“You’re sure your lily white ass is covered?”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you telling him to look?” Elias hissed.
“Yeah, why are you telling me I can look when I know you’re in bed with my son and I’m pretty sure you’re not the only naked one?”
“Okay, you can go away then.”
Thomas whipped his hand away from his face and scowled. “Go away? You guys had me worried like mad, and for what? You were having fun!”
Blake pulled the covers even higher and tried to hide his chest. Not that Thomas had never seen him naked, but still. “I’m sorry. I had no idea what would happen when I got here.”
Thomas arched a brow and crossed his arms on his chest. “You’re telling me you weren’t planning on defiling my virgin son?”
“Daaad,” Elias groaned. He pulled the covers over his head and hid his face against Blake’s shoulder.
Blake patted his head in commiseration, then looked at Thomas. “I wasn’t. I didn’t even know why Elias was waiting for me here when I came.”
“Why did you come, then?”
“Because Corbin asked me to.”
“Could you two please stop talking as if me and Blake weren’t naked under these sheets?” Elias protested.
“Eli, no one knew where you were,” Thomas scolded him. “You know you shouldn’t set foot out of the house with the creature around. I can’t believe you’d do it just to have sex.”
Elias emerged from the covers, his eyes blazing, and Blake was grateful he wasn’t in Thomas’ place. “Okay, first, there’s no just to have sex. Me and Blake made love, and yes, it was fucking important for both of us. I remember someone who couldn’t even make it inside the house, yet I never tried to make you ashamed of it.”
Thomas blushed fiercely and Blake bit on his tongue. He couldn’t laugh now. Nope. Thomas would kill him.
“Second,” Elias continued. “I never actually stepped outside, but neither you nor Blake actually asked.”
Blake blinked at being drawn in the conversation. “I had something else to think about, but I’m pretty sure I remember I did ask,” he pointed out.
Elias narrowed his eyes and Blake held his hands up in surrender. The covers bundled at his waist and Thomas squeaked. Blake looked down at his stomach and winced. Thomas would’ve had to be blind not to see the drying cum on Blake’s skin.
Blake covered himself again, but not without earning himself a scowl from his best friend before he did.
Thomas looked at Elias, scowl still in place. “And how did you get here? And how did you get that?” he asked, pointing at the floor.
Blake frowned and leaned over the side of the bed, careful to keep the covers over his body. Elias was blushing crimson, and when Blake saw that Thomas was pointing at the plug Elias had had in his ass until a half hour before, he blushed too. He wanted to hide under the covers until Thomas disappeared. Thomas was making him feel like a naughty teenager, something that hadn’t happened in more than thirty years, and certainly not coming from Thomas.
Blake reached down and snagged the plug. He let it fall under the covers, not that it’d help since Thomas had already seen it, but it was still better than leaving it there for Thomas to ogle.
“So?” Thomas insisted. “How did you get it?”
“Corbin called two of his friends from the Whitedell pride. One of them is a Nix, so he shimmered around and bought everything for me, and then he shimmered me here.”
Blake groaned and rubbed his face. “Let me guess, Nysys and Keenan?”
Elias nodded. “You know them?”
“Unfortunately, I do.”
Elias frowned. “Why unfortunately? They were fine. A bit weird, but fine.”
“That’s because you’ve seen them only this time, but now that they know you... we’ll never get rid of them. God.”
“So you didn’t go outside?” Thomas insisted.
“No.”
Thomas’ shoulders visibly relaxed. “Okay. Great.” He looked at Elias, then at Blake, and grimaced. “I’m not particularly happy to see this,” he gestured at them.
Elias snorted. “We’re even now.”
Thomas shook his head, but Blake saw the small smile curling his lips. “We are. But you’re only eighteen, Eli, and—”
“We already talked about this, Dad,” Elias scolded.
Thomas sighed. “Right. You’re an adult and you can decide for yourself, and you’re going to be mated in a few months anyway, so I should get used to it and shut up.”
Elias beamed. “Exactly.”
“Was he good to you at least?”
“Dad!” Elias exclaimed.
Blake just groaned and hid his face in his hands.
“Fine, fine. Don’t answer. I’m going to go. Are you coming home tonight?”
Blake looked up, and noticed Thomas looking at him suspiciously. “What?”
“Are you sure you weren’t the one who organized everything?”
“No!”
“Yeah, okay. Just... I don’t want to think about Eli thinking about this stuff.”
“Then don’t,” Eli told him. “And I don’t know if I’m coming back, but if I am, I’ll call Nysys and ask him to shimmer me back, okay? That way you know I’m not going to go prance in the woods alone at night.”
“I didn’t think you would.”
“Yes you did.”
“I just want you to be careful.”
“And I am.”
Blake cleared his throat. “Now that everything’s been cleared up, do you think you could go? I’m feeling a bit exposed.”
Thomas’ eyes widened and he backtracked so fast he stumbled on one of the new carpets on the floor. He still made it out the door in record time and yelled, “Call me, Eli!” before hurrying away.
Blake waited until he heard the front door close to sink back against the mattress and close his eyes. “That was...”
Elias snuggled against his side and Blake wrapped his arms around him. “Horrible.”
“Yeah,” Blake agreed. “And the worst part was that you guys actually started a conversation while you and I were still naked.”
“You know Dad. He’d have wanted to talk even if I’d pointed that out. He’s stubborn like that, and until he was sure I really hadn’t been outside in the forest, he wouldn’t have let it go.”
“Still. And the plug. God.”
Elias snickered. “But if you think about it, it was pretty funny. I thought his eyes would pop out of his skull when he saw it.”
“It was torture.”
“But now he’ll have to really face the fact that we’re together. He can’t deny it anymore, not after what he saw.”
“I didn’t even get to enjoy my afterglow,” Blake whined playfully. He couldn’t deny he’d been humiliated, but Thomas was gone, and Elias was in his arms, naked. He slid a hand down Elias’ back and between his ass cheeks. He teased the small entrance, smiling when he felt it yield to his fingertip without resisting. His finger slipped inside and Elias groaned and pushed back against it.
Elias’ hole was still relaxed and even more lubricated than before, so Blake had no problems slipping a second finger inside him. “Do I get a second try for my afterglow?” he asked.
Elias growled and rolled on his back, pulling Blake on top of him.
* * * *
Eli opened his eyes and smiled when the first thing he saw was dark, slightly curly hair. He tried to move, but Blake was sprawled over him and he tightened his hold when Eli squirmed without even awakening. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, because Blake was bigger and heavy as fuck, but Eli stopped trying to break free. He’d stay until he really couldn’t wait to go pee.
He hugged Blake and buried his fingers in his mate’s hair. The night before had been everything Eli had wanted and hoped for. It’d been even better, and he couldn’t wait until they really moved in the house, toget
her. Until they mated.
Now he understood how important Craig was for his dad. He’d known, of course, because every shifter knew about mates and how important they were, but it had been an abstract idea until now. Now it was much more real, so real Eli could barely breathe.
He chuckled. That had more to do with Blake’s weight on top of him.
“What’re you laughing at?” Blake grumbled.
“Nothing.”
“Then stop. Your chest moves, and it’s not letting me sleep.”
Eli tugged on the lobe of Blake’s ear. “It’s time to get up anyway.”
Blake finally looked up. He was adorably sleepy-eyed, and Eli reached up to scratch at the stubble on his cheek. Blake made a strange sound, almost a purr, and Eli laughed and scratched some more. “Are you sure you’re a wolf shifter? You sound more like a big kitty.”
Blake growled and flashed a hint of fangs. Eli gaped and touched them with the tip of one finger. “How do you do that?”
“Training.”
“Isn’t it weird? It was when it happened yesterday. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to it.”
Blake cocked his head and smiled softly, and Eli realized he’d just given away the fact that he’d been ready to claim Blake last night. He blushed and looked away, but Blake cupped his cheek and forced him to look at him.
“Hey, it’s fine. You’re not the only one whose fangs popped out yesterday. Don’t ever think I don’t want to claim you, because I do. There’s nothing I want more than that.”
Eli sighed. “But we promised we’d wait.”
“Yeah. It’s only a few months, Elias. That way I won’t feel like an old man robbing the cradle.”
Eli laughed. “What will a few months change?”
“Just that you won’t be in high school anymore.”
“I’ll still be eighteen.”
Blake groaned and let his head fall. He pressed his forehead to Eli’s collarbone and Eli couldn’t resist petting his hair again.
“You can’t stay stuff like that, Elias.”
Eli frowned. He knew Blake thought the age difference between them was too great and that he was too old for Eli, but they’d only joked about it until now. Eli didn’t like the fact that Blake really believed it, or that he tried not to think about how old Eli was.
He pulled at Blake’s hair and ignored his mate’s groan of pleasure in favor of looking at him in the eyes. “I know you feel you’re too old, but you’re not.”
Blake opened his mouth and Eli shook his head. “Really. We’re shifters, Blake. Twenty-three years of difference is nothing. It’s not like you’re eighty or something. And even if you were, well, look at Kameron and Zach. They don’t have a problem with it.”
Blake sighed and rolled to his side. He inched upward until their bodies were aligned and swung a leg and an arm on top of Eli. “I think more than the age difference, it’s the fact that your father is my best friend and I played with you when you were a kid that scares me. Hell, I was there when you were born. Not in the room, of course, but I was in the hospital waiting room with Thomas, and I was the third person to take you and hold you, after your mom and your dad. That’s what’s freaking me out.”
Eli sighed and twined his fingers with Blake’s where his hand rested on Eli’s stomach. “I get it. It’s weird for me too, but I’m able to keep you and Uncle Blake separated, at least most of the time. I know you’re the same person, but you’re not. Does that make sense?”
Blake hummed. “It does. It’s just not so easy to do. I don’t know how you manage.”
“You seemed to manage pretty well yesterday evening. And last night. And now,” Eli pointed out.
“Yeah, well. There’s just no way I can put together the kid I used to play with with the man who was waiting here for me yesterday evening.”
“Then continue to do that. Just... act like that kid was another kid. Not me.”
Blake sighed. “I’ll try.”
Eli grinned and pushed him until he rolled on his back. Eli rose and straddled him, wincing just a bit at the pain in his ass. Maybe they should’ve stopped after the second time last night, but it had felt so good to be so close to Blake, without any crisis they needed to solve or attend to. It had been a moment just for them, and Eli didn’t know when it would happen again, so he hadn’t wanted to waste that time.
Eli looked down at the man that would be at his side for the rest of their long lives and grinned. “You better do it, not just try.”
Blake’s eyes darkened and he put his hands on Eli’s hips. “If you continue behaving like this...”
Eli rolled his hips and rubbed his ass on Blake’s erection. “Oh, I will.”
Nysys—and his usual sidekick Keenan—shimmered in a few hours later, just as Blake and Eli were about to leave. Nysys arched a brow at the sight of the bed, now stripped of its sheets. “Had fun?”
Eli blushed. “Not your business.”
“Then I won’t tell you what I know.”
“I don’t want to know.”
“Oh, trust me, you do.”
Eli looked at Blake and Blake shrugged. Eli sighed. “Fine, but first I want to know what you know.”
“You guys need to go to Kameron’s house.”
“Why?”
“Details first.”
Eli took a deep breath and tried to be patient. “Is it urgent?”
“Eh. Kind of, I guess.”
“Can you take us there?”
“Of course I can. If you give me details.”
“I want to know who topped,” Keenan chimed in.
“Blake,” Nysys answered without hesitation.
Blake groaned and buried his face against Eli’s neck.
“How do you know?” Keenan asked.
“Eli’s walking a bit weird, if you know what I mean.” He wiggled his brows and they both turned to look at Eli, who suddenly felt very self-conscious.
“I’m not about to answer that. Just know that I’m very grateful for what you did, so thank you.”
Nysys rolled his eyes. “I bet you’re grateful.” He wiggled his fingers. “Come on, let’s go.”
Blake looked almost fearful, but he grabbed Nysys’ wrist along with Keenan and Eli, who was holding the bunch of dirty sheets. The plug and lube he’d left in one of the nightstands after washing the plug with a bottle of water. He hoped his dad would be able to check the pipes very soon, because he planned to spend a lot of long winter nights in Blake’s house, with his mate to warm him.
Nysys shimmered them away and Eli blinked at Kameron’s kitchen. “Now can you tell us why we’re here?”
Nysys shrugged. “Because it’s were all the fun is right now.”
“Hey.”
Eli looked at the kitchen table and smiled at Craig. “Hey.”
“Your father told me about finding you yesterday.”
Eli blushed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well. He should’ve knocked and waited for us to answer.”
Craig laughed. “Oh, I wasn’t saying you did anything wrong. I just enjoyed Thomas’ rant very much. It was entertaining to say the least.” His gaze slid to Eli’s middle, and Eli realized that even though Craig knew very well what he and Blake had been doing, he probably didn’t need an eyeful of cum-dirty sheets.
He hurried to the laundry room, Craig’s laughter following him, and sighed in relief when he saw the washer was empty. He stuffed his sheets in it and started it. Blake could put them in the dryer and take them to his room when they were clean.
He went back to the kitchen and plonked down on Blake’s lap. Craig didn’t seem to have a problem with Blake and Eli’s PDAs, which was refreshing after the glances Eli’s dad and mom gave him, as well as a lot of pack members their age. Not that he cared.
“So. What’s happening here?”
“Huh?”
“Nysys said the fun was here right now.”
Craig rolle
d his eyes. “Depends on your definition of fun. Kameron is holding a war council.”
* * * *
Blake groaned. A war council meant he’d probably have a part in it. It was his job, of course, but he’d been so intent on Elias lately that everything else took a back seat, even though he hadn’t been able to spend that much time with his mate.
He patted Eli’s thigh. “I guess I should go in and peek.”
Elias’ eyes went wide. “Do you have to? You saw what happened to Zane.”
“I know, but it’s my job.”
Elias sighed deeply and got up. Blake followed suit, but Elias stopped him before he could move way. He pulled Blake close and kissed him hard, and Blake kissed back. “Come back to me, you hear?”
“I will.”
Blake left Elias with Craig and headed to Kameron’s office, but before he could get there, the door opened and people came out. All their faces were grim, and Blake knew they’d made a decision. The last one to come out was Kameron, and he was holding a black plastic collar. “Can I help?” Blake asked.
Kameron nodded. “We’re going now. Some of us will be in their human form, some in their animal one. What do you prefer to fight in?”
“Is the creature’s flesh venomous?” Blake inquired.
“We don’t know.”
“I’ll just have to avoid biting it, then.”
“You can help the others to find it and keep it contained until I manage to put this around its neck.”
Blake followed his alpha outside and stripped. He saw Elias watching from the living room window and smiled at him. Elias feebly smiled back, and Blake shifted. Kameron patted his head when Blake was done.
“Follow Nick.”
Blake yipped in answer and followed the beta. They trotted into the woods, sniffing around even though they knew it would be hard to find traces of the creature.
Blake found a few broken twigs, but he couldn’t find any scent on it, or rather, no weird or unknown scent. It smelled like human and animal, but that wasn’t weird in the pack’s woods.
Blake snapped his head toward the howl that came from his left. He looked at Nick and Nick looked back for a few seconds. They ran toward the sound as fast as they could and walked into chaos.
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