“Energy lines? Oh sheesh! Fantastic. I find my mate, who not only happens not to be a simple werewolf; no, to make it even more awesome, he’s into new age stuff. Lucky me,” Robin drawled and rolled his eyes.
“I’m not sure what you mean by new age, but I see more than normal human beings,” Peter stated.
“Which is quite usual since you’re a werewolf, uh, were-bear. How do you like the word were-bear? Sounds nice, eh, all rhythmic and so on.”
Peter blinked before he barked a laugh. “You’re funny.”
“Yeah, that’s me, the funny guy. You’re still not going to take my virginity. My anal virginity, that is. You’re allowed to please me any other way, though.”
Peter nudged his finger more firmly against Robin’s hole. For the first time in his life, he wanted what Peter offered—wanted Peter to be the one who fucked him. He stole a glance at Peter, unsure how to voice his change of heart.
Peter quirked an eyebrow, then asked, “Okay?”
“More.” Robin’s voice sounded foreign to his own ears, but at least he’d gotten the message across.
Peter pushed the digit slowly into Robin, eliciting a startled moan from him. The penetrating intrusion was weird but not so much so that Robin freaked.
Robin was aware that Peter was scrutinizing him, obviously looking out for any sign of distress. Knowing Peter wouldn’t overpower him or do anything he felt uncomfortable with allowed Robin to give up some of his resistance.
While he pushed deeper into Robin, Peter stated, “We need to establish our bond. I need to claim you as mine, and you need to submit to me.”
Despite his longing Robin couldn’t thwart the words tumbling from his mouth. “Whoa, dude! Slow down for a moment, I told you—”
“Yes, and I understood what you said. I know you’re scared. Don’t deny it. Let me show you that submitting to me is nothing you should fear.” Peter winked at Robin before adding, “You’re only supposed to submit to me during sex.”
“Isn’t that comforting to know.”
“I don’t mind if your need to submit grows and you want to show it to me in other areas of our life, but I don’t expect it from you, my spirited angel.”
It didn’t happen very often, but Robin was rendered speechless.
“I’ll take good care of you,” Peter said, his voice soft and soothing, lulling Robin into a trance-like state. Robin nodded his assent, because despite all his fears and concerns, he trusted Peter.
Peter. The most unlikely guy to be his mate—a bearded, sturdy man who was teeming with confidence and who also asked the impossible of him—and Robin wanted him with every fiber of his being. He wanted to please this man, satisfy him, and bask in his attention afterward.
Robin opened his mouth when Peter traced the seam of his lips with his tongue. Shoving his worries aside, Robin sighed and welcomed Peter’s kiss.
Seven
ROBIN REMAINED mostly passive during Peter’s exploration of his mouth. Never had anyone taken the time to worship Robin’s body before. And that’s what it was: worship. The realization sent another rush of warmth from Robin’s mouth right to the core of his body.
Peter withdrew slightly, smiling at Robin, and his voice was tinged with awe when he said, “You’re so sensitive.”
Robin flushed. What would have raised his hackles under normal circumstances, sounded right when Peter spoke the words. More than right, even—Robin’s chest swelled with pride over the obvious amazement in Peter’s voice.
He licked his lower lip, almost whining when Peter reacted the way Robin had assumed. Peter’s gaze became more heated, more hungry, and more possessive than before.
Peter growled, “And a tease. I’ll teach you some manners.”
When Peter bent forward to rub his beard against Robin’s smooth cheek, Robin’s abdominal muscles quivered in anticipation. He had heard that particular line before from other guys. Usually, he’d have a laughing fit and look for a new partner, but not with Peter. He found himself looking forward to Peter’s teaching.
“You like that idea, don’t you?”
“I-I might be interested.”
“You might?” Peter created some space between them and looked at Robin with a raised eyebrow.
“You can stop that eyebrow-raising stuff. It doesn’t work on me.”
Peter lifted his other eyebrow before he asked, “Are you sure?”
Robin couldn’t help it; all the anticipation and tension had left him reeling, and seeing this odd expression on Peter’s face brought forth an eruption of giggles. He tried his best to stifle them, he really did, but they only got worse when Peter’s expression turned into one of confusion.
“Sorry,” Robin squeezed out.
Peter pulled him flush against his body, against the solid bulk of muscles, stopping the laughter.
“Don’t stop. I like hearing that you’re happy,” Peter said.
“Ah, I can’t giggle when you do this,” Robin wheezed when Peter kneaded his buttocks, alternating between light and firm rubbing.
Robin’s grasp on Peter’s shoulders loosened, and he trailed his hands over his mate’s collarbone to his neck, feeling the powerful muscles cording. He ghosted his fingertips along Peter’s spine, then went on to dig them deep into Peter’s thick brown hair. A long sigh tumbled out of his mouth when Peter voiced his pleasure in a deep, rumbling groan.
Peter lifted him into his arms, took a few steps toward one of the cave walls, and gently lowered him to the ground there. Expecting to feel the hard rock underneath him, Robin flinched when his backside touched something soft and pliant. Glancing over his left shoulder, Robin discovered that Peter had laid him on a mattress.
A mattress in a cave?
All easiness and acceptance fled him at once. He obviously surprised Peter by pushing him away and scrambling backward on the mattress. Tucking his knees up to his chest, he wrapped his arms around his shins and glowered at Peter.
The glower was much harder to maintain than he assumed because all he wanted to do was to cry. How could Peter do this to him? Robin hated how melodramatic he sounded to his own ears.
“Robin? Is the mattress not to your liking?”
Robin huffed. He echoed Peter’s words, though he gave them a disgusted tinge. “Is the mattress not to your liking? Fuck! Tell me, Peter, how often do you bring your playmates here? Is it hygienic for us to fuck on a mattress you’ve obviously used with other guys? Huh?”
Peter blinked hard several times. “You assume I’ve had sex here with other men?”
“You assume I had sex here with other men?” Robin imitated Peter. “Sheesh! Yes, I do! Stop the polite act. It’s driving me crazy.”
“It is not an act, and I wish you would stop mocking me.”
“And I wish you would stop mocking me,” Robin echoed, making sure to pronounce each word clearly. A surge of power flooded through him, but that moment was short-lived. The flash of hurt crossing Peter’s face chucked out all sense of power.
All coherent thought vanished when Peter lunged at him and kissed him, hard and demanding. Despite his anger, Robin reciprocated the kiss equally hard. Their teeth clicked while each of them thrust his tongue in the other’s mouth. The taste of Peter, as well as the capable arms around him, sparked a new surge of desire within Robin. He wound his hands into Peter’s hair before he opened his legs to allow Peter to scoot closer. Peter lost no time and flipped Robin onto his back, trapping him underneath him.
Robin whimpered, the sensation of being held down frightening and liberating at the same time. Peter was all he’d ever wanted in another man, confident, strong, and one who didn’t put up with any bullshit he might throw around because he was scared. His arousal grew, even though any sane man would try to run for the hills.
He almost didn’t hear Peter’s next words due to his battling feelings. “The mattress is for you and me. I left it here years ago. Well, not this one, because I exchanged it every year in the hope of finding
my mate and bringing him here. No one knows about this cave except you and me. That’s how it shall be forever.”
Heat spread from Robin’s cheeks to his throat. How could he have mistrusted Peter’s motives? Trying to save face, he quipped, “Our own cozy love nest? Uh, love cave? How very romantic!”
Peter stared at him blankly for a short moment, then barked out a laugh. “You are funny.”
“Yeah, yeah, funny is my middle name.”
“Really? That’s an… odd one.”
It was Robin’s turn to blink at Peter. “I made a joke, you know.”
The corners of Peter’s mouth quirked upward. “So did I.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh. I foresee some trouble in our near future.”
“You do? Why?”
Did Peter’s clan have the same stupid hybrid-hunting members within their pack? He was about to ask for clarification when Peter said, “You jump to conclusions easily. You’re young and very insecure about your own desires.”
“What?” Robin snarled. He pushed against Peter’s shoulders, intent on getting Peter off him, but to no avail. “I don’t need you to psychoanalyze me, and by the way, you’ve successfully killed the mood. How about we postpone the whole mating thing till, hmm, let me think, never?”
“See, that’s what I’m talking about. You’re threatening to withhold sex because you’re upset, which isn’t a very adult thing to do.”
“I—”
“I know you’re scared, and if you’re like other young men, you don’t want to be seen as insecure. No one does, but for you this is extraordinarily important. It’s clearly visible in all the energy lines surrounding you. They all indicate a gentle soul, someone who loves to help others, someone who needs to feel loved and protected. I will be the one to make sure you feel safe. Forever,” Peter vowed.
Robin stared up at Peter, at a loss for words. When tears prickled his eyes, he snapped them shut. He turned his head to the side, trying to compose himself. Peter obviously had other plans. He took Robin’s hands in his own and helped Robin wrap his arms around Peter’s waist.
Peter cupped Robin’s face in his large hands, whispering, “Don’t hide from me. Open your beautiful eyes.”
Robin did as he was told, ashamed when a few tears trickled down his cheeks. Why did he have to cry now?
Peter flicked his tongue out to capture the tears while Robin did his best to stop himself from having a complete meltdown just because some guy said something nice to him. But therein lay the whole problem—this wasn’t just any guy, this was Peter, who’d seen through him in an instant.
“You’re confusing the ever-loving shit out of me.”
“Please don’t use that kind of foul language. That isn’t you, and with me you don’t need to pretend to be anyone else.”
“I’m not….” Robin trailed off when Peter raised his eyebrow again. “That eyebrow thing is really disturbing.”
“So is your need to present yourself as someone you’re not.”
Despite his hot cheeks, Robin kept eye contact with Peter, who after several long seconds smiled down at him. “Much better, my angel.”
“Don’t call me that. It’s… embarrassing.”
“I will call you whatever I deem appropriate, but I’ll try to use terms of endearments only in private,” Peter replied while stroking his thumbs over Robin’s wet cheekbones.
“I really don’t think calling me angel is appropriate at all,” Robin shot back. Secretly he already loved Peter’s nickname for him.
“It is appropriate. Remember that I see more than normal humans.”
“How could I forget since you’re reminding me every five minutes?”
“You’re very sarcastic for such a young one.”
Robin shrugged. He’d always used sarcasm if he felt threatened or uneasy; it had become an integral habit of his. How was he supposed to get rid of it? Peter’s dislike of it was obvious, so he should probably work on it, shouldn’t he?
“What’s worrying you, my angel?” Peter traced the bridge of Robin’s nose with a finger before pressing a kiss on the tip of it.
Startled, Robin winced. Peter repeated the kiss over and over again until Robin chuckled and squirmed. “All right, all right, I’ll tell you, okay?”
Peter pressed a firm kiss on Robin’s forehead and stared down at him with open concern. Robin swallowed, doing his best to form coherent sentences when all he wanted was to stare back into Peter’s eyes and lose himself there.
“Robin?”
“I… you’re strange.”
“That is what’s worrying you?”
“No, that’s a simple statement. I’m worrying about… well, actually I’m worrying about a lot of stuff, none of which we should talk about now. Why are we talking at all? Didn’t you want to establish our bond and take my virginity?”
“Why so scared, Robin? Do you fear I might resent you for what you’ll tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Rest assured, I will not. Nothing you tell me will ever cause me to resent you. You’re my mate, and I’ve waited an eternity for you.”
“An eternity? I didn’t take you for the exaggerating kind.”
Peter didn’t rise to the bait; instead he lifted one hand and gently closed Robin’s eyes. Robin waited, quivering in anticipation.
“Don’t open your eyes before I tell you to,” Peter said.
Robin sucked in his lower lip, worrying it, but obeyed Peter’s soft demand for obedience. Peter pressed his lips against Robin’s, just a light fluttering brush, before he went on to trail a series of those kisses along Robin’s jaw. He worked his way over to Robin’s closed eyes and dropped the same featherlight kisses on his lids, then went down the other side until he kissed Robin’s lips again. During Peter’s tender ministrations, Robin relaxed and smiled.
“Better now?” Peter asked.
“Much better.”
“You may open your eyes now and tell me why you’re worried.”
Robin opened his eyes with a laugh. “You’re really the strangest guy I’ve ever met.” He paused, then blurted, “I was wondering how much I’d have to change for you to find me acceptable. I don’t think I particularly like the idea of having to change for anyone, not even for my mate.”
“What gives you the impression I desire you to change?”
“Well, you not wanting me to use foul language or sarcasm seemed like a hint to me.”
“You use that kind of language to hide behind. I want to interact with the real you, the one who wants me so badly he’s quaking underneath me,” Peter rumbled.
Quaking? He wasn’t… oh. He was trembling and goose bumps covered his skin from head to toe.
“I’m not quaking,” Robin mumbled.
“No?”
“It’s more of a light tremble, which has a lot to do with—”
Peter completed his sentence. “The fact you’re together with your mate, me. You’re touching me for the first time. If it makes you feel better, I’m sure by now you’ve sensed I’m as excited as you are. Your trembling has nothing to do with the coldness in this cave.”
Robin regained a bit of his more playful nature and quipped, “You sure about that? I could swear it—”
Peter slanted his mouth over Robin’s, swallowing whatever Robin wanted to say. When he released Robin’s lips, they were swollen.
“I waited so long for you, my beautiful angel, so very long. Allow me to love you; allow me to establish our bond so we shall be united for as long as we live.”
Peter’s voice boomed in the otherwise silent cave, igniting a previously unknown flame of desire inside Robin. The intensity to which the flame burst to life frightened him. Was he ready to experience their mating?
“Allow me the honor of becoming your mate in every possible way. Please, my angel,” Peter said, his voice deep and calm, soothing away some of Robin’s anxiety.
Although Peter’s word choice baffled him, a primal part of R
obin knew the correct answer to Peter’s plea. Robin allowed his wolf to take over, trusting his inner nature to do the right thing.
He whispered, “I permit you to claim me as your mate.”
Eight
THE AIR pressure around them shifted, startling Robin. He gazed around, hoping to find the source of the sudden change. He looked back at Peter, counting on him to have an explanation for the weird sensation.
“Did you feel that too?”
“I did, but you have nothing to fear,” Peter replied.
Robin wanted to believe Peter—and part of him already did—but his nerves were coiled so tight, he feared they’d rupture any minute and leave him a gibbering shell of himself. Sickened by his own imagination, Robin searched for something, anything really, to get Peter to talk to him.
He asked the first thing that came to his mind, “How old are you? I’m nineteen, just in case you’re interested.”
“Don’t concern yourself with my age. I’m much older than you, which doesn’t mean I’m wiser,” Peter said, winking. Robin’s shoulders eased down a notch at Peter’s playful answer. Peter added, “You have nothing to fear from me, I give you my word. And yes, thank you, I’m interested to know your age. As I’ve said earlier, you are very young. I shall take good care of you and will be extremely cautious during our first mating session.”
Robin quashed his initial reaction of wanting to wrap his arms around Peter’s neck to let him know how much of a relief that statement was, and instead he reverted back to his usual tactics and asked, “Only our first? Um, think you can be cautious for more than just our first mating session? You’re not exactly small build down there. I have no clue how this is supposed to fit in me without tearing me apart, but I guess I’ll find out, huh?”
“I will always be cautious, but I will be extremely so the first time. I will make sure it is a very pleasing experience for you.”
Secret Energy (Shifters Book 2) Page 5