CHAPTER 35 PORT
M ax and I wait in the dining chamber for Mili and Cory to return from their spell casting, but all I can think of is how it felt to kiss Mili. Her lips tasted like two pillows of honey, her tongue fresh as a blackberry. The feel of her back as I held her close to me, the brush of her delicate strands of hair against my cheek – all of it magickal and beautiful.
I can tell that Max senses this change in me, but I’m not sure if Mili would be hurt if I told him. As such, I’ve been keeping it to myself, despite wanting to shout it from the rooftops: I kissed the faery!
“You look positively giddy, Port,” Max says, finally deciding to test me.
I shrug in a way that I hope appears casual, but I feel heat rising to my cheeks, threatening to betray my secret. Max raises an eyebrow as he stares at me, seemingly torn between disbelief that I’d give into my temptation so soon, pride that I’d let myself follow my desire, and irritation that I beat him to it.
“I’m hopeful about the spell,” I lie pathetically.
Max rolls his eyes with a scoff. “Oh, of course. You know I saw you, you big buffoon.”
My blood heats up at the reminder of mine and Mili’s kiss, and I respond, “Saw me walk Mili?”
“Saw you kiss her.” He tuts and makes his way over to me, plopping down in the chair next to mine. He takes my chin in his hand and turns me to face him, smirking at the red blush spreading over my cheeks. “You’re precious when you’re flustered, aren’t you?”
Precious? I blush harder at his words despite my best efforts not to. If I were really honest with myself, I might be able to acknowledge that his compliment has a similar effect on me that kissing Mili did –but that’s far too intense to admit to myself at this time.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I mutter. What is happening to me? I almost never get flustered like this. I’m usually quite composed, quite balanced ... but something about Max’s probing gaze, his wicked smirk, his twinkling eyes are having a dizzying effect on me.
Max grins and leans in closer to me, moving his fingers from my chin to hold my jaw, just under my ear. My breath hitches as he leans in, and he squints at my open mouth. I clamp it shut and pry my gaze up from his lips to his eyes.
“Oh,” he whispers. “Well isn’t that a shame?”
Then he pats the side of my face, cheeky bastard that he is, and pulls back from me with a grin. I realize, with a sudden start, that I don’t want this closeness to end. Before I can stop myself, I grab his face in my hands and pull him to me, kissing him like a man starved.
I feel him gasp quietly, a little sputter of shock in the back of his throat, before he whines and kisses me back even harder. I part his lips quickly, and he opens his mouth to let me in easily.
“Good boy,” I whisper without thinking.
He whines louder, pressing his tongue to mine, wrapping it around me expertly, and I let my hand drop to his hardening crotch. He shivers at my touch, and I relish the sudden power shift; as much as Max plays the tough guy, he turns to putty in my hands. It makes me want to ravish him and worship him all at once.
“I need you, Port,” he gasps into my mouth.
I growl then, a low rumble that starts in my stomach, and kneel between his calves on the floor. He arches his neck to keep kissing me as I unbuckle his pants, one hand loosening his belt while the other explores the trail of hair between his navel and his groin.
I unbutton the fly of his pants and smile at the sight of his cock already hard and throbbing for me. He’s a tad smaller than average, and he seems a bit shy about it. He turns away, embarrassed, but I wrap a hand around his jaw and pull him back to face me.
“What is that face for?” I ask, voice low and dangerous. He shakes his head, blushing, and I tut at him. Then, an idea strikes me. “I want to see you touch yourself.”
“Me?” he asks, surprised.
I nod slowly, a small grin creeping onto my face. “Show me.”
Max shudders as I guide his hand to his manhood, and I watch with pleasure as his large hand wraps around it easily. I take his stones in my hand and rub small circles into the loose flesh, and he sighs shakily as he starts to stroke himself in rough motions.
“Slower,” I order.
He nods quietly, his clay brown eyes wide with anticipation and nervousness. I lower my mouth to his balls and slowly suck them into my lips, and my cock throbs with pleasure at the sound of his responding moan.
Max strokes himself slowly, with me occasionally pausing to lick a long line up his shaft, lubricating him. I peer up at him periodically, pleased to see the self-consciousness fade from his eyes as he gives in completely to his own pleasure.
“Can I have you?” I murmur into his shaft.
He nods emphatically, his hand flying away from his cock as I move to take it in my mouth. I see him grip the chair’s armrests out of the corner of my eye, his knuckles going white as I start pumping my mouth up and down his length easily.
I hum around him in pleasure as I suck him off, thrilled at the feeling of his entire shaft in my mouth. I keep him all the way inside my mouth as I please him, one hand brushing his stones as his tip bounces against my throat.
After a few minutes, I feel his legs start to quiver, and I know he’s close. I increase my pace, keeping a steady rhythm as I move up and down his length. He whines quietly, guttural, as I go, and I feel my own manhood straining against my pants at the sound. I’m ravenous for him, and I give in to my own hunger as I bring him to a cascading orgasm.
“Ah, godsdamnit!” Max cries out as he comes. I keep my mouth latched around him, taking all of his release down my throat. The feeling of his cock pulsing inside my mouth is pure bliss, and I let my eyes flutter closed with the sensation.
Once I’ve swallowed all that he has to give, I look up to see Max’s head thrown back between his shoulders. I smile at the sight before standing and bending over to kiss him. When I gently lift his face to meet my gaze, though, I see that his eyes are screwed close as if he’s embarrassed.
“Max, what’s wrong?” I blurt out, all bravado gone.
He shakes his head and sighs, keeping his eyes closed. “Do you think –do you think I –ah, gods, this is hard to say out loud.”
I shush him and bring him in for a tender kiss, feeling his worries melt away slightly at my touch. “Was that too much?” I ask quietly. I’m terrified of his answer, especially because I hadn’t even realized until now how badly I need him –him and Mili, maybe even Cory, too. I just want us to all be together, come what may.
Joy lights up inside me when Max replies, “Oh, gods no! I, well, I really enjoyed it. I’ve always had a bit of a crush on you. I just didn’t realize it until Mili came into the picture.”
I nod in agreement. “I know what you mean. She has a way of making us all a bit more open. More honest.”
“She really does,” Max sighs, shaking his head. “I wanted to ask – and don’t laugh –do you think I’m ... good enough? For any of you?” His words genuinely shock me, and I quickly close my mouth after it falls open. “I know it sounds stupid–” he blurts out.
“I think you’re better than any of us can even put into words, Max.”
He scoffs. “Don’t try to butter me up, Port. I can see right through it.”
I scowl back. “What? You’re braver than the lot of us, Max.”
“Certainly not!” he exclaims.
I grip his shoulders softly and shake my head. “That’s not true. I see how worried you get, how much you restrain your powers trying not to hurt us. You don’t wholly trust yourself, your fire, but you fight for us, anyway. You’re fighting a constant internal battle, but you put on a brave face to keep everyone happy and unworried. You don’t think I’ve noticed? You don’t think I’d care enough to really see you? Max, I–” I cut myself off, suddenly stuttering over my words.
I don’t want to scare him away with the intensity of my feelings –for him and the others, both. I’ll tell him another time , I silently promise myself. When I refocus on Max, I see he’s staring slack-jawed at me.
I shake myself and continue firmly, “You’re truly special to me, Max. Don’t doubt it for a second. Swear?”
I eye him, forcing a stern gaze, and he cracks a soft smile. “Okay, I swear.”
Then I break out in a real grin and stand, lifting him by the hands with me. I pull him into a firm embrace, grinning wider as he claps his hands on my back. We pull back but stand there a moment, just smiling at each other, both perfectly happy.
Then there’s a knock on the door, and Max’s hands fly to button up his pants. I press a quick kiss to his lips and pull back with a wide smile, before walking to the door.
“Just a moment!” Max blurts out, completely flustered.
Before I can hold the door closed, though, Cory bursts in, beaming proudly. He opens his mouth to yell something out, but stops short when he sees Max’s red face and half-buttoned pants.
I notice Mili at the same time: her tangled hair, her sex-glazed eyes, her swollen lips. Cory and I make eye contact at the same time, a million unspoken questions and excited exclamations flowing between us. Through our growing bond, I feel a strong surge of pack pride from Cory, and I send back a wave of comfort and caring.
“Max? Port?” Mili asks, eyes darting between the two of us, shocked.
As Max sputters in the back of the room, I say loudly, “How was the spell?”
Mili’s face lights up in distracted excitement, and she squeals as she flings her arms around me. “I almost forgot to tell you –it worked!”
My eyes go wide with her announcement, and I wrap my hands around her, lifting her and spinning her in the air. She giggles loudly, then she pulls back and kisses me suddenly. I feel a spike of shock from Cory and quickly pull back, eyes wide. When I look at him, though, he’s half-grinning with a sort of bewildered happiness.
“Oh!” Mili exclaims, running over to Cory. “I’m so –oh, gods, I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking, and I–”
Cory wraps an arm around her shoulder, protective and maybe a bit possessive too, and smiles down at her. “It’s okay. We’re a pack, after all – you want one of us, you’re sort of stuck with the others.”
“You’re not mad?” she whispers.
Cory shakes his head firmly. “Just remember that I am the only Alpha.”
“Oh, Realm’s Mother,” Max groans with an eye roll.
“Easy,” Cory growls. Max raises his hands in surrender, smirking, and I feel myself smiling at how quickly he settles back into his snarky persona. Only minutes ago he’d been practically helpless at my touch, whining for me, begging for me.
“Port?” Mili asks inquisitively. “Are you alright?”
I realize I’m blushing and growing hard again, and I nod emphatically, trying to shake the flush off my face. “Uh, yes, sorry. I was far away for a moment there.”
Her earlier curiosity reignited, she turns to Max and paces across the room to him. She asks slowly, “What were you doing in here with your pants unbuttoned, Max?” as she moves to stand right in front of him.
He tries to step backwards, shrinking under her sudden scrutiny, and I find myself blushing harder at the sight of him so shy to have been physical with me. It’s attractive, too, seeing Mili make him squirm. Gods, this is fun , I think to myself.
His foot catches on the chair, and he stumbles to catch himself with an awkward laugh. Mili presses forward, though, until they’re only inches apart. She taps a finger to his nose and faux-whispers, “Not very sneaky, are you?”
Cory laughs at her comment and remarks, “No, he’s not, is he?”
“Oh, cut him some slack,” I say with a smile, hoping she’ll leave Max alone before he explodes from her interrogation. Mili whirls around to face me, a mischievous grin on her face, and shrugs innocently.
“Fine,” she says with a sigh, “just leave Cory and me out of all the fun.”
Max snorts behind her. “It looks like you two had enough fun of your own on the volcano’s peak.”
Mili forces a scowl, but it quickly breaks into a smile. “Perhaps,” she teases. “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“You will soon,” Cory murmurs, leaning in to kiss her neck.
Mili’s eyes go wide at the sudden display of affection, and her cheeks flush pink. I make a mental note: looks like Cory already knows how to get her flustered . She’s so beautiful when she’s caught off guard, and her scent blooms even brighter; I decide I’ll have to tease her a bit myself one of these days, since I’d love to see her blush for me.
The four of us stand in happy silence for a moment, Cory with Mili, Max and me standing a comfortable distance around them, before Max breaks the silence.
“So ... what now?”