by Shelby Lynn
He silently thanked the Spirits for finding his mate.
Chapter Three
Sawyer had always prayed to the Spirits that he would find his mate. However, he thought he was destined to roam the world without a mate after all the heartache and abuse he suffered growing up. What would he do with a mate? He wasn’t a gentle man. Would he hurt his mate? With all the rage inside of him, he just didn’t know. It was all he could think about as he drove them back toward the Cedarhill Pack house.
Where did he begin? The shock of almost losing his mate had shocked him to his soul. Never in all of his years had he thought he’d have such instant feelings for another person. He wanted to protect this man. All it took was one look into those sultry amber eyes, and he was lost. Until that moment, his mom and little sister were the only other people in the world that he’d professed to have feelings for.
All Sawyer wanted to do was pull his mate close and never let him go. It shocked him just how much he cared about Johnny already. He knew his mate was in shock from everything that had happened to him tonight. Hell, how could he not be, Sawyer thought.
Sawyer didn’t even know where to start. He had never been good at communication, he was fighter, and that's how he expressed himself. Would his mate be disappointed in him? Sawyer wondered.
Johnny could hear those last thoughts Sawyer had. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but his mind was practically shouting the thoughts. “I’m just as confused, Sawyer,” Johnny told his mate. He could almost feel the tension pouring off his mate. He didn’t know what was bothering his mate. Johnny just didn’t want him to feel alone.
“Johnny, I hardly even know where to start. You heard my thoughts even before we’re mated. How are you able to do that?” Sawyer asked confused.
“I have always been able to read strong thoughts and emotions. I’m not sure why I am able to, Sawyer,” Johnny told him.
“My Alpha's mate can do things like that as well. I really don’t know a lot about it though. I’m so bad at connecting with people. Really, I never have with anyone besides my mom and sister. I want that with you, my mate, but I don’t even know how to start.”
“Sawyer, you just made the hardest move right now by telling me. I know how hard it is to open up to someone. When we have been hurt in the past, it makes it that much harder to put ourselves out there,” Johnny told him. He could hear the admiration from his mate.
“Thank you for understanding, Johnny.”
“We have all the time in the world to tell each other those parts of ourselves, Sawyer. Why don’t we just take this time to get to know each other,” Johnny told his mate. He was just as confused, but he was willing to try for Sawyer.
“I like that idea, Johnny, and thank you for understanding,” Sawyer told his mate. All he wanted was his mate’s happiness.
“Sawyer, I would really like to get to know you. Anything that you feel comfortable telling me. Your likes and dislikes, if you have any hobbies...” he told his mate.
He could see the eagerness in his mate’s eyes. He didn’t want to disappoint him in anyway so he nodded his head in acceptance.
“Why don’t you tell me about our new home? Garrett has shared a little with me, but I would love to hear it from you.” It truly sounded like an incredible place.
“Well, as you probably already know, we live in a small town called Ashford, Washington. Haven was able to purchase four thousand acres there after he left his father’s Pack. It’s amazing there, with the mountains that surround the area.
“It is secluded enough that we don’t have to worry a lot about hunters when we are in our other form. Still, it’s not always safe to go out alone into the wildness. We usually buddy up as much as possible if we are going for a long run.
“We are still a relatively small Pack considering we are an all-gay male Pack to date. Not that the Alpha would ever discriminate if anyone else wanted to join our Pack, he wouldn’t have a problem. I’m thinking that Garrett would be of like mind, from everything that I’ve found out about him,” Sawyer shared with his mate.
“Garrett does seem like a very caring and understanding Alpha mate,” Johnny said. Then he quieted down to hear the rest of what his mate was telling him.
“We live in huge Alpha house that Haven had built right after he bought the property. I love the log style in which he had it built. From the first moment that you walk in the door, you have such a feeling of homecoming. At least, that’s the way I felt the first time I walked through those doors with my mom.”
“Your mom is a part of the Pack?” Johnny asked his mate.
“Not now she isn’t. Not long after we moved into the Pack house, she found her True Mate. She is truly happy now since she was given a second chance after losing my real father.”
“What is your mom’s name?” Johnny asked his mate.
“Her name is Mary, and she is now mated to Gregory Childers from the Pack about twenty miles away. She is busy now with my little sister, Megan, she keeps mom on her toes. Megan is only three, so she is into everything.” Sawyer really loved being around his little sister. She was such a happy little girl, without a care in the world. Just like all little ones should be.
“I can’t wait to meet them. I’ve always loved being around children. That's something I can honestly say I’m glad I don’t have to miss out on. It will be good to be a part of a family again,” Johnny told him. He hoped his mate would be understanding of all his secrets.
“When you feel comfortable, you can tell me what happened to your own family. I don’t like to see sadness in those sparkling amber eyes. I promise, Johnny, that I’ll try to be the best mate, but I have to warn you, I will make a lot of mistakes. I’ve never really been around a loving couple. Even with my mom’s new mate, it seems almost surreal to watch them together.” There was hope in his eyes as he told Johnny about his mom’s happiness.
“It’s hard to trust that Gregory is going to be different than your stepfather was. I understand that, Sawyer,” Johnny told his mate. Trust was something that didn’t come easily to either of them, it seemed. He had so many secrets still bottled-up inside.
“In time, I hope that we can share all of our hardships, but I think we have made a good start,” Sawyer told Johnny as they pulled into the Cedarhill Pack house driveway. They were meeting everyone at the Pack house before departing for the night.
“Well, my mate, it looks like we are the last to make it back to the Pack house. Let’s go see what is happening.” Sawyer looked into his mate’s handsome face, and he could easily get lost in those expressive amber eyes.
The heat that burned between them was so hot. He knew he couldn’t wait another moment to finally touch his mate. His hand was practically hurting from not touching him, and from the scorching look in Johnny’s eyes, Sawyer knew Johnny was feeling the exact same way.
Sawyer leaned over and took his mate’s mouth in a scorching kiss. From the moment their lips touched, both were lost in the feel of each other. A satisfying groan came from both men as they explored their passion. This was the way they were meant to be, holding each other in love’s embrace.
Johnny had never been the aggressor in a kiss before, but somewhere deep inside was the urge to take control. He tentatively at first brushed his tongue along the edge of his mate’s lips, seeing what the response would be from his mate.
Sawyer responded in kind and quickly took control of the steaming kiss. He would be in charge at least for this one kiss, he thought.
Johnny’s fingers had a mind of their own as they quickly found the silky black tresses of Sawyer’s hair. When his hands tightened in his hair, it brought about a groan of passion from his mate. Hmm, seemed his mate liked a little rough play, which was something that Johnny quickly tucked away in the back of his mind to remember for later.
It was all that Sawyer could do to pull away from his mate’s delectable mouth in that moment. He had no choice in the matter, he thought. The others were waiting for them in
side to go over just what the hell had happened earlier.
“This is the very last thing that I want to do, but we have to stop,” Sawyer told his mate. “Everyone is waiting for us inside to talk about the dangers we are facing.” His hands where itching to be buried in those blond tresses. His passion-filled face was the most erotic sight he had ever seen.
Johnny was almost breathless when Sawyer pulled away from his lips. The feeling of loss was instant, but he knew how important it was to be prepared for this danger in their lives. It looked like the evil that had entered their world was here to stay.
Chapter Four
It had been years since his brother had left him, along with the opportunity to claim what was his. With each year that passed, he became more obsessed with finding him. It was his right to control him and his gift of healing. Chad could just imagine how much people would pay him to save the un-savable.
Their parents blamed themselves for Johnny leaving that night. They had no idea that he was the one who caused him to take off into the night. Damn, if he had suspected Johnny would have taken off like that, he would have made sure someone kept an eye on Johnny that night.
Over the years, his parents seemed to resign themselves to losing their youngest son. Chad always wondered if Johnny had gotten hold of them somehow. If Johnny had assured them he was safe, then Johnny never told them about him. His parents still considered Johnny their son.
Something told Chad that if his parents really knew what happened that night, then he would’ve been kicked right out of the Pack. He wasn’t the strongest wolf, but he did know how to play dirty.
For years now, Chad listened for any kind of information on Johnny. Something was telling him that it was only a matter of time. His stubbornness in the matter was going to pay off. All he had to do was wait for it to fall right into his lap.
***
When Sawyer and Johnny knocked on the front door of the Cedarhill Pack house, Shannon, Alpha mate of the Cedarhill Pack, and Co-leader of the Dream Weaver Council, opened the door seconds later.
“Come on in, men. Everyone is already in the meeting room. I was just putting Timmy to bed after the excitement of tonight. We weren’t sure that he would sleep a wink. Instead, he went to sleep halfway through the story I was reading.” Shannon told the men with pride for his son.
“Wow, you did make it back fast,” Johnny said.
“Well, it’s amazing just how fast our Phoenix counterparts can really fly. It did wear out our little guy though, maybe we should do that every night,” Shannon told them with a laugh as they walked down the hallway. After the night they had been through, he needed the laughter even more than he could say.
Sawyer remembered being here just a few short hours ago, and scenting his mate for the very first time. The smile that touched his lips at the memory was there for all to see.
“What is it, my mate,” Johnny asked.
“I was remembering the happiness I felt upon finding you here just a few short hours ago. If it wasn’t for everything that happened tonight, I would wonder if I was dreaming about you again,” Sawyer told his mate.
“You had dreams as well, Sawyer?” Johnny asked in amazement.
“They were very unclear, and didn’t tell who you were. All I knew was that you were in danger. I’m just so glad that you are fine, Johnny,” Sawyer told his shocked mate. Every moment he spent in this man’s presence, was winding him deeper into his heart.
This was definitely one subject, they would need to discuss at a later point. Right now, they had several men waiting on them in the room just ahead.
They followed Shannon into the room, directing them to two empty chairs across the table, while he went and sat in the seat right next to his mate, and thinking to himself, I would rather be sitting on Tyler’s lap.
Tyler rose from his chair for a moment to shut the door to the office. Then he went and sat back down by Shannon. He knew things were drastically changing in their lives. They were coming up against a new foe, and it was one they weren’t prepared for.
“First, I would like to thank all of you for coming back here tonight. After the night that we’ve been through, I know that all of us would rather be somewhere else. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is something that we can afford to let go without some kind of a plan.
Tonight we personally saw what the Demon is capable of to a huge extent. We need to talk to our son in a more detailed manner to see exactly what the Spirits told him. We were all pretty shook up at the time, with everything happening, and I don’t want us to miss anything that might eventually help us.
“We found out tonight that we are to form a Dream Weaver Network, and we know all of us play a huge part in making that happen. I think we should meet again in the morning. Once Timmy is awake we can talk to him and make sure that we didn’t miss anything important.”
They talked over everything that had happened, and they were still amazed at the things that Timmy had told them from the Spirits. They agreed they needed to plan the formation of the new network. It would be important to get all the information on the Demon from Timmy.
With the dangers the Dream Weaver Network could bring to all the Packs, the group decided it would be in the best interest, to both Packs, if Sawyer and Johnny stay in their region for a while. They soon wrapped up the meeting.
“Everyone is welcome to stay here for the night. It will save time on getting up and heading back out here in the morning. I’ll make sure clothes are sent around to your rooms tonight,” Tyler told everyone in the room.
“Thank you, Tyler. We will stay,” Blackwood told him.
After that, everyone accepted the invitation to stay the night. As if by magic, Sammy showed up at the door. He escorted all the couples to their rooms for the night.
***
After thanking Sammy for the room and clothes, Sawyer quietly closed the door behind them. Then he turned to his handsome mate, walked over, and gently took Johnny's face into his hands. He was doing everything within his power to keep his desire under control. He lowered his head, and pressed his lips to his mate’s lips. Johnny tasted like chocolate and cinnamon. It was intoxicating as he lay claim to the enviable lips of his mate.
“I need you, Johnny,” Sawyer said as he walked Johnny backwards to the bed.
As he lay Johnny down on the bed, caressing him while he was still kissing him, he pressed his tongue against Johnny’s lips seeking entrance. Their tongues dueling in abandon, he moaned from the feeling of lightning coursing through his veins. Sawyer didn’t want to stop kissing his mate, but had to stop so he could pull his shirt over his head.
He worked his way down Johnny’s body, stopping at his nipple, and licking and sucking one nipple then the other. While Johnny arched up to him in abandon from every satisfying touch. He loved the way his nipples hardened under his loving touch.
Sawyer licked down Johnny’s torso stopping at his belly button. He was moaning and writhing under his touch. Finally, he came to the waist of Johnny's jeans, undid the button, and pulled them free, noticing his mate went commando—groaning at the sight before him. He was shaking in anticipation by the time he was able to touch Johnny’s cock.
Sawyer inhaled his mate’s exotic scent. He swirled his tongue around the head, then licked him from the top of his cock to his special hidden star. Johnny moaned as Sawyer took his cock in his mouth, all the way to back of his throat. He deepthroated Johnny’s cock with each downward thrust, as he played with his balls. He found that special spot on the underside his sack, and massaged the spot until Johnny gently grabbed his hair and started to fuck his face.
“Sawyer, if you…don’t stop…now…I’m going to…come in your…mouth,” Johnny told his mate between shallow breaths. He had never felt such pleasure in his life. His experience was limited to his hand.
Sawyer stopped and looked at Johnny. “I want you to fill my mouth full of cum. I want to taste you, my mate, and then I am going to fuck you.” It was the
most erotic thing he had ever said. Shit, he loved talking dirty to his mate.
Sawyer took Johnny’s balls in his mouth, rolling them around with his tongue. His mate was moaning and writhing in abandon with each touch of his mouth as he slowly kissed his way up Johnny’s cock until he reached the tip. His tongue circled the tip, dipping into the sensitive spot at the tip. He tasted his mate’s pre-cum, and with each swipe of his tongue, Sawyer brought his mate closer to the edge.
On the nightstand was a new bottle of lube. He opened it and lubed up his finger in preparation of touching that star made just for him. Sawyer slowly circled the star, gently easing one finger into the hole, while sucking his mate’s cock in abandon. Slowly, he eased in the finger as he loosened the passage. He massaged that special spot on each downward slide. When he knew his mate was ready, he added a second finger to make room for his long, hard cock. He felt Johnny’s cock convulsing around his tongue, his cum flowing into his mouth. Nothing had ever tasted better. Johnny screamed his name, as he kept sucking his cock dry.
Sawyer slowly made his way up his body stopping at his nipple. He swirled his tongue against Johnny’s nipple, tenderly nipping until his nipple was rock hard. He pulled Johnny’s nipple gently, making him scream with pleasure. Sawyer leaned forward, taking his mate’s mouth in a scorching kiss.
Johnny tasted his essence on Sawyer's tongue. It was the most intimate thing imaginable.
He looked into Johnny’s eyes and said to him, “I don’t know if I can be gentle. I don’t want to hurt you,” as he looked down into those incredible amber eyes.
Johnny looked up at Sawyer. “I need you…please, Sawyer.”
Taking a pillow from the bed, Sawyer placed it under Johnny’s hips, tilting his hips up. Sawyer grabbed the lube and squeezed more onto his hand, covering his cock with lube. He placed Johnny’s feet onto the bed, bending Johnny’s knees and spreading them wide. He lined his cock up to the perfect star, and gently pushed past the first ring. Sawyer looked into his mate’s eyes for any discomfort before thrusting his cock to the hilt inside the sheath that fit like a glove.