“You should have given me the chance to make that decision for myself!” Seth shouted. “I’m sick of everyone making my decisions for me, telling me what my life should be and who I should be. Just… just get out, Nick. I don’t want you here right now.”
Nick flinched at Seth’s words. His hands gripped the arms of the chair tightly. “I can’t do that, Seth. I can’t leave you until we know for sure if Taggart is truly alive, and if he isn’t, then who is the one who trashed your clinic?”
A rumbling sound started in Seth’s chest, and he glared at Nick. “I can take care of myself.”
Kasey couldn’t just watch silently any longer, and he stood, moving to Seth’s side. His fingers encircled Seth’s wrist gently. “We know you can, pup, but we want to help you,” he soothed quietly. “Nick cares about you, Seth.”
Trembling, Seth felt as though he would be buried beneath the wealth of emotions flooding him. Fear, anger, betrayal, and yet it was tinged by lust and affection for the man standing next to him. He tilted his head back to look up at Kasey. His eyes were wild with all of the thoughts racing through his mind. “I… I just—” He choked off, dropping his head into his free hand.
Tugging slightly, Kasey pulled Seth into his arms, holding him close. “Shh, pup. I know it’s a lot to take in, and so much has happened, but everything will be okay.” He ran the palm of one big hand down Seth’s spine in a brief caress.
Seth leaned his forehead against Kasey’s shoulder, and Kasey looked up at Nick. “I think he’s had enough for one day. We’ll talk about the Triad later. For now just let him rest.”
Kasey could feel Seth’s jumbled emotions and his exhaustion, not just physically but mentally. He nuzzled at Seth’s temple with his chin. “I think you need to get some sleep, pup. You can sleep without fear. We’ll both be here to make sure nothing happens.”
Nick stood and walked out of the house to the front porch to give them a few moments alone.
Seth shuddered. “It’s not the fear he’ll come for me that keeps me awake,” he whispered. “It’s the dreams, the memories.”
The shattered way Seth said it made Kasey want to rush out and find the bastard named Taggart. If he was dead, Kasey wanted to drag him back from the depths of the hell he was in and send him right back into the heart of it. But if he was alive, Kasey would drag him from whatever hole he’d curled up in for the moment and rip the son of a bitch apart. But his mate needed him more than he needed a furious werewolf, so he breathed in deep, his embrace tightening. “If you’ll allow me to, pup, I’d like to hold you while you sleep. To help fight away the demons I can’t see,” he murmured quietly into Seth’s hair.
To his embarrassment, Seth clung even tighter to Kasey. Why couldn’t he be strong around this man? Why did he feel as though he wanted to lay his soul bare to this stranger who’d come into his life so abruptly? A stranger he felt as if he’d known all of his life, and they seemed as deeply connected, if not even more so, than he and Nick were. Was this what it felt like with your mate, he wondered, this insane urge to hold on and never let go?
Kasey must have taken his clinginess as a yes to his question, because the next thing Seth knew, he’d been swept off his feet and into Kasey’s arms. A bright flush spread over his cheeks. “I can walk,” he protested weakly, ignoring the butterflies fluttering in his stomach at the romantic gesture. A gesture that usually leads to more than just sleeping, he thought and immediately chastised himself for thinking such things.
“Let me do this for you without you arguing for a change,” Kasey replied teasingly, dark eyes sparkling.
Seth rolled his eyes but relented, hesitantly slipping one arm around Kasey’s neck. He felt… warm and… cherished. It wasn’t something he was used to feeling, and he shifted in discomfort. Kasey’s arms felt strong, like he could lean on them forever.
The words the Cheyenne had whispered to him in the woods echoed inside his mind. Kasey loved him. Seth didn’t know why, but he believed him, someone he’d known a few short days. He believed Kasey did love him. The declaration rolled around in his head as he analyzed his own feelings toward Kasey. He knew he was nowhere near ready to put that kind of name to how he felt about the man, but he knew his feelings for the gentle sheriff were growing by leaps and bounds.
Since Kasey had found out Seth was his mate, the hostile edge that had always been around the sheriff in his presence was gone. He treated Seth as if he were a precious gem, something that could shatter at the briefest touch, except during those passionate moments in the woods. Seth’s cheeks heated at the memory of Kasey inside him and the warm, calloused hands gripping him so tightly.
Kasey disturbed him from his thoughts when he carefully lowered him to the bed. He watched as Kasey’s gaze flitted around the nearly empty room. A strange light came into the man’s intensely beautiful dark eyes.
The only furniture in the room was the king-sized bed, a dresser, and a nightstand with a lamp. On the nightstand were a couple of photographs of his parents and him with Nick. Seth wondered what Kasey thought of his barely furnished, barely lived-in house.
Kasey sank down onto the edge of the bed next to him. “When this is all over, pup, I’m going to show you what it’s like to have a real home.”
Seth jerked at his words. His eyes widened, becoming deep-blue sapphires in his pale features. He opened his mouth to say something, but Kasey laid one tanned finger across his lips. “Take off your clothes, Seth.”
Seth’s breathing deepened, and his lips parted on a small intake of air. Kasey smiled. “Not for that, pup. I want to give you a massage. To help you relax.”
Kasey stood and went into the bathroom to wash his hands and face. Dirt still covered him from their romp in the woods.
Seth quickly stripped to his boxers before sitting down on the edge of the bed to wait for the dark-haired sheriff.
When Kasey returned to the room, he pulled the sheets back and told Seth to lie down on his belly. Seth wanted to protest at first, realizing how vulnerable a position he would be in, but he took a deep breath and reminded himself Kasey wasn’t going to hurt him. The sheets were cool against his skin as he slid facedown, turning his head to the side so he could watch Kasey. “I don’t have any massage oil with me,” Kasey said regretfully. “It would make it feel even better and help you relax more, but another time.”
The implication that there would be more time with Kasey in the future eased some of the tension from Seth, and he let himself relax into the mattress only to tense again when Kasey straddled the backs of his thighs. “Relax, pup. I’m not going to hurt you,” Kasey said gently, setting his palms in the middle of Seth’s back carefully.
The first strokes of his palms calmed the skittish wolf, and Kasey began to knead the muscles beneath his pale flesh. His eyes devoured the soft skin, learning where each mole and freckle speckled his body. His tanned skin showed starkly against his mate’s. He noticed a tattoo on Seth’s upper arm. He’d missed it before in his desperate need to claim Seth as his. His fingers brushed over the small paw prints encircling his arm, feeling the slightly rougher skin. “When did you get this?” he asked huskily before returning to the task at hand.
Warmth slowly seeped through Seth, and he started to feel drowsy. It took effort to answer Kasey’s question coherently. “When I turned nineteen,” Seth answered sluggishly. “Nick and I wanted something to represent our friendship, so we each got a matching tattoo.”
Kasey pressed his thumbs into the muscles at the base of Seth’s neck, eliciting a groan from the slender male. He couldn’t stop his body from responding to the almost sensual moan, but this wasn’t about passion. It was about comfort and making his mate feel good. A tinge of jealousy rose up at the realization his mate and another male had made matching marks upon their bodies to connect with each other. His lips turned down at the corners, but he didn’t say anything, just continued the path down Seth’s spine. The tips of his fingers gently stroked over Seth’s shoulder
blades before sliding lower. When he reached Seth’s lower back, his hands gentled even further as they traced the hollowed indent. He resisted the urge to bend down and press his lips there, instead choosing to knead his way back up to Seth’s shoulders.
The way Seth’s ribcage stood out against his skin made Kasey wonder if his mate had been eating properly. Seth was so slender and skinny it felt like Kasey could snap the younger wolf’s bones with the just the slightest bit of pressure. Concern flitted through him. From now on he would make sure Seth ate properly. He trailed his hands down Seth’s arms, amusedly watching the skin twitching. It appeared his mate was ticklish. He filed that bit of information away for later. An image of Seth handcuffed to the bed, helpless underneath him and begging for Kasey to fuck him, flashed into his mind, and his cock throbbed. Kasey shook his head. Seth would never allow him to do it, and he would die before he hurt or scared the fragile vet. The image persisted, though, and his hips rolled forward, grinding his hard-on into the rounded cheeks beneath him. Perhaps he’d discuss it with Seth first, but it definitely left him lusting for the opportunity to make Seth submit.
He could feel the massage taking its toll on Seth. A sense of peace settled over his mate, and he felt his heart swell with love toward his stubborn man. The sound of Seth’s breathing deepening as he drifted into sleep made Kasey smile. He carefully moved off the bed, stripped, and slid back in beside his mate, pulling him close to his side. Seth nestled unconsciously into him, one hand, curled into a fist, coming to rest over Kasey’s heart. Kasey placed his hand on top of Seth’s and closed his eyes, praying they could catch whoever was tormenting his mate quickly so they could concentrate on each other. He wanted the time to woo his mate, to court him without the threat of Taggart or the Triad hanging over their heads.
Seth felt so safe and comfortable. A serenity he hadn’t felt since his parents were alive washed over him, and he didn’t want to let it go. His eyes refused to open to find out what had caused it in case it disappeared. The warmth pressing into him moved against him, and the memory of just hours before rushed over him. Kasey slept next to him, and their limbs were tangled together. A long, muscular leg rested between his. Eyelashes fluttering, he carefully pried open his lids and found the other’s face quite close to his own. The breath from Kasey’s lips whispered over his, sending awareness spiraling through him. His cock throbbed with desire for Kasey. He experimentally rubbed himself on the hard thigh between his legs, sucking in a breath at the pleasure it caused. He did it again, moaning softly.
What am I doing? he panted internally, practically dry-humping the man in his sleep like a cat in heat or, in this case, a dog in heat. He tried to stop, but it seemed his body had a mind of its own, and his hips thrust forward as his back arched slightly. The feel of Kasey’s palm sliding down the outside of his bare thigh was like a hot brand on his flesh. “Seth,” Kasey breathed into his ear, and then his lips were gently coaxing Seth’s to open under his.
Seth slid his hands into Kasey’s long dark hair, winding it between his fingers when he found himself flat on his back with Kasey on top of him. Kasey’s hair cascaded over his skin, sending a ticklish sensation along his shoulders and arms. His weight felt warm and heavy but wasn’t unwelcome, only adding to the slow, leisurely feel of their touches and kisses. No urgency lay behind their actions. Nothing like several hours ago, where it had been an all-consuming passion to possess one another. Kasey feathered light, soft kisses along Seth’s jawline to his ear. The tip of his tongue traced the shell of Seth’s ear, learning the curves and ridges of it before he wetly sucked the fleshy lobe into his mouth.
A moan rattled in Seth’s throat at the hot wetness on his ear. He gasped when he felt Kasey sucking it into his mouth, clutching at the strands of hair in his hands like they were lifelines tethering him to the earth. Seth had never known his ears could feel quite so sensitive before.
“Did I ever tell you how sexy your earring is? How hot it makes me whenever I see it?” Kasey murmured before moving his mouth to the space just behind Seth’s ear, licking and sucking at it, sending delighted shivers down Seth’s body.
“Kasey,” Seth whined, not even sure what he was whining for.
“I love the way you say my name,” Kasey growled low. “So needy.” He swirled his tongue down to Seth’s throat, nipping at the vein pulsing just under his skin.
The feel of Kasey’s teeth scraping over his throat caused Seth to gasp, and this time he allowed his hands the freedom to explore. They smoothed down Kasey’s muscular back, feeling the uneven patches where his tattoos marked his skin. “Don’t tease me,” he demanded weakly, tilting his head back to grant the larger wolf further access.
“But I like teasing you,” Kasey taunted, rocking his hips forward, rubbing their aching flesh together. “It makes me so hard to hear you beg for me.”
Seth raked his nails down Kasey’s back in retribution, but it merely caused a hiss of agonized pleasure to explode from Kasey. The sheriff chuckled against Seth’s neck, and he pulled back to look down at his mate. His eyes appeared even darker in the dim light of the waning day. “I like pain with my pleasure, pup. Scratch all you want. It only makes me want to fuck you even more.”
A mischievous glint entered Seth’s eyes as he said in a rough voice, “Who said I didn’t want you to fuck me?”
Kasey’s chest rumbled harshly, a feral sound of lust, before he devoured Seth’s mouth in a deep kiss. His tongue surged inside, wholly dominating the younger wolf. His nails lengthened into claws, and he shredded the boxers Seth still wore, removing the last article of clothing separating their bodies. “I liked those boxers,” Seth pouted breathlessly up at Kasey.
“I’ll buy you a new pair,” Kasey ground out just as he wrapped his hand around Seth’s hard prick.
Seth’s breath caught in his throat, and to his utter embarrassment, a mewling noise escaped him. “Oh…,” he moaned, thrusting up into Kasey’s hand.
Kasey squeezed the hard column of flesh before he began stroking his mate slowly, torturously so. He raked his teeth down Seth’s collarbone, then licked at the small wound as his hand moved up and down the stiff cock. His palm rolled across the head, smearing the pearl of crystal liquid seeping from the small slit. He smoothed the hot fluid down the shaft to the base and back up to the top, gathering more of it with each stroke. Needing to see the evidence of his pup’s desire for him, he pulled the sheet away from them both and lifted up enough to see the weeping staff. His thumb slid around the very ridge at the top of Seth’s cock, tracing the helmet-shaped head. When he heard a moan rattle in Seth’s throat, he looked at his mate and licked his lips, drawing Seth’s passion-glazed eyes to the pink tongue sliding along his full lips. “Is there something you want, pup?”
Seth’s dark head tossed against the pillow, and he gave Kasey a helpless look. The man teased him even now. “Please,” he whimpered.
“Please what, Seth?” Kasey rubbed his thumb on the sensitive indent just underneath the flared tip, causing Seth to shudder. “Tell me,” he demanded ruthlessly.
“So… not fair,” Seth huffed, his fingers twisting in the sheets. His hips bucked upward when Kasey slid the same thumb down the slit. “Fuck! Suck me already,” he snarled, glaring at him.
Kasey tsked at Seth with a humorous expression. “That wasn’t very polite,” he drawled as he fisted Seth’s cock in a tight grip and squeezed again.
“Kasey,” Seth sobbed in exasperation, only to let out a loud cry when Kasey suddenly licked the head of his straining flesh. The feel of the slick organ rolling around the tip of his cock almost sent Seth over the edge. He panted heavily in pleasure, unable to keep his hips from thrusting upward, only to be restrained by Kasey’s strong hands pinning him to the bed.
Carefully suckling just the knob of Seth’s length into his mouth, Kasey made love to it languidly, tonguing it and lapping it over and over again. He eased his mate into his mouth a fraction at a time, enjoying the feel of the silky
flesh over hard steel. It took a couple of tries before he could swallow the entire length down his throat. Seth’s panting cries caused Kasey’s cock to throb with lust to be inside him, but this wasn’t about him. It was about the seduction of his pup’s senses, the need to drive him so wild that Seth could do no more than beg him to fuck him, and to imprint himself so deeply on Seth that the other wolf didn’t want to leave him once they’d caught the bastard who’d hurt him.
He deep-throated Seth over and over again, and when he felt Seth about to come, he released him, the wet sucking noise sounding loud in the silence of the room. Seth growled in frustration, and Kasey secretly grinned before turning his attention to the sac hanging beneath Seth’s cock. His tongue weighed each of his balls deliberately. The clean, musky scent of his mate made his head spin, and the knowledge that his mate wanted him just as much—even though he protested—filled his heart to the brim with love for his pup, his Seth. Surprising Seth, he pulled first one orb then the other into his mouth, imbibing the taste of him on his tongue.
Seth’s cock was so hard he felt as though it would explode right out of its skin if he didn’t come soon. The jerk kept him right on the brink of his orgasm, teasing him and tormenting him. He clutched at Kasey’s shoulders desperately. “Kasey, please, I need… I need to come,” he groaned, trying to push his hips up.
Chasing Seth Page 13