by Fel Fern
Rick shook his head, planting both of Craig’s legs over his shoulders. “I don’t mind, I like getting to know you better.” Rick’s reply surprised him.
“So, I’m not just cute human you want to bang?” Craig teased. Damn. He tended to joke when he got nervous.
“No, you’re so much more,” Rick answered, uncapping the lube.
Moments later, Craig felt slick fingers at his puckered entrance. Rick pushed one in, added in a second soon after. Craig moaned, squirmed, but Rick held him in place. Not that he wanted to go anywhere anytime soon. Rick stretched and widened him for access, leaving him a pleasing mess, and Rick hadn’t even fucked him yet.
“Please,” he uttered, because Rick seemed to like that word.
Rick smirked, put the lube aside, and finally replaced his fingers with his cock. The werebear gripped his waist and finally entered him. He widened his eyes, crying out as Rick breached his tiny hole. Oh, he knew Rick was big, but he never had anything so large in him.
“Breathe in and out for me,” Rick ordered. “That’s it. Good job.”
He willed his inner muscles to relax. It worked. Once Rick passed the thick ring of muscles, he slid all the way in, until he was balls deep inside Craig. He moaned, wrapping his arms around Rick’s neck.
Rick closed his mouth over his, thrusting heat down his throat. When the werebear pulled away, he panted, so ready for the ride. Rick moved, strokes steady and slow.
He raked his nails across Rick’s shoulders, loving the clash of their bodies, at making such an intimate connection. A snarl spilled out of Rick’s lips, but he didn’t feel an inch of fear, not when he felt so good. The initial burn had faded away, replaced by sheer pleasure.
The werebear pounded him faster, deeper, and Craig found himself meeting Rick for every push. He left nail marks on Rick’s broad shoulders, but the werebear didn’t seem to mind. By the end of this, Rick would have left bruises on his skin, and he liked that, loved knowing they marked each other up in the heat of passion.
Rick shifted the angle of his hips and brushed right against his sensitive prostate. He gasped as Rick kept focusing on the spot. Arching his back, he let out a little scream. The sound only seemed to rile Rick up. The werebear fucked him deep and deeper, seemingly capable of breaching his most intimate places. His balls tightened against his body and his muscles tensed.
“I’ll come soon,” Craig confessed.
Rick brushed his lips over his, a gentle and tender kiss. “Go ahead, little human. I want to hear you come for me.” At Rick’s last push, the pressure building inside him broke open. Mind shattering, he came, painting strings of his cum all over Rick’s six-pack abs and stomach. The werebear pistoned in and out of him several more times, before letting out a snarl.
Soon after, he felt Rick filling his ass with warmth.
Then Craig felt the sharp points of Rick’s teeth on the side of his neck. Well, maybe that was a werebear or shifter thing. He speared his fingers through Rick’s hair, surprised when Rick showed plenty of restraint. Eventually, Rick bit him hard enough to bruise. A hickey, he realized, with a blush. Everyone would see if he wore a low collared shirt, but he didn’t mind.
Rick rolled off him, pupils glowing gold, a brilliant color. Then the shifter brought him close to a hug. Craig liked cuddles. He nestled against Rick, letting out a happy moan. Craig rested his head on Rick’s chest, liking how Rick automatically reached out to stoke his spine. He purred.
They didn’t speak for a while, but that was all good.
“What were you dreaming about just now?” Rick eventually asked him.
“The past.” That attack felt like a distant memory, unable to touch him now that Rick lay next to him, a talisman against the darkness.
“You cried out, sounded like you were in pain.” Rick wore a frown on his lips. “Tell me how to make you feel better.”
“You already did.” He placed a hand on Rick’s chest, over his pectoral. Underneath flesh and bone lay a surprisingly caring heart. Craig didn’t know why he chose to talk about it now, but it felt right. Rick had been different from the start. It seemed he was able to tell his secrets to Rick without problems.
Craig couldn’t quite describe it, but he felt safe and completely at ease with the werebear.
“When I was twelve, I came home only to find our apartment door unlocked. I saw droplets of blood on the carpet and some of the furniture in disarray,” he began, then halted. The next part was hard to get out.
“Go on. I’m here to listen,” Rick said in an encouraging voice.
“I found my younger brother in pieces in our bedroom. The shifter lured me inside, trapped me with him.” He tasted fear in his mouth again, recalled those mad yellow eyes and that killer’s putrid breath, which smelled like rotting meat.
“How did you survive?” Rick asked softly.
“Thanks to the guy who lived in the same floor. Mr. Gibs was a retired warlock. He sensed something was wrong and blasted the bedroom door open with magic, threw the shifter off me, and rendered the werewolf unconscious. It had been too late for Charlie though.”
Rick shivered, cuddling closer to Rick, who held him in a tight embrace without question. He went on, “It turned out the werewolf was on the verge of losing his human half, that he’d been terrorizing another neighborhood and somehow found his way to ours. According to the news, he had a fondness for kids.”
It made his stomach turn, thinking about that werewolf. At the same time, the load in his chest lessened, because finally, he was telling a story he kept buried to someone else. Years before, a persistent reporter had managed to dig up his story, but his manager managed to pay the woman off. Nothing came up since then.
Craig had to finish this. “My mom hadn’t been the same after that. She couldn’t forgive herself for what happened, and neither could I. She kept putting me in therapy, hoping it would help me. It did, I think. In the end, she died of grief after I turned eighteen. It was as if she only waited to finish raising me and become an adult, before committing suicide. My dad started hanging out in bars more often and was absent most of my life after my brother died.”
Rick swore. “Fuck, baby. I’m so sorry to hear that. Listen to me. It’s not your fault or your mom’s. That werewolf must have gone unchecked. It’s the job of the local pack to keep tabs on wolves and rogues in their area.”
“For a while, my mom’s death really hit me hard, but everything happened years ago. It’s just, it gets lonely, you know? After I got into modeling and started getting more jobs, I met Danny. He was the best friend I never had. He was family, so when he left, it tore a hole inside me.”
Rick paused. “Danny has the right to choose, too.”
He nodded, finally seeing reason. Oh, he hadn’t forgiven Danny yet, but how could he deny his best friend happiness? For it was clear Connor adored Danny, took care of Danny, too.
“I understand that now. I mean, it’s still hard to accept, but I finally get I can’t change his decision,” he admitted.
“I don’t know if it helps, but you’re always welcome here. My house is open if you want to visit Danny.”
Craig teared up, unable to help himself. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” Rick replied in a firm tone of voice.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.” Craig’s chest tightened. He shut his eyes and murmured, “Can I stay here with you? With you next to me, I think the nightmares won’t come back.”
“Is that a secret code for more sex?”
He couldn’t help it, he laughed.
“Maybe,” he said with a smile.
Craig couldn’t remember the last time he felt this light, as if he were no longer burdened by the ghosts of his past. Oh, he knew the past would creep up now and then, but for tonight, it couldn’t touch him.
Chapter Eight
Rick lay awake long after Craig had fallen asleep. He didn’t even mind the human’s loud snores filling the room. It was co
mforting somehow. He wondered if Danny had any idea about the horrors Craig had been through tonight. Maybe Danny did, but he was touched Craig would entrust him with those truths.
Yet, Rick had almost done something which might make Craig hate him forever. Rick nearly gave Craig the mate mark. His bear kept pushing him to do it, to claim what rightfully belonged to them. Their mate.
Only the terror in Craig’s eyes when he confronted those wolves stopped him. After hearing the story of Craig’s past, Rick had been so damn proud of his little human, a champion in his own right. Only a strong person could rise from a negative event in their past.
He shamelessly googled Craig’s name during working hours and saw some of Craig’s work. On camera, Craig looked so natural—aloof, gorgeous, and sexy at once. Rick knew a little more of the real Craig though, the part Craig didn’t bother hiding with him.
Rick was at a loss. What would be his next move? Craig had admitted to accepting Danny would never come back to the city with him. I don’t want him to go, Rick thought with some surprise. Hell, if Rick had his way, he’d keep Craig here forever.
Family dinners wouldn’t be so lonely anymore. He’d have his mate by his side, just the way Connor and Mac did. They’d form their little pack. His heart ached. The vision was so strong, and he wanted it so much, but he couldn’t make Craig remain in the Red Mountains for long.
Selfish prick. That was what he was. Why was this so hard? Rick remembered the fury he’d conjured after scenting Craig’s blood. He never wanted to see Craig hurt ever again, but to do that, he needed to remain by Craig’s side. Rick couldn’t imagine moving anywhere else, either. His bear had already considered the Red Mountains their home, and he ran a business.
Fuck. They only met a few days ago, and yet here he was, thinking of the future.
The snoring stopped.
“Rick, you still awake?” Craig mumbled.
“Go back to sleep, little human.” Rick kissed Craig gently on the cheek.
“Okay.”
Rick would cherish the present, the moments he had with Craig, because who knew what would happen once it all ended?
* * * *
Craig woke up, morning sun on his face. He let out a sigh of contentment and rolled on his back. This was the second morning he didn’t need to worry about putting on his workout clothes and figuring out his next healthy meal plan.
His body ached a little, reminding him of his nighttime adventures the day before—both being nearly eaten by wolves and Rick and him having sex. A smile curved on his lips when he thought of the werebear biting down hard on his neck, the possessive look in his eyes unmistakable.
Craig touched the spot on his neck where Rick left a hickey, then remembered he ran out on Danny and everyone else, too. Shit. His temper always got the better of him. Thinking back on last night, he went to dinner with all his shields up. Maybe he wanted to start a fight, wanted to lash out at his best friend for choosing this place and its occupants over him.
While dozing next to Rick’s big and warm body, he began to understand why Danny made that decision. It was nice, ending the night with Rick all tucked next to him. Where was Rick anyway? The bed looked empty. He spotted the note by the pillow next to him.
Craig picked it up and read it out loud. “Emergency at the bar. Will be back soon.”
Craig decided to take a shower. Once he finished, he looked at himself in the mirror. Bruises from his adventure in the woods began to show. He didn’t even notice them last night. Sighing, Craig dressed in a comfy pair of jeans and a shirt.
He couldn’t go back to the city, to work like this, with bruises showing on his skin. This was all his fault, too. If he hadn’t acted like a child and thrown a tantrum, he wouldn’t have found himself lost in the woods.
On second thought, that gave him an excuse to stay in the Red Mountains, in Rick’s home, a little longer. His phone rang and he searched for it, relieved to find it on the small table next to the bed. Rick probably put all his stuff there. Huh. The werebear could really be sweet when he wanted to be.
Seeing his manager’s name flashing across the screen, he debated not picking up, but delaying the task would only make things worse. Silvia could really be aggressive when it came to him not returning calls. He answered. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“That’s the first thing you tell me after Mindy from Le Touché phoned me, asking why you never showed for their shoot?”
He winced, forgetting he did have a photoshoot scheduled with an up-and-coming local designer. Craig didn’t anticipate any delays when he drove all the way here, presumptuously assumed he could convince Danny to head back with him.
“I’m sorry. Some personal stuff came up. Cancel my appointments for the next three days.”
“Craig, darling. Are you out of your goddamn mind?” she demanded.
“Well, weren’t you the one who told me I needed to take a vacation because I work too hard?”
He could almost imagine her pursing her lips in her office.
“Fine. I’ll reschedule all your appointment and tell them you need to attend to a family matter.”
“Thanks, Silvia.” They ended the call. Craig took deep breaths. He couldn’t believe he just done that, without any hesitation, no less. Craig felt a tinge of guilt, then realized, why should he? He put in plenty of hours, never once took a sick day in his life. Craig could use a few days off.
Hearing the doorbell ring downstairs, he tucked his phone in his pocket and padded downstairs. Spotting Danny through the peephole, his stomach did flops. What would he tell his best friend, after reacting like a brat yesterday?
Craig needed to man up. He opened the door. Danny widened his eyes in surprise.
“Rick isn’t here,” he immediately said.
“I know, Connor and he took off hours ago. I came to see you actually. Breakfast?”
Craig blinked, not realizing Danny had a plate with a stack of pancakes. A peace offering?
“You should have said so right away,” he said, opening the door wider, then peeked out. “Pat’s not lurking somewhere, right?”
Danny laughed. “No, he and Mac have other morning plans, I think.”
They headed to the kitchen with Craig leading him.
“Wow, it’s like you live here,” Danny said, then blinked. “Sorry, I was only joking.”
“I know.” He expelled a breath. Craig knew he’d been touchy lately. Danny certainly deserved better.
He took out two sets of plates and cutlery and made coffee, thinking of what he’d say to his best friend.
“How are you feeling? Better?” Danny asked once everything was on the counter. Hearing the concern in Danny’s voice doubled his guilt.
“Loads. Listen, Danny. I’m sorry for acting the way I did yesterday,” he said.
Danny shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about this. Maybe I should have tried harder, paid you a visit so we could talk face-to-face, but going back to the city seemed hard. I didn’t want to bump into my ex or be reminded of my old life. My place is here now.”
“I get that now, and I’ve been a little hard on Pat. I owe him an apology, too. It’s just, it feels like you’ve replaced me, you know? You’re my only family, and it feels so lonely without you.”
Danny got off his stool and hugged him fiercely. “You’ll always be my best friend, Craig. That will never change, and we’ll always be family.”
“I was being childish,” he grudgingly admitted. “On the plus side, Rick said I can bunk in with him anytime when I visit.”
They parted from the hug, and Danny wore a curious look on his face. “I’ve been meaning to ask, but is that a hickey on your neck?”
Oh God. He knew he couldn’t hide anything from his best friend, not that he wanted to. Craig missed telling Danny everything. He missed the lunch or late-night dates they used to have.
“Yes, it is,” he replied in most solemn voice.
“Rick, that jerk. What was he thinking? You
were injured,” Danny said, sounding mad.
“Don’t misunderstand, I wanted it, too. Well, to be honest, part of the reason I went to last night’s dinner was because I wanted to get to know him a little better,” he admitted. “But Rick wasn’t there, and I felt a little like an outsider with you guys.”
Danny looked pained. “I’m sorry to hear that. I swear, if you give us another chance, you’ll warm up to Connor, Mac, and Pat.”
“I’m thinking of staying here for three more days, you know. I figure I can turn my time here to a mini holiday,” he said.
“Really?” Danny asked excitedly. “Thank God. I was afraid to find you gone by now.”
“Yeah, I figured I could use a break.”
Danny nodded. “You work too hard.”
He groaned. “Not you, too.”
“It’s true. It’s good to relax, I can show you around town or—” Danny paused dramatically. “Rick can.”
He blushed.
“Holy shit, Craig. Your cheeks are pink. You really like Rick that much?”
“Why does that sound so surprising?”
“I don’t know, I have the impression Rick doesn’t date a lot.”
“It’s fine. I mean, if we’re both adults. We can keep things casual.”
Danny gave him a contemplative look, as if he didn’t quite believe Craig. Thankfully, Danny didn’t push.
Wanting to change the topic, he asked, “What happened anyway?”
“A fight broke out in the Honey Bear. I mean, no one got seriously injured, but some of the tables and chairs were thrashed,” Danny said with a wince.
“That bar means a lot to Rick,” he said.
“It sure does, and it’s kind of Rick’s baby.” Danny brightened. “Maybe you can pay Rick a visit after breakfast? I’ll make sure Connor’s not in the way.”
“Would he want my company?” he asked. “And what makes you sure he’ll be there?”
“Oh, he’ll be there, fussing and tallying damages and stuff. Rick’s obsessed with that bar. Can’t blame him though, the bar’s important to the brothers, and as for your first question, well.” Danny shrugged. “Judging by the way he worriedly went after you last night, he’ll definitely welcome your company.”