by TJ Cross
***
We pulled up to the Gray Grandiose Hotel and stopped at the gated entrance long enough for me to flash my ID at the security guard. Recognizing my membership to the exclusive and luxurious hotel club, the guard waved me through, offering me an obligatory smile and wave as he did.
“You’re a member here?!” August stammered, his eyes like saucers as he stared up at the massive hotel. While D.C. proper didn’t allow for actual skyscrapers, the Gray Grandiose was as close as you could get inside the city limits. In fact, it was probably among the tallest structures in the city. It had apparently been founded and ran by a very prominent shifter clan since the late nineteenth century. Rumor had it, JFK himself had sneaked out to this very hotel in order to sneak around with Marilyn Monroe.
I nodded at him. “One of the many perks of being a tiger.” I left it at that, choosing to leave out the fact that said perks were often obtained by fighting and fucking our way through life, building fortunes and collecting favors as we went. Even if I didn’t think much of it, as my mate, that probably wasn’t something August wanted to know.
August seemed to accept my answer (or maybe he just decided to stop prodding?), because he returned his gaze to the massive structure as I searched around for a parking spot. Once we’d parked, I clambered out of the car, stretched briefly, then retrieved mine and August’s bags from the trunk of the car. I tossed him his belongings once he’d climbed out, then I gestured toward the hotel’s entrance.
We made our way to the hotel entrance and I slid my hotel membership card into the small card reader built into the wall just beside the door. A high-pitched chirp confirmed my access and the doors whooshed open.
“Good evening, Mr. Alexander!” a friendly and feminine voice called out as we stepped inside the building. I turned to see a smiling and leggy platinum blond dressed in a pair of six-inch heels and a pantsuit that hugged her elegant curves with perfection.
I waved a hand at the woman and flashed her a smile. “Evening, Cherise. How are the pups?”
The woman flashed me a wolfish smile, letting her inner predator seep to the surface for a brief second. “Growing too damn fast. Will you be staying in your usual room tonight, Mr. Alexander?”
I nodded at Cherise. “Absolutely. And can you have some wine sent up as well?”
Cherise smiled at me, “Yes, sir. Two glasses, I assume?” She nodded at August.
August just stood there, bewilderment on his face as he examined the vast interior of the hotel. It was, I had no doubt, unlike anything he had ever seen. The majority of the building’s interior consisted of clean white marble, with massive columns that towered several stories overhead. A winding staircase made entirely out of glass wrapped around the walls, leading to the upper floors. A sleek black elevator door was the only thing in view that broke off from the clean appearance of the hotel, and even it was immaculate in appearance, having the look of a deep and rich granite.
“Two would be perfect,” I told Cherise, then took August by the arm, bringing his attention back to me. “Impressed?” I asked him.
His eyes were still saucers and he nodded frantically. “Very. I mean, I’ve seen those before,” he pointed toward the massive columns. “We have them at home. But this place…it’s surreal. Very alluring.”
“What kind of person has Corinthian columns in their home?” I smirked at him.
“The very wealthy and powerful kind,” he told me, his attitude seeming to shift somewhat at that. I’d hit a nerve, one that I didn’t mean to hit either.
Doing my best to force the thoughts from his mind, I grabbed August by the hand and led him to the elevator. “Come on. You haven’t even seen the best part yet.”
I summoned the elevator by waving my club ID in front of a barely-visible scanner built into the wall, then dragged August inside once the doors slid open. The memory of our first encounter - that night in the elevator - popped into mind, and I felt my cock throb at the thought of it. Not one to waste a moment, as soon as the elevator doors closed and I hit the button for our floor, I threw August up against the wall, leaned in, and pressed my lips into his.
He was reluctant at first, then wrapped his arms around my body, pulling me in tighter, as I attacked him. Our tongues danced together as I forced mine into his mouth, tasting him and teasing him all at once. The electricity of his touch was unlike anything I’d ever experienced, and it was all I could do to remain focused without melting into him. I took one of my hands and dropped it down to the bulge growing between August’s legs, then began stroking the outline of his already-firm member. I hadn’t seen him naked yet, but that was coming. And soon. What I could tell was that he was big. Very big. That, in and of itself, made me grin and attack his mouth with a renewed ferocity.
The elevator door chimed, signaling our arrival on our floor, and I forced myself to pull back from him. August just stood there, back against the wall, and panted. His face was a few shades redder than it had been moments before, and I could see the need in his eyes as his bear threatened to emerge.
“Let’s go,” I told him, wiggling my eyebrows as seductively as I could. It wasn’t typical of me to do the seducing, but it was all I could do to keep my hands off the guy. So I needed him to hurry up and follow me so that we could get to our room and finish what we’d started.
With a deep breath, August wiped his face with the inside of his elbow, then proceeded to follow me out of the elevator. We walked down to the end of a short hallway, stopping at a massive wooden door where I once again waved my club ID card. I heard the locking mechanism disengage and grabbed the door handle, twisting it and forcing it open.
With the door open, I turned around and grabbed August again, this time by the collar of his shirt, and began tugging him with me as I walked backward into the massive suite. August gasped as his eyes scanned the suite, taking in the luxurious layout of the place. More than that, though, his eyes caught on the exterior wall of the suite. Or, rather, the window where the wall should have been. In the place of a standard wall, the entire exterior wall of the suite was one long, uninterrupted window that reached from floor to ceiling. It allowed for a perfect view of the National Mall, complete spectacular view of the now-lit up Washington Monument.
“Holy shit,” August managed after the awe of the moment finally sank in. “This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I guided him over to the window, letting him all but press his face against the glass, then stood back and observed as he gawked over the scene. It was charming, almost, the innocence he seemed to present. There was so much that was new to August. So much that he’d never experienced or dreamed of experiencing. Being essentially locked away in a tiny mountain colony for two and a half decades will do that to a person, no Auguster how ferocious their inner beast was.
I hadn’t necessarily seen August’s bear yet, but my tiger sensed enough of it to realize that he was a born alpha, and that whatever was lurking beneath his skin would be a force to be reckoned with. I’d have to make it a point to never piss him off enough to have it come after me. Then again, August didn’t really seem like the type to angrily lash out or let his beast take control.
I, on the other hand, gave away my control freely.
As August continued staring out the window, I slowly and quietly stripped off my clothes. Then, before he had a chance to notice, I crept up behind him, reached around his waist, and sank my hands inside the waistband of his shorts. Much to my delight, August wasn’t wearing any underwear. When my hands finally found purchase, August let out a long groan of pleasure then threw his hands onto the window before him, bracing himself against my touch. His cock was thick and veiny, and it felt like velvet as I began to pump his cock with my hand. Using my free hand, I slowly undid the button and zipper on his shorts, letting them fall to a puddle on the floor.
The more I pumped my hand, the further back August had to stand while continuing to lean forward against the window. “Oh my God, Rhys,” August panted a
s I continued to stroke him, cupping his balls with my free hand.
“Shhh,” I told him. “Just enjoy the view.”
With August’s feet spread so far apart, I knew that my chance had come. I knelt down behind him, one hand still pumping his cock, and used my free hand to grab his tight, firm ass. His skin was soft and creamy over his thick muscles, and I had to use a bit of force to spread his nervously clenched cheeks. I leaned in and stuck my tongue out, tracing it over his asshole slowly and gently, letting him feel every single sensation I could offer him.
“Holy…” August stammered, leaning further forward and spreading his legs apart even further. By this point, he was standing at an almost ninety-degree angle, his upper torso pressed against the window.
“Mmm,” I noised, still tonguing his asshole. “I gonna fuck your tight little ass. Nice and gentle, then hard and raw.”
August let out a noise that sounded like a mix of surprise and intrigue.
“Stay here,” I told him, abruptly abandoning my post and releasing my grip on his cock. Then, I walked across the room to a small nightstand, which I opened, retrieving a tube of lube from the drawer. I returned to my position behind August, then squeezed out some of the lube into my hand. I oiled up both of my hands, sat the tube on the floor beside me, and reached back around with one hand to grab August’s cock with my newly-lubed hand. The moan he let out when my slick hand caressed his thick and bulging member screamed of lust and need.
“Jesus fuck,” August stammered, his legs quivering as I teased my hand along his shaft.
“Shhh,” I reminded him. “The view, remember?” As I spoke, I eased the index finger on my free hand against his asshole, gently applying just enough pressure to force an entrance. At first, August’s anal muscles clenched up, but after a few moments, they relaxed and I was able to further insert the finger.
“Holy…holy…” August continued to stammer as I worked him, my hand still sliding up and down his shaft as my finger fucked his tight little hole.
Another minute passed by and I inserted a second finger, letting his hole open up just wide enough to prepare him for my cock. When I felt like he was ready, I removed my fingers, stroked my own cock with my still-lubed hand, and eased my head into his hole. It took some patience and careful maneuvering, but I was ultimately able to slip a few inches of my shaft into his hole. The tightness surrounding my cock was incredible, and the sensations of it all nearly made me forget that my other hand was still jacking August off.
After another few moments, I began thrusting in and out, fucking his ass with my massive cock, while my hand pumped his own cock in time with my thrusts.
“Shit!” August growled, slamming his fist into the window. Then he backed up into me, beginning to buck against my cock as I drilled into him, forcing the full twelve inches of my shaft into his ass. With my entire length inside him, I began phase two: fucking him raw.
I picked up the pace, driving into him while pumping furiously with my hand. The sound of my hips slapping against his ass echoed around the room, accompanied only by the gasps and pleasured grunts of my mate. Suddenly, August began to convulse, his muscles clenching up around my cock as his body quivered. With a final roar, August climaxed, sending streams of his spunk splashing against the window. The continued tightness of his muscles around my shaft was too much, and my mind exploded in a burst of electricity and colors, and I reached my own climax. August continued bucking toward me, fucking me with his ass, as more and more of my own cum shot into his hole.
Finally, exhausted, I pulled out of him and backed away, collapsing in a nearby chair. August, still reeling from the experience, turned around and sank to the floor with his back against the glass.
“Oh my God,” he finally managed after a few minutes. “That was…holy shit. Holy fucking shit, Rhys. Just. Wow. I don’t think I’ll be able to walk for a week.”
I smiled at him, stilling my panting. “That’s the plan.”
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Damn, I thought. The wine.
“Coming,” I shouted. Then I stood up and grabbed my pants, pulling them on as I walked toward the door. Once covered, I opened the door, fully expecting to greet a member of the hotel staff. Only, it wasn’t. Instead, I found myself standing in front of the largest bear I had ever seen.
“What the fuck?” I managed, before the enormous beast grabbed me, heaved me off the floor, and sent me spiraling through the air toward the massive window. My body hit the window with a sickening crunch, shattering the glass instantly. The last thing I saw before the world went black was the Washington Monument in the distance, somehow hanging from the sky.
AUGUST
The world seemed to fall apart before I even knew what was happening. One instant, I was stuck in a feeling of rapture my mind utterly blown by the sexual experience I’d just been granted. Rhys had more than gratified me. In fact, if it had gone on any further, I just knew that I would have exploded, both literally and figuratively. Somehow, though, in the course of a few seconds, every positive and pleasurable sensation had been erased, replaced instead by a sudden wash of fear, rage, and hate.
I’d smelled him the moment Rhys opened the door. But before I could shout a warning, the damage had been done. The massive bear had grabbed Rhys and tossed him clear across the suite, sending him crashing into the window, shattering it, and dropping him into the dark abyss below. I didn’t even have time to look outside to see if he was alive before the bear was towering of me.
I rose up, then, preparing to shift in order to defend myself, but the bear transformed back into a human before I could draw my focus. Much to my surprise, my own father stood before me, anger and disgust clearly outlined on his face.
“You pathetic piece of shit,” he spat at me, grabbing me by the throat and forcing me backward toward a nearby wall. “You’re disgusting. Vile. Retched. If my own reputation didn’t depend on you, I’d destroy you right now.”
I gasped against my father’s grip, his bear obviously still ending him its strength.
“Did you not think I would find you? Did you not think I would drag your ass back home when I did? Stupid, retched, boy.” He spat in my face, then threw me to the floor. “Put your clothes on. We’re leaving.”
I lay on the floor for a long moment, bent over and gasping for breath. My mind was racing. My heart, more so, was breaking. He’d killed him. He’d shown up and just…killed him. Out of nowhere. With no warning. My father had taken from me the one thing that I knew I wanted, that I knew I needed. My mate was gone, dead, done. Just like that. I cried. At first, it was a single tear, but it rapidly evolved into an uncontrollable sob.
It was too much, too painful. And, somehow, I would have to live with it.
I stood up, rising to my full height and glared into my father’s eyes. Not surprisingly, he met my glare with one of his own, the intensity behind his laced with a desire for cold blooded murder.
“Did I stutter, boy?” my father roared. “I am not giving you a choice.”
My bear was furious, threatening to emerge at any moment. My blood boiled with hatred and defiance. I wasn’t going anywhere with him.
“You killed him,” I hissed. “You just…fucking killed him.”
My father laughed, startling me for a moment. “He’s not dead. I can still smell him, that rank cat stench.”
“You’re lying,” I snarled. “There’s no way he survived that.” I gestured angrily at the window.
“Nonsense,” he waved a hand dismissively. “If I wanted him dead, he’d be dead. But then I wouldn’t have anything to make you come home. I can promise you that he’s alive, but that he won’t’ stay that way if you don’t come willingly and come now.”
I stood my ground, still defiant. As little sense as it made, something told me that he was telling the truth. Despite my human side immediately accepting Rhys’s apparent death, my bear still seemed to understand that he was still alive, even if only barely
.
“Do you doubt the reach of my resources, boy?” my father roared again. “I tracked you here via your car’s GPS. And if you’re wondering how I even got in here, it’s because I own this hotel. It’s part of the vast fortune that my clan holds onto.” He stepped toward me and snarled. “Do not defy me, boy. Or I will bring hell down upon you and your alley cat tramp.”
I stared up at him, taking in his words, accepting them. His bear dominating mine, despite my best efforts. I should have known that he’d find me. My brother had warned me as much. My father was a man of significant wealth and power, and it had been foolish of me to defy him…
And besides, he said that Rhys was alive. And that he’d change that if I defied him again. Even if he was lying, I couldn’t risk that. I couldn’t risk having the other half of my soul utterly destroyed. I didn’t have a choice.
“Fine,” I conceded, leveling my eyes at the floor. “I’ll come with you.”
“Get dressed then,” my father growled, still towering over me. “You’ve got a mating ceremony to attend.”
RHYS
Something prickly and more than a little obnoxious stabbed into my back, forcing me to roll to one side. Which was, it turns out, a poor move to make because I found myself abruptly dropping a few feet and onto the cold, hard asphalt of the hotel’s rear parking lot. I looked up from where I was, trying to remember what in the world had just happened. The memory of it all crashed into my mind right around the same time the pain from my injured ribs did.
A massive bear had assaulted and thrown me from - no, through - the window of my suite. I’d gotten lucky and landed on some landscaped bushes around the rear of the hotel, but the force of the fall itself had knocked me out cold, and I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious. All I knew is that I had to get back to my suite and check on August. I knew that he was a bear himself, but there didn’t seem to be any way that he could compete with that monstrosity. Especially when caught off guard.