by Nora Phoenix
“Are you sure this is the kind of relationship that you’d be interested in?” he asked after giving it some thought. It was the closest he could come to saying what was troubling him.
Grayson cocked his head as he studied him. “Why are you asking that?”
Lars shrugged, feigning indifference. “It’s a reasonable question, isn’t it? It’s not exactly a common type of relationship, especially with two boys.”
He wasn’t sure why, but even saying the word boys made his heart do a funny little jump in his chest. What was it about that word that reached so deep inside him?
“Sure, but why would I suggest a relationship like that if I wasn’t interested in it? I thought we’d covered the part where I explained what was in it for me,” Grayson said. “Unless there’s another reason you’re asking this, something you’re only alluding to without saying it?”
He was fucked now, wasn’t he? He should’ve known he couldn’t pull one over on Grayson. The man was too damn perceptive. All he had left was pretending he really didn’t care all that much, so he shrugged again, making sure his face showed boredom.
“I just wanted to make sure you were serious about this with both of us, I guess. It would make sense for you to be more interested in Sven, you know.”
He didn’t dare look at Grayson, especially not when the man didn’t reply instantly. Had he been right? Had it been only Sven the alpha was interested in? He swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat. Nobody had ever wanted him, so why would Grayson be any different?
When Grayson finally spoke, Lars’s eyes were still firmly fixed on the floor. “I’m so sorry you feel that I could only be interested in Sven,” Grayson said, and much to Lars’s surprise, a genuine sadness was detectable in the alpha’s voice. “I hope that over the course of the next six months, you will allow me to show you I care just as much about you as I do about him.”
It took Lars a few beats before he found the courage to look up, but when he did, he saw nothing but kindness and truth on Grayson’s face. Could he really trust him? Everything inside him was at war. Part of him screamed that he could never trust anybody ever again, not after what their father had done to them. And their brother, who had walked out of their lives without ever looking back.
The other half whispered that this was exactly what he’d been looking for all this time and to accept Grayson’s offer with both hands, knowing that this was the one thing that could complete him and Sven and help them find the happiness that had been eluding them so far. So, which half should he believe?
“It’s a trial,” Sven whispered at him, taking his hand and pressing it, making clear where he stood. Not that Lars had wondered about Sven. His instant attraction to Grayson had been obvious, and it was in his nature to please others, so Grayson’s proposal would appeal to him. He didn’t even blame him for it. Sven couldn’t help how he was wired.
Then again, neither could he himself. Grayson had told him he shouldn’t judge himself for what he wanted, hadn’t he? Talk about a piece of advice that was a hell of a lot easier to support in theory than to execute in reality. Of course he judged himself. When had he ever not judged himself, he thought wryly.
Sven did have a point, though. It was a trial. He could survive six months, even if it turned out to be a big disappointment for him.
“Okay,” he said, instant dizziness at his answer rolling through his body. What the hell was he doing? He pushed it down, allowing his heart to squash his fears. “Six months. But no guarantees for what happens afterward.”
“And you both agree to give me full control over your lives?” Grayson asked.
Lars shared a look with Sven. Grayson kept stressing this, but it wasn’t that big of a deal for them. They never had much freedom in the first place, so there wasn’t all that much to give up. They had no money, nowhere else to go, and nothing that mattered to them more than to be together. As long as Grayson promised not to separate them, Lars couldn’t care less about what the man would do. It couldn’t get much worse than what they had been through already.
“Yes, with the stipulation that you promise not to separate the two of us. We want to stay together, and as long as you can guarantee that, we’re okay with everything else, right?”
He looked at Sven, who nodded his approval.
Grayson’s smile was broad, his pleasure at their answer obvious. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. And I promise not to separate you two, not for more than a few hours at most.”
Something flashed over the alpha’s face, but it was gone too fast for Lars to interpret it. Should he be worried? No, he decided. The alpha had given his word, and as much as he hated to admit it, he did trust the man to keep his promises. The fact that he had talked to Palani about their relationship was a good sign as well, as was him informing his sons.
Lars cringed inwardly at the thought, knowing full well Bray and Lucan were older than they were. That must have been a pleasant conversation. Not.
“How do we start?” Sven asked, unable to keep the eagerness out of his voice.
Lars couldn’t hold back his smile. If nothing else, this experiment would be good for Sven, would allow him to explore a bit more of his sexual preferences.
Grayson got up from the chair he’d been sitting in and held out a hand to Sven to pull him up from the reading chair. “We start by moving the two of you into my room. I would like for you to collect your and Lars’s personal things and move them into this room. Can you do that for me, please?”
Sven nodded happily, then frowned. “What do I call you?” he asked hesitantly.
Grayson’s big hand cupped his cheek, and he pressed a kiss on Sven’s forehead. “For now, you can call me whatever you want as long as you address me with respect. We’ll talk about all the rules tomorrow, okay?”
Sven’s smile was back, even broader than before. “Yes, alpha.”
With a last look at Lars, he hurried off to follow the alpha’s instructions, leaving Lars with Grayson.
“What about me? What do you want me to do?” Lars asked, still sitting.
Grayson sat down in the chair Sven had just vacated, then gestured at Lars with his index finger. “Come sit with me,” he said.
Lars got up after a second of hesitation, unsure what Grayson wanted from him now. Sit with him? Where? At his feet, on the floor? It wasn’t like the chair was big enough for the two of them.
When he stood in front of Grayson, the alpha reached out for his wrist and gently pulled him onto his lap. Lars let out a little gasp of surprise, then allowed himself to be positioned. He sat stiff as a board, unsure of what to do.
Grayson pulled him toward him. “Relax,” he coaxed him. “I want to cuddle with you for a little bit.”
Cuddle with him? The man was so hard to understand. Why would he send Sven on a practical task and keep Lars here to sit with him?
“I want you to remember something.” Grayson’s voice was soft and comforting as he spoke, and Lars felt himself respond to it emotionally. “There will be a lot of cases in the coming six months where you don’t understand why I’m asking you to do something. I’m going to ask you to trust me and obey me anyway. You don’t have to understand my reasons for certain orders. All you need to worry about is obeying me, okay? I know that’s a big leap of trust I’m asking you to make, and I’ll allow you time to get to that point where you can trust me completely. I want you to start telling yourself right now and going forward that I have your best interests in mind and that you can stop worrying about the underlying reasons.”
Lars wanted to respond, but a strong hand clamped down on his mouth, preventing him from speaking. “Shush now. You’re going to sit with me quietly until Sven is done bringing in your stuff. All you need to do is sit here and relax and allow me to take care of you.”
It only took half a minute at most for Lars to discover that allowing someone else to take care of him was a hell of a lot harder than it seemed. His mind was swirling with the why and
the how and the what the hell are you doing part of what was happening. But Grayson didn’t allow him to say anything, the hand on his mouth a loose but surefire sign he wasn’t supposed to talk.
Surrounded by Grayson’s strong body, his alpha smell enveloping him, Lars fought with himself for minutes until he gave in and sagged against Grayson’s chest, no longer fighting off the urge to speak. Grayson’s hand disappeared from his mouth, and the words he spoke brought tears to Lars’s eyes.
“Good boy.”
15
Moving their personal stuff into Grayson’s bedroom had been one thing, but Sven had to admit he was nervous when it was time for bed. Unlike most of the previous evenings, he and Lars had stayed in the living room despite the others being there as well. He’d checked in with Lars to make sure he was okay being in the presence of not just Enar but Lidon as well, but a short nod had assured him Lars wanted to stay.
They’d watched a movie, and Sven had kept stealing glances at the pack alpha and his mates throughout. Their dynamics intrigued him, especially how Lidon seemed to be at the center of it all. His mates constantly sought out his touch.
When he’d first moved into the ranch and had met the foursome, Sven had thought they were more like two couples: Lidon and Vieno on one side and Enar and Palani on the other side. You couldn’t deny the close bond between Lidon and his omega after all.
Now that he’d had the opportunity to study them a little more, Sven had realized they were truly together with all four of them. Just yesterday, he’d accidentally walked in on Lidon fucking Palani, and earlier that morning, he’d caught a passionate moment between Enar and Vieno.
He envied them their closeness. Yes, he and Lars were close, but they’d always seemed to be missing something. Sven could only hope that they’d found it in Grayson. Accepting his proposal had been easy for him, as it had been exactly what he’d been hoping for. Not the Daddy part so much, though after doing a little research in the last couple of days, he had concluded it suited him well. He’d simply not known it existed before because if he had, he might’ve realized sooner it fit him well.
No, it was the addition of Grayson himself to their relationship he was most excited about. Sven couldn’t explain why, but he felt deeply drawn toward the alpha. It wasn’t just because he was sexy as fuck, which he was. He had authority and dominance, but he combined it with kindness and fairness, and all these things together with him being so damn hot made him perfect. The fact that he wasn’t deterred by Lars’s surly demeanor was another big plus as far as Sven was concerned.
They’d considered it before, searching for a third man to add to their relationship. How could they not when Lars could never conceive children with Sven? He was way too young to consider a pregnancy now, but it was a natural desire for him at some point. So yeah, they’d discussed it, but Sven had had trouble imagining anyone who could come to love them both. If he was honest, finding someone who would embrace Lars had always been a challenge.
He loved him, he always had, but that didn’t mean he was blind to the beta’s weaknesses. He knew where they were coming from. Hell, he’d seen them develop over time, Lars’s defenses building higher and higher to protect himself from the constant barrage of criticism from their father. Nothing they’d done had ever been good enough, no matter how hard they’d tried to please the man. Sven had retreated into himself, but Lars had fortified his walls, perfecting his cold mask of indifference toward anyone but Sven.
And he couldn’t be angry about it, couldn’t blame him. Everyone dealt with situations differently, and Lars had done what he had to to survive. Besides, he’d always put Sven first and had protected him as best he could. How could Sven fault him for that?
But the result was undeniable. Lars wasn’t easy to deal with. It had made Sven slowly lose hope they would ever find a third person to take them both on, let alone a strong alpha. Because honestly, what self-respecting, strong alpha would put up with a brat like Lars?
Apparently, a strong alpha like Grayson because that man didn’t seem fazed even the slightest by Lars’s attitude. If anything, Sven had the impression it challenged him. Other men might feel like Grayson would be more interested in Lars because of that challenge, but that wasn’t the case for Sven. Somehow, he sensed that Grayson appreciated them both, Sven’s sweetness as much as Lars’s stubbornness. Well, the man would have his hands full the next six months, that much was clear.
The pack alpha and his mates disappeared into their bedroom, and they were the only ones left in the living room—he, Lars, and Grayson, who was studying them with patience.
“I think it’s time we retreated as well,” Grayson said.
“I’m not really tired yet,” Lars protested, but Sven sensed the underlying emotions.
Lars was as uncertain about what would happen as he was, and of course, he reacted in the only way he knew how, with resistance. Before, Sven might’ve worried about this, but now, all he did was look at Grayson and wait to see what the alpha would do. It was a load off his shoulders that Lars wasn’t his responsibility anymore.
“I wasn’t asking if you were tired,” Grayson said amicably. “It’s time to retreat.”
Sven couldn’t allow Lars to speak for both of them, so he quickly piped up. “Yes, alpha.”
Grayson sent him a warm smile. “Thank you, pup.”
Sven turned his head to look at Lars and see what he would do. Would he really resist one of the first orders Grayson was giving them?
“If it stresses you out to see this, pup, feel free to head to the bedroom,” Grayson said to Sven. “We’ll be right there.”
Sven debated with himself. He appreciated Grayson giving him an out, but at the same time, it didn’t feel right to evade this. If they were to be a threesome, he would have to learn to deal with Grayson disciplining Lars. God knew he needed it, and he was convinced this would be a recurring event, so he might as well get used to it.
“I’ll stay,” he said softly. “We’re in this together,” he added. It earned him another approving look from his alpha, and he beamed.
Grayson rose from the chair he’d been sitting in and held out a hand to Lars. “Let’s go, boy.”
Sven shot to his feet instantly, then turned to watch what Lars would do. Time seemed to stand still as Lars didn’t move for maybe five, six seconds until he finally came to his feet. Would Grayson punish him for his delay in obedience?
“Good boy,” Grayson said, and he tugged at Lars’s hand until the beta stepped close enough for him to press a kiss onto his hair.
Things got awkward again in the bedroom, where Sven was faced with the reality of getting undressed in front of Grayson for the first time since his heat. It shouldn’t be awkward, not after everything they had shared. The man not only had seen him naked but also had intimate knowledge of pretty much every area of his body, so why did it feel weird to take his clothes off in front of him?
Grayson closed the bedroom door behind them, locking the door handle from the inside. He turned toward Lars and Sven, who stood close together, their bodies almost touching.
“New rule,” Grayson said. “Whenever one or both of you are with me in this room and the door is locked, unless I tell you otherwise, you are to be naked. I want you at my disposal any time we’re in private.”
Sven’s cheeks heated instantly, but he couldn’t deny the idea appealed to him. It sounded so…wanton. His cock loved the order as well, as it hardened in his shorts. Then the implication of Grayson’s order sunk in. They were in the same room with three of them, meaning he wanted them to get naked.
Suddenly, his previous embarrassment was gone. It was no longer a question of whether he wanted to get naked. His alpha had told him it was what he wanted, what would bring him pleasure, and that made the decision easy for Sven. He pulled his shirt over his head, neatly folded it, and put it down on an empty chair, then took off his shorts and underwear, adding them to the pile.
When he was done, he r
eturned to his previous position, folding his hands behind his back. It made his dick jut forward rather awkwardly, considering how hard he was, but there was little he could do about that. Grayson’s fat smile gave him the deep satisfaction that he’d gotten it right.
“Why?” Lars asked.
Grayson ignored him as he started undressing, and Sven noticed with relief that the alpha was as hard as he was. Once he was naked, Grayson gestured Sven to come close, and he stepped willingly into his embrace.
“You are such a good little pup,” Grayson whispered into his ear. “You’ve earned yourself a reward. Tell me something you want to do right now that would make you happy.”
And even more than before, on a much deeper level, Sven understood what Grayson had meant about their need to please him and what would be in this relationship for him. Sven knew the alpha derived pleasure from taking care of them, but that wasn’t all he would get from this. Because right now, Sven had a choice of choosing a reward, and the thing that was first and foremost on his mind was pleasing his alpha.
So he dropped to his knees and raised his head, bringing his lips as close as possible to Grayson’s cock without actually touching it. Then he raised his eyes to Grayson, who was looking down at him with the tenderness he’d expected to find.
God, he was born for this, born to serve like this. It was everything he’d never known he’d wanted, and it was perfect.
“If it pleases you, alpha, I would love to suck your cock.”
So many emotions went through Lars’s head at the same time, watching the scene in front of him. Sven was happily sucking Grayson off, the alpha’s strong hands tangled in his hair, encouraging him. Lars couldn’t deny his lover looked blissed out. Not that that surprised him, as Sven had always been fond of giving head.
It was something Lars had discovered a year or so ago. If Sven was stressed, it helped him to suck dick. Lars had never thought anything of it, but now that he was watching Sven, he wondered how Grayson had picked up on it so easily. What else had he missed that the alpha had spotted instantly? That thought didn’t sit well with him, and neither did the fact that Sven was getting rewarded while he was ignored.