Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
[HARLEM]
Living with the pack was nothing like Harlem thought.
Yes, they were nosy and saw Ronan’s house as their playplace, but they were also kind and inclusive and a lot of fun.
From the day he moved in, Harlem never felt out of place or unwelcome.
On the days he didn’t have class or plans to meet with his friends, the pack came to hang out with him or dragged him outside to play.
It was never quiet and he was rarely alone. He freaking loved it.
Axel skidded to a stop in front of him, bouncing on his toes excitedly. “Oh, grand hint keeper, I’ve come to seek your wisdom. Where’s Miguel?”
Pursing his lips, Harlem put on his most haughty tone. “Follow the path to the gathering tree. There you will find your prey.”
His mouth fell open. “That cheat! He’s supposed to stay in the area!”
He took off without waiting for Harlem’s reply, making Harlem laugh out loud.
Who would’ve thought a big group of werewolves loved playing hide and seek?
Ronan wouldn’t let him play unless he was home to watch out for him, not after the last time when two of the pack got a little rough trying to claim him as the prize and put a bruise on Harlem’s arm, but Harlem joined in by being the only person allowed to keep their eyes open during the game, giving hints on where people were going in silly ways.
He was pretty sure they could find each other by scent just fine, but he loved being included.
Emmett darted out from where he’d been hiding on the adjacent porch, moving to crouch behind the rocking chair Harlem was sitting on. Harlem snickered, peeking over his shoulder at him.
“They’re going to see you.”
“No, they won’t. Alpha will be here in a second and they’ll think twice about coming over here when he’s busy loving on you. Just don’t give it away! Look forward!” he encouraged with a goofy grin.
Harlem giggled, shaking his head as he looked forward again.
Emmett was on the security team, so it didn’t surprise him that he knew before Harlem did that Ronan was on his way.
Besides, his senses were better, so he might’ve even heard the SUV.
Harlem felt a giddy flutter in his belly as he saw the pack of SUVs approaching through the trees, pushing to his feet when they broke through the treeline and Ronan waved out the driver’s window of the one in the front.
“Harlem! Sit back down!” Emmett whined.
“Oh! Sorry,” Harlem murmured, backing up and sitting again.
He wanted to run to Ronan and jump on him like he did any time he had a chance, but he didn’t want to ruin the fun.
Instead, he waited eagerly for Ronan to slip out of the car and come his way, putting his large hands on the rocker’s arm rests and caging Harlem in.
“Hey, baby.”
“Hi,” Harlem murmured, already reaching for Ronan and forgetting again about the big werewolf who was supposed to be hiding behind him.
“Emmett! I can see you!” Axel bellowed. “That’s cheating!”
Emmett cursed under his breath and wiggled free from his hiding place, laughing as he ran away from a snarling Axel. Harlem grimaced, shooting Ronan a sheepish look. Ronan just chuckled.
“Let me guess. Hide and seek?”
“Yeah. I was supposed to stay seated so no one would notice him, but I’m not sure I’m big enough to pull that off.”
“You’re not,” Ronan agreed, sneaking a kiss before pulling him off his feet and into his arms. “Emmett is terrible at hide and seek. He can’t sit still long enough to not end up in a chase.
He always changes hiding places several times and tries too hard to be clever when picking his spots.
He was never going to win, even if you’d stayed where he wanted you to. ”
That made Harlem feel a little better and he gave his focus back to Ronan as he carried him inside, nuzzling his neck and breathing him in.
Harlem was just going to suggest sneaking upstairs for a little while when Ronan tripped over some toys left on the floor when a group of parents came to visit earlier in the day, nearly sending them both crashing to the ground.
Harlem yelped, clinging tightly to Ronan, and squeezed his eyes shut.
Thankfully, Ronan was quick on his feet, catching himself on the hall table and twisting to keep Harlem from smacking his head on the corner of it.
The snarl that escaped the man he loved made Harlem shiver.
It sent everyone who was still in the house skittering out, a few casting worried looks over their shoulders at Harlem as they left.
He wasn’t worried though. Ronan would never hurt him.
Besides, someone had to stay behind and calm him down.
Wrapping his arms around Ronan’s neck, he nuzzled his chin, letting out a happy hum when Ronan straightened and wrapped his thick arms around him. “My hero. Always so protective,” he cooed, pressing kisses along Ronan’s jaw.
“I shouldn’t have to protect you in my arms,” Ronan snapped, lip lifted in a scowl. “I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve told them to clean up after themselves. You shouldn’t have to worry about tripping in your own home.”
“It was an accident, I’m sure. The babies came to play today and most left through the backdoor to go for a little run. They cleaned up the rest of the living room.”
The grunt he got in response made him grin. Grumpy werewolf. He needed to do something to cheer up his man.
Wiggling to get down, he snickered when Ronan looked around first before setting him on his feet. He was still glaring, still grumbling under his breath as he nudged the toys out of the way, and he didn’t notice Harlem sneaking away from him until he had a decent head start.
“Baby?”
“Catch me if you can!” Harlem called, racing down the hall and into the kitchen.
Ducking behind the counter, he cast an illusion spell, making it look like he ran out the back door, and snuck around the side of the counter opposite while Ronan hurried after his illusion.
He made it all the way to the back door before catching himself with a rumbly growl.
“Your scent ends here, baby. You’re not that clever.”
With a giggle that ended in a squeal, Harlem darted back into the hall, only just missing being caught by Ronan when he lunged toward him.
He knew better than to go toward the living room, since he’d have nowhere to go if he did, so he aimed for the stairs instead, knowing Ronan wouldn’t risk him falling by grabbing him there.
He didn’t expect Ronan to pounce at the top of the stairs, though, big arms wrapping around Harlem’s middle and lifting him off his feet.
“Gotcha.”
Laughing and kicking his feet, he tried to wiggle free, but it was no use. Once Ronan had him, he refused to let go. A fact Harlem adored and definitely used to his advantage to keep Ronan away from his pack until he calmed down.
Kicking the door to the bedroom shut behind them, Ronan walked them to the bed and dropped onto it, pinning Harlem with his weight without hurting him.
Harlem shivered and moaned when his big werewolf nibbled the back of his neck, going pliant beneath him and tipping his head in a sign of submission.
Ronan’s growl that time was filled with pleasure instead of annoyance, the submission doing its job in distracting him. “You’ve got no idea what it does to me when you do that,” he murmured against Harlem’s neck.
“Yes, I do,” Harlem breathily replied.
“You do, huh? So you’re trying to rile me up then?”
Biting his lip, Harlem shot a sultry look over his shoulder.
There was rarely a time he wasn’t trying to rile Ronan up.
The more riled he was, the more intense the sex.
And he’d been holding back something Harlem desperately wanted.
He was going to keep riling his boyfriend up until he finally got that knot.
Pushing his ass back, he ground it against Ronan’s groin, relishing in the heat in Ronan’s lidded stare. Just a little more. He just needed to keep going a little…
Instead of wiggling forward, he waited for Ronan to shift to all fours like he always did before pulling off Harlem’s clothes.
The moment there was enough space, Harlem slipped between his legs and landed on the floor, scrambling to get back on his feet and squealing when Ronan caught him and tossed him back on the bed again with Ronan straddling his hips and pinning his wrists to the bed.
“Oh, so we’re still playing, huh?” Ronan growled, Harlem’s favorite grin stretching across his face. “Does that mean I need to hold you down and have my wicked way with you?”
A shiver zipped up Harlem’s spine, a copious amount of precum spilling in his briefs. He really wanted that.
Ronan hummed another pleased sound, leaning in to lick along Harlem’s neck. “You like that idea, don’t you? Does my gorgeous boyfriend like it when I take control?”
Harlem’s eyes nearly rolled back into his head. “Ronan… That’s not fair…” he whined. He absolutely couldn’t think straight if Ronan was going to start talking dirty. The werewolf had a filthy mouth.
Chuckling, he lifted off enough to run one hand down Harlem’s front while the other kept him pinned to the bed. “I hope these clothes aren’t your favorite.”
“What? Why–”
Ronan answered by slicing through the material with his claws, ripping it from Harlem’s body almost ruthlessly.
Harlem moaned wildly at the rough treatment, though Ronan was careful not to cause a single scratch on Harlem’s skin.
He almost forgot their game when the same treatment was given to his jeans.
Ronan flipped him back onto his belly, shifting his weight enough to reach between them and shred the material effortlessly.
Harlem would mourn the loss of his favorite silky pink panties—they were a gift from Ronan when he first started spoiling him senseless—but feeling those claws slowly ripping through the material along his crease without doing more than teasing him had Harlem so delirious with pleasure that he couldn’t see straight.
It was when Ronan released him long enough to tear off his own clothes that Harlem remembered what he’d been attempting to do.
Ronan was already riled up a lot more than usual, he never usually would treat Harlem’s things so carelessly, but Harlem wanted to get him to the point that he gave into what both of them wanted.
Something he didn’t think would happen if Harlem submitted too soon.
He got to the edge of the bed in his final bid to escape before Ronan grabbed his ankle, dragging him back and setting his teeth on the back of Harlem’s neck.
That made Harlem freeze, blood rushing in his ears and his whole body throbbing with need.
Any supernatural with an animal side knew to stop moving when an alpha pinned them like that.
It was either that or risk a bite that could cause some real harm.
A tiny trill of fear stole up Harlem’s spine, but he didn’t truly believe Ronan would hurt him.
The low growl in his throat was a warning, the bite a consequence if he didn't behave, but Ronan cherished him and treated him like something precious. He didn’t want to hurt him.
Harlem didn’t want to push Ronan too far either. Just far enough was his goal.
“Ronan…” A moan escaped him as Ronan started painting Harlem’s hole with his cock, covering it in slick and precum.
He would’ve been worried about skipping prep if they weren’t hooking up so regularly, but the proof that he’d riled Ronan up enough that he was willing to even consider skipping made Harlem breathless.
When he wiggled to tip his hips for a better angle, Ronan’s teeth tightened, making Harlem cry out, followed quickly by a loud moan as Ronan’s thick length pushed inside him.
He was slow, careful, even when he was so riled up he was snarling and pinning Harlem with his teeth.
The snarl got louder and more intense with every little cry and whimper Harlem made as Ronan sank inside him.
“Ronan, Ronan, Ronan…”
His werewolf barely waited for his hips to brush Harlem’s ass before drawing back and pushing in again, a little more forcefully than before.
Harlem’s wail only seemed to rile him up more, his movements becoming rougher and more erratic as he fucked Harlem within an inch of his life.
Harlem could do nothing but lie there and take it with the way Ronan held him, each thrust making him cry out as pleasure coiled in his belly, threatening to shatter him completely.
The feeling of Ronan’s knot swelling against his ass made a sob escape him. He wanted it so bad. Ronan always pulled away before going that far, not wanting to hurt him, but Harlem was starting to feel desperate for it. It felt like the only thing in the world he wanted was that knot.
“Ronan, please!”
He hadn’t meant to move, writhing and lifting his hips in a desperate attempt to encourage Ronan to go all the way, but it was enough that it pushed Ronan too far.
His teeth sank into Harlem’s neck just as his knot pushed fully inside, trapping them together.
The amount of pleasure that exploded through him was life altering, so intense he couldn’t breathe, followed swiftly by such a heavy wave of emotions, not all of which felt like it was coming from him, and darkness overtook his vision as he passed out.