Submitting to Fate (A Collection of Strays Book 5)
Page 3
“I can think of a few ways to keep it occupied.” The comment is out before I can rein it in. Maybe I’m the one with loose lips. Either way, the pretty pink blush on Rhett’s cheeks is worth it.
I slide my jeans and boxers down at once, trying not to preen at the way Rhett’s eyes widen as he takes me in. He wants me, I can tell, and it makes me feel powerful. I’ve missed feeling like this. Rhett finishes stripping, leaving us both naked in the backyard. His naturally tanned skin is beautiful and I can’t stop my thoughts from wandering to how it would look with my marks on it. Then my eyes flit up to the marks I’ve already left. Fuck. Possessiveness flairs in my chest as I stare at my handprints, proudly displaying who Rhett belongs to. Mine, my dragon hisses.
“Holy shit,” Rhett murmurs, his mouth dropping open. “I didn’t notice you had piercings.”
“We didn’t do a lot of exploring last time,” I say back. Just to tease, I thumb at my nipples, smirking when Rhett sucks in a sharp breath. Arousal simmers in my belly as he watches me, his eyes glued to the barbells I’m gently touching. I have his full attention and I love it, love this feeling. His gaze is like a caress against my bare skin, making me stand tall and proud. Gods, I’ve missed it. I could sit here all day, teasing my alpha but that’s not why we’re here. Someday, I tell myself, and focus back on the here and now.
I shake myself from my stupor, taking off towards the tree line in a sprint. Between one step and another, I’m no longer in my human form. I search deep inside myself for my dragon, letting the change wash over me quickly. My wings begin to flap and I let out a long breath once I’m airborne. I rise high in the sky until I’m above the trees. I take things slow, stretching my wings, letting all of my unused muscles find their groove.
A shadow lurks above me before Rhett is diving down, flying just in front. My breath stutters. Holy shit, Rhett is beautiful. He’s huge, his wingspan wider than mine. His scales are black and shimmery, so different to my red, almost orange color. He gets some distance between us before tilting his head up towards the sun, opening his mouth, and spitting a long stream of fire from his mouth. Fucking showoff.
Well, two can play that game. I wait until he’s flapping in place, turned to look at me and gauge my reaction. That’s when I open my mouth and shoot an icicle towards him. He’s quick, barrel rolling out of the way before straightening. Should I be worried by the way his maneuvers are turning me on? I’m too busy dodging a fireball to really question it.
We go back and forth like that, casually tossing flames and ice at each other, dodging low, soaring high. My ice puts out only one fire that Rhett starts at the top of a tree. Finally, once we’ve shown off enough, we just fly. We’re side by side in the sky, occasionally our wings brushing against each other. Something inside my chest aches. I never got this with Gideon. He was a bear shifter stuck down on the ground. This is something new, something special that I get to share with Rhett and Rhett alone.
Eventually, we grow tired and find our way back down to the forest floor. When we shift back to our human forms, we’re both glistening with sweat, our chests panting. There’s a flush that runs over Rhett’s cheeks and down his chest. My hands itch to touch. The adrenaline is rushing through my body and I want nothing more than to bring my alpha to his knees, to wreck him for anyone else until all he knows is me and my touch and the pleasure I give him.
“Thank you,” I say softly, stepping over to my clothes and putting them back on. “I haven’t done that in a really long time.”
“No problem,” Rhett says back. He sounds soft, unsure, and everything inside of me is begging me to take care of him. I wanna wrap him in my arms and tell him what to do. I wanna take that indecisiveness away, let him rely on me until all he has to do is exactly as I tell him. I wanna smooth the wrinkle of his brow away and replace it with slack pleasure. I wanna teach him that giving up control doesn’t make him weak but shows the highest strength.
I pull my shirt over my head, smoothing it into place. I mourn the loss of skin as soon as his shirt is on but I push that away. “Your dragon is beautiful, Rhett.”
That blush is back, highlighting his cheeks and making his eyes bright. “Thank you. Yours is...” Rhett stops and shakes his head, seeming to try and find the right word. “You’re out of this world. I didn’t even know there were ice dragons around.”
“My family is originally from Europe. There’s more ice than fire dragons there apparently,” I explain with a shrug.
“But you don’t have an accent.”
I roll my eyes at him. “I’m also over four hundred years old. I’ve been in America long enough to lose it.”
“Huh,” he says, a little smirk finding his lips. “You look pretty good for an old man.”
I slide into my jeans. “You should really respect your elders.”
“That’s what Pops tells me all the time,” Rhett says with a pleased laugh. His eyes are lighting up with playfulness and my chest warms. The distance between us is slowly bending, a bridge of sorts finding its place between us, drawing us together.
“Well,” I say carefully. “I should be getting home. Dog will be missing me.”
“Right.” He nods his head, crossing his arms over his chest. “Will I see you again soon?”
“Do you wanna go out with me this weekend?” I ask. “Maybe grab some dinner and a movie or something?”
“Yeah,” he says right away, a smile spreading across his face. “I’d like that a lot.” Rhett gets closer, touching my shoulder. There’s a question in his eyes but I’m not ready. We’re not ready, not yet. But for the first time since we met, I feel like eventually we will be.
Chapter Six
Rhett
Smiling wide, I sit on the couch, watching as Isaiah, my adopted sibling, bounces Charlotte on their hip. It’s crazy to think that soon enough, they’ll have not one but two babies. Wow. I can’t seem to wrap my brain around it. Being a parent.
“So,” Isaiah says, putting Charlotte down on her belly on the floor for ‘tummy time’. “Is it as awesome as everyone makes it out to be?” Their eyes sparkle, already knowing the answer to that.
“Is what as awesome?” Jace, one of Cameron’s mates, asks as he leaps over the couch and flops down beside me.
“Being mated,” Isaiah explains with a wide smile. “I wasn’t sure this one would ever find a mate. Or I thought he’d fight it more than Cameron at the very least.”
As the mature alpha I am, I stick my tongue out at them which makes Isaiah and Jace laugh. “It’s something alright. I’m not like instantly in love with him like you all seemed to be when you met your mates. But I’m drawn to him. I think he’s pretty neat?”
“You. You think he’s pretty neat? Rhett,” Isaiah says, giving me a look. “You’ve met the other half of your soul.”
My cheeks heat up, embarrassment hitting me straight in the chest. Gods, I feel like an idiot. I can’t even do this whole true mate thing right. I bring my feet up to the couch, wrapping my arms around my shins and dropping my chin to my knee. “I’m kinda shit at this, aren’t I? I mean. I can’t even take care of my omega.”
Jace snorts. “I’m sorry but from what I know of Wyn, he doesn’t need you to take care of him, he’s got that handled himself.”
Isaiah nods their head, gesturing towards Jace. “He’s right, Cam. Wyn doesn’t need some big strong alpha bullshit. I think he just wants a partner.”
Oh.
Something inside my head seems to click into place. “I don’t have to be anyone but me,” I murmur.
“Ding, ding, ding.”
I glare over at Isaiah. My stare is interrupted by Jace’s phone ringing. “Hey there, handsome,” he greets with a wide smile that slowly fades as he listens to whatever Cameron is saying. “Uh,” Jace looks over at me. “Cameron says he’s been trying to call you.”
“My phone’s in my room.”
“You need to go to the shop. Wyn just got some hard news and he’s upset. Cameron
says you should go see him.”
I’m up and getting ready to leave before Jace even finishes the sentence. My inner alpha is rearing its head, preparing to not ‘take care of our mate’ but instead to just be there for him.
~~~
After being ushered up the stairs by Cameron, I tiptoe into Wyn’s apartment. Movement catches my eyes and I smile down at the cat weaving between my legs. “Hey sweetie,” I whisper, leaning down and petting him. He brushes against my hand, making the most adorable chirping sound at me.
“Alright,” I murmur, straightening back up. “Let’s go find your daddy.” I look around, smiling to myself as I take in the shelves around Wyn’s apartment. There’s so many crystal containers filled with small round balls. I step up to one, squinting at it. They’re marbles? There’s one proudly displayed on its own on a little velvet pillow. My hands itch to touch, to take. It’s so gorgeous, shining brightly like it’s been crafted from diamonds. It would make such a lovely addition to my own hoard.
My inner dragon murmurs how impressed he is with Wyn’s hoard. All the pretty marbles on display. Some are shiny, some are dull, some have the most intricate patterns to them, and some of them are just pretty colors. I feel like I’m seeing a new side to Wyn, a side that makes me happy.
“I can hear you,” Wyn calls out from deeper within his home and I freeze, waiting for him to kick me out. “I’m back here. Quit snooping.”
I follow the sound of his voice and find the door to his bedroom open. I pause, just looking into the dark room. All of his shades are shut with dark curtains, making the room almost black. There’s a form on the bed tucked under heavy blankets. I step carefully into the room, clearing my throat so Wyn knows I’m here.
“Hey,” I say softly. “Can I come in here?”
“Sure,” he says back, his voice without the usual fire or sass. I miss it immediately.
I rub my hands over the front of my jeans. “Can I get into bed with you? Just. I don’t wanna do anything. Maybe hold you if that’s okay. Or not. Just lying next to each other is nice too.”
Wyn lets out a deep sigh that makes the tips of my lips flick up. It’s a noise I’m already very familiar with. “Come on,” he finally says, pushing part of the covers away so there’s a spot for me.
I shimmy out of my jeans before getting into Wyn’s bed. I lay on my side facing him. His blankets are warm and I sink in, feeling comfortable just to be here with him. The silence that follows isn’t awkward, instead, a warm feeling grows in my chest. This is my mate and I’ll do anything he asks to make sure he’s okay. I might suck at this whole being mated thing but I know I can do this, despite how simple it may be.
After a bit, Wyn finally turns over. It’s so dark I can barely make out his features. My right hand moves to the space between us and I barely keep myself from sucking in a sharp breath of surprise when Wyn’s hand touches mine. He lays his over mine and just like that, we’re okay, we’re connected, we’re here and figuring this out, together.
“Do you wanna talk about what happened?”
Wyn lets out a long breath. “Did Cameron tell you?”
“No,” I say softly. Then I add, “he just said you needed me.”
“Oh.” There’s a pause before Wyn’s hand tightens against mine. “Everything is just happening really fast,” he confesses. “Everything is spinning out of my reach and it’s driving me crazy. Rhett, I’m a person who likes to be in control. And right now I’m not. None of this is in my control. Meeting you isn’t a bad thing,” he tells me, like he somehow knows we both need the reminder. “Meeting you is special and wonderful and it makes me feel happy knowing that I know you.”
“But,” I say for him when he pauses.
“But I feel off-centered in a way that I hate. I feel like I have an itch under my skin that I can’t scratch. I feel like my brain is foggy with unease. I hate it so much. And I know exactly how to squash it out. But I can’t.” Wyn finishes with a groan of frustration.
“Just--” I pause and lick my lips, that same frustration building up in my chest. I hate not being able to help, I hate not truly understanding what Wyn’s talking about. “Just explain it to me, Wyn. I wanna help.”
“Fuck,” Wyn grits out, pulling his hand away and turning onto his back. He covers his face with both hands. I feel so helpless. “I need control. I need to feel like there’s one fucking thing in my life that I have a say in.”
I sit up on my elbow, looking down at my mate. In that moment, I know I would give Wyn anything. I know what he means, that constant buzzing, that consistent itch. Sometimes I wish I could just turn my brain off for a while and stop thinking. And now Wyn is talking about something similar and somehow I just know he knows what to do. I know he can calm my insides and at the same time gain the control he needs. So I gently touch his wrist, pulling his hand away from his face.
“Wyn,” I say gently. “I will do anything you ask of me. I wanna help but I don’t know how.”
“I know how,” he says back carefully, his voice having an edge of nerves to it. “Can I take care of you, Rhett? Can I give us what we both need?”
“Yes,” I breathe out, the air between us charged with something I have yet to name. “Anything.”
Chapter Seven
Rhett
Something between us shifts, like now that Wyn has permission, he’s no longer holding himself back. He moves so swiftly the wind is knocked from my lungs as he throws his leg over my waist, straddling me. All I can do is look up at him, my mouth open in shock as he looks right back with a calculated expression.
“I have a few questions for you,” he says carefully. “Have you done anything like this before? Let someone else have the control.”
“Uh,” I murmur. “No. Nothing like this. What are you planning?” I ask. “Gonna spank me, Wyn?”
A smile breaks out across Wyn’s lips. “Maybe someday. You sure seem to want one,” he says, one of his hands coming up to my face, touching my cheek gently. “But not today. Today I wanna blindfold you. I wanna touch you. I wanna edge you until all you know is me and the pleasure I’m giving you. You won’t be able to worry or think. Just for a little while.”
My stomach breaks out into butterflies. My hands, which have found Wyn’s hips, tighten as I think about the words he’s telling me. That sounds- well, that sounds like heaven. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Just a moment of peace.
“Yes,” I say, my eyes wide as I look up at him. “Wyn, yes.”
With that little word, Wyn leans down, taking my lips in a kiss. It’s slow. So much slower than I was expecting. He takes his time kissing me, it’s tender and gentle. My body is liquid in his hands and he does as he wishes until I’m aching for more. My hands reach down the back of his boxers, like they’re drawn to the marks I left there. His skin is so hot, scorching against my palms. We’ve barely gotten started and I’m already hard in my boxers, more turned on than I think I’ve ever been.
Wyn takes my hands away from his backside and I let out a little whine of disappointment that makes his grin widen. He gently brings my hands to above my head, his eyes darkening as he takes me in. His hands tighten around my wrists and I’m rewarded with the sight of his biceps flexing. Gods, he’s hot and strong, yet his eyes stay soft as he looks over my face. “Can I restrain you, too?”
“Yes. I trust you,” I whisper, my voice coming out shaky from how turned on I am. Wyn closes his eyes, taking in a deep breath, like he’s taking a moment to embrace my words, to let them wash over him. He’s so beautiful that it threatens to overwhelm me.
With one last peck to my lips, Wyn stands up and walks over to his closet, pulling out a large black chest. He digs through it before finding what he’s looking for and stepping back over to the bed. The look he gives me leaves me breathless, reminding me of the predator Wyn truly is. His gaze flits over my body like a caress, making my cock throb with want. I need him in a way I’ve never felt, a desperation taking hold of me.
“Are you planning on doing something? Or just looking at me?” I ask in a voice I hope conveys my teasing. “I mean, I know I look good, but come on.”
Wyn shakes his head at me but a small smile plays at his lips. “Such a brat through and through.” He picks up the handcuffs before getting onto the bed. He crawls up my body slowly and anticipation makes me swallow thickly. Fuck, how is this so hot? I’ve had some good sex in my long life but this is so beyond all of that somehow and I don’t know if it’s the kinky part or the fact that Wyn is my mate but either way I am here for it.
I suck in a sharp breath as the cool metal latches around my left wrist. He weaves the other end through the headboard before locking the other wrist, leaving me tied down. In reality, if I wanted to break through the cuffs I could do so easily, but I don’t. Allowing myself to submit to my mate makes my skin break out in goosebumps and somehow heightens every single one of Wyn’s touches.
“Wyn,” I start but he cuts me off with a finger placed against my lips.
“Not Wyn,” he says slowly, his eyes darting between mine. “When we’re like this I want you to call me Idris.”
“What?” I murmur past his fingers in confusion.
“Idris is my first name. When we’re like this I want you to call me something that demands respect yet personal, just for the two of us.” His fingers play across my arms as he talks. “Some people like to be called Daddy, or Sir. Maybe even Master, but those feel too impersonal to me, I prefer just Idris.”
“Oh. Idris,” I say, testing out the name, watching as Idris shudders. I lick my lips before adding, “my full name is Everett. If you wanna call me that so it’s special for both of us?”
His hands move lower from my arms to my chest. He flicks over my nipples, making a noise of pleasure escape from my throat without my permission. “Don’t worry. I wanna hear all your sounds. I wanna know how good I’m making you feel, Everett.” Fuck. The way he says my name makes my cock twitch, the tip growing wet with precum.