03-Strength of the Mate (10 page)

Dawson panted heavily against Adam’s ear. His breath was hot, drifting across the skin of Adam’s cheek. Dawson pounded into him, harder and faster now. Adam had never been fucked with such force. The power in Dawson’s hips—in his entire body—sent a thrill sizzling through Adam’s system.

“Uh…uh…fuck…me…Christ,” Adam chanted, each word forced from him by the slam of Dawson’s body against his. “Shit…yeah…yeah…fuck…yes!”

Dawson’s mouth was hot against the back of Adam’s neck. He sucked hard at the sensitive tendon. Adam’s spine arched, but Dawson’s body held him in place. Twisting his head to press his face into the blanket, Adam bared his vulnerable neck. Wordlessly begging for something, though what exactly, Adam had no fucking idea.

Dawson bit down on Adam’s shoulder. Adam shouted into the bed. His toes curled when Dawson pressed his wet lips to the same place and drew hard, bringing Adam’s blood rushing to the surface.

Biting down on Adam’s other shoulder, Dawson changed the angle of his hips. He growled, his teeth tightly gripping Adam’s flesh. Dawson’s cock rubbed ceaselessly over Adam’s sweet spot. The head of his dick pushed against the gland each time Dawson slid his hard-on in and out of Adam’s hole.

Adam’s body trembled. He shouted mindlessly as the pressure in his cock built, his balls rising closer and closer to his body. He begged any higher power that might be listening to keep Dawson moving. Just. Like. That.

Dawson pressed his lips to the back of Adam’s neck. “Come for me,” Dawson growled against Adam’s sensitive skin. “Let me feel you come with my dick inside you. I’m gonna make you come so I can feel it, when I’m still deep in your ass.”

It wasn’t a request. Dawson didn’t ask for Adam’s cooperation. It was a blatant order and Adam had to follow it. When Dawson sank his teeth into Adam’s neck again, the first climactic wave slammed into him.

Adam bit down on the rough blanket beneath him. His sounds of pleasure were muted by his clenched teeth. His body vibrated violently, his hole tightened around Dawson’s cock, ecstasy flowing through him at the feel of the continued thrusts.

Dawson’s hips slammed against Adam and he froze. His cock was buried to the root in Adam’s ass. He breathed harshly against Adam’s neck as warm liquid spilled into Adam’s body. Adam laid motionless, feeling Dawson’s powerful body shake and shudder. Dawson’s hard-on twitched and pulsed inside Adam, filling him with jets of his hot come.

Adam went limp, dazed and sprawling gracelessly. He managed to release his grip on the blanket with his hands and his teeth. His entire body ached pleasantly. He was still stretched and full. Dawson was hot and heavy on top of him. His neck and shoulders stung from Dawson’s bites. He’d have marks, but at the moment, Adam didn’t care.

They were both breathing audibly. Dawson’s cock was growing soft. He released the grip of his teeth on Adam’s flesh. Reality was just beginning to intrude on Adam’s sexual high and he wasn’t happy about it. He’d rather lay there for a while, with Dawson pressed against him.

“Christ, I’m tired,” Dawson said, barely above a whisper. “Shouldn’t be this fucking tired.”

When Dawson eased off of him, Adam rolled to his side. He propped himself on his elbow to look at Dawson. “You came, didn’t you?” Adam asked rhetorically. He was pretty damn tired himself.

Dawson’s brilliant smile settled in Adam’s belly, spinning everything around pleasantly. Adam looked away. Letting feelings get mixed up with good sex was asking for trouble. He glanced around the room, forcing reality into the shadows of his fantasy.

“Yeah, I did,” Dawson replied. His eyelids were heavy. He looked like he was already half asleep. “Came so hard I think I strained something.”

Adam chuckled, grateful for the distraction. He turned back and watched, with some concern, as Dawson struggled to kick off his boots and socks. Adam was tempted to help Dawson push his uniform pants down off his legs, but that seemed too familiar and intimate. Dawson pulled himself up the bed, toward his pillow, like it was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Adam remembered how Jeremy slept most of the next day after the full moon. Dawson had been out all night, running around as a wolf. Maybe, after the kind of sex they’d had, it made sense for him to nearly pass out.

Dawson collapsed onto his pillow. He lay on his stomach, one knee drawn up beside him. “In the cabinet…wipes ’n stuff to clean up.” No sooner had he stopped speaking, then Dawson’s body relaxed. His breathing evened out.

Adam sat up, no clue what he should do now. He needed to clean up, that was true. He supposed, with the size of the beds they were assigned, sleeping beside Dawson was out of the question.

Adam stood and crossed to the cabinet. They’d fucked. That was all. It was done. He’d clean himself enough to get dressed and get back to his hooch. He’d catch a nap, then shower later tonight. No big deal.

Using the baby wipes to clean his own come from his stomach, Adam watched Dawson sleep. He was peaceful looking, and even more handsome, if that was possible. Dawson had worked hard to build muscle on his shoulders, his back and his arms. Adam really enjoyed the view. He really liked Dawson’s firm, rounded ass. His legs were strong and muscular, too. Adam’s ass burned with the memory of the power Dawson had in his legs and hips.

He used several more wipes to clean away Dawson’s come. Adam had things he preferred to do, when come leaked from his body, but Dawson was dead asleep. As forceful and dominant as Dawson was, he’d probably like some of those same things, too.

Adam dressed slowly. Carefully, he peeked out of the flimsy blinds covering Dawson’s window. He saw no movement. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t encounter anyone on the short walk to his hooch. Grabbing his dopp kit from where Dawson had tossed it, he headed for the door.

Glancing at Dawson’s sleeping form, Adam was shocked by his own desire to give him a goodbye kiss. He quickly shoved that need down deep. Thoughts like that were fucking dangerous.

Quietly slipping out of Dawson’s hooch, Adam realized something wasn’t right. The entire camp was strangely still and quiet, like it was the middle of the night. This didn’t usually happen until later in the afternoon, the day after the full moon.

Adam didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. He didn’t encounter anyone, human or werewolf, Marine or civilian, on his way to his hooch. Mario was inside when Adam opened the door. He lay on his bunk, laptop on his chest.

“You okay, dude?” asked Mario. “You usually start hiding out in here early.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Adam said, striving to sound casual. “A couple of the shifters not on a rampage were with me. No problem.”

“You and Rodriguez working out again?”

“Why are you asking?” Adam frowned at Mario. They got along as roommates, but didn’t really care about what each other did when they weren’t driving.

“Your face is red, like you been working out. Your shirt is dry, so you ain’t been outside.”

He hadn’t expected Mario to be so observant. Adam turned away to hide his love bites, hoping like hell it wasn’t already too late.

“Oh, yeah.” Adam hoped he didn’t sound as freaked as he felt. “Fuckin’ Rodriguez. He forgets I’m not a damn werewolf. He wore me out.” He kicked off his boots and flopped down on top of his bunk, slouching down low and tucking his chin to his chest.

Mario closed his laptop and set it aside. “Yeah, that sounds good. Nothin’ much to do for the rest of the day, anyway.”

Adam grunted in answer. He rolled onto his side, facing the wall. He could still feel Dawson’s cock in his ass. He thought he could smell Dawson’s scent on his skin.

Maybe he wouldn’t shower tonight, after all.

CHAPTER SIX

Adam’s hair was still damp from his shower when he got back to his hooch. Mario was gone, probably to the dining hall for breakfast, before their morning briefing. Adam put his dopp kit in his cabinet, snagged his hat and sunglasses, and tried to decide what he should do next.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. It might be another driver, looking for info on the briefing. Or it could be Jason, checking to see if Adam was okay.

He wasn’t prepared to find Dawson Rivers on his doorstep.

“Good morning.” Dawson’s trademark half-smile warmed Adam’s blood. His lavender eyes held a playful glint. He wasn’t making any attempt to pretend that yesterday’s events hadn’t happened.

“G-g-good morning,” Adam replied in haste, returning Dawson’s smile reflexively. He had Dawson’s attention and interest still, and that pleasant feeling in his belly was back. He stood frozen, wondering how he was supposed to act, the day after mind-blowing sex with a werewolf.

A werewolf who used to work for his brother.

Dawson’s gaze dropped to Adam’s throat. His eyes darkened, his nose flared. Adam knew what he was looking at. He’d only brought one collared shirt with him, and he was glad he had. Buttoned to his throat, it barely covered all the marks Dawson had left on him.

“I need to apologize for passing out on you, yesterday,” Dawson said. His eyes roved all over Adam. “I didn’t see that coming.”

Adam stepped outside. He turned to close and lock the door. “Don’t worry about it. It was no big deal.”

Behind him, Dawson chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the thing. It kinda was.”

Adam turned and bounded down the two wooden steps. He was surprised to find Dawson standing in his path. He looked up reluctantly. Dawson wore a hangdog expression. Adam bit back a smile at his own silent pun.

“Why is it so important?” He headed in the direction of the building where Ares had its offices. Adam didn’t have time for breakfast before the briefing started. A thought sent a sudden chill through him. “It’s not because of my brother, is it?”

“No.” Dawson fell into step beside Adam, shooting him a look of complete puzzlement. “How the hell did the major get dragged into this?”

“He’s a major. You used to work for him. Noah still does.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait.” Dawson waved both hands, negating all of Adam’s statements. “What’s going on between us doesn’t really have a lot to do with the Marine Corps. It’s a werewolf thing.”

Adam’s laugh sounded slightly unhinged to his own ears. The irony amazed him. He’d spent a decade evading Tim, and by extension, werewolves. Now, here he was, up to his ass in a werewolf mess.

“How well do you remember your Sunday school lessons?” Dawson surprised him by asking.

“I never went to Sunday school,” Adam hastily replied. “Too many sports to play, too much homework to do. Why?”

“I was hoping you knew the story of Joshua and Caleb,” Dawson said, glancing all around them.

“I know Joshua was Moses’ brother, and he commanded their army,” said Adam. “Brought down the walls of Jericho.”

“That would be him.” Dawson was still glancing around, but he didn’t seem to be searching for anything in particular. “When the Israelites first reached Canaan, Moses sent out the Twelve Scouts. They were to gather info on agriculture and the lay of the land. Ten of the Scouts saw the well-fortified cities everywhere, and they lost faith that they could win any battles, despite the fact God had promised that they would take back their land.”

“Which means two of the Scouts kept the faith.” Adam had no idea why Dawson had taken their conversation down this very strange path.

“Those two Scouts were Joshua and Caleb.” Dawson finally looked at Adam again. “Joshua later became commander of the army. When they finally took back the Promised Land, Joshua rewarded Caleb with a grant of land.” His animated gestures were back, too.

Adam still didn’t grasp the relevance of the story to their previous conversation. “What does any of this have to do with werewolves, my brother, and…y-y-you and me?”

“Joshua’s tribe was a tribe of werewolves, but Caleb’s tribe was human,” Dawson replied, as if that explained everything.

Adam waited for him to continue. When Dawson remained silent, Adam replayed the story in his head, reviewing the facts. “So, you’re a military werewolf, and I’m a non-military human. Except, I’m the one with the legendary brother who led a bunch of people through the desert.”

Dawson laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling attractively. “I won’t tell him you called him legendary. But yeah, we can lead the werewolves to where Noah wants them to go.”

Adam was still bewildered. He started to demand Dawson just be direct, but he was interrupted by a shout.

“Gunny!”

They both turned to find Paul and Jason rolling up on them, fast.

“’Morning, gents,” Dawson called to them. He stopped walking, and for some reason, Adam did, too.

“We tried to give you a sit-rep yesterday,” Paul said when they drew close. “We both started to nod off like Sleeping fucking Beauties before we could find you.”

Jason glanced back and forth between Adam and Dawson as he spoke. “Granger’s never calmed down enough to sleep that early before.”

Paul kept his gaze fixed on Dawson. Adam was pretty sure both werewolves had an idea of what had gone on. He wished the Earth would just open up and swallow him.

Dawson didn’t look embarrassed at all. “Sorry about that. Power started shifting yesterday afternoon. It took me by surprise.”

Jason looked like he wanted to pump his fist and cheer, but he managed to restrain himself.

“What exactly does that mean, Gunny?” asked Paul. “What do you need from us?”

“It means my plan for a slow transition is fucked,” Dawson replied, smiling. “And I’m gonna have to pick a fight, sooner rather than later.”

Adam’s stomach clenched. His heart started to pound. He knew fighting was how werewolves settled a lot of things, but he wasn’t happy about the idea of Dawson getting hurt.

“You might have decided that anyway, if we’d found you yesterday,” said Paul. “You won’t like what we found out.”

“Walk with me, gentlemen,” Dawson said. He guided Adam forward with a hand at the small of his back. “We need to get our civilian here to his morning briefing.”

“We talked with several of our fellow werewolves,” Paul said dryly. “And somehow persuaded the few humans we came across they could trust us with what they had to say. It’s an open secret that Granger runs around after the full moon, harassing humans and submissive shifters. It’s so bad, the majority of the base staff hides out all day.” Paul fell into step beside Dawson. “It’s miserable for everyone. None of the werewolves can get to sleep because
Granger runs around picking unsanctioned fights. He encourages anyone in the pack who wants to run wild, all without consequences.”