Alex shook his head. Sometimes, Calvin was clueless, especially when it came to the two of them. He didn’t seem to be able to get it in his head that he was the most important thing in Alex’s life, and that he’d stay the most important thing forever.
“Sure, you can go spend some time with Dallas if you want to, but I was thinking we could stay in and laze around, watch movies, stuff like that. We don’t spend near enough time together.”
Calvin smiled tentatively. “So your plans were to be with me?”
“Yeah. I mean, we’ve been living together for a few days and I feel like I’ve barely seen you, what with my shifts and everything. Working nights sucks.”
“You can’t help that you’re a bat shifter.”
“No, but I wish there were more of us in Gillham. Maybe I wouldn’t have to work almost every night shift.”
Calvin crossed his arms over his chest. “You love your job.”
“I do, but that doesn’t mean I love being stuck only seeing you a few hours a day.”
“That’s how most couples’ lives go, you know? There’s nothing special about us.”
Alex shook his head and put his hand onto Calvin’s arm. “There’s everything special about you.”
There was the blush he so loved seeing on Calvin’s cheeks.
“Whatever,” Calvin muttered.
Alex shook his head and moved toward his mate, wrapping his arm around Calvin’s shoulders and kissing his temple. “You’re going to have to learn to accept compliments sooner or later. So, what do you want to do today?”
Calvin bit his lower lip. Alex had to resist the urge to lean forward and kiss him. He wanted to, God, how much he wanted to, but they hadn’t progressed that much just yet. The few times they’d kissed, it had been chaste presses of the lips, and Alex always made sure Calvin was okay with it. Alex wanted more, and he thought Calvin did too, but he was wary about taking any step forward. He still wasn’t sure exactly what had happened to Calvin while he’d lived on the streets, and the last thing he wanted was to spook Calvin.
Alex didn’t like having to be so careful all the time, though. True, he didn’t want to scare Calvin, but he also didn’t want to stay just friends with him. Something had to give sooner or later, and he wasn’t sure Calvin would ever want to actually discuss it.
Maybe Alex could start slowly, touch Calvin more and build up to making out and hopefully more. That way Calvin could back off if he didn’t enjoy whatever Alex did. Alex might die of blue balls by the time they finally really got together, but it was a small price to pay for having Calvin.
“It’s been a while since I shifted,” Calvin said, looking everywhere but at Alex.
Alex didn’t understand why Calvin wouldn’t look at him, but it didn’t matter. There was so much he didn’t understand about Calvin for now, but he knew he eventually would. “Let’s shift, then. You can have a run in the forest. I’m sure you love that.”
Calvin’s smile was all the answer Alex needed. He gently pushed Calvin toward the back door and started stripping. He wasn’t wearing much, and he was already shifting when Calvin finally got with the program and took his T-shirt off. Alex flew up to the table so he could take a good look at Calvin instead of watching him from the floor.
Calvin paused, his T-shirt halfway off his arms. “You’re a bat.”
Alex rolled his eyes. He couldn’t give Calvin another answer, but hopefully it would be enough.
Calvin shook his head and smiled. He put his T-shirt on one of the chairs at the table. “I know, it’s kind of obvious. Sorry. I just never saw you in your bat form before now, and I kind of imagined you, I don’t know, bigger or something. Meaner looking. But you’re just a cute, small bat.”
Alex narrowed his eyes. He wanted to tell Calvin he was mean looking, but he obviously couldn’t. Besides, he wouldn’t have been able to do it even if he’d been in his human form, because Calvin was blushing and turning away, pushing his pants down and stepping out of them.
He might have turned to avoid facing Alex while he was naked, or to avoid Alex seeing his dick, but it had only served to expose his pert little ass to Alex’s gaze. Alex wanted to bite it, to part the cheeks and get a first look at Calvin’s hole, to taste it. Maybe shifting wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Of course Alex would never have seen Calvin naked if they hadn’t, but now he wanted to touch, and he knew he couldn’t. He also knew he wouldn’t get that image of Calvin out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t even want to, not really, but it was going to be torture to jack off to it without being able to touch.
Calvin shifted, and Alex was both glad and dismayed. He could have looked at Calvin forever without getting bored.
A wet tongue swiped Alex’s face and he wrinkled his nose, batting at Calvin’s muzzle with his paw. Calvin huffed and turned. Alex hoped he wasn’t getting this wrong and slid from the table to Calvin’s back.
He gripped Calvin’s tan fur with his claws when Calvin started moving, heading toward the doggie door Alex had installed as soon as they’d moved in. He’d wanted Calvin to be able to come and go as he pleased even when he was in his dog form. He wasn’t sure if Calvin had already used it, but he hoped he would in the future.
Calvin trotted toward the door and Alex held on tighter as they passed through it. Then they were outside, in the cold February day, and Calvin was running. He circled their house, then Sei’s.
When Alex had had enough of the piggyback ride, he took flight. He stuck close to Calvin, flying around him, enjoying how silly Calvin looked as he rolled on the ground and barked at him, his tongue lolling out of his mouth.
“Oh my God, you’re so cute.”
Alex flew down and landed onto Sei’s arm, gripping his sweater. Sei patted Alex’s head and held onto the porch banister when Calvin barreled toward them, enthusiastically licking Sei’s hand.
Sei grimaced and cleaned his hand onto his sweater. “Eww, Cal. Come on. I know you’re a dog shifter, but do you really have to lick me?”
Calvin bounded away, not caring one bit about Sei’s words. Sei shook his head and stroked Alex’s back. “You make him happy,” he said, never looking away from Calvin, who was now running after a bird that had had the bad idea of flying by him. “He needs some happiness in his life. You had better treat him right, Alex, because I’ll kick your ass if you don’t. Me and a bunch of other people.”
Alex nodded. He had no intentions of treating Calvin badly. He knew he might sometimes, because he wasn’t perfect, but he’d try his best to make Calvin happy, no matter what that entailed.
* * * *
Calvin ran until he’d had enough, until his legs felt like jelly and he felt like he wouldn’t be able to go back home if he didn’t go right away. Alex had disappeared after a while, leaving Sei to fly the few feet back home, and when Calvin pushed his head through the doggie door, he wasn’t surprised to see Alex in the kitchen.
Alex turned to look at him when he came in. “Don’t even think about it.”
Calvin frowned. Don’t even think about what? He shrugged and shook his fur out, then he stretched.
“Aww, come on. I told you not to do that,” Alex whined. “You got the floor wet.”
Calvin grinned and shifted. He grabbed his clothes as soon as he had his hands again, pulling on his pajama pants even though he knew he smelled like wet dog. He was about to put his T-shirt on too when Alex stepped in front of him.
There was no denying the heat in Alex’s gaze, no mistaking the way he looked at Calvin. Calvin could almost feel Alex’s gaze on him like a caress. He shivered and clutched his T-shirt to his chest, but for some reason, he couldn’t move, not even to put it on.
Alex raised his hand slowly, and when Calvin didn’t say anything, he placed it on Calvin’s arm. He moved it up to Calvin’s shoulder just as slowly, his palm warm and slightly raspy. He pressed it onto the side of Calvin’s neck and started m
oving forward, and Calvin knew he was about to kiss him. It wouldn’t be one of the short kisses they’d exchanged until now either. No, Calvin knew this was going to be a full on, hot-as-fuck kiss, and he didn’t know what to do about it.
Then Alex’s lips were on his, and they weren’t demanding, nor forcing. They moved, slowly and gently, and when Alex’s tongue touched Calvin’s lower lip, Calvin opened his mouth.
Alex moved closer, pressing his clothed chest to Calvin’s still naked one. The only things between them were Calvin’s hands and the T-shirt he was still holding, and he let it fall to the floor when he reached up to wrap his arms around Alex’s neck.
The kiss was heaven. Calvin didn’t have much to compare it to, but he didn’t need it. He had no doubt Alex knew what he was doing, and no matter how scared Calvin was of the future, how hesitant, he wanted this.
Alex moved the hand he still had on Calvin up and cupped his jaw while wrapping his other arm around Calvin’s waist. He splayed his hand onto the small of Calvin’s back, his thumb smoothly tracing circles onto Calvin’s skin as Alex deepened the kiss.
Calvin pushed his tongue forward, touching Alex’s. He shivered. Tongues touching shouldn’t be this hot, this life-changing. By all means, kissing should be gross—swapping saliva, breathing someone else’s air, being able to taste the bacon from their breakfast on Alex’s tongue.
Yet the only thing Calvin could think of was how much he wished there was a bed anywhere close. Not to have sex, not yet, but sex wasn’t only penetration. Even he knew that much. Maybe they could take advantage of the fact that he was still mostly naked.
The sound of a phone ringing burst Calvin’s little sex bubble. He moved away and swallowed, trying to ignore how Alex was trying to kiss him again. “Your phone is ringing,” he said, his voice hoarse.
“I don’t care,” Alex answered, his voice was just as low as Calvin’s.
“It’s probably important.”
Alex snorted. “Or it’s my mom wondering if we want to go over for lunch or dinner.” He pressed closer. Calvin could feel something hard and long against his stomach. He knew what Alex wanted, and he wanted it as well, no matter how scared or nervous he was. He knew it was normal, and that Alex didn’t expect him to do anything. He wouldn’t force Calvin into doing anything. Calvin was sure of that, even though he hadn’t known Alex more than a few weeks.
The ringing stopped, and Alex kissed Calvin again. Calvin didn’t object, didn’t try to push him away. He clutched at Alex’s shoulders, wondering if the kitchen table would be too hard on his back if he happened to lie back onto it.
Then Alex’s phone rang again. Calvin sighed against Alex’s lips and pushed him away. “You really should answer. It has to be important if they’re calling a second time.”
“Or my mom doesn’t like it when I don’t answer.”
Calvin rolled his eyes. “At least check who the caller is.”
“And I won’t have to answer if it’s my mom?”
“Whatever.”
Alex finally moved away, reaching for his pocket. Calvin leaned down to grab his T-shirt, sliding it on as he idly listened to Alex’s conversation.
“Hey, Kameron. Is something wrong?”
Calvin frowned. It looked like Alex was going to have to go back to work after all. Well, at least they’d had the morning together.
“Are you sure?” Alex asked, and he sounded worried.
Maybe it wouldn’t be just another shift after all. Maybe something had happened. Had Calvin’s attackers been caught? Had they assaulted someone else? Maybe someone who hadn’t been as lucky as Calvin had been. Maybe they’d been hurt worse, or maybe they were human and had been killed. Calvin would have been if he hadn’t been a shifter, at least the second time.
“Yeah, okay. We’ll be there in a few. Do you want me to tell him?”
Oh God, this sounded bad. Calvin swallowed and walked to the fridge, just to have something to do while Alex wrapped up his conversation. He took a bottle of water and closed the door, cracked the bottle open and drank. He hoped he’d have the time to shower before he had to go. He didn’t want to have to face whatever was coming smelling like a dog, even though he was one.
Alex hung up and looked at Calvin. Calvin suddenly wanted to run away, but he was done running. He was done not fighting for what he had. He should have, when he’d been kicked out. He’d been seventeen, and no one had cared about him except Brian, but he should have fought anyway. He wasn’t much older now, but he had so much more to lose. A house, Alex, Dallas and Hamilton, Clea and Sei, even Nuallan and Neriah. Calvin wasn’t alone anymore. He never would be, not if he stuck around Gillham.
“Kameron needs to see you,” Alex said, his voice cautious.
Calvin slowly nodded. “Is it about the beating? Has he found the guys who did it? Did they hurt someone else?”
Alex shook his head. “No, no, it’s not that.”
Calvin frowned. He couldn’t think of any other reason why Kameron would want to see him, unless he was about to get kicked out of the pack. Why, though? Was it because he still didn’t have a job? Because he wasn’t contributing?
“I can find a job,” he said.
Alex looked confused. “A job?”
“Does Kameron want me to find one? Is that why he called?”
Alex stepped forward and wrapped Calvin into a tight hug. “You have to stop thinking everyone is out to get you, Calvin.”
Calvin gaped. “I don’t think everyone is out to get me!”
“Okay, then you have to stop thinking no one cares. That you’re not important. You’re a pack member now. You have an entire pack behind you, and a family. It might be mine, but they’re as good as yours too. No one will kick you out, even if you decide to get your high school diploma and go to college, even if it means you won’t be able to find a job for a few years at least. This is your home now, Calvin. This is your home, and I’m your family.”
Alex’s words warmed Calvin’s heart. He’d known all of this, Alex had even told him once before. He’d only been with the pack for a few months though, and he couldn’t help wondering if something would happen, waiting for things to go sour.
“You hear me, Calvin?” Alex asked.
“Yeah.”
“And you believe me?”
“Yeah.” Calvin didn’t even have to think about it. He trusted Alex not to lie to him.
Alex put his hands onto Calvin’s shoulders and pushed him away. He looked at him, and Calvin held his breath, waiting to find out what was happening.
“There’s someone over at Kameron’s house. A kid. He’s sixteen.”
Calvin nodded. “Okay.”
“Kameron will tell us what happened exactly, but there’s one thing he’s sure of.”
“What?”
“The kid’s your brother.”
* * * *
Alex kept an eye on Calvin the entire time it took them to dress and walk to Kameron’s house. He hadn’t imagined their Valentine’s Day would go like this. Not that he had expected anything from Calvin, and he’d had fun that morning. He’d hoped to spend the rest of the day slumped on the couch with Calvin in his arms, though, not trudging through the woods to go meet Calvin’s long-lost brother.
He couldn’t bring himself to be too disappointed, though. Calvin had a brother when he’d thought he was alone in the world. There was no way Alex wouldn’t be happy for him, even though Kameron had interrupted what had been their first real kiss.
“What if he doesn’t like me?” Calvin asked suddenly, jerking Alex out of his own thoughts.
“Why wouldn’t he?”
“I don’t know. Why should he?”
“Because you’re a caring, smart, and lovely man.”
Calvin’s lips twitched, but he didn’t quite smile. “Not everyone likes me. I mean, I don’t expect to be universally loved, and it’s fine, but I want him to like me. What if he doesn’t? Wh
at if he hates me?”
Alex used the hold he had on Calvin’s hand to stop him. Calvin started to protest, but Alex kissed him, slowly and gently. He figured Calvin wouldn’t mind, not with the way they’d been kissing earlier.
He kissed Calvin until Calvin started to relax in his arms, and only then did he move away, kissing Calvin’s forehead. “He’ll like you. Even if he doesn’t right away, I’m sure he will once he gets to know you.”
Alex didn’t want Calvin to be hurt, but they didn’t know what to expect. Kameron hadn’t exactly told Alex what had happened with the kid, just that he had a sixteen-year-old teenager on his hands and that from what Mihaja had been able to find out about him, he was Calvin’s brother. Alex had no clue what the kid’s life had been like before he was found, or even how he’d been found. For all he knew, Calvin’s brother had been abandoned, or maybe abused. He didn’t want Calvin to be hurt if the kid pushed him away.
“Just talk to him when we get there, okay?” Alex said, stroking Calvin’s cheek. “He might not be happy, and he might push you away, but he’s sixteen. God knows I was a brat when I was that age. I’m sure that once he gets used to this new situation, he’ll relax and let you in.”
Calvin chuckled. “Why are we thinking he’ll be hostile anyway? Maybe he won’t.”
“You’re right. Maybe he won’t.”
Alex wasn’t too sure about that, but it was no use telling Calvin that. The fact that the kid was sixteen, had probably been taken away from whatever place he’d been in recently, and the fact that he’d just found out he had a brother, would probably make him unpleasant. Alex knew it would have made him unpleasant if he’d been in the kid’s place. “Even if he is, Calvin, don’t take it personally.”
Calvin smiled, and to Alex’s surprise, he kissed him. It was the first time he’d taken that first step, and Alex’s heart soared. Calvin was getting used to being with him. “I know. I was in the foster system for most of my life, and I lived on the streets for two years. I can imagine what he went through, and how he feels right now. I’m not going to leave him, though.”
Gillham Pack 19 - Calvin Page 9