Chapter 34
“Um, guys?” Hayden said into the sweet calm. Jaxom was till using Drake as a mattress. Drake seemed pretty content to hold him.
“Yeah?” Drake turned his head to look at Hayden. Sex was still in his eyes.
“My right arm is starting to itch.”
Jaxom popped up. Awareness coming back into his intense eyes. “An attack?”
“No? It’s weird. Look. Is this that mark thing?”
Hayden held up his right arm. A black design was rising up through his skin. It itched but didn’t hurt. Hayden felt like he wasn’t allowed to touch it yet.
“Jax, my arm is itching, too,” Drake took off the ever-present bracer. Hayden didn’t realize until that moment, they never took them off, like ever.
“Mine, too,” Jaxom finally sat up on his knees. The same design was slowly forming on Jaxom and Drake’s arms. A tattoo with strange writing. A translation in their writing right underneath it.
ENEMY MY END
A fancy three strand triangle surrounded it. It reminded Hayden of the necklace Jaxom had given him. Hayden felt the tattoo set like it was okay to touch it now. He ran his hand in wonder over the mark. It was so weird.
“Enemy My End,” Jaxom said softly. “Oh, wait, wait. I’ll be right back.”
“What does it mean? I mean, what’s the point of following prophecy just to be ended by an enemy?” Hayden asked.
“I don’t know. I’d wondered what the mark would look like but didn’t expect anything like this.” Drake was running his hand up and down the mark on his right forearm.
“I’m sorry, Hayden. I completely forgot to give you your bracers when you got here. Hazel told us to wear them all the time. Of course, you heard not to let anyone see the mark. I kinda figured it would appear under one or both bracers.”
Jaxom stared at the mark for a while. Then he started to smile.
“Maybe our Luna doesn’t speak our language.
Maybe this is not ‘Enemy My End.’ I mean, look, ‘End’ is connected to a line like there may be other letters in front of it.
‘Enemy’ and ‘my’ are not underlined at all.
And, there are other lines in front of and between the words. ”
“If that’s the case, the message could be completely different and that’s why she’s the only one that can complete it. That would explain why she wouldn’t understand us,” Hayden said. “Different languages are rare and I don't recognize the markings, the writing at all. Do you?’
“I don't either. Guess that's another mystery we get to go research. Maybe it's an ancient language?” Drake handed Hayden the bracers. “Try them on. Let’s make sure they work on you, too.”
“They’re too big,” Hayden said.
“They were for us, too.”
Hayden felt the strong, firm leather. It would wrap around his arm twice. He pinched the two ends together and slipped the metal clasps together. The moment they locked, the bracer shrank to fit around his arm, completely covering the death mark. It felt amazing. A piece of protective armor.
“We have daggers for you, too. The daggers look pretty badass and my dad will teach you how to fight with them,” Drake said.
“Well boys, we have now officially been marked for death. Another prophecy fulfilled. How do you feel about that?” Jaxom asked.
“I honestly don’t care,” Hayden said. “At least right now, I just want to look at you two in awe. Is it always that good?”
“I don’t know how I feel about my new tattoo, either,” Drake said to Jaxom. Then he tackled Hayden and leaned in to kiss him. “It is always amazing with Jaxom. The man is walking sex.”
“Right back at ya, stud,” Jaxom laughed and swatted Drake’s ass. “Shower, change of sheets, snuggle in bed. Go.”
Hayden felt the mate-bond thrumming through him.
He felt better, stronger. There was a settling in his soul that was strange and welcome.
It was like Jaxom and Drake were solid foundations that he could lean on no matter what happened next.
Hayden’ knew it had been growing, but feeling the whole bond was the best birthday present every.
It was made even better by the two men treating him like he was something special, wanted, necessary in their lives.
And the depth of power. He’d had no idea an Alpha felt that way, like there was almost an unlimited ability to tap into a strength that all had to yield to.
Jaxom and Drake had never treated anyone badly.
Not that Hayden had seen. They walked around with this well of power yet only once had Drake let it slip the leash back at the Winter Solstice Festival.
Hayden now knew Drake could have flattened his half sister in fear under the Alpha power.
That took a lot of control to restrain from doing.
The two bite marks on his neck were sore in the best way possible.
He’d heard guys in the pack talk bout sex.
It had always been crude talk, demeaning towards their partner.
A moment of release they got to enjoy. That kind of talk had never interested Hayden.
He hadn’t been able to fathom anything feeling that good when pain had been the norm in his life.
Sex with Jaxom and Drake had been amazing.
There was no way any crude description could describe the intensity of being with his mates.
Drake wasn’t kidding when he said Jaxom was walking sex.
The moment Jaxom had covered him with his body, Hayden had almost cum.
He’d felt surrounded, pressed down in the bed, desired.
His mates also never said anything negative about his scars.
So many littered his body. What he had heard over and over was the pack motto, ‘Scars mean you lived to fight another day’.
So different from the posturing in the Ice Claw Pack.
A place that had never been home, especially compared to the Blood Moon Pack.
A place he’d never known how much he needed.
Hayden came back into the bedroom. Two sets of eyes, hard chiseled abs, and cocky grins greeted him.
“In the middles,” Jaxom said with a slow grin. His eyes leisurely ran over every inch of Hayden’s body like it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Hayden didn’t see it in comparison to Drake or Jaxom. Those guys were tall, broad and built.
Hayden slowly crawled up the bed and settled between his mates. “You know how weird it is? Going from Beta Marcus’ punching bag to being surrounded by you guys? Two guys that have done nothing but make my life better?”
Hayden sucked in a deep breath. He’d been holding it for three weeks, wondering when the beautiful dream was going to end. Instead, it just kept getting more real and so much better than the day before.
“When I caught my first scent of Jaxom, I was convinced he was going to reject me. I spent three hours hiding out in the parking lot. I’d promised my dad I’d go to the Single’s Ball. My wolf was furious with me until I relented and went to meet him.”
“You scented me three hours before I scented you?” Jaxom sat up and glared at Drake. “Three hours?”
“Scared shitless.” Drake grinned, unrepentant.
“Serves you right, hiding in the corner.” Jaxom started to laugh. “If you’d just come to me, I wouldn’t have been surrounded by a bunch of desperate women.”
“So glad that’s over, huh?” Hayden was full on laughing. “I definitely had it the easiest. You two had to suffer through three weeks waiting for me to grow up. And could either of you have been bigger teases this last week? I almost died of blue balls.”
“Plenty more where that came from.” Jaxom laid back with his arm behind his head.
Hayden lay down with his head on Jaxom’s chest. Drake snugged up to his back.
He’d never been so comfortable. Their warmth seeped into him.
Having the freedom to touch and be touched was freeing.
He closed his eyes and relaxed into sleep.
The slow stroking of a hand on his side and hip brought Hayden out of a deep sleep. Light was streaming in through the window. He could feel Jaxom through the mate-bond in the kitchen making breakfast. The chuckle of Drake in his ear had Hayden squirming.
“Sleep good, Hayden-love?” Drake asked. His gravely voice was doing all kinds of good things to Hayden’s body.
“Best sleep ever. Never been happier to be woken up.” Hayden arched back into Drake. His mate was definitely awake and aroused pressed up against him. “I’m guessing breakfast is second?”
“Only if you can wait. I figured you needed to build up an appetite.”
Drake nudged up to Hayden, slowly gaining entrance. He took his time stroking up and down Hayden’s abs, down to his cock and back up to pinch a nipple.
Hayden moaned into a pillow as Drake slipped in, filling him inch by inch. Through the mate-bond he could feel Jaxom taking an interest in their activity. He was coming and Drake was getting Hayden open and ready for their mate.
“Up on your knees. Jaxom needs attention,” Drake groaned as he moved to adjust with Hayden. Jaxom came in the bedroom and dropped his shorts. He was already hard. Hayden reached for him to come closer. He needed his mates surrounding him in this moment.
“You okay using your mouth on me?” Jaxom ran his hands through Hayden’s long blond hair. “If not, I can wait.”
“No. Need to taste you,” Hayden moaned as Drake slipped farther in.
He was already hitting that spot, that spot Hayden never knew guys had.
His toes curled as Drake swiveled his hips, moving deep inside that kept hitting all the right places.
He couldn’t stop a whine as pleasure rushed through his body.
“I know just how that feels,” Jaxom chuckled low and sexy. “Drake was pretty proud of himself when he’d come up with that particular move.”
Jaxom got down on one knee. He smiled at Hayden’s breathy pants as Drake was slowly diving deeper into him.
Hayden reached again for Jaxom, wrapping his hand around the back of his mate’s neck, pulling him closer.
His other hand braced on the bed to help him press back into Drake filling him over and over again.
“Kiss me,” Hayden begged.
“So fucking beautiful, my blond haired mate.”
Hayden arched his back as a rush of pleasure surrounded him. Jaxom’s demanding lips took control, leading him deeper into a sensual haze. He couldn’t get enough of Drake’s hands on his hips controlling him, holding him steady for Drake’s pleasure.
Jaxom stood up. Hayden smiled as he opened his mouth. Jaxom nudged in past his lips. The taste of his mate captured him. Hayden ran his tongue around the heavy cock in his mouth. It wasn’t quite as wide as Drake’s, or quite as long, but Jaxom knew how to get the job done.
Jaxom let him play, taste, kiss. This wasn’t just a blowjob for the sake of cumming. This was mutual enjoyment. Hayden knew Jaxom intended to be deep inside him when he came. A little bit of mutual enjoyment before the main event and a whole lot of play. He could feel them through the mate-bond.
Drake started thrusting hard. He stole any attention Hayden could give Jaxom. He braced against Jaxom’s body to take the sudden hard thrusts. His breath caught in his throat as he came around Drake, caught in the ecstasy of being filled by the man who’d saved his life, and gave so much more.
Before Hayden could come down from an amazing height, Jaxom was there, laying him down on the bed on his back.
Hayden cried out as Jaxom took him in a firm thrust, nerve endings pulsing at more stimulation.
Hayden expanded around Jaxom, letting his mate set a hard pace.
He needed every inch Jaxom could give him.
Jaxom’s kisses were demanding. His body pressed Hayden into the bed.
Hayden wrapped his arms around Jaxom’s waist. He couldn’t stand any sort of distance as his mate took him.
And yet again, Jaxom surrounded him, protecting him from the world so he could fly apart in his lover’s arms, safe, cared for, needed.
Hayden was necessary in these guys lives, not some burden to be trampled on.
“Fuck, Jaxom, I love you. Drake, love, love you, too.” Hayden yelled as Jaxom drove them over the edge.
His solid, muscular body radiating love and reassurance.
Jaxom came inside his mate, leaving a piece of himself deep inside.
Hayden shook as he received the gift these guys were giving him.
They’d marked him, and then took him again.
“Love you, too, Hayden. So much.” Jaxom kissed him, small kisses along his jaw.
His breath against Hayden’s mark made him sigh in a need deeper than physical.
These guy’s touches were soothing and sensual where his family had only physical abuse.
He’d never known how truly empty he’d been.
Overwhelmed, he buried his face in Jaxom’s neck.
Hayden cried as Jaxom held him, Drake pressed up against their sides.