by Zoe Perdita
Slowly, he became aware of the other man’s heart pounding against his back and the way he trailed his fingers over Alex’s tender stomach. The heavy scent of their sweat slick skin, rich with sex, filled the room. West’s cock still sat lodged in his ass, a flaccid reminder of his situation. Damn it. What just happened?
Lips brushed his ear and the other wolf let out a moan of gratification as he pulled himself free. “Look. Dinner’s almost ready.”
“That’s all you have to say?” Alex spat and stood up straight, glaring at the redheaded man. The burning trail of West’s seed slid down his thighs. Alex’s whole body ached, but it wasn’t as bruised as his pride.
“Dinner’s ready, love?” the other wolf offered and grinned.
Alex frowned as West pulled the pans from the ovens and set them on the table. He didn’t even want to think about the damage they’d done to the house or how he was supposed to explain it to Holden and Jake. He had bigger things to worry about at the moment.
West, that fucking bastard, just claimed him as a mate!
What the fuck was he supposed to do now?
Chapter 12
Alex stood in the kitchen and frowned at the damages West and he inflicted on the lodge the night before. A crack ran up the wall to the ceiling, and deep gouges lined the hardwood floor from their vicious claws. But that wasn't the worst of it. Alex was a beta werewolf and West, a fellow beta and new member of the pack, claimed Alex as a mate the night before.
Alex glanced at the wolf next to him. West -- that fucking bastard.
Holden crossed his arms while Jake leaned against the counter with a barely suppressed smile on his lips. The two alphas hadn't arrived home until after Alex cleaned up as best he could. At least they waited until morning to bring down the wrath the beta knew was coming.
"Are we going to eat or are you two just going to stare at us all morning?" West asked and opened the refrigerator.
They’d devoured the dinner Timothy, their pack's omega, prepared for them the previous evening. Alex scowled. He sure as hell wasn't going to cook even if West was his mate.
Holden reached over and shut the refrigerator, nearly catching West's nose in the door. The alpha's mouth was set in a grim line and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "What the hell were you two doing last night? No. Don't answer that," he said and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can see what you were up to. But why the hell didn't you do it outside?"
Alex bit his bottom lip and looked at his bare feet. From the bruise on West’s jaw, Holden knew they'd fought for dominance, but he might not know that West claimed him. And the beta wolf wasn't going to admit it to anyone, especially his alphas. Thankfully, the new wolf’s nose wasn’t swollen at all. Alex must not have head butted him as hard as he thought.
"We got carried away," Alex grumbled and felt like a teenager being scolded by his father. Dammit! He wasn’t a kid!
West snickered and ran his fingers through his messy red hair. “Oh, I don’t know if I’d say that. We both got exactly what we wanted.”
Holden advanced on the new beta with a surge of speed and grabbed West’s taut shoulders in his powerful hands. “You’re here on goodwill from your brother, boy. If you can’t respect your new pack I can make you. Understand?”
A jolt of jealously shot through Alex’s body. Nobody, not even his alpha, should threaten his mate like that! Wait, what the hell was he thinking? If Holden taught West some respect it’d be good for the whole pack, but his body didn’t agree with his mind. Alex’s tightened his hands into fists and took a deep breath.
West raised his eyebrows over his expressive brown eyes and nodded. “We apologize. I’m sure the two of us can fix it. I already respect both you and Jake for accepting me into the pack on such short notice.”
Alex scowled at the other beta. How did he go from sounding like a sarcastic ass to being so damn sincere? And why the hell couldn’t he wear a shirt? His smooth pale chest, the pink nipples hard in the cool morning air, enticed the beta’s body in ways he could hardly admit to himself. The man’s chest was pressed against his back, their sweat mingling together in that very spot the previous night.
“Do you agree with him, Alex?” Jake asked all of a sudden.
The beta jumped and nodded. “Yeah. We can fix it.”
Holden sighed. “Good. And you’ll both pay for it too. Do you have a job, West?”
“Not yet. But I know who could use some help around their shop. What do you say, pack mate?”
The way he drew the last word out made heat rise to Alex’s cheeks. Mate. Yes, they were mates, and there wasn’t one fucking thing Alex could do about it. He’d felt the connection as soon as he caught West’s alluring scent. The way their eyes met across the crowded café – it was almost like some silly romantic comedy except it ended with rough anal sex instead of a wedding.
Holden nodded before Alex could answer. “That’s a great idea. You’ve been working yourself to the bone since Timothy left. Plus, this makes things a hell of a lot easier. After what happened here last night I’m not giving you a choice, Alex. Hire West.”
Alex’s blood felt as if it might boil out of his veins. What was he? Some omega to be bossed around? But the alpha’s orders were absolute -- he could do nothing about them as a mere beta.
“Fine. You’re hired,” he said and crossed his arms over his chest. “If that’s all I need to get to work.”
West smirked and draped his arm over Alex’s shoulders, and the beta tensed at the touch. Need flooded his flesh as West’s tight bicep pressed against his neck in a possessive hold. “I thought Cammy was opening today? Come on. Let’s eat something before we go -- unless my little brother always cooks for you.”
Jake shook his head. “No, I cook while Timothy and Nalin are gone. Omelets?” he asked and pulled out a few dozen eggs.
Alex ignored the surprised look on West’s face at Jake’s assertion that he, an alpha, cooked. If the beta were in a better mood he would have appreciated it. Anything that caught West off guard was fine by him.
“Sounds good,” Holden said and frowned at both Alex and West. “I expect more from you two. Betas should be models for the rest of the pack -- not a couple of troublemakers.”
Alex nodded stiffly. “Understood,” he said and shrugged off West’s arm. “I need to get ready.”
Much to his annoyance, the other beta followed him up the stairs and into his room. Alex spun on his heel as soon as the door clicked shut.
“You can’t take a hint?” he hissed at West. With Holden and Jake downstairs Alex doubted the alpha wolves could hear his conversation with the new wolf, but that didn’t mean he wanted to raise his voice.
“What hint? You don’t want to give your mate a good morning kiss?” the red haired man asked and stalked closer.
Alex narrowed his sharp hazel eyes and ran his fingers through his chocolate brown hair. What could he say that West wouldn’t turn against him? Wolf rules were rules -- he’d lived his whole damn life by them. Bided his time until that magical moment struck and he met his mate. He just never imagined it would happen to be another beta. Or that he’d be such a cocky bastard. Or that Alex himself would be the one claimed. It was supposed to be the other way around even if West was his mate.
Looking at the man’s handsome face -- his round eyes, the straight, slightly impish nose and the quirk of his lips -- a jolt shot straight through Alex’s groin. Fuck! No one else ever excited his body like that, made him want to melt into West’s muscular embrace. But even if the new beta was his mate he didn’t have to give in to it!
Without saying a word, Alex pulled out a black sweater and jeans from his dresser. “Go get ready. You’re starting today.”
The corner of West’s lips turned up into a smirk and he ran his palm over Alex’s arm, the calloused touch exciting the beta more than it should. The heat of West’s hand seeped into the beta’s flesh, nudging his cock into a fit of arousal. Dammit! “Give me one kiss and then I’ll get
ready, love.”
Alex smacked West’s hand away. “Don’t order me around.”
“But it’s so cute when you put up a fight,” West growled and pressed his chest into Alex’s own.
The new beta was only an inch or two taller than Alex, which was something that normally wouldn’t be a big deal. But when their bodies were pressed together the height difference seemed pronounced.
Alex’s breath caught in his throat at their proximity, West’s alluring musk teasing his nose. If he stepped back he’d make himself the victim like he had last night. The only way to move forward with their inevitable relationship was not to run away but to take control. West might respect Holden and Jake, but he didn’t respect the beta. Alex needed to change that.
Squaring his chin, he looked straight into West’s dark eyes. The flecks of gold in the man’s irises sparkled in the morning sunshine.
West licked his lips, first the bottom and then the top, before he leaned forward.
Alex grumbled low in his throat and gripped onto the other man’s shoulders. With one solid push he shoved West into his bedroom wall -- hard enough to stun but not hard enough to damage anything.
The other beta grinned, the sharp points of his fangs glinting. “You just don’t give up--”
Alex cut him off with a kiss. He smashed his lips against West’s, and the sudden contact took his breath away. An inferno of need burned his groin, flames of lust dancing across his flesh as their lips melted together.
West gripped Alex’s waist, his fingers digging into the beta’s bruises from the night before. Then his hand traveled up, tracing each rip, each bulge of muscle until he reached Alex’s hardened nipples. His fingers danced across the hungry flesh, pinching at the nubs until Alex sucked in air through his teeth.
Groaning, the beta launched his own assault on West’s body. Leaning in closer, he caught the man’s full bottom lip between his teeth and nibbled, rolling the rosy flesh over his tongue. Then he slammed the half erect bulge of his cock into West’s own hardening member. The friction of sweatpants and hard bodies enlivened his shaft further.
Fuck! This was just supposed to be a kiss!
Alex tried to pull away and end it, but West caught him by the back of the neck and held him still. The firm grip of his hand invited the beta deeper into the desire engulfing them both. No wonder Timothy gave in so easily to Gunner and Christian!
West tweaked Alex’s nipple again, pulling the tender flesh until the sharp pain turned into pleasure.
The beta scraped his nails over the other wolf’s powerful arms, red streaks rising in their wake. He nipped at West’s upper lips as their tongues mingled together, exploring each other with an urgency Alex had never known. Hot longing coiled in his belly, pumped through his veins until it all but consumed him.
Pulling away, West’s lips scorched against the tender skin of his neck, suckling and biting until Alex gasped. No! He was supposed to be in control! Not the other way around!
West’s mouth traveled lower, his eyes hooded with lust as he burned a trail down Alex’s heaving chest. Why couldn’t the beta just step away? Something about the look in other wolf’s eyes kept his feet planted to the ground like they were encased in cement.
West’s tongue tickled the bruises on Alex’s stomach, licking and biting his sensitive flesh in turn. Then he pulled Alex’s sweatpants down his slender hips, revealing the dripping head of the beta wolf’s needy cock -- rock hard and ready.
Gasping, Alex took a fistful of West’s hair, the silky red locks sliding through his fingers like spider webs. “West,” the beta moaned and stared at the man’s bent head.
“Say my name again if you want to come,” West growled and wrapped his hand around the base of Alex’s throbbing shaft.
The contact with the man’s hand sent a greedy surge through Alex’s body. But could he give into West’s whims? Didn’t that make him weak? Pathetic? No better than an omega?
West squeezed the base of Alex’s cock. “Come on, love. Say my name. Beg me to suck you dry. I know you want it,” he said, his lips so close to the aching tip Alex felt the heat of his breath.
“You bastard,” he mumbled, nudging his hips forward. “Suck my dick, or I’ll make you wish you had.”
Smiling, West backed up and shook his head. “That’s no how this works. Do you want it or not?”
Even when West was on his knees he still thought he was in control! How fucking infuriating! Alex’s balls ached, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. If he said ‘no’ would West let him go or keep holding on? The asshole was probably crazy enough to do the latter.
“I want you to get ready for work,” Alex breathed, trying to control the shivers of desire running through his body at his mate’s touch.
West smirked and flicked his tongue over the tip of Alex’s dick, catching the slick pre-come. “You kissed me,” he said.
The beta shuddered at the sensation, his balls clenching. Shoving his cock into West’s mouth sounded great, but only if Alex was in control of the situation. Not if he had to beg for the blowjob!
“I was showing you who’s the boss,” Alex growled, a drop of sweat rolling down his back.
“Oh, you think you’re the boss, love? That’s so adorable,” West said and pushed the tip of his tongue flush with Alex’s iron clad head.
The beta gasped, a mixture of warm roughness flowing over his greatest need, drowning him in desperate passion.
“Tell me you want it,” West urged and licked the throbbing shaft in slow, deliberate circles. His mouth wound up and down Alex’s cock while his hand still gripped the base painfully. Each flick of West’s tongue blurred the beta’s vision, and he gripped onto the man’s powerful shoulders for support.
West rubbed the palm of his hand up Alex’s thigh, over the tense corded muscles. “I know you want it.”
The beta huffed through his nose and narrowed his eyes at the other wolf. Why couldn’t he just tell West to fuck off?
Then West rolled his hands over Alex’s needy balls, and the beta groaned. Fuck! That bastard held him in the palm of his hands, literally, and there wasn’t a damn thing Alex could do about it!
“Well?” West asked, his fingers caressing the delicate skin with lively strokes.
“Suck me,” Alex gasped, unable to hold out any longer.
West smirked. “I didn’t hear my name.”
“Please suck me off, West,” the beta growled through gritted teeth. Why did his mate have to be such an asshole?
Without a word, the other wolf squeezed his mouth over the dripping head. His tongue encircled the shaft with swift laps while his lips sucked and teased. Jolts of pleasure shot down Alex’s thighs and all the way to the top of his head.
Vaguely, he heard Jake call them down for breakfast, but his groin needed more attention than his stomach at the moment. He tangled his fingers in West’s hair and tried to get a grip on the other man, to force his cock further into his mate’s mouth, but his body felt like spaghetti. Each suck and stroke made Alex’s knees weaken, his heart pound faster in his chest.
West leaned into him suddenly, his hand stroking the beta’s balls with increased vigor as he took the whole length of Alex’s member into his mouth. Lips, tongue and teeth assaulted the beta wolf relentlessly. Each breath he took brought him closer to the edge of his pleasure – each plunge into West’s talented mouth sent shivers up and down his spine.
Just as he reached the peak, the other beta released the base of Alex’s cock and teased the tip with his eager tongue. The orgasm rocked Alex to the core, his body trembling as he dug his fingers into West’s shoulders hard enough to bruise.
His mate sucked and lapped at his head until the jolts of pleasure dulled to a satisfied ache, then West pulled his mouth free with a distinct pop.
Wiping his lips, West grinned. “Breakfast, boss?”
Alex gaped at the man still on his knees. He wasn’t going to ask for any help with the obvious erecti
on in his pants? What was he up to?
Footsteps sounded on the floor outside of the beta’s door and all thoughts of sex slipped from Alex’s mind.
“If you want to eat you better get your ass downstairs,” Holden grumbled before walking away.
The beta held his breath and glanced at West. Shit. There was no way in hell the alpha hadn’t smelled the semen and sweat in the air – not to mention that both Alex and West were in the room together. Hopefully, Holden wouldn’t question their relationship just yet. Alex wasn’t quite ready to admit to his pack that West was his mate.
Scowling, the beta glanced out his window at the sunlight streaming in. In truth, he didn’t know if he’d ever be ready to admit it.
Alex leaned back in his office chair and pushed a strand of chocolate brown hair behind his ear. While he usually wore it in a low ponytail that damn piece always came loose to tickle his cheek. Glancing at the door that led to the Full Moon Café, he frowned and chewed on his bottom lip.
It was the afternoon rush, the time when people started getting off work or out of school and stopped by the café for coffee and a chance to unwind. He should be out there helping Cammy and West with the customers, but his tense muscles and the empty pit in his stomach kept him frozen in place.
It wasn't that his mate was a bad worker – quite the opposite. West learned quickly and even had experience working in other coffee shops, so making lattes and cappuccinos all day was easy for the new beta. He even had the same friendly air with customers that Cammy did. West could strike up a conversation with anyone and make them feel like the center of the world. His flirtatious smiles and knowing winks sent several female customers into a flurry just that morning.
Alex balled his hands into fists at the memory. That bastard was his mate yet he flirted relentlessly with every woman within spitting distance! What the hell was West trying to prove? That he was ridiculously handsome and charming? That he was everything Alex wasn't?