A Wolf's Life

by Marcy Jacks

  Really? A male?

  Maxwell smiled up at him, realizing what the smell was and where it was coming from, and he wanted to laugh. He did laugh, even though it hurt.

  "Fuck, are you kidding me?"

  This wolf soul, this scrawny guy, was Maxwell's?

  Well, that was perfect because he was about to meet his mate right before he died.

  The man knelt beside him, touching his face, his neck, and his shoulders, as if he couldn't quite help himself.

  "Are you crying?"

  The man shook his head. "No."

  He was crying. He didn't even know Maxwell's name.

  There was something sweet in that. Sweet about knowing there was a person out there who would care enough about Maxwell to cry over him even though he didn't know him.

  Kind of sucked that Maxwell was only finding him now that he was going to die. He’d never wanted a mate. Never wanted a soul mate. Too much hassle, but now, at the end of his life, he didn’t think it would have been so bad.

  He reached up, touching the man’s cheek. God, he even felt good. If Maxwell hadn’t been actively dying right now he might have tried to get the guy out of his clothes.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Noah.”

  “Noah.” Maxwell tested it on his tongue. He liked it. A good name. “You’ve got pretty eyes, Noah.”

  And they were pretty. A pretty shade of blue-gray, like a storm sliding in on a nice day.

  Or the clouds getting ready to disperse.

  Noah wiped at his eyes, sucking back a heavy breath. “Are you…are you really…”

  Maxwell couldn’t think of a proper answer because he was having trouble breathing.

  He heard Flynn and Collin coming in. There was some yelling. His friends stood over him. Collin’s face looked a shade whiter than Casper’s.

  But then something happened. Maxwell’s vision was tunneling, but he was starting to feel…something amazing. Something tingling against his skin.

  Right over the spot where he’d been shot.

  He couldn’t explain it, and it wasn’t enough to keep the darkness from closing in on him, but it was enough to make him feel as though that darkness wouldn’t be quite so permanent.

  He looked down, and just before he lost all strength, he saw Noah’s mouth over his bullet wound. As though he were trying to suck out the bullet.

  Or let his tongue lick at the inside of the wound. As if he knew what to do. As if he knew how to save Maxwell.

  And Maxwell smiled.

  When he opened his eyes again, it was bright. Daylight kind of bright, not the dark, fake bright from those lights inside that hellhole.

  Maxwell sat up. Fast. He looked around and saw no one around him. He looked down at his chest to confirm whether or not that had been a dream.

  There was no wound, but there was a pink pockmark just over his left nipple, marring his wolf paw tattoo.

  Indicating that this had happened. He’s actually been shot.

  With his healing, this wound looked to be about six or seven days old. The guys must have dragged him out of there.

  And the man…Noah…

  His door opened. Maxwell lunged out of bed, a rush of energy hitting him hard, but it wasn’t one of the hunters. It was Collin, and the man stood there in the doorway, he and Maxwell watching each other as though each were just as confused as the other.

  Then Collin grabbed him and pulled him in for a hug.

  They hadn’t hugged like this since they were fourteen.

  “You’re awake. Christ, you’re awake.”

  “Yeah. I’m fine,” Maxwell pushed the other man back. “Sorry for that. You guys got the wolf souls out?”

  Collin grimaced. “Yeah, we did.”

  “What about that man? Noah. Where is he?”

  Maxwell wanted to see him. He wanted to smell him. He wanted to make sure for himself that this was real. That he wasn’t just imagining everything.

  He wanted to touch him and smell him and…God help him, he wanted to lick every inch of Noah’s body.

  “Max, do you know how much time passed? You might need to give him a little while to recover.”

  Max blinked, immediately becoming alert. “What do you mean? Is he hurt? Where is he?”

  “He’s fine. He’s fine,” Collin said. “The guy’s just a human, that’s all. He was pretty exhausted. He spent a long time licking at your chest even after we managed to get the bullet out.”

  Collin had that kicked-puppy look on him once more. “We thought you were going to die.”

  “I didn’t die. Because of him. He…”

  Maxwell shook his head, trying to straighten everything out. He knew that a wolf’s soul was meant to increase the general abilities of any alpha they mated with, but to have it happen, and then to want more of it, was just a strange feeling to deal with.

  And not having Noah in here was starting to make Maxwell agitated.

  “Where is he?”

  “He’s napping. We got him some clean clothes. He had a shower and ate a little. He didn’t want to leave your side.”

  Maxwell thought about that. “How long was I out for?”

  It stunned him when Collin pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “About ten hours.”

  “What?”

  Maxwell fell back a step, and then he righted himself.

  Ten hours. Ten hours was all it took for a wolf soul to help him heal?

  “What was it? Was it the licking? I thought they only needed to be nearby to help with healing.”

  Collin shrugged. “I have no idea. I’ve never thought about this before. All I know is you looked like you were about to die, and then this guy starts licking and sucking on your wound like a vampire. Flynn nearly ripped him off, but I figured out what it was because of, well, what this guy is and let him keep on licking you. He kept his hands and mouth on you the entire way home.”

  Maxwell shivered.

  “Where is he now?” He could still smell that spicy-sweet scent, so he knew the man was somewhere in the house.

  “The next room over. You sure you want to go see him now? Or do you want—okay, never mind.”

  Collin got out of the way real quick when Maxwell went to the door. He went to his guest room. It was really his study, but there was a pullout couch in there, and when he opened the door, that same smell hit him like a wall.

  But instead of pushing Maxwell back, it pulled him deeper inside.

  Pulled himself toward the man sleeping on the bed.

  Chapter Three

  Maxwell stood over the man for a moment. Part of him didn't want to wake the guy, but how could he not? Holy shit, this was real. Maxwell hadn’t thought he would ever end up with a mate. He was thirty-three, and it still hadn't happened. This guy was not only a mate, but thank fuck he was also a wolf soul. It was all over his scent. That nose-tingling smell of him gave it away.

  If he hadn't been, then Maxwell would be dead.

  Hell, if Maxwell had been shot somewhere else, somewhere this man wasn't, then he still might have died before meeting him.

  And he wanted to know everything there was to know about this man. He wanted to learn everything there was about him, including what he liked in bed.

  Maxwell put his hands on the thin mattress, kind of irritated that Collin or anyone else hadn't thought to put him in the same bed with Maxwell or at least get him an air mattress. Anything was better than sleeping on this damned thing.

  The springs squeaked a little as Maxwell put his knee onto the bed.

  He heard a throat clearing behind him, and Maxwell snapped his attention back.

  It was Collin, his hand on the doorknob as he started to pull the door shut. "I think you want this closed, boss."

  Maxwell growled at him until Collin was gone, and then he turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

  Noah slept so peacefully. Even with the bags under his eyes, he was gorgeous.

  And Ma
xwell wished with everything he had inside him that he'd been able to find that compound sooner, that he'd been able to save him sooner.

  How many days had Noah spent in that hellhole before Maxwell was able to get him out?

  He pressed his mouth to Noah's perfectly pink lips. His kiss was chaste, but it was still something beautiful. Noah's mouth was soft. He didn't look like he had much in the way of facial hair, but Maxwell could feel how rough it was around his mouth.

  He had stubble. He'd either shaved since coming here, or he had trouble growing it out.

  Whatever Noah had, Maxwell decided right then and there that it was perfect.

  He pulled back from the kiss, and Maxwell was pleased beyond all reason to see those stormy eyes open and on him, watching him. They were a little cloudy, and not because of the blue-gray look to them. Noah could still be dreaming.

  "Are you all right?"

  Maxwell wanted to laugh. "I wake you up with a kiss and the first thing you ask is whether or not I'm all right?"

  Clarity seemed to come into his eyes, and Noah tried to push himself up, but Maxwell held him down.

  "Careful. I heard you were a little weak when you came here."

  "You were shot." Noah's hands went immediately to Maxwell's chest. He touched Maxwell's tattoo, his bullet wound, or what was left of it.

  He seemed to want to confirm as much as he could that Maxwell was not a ghost.

  "You're alive. I thought you were going to die."

  "I didn't." Maxwell kissed him again, climbing on top of him, the heat in his body something he couldn't get a grip on. "Because of you."

  Noah gripped Maxwell's forearms tightly. He didn't seem to want to let go as he opened his mouth, mewling sweetly as Maxwell gently licked between his lips.

  If this was not an invitation, then he didn't know what was.

  Maxwell licked him deep. He wanted to fuck this man. He wanted to give Noah anything and everything he had.

  He pulled away from the man's mouth again, hating that he needed to do it, his voice breathy as he barely managed to control himself. "What's your name? Your full name. Tell me everything about yourself."

  Noah gasped for breath. Maxwell could feel the man's dick hardening beneath the sheets, and there were way too many layers between them as far as he was concerned.

  "Noah Perkins. My name is Noah Perkins. I'm a waiter. I'm…ah God." Noah clenched his eyes shut, his head falling back as Maxwell reached down, putting his hand between them, rubbing against the man's prick, giving him some friction through the sheets.

  And as Noah thrust hard against his hand and the sheets, Maxwell knew they were going to be in here for a long while.

  "What else? Do you have any family? Do you do anything? Hobbies? Tell me everything."

  Maxwell put enough space between their bodies so he could peel back the sheets. Noah was wearing a T-shirt and shorts that Maxwell was pretty sure he hadn't been wearing when they'd met.

  It wasn't as though he'd managed to keep a proper eye on things when he was bleeding out on the floor, that was for damned sure.

  And these smelled a little like someone else. Probably an omega inside the pack.

  Maxwell growled at them, and if he wasn't worried about scaring his new mate, he might have torn those clothes right off him right then and there.

  "Are you mad?"

  Fuck. "Not at you. Never at you."

  He kissed the man again. His mouth couldn't stand to not kiss him. He needed to kiss him. Every inch of his body.

  "I want to fuck you. I need to fuck you."

  Not exactly romantic, but it was honest. His entire body felt on fire with how much he wanted Noah. He didn't know if it was the near-death experience or the fact that he had his mate, an actual wolf soul, lying beneath him, but he still needed it.

  Maxwell kissed Noah again, enjoying the way Noah tilted his head back, the way he angled his chin, letting Maxwell know exactly what he wanted.

  And Maxwell was about to give it to him.

  Maxwell hooked his thumbs into the elastic waist of the man's shorts. He needed them off. He needed all smells that weren't his own off the other man because this was just torture.

  When Noah's prick sprang free, Maxwell groaned, breaking off the kiss again and pushing himself down, down, down.

  Noah had a runner's body, and when Maxwell took his cock in hand and felt it jump, he felt his heart rate do a little jump, as well.

  Noah moaned, his hands coming into Maxwell's hair. Fuck, it was loose. He normally tied it back, but he supposed Collin wasn't thinking of that when he was busy trying to keep Maxwell alive.

  Maxwell let his tongue slide against the underside of that perfect shaft, licking him from the root all the way up to the head.

  Salty sweet. He pressed his entire mouth around Noah's crown then sank down around the length of his cock, moaning with the pleasure of it.

  He normally didn't like going down on anyone. Maxwell didn't have anything against the act in general, but it just wasn't something he'd ever been able to get into. Not on another man. On a woman it was different, but the few times he'd tried this with his male lovers, there had been a sense of loss, that he wasn't in control, and the alpha side of his brain hadn't appreciated that.

  This was different. This was something he could definitely get used to. He wanted to do this until Noah came so he could swallow down every drop the man gave to him.

  And as Noah moaned, his spine arching as he thrust his prick up into Maxwell's mouth, Maxwell's cock jumped. He felt a throbbing ache within him as powerful as though he were the one getting his dick sucked.

  So he kept going. He hollowed his cheeks, put more effort into it.

  More. He had to have more. Had to swallow him down. Had to taste.

  Had to claim.

  Noah gasped, tried to speak to him, to tell him something, but Maxwell couldn't make it out, and then the other man tensed, body trembling, and he came in Maxwell's mouth.

  And Maxwell swallowed down every drop. He didn't let any of it go to waste.

  If he was going to make Noah smell like him, then Maxwell wanted to smell like Noah. He wanted to have all of him. As much of him as he could take and then some.

  Never stop. Don't stop. Maxwell bobbed his mouth up and down until there was nothing left for him to get from this, but Noah stayed hard even as he panted for breath, and as Maxwell gently cupped and rolled Noah’s testicles, he knew this was far from over.

  He pulled his mouth back, looking up at the other man, at the way Noah's chest rose and fell.

  "You all right?"

  Noah blinked then nodded before looking down at him, those stormy eyes focused only on Maxwell. "Can we do that again?"

  A low growled worked its way up through Maxwell’s throat, and he felt himself in agreement with the wolf living inside of his head.

  “Absolutely.”

  Chapter Four

  Noah had never felt like this before. This strange mind-consuming heat that enveloped his body like an oversized quilt and held him tight was unlike anything he'd ever felt before in his life.

  He couldn't escape it, and it was so comfortable that he didn't want to escape it either.

  It was like the best blanket in the world because that blanket was also pretty good at sucking his dick.

  Okay, that was a weird thought, but all his thoughts were weird because he was in bed with the guy whose chest he’d been desperately sucking on last night, touching him and kissing him as though Noah would stop breathing if he didn't get to touch him again.

  Maybe he would. There was a desperation in this that Noah wasn't used to. His fingers ached when he didn't touch the man's skin. His body burned every time Maxwell wasn't kissing him.

  And his body felt strangely hollow.

  Noah wanted to be fucked. He wanted Maxwell inside him. Every minute he went without it was torture. It had been bad enough that he'd been given the room next to Maxwell's as the other man was recovering be
cause he could smell the man along every inch of the house, along the walls.

  Never in his life did he had a sense of smell like this. It was as though everything was turned up to an eleven on a scale of three.

  Now he was here, and Noah wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon.

  Now, as Maxwell kissed him, holding on to Noah as though he were something precious while they both thrust their cocks against each other, it was the most erotic thing Noah had ever experienced in his entire life.

  He wanted more. He didn't want this to end.

  But he was dangerously close to coming again. The heat of that perfect slide against his cock, the way he felt every muscle of Maxwell's body, powerful and strong, was almost enough to make him lose control right then and there.

  And then there was the sweet rumble of Maxwell's low voice against Noah's lips.

  "You want my cock inside you?"

  Noah moaned. His brain felt as though it were on an entirely different level. Animalistic. Carnal need all the way.

  "Yeah."

  Maxwell thrust his dick against Noah's once more. Noah clenched his teeth with a hiss.

  "I didn't quite hear that. You want to say that to me again?"

  "I want it." Noah wasn't in the mood for games. This alpha knew exactly what Noah wanted. "I want your cock in me. Now, please. Now."

  Maxwell smiled at him. It was utterly predatory. In the best way possible.

  "All right, sweetheart. You got it."

  Noah sighed, as if he thought the torture was about to stop. That was the level of intensity he was working with here. The teasing alone, knowing that he might not be getting what he wanted, was enough to make him jittery and anxious.

  Noah wasn't expecting Maxwell to grab him around the waist and flip him around.

  His grip was strong, bruising even, but Noah adjusted himself quickly, and he was so horny, his cock aching to the point where it didn't matter that he was about to be fucked like this for the first time or that he was in a vulnerable position. The adrenaline and lust that had him within its grip was that strong.

  "Fuck me. Please fuck me."

  Maxwell chuckled. "Don't tempt me. You want me to fuck you dry, or what?"