Chapter 9 #2
Once again faster than his eyes could track, Keith’s large, silver-white wolf stood before him.
He darted his tongue into the water a couple of times and then looked up at him expectantly.
His beautiful eyes were as wide and trusting in this form as his other.
Keith had suffered more in his life than anyone Brian knew, and yet he remained pure and hopeful, albeit in an unconventional way.
Brian lowered himself to the ground and ran his palm over his mate’s fur, forgetting about everything other than the special, precious shifter beside him.
“I'm sorry you went through all of that in your youth.” He tried to reconcile the bubbly, chatty, upbeat man he knew with the version of Keith who had lived like a recluse and embraced what he had anticipated would be imminent death. “I’m so glad I found you.” He wondered if Keith would have survived if he’d made the trip to Purple Sky even a day later.
“You’re safe now. I promise, I won’t let anyone hurt you again.
” Especially not the Green Field Alphas who had done nothing to comfort a hurting teenager to the point that he had preferred living on his own to being with his pack.
“I’ll dedicate my life to protecting you. ”
“You won’t be able to do that if you’re dehydrated. Drink.”
“How do you do that so quickly?” Brian asked.
“Do what?”
“Shift.”
“Same way I survived long enough to meet you.”
Brian furrowed his brow in confusion.
“Should I tell you I’m more powerful than I look again or are you sick of hearing that line by now?” Keith winked and then tipped his head toward the water. “Drink, mate. I want to keep running with you. We’re having fun.”
Brian skated his hand over his mate’s warm skin and drew in a deep, soothing breath. Fun was something Keith hadn’t had enough of in his life. He’d make sure that changed. “Alright.” He leaned forward and kissed Keith’s forehead. “I’ll drink and then we’ll have more fun.”
The morning spent frolicking with his mate was the best of Brian’s life, but he had a pack to lead and that meant responsibilities, so he helped Keith get comfortable in the bathtub and then went downstairs to catch up on work.
He was doing a deep dive into their finances, trying to determine how he could increase their earnings enough to acquire the river land when his phone rang.
He flicked his gaze to the screen, accepted the call, and looked back at the computer monitor. “Hi, Steve.”
“Hello, Alpha. I’m on patrol duty today and I came across an unannounced visitor.”
“Who are they visiting?”
“You.”
“Me?” He furrowed his brow and picked up his phone. “I’m not expecting any visitors. Who is it?”
“She says her name’s Claire.”
He considered the name. “I don’t know a Claire. Why does she want to see me?”
“She won’t say but she seems anxious or scared or something. She’s weirdly jittery.”
“That’s strange. Bring her over. I’ll talk to her and get to the bottom of it.”
“On it, Alpha.”
He thought about his vulnerable mate upstairs having a rare and well-earned rest. “Oh, and Steve?”
“Yes, Alpha?”
“I’ll speak with her on the porch. I don’t want people near my mate.”
“Uh, sure, okay. I’ll bring her over and wait with her outside.”
He ended the call and rose from his chair.
Keith was probably thirsty and hungry and he wouldn’t remember to care for himself.
Brian hustled to the kitchen, cut up some cucumbers, peppers, and carrots, and filled a bottle with ice and water.
That should tide Keith over until he was done dealing with the unexpected visitor.
He hurriedly made his way upstairs and over to his bathroom.
He walked through the open door and stopped in his tracks at the sight that greeted him.
His mate was stretched across the tub, head reclined on a folded towel, and eyes closed. He looked completely at peace, which satisfied Brian on a soul-deep level. He was also gorgeous. His skin firm and smooth, his muscles lean but carved, his jaw sharp as a knife.
“Don’t forget to breathe,” Keith said, his voice quiet and unexpected.
Brian sucked in a gulp of air and shook his head to clear his mind. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“I’m resting.” Keith’s eyes remained closed. “Are you enjoying the view?” His lips turned up in a smirk.
“I am,” Brian admitted.
“Good.” The smile got wider. “Thanks for bringing me a snack.”
His eyes were still closed. How could he know?
Keith sat up and looked at him. “I can smell it.”
“Did I say that out loud?”
He shook his head. “Want to join me? There’s plenty of room in here.” He splashed his hand through the water.
Brian’s phone vibrated in his pocket, which likely meant Steve was out front with the unexpected visitor.
“I wish I could but I have pack business to deal with.” He stepped over to the tub, squatted beside his mate, and set the plate on the floor.
“You’re extraordinarily beautiful.” He smoothed the back of his fingers down Keith’s cheek and over to his chin.
“I’m so grateful that Mother Nature blessed me with you.
” He still wasn’t completely sure how to make everything work with another Alpha, but even if he had to force Keith to follow his direction when it came to his safety and even if he'd never be able to sink into his body in the way he longed to, he was thrilled down to his soul that he’d get to live his life with this man by his side.
“I love you,” he whispered as he leaned down to press his lips to Keith’s forehead.
Before he could make contact, Keith grasped both sides of his head and tugged him lower as he tilted his head back and pressed their lips together. Taken off-guard, he gasped and Keith slid his tongue past his lips.
“Mmm,” he moaned, heat immediately shooting through him in reaction to the taste of his mate.
Strong hands tangled in his hair and held him tightly as Keith coaxed his tongue into his mouth and sucked on it.
“Ungh,” he groaned, already lightheaded with arousal.
One hand clutching the tub, he moved the other to his groin, desperate for relief.
“Take your hand off that. It’s mine and I’ll take care of it.”
“You can’t,” he rasped and rested his forehead against Keith’s, trying to calm himself. “I have to go deal with something.” His phone buzzed again and he considered tossing it into the water. “Fuck.”
“Let’s go with that second option. It sounds much better.”
“What?” He was lightheaded, all his focus and his blood were directed away from his brain and into his cock. “Options?”
“I’m saying fucking sounds a hell of a lot more fun than whatever else you have going on, so let’s do that instead.”
Keith had inadvertently opened the door to a conversation Brian had been wanting to have for weeks.
Aware that he needed to leave but unwilling to lose the opportunity to talk about something that had been nagging at him since he realized his mate was also an Alpha, he leaned back and met Keith’s gaze. “How would that work?” he asked.
“How would what work?” Keith drew his eyebrows together.
“Us,” he said. “You know?” He gulped and licked his lips. “Fucking.”
Keith blinked a few times and tilted his head to the side, his expression perplexed. “Are you doing the whole ‘I’ve never been with anyone else’ shtick that I roped you into or are you seriously asking me how to have penetrative sex?”
“I know how to do it. I mean, how would it work with us?” He pointed his finger back and forth between them.
“Uh, the usual way? In, out, in, out. What are we talking about?”
“Keith,” he sighed. “The usual way for me is to be the, uh…” He considered his word choice carefully, not wanting to say anything that could be considered demeaning. “…penetrator.”
“Oookay?”
“And I realize you haven’t done this before but you’re an Alpha too so…” He left the rest unspoken, not needing to state the obvious.
Forehead scrunched, Keith said, “What does being an Alpha have to do with this? We’re mates.”
“We are. And I am wildly attracted to you. I want you desperately. But you’re an Alpha. I’m an Alpha. I’m too powerful to submit sexually in that way. I can’t do it. And I’m sure you feel the same.”
“Just to make sure I’m tracking this conversation, you like to top and you’re worried that I’ll feel emasculated if I take it up the ass and because of that you think we can’t fuck? Am I getting this right?”
He cringed at the crass choice of words. “I’d never describe making love with you that way.”
“Right.” Keith rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Whoever you’ve been waiting on stopped blowing up your phone and now they’re stomping on the porch and knocking on the door.
Go deal with that and then later, when you’re done, I’m happy to prove just how willing and happy I am to have any kind of sex you want in whatever position you prefer. ”
“How do you…” Brian stopped himself from asking how he knew Steve and the visitor were downstairs because that mattered exponentially less than the rest of what he’d said. “You’d enjoy that? I don’t want to demean you.”
“I have no idea why you think I’d feel demeaned by sharing pleasure with my mate.”
“Because you’re an Alpha. Won’t your wolf push back if I overpower you?”
Keith arched his eyebrows. “Overpower me?” One side of his lips quirked up.
“We’re good, mate. I can take everything you have to give and I won’t feel like less of a man or less of an Alpha if that means giving me your cock in my ass.
” He looked Brian in the eyes. “No matter how deep and how hard inside me you want to go, my ego and my power will remain intact. I promise.” He clutched Brian’s shirt and tugged him forward so their lips almost connected and then he whispered, “Go deal with your pack. I’m really looking forward to feeling all your Alpha power directed my way once you’re done. ”