Bailey Bradford - Southwestern Shifters 07 - Revolution (5 page)

Searing pain brought Luuk to wakefulness, his lips parting on a gasp as he sat up. “Luuk!” Jamie was right there, his thin hands framing Luuk’s face.
Luuk cupped Jamie’s hands in his and started to close his eyes for a moment, relieved

to be alive and to see Jamie alive, unharmed, when a flicker of movement behind Jamie caught his eye. Luuk grabbed Jamie and had him behind him, agony and his shaky legs be damned. He glared at the old man before him.

The old man held out a hand and sat in a rickety chair. “I am Father Piotr. We mean only to help. Jameson can tell you.”
Luuk picked up on the accent and figured they had come down the mountain into Poland. But priests? What the hell had happened?
“Luuk, sit, please,” Jamie urged, tugging on his arm.
Luuk glared at the priest while at the same time opening himself to his mate. Jamie assured him of Father Piotr’s sincerity and of the other priest’s, too. Luuk trusted his mate implicitly, but he hoped the priests weren’t going to turn out to be their end. Luuk trusted no one but Jamie and himself. Or maybe, only Jamie.
“Luuk,” Jamie murmured, and Luuk allowed himself to be pulled down onto the bed. “You need to rest still, and to eat. Maybe once you gain a little weight, you’ll recover”— Jamie stopped and finished the sentence mentally—“
your ability to heal better. Unless it was the poison, but you haven’t been healing as quickly as you did at first.”
And if he didn’t? Then he was more of a failure, wasn’t he? Which wasn’t acceptable. Jamie needed him strong, and he would give his mate everything he could. Luuk sat with his back against the headboard.
“I will go and prepare a meal,” the old priest said. Luuk waited until he was out of the room before he pulled Jamie down beside him.
“Do you truly trust them?” he asked, and Jamie nodded.
“As much as I can,” Jamie amended. “Maybe it’s just that I want to believe not everyone in Europe wants us dead.”
Luuk snorted and took a moment to nuzzle Jamie’s hair. His mate was clean, smelling of lightly scented soap and shampoo. How long had it been since they’d had a safe place such as this?
“Don’t,” Jamie begged. “Please don’t start thinking like that. We’re here now, and Father Piotr said there’s other Alpha Anaxes wanting to find you and help you regain your position—”
“What?” Luuk asked, jerking his head back in confusion. Had he heard right?
Jamie sat up, excitement and hope bringing colour to his cheeks. “Yes! Apparently some have sent members of their guard to assist in finding you and helping you take back your rightful place. I was wondering, do you remember the wolves we found, the dead ones?”
Luuk nodded.
Jamie brushed at some hair that fell into Luuk’s eyes. “Okay, well, they smelt like dead wolves, nothing unusual. But there were other scents in the forest, unfamiliar, almost…almost foreign smells?”
The fact that Jamie questioned what he thought he had sensed made Luuk feel like shit, but they both had to be extra certain of everything, as they had for the past years. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember much of anything past us trying to make our way down before that.” He wasn’t going to say, ‘after you killed to protect us’. He wanted Jamie to let that go as much as possible and reminding him sure wouldn’t help.
Jamie gnawed on his lip and glanced at his hands as he folded his fingers together. “Well, I think that’s how it seemed to me. Maybe it wasn’t. But, what if there’s someone looking for us, to help?”
Luuk supposed it was possible, although why other Alpha Anaxes would get involved was beyond him. Generally they all stayed out of each other’s business and left one another to run their packs according to their own beliefs and laws.
“I just don’t understand why they would bother,” Luuk muttered, hating to see the hope dim in Jamie’s eyes. “I’m not saying they aren’t, but why, and why now? Has something happened to the European packs I don’t know about?” Fear trumped up his heartbeat.
“No, not…” Jamie shook his head then forged on. “Not anything more than the usual murdering of those who have fought for you.”
Luuk cringed inside, but Jamie spoke of what they both already knew. Luuk had seen entire packs who’d been fiercely loyal to him lying dead, men, women, children—all slaughtered. He didn’t even know how many supporters he had left, or if they’d take a stand with him. Or if he’d want them to, considering the cost if they failed.
Jamie settled back at his side and with two fingers, tipped his head around to kiss him softly on the lips. Luuk’s worries didn’t exactly go away, but they gave way for the feel of his mate beside him, the taste of his lips, his sweet velvet tongue tangling with Luuk’s.
Luuk whimpered, an un-alpha-like sound, but he didn’t care. This was his Jamie, his love, and he had no shame for anything they did together. His cock began to stiffen, and he reached down, tracing the stark outline of Jamie’s spine through his shirt, down to the centre of his body. Luuk could feel the heat there, the need pulsing between his cheeks.
But Jamie jerked back and almost went off the bed. He would have had Luuk not grabbed his ass and pulled. “Where are you going?”
Jamie, with his mouth parted and a slightly dazed expression on his face, looked almost the same way he did when he was aroused. He was so beautiful Luuk ached with want just from looking at him.
“W-we’re in a church,” Jamie whispered. “And Father Piotr is coming back. Listen.” He did, and Luuk heard the shuffle of footsteps, two different sets. “The other is Father Norbert, I recognise the sounds of them both. Luuk…” Jamie kissed his lips, his nose, his cheek. “I don’t want to leave here, not until we’re stronger. I don’t want to get thrown out for having sex.”
Luuk sighed. He didn’t want to stress Jamie out, but he wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands off Jamie for long. Jamie was just too tempting, but for now… “All right. My side is not quite better yet anyway.” And he needed to look at it, needed to see what had been done to him and find out what poison was used, how the priests had saved him. In fact, Luuk had several questions for the priests, and he’d begin asking them once he’d made sure dinner was safe to eat.

“They seem honest,” Luuk said later, once the priests had retired for the night, or at least had finally left them alone. Jameson had been about ready to chase them out. Two more people in the room was two too many. It’d been so long since they’d been around anyone else.

“I couldn’t detect anything to make me think they aren’t, once we got past the whole English-speaking thing.” Jameson had explained his earlier confrontation with the priests. It was good to know that Luuk didn’t sense anything deceitful about their hosts—Jameson truly did want them to just…
be
for a while. And the regular meals were pretty damn awesome too.

“And the whole not having someone trying to kill us at any moment, hopefully,” Luuk added. He glanced at the door. There were numerous locks on it, courtesy of the Fathers. Another reason Jameson felt safer than he had in a while.

Luuk caught Jameson’s hand and pulled him towards the bed, where he lay. “Not a stupid question at all. There are religious shifters just as there are religious humans, although very few of them practise Christian religions. For the most part, they tend to worship nature, and would still respect the boundaries of another’s religion.” Luuk drilled him with an intense look that made his hazel eyes gleam. “And you, Jamie? I never thought you particularly religious.”

Jamie wasn’t stupid. He smelt the arousal coming from Luuk, felt it searing him from their shared link. “I’m not, but—”
Luuk’s grin was downright sinful. “But there’s these wonderful locks on the door, and I promise you, I’ll be quiet so as not to disturb anyone.”
“I’m already disturbed,” Jamie muttered, because his cock was hard and the whole idea of having to be quiet was a turn-on in a totally surprising way. Always before, it had been risking death if they dared mate and weren’t truly hidden, so they’d had to be as silent as they could be. To know they could shout and moan and have someone hear without fear of being attacked was, well, perversely arousing, Jamie figured. However, it would still be disrespectful to the priests, so struggling to keep it down this time wasn’t a matter of life and death, which made the challenge of it a turn-on.
“We’ve been on our own too long,” he said in a low voice. He also waved a finger back and forth at Luuk. “And, you said not many hours ago at all that your side was still hurting you. Have you healed yet?” He asked it with hope, not sarcasm, and Luuk’s averted gaze and the ruddy colour of his cheeks told him the answer.
Jameson sighed and pushed down the worry trying to eat at him. Luuk didn’t need to feel it, and Jameson wasn’t up to hiding anything from his mate. He, too, was tired, and not used to being able to be so unguarded, even if he was still listening for any sounds that shouldn’t occur. He couldn’t explain it, but he felt strangely safe, although he did acknowledge it might well just be relief at Luuk’s not dying.
“I might die if you keep refusing me,” Luuk tried and Jameson rolled his eyes.
“
I
might die if you keep making lame come-ons like that,” he retorted, but he was smiling and thinking. He could see Luuk’s erection tenting the sheet in his peripheral and that was a temptation he didn’t think he could keep resisting. To feel the weight of Luuk’s cock on his tongue, in his throat…
“Tell you what, if you promise to just lay there and let me do the moving, I’ll suck this”—Jameson’s voice was husky when he traced the fold at the top of the sheet. He ran his hand down and felt the heat of Luuk’s cock through the material—“until you give me everything you have. Until my jaws ache and my throat is raw, until you and I can’t possibly stand another minute of the pleasure.” Jameson’s inhibitions couldn’t hold out against that thick, leaking shaft. “Until you break your promise of silence because you can’t do anything other—”
“Jesus,” Luuk rasped, reaching for him. Jameson left off touching his dick and instead pressed Luuk back down on the bed.
He gave his mate a stern look. “No. If you sit up, or try to again, I’ll stop. You will
not
hurt yourself.”
“I’m hurting now,” Luuk said in what was very close to a whine. Jameson knew he must truly be in pain to let such a tone slip.
“I’ll take care of you,” Jameson promised. “Lay back, trust me with you.”
Luuk exhaled steadily, softly. “I do.” The truth of it showed in his eyes, in the loosening of his taut muscles. “I’m yours.”
Jameson bent and found Luuk’s lips, warm and welcoming, so eager. He let his eyes drift almost completely shut as he sank into Luuk, tasting the myriad flavours of the man he loved so much. Jameson’s cock grew harder and harder still as he plundered Luuk’s mouth.
Every bare sound, the slight, breathy hitches and moans that were a feeling rather than an actual noise, inflamed Jameson more. The last of his guilt fled in a rush as Luuk’s desperation seeped into him. The priests knew what they were, who they were—as individuals and to each other. Their texts might not have covered creatures such as them, but Father Piotr and Father Norbert knew Luuk and Jameson had also been created by whatever hand or fate made them.
And perhaps, they knew the mate bond between him and Luuk was as sacred as any vows ever taken.
“Yessss.” Luuk’s eyes rolled up as Jameson licked his cheek, his breath warming Luuk’s ear. His hands were curled around Jameson’s biceps, clenching, releasing, holding tight once again.
Jameson’s need was an ever-increasing buzz in his veins, making him itch and ache for Luuk. He wanted—well, even as gone as he was, he knew he couldn’t have what he wanted, not just then, but he still wanted what he could have, very much.
Jameson gave in to the insistent hands now pushing at him. He moved down, taking the sheet with him. Luuk’s pyjamas weren’t an issue, the elastic waistband gaping on him and exposing his flushed cockhead.
Luuk’s scent was a spur to Jameson’s flank. Despite his words, his claim of drawing this out for a long time were all for naught. There was no way he could tease for much longer. Jameson made sure to lick and nibble the too-thin belly carefully, not wanting to put any pressure on the painful-looking wound marring Luuk’s side.
His hands trembled as he touched the soft skin and dusting of hair on Luuk’s chest, the hard peaks of his nipples. Jameson traced the denser line of fuzz leading him to the very thing that was making his mouth water with anticipation.
All of Luuk tasted so good to him, but his cock was exquisite. And the one time Jameson had got—he pulled himself back. If he thought of that, he’d spunk his pants, and where was the fun in that, when he had this handsome man needing him so?
Luuk’s prominent hipbones caused a pang of regret in Jameson that he buried well and quickly. It wasn’t that he thought Luuk unattractive, but the knowledge that he was so thin because too often there’d been little or no food—that made Jameson hurt deep inside.
Jameson sucked one sharp blade, marking the pale skin there. Luuk choked on a moan, almost sobbing and fisting the sheets as he moved his legs with an urgency Jameson couldn’t miss.
He lapped around Luuk’s cock to the other hip and marked it as well, and Luuk’s panting became louder, until he shoved his hand in his mouth to muffle himself. Jameson wished… He blanked that thought. There’d be time for being noisy, there
would.
He hooked his fingers under the elastic and pulled Luuk’s pyjamas down, just past his balls. Jameson didn’t want him moving much, and his legs were somewhat restrained. Luuk’s balls were already drawn tight, the sac wrinkled and pushed up. Jameson wasn’t at the best angle, being at Luuk’s side, but he’d work with what he had.
The seam of Luuk’s ballsac drew him and Jameson licked from below his balls to the sweet spot right below Luuk’s glans.
“Please, please, please,” Luuk breathed out, over and over, goose bumps running over his skin and his belly rippling.
Jameson was afraid he’d hurt himself regardless of not thrusting, as tightly wound as he was becoming. He couldn’t have that. Jameson ringed the base of Luuk’s cock with finger and thumb, then sucked the fat crown in, his tongue delving right into the leaking slit.
“Ja—” Luuk began before shoving his fist back in his mouth. Jameson grinned around the tasty cock and bobbed down, and down, eager and needy and aching himself.
Luuk’s taste was drawing pre-cum from Jameson’s dick, pulling his balls tight and God, but he wanted Luuk to fuck him until he couldn’t walk for a week. Luuk grunted and grabbed Jameson’s head with his other hand.
“Yes,”
Jamie thought,
“take me.”
He wanted Luuk’s cock buried deep and pumping cum into him.
“Jamie,” Luuk whispered, and Jameson’s heart fluttered and his soul soared as Luuk pulled him down, filling Jameson’s mouth, breaching his throat. The second Jameson swallowed, he felt Luuk’s cock swell, the first squirt of spunk flooding his throat before he backed off and caught the next on his tongue.
Luuk rested his hands on Jameson’s hair as he came. Jameson shoved frantically at his pants, got his hand on his own cock and had only to pump the wet crown once.
His release slammed into him and stole his breath, making him sputter on the last jet of cum shot from Luuk’s slit. He didn’t care—there was no room for embarrassment or shame between them anymore. They’d learned their pleasure was too rare and precious to worry about such things.
Jameson shook and would have whined had he not had his mouth stuffed with cock. He rubbed his cockhead until he couldn’t stand to touch it, too sensitive and afraid he’d end up hard all over again.
Luuk’s cock had softened some and Jameson released it, placing a kiss on the tip before gently tucking Luuk back into his pyjamas.
“Come here,” Luuk said, or maybe he thought it, Jameson was so out of it he couldn’t say. He stumbled and only his fear of hurting Luuk stiffened his knees. Jameson blinked away haze and saw Luuk’s arms open, waiting, and he crawled carefully to Luuk’s side, worry and fear a distant thing in the arms of the man he loved.