Elias

by Catherine Lievens

  “Thomas? He has trouble making his cell phone work.”

  “Right. Still, we should take advantage of the time we still have before he comes here.”

  Blake’s expression shifted. “And what did you have in mind?”

  Eli leaned his face closer to Blake’s, but he didn’t kiss him yet even though his lips were mere inches away. “What do you think?” he whispered.

  He slid a hand down Blake’s chest and stilled it over his heart. It was beating steadily, and Eli breathed in rhythm with it.

  Blake closed the distance between them and kissed Eli. He kept his hands on Eli’s waist, but Eli wasn’t as shy or cautious. He moved both his hand down Blake’s back, and once he reached the bottom of his sweater, he slipped them under it. He pressed them on the warm skin of Blake’s back, enjoying the way Blake shuddered, then slipped them around his body and onto his stomach.

  He trailed one hand up Blake’s chest, played with the hair around his nipples, and pushed the other hand downward. He managed to slip the tip of his fingers into Blake’s jeans and got a thrill when he realized his mate was commando under the rough denim.

  Eli touched the tip of Blake’s cock and Blake swore against his mouth, but he didn’t push Eli away. Eli twirled his fingertip in the stickiness on top of Blake’s cockhead, spreading it before teasing the slit.

  “No sex in this house!”

  Eli and Blake jumped and Eli snatched his hand back. They looked at each other, eyes wide, and Blake chuckled softly. Eli bit on his lower lip and held his hand up, showing the precum still on his fingertips to Blake. When he was sure he had Blake’s attention, he raised his hand and sucked his finger in his mouth.

  Eli had tasted his own spunk a while back, because he’d been curious. Blake’s was a bit saltier than his, and not unpleasant. Still, he wasn’t licking it off his fingers because it tasted good, but to make Blake aware of just what he was missing, so he made a show out of it.

  He sucked on his finger, then popped it out of his mouth and licked it. Blake groaned and pulled Eli closer, smashing their chests together and pressing their foreheads against each other’s. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

  Eli laughed. “I hope not, because I plan to fuck you soon.”

  “Soon, huh?”

  Eli licked his lips. “Soon.”

  * * * *

  Blake was on patrol, but his mind kept on drifting to Elias and what had happened between them the night before. They hadn’t even taken their clothes off, yet it had been hot as fuck, enough that Blake had jacked off as quietly as possible as soon as he’d gone back to his room in Kameron’s house.

  His reservations about being with Elias were slowly melting, and not just because Elias seemed on board with it. Blake was discovering Elias as an adult, and he loved it. He loved Elias, period. Blake had loved him when he was a child and was already learning to love him as an adult, even though it was a very different kind of love.

  How could he not love Elias? It was a given, especially after Blake had found out what Elias had done for his father and had watched him coaxing Corbin out of his shell the night before. Blake’s mate was a caring man, and Craig was right, Elias had a good head on his shoulders, probably more than Blake. Sometimes it felt like Elias was the older one rather than Blake.

  “Something’s moving to your right,” Blake’s partner whispered.

  Blake looked at Nootaw. “You can smell what it is?” he whispered back.

  Nootaw stopped and sniffed the air. “Deer.”

  Blake relaxed. “Right.”

  Nootaw nodded at him and started walking again. No one else had wanted to be partnered with the wendigo shifter, and while Blake could understand why, he didn’t share those reasons. Maybe it was because he’d actually spent time with Nootaw when they still lived in Whitedell and knew the guy wasn’t dangerous, whatever his species was, but it didn’t matter.

  “So, how do you like it here?”

  Nootaw shrugged, and Blake wondered what a conversation between Nootaw and Corbin might be like. They probably would be able to communicate through shrugs or something. “I’m not sure I heard that,” he insisted.

  “You know, you got even more annoying after we moved here,” Nootaw pointed out.

  “Me? I’m not annoying,” Blake protested.

  Nootaw narrowed his eyes at Blake. “You’re different. You look... lighter. Happier.”

  “That’s because I’m with Elias again. I missed him. My wolf missed him.”

  Nootaw looked at Blake for a few seconds before shaking his head. “I wish I had that too.”

  “A mate?”

  “Yes. Or even just someone who accepts me for me and doesn’t think I’m a monster just because of what I am.”

  “You might, who knows?”

  “Wendigoes don’t have mates.”

  “Isn’t your brother mated, though?”

  “Chogan is Jared’s mate, not the contrary.”

  “What does it matter? Maybe you’re a shifter’s mate?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Have you met every single shifter? Or even every member of this pack?” Nootaw shook his head, his black hair moving around his face. He wasn’t wearing a hat—heck, he wasn’t even wearing a jacket—yet he didn’t look cold. “So how can you know? Maybe you’re a pack member’s mate.”

  “Even if I am, why would they want me?”

  “Why did Jared want Chogan?”

  “Chogan is different. Always was.”

  Blake grimaced. There wasn’t much he could say against that. He didn’t know Nootaw all that well, since the man was tightlipped, but he did know that while Chogan had never eaten human meat, preferring plants, Nootaw had. Still, it didn’t mean Nootaw was a monster. “You changed.”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Of course it does. Would you eat human meat now that you know there’s an alternative?”

  Nootaw shook his head again. “No.”

  “There you go. I’m sure that if you really have a mate out there, he’ll be able to see what I see.”

  Nootaw paused and looked at Blake. “And what do you see?”

  “Someone who led a hard life and had to do what he could to survive. Someone who did survive and who came out of it stronger, and someone who wanted to make changes even if he didn’t have to, and made those changes.”

  “Really?”

  “Yup.”

  Nootaw’s head jerked to the side and he sniffed. “Two men coming.”

  Blake looked the direction Nootaw was looking and waited. Angelo came out of the wood, a young man Blake didn’t recognize trailing behind him. “Everything clear?”

  Angelo nodded. “It’s like this fucking thing disappeared.”

  Blake held his hand out to the other man. “Blake Morris.”

  The guy’s eyes widened. “Blake Morris?”

  “Yeah. And you are?”

  “Oh, I’m Zane.”

  Of course Blake would have to meet the guy who’d almost dated Elias. Still, he shook Zane’s hand and stayed polite, or rather, he ignored him. Blake couldn’t deny Zane was good-looking, definitely more than he himself was. He could see what Elias had seen in him, especially when he started talking to Nootaw, ignoring the fact that he was a wendigo.

  “What’s up between you and Zane?” Angelo asked.

  “He’s the guy Elias was kind of dating when I came back.”

  “Oh. Awkward.”

  “Yeah.”

  Angelo was silent for a moment, then he said, “He’s a nice guy, though.”

  “I never said he wasn’t.”

  “You just want to bury him in the snow and leave him there.”

  Blake chuckled and shook his head. “Nah. He didn’t really do anything to me.”

  “Except being prettier. You’re lucky your guy doesn’t mind your ugly face.”

  “Look who’s talking.”
<
br />   “Pfft. I might not have the looks, but I still get laid more than you.”

  “Never thought that might be because I knew who my mate was?”

  “Excuses, excuses.”

  Blake laughed and slapped Angelo’s shoulder. “Let’s go back. I’m freezing, and we’re done for now anyway.”

  They took the lead, Nootaw and Zane behind them. Blake could hear Zane chatting even though Nootaw wasn’t answering, and the guy was adorable. He had no doubts Zane and Elias would have lasted as a couple, and he felt lucky he’d come back when he had, before they’d become close.

  Nootaw growled something and Blake swung backward. He just had the time to see something black hurling itself at him before it knocked him down. He fell backward, the weight of the creature they’d been looking for burying him in the snow. The creature panted, its fetid breath making Blake want to puke.

  The thing was hauled away from him, but he’d had the time to see it, really see it. It wasn’t human, but it wasn’t animal either. Blake was sure he’d seen intelligence in the black eyes that had looked down at him, and as he scrambled to his feet, he took the time to look at it.

  It was on the short side and walked on two legs. The legs looked more like the rear legs of a cat than human, and they were covered in black fur. The creature wore only a loincloth or something similar, and its entire body was furry. Its face was flat like a human’s would be, but Blake saw the glint of wicked fangs when it lunged for Angelo.

  Nootaw grabbed it at the scruff and pulled it backward, and the creature roared at him. It tried to run for the trees, but Nootaw blocked his way. The creature turned and Blake noticed claws on its hand—or paws, whatever they were. It roared and tried to escape again, but Angelo was there.

  Blake knew what would happen mere seconds before it did. The creature bypassed him and turned toward Zane, who looked a little green. He obviously was the weakest element in their group, and the creature knew it. It launched itself toward Zane and Zane froze. Nootaw roared and shifted, but the creature had already knocked Zane down and passed over him, heading straight for the forest.

  Blake let Nootaw and Angelo run after it and hurried to Zane’s side. Zane was blinking up at the sky, and Blake kneeled beside him. “Are you hurt?”

  Blake examined Zane’s face, but there was nothing there. Since he didn’t have gloves on, Blake grabbed his hands and looked at them too. His stomach sank when he took Zane’s left hand. There was a scratch on the back of it, not deep, but with what they knew about the creature, it could be enough for Zane to die. “Shit!”

  Blake got up again and looked around, but the other two were nowhere in sight. He leaned down and took Zane in his arms, thanking Fate for the fact that shifters were stronger than humans, because he wouldn’t have been able to do it if they hadn’t.

  He hurried away, praying Zane would be fine.

  Chapter Five

  Eli parked the car in front of Kameron’s house and honked. When nothing happened a few minutes later, he honked again.

  “Jago’s late again,” Jarrett pointed out from the passenger seat.

  “Tell me something I don’t know. Do you think we should go and get him?”

  “Probably. I don’t want to wait in the car for hours.”

  Eli smiled at Corbin in the rear mirror. “You okay with going?”

  “Yes.”

  They all got out of the car. Jago opened the door just as they climbed the porch, still in his pajamas. “Jago! It’s three in the afternoon! Why are you still in your pajamas?”

  Jago waved them in and disappeared into the kitchen. Eli, Jarrett and Corbin took their jackets off and left them in the entrance, along with their shoes, then they joined Jago. Eli noticed Corbin kept some distance between them, isolating himself. He knew he shouldn’t push, but he wanted Corbin to start making friends. He hadn’t even talked to Jarrett yet, but then Jarrett had been cautious around Corbin, too. Jago, however, was always friendly, so Eli hoped he and Corbin would hit it off.

  “Sorry. There was a problem at work and I had to go in,” Jago answered, yawning as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

  “You could have called. We can reschedule or something.”

  “Gosh, no. I need some time away from the hospital. I feel like I spend most of my time there.”

  Jarrett hopped on the counter. “You know you could work for the pack, like Kameron asked you. Better hours, better pay. I still don’t get why you’re so bent on being a nurse at the hospital rather than here.”

  Corbin was hovering at the door, almost as if he was unsure whether to come in or not. Eli noticed him looking at Jago, but he wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was the way Jago’s fire-red hair was sticking up on his head, or the way his pajama bottom looked to be about to fall down his legs with every movement he made. Eli couldn’t deny Jago was hot, although not really his type. Besides, he didn’t fool around with friends.

  “Jago, you know Corbin?” he asked.

  Jago cocked his head and looked at Corbin. “I’ve heard of you, but we’ve never met before, right?” Holding his mug with one hand, he held the other one out to Corbin. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  Corbin seemed frozen, so Eli gave him a push with his shoulder. He hadn’t expected Corbin to lose his balance and topple forward. Jago was fast, stepping forward and stopping Corbin’s fall.

  Corbin put both hands on Jago’s shoulders and Jago’s mug crashed on the floor, coffee spilling everywhere, including on Jago’s naked feet. He swore and took a step backward, and Corbin followed him, never releasing him. Eli saw Jago slide a hand around Corbin’s waist and he arched a brow.

  Silence fell in the kitchen as both Eli and Jarrett eyed Corbin and Jago. Jago’s eyes were huge as he looked at Corbin’s face, only a few inches above his. He was still holding on to Corbin’s waist, just like Corbin was still clutching his shoulders.

  “Oh my God,” Jago croaked.

  Corbin raised a trembling hand and skimmed a fingertip along Jago’s jaw, and Eli felt oddly like he and Jarrett were out of place, like they were seeing something they shouldn’t have, something intimate.

  Of course, Jarrett didn’t seem to feel it. “Guys, what are you doing?”

  Corbin snatched his hand away as if Jago’s skin had burned him and stepped away. Jago’s hand fell to the side and he blinked. “He’s my mate.”

  Eli laughed at the stunned expression on Jarrett’s face, but he couldn’t deny he was feeling pretty surprised himself. “That’s... wow.”

  Jago chuckled, the sound bordering on hysterical. “Tell me about it. The last thing I expected when I got up a few minutes ago was to have my mate walk into the kitchen.”

  Eli inched closer to Corbin. He didn’t know how his new friend was taking it, and Corbin’s expression was his usual blank one. “Corbin?”

  “Yes?”

  “You know what that means, right?”

  Corbin cocked his head and looked at Eli. “Yes.”

  Eli glanced at Jago, who still looked shocked, then back at Corbin. “You also know you don’t have to mate with Jago if you don’t want to?”

  Eli heard Jago sputter, but he knew his friend would understand once Eli told him about Corbin.

  “I know.”

  “So... what do you want to do?”

  For the first time since Eli had met him, Corbin looked lost. He looked at Eli with wide eyes and Eli could see his hands were trembling. “I don’t know. I... I don’t know.”

  “Okay, how’s this—you tell Jago about your life, or I can do it if you prefer it that way. Then you and Jago can get to know each other. You don’t have to decide now.”

  Corbin nodded. Eli turned to look at Jago, hoping his friend wouldn’t be angry with him. Jago didn’t look angry, but confused. He looked from Eli to Corbin, then back again, and Eli knew he was dying to ask questions. “How about I come with you in your room while you dress?” he asked, trying to make his vo
ice a happy one.

  Jago startled and looked at the coffee still on the floor. “I have to clean up.”

  Eli looked at Jarrett, who was doing his best to look everywhere but at him. “Jarrett and Corbin can do it.” He reached out and grabbed Jago’s wrist, pulling him along as he exited the kitchen.

  He stopped in front of the bathroom and pushed Jago inside. “Clean up, your feet are leaving coffee prints all over the place. I’ll be in your room when you’re done.”

  He closed the door and went to Jago’s room. It was a mess, just like always, but Eli loved being there. It was so colorful and bright.

  Jago’s bed was a mess of apple green blankets and black sheets, so Eli made it before sitting on it and looking around. There were bright green curtains at the window, doubled with some heavier black ones for when Jago had to sleep during the day. They’d painted the walls a soft blue that summer, and there were big paintings on each of them, paintings Jago had done in his free time. They were landscapes from pack territory, and Eli smiled every time he saw them.

  “Come on, spill,” Jago declared as he walked into the room and went straight for his dresser.

  “Do you know anything about Corbin?”

  “Just that he was supposed to be an enforcer but Kam doesn’t want him to. He had a huge fight over the phone about that the other day.”

  “Okay, so I’m sure Kameron told Dad and Craig about it, since Corbin lives with us, but I wasn’t privy to that conversation, so I’ll tell you what I know. I talked with Corbin a few times, and he told me he was raised in the labs, like, ever since he was born. He never knew his mother and was trained to fight and kill ever since he was a small kid. He went on his first mission when he was fourteen and killed for the first time when he was sixteen. That was two years ago.”

  Jago had turned away from the dresser and was standing in front of Eli, gaping and holding a pair of socks in his hands. “That’s...”

  “I know. It’s terrible. He’s never had a friend, or anyone who loved him, really, and I think he doesn’t know how to react when someone actually shows affection for him. I didn’t mean he shouldn’t mate with you before. I just wanted to be sure that he knew he didn’t have to. You’re going to have a hard time getting through the shell he built growing up.”