A groan finally came from Derrick’s own lips, and he knew he wasn’t going to hold out for long.
“I’m coming,” Derrick grunted with obvious strain, but Jack didn’t pull away. He made one last deep sound of satisfaction and began to empty himself into the Gamma. Derrick caught the lazy smile that slowly began to spread on Jack’s face. Smug little wolf. I should fuck you more often.
“You should,” Jack agreed.
Derrick didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud. It was too late to take back the words, and besides, he didn’t want to take them back because he planned on doing just that. He wanted to see Jack squirm and groan beneath him again. Perhaps even turn Jack over so he could grip the Gamma’s ass cheeks as he fucked him.
It was too soon though, and he didn’t want to rush the other man. For now, Derrick collapsed next to his mate, spent and content.
“There are tissues by the drawer. I’ll get them to you in a sec,” Derrick murmured, surprised when Jack rolled with a predator’s grace on top of him. The press of his skin felt warm and wonderful.
“You think we’re done, don’t you?” the Gamma challenged.
“Well…” Derrick hesitated, but Jack was no longer listening. He had gracefully slithered down him. Before Derrick could wonder what the hell he was doing, he felt warm lips close itself on his cock.
“Oh,” was the only word he’d said before a pleased moan rumbled out of him.
Jack certainly knew what he was doing. He started licking and playing with Derrick’s balls, taking them carefully in his mouth and occasionally setting in the right amount of teeth. By the time he moved to Derrick’s cock, Derrick was once again erect and hard. Damn the talented little Gamma.
Jack took his time, alternating between long and lazy strokes with his tongue as if he wanted to torment Derrick as much as possible. Derrick made a grab for his hair to indicate his impatience since he was no longer capable of forming words, but Jack now had his mouth around his cock once again. The sight of the Gamma taking him whole was sure something. Derrick caught Jack’s bright and gleeful eyes. The little wolf seemed delighted by his expression.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before he was hard and filled to the bursting point. Derrick gripped Jack’s shaggy mane of hair to pull him away and tell him he was coming, but the Gamma stubbornly stayed.
Jack impressively swallowed all his cum, not spilling a single drop. The sight of the lean and slender man’s concentrated face was too much for the Beta to take. Hell, the subordinate wolf was completely serious about proving his worth and staying with him.
Subordinate my ass. The little wolf clearly has a sharp and cheeky mouth. A mouth I love as much I love every single part of him. I don’t want anything of him to change.
“What?” Jack asked, sliding beside him on the bed.
“I was thinking that I don’t want to change anything about you,” Derrick said, pleased when a blush crept over the other man’s cheeks.
“Nicky—the Alpha you killed last night, wanted to control my life,” Jack didn’t meet his eyes. “He wanted me to be someone else. Something else. For a long time I almost believed I was nothing but another man’s plaything.”
Derrick placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not Nicky.”
The Gamma sniffed indignantly at that. “I know that. So, does this mean you’re keeping me?”
“Sure. If you don’t mind living here with me in this crappy apartment.” Derrick gestured to his room. “Just so you know, almost every single thing breaks now and then, and the water heater never works.”
“I don’t care about your apartment.” Jack rested his head on Derrick’s chest. The Gamma gave a sound of contentment when Derrick began to stroke his sweat soaked hair.
“Well, maybe we can do a little redecorating. Maybe get a smaller bed,” Jack decided.
“A smaller bed?” Derrick raised his brows at his mate. “Have you looked at me recently?”
“Well, this bed is too big. How will I be able to cuddle closely and comfortably against you?”
That left Derrick stunned. The Gamma slipped away from his arm and began to pull on his jeans. The thought that he was leaving entered Derrick’s mind. Was Jack just playing a cruel game with him? Perhaps he just said those things to make him happy because he owed Derrick his life. The Gamma only gave him an odd look.
“I’m hungry, and you must be hungry from using up all your energy healing my leg. I can make a mean ham omelet.” The Gamma gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out the door.
Derrick closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows when he heard Jack walking about his kitchen. He sure makes one hell of a noise for a small wolf. His sensitive ears picked out the sound of cabinets being slammed shut and of things being thrown around.
“Hell, Derrick. You’re a damn big and powerful werewolf, and big wolves need to eat. Where the hell do you keep your meat? All I see are sweets,” bellowed Jack from the kitchen.
“I don’t eat meat.”
Sure enough, the Gamma was by the doorway of the bedroom. Derrick decided he rather like seeing his mate shirtless, barefoot, and still tousled.
“We can have more sex later. We need fuel.” The Gamma wagged a threatening finger at him.
“I wasn’t thinking about sex,” Derrick protested.
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Right. Anyway, back to what you said earlier that don’t eat meat. You were joking right?”
“No, but I’m not a vegan either. I’m a sweet tooth, but I’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes.”
Might as well have it right in the open if they were going to live together, Derrick thought. The concept of living together still sounded foreign to him, but an eager part of him looked forward to it. No more lonely Friday nights for Derrick Starr. In fact, he could look forward to no lonely nights at all. He could almost imagine Jack dressed in nothing but his barista apron…
“Derrick?”
“Huh? What?”
“I asked why you took the cupcake if you were a diabetic, waste of food if you asked me. Why are you distracted? Thinking dirty thoughts?” Jack grinned.
“Of course not, and I just took that stupid cupcake because you looked like a kicked dog.” Derrick let out a breath. Damn. Jack now looked dejected, so he tried again, hoping to cheer him up. “It doesn’t hurt that you’re cute, and have a rather nice butt.”
“Did you think so now?” Jack grinned. Sure enough, the bed creaked as the Gamma’s lithe form joined him. “I knew you were ogling at my butt.”
Derrick bit his upper lip, ignoring the lean hands that wound around him. His nerve faltered when Jack gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.
“Grumpy wolf, can I make it all better for you?” Jack was about to reach for his cock, but Derrick slapped his hand away. Before hurt registered on the other man’s features, Derrick’s large hand slipped into the unbuttoned hem of Jack’s jeans.
“Let me return the favor,” Derrick said, smiling at Jack’s surprised expression, “but first, let’s get you out of those jeans.”
Epilogue
Jack burrowed his head contently against his mate’s shoulder, enjoying the warm press of him. Never in a million years did he think he’d feel this content. Feel this safe. They’d just caught a late night movie and were cutting through the park back to their apartment when deep-throated howls and yips rang through night, making Jack’s skin crawl. He realized he and Derrick had been too busy savoring each other’s company to pay attention to them.
The local pack’s finally here, and they don’t sound all too happy.
Gulping, Jack dislodged his head from Derrick’s shoulder. He yelped when Derrick shoved him back, attempting to shield him. Jack stumbled away from his mate. Waves of anger rippled through Derrick, who only snarled fearlessly at the dark and powerful mottled shapes pouring from trees and bushes like a disciplined line of soldiers. It didn’t take long for the wolves of New Haven to surround the two of them in a loose
circle.
While Jack knew Derrick meant well, the frustrating Beta didn’t have to shove him aside like some invalid. Jack didn’t have time to look at the rest of the beasts. An enormous grey beast now sniffed at him with apparent interest, its tongue lolling obscenely out of its mouth. There was a possessive look in the wolf’s eyes that Jack knew well enough. The gray wolf had already decided that Jack was exclusively his prey, and anyone who came between them would be mercilessly dealt with. Too bad he didn’t know Jack already had an overprotective mate.
A loud and possessive howl of rage drove the gray wolf away from Jack. Indescribable pleasure filled him at the sight of Derrick’s russet wolf. When did he shift?
Derrick firmly placed himself between Jack and his attacker, snarling and baring his teeth like an enraged untamed animal. The gray wolf growled, but backed away when Derrick gave a fierce roar of challenge. That roar raised all of Jack’s hackles.
You can’t protect me from all of them, Jack thought desperately. He hesitantly reached out to touch Derrick’s flank. For a moment, he was afraid Derrick’s wolf was in control, not the man he loved, but he only felt Derrick’s ruffled fur settle down and visibly relax at his touch.
“Any other sensible Alpha would have a lone wolf and his mate creating havoc in his territory immediately killed,” drawled a tall, muscled, broad shouldered and dark skinned man.
Standing naked in the moonlight with sweat glinting down his rock-hard body, the Alpha of the New Haven pack looked impressive. Jack couldn’t mistake him for anything but an Alpha. There was simply an unexplainable commanding presence that didn’t just surround him. It rolled off him in threatening waves. Even in his human skin, the rest of the wolves looked to him and obeyed him without question. If this was what a natural-born leader looked like, then Nicky was simply a petty bully who ruled his wolves with fear.
Even Derrick’s ears flattened at his towering presence.
“You’ve never caused me any trouble until now, Starr. It eludes why you’d fight over this.” The Alpha gestured at Jack, whose face immediately burned red.
Derrick only lowered his muzzle towards Jack to lick his cheek, reassuring him. Jack breathed in the familiar scent of his new mate, and certainty filled him. He was no longer afraid. In fact, his uncertain heart slowed to a steady and certain beat. Whatever happened, he knew they could handle it together.
“It’ll be okay.” Jack leaned his face against Derrick’s large furry cheek. Derrick only licked at his face in agreement, his amber eyes steady. He then parted from Jack, his tail swishing back and forth. Then he turned, alert and tense once again when the Alpha of the New Haven pack walked over to them.
“He didn’t do anything,” Jack’s words rushed out of him before the Alpha could say anything. He ignored Derrick’s growl of disagreement. “It’s my fault. If you have to punish someone, punish me!”
The Alpha raised one dark eyebrow. Ignoring Jack, he turned to the red wolf. “I can see why you’re taken with this one, Starr. I won’t take much of your time. I’ll tell you what I want. Long ago, you rejected my offer to join my pack. Well, I’m not asking now. I’m commanding.”
The Alpha smiled, flashing his very white and inhumanly wolfish canines at them. Threat noted. It was either be killed or join the local pack. They had no other option but to accept the Alpha’s offer, but was it really that bad to join a pack?
Jack wanted to tell his new mate that it wasn’t a bad option. He could see them living in New Haven, could see them running with a fully functional pack with a seemingly charismatic leader who knew what he was doing. At least they were still alive and were together, but he stilled his tongue. It wasn’t his decision to make.
Derrick bristled, pausing when Jack’s urgently gripped a handful of his fur in warning. Most werewolves acted on instinct, but Jack noticed that Derrick had exceptional control of his thinking human half. After what seemed like a few minutes, Derrick calmed down. He shook himself off Jack’s grip and trotted to the Alpha. It hurt Jack to see his mate bare his neck in submission to their new master. To Jack’s surprise, the Alpha bent down to rub Derrick’s ears.
“Wise decision, Starr.”
Jack sensed something he did not like in that surprisingly gentle gesture. Something that was better left unsaid. For now at least. This particular Alpha seemed too smug and too pleased by the night’s turn of events. Had he always been waiting for the right opportunity, for the right moment to ensnare Derrick? If so, then Jack had just handed his mate and himself on a plate.
Before guilt could further line the pit of his stomach, Jack’s head snapped up when the Alpha began walking to him with the red wolf at his heels. Derrick went to his side protectively, but the Alpha meant no harm. He only held out a friendly hand to Jack.
“I’m Carlos Medina, Alpha of the New Haven pack. My wolves and I welcome you both, Jack Lee.”
Jack shivered and accepted the civil handshake. It was only polite that he also bared his neck to his new Alpha. He tried not to wince when those foreign fingers brushed his neck possessively.
How did Carlos even know his name? He was afraid to ask, afraid to do anything but cuddle closer to his new mate. Carlos only rewarded him with the same arrogant smirk. The deal was done.
Turning away, the Alpha of the New Haven pack shook off his human skin for his second form—a dusty almost gold-colored beast that could rival his new mate’s size. Carlos melded into the dark trees until he was a speck of gold, his pack following closely behind him. They heralded their exit with obnoxious yips and howls.
Once they were alone, Jack let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Glancing at his shy and now-human mate fumbling for his clothes, Jack knelt beside Derrick and pressed his nose between the other man’s tense shoulder blades. The tension slowly eased away from Derrick as Jack wrapped his arms around him.
“Looks like nothing’s ever going to be a dull moment with you, my sugar-free Beta,” Jack teased lightly.
“You’re not having second thoughts?”
Jack didn’t need to see Derrick’s face to see the hesitation there. “Silly big red. Didn’t I tell you before? You’re stuck with me now.”
The End
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Evernight Publishing
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Sugar-free Beta Page 4