Underneath

by Maggie Walsh

  “So that’s why you all of a sudden had to get out of the room.” Taylor said it as a statement not a question.

  “Yes. As soon as I could, I went back to Raffy’s room and we talked. And then Cass and I talked…”

  “You did?” Raffy asked in shock, cutting him off.

  Christian looked at his mate. “Yes, angel. I told you that Cass was my best friend but I didn’t want anything coming between us or your new relationship with your brother. Cass is okay with it, and even if he weren’t, friend or not, you come first.” Christian kissed him lightly on the lips. He smiled when his mate blushed and laid his head on his chest.

  “Just so everyone knows, and I don’t want this to embarrass my mate in any way, but Raffy is my mate and his safety and well-being comes first. We have spent a lot of time together getting to know one another, but no I have not claimed him yet. After everything he has been through I couldn’t ask that of him. It’s Raffy’s decision when he’s ready and for what he’s ready for. But he is still my mate and I will protect him with my very life and I will do everything in my power to make him happy.” Christian stood up, still holding Raffy in his arms. “And right now that means food and then whatever he wants. What can I get you to eat, angel?” Christian looked in Raffy’s eyes and saw so much love reflecting back at him. Raffy smiled at him and then kissed his cheek. Yeah, he was such a goner.

  * * * *

  Raffy sat on the couch in his room reading a book on his new iPad. He really did have the best mate ever. The man comforted him and protected him. He cared for him and stood up to his big brother for him. He really did take care of Raffy’s every need, well, almost. Raffy found his needs changing as of late. He couldn’t stop thinking of being with his mate. He was confused about why Christian hadn’t even touched him in over a week, but then when Christian told everyone that it was Raffy’s choice when he was ready and what he was ready for, he remembered that Christian had told him that on Christmas.

  Christian was keeping his promise and that thought made Raffy fall even deeper in love with his mate. A knock on the door brought Raffy out of his thoughts and he called for whoever it was to come in.

  The door opened and Taylor and Jesse walked in. “Hey, cutie. How are you feeling?” Taylor asked, and walked over and sat on the chair across from him. Jesse came over and sat on the other couch next to Raffy.

  “I’m fine. Thank you for asking, Taylor,” he said shyly.

  “So what can we do to make you not so shy around us?” Taylor asked, and Raffy looked up at him and shrugged as he bit his bottom lip.

  “Well, I think your amazing mate has a good idea to start,” Jesse said.

  “My mate?” Raffy asked.

  “Yes, your mate. Remember your Christmas present from Gabe and Taylor?” Jesse asked. Raffy nodded. “Christian just came to us and asked us if we would help you out with that.”

  “To which of course we said yes. I have been dying to take you shopping and get you some clothes. Unless these sleep pants and T-shirts are what you’re into, then we can just go and get a shit-load of them,” Taylor said with a smirk. Raffy bit his lip and smiled at Taylor as he shook his head no. “Oh, thank god. Because sweetie, with your gorgeous face and killer body, it should be illegal for you to wear those when not going to bed. Actually, you shouldn’t even wear those in bed. I prefer to sleep in the nude. You never know when your mate is gonna get all frisky and want to mount you, if you know what I mean.”

  “Tay!” Jesse admonished.

  “What? Oh stop, Jesse. I am not going to change for anyone and you should know that by now,” Taylor huffed, and turned back to Raffy. “I know I’m brash and just let whatever I think spill forth, but that’s how you get to know people. You observe their reactions to what you say and it tells you a lot about them. Like you, for instance. I can tell you like me and you wish you could talk freely with me, but you don’t know how. I can tell that you like my style of clothes but maybe a little different. You love my heels. I can tell because you look at them like they were the Holy Grail.” Raffy’s eyes got wide at Taylor’s words.

  “See, your reaction tells me that I am dead on. Look, Raffy, I know you have had a shit life and the past five years were worse than living in hell. Trust me, Jesse and I know exactly how you feel. We were in the same place as you once.”

  “You were held captive by the master, too?” Raffy’s eyes were as big as saucers and tears were forming.

  Jesse took his hands and sat forward. “No, sweetie. We weren’t held by Brighton, but we were held against our will for many years and forced to do things that we didn’t want to do. Horrible, vile things with all kinds of men. We were beaten, tortured, and raped, too. The man…beast, who kept us prisoner, used to starve us if we didn’t do what he said, and then he would beat us to within an inch of our lives. So Taylor and I do know what you’ve been through and we would love to help you with whatever you need. We are always here for you, Raffy. If you want to talk about any of it and get it out, we’re right here. And I know for a fact that Noah would love to help you.”

  “I miss Noah,” Raffy said.

  “Well, sugar, he’s right here in this house now, and he misses you, too. The two of you share a bond that will always be there and that no one else will ever understand. Like Jesse and I. We went through our horror together and because of that I know I can always go to Jesse and talk about what happened. And Noah has been talking with us about what happened to him and it seems to be helping him. He’s finally speaking better, he’s more confident, and he’s learning from the master on how to mess with his mates.” Taylor said the last part with a smirk, which made Raffy smile.

  “We understand now that this goes way beyond your years in captivity though. And we want you to know that we are nothing like those people from your birth pack. We will not judge you or turn our backs on you. We will not harm you in any way, Raffy. I promise you that you can trust us. Now I know I can’t just tell you that and you’ll blindly accept that. I have trust issues, too. My parents weren’t the best. They were very cruel to me and didn’t care about me, ever. I raised myself because their lives and careers were more important than I was. Then they threw me out when I told them I was gay. So I understand more than you realize. It doesn’t matter what you tell us, it will never leave this room. Not even to our mates.” Raffy’s eyes went wide again.

  “You can bank on that, brother-in-law. We love our mates more than anything in this world and they love us just as much, but they also know that there are some things that we talk about among us mates that we won’t talk about with them. We are in this together. Those big bad wolves and vamps have been together for so long and they have a brotherhood that we are not a part of, and that’s okay. But we mates, whether we be human, wolf, ocelot, witch, vamp, dragon, fae, or a two-headed heffalump, have to stick together. We will never judge you or try to make you feel bad,” Taylor finished.

  Raffy had tears in his eyes as he smiled at them and nodded. “I would love to have friends again. I haven’t had a friend in so long, well, except for Noah. I would love to have someone to talk to about everything.”

  “We’re here whenever you need us, Raffy.” Jesse squeezed his hand.

  “And I see that it’s not only Christian who can touch you now. Jesse has been holding your hands this whole time and you have been fine. That’s so great, Raffy.”

  Raffy looked down at his hands and realized that Taylor was right. He wasn’t scared from Jesse touching him, and he wanted to open up to his two new friends. He did trust them and everything they said. Maybe they could help him.

  “I would love to go shopping with you,” he said, with his shoulders back and his head held high.

  “That a boy,” Taylor said, and smacked his leg as he stood up. “So just the three of us or should we invite Noah, too? I would love to include Rory in this, but with Aaron disappearing I don’t think he would be in the mood right now.”

  “I would like it if Noah co
uld come, too. But do you think the men will let us go out without them?” Raffy asked.

  Jesse stood up. “That’s a good point.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I got it covered,” Taylor said, and closed his eyes. He opened them again and smiled. “It’s all good, Lexi, Crew and Sebastian will go with us and of course I’ll be there. We’re good to go.”

  Taylor grabbed one of Raffy’s hands and Jesse grabbed the other, and they headed out.

  * * * *

  Christian paced the floor in the foyer as he waited for his mate to return. It wasn’t that he didn’t think Lexi, Crew, and Bastian could protect the mates, it was just that they took his mate out. He was nervous about all the crowds and if Raffy could handle it. And it was his mate. He should be there protecting him. Yeah, okay, they had super Taylor with them, but still. He stopped when he heard a laugh from behind him. He turned to find Micah standing there watching him, and the bastard had a knowing, shit-eating grin on his face. Fucker.

  “I know that look,” Micah said with a smirk.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Christian mumbled, and continued to pace.

  Micah came closer. “Yes you do. It’s that same look I get whenever Jesse leaves the house without me.”

  “How do you do it, Micah? I haven’t even claimed him yet and him being away without me is driving me and my wolf insane. He’s not used to a lot of people around. He’s terrified when there’s a lot of people.” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “What the hell was I thinking when I asked Jesse and Taylor to take him shopping? I thought maybe they would go online, not drag him out of the house and off to the mall. And the mall is in the city. Fuck, Micah, you know how crazy the mall is. He must be freaking out,” Christian said in a panic.

  Micah laid a hand on his shoulder. “Just take a deep breath.” Christian drew air in through his nose and the scent of his Alpha filled him, relaxing him. “That’s better. Now, you know Jesse and Taylor would never put your mate in danger. They have been gone for hours and we haven’t received a call yet that something has happened. So let’s take that as a good sign. And if I know my mate and Taylor, they are probably giving him the time of his life, while they bond with him at the same time.” Christian looked at him in horror. Micah slapped him in the back of the head. “Not like that, ya ijit. Great, now I’m saying ijit. It’s that show Jesse keeps making me watch,” Micah huffed out.

  Christian smirked at him. “Yeah, he makes you watch. Please, you’re in front of that TV every week to watch Supernatural before your mate even gets there.”

  “That Dean just cracks me up.” Micah laughed.

  “And he’s hot, too,” Christian said, laughing with him. Micah nodded.

  “Anyway, Jesse and Taylor are probably making Raffy feel welcome and making him see that he’s not alone anymore. That he can open up to them without fear of what he says or what he likes.”

  “You’re probably right, Micah. I’m just worried. It’s the first time he’s left the house and that fuck Brighton and that evil bastard Christoph are still out there,” Christian said as his face contorted with worry again.

  “I know, but…” he stopped and listened, then smiled. “I think they’re home.” Micah turned his attention toward the door.

  A minute later the door flung open and the mates walked in in a flurry of hand gestures and laughter. Lexi, Crew, and Bastian followed, carrying bags and boxes and looking exhausted. Christian looked at his mate and froze. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. His man looked hot as hell. He wore a tight pair of hip-hugging white jeans that made his ass look incredible, and a purple mesh top that looked like it was a size too small, and you could see his creamy skin through all the little holes. The shirt ended about an inch above the waistband of his jeans and his hip bones poked out. His eyes were lined with purple kohl, which made his pale blue eyes pop out. He also wore light pink gloss on his lips which made his bottom lip look even plumper. Christian wanted to nibble it. Then there was his hair. It hung loose and flowed down his back. It looked like it had been cut, but still went to just above his perfect ass. And his hair had a single purple streak in it that framed the right side of his face and ran down to the tip. But what really caught his attention were the purple, sparkly, spiked heels his mate had on his feet. They had to be at least five inches and made his legs look longer and sexier.

  Taylor moved closer to Raffy’s ear and whispered, “See, I told you he would be speechless. You look hot as hell, Raffy. Doesn’t he, Christian?” Christian just stared at Raffy for another moment with his mouth hung open and his eyes filling with lust.

  Raffy started to fidget when Christian didn’t answer, and his heart started to drop. He loved what he was wearing and purchased a lot of clothes just like it and then some. If his mate didn’t like it he didn’t know what he was going to do. “Christian?” Raffy asked in a scared, shy voice. Christian blinked a few times and met Raffy’s eyes. “Do I look okay?”

  Christian took a step closer and ran his eyes down Raffy’s full length and then back up. He met his eyes. “No, angel. You don’t look okay,” he said. Raffy’s heart sank. Christian reached out a hand, touched the purple streak, and rubbed it between thumb and forefinger. “You most certainly don’t look okay. You look stunning. You are a walking wet dream,” Christian said in a husky voice, and gave Raffy a chaste kiss on the lips.

  Raffy gave him a big bright smile. His eyes glowed with happiness. “Do you really like it, Christian?”

  Christian wrapped an arm around his waist and drew him closer, pressing their bodies together. “Oh no, angel. I don’t like it. I fucking love it,” he said in a husky voice and captured Raffy’s lip in a heated kiss. Raffy grabbed onto his shoulders and melted against Christian. He opened his mouth, and Christian thrust his tongue in with such hunger that Raffy thought he would die of happiness. He moaned as his body writhed against Christian’s hard muscles. Then he felt Christian’s hard length against his stomach and another, more feral, moan escaped his lips.

  Christian pulled back slowly from the kiss, licked Raffy’s bottom lip, and placed his forehead against Raffy’s. “You look amazing, mate. I love what you did to your hair. I don’t know if I can control myself around you anymore, angel. You were always too much of a temptation, but now I’m going to have to live in that damn cold shower,” Christian said, and closed his eyes. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and his head spun from the intoxicating smell of his mate.

  “Cold showers?” Raffy asked, shyly but with a hint of amusement.

  “I have to take a cold shower every time I look at you, angel. My balls are so blue I’m surprise they haven’t fallen off from frostbite,” Christian said, and his voice was laced with need.

  The others all laughed from his words, bringing Christian back from his naughty thoughts. Once his eyes landed on his gorgeous mate, he didn’t even see anyone else. He pulled his head back but didn’t release Raffy. He looked at Jesse, Taylor, and Noah, and smiled. “You boys did a great job with helping my angel. Thank you. I hope you got whatever your heart desired, sweetheart.”

  “Oh don’t worry, we maxed out your credit card.” Taylor snickered.

  “Good. Worth every penny,” Christian said, and pecked Raffy’s lips again.

  “I’m sorry, Christian. I didn’t mean to spend so much,” Raffy said nervously.

  “It’s all good, angel. You’re my mate and if you need anything, I want to make sure you have it. My money is your money. And like I said, worth every penny. You look delicious. Do you like it?”

  Raffy smiled big and wide again as he nodded his head enthusiastically. “Oh yes, Christian. I love it. Jesse, Noah, and Taylor told me I could get anything I liked, and then they helped me pick out my size and they never laughed at my choices or anything,” Raffy said excitedly.

  “Of course not, cutie. Everyone has their own style and you have good taste. I even bought myself one of those…” Taylor gave Raffy a knowi
ng look and wiggled his eyebrows. Raffy laughed and turned a beautiful shade of pink as he looked down.

  “What did you get?” Christian asked curiously.

  “Nothing for you to worry about. Something for after you claim Raffy, I think,” Jesse said with a smirk.

  Christian groaned. “Now I really want to know.”

  “Soon. But first we need to help your mate put all his great buys away,” Taylor said, grabbing Raffy’s hand and pulling him away from Christian. Christian growled softly. “Oh stop,” Taylor said, and dragged Raffy with him toward the stairs. “Come on, guys, what are you waiting for, those bags to bring themselves upstairs?” Bastian, Lexi, and Crew shook their heads and picked up the bags again. Jesse and Noah followed Taylor and Raffy up the stairs.

  “Wait,” Christian said to Bastian, Lexi, and Crew. They turned to look at him. “What did he get?”

  They each smiled wide and started to laugh. “You’ll see. Even Taylor, Jesse and Noah each got some. I think you guys are gonna love what your mates got. I know I love what Noah got. He even modeled it for me in the dressing room. I can’t wait until Storm gets a look at him,” Bastian said.

  “Yeah, but did you have to be so loud when you took him? It was embarrassing. All the women there started to fan themselves and the whole store started to smell like arousal and sex,” Crew mumbled in annoyance.

  Lexi pat his back as they started climbing the stairs. “Too bad it wasn’t a store full of guys. We could have had some fun, too,” Lexi said, and laughed. “Fuck, you boys are gonna have some fun tonight. I’m jealous. When the hell is my mate gonna get here so I can shop with him for that hot shit?”

  Micah and Christian looked at each other in confusion and curiosity. “I wonder what they bought,” Micah said.

  Christian shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, but at least you’ll be able to see it tonight. Who knows when I’ll get to see,” Christian said in defeat, and adjusted his rock-hard shaft.