Overall, Blake didn’t even look much older, like a human his age would have. He did look different from how Eli remembered him, only because he’d obviously trained a lot since he’d left. Eli leaned closer and noticed a few silver threads in Blake’s hair and beard. He decided he liked it, and reached to pull on one of the hairs.
Blake’s eyes went round and he grabbed Eli’s wrist before he could actually touch him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m touching you, or at least I’m trying to.” Eli tugged on his wrist but Blake didn’t let go. “What is it?”
Blake slid his hand down and linked his fingers with Eli’s. He put their hands on his knee and looked at Eli. “Can we talk?”
Eli huffed. “What’s there to talk about?”
“How about we talk about the fact that you used to call me Uncle Blake? Doesn’t it disturb you?”
Eli shrugged. “No. It’s been six years, Blake. You’re not my Uncle Blake anymore.”
“So you have absolutely no problems with this?”
Eli growled. “With us being mates? No. I already told you so.”
“What about your friends?”
“They won’t care, just like they don’t care about Zach and Kam, or about Rick and Cole.”
Blake cocked his head and frowned. “Rick?”
“Oh, you don’t know. Of course. Well, you know the council members, I guess.”
“Yes.”
“So Cole’s the ursine member, and he’s mated with Rick Cantrell. Oh, and Rick’s Erskine’s son, but no one knew until he told us a few months ago.”
Blake gaped. He closed his mouth, opened it again, and shook his head. “Wait, Rick Cantrell?”
“Shit, I forgot you weren’t there when he became a member of the inner circle. Anyway. That’s not what I want to talk about right now.”
“And what do you want to talk about?”
“About us.”
Blake looked down at their joined hands and Eli followed his lead. Blake’s hands were bigger and rougher. Eli’s were pale and his fingers were longer. His mom always told him he had an artist’s hands, but Blake’s clearly were those of a man used to hard work.
“I’ve had six years to get used to this, but it’s still weird. I can’t believe you’re accepting it so well. I freaked out when I realized what you were to me.”
“That was probably because I was only twelve.”
“Part of it, yes. Part of it was that I knew Thomas would kill me.”
Eli snorted. “As if. He knows you have no choice. But I guess it’s good you came back now that he’s mated with Craig. He experienced what it means.”
“You’ll have to tell me what happened. I still can’t believe he’s mated to a man.”
“There’s a lot you can’t believe, huh?”
Blake shrugged and Eli leaned toward him. Blake looked at him, an alarmed expression on his face, but Eli was already kissing him, and it felt so good. Eli had no idea what he was doing, but he couldn’t be that bad at it, since Blake extracted his hand from his and slipped both arms around Eli’s waist.
He pulled, and Eli tumbled into his lap. Blake had no problems manipulating Eli’s body until Eli was straddling him, and Eli felt dizzy with the new sensations. Blake’s lips against his, Blake’s tongue probing at his teeth. Blake’s scent, manly and woodsy and just him, surrounding Eli and making him feel like he was in heaven. The feeling of Blake’s hard body against Eli’s softer one, and oh, Blake’s erection pressing against Eli’s groin.
A loud bang made them both jump. “I said no sex!” his dad yelled from behind the door, and Eli groaned and leaned his forehead against Blake’s shoulder.
“We’re not having sex!” he yelled back, even though his answer was muffled by Blake’s shoulder. “Not yet anyway.”
“I heard that!”
“I wanted you to!”
“Elias, do you think you can stop teasing your father?” Blake asked, worry in his voice. “I rather like my balls were they are.”
Eli grinned and rolled his hips. His erection bumped against Blake’s and they both moaned. “I rather like them where they are too, although I’m ready to bet they’d look even better if you were buried in m—”
Blake pressed Eli’s face against his shoulder, muffling his voice even more. Eli laughed and Blake rolled them until Eli was on his back, Blake hovering over him. Eli looked up at him, not knowing what to expect. Blake pressed their hips together and Eli gasped. “I didn’t think you’d be up to this in his dad’s house.”
Blake leaned down and whispered in Eli’s ear. “Oh, I’m very up to this.” He rolled his hips and yeah, Eli could feel just how turned on Blake was.
Eli looped his arms around Blake’s neck just as Blake licked a strip up his neck and breathed shakily. “I thought you wanted to follow Dad’s rules.”
Blake froze.
“Hey, come on. Don’t stop.” Eli tilted his head more, hoping Blake would do as he asked, but Blake started getting up instead. Eli wasn’t about to let Blake back out of this, so he held on harder with his arms and locked his ankles together on the small of Blake’s back.
Blake still managed to get back in a sitting position, but Eli was right there in his lap. Blake slid his hands up Eli’s arms and grabbed his hands, but Eli didn’t let him pull them apart.
“Elias... you’re right, we shouldn’t be doing this here.”
“Damn right you shouldn’t!” Thomas yelled.
Eli gaped at the door. “What are you doing, Dad? Standing there like a creep?”
“Standing here like a father worried for his son and his much older mate!”
“You’re weird!”
There were noises, then voices. Eli stayed still and listened, but he didn’t understand what was said. Then someone knocked on the door. “I told him to go back to the kitchen,” Craig said. “It wasn’t easy for me to convince him, so could you guys just... .keep your hands to yourself while you’re here? Please?”
Eli sighed and let go of Blake’s neck. He flopped backward on his bed, his legs still around Blake’s waist, but Blake gently pushed them away and sat on the edge of the mattress.
“You know we have to talk, right?” Blake said
“Yeah. Do you want to do it now?”
“Would you rather wait?”
“I guess not.”
Blake turned so that he could see Eli. “Do you want to start?”
* * * *
Blake wanted to hear what Elias wanted before talking about himself. That way he could work around Elias’ needs. He was still a hundred percent convinced that Elias shouldn’t revolutionize his life just because Blake had popped back into it.
Elias sat up and pulled his legs to his chest. He circled them with his arms and leaned his chin on his knees. He looked so painfully young, and Blake just couldn’t help feeling guilty.
“Okay, I’ll start. Not that there’s much to say, though. I just want to get to know you as Blake and hopefully mate with you.”
“Are you sure about this? You’re very young. You could travel and do other things.”
“And mating with you wouldn’t allow me to do that?”
“I have a job, and it’s an unpredictable one. I can be sent away for weeks, maybe months, and you wouldn’t be able to contact me.” Blake wasn’t about to tell Elias about the fact that the council tried to keep mated enforcers and those with family close. It wasn’t always possible, but it meant those lengthy missions he’d just told Elias about didn’t happen all that often. He wanted Elias to know what he was accepting when he mated with him.
“Blake, it’s not like I’m going to travel around the world as soon as I graduate. I’ll be going to college next year, so I can’t just leave. I’m sure you guys have some vacation at least once a year, yeah?”
Blake reluctantly nodded. “More than that. Unless there’s an emergency, we usually have from a few days off to a f
ew weeks after a mission. Depends on what the mission was and what happened.”
“See? We could travel together when we both can.”
“What about your friends? What are they going to say about the fact that you’re with an older man?”
Elias narrowed his eyes. “You know, you make it sound like you don’t actually want to mate with me. Like you’re trying your best to make me change my mind. Do you really think I’m that malleable?”
“That’s not what I’m doing.”
Elias snorted. “It sure looks like it.”
“I just want to be sure you know what you’re signing up for. I don’t want you to regret this.”
Elias’ gaze softened. “I don’t think I will, unless you try to force me to do stuff I don’t want to do.”
“I’d never do that.”
“I know. Well, I know my Uncle Blake wouldn’t have, but I don’t think you’re that different from that man.”
“I don’t think so either.”
Elias unfolded himself and inched closer. He put a hand on Blake’s knee and looked up at him. “I’m pretty sure you’re still the good man I knew when I was a kid. A little gruff around the edges, but always ready to help, and so loving. Of course, I’ll have to find out more than that, but we have time.”
Blake cleared his throat and hoped his face didn’t show how much Elias’ words had affected him. “Yes, we have time.”
Elias beamed. “So, when do you want to mate?”
“In a few years? Maybe six?”
Elias gaped. “You want to wait until I’m twenty-five?”
“Too soon? We can wait longer.”
“Are you nuts? I don’t want to wait that long!”
“When did you want to do it, then?”
“How about right now?”
Blake gaped. “Now?”
“Yeah.”
Elias leaned closer and Blake jumped from the bed. He needed to put some distance between them or he’d end up doing just what Elias wanted. “No.”
“Why not?” Elias asked with a pout.
“Why not? Elias... you’re only eighteen, still in high school, and your father would kill me. You have all your life in front of you, why would you want to tie yourself down now?”
Elias scrambled from the bed and stood, facing Blake. All signs of the playful boy Blake had seen until only seconds before were gone, leaving an angry and serious man in their place.
“Don’t talk to me as if I’m too young to decide for myself. What do you think, that we’ll mate and then I’ll change my mind in a few weeks? I might be only eighteen, and I might not always act like a mature man, but I’m not stupid. I know what I want, and I know I won’t change my mind once I get it.”
Blake opened his mouth to reply, but Elias held a hand up, so he didn’t.
“Sure, I’ll probably hate you sometimes and think you’re an ass, but how is that different from any other relationship? I hate my dad sometimes, but it doesn’t mean I wish he wasn’t my dad, not even with what happened with Craig. You don’t want to mate? Fine, but don’t put that decision on me, because it’s not mine. I’m not a kid. You all consider me old enough to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life and go to college to study it, but when it comes to sex I’m an idiot? I don’t think so.”
Blake raised his hands. “That’s not what I’m saying.”
Elias put his hands on his hips. “What are you saying, then?”
“Just that we don’t even know each other. I knew you as a kid, and you know me as your uncle. I think we should take a little time to get to know each other.”
“Doesn’t take six years to do that,” Elias pointed out.
“I’ll admit I was exaggerating a little, but—”
Elias laughed, and Blake smiled. At least his mate wasn’t angry with him anymore.
“A little? You suggested waiting ten years, Blake. That’s not a little.”
“What’s your limit, then? I’ve had time to wrap my head around this, but you haven’t.”
Elias deflated a bit. “I’m really going a bit too fast, huh?”
Blake used a finger to tilt Elias’ face up and kissed his nose. “A bit.”
“How about after graduation?”
Blake thought about it. Graduation was only a handful of months away, but he’d have the time to check on his old house and see if it was still standing or if someone else lived there. He didn’t have a lot of faith in it being habitable, so maybe the best thing he could do was to talk to Kameron, see if he’d want Blake back in the pack.
He still felt it was too soon, but Elias was right—Blake shouldn’t tell him how to think, or make his decisions for him. If he wanted to mate over the summer, then that was what Blake would give him. It still gave both of them more than enough time to change their mind, not that Blake thought either of them would.
“After graduation.”
The smile Elias gave Blake was almost enough to make him cave to an instant mating, but he kept a hold on himself and reached for Elias instead. Elias came willingly into his arms, and Blake leaned his chin on his mate’s hair, reveling in his scent and the feeling of having him in his arms.
“So, is what Thomas said true?” he asked, hoping to lighten the mood.
Elias wrapped his arms around Blake’s waist and looked up. “About what? He said a lot of stuff, and most of them were threats. I don’t think he’ll really kill you, though.”
“Not that. I meant when he said you’re a virgin.”
“Oh. Yeah, he’s right.”
“Just so I know, what have you done with guys? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m just curious.” And jealous as fuck, but Blake wasn’t about to admit that. He certainly hadn’t been a monk during the past six years.
Elias shrugged. “It’s not like I could do anything until a year ago.”
“And during the past year?”
“Nothing much. Just a few kisses, a bit of touching above the clothes, things like that. Why? Is it a problem for you?”
Blake didn’t like the guarded look on Elias’ face, so he hurried to answer. “No. I don’t want to know about what you did with who. I just want to be sure I’m not pushing you to do anything.”
Elias smirked and patted Blake’s chest. “You couldn’t push me to do something I don’t want to do even if you tried, Blake.”
Chapter Three
Eli left his dad’s house with Blake, but they separated quickly. Blake was going to check on his old house and talk to Kameron, and Eli had some talking of his own to do. He’d hope to catch Jarrett alone, but of course his best friend was in the communal area the oldest teens used during winter.
Not that there actually was anywhere else to go, unless one took a car and drove to Gillham. It was something they sometimes did, but it was so much easier to stick with other shifters. They didn’t have to lie, and accidents where someone shifted weren’t a problem.
But it meant that all twenty-plus people between sixteen and twenty-five years old were stuck in the same room together.
The room was great, and big, but still. It made having a private conversation hard. Eli did his best to slink in unseen, but of course the one guy he’d hoped to avoid right now saw him.
Zane smiled and started to walk Eli’s way, so Eli hurried to Jarrett’s side. He pulled on Jarrett’s arm, not caring one bit about the conversation he was interrupting. Jarrett protested until he realized it was Eli who was trying to get his attention. Once he did, he came along without protesting as Eli pulled him outside and carefully avoided looking at Zane.
“What’s up?” Jarrett asked.
Eli leaned his back against the wall and shivered. “Just wanted to let you know what was going on.”
“And?”
“You remember Blake?”
“The guy who was at you house earlier? Isn’t he your uncle or something?”
Eli sh
ook his head. “No. I mean, I used to call him Uncle Blake, but we’re not really related. He’s just my dad’s best friend.”
“And?”
Eli looked down. “And he’s my mate.”
There was absolute silence for a few seconds, then Jarrett was grabbing Eli’s arm and turning him so they were facing each other. “The guy I saw earlier is your mate?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?”
Jarrett let go of Eli and threw his hands in the air. “Why? Maybe because he’s your dad’s best friend? Or because you’ve known him since you were a kid? Wait, why is he even here? Did he come to mate with you?”
Eli laughed. “God, no. If it were up to him we’d wait at least another ten years before mating. No, he didn’t come back for that. He was sent here. He’s one of the council’s enforcers.”
“So he’s moving here? What about Zane?”
“What do you think? I’ll have to tell him we can’t go out.”
“That’s too bad.”
Eli shrugged. “Not much I can do about it.”
“Did your mate tell you to stay away from Zane?”
Eli frowned and cocked his head. “Where’d you get that from?”
“I don’t know. I mean, he’s older and stuff.”
“So what, that means he can command and I have to obey? Seriously?”
Jarrett kicked at a small lump of snow. “It’s not like I know how it works between guys. I mean, I see how it goes between my parents. They’re mates, and what my father says is law, both for us kids and for Mom.”
Eli shook his head. “It’s not any different. There are mated pairs that behave like your parents, and some that don’t. Look at Maxine and Abe. Do you really think she does whatever Abe ask?”
Jarrett chuckled. “Not unless he wants her to kick him out of the house.”
“Yeah. It doesn’t work like that. I mean, Blake even told me I could still date Zane if I wanted to, that he’d wait for me and let me live my life until I’m ready for him.”
“Seriously?”
Elias Page 4