Keeping his touch light, Knox wrapped his hand around the base of Lorcan’s cock. He stroked it just once, root to tip, slow and sensual. Lorcan made a sound of dismay as his hand moved away. Pleased, Knox dove back into the pot for more oil, coating his fingers more liberally this time. It had been a while since he’d done this, and who knew how long for Lorcan? He wanted to make it good for both of them.
He dipped his hand under Lorcan’s cock, between his legs, brushing lightly against his balls as he sought his elusive target. Lorcan’s breathing grew heavy in anticipation, his hands grasping Knox’s shoulders for balance. Knox teased gently at the sensitive skin behind his cock, easing back until he found the tight furl of Lorcan’s hole. Despite how much Lorcan wanted this, the mage’s body was still tense. With tiny strokes, he moved back and forth across that spot, holding Lorcan’s gaze. The tension slowly eased, the oil doing its work, and the tip of his finger slipped inside. Lorcan made a sound of surprise deep in his throat, sinking onto Knox’s finger and taking another inch inside him.
“Good,” Knox rumbled in praise. “Just like that.”
He worked Lorcan open, loving every hitched breath and the way the mage’s eyes would flutter closed when the sensation got too much for him.
“Ready?” He eased his hand away, watching Lorcan’s face closely.
“Uh-huh.” Lorcan pushed forward eagerly, bracing one hand against Knox as the other encircled the alpha’s cock to slowly guide it inside him.
Knox let out a guttural groan as the mage’s tight heat surrounded him. Lorcan set the pace, the mage taking him in inch by inch, until they were as close as two people could be. He closed his eyes, breathing slowly. Knox watched every expression on his face, caught in the mage’s spell, unable to look away.
Lorcan’s eyes opened at the same moment as he started to move, taking Knox eagerly.
“Control, see?” Lorcan teased breathlessly. “You’re all mine.”
Knox enjoyed the mage’s enthusiasm, the lithe movement of his body as Lorcan rode his cock. He was reluctant to break his rhythm, but he thought the mage deserved a little teasing about the nature of control. He snagged one of Lorcan’s wrists, then the other, tugging them behind the mage’s back and holding them easily in one hand.
Lorcan slowed his movements, bemused until he realized his predicament. Knox shifted his hips, taking the mage deeper, and Lorcan gasped, unable to gain purchase without his hands.
“Who’s in control?”
The mage just shook his head, struggling to suppress a grin. Knox grasped Lorcan’s hip with his free hand and thrust into him again, drawing a long moan from the mage as he dragged against that sweet spot inside him.
“Who, Lorcan?” Knox demanded.
Lorcan struggled to free his hands, but he wasn’t in earnest, too distracted by the press of Knox’s cock inside him.
“You,” he finally cried. “You, Knox. Always you. Don’t stop. Never stop.”
Knox laughed and released Lorcan’s wrists. “Together?”
Lorcan grinned. “Together.”
The push and pull of their bodies quickly fell into a rhythm. Knox loved the press of Lorcan’s hips, the way he tightened around his cock before pushing upward. Knox, in turn, chased Lorcan’s release as hard as his own. He loved the expression of ecstasy on Lorcan’s face every time he hit that perfect spot inside the mage. He angled their bodies, striving for precision with each thrust.
“You’re beautiful like this,” he murmured.
Lorcan’s hands pressed against his chest, the mage’s eyes locked on his. They matched each other thrust for thrust, faster and harder and…
“Knox, I’m close,” Lorcan panted.
“Then come. Come for me. Let me watch you come apart.”
“Not unless I break you first.”
Knox had no chance. Lorcan sank down deep onto his cock and tightened around him. He came with a shout, his hands grasping Lorcan, holding the mage to him. He felt the mage’s own release, his body shuddering hard against him. Sliding his hand into Lorcan’s hair, he tipped the mage’s head to the side, leaned in, and bit down lightly on the edge of his nape. Lorcan cried out, clutching him tighter, before falling silent as the bond between them brightened.
As the waves of pleasure faded, he drew Lorcan to rest against his chest, heartbeat to heartbeat. The ecstasy of their release was dying down, but magic still swirled around them, power and strength just waiting for them—for Lorcan—to find it a purpose.
“Fuck, that was…”
“Yeah.” Lorcan sighed deeply. “But I think we got it the wrong way around.”
“How’s that?” From where Knox sat, everything seemed to have gone pretty damn good.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but all I want to do right now is hug you and sleep. Not, you know, build a boundary.”
“Well, damn.” Knox laughed, realizing their predicament. “A quick nap won’t hurt, right? Or, you know, we could just do this again later.”
Lorcan laughed softly, tracing mindless patterns across Knox’s skin. “I could do this forever.”
19
Lorcan trailed Knox back to the hut late one afternoon. Their morning of magic and sex had left him ready for a nap, and he had to force his eyes open more than once.
“What the hell?”
He almost walked right into Knox when the alpha stopped abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, trying to hide a yawn.
“Who’s been messing with my hut?”
Lorcan peered around Knox and blinked. “Are those… daisies?”
The outside of Knox’s hut had been bare and utilitarian when they’d left it that morning. But someone had decorated with a fresh coat of paint and colorful flowerpots scattered all around—he spotted fuchsias and asters alongside the daisies.
Knox didn’t say anything more, just strode forward, his shoulders straight. He stopped in the doorway and peered inside. Then he waved Lorcan forward and moved back, crossing his arms.
Lorcan hesitated, looking from Knox to the now-foreboding doorway.
“Um…”
“Just look.”
He didn’t know what to expect as he stepped forward and peeked through the door.
“Oh, wow.”
It wasn’t just the exterior that had undergone a transformation. There were two chairs tucked under the rickety table, a small bundle of blankets folded on the end of Knox’s bed, and a little pile of cushions. The table now held a lamp, and there was an actual mirror, free of cracks, hanging on the wall.
“How…”
He turned back to Knox, only to find the alpha staring into the woods. Lorcan followed his gaze and spotted Athena and another wolf he didn’t know among the trees. From the slight frown of concentration on Knox’s face, he could tell they were talking. It was hard being on the outside, needing to wait for a translation to understand what was going on.
The frown fell from Knox’s face, his expression smoothing into something thoughtful and maybe a little pleased. The edges of his mouth tugged upward into an almost-smile as he turned his gaze toward Lorcan with exasperated fondness.
“It’s for you,” he explained. “They did it for you.”
“Who did?”
“Some of the betas got together, scrounged up a few supplies.”
Lorcan knew how little the pack had, which made this a big gesture. “Why? I don’t…”
“It’s their way of welcoming you.” Knox looked pleased, if a little sad. “I guess they have hope, now that you’re here and we’re making it work, that things have taken a turn for the better.”
Lorcan took all that in as he glanced back at the hut. This seemed like more than a simple welcome, considering the pack’s situation. He was missing something.
“What things?”
“Hmm?” Knox had crouched down to examine one of the flowerpots.
“What things, Knox?”
The alpha peered up at him, and then looked
back down at the flowers with a frown.
“The cubs,” he said softly.
Lorcan knelt next to him. “You mean them being able to shift? I don’t think my magic’s going to help with that.”
Knox shook his head. “No. If you were mated to Gage or Ro, maybe. But the watcher magic has nothing to do with that.”
Lorcan wasn’t following. “Then what? How am I supposed to help with their cubs?”
“I didn’t mention this before, because… well, the pack feels it pretty deeply. There’s a lot of stigma attached. Our lack of mages doesn’t just mean our cubs can’t shift. It means we don’t have any cubs.”
“You have cubs. I’ve seen them.”
“You’ve seen them, sure. But the youngest just turned four.”
Lorcan didn’t see the problem right away, until he did the math. The druid village had fewer than a third of the people the pack had, but they rarely went four years in a row without a new addition. And the pack’s population ran young or so it seemed.
“You need magic to have cubs.”
Knox looked chagrined, maybe even a little embarrassed. “I don’t know the specifics of how it works, but yeah, that’s the bottom line. No magic, no babies. And that’s a big problem, especially right now.”
“Because…?” Lorcan prompted.
“You know about the pact, right? The whole reason mages exist?”
“Pact?” There was a pact? Why did no one tell him these things?
“It was centuries ago; I don’t think anyone remembers the specifics. Wolves need magic to survive. That’s why wolf mages were created. Mages mate to alphas so that the magic can be disseminated through the pack through the power structure. The birth of the next generation of alphas is triggered by the arrival of the next generation of mages.”
“No mages means no alphas?”
“No mages means no alphas.”
“But if Gage bonds with a mage…”
“Who has the alpha cubs? His sister, Winnie. And the other beta siblings of our alphas, like Athena.”
“Wait, Athena’s your sister?”
“Declan’s, actually.”
“That explains a lot.”
Knox aimed a flat, unimpressed look his way.
Lorcan ignored that as he stood and stretched, thinking about how much he really needed that nap.
“So what you’re saying is, all the pack’s hopes of a future currently rest on my shoulders.”
Knox stood too, hustling him inside.
“Yeah. No pressure, right?”
All the new revelations were enough to make Lorcan’s head ache. He let the alpha push him over to the bed, strip him of his clothes, and nudge him under one of the new blankets. His tiredness lifted when Knox shed his jeans and climbed in beside him, bare skin against bare skin. He shuffled his hips back, pressing his ass to Knox’s groin. The alpha was already hard, still worked up after their morning of magic. Lorcan needed something easy but satisfying, so he parted his legs in encouragement.
“You sure you’re not too sore? We went at it pretty hard this morning.”
“I’m good,” he promised.
Knox still leaned away, reaching for something, and the familiar smell of jasmine filled the air. Lorcan knew what was coming even before the alpha’s oiled fingers eased their way between his cheeks. He relaxed and let Knox stretch him, relishing in the slow burn. The alpha’s patience wasn’t endless, but for someone who wasn’t afraid to be rough, he was always careful.
Knox’s hand gripped Lorcan’s hip, his nose nudged the nape of his neck, and he slid home in one slow, steady motion. Lorcan sighed in contentment as the alpha took him in leisurely thrusts, rocking him against the bed. His eyes slipped closed, and he just let the sensations wash over him as his release built slowly. Knox’s stamina was impressive—the alpha could draw this out as long as he wanted. Lorcan wasn’t complaining. He liked having every ounce of Knox’s attention on him, inside him, making him feel like he was the only person in the world.
Knox kissed the nape of his neck, his thrusts speeding up, a newfound tension in his body. His teeth bit down gently, reinforcing the fading bond mark. The pressure sent a wave of ecstasy through Lorcan’s body, bringing him right to the edge. Knox’s next thrust pushed him over, a soft cry on his lips as he came. The alpha kept thrusting through his orgasm, not quite there yet. He needed a helping hand that Lorcan was only too happy to supply.
He caught the alpha’s hand and guided it to his bond mark, knowing the effect it had on the alpha. The tips of Knox’s fingers stroked the mark, the moon dappled with shadows. Lorcan tightened his body around Knox’s cock, drawing a low groan from the alpha as he came. He stretched in satisfaction, loving the effect he had on Knox. The alpha just wrapped himself tighter around him, ready to sleep.
“I care about the pack,” Knox murmured in his ear. “But you are the one I love. My future is your future. We look after each other, and we protect the boundary. That’s our job, that’s how we do right by the pack. The rest we can’t control.”
As an attempt at reassurance, at taking some of the burden off Lorcan’s shoulders, it did the trick. The boundary, he could help with. He and Knox were learning more about their roles day by day. His magic was growing in strength and confidence as he pushed himself beyond the scope of what he’d learned among his family. Tucked against Knox’s chest, he drifted off to sleep, sated and content.
“So about this pact…”
He was in Orion’s workshop, wandering around and staring at the odds and ends that cluttered the worktable and shelves.
“Pact?” Orion sounded distracted, his attention on an old book he was scouring.
“You know, the pact. The one that created the wolf mages.”
“Oh. That pact. What about it?”
“Why?”
Orion lifted his gaze from the book, his brow creased. “Why what?”
“Why mages? Why was that the solution to the problem?”
“That’s no easy question. There’s been a lot of speculation as to how it all came about.”
Lorcan sank onto a stool. “Speculation? You mean you don’t know?”
“Surprisingly enough, if there were detailed records kept by those involved, they haven’t survived the hundreds of years that have passed since. That, or they’re sitting forgotten in someone’s attic.”
“Then what do you know?”
Orion sat back, crossing his arms and turning his gaze upward.
“Let’s see. We know there was some conflict between wolves and the magic clans. There are references around that time to a ‘war’ or a battle, but… let’s just say that an all-out war between wolf packs and magic folk would have made it into human history. Magical historians might argue that there’s a period of a few decades where there is an unusually high mention of events that might be supernatural in origin, but that’s hardly proof of a…”
“So we weren’t friends with the wolves.”
“It doesn’t appear so.”
“Yet, whatever happened, we agreed to sacrifice our own people to help the packs.”
“So it seems.”
“But we don’t know why?”
Orion slumped, shutting his book and setting it down.
“Packs need magic to survive. You’ve seen for yourself what happens when they don’t have it. But are you aware of the biggest taboos where packs and the magic clans are concerned?”
“My family didn’t tell me much beyond that packs were dangerous.”
“And the Warrens? What wisdom did they impart?”
“Do what your alpha tells you. Listen to your teachers. A submissive mage is a happy mage.”
Orion choked at that, his eyes going wide. “My, the Warrens are a piece of work, aren’t they?”
He tapped his fingers on the worktable, considering his words carefully before speaking again.
“My family taught me all about pack etiquette, about what would be expected of me as a mage.
They described it as a privilege, honoring a centuries-old pact that allowed the packs and the magic clans to live side by side in peace. But my siblings were taught something very different. They were told to keep their distance from shifters. Not to be friendly toward them, not to socialize with them. If communication was needed between us and any pack, it was always to happen through their mages, not their wolves. And they were not, under any circumstances, to become physically involved with a werewolf. Doing so would see you banished—cast out and shunned forever.”
“That seems a little harsh,” Lorcan ventured, “seeing as the whole mage-alpha relationship is founded on sex.”
“That’s different. Like night and day. Alphas and mages are always male. There’s no risk of the bloodlines mixing.”
“Why? What happens when the bloodlines mix?”
“Nothing, in most cases. Pregnancy is improbable but not impossible. On the rare occasion that it does happen… nothing good comes of it. It is far better to prevent it than deal with the consequences.”
Lorcan didn’t fully understand what Orion meant, but the heaviness of the mage’s words impressed on him how serious it was. Whatever happened when a wolf and someone of magic blood had a baby, it must have been terrible. Why else would a unique line of magic people—the wolf mages—have been created to avoid it?
“I wouldn’t waste too much time dwelling on the past,” Orion said, reaching over to pat his hand. “What’s important is what’s right in front of us, and the future we strive toward. You’re a mage on the verge of bonding to a wolf. You and Knox fit well together. You remind me a little of Asher and me in our youth. That’s a good thing, Lorcan. A mage bond is the strongest bond anyone will ever form. Cherish it.”
“I’ll try,” Lorcan promised.
There were still obstacles to overcome, truths that needed to be shared. But the urge he had to run, to escape, had faded. He was needed here, and he wanted to be where Knox was.
20
Knox was on a high, and it wasn’t the mind-blowing sex. Wasn’t just the mind-blowing sex. With Lorcan by his side, he could close his eyes at night, safe in the knowledge that his pack was safe. His control was steadier too. Day by day, his awareness of the border grew and changed. Without a mage’s magic intertwined with his, his sense of the boundary had been distant and indistinct. A frustrating relationship since he knew it could—and should—be much more. Things were so much better now.
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