by A. E. Via
“Are you sure you’re ready to go outside?” Alek asked. “I was there when Wick first woke at dawn and found himself trapped by the sunlight.”
Bell easily slid into his black tailored suit jacket. He smirked as if he knew his friend well enough to know what Alek would tell him. “And how did he react?”
“He flipped his shit.” Alek chuckled. “He and my brother had only been bonded for a couple days. They’d fallen asleep after a late-night run, and when Wick woke up at seven in the morning he was sure he was about to get fried. He freaked so much that it forced Justice to shift and his wolf to call on his betas. When we got there, Wick had realized he was in no danger and was jumping around, whooping like a lunatic. It was the funniest thing ever to see the king running in circles with his arms outstretched wide and his face turned towards the sun. I swear he was happier than a pup chasing a squirrel.”
“Well I think I can be a bit more dignified than that. No jumping and hollering I’m sure.” Bell’s nerves were visible. “Unless I’m on fire.”
Alek didn’t laugh. It wasn’t funny to any of them. Instead, he took Bell’s hand and led him back to the narrow hallway before the living room. It was even brighter at ten in the morning. Bell halted at the start of the wood flooring, staring down at the silver-tips of his black boots just touching the streak of sunlight. Bell inched forward, then stalled again.
Alek wrapped his arms around him from behind and leaned into him, burying his nose in his neck. Damn, he smelled heavenly—as if Bell’s genetic makeup was infused with all the scents that drove him wild. Especially that underlying citrusy smell that lingered at the base of Bell’s skull where Alek already loved to scent. He massaged Bell’s rigid shoulders in an effort to relax him as he slowly began to lift Bell’s hand and extend it towards the sunlight. His mate watched as the tips of his fingers illuminated under the warm rays and waited to see what—if anything—would happen. Waited to see if Wolf would stop them.
Nothing did.
Bell gasped and stretched his hand out farther. “So warm,” he murmured.
Alek linked their hands, smiling against Bell’s skin. “I told you you’d be fine. How does it feel?”
“There are no words,” Bell whispered, stepping forward with Alek right behind him. He was trying to be as supportive as possible… and patient. Bell needed this time. He deserved this gift from the Mother because Bell had a serious task ahead of him. One he hadn’t asked for. He’d have a vital role to play in the prophecy, and he’d need all the gifts he could receive. To be blessed with sunlight wasn’t something to be taken for granted. Alek could understand his mate’s joy, and he felt it right along with him.
“Come on. Let’s go out.” Alek squeezed Bell’s waist and got him moving. He had to help his mate navigate his living room and not run into anything on their way out of the front door, since Bell couldn’t stop staring up at the bright blue vastness visible through the skylights. The moment Alek opened the heavy door, a frigid chill whooshed past them and into the warm house. It was the middle of winter and the White Mountain Forest, where he and his pack lived, had already seen a significant amount of snowfall for January. It felt wonderful to him. His Siberian blood craved it.
Outside was bright with the sun balanced high over the mountains, reflecting brilliant light off the white snow. Bell’s steps were measured as he made his way onto the porch and down the wooden steps. He turned in a complete circle as if taking in everything in a new way. Bell alternated from staring at the flushed skin on his hands to the squirrels chasing each other up a towering spruce tree. He was used to nocturnal animals. Alek gave his mate some space to wonder and roam.
“I can’t even understand how this is possible, Alek.” Bell gaped at him. “You did this. Your blood made this happen.”
Alek couldn’t stay away. He crossed the short distance and put his arms around Bell’s waist. He was so tight with all lean muscles. Alek smoothed his hands inside Bell’s dress coat, unable to resist touching him. His fingers trailed over fine silk material that probably cost more than it took to build Alek’s cabin. His mate was still gazing into the sky when Alek pressed a kiss on the side of his neck that held his mark. Damn, he smelled so right. He smelled like lemon, and pine, with just enough boldness from his power to make Alek’s tongue tingle when he tasted him. And now he also smelled like him… but not enough. He needed his seed inside his mate. Needed their souls to connect and intertwine so Alek could breathe easier. So the beast within would settle back into the depths of him where he belonged.
Alek ran his nose along the smooth column of Bell’s throat, inhaling, scenting and marking him all at the same time. Bell leaned into him, moaning his name in a way that made his cock jerk in his denims.
“Aleksei,” Bell said almost worshipfully. “You’re so warm. I feel so warm.”
Alek placed a delicate kiss on Bell’s Adam’s apple. His skin was still cooler than most, colder than his, but his mate couldn’t feel it anymore, only the heat of their mating. Just wait until I make love to you. Alek was going to ensure Bell felt his passion and his heat even when they were apart. If only his mate would leave with him so they could get to work on that as soon as possible. It was clear they were attracted to each other and not terribly upset that fate had put them together. Alek believed he saw the bigger picture, but not all of it. He knew his role in the prophecy but didn’t think it logical for the Mother to bless him with his life partner, only to take him away. Maybe the way he’d dreamed of it all ending was only that, a vision, one of infinite options. It didn’t have to be the reality. His reality. With a mate like Belleron Liatos, Alek was believing in the impossible.
“Gods, this feels good.”
Alek hummed his agreement. He took Bell’s hand and began to lead him towards the path that would take them farther across the mountain to his older brother Justice’s home. Alek was the first beta and no one understood why he’d chosen to build his cabin so far away when his other siblings lived practically next door to each other within the heavily-guarded compound. But Alek had made sure to build where he’d have enough privacy. There was too much the pack didn’t understand about him. Then of course, Alek wanted to ensure their safety if things ever got out of control and Wolf took over.
Bell stopped every few seconds when any movement caught his eye. Birds that he never saw after twilight hours, and even foliage that he had to touch as the sun melted the snow from its branches. Alek kept them along the well-worn path, curving around a bend with a spectacular view of the mountainous landscape as far as they could see. His brother had chosen good land to live on. The mountains provided security from attacks and it also kept them secluded from the rest of the world. While shifters and vampires had made great strides in interacting with the human species, they still preferred a degree of separation to live life as they always had.
Bell stopped again when more squirrels scampered out of their way. “You have an infestation.” He scowled.
Alek leaned against a tree as a robust laugh escaped him. “We do have a lot of little critters. The younger pups love playing games with them. I guess you get used to ’em after a while. I hardly notice them.”
“Interesting.”
“You mean different. You’re from a big city. You live in a massive home, don’t you? Back in London. Lots of amenities and butlers, huh?” Alek chewed on his lip. How did he compete with that? He loved his small cabin in the woods with minimal Wi-Fi and lots of nature. But, Bell was accustomed to luxury. Shifters were not synonymous with extravagance. They required very little in life to be happy. All they needed was a strong, loving pack and land to live on, and they’d make do every time.
“I lived on the king’s estate in London, yes.” Bell shrugged. “It’s quite lovely. But it was nothing compared to this. All this is yours, Alek. It’s your home built with your own two hands. I’ve always been right beside Wick, awaiting his every order and never really considered having my own before. I kinda envy yo
u.”
Alek’s heart soared.
“I’ve always loved nature and being outdoors.” Bell gave him a sly grin, moving closer towards him. “I’m not too pompous for you if that’s what you’re hinting at, Beloved.”
Bell moved some long strands of hair out of his face as he squinted at the sun through the thick canopy of trees. After a few seconds, he lowered his head and pressed his thumbs into his eye sockets. “Ouch. Maybe I shouldn’t try to stare directly at the sun.”
“Easy. Not too much exposure too fast.” Alek caressed Bell’s smooth cheek, staring into his dark pupils. “No one can stare at the sun.”
Bell smiled, his two fangs glistening enticingly. “I can stay out here all day. Right here in this spot.”
Alek wished Bell meant stay right there in his embrace, but he wouldn’t dare hope yet. Instead, he leaned against the wide base of a spruce tree and pulled Belleron to him. He loved how disheveled and carefree he appeared with his wrinkled suit and finger-combed hair. It was the complete opposite of how Bell had looked when he’d first arrived with the rest of King Chadwick’s army. He was dressed like a runway model for the vampire collection of GQ, if there was such a thing. His style was impeccable and his walk could almost be called a strut.
“Has your hair always been this long?” Alek’s voice was rough with desire. He couldn’t disguise his lust as composure even if he’d tried to.
“You don’t like it?”
Alek’s lips twitched. “I’ve yet to find something I don’t like on you, Belleron.”
“You’ve only known me a day, really.” Bell smirked. “We had one ten minute introduction, then I was gone for two days until I came to you last night.”
“True. But, so far I like what I’m seeing.”
“Me too,” Bell whispered.
They stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment before Bell asked, “Can I have another one of those kisses? Like before?”
Alek blinked. He hadn’t expected that. Bell had confessed to him last night that vampires weren’t known for their displays of affection. A person probably wouldn’t see two vampires holding hands walking down the street. Everything was done behind closed doors. Hugging and touching were the least of a vampire’s needs, and kissing was certainly at the top of that list.
“One of those long ones.” Bell touched Alek’s mouth with the tip of his slim finger. Alek almost had a mind to capture it between his teeth, but he refrained, instead edging closer until his mouth was only a breath away from Bell’s. “Didn’t think I’d like it as much as I do. Then again… maybe it’s just you, Aleksei. I only want to kiss you.”
Alek didn’t let another moment pass. He sealed his mouth over his mate’s and dominated the kiss. Bell moaned salaciously, arching his sleek body into him and letting Alek take the reins. The savage alpha inside him had him gripping his mate and spinning them to pin him against the tree beneath him. Alek pressed into Bell until he struggled to breathe.
MATE! Alek’s mind blared. His entire body vibrated with uncontrolled energy as he held Bell caged between his arms. He wanted to take a step back and gather himself enough to will his beast down, however it wouldn’t allow Alek to move. The hot energy radiating from him made the air shimmer around them, despite the frigid coolness. His beast brought the temperature of Hell with him. The growl Alek released terrified him… and it should’ve frightened his mate. But it didn’t.
Alek’s breathing halted when Bell’s hand glided up his trembling body and stopped dead in the center of his chest.
Bell couldn’t move. He knew that, even if he wanted to—which he didn’t—he couldn’t. Instead, he stood there spellbound and too drunk from Alek’s power. Captivated. The air became so warm and inviting that he relaxed instantly. Alek’s energy was addictive and Bell wanted to writhe in it and make sure it cloaked him. He wasn’t sure what he was experiencing but he liked it. It flowed through his mate and into him.
“What’s going on?” Bell breathed on the base of Alek’s throat.
Alek didn’t answer him. With his eyes hooded, Alek kept his teeth clenched and his fingers digging into the muscles of his back.
With his hand pressed firmly to Alek’s chest, Bell cocked his head to the side, his superior hearing targeting a voice different from his beloved’s—a deeper, harsher voice tinged with authority and danger. “Talk to me,” Bell murmured.
Alek gasped and grunted through a violent shudder. “What are you doing? Don’t call on him.”
“I want to speak with it.” Bell could feel the storm surging within Alek, his animals battling for control. They wanted something dear from Bell that he wasn’t ready to relinquish.
His body.
Alek’s wolf needed to mate with him. Bell listened to the sense of urgency as they growled and snarled for Alek to take Bell away and seal their mating. And he was correct in his assumption, that there was more than just Wolf lurking inside his cherished. My gods. Bell wasn’t even sure if it was an animal or… or… an entity. Whatever it was, it wanted Bell with a vengeance.
He’d only given himself to another once—to a vampire he’d trusted, who was dead now—so many years ago that he vaguely remembered the feeling. It had happened quickly, was over fast and not very pleasant. Bell wasn’t used to being the submissive one. In his world, he was the alpha. He and Wick. When he’d fed from other vampires or humans, he didn’t bed them as they all wanted. It wasn’t often he felt the desire to get off. Sex had always seemed overrated to him. A way to get worked into a frenzy to achieve a mediocre anti-climactic finish. A way to get messy with another’s bodily fluids that he could do without. Lastly, and most important to him, a vampire was at their most vulnerable after vigorous sex and feeding. He could never trust that some random conquest wouldn’t get him intoxicated on blood and orgasms, and catch him off-guard enough to hurt him. He didn’t trust easily, that was his nature.
Now he had a mate who wanted him to lie down and surrender himself. Forget his identity, his culture, his life’s work and how he’d helped govern his species for the past eighty years. All that mattered now was being Aleksei Hedon Kolya Volkov’s true mate. No. No. I have to be more than just that. Bell wanted to give in and make Alek happy, make him whole again. But, his beloved wasn’t the only one with pressing needs. Bell had to find some answers and soon or he might lose his mind. As a known strategist, that ingrained part of him, the core and center of who Bell was needed to know what all this meant. He needed to talk to Wick. Maybe find out if he knew more about the prophecy than he’d let on. Bell was just too damn wise to go into his new life blind.
“Belleron.”
Bell was almost too nervous to look up. That voice sent chills down his spine despite the heat encasing them. The sounds of nature and wildlife vanished until there was only them. Even the world seemed distant, somehow. Power flowed through him at a rapid rate, faster than he could consume it. Bell hissed through elongated fangs. Too much.
“You are not ready to receive me.”
The voice was coming from Alek’s mouth but it wasn’t Alek speaking. Those beautiful, full lips were moving, but the tone and pitch were all wrong. Wolf had come at his call. Bell couldn’t believe it as he stared into startling blue eyes, no longer pale and kind like his Alek’s. A blue more brilliant than a royal sapphire. Alek’s animal stared him down through his own eyes, made him absorb the impact of his presence. And the Wolf had been correct. Bell wasn’t ready. However, deep down he knew he needed to get there, and fast. His beloved and his animals needed to reconnect. And in no uncertain words, Wolf had pushed that understanding into him.
The air around them settled substantially as Alek blinked a few times, then returned his powder-blue gaze back on Bell. His beloved stood there stunned for a long moment before the curiosity in his glare morphed into passion. “What did you do?” Alek asked. “Wolf seems… intrigued all of a sudden.”
“I wanted… attempted to call your animal forward. He is stronger than
I ever imagined, Alek. Stronger than I even thought possible. I could barely listen to him, much less receive him.” Somehow, some way Bell knew he’d be able to take all of Alek in any of his forms. He’d grow strong enough to stand beside his exceptional wolf. United with strength beyond comprehension. Bell couldn’t disguise how much all of this was turning him on. His cock was digging into Alek’s thigh, causing his thoughts and words to falter. He began a sultry grind on Alek’s muscular leg, surprising even himself. Alek rumbled his approval, which Bell felt down to the tips of his boots. He didn’t object when the large shifter gripped him behind one knee and pulled his leg up until it was hooked around his waist. Damn. Bell’s mouth fell open and his body went loose as if it was second nature. He’d never in a million years have let anyone handle him like this… and live. But Bell could feel Alek’s hardness, could smell his arousal mixing with the earthiness surrounding them, and it drove him wild.
Alek held Bell’s thigh with one hand while the other snaked around and cupped most of his ass, squeezing until Bell started to throb. “Alpha,” Bell responded to Alek’s hold on him.
“Yes,” Alek groaned.
Bell’s hips jerked, then he heard his belt snapped in two and felt it being yanked from around his waist. He could only stare wide-eyed as he became aware that he wanted his beloved to pin him against the rough surface of the tree and penetrate him… hell. “What are you doing to me? This isn’t me?” Bell moaned.
“It is now,” Alek growled. “You may not yet, but you will crave me, Belleron. You’ll want my hands on you at all times. You’ll yearn for my affection and attention. My bite will be all you can think about. And I’ll give it to you. Always.” Alek reached into Bell’s slacks, and coarse fingertips dug into his skin.
His beloved’s hands were so goddamn hot they seared his rarely touched flesh. Bell couldn’t believe he fucking whimpered. There was no other word to describe the keening sound that escaped as the pad of Alek’s middle finger dragged over his hole.