Lone Wolf Pack 06 - A Future for His Werewolf Warrior (12 page)

Fingers still entwined, they headed up the stairs and into the bedroom. It should have been strange or perhaps anticlimactic. Both of them knew what was going to happen, but Mathias had no desire to manhandle his mate onto the bed or rush things along. For once, he was perfectly happy with taking things one step at a time.

His patience had been tested again and again throughout his relationship with Ward, and he'd allowed it, giving his mate space as Ward got accustomed to everything he'd learned about the supernatural. His need for Ward hadn't faded now that he didn't have to hold it back but he just felt it differently.

When they crawled together on the bed, they lay down on their sides, legs entwined, bodies so close they were practically sharing a breath. Between soft and lazy kisses, they managed to take their clothes off—easier since they weren't wearing as much as they had the day before. By now, their cocks were rock hard, and slid against one another as their lips met over and over.

Mathias allowed his hands to roam over Ward's body. He didn't hold back or try to keep his caresses above the waist. He just let things progress naturally, letting go and losing himself in their gentle, yet untamed passion.

Following that flow, he kissed down Ward's neck, wondering if he'd ever found collarbones so sexy. He pressed worshipful kisses to his mate's skin, then continued his journey down Ward's body. Every inch of Ward drew him in like a moth to the flame. He swirled his tongue over Ward's nipples in lazy circles, drawing soft, quiet gasps from his mate. He trailed the lines of his stomach and delved into his navel, treasuring every second he spent on this quiet exploration.

He couldn't have said how it happened exactly, but the world seemed to blur in a whirl of caresses and rightness. He was so taken by Ward, by the need, that the flow of the moment sabotaged his thought processes. Before he knew it, he was sucking the head of his mate's dick, while Ward did the same for him.

Exchanging blow jobs should have been a purely carnal experience, but with Ward, it was different. That didn't come as a surprise—everything was different when it came to his mate. The pleasure they shared echoed within their mate bond, feeding on itself, creating a circle of perpetual togetherness.

In all the centuries Mathias had lived, he hadn't felt anything quite like this. The wet heat of Ward's mouth, the taste of his precum and the weight of his dick on Mathias's tongue—those were things he'd anticipated, looked forward to and embraced. What he did not anticipate was the simple contentment, the fact that he would have been perfectly happy to do this for hours and hours on end.

Ward's energy buzzed over him, as if the human had magic of his own. Mathias knew that wasn't the case, not really, but then again, the way Ward saw the world, the beauty he brought into it—that was magic in itself. He closed his eyes and let the threads of his own energy connect to Ward's, shutting down the part of him that dared to over-think this, to rationalize something that just was.

There were no more thoughts after that, just feelings and sensations. Mathias sucked and licked at his mate's shaft, but Ward gave as good as he got. His muffled whimpers made pleasurable vibrations rush through Mathias, and his sinful mouth stoked that fire inside Mathias that never really extinguished.

All things considered, he shouldn't have been surprised when he felt his orgasm approach. It sort of sneaked up on him, flowing over him like the tide, and when he came, the rush of ecstasy bloomed in every cell of his body with an intensity that belied the rhythm of their lovemaking.

An instant later, Ward followed him over the edge, his dick pulsing in Mathias's mouth. Mathias swallowed every precious drop of his mate's seed, the echoes of Ward's orgasm combining with his own climax, prolonging it and maybe even preventing it from settling into afterglow.

When he pulled away and changed positions, his immediate impulse was to lean into Ward's embrace again. He saw no reason to hold back and pressed their mouths together. Their lip-lock tasted like their spent pleasure, and if Mathias hadn't still been aroused, that would have definitely stirred his libido.

For the first time since Ward had sought comfort in his embrace, Ward finally said something. The silence between them had carried weight—a reverential feeling that acknowledged the importance of their bond—which was why Ward's following plea hit Mathias so hard. "Mathias, please show me."

He didn't have to elaborate on what he wanted Mathias to show, because Mathias understood anyway. Ward craved the claiming, that unique moment when he and Mathias became one. After what they'd shared the night before, Mathias could see it all quite clearly, and he felt the same way.

He pressed his hand to Ward's heart and smiled softly. "I will," he whispered, "just like you show me."

Without another word, he reached for the nightstand and found the tube of lubricant. They didn't have much left, but it was just enough for what Mathias needed today.

Mathias reminded himself that after the night before, Ward would undoubtedly be sore, so he was extra careful as he prepared his mate. At the same time, though, Ward was already stretched, and his flesh yielded easily to Mathias's gentle touch.

When Ward released a low whimper, the sound only held pleasure and encouragement, a wordless demand for more. Mathias gladly complied, adding more lubricant and sliding another finger into his mate's hole.

He crooked them slightly, searching for that spot inside Ward that would make his mate see stars. Despite the mellow mood, he couldn't help a grin when he drew an even louder moan out of Ward. Moon be blessed, he didn't think he'd seen anything more beautiful than Ward writhing underneath him, in the throes of ecstasy.

Enthralled by that beauty, he never once looked away from Ward's face, from his eyes. As their gazes met, Ward stilled, and time seemed to slow, sabotaged by the crackle of the energy building between them.

Like a man in a dream, Mathias pulled his fingers out of Ward's ass and used the rest of the lube to slick up his cock. He positioned himself at Ward's opening and slowly, ever so slowly, slid home. His breath caught as the velvet heat of Ward's body engulfed him. "Ward," he murmured under his breath, just because he had to say something, to express the emotions building up within him.

Ward didn't answer, but he didn't have to. His blissful expression told Mathias everything he needed to know. It urged Mathias on, and he pulled out of his mate, only to thrust back inside mere seconds later. This time, he was rewarded by a beautiful gasp from Ward, and that further encouraged him, fueling his resolve and his desire.

Aiming for Ward's prostate, Mathias started to move. Ward met him thrust for thrust, and they fell into a perfect rhythm that was as fluid and as right as the beating of their hearts. He didn't purposefully set the pace—instead, he let it guide him. Pleasure and rightness engulfed them both, and he stole sweet kisses from Ward's lips even as he lost himself in the haven of Ward's body.

Even if he was the one to move in and out of his mate's channel, Mathias felt claimed as well, Ward's heat clinging to him, branding his skin, making him more aware than ever of their connection. Mathias's magic sang as their energy mingled, until Mathias could no longer tell where he ended and Ward began.

The rapture finally reached its natural conclusion when Ward tilted his head and offered his submission to Mathias. Mathias bit down, and as he buried his fangs in Ward's throat, the flow of the rising sexual pleasure exploded like a geyser, swallowing them both whole.

Given that they'd climaxed just minutes before, Mathias might have expected this second orgasm to be more sedate. He had no expectations, and that was probably a good thing, since even now, after everything the two of them had done and lived through, he was not prepared for what Ward stirred inside of him. For a few beautiful moments, Mathias felt like he ceased to exist—at least, as an individual. He was a part of something greater, each and every one of his atoms in complete union with his mate. As he thrust one last time inside Ward's beautiful body and fell over the edge, the two of them connected at a level beyond the carnal.

He and Ward orgasmed at the same time, his mate's ass muscles clenching around him as Ward spurted jets of hot cum all over their abdomens. Mathias filled Ward with his seed, and the head of his dick swelled as his werewolf nature kept them bound, cementing the closeness and the depth of the moment. It was a biological imperative, a natural response of his body to having intercourse with his mate—but for Mathias, that knot meant something more. It meant Ward was his, and Mathias belonged to Ward in turn.

Ward's voice drifted into his mind, sharp, clear, and yet tremulous with rapture and awe.
"Yes. Yours. Mine."

"My mate."

Their words, memories, voices and emotions tangled, and at one point, Mathias lost track of himself altogether. He only came to when the haze of orgasm finally started to settle, and he was forced to slide out of Ward's ass.

His mate curled close to his chest, breathing hard, but no longer in any distress. Mathias could empathize. Their bond had banished all of the angry possessiveness he'd felt earlier, leaving behind only the love and the desire to protect. The poison of his fury and jealousy had been chased away by Ward's affection and warmth. The wolf was content.

There was only one thing that Mathias could say now, and it came naturally to his lips, like the easiest thing in the world. "I love you."

Ward kissed his shoulder and smiled. "I love you too."

Mathias closed his eyes and smiled. For two people like them, with so much baggage, an "I love you" carried a lot of weight. In the end, it wasn't the words that conveyed the message best, but the fact that Mathias and Ward had been able to speak them without hesitation.

Starting today, they'd left their pasts behind. Together, they'd build something better, a future for both of them, and perhaps, for a pup. It would take a lot of work, but Mathias was more than ready. His life as a warrior was over, and from now on, he could just be Ward's mate.

The thing about Ward's current situation was that, at times, it was unfairly easy to forget he'd been thrust into a world not his own. He supposed that, as a human, he still maintained a level of self-preservation which manifested in denial. Oh, he'd accepted and embraced Mathias's nature, but Mathias was special, and Ward's mate. He didn't count.

For this reason, Ward was far more taken aback than he should have been when, one night, he and Mathias awoke to the shrill sound of Mathias's ring tone. His lover went to take the call, and through the brief exchange that followed, Ward got the message. Will's son, Jessie was finally giving birth.

The moment Mathias ended the conversation, he started to pull his clothes on with a speed that Ward's human eye couldn't track. "I have to go," he explained.

"I know," Ward answered, curling into the heat of the blankets. "Is there anything I can do to help? Can I come?"

Mathias shook his head. "I'd love to have you with me, and I know Will would like it, but it's not a good idea. Andreas isn't in the best state of mind, and having someone who's not a part of the pack there would make things worse. I'm told that when Gavin gave birth to Shannon, Saul had trouble letting Will tend to him, so it's going to be difficult enough for me."

Ward understood, but a small selfish part of him didn't like it. He'd gotten used to sleeping in Mathias's arms. While his lover still went to see Jessie regularly, they'd started to spend even more time together, and their relationship had thrived beyond anything Ward had expected.

Of course, he couldn't begrudge Mathias for rushing to Jessie's assistance. "Keep me posted, okay? Let me know how it goes."

"I will." Mathias finally finished dressing and stole a brief kiss. "Get some more rest. I'll check on the wards, and I'll be back before you know it."

Ward nodded and leaned back against the pillows as he watched Mathias go. He managed to stay motionless and look up at the ceiling until he heard the door to the house open and close. The revving of an engine finally made him shove off the blankets. Ward left the bed just in time to look out the window and see his mate's car disappear into the distance.

There was no way he could go back to sleep, so he returned to the room he'd sort of assigned as his painting studio. He'd moved a lot of things around since that first day, and he had more space now, which was good, since he had so many paintings of Mathias—as a wolf and as a man—that he should have felt embarrassed.

Today, he didn't paint Mathias, or at least, not a realistic portrait of him. He still had in mind the explosion of color he'd experienced when he'd bonded with his mate. He wanted to somehow convey it on the canvas, to express it and share it with the world. Or maybe not share it—it was too intimate and precious to him—but definitely immortalize it somehow.

Ward was a very visual person. For him, the world meant color, and losing Peter, being betrayed had drained him, had washed out the most vibrant shades. It was why he'd had so much trouble painting after that debacle. Now, though... Now he felt alive, more alive than ever before.

As he set to work, he thought back at all the emotions and sensations Mathias stirred inside him and just painted. It was challenging to grasp that elusive, surreal beauty of the mental link between him and his lover, but Ward enjoyed it. All the while, a part of him remained aware of that very same connection. He could sense Mathias calm focus and quiet wonder, and for that reason, he knew things were going well.

He wasn't sure how much time passed when he was startled out of his creative trance by the sound of something crashing. Shocked, he dropped the paintbrush and stared at the open doorway, waiting for any other signs that something was amiss.

A few moments later, he realized what he was doing and set his supplies aside. He'd lived in New York for too long to be anything but cautious when he heard a weird noise.