by Stormy Glenn
"Was your old alpha like that?"
George nodded. "It was like nothing I did was okay, and he watched every move I made, and when he wasn't watching me, he had other people watching me. It was insane."
"Do you think your parents had something to do with that?"
"I think my parents had everything to do with it," George replied. "Life was fine until I shifted, and then it became hell. My parents had this big dream of me being alpha of my own clan, and they went about doing everything they could to ensure their dream came true. They just forgot to ask me what I wanted."
Leon already knew this. He'd read about it in George's file and the man had explained it to him, but maybe there was more to George's story than he had shared already.
"I'm a little confused," Leon admitted. "How could your parents force you to be an alpha if you didn't want to be one?"
"I don't know." George sighed again as he pushed a hand through his hair. "I guess they just thought I'd fall in with whatever they wanted."
Ford spoke up from the backseat. "George is not the…uh…most aggressive bear in the forest despite being born an alpha. His parents tended to run roughshod over him."
Yeah, Leon had gotten the impression the George wasn't the most dominant of bears. He might be as big as a house, but that was just the outer shell. His inner bear was a lot more timid. Considering who Leon was, that just might work in his favor.
Now, Leon just had to figure out why that idea excited him so damn much.
Chapter Six
George set the blanket, sheets, and pillow he'd gotten for Leon down on the end of the couch. He gave them a little pat as he looked toward the man. "If you need another blanket, there are some in the closet at the end of the hallway."
Leon smiled as he glanced away from the window.
George swallowed tightly when those sexy dimples appeared. He was pretty positive they were going to get him in a lot of trouble. He quickly looked away before he started drooling. "There's also another pillow in the cupboard if one isn't enough."
"I can't sleep on the couch, George."
George blinked. "Uh…"
"I'm supposed to be your boyfriend, remember? There can't be any sign that I'm not."
"So…"
"So, I need to sleep in the same bed you do."
George's jaw dropped. "You what?"
"People need to believe I'm your boyfriend. If someone comes in or, god forbid, breaks in, they need to see that I'm sleeping in the same bed as my boyfriend."
"You think someone is going to break into my apartment?"
"Not really, no, but in order to adequately protect you, I have to look at all scenarios." Leon's easy grin—and those damn dimples—confirmed George's belief that sleeping in the same bed as him was a really bad idea. "I promise to stay on my side of the bed."
George wasn't worried about Leon. He was afraid he wouldn't stay on his side of the bed. The mere thought of sleeping in the same bed as Leon was hardening his cock so fast, it was hard to breathe.
George grabbed the pile he'd just set down and held it in front of him to hide the growing bulge in his pants. "I'll…uh…just go put this away then." He needed a few minutes to compose himself, or at least get his raging hard-on under control. He didn't think he'd be able to live it down if Leon discovered how aroused he was from a simple smile, to say nothing of the way the man smelled.
George had a strong craving for elderberries.
He quickly walked down the hallway and put the blankets and stuff away then made his way to the bathroom off his bedroom. He closed the lid on the toilet and sat down, burying his face in his hands.
This was insane. His bear was so close to the surface, George was surprised he didn't have fur. The intensity of the emotions rushing through him made him shudder. He felt as if he was seconds away from crawling out of his skin.
He was never this out of control. Never. It was one of the things his parents had used against him. They believed it meant he was even-tempered. He knew it was because he didn't want to make waves.
George got up and walked to the sink to splash some cold water on his face. If he didn't get himself under control, he'd never be able to leave the bathroom.
"You okay in there, George?"
George jumped.
"Ye—" He cleared his throat and tried again. "Yeah, I'm good. I'll be out in just a moment."
He inhaled a shaky breath then pulled the bathroom door open. The moment he stepped out into the bedroom and the bathroom light shone on the man across the room taking his shirt off, George knew he was in bigger trouble than he thought.
Twin glints of gold twinkled from the small rings in Leon's nipples. A kaleidoscope of color splashed across the man's muscular chest in the form of a red dragon tattoo and a dark tribal pattern amid thick dark hair.
George hissed at the pain that went through his shaft as he hardened to a steel rod. He could practically hear the seams of his jeans threatening to split wide open as his pants tightened unbearably.
"I…uh…I need to take a shower."
George grabbed a clean pair of boxers off his dresser then spun and raced back into the bathroom, slamming the door closed. He leaned back against the solid wood and tried to drag life-giving oxygen into his lungs. He was positive he was dying.
When he heard Leon moving around in the bedroom, he hurried over to the shower and turned it on. He stripped his clothes off and dropped them in the hamper then climbed into the shower.
George leaned his head down under the steaming hot shower spray. He was never going to survive this. Maybe he just needed to tell Leon he'd be fine and didn't need the man's protective services.
George blinked at the instant rage that ripped through his bear at the mere thought of sending Leon away. Where in the hell had that come from? And why was his bear so damn upset at the thought of never seeing Leon again?
He was pretty in tune with his bear, always had been, but this new aggressive nature wasn't something he was used to. He didn't quite know what to make of it. Leon was sexy as hell, but that didn't explain this strange obsession his bear had for the man.
George just didn't understand it.
Of course, Leon really was gorgeous. He'd only gotten a glimpse of the man's shirtless chest before running back into the bathroom, but it was enough to fuel George's fantasies for years to come.
It was obvious Leon kept in shape. George supposed he had to for his job. But those rippling muscles…damn. Just damn. He wanted to lick every inch. From seeing how toned his chest was, George could just imagine what the rest of him looked like, and he had a great imagination.
He reached down and palmed his cock, giving it a hardy squeeze before slowly stroking down the full length then back up. He bet Leon had a tight compact ass. His jeans certainly seemed to hug those round globes tight enough.
George stroked himself a little faster as he imagined having Leon on his knees and separating those twin globes and sliding his cock between them, pushing in until his balls pressed up against Leon's ass.
He'd fuck him slow at first, enjoying the slide against each inch of tight muscles as they squeezed his cock. Then he'd go a little faster, slamming into the man until Leon groaned and maybe begged for more.
George's breath caught, his chest moving up and down at a rapid pace as his body tightened. He wanted to fuck that perfect little ass so much. He'd cover Leon's body with his own, body pressed against body, skin to skin.
His cock deep in Leon's ass. Thrusting. Withdrawing. Thrusting. Withdrawing. A fistful of hair. A needy moan. Lips on hot skin. Teeth embedded in the skin of Leon's shoulder.
Fuck!
George groaned as his body erupted, overwhelmed by the pleasure of his fantasy. He slammed his hand against the shower wall. Ropes of pearly white cum shot out of his dick and splattered against the wall before going down the drain with the hot water.
George dropped his head back under the shower spray as he tried to drag enough air into his lungs to breathe
. He gave his cock a couple more strokes before leaning both hands against the wall.
That had been unreal. He wasn't a virgin, but close enough. He didn't have a lot of experience simply because he wanted a connection with whoever he was with and not just some back alley hook-up. Still, he was pretty damn sure that was the best sexual experience of his life. It was sad that it had taken place in the shower while he was all alone.
He really needed to get a life.
As much as he suspected the money he'd won could help with that, he was pretty sure anyone who'd want him after learning he had money wasn't someone he'd want. The guys he'd met before now weren't really long-term material, too interested in getting laid as many times as they could with as many people as possible.
George was starting to wonder if he'd be alone for the rest of his life. It wasn't like he was asking for the impossible. At least, he didn't think so. He just wanted someone to call his own, someone who understood his bear was an alpha born omega and accepted that part of his nature.
Knowing he had no other choice, George finished washing up then turned off the shower and stepped out. He grabbed a towel and started drying off. As he did, he tried not to think about the man in the other room. He tried to think about anything else. Tomorrow, when he'd go sign the paperwork for his money. What he was going to do with it. Where he wanted to live. Getting a cat or a dog. Anything.
None of it worked.
The second he pulled his boxers on and opened the door, he saw Leon all stretched out on the far side of the bed, the covers folded down to his navel.
George sucked in a breath when his spent cock hardened right back up. At this rate, he'd injure himself from lack of blood to his head and other extremities. It was all pooling in his groin.
"You okay there, George?" The sly grin on Leon's face said the man knew exactly what George's problem was.
"Yeah," George croaked out. He wished he had something to hold in front of him. The persistent tent in his boxers left no doubt to what his issue was, and Leon was fully aware of it.
George ignored the flush in his cheeks and the knowing grin on Leon's face as he made his way to the bed. He was almost afraid to flip back the covers. If Leon was naked under there, he was in big trouble.
"I wasn't sure what side of the bed you sleep on," Leon said, "so I took this side since everything seems to be on the nightstand on the other side of the bed."
George didn't really have a side. "That's okay," he said. "I kind of sleep all over the place, so taking this side is fine."
"Don't have a lot of people sleeping on this side?"
"No." George glanced away before Leon could see the fresh flush that filled his cheeks. "No one's ever slept in this bed except me."
He lifted the covers, blowing out a relieved breath when he caught the black fabric of Leon's boxers. As much as he'd love to see the man without his boxers on, he knew he couldn't. He doubted he had the control to keep himself from jumping Leon if the man was naked in his bed.
George climbed into bed and immediately rolled to face away from Leon. He pulled the covers up and tucked them tightly around his body. If he survived the night without embarrassing himself more than he already had, he'd be shit, shocked, and amazed.
"Hey, George?"
"Yeah?"
"I like the ducks."
George groaned, his humiliation complete. He hadn't realized until that exact moment that he'd grabbed his boxers with the little smiling ducks print on it.
"No, seriously," Leon said. "They're cute."
Cute…peachy. Just how he wanted to be referred to. Why couldn't the man of his fantasies think of him as smoking hot?
"So, what's on the agenda tomorrow? Are we headed down to lottery headquarters?"
"Yeah." George sighed before rolling over to face Leon. "They'll deposit the money directly into my account, but I still have to go in with the winning lottery ticket and sign the papers. We'll need to stop by the bank first so I can get the ticket."
"You put it in the bank?"
George nodded. "I put it in the bank after I signed the back of it and took a picture of me holding it. Ford thought that would help prove I was the winning ticket owner."
"That's actually pretty smart."
"I wasn't taking any chances."
Leon grinned. "I can understand that."
George was glad someone could.
"I just want you to know, I'll be armed tomorrow, so don't worry about anyone trying to take it away from you. I won't let that happen."
"I think I'm worried less about someone trying to take the ticket away from me before I get to the lottery office than I am of someone coming after me once I get the money. No one except you, Ford, his parents, Uncle Allan's lawyer, and Alpha Barker even know I have the ticket."
That was actually quite a few people.
"We should keep it that way for the time being."
George wholeheartedly agreed. "I kind of don't want to tell anyone else even after I turn in the ticket." It wasn't like he had that many people to share with after all. "Ford is my best friend, and he already knows, as do his parents. I only told Alpha Barker and Uncle Allan's lawyer because I had to. There's not really anyone else to tell."
Leon's eyebrows drew together. "Surely you have other friends besides Ford."
"No, not really." He didn't make friends easily. People either tended to be intimidated by his size or picked fights with him because they felt the need to prove themselves by fighting the biggest man in the room.
After a while of that crap, George had started keeping to himself. He still went out and did stuff with Ford and his aunt and uncle, but he didn't engage people beyond casual conversation. It just wasn't worth it. It also made meeting anyone for a long-term relationship pretty impossible.
"Well, I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends now."
George lifted one eyebrow. "Are those really the kind of people I want as friends?"
Leon chuckled. "Maybe not, but you have to admit, with some money in your bank account, you'll be able to experience things you wouldn't if you had no money. That means you'll be exposed to more people. You'll make friends."
George wasn't so sure of that, but he wasn't going to share his doubts with someone he barely knew. Leon seemed to have an overabundance of confidence. George bet he had friends all over the world.
"We'd better get to sleep," George said as he started to roll over. "We have a pretty busy day tomorrow."
"Hey." Leon grabbed his arm before he could get all the way rolled over. "I want you to know I'll keep you safe tomorrow. I don't want you to worry about that."
George sent him a small smile. "I'm not worried.”
And for some reason he couldn't fathom, he really wasn't worried. Leon made him feel safe. It wasn't as if George was terribly worried about his safety at the moment. Not many people messed with him, but after he became rich and famous, that would most likely change.
Especially once his parents learned he had money, and they would. George had no doubt of that. He had suspected for some time that they were keeping tabs on him in some manner. Not because he had seen anyone following him or anything, but because they had given up way too easily.
Once he had escaped through the bathroom window, he had never heard another word from his parents. He had thought they had moved on, but after a while, he started to think that they were merely biding their time until they could force him to go back. He wouldn't, but that didn't mean they wouldn't try. That would be even more so once they learned he had money.
"Good night, Leon." George rolled over and faced away from the enticing man on the other side of the bed.
If he was lucky, he'd sleep like the dead until morning. Unfortunately, his luck just didn't seem to run that way, so he wasn't holding his breath. The best he could hope for was to not end up wrapped around the man come dawn's early light.
Again, he wasn't holding his breath.
Chapter Seven
Leo
n was warm, warmer than he'd ever remembered being. But it wasn't a smothering hot. He wasn't sweating. It was more of a comforting warmth than anything. Leon started to roll over until he realized he couldn't. Arms like steel bands were wrapped around him, pinning him in place.
For a moment, a brief second panic held Leon in a vice grip. He started to reach under his pillow for his gun until the man behind him grunted and thrust his hips forward, pushing his very hard cock against Leon's ass.
George.
Leon's eyes fluttered closed as he blew out a relieved breath. It was just George. Although, why George was wrapped around him like an octopus, he'd never know. He wasn't about to complain, though. The cock poking him in the ass felt fantastic.
Leon was a little disturbed to think about just how long it had been since he'd been laid. All he seemed to do lately was work, work, then more work. That was one of the reasons he'd been looking forward to some time off so much.
And, as much as he'd like to explore that cock poking him in the ass, he couldn't sleep with his client. It was so ethically wrong he didn't even want to think about it. Granted, there were no general rules against it, but it was heavily frowned upon.
When Leon tried to move away, the arms around him tightened and a low growl rumbled through the chest pressed against his back. Leon stilled, almost not breathing. He was pretty sure that was a threatening growl.
Leon really wasn't sure what to do. If he moved, George's bear could come out and maul him to death. If he didn't move, something else could maul him, which would be much more enjoyable. Both were dangerous considering he was supposed to be protecting George, not bagging the sexy guy.
"Uh, George?" Leon tried to glance over his shoulder, but he was locked in the snuggle hold of death. Breathing was about all he could do at the moment. He huffed as he settled back down into George's ironclad embrace. It didn't look as if he was going anywhere anytime soon.
That wouldn't be so disturbing if his own cock wasn't hardening in answer to the one poking him in the butt. He was growing more aroused with each passing second.