Hammering Henry [Alpha Wreckers 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Fel Fern

  “You’re that serious about him?” Wren asked with surprise.

  “I am. He’s not like Brad, or other guys I’ve dated before. I feel he’s the one.”

  He neglected to mention that he’d received a threatening text from an unknown number yesterday. Henry had a sneaking suspicion it was from his ex, but why would Brad bother him now? Well, it didn’t matter. Might just be a wrong number or a case of mistaken identity.

  “I just hope you’re right, too. Cole’s mentioned Spencer hasn’t stopped thinking about you since the cake delivery incident, and he wouldn’t have offered to make you a desk if he didn’t care, right?”

  “That’s true. I bet he has stacks of orders, but he made time for my desk. By the way, have I told you how awesome it’s going to be?”

  Wren rolled his eyes. “Many times. So, tell me about the date.”

  “It’s not a date,” he said quickly. “We agreed to no strings attached.”

  Wren sucked in a breath. “Oh, Henry. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt. When I arranged that accident for you two to meet, I thought Spencer will be able to move on after meeting you.”

  “Move on? Did something happen to him?” Wren shook his head, and he slumped in his seat. “You’re right. I’ll wait until he’s ready to talk. Anyway, I’ve decided to make the best of the situation. I’ll make him see I’m worth his while.”

  Wren blinked. “Oh? What’s that secret bag you stashed in your backpack?”

  “Nothing.” He blushed. “Well, tonight’s secret weapon.”

  Wren looked over the table, and Henry realized the store label was on the plastic. “If you were going to buy something at Thong World for Men, you should have told me. I wanted to get something, too, to surprise Cole. Still, I’m assuming it’s going to make Spencer’s eyes pop?”

  He grinned. “You bet. Let’s arrange another date so we can go shopping, maybe take Dale with us.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it then.”

  * * * *

  “Jesus, I wondered what you meant by emergency so I came right away, but you just wanted help getting a new phone?” Malik demanded.

  They got out of Spencer’s jeep and his older brother didn’t waste time, instantly flirting with two shifters on the curb. Spencer killed the urge to roll his eyes. Ever since Cole had found Wren, all the admirers seemed to flock to Malik, although Malik changed men the way he picked different condom flavors. None of them lasted.

  Dark-skinned, fit, and with exotic green eyes that made most men and even women sigh dreamily, Malik drew a lot of attention everywhere he went. The jaguar shifter loved it, too. He would have preferred Cole, but Cole was busy with Wren, Tricia, and his clients. There was Nash, but the oldest of the Mercer siblings only had one thing in mind and that was handling the business aspect of the company.

  “Well, what do you say, Spencer? These twins are inviting us to their place on Red Pine Road after we get your phone?” Malik asked as he got out of the jeep.

  “No.” Curt answers always worked.

  Malik might be a bonafide playful cat, but he could be damn perspective, as well. As if knowing something was up with him, Malik bid the twins good-bye and the promise of a call, before turning his full attention on him.

  “This about that cute pervy human? Wren’s friend?”

  He furrowed his brows.

  “I could still scent him in your cabin when I dropped by yesterday,” Malik reminded him.

  “We’re here to get a new phone, not discuss my personal life.”

  “Aw, don’t be a spoilsport. It’s rare for you to ask my help.”

  “The others were busy.”

  “Ouch.” Malik pretended to be hurt.

  For all their fights and bickering, they always had each other’s backs. Spencer had always been a silent kid, especially after Isiah had adopted him. A lot of kids in the playground had made fun of his oddness, why he never talked or fought back.

  He just didn’t see the same world they did, because his young self felt his world ended the day Daryl died. So Spencer couldn’t forget the day Malik stood up to those bullies, told them not to bother his brother.

  Brother. That was the first time he heard that word, embraced it, realized he could tolerate his new reality. Little by little, he’d forget his past and keep his new family in his heart.

  “You have your good points,” he conceded. “But this is not one of them.”

  Malik grinned. God, but that smile felt like it was permanently plastered on the jaguar shifter’s face, but Spencer knew better. Malik’s smiles hid painful secrets, too. That was a mask Malik put on every day so no one could see the cracks underneath.

  Isiah Mercer had been a saint, made them all better men, but even Isiah didn’t have the power to heal the old wounds that festered in their hearts.

  “So, what functions are you looking at? About time you changed that old relic.” They entered a bleak-looking store with a giant fruit for a logo, all white and steel profiles. He furrowed his brows.

  “This phone belonged to Isiah.”

  “Yeah, but you should move on with the times. I mean, what prompted this little change?”

  He let out a breath and decided he wouldn’t be getting anywhere at this rate. Spencer would just tell the truth and be done with it.

  “Henry said he was a developer of some sort and he was making some kind of dating thing.”

  “Mobile app developer, and he’s making a dating sim?” Malik asked.

  “Yeah. That’s what I said.”

  Malik nodded. “Sure, if you say so. I didn’t your boyfriend had that side to him. He always looked normal compared to Wren.”

  He scowled. “You called him pervy, too.”

  “Didn’t he nearly break his back while masturbating on a badly assembled desk?”

  “Can you keep your voice down? Where did you hear that?”

  “I overheard Cole and Wren talking, by accident of course.”

  He blistered. “Nothing you do is accidental.”

  “What can I say? Family is important to me.”

  “Are you going to help me or not?”

  “Of course I will. We’ll get you a phone, research Henry’s name, and if you want, check out all the apps he made.”

  Surprised Malik was being so cooperative, he blinked. “Really? In return for what?”

  “Nothing. I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart.”

  He rolled his eyes this time. “Sure you are. I appreciate the effort all the same.”

  “Good. We also need to discuss your plans.”

  He grunted. Malik did have some knowledge when it came to this sort of thing, and his brother seemed interested in helping. Should he ask for tips, too, or would that be too much for Malik’s ego?

  “There are no plans. We have a simple arrangement.”

  “Oh hell, you still hell-bent on that no-strings-attached thing?”

  “You’re the same. So is Nash,” he pointed out.

  Cole had been the same, too, uninterested in taking a mate, until Wren had challenged all those boundaries.

  God knew Henry deserved better, but he couldn’t stay away either. Spencer wanted it all with Henry, wanted more than simple sex. He liked talking with the human, getting to know Henry better, but would he be able to fit in Henry’s life? And would Henry really want a broken bear in the end? So many questions, doubts, hesitations, but Spencer wouldn’t know the answers until he made an effort to find out.

  Chapter Six

  “Shit,” he cursed, checking the instructions on the back of the packaging containing the itty-bitty piece of stretchy black fabric.

  Henry looked at himself in the mirror. He certainly didn’t look like the mannequin in the store. Somewhere along the way of putting this infernal thing on, the thong, which was supposed to look like a perfectly tied bow for Spencer to wrap, looked like a hell of a mess to unravel.

  “Don’t panic,” he whispered. For crying out lou
d, Henry was a grown man. He could figure this out. He began tugging at one end of the fabric, which only served to tighten the entire thing. Groaning, he glanced at the instructions on the box again.

  Should he call Wren or Dale? Wren was more ideal, but he recalled Wren saying it was date night for him and Cole. Dale would spend the next fifteen minutes laughing at him, wasting valuable time, before attempting to help. Dale had a good heart. He just simply viewed the entire world as a joke sometimes.

  Sometimes he needed a friend to goof off with, de-stress, and he’d call Dale. Could he count on Dale in an important emergency like this?

  Then the doorbell rang. He’d been surprised at first that Spencer had asked to meet at his apartment, then recalled Spencer had been here before. Back then, he’d been covered in flour and chocolate and looked like a mess, but he certainly remembered how his heart raced as he beheld the gorgeous titan of a male specimen.

  Since then, Spencer ruined other men for him. None of them seemed capable of measuring up to Spencer. His phone vibrated on the counter. Henry swiped the screen and swore, seeing Spencer’s text, saying he was there.

  “Damn it.” He pulled on a pair of jeans, gritted his teeth. Why did he think skinny jeans were the way to go? In his head, he imagined Spencer peeling the denim off, like a second skin, only to unveil the surprise he hid underneath.

  Would the werebear’s eyes really go wide?

  “This will be all worth it,” he said, hissed, and jerked the stubborn bottoms up.

  Besides, they were going to the sexy times part right away, so he didn’t need to wear these for long. After some painful grunts, he managed to get them on. He grabbed his shirt. The hammering on the door grew incessant.

  “Henry, are you hurt in there? Answer me, fuck it,” came Spencer’s rough and conceded voice. “If you don’t, I’ll break this damn flimsy door down.”

  His door wasn’t flimsy! Henry even put three locks on it, given his neighborhood wasn’t the best, but one he could afford. He rushed to the door, worrying he hadn’t checked his hair, and yanked it open, panting.

  Spencer narrowed his eyes at him, and he forgot his initial frustrations in the first place. Spencer looked nice, even with a top on, dressed in a flannel, checkered black and red shirt, worn-in jeans, and boots. The werebear even had his red hair tamed back.

  “Wow, you look nice,” he said.

  Spencer gave him an assessing look, lingering longest on his jeans. Oh God. These monstrosities were certainly worth the pain at the naked hunger in the Alpha’s eyes. “What,” Spencer began, “are you wearing?”

  Did Henry misjudge his reaction? “No good?”

  Spencer growled. “I want to rip those off you right now, but no.”

  “No?” he asked, disappointment leaking into his voice.

  Spencer grabbed his waist, tugged him close, wrapping one muscled arm around him and took his mouth. Spencer pried his lips further apart, thrusting his tongue down his throat. He moaned when Spencer released him, risking the chance to slip his hand under Spencer’s shirt to feel those yummy muscles.

  Spencer caught his hands. “Not yet.”

  “Yet?” he asked. “Implication of guaranteed sex?”

  “Absolutely, but I need to feed you first. Good thing, too, that I caught a fresh boar earlier.”

  “Wait. What?” Before he could wrap his head around those words, Spencer tugged his arm. He remembered to lock his door. Henry thought those lines would be good in his game script.

  “Did you really say boar?” he managed to ask once they exited his building and inside Spencer’s jeep.

  “I hunt my own food.”

  “O-of course you did.” Then it finally clicked. “Wait, I get to have dinner with you?”

  He never had boar before but was definitely up for new experiences, and damn it, Spencer was actually taking him for dinner first. Which meant this was a date, right? What happened to the no-strings-attached rule?

  Breathe, don’t make assumptions, he told himself. He shouldn’t let himself get carried away. Hoping too much led to disappointments, right?

  Spencer started the engine. “Maybe I should have gone with trout. Next time.”

  There was another next time? Yes! Score. His jeans were definitely working well for him. Who knew? However, he had one problem. The thong he wore wrong was riding up his ass and confining his balls and cock. Sweat dripped down the side of his face, but he swore he’d pull through. He would get through dinner and appreciate all the thought the gorgeous werebear had put into all this.

  “Can I ask what changed your mind?” he asked.

  “Had a talk with my brother when I got a new phone today. He said fucking you isn’t enough, that I should see myself in your shoes.”

  “Which brother is this? Cole?”

  “Malik.”

  “Okay, I’m a little worried.” Malik Mercer had a horrible reputation for being a player, but if Malik suggested this, then he ought to change his opinion of Spencer’s brother. His interest piqued at Spencer’s words. “Oh, you got a phone?”

  Spencer scowled. “Don’t know which idiot made these touchscreen aluminum shit.”

  “It’s amazing how far technology has come, though, right? Because thanks to it, I can make a living creating apps.”

  Spencer was silent for a few moments, but he’d grown accustomed to being around the werebear. More like he understood Spencer a little better and was comfortable with him talking, because he knew no matter what, Spencer listened. They drove past the town. It didn’t surprise him Spencer was driving to his cabin, with the mention of boar and everything.

  Had Spencer really hunted down a real boar for him for this date? In a way, it was really unexpected, romantic.

  “Your face lights up, when you talk about your work,” Spencer finally asked. “Does it calm you, like when I work with wood?”

  “Sometimes coding can be frustrating,” he admitted. “But after the release of an app and I see positive reviews I get happy, knowing my apps helped a lot of users.”

  “I see. I choose to make furniture for specific clients for the same reason, because I know they’ll make use of it well.”

  This was—he thought, with trepidation, his heart hammering—the most number of words he’d exchanged with Spencer. Spencer was finally opening up to him. What did that mean? Oh God, the last thing he wanted was to screw this up.

  “Are you unwell?”

  Spencer’s question threw him off guard.

  “Uh, what?”

  “You’re sweating a lot and your heartbeat’s elevated. Should we drive by the pharmacy instead?”

  “No, no. It’s just nerves.”

  “You’re nervous?”

  He bit his lip and nodded. “This is all so new, fragile. I hate to screw things up.”

  “If it helps,” Spencer added, “this is all new to me, too. I’m not sure if I’m doing things right.”

  Henry couldn’t keep quiet anymore. “Spencer, are you taking back the no-strings-attached rule?”

  He held his breath, worried when Spencer didn’t answer instantly.

  “I still can’t give you everything,” Spencer eventually replied, “but I can’t stay away either.”

  Henry let out a breath. “Me neither, but can you tell me more about yourself?”

  “Yes, that’s the purpose of dinner. After I finish talking, you can decide whether we should pursue this course or stop.”

  It sounded fair enough to Henry. He had a feeling Spencer seldom opened up to others, and here was the werebear making huge steps for him, them.

  They arrived at Spencer’s cabin fifteen minutes later. After Spencer parked the car, Henry got out, expecting to be walking in near darkness, but warm lights illuminated the cabin porch and multicolored lights had been hung on the trees.

  “So pretty. I never noticed these before,” he exclaimed.

  “I hung them up this afternoon. I don’t want you stumbling and hurting yourself by acc
ident.”

  “Malik seems nice,” Henry commented, walking up to Spencer and linking their hands together. A bold move to make, but Spencer didn’t seem to argue, merely smiled uncertainly back at him.

  It was adorable, seeing the werebear nervous for a change.

  “Malik can sometimes be an annoyance, like all brothers, but he always has my back.”

  Despite Spencer’s gruff tone, there was definite affection there.

  They entered the cabin, and another surprise waited for him. The sturdy oak table that served as Spencer’s dining table had been set, complete with checkered tablecloth and two sets of cutlery.

  “Oh wow,” he whispered. “You really went all out for me.”

  Spencer gripped his chin, forcing him to look into the werebear’s gold-flecked eyes. “You’re special to me, little human. More than you know.”

  One vital question hovered on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to know about this mysterious other man Spencer had given his heart to, but decided to wait, because clearly, Spencer put a lot of effort into this. His heart melted at the preparations the werebear had made.

  “Kiss me?” he asked.

  Spencer plundered his lips, all heat and roughness, a taste he’d craved since their little fling a week ago, but something was different though. He clutched at Spencer’s shirt, wanting to undo all those buttons to touch the mass of muscle underneath, but then, his stomach grumbled, physical hunger overriding the second kind.

  He groaned after Spencer pulled his mouth away.

  “Did you eat lunch?” Spencer asked with narrowed eyes. “Wren says sometimes you get too caught up with your work, that you skip meals.”

  “I don’t skip often,” he blurted. “And hey, since when are you communicating with Wren?”

  “Wren’s mated to my brother and he’s really helpful,” Spencer replied. “Besides, I like it when Wren brings Tricia here. I’m making her a new crib, since I deemed the one Wren and Cole bought unstable.”

  Henry couldn’t help but smile. Oh, he knew the big tough werebear in front of him could be a wild force of nature but underneath that gruff exterior was a strong, beating heart of gold.