Everything That You Are

by Nikki McCoy

  Kaden huffed, blowing strands of blond hair from in front of his face. “Do werewolves marry? Is that the party your mom was talking about?”

  Michael paused at that and set down the towel he was using to dry the dishes. He turned to his mate and took the cup from his hands to set it on the counter, then took both hands in his so that they had no distractions.

  “Baby, is that really what’s bothering you?”

  Kaden blushed, but Michael sensed a thread of anger, and maybe hurt, in him. “I was just curious. I still don’t know very much about clans, werewolves…us.”

  Michael pursed his lips but decided to let the younger man set his own pace for the conversation. “We don’t get married, that’s a human custom. When we mate, we mark each other,” Michael ran a finger across the raised ridges of his mating mark on the man’s neck, smiling a little when he saw a shiver run through Kaden’s body at his touch, “and that lets everyone know we’re taken. We can also tell by the mating scent. Anyone who gets close enough will be able to smell my scent on you, and vice versa.”

  Kaden frowned. “Then what is the party for?”

  “It’s a celebration to which the entire clan is invited so that everyone can know that the couple has found each other. Matings don’t happen very often and, when they do, it’s a joyous event. My clan is very large, like a community, so we use the mating celebrations to mingle with each other, as well as with other clans if one person in the couple happens to come from a different clan. Richard, for example, is from the Wysek clan. They’ll be joining us at the party and, hopefully, the mix of wolves will produce more matings.”

  Kaden’s frown deepened as he asked tentatively, “If we were mated, would we… I mean…would you…” He paused and took a deep breath as if gathering his courage. “Would there be a celebration for us?”

  Chapter Seven

  Michael stood frozen in place, trying to grasp the scope of—and motivation behind—Kaden’s question. They were already mated, but the man seemed to equate mating with the mutual consent of both people in a couple.

  While he’d heard of matings that had ended in life-long separation, they were extremely rare and never turned out well for either of the couple. It was next to impossible for a wolf to desire another sexually after being mated, and the notion that his own mate might reject him had given him a whole new respect for what Kaden must have suffered when he had been so crudely denied.

  But he chose to see Kaden’s question as a ray of hope. If he was considering the possibility of a gathering to celebrate their union, then that must mean that he was also entertaining the idea of staying with him. Making a life together.

  Before he let his excitement at the prospect overcome his doubts, he said, “Yes. If you chose to stay with me, I would throw the largest celebration my clan has ever seen—or the smallest, depending on what you want. Mom might have some objections to a small party—I think she’s been planning my celebration from the moment I was born—but it would be all about you. Whatever you want.” He paused, noticing that the frown had not lessened on his mate’s face. “Is that what you want?”

  Kaden stared into his eyes, searching for something, though he had no clue as to what. “You wouldn’t be ashamed of me? Aside from the fact that I’m a guy, and I’m gay, your Betas know I used to sell myself, and…”

  Michael cut him off with a kiss, not knowing what to say but unwilling to let the man carry on with his doubts and excuses. It started out as impulsive and abrupt, but as soon as Kaden’s sweet taste burst across his tongue, it took on a more languid yet insistent feel. He took his time exploring the caverns of his mouth, biting and licking, loving the soft little moans that came from the back of the man’s throat.

  “How are you feeling? Still very sore?” He breathed the words in between swipes of his tongue.

  “Nope. Can’t feel a thing.”

  Michael chuckled at that while continuing his assault. By the time he broke their kiss, they were both breathing heavily. “I need to be inside you, baby. I need to make love to you. To know that you’re mine. I want everyone to know that you’re mine.” He ripped open the shirt hiding his mate’s delicate body from him, causing buttons to fly in all directions, and groaned as that beautiful chest and pale skin were laid bare for him to feast on.

  He took one tiny, pink nipple into his mouth and rolled the tip between his teeth, delighting in the surprised gasp that came from his boy. He lavished it with attention until it was swollen and hard, then turned to the other one, biting down with enough force to pull another gasp from his mate.

  “Tell me you want this, baby. I have to know. I need to know if you want me. If you want my cock in your ass.” He made his way up Kaden’s chest, kissing every inch of skin his hands missed, taking care to avoid his fading bruises and scrapes.

  This wasn’t exactly the best idea considering his mate’s condition, but the thought that he’d almost lost him permanently made him feel the need to possess him, devour him. He almost lost himself in the feel of so much soft, tender skin, the thrilling sounds of his mate’s excited moans, but he was still waiting for his answer.

  He pulled his head back right before he got to Kaden’s succulent mouth and asked, “Baby?”

  Kaden’s blue-violet eyes were half-lidded and Michael could feel the boy’s arousal beating at him, trying to take over his control, but he had to know if his mate wanted this as much as he did. “Baby, do you want me?”

  “Yes,” Kaden whispered vehemently. “Fuck me, now. Please.”

  That was all the encouragement Michael needed. He crashed his lips over Kaden’s and delved his tongue into every crevice he could reach while undoing the button and zipper on the man’s pants before shoving them down. Kaden cried out as Michael took his cock in a strong grip and squeezed it just below the head.

  The sound of Kaden’s pleasure almost had him coming in his pants, but he bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop his impending orgasm and released Kaden’s cock. He was so overcome with the need to get inside his boy that his hands trembled as he reached into his pants pocket for the bottle of lube he’d grabbed from the nightstand in his room earlier.

  He swiftly undid the buttons of his jeans with one hand, releasing his cock and allowing his pants to fall to the floor before stepping out and kicking them away. With his other, he snapped open the bottle and squirted the liquid straight onto his cock before closing the lid and throwing it onto the counter. He slicked the lube up and down and kept his gaze on his mate’s face, watching for any signs of doubt.

  Michael lifted the lithe figure to his chest and said, “Wrap your legs around me.” Kaden complied instantly and he moved them to the closest wall he could find before leaning the man’s back against it and positioning his cock at Kaden’s tight, puckered entrance.

  He paused as he remembered he hadn’t prepared the smaller man’s ass to take him. He was about to turn around to retrieve the bottle of lube when Kaden said breathlessly, “No, please. Don’t stop. I’m ready.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Kaden took the decision out of his hands when he reached between them and took hold of Michael’s cock, guiding it back to his hole and slowly lowering himself onto it. Kaden hissed and he could feel the brief flare of pain through him as Michael’s wide cock stretched him impossibly, but he didn’t stop. Every inch the man took into him caused the sensitive flesh around his hole to spasm and it heightened Michael’s own senses until his world consisted only of the man in his arms.

  He could feel Kaden’s pleasure invading every part of his being until he lost his individuality. The pain combined with the intense ecstasy he could feel rippling through his mate was like an unstoppable flood and he felt himself falling into the powerful embrace of their combined arousal.

  Michael grunted when his balls finally made contact with Kaden’s ass, pausing to give his mate time to adjust to his girth. He could feel sweat dripping down his face as he tried to keep from movi
ng, but after a few seconds the man clenched his inner muscles so tightly it drew a cry from him and forced his hips to move involuntarily.

  He pulled himself out, then rammed into the man so hard Kaden’s back hit the wall with a bruising force. The pleasure that surged through their emotions and ricocheted back and forth between them stole Michael’s will from him. He lowered his hands to Kaden’s hips and forced his mate to take all of him, pummelling into his ass so strongly that all that could be heard was the slapping of flesh on flesh.

  Kaden’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and Michael knew he was hitting his gland when the man’s pants turned to cries that grew louder with each thrust. He could feel his balls tightening and it took every ounce of his control to hold his orgasm back. He tilted the narrow hips in his hands so that he could drive himself deeper, harder. Kaden suddenly grabbed his hair and screamed just before his cock exploded, spurting jets of pearl-white cum onto their chests.

  Michael continued to pound into him ferociously until the contractions of the muscles squeezing his cock came to be too much. He felt his canines lengthen and sank them into Kaden’s neck as he thrust one last time into that tight hole, filling it completely with his release. The blood that splashed into his mouth drew out his orgasm until he thought he would pass out. His entire body trembled with the intensity of their passion and he distantly heard Kaden mumble something unintelligible.

  Michael collapsed forward and gulped in air as he tried to force his fingers to loosen their grip on the man’s hips. His body continued to jerk with aftershocks. Once he was able to lift his head, he captured Kaden’s mouth and poured all of his emotions into the kiss. His joy at having his mate alive and well in his arms, his gratefulness for being able to experience something he thought might have forever been lost to him, his love for the strong being that had without a doubt become his entire world.

  Love. There was no mistaking it.

  “I love you, Kaden,” he whispered against those soft lips. “I love every part of you. Your kindness. Your strength. Your sexy body.” He encircled the trim waist in his arms, even as he felt himself slipping from the warmth of the man’s ass. “I don’t care about your past. You did what you had to do to survive. I’m the one who failed you, and I’ll be eternally sorry for that.”

  Michael saw tears forming in his mate’s eyes and said, “Kaden? What is it, baby? I can feel your pain. Did I say something wrong?”

  Kaden sniffed and laid his forehead against his shoulder. “No, what you said was great. Perfect. But you don’t know everything about me. You don’t know what he…” Kaden’s voice hitched and he bit his lip to keep from blurting out whatever it was he thought would drive Michael away.

  Michael lowered him until his feet were touching the floor and braced his hands on either side of Kaden’s face, lifting it until those luminous, deep blue eyes were staring into his. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now, I want you to think about what you want to do for the rest of the day. Anything you want.”

  Michael wiped the moisture from his mate’s lashes and smiled when he felt Kaden’s mood lighten and his brow furrow as he concentrated on his answer. The excitement that suddenly rushed from the man into him and the way Kaden began bouncing up and down had him laughing and saying, “Okay, I’m guessing you thought of something you want to do. Tell me, sweetheart.”

  “Can we go to Henry’s ranch? I miss the horses I’m training for him, and I don’t want him to think I quit, although I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to work there after what happened. But maybe I could say goodbye. Do you think he’ll be mad? Never mind, I shouldn’t go. I don’t want to put Missy in danger. Besides, I’m sure he’s already hired someone else to…”

  Michael shook his head and gave up trying to follow Kaden’s erratic thoughts. He leant down and kissed those busy lips long enough to make sure he had the young man’s attention. As he stepped away to pick up their discarded pants, he said, “You don’t have to quit, and I’m almost positive Henry hasn’t hired anyone to take your place yet. If you really can communicate with animals, you’ve got to be one of his most valued employees there. Even if you decide to stay with me, I know Henry, and I’m sure we would be able to work something out so that you can keep your job. I would never take that away from you now that I know how much it means to you.”

  Michael laid the pants over one arm and scooped his mate up, absently amazed at how well he fitted against him, as if Kaden had been made for him alone. “As for what happened, we’ll work that out later. It’s my duty to keep you safe and happy, and I’ll find a way to do that, no matter how many people I have to kill to get you there.”

  He growled out that last part. The sudden laughter that erupted from Kaden was so pure and carefree that he almost stumbled on his way up the stairs. That was it, right there. That was what he wanted for the rest of his life, and he vowed right then to make sure that sound came out of his mate’s mouth every day for as long as he lived.

  “So we can go? You don’t think he’ll be too mad?” Kaden asked, still giggling.

  Michael didn’t want to. He thought it was quite possibly one of the worst ideas in the world.

  He could minimise the risk to Kaden and Missy by taking extra muscle with them and visiting during a time of day when all of the workers should be out in the fields. What had him concerned was the possibility that Kaden would want to stay. And he had no doubt in his mind that should Missy decide she wanted to return there, Kaden would do so for her sake.

  “We can go tomorrow. It’s a little too late today. I’ll call my Betas so they can come as well. I don’t want to take any chances that the killers might still be lurking around there, looking for you.”

  Michael set his mate down on the bathroom counter then turned to start the water for their shower. Kaden looked down at his now-buttonless shirt and frowned.

  “So umm…what are you going to say to your mom when you tell her she needs to replace the buttons on this?”

  Michael glanced back and had the modesty to blush, but he cleared his throat and said, “Our mom, and you’re going to tell her. It is your fault, after all.”

  “My fault!” Kaden exclaimed indignantly but with a smile on his face.

  Michael pulled the shower curtain closed after making sure the temperature was right, then turned to his mate with a sly grin curving his lips. “Hell yeah. If you weren’t so damned tempting, I wouldn’t have to rip off your clothes every time I kiss you. Better yet, I’m thinking you should just stay naked all the time once the folks leave. Less stress on Mom and all that.”

  Kaden threw his head back and captivated Michael again. The boy’s laugh was so cheerful, it took the world away until there was only the two of them.

  * * * *

  Michael opened the front door to Dennis and Nick and gave them both a nod of greeting before tugging on his mate’s hand to pull him from the house. He could feel the man’s nervousness beating at him and knew it must be due to the presence of his Betas, but it was understandable. He hadn’t spent very much time in their presence since coming here.

  “Wow, you look a lot better. I hope you don’t mind, but after we heard about what happened, we came over to check in on you. You had everyone worried,” Dennis said.

  Kaden’s eyes widened at the unexpected attention, then slanted in anger as his slight frame began to shake with emotions so strong, Michael was having a hard time differentiating them.

  “You don’t have to pretend to be nice to me. We all know I was a whore and that you don’t approve of me.” Michael saw the man swallow forcibly and inch his body closer to him before continuing. “But don’t worry, I promise I won’t embarrass your Alpha any more than I already have.”

  Whether Kaden was quaking from anger or pain, Michael couldn’t tell, but he felt his own anger rise up at Kaden’s words. His mate had nothing to be ashamed of, unlike himself. He was about to grind out a frustrated objection but Dennis beat him to it.
>
  “Michael, wait.” He held up a hand to stop him but never took his eyes from Kaden’s face. “You’re right. I was worried at first that you weren’t the best choice for my Alpha. But after seeing the stress he’s been carrying for years after he fucked up…” He glanced at Michael and said, “No offence, but you did,” then turned back to Kaden. “Seeing it disappear just from having you around, I’m grateful to you. I can’t think of a better mate for my Alpha than a man who not only brings him peace, but is also strong enough to risk himself by testifying against killers. That takes some guts.”

  Kaden shook his head in denial.

  “I’m assuming that because you’re still here, you’re giving my Alpha a second chance when you could have just told us who the killers were days ago. I can’t say that I would be strong enough to risk my heart after being rejected the way you were. Honestly, you amaze me.” Dennis raised a hand and held it out, palm side up, to Kaden. “I want to show how sorry I am for wronging you, and that I’m telling you the truth, if that’s okay.”

  Kaden looked from the man’s face to his hand, then back again. Dennis’s expression was completely open, hiding none of shame he was professing to, but Kaden still seemed hesitant to touch the man in order to gauge his intent. He looked up at Michael with a questioning gaze and Michael nodded to him, trying to tell him that he trusted his Beta’s gesture. Kaden took a deep breath and stretched out his hand, laying it in the much larger one of the man in front of him.

  Michael watched as Kaden’s eyes widened again and felt his anger melt away.

  “Kaden?” Michael asked from behind him.

  Smiling weakly, he looked into Dennis’s face and said, “Thank you. I know you’re telling me the truth.” He let go of the other’s hand and returned to Michael’s side.

  Dennis let out a relieved breath. Nick laughed and punched him in the arm. “That was like, eloquent, man. Brought a tear to my eye. Didn’t know you had it in you.”