Chapter 15
Steve had managed to excuse himself long enough to call the front desk to arrange the unscheduled portal opening.
Jared had stared in delight at the garden that was the fifth floor.
When the picnic basket that held their dinner was presented and the portal formed, he'd been so overcome with excitement that he hadn't given a single thought as to why he shouldn't step through with Steve.
He'd shivered at the cold of the Veil as they passed through it to the other side, causing Steve to curse himself mentally for not warning him about that.
“I'm sorry, I should have told you about the chill.”
“No, it's okay. That was amazing. A bit disconcerting, but amazing.” Jared looked around. “This is the pack land?”
“Yes.” Steve placed an arm around Jared and turned him around.
“Just through those gates is the road that lead to Laurie's Coven.” He spun them back about gently, careful to not tip the picnic basket the Fae had presented them. “And over there, that main building there,” he pointed,” is the old home place. ”
“Wow. It's big.” Jared wasn't sure what he'd expected,but that wasn't it.
“And, uh, interesting.” The building Steve had pointed at was quite large and was probably the strangest hodgepodge of styles Jared had ever seen.
He could see a wing with an elegant pagoda roof jutting off what would pass for a ski chalet while another wing made of dry stone walling competed for attention.
His brain decided to stop cataloging at that point and just go with the flow.
“bit of a mess is what it is,” Steve replied. “Every time the pack expands past a certain point, a new wing appears. The style of the building seems to be completely random.”
“Appears? Nobody builds it?”
Steve turned his gaze away from the building and looked into Jared's eyes.
“Not in the conventional sense. There's deep magic involved, something tied to the land and the creation of our species.The very land and buildings are magic, the same as every other land here beyond the veil. All the other packs have buildings that do the same thing, though I must say ours seems to be the biggest hodgepodge.”
“What about Laurie's coven? Does theirs do the same thing even though they're vampires? And if a pack gets smaller, does the building get smaller?”
“No, the buildings stay the same size. I don't know why that is.
And vampires, well, their magical origins are different.
Their estate gets bigger, the land part, instead of the main house.
I don't know why that is. All the hows and whys for why these things happen are lost to time, if anyone ever knew them to begin with.”
Jared shivered. “So weird. Sorry, but it's creepy in a nice sorta way. And why wasn't this in my book? Your mom didn't mention any of this.”
Steve turned away at that. How to tell him that this is something we could not put at the slightest risk? Even written as fiction, having the knowledge of our true home out in the 'real world', well, that was a step too far.
Jared reached a hand out and touched his arm. “It was to keep this super safe, wasn't it?” Steve gave a short nod. “I guess I get it. Now, you gonna show me around or not? Besides, I'm getting hungry, I hope you've got a place to sit and eat in mind.”
“Actually, yeah.” Steve smiled as he pictured the lake in his mind.
A private picnic along it's banks was the perfect romantic spot.
Afterwards, they could explore the grounds and he could show Jared the inside of the pack's headquarters.
If Jared thinks the outside looked strange, just wait until he saw the inside didn't match up in the least. Probably it helps that the new additions appear completely empty.
Just walls and the same wood floor as everywhere else,all waiting for the occupants to add the furniture, he mused.
Right, let's get this show on the road. To the lake we go.
He took Jared's hand and tugged him gently along.
“This way. I think you'll like it. When I was a pup, my brothers and I would get into a lot of trouble for sneaking away to go play here.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yup. We weren't supposed to be there without an adult.”
“I'm sure there was a good reason.”
“You'll see,” Steve promised. Minutes later, Steve's promise came to fruition.
“It's beautiful,” Jared said in a soft whisper. He cleared his throat. “I can see why your mom didn't want you guys here unsupervised. What if one of you'd drowned?”
Steve's inner wolf gave a small snort in derision that Steve agreed with. “Yeah, yeah.”
“I mean it, that looks deep and there are reeds.”
“All right. I see what you're saying, but honestly, let's just sit over there, okay?”
“Okay. I'm sorry.”
Steve gave him a soft peck on the cheek. “Nothing to be sorry for. You're right of course.”
The afternoon had been simply perfect. They'd eaten their packed lunch, then dozed lightly in the sunshine.
Afterwards, they'd taken a stroll through the grounds, ending with a walk up the drive and into the unlikely looking mansion.
Jared had wondered how they'd get in, if the door would be locked and whether or not Steve had brought a key.
Or if perhaps the magic of the place would simply recognize Steve and the door would open of its own accord.
Jared had shivered at the thought. As it turned out, the house was not empty.
As they climbed the short set of steps to the door, it swung open, revealing a smiling middle aged woman who'd greeted Steve by name.
It made sense, Jared decided. Of course some of the pack lived here on the grounds and kept everything neat and tidy.
He wasn't even surprised that she'd been expecting them, thanks to one of the fifth floor Fae having brought the message as soon as Steve had called to arrange for the portal.
Steve had shown him where the wedding and the alpha ceremony would take place, in a large hall designed to hold a large number of people. An outside banquet was also planned, followed by a run.
It was all a bit much. Jared's head was spinning and he suddenly felt very tired. It was with great relief that he agreed to Steve's suggestion that they stay the night in Steve's suite of rooms.
The furnishings were much simpler than those back in Steve's New York apartment, but very well made and comfortable. As Jared nestled his head into his pillows, he uttered a sigh of contentment.
“You okay, babe?” Steve asked. “I know it's all been a big change.”
“I'm okay, in fact, today was rather spectacular. Never in a million years had I guessed that anything like this place could ever exist.”
“Mmmhmm. It is pretty weird, huh?”
“Yeah, but in a nice way. Come here,” he said, reaching his hand out towards Steve.
Steve took it, smiling, and perched next to Jared.
Jared craned his head upward. “Closer,” he whispered.
“Yeah?” Steve whispered back, as he leaned down to meet Jared's proffered kiss.
“Yeah,” Jared whispered against Steve's lips before kissing them.
Steve savored the taste of Jared's mouth as the kiss moved from sweet and languid to open mouthed seeking.
He only broke off from the kiss when his brain caught up with the fact that Jared's hands were now fumbling around his waist as if seeking to undo his pants.
He searched Jared's eyes, wanting to make sure he was reading the signs right.
“You sure, babe?”
“Yeah,” came the husky voiced reply. “Mate me.”
Steve's wolf surged and he fought to hold back the feral joy from his visage lest he spook his mate. Easy. He doesn't need to become afraid of getting mauled.
“Wow, your eyes have turned yellow.”
Steve turned his head.
“No. Let me see. I know you won't hurt me, and the wolf is you as much as the human form is.”
At that, Steve gave Jared a blistering kiss. What followed was a maelstrom of mutual need, clothes being fumbled off, hands and mouths reaching to connect, teeth clashing. Once both were fully nude, Steve abruptly stopped and sat back, drinking his fill of the man beneath him.
“So beautiful,” he said, then bent his head to lick a trail from beside Jared's ear down to his collar bone. He moved off of Jared, and stretched out beside him.
“Come here,” he said softly.
Jared clambered over him, moving to kneel over Steve's face as Steve's hands cupped his butt and gently guided him forward. Anticipating a blow job, he was startled to feel Steve's thumbs spread his cheeks as his hands pushed him further up to where his tongue could more easily reach their target.
“Oh my God!” Jared cried out as he felt Steve's tongue lave his opening. “So good!” Jared suddenly found himself wondering what to do with his hands. Hands on the mattress? Hold the headboard? No- need to touch...
He became aware that he must have spoken at least the last part aloud as Steve paused and said,
“Okay, turn around. You can reach me then.”
Jared complied. He eyed Steve's cock. It was turgid, the tip weeping drops of fluid that glistened against the almost angry red of its head.
He leaned forwards, darting his tongue out to flick the droplets off, then buried his tongue in the slit.
Steve moaned, then buried his head back between Jared's cheeks.
Jared tried to concentrate on licking and stroking Steve, too lost in his own sensations to dare try sucking.
Even that proved to be too much as Steve's tongue moved from licking to spearing.
Jared's back arched, his head thrown back.
“Do-don't stop!”
Steve's only reply was to tongue fuck him, alternating tongue thrusts every so often with licks, then adding fingers. Jared whimpered, afraid of finishing too soon.
“Nooooo! Don't stop,” he wailed as Steve abruptly stopped.
“Shhhh. Not stopping. Just moving us to a better position,” Steve said, his hands urging Jared to turn around. “I think you're ready.”
Jared nodded frantically, allowing himself to be positioned above Steve's dick.
Holding the base, Steve nudged Jared's backside until he felt the spit slick opening.
He rubbed it against the stretched opening and with his other hand on Jared's shoulder, pushed his hand gently down to let him know he was ready for him to move down.
Jared pushed himself onto the blunt head as Steve pushed gently upward. There was a slow, deep burn as Steve's head breached him. Jared gave a soft gasp, but continued to press downward slowly until he was all the way seated.
“Ohh...”
“Take as long as you need, babe.”
Jared took in a shuddering breath and nodded, then gave an experimental wiggle. He followed that by another wiggle, then rose slightly before sliding back down.”
“Now?” Steve growled softly.
Jared nodded and was rewarded with Steve beginning slow upward thrusts that quickly became sharp and fast once they'd found the angle that hit his prostate the most often.
Jared became lost in the maelstrom of sensation, only dimly aware that they were now rolling over, a brief moment of reason only surfacing as a single drop of Steve's sweat dripped onto his face.
He lunged in for a desperate kiss, teeth clashing.
Wrapping his legs tightly around Steve's waist, he urged him on.
Steve complied by thrusting harder, faster, and more erratically, one hand on Jared's hip as his other snaked forward to grasp Jared's shaft firmly within his palm.
Stroking Jared hard and fast, in time to his thrusts, he was swept over the precipice himself as Jared came with a sudden yell.
The sight of Jared's back arched, face contorted in the beautiful agony of orgasm, the scent of his come that painted both of their chests and abs, completely finished him.
The wolf surged forth as Steve stared mesmerized at the sight of Jared's bared throat arching towards him.
He struck, his teeth sinking in at the juncture of Jared's neck and shoulder.
Jared gave a second scream, hands fisting Steve's hair, tugging painfully.
Steve took a deep draught, savoring the rich, warm taste of Jared's blood.
Once satisfied, he pulled away, licked the wounds closed, then gazed in silent rapture at the marks he'd made while feeling the sensation of his own come slick within Jared's channel.He raised his eyes to meet Jared's.
“You okay?”
Jared nodded. “More than.”
Steve smiled, then pulled his softened cock out. Jared hissed at the movement. Steve arched an eyebrow.
“Okay, a little tender, but in a good way. And, uh, where you bit me stings.”
Steve leaned his head down and gave the marks another quick lick. I'm sorry. That'll fade shortly though, as my saliva does its thing.”
“It's okay, I knew you'd have to do the claiming bite. And 'its thing'?” Jared gave a low laugh. “You mean the healing thing I read about?”
“Yeah,” Steve said, rolling off of him, stretching out next to him on the bed and then pulling him close for a cuddle. “Also has some anesthetic qualities, but those could be better. I suppose since the healing is so fast, nature thought it wasn't as much a necessity.”
“It's already just a low throb,” Jared reassured him, giving a yawn. “Didn't expect the fire though.”
“Fire?”
“Yeah, all up my insides. When you came and after. Fading now.”
“Huh. Never heard that before. Maybe because you're an Alpha Mate?” Steve wondered aloud.
Jared's only answer was a soft snore.