by E Gregory
Ethan’s mouth, so close to his ear, slid down against his neck as his hand slid over the bulge in Niki’s shorts.
“Ah!” Niki was surprised, but more than that, he was relieved, because even that tiny bit of friction felt so fucking good.
“We have a winner!” The M.C. announced, and Niki thought maybe it was because the other woman came early, but all he could see now was the handler closest to him stripping out of his black jeans.
“Oh fuck,” Niki whimpered and Ethan ground against his ass, harder. Still slow, still drawing out every feeling. It was good, it was so fucking good. Niki could hardly breathe.
The feeling of the room around him was one of near suffocation. Everyone felt it, everyone was holding their collective breath as the handler drove himself into the guy without any pause or preparation. Niki reached back, laying his hand on the back of Ethan’s neck, squeezing, pulling him closer.
Ethan’s teeth settled into his neck, gently, but holding him in place, all the same, as they moved their bodies together. Time meant less and less with Ethan’s fingers tracing the outline of him in his shorts then squeezing him, but it couldn’t have been long before the guy on the dancefloor was crying out and coming in his handler’s fist as they screwed there in front of the crowd. Niki watched, feeling distant, as the handler unchained him, then lifted him lovingly and carried him off the dancefloor, bride style, kissing him the whole way.
The crowd erupted into applause then began dispersing, each couple or group wrapped around one another, much like Niki and Ethan. Niki could only faintly pay attention to the others around them, but the general hum of more, more, more, throbbed through his head, right down his spine and into his sex making him feel like he was ready to explode.
“Ethan please,” he begged.
“Come on,” Ethan’s hands left him, which was the opposite of what he wanted, but then they were moving and Ethan was hauling him along by the hand, through the room toward the back, toward the couches and little curtained alcoves.
“God, yes,” Niki readily agreed.
It wasn’t long before they found a space and Ethan sat on the velvet sofa without preamble, pulling Niki right onto his lap.
“Yes, yes,” Niki chanted, and then they were kissing.
Niki had imagined kissing Ethan a lot. Imagined what his beard would feel like if his lips would be soft or his kisses harsh and biting. This was nothing compared to his imagination. This was suddenly gentle, all at once totally consuming, but careful, as though Ethan was aware that he could push too hard and hurt Niki. It was maddening and ridiculous because Niki needed it, he needed way more than this tender brush of lips that was melting him against Ethan.
He pushed his body against Ethan’s, rolling his hips so they slid together. Then he attacked Ethan’s mouth, pushing his tongue inside, tangling it with Ethan’s. Ethan moaned beneath him, opening up to him, kissing him back harder, deeper. His fingers dug into Niki’s ass, squeezing handfuls of them through the latex, urging him to move faster as they rocked together.
Niki had his hands around Ethan’s neck now, then in his hair, and god it was so soft, fuck, and he felt the pleasure start to build, just as the music started back up somewhere in the background. Everything was heat and need and he was close, so close.
“Well, well, what do we have here?” A voice behind him asked.
Niki whipped around, his body stuttering against Ethan’s, so close, he’d been so fucking close, it hurt. Harper was leaning against a column in the entrance to the alcove, her face one of pure delight. Niki hated her. Cara was peeking over her shoulder for only a second before she said, “Gross,” and disappeared.
Team three had made it all the way inside apparently.
Chapter Ten
Niki couldn’t seem to make his body move at all, but Ethan did and he pushed out from under Niki. Then he moved as far away as he could without leaving the privacy of their little space. And he was shaking all over. Come to think of it, so was Niki.
“Hey are you guys…?” Harper started to ask.
“Compulsion,” Ethan growled out. “I can still feel it.” He reached his hand out to Niki who had drawn himself up tightly in the corner of the couch and was watching them both, his heart still beating hard and fast inside his chest.
“I never felt it coming. I don’t think.” Niki told him. He couldn’t stop his hands from trembling and he had no idea how he was going to walk out of there. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Ethan.”
“I guess that answers that. We need to get you both out of here.” Harper was all business now, the smirk wiped clean off her face. Maybe Niki didn’t totally hate her. He kind of hated himself a little right now though.
She stepped away and for a moment they stared at each other and it was raw and open, like a bleeding wound and Niki needed to apologize, like really apologize, because he would never force himself on Ethan, he would never use him or even come close to crossing that line. He knew Ethan’s history and suddenly this whole thing seemed like the worst idea they ever had.
He was about to say that, but Ethan beat him to it, eyes full of regret. “I’m the one that’s sorry. This was too dangerous and I almost--”
“Hey, no we’re both in the same place here, okay,” Niki stood. He wanted to reach out to Ethan, he wanted to be back in his arms because it felt so safe there, but he wrapped his arms around himself instead.
Then he changed his mind and reached out anyway. “I’m still feeling it too.” Ethan nodded and reached back, twining their fingers together. It helped. It hurt like hell, but the connection helped a little. Then Harper was back and Tony, Cara, and Brianna were both with her.
“It was the show, I think,” Niki told them. Ethan was nodding but he wasn’t looking right at Niki and fuck if that wasn’t the worst feeling.
“We’re going to walk out the front,” Tony told them. Niki couldn’t look anywhere but at Ethan. He nodded. They both do.
“Game faces,” Cara told them, so Ethan reached for Niki’s leash and let go of his hand.
Niki was shell-shocked, that was the best way to describe it. He let himself be led along, eyes back down, and he was just trying to make some sense of what had happened. He reached again for the feeling of magic in the room, and he got… very little. There was something though, now that he was searching again. The ballroom was much darker than earlier, the music much louder, and a tiny peek around confirmed that everyone was much less clothed than before as well. Ethan emitted a soft growl of warning and pulled Niki in against him. Apparently someone got too close, and that was just… unthinkable really. Ethan must be even more affected than he was.
They made it out of the room without incident and Niki could see the doors now, which led back outside. They stood across the wide expanse of marble in the entryway. He knew that somewhere out there Michael was ready with his team to jump into the fray and fix this, but Niki had to pull his shit together enough to give them some kind of protection first against whatever was happening back there.
“Hey,” he was about to ask about how Harper, Tony, Brianna, and Cara managed not to be affected by it when there was Enrieta. She’d come out from a door to the left of the entrance and was flanked by her slaves and several Fae. Her guard no doubt, Niki imagined. They stopped and the tension hung there in the air while Ethan shifted ever closer to Niki.
“You insult me, Mr. Birns. Sneaking your pack into my home is poor manners at best.” Enrieta didn’t look too upset, but her eyes were cold and they bored into Niki until his head hurt. He pushed back against whatever probing technique she was using and was rewarded by the pain vanishing.
Ethan stepped forward and Niki knew this was about to go very badly. They needed the rest of the pack. They needed Ethan to keep his cool.
“You’re right,” Niki answered before Ethan could, his hand going to the small of Ethan’s back and pressing hard in an attempt to steady him. “So we were just leaving. We were overjoyed by the invite, honestly, I h
ad the best time.” The words were coming out before he could really think, but he was working with limited time here.
Enrieta was just gazing at him, but it looked like she might be amused. Maybe they were going to get out of here after all. Of course Ethan had to go and ruin it.
“Where do you get off talking about manners when you magically drug your guests?” He asked, growling. He had one hand wrapped so tightly around Niki’s arm that it was starting to hurt. Niki pressed his back harder, rubbing, putting some intent into the touch as well. Not enough to control Ethan, but a reminder. He wasn’t alone. He was able to keep calm.
“Drug my guests?” Enrieta was either a great actress or she was honestly shocked by the accusation. She looked completely offended now.
“We know you used compulsion,” Niki added softly. “I just haven’t figured out why these four weren’t affected.” He jerked his head toward their rescuers, but kept his voice very gentle, in an attempt to keep Ethan settled.
Then Enrieta laughed outright. “Oh my dear, that is just priceless. I wish you could say it again.” A few of her companions were grinning now and looking for all the world like they were staring at adorable babies who’d just done something too precious for words.
“I don’t see why that’s so funny,” Ethan told her, but Niki’s mind was reeling as he tried to figure it out.
“Because, Mr. Birns, there is no compulsion. The show lets loose the wild magic of my court, but it doesn’t force anyone to do anything. It’s been described to me by my human pets as something akin to taking one shot of tequila. You’re not drunk on it, you’re just a little more relaxed. That’s all. In fact, it shouldn’t really have much effect on a werewolf at all.” Her face took on a simpering look. “Oh you sweet dears, is that why you came? To check up on me and my human guests?” She laughed again like it was the most hilarious thing she’d ever heard.
Niki felt a little like the floor was dropping out underneath him. “That’s why I never felt anything too serious,” he said softly.
“Mr. Petrov, you’re their mage?” She eyed him a little harder. It made Niki uncomfortable that she knew so much about them.
“He is,” Ethan answered before Niki could say anything.
“Well, then let me make myself clear to all of you,” Enrieta said as she stepped toward them. Niki tensed.
“We can meet openly and speak about your concerns, and my own, with your pack and my court, but we will do so in the light of day without pretense in neutral territory. I will not be accused in my own home nor will I allow you to plan an ambush of my court or it’s guests without provocation. You may leave without fear of harm, tonight, but I expect a proper invitation to treaty before we meet again.” Enrieta’s eyes almost glowed there at the end and Niki felt like he could curl up and hide for the rest of his life if she kept looking at him like that.
The next instant it was gone and Ethan’s grip eased up just a fraction. Ethan nodded at her, dipping forward slightly so the rest of them followed suit.
“Good. I hope to hear from you soon, Mr. Birns.” She told him. Then the whole lot of them swept by and back into the ballroom leaving the six of them staring at each other in amazement.
“This way, please,” They were jolted back to reality by the bouncer opening the front door for them. He too looked somehow amused as if they never posed a threat to anyone.
Once they are outside, Ethan lets him go and they stop. “I can drive back with Michael if you want to…” Niki waved his hand off toward the road, indicating that Ethan might want to disappear with his pack and pretend none of this ever happened.
“No, I’ll drive you. It’s the least I can do. Unless…?” Ethan looked so shaken and there wasn’t anything Niki could do to fix it.
“No, that’s fine, I was just making sure you were good,” Niki assured him.
“I’ll have them bring it around, sir,” The attendant pulled out a cell and made a call.
“Go, find Michael and his team. We’ll meet tomorrow morning and talk together.” Ethan told them and Harper really looked like she wanted to complain, but she let Tony tug her away by the hand with a sharp nod.
Ethan turned to Brianna. “Call Jessica and have her go home. I need a little space to think this through tonight.”
Cara pinned Niki with a hard look he couldn’t read if he tried, before following the others into the dark.
Once they were gone, the silence came down on Niki and Ethan and it was too heavy and too full and Niki really thought maybe he should have insisted on being alone. Except Ethan would probably take that the completely wrong way and wow everything really was screwed now, wasn’t it?
They didn’t have to wait long for the car, but once they were inside the heaviness between them felt so much worse. It was cold out and Niki didn’t even notice until just then and he was back to shivering. It was too quiet and too cold and he just wanted a blanket and a hug, honestly. He couldn’t even get up the courage to say anything until they were almost all the way back to the main road.
“I’m sorry, Ethan.” His voice was a lot more wobbly than he’d expected, but he pushed through all the crazy emotions that were crashing in on him. “If you feel at all like I forced you, then I want to apologize. I know she said it wasn’t worse than a shot of tequila, but we have no way of knowing what it was really like for a werewolf. I left you vulnerable and that really wasn’t cool.” Niki needed Ethan to hear it, but he also needed them to really talk about it. He needed to know how far under Ethan had been.
“I haven’t really figured it all out yet, but I don’t blame you. I blame myself. We had no business going in there without more information.” Ethan’s voice was hoarse and his hands were holding so tight to the steering wheel, his knuckles had gone white. “I forced myself on you,” he added softly.
“No, Ethan, Jesus, no you didn’t. Nothing happened back there that I didn’t already want.” Niki turned in his seat to look at Ethan and gauge his reactions. He was still pulling the Hulk routine and Niki needed him to calm down a good bit so they could really discuss this.
“How can you say that?” Ethan’s eyes shot to his for a split second before they were back on the road, his voice incredulous.
“Uh, because it’s true? Because I’ve wanted that for a long time. I just never thought it was an option from your perspective. And I know that there was a whole dubious consent thing happening back there so I won’t hold it against you if you aren’t interested, but I’m not sorry I acted on my feelings, I’m only sorry that you may have been pushed in some way to react to me or to the situation.”
There, he’d said what he needed to say, and now it was just about getting Ethan to stop feeling guilty. That and the little bit of hope he needed to squash inside his chest that wanted Ethan to admit he’d wanted it too, before the fairy magic. That was going to be harder and take a lot more time.
Kind of like when he had to leave to start college out of town all over again. When he’d had to force himself to leave town and leave the packs, but most of all leave Ethan. He kept imagining there was this thing hanging in the air between them. There wasn’t so, he’d left.
And they’d been fine. Great really. Being back home now was even better than before he’d gone off to college so it would suck if he’d just gone and ruined everything.
“I wanted you.” Ethan’s answer was not at all the expected one at this point. He didn’t sound happy about it though, so there was that.
“Before…?” Niki prompted him.
“Before. For a while. It hasn’t been an option, so I just let it go.” Okay and that was… Niki didn’t know what that was but it felt a little on the shitty side.
“Why is it not an option, again? I just feel like I’ve missed something important.” He scrubbed his hands over his eyes, rubbing hard.
Ethan didn’t answer right away and the silence grew and filled the car again even as they neared the turn that would take them back to the Birns's house. It’
s only about twelve-thirty in the morning, but Rush Creek was silently sleeping, oblivious to the pain of one twenty one year old and the werewolf he cared so much for.
“Please, Ethan, talk to me. I don’t want to just leave it like this, okay? At least tell me why we aren’t an option. Then if you want radio silence on the matter, you got it.” Niki begged.
“I always thought you were meant for something bigger. I kept waiting for you to be done with Rush Creek for good.” Ethan was so quiet, Niki could hardly hear him.
“Man, you are never getting rid of me. Future full-blown mage right here, you know? Not going anywhere. If you don’t want to test out this thing between us for personal reasons, I get it, I can respect it. It sucks, but I respect you, Ethan. But if you think I’ve got one foot out the door, man are you clueless. This is my home. And my future. You told me before I went off to college that I was pack and that pack didn’t change with time or distance, do you remember that?” Niki asked.
“Of course,” Ethan answered softly as he turned on the last street.
“Well, there you are. I’m pack and I’m staying.” Niki huffed out a breath.
Ethan waited just a beat before speaking. “Then there’s no reason left not to try.”
“Dude, really?” Niki wanted to grab him and kiss him or punch him, he wasn’t sure. The tension in the car was bleeding away and that little spark of hope in his chest had burst into a flame.
Ethan didn’t say anything else until he was pulling into the drive at his house. It was about a minute of Niki holding his breath and watching Ethan’s profile as though he could read his mind.
“I don’t know how to do this, but if you’re in, I’m in.” Ethan turned off the car and turned toward him. Niki was grinning, he couldn’t help it okay? Things got scary there for a minute.
“I’m in. I am so in!” Niki reached for him then, hauling Ethan in for a kiss. This time one that was neither careful nor influenced by anything other than their own clear desires.