by Anya Byrne
Ward didn't know what he'd thought would happen from that point on. He wasn't exactly a virgin, but penetrative sex with a werewolf-Sidhe hybrid wasn't territory he'd ever explored, or had even dreamed of. He had to admit he was a little anxious. What could he possibly have to offer that a centuries-old shape-shifter hadn't already experienced?
He needn't have worried. When Mathias climbed into the bed next to him, his eyes held a silent promise that muted anything Ward might have wanted to say. He tried nonetheless, but only ended up opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, probably making himself look like an idiot in the process.
It was worth it, though, because it earned a soft, warm smile from Mathias. The next thing Ward knew, Mathias was kissing him, and Ward forgot to worry about stupid things like sexual compatibility and lack of adequate experience. For once, he let it all drift away, focusing simply on that, on Mathias's taste, the perfect way the two of them just fit.
Mathias's tongue slid into his mouth, and it might not have been the first time they kissed, but it almost felt that way. It progressed quickly, of course, growing from the nearly lazy lip-lock to so much more. Mathias's heavy body settled on Ward's, his weight pressing Ward into the mattress. It was heavenly, and Ward distantly wondered why he'd waited for so long.
Arousal mixed with frustration inside him, the desperate need to feel Mathias's naked skin under his fingertips. The one thing that comforted him was that he wasn't alone in this situation. Mathias's fingers trailed over his sides, and Ward felt claws tearing into the material of his shirt, as if in response to Ward's mental plea.
He whimpered into their kiss, and Mathias growled in reply. Both sounds were muffled by their lip-lock, but somehow, seemed to fuel the passion burning between them. The gentleness Mathias had showered him with dissipated into something else entirely, into an almost angry possessiveness.
Mathias practically devoured him, and Ward could do nothing but succumb to it. He held on for the ride as Mathias's claws made quick work of his shirt and discarded the scraps on the floor. His lover didn't seem to have any intention of breaking their kiss, to the point that Ward wondered if werewolves didn't need to breathe. That thought brought very interesting ideas to mind, and his cock throbbed in his jeans, demanding to be let out to play.
It wasn't like Mathias had never sucked his cock before. The man was nothing if not eager to touch Ward, in whatever way Ward allowed. He'd displayed insane amounts of control and always respected Ward's boundaries—but he also had a mouth that was possibly a huge contributing factor to Ward's complete inability to form anything resembling a coherent train of thought.
A part of him didn't want to break their kiss. It was intimate in a way he couldn't explain, an expression of more than just sexual attraction. Still, it was just as well that Mathias pulled away, since Ward would have probably succumbed to oxygen deprivation instead of denying his addiction to Mathias's taste.
Mathias grinned at him, and Ward couldn't suppress a shiver, knowing that Mathias had probably read straight through him. That sinful mouth descended on his body, and Ward melted, turning into a huge, incoherent ball of flaring nerve endings. He was distantly aware of Mathias removing his jeans, but only because the sharp claws that had shredded through his clothes now dug into his hips. They didn't quite break the skin, but the promise was there, the edge of pain palpable underneath each of layer of pleasure.
Of course, by now, Mathias was busy sucking on Ward's nipples, and that had a lot to do with why Ward couldn't give a flying fuck that his mate was a mythological creature. The concept might have made him laugh if his vocal cords hadn't refused to work for anything except gasping and the occasional moan. Mathias was a centuries-old sort-of werewolf. He'd deemed himself in love with Ward's great-uncle. Who the hell cared? Mathias was here now, and he belonged to Ward in the same way Ward belonged to him.
Ward might have wondered how that knowledge struck him at that exact moment, but Mathias seemed to decide Ward wasn't nearly as incoherent as he should be. He bit on Ward's nipple, so hard it almost—but not quite—hurt. The pleasure pooled straight into Ward's cock, and Mathias followed the path, wrapping his free hand around the shaft.
Maybe Ward should have been scared of having those very sharp tips close to a sensitive area, but there was something intoxicating about it. He was vulnerable, yes, but with that vulnerability came freedom, and a high he only ever experienced when he lost himself to his muse.
Mathias kissed down his chest and traced the lines of his abdomen with his tongue, each motion a study in a worshipful seduction that only he made possible. His hand kept pumping Ward's dick in a slow pace that threatened to drive Ward insane.
Given the lazy rhythm and the maddening spell Mathias was weaving around him—and really maybe it was actual magic, because Ward couldn't remember being so aroused in his life—the moment Mathias took his cock in his mouth came like a shock to the system. It shouldn't have, of course. Things had obviously been heading in that direction. That didn't mean Ward was prepared for the pleasure that rushed over him. Somehow, he never was. Layers of pleasure settled onto him, piling on memories of remembered orgasms. He was completely and utterly at Mathias's mercy, and God help him, he loved it.
Mathias didn't tease. They were past that point, past the seductive tricks the man often used to make Ward come undone. He bobbed his head up and down Ward's cock, sucking for all he was worth. Ward buried his fingers in his lover's hair and held on, trembling with the need to climax.
He felt the incoming orgasm buzzing at the base of his spine, in every inch of his skin. Mathias was ruthless with him, to the extent that the suction and the need to come started to become painful.
Ward couldn't have said what finally pushed him over the edge. It could have been the way Mathias took him into his throat and swallowed, or perhaps the tightening of Mathias's hold on his hips. Maybe it was the nudge of those claws that could easily tear him apart, but instead somehow made him feel protected. Or perhaps it was a combination of all those things and more, every sensation Mathias stirred inside Ward conspiring to steal his breath, to short-circuit his thought processes and stop his heart.
Whatever the reason, the end result was the same. Ward found his peak, filling Mathias's mouth with his spunk. His lover drank down every drop, refusing to release Ward's dick, sucking him all throughout his climax. It was almost too much sensation for Ward's oversensitive cock, and he whimpered, not even knowing if he wanted to escape the sensation, or demand more.
Mathias made the choice for him when he finally freed Ward's prick. Still floating pleasantly on the cloud of afterglow, Ward could only watch his lover as he tried to catch his breath.
It seemed obvious that Mathias was nowhere near done with him. The man briefly pulled away, just long enough to take off his own clothes and discard his shoes. It was the first time Ward saw his lover fully naked, and arousal returned with a vengeance, pushing back the comfortable post-coital lassitude.
Mathias was all rippled muscle and bronze skin, every inch of him screaming of barely veiled strength. Ward ached to reach out, to take his mate's cock in his hand, or better yet, in his mouth—but he didn't.
Mathias leaned over him again and pinned him with a fierce look. When Ward met Mathias's eyes, he felt like he was falling, completely lost in that surreally beautiful gaze. It reminded him of the very first moment they'd met, when he'd faced the wolf he hadn't known was a man.
Ward felt like prey now, but he wouldn't have changed a single thing about the moment. The world seemed brighter, the colors sharper. Ward didn't dare to move or to blink. He had no idea what he was afraid of, but he simply couldn't... He needed to memorize this, to remember Mathias in this particular instant in time.
Why? What was special about seeing Mathias this way? Was it the mind-melting orgasm Ward had just experienced, or the fact that his lover's lips were still a little swollen from taking his cock? Was it the memory of seeing Mathias's tongue gather every
drop of his spunk like it was the most delicious thing in the world?
Ward wished he could be certain, but the truth was that he'd lost count of the ways he loved and needed Mathias. It was the color, he finally decided, the gold he'd tried so hard to get right. There were questions in it now, and a final chance to reconsider. Mathias wouldn't hold it against him if he changed his mind. Mathias loved him.
In the end, it wasn't Mathias's wild nature that devoured Ward, but the love. Everything faded away except the need to belong to this beautiful man. Mathias was art come to life, and for Ward, nothing else mattered. He didn't think he could vocalize everything he felt, so he decided to act instead. Lifting his legs, he exposed his nether hole to his mate, hoping—no, knowing—Mathias would understand.
Mathias did. There was an unfortunate moment during which Mathias pulled away to reach for the nightstand. He returned seconds later, but his absence lasted just long enough for Ward to wonder why Mathias hadn't invented magic lube. The stray thought vanished when Mathias quickly opened the tube and squirted a generous amount of the liquid on his fingers. He supported Ward's thighs on his shoulders, removing most of the strain of the position.
And then, slick fingers prodded Ward's hole and his focus shifted. He had to make a considerable amount of effort just to avoid completely drifting into the haze of pleasure. It would have been so easy, but Ward didn't want to lose sight of Mathias's handsome face, not yet.
Unfortunately, Mathias didn't give him much choice. He slowly worked one finger in and out of Ward's hole, caressing his inner walls, making him more aware of his body and his sexuality than he'd been in his life. The first digit was joined by a second, then a third, and soon, Mathias was stretching Ward's passage, the pleasurable burn a tantalizing promise that threatened to make Ward's resolve dissolve like water in the scorching rays of the sun.
Those tortuously skilled fingers hit Ward's prostate, and he truly had no idea how he didn't come right then and there. He could only blame it on his previous orgasm, or perhaps the fact that he desperately needed Mathias inside him. Thankfully, his lover seemed to experience the same urgency. It took him far too long to decide Ward was ready, but once he did, oh, it was so worth it. He pulled his fingers out of Ward and replaced them with his long, thick cock.
Ward had taken Mathias's dick in his mouth so he knew exactly what to expect of his lover's girth. He supposed he should have felt at least a little apprehensive, but he didn't. Still, he couldn't suppress a slight hiss when the head of Mathias's dick popped past his ring of guardian muscle.
Mathias stilled, his jaw twitching with the effort to give Ward time to adjust. Ward was thankful, but at the same time, he resented it. He wanted to feel everything Mathias could give him, the fire that burned beneath the surface of Mathias's facade of control.
He forced himself to relax, breathing in and out as his muscles yielded to the penetration. Mathias obviously noticed, because he started to move again. At first, he did so slowly, sliding into Ward inch by excruciating inch. Ward felt impossibly full, and he thought that surely, he couldn't take any more of it, but with every second that passed, Mathias proved him wrong.
By the time Mathias was fully inside him, Ward felt dizzy. He wasn't exactly new at this, but all his previous experience faded into a distant mist, like Mathias was burning away the touches of all previous lovers.
Mathias gave him a few more seconds to adjust, but Ward didn't quite manage to gather his thoughts. Before he could even make the attempt, his lover was pulling out of him and thrusting back inside, right into his prostate.
From that point on, the world turned into a blur of passion, color and need. At first, Ward tried to meet Mathias's thrusts, to fuck himself on his lover's dick, but he was only half-way successful. Mathias's pace grew punishing, too fast for any human to keep up with. His hold on Ward tightened even more as he fucked Ward harder, as if he couldn't get deep enough inside Ward no matter how much he tried.
Ward simply surrendered, instinctively knowing that it was what Mathias needed. And maybe it was that exact instinct that made him tilt his head back and offer his throat to his lover.
His great-uncle had told him what he could expect when it came to mate bonds, but a part of Ward hadn't really believed him, or maybe hadn't processed what it meant. He finally understood it then. Mathias thrust inside him one last time, all the while burying strikingly sharp fangs in Ward's flesh. It hurt, but the pain somehow transcended Ward's concept of sensation and turned into something entirely different, into an ecstasy that he wouldn't have been able to imagine even in his wildest dreams.
A million things seemed to happen at the same time. His entire body went rigid and he came harder than he ever had in his life. He felt something click at the back of his mind, and a warmth stir deep inside him—in his heart? It was hard for him to tell, to comprehend, but the way he saw it... A rainbow of colors exploded in his mind's eye, each individual shade a feeling, a sensation, a memory. There was darkness, pain and guilt, dark blues and browns that pulsed with past sorrows, both his own and Mathias's. There was also joy, enthusiasm, anticipation, bright, cheerful shades of sunny yellow and teasing orange. First and foremost, there was desire, need, and so much love, shades of red ranging from the lightest pink to crimson and vermillion. And when it all came together, everything turned blinding white, like the purest daylight invading Ward's soul—or maybe a new beginning, a new canvas. New paint trickled on the canvas, golden and bright, glowing with life and with decision.
A single phrase drifted into Ward's mind, three syllables that reached him with the crisp clarity of morning dew. "Ward, my mate."
It was enough, it was everything, and so beautiful Ward barely managed to hold onto his consciousness. He rode the wave of the orgasm—his own and Mathias's—clinging to those words, to the concept of 'mate' that he'd finally managed to grasp.
Nothing quite so perfect could last forever, and the pleasure started to settle. Mathias turned him on his side, spooning him from behind and still inside him.
The head of the werewolf's dick seemed swollen, bigger than before, and Ward tried to remember if his great-uncle had mentioned anything like that, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to care. It felt too good for him to question it.
Mathias must have sensed his curiosity because he kissed Ward's sweaty nape and explained, "It's called a knot. A werewolf thing, to encourage reproduction between mates."
Maybe Ward would have been able to focus on the information Mathias provided had the words not been delivered in a breathless, husky tone that sent shivers down his spine. Against all odds, Ward found himself responding to it, and he clenched his ass muscles around Mathias's dick. "Oh, yeah. Why don't you show me what else werewolves can do?"
Chapter Eight
In past days, after all of their dates, Mathias never stayed with his mate. It had been his way of respecting Ward's space and giving the man time to get used to him.
When morning came and he stirred from his sleep, the first thing that occurred to him was that he never wanted to sleep anywhere except at Ward's side. His lover's presence was warm and comfortable. Deep in slumber, Ward looked angelic, at peace, with no trace of any doubts and fears plaguing him and following him into his dreams.
Mathias smiled and allowed himself to prod the mate bond slightly. He felt Ward's quiet contentment, and it made him impossibly happy, especially since the day before, at this hour, he had thought Ward was nowhere near ready to bond with him.
He would have liked nothing more than to lie there in bed and revel in Ward's proximity, but it wasn't meant to be. Apprehension stirred at the back of his mind, an awareness that something wasn't quite right.
Scowling, Mathias slid out of the bed and covered Ward with a blanket. Ward mumbled under his breath, but didn't wake, instead burying his nose in Mathias's pillow. He was probably exhausted after their little sex marathon. Perhaps it was for the best. Mathias could deal with whatever issue was botheri
ng them and keep Ward safe without his mate being unnecessarily concerned about it.
Giving Ward a fond smile, Mathias pulled on his abandoned jeans and stealthily left the room. It physically hurt to leave Ward behind, and with every step he took, he became more and more possessive and protective of his mate.
By the time he heard the knock, he was pretty angry, especially since he suspected he wouldn't like Ward's unexpected visitor. As if to confirm his guess, a male voice echoed from outside, "Ward? Come on out. I know you're in there."
Mathias half-considered ignoring the unwanted guest—or rather, guests, since he could feel more than one presence. If his mate's ex had indeed made the poor decision of tracking Ward down, Mathias knew he wouldn't have a very good reaction. His wolf snarled inside him as he recalled Ward's tears, the way he'd trembled in Mathias's arms, the hurt in his eyes and the knowledge of the betrayal that had scarred Ward's soul. Oh, yes, he could too easily imagine tearing the culprit apart.
He found himself walking toward the door before he could control that angry impulse. Half-way there, he heard a woman call out, "Ward? Please, we want to talk to—"
Mathias cut her off by opening the door. Instantly, he took in the three humans and identified the energy of one of the two females as somewhat resembling Ward's. A jolt of relief and pleasure seemed to swell through all of them at finally receiving a reaction—until they realized Ward was not the one now standing in the doorway.
"Who the hell are you?" the only man in the group asked, fists clenched tight.
Mathias crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorjamb, effectively blocking the entrance with his bulk. He suppressed the urge to snarl and instead offered the man a fake, unpleasant grin. "I'm Ward's lover. He's sleeping, so if you could please keep it down, I'd much appreciate it."