by EE Silver
“I got you, baby,” Trey said, nipping at Hunter’s neck when he wanted to bite and claim. “Get naked and on the bed. I have to check if I even have condoms.”
“Not an issue,” Hunter said, pushing Trey’s jeans down instead of obeying. He knelt and Trey’s feet, hands sliding up the backs of Trey’s thighs. “We don’t need one.”
Trey was about to argue, but then Hunter swallowed his cock down, and all Trey could think of was the hot, wet suction that nearly cut his legs out from under him. Grabbing Hunter’s head, it took everything he had not to thrust deep, fucking to the welcoming channel of his lover’s throat, Hunter’s hair like silk between Trey’s clutching fingers.
“Fuck, baby, careful,” Trey managed when Hug swirled his tongue around the head of his cock, tongue digging into the slit like he was looking to drag every last drop of precome out of Trey. “You’re too good at that. Save it for next time, or you’re gonna have to wait for me to fuck you.”
Hunter lifted his mouth, but kept pumping Trey’s length in his strong grip. “Can’t have that,” he said, and kissed Trey’s exposed hip.
Trey tugged on the hair he still had in a tight grip. “Come on. Bed.”
“Yes sir,” Hunter said with a laugh, gently prying Trey’s hands free before pulling away entirely. The bed squeaked, and Trey heard the smack of denim hitting the floor on the other side of the bed.
“Always liked a man who knew how to follow orders,” Trey said, stepping out of his own pants and underwear before finding the bed and climbing on it. Hunter was sprawled in the middle of the mattress, and Trey crawled over him, guided by Hunter’s eager hands.
“To be honest, I’m more used to giving orders,” Hunter said, grabbing Trey’s hips and moving him until their cocks were side-by-side.
Trey cursed and thrust against Hunter, losing himself in hot, panting kisses. His head spun, and then he was flat on his back, Hunter kneeling over him. But Trey didn’t mind, not with the way his cock was sliding along the slick crack of Hunter’s ass.
“Now be a good alpha,” Hunter murmured. “And lie back and enjoy the ride.”
Before Trey could say anything, Hunter shifted and grabbed Trey’s cock, guiding it to his wet entrance. When Hunter rocked back, trying to take him without any prep, though, Trey found his voice.
“Wait,” he rasped, holding Hunter’s hips still. “You’ll hurt yourself. Let me stretch you first.”
“You’re cute,” Hunter said, and sank back, impaling himself with a gasp. “Oh fuck, yes.”
Trey clenched his jaw and held as still as he could while Hunter worked himself up and down. He could feel Hunter shaking under his hands, knew it had to hurt like hell, but he wasn’t going to argue with a man who knew what he wanted, and definitely not when it felt so damn good Trey wasn’t sure he’d make it through with his sanity intact. “You’ve got this, baby,” he groaned. “You’re good. Fuck, you’re so good.”
After an excruciating eternity, Hunter finally stopped moving, Trey buried to the root inside him. And still Trey held his breath, waiting. He felt amazing, but he knew Hunter would need time to adjust, and no matter he eager he was for more, Trey wasn’t going to rush him through it.
For long moments, Trey struggled to just keep breathing. He finally found Hunter’s cock with one hand and stroked him back to full hardness. “We can stop if you need to.”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Hunter laughed. Then he squeezed around Trey, making the both of them groan.
“All your call, baby,” Trey managed, forcing himself to keep stroking Hunter even as he started moving, fucking himself slowly on Trey. “Gods, Hunter. Feel so good.”
Hunter wrapped his hand around Trey’s guiding him to tighter, faster strokes. “I’m not going to last,” he warned, and Trey couldn’t help a breathless laugh.
“No idea how I haven’t blown already,” he admitted. He thrust up to meet Hunter halfway, wrenching a surprised shout of pleasure from his omega. “Come on, take what you need. Let me feel you come apart for me.”
The muscles of Hunter’s hip and thigh rippled under Trey’s other hand as he sped up, making tiny adjustments until he found the angle he needed. The sound of pure ecstasy that fell out of Hunter’s mouth was enough to shove Trey dangerously close to the edge, and Trey could only gasp and stroke Hunter tighter as his skin prickled and his orgasm started to build.
“I’m close,” he slurred. He could feel his canines dropping, his wolf eager to mark their mate while he had the chance. He bit his own tongue, moaning at the metallic burst of blood as the pain only pushed him higher.
Finally — finally — Hunter clenched down, his strong body spasming over Trey as he came, shooting all over Trey in hot, wet streaks. It was all the signal need Trey needed, and he let go of the tight reign he had on his orgasm, coming so hard his ears rang. The pleasure overwhelmed him, and it took a few seconds to register that his knot had indeed popped, locking them together again.
“Well.” Hunter huffed as he collapsed on top of Trey, pressing their sweaty bodies together. “I guess that answers that.”
Trey snorted. “You should probably shift to the side, though,” he said after a moment. “I’m having a hell of a time keeping from biting you so you can’t vanish on me again.”
“Fuck, but that’s sexy,” Hunter said, shivering. He moved, though. “We should talk about it first, though. Even if it does make me want to submit like crazy.”
“Not helping,” Trey ground out, his cock pulsing deep inside Hunter’s body at the thought of making Hunter irrevocably his. “Also, talking about this is definitely not helping my knot go down.”
Hunter kissed his shoulder, and Trey swore he could feel his omega grinning mischievously. “Whatever it takes to keep you with me.”
And, really, Trey wasn’t going to argue with that.
Chapter Seven
Hunter
All joking aside, when Trey’s knot finally did go down despite all the teasing and flirting, Hunter was a little disappointed. It was almost like what he’d imagined being mated to Trey would be like; laughter, pleasure, and a connection that couldn’t be broken.
Still, nature had to take its course and once they could separate, they took turns at a couple of quick showers. Hunter thought about sharing, but considering how they’d avoided directly discussing Trey’s blindness so far, he was reluctant to even ask if it was a possibility. By the time Hunter was dried off and pulling on a pair of borrowed sweats that pooled around his feet, the smell of dinner was already filling the house.
“I was hoping to cook for you,” Hunter said as he followed his nose into the kitchen. “Impress you with my awesome omega skills.”
“I’m pretty sure I don’t have anything to actually cook with,” Trey said as he slid a glass meal prep container a few inches across the counter. Chicken, vegetables, and a light sauce – all very healthful and well-portioned. “My home assistant brings everything with her. Just as well. I couldn’t cook when I could see which burner was on, either.”
Before Hunter could say anything about the obvious opening Trey had left him, the microwave beeped, and Trey turned away. His fingers danced lightly over the smooth brushed nickel surface until he found the release button, and he carefully withdrew another meal prep container with the same contents as Hunter’s. Then he carefully counted over two drawers, opened it, and pulled out a pair of forks.
Hunter must have been quiet too long while he watched Trey move so precisely and competently about his own home, because when Trey took his seat next to Hunter at the breakfast bar, he looked resigned and a little annoyed.
“Go on,” he said. “Ask me.”
A dozen questions, big and small came to mind, but Hunter decided to start small. “Home assistant?”
Trey looked surprised, but the release of tension in his shoulders told Hunter he’d chosen the right tack. “Jane comes in Mondays and Fridays, does my meal prep and makes sure my clothes are in order so I
don’t look like an idiot when I go out in public, makes sure I have enough kibble for Daisy, and turns out any lights I might have accidentally turned on. Stuff like that.”
“Basically she does the little stuff so you can keep living your life,” Hunter said, and stabbed a piece of chicken with his fork. “That’s cool.”
Trey stared in his general direction for a long moment before turning to his own dinner. “I guess so.”
They ate in silence for a while, before Hunter took a deep breath to fortify himself. There were a lot of things they had to talk about, but Trey deserved a chance to be heard first before Hunter dumped all of his insanity at his mate’s feet. “Do you think you’re ready to tell me yet?”
“Not much to tell,” Trey started, but shrugged when Hunter made a rude noise about that. “I was on an op, there was an explosion in a make-shift darkroom and I got a faceful of silver nitrate. According to the fine doctors at Vale Valley General, turns out there are things werewolves can’t heal from after all. Scott was taking me to meet a doctor friend of his at the hospital this morning, but I was mostly just humoring him.”
“He was taking you to Morgan?” Hunter thought about it. “I mean, I don’t think there’s anything he doesn’t know about medicine, so Scott might be on to something.”
“You know the guy?”
Hunter laughed. “Grew up with him. He’s my older brother.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” Trey said. “I don’t know much about you at all, besides the fact you fuck like a dream.”
“Fair,” Hunter said with a grin, allowing the topic change. “I have two brothers. Morgan’s the oldest, and Rowen is the baby. And we have three older half-sisters: Umber, Violet, and Scarlett. I’m not really close with the girls, but we keep in touch.” He covered Trey’s hand with his own, unable to resist touching Trey for a second longer. “They’re the ones who suggested I come to Vale Valley with Morgan and Rowen, and it seems like they were right.”
Trey’s cheeks darkened, but he turned his hand to link their fingers together. “Morgan’s here because he’s some kind of wonder doctor and Scott’s hovering over Quintus, but what about Rowen?”
“He’s a kind of super nanny. Scott’s cousin, King – have you met him? – his father insisted someone come out to help King and Quintus, and since we’re distantly related, Rowen got the call.”
“Sounds like you have a big family,” Trey said. He paused, biting on his lower lip in a rare moment of uncertainty. “Do you want that for yourself?”
“A big family?” Hunter smiled at the thought of half a dozen children running around their feet, with Trey’s dark skin and Hunter’s blue eyes. “One day, yeah.”
“But not now?”
Hunter’s stomach lurched, almost like the baby knew what they were talking about. He breathed slowly, trying to calm the nausea. “I’d want to start small,” he finally said. “Just one baby at a time, not like Scott and Quintus and their impending litter. But I wouldn’t wait long. It feels like I’ve been waiting to be a parent for years.”
“I know how you feel,” Trey said, squeezing his hand. “The guys in my unit, before I made Chief, they used to call me Pops because I was always the group dad when we went out.”
Hunter looked at the remains of their dinner, and thought about the clothes Trey had gotten him without being asked, and smiled. “Yeah,” he said, “I can see that. You’ll make a great dad. I can’t wait to see that.”
Trey laughed, self-conscious. “I guess since we’re mates, you’re the one most likely to find out, huh?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just leaned in and pressed a clumsy kiss to the corner of Hunter’s mouth. “I like the way that makes me feel.”
Then he pulled away and carefully collected their dishes, rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher. He paused, back turned to Hunter like he knew how expressive his face was. “What about you?” he asked, fingers dancing aimlessly across the countertop. “How do you feel about us being mates?”
Hunter thought about it, giving it his answer the consideration it deserved. “I’m a lot older than I look,” he finally said. “And I’ve been around the casual relationship block plenty of times. Even a few very serious ones, if I’m being honest in ways that you won’t understand yet. But the way I feel about you makes it all pale in comparison, even though we barely know each other still. It’s like we’re standing at the beginning of the biggest adventure, and it’s only going to get better. I can’t wait to fall in love with you and see where it goes.” He huffed a laughed. “Considering I’ve always been the man with the plan, as it were, that’s a little terrifying to contemplate. But I think we’ll manage together. If you’re interested in giving it a try, that is.”
For a long while, Trey said nothing and kept his back turned. Then he finally turned around, his face so happy and open and joyful, Hunter’s stomach lurched in response. “I was going to offer you a tour of the house,” he said. “But now all I really want is to take you back to bed and taste those sweet words right from the source.”
“Oh hell yes,” Hunter said, standing and grabbing Trey’s hand to kiss his fingers. “Sex now, tour later.”
Trey grinned, and tugged Hunter close, pulling him into a soft, lingering kiss. “Gods,” he whispered. “I can’t believe I found you again. I may never let you leave, baby.”
“Yeah.” Hunter sighed happily, his body singing with the rightness of being in his alpha’s arms, their baby finally growing inside of him. “That’s pretty much the master plan.”
Chapter Eight
Trey
For once, Trey slept without nightmares. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d even dreamed at all, probably due to how worn out he was from all the sex. After dinner, they’d managed to make it as far as the living room before he’d bent Hunter over the back of the sofa and fucked him, barely managing to resist the urge to knot him again. Then they’d had the promised tour, including Trey playing a few of his newest trap beats for Hunter.
Bless him, Hunter clearly didn’t understand trap music or hip hop, but he managed to focus on how successful Trey was, and at the way he’d managed to rig a combination of a braille monitor and text to voice to do his work. He’d been suitably impressed by Trey’s skill and had praised him without being a condescending dick like the first two managers Trey had gone through.
A lot of people fell into the trap of thinking Trey needed help for everything, like they had some kind of Good Samaritan quota they wanted to fill and the local blind werewolf would be the perfect helpless target for all the assistance in the world. And yeah, Trey needed help putting his clothes in the right order, needed someone to make his food, and someone to clean his house, and it pissed him off that he couldn’t do those simple things for himself, but he’d be damned if he’d let some overbearing, well-meaning jackass take more from him than he’d already lost. But Hunter had somehow managed to side-step all that entirely.
In fact, Hunter had been amazingly careful to follow Trey’s lead on everything. He didn’t get doors, didn’t grab Trey’s arm to lead him around the house, didn’t even insist on serving their ice cream for the midnight snack they’d both needed after round three of sex, that time in the desk chair in Trey’s office. He’d picked up their clothes without making a big deal out of helping Trey find his pants, and for the first time in years, Trey felt like he wasn’t being handled with kid gloves. Hunter’s quiet acceptance put Trey more at ease than even Scott’s skillful therapy.
And waking up after too few hours of sleep, Hunter folded in his arms and smelling faintly of Trey’s shampoo, Trey felt something that he was pretty sure was hope. Hope that he could actually make it in this life he’d found himself in. At least if he had someone exactly like Hunter at his back.
Hunter stirred, making a soft noise of protest, and Trey felt hopelessly fond of his omega. There was so much they had to learn about each other, but he thought it absolutely adorable that Hunter didn’t seem to be much of a mo
rning person. Trey nosed at Hunter, kissing the smooth skin of what he was fairly sure was his lover’s forehead.
“Morning, baby,” he said. “Do you want coffee? I don’t have a lot of breakfast options, but if want we could go into town to the diner.”
“Breakfast?” Hunter said, voice groggy. But then he tensed and scrambled away.
“Babe?” Trey reached out into empty air, but Hunter didn’t answer.
Instead, Trey heard Hunter’s bare feet slapping on the hardwood floor, the bathroom door slamming between them. The water went on at full blast, but it wasn’t loud enough to mask the sound of Hunter retching over and over, groaning between bouts for long minutes.
Frowning, Trey climbed out of bed. Daisy found him almost instantly, pressing against his leg with a worried whine. He rubbed her head, failing to calm either of them. Shifters didn’t have very many illnesses, but all of his time spent in the halls of Vale Valley General had taught Trey that the serious ones were pretty damn bad.
“Let’s get dressed, girl,” he said absently. Daisy shook herself, her tags jingling over the sound of Hunter throwing up again.
By the time the toilet flushed and Hunter had washed up, Trey was dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed. The door opened slowly, and Trey turned in that general direction.
“I don’t suppose I could convince you to ignore that?” Hunter asked, sounding exhausted.
Trey shook his head. “Do we need to go to the hospital?”
“No.” Hunter sighed. “It’s not anything new. Although it’s something I’ve been trying to work up to telling you. But it’s going to involve a hell of a backstory and a lot of understanding on your part.”
That sounded less life-threatening, but a lot more like something Trey wasn’t going to like in the slightest. “Shifters don’t usually get sick enough to throw up,” he said, instead.