by Lisa Oliver
“Oh fuck, Thor, you do not play fair.” Sliding off the counter, Orin took the three steps necessary to hold his mate, wrapping his arms around Thor’s waist and laying his head on the big man’s chest. Thor’s heart was racing, and his breathing was ragged. “That’s why you left me at Poseidon’s palace, wasn’t it? Your fight or flight kicked in.”
“Is that what it’s called?” Thor chuckled wryly. “I didn’t want to fight with you. I never want to fight with you, which Lasse and Jason will tell you is totally out of character for me. But the way I keep putting my foot in my mouth I have a feeling you’re probably going to want to fight with me at times.”
“You called me a pacifist, remember? It takes a lot to make me really angry.” Orin hugged Thor tighter, but then he had a thought. “If you were scared you wouldn’t see me again, how did you find me?” He tilted his head, so he could see his mate’s face. Thor was bent almost double cradling him in his arms, their hair entwining.
“My father’s ravens, Huginn and Munin. They scour the earth once a day, reporting back to Odin, keeping him informed. Apparently, they’ve been watching you for many years.”
“The Father of All Beings knows who I am?” Orin’s voice didn’t squeak but it was close.
“He wants to have dinner with us sometime, that is, if you haven’t been turned off me completely and might still consider letting me claim you as my mate?”
If Orin hadn’t been holding onto Thor, his knees would have given out completely. “You do know it’s permanent, right? Completely, irrevocably, never ever to be broken, permanent. If you claim me I won’t be able to stop from biting you. You’d never get hard for anyone again.”
“Oh, you sweet thing. I haven’t got hard for anyone except you since I spotted you from my window dancing in the rain and I sincerely doubt that will ever change, bite or no bite. You shine brighter than the sun in my eyes. I’m just sorry I….”
“You keep calling me sweet,” Orin knew his cat was rippling under his skin and decided the time for talking was over. “Maybe it’s time you learned I’m not as sweet as I look.” Moving his head just a fraction, Orin pressed his lips on Thor’s tempting mouth and groaned as Thor’s scent and taste consumed his senses.
/~/~/~/~/
Thor’s heart started racing for a totally different reason this time. Opening himself up verbally, talking about his fears, left him feeling vulnerable but it was worth it to have Orin in his arms. Orin, sweet and understanding man that he was, not only accepted his confession, he didn’t make a mockery of him either, like so many in Thor’s acquaintance would. Now they were kissing, sharing spit and taste and breath, and Thor was hell bent on not letting his mate out of his sight until they were well and truly claimed.
“Uhm,” Orin pulled back, panting softly. “Have I found where you hide your hammer?” His small hand stroking over Thor’s length was more evocative than anything he’d felt before.
“Sweetness, I’ll introduce you to Mjolnir any time, but if you keep doing that you’re going to have to wait at least another five minutes before I make love to you. I’m about to cream my pants.”
“We can’t have that.” Orin’s nose running up Thor’s neck sent delicious shivers down his spine. “There’s a bed on the other side of this door.”
A bed would be good, so would the tub, the wall, the bathroom counter, or the floor. Thor physically trembled with the need to see Orin naked and his lungs were struggling to take in air. His greatest wish, his only wish was to feel Orin’s body wrapped around him. “Lead the way.” Thor got the words out, just.
Orin hadn’t stinted on the room, not that Thor ever cared about décor when his cock was hard. He had custom made beds in all his houses and apartments because of his height; the King bed holding court in the middle of this space would do. Orin loosened the tie on his robe, but didn’t take it off, seeming almost shy.
“You should know,” Orin said, casting a nervous glance at the bed, “I’ve never actually gone all the way before. I felt that should be with someone special.”
After feeling so vulnerable earlier, Thor was glad to be on firmer footing. Stepping close enough to feel the heat from Orin’s body, he said quietly, “we can use magic for prep this time around. Not that I don’t want to spend hours exploring your body, but I kinda need to get off and I’d rather do that in you.”
“Blunt and to the point. That works.” Orin shrugged off his robe. Thor almost swallowed his tongue. There wasn’t an inch of his mate that wasn’t perfectly formed from the sweet dimples in his elbows, the lightly defined muscles in his abs, right down to his dainty feet. Thor’s eyes shot up to Orin’s groin. His mate wasn’t shy in that department either. “Aren’t you overdressed, or is treating me like a back alley hook up with just your pants undone more your style?”
“I don’t kiss back-alley hook ups and I could spend a thousand lifetimes kissing you.” Scooping Orin up in his arms, Thor willed away his clothes with a thought. The sizzle of skin on skin was electrifying. Kissing and nibbling Orin’s lips with his own, Thor moved them to the edge of the bed, unwilling to let Orin go for a second now he was holding him.
Falling on to the plush mattress, Thor touched and stroked, finding those places that made his mate gasp and shiver. Never one for smaller men, Thor found himself captivated. The silky smoothness of Orin’s skin, the light scent of almonds wafting off it from the bath he’d interrupted. But there was a strength there too – the power of a shifter cat aching to come out and claim.
Already Thor had nicked his lip on Orin’s fangs. He had to move things along. Curling his hand around Orin’s tight butt cheeks, holding them apart, Thor thought of Orin’s opening loose, well-lubed, and ready for him. Even so, he wasn’t ready for the blast of lightening that zipped through his soul as he gently thrust his cock deep inside Orin’s body for the first time. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Never had Thor felt someone take his length so perfectly. Breathing hard, Thor struggled for control. This was going to be over before he’d even started.
“Are you sure that’s not your hammer?” Clinging to Thor’s shoulders, not an inch of Orin’s body was touching the bed. His body strained against Thor’s, undulating, rubbing. A sweet musk filled the air and Thor realized Orin’s cat was marking him, the airborne aphrodisiac playing hell with Thor’s balls. Thrusting deep inside his mate, Thor bellowed at the ceiling, the firm heat surrounding his cock with the sexiest of pressure. Oh, yes, he could spend eternity doing this – he never wanted to stop.
Why he’d ever thought mastering the biggest and brawniest in the land was the only way to have sex, he’d never know. Because the sweet nature of Orin’s tight body, his sensual moves and the groans that almost sounded like a cat’s growl weren’t just tugging at Thor’s hot spots, they were mastering him. Thor knew in that instant anything his sweet Orin wanted, he’d get. Thor would be a slave to his mate’s body and proudly wear the t-shirt.
“Thor,” Orin cried out, his chest heaving, his beautiful face flushed, his fangs curling over his bottom lip.
“Go on. Bite me.” And fuck, Orin had some teeth on him. But as a snap of pain gave way to searing heat that tingled Thor’s fingers and singed his toes, Thor’s orgasm hit him like a deep rumble of thunder. He thrust hard one last time and froze, Orin’s teeth still in his shoulder, his balls pulsing in tune with his heart. “By the power of Mjolnir, I claim thee.” Thor barely had the breath left to roar but he was determined the Norns would hear his cry and know what he’d done. All around the heavens, from Odin to the lowest of ants, the cosmos would revel in the knowledge Thor had claimed his mate.
A gentle licking motion against his neck calmed Thor’s spirit and he brushed his lips against Orin’s temple. His sweet mate was wrecked, although Thor imagined he didn’t look much better. Twisting to one side, he kept a tight hold on his mate as he laid on the bed. A dark shadow on Orin’s flawless chest made him take a double look. “I didn’t know you had a tattoo of my hammer.”
>
“I don’t, or at least I didn’t,” Orin said sleepily, nuzzling against Thor’s neck. “I guess you marked me too. Isn’t this the part where you’re meant to go and get a washcloth, so we don’t stick together? I’ve made one hell of a mess of your belly.”
“The joys of magic, sweetness.” A quick thought and his mate was clean, although Thor’s cock was quite comfortable softening inside his mate’s warmth and he wasn’t in a hurry to pull it out. Another blink and the blanket they were laying on now covered them. Thor closed his eyes. He knew he had a lot to explain to Orin about their future life together and the implications of the book Orin was still wearing around his neck, but for now the world could revolve without them. Curled around his mate, his big body providing a shield for Orin against the rest of the world, for the first time in a long time, Thor slept.
Chapter Twelve
Orin woke with a start. Thor was snoring loud enough to wake the dead, but that wasn’t what woke him. There was someone in their room, and they were trying to be sneaky about it. Hidden by Thor’s shoulder, Orin cupped his hands, creating a bubble of magic. Throwing it quickly, he hoped the magic dispersed wide enough to encase his mate completely. Thor had long legs and big feet, but before Orin could check, a harsh voice said, “Not bad magic skills for a cat.”
Peering around Thor’s shoulder, all Orin could make out was a dark shadow looming by the window. The man’s back was deliberately turned so his face was in shadow. “Who are you and what do you want?” Orin tried to keep his voice low. He had no doubts if Thor woke up and found the intruder, he’d probably level half a city block trying to kill him. As it was, Thor twitched and muttered something before his snores started again.
“I thought that was obvious. I’ve come for what’s mine. Your uncle’s book.”
“If it’s my uncle’s book, then why should I give it to you?” Orin really wished he knew how the damn book ended up in the human realm and why its mere existence seemed to bring out every crackpot with a sense of entitlement.
“I’m a High Elder of the Elven realm. It’s my job, my duty to take it back to where it came from.”
Yeah, and if Orin believed that, he’d unhook the damn thing from his neck and hand it over. But his cat was well attuned to picking up lies and this guy stunk of them. “I know nothing of the elven realm,” he said, playing for time. If the intruder was a high ranking elf, then his magic wouldn’t work against him and then he’d have to wake Thor. “How can I know you are who you say?”
“You doubt my word?” What was it with people who didn’t understand he could smell lies?
“Let’s just say the enhanced cat senses you find so disgusting tells me you’re fudging with the truth. Now who are you and why are you here?” It was so hard trying to sound intimidating when Orin kept his voice at a whisper. Unfortunately, the intruder wasn’t so caring of his mate’s need for sleep.
“Look you little alley cat,” the intruder snarled as he moved closer. “Hand over that book right now, or I’ll drain you of your magic leaving you as nothing more than a husk of your former self for your fuck buddy to find.”
“I usually don’t object to being called a fuck buddy,” Thor growled as he stretched and rolled right out of bed and onto his feet. “But in this instance, when you’ve just insulted my new fated mate, I’m going to take exception to you.” Flicking out his fingers, shards of lightening flew from his hands, encasing the intruder in a cage that pulsed bright blue, green and white.
“Who the hell are you?” Orin could feel the elf trying to use his magic, but it was completely thwarted by Thor’s cage.
“Don’t they teach anything to those morons on the elven realm?” Thor demanded, turning back towards the bed so Orin was treated to the sight of his mate’s swinging cock and balls.
“Never been to the elven realm, remember. Do you think you could find some pants?”
“Is my body too much sexy for you to handle,” Thor teased, cupping his cock and pointing it in Orin’s direction. “It’s all yours.”
“Thor.” Orin covered his mouth to hide his giggle. “Intruder alert remember. Get some pants on.”
“Wear pants when fighting intruders. I’ll make a note, my sweetness.” Pants appeared although given how tight they were, they didn’t leave much to the imagination. “Now, did you say this guy was lying to you?”
“Yes. He said he was a high elder and it was his job to take the book back to the elven realm, but he stunk of lies.”
“Hmm.” Thor wiggled his fingers and the lightening cage flashed and shot out sparks. “That’s not what my dad told me about the book, but still, I have connections. We can find out what’s going on. One moment please.”
A phone appeared in his hand and Thor started talking into it without pressing a button. “Lasse, you lazy ass… don’t bleat at me, how am I expected to keep remembering the time difference… yes, it is important… yes, I found my mate… you were… see, I told you the summons wouldn’t work. Now look, shut it a minute. I don’t give a shit what Artemas wants, I need a contact number for Cloverleah… Yes, the pack. One of their wolves mated some high ranking elf, didn’t he? Yeah, well I’ve got an intruder elf here… okay… okay… yes, I’ll bring pickle flavored ice cream. Now hurry. My mate insisted I put pants on and my dick is getting squashed.”
“You could have wished up looser pants,” Orin suggested as the phone disappeared.
“Now where’s the fun in that?” Thor leered. “I know you’re naked under that blanket.”
“And our intruder is still here.” Orin pointed at the elf who was fuming in his cage. The flashes of light highlighted hard features, dark hair and blatant hatred blaring from dark eyes. “What can the Cloverleah pack do with him?”
“Great bunch of guys, well according to Lasse. His brother Nereus is mated to two sweet wolves, can you believe it? So funny, a son of Poseidon living in a wolf pack, but they let him put a pool in and man, Sei had a fit about that. I’d get in touch with them personally, but Nereus is still holding a teeny tiny grudge against me. I mean, it was centuries ago, but man, that guy doesn’t forget easily.”
“I’m sure you’ll tell me the story when we don’t have an audience,” Orin persisted. “What’s all this about an elf?”
“Oh, yeah, right. Big ears listening in and all that.” Thor waved his hand and the captured elf’s ears grew up like a rabbit, standing almost a foot tall. “Does that help, big ears?” Orin could almost see steam coming from the elf’s hair. “Now where was I, oh yes. Well, even though I haven’t met the pack yet, Lasse does fill me in on all the gossip, like I’d actually be interested, but he’s my best friend, you know, so I do listen sometimes. Months ago, don’t ask me how many, a big wig elf turned up at the pack – they’d been having one damn trouble after another over there. Turns out the big wig elf was a mate to one of the pack enforcers, so he decided to stay with the pack, which is handy for us. Ah, see you’re listening now, aren’t you, big ears? You know who I’m talking about.”
“Look, I just came for the book. It was written by an elf and belongs on the elven realm. Let me take it there and we’ll call it done.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire.” Orin sing-songed.
“I bet he wants it for himself.” Thor stalked around the cage, twirling his hands, causing the lightening bolts to jump and dance. “I’ll bet you a blow job, this guy isn’t wanted on the elven realm anymore and he wants that book because he thinks it will put him in the good books with the current big wig up there.”
“How did he even know I had it?” This was what Orin couldn’t understand. “We’re in London. No one knew I was coming here. I didn’t know I was coming here until I arrived.”
“All elven magic carries a signature and throws out an aura that other elves can see.” A huge, as in Thor size huge, man appeared in the middle of the room, a dark haired angry looking warrior by his side. “You, my sweet half-breed are sending out a signal bright enough to make the d
ead blink. May I ask your elven name if you have one?”
“It would be kinda nice to know who you were first.” Thor was hovering close by, but Orin was getting sick and tired of all these huge people zapping in and out of his life. Do I always have to be the smallest guy in the room?
“Of course, forgive me.” The man bowed, causing his white blond hair to fall all over the place. “I’m Cathair, Battle Lord and ruler of the elven realm. This is my consort, Marius.”
“If you’re the ruler of the elven realm, then you must know this guy who’s claiming to be a high elder.” Orin pointed his finger at the lightening cage.
“There are no high elders in the elven realm anymore because they all proved to be sycophants and idiots who didn’t listen to the seers.” Marius peered into the cage. “Well, well, well, Gofan, we meet again. I guess you didn’t like being stripped of your position, huh?”
“Consort. Arrest that man with the too tight pants.” Holding his finger up to his face, the intruder pointed at Thor. “He has imprisoned me for no good reason, disrespected my person and is flirting with that half-breed right in front of me.”
“If I wasn’t extremely happily mated, I’d be flirting with the cute little cat shifter too,” Marius said with a wink. “Tell him, mate of mine, why we can’t do anything against the man in the tight pants.”
“I always warned the elves they needed to get out of the realm more often.” Cathair sighed. “Gofan, the man who’s so capably imprisoned you for breaking into their room, is Thor, Norse God of Storms. From all accounts, he is not someone you want to mess with on a good day. Thor, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I understand congratulations are in order for finding your true mate. The Fates have blessed you with one of my kin.”