The Carpenter’s Dilemma (Family Secrets Book 2)

by Noah Harris

  The words sunk into Mikael through the fog of anger, making the man blink in shock, “I—of course I know how much it meant to you, how much you risked. What the hell would make you even think I don’t?”

  Outrage flushed through Dean, “Maybe the fact that you turned me away, that you forced me out of here at the first real test we had? Maybe that?”

  Mikael went red, “I was trying to protect you. Father was threatening—”

  Dean’s arms spread out wide in a gesture of frustration, “What? That he was gonna kill me? Well, good job protecting me Mikael, because look where we are now.”

  Mikael frowned, but Dean barreled on before the man could say what was on his mind, “And yes, that was my choice, I get it. I know that I’m responsible for the fact that I just challenged an asshole who is going to love smacking me around, or worse. I was mad Mikael, furious, that for all the things you said, for all that we’ve managed to build in such a short time, you willingly tossed it all out for the sake of him, for some jackass who just wants to control your every action. Well, you know what? I don’t like his plans for you. And I think most of the people in the Grove feel the same way about his many plans. I’m just the only one who is willing to frigging say something, or do something about it. Which is really sad when you think about it. I get to be a martyr for a cause I didn’t even know I gave a shit about. Yet here I am, doing it anyway.”

  The emotion in Mikael’s eyes shifted, showing a flash of the almost feral fear that was obviously motivating the anger, “You aren’t going through with it.”

  “Excuse me?” Dean asked with a huff, eyeing Mikael with all the anger still curled up in his chest.

  “You are not going out there tonight,” Mikael continued stubbornly, “you’re going to get back in my truck and go home.”

  “Like hell I am,” Dean snorted. “Unlike you, I don’t take other people’s orders just because they think they’re scary.”

  Mikael’s nostrils flared, “You’re being petty, and stubborn. And if you don’t willingly go, I will throw you over my shoulder and drag you back to your house if I have to.”

  Dean tensed, eyeing Mikael warily for the first time, “Don’t you dare. Don’t even think about it Mikael, I swear to—”

  Mikael moved, surprising Dean with the swiftness of his movements. With a yelp of surprise, he dropped instinctively, just barely dodging Mikael’s attempt to grab him. Gracelessly, he flopped into a sitting position on the ground, Mikael stumbling over him. The fact that the other man had even tried to grab hold of him and physically force him to do something had Dean mad all over again. With an indignant grunt, he dove for Mikael’s legs, crashing into the back of them and sending the shocked werewolf to the ground with his own yelp and a thundering crash.

  “Dean!” Mikael called out, flailing around on the ground as Dean crawled up his back, trying to keep the man from rolling around. Dean’s knowledge of fighting and wrestling wasn’t that extensive, but he knew enough to realize that if Mikael managed to get his arms around him, Dean was pretty much finished.

  “Go to hell,” Dean grunted, frantically trying to figure out a way to keep the man from moving too much.

  “Quit it!” Mikael snapped as he wriggled about, obviously trying to use his longer limbs to his advantage, one arm smacking the nearby shoulder bag that Dean had left behind the other day. Dean’s attempt to bring the man’s arm back cost him. A strong arm wrapped around Dean’s shoulders as he shifted, yanking him forward. With the same startling speed from before, Mikael shoved Dean to the floor, pressing his entire body down onto Dean, using his superior strength and his weight to keep Dean still.

  “Are you done being a child?” Mikael asked in a low, aggravated hiss.

  “You try to pick me up and carry me like one and I will kick the shit out of you Mikael, I’m not joking,” Dean warned the man, mind already racing over how he could get out of this one.

  Mikael leaned forward, his mouth almost against Dean’s ear, “Never said you had to be conscious for me to do it, Dean.”

  Dean stilled, pausing to assess whether Mikael was serious about that threat, or was just using it to make him behave. As his mind raced, he became aware of an extra pressure, the press of the other man’s crotch against his ass. His thoughts slowed, honing in on the now obvious erection pressing against him, hard enough that even through their jeans, he could feel the pulse of the man’s heartbeat through his cock.

  “Seems like you want me awake, or part of you does,” Dean hissed back, turning his head to look the other man in the eye as best he could from his position on the floor. To accentuate his point, he pressed his hips up, grinding against Mikael’s length. A moan slipped from the werewolf, the noise low and harsh, cut off as if Mikael had caught himself and tried to stop the sound before it became too obvious. For Dean, it was already too late, and he knew damn well that was true for them both, the mood had already shifted.

  “Stop,” Mikael warned, his voice losing a considerable amount of force as he lay there, not moving from his position on top of Dean.

  Dean wasn’t about to be denied though, becoming brutally aware of just how good Mikael’s weight felt as he lay there. Even the man’s angry, harsh breathing had Dean’s arousal growing. He turned his head towards the other man, pressing back against him once more, letting his own groan slip from his lips as he felt the man’s cock press hard against him. It had been days since they had done much more than kiss. He hadn’t been aware of how much he needed the man to touch him, be close to him, and be inside of him, until he felt the man’s thick cock—eager and hard against him.

  He couldn’t tell if Mikael really hesitated for a moment, or if it was his own mind slowing things down, but it didn’t really matter. What he did know, was that when Mikael gave in, bending forward to take Dean’s mouth with his own, the results were explosive. Dean gasped against the fierceness of the kiss, feeling Mikael’s hips grind down against him. Strong fingers dug into his shoulder and hips as Mikael’s tongue pushed into his mouth, tasting him.

  They shared a low noise as Dean pressed back against the grinding motion, trying to use his own strength to match Mikael’s own. There was a bite of pain as Mikael’s teeth nipped at his bottom lip, before trailing a jagged line down to his throat. The pain flared again as Mikael’s sharp teeth sunk into the muscles of his shoulder, his body still trying to press harder against Mikael’s own.

  “Mikael,” he managed, his voice wavering but demanding, as he felt Mikael’s teeth drag along his heated skin.

  “Too much clothing,” Mikael grunted back, his voice even lower than Dean could ever remember hearing it before. Mikael’s hands shifted on him, grabbing at his clothing with a precision and ferocity that caught Dean off guard for a moment. His vision was obscured as his shirt was shoved over his head and tossed away. His attempts to rise were met with a warning growl from Mikael, and a shove back to the ground with enough force to wind him slightly.

  His hips were yanked upward, strong fingers ripping at the button and zipper of his pants before he felt the cooler air of the cabin on the back of his thighs. His brow raised when he heard, rather than felt, the rip of his underwear from Mikael’s grip on them. Apparently, Mikael wasn’t bothering with the slightest bit of restraint or niceties.

  “Baby,” Dean writhed on the floor, hardly able to move since every time he tried, Mikael was quick to hold him down. The sound of the man’s zipper was absurdly loud to his ears. The feel of Mikael’s cock sliding along his ass followed it immediately. When he heard the rustle of the nearby bag and the crack of the bottle, he realized just what he had started. The man wasn’t going to do much more than slap some lube on his cock before shoving it into him. The thought was terrifying, yet his gut twisted in anticipation with a flare of need.

  The head of the man’s cock was cool as it pressed against him, already hastily lubed and pressing against the muscles. Mikael draped himself over Dean’s back, hand trailing up his side, hips sl
owly pressing forward. Anticipation pooled in Dean’s gut, knowing the sensations that were about to slam into him as soon as Mikael made up his mind.

  “Mine,” Mikael growled, simultaneously sinking his teeth into Dean’s shoulder muscles and shoving his hips forward. Dean’s cry was muffled as Mikael’s hand wrapped over his mouth. He hadn’t been quite accurate in his assessment of Mikael’s intent. The flare of painful heat as Mikael’s cock spread him apart wasn’t just about the man taking him there on the floor. In the rough movements, Dean sensed that Mikael was intent on burying himself as quickly as possible in him, claiming him in the most direct way.

  He swore against the palm pressed tight against his mouth. His body was fighting the intruder instinctively, muscles protesting the brutal invasion. Only the mental thrill of the man pressing tight against him kept him going without much more than a bit of wiggling on his part. There was a desperation to the other man’s movements as much as there was a drive toward overwhelming dominance. Mikael wasn’t just trying to make a point to Dean, he was making a point to himself, grasping at something as desperately as he knew how.

  His body twisted as the head of Mikael’s cock slid back and then forward, burying itself completely in Dean. Heat flared through him, the pain changing to something else as Mikael’s cock found the perfect spot within him. Moaning wantonly, he pressed his hips back as best he could, now beginning to physically welcome the invading pain.

  Mikael’s movements became earnest thrusts at Dean’s sudden shift in response. Their skin slapped together harshly as he began to shove down into Dean. Mikael’s hand moved from Dean’s mouth, curling just below his neck, pressing into Dean’s collarbone. The extra bit of leverage was what he was looking for, even as the grip turned possessive.

  Dean gave another desperate moan, head spinning from conflicting sensations. Rough sex wasn’t a new thing for them, but this was an entirely different degree of rough. Mikael’s grip was probably going to leave marks, and the man was so harshly shoving inside of him that his whole body jerked with every thrust.

  “Say it,” Mikael demanded, his thrusts already becoming a little jerky.

  He had fought Mikael’s attempts at dominating or controlling him from the moment he had come back to The Grove. Now at the man’s demand, Dean’s stubborn refusal to cooperate dissolved instantly. Something buried beneath the man’s harsh demand crumbled his resolve in that moment.

  “Yours,” he replied, voice shaky but earnest, “I’m yours, Mikael.”

  Mikael’s body tightened and he buried himself inside of Dean with a thrust hard enough to drag another cry from him. Dean’s own body was so sensitive and alert by now that he could feel the other man swell inside of him. He could still feel the ache of the other man’s sudden intrusion, even as the man’s cock twitched deep inside of him as Mikael unloaded into his body.

  When Mikael’s body softened, Dean awaited the resulting pullout. When it came, the movement was slow and careful. Dean groaned at the sudden loss of pressure within him, already missing it even as his ass ached. Mikael took the moment to roll him over, gently this time. The hot skin of his back pressed against the cool floor. Mikael lay over him again, intent eyes staring down at him.

  Dean was only vaguely aware of Mikael moving again, and then the press of the man’s cock came again. Dean’s attention sharpened, groaning in something between protest and desire as Mikael slipped inside of him again. This time the slide was slow, the man savoring the feeling of sliding into Dean. The look on Mikael’s face struck a chord deep in Dean as the man slid his arms beneath Dean’s shoulders, holding him tightly as he bottomed out inside of him.

  “Mikael,” Dean gasped the man’s name, back arching as the sensitive nerves flared to life once more. The slight sting of pain was there, a reminder of the rough initial entry, but it melded and mixed with the delicious pleasure of the man’s slow second entry.

  “Say it again,” Mikael murmured. His voice was different, the tone now showing what was beneath his hard demand before. Worry, fear, warmth, and guilt, the voice of a man who so desperately needed reassurance, and was only willing to show it at this moment of stark intimacy.

  “Yours,” Dean repeated, voice low and thick with promise as he wrapped his arms around Mikael’s body and pulled him down to him. Their foreheads pressed tight to one another’s, Mikael’s hips rocking a steady rhythm down into Dean. As hard and fast as the sex had been mere moments before, it had flipped to something equally as slow and gentle.

  Clear thoughts were no longer viable for him at this point, his body aching and needful. Sensation melded with emotion, curling in his chest as Mikael rocked against him. The pleasure of the man filling him, pushing against wonderfully sensitive nerves, mixed with the comfort he provided with the warmth of his body and the strength of his arms. Hell, even the way the man’s cock filled him completely was a comfort, his own reassurance in this crazy situation they were trapped within.

  Dean’s own cock had been hard from the moment he’d been pinned to the ground. In the initial frenzy and aftermath, he had forgotten about it. Now, the rising pressure in his groin reminded him of its existence. It was a signal of the end, of this blissful moment of sheer warmth and comfort coming to a dramatic close.

  Mikael clearly sensed that it was coming, his eyes flitting away from Dean’s face and down to his groin before returning. His lips brushed against Dean’s, a fluttering brush between them. Then their lips pressed together harder, Dean attempting to call the man’s name once more as he felt the wave build and then crash within him. The sound of his voice was lost against Mikael’s lips, his cock jumping between them, coating them both as Dean came with a long, fierce convulsion.

  Mikael’s thrust continued, pushing him further into the pleasure of the orgasm that had wiped away everything. Everything but the comforting pressure of the man surrounding him, and the sudden swell of his cock inside him. The feel of the man’s second orgasm swept through him, dragging another heady cry from Dean, even as he felt his own name spoken against his lips.

  When the moment broke, Dean just lay there, happy to be holding onto Mikael as they slumped. All the fight had gone out of them, but it felt like they had lost other things as well. It was nothing to be missed. The sudden wash of contentment and low, almost humming peace that filled his body told him that clearly. Mikael was nuzzling against his jaw, warm and almost purring.

  “I love when you do that,” Dean admitted faintly.

  “Do what?” Mikael asked with an equal lack of strength to his voice.

  “Stay inside me afterward,” Dean told the man. “It makes me wish we could sleep like that.”

  Mikael hummed a happy sound, pulling himself free, ever so gently and carefully so he could sprawl next to Dean. Despite what Dean had just said, he took the shift in position with happy grace. Mikael lay on his back, wrapping an arm around Dean’s shoulders as Dean spread himself across Mikael, laying his head on the man’s chest. Dean found Mikael’s free hand, curling their fingers together, holding them like that atop Mikael’s chest.

  There seemed to be an unspoken agreement between them now. That Dean would be going through with the Challenge was a given. But Dean also felt strongly that Mikael was currently wondering how he could help. Dean knew that the man wanted to help, but also that he didn’t know how without brazenly putting himself against his father. Dean didn’t have any answers for the man, it was something he would have to figure out on his own. There were a lot of things that he didn’t know, but he recognized that it would be up to Mikael to decide if he would fight for this or not.

  Mikael’s breathing slowed, becoming deep and even. Despite the tension that Dean knew was running through the larger man, he was already drifting. He nuzzled against the top of Dean’s head, giving a contented sigh, and then seemed to drift off into a peaceful sleep. Dean hoped it was a dreamless one.

  Feeling the threat of what was to come later as a distant thought, almost a dream in the b
ack of his mind, he watched the man sleep. He wanted to run a finger along his brow, or at least down the line of his jaw. Yet, he didn’t want to disturb the man either. For the first time since they’d arrived here, Mikael didn’t seem tense or angry.

  “I love you,” the words slipped from his mouth before he could think about them. They made sense though, and he had known their truth long before this moment. He would have never thought that he was the type of man who would fall in love in such a short time. Over the last few months, his life had been full of surprises, so this just fit the pattern.

  Content with this little statement, and with it being a secret for a little longer, he let sleep wrap him up, drifting off into his own dreamless slumber.

  chapter

  Fourteen

  The smell of the night around them was sharp to Dean’s nose as they walked. It was a smell that was more dirt and low growing plants than anything else. For Dean, he would swear that it was the smell of the night when the moon hung above them. All things considered, he was rather glad that it wasn’t near the full moon. He remembered Mikael telling him that werewolves tended to be at their most aggressive and instinctual when the moon was full.

  Mikael followed behind, allowing Dean to walk before him at the head of the small group of people who were his escorts. Katarina trailed behind her brother, Artemis beside her and Apollo of course behind her, following close by. They had all appeared outside of Mikael’s cabin, silently waiting for the two of them to emerge. Each of them had looked at Dean with different emotions on their faces, though he certainly felt they were all looking at him as a dead man walking, which wasn’t particularly comforting.

  Mercifully, the walk wasn’t a long one. He remembered that the area where the fight would take place was near their sacred cairn. This was probably the only way he was ever going to get close to the place as it was. The path that would take them there apparently went through a denser part of the forest than he had seen so far. Each tree was incredibly thick and lush, and he could feel the age coming off of them like a subtle aura.