Garrett's Choice (6 page)

“I…I…” Clara stuttered, and her breathing increased.

“Clara, it’s okay. You don’t have to be nervous around me. I’m only a hard-ass when the situation requires it.” Lachlan smiled down at the young woman, hoping that eased her nerves.

A small grin lit up her precious face. She looked like an angel sent down from heaven. Lachlan could practically see the halo adorning her head. Her eyes shined a brilliant shade of green, adding to her
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angelic appearance. “I just wanted to welcome you to the pack. I–I never got the chance before now.” Her smile grew bigger.

“Thank you very much. I appreciate your kind words.”

Silence stretched out between them, and Lachlan didn’t know what else to say.

“I understand you’re a Warrior of the Light.” Lachlan nodded his head. “I was kind of wondering, more like hoping, you wouldn’t mind showing me some of your fighting skills you learned from working with the warriors?” Clara’s eyes dropped to the floor as she continued to speak. “I’m not the strongest wolf, but I want to be prepared in case we get attacked. I don’t want to feel helpless.”

“Aw, Clara.” Lachlan stepped forward and placed a finger under her chin to raise her eyes to meet his gaze. “You are not helpless. You understand me?” A tear dripped down her flushed cheek. “I’d be honored to help train you.”

“Really?” she asked excitedly.

“Really.” Lachlan was pleased he was able to make the jittery wolf smile. He’d do his best to help raise her self-confidence. “Just let me know when you have some free time, and we can practice.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Lachlan.” Clara wrapped her thin arms around Lachlan’s waist, and for one moment he was uncertain what he should do. He wasn’t used to strangers hugging him. Lachlan brought up one hand to cup the back of Clara’s head and the other around her shoulders.

“No thanks needed.”

Clara stepped back, and Lachlan thought she looked like a whole new person. She held her head high and had a bounce to her step as she walked away.

“That was really kind of you.” Lachlan jumped when Garrett spoke. “She’s rather shy. It had to have taken a lot to get her to come to you.”

Lachlan watched as Garrett eased around the corner. Garrett put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. The relaxed pose
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looked good on the man. A slight smile curled his lips, and sincerity radiated from Garrett’s eyes.

“I’m glad she did. I’d like to think your pack will come to trust me the way they trust you.”

“Does that mean you’ll be staying?” Garrett pushed away from the wall and walked slowly toward Lachlan.

To keep from moving, Lachlan brought his arms around his back and laced his fingers together. Garrett’s black hair fell into his eyes, taunting Lachlan to brush the luscious lock aside. A knowing smile lit up Garrett’s full, ruby lips and the sharp angles of Garrett’s face softened. A sweet glow bounced off Garrett’s ocean-blue eyes and pulled Lachlan closer.

Lachlan wanted to growl out his frustration. With Garrett looking all yummy, how was he supposed to keep up his defenses and hold true to his feelings on wanting to go slow with Garrett until he knew for sure the man had changed and wouldn’t force his will upon Lachlan?

“Well the council kind of has me over a barrel with that, don’t you think?” Lachlan’s mouth went bone dry as Garrett came to stop mere inches from him. Garrett was just the right height that all he had to do was tilt his head down and they would be able to touch lips.

“I know, but I’d like to think eventually you’d want to stay here with me because you want to, not because you’re being forced,”

Garrett whispered softly. The light breeze brushing up against Lachlan’s face caused sensations to break out across his body that had a direct link to his balls. They started to tighten, and his cock began to rise from the nearness of the other man.

Lachlan took a deep swallow then forced his mouth to work.

“Maybe.” Garrett’s tongue came out to swipe across his lips. The wet shine captured Lachlan’s full attention, and all his ability to think went out the window. He started to move forward when Garrett took a step back.

“It’s getting late,” Garrett said. “I’ll let you get off to bed.”

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Lachlan stood there stunned.
What the fuck just happened?

Garrett stopped when he reached the foot of the stairs and looked back to Lachlan. “Would you like me to walk you to your room?”

Lachlan felt his fist ball up tight against his thighs. He needed him so desperately, yet Garrett pulled away. He’d be damned if he begged Garrett for anything.

“No,” Lachlan said nonchalantly as he brushed past Garrett. “See you in the morning.”

Lachlan didn’t look back when Garrett said good-night. He just kept his back to his mate as he climbed the steps. When he reached his room, he threw open the door but caught it in time before he slammed it shut.

“What kind of game is he playing?” Lachlan asked himself as he headed to the bathroom. He flipped on the cold water. If he had any hopes of getting any sleep, he had to chase away any and all desire for Garrett.

Garrett stopped in front of Lachlan’s door. He stared at the thick wood, wishing he could magically see through it, but it was no use.

He hadn’t been born a witch, so he couldn’t make the door go away by casting a spell. But he’d give anything to see what Lachlan was doing behind that door.

After dinner Garrett held back to talk with Josh and Victor. He wanted to make it clear that Lachlan was off-limits for any type of teasing the two men had been bestowing onto his mate over the past month.

Josh held to his word that he wouldn’t provoke Lachlan, but Garrett knew better. He eventually just gave up and told Josh if it happened again, he be forced to shun him from the pack. Garrett didn’t want to do that, but Josh had to know his boundaries. Josh looked dejected but dropped his head in defeat and agreed to lay off
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Lachlan. Garrett wasn’t overly concerned with Victor. Victor was a follower and would do whatever Josh agreed to.

Garrett hated giving Josh an ultimatum, but it was the only sure way to get through to his head. Josh’s home life had been rather difficult growing up, and the first chance Josh got, he moved into Garrett’s house. Josh’s dad was a real hard-ass. The man believed any shifters other than wolves were worthless, and his opinion on homosexuals wasn’t much better. Garrett actually came to blows with Josh’s dad when he made a derogatory remark toward another wolf.

They fought, and Garrett won without much difficulty. The man claimed he couldn’t respect a man who took it up the ass. Garrett politely informed the man that if he couldn’t respect a gay man, then he couldn’t respect his alpha because Garrett was gay. Ever since that day Josh’s father stayed clear of Garrett, only seeing the man when the pack ran under the full moon.

The memory of Josh’s father’s hatred still angered Garrett to this day. The loathing and disgust that oozed off the man came in droves.

Garrett often wondered how Josh made it out of his childhood home without being severely scarred.

The sound of creaking floorboards met Garrett’s acute hearing. He could hear Lachlan moving about his room getting ready for bed.

Garrett took another step toward the door and raised his hand. He was just about to knock when the door flew open. Lachlan stood before him in a loose pair of flannel pajama bottoms, his hair damp. A trickle of water dripped down Lachlan’s muscled chest, and Garrett wanted to close the gap to lick the wet drop away as it wove its way down the dips and valleys of Lachlan’s torso.

“Garrett, what are you doing out here?”

“I…Well…I…” Garrett didn’t know what to say. He wanted Lachlan in the worst way. “Fuck it,” Garrett growled as he pulled Lachlan into his arms and covered Lachlan’s lips with his own. He swallowed down the small whimper that tried to escape Lachlan’s throat.

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Lachlan hesitated for a moment then gave in to what his soul craved. He curled his fingers into Garrett’s shoulders and tugged him closer. Garrett devoured every inch of Lachlan’s mouth using teeth and tongue to cause the sweetest pain.

Garrett dropped his hands to grab Lachlan’s ass, smashing them even closer. The distinct bulge in Garrett’s jeans burrowed into Lachlan’s hip. With every rough touch Lachlan’s pulse rose, and sensations so delicious ran along his every nerve ending.

Before Lachlan could comprehend what was happening, Garrett pulled away from him. Sweat glistened across his forehead as his breathing rushed past his lips in heavy pants. The man looked like he held on by only a thin wire. Lachlan wasn’t for sure if he wanted Garrett’s control to snap or not. The time they shared at dinner had been nice and comfortable, almost familiar in a way Lachlan longed for. But if they had sex now, would it make Garrett think Lachlan had given in and could be easily controlled?

“We should stop.” Garrett took a step back, holding Lachlan at an arm’s distance away. “I want to be with you, but I don’t want to rush things like we did when we first met. I want, no I need, to prove to you that I can be the mate you deserve.”

What the hell?
Lachlan stared dumfounded at his mate, mouth hanging open and eyes bugging out from their sockets. Never in a million years did he expect to hear those words come out of his mate’s mouth. Lachlan agreed that they should slow things down, but he so desperately wanted his mate. In Lachlan’s hazy thoughts, he couldn’t think of why them sleeping together would be so problematic.

“But, if you want…” Lachlan nibbled on his lower lip, too embarrassed to make the first move or to even vocalize it.

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“Oh, I want. There’s no doubt about that.” Garrett gave him a naughty little grin. “But for us to get past our issues, we need to take it one day at a time,” Garrett said as he headed for the door. “Good night, Lachlan.”

Lachlan felt like he’d been doused with a bucket of cold water.

Garrett’s thoughts, feelings, and control were very mature. Lachlan couldn’t believe this was the same man who practically threw a tantrum when Lachlan refused to leave the Warriors of the Light. To say Lachlan was impressed would be putting it lightly. He was more like amazed by Garrett’s suggestion to wait.

Lachlan followed Garrett to the door. Once Garrett stood over the threshold standing in the hallway, he turned toward Lachlan. “If you need anything, I’m right next door.” He thumbed over his shoulder.

“I can see that.” Lachlan smirked. “Does that need include a blow job?”

“Huh?” Garrett stumbled over his feet and grabbed at the wall to steady himself, and Lachlan began to laugh.

“Good night, Garrett.”

“Night, my love.”

Lachlan watched as Garrett walked the few feet to his bedroom door, not shutting his until Garrett was safely inside his room. Not that there was any threat that they were aware of in the house, but it made Lachlan feel better knowing his mate was safe and sound in his room. Lachlan walked over to rest his back against the wall he shared with Garrett. They were separated by wood and Sheetrock, but Lachlan felt close to Garrett somehow.

He closed his eyes and imagined Garrett tucked into bed with nothing but a sheet to cover his body. The way Garrett’s skin would stand out in contrast to the crisp white linens. Lachlan’s cock jumped in his pants, and he began to palm the quickly growing erection.

Stop it!
Lachlan smacked his other hand against his forehead, trying to dislodge all dirty thoughts of Garrett. But it was no use. All he could see every time he closed his eyes was Garrett standing naked
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in front of him, ordering Lachlan to his knees to service his very heavy and needy cock. Lachlan could almost picture the silky skin stretched taut over the solid, thick length.

The visual in Lachlan’s mind took hold of his body. Lachlan fumbled to undo the tie of his pajama bottoms and let them fall down his thighs. He fisted his length in his grasp and gave a rough upper tug. The cap leaked clear juices coating his hand. Lachlan used the pre-cum to help ease the glide of his fingers around his dick.

His mind wandered back to Garrett. Lachlan worked his shaft and pretended it was Garrett rubbing and gripping his cock, pushing him dangerously closer to the edge only to pull back just before Lachlan tumbled over into a mind-blowing orgasm.

The sound of his hand smacking back and forth reminded him of the sound his and Garrett’s bodies made when they fucked. Garrett would thrust his cock deep within Lachlan, slapping his balls against Lachlan’s ass. The slow withdrawal was followed by a powerful slam forward.

Lachlan’s back arched off the wall as he shoved his hips forward, working his hand faster. He could feel the cum boiling in his groin, begging to burst free. Lachlan sped his movements up and thrust forward into every jerk of his hand. Lachlan could feel his seed pulsing up from his balls and racing up and out his body.

“Garrett,” Lachlan groaned as cum shot out his slit and covered his hand. Lachlan slowed his hand and rested his head back against the cool, solid wall. He swallowed down breath after breath, trying to slow his heart rate. The orgasm was so intense it was as if Garrett were truly in the room with him, touching him.

After a few minutes of deep, calming breaths, Lachlan pushed away from the wall and walked across his bedroom to the bathroom.

He squinted when the sharp light stung his eyes. Lachlan washed his hands as he gazed at himself in the mirror.

The red blotches on his cheeks shined like he suffered windburn from a cold winter’s day when snow covered the ground and crisp,
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cool air cut through the body like a knife. The only problem was Lachlan wasn’t cold. If anything, he was in fear of overheating. Even as mad as he had been at Garrett, it didn’t matter. His body and soul recognized its other half and didn’t want to be separated for a moment longer.