by Anya Byrne
"That'd be me," Angel said, realizing Landon's bulk was blocking the new arrival's view of him. "No need for alarm."
Landon released a heavy sigh. "Angel, this is my beta Jason. Jase, this is my mate, Angel. As he said... No need for alarm. Now... We should really get out of here before we disturb the other classes."
Or say something stupid in the heat of the moment, Angel mentally finished. The presence of the other werewolf—other than confirming Landon's species—dampened his ardor a bit. "We could arrange a meeting for another time, if you'd rather," he suggested.
Landon shook his head. "I've waited for you for so long," he whispered in Angel's ear. "Why do you think I was so angry?"
What could Angel reply to that? He allowed his mate to lead him out of the building, feeling like he was floating. After today, his life would never be the same, and he couldn't be happier about it.
Chapter Two
At this hour, the park should have been busier, but the cloudy skies made most humans lose interest in walks, outdoors games or jogging. Landon sat on the grass next to Angel and inhaled, taking in the scent of grass and life. It wasn't quite like the wild—the smell of concrete was always there, reminding him of the way man had tamed nature—but it was nice nonetheless.
Angel leaned with his head on Landon's shoulder and stared up at the sky. "This is nice. It was a good idea to come here."
Landon agreed. After sending Jason to the pack, he'd wondered where he could go with his mate. A bar or a restaurant didn't seem quite right, and neither did their homes. In the end, he'd picked the park, and his choice had proven to be quite inspired.
"You know, it's strange," Angel said. "I really feel like I've known you forever, even if we've just met."
Landon wrapped an arm around his mate's shoulders. "I feel the same. I'd heard a lot about the pull toward one's mate, but I never expected to be quite like this. But... I still want to court you properly."
"Court me?" The grin in Angel's voice amused Landon in turn. "I suppose I could go along with that."
Landon faced his mate and met Angel's eyes. "I want to learn everything you're willing to tell me. There's so much we don't know about each other, big things, little things, vital things."
"We have time," Angel answered, wrapping his arms around Landon's neck. "We have all the time in the world."
Landon moved back, planning to lie down on the grass and pull his mate along. Unexpectedly, Angel released a soft gasp and went rigid, a grimace of pain twisting his beautiful features.
Landon was immediately alarmed. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Angel sighed. "No, that's a lie. I suppose you should know, since I wanted to tell you anyway. This is why I was taking the anger management classes."
Landon blinked, not understanding. The sad smile on Angel's face made him want to tear something apart, but he waited quietly for his mate to speak. Angel stood and rolled his shoulder, as if stretching a kink out of it. "The thing is... I'm a dove shifter. By our nature, we yearn for mates, for the love and togetherness only a true bond can give us. It's not really that unusual for a dove-shifter to have interest only in members of the same sex, so I didn't think much of it. Maybe I should have..."
"What happened?" Landon asked quietly.
"My parents encouraged me to meet female doves from other flocks. I was surprised. I thought they'd realized I didn't like women in a romantic sense. But when I told them... My father reacted poorly. He... He almost chopped off my wing."
Landon shot to his feet and snarled. He might not be an avian shifter but he knew what that meant. Harming a bird shifter's wing was the worst thing someone could possibly do. It was considered a punishment reserved only for the worst individuals. "How dare he? I'll... I'll..."
"You don't have to do anything, Landon. He was already put to trial for it." The pained expression on Angel's face chased away Landon's anger and melted it into protectiveness. He tenderly pulled his mate up and into his embrace, careful so that he wouldn't jar Angel's arm. "For the most part, I'm fine now," Angel whispered against his chest. "I'm going to make a complete recovery. But I still have moments when the old injury acts up, so I'm grounded."
It all made sense now. Angel was basically stuck unable to fly, and to a bird shifter, that was a huge loss.
"But I can't be angry anymore," Angel finished. "It occurs to me that if not for what happened, you and I might have never met. I will always regret my father's actions, but I don't feel the loss anymore."
Landon was left dumbstruck. Did Angel even realize the gift he was giving Landon through those words? Probably. Angel wouldn't have said those words lightly, not when it concerned flight.
Once again, they sat together on the grass, neither of them in a rush to take things further. Landon told Angel about his own experience, about being an Alpha and the increasing pressure he received from his pack. Then, the conversation turned to all sorts of subjects. Angel spoke of flying, of the unique freedom of soaring through the clear skies. In turn, Landon described what he felt in his shifted form, what his wolf meant to him.
They must have spent hours in the park, and would have probably stayed longer, but the humans turned out to have the right idea. The clouds opened with no real warning and a heavy rain started to fall.
Landon found himself running through the park, with his mate by his side. They splashed through the rapidly forming puddles, laughing like children as they made their way to the car. By the time they slid into the vehicle, they were wet from head to toe, their clothes sticking to their bodies, their sneakers letting out distinctive squelching noises when they walked.
Angel tried to shake the water out of his hair, but he only succeeded in getting the drops all over the place. "Hey," Landon said in mock offense. "I thought I was supposed to do the wet dog thing."
Angel stuck out his tongue. "Your hair is shorter. You have an unfair advantage."
"Indeed, I do." Landon grinned, letting his gaze feast of the sinful sight of his mate in his wet clothes. He cleared his throat and met Angel's piercing dark eyes. "But it's your call now. Where do we go from here?"
"My place," Angel said breathlessly.
He rattled an address which Landon quickly inputted into the GPS. Normally, he wouldn't have had any trouble finding the street, but it was getting increasingly hard to think rationally with his mate so close to him. It definitely didn't help that the scent of Angel's arousal filled the car, and Landon knew that his beautiful dove had no intention of making him go back to the pack after dropping him home.
By some miracle, they reached Angel's apartment building with no incident. Finding a parking spot took more time than Landon would have liked, but he finally managed. The moment Landon pulled the key out of the ignition, Angel was already opening the door of the car and rushing out.
The mad dash that followed was very much like a hunt. Landon had to lock his car, so Angel had a bit of a lead, and the advantage of knowing exactly where he was going. But that was okay with Landon, because Angel's game roused his basest instincts, stirring the wolf, feeding the fire of need already burning inside of him.
He followed Angel into the apartment building and up a flight of stairs, his mate's scent guiding him better than any GPS. Angel lost whatever advantage he'd gained when he was forced to stop and look for his keys. Landon reached him just as Angel managed to enter the apartment.
He followed his mate inside and closed the door with his foot, thus ensuring their privacy. "Now... I think we had something to finish from earlier."
Angel shivered, and Landon knew it wasn't because of the wet clothes. Still, his mate was enjoying the game, because he teased Landon. "It was your beta who interrupted us. Not my fault."
"True." Landon hummed thoughtfully and took another step forward. "But as it turns out, it's not my beta who drives me crazy with lust. In fact, I'd very much prefer it if we didn't speak of anyone else but us."
His voice came out husky, almost ani
malistic, and he half thought Angel would be taken aback since it was nothing like what a dove-shifter would be familiar with. His mate released a small gasp, but the look in his eyes clearly pointed out that fear couldn't be further from his mind.
"Or maybe... We should not speak at all." Landon crossed the rest of the distance between them and cupped Angel's cheek. "I want you, Angel. I want to claim you. I know this is fast, but—"
"Yes," Angel interrupted him, "please. Please, claim me. You know as well as I do this is what we've both been waiting for."
Landon didn't need any further invitation. He took Angel in his arms, cradling him close to his chest. "Bedroom?"
Angel waved a hand in the general direction of a closed door. Landon pushed it open with his hip and stepped inside. At this point, it finally occurred to him that they were still wet to the bone, and a shower might not be a bad idea—even if he did get Angel messy all over again after that.
He found the bathroom without too much trouble and set his mate down on the counter. As he reached for Angel's T-shirt, planning to take it off, his mate arched a brow at him. "I can undress myself."
"I know you can," Landon replied, "but I couldn't protect you in the past. Let me care for you now."
It wouldn't compensate for what Angel had been forced to suffer through, but it was a start, and more than anything, a vow. Perhaps Angel understood that, because he smiled gently. His eyes glittered with unshed tears as he allowed Landon to divest him of his wet T-shirt and remove his shoes.
Somehow, Landon's promise changed things. The hours they'd spent together and their short hunt had stirred Landon's wildest desires, but beyond all that, the wolf inside him needed something else. He needed to keep his mate safe, to show Angel that they'd never be apart again, and to make himself believe that too. He wanted to worship every inch of Angel and reassure himself that his mate was truly here.
If his fingers lingered a bit more on Angel's skin than would have been necessary, his mate didn't complain. He released one of those trademark gasps when Landon caressed the arch of his foot, but beyond that, he didn't say much of anything. He helped out a bit, since the once loose jeans turned out to be quite uncooperative while wet.
Finally, Landon had his mate naked. And oh, what a sight he made—beautiful and very, very hard, right there within Landon's reach. His face was bright red, and he looked anywhere else except at Landon. "You should... You should take your clothes off too."
"Embarrassed, Angel?" Landon teased.
Angel crossed his arms over his chest. "Of course not. I'm a shifter. Nudity doesn't embarrass me."
Or so he said, but it was different when they were in a sexual situation. Either way, Landon had no intention of staying dressed, since that would have been counterproductive. He jerked off his shirt and toed off his shoes far more expediently than he had with his mate's. It was when he reached for his zipper that he realized Angel was no longer looking away, and instead was studying him with an attention so intense it was almost fierce. Truly, if Landon hadn't known any better, he'd have thought his mate was an eagle-shifter.
Now focusing on Angel's face, Landon wriggled out of his jeans. His distraction cost him and he ended up lowering his zipper with a bit too much zeal. His pubic hair became the victim of his enthusiasm, but he couldn't really mind. His grimace drew a light airy chuckle from his mate, and Landon thought he'd never get tired of hearing Angel laugh.
"So it's like that, huh?" He growled playfully. "You're challenging your Alpha? Well, let's see who wins this fight."
He stepped out of his jeans, completely naked and yes, just as hard as Angel. His mate didn't seem to take his threat seriously, not that Landon expected him to. His laughter faded when Landon embraced him once again, but he was still smiling, not so much with amusement, but rather, with happiness.
Landon slid into the shower stall and started the water. Once he made sure the temperature was appropriate, he guided his mate under the stream. Heat and steam rose between them as the water chased away the chill left behind by the rain. Then again, maybe it wasn't the shower at all and just his mate's proximity that did it. Landon couldn't hope to figure it out.
He pinned his mate against the wall, careful not to hurt Angel's arm. He needn't have worried, because his beautiful dove was completely relaxed and blissful in his embrace. Landon took shameless advantage of it and caressed every inch of exposed skin he could reach. He found the shower gel and used it to massage his mate's front, from his chest, to his legs. Angel twitched slightly when Landon knelt in front of him, perhaps waiting for a touch that didn't come. It wasn't that Landon wasn't tempted. Angel's dick was right there, and Landon's mouth watered with the yearning to taste it. But he'd told himself he'd pace this, worship his mate like he deserved—like the angel he was.
He got up once more and gestured for Angel to turn around. Angel did so without protesting, and Landon repeated the process, massaging Angel's shoulders and rubbing any tension out of his mate's muscles. His efforts were rewarded with sweet little whimpers and sinful groans that made Landon's dick throb and his wolf stir with the need to claim what was his.
However, even his wolf knew how to be patient, and Landon had been completely honest when he'd told his mate about his intentions to court him. It felt right to do this, to simply enjoy the moment, this moment that was so precious to both of them.
That didn't mean his caresses didn't grow sensual. It was unavoidable really, since Angel was a very sensual creature, and he didn't seem inclined to let Landon get away with anything. To be fair, he probably wasn't thinking too much about it, and when he moved, he must have done so unconsciously. Still, he ended up pressing his body closer to Landon's and setting his head on Landon's shoulder. In the process, he rubbed his tight little ass against Landon's dick. And well... Landon might be a werewolf Alpha, but at the core, he remained just a man. There was only so much he could withstand.
He flipped his mate around again, facing his beautiful dove. Angel's eyes were glazed with lust and need, and Landon couldn't help himself. He crushed his mouth to that of his mate, reveling in the taste of Angel's desire. Their cocks slid against one another, and Landon found his good intentions rapidly flying out the window.
Angel wrapped one leg around Landon, moaning into their kiss. Landon bit his mate's lower lip as he lifted Angel, supporting him against the wall to gain better access to Angel's delicious ass. When Landon kneaded the round globes, Angel threw his head back, breaking the kiss with a lost little gasp. Landon didn't think he'd ever seen anything or anyone so beautiful, so effortlessly perfect. He was enthralled by the sight of Angel's submission. His fangs ached to be buried in the flawless flesh of Angel's throat—but he couldn't do it, not yet.
He rubbed his finger over the hidden entrance to Angel's body, drawing another moan from his mate. "Landon, please," Angel cried out, "please..."
The sound of his name on Angel's lips was dizzying, truly the most beautiful song Landon had ever heard. Angel's hard cock rubbed against his abdomen, and the scent of his arousal went to Landon's head like the most potent drug in existence. Landon grunted and slid his finger into his mate's channel.
Angel was tight, almost impossibly so. His ass muscles clenched around the invader and he whimpered pleadingly as he tried to push back on the impaling digit. It was a little difficult, since he also kept grinding against Landon's abs, as if he couldn't quite decide what he craved more—the penetration, or the friction.
Landon made sure his mate wasn't uncomfortable, then started to move his finger in and out of Angel. He aimed for Angel's prostate, and grinned when a choked moan from his mate signaled the fact that he'd found his target. Angel's rhythm became even more frantic, but he wasn't there yet. He was hovering over the edge of climax, but not close enough for him to come.
Landon massaged Angel's special spot, all the while doing his best not to embarrass himself and orgasm simply at the sound of Angel's voice. That became quite an effort when Ang
el practically screamed, "Please... Please, Landon. Fuck me."
Landon could have done it. He could have fucked Angel right then and there, claimed his mate against the shower tiles. Angel wanted it—that much was clear. It would have been incredibly easy to just thrust inside his mate's willing body. But Angel deserved better. He deserved to be taken on silken sheets, peppered with kisses, writhing under Landon's ministrations. Landon couldn't just surrender to his instincts and forget that.
He also couldn't deny his mate the pleasure Angel so obviously craved. Setting Angel back down, he knelt in front of his mate for the second time. He was forced to slide his fingers out of Angel's ass in the process—causing Angel to make a small mournful sound—but he mentally vowed it would be worth it.
This time, Landon didn't tease, nor did he make any silent promises he didn't keep. He took Angel's dick in his mouth and started to suck in earnest. The Alpha inside him had always enjoyed giving blow jobs, since even when he was on his knees, he remained in complete control. He loved it more now, the wolf howling in triumph as Landon destroyed the last remnants of his mate's composure.
Holding onto Angel's hips, he worshiped the slender shaft in his mouth, idly thinking that it was just as beautiful as its owner. Focusing on the head of his mate's dick, Landon gathered the already leaking fluid on his tongue. He almost regretted doing this in the shower, since some of the flavor was wasted, but the rising sounds of his mate's cries convinced him he'd made the right call.
For a little while, he continued to alternate hard suction with teasing licks. When he thought Angel was particularly close to coming, he gripped the base of his mate's shaft, keeping Angel on the edge for a while longer. Finally, when he had his beautiful dove writhing and clawing at the tiles, he released his hold on Angel's testes and thrust two fingers into his mate's anus.