by Lisa Oliver
Strangely enough, or not depending on how you looked at it, Seth’s first thoughts weren’t of his sexy mate sleeping in the room next door. Oh, he knew Ra wanted to claim him, but the man had been a perfect gentleman when they got back to the clubhouse. Seth managed to eat a bit of the stew Mrs. Hooper provided, crumbled his bread on a plate and when he swayed in his chair, Ra carried him to bed. Seth didn’t even remember his head hitting the pillow.
No, his first thoughts were about his parents. I guess I can’t call them that anymore, he reminded himself sadly. Simpson’s words weren’t as shocking as he clearly thought they’d be, even though Seth wished he’d picked a better place to tell him. He’d always wondered why he was different from his siblings, but because his parents so clearly loved him, and his brothers and sisters never treated him any differently, he never voiced his concerns.
Do they hate me now? He wondered, but just as quickly he shook those thoughts away. Ella and Charles Carmichael always treated everyone they came across with love, kindness, and generosity. Not for the first time, Seth wished he’d confided his mating with them instead of Gareth, but he was so darned excited and confused…he didn’t think they’d understand his need to be with Ra. They still thought of him as just a child and mating was something adults did. Dad would have insisted on meeting Ra before he’d ever be allowed to be alone with him and in the privacy of his mate’s bathroom, Seth admitted to embarrassment over how his parents would behave. They’d done the same when Susan, his sister, found someone she wanted to bond to. The poor man, another herd member, had been grilled for hours on the proper way to care for a mate.
I hope they’re okay. Seth had a momentary worry that Simpson would take his anger out on his parents, but that didn’t last long. Simpson would be arrogant enough to simply tell Ella and Charles their “problem” had been taken care of and leave it at that. Seth vowed to pass a message along to Mrs. Hooper for them, so they would know he was safe. They may never want to see him again, but Seth couldn’t handle the idea they might worry about him.
He cocked his head towards the bedroom door as he heard Ra mutter and then the snores start to rumble again. I have a mate, he hugged himself as warmth spread through his body and his cock stirred. I get to have sex! Yeah, that warmth was probably Seth’s all over body blush. It was an affliction that used to embarrass him when he ran with the others, but now it was there for a whole new reason.
Seth knew about sex. All rabbits were taught about the facts of life from an early age and that was without all the visuals Seth was confronted with in the forest, walking into a house for babysitting; one time he’d even caught Simpson at it with his wife behind the meeting house. Seth shuddered. That wasn’t something he wanted to see again but the fact of the matter was, rabbits were highly sexual beings…after they were mated. It was a matter of honor among his kind to offer their virginity to their mate and now it was time for Seth to offer his to Ra.
Slapping his fingers over his mouth, Seth collapsed into a pile of giggles. Offering one’s virginity…sounds like something put on a silver platter by a white-glove-wearing butler. That’s how his stern schoolteacher had put it. Charles was a bit more casual about it, but for all the times he was busy humping his wife, he still blushed terribly when explaining things to Seth just after his eighteenth birthday.
Unfortunately, neither his dad nor Mrs. Pinkleton explained how the “offering” was supposed to take place. Seth eyed his body critically; he was back to wearing Ra’s tee-shirt. Then he eyed the giant tub he was sitting on. A bath. A warm relaxing bath, wrap myself in a sexy towel and see if I can get Ra’s teeth to drop again. Seth hummed softly as he slowly got the faucets working. He didn’t want to wake Ra before he was ready.
*****
Ra opened his eyes and stilled. No mate. Splashing water. Oh, my sexy little bunny, are you playing in the water without me? Ra certainly hoped so as he climbed off the bed and padded silently to the bathroom door. Seth had pushed it so it was almost closed and Ra stuck his nose against the open crack and sniffed. Happy bunny. Sexy bunny. His tiger stirred. He loved to swim and Ra slid out of his sweat pants before carefully pushing the door open a bit more.
Poking his head around through the gap, Ra bit the inside of his lip. Seth was lying back in the bath, the bubbles he’d added offering sexy peeks of pale skin. Oh, I love a tease, Ra shivered, his cock hardening within seconds. His eyes just about popped out of his head as he saw Seth’s hand move down his body…and grab his cock. Ra couldn’t resist. With a mighty roar his tiger took over and he leaped for the bathtub and his naked mate.
Water splashing up around him, Ra kneeled in the tub and looked around. “Seth?” And then his eyes widened for a completely different reason. “No, no, no, that wasn’t meant to happen, Seth,” because it had to be Seth in his rabbit form doing his best to swim at the other end of the tub. Did rabbits swim? Ra knew some of the bigger ones could but what if little white ones weren’t meant to get wet? What if the shock killed him? On the verge of panic, Ra cupped his hands and scooped Seth out of the water.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” he babbled. “It’s my tiger. He just…oh, crap, I am sorry.”
Ra never knew a rabbit could have a scornful look on his face, but Seth was doing a damn good job of showing his feelings. However, his body was shivering and Ra wanted to thump himself. His little bunny was getting cold. Visions of shock and hypothermia clouded his brain as he scrambled out of the huge tub, making sure not to drop his precious mate.
“Towels, I need towels,” Ra muttered, looking around, water dripping all over the tiled floor. There was one dark blue towel resting on the toilet lid. He snatched it up and then worried about the hard floor.
“On the bed,” he decided, taking care not to slip on the wet floor. If he dropped Seth now, he didn’t think he’d ever be forgiven. Hell, he wouldn’t forgive himself.
Ignoring the water streaming down his chest and legs, Ra carried Seth through into the bedroom; managing to tuck the towel under him as he laid him on the covers.
“Er…um…can I dry you?” Ra asked hopefully. He really needed to do some research on miniature rabbits, but then in his defense, he didn’t know what type of rabbit Seth was until he shifted the day they met. Gods. That was like, today, yesterday. Ra forced himself to focus.
“I’m going to dry you now, I will do my best to be gentle.” He dabbed ineffectively at Seth’s soaked matted fur. Seth closed his eyes but he still had tremors running all over his body. Ra was worried, with the fur being so thick, that a towel might not work.
“I have a hair dryer,” he suggested. Seth’s eyes flew open and a strange noise came from his throat. He didn’t approve. “You could shift,” Ra suggested. “Then we could both get dry together.”
Rabbit eyes glared at him for a full minute before Ra saw the shimmer. “I should put a freaking bell on you,” Seth said as soon as he was human again. “I’m a rabbit, goddamn it, how many times do I have to remind you. Don’t freaking scare me like that. Little guys like me can die of shock if they are plunged into water suddenly.”
Ra hung his head. “You were in human form when I jumped,” he said quietly.
Seth sighed. “I know and it’s me that’s sorry, okay? It’s just I was relaxed, enjoying the soak, my mind was miles away and then suddenly your roar damn near shattered my ear drums…it’s going to take me a while to get used to it, that’s all.”
Scooping the towel off the bed, Ra held it out as a peace offering. “Still think I’m sexy?” He asked hopefully.
Laughing, Seth took the towel from him and stepped closer. The soft pile was warm on Ra’s chest. “We just have to find a way to curb your tiger’s natural exuberance, and my rabbit needs to understand your roar isn’t a threat to him. It’s only been twenty-four hours, not even that.”
Ra had a sinking feeling his tiger was about to make another push for dominance. Seth’s closeness, the heat of his skin. Although there was a lin
gering whiff of wet fur in the air, the soap smell from Seth’s body was stronger and Ra fisted his hands as Seth moved the towel over his groin. “It’ll be easier to handle my tiger once I’ve claimed you,” he managed through gritted teeth.
Expecting Seth to back away, Ra was shocked when he felt a warm hand around his cock. “You’ve been very patient, tiger of mine,” Seth said soothingly giving what Ra considered an expert twist around his shaft. He moaned as Seth’s thumb flicked across the head of his dick, his knees trembling with the effort to stand still. Just as quickly the hand was gone and Ra pouted.
Climbing onto the bed Seth laid himself on his back, the vision as lovely as Ra had dreamed it would be. He was so caught up in the flashes of brightness coming from Seth’s skin, highlighted by the light from the bathroom, he almost missed his mate saying, “You can leap now.”
Leap? Leap. Leap! Ra stuttered for that moment it took for his body to catch up with his mind, but when it all clicked he leaped. He leaped so high, so fast, his body splayed out all ready to love on his sexy rabbit and then groaned when his body hit the floor with a splat.
Seth’s chuckles came from the bed and seconds later his white blond head appeared over the covers. “How the hell did you miss?” Seth laughed. “I was ready for you this time.”
“Ugh.” Ra wanted to bury his face in the carpet. He knew his tiger was eager. Hell, he was eager too, but honestly? He hurriedly checked his cock to make sure it hadn’t got broken in the fall. Nope. Stupid thing was still flying high. Not even a slap on the floor would make it go down although he might have rug burns if he wasn’t careful.
“Come on up here,” Seth suggested softly. “You can practice your leaping another time.”
Heaving a sigh, because really, since when did a tiger have too much bounce, Ra climbed onto the bed and buried his face in Seth’s neck. “I’m embarrassed now.”
“Too embarrassed to claim me?” Seth peppered soft kisses in Ra’s hair. “This will be my first time with anyone.”
First time! Oh my god, please let there be lube. Ra scrambled over Seth’s body and scrabbled around in his drawer. Yes! Someone, probably the helpful Simon had left a brand new tube in his drawer. He rolled back to see Seth fighting the grin on his face.
“Awesome. You have the stuff we need, but do you think I could get a kiss first?”
Slow down you doofus, he’s not going anywhere and this is meant to be a claiming. Be romantic, the sardonic voice in his head reminded him. Ra took a calming breath and gathered Seth in his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said between kisses. “I…since meeting you…I’ve been behaving like a real klutz. I’m not usually this bad.”
“Your tiger is anxious and needs to claim,” Seth seemed to understand. “You’ve been looking for me since you scented me, haven’t you?”
Ra nodded.
“And now I’m here, and no one is going to interrupt us, so can we please take our time? This is all new to me and I want to enjoy your body and every new sensation.”
Ra was sure his cock let out a strangled squawk at the idea of going slow, but he nodded again. His tiger heard Seth and understood. Now all he had to do was hope that some of those romance novels he’d been reading, strictly for research purposes, had the right idea.
Chapter Seven
Seth’s skin didn’t fit. He was anxious and nervous, aroused and thrilled all at the same time. Ra’s body was a comforting weight, his hard skin soothing some of the tingly edges. He needed the kisses to ground him; Ra’s hands to entice him and Ra delivered. The more Ra touched him, Seth felt a calmness sweep through his mate, as though Ra realized the same thing he did – this was it. Claiming. Final. Permanent. Nothing could ever break them apart again.
And Seth wanted that. Yes, his nerves were still frayed from the revelations of the day before, but any lingering sadness was swept away by Ra’s determined touch. Ra was hell-bent on making his body sing and he was succeeding. Licks and nibbles, soft touches, Seth’s whole body felt like one giant erogenous zone.
Ra’s tongue swept up his inner thigh and Seth groaned as it traveled across his scrotum. His stomach muscles tensed as a hot breath caressed his prick and then “argh!” Seth couldn’t stay silent as his cock was encased in Ra’s mouth. It was everything he’d dreamed it could be. The slurping, the sucking and when Ra decided to add a purr to the mix, Seth was gone. He wasn’t worried about it, it was the way rabbits were and Ra would get used to it. As it was, he wondered about his taste as Ra swallowed him down. Would his tiger like it?
It seemed that he did. As Seth lay panting, enjoying the afterglow, Ra sat up on his knees, his tongue swiping around his lips, a smug glow in his eyes.
“You want to flip over now?” Ra’s voice deepened into a raspy growl and Seth’s eyes widened. Ra’s cock couldn’t be missed and Seth prayed it would fit as he rolled over onto his belly.
*****
Ra didn’t think anyone could be more perfect for him than Seth. He’d always loved smaller men and although Seth was almost dainty from his blond hair to his tiny feet, every inch was in perfect proportion. As Seth spread himself out on his stomach, Ra wanted to roar with happiness at the trust his mate showed him. But he didn’t because as he applied himself to running his tongue over the nape of Seth’s neck, he knew Seth shifting now would put a real crimp in his plans. That didn’t stop him letting out a small growl as he ran his tongue down Seth’s spine and his chin nudged the bubble butt he’d only seen. Now the pale skin was under his hands and Ra bit back a whimper as he gently pried those tight cheeks apart.
Untouched! Mine! His tiger was getting pushy and Ra bent over, burying his nose between those soft cheeks. Seth’s scent was stronger here and the temptation to roar increased. Ra swiped his tongue over Seth’s sweet hole to give his mouth something to do, his hand fumbling on the covers for the lube. Feeling the familiar plastic, he kept his tongue busy as he coated his fingers. The need to hurry increased. Two weeks, Ra had waited for this moment; two weeks of searching, hunting, tracking and growling at every bunny he came across for not being his mate.
Carefully easing a single finger inside his mate’s tightness, Ra groaned. Heat grabbed him from every angle and he imagined what it would feel like on his cock. Paying close attention to Seth’s every move, gasp, and moan, Ra worked quickly, determined this would be the most amazing time Seth ever had. He remembered his first time as a top and quickly pushed that thought away. He’d come a long way from the bumbling, clumsy idiot he’d been then. He already planned to have Seth top him. That would be a first they could share.
But not now. Not when Seth’s ass was eating three fingers eagerly and the beautiful man was begging for more. Ra would have to be made of stone to ignore him and he wasn’t. He was a full red-blooded tiger shifter and he wanted inside Seth so bad it frightened him.
Carefully easing his fingers out of Seth’s behind, Ra slathered plenty of lube on his cock that was straining towards his mate like a heat seeking missile. He crawled over Seth’s body and nudged his cock in the right direction. Seth wiggled his ass, seeking more and Ra hushed him quietly. “Do not push back,” he warned.
“I want. I need. I feel like I’ll explode if you don’t get inside me.” Seth’s face was bright red and his eyes looked almost feverish. Ra brushed the back of Seth’s neck with his lips and Seth’s skin burned him. Hoping it was just a rabbit thing, he pushed his hips forward, feeling his cock slowly encased in molten heat.
“Holy crap.” Ra wondered if he should pull out.
“Keep going,” Seth pleaded. “It’s just my body adjusting to the mating. It won’t hurt you.”
Hurt me, what about you? But Ra’s tiger took over. He’d waited long enough. Trusting his animal spirit to warn him if something was seriously wrong with his mate, Ra pushed forward, his head back and his eyes closed as every molecule of his existence was focused on where they were joined. Seth’s body was made for him. There was no denying that. The urge to rut hit him befo
re he’d even got all the way in and Seth’s moans and hip twitches weren’t making it any easier to control himself.
“I’m a rabbit,” Seth yelled. “Fuck me like one.”
I’m a tiger, Ra was confused but his hips seemed to know what Seth was talking about. He pulled out, pushed forward and then had to brace his hands on the bed to keep up with Seth who had his knees planted firmly on the mattress and was rocking back on his cock like he owned it. I guess he does, Ra thought but then Seth groaned and yelled and Ra realized he wasn’t being fair. He tried to get his balance, so he could grab Seth’s cock and give him a helping hand, but the way Seth’s ass pushed back on him every five seconds was making it difficult.
“I’m coming,” Seth yelled and sure enough the smell of spunk hit Ra’s nostrils. But apparently climaxing wasn’t enough to slow Seth down. He was still rocking backward like a madman and Ra was struggling to keep up.
Grabbing Seth around his chest, Ra reared up pulling Seth with him. Seth seemed to catch on fast because he planted his feet on the mattress and bobbed up and down, his hair tickling Ra’s nose. Unbelievably Seth’s cock was still hard but at least in this position Ra could grab hold of it and by the time Ra’s balls were tight and starting to sting from the forceful way Seth bounced on them, Seth was yelling again.
“Do it this time,” he yelled. “Bite me!”
Ra surged forward and his teeth were in Seth’s neck before he knew what happened. As the taste of blood hit his tongue, his tiger roared and flew out to greet the other half of his soul. The two spirits circled each other once, twice and then the tiger curled around the feisty rabbit, the mating complete from a spiritual sense. Ra’s hand was coated with Seth’s release and his balls throbbed as he pumped his seed into his mate’s willing body. I guess it is physically too.