the werewolf. He kept his body close to Fen’s, their chests touching. He tried to ignore the fact that his body was very happy with the situation it found itself in. His body wanted him to tap on Fen’s zipper and ask if his new friend could come out and play. “Then if you trust no one else, I need you to trust me.” He stared into Fen’s eyes, willing the man to believe him. “Jamie is my twin. My baby sister. I would no more hand her over to a true betrayer than I would hand you over to Grimm. Got it?”

  He kept his gaze locked onto Fen’s, the two battling it out. Jeff knew if Fen really chose not to trust him there was nothing he could do about it, so he allowed his plea to show on his face. He used the only weapon he felt would work, and prayed it didn’t backfire on them all. “Fen. Don’t make me give up my family. It’s all I have left.”

  Fen reared back as if he’d struck him. He looked away, blinking rapidly. Fen grabbed Jeff’s hand and dragged him toward the door. “We’ll be back.”

  Jeff knew from how thick Fen’s accent had gotten that he was in for an interesting time. Either the big bad wolf was going to eat him or… eat him.