When No Doesn't Cut It (27 page)

Shaking his head, Scott came over and straddled Damien, sitting down in his lap.  Leaning into Damien’s chest he murmured softly, “I didn’t mean to be so angry with you.
  I do try and keep my stronger emotions to myself.”  Then he gave a lick across Damien’s neck and Damien damn near yelped in surprise and pleasure.

“You shouldn’t have to, mate of mine.  You need to keep our mind link… open,” Damien’s last word squeaked out because Scott had nudged Damien’s sweat top aside with his nose and was nibbling his mating mark.  The sensation went right down through Damien’s cock to his balls, which tightened up in anticipation.

“I’m not sure you’re ready to see what’s in my head, Damien,” Scott said quietly, pulling back so he could see Damien’s face.  Damien searched Scott’s eyes, and their mind link, struggling to find what Scott didn’t want him to see.  Scott frowned a little, but he allowed the intrusion.  Damien could sense a new type of resolve in Scott, as though the man had decided that whatever it was he was keeping secret, had to be shared if they had any hope of moving forward with their life together.

And then there it was -
suddenly front and center in Scott’s mind, as if Scott had pulled it out of the shadows and thrust it at Damien, forcing the man to see.  Damien gasped, because he had never, in his life, ever seen or felt anything so wondrous, pure, all encompassing and totally amazing.  Scott loved him. Despite all of their hassles, conflicts and misunderstandings, Scott loved him with all that he was, and the feeling that washed over Damien was so powerful, so fucking perfect, Damien’s whole body shook with the intensity of it.

Immediately, Scott stood up and moved off of Damien, walking down to the water’s edge and staring down into the rapids.  Damien missed the connection with Scott’s warm body immediately, but he couldn’t miss the way Scott’s arms wrapped around his own chest as if he was holding himself together.  There was something else
there lurking in Scott’s mind, hiding behind the love that was still clearly evident.  Fear.  Damien’s mind searched for the source of it - fear of rejection, fear of never being enough for Damien, and fear of never being loved in return.  Oh fuck.  Shawn had been right.  Scott honestly believed that Damien would never love him - that his mate wasn’t capable of having that type of feeling.

This was not the time for Damien to be sorting out his own feelings, he understood that much at least.  Scott was clearly uncomfortable with sharing his love with his mate, and that type of feeling had to be nipped in the bud, immediately.  Swiftly getting to his feet, Damien took just two steps to get to Scott.  Pulling the resisting man into his arms, Damien held on tight, refusing to let Scott get away from him.

“Don’t ever be afraid of showing your feelings for me,” he whispered into Scott’s ear.  “Your love is the most amazing gift - something no one has ever given me before.  I’m totally humbled that you feel so strongly for me, and you’ve absolutely no idea how happy your love makes me feel.”

“But it’s not something you will ever return, is it Damien?”

Sighing against Scott’s neck, Damien tried to think of what to say.  He cared deeply for Scott, and couldn’t bear the thought of being parted from the man ever, but he had no idea if that was love.  And he had too much integrity to give Scott false words just to make him feel better.  His mate deserved his honesty in all things.

“I care more for you than anyone in
the longest time,” he said hesitantly.  “Remember, we were going to have a talk about, you know, why I don’t willingly bottom for anyone?”  Scott nodded and relaxed against him and Damien tightened his hold so he could appreciate the lines of his mate’s body against his.

“It’s all tied up with that.  The reason I don’t know if I can love someone again.  I made a vow, fuck, 140 years ago that I would never love anyone again.”

Hearing Scott’s little gasp, Damien felt the shaft of pain in his own heart as it obviously powered through Scott. 

“But that doesn’t mean I won’t love you,” he tried again.  Planting his feet firmly, Damien turned Scott in his arms so the two men were facing each other.  Damien could see flickers of indecision and confusion running across Scott’s face
, and he could feel through the mind link that Scott was desperately trying to be understanding, pushing his hurt at Damien’s admission aside.

“I know now, my vow was stupid and I’ve given that up at least.  But, lover, you have to understand, I wasn’t raised with love.  I’ve never allowed anyone to get anywhere close enough to me, to love or be loved in return.  You’re the first for me in that respect.  The first in 140 years.  It’s just going to take me some time, that’s all.”

“That must have been so incredibly lonely for you,” Scott whispered as he stroked the muscles on Damien’s chest.

“I didn’t know any different,” Damien said trying to shrug off his mate’s pity.  “I built a strong pack.  I have a solid business.  I make more money than
I’ll ever spend.  It’s not been a bad life.”

“That’s not pity, love,” Scott said just as quietly
, sensing Damien’s concerns through their mind link.  His fingers were now tracing the muscles in Damien’s abdomen and Damien shivered as licks of pleasure ran through his body.  “I’m empathizing with you, which is totally different.  You are such an amazing man in every single way.  To think you’ve been alone for decades before I was even born, is sad, that’s all.”

“I must’ve been waiting for you,” Damien rumbled.  Scott’s fingers were dipping lower, yes.  Damien slid his hands down to Scott’s finely shaped ass, squeezing and pulling the man closer.  Two hot, solid cocks bumped each other
through the sweats and both men groaned at the sensation.  Deciding that there had been enough talking for one day, Damien bent his head and took Scott in a scorching kiss.  He might not know if he loved the man, but he would pour every ounce of what he did feel into kissing his mate.  Knowing that Scott responded with love just heightened the sensation.

His mate loved him!
  Scott loved him.  And if he loved him then the man would never leave him.  For the first time in his life Damien felt safe with another person and the feeling was exhilarating.  Not pausing in his kissing, Damien ripped the sweats from Scott’s legs and back, leaving the man naked except for a few tattered remnants of cloth, clinging to where Damien and Scott were joined together.

“I have to be inside of you,” Damien growled against Scott’s lips.  “Wanted to take it slow.  Wanted to love on you so bad
here on our pack grounds, but I can’t wait.  I need you,” his last words spoken as he pushed his fingers against Scott’s entrance.

Scott grinned and pulled back from Damien’s grasp.  “You’re over dressed, lover,” he said as he slipped d
own to the ground, rolling onto his hands and knees and presenting his perfect ass for Damien’s use. Damien damn near came on the spot. Grabbing the bag, that was still laying where Damien had dropped it earlier, Damien rooted around until his fingers seized on the bottle of lube.  Fishing it out, Damien moved over to where Scott was waiting, his back muscles gleaming under the last of the moonlight.

“Roll over, mate. I want to see you,” Damien growled as he slopped lube all over his fingers and cock.  Ther
e was no finesse in his actions. Just a hungering need to get Scott prepared to take his aching cock as quickly as possible. Less than two minutes later Damien was sliding home, into his mate, and as Damien felt the heat of Scott’s ass enclose him, rippling along his length like waves of molten silk, he felt complete.

/~/~/~/~/

Arching his back down into the ground, Scott thrust up his hips as Damien’s heat slide home, the man’s balls slapping his ass with a resounding thwack.  Damien loomed above him, his silver eyes intense in the waning moonlight, his long hair falling past his shoulders, shrouding the two men in a cocoon of closeness.  Scott could feel his mate’s powerful back muscles ripple and pulse under his hands and he lodged his legs around Damien’s hips to bring his lover as close as possible.  For a moment the two men stilled; Damien’s eyes were boring into his as though he was looking into his soul. 

Scott kept his eyes open, purely and simply because now
he had nothing to hide from his mate.  Damien knew of his love and accepted it, and for the moment, that would have to be enough.  Besides, Scott adored Damien’s face.  His strength, his handsome features, and the feral light that had begun to flare in those eyes that held him captive.  Fuck.

“Move,” Scott said
urgently, as he pushed his hips up to get Damien started.  That one word ignited Damien’s body and he started to thrust. He started out long, slow, and deep, but as Scott’s arousal grew, Scott pushed back against him, urging his lover to go harder, deeper and for fucks sake faster.  As Damien thrusts increased in pace and depth, Scott could feel the coiled power in his mate’s back, and he sensed the deep need in Damien, to get closer, to reach deeper, and above all, to take Scott to heights he’d never felt before.

Already flying, Scott reveled in the strength of his mate.  He loved the
full feeling of Damien’s cock in his ass, the way Damien made him feel cherished as he loomed above him - all of the powerful Alpha’s focus was on him, only him.  As Damien’s abdomen brushed against his hard cock again and again, Scott cried out - so close to coming, so fucking close, but he couldn’t quite…

Damien lowered his head, his long hair brushing across Scott’s face, immersing him in his
warm brandy scent.  All of a sudden he felt Damien’s teeth in his mating mark and that was the trigger he needed.  Thrusting his hips up one more time, Scott came, his spunk shooting in waves across his stomach, Damien’s name falling from his lips.  Damien kept pounding through Scott’s release, his huge cock cementing Scott to the ground below, his eyes never wavering from Scott’s face. 

As Scott came back to earth, he looked into Damien’s eyes and then raised himself up, his mouth hovering by Damien’s neck.  With a slight tilt of his neck, Damien submitted and Scott bit deep and true.  With a shout
, Damien’s cock swelled deep inside Scott and the big man came, howling Scott’s name to the moon as his come coated Scott’s insides.

As Damien fought to get his breathing under control, he leaned over and panted into Scott’s ear, “you
’re
everything
to me.”

Grinning Scott reached up and brushed Damien’s mouth with his lips.

“That’s a good start,” he whispered.

Chapter Twenty Nine

The next couple of days passed with relative calm and Scott, for one, was grateful.  Damien had arranged for their clothes and some personal items to be moved over to the pack house from the club.  He’d also had a long talk with Madison, Lucius, and Vincent, about the running of the club.  Damien and Scott would visit the club from time to time, and would probably still use the apartment if they wanted to stay over in town, but they wouldn’t be living there any more. 

In the meantime
, Scott had been talking with Malacai and other pack members to try and determine what sorts of things the people living at the compound would like to see done differently. Scott was really keen to see how the rights of women and children could be improved within the pack.  He had been horrified to find that some of the laws relating to women in particular, and the children as they got older, had not been changed since Damien had become Alpha a century before. 

Laws that regulated a woman’s right to work outside of the pack, restricted schooling and the right to choose who to mate with.
It was even pack law that Damien be the one to take a woman’s virginity before she married her mate.  Damien was quick to assure Scott that he had never implemented that law for any reason, although he did confess that during his early days as Alpha, many of the pack elders of the time had tried to get Damien to mate with a female, even though his sexual preference was a well known secret within the pack.

When
Scott tried to talk to Damien about women’s rights, Damien had given him a history lesson on the issue and how it had been in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Then Scott had given him one on how things had changed since then.  Although it was a relatively lighthearted discussion, and resulted in an excellent blow job from his Alpha when Damien was proven wrong, Scott spent a lot of time thinking about how he could improve things for women and their offspring on pack grounds.

Before they left
to return to Cloverleah, Kane and Shawn gave Damien some ideas on how to change the dynamics of the pack to include more family groups.  While the focus for Damien would still be providing a haven for gay wolves, Shawn in particular agreed that opening the pack up to family groups as well, would help strengthen the pack, both in terms of numbers and future growth.  All new members would have to be accepting of gay wolves and humans, but all wolves would be considered for inclusion in the pack. 

As the pack already had a huge amount of untapped resources
, namely cash, land and labor, Damien decided to not only replace the three houses that had burned down in the fire, but also build up to a further twenty houses on pack land, for any future families.  Argon and his family were going to move into the last empty house in the compound, and Damien wanted more available.  Shawn was going to put the word out among other packs that the San Antonio pack was looking for its own Shaman/healer, which Damien admitted would be really helpful, especially if more children would be living on pack grounds.

Troy had spent time talking to Scott and Damien about putting in a computer system, both for security and to help with communications.  After listening for half an hour, Damien had growled that he had better things to do
, and had thrown Scott a black Mastercard, giving instructions for Scott and Troy to buy what they needed, and just get on with it. After giggling at each other, Scott and Troy, accompanied by four enforcers, had headed into town and done exactly that. 

It had been a really fun afternoon
, and Troy had opted to stay on after Kane and Shawn had returned home to Cloverleah, to help set up the computer system, and teach Malacai and Scott the basics.  Troy would go with Scott and Damien to New York on the Saturday and then head home to Cloverleah from there. He wasn’t going to go to Wildwood Lake with the pair, although he was keen to know how Scott would get on with their old Alpha.  But his mate, the man he hadn’t met in the flesh yet, was due home from his assignment within the next week, and Troy wanted to be in Cloverleah, when the man got in touch with him. Troy hadn’t heard from Anton in what seemed like ages, but in reality was probably about two weeks. 

The only issue that hadn’t been resolved was finding Jacob.  Despite numerous leads and so many people and wolves looking for him, the man had simply disappeared. 
Diablo had said before he had left, that if Jacob still hadn’t been found, after Diablo and Griff’s wedding, then he and Griff would come back to San Antonio with some of their security firm staff and do a more concerted search. 

It wasn’t that Diablo thought that Damien’s enforcers didn’t know what they were doing, which was Damien’s assumption when the man first made his offer.  Rather
, Diablo and Griff had experience and resources with the FBI that would make tracking down the man that much easier.  In the meantime Damien put his enforcers to work doing what they did best - protecting the pack and his mate.  Scott wasn’t allowed to go anywhere, or meet up with anyone, unless there was a minimum of two enforcers present, and while Scott had initially scoffed at the necessity, he finally relented when Damien explained how upset he would be if anything happened to his mate. 

Since that night by the river,
Scott’s confidence had blossomed.  No longer worried about hiding his love from his mate, he kept his mind link with Damien open all the time, and the two men learned a lot about each other in their shared thoughts. While Damien still hadn’t resolved himself on the whole love issue, Scott found the man could be quite a romantic.  He often surprised Scott with little gifts if he had been in town, or with thoughtful gestures. 

Like arranging for a six bay garage to be built
overnight
, ready for Scott’s vehicles that arrived as Scott and Damien were having breakfast the following morning.  Attached to the garage was another huge space that was plenty big enough to be used as a workshop.  Damien had even had the space decked out with every automotive tool available. Scott was thrilled that his vehicles had finally arrived, although Damien had a fit when he found out that Scott’s preferred method of transport was his Harley motorcycle. When Scott would not back down from using it, Damien arranged to buy all of his enforcers their own bikes, and insisted that Scott never travel on his, without a full complement of biker enforcers around him, and Damien by his side.  After an ass-shattering, knee-trembling fuck, Scott had agreed.

It was when his car
s arrived, that Scott found out that Damien had paid off Phillip’s family, the full cost of his most expensive baby.  Scott had gone to see Phillip, after his cars had been stored in their new garage space, and had been stunned to find out that not only did Phillip not want one of Scott’s vehicles, but that he had been more than adequately compensated for the car price already, from Damien’s personal bank account.  When Scott had worried that he would never be able to pay Damien for his generosity, Damien had countered by saying that Scott could restore a car for him.  Scott was currently looking for a relatively rare 1966 Chevrolet Nova SS L79 that he could restore and present to his lover. 

But today was Friday, Alpha Challenge day
, and although Damien had repeatedly told Scott there was absolutely nothing to worry about, Scott had been feeling niggly since he woke up that morning. With an intimacy that was becoming normal for them, Scott could feel the huge presence of his mate tucked up against his back.  The strong arms that he loved were wrapped firmly around him, one around his chest, and the other under his neck.  As Scott wiggled a bit, the unmistakable feel of Damien’s erection against his ass was a delicious torment.  He wiggled his ass some more and then pushed back, gasping as he felt Damien’s lips nuzzle his neck. 

“You keep that up and I’ll lose my challenges by default,” Damien’s sleepy rasp tingled in his ear.

Looking back over his shoulder he could see Damien watching him, those silver eyes filled with lust. 

“No fuck’s worth loosing your pack over, Alpha,” Scott reminded Damien gently, even as he lifted his head to claim his morning kiss.

“When it’s your ass involved, it might be,” Damien said as he lifted his lips from his mates.  “You know, I have been an Alpha for a fucking long time, and the thought of claiming your ass is far more appealing, than the posturing of wolves.”

“You’
re a good Alpha.” Scott smiled as he wormed his way out of Damien’s arms and off the bed.  “And you can always fuck me later.  Now let’s go downstairs for breakfast today, so this” he indicated his own erection, standing out proudly from his body, “doesn’t get taken any further.”

“You’re a
damn cock tease, you know that?” Damien grumbled as he climbed out of bed.

Scott turned back from the bathroom door, caught yet again by the magnificence that was Damien’s body.  How the man had got so big, and stayed so fine was beyond him, but man, he was so pleased he got to reap the benefits of that body
, and in particular that massive cock, that was even now seeking him out like a fucking missile. 

He headed into the bathroom before he did something that would be far too time consuming, given their schedule for the day. 

“A cock-tease never puts out,” Scott yelled over the sound of his morning piss.  Shaking himself off, he flushed and then washed his hands and face.  Walking back into the bedroom he watched as Damien zipped up his snug jeans.  Reassured that the best bits of Damien were covered, for now at least, he sauntered over and rested his hands on Damien’s chest.  Scott loved how the pectoral muscles danced under his fingers, and the way Damien’s tight little nipples pebbled up and hardened under his touch.

“I’m a sure thing,” he said, looking up at Damien’s face and putting all the suggestion implied into his tone.  “You just have to go do your dominance thing first.”

“Fuck Scott, you’re killing me here,” Damien said roughly as he leaned down and nipped at Scott’s mating mark - the scar pitted with scabs after their frantic coupling the night before. Scott relaxed his neck and tilted his head to give Damien better access even as his knees threatened to flake out on him.  It was always like this when he was close to Damien.  How he had ever thought he could hide his love from this man seemed so stupid now in hindsight.

Stepping back, Damien said sharply, “come on, get dressed.  I’ll meet you in the kitchen.  Challenges
. Then back here to see how well you do put out.  And mate,” Damien leaned forward enough to whisper into Scott’s ear, “When I’ve been fighting, I get really horny - three goes, no stopping type of horny.  Think you can handle that?” 

Scott’s ass clenched at the thought
, as he hurriedly tried to find his jeans and a muscle shirt.  The thought of Damien fighting both terrified him and yes, aroused him all in one go.  Damien in Alpha mode was simply unstoppable, and the thought of all of that passion, and excess male testosterone being poured into him, sent shivers down Scott’s spine.  God, he hoped there weren’t too many challengers on the list today.

/~/~/~/~/

It turned out there were four of them, Scott found out, as he walked beside Damien out to the pack circle.  All from out-of-state packs.  It seemed that Damien knew one of them quite well, as he stopped in front of a tall, well built man and shook his hand. 

“Matthew, my old friend.  Come back to try your luck again?”  Damien said.

Smiling, the guy was quite handsome, although his looks did nothing for Scott.  But he seemed pleasant enough, and Scott didn’t understand why he was challenging Damien for the Alpha position, if the two were good friends.

“I heard you took a mate, Damien.  Figured it would probably make you a bit soft, so
decided now was a good time to try my luck,” Matthew said, even as he sized up Scott.  “He’s not what I expected, Damien.  Somehow I thought he would be a little less…” he waved his hands as if to indicate someone a lot smaller. Someone twink sized. Scott bristled under the criticism.

“My true mate,” Damien said firmly. “And perfect for me in every way.” Matthew raised his eyebrows at that. 

“Matthew, meet Scott, Alpha Mate of the San Antonio pack.  Scott, this is Matthew, lone wolf and good friend.  He has been trying to get my pack for decades.”  Scott took the hand that was offered him and managed a smile.

“Alpha Mate, hmmm, how interesting,” came a low voice to the side.  “Does he come as part of the pack package for the winner?  He looks ripe for fucking.”

Scott turned, as Damien growled.  For a moment Scott had to think.  He knew this wolf, but from where.  Then it hit him and he grinned.

“Didn’t turn out so well for you last time you tried, did it Slick?  Seem to remember the tables got turned on you, isn’t that right?”

You’ve been with this, this fuck up? 
Damien’s growl rumbled in Scott’s head.

Yeah, he came down for Griff’s mating ritual challenge.  Tried to take Diablo off of Griff.  We hooked up afterwards to blow off some steam, but
I was the one doing the fucking, not him.

Damien growled even louder, and his big hand came crushing down on Scott’s neck.  Damien pulled him into a savage kiss - hard lips and teeth, while the hand on his neck tightened possessively.  Scott did what any self-respecting mate would do in the circumstances
, and surrendered to Damien’s assault.  When Damien had finally raised his head, Scott was left panting for breath, and shaking with lust.