The Arrangement (Homestead Legacy Book 1)

by Alex Jane

  "I thought Mother threw this away," Gabriel said, holding up the offending item. He had paced around the room at some point and had found himself taking a seat on the bed. Nathaniel looked surprised to see him there but was taking it rather well. "I always hated it so much I thought she'd grown tired of my whining about it."

  Nathaniel stepped into the room cautiously and closed the door behind him. "She sent it to me," he said, his voice calm and even as he slid his jacket from his shoulders and onto a padded hanger on the back of the door.

  "Why would she do that?" Gabriel asked, almost breathless.

  "Because I asked her to."

  "You…you corresponded with my mother?"

  Nathaniel nodded. "Is that so strange?"

  "Yes, actually. She never told me."

  "I asked her not to."

  Gabriel shook his head. "Why would she—?"

  "You shouldn't be in here." Nathaniel didn't sound angry exactly but his displeasure was clear. It was all Gabriel could do to not instinctively apologize and slink from the room like a weasel.

  "I-I think I should," he said after a moment's hesitation. Nathaniel looked confused so Gabriel kept talking. "This is my bedside cabinet, is it not?" He pointed to the empty one next to where he was sitting before he got to his feet, rounding the table and placing his portrait on the cabinet on Nathaniel's side of the bed. "And I can clearly see the place where my clothes should hang." He gestured to the dressing room before walking back around the bed.

  "Have you been snooping—?"

  "And this," he said as he stroked a hand down the comforter. "This is my side of the bed, yes?"

  "Gabriel—"

  "You said it yourself. I am your mate. You've known it for longer than me but I tell you, I know I should be here. With you. Do you…are you really going to send me away?"

  Nathaniel walked to him, his expression troubled as his gaze flitted every which way but to his husband's face. When he came to stand in front of Gabriel, he put both hands on Gabriel's shoulders, tentative at first, then his touch firmer as he slid them down the length of his arms.

  "Please don't send me away, Nate," Gabriel pleaded. "I don't want to sleep without you another night. I've been so lonely."

  Nathaniel didn't reply with words. His head dropped forward carefully until it came to rest against Gabriel's, his eyes pinched tight as if he were afraid to open them and find this all a dream. When Gabriel tipped his head up, letting his lips prove it was real, Nathaniel gasped before taking him urgently and kissing as they had done the night before.

  Gabriel groaned into his open mouth, his tongue searching, desperate to taste, devouring every sound and hitching breath he could, and giving plenty in return. He couldn't help it, not when Nathaniel's arms held him firm against his body, his hands roaming, finding the hem of Gabriel's nightshirt and rucking the fabric so his fingers found bare skin beneath. The first touch was electric, as was the second and third and Gabriel thought he would never grow tired of feeling Nathaniel touch him or the way his husband's hips rocked in time with the movement of his fingers.

  Gabriel longed to see what was beneath Nathaniel's clothes, wanted more than to feel his husband's arousal gouge angrily into the cut of his hip as Nathaniel rutted against him, but somehow it was Gabriel who ended up naked, Nathaniel stripping the nightshirt over his head in one fluid moment without hardly breaking the kiss, then his pajama pants ended up puddled at his feet, his erection leaking shamelessly against the rough fabric of Nathaniel's suit.

  When Nathaniel pulled him close, each hand on a globe of his ass, spreading the cheeks as he did so, he must have felt the slick there given the panicked way his breathing increased. Preempting his withdrawal, Gabriel reached back and covered his husband's hands, pushing them closer to his cleft, murmuring, "I made myself ready for you, my love. To take me. I want you to mate me, Nate. Make you mine forever."

  When all Nathaniel did was kiss him more fiercely, Gabriel figured he should take control. It was a brave thought considering his whole body was shivering with anticipation so badly he could hardly move. But somehow, he managed to turn them and push Nathaniel onto the bed.

  When Gabriel went for his fastenings, Nathaniel helped some and when his cock was finally freed, with his trousers bunched around his knees, Gabriel swallowed hard. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen another man's privates before but there was something far more daunting about seeing Nathaniel's thick member, the fat, flared head of it weeping in anticipation of what was to come.

  Gabriel considered taking him in his mouth, just to taste, but he was already so close to coming, he knew he wouldn't last if he did that. And besides, they had plenty of time to try everything he wanted and more to boot.

  As he clambered onto the bed, straddling Nathaniel, his hand smoothed over the scars on Nathaniel's hip. "Does this hurt you?" he whispered. The slight shake of a head was enough for him and in mere moments he had the tip of Nathaniel's cock pressing against his slick hole.

  It took a while to work himself down or Nathaniel in, or rather for the unpleasant ache to become nothing but exquisite pleasure, the likes of which he had never known before. It was somewhat awkward and a little messy. Nathaniel simply lay there the entire time, his hands hovering in the air, seemingly afraid to touch and unsure of where they would best be put to use, his panting breath shaky and intense until at last, Gabriel was fully seated on him, the two of them joined as one.

  "I love you," Nathaniel breathed out, his eyes wide, looking at Gabriel as if he were an angel.

  "And I you, my love." Gabriel leaned forward, gasping at the change inside him as he caught Nathaniel's mouth in a searing kiss. "But, dear god, you need to fuck me and put your teeth in me sooner rather than later, Nate, because I'm going to come. Oh god, yes, I think I'm…"

  He didn't come right away, not when Nathaniel gripped his bobbing cock and squeezed the base hard enough to stave off his impending orgasm. He fucked him then, his previous silence and paralysis evaporating, as he professed every drop of devotion while he moved with increasing urgency inside Gabriel.

  Gabriel for his part simply held on, letting the pleasure flow over him. As the heat in his belly grew again, so his teeth dropped and he snarled. Something in the sound did enough for Nathaniel that he cried out, not an entirely human sound, and his mouth found the place where Gabriel's neck met his shoulder.

  Gabriel hadn't dared hope that he would ever feel the sting of Nathaniel's wolf teeth in him, content to receive the mating bite from Nathaniel's human teeth, but when there was something between the two, not the deep tearing wolf or blunt stubs, but something sharp and animalistic puncturing him, the pain and completeness of it made him roar, his orgasm bursting from him as his own teeth found a place high on Nathaniel's neck and bit down, relishing the deep groan as they completed the exchange.

  Gabriel was in the midst of a dream when he was suddenly aware of his bladder protesting that he needed to wake up. Sluggishly coming to his senses, he sleepily thought maybe he was melting, only to find he was instead pressed against a hot naked body, with solid, heavy arms draped over him, and his sweaty skin clinging to his husband at every point they touched.

  More alarming still was the bright bond that appeared to have bloomed between them as they had slept. The pull in Gabriel's gut, which warmed in Nathaniel's presence, felt as if it were practically glowing with happiness and contentment. The astonishing sensation made Gabriel huff out a sleepy laugh. He, of course, knew in theory what their joining would mean, but to feel his spiritual commitment in such visceral terms took him by surprise. Thankfully, the snort of amusement didn't wake Nathaniel but he did grumble and roll away, his arms becoming slack, allowing Gabriel to peel himself out of his embrace.

  The room wasn't cold but the air felt positively frigid compared to the warmth of his marital bed when he pushed the sheet away. Giving his silent thanks to the gods of serendipity, Gabriel reached beneath the frame and pulled out the chamber pot he had se
en there the night before. But when he sat on the edge of the bed ready to relieve himself—as he would normally do, having just woken and not feeling confident enough to stand without listing—he was suddenly struck by the awkwardness of having to urinate only feet away from the man who had made love to him the night before.

  For a moment, he was at a loss of what to do. He looked to the door of the dressing room, thinking perhaps he could hide in there to do it, then berated himself for the fact he was making such a fuss over a totally normal thing. Still, he was toying with the possibility he might be able to run down the hall to his own room, when the bed shifted behind him and a hoarse voice told him, "Just piss already and come back to bed. I'm getting cold."

  Turning slowly, Gabriel looked over his shoulder with his eyebrow raised. He was taken aback at the unfamiliar tone, especially when Nathaniel was laying there looking angelic with his eyes closed, appearing to be fast asleep. It was, however, greatly amusing when Nathaniel's eyelids flicked open, his eyes going wide with shock. When he saw his husband looking at him, Nathaniel blushed and stammered, "I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to—"

  It was everything Gabriel could do to stop from laughing aloud. It was hard to believe this was the same man, the same imposing Alpha, who had muttered such filth in his ear as he'd fucked him mere hours before—talking nonsense about the scent of Gabriel's spend, how he wanted to taste every inch of him, even the place where his cock was at that moment. It had been arousing at the time but the memory didn't sit well in the face of Nathaniel's pink cheeks and stumbling apologies about inappropriate language.

  Turning away, Gabriel sighed and shook his head. "Can you at least cover your ears? My bladder imagines you will think less of me if you can hear it emptying, for some reason." It sounded for a moment as if Nathaniel was about to protest, but a glance told him he had done as Gabriel had asked and, in addition, closed his eyes.

  Once relieved, Gabriel slipped the cover over the pot and the pot back under the bed, but he didn't make any attempt to lie back with his husband, only sat there studying the fingers clasped in his lap.

  "Is everything all right?" Nathaniel asked cautiously, lowering his hands to lie beside him. "It-it's understandable if you've changed your mind. About everything. In the light of day, I mean."

  Gabriel didn't have it in him to be angry or shocked at such a statement. He closed his eyes, tipping his head back a little. "Does it feel as if I've changed my mind?" he murmured before reached out experimentally along the bond. His husband would perceive the energy between them more vividly being that he was an Alpha and carried the privilege of the connection at its fullest, but Gabriel was still more aware than he ever thought he would be at the emotion moving between them.

  "No," Nathaniel said, his voice breathy and low. "It doesn't. But I won't assume you want to share my bed or repeat what we did last night."

  Gabriel meant to lean over and touch his mate as a reassurance. Unfortunately, he wasn't expecting his asshole to ache so, and the resulting hiss and wince he let out made Nathaniel's expression fall. "Oh god, are you hurt? Did I hurt you? Of course, I did. I'm such a—" Nathaniel started to push back the covers, sitting up in an attempt to leap out of bed.

  His distress shouldn't have been comical but Gabriel chuckled all the same, grabbing Nathaniel by the wrist and holding him in place. "You didn't hurt me," he told him. "I may be a little bruised, but I'm unashamed to say I quite like the ache. I like what we did and like that I can feel the result of our lovemaking this morning. I hope you did too so we can repeat it. Often."

  Nathaniel seemed mollified, although he was silent a good while before he asked shyly, "Only what we did last night?"

  "No," Gabriel said, curious as to what Nathaniel had in mind. Laying back, Gabriel pressed his head into the pillows, spreading his legs a little when Nathaniel's gaze dropped to his crotch. "I know we're inexperienced but perhaps together we might remedy that."

  "I'm open to suggestions," Nathaniel said with a shy smile. "Where do you think we should start?"

  "I think," Gabriel said softly, taking Nathaniel's hand and drawing him down. "I think we should start just here." He pressed his lips lightly in the corner of Nathaniel's mouth, then lay a kiss at the hollow of his throat, then again on the shadow of his mating mark.

  Nathaniel's breath stuttered as he lowered his weight onto Gabriel's body, pinning him in place. "That sounds like an excellent place to begin," he murmured as he slanted his mouth over Gabriel's finally, the two of them sinking into the mattress as one, each relishing the taste of his mate, his husband, and his oldest friend.

  One Year On…

  Gabriel's fingers slipped as they tried to find purchase against the steel grip Nathaniel had around the base of his throat. His big arm wrapped across Gabriel's body from behind, pinning him from hip to shoulder against Nathaniel's sweaty chest, the other reaching between Gabriel's waist and the bed as they lay spooned together, with Nathaniel's fingers wrapped skillfully around his cock. A fleeting thought that this was the reason Ruth had designated the two of them to do the bulk of the laundry passed through Gabriel's mind, before a hard thrust from his lover made him forget his own name for a moment.

  "Come on," Nathaniel growled in his ear, sweat from his brow smearing against Gabriel's temple, his voice already a wreck as he gasped and panted, "Come on."

  "Oh god…" was the only response Gabriel could muster, overtaken by the rising anticipation in his belly as his balls tightened and his orgasm teetered on the precipice, tantalizingly close. Nathaniel was clearly close too if the way his thrusts deepened and his rhythm became erratic were anything to go by. And Gabriel did go by it. They had practiced long and hard over the last twelve months, learning how to pleasure each other, how to wring every last drop of heated ecstasy or simple loving comfort out of every touch. They were damn good at it, but as Nathaniel reminded him almost daily, they shouldn't get complacent and practice was essential for mastery.

  "Yes. Oh god, yes!" Gabriel threw his head back, Nathaniel taking him deeper as he pressed his sharp teeth to the mating mark on Gabriel's neck. As they broke the skin, renewing the scar there that healed far too quickly for Gabriel's liking, Gabriel came—his vision blurring, his body wanting to double up as he pumped his release over the sheets and Nathaniel's hand, held fast in his lover's arms and under his bite.

  Almost as soon as Gabriel was done, Nathaniel was pulling out of him and flipping him onto his back like a rag doll. Even as his husband jerked his legs up to his chest and pushed quickly back inside him, Gabriel couldn't do much more than let it happen. Nathaniel fucked him viciously, chasing his own orgasm like a madman, until Gabriel managed to take him by the neck and yank him down, his hands clawed, teeth elongated and, finding the place where he had made his mating mark a year before, bit down hard enough for Nathaniel to yelp, then come with three hard, grunting thrusts that knocked the air from Gabriel's lungs.

  "Well. That was…"

  "Yes. It was."

  Laying on his front, Gabriel looked over at his husband who was still trying to get his breath, his hands shaking a little from his performance as he stared up at the ceiling. "Somewhat different than the first time. I still can't quite believe it's been a year since you let me have you."

  "I can." Nathaniel's head turned toward him and Gabriel's heart skipped when he saw the smile on his face. It was nothing unusual these days, but it still had the capacity to take Gabriel's breath away. "I was so afraid that night—a year to get from that to this," he ran a proprietary finger delicately through the semen spilling between Gabriel's cheeks, "doesn't seem unreasonable."

  Gabriel turned onto his side, pulling his arm up onto his pillow, bent at the elbow so he could rest his head on his hand. "You never told me. That you were afraid."

  Nathaniel chuckled. "I would have thought it was obvious."

  "I thought you nervous, yes, but so was I. What were you so afraid of?"

  "Where do I start?" Nathaniel sigh
ed and shook his head at the ceiling. "That you would be disappointed. That I would hurt you. That you would take one look at me naked and be repulsed by me. That you would laugh. That I couldn't satisfy you—"

  "I believe you promised me satisfaction the first morning I stayed here. You were never one to go back on your word."

  Nathaniel smiled a little sadly and turned toward him. Reaching up, he touched the bite on Gabriel's neck, making them both shiver. It was already healing, he could feel it. Nathaniel's would heal quicker, unlike the rest of his injuries, which remained unchanged. Luckily, Gabriel was given plenty of opportunity to renew it. The placement was slightly unfortunate. In his haste, that first night, he'd merely wanted nothing more than to cement the bond between them. The fact the scar on Nathaniel's neck could be clearly seen above his shirt collar was rather obscene but luckily Nathaniel didn't care a jot for convention and seemed to relish the looks he received in the street. He alleged it gave him an advantage in the boardroom too, as his business rivals were often wrong-footed by his appearance. Absentmindedly touching it during contract negotiations was enough to distract his rivals sufficiently for him to get the upper hand. Or so he claimed. Gabriel wasn't sure half the time if his husband was merely teasing or simply trying to reassure him.

  "Just because I wanted to doesn't mean I thought I could. I had no experience with lovemaking so what did I know."

  "Neither did I," Gabriel replied, almost offended.

  "No, but you were fearless," Nathaniel said, breathless with admiration. "The way you took control, took me, when all I could do was lie there… I'm so glad you chose me." It was a sentiment Nathaniel repeated often, even though Gabriel thought it unwarranted.

  "You know there was no choice. I was always yours."

  Nathaniel's hand slipped around Gabriel's neck and eased him down so he could take him in a kiss that lasted so long, they were quite disoriented when the hall clock struck the hour, making them both groan and fall back onto their respective pillows.