by Maggie Walsh
Christian stepped closer and the aroma got stronger and his cock filled more. He was glad he had worn a button-down shirt that he had left untucked, because it hid the evidence of his arousal. But if he didn’t pull himself together soon the other wolves would be able to smell how turned on he was.
“It’s okay, Castiel. As you said, you didn’t know,” Raffy answered, and Christian was a total goner. The man’s voice sounded like angelic harps and bells to him. He was so soft spoken and shy, but his voice wasn’t feminine. It wasn’t a deep manly voice like the rest of his enforcer brothers. It was…perfect. The sound of the beautiful man’s voice sent him over the edge. His cock was now at full attention and hard enough to drive nails through concrete. His heart raced and his canines started to descend. He could feel his wolf coming to the surface and clawing against him to get to the little man on the bed. His wolf was howling, mine. Realization dawned on him, and he couldn’t believe what he now knew to be true. This cute little creature was his mate. His best friend’s brother was his mate. This sweet, abused man was his mate. This omega was his mate.
Suddenly Christian felt like someone had kicked him in the balls and thrown cold water on him. Fate had blessed him in finding his mate, but what was he going to do now? This was Raffy and that meant there were so many reasons he couldn’t claim what fate had deemed his. His felt like his heart had suddenly broken, and it was over someone he didn’t even know.
“Christian? Christian, what’s wrong, man?” Cass asked from in front of him. He blinked a few times and focused on his best friend. He could see the confusion and worry on Cass’s face. He looked around at everyone staring at him. Then his eyes met Raphael’s, and he melted. He could see that Raphael knew they were mates, too. He wasn’t sure what to do. He would never deny his mate, but he didn’t see how he could ever claim him. He needed to think. He needed to run. That was it, he needed to get out of this room and run so he could think. He needed to talk to his best friend, but for the first time since they’d met, he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t talk to Cass about this. It could affect their friendship, but it could also affect their relationship if he denied his mate.
“I’m okay,” he said with a fake smile, hoping it would fool his friend. He focused back on Cass’s face. “I just forgot I was supposed to help Lexi with something.” He lowered his voice. “Do you really need me here? If you do I will stay, but I think you need a little alone time with your brother.”
Cass placed his hand on Christian’s shoulder and gave an encouraging squeeze. “It’s okay, man. Go do what you need to do. Thanks for being here, but I got this.”
“Okay. I’ll meet up with you later. Maybe we’ll go shoot some more pool,” Christian said, and turned. He left the room.
Chapter 1
Christian stood outside Raphael’s room with his hand on the doorknob. He’d stayed away from his mate for over twelve hours, but the pull was making him crazy. He needed to talk to the man. He needed to be honest and see where Raphael’s head was, too. This was his mate, and whether he could claim him or not, Raffy’s safety was his responsibility. It was now up to him to make sure the man was happy and safe for the rest of his days. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to taking care of people. He had spent his whole life taking care of others. This time it would be for his mate, which was the best reason.
He knocked on the door and waited for that small voice to give him permission to enter. He slowly pushed the door open and poked his head in. His eyes searched out his mate. He wasn’t in the bed any longer. He was curled up on the couch in front of the fire with a blanket wrapped around him.
“May I come in?” Christian asked.
“Of course,” Raffy answered shyly.
Christian stepped in and closed the door. He crossed the distance between them and sat on a chair next to the couch. He stared at the fire as he tried to figure out what to say.
“You are my mate, aren’t you?” Raffy asked, just above a whisper.
Christian turned his attention to Raffy. The cute little man was looking down at his lap as his hands played with a stray string from the blanket.
“Yes, angel. You are my mate,” Christian said softly.
Raffy reached up and ran his hand over his forehead. Christian could see his mate’s hand shake as he did it. “That scares me,” Raffy whispered.
“Me, too,” Christian said as he released a breath.
Raffy’s hand dropped back into his lap and he looked up at Christian shyly, through his long, golden lashes. “Why does it scare you?”
Christian sighed. “First, because you are so small compared to me and I’m afraid I might hurt you, even unintentionally. Second, your brother Cass is my best friend, has been for over two hundred and forty years. I know him better than anyone, but I don’t know how he will react to this. He just got you in his life and I don’t want him to think that I’m stealing you away from him, or that you’re stealing me. And because of what you have been through. I don’t ever want to cause you any kind of pain. You’ve had enough already in your lifetime.”
“I don’t think you would ever hurt me. I don’t get that vibe from you. But you’re right, after what happened over the past five years, I’m afraid of anyone touching me. I didn’t even like it when Gabriel or Micah had to carry me and I know that they would never harm me,” Raffy said softly. Raffy met Christian’s gaze, and Christian nodded at him. He gave Raffy a small smile, sat back in the chair, and stared at the fire again. They sat like that, in total silence, just staring at the fire for the next few hours.
* * * *
Raffy wasn’t sure what to make of his mate. Christian had come by his room any free time he had for the past two weeks. If he wasn’t on patrol, he was here with him just sitting. Most of the time they just sat and talked about anything that would come up. Sometimes they never said a word, just sat there together as he read and his mate watched him read. At first it made him very self-conscious, but now he was used to having his big, strong, gorgeous mate with him. And the man was gorgeous with a capital G.
Christian was so pretty it made Raffy just stare at him in awe sometimes. He had the most beautiful, dirty-blond hair that touched his shoulders, and his eyes were an amazing cobalt blue. His nose was straight and sleek, and he had a strong, square jaw and great cheekbones, a long neck that went down to broad muscular shoulders, and a strong, wide chest. And he was so tall. Not as tall as most of the men around here, but he had to be at least six foot two, and around two hundred and twenty pounds.
Raffy sighed as he lay back and let the warm water from the tub surround him till just his head was sticking out. He closed his eyes and let the water soothe him. The peace didn’t last long, though. As always, his mind went right back to Christian.
He couldn’t tell if his mate was aroused by him. The man never made one move to touch him in a sexual way or to claim him. Not that he was ready for something like that anyway. Christian always spoke to him with such gentleness and care. He touched him like he was made of glass and he took care of Raffy’s every need. He was so attentive and caring. It was nice having someone around who didn’t try to get in his pants at every opportunity or try to make him do things that he didn’t want to do, but there were times when he wished Christian would take liberties and kiss him. Christian’s lips were such a focal point for him when the man spoke, and even when he didn’t. His lips looked so soft and strong at the same time. His bottom lip was full and a little pouty, and sometimes as he watched Christian when the man wasn’t looking, he dreamed of sucking on that lip, maybe biting it gently and then sucking it.
His cock twitched at the thought of Christian’s lip between his lips as he sucked on it. What would it feel like to have his strong mate kiss him, to claim his mouth? And his hands, oh gods, don’t get him started on the man’s hands. They were so big and strong looking, but they were gentle whenever he did touch Raffy.
His cock filled as a vision of those strong hands sliding up his leg an
d wrapping around to cup his ass crossed his mind. He slowly slid his hand down his chest and over his stomach. He lowered it further and wrapped his fingers around his hard cock. A soft moan escaped his lips as he pictured the hand belonging to Christian. He started to slowly stroke his shaft from root to tip as his mind fantasized about his mate.
He pictured Christian walking into the room and finding him in the bath stroking himself. Without saying a word Christian would walk over to him and run his fingers through his hair. His fingers would caress his cheek and then slowly run down his throat, chest, and abdomen, until it finally found his hard shaft. Christian would remove his hand and wrap his own long fingers around his hardness. Then Christian would stroke him as he started to kiss his neck, and the sensation would be so delicious.
Christian would skillfully remove his own clothes with one hand as he continued to stroke his cock. Then he envisioned Christian naked above him as he joined him in the tub without saying a word. Christian was between his spread legs as they sat face to face. His grip got tighter and he started to stroke Raffy’s cock faster. Then Christian pressed a nail into the slit in his tip, and Raffy lost control. He bucked his hips and his body shook as his release shot out of him like a bullet. His whole body was taut as the last of his orgasm left him. He relaxed against the tub and sighed. It had been years since he had come, and it felt great to finally have that release.
Master and the witch never let him come, and neither did any of those sadistic bastard rogues who used his body for their own disgusting pleasures. The things they had done to him…no, he didn’t want to think of that anymore. Especially not now, not after he’d just had an amazing orgasm while dreaming about his gorgeous mate. They used and abused him in so many ways that even now the nightmares haunted him.
He started to shake again but this time for a different reason than pleasure. This was from the memories of what they did. The toxins that the witch would shoot into him to stop him from using his omega powers would make him see things sometimes, things that nightmares of hell were made from. He was always surprised that he was still alive after he came down from the drugs. The terror alone should have killed him. The creatures he had seen were forged from the deepest depths of hell. Then the rogues would take him and use his body in every way they wanted. Master said an omega needed sex to stay alive, that without it an omega would die. But he hadn’t been abused in weeks since Gabriel and Micah rescued him, and he was still alive.
There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Raffy? Are you okay in there?” his brother Cass called from the other side.
He took a deep breath to chase the memories away and then ran a hand down his face. He was surprised to feel his cheeks wet from fresh tears. He hadn’t even realized he had been crying. “Raf, do you hear me?” Cass called again.
He sat up and cleared his throat. “Y-Yes, Cassy, I’m okay,” he stuttered. Cassy? What the hell was that? Gods, he hoped his brother hadn’t heard that part. How embarrassing.
He heard Cass chuckle from the other side of the door. “Okay, little brother. Are you almost done? I’ve been in here waiting for you to come out for about an hour. I have to head out on patrol soon and I wanted to ask you about something before I go.”
An hour, he only just came in here. He looked over at the clock on the wall and saw that Cass was right. He had been in the tub for over an hour and a half. With that thought he suddenly realized the water was cold. How did I not feel that before? “Yes, Cass. I’ll be out in a minute. I’m sorry,” he called out and stood up. He stepped out and pulled the plug from the drain and then grabbed a towel.
“It’s all good, Raf. I’ll wait,” Cass called back.
He started to dry off as he thought about his brothers. They were so great. Both Gabriel and Castiel were so nice to him. They worried about him and wanted to take care of him. Most of the time they spoiled him. He smiled at that thought. He never had anyone take care of him his whole life. He was always the one taking care of others. Then the past five years as Master had him, he was never taken care of for anything. It was nice having someone who cared about him.
Noah cared about what happened to him while they were in that hell together. He worried about him and took care of his injuries. But this was different. Noah was only allowed to clean and dress his wounds and then he was thrown back into his own cage. Gods, he missed Noah. Noah had been the only friend he had ever had in his whole life.
He finished dressing and opened the door. He found Cass sitting on the couch with Christian and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of his mate. They both turned to look at him as he stepped out of the bathroom.
“Nice hat. Is it new?” Cass asked with a smile. He reached up and felt the towel he had wrapped around his hair and his cheeks pinked in embarrassment.
He pulled the towel from his head and let his wet hair fall down his back. “Sorry, I just took a bath,” he answered shyly.
Cass got up and approached him slowly. The smile dropped from his face. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Raf. You can take a bath any time you want. And I was only teasing about the towel. I’m sorry if I made you feel bad. You can walk around all day with a towel on your head if that makes you happy,” Cass said in a sad voice.
Raffy looked at his brother’s troubled face and he felt guilty that he made his brother sad. “It’s okay, Castiel. Please don’t be sad. I didn’t mean to make you sad,” Raffy said with tears in his eyes.
Cass wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug, and he stiffened up at the contact. Cass pulled back quickly and took a step back. “Shit, Raf, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I only wanted to give you a hug and hopefully make you feel better. I guess I suck at this,” Cass said softly, and looked down at his feet.
“No you don’t, Cass. I just…I just never had anyone touch me in a good way before. Well, except for Noah when he took care of my injuries. It’s going to take me some time to get used to it,” Raffy answered shyly.
Cass’s eyes got really sad at his words, and he wished he could take them back. Whenever he said anything about his life, his brothers both got very sad, and he hated putting that look in their eyes. Cass cleared his throat and looked over his shoulder at Christian, then back to Raffy. “Today is Thanksgiving, and we were wondering if you wanted to come down to eat with everyone or if you would feel more comfortable staying here.”
Raffy bit his lip and started to shake at the thought of being around all those men. Gods he hated being so weak and pathetic, but he just wasn’t ready to be around so many people all at once. He started to shake his head. “I-I-I don’t think…”
“It’s okay, little one. No one here will ever make you do anything you don’t want to do. If you want to stay here then that’s fine,” Christian said. He looked up and met his mate’s caring eyes. There was such kindness and tenderness there that Raffy’s anxiety started to fade.
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m ready to be around so many people yet,” Raffy said shyly.
“It’s okay, Raf. If you’re not ready, that’s okay. It’s your choice. Whichever makes you feel better,” Cass said.
“Thank you,” he said, and gave Cass a smile.
“How about I get Gabe, Taylor, Micah, Jesse, and the five of us come up here and have Thanksgiving dinner with you?” Cass offered.
“No.” He shook his head and his eyes opened wide. “Don’t do that. I heard Jesse talking to Taylor about this being a special Thanksgiving because it was the first one you’re all having together, and I don’t want to be the cause of ruining that.”
“You won’t be ruining anything. We can all have a little something to eat with the pack downstairs and then we can come up here and eat again with you,” Cass offered.
“You’ll eat two meals?” Raffy asked in shock.
Cass chuckled softly and Raffy liked the sound of it. “We’re big growing wolves, so two meals are nothing for our bellies. Then maybe we can have two desserts,
too,” he said and wiggled his eyebrows. He laughed at his brother’s antics. He couldn’t help it. Cass was such a goof and he was cute when he did it.
“Now that’s a nice sound,” Christian said softly.
Raffy’s eyes shifted to meet his, and Christian smiled at him. Raffy smiled back and then looked down shyly as he bit his lip.
Cass looked back and forth between the two of them. His brows were drawn down and there was confusion in his eyes. He looked back to Raffy. “So what do you say, little brother, does that sound like a plan?”
He nodded his head. “Yes, I would like that if it’s not a bother to anyone.”
“You are never a bother to us, Raf. We would all be more than happy to come join you. You’re one of the things we have to be thankful for this year,” Cass said with a smile, and Raffy could see the truth to his words. It made him feel good that his brothers wanted him, that they weren’t disgusted with him like their father was. Yes, he was gay like they were, but he was a little more different than they were, and he was afraid they would be disgusted with him, too. He would just have to make sure he never let them find out the full truth of who he was and what he liked. Now that he’d found them he didn’t want anything to come between him and his brothers. And his mate, what would his mate think of him if he found out how much of a freak he was?
He looked at Christian. “Will you be joining us, too?” Christian gave him a big smile and Raffy thought he would melt into a puddle of goo right on the spot.
“I would love to come join you all, if that’s okay with you?” he said, and Raffy nodded. “Okay then, I’ll be here.”
* * * *
Christian and Cass ran through the woods in their wolf forms as they patrolled the grounds. They had been going for about three hours when Cass stopped by the stream and shifted back to his human form. He sat on a rock and looked out over the water. Christian strolled over and lowered his head and stuck out his tongue, lapping at the cold water. He pulled his head back and barked at Cass. “Yeah, I know. I just want to sit for a minute, okay?” Cass asked, and looked back out over the water.