Marked 3
Available
Ryan Adamson is the beta for Alpha Mustang’s wolf pack. He never
has relationships with anyone other than the pack-appointed
availables and willing pack submissives, and he likes that just fine.
He hasn’t had the best luck with relationships in the past and finds
meaningless sex much easier to deal with than a boyfriend.
Unfortunately for him, Bradley seeks to change his mind.
Bradley Gage has been in love with Ryan since the wolf-shifter
saved his life six months ago. Something inside tells him that
Ryan is his mate and the stubborn wolf just needs to admit it.
Getting him to admit it, however, might be easier said than done.
Getting inked with an "available" tattoo is the start of an
unconventional courtship that will test Bradley’s commitment to
Ryan and bring him face-to-face with some unexpected aspects of
his own past in order to get his happily ever after with the man of
his dreams.
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), BDSM, Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 50,648 words
AVAILABLE
Marked 3
Jana Downs
EVERLASTING CLASSIC
MANLOVE
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www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove
AVAILABLE
Copyright © 2013 by Jana Downs
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-410-8
First E-book Publication: February 2013
Cover design by Sloan Winters
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
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to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
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AVAILABLE
Marked 3
JANA DOWNS
Copyright © 2013
Chapter One
“You’re sure that it looks legit?” Bradley asked as he twisted in
the mirror to get a look at the freshly inked tattoo. The shop,
Alchemy, wasn’t as good as Howlers but it had done in a pinch. The
ink was Bradley’s birthday present to himself and the only way he’d
ever get to be with Ryan Adamson. The piercer and tattoo artist had
been the single bright spot in his life over the past six months, and
he’d do just about anything to be with the man. Ever since Ryan
saved him and dragged him out of the car wreck that had nearly
claimed Bradley’s life, he’d felt an inexplicable pull to the man, wolf,
whatever.
The first time he’d seen the man make the transition from man to
wolf, he’d been shocked to say the least. He’d hung back after
Howlers Tattoo and Piercing Emporium had closed in order to catch
Ryan and ask for a date. When the man had stripped off his clothing
and shifted from man to wolf in a blink of an eye, Bradley had almost
pissed himself. But after he got over the initial shock, it all made
sense to him. Ryan was a hell of a male and had this air of aggression
around him that most guys just couldn’t pull off. Bradley had known
right then that Ryan was his. Wolves had mates right? Why couldn’t
Bradley be Ryan’s?
8 Jana
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It didn’t take a lot of research to figure out that Ryan didn’t sleep
with anyone who wasn’t marked with this specific tattoo that Bradley
had just had inked on his skin. It had to be some kind of pack law or
something. Whatever the reason, now that Bradley had one, there was
no way that Ryan would resist temptation. And Bradley knew he was
temptation to the wolf. The man all but humped him when he came in
for his piercings, but the iron control Ryan had kept things from
getting unprofessional. Not that Bradley would’ve said “no” given the
opportunity.
“It looks just like the ones from your picture,” the artist said,
smoothing some kind of jelly onto the angry skin. The picture had
been legit. He’d taken a picture of one of the men’s tattoos who
frequented the private club that Ryan went to. “You know how to take
care of it?”
Bradley nodded. This may have been his first tattoo, but he’d been
around tattoo and piercing parlors enough growing up to know the
drill. “So how long until it will pass at the club?”
The artist took off his gloves with a snap of the nitrile. “Anytime
after today should be fine. Just make sure you keep it hydrated with
the Aquafor.”
“Thanks, man,” Bradley said, extending his hand for a handshake.
They shook and Bradley pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.
“How much I owe you?”
“One-fifty.”
Bradley forked out his bills and tipped the guy fifty bucks before
sauntering out of the small shop in downtown Loveland, Colorado.
The night air was crisp, and a frost had already settled over the cars
still parked parallel along the street. But it held a promise because
tomorrow Bradley would finally get his deepest desire, a chance to
meet Ryan on his own turf.
* * * *
Available 9
Ryan sipped his Jack and Coke as the availables and other pack
submissives strutted their stuff in an effort to attract the pack
Dominants who had been arriving in a steady stream since Riders
opened an hour ago. The private BDSM club was pack owned and
operated. It was the perfect way to blow off steam after a hard day at
Howlers. His shoulders were killing him from being bent over a tattoo
chair all day and dealing with the interviews with the new Dominant
pair who had applied for entrance into the pack. Alpha Mustang had
been tied up with his own tattoos and other pack business, including
dealing with rising tensions with a neighboring pack who had
kidnapped Cian’s mate Jeremiah a few weeks back, and hadn’t had
the time to screen the two. Regan, his twin brother, usually handled
the new pack members but had been tangling with the Circle’s new
regulations and uploading their compliances to their database for
review.
Ryan needed to blow off some steam in the worst way. A night at
Riders would definitely fit the bill. He scanned the room, looking for
someone who appealed to his pickiness. He felt like something a little
more delicate, so he searched for the tattoos that designated the
humans available for his interest. Now that the law was lifted
regarding the ability of wolves to mate with humans, the choices
should’ve been infinite. However, he had no desire to pick up a
human who didn’t know what he was and an equally negative desire
to mate. He was just looking for some fun.
A dancer on one of the light-boxes that acted like ministages
caught his attention toward the right back side of the room. Low slung
leather pants and a lean torso marked with a tattoo of one of the
availables made his body stir with interest. Availables were humans
who knew about the pack and its laws and made themselves available
to the Dominant members of the pack. It was a kink for them for the
most part. It wasn’t a paid gig, so it had to fulfill some kind of fetish
for them. Most of them were just young guys aiming for some guilt-
free, commitment-free sex, and that suited Ryan just fine.
10 Jana
Downs
He pulled his gaze upward but kept coming back to the tattoo. The
ink was new, a couple days old at most. He frowned. All availables
went through Mustang’s shop unless they were imported in from
another territory, and then they had to be approved. As a beta in the
pack, he would’ve met any new available at least. He couldn’t
remember Mustang scheduling a new available for inking in the past
few days, and he was fairly certain his brother hadn’t either.
The available turned fully into the light, showing off the front of
his lean wiry frame and golden-blond hair. Ryan’s eyes bulged. No
fucking way. His feet were moving him across the club before his
mind processed what he was doing. Not your business. Not your mate.
Not. But there was no way he was leaving the kid up there literally for
the wolves. Bradley Gage had been coming into Howlers for several
months now and had made no qualms about telling Ryan he was
interested. The man had driven him absolutely crazy. His tight little
body and aggressive flirtation had posed the worst temptation.
However, when they’d first met, Ryan had been forbidden from
pursuing anything by pack law, and he had never felt it was fair what
humans had to give up in order to be part of their culture. He still felt
that it was asking too much of any human who wasn’t already a part
of their world. Pack life, for all its awesome qualities, was consuming.
He’d seen more than one available waste away on the outside looking
in, craving to be part of the pack but never quite managing it yet still
being involved to the point where human interactions dwindled.
Ryan had determined that Bradley was too innocent and far too
human to pursue any sort of involvement with. What the hell he was
doing dancing half-naked at a BDSM club was beyond Ryan’s
comprehension.
He had made his way over and looked up into the now-smiling
face of his pint-sized tormentor. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Ryan demanded. His aggressive stance and fuck-off expression made
the males who had been circling closer to Bradley scatter. None of
Available 11
them wanted to tango with a beta male over an available, not when
the room was full of other perfectly good choices of partner.
Bradley smiled, revealing dimples that drove Ryan to distraction
every time he grinned. “Looking for you.” The words went straight to
Ryan’s cock. How often had he said things like that and how often
had fantasies played out in his head after work in an effort to calm
some of the instincts to ease himself with Bradley’s sexy body?
“This is a members-only club,” Ryan rumbled, hoping to
intimidate the other man. Bradley just smirked. The little fuck.
“The doorman didn’t seem to have a problem once I flashed some
ink. Apparently I don’t need a day pass as long as I have this,” he
said, motioning to the tattoo on his lower back. Ryan resisted the urge
to howl. Of all the things that should be inked into Bradley’s pale
skin, “Available” in the wolf-tongue wasn’t one of them. Mine. There
was that damnable voice of his again. His wolf needed to shut the hell
up when it came to Bradley. He was too innocent and too human to
deal with Ryan’s issues.
Ryan had had enough. He reached up and took Bradley’s arm, all
but dragging the smaller man off the light box. “You shouldn’t have
that. Where did you get it?”
Bradley immediately curled into him, wrapping his arms around
Ryan’s waist and looking up into his eyes with unapologetic interest.
“At a tattoo joint of course. I know you don’t date anyone who
doesn’t sport one. You said I wasn’t part of your world. I’m here to
prove you wrong.”
“Sugar, I don’t ‘date’ anyone. You are only proving why this can’t
happen.” But Ryan didn’t move. His entire being was focused on
keeping his reaction to Bradley’s close proximity in check. His body
screamed at him to get the human alone and naked. No. No. No. He
had to behave.
The first flicker of annoyance played over Bradley’s face. “Oh?
And how am I proving it can’t happen?” The little minx hooked his
fingers in the loops of Ryan’s jeans and dragged their torsos together
12 Jana
Downs
so that the hard line of Ryan’s cock was pressed against the equally
impressive bulge in the human’s leathers. Shit. Fuck. Damn me to hell
and back. “You can’t have chemistry like this with someone and have
it mean nothing. I know what you are Ryan.” He looked up at him
under hooded lashes. Was the boy wearing eyeliner? Of course he is.
His words didn’t even register until Ryan had leaned forward almost
to kissing distance.
He blinked. “What?”
“I know you’re a werewolf or whatever. And I want to tell you,
I’m game if you are.”
Ice water wouldn’t have been more effective. “You need to get
out of here,” Ryan said, his voice turning to steel. He’d been so
caught up in Bradley’s spell that he’d almost let himself forget that an
unregistered human was marked as available. “We need to go to the
shop and get this ink taken care of. You can’t walk around with an
‘available’ tattoo.” He had to get him away from the other males of
his pack. “And you can explain to me exactly how you think you
know about me.” He wasn’t committing to the words one way or
another, not yet, not until he had to. Silence was the name of the game
in pack life, and he wouldn’t confirm a rumor if that was all it was.
“I’m not taking it off,” Bradley said, a stubborn edge infiltrating
his tone. “This is my link to you, and if that’s an in, I’ll take it.”
Ryan sighed. This boy was going to be the death of him. When
he’d asked Ryan to pierce his dick last month, Ryan had nearly taken
him right there in the shop. Maybe going alone wasn’t such a swell
idea. “I’m going to find my brother. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll go with,” Bradley volunteered, shooting him another sultry
look. Damn. He was so screwed. The boy was stubborn, persistent. It
didn’t help that Ryan was no doubt sending him mixed signals. His
body was all game, but he knew with Bradley it would be more than
that.
“Do you even live a BDSM lifestyle?” The word “lifestyle”
grated. It wasn’t a choice for wolves. It was instinct, nature. It was
Available 13
everything. He immediately regretted his blurted question when
Bradley leaned forward and kissed the side of Ryan’s neck before
whispering in the best bedroom voice Ryan had ever heard.
“I’ve read a book.”
Fuck me running. “A book?”
“Yeah. A book. I bought it for my Nook.”
Who the fuck purred the word “Nook”? And who the fuck would
read a book about BDSM, have no experience, and yet be so damn
proud of the fact?
Ryan sighed. He was developing a headache. “You, little boy,
have no idea what the hell you’re getting into.”
Bradley cupped him through his jeans, and Ryan almost shot his
load right then and there. “You, big boy, have no idea what the hell
I’m willing to do to get what I want.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
* * * *
Bradley shivered at the feeling of Ryan’s thick cock in his hand.
The urge to fall to his knees and show Ryan just how committed he
was pulsed through him with every beat of his heart. His brain was
dissolving into mush faster than he could come up with clever come-
ons. Ryan had tried to bolt once already. He had to prove to him that
he could handle the werewolf thing.
“Porn,” Bradley said, his voice sounding more than a little
breathy. Porn? He mentally shook his head at himself. Why yes, Ryan.
Let me seduce you with my awkwardness.
Ryan blinked. “Porn?”
Bradley felt his cheeks scald. “I don’t just have a book on BDSM.
I watched some porn, too.”
The remark just made Ryan get that incredulous look on his face
again. Why can’t I ever be smooth? Ryan looked like he was about to
say something but thought better of it. He sighed. “Let’s go find my
14 Jana
Downs
brother.” He took a step back and reached for Bradley’s hand. A thrill
shot through Bradley even though he knew logically that it was just
practical to be linked together while traveling through a crowded
night club.
“Where is he?” Bradley asked, trying to sound casual despite his
pounding heart and the triumphant singing through his veins.
“Probably in the back rooms.” Ryan didn’t sound happy about the
fact.
“What’s in the back rooms?” As soon as the words were out of his
mouth, he wanted to snatch them back. If it was like the “back rooms”
in most clubs, he knew exactly what they were used for. His cheeks
heated. What were they going to be walking in on?
A big man with biceps as big around as Bradley’s head nodded at
them as they ducked through a black curtain on the other side of the
bar. “Need a room key, Ryan?” he asked.
Ryan paused. “No. Which room is my brother in?”
“Door three.”
“Aw fuck. I hate going in there,” Ryan muttered. “Do I need a
pass code?”
The bouncer shrugged. “He said you’d know it if you came
lookin’.”
Bradley opened his mouth to ask about the cryptic message, but
Ryan squeezed his hand. “All right. I know what he’s talking about.”
He dragged Bradley forward, and then they were ensconced in a long
black hallway with pale-yellow sconces along the wall in regular
intervals that gave an intimate candlelit feel to the space. It seemed
like Bradley had stepped from the club with its edgy sexy feel into a
world that was pure sex.
The red numbers on the outside of the rooms counted down from
ten. They paused outside room three. It seemed the first three rooms
had key pads on them. “Um, forewarning, the room he’s in is a bit
intense. My brother plays hard, and if he’s in room three, then he’s
Available 15
playing about as hard as it gets,” Ryan said, keying in an eight-digit
code.
“Okay. I’m prepared,” Bradley murmured, steeling himself for
whatever was on the other side of the door. It couldn’t be that bad.
Surely. The lock disengaged, and a green light came on. Ryan twisted
the knob and pulled the door open. His broad shoulders obscured
Bradley’s vision almost entirely for a brief instant before he stepped
fully in the room. When Ryan moved, he wasn’t prepared for the sight
that greeted him.
Room three was a room that looked like little more than a locker
room shower. Carpet ran about five feet into the room, and the rest
was tiled to the ceiling. Three massive shower heads rained water
down in a steady wash over a series of chains that hung between.
Attached to those massive chains was a very naked man who was
soaked and crisscrossed with angry red welts. A metal cage was
clamped tightly around the man’s swollen cock, and a variety of
clamps ran the length of his chest from his nipples to his groin in a V-
pattern. The submissive’s mouth was plugged with a thick rubber
phallus that looked like it stretched his mouth almost unbearably
wide. He raised his eyes, and their gazes met. Instead of the pain that
Bradley expected to see, there was raw, unadulterated lust in those
crystalline depths.
Jesus, is this what Ryan wants from me? He swallowed and felt
his body stir in reluctant interest. He wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to
be that vulnerable in front of anyone else. Ryan looked over his
shoulder at him and let out a low growl that wrapped around
Bradley’s heart and tugged. “What?”
Ryan shook his head and his fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t
look so interested, boy. It’s never going to happen.” Was he jealous?
He sure sounded like it. Should he make a suggestion? Explain? Nah.
It would just make him look guilty.
“I’m only interested in you, Ryan,” Bradley promised, dragging
his eyes away from the image in front of him to the man beside him.
16 Jana
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Ryan frowned but didn’t comment. Bradley opened his mouth to say
something else but a harsh “crack” followed by a low moan of pain
had him turning his head back toward the man in chains.
Ryan growled again. “Show off.” In a louder voice he called out.
“Regan! Get your ass over here.”
A long-suffering sigh sounded over the downpour of water.
“You’re ruining my scene, Ry.” Ryan’s twin brother, Regan, stepped
around the showers with a long, heavy leather flogger in hand. He
wore only a pair of black board shorts and nothing else.
“We have a pack problem,” Ryan said.
“And what problem is this?” Regan asked, all business now. He
glanced over his shoulder at the man in chains. “Relax for a moment,
boy. Think about what you’d like next while I talk. If you’re good,
you’ll get a reward when I’m done.” The “boy” nodded and let his
body sag in the chains. Regan turned his attention back to their
conversation. “Well?”
Ryan grabbed Bradley’s arm and dragged him forward. “Because
Mr. Vanilla decided to get an available mark inked on his skin to get
in here. He’s non-sanctioned.”
Bradley bristled. “I’m not vanilla. I just haven’t been trained, but I
want to learn.”
“Oh shit,” Regan muttered, eyeing his tattoo. “Well he needs to be
sanctioned immediately. Does he know about…” He gave Ryan a
meaningful look.
Ryan opened his mouth and spoke at the same time Bradley
spoke. “No.”
“Yes.”
Regan frowned. “So which is it? Yes or no?”
“I know about werewolves. I saw Ryan shift,” Bradley said,
pointing a finger at the man who he was pretty sure was his future
boyfriend.
“You did what?” Ryan snapped, glaring at him. “You’ve been
following me around?”
Available 17
Bradley bit his tongue. Shit. Now I sound like a freak. “It’s not as
weird as it sounds. I was going to wait to approach this, but, um,
you’re my mate. I’m pretty sure of it.”
Both men’s jaws dropped and identical expressions of incredulity
crossed their faces. “You’re out of your damn mind, human,” Ryan
spat. “Do you not understand anything? Wolves decide who their
mates are, not the other way around!”
“I know that. I’ve read enough books on the subject to discern that
much at least,” Bradley said, offended that Ryan was talking to him
like he was an idiot.
Ryan growled. “You and your damn books are going to be the
death of me. Dammit, Bradley, I told you when you asked the first
time that it was never going to happen. This is the most insane thing I
have ever heard.”
“Whoa! Would you stop screaming, Ryan? Jesus,” Regan
interrupted, looking back and forth between the two of them with a
puzzled expression on his face. “Bottom line, he knows about wolves.
He has to be sanctioned.”
Ryan stomped his foot. “No! He can’t be involved in the pack.
You’re coming with me to the shop, and we’re covering up the
available tattoo. Right now, bro. I mean it.”
Regan’s eyebrows shot heavenward. “Now, huh? You need to
take him to the office and register him and give him a rundown of the
rules. There shouldn’t be a reason in the world you should need me,
even if you had to do a cover-up and hold him until the Alpha got
there.”
“Bro, I need you,” Ryan said, shooting Regan a furious look. If
Bradley had a weaker ego, he would’ve taken Ryan’s constant
attempts of escape as a blow.
“Is he your mate, Ryan?” Regan asked.
Ryan hesitated, and Bradley’s heart soared. “No,” he said finally.
Bradley wanted to do a happy dance. That was an awfully tentative
“no.”
18 Jana
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Regan slapped him on the arm with his free hand. “Good. Then
you should have no problem controlling yourself in a private setting.
Now, excuse me, Ryan. Introduce me to your new friend tomorrow.”
Bradley knew a dismissal when he heard one. Ryan stared at his
brother with horror written all over his face. Okay. I’m not that bad.
Annoyance flickered. It really wasn’t fair of Ryan to treat Bradley
like a damn plague.
“Let’s go,” Ryan snapped, putting a gorilla grip on Bradley’s
fingers once again. Regan turned his attention back to the man in
chains and let his flogger fly. It caught on his vulnerable sac, and the
man cried out in a mixture of agony and ecstasy. Bradley felt his own
balls tighten in sympathy. Would he like that if Ryan did that to him?
Ryan growled. “I told you to stop looking so interested!” A sharp tug
on his wrist and they were moving again. The door was jerked open,
and Ryan pulled him back into the hallway.
It hit him. Alone. We’re going to go somewhere alone. He had his
in. His tattoo had worked. He was a part of Ryan’s world. His heart
began to pound. Yes!
Available 19
Chapter Two
He might as well have painted S.C.R.E.W.E.D. in bold letters on
his forehead. His and brother’s mental conversation echoed through
his head.
“You like him,” Regan had said.
“Do not,” Ryan had replied.
“Do so. If it means nothing, it’ll mean nothing. Have fun. He’s
cute.”
Ryan had made a sound of distress. “Regan, I freaking need you.”
“You need to stop cock blocking yourself. I’ve seen the way you
look at him when he comes to Howlers. Go. Deal. With. Your. Own.
Mess.”
“Are you mad at me?” Bradley asked as Ryan dragged him back
through the club to the bar so he could get his coat.
“No,” Ryan shouted over the heavy bass of the techno music. The
club was finally in full swing. It was packed to capacity, and the
dance floor was a mass of gyrating bodies. The bar area was full, and
the registry area for the private rooms was already booking up for the
night. The thirty-minute booking schedule was displayed on a monitor
on the wall beside the digital registry.
He pulled Bradley up so that he was blocked between Ryan and
the bar. He did not want another Dominant to get a gander at
Bradley’s tattoo and cause Ryan to get into a brawl. The Alpha
wouldn’t be pleased. He motioned for Tanner, the regular bartender,
to grab his coat, and the dark-haired giant winked and gave him a
thumbs-up as he indicated the man he was pressing against the bar.
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. What was it with people trying to
20 Jana
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push him and Bradley together tonight? The universe was conspiring
against him. Mine, his wolf rumbled. Shut up!
Tanner returned to the side of the bar Ryan was on and handed
him over his leather biker’s jacket. He hesitated and looked over at
Bradley. If the human hadn’t driven or brought a jacket, he was
screwed on Ryan’s bike. His red Daytona 675 was great to ride during
the summer months, but during the cold winter months, it could be
hell.
“How about you, cutey? You have a jacket stashed back here?”
Tanner asked the human, leaning forward so that they could hear one
another over the heavy pulse of the rest of the club. Ryan didn’t want
to smash the other man’s face against the hard surface of the bar top,
but he was tempting him with the flirtatious way he kept smiling at
the human.
Bradley had the gall to smile softly and duck his head before he
answered. “I took a cab. No jacket.”
“Too bad you’re going to be on this big lug’s bike. You’d be more
comfortable in my Mustang. Whatcha say, Ryan?” Tanner’s eyes
went to his. “Let me take the new boy off your hands for the night?”
Ryan snorted. “Watch it, Tanner. He’s off-limits. Spread the
word.”
Tanner frowned. “His ink says ‘available.’”
“Don’t worry about it, friend. I’m fixing it in just a minute.”
The bartender’s eyes widened almost comically. “He’s your mate?
My bad, Ryan. Seriously. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
“He’s not—Why does everyone keep—Oh for Christ’s sake. Just
spread the word. The new boy, Bradley, is off-limits,” Ryan managed
to stammer.
“Will do, beta,” Tanner said, tilting his head to the side to
acknowledge Ryan’s Dominance.
Ryan took one look at Bradley’s naked chest and draped his
leather jacket over his shoulders. Even in a T-shirt and jeans, Ryan
had more protection against the freezing temperatures than Bradley
Available 21
did. The boy looked up in surprise but just smiled his thanks and
hugged the jacket closer to him. The gesture did weird things to
Ryan’s chest, made it all tight and shit.
They finally made it to the other side of the club, and Ryan held
open the door to let the human out into the parking lot. “Where’s your
motorcycle?” Bradley asked as they got away from the entrance.
Ryan gestured to the left side of the lot. “Not far. You warm
enough?”
“Yeah.” There was Bradley’s secret smile again. “Your jacket
smells like you.”
Jesus. The boy knew how to tempt a wolf saying shit like that.
Ryan closed his eyes and counted to three. “You are trouble, you
know that?”
“I might’ve been told that a time or two,” Bradley admitted. He
looked and smelled nervous all of a sudden. “You know, you don’t
have to do this. I know I kind of went overboard with this, but I think
if you considered me, you’d come to the same kind of conclusion that
I did.” His babbling was adorable. Whoa. Where did that come from?
“I need to get you to the shop and get your ink fixed. I have to
explain things as well. Let’s not discuss anything until then.” He
hoped that Bradley would let it drop, and, thankfully, he did.
“I always wanted to ride your motorcycle,” Bradley said, climbing
astride his bike like he’d done it a thousand times. “It’s why I bought
mine.”
“You have a bike?”
“Yeah. It’s a Kawasaki Ninja 14R series.” He leaned forward on
the bike, gripping the handles and pushing his pelvis into the seat.
Ryan went rock hard, and before he knew it his hands were gripping
Bradley’s perky bubble butt. The human groaned and pushed his hips
back into his hands. Ryan kneaded Bradley’s leather-encased
buttocks. He could see himself peeling the leathers off Bradley’s lean
hips, spreading Bradley’s beautiful cheeks, and fucking him full of his
cum.
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“You really like motorbikes,” Bradley purred, pushing his ass into
Ryan’s eager hands. “That feels good.”
Ryan growled. Mine. He swung his leg over the back of the bike
so that the ridge of his jean-clad dick rocked against Bradley’s pert
backside. “You are built to be fucked, Bradley.”
“Then why don’t you?” Bradley asked, his voice a low murmur of
sound.
Ryan could see his game a mile away, and the part of him that was
all Dominant wanted to play along. “Why don’t I what?”
“Why don’t you fuck me? I’ve never once told you I didn’t want
it,” Bradley murmured.
“You’re too clean to fuck, boy,” Ryan said, leaning forward in a
mirror image of Bradley’s position. “But I can be tempted.” He
allowed himself one last grind before he cranked the engine.
“I want to be a submissive, Ryan. I want to be your submissive,”
Bradley said. His clear words seemed more effective than any lustful
admission.
Ryan kissed the back of Bradley’s neck in the spot he would mark
if given half a chance and lifted the kickstand. “You’re too clean for
my dirty hands,” he promised against his skin. The human shuddered,
and lust perfumed the air.
“Aren’t you going to put on a helmet?” Bradley asked.
Ryan laughed. “You’re living on the wild side now, Bradley. I
didn’t bring a helmet with me.”
By the time they pulled into Howler’s empty parking lot, Ryan
was pretty sure that he was a living, breathing mansicle. His skin felt
brittle and wind worn. His hands fumbled in his jean pocket for the
shop keys, and he prayed that Regan had remembered to turn the
temperature up to sixty-five before they’d closed up for the night.
Mustang had done all that previously, but ever since he’d gotten
mated to Grayson, he’d been leaving the shop a little early and
leaving it to Ryan and Regan to close up.
Available 23
“Thank you for letting me use your jacket,” Bradley said,
shrugging it off as Ryan struggled with the jangling keys. “You might
want to put it on now though. It was cold on the highway.” Cold was
an understatement. The lust that had sparked at the beginning of their
trip was quickly chilled by the blast of cold air on Ryan’s exposed
skin. Talk about a cold shower.
Ryan took his jacket back and put it on. It was still warm from
Bradley’s body heat. He finally managed to insert the correct key in
the lock and stepped into the shop. Bliss. The temperature had been
turned up to a reasonable degree. The alarm on the wall beside the
door beeped in warning, and Ryan wasted no time in using the
deactivation code on the pad. It wasn’t incredibly high-tech, but it was
sufficient for their needs.
“Have a seat, Bradley,” Ryan said, motioning to the front desk
and chair where they did all the reception stuff. He grabbed a
wheeling stool for himself because it was what he was most
comfortable on. The paperwork for the admission into pack life was
in the filing cabinet, but they’d get to signing his life away in a
minute. “You are way more involved in this than you think you are.”
“Well, why don’t you explain it to me?” Bradley asked, sitting
down in the desk chair and tilting his back so that he looked like some
kind of debauched angel sitting on a throne. The image did wonderful
things for Ryan’s frozen libido.
“First off, knowing about the pack means that you are now
involved in it. As a human who knows about our kind you will have
to be educated in the etiquette and laws regarding the pack. They have
classes every Tuesday and Thursday night at the community center
that you’ll have to attend until you have seven sessions under your
belt. They teach everything from D/s to intricate international law.
I’ve been told it’s pretty riveting stuff.” Ryan felt himself falling into
the familiar role of lecturer. He’d given this speech to availables for
years. “The big things you need to know off the bat are as follows.
One, don’t tell anyone and I do mean anyone about what we are. If
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you do, you’re in violation of pack law and as such can be killed by
any wolf on sight via the Alpha’s orders. Two, you’ll have to get a tat
on you that designates your role for the pack. You’ve marked yourself
as an available, but I think you should read the pamphlet”—he rolled
over and grabbed one from under the desk before handing it to
Bradley—“and then make a decision on which tat to keep. The ink on
your skin will determine how other shifters in the pack treat you.”
“Is that the preferred term?” Bradley interrupted. “Shifters?”
Ryan shrugged. “Turned wolves are weres. Born wolves are
shifters. Easy to remember. Most of the pack are shifters.” He opened
his mouth to continue only to have Bradley interrupt him again.
“So which are you? Shifter or were?”
Ryan sighed. This was going to take forever if the boy kept
getting hung up on details. “Shifter. I was born this way, baby.” His
Lady Gaga reference went unnoticed as Bradley became engrossed in
the pamphlet he’d handed him. Ryan continued. “Last but not least,
you have to report to the Alpha, same as everyone else. That means,
one night out of the month the Alpha will host an event at his place
and you are expected to attend. That’s the only time when humans are
really allowed access to the Alpha, so take advantage of the fact and
let him know any questions or concerns you may have. On the back of
the pamphlet are some numbers that you might as well go ahead and
program into your cell.”
“Your number is on here?” Bradley asked.
“Yeah. I’m a beta so if, for any reason, you have official pack
business to discuss and can’t get ahold of the Alpha, myself or my
brother can help you out.” The spiel was always the same.
Bradley frowned as he stared at the section explaining the tattoos
and their significances. “You only sleep with availables?”
Ryan hesitated. Oh what the hell. Let him know what he’s getting
into. “I sleep with availables and pack submissives. I don’t have
lovers from anywhere else. Keep in mind that availables are fast
access for any of the Dominants in the pack, so long as it’s
Available 25
consensual. So if you stayed available, you’d have to be okay with
that.”
Bradley shook his head. Good. The boy needed to come to his
senses about that. “If you only sleep with availables or pack
submissives, then I am staying an available. It says something about a
pack trainer?”
Ryan gritted his teeth as anger soaked his chest cavity. “Yeah. If
you choose that route, you’ll be given to a pack trainer who will teach
you how to be a good pack sub boy.” If I don’t beat whoever Alpha
assigns to you into a pulp first. The Neanderthal thoughts couldn’t be
helped. How was Bradley even considering being an available? They
weren’t whores by any stretch of the imagination, but they were
willing men who tended to sleep with quite a few of the pack
Dominants. The thought of another male’s hands on Bradley did very
strange things to Ryan’s control. Namely, it obliterated it.
Bradley considered him. “I’d get to be with you then?”
“God, one-track mind much?” Ryan asked. It should not please
him. It really shouldn’t. Then he remembered exactly what he was
asking him. “You can’t seriously be considering this. Availables are
little more than booty calls with tattoos to identify them.”
Bradley shrugged all nonchalantly and shit. “If that means we
have a shot, then I’ll do what I need to.”
“No,” Ryan snapped.
Bradley raised his eyebrows. “No? If we’re not dating, you don’t
have a choice.”
That shut Ryan up. Bradley was right. Fuck. He took a deep
breath. He really wished Regan was here. He could handle these
details and Ryan could bury himself in paperwork and ignore Bradley
and his probable submission to another male. Without Regan to act as
a buffer, Ryan was forced to think about what exactly he was signing
Bradley up for. “I’ll get your paperwork.” An idea, an insane idea,
circulated through his cerebrum. As one of the pack’s betas, he could
assign a trainer to a new available if it was deemed prudent for an
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available to receive special training. A particularly difficult
submissive or someone completely ignorant of the lifestyle would
definitely qualify. If Mustang thought he was taking advantage of the
system, the Alpha would beat his ass. Was it worth the calculated
risk?
He wheeled over to the filing cabinet and pulled it open. He
thumbed through the files until he found the blank new admission
forms. It would have to be entered into the system afterward, but they
still kept hard copies. He also grabbed the clipboard they let clients
use to fill out their tattoo paperwork and put the five-page-long form
on it along with a pen. “I need you to fill this out.”
“All right,” Bradley said, taking the items from him. He sat back
in the chair and began to fill out the forms. “Do you really need a
complete sexual history?”
“If you need extra paper, just let me know,” Ryan said without
thinking. He froze. It was something he would’ve said to his brother,
and he hadn’t meant the implication his words invoked.
“Can I just send you a typed list on my iPhone?” Bradley asked.
“Otherwise we’ll be at this all night.”
Ryan’s head snapped up. “What?”
Bradley was grinning. “Just kidding. I’m not actually a whore
despite your oh-so-clever jibe. I haven’t dated in two years, and
before that, I only had two boyfriends.” Ryan winced. The kid was
practically a virgin. He’d never make it as an available. “How about
you?”
Again, Ryan winced. Yeah. No way am I confessing to not
remembering the exact number.
“More than two,” Ryan muttered.
Bradley’s grin never wavered. “You want to borrow my extra
piece of paper?” Ryan’s lips tilted upward in grudging respect.
Bradley could give as good as he got.
He grabbed one of the laptops that were stored in the drawer
under the desk and wheeled back as Bradley’s scent wrapped around
Available 27
him. Damn. Away from the press of bodies at the club, it was hard to
shake the honey-and-cream scent. His body screamed at him to get
closer, but he ignored it. He couldn’t go after an innocent again.
He logged onto the pack’s secure network and started entering in
Bradley’s information into the database. He hadn’t finished filling it
out, but Ryan had some of his information still in the system from his
piercing last month. The general information was easily transferrable.
The entry codes for the reason for the human’s entrance into the pack
would have to be entered into a separate form and sent to the Circle,
their governing council. He went to the section that listed the human’s
role in the pack. There were only three options, available, mate, and
personal assistant. If a human fell into any other category, he or she
had to be sent to the Circle in Europe for “cleansing.” Basically, they
were either turned or their memories were modified through a series
of binding ceremonies. The whole thing kind of gave Ryan the creeps.
It would make sense for Bradley to become a personal assistant to
take care of the category requirement. It would be a good solution if
Bradley would stop being stubborn.
“What do you do for a living, Bradley?” Ryan asked. Maybe he
could find him a job as a PA with someone in the pack, someone far
away from him. He could do the cover-up on the tattoo tonight if he
could assign him somewhere else.
Bradley looked up and looked uncomfortable for a split second
before he shrugged. “Um, I’m a waiter at Denny’s right now. Mostly
I’m an art student. I graduate next fall.”
An art student really wasn’t useful. He wasn’t really qualified for
any of the possible PA jobs unless…Shit! He could not be an intern at
Howlers. There were no other art jobs in the little college town where
the pack was based. Motherfucker.
Bradley continued. “I usually sell my art when I want to get a
piercings.” That made sense. Howlers was not the most inexpensive
shop in town. Usually only the students who were a part of frats,
sororities, or those with wealthy parents stopped into their ink shop.
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“I didn’t peg you for an art student. Music maybe. But not art,”
Ryan said, his cursor hesitating over which box to check. He did not
want to check available.
Bradley shot him a curious look. “Why not art?”
“Usually when an art student comes in, they take their time
examining the wall art. They flip through the books, really look things
over before they’ll commit to even an ear piercing,” Ryan said. “The
day you walked into the shop, you beelined it to the front desk and
with no hesitation whatsoever told me that you wanted your lip
pierced. My brother volunteered to do it because he thought you were
hot. You looked right at him and said you wanted only Ryan to touch
you. My brother played it off and said that he was me. You called him
on it. Looked right at me and said ‘pierce me.’ Art kids aren’t usually
bold like that, not even the ones with a crap-ton of ink.”
“You remember all that?” Bradley asked. He could feel the
human’s gaze boring into him. Ryan knew if he looked up their eyes
would clash.
“Yeah. I remember you. You’re hard to forget because you’re a
cocky little shit.” The admission wasn’t something he was planning
on doing, but it slipped out. He didn’t add that it was the most
shocking event of his time working at Howlers. No one had ever been
able to tell Ryan and Regan a part with any regularity. Mustang could,
but even he got them mixed up on occasion.
He could almost feel Bradley’s happiness when he spoke. “I like
being unforgettable.” He shouldn’t have said that. It just fed Bradley’s
massive ego. The size of that ego was insane in the wake of Ryan’s
constant rejection. He liked confidence in his submissives. Not that he
would ever get to experience Bradley’s submission one way or
another. “Okay, I’m done with this,” Bradley said. He handed the
clipboard back over the space that separated them. Ryan moved the
laptop to the floor beside him and took it back.
Available 29
“Now, we need to talk about this available thing,” Ryan said as
his eyes zeroed in on the checked “available” box that Bradley had
filled out.
“Bottom line, I want you, you want me. If you are going to be
stubborn and only be with me under the circumstances of becoming
an available, then I’m doing what I have to do,” Bradley said
stubbornly.
“You could be a PA. I could get you a job answering phones and
some shit. It would probably pay more than your waiting job,” Ryan
said. He picked back up the laptop. Maybe he’d overlooked
something. Surely one of the pack had something acceptable to
substitute…
One look at Bradley’s face and Ryan knew he was in for a fight.
“No. I want to be an available. I want to learn how to be a submissive.
Get me a trainer.”
“You don’t even know what you’re asking for, Bradley—“
“Do not patronize me, Ryan,” Bradley interrupted. “I am a grown-
ass man.”
“Fine!” Ryan snapped, his temper flaring hot. Every Dominant
instinct inside him demanded that he go over there and put Bradley in
his place, make sure that the human knew that no other male was
going to touch him. The image of that tight bubble butt in his hands
from earlier ghosted up in his mind. His cock swelled.
He had no control over the low growl that issued out of his throat.
He forced himself to click the available box, and a pop-up came to the
forefront of his screen. Do you want to assign a trainer? His fingers
banged on the keypad as he filled in his fate. R.y.a.n.A.d.a.m.s.o.n. He
hit enter.
“Fine, boy. Now you’re an available.” He gritted his teeth as he
said the rest. “My fucking available.”
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Chapter Three
Triumph was all Bradley could feel as Ryan made his snarling
announcement. He’d won tonight. He might be playing hardball, but
Ryan was being extraordinarily stubborn. The attraction was there,
but this whole adamant denial based on Bradley’s supposed innocence
was just a stupid hurdle. Regardless of whether or not that was
accurate, Bradley could make the decision to delve into darker sexual
practices. He was twenty-four. Well past his era of uncertainty. He’d
started school later than his peers and because of it, had a bit more
experience to him than most. If Ryan thought for two seconds that
Bradley could be convinced to give up on the one thing in life that
made sense, then he was in for a rude awakening.
“Why do you want to be with me so damn badly?” Ryan asked,
crossing his arms over his massive chest. Bradley sighed. How often
had he fantasized about this scenario? How often had he come into
the shop and imagined Ryan taking him into one of the back rooms?
Bradley shrugged. “Ever since you pulled me out of the car wreck,
I’ve thought about you.”
Ryan blinked. “I didn’t think you remembered that.”
“Of course I do. It’s hard to forget the guy who saved my life. I
remember looking up at you and thinking that you were mine. I can’t
explain it.” He knew it probably didn’t make sense to the other man,
but it was just a fact. Ever since he’d seen Ryan, everything inside
him had told him in no uncertain terms that the man was his.
“You are the weirdest person on the planet,” Ryan said, rubbing a
hand over his face. “You’re a big believer in fate, hm?”
Available 31
Bradley nodded. “Yeah. I am. I like to think of myself as a pretty
spiritual person. So when whatever powers that may be urge me
toward someone, I don’t question it. My instincts haven’t steered me
wrong yet.”
“So let me get this straight,” Ryan said, staring at Bradley like he
grew another head, “some metaphysical being or force told you that
you’re my mate and that you and I were meant to be together?”
Bradley hesitated for a second before he nodded. “When you put
it like that, it sounds crazy, but I really do feel that way.”
Ryan gave a long-suffering sigh and raked a hand through his
hair. “Figures. The only time I agree to train a sub and he is nuttier
than a bed bug.” Louder, he said, “We’ll start Friday. You won’t be
registered to attend the sessions at the community center until next
week, so I’ll give you a crash course. Do you have an apartment?”
Bradley nodded.
“Pack an overnight bag and come to this address.” Ryan handed
him a card. “Bring whatever you need for a long weekend. When you
come, make sure you bring me your class and work schedules so that
I can get you into the system and start planning out my training for
you. Let me make this clear, there will be no sex between us.”
Bradley frowned. “Why not?”
“Because I think you’re off your rocker and have some serious
hero worship going on. I don’t think it’s a good idea if we become
involved like that. I’ll teach you to be a sub, and I’ll teach you the
correct responses. Once we work up to going to Riders, we’ll go
together and ease you into it. After the exhibition bit of your training,
you’ll be open for pack courtship.” He really didn’t look happy at the
prospect.
Bradley didn’t say anything else to argue with him. How was he
supposed to articulate the all-consuming need to find Ryan and make
sure he put in every effort to make the other man happy? He knew
from a human standpoint it didn’t make much sense, but he figured
that as a freaking wolf-shifter, Ryan would be a little more open
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minded. “Can you do a tattoo for me before you kick me out of the
shop?”
“I was going to drive you home. You want me to put more ink on
you? Cover up the available mark by chance?” Ryan asked, his voice
hopeful. Bradley wanted to scream. Stop being such a bastard to me!
Whenever he’d come into the shop, he was sure that Ryan noticed
him and shared his interest. This snarling attitude was starting to wear
thin. What do you do when you catch a wolf by the tail? Hold the fuck
on.
“I want you to put something from your language on my skin,”
Bradley said. He wasn’t sure why he felt the urge to get something
else on him, but the same instincts that told him that he was Ryan’s
told him to do so. He could picture the ghost of it in his head.
Ryan frowned. “Haven’t you marked yourself enough this week?”
“I want something that’s me, not just a title, and I want you to do
it.”
“This is highly unusual, boy. We don’t usually let availables mark
themselves with anything in the wolf-tongue they want.”
Bradley sighed. “Please? Just let me look in the book, and if I see
something that strikes my fancy, you can veto it if it says something
inappropriate. Sound fair?”
“How about you look at the book, think about it, and if after this
weekend you still want more ink, we’ll put it on together during
regular working hours in front of witnesses?” Ryan bargained.
Bradley nodded. “Fine. Just let me look before we go.” He could
practically feel Ryan’s screaming need to escape this shop and him.
He’s scared. Why is he so scared of wanting me? Ryan went back
under the desk and reemerged with a black binder.
“Here you go. If you have questions, just let me know.”
“So what is your favorite position?” Bradley asked, dead pan.
Ryan snorted, but the corners of his mouth tilted upward in a
smile. “Any questions about the book, smartass.”
Available 33
Bradley liked making him smile. Without preamble, he flipped the
binder open and started thumbing through the odd script inside. Three
pages in he found the symbol in his mind. He turned the book around
and pointed to it. “I need this one.”
Ryan frowned. “Why that one?”
“I don’t know.” Bradley shrugged. “I see it in my head now. What
does it mean?”
“Did your little metaphysical buddy tell you that that one was
what you needed?” Ryan asked, his voice a bit mocking.
Sometimes Ryan could be a dick. Now was one of those times.
“Screw you. It’s what I feel drawn to. What does it mean?”
Ryan didn’t answer for a minute. Instead, he seemed to be
examining Bradley’s face in hopes of discovering the answer written
on his visage. “It means ‘wolf son.’ It’s one of the only symbols
availables are allowed to use in that book. I’m choosing to look at it
as a creepy coincidence. Let’s go.”
“Wait, that doesn’t really tell me what it means,” Bradley
protested as Ryan went down the hall into one of the closets and
pulled out another jacket before tossing it to Bradley.
“Wear that so I won’t freeze to death on the way back over to
twenty-third street.”
“You know I live over on twenty-third street?” Bradley asked.
Ryan snorted. “Don’t get excited. I just entered in your address on
the computer, remember?”
“So what does ‘wolf son’ mean?”
“It means I need to get you home and I need to go find my Alpha.
Now drop it.”
Bradley felt like stomping his foot like a little kid and throwing
one hell of a tantrum. If Ryan thought for one minute that he would be
bossed around without any information, he was sorely mistak—
Ryan grabbed his face between his two large hands and tilted his
head up for a kiss. An electric jolt went through Bradley’s body as
their lips met. How long had he waited for this? He’s trying to shut
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me up. A part of him just snickered. It was effective. He’d give him
that. He opened his mouth to admit the bold thrust of Ryan’s tongue.
The man seemed to pour every ounce of frustration and lust into the
kiss as their mouths mated in a blatant imitation of sex. The hard
ridge of Ryan’s cock dug into the skin of Bradley’s stomach, and his
own arousal was mashed against Ryan’s thick thigh.
Ryan broke the kiss abruptly, leaving Bradley panting and dizzy.
“The first thing to learn about being a submissive is to trust your
Dominant. I need you to trust me to deal with things, Bradley, or else
this is never going to work.”
“Another kiss?” Bradley asked. If he got more of those glorious
mind-fucks he would not need to think about anything ever again. He
felt floaty, like he was in a wonderful dream or something. It made
perfect sense to obey Ryan’s directive, to trust him with everything.
“God, you hit sub space just from that?” Ryan rumbled, his hands
going to Bradley’s hips and pulling him back flush against his body.
“What’s that?” Bradley asked, nuzzling the other man’s firm
chest. Fuck yes. This was where he belonged. Right here with Ryan,
at the wolf’s feet.
“Your eyes are dilated. Your breathing is almost to the point
where it would be if you were meditating. Absolutely calm. Are you
feeling euphoria? Are you drifting?” Ryan asked. So many questions.
Answering them seemed like so much effort but Bradley would if it
would make Ryan happy.
“Yeah. I feel like I’m floating.”
“From a kiss?” Ryan muttered, hugging him tight. “Damn boy,
you are a treasure.” The praise wrapped Bradley in pure cotton
warmth. “I’ve never seen a sub sink into headspace that quickly.” He
swallowed hard as a rumbled growl vibrated through his chest. It felt
fantastic against Bradley’s skin.
He wrapped his arms around Ryan’s waist. “Touch me?”
Available 35
Seemingly reluctant, Ryan shook his head. “I can’t. It’s not fair.
This can’t—I can’t take you home while you’re still in space. Come
back to me, Bradley.”
“No.”
Ryan’s hands wandered over his arms, back, and chest. “Be a
good boy, Bradley. Come back to me.”
“No.”
“Stubborn sub, come down and let me take you home before I do
something stupid!” Ryan snapped. The anger and frustration in his
voice killed a little of the buzz Bradley was feeling.
“Take me home with you,” Bradley said, clinging to Ryan’s firm
body. “You don’t have to fuck me, but I want to stay with you.”
Ryan sighed. “That is not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t trust myself not to strip you down and fuck you.
My wolf is very keen on the idea right now, and if you’re in my bed,
I’ll be inside you.” The admission seemed to cost Ryan some of that
control he’d been clinging to, and it only made Bradley hungrier.
“Take me home, Ryan,” Bradley said, closing his eyes and leaning
into the other man. They both needed this, had been dancing around
their attraction for months. Denying it even one more second seemed
unbearable.
“I’ll take you to your home, Bradley. But if you’re good and stop
being so stubborn, I will tuck you in when we get there.”
It wasn’t much of a compromise, but Bradley would take it. Now
that he as an available, there was plenty of time to teach his Dom that
Bradley was the only man he needed in his life.
* * * *
The hardest thing Ryan had ever done was walk away from the
satisfied human who had become his responsibility to train as a
submissive. As promised, he’d tucked Bradley in and given him a
36 Jana
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chaste kiss good night in exchange for Bradley’s cooperation. It
wasn’t usually his bag to negotiate with subs, but Bradley was all
instinct and Ryan wouldn’t put it past him to stalk after Ryan if he left
him alone. There was a pull despite Ryan’s adamant refusal to
acknowledge it. The question was, how had the human recognized it
before Ryan had?
He flipped open his cell phone and dialed his brother. A quick
glance at his watch said it was well after three a.m., but he knew
Regan as well as he knew himself. The other man was still awake.
Their connection was uncanny and was even tighter than the one he
shared with Alpha. They could talk mind to mind over long distances,
but it took a lot of effort to concentrate, so it was better to just use the
telephone. Unlike Regan, he didn’t need to show off. He was still
pissed that Regan hadn’t stopped the scene when they’d come in. He
bristled as he recalled the fascinated expression painted over
Bradley’s face. He sighed. These instincts were going to be the death
of him. His wolf was screaming at him to walk back up the steps to
Bradley’s apartment and claim him. Unwilling to listen, he stood by
his motorbike in the parking lot and glared up at his window.
“How’d your date go?” Regan asked by way of greeting.
“Fuck. You. You are a prick for doing that to me.”
A brief chuckle sounded. “Come on. I know you. Your wolf was
salivating at the prospect. He went above and beyond to get your
attention.”
“A normal brotherly reaction would’ve been to be concerned that
one of our clients stalked me, tattooed himself to get my attention,
and inserted himself into the pack on a mission to become my mate,”
Ryan rumbled, annoyance flickering through him for the millionth
time tonight. His brother just laughed again.
“He’s harmless, and you know it. He wants to be a part of the
pack. Have fun with him, train him, and then let him go. Let another
Dom take the adoration if you can’t handle it,” Regan said, a smirk in
Available 37
his voice. Most people couldn’t hear the smile Regan was sporting,
but Ryan knew that tone.
He snorted. “I could just assign him a trainer and be done with it.”
“But you didn’t. You assigned yourself, prick. I already looked at
his info. You and your wolf are jonesing for the boy. So take him. It’s
not against pack law anymore to mate a human. And he is your mate
by the way. I can feel it through our bond.” Now that was news.
Could Regan really feel their mate connection?
“You’re lying.”
“Am not. You’re in my head, Ryan. You know better. I wouldn’t
lie. Not about something like this. He’s yours. He must be a pretty
aware human, too. He seemed to sense your connection before you
pulled your head out of your ass,” Regan said. “Of course, if you’re
still denying the pull, you have your head farther up your own ass
than I thought you did.”
Ryan frowned. “That’s the thing, Re. He talks like he’s got a wolf.
When we were at the shop, he picked out the symbol for ‘wolf son,’
too.”
“You think he might be an unregistered mixed breed?” Regan
asked, the amusement gone from his voice. “If he’s a latent wolf, then
he’s probably getting close to an awakening.”
“Maybe.” It was really too little information to speculate on, but it
was a possibility. A human and wolf mix was an unpredictable
combination. There were no guarantees that the wolf would ever fully
form and attach to the soul of the human body. But just as often a
latent would spontaneously manifest and go from human to wolf in a
blink of an eye. Shifters called it an awakening because it was just
like that. One minute the wolf was dormant, and the next it was fully
formed and wide awake. Latents usually had the most control issues
because unlike born wolves, they weren’t used to compromising with
their instincts. A lot of accidents happened with them for that very
reason. They were as bad as weres.
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“Your mate bond could’ve triggered it. He’s the one you saved in
that car crash right?” Regan asked.
“Yeah.” It had been Ryan’s fault. He’d swerved in front of
Bradley to avoid a pothole in the pavement and caused the younger
man to hit the curb and send his car careening into the tree beyond.
He’d ditched his bike and gone to see what he could do to help out.
Bradley had been unconscious with his face pressed against the airbag
when he’d gotten to the driver’s side door. Ryan had all but ripped the
door off to get him out of there. He’d dialed 911 and had waited for
the cops and ambulance to come, keeping Bradley company until
then. The boy had a concussion and had talked out of his head so
much that Ryan had been ninety percent sure he wouldn’t remember
him when he got back straight. Ryan had paid all the damages, the
hospital bills, and the cost of a replacement car but had pretty much
forgotten about it until Bradley walked into the shop a month later.
“Well, that explains a bit. Wolves know their mates by sight and
scent alone. He probably started the process then, which would
explain why he can’t seem to stay away from you and why the full
awakening keeps getting put off.”
Ryan frowned. “How the hell does that explain why he hasn’t
shifted yet?”
“Duh, bro. Think. Every time he comes into the shop, you mark
him. You claim him in a way. That probably kept his wolf content for
the time being.”
“No,” Ryan denied. “We don’t even know if he’s a latent yet. I
have to talk to Alpha.”
“I’ll leave a message for Dean to start a background check on
your boy and start the process.” Dean was a private investigator who
was a member of the pack. He helped out a lot when it came to
criminal and personal problems. To say he was an invaluable
employee was pretty accurate.
“He’s not my boy.”
“Whatever you say, Ry.”
Available 39
“Fuck you, Re.” Their childhood nicknames didn’t invoke the
same amusement it usually did. “I start his training Friday.”
Regan snorted. “If he leaves you alone till then, I will eat my
fucking tattoo gun. If he’s a latent, he won’t be able to resist the
impulse, and the more you’re around him, the less you’ll be able to as
well. Why don’t you just bite the bullet and get it over with?”
“He’s clean, Re. I mean, he’s like almost virgin clean. I can’t.”
Raw panic rose up and clawed at his gut and chest. He stared a hole
through the glass in Bradley’s bedroom window.
“Easy, bro. Breathe.” Regan cursed on the other end of the phone.
“So it isn’t just that he’s vanilla, huh?”
“No, Re. He’s pure like a goddamn angel sent to punish me.” He
trembled, and it wasn’t from the freezing temperatures outside. “I
can’t touch him.”
“When are you going to stop punishing yourself for something
that happened when we were sixteen?” Regan asked softly. “David is
long mated and moved on from the incident. Why can’t you?”
“I can’t be trusted with someone like him again, Re. You don’t
understand. The things I did, the things I wanted to do…”
Regan made a noise of comfort, and Ryan could practically feel
his brother’s arms around him. “He was just as much at fault as you
were, Ryan. He wanted those things and knew how to safeword. You
gave him his fantasy. Granted, you both went too far, but you are a
better and more experienced Dom now. The punishment that you
endured was unjust, and Alpha will tell you that.”
“He begged me to stop, and I ignored him. I knew it felt wrong,
and I did it anyway.”
“Only because he would get pissed at you for stopping any other
time,” Ryan interrupted. “Jesus, Ryan. That boy is notorious for
topping from the bottom, and you were young enough to let him. He
manipulated the situation so that you went further and further down
into his fantasy land, and by the time you both realized it was too
much, you both were too far into it. You haven’t played hard since,
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and I know it’s not because you don’t have it in you or don’t have a
half a dozen availables begging you for it. He’s still controlling your
life, and he doesn’t even live here anymore. He wasn’t as innocent as
you seem to remember him. He played the part, but he was never an
innocent that you preyed upon.”
Ryan shook his head. His brother was wrong. He couldn’t be
trusted with someone who wasn’t experienced. He could play with
those cynical subs who knew the score. He wouldn’t dirty someone he
liked with his fantasies. “You just don’t get it.”
“Fine,” Ryan snapped, changing tactics. “Assign someone else to
him then. You’ll only hurt him if you give him only half of what he
needs. In fact, he’s cute. Assign me to be his trainer. I’ll fuck and
train him properly. Maybe when I’m done he won’t be too ‘pure’ for
your tastes.”
Ryan snarled. “You won’t fucking touch him!”
A long pause answered his declaration, followed by a low sigh.
“And that is why you’re going to have to come to grips with what
happened. For better or worse, bro, that boy is yours. It’s up to you to
train him in the ways of pack and to make him a proper mate.”
“He’s not my mate,” Ryan said automatically.
“And we’re back to that again? Fuck me, Ryan. You are a
stubborn asshole. Fine. He’s not your mate. You still have to train
him. Are you going to be okay with that, or do I need to bring this to
the Alpha’s attention?” Ryan asked.
Torn, Ryan said nothing. Maybe this was his second chance.
Maybe if he could train Bradley and then let him go, he could redeem
himself a bit. That way the human could figure out if he really wanted
what Ryan wanted or if it was just his inexperience that was keeping
them tied together. That had been some of the problem last time.
Years after the incident with David, the man had talked to him
after a pack meeting. He’d said that if he knew there was another way
to satisfy a Dominant he never would’ve been with Ryan. He’d said
what they’d done was all Ryan’s fault. While Ryan knew that wasn’t
Available 41
entirely true, as a Dominant, it was his job to know and understand, to
protect his submissive. He’d failed with David. But maybe, just
maybe, things could be different with Bradley.
“I have this under control,” Ryan said at last. “I’ll train him as a
submissive and then turn him lose to the pack as an available.” As
sick to his soul as that made him, he would do it. For Bradley. He
deserved a chance to find a Dom who would cherish him and give
him a fairytale experience.
“As an available, he will be thought of as a booty call, Ry. He
won’t find Prince Charming by playing the village bicycle,” Regan
said softly, reading Ryan’s mind.
“It’s happened before. You know there are some availables who
only play with one Dom. That’s the closest we have without mating.
Bradley is…” A million adjectives ran through his head, funny, sweet,
charming, stubborn, intoxicating, none of them were adequate.
“Bradley is a treasure. He deserves that chance.”
“He wants you, Ryan.”
“He doesn’t know what he wants. He’s inexperienced and a
veritable innocent. I’ll give him a taste of what he thinks he wants.
Afterward, he’ll want something else, experience something else. No
big.” His nonchalant words were belied by the absolute numbing chill
they brought into his chest.
Regan sighed. “Whatever. I’ll let you know what I find out from
Dean. I’ll talk to you tomorrow at work.”
“Will you come up to my house?” Ryan asked. They shared a
split-level house. Ryan took the top part, and Regan lived in the
bottom section. They were both independent dwelling spaces, but as
twins, they were used to being close. It comforted them both.
“I’m not alone, bro. I can drop him off though and come up,”
Regan offered.
“No way. That’s okay. You go have fun with your Wednesday,
and I’ll watch some tube before I hit the sheets. See you tomorrow.”
He hung up before his brother could reply. Good God. I am not this
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weak. He felt brittle as he dragged his gaze away from the house and
swung his leg over his bike. Tomorrow would be better. Tonight had
just been too much new information to process. Tomorrow he would
deal with the consequences of his actions, but tonight he just wanted
to get some sleep.
Available 43
Chapter Four
Bradley woke up wrapped like a burrito in his bedspread. It was
so incredibly warm that he was reluctant to struggle free from the
covers at first. He’d been drifting along in his thoughts of Ryan as he
did every night and had wakened from those beautiful moments to the
dawning realization that his most dizzy dreams were about to come
true. He was going to be Ryan’s submissive and then his mate.
What had happened last night after Ryan kissed him? He’d gotten
all floaty and dreamlike. He felt like he could’ve melted right into
Ryan and been perfectly content doing that. It wasn’t anything like
the book he’d read. He’d expected to be tied up and spanked and stuff
before he got to that weird happy place he’d read about in his book.
Ryan had seemed surprised as well. Was reaching the happy place too
soon kind of like coming too soon? Was it bad?
Fuck. He really didn’t know the rules. But he couldn’t start
doubting himself now. One hint of uncertainty and he was pretty sure
Ryan would bolt. He struggled out of the covers and grabbed his
phone. A text message flashed. His heart pounded. It was Ryan.
How are you feeling?
His fingers dragged over the keyboard. I’m good. I’ll drop by after
my shift.
It took a minute for the response to ping into his inbox. Friday.
Friday? He seriously thought they wouldn’t see each other for two
days? He thought the card had just meant that the training wouldn’t
start until then. Now that Bradley was Ryan’s available, there was no
way he was staying away for two whole days.
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“You aren’t ditching me,” Bradley promised himself. “You just
aren’t.”
* * * *
“You owe me money, bro,” Regan said as Ryan’s new beau
walked through the front door of the shop. The boy with his four lip
piercings and two eyebrow piercings on his left eye swaggered into
the shop like he owned it. A quick glance at the file said that Ryan
had pierced both the boy’s nipples, his belly button, and his cock as
well.
“Dammit,” Ryan cursed, looking panicky at his station. He had
been playing on his laptop between clients. Regan hated the way
Ryan panicked every time someone he cared about walked into his
life. He was fine with meaningless relationships, but when it came to
someone Ryan actually cared about, it was a disaster of epic
proportions. Regan had to interfere. At least one of them needed to
stand up and make sure a good relationship was possible. It sure as
hell wasn’t going to be Ryan. Ryan had found his mate. Regan would
make it work if he had to tie the two of them together for a year.
“I’m ducking into the back,” Ryan said, snapping his laptop shut.
“You are being a puss,” Regan commented as he disappeared into
one of the private rooms.
The blond-haired new available walked up to the reception desk
and leaned against the counter. He had a nice swagger to him and a
beautiful little body. He was in no way Regan’s type. If Ryan only
knew exactly what Regan’s secret was, he would drag him to therapy.
“Is he going to be right back?” Bradley asked, leaning forward against
the desk.
“He’s probably going to try and hide until you leave unless I go
get him,” Regan said, considering the submissive. He liked the kid’s
spunk. “Bold move, getting inked, by the way. I approve. My brother
is hard to tie down.”
Available 45
Bradley sighed. “You’re not kidding.”
“Is that the new available in my system?” Mustang’s deep voice
boomed from the back of the shop.
“Yeah, Alpha. How’d you know?” Regan called back, grinning.
The tremendous male who ran their pack was a force to be reckoned
with.
“There is only one reason that man scurries away from the front of
the shop like hell is chasing him. Is that Ryan’s new responsibility?”
“Yes, Alpha.” Ryan was probably embarrassed by Mustang’s very
loud and pointed questions. The Alpha’s footsteps echoed on the
hardwood floor down the hall. Bradley’s eyes widened as he got a
look at Mustang. He wasn’t as large as Regan, Ryan, or his mate,
Grayson, but he had an aura about him that was intimidating as hell.
“Well, let me get a look at you,” Mustang rumbled, motioning
Bradley forward. The new available took a step forward. Mustang
inhaled. “Hmm, he certainly has the right look. I was led to believe
you have no prior knowledge of the lifestyle?”
Bradley ducked his head, his eyes hitting the floor. It was classic
sub behavior when confronted by a Dom like Mustang. “I read a
book,” the boy murmured.
Mustang barked out a laugh. “That is great. You have your hands
full, Ryan.”
Regan raised a brow. “I’m Regan.”
“I know. I was telling your brother,” Mustang said, waving to the
back rooms. “Speaking of which…Ryan! Get in here!”
Regan took particular delight in his brother’s loud sigh of
disapproval before he stomped out of the back room and down the
hall to the front of the shop. He crossed his arms over his chest and
glared at Bradley. Regan sat back into his chair and watched.
“You were supposed to wait until Friday to come to my house for
training,” Ryan rumbled.
Bradley cocked his hip to the side and gave an answering glare,
clearly not intimidated by Ryan’s gruff demeanor. “Yeah, last time I
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checked I’m supposed to be your submissive now. You don’t get to
put me off for two days while you hide away from me.”
“Did you miss the part about a submissive being, oh I don’t know,
submissive?” Ryan snapped, agitation making his neck flush like it
usually did when he was pissed but helpless. Oh this is going to be fun
to watch. Regan was rooting for Bradley. Someone needed to mix up
his brother’s world a bit. This kid seemed like the one to do it.
“Did you miss the part about a Dominant being, oh I don’t know,
there?” Bradley shot back, clearly mocking Ryan. “I can’t learn if
you’re not there to teach me.”
Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but Mustang cut him off. “Are
we going to have a problem, fellas?” Ryan’s mouth snapped shut, and
he shook his head, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
Bradley crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll behave if he does. I
didn’t come here to fight out the legalities of this arrangement. I came
to drop something off.”
“And what is that?” Mustang asked. It was amazing how the
Alpha managed to command without even trying. Everything sounded
like an order to Regan.
Instead of answering, Bradley shrugged the massive back pack off
his shoulders and extracted a shiny red helmet. He extended it to
Ryan, who paled as it was handed over. “Am I missing something,
bro?” Regan asked, mind to mind.
“Sometimes reckless is good, necessary,” Bradley said, kneeling
to refasten his bag. “But it never hurts to take care of yourself along
the way. I hope you’ll use it. I sort of got a friend of mine to hack the
records at your dealership and find the helmet that went with the bike.
Enjoy.”
Ryan, for the first time in Regan’s recollection, was clearly
speechless. “Brother,” Regan said. “Say something.”
“I can’t take this,” Ryan said at last. Regan wanted to growl. Why
couldn’t his brother say “thank you” like a normal person?
Available 47
Bradley held up his hands in denial. “Please, take it. It would
make me feel better if I knew that you had one on when you were
driving around. You know how awful it is to drive out there.
Motorcycles have the worst safety ratings for that reason. If it had
been me hitting you or running you off the road or something, you
might not have survived it.” His concern was touching. He already
cared deeply about Ryan if this was any indication.
“I could almost get my head torn off and I would live,” Ryan
groused. But he didn’t try to shove off the helmet this time.
“Uh-huh,” Mustang said, his keen eyes going back and forth
between the two of them with acute interest. “Regan, Ryan, I need to
see you in my office. Grayson!” The last was for the final and newest
member of the shop. Grayson Gambler was the Alpha’s mate and was
in charge of pack submissives.
A muffled voice rang out from the back. “What is it, Sir?”
“Can you come here please? I need you to come in here and keep
Bradley company while I talk to the betas.” It might’ve been worded
like a request, but the order was clear. Almost instantly the sound of
footsteps echoed down the hall. Mustang pointed at the pair of them.
“In my office. Now.”
* * * *
The office door clicked shut with the finality of a coffin nail.
“Someone better start talking,” Mustang said, crossing from the door
before sitting on the edge of his desk. Ryan bit the inside of his cheek
hard enough to bring blood. The last thing he wanted to talk about
was what was waiting for him in the lobby. “Okay. Simple question
then. How did that boy end up as an available? He is not the normal
type. In fact, if I didn’t think my beta was sane, I’d think he was your
would-be submissive, Ryan. However, since by law, unless he is your
mate, he can’t be made into a personal available that would be
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impossible. So please, tell me why the house cat is being paraded as
an alley cat?”
“He’s crazy,” Ryan muttered, gripping his knees hard enough to
pinch. “Bradley followed me to the club, copied the tattoo that the
availables wear, and had it inked on him at another shop in order to
meet up with me outside here. He believes that I am his mate.”
Mustang glowered, and Ryan wanted to disappear into the
floorboards. “How does a human even understand the term?”
“Apparently, he saw me shift one night after work. I didn’t
know,” Ryan said. His brother had been silent the whole time
Mustang and he had been conversing. “Anytime you want to cut in to
defend me would be awesome.”
“So we had an unregistered available with crucial knowledge
about our species running amok in town and no one thought to even
tell me when I got in this morning?” Mustang asked, his voice falsely
upbeat. They were in for an ass-chewing.
“We were going to tell you this afternoon after all the clients came
through and we had a break before the late-night rush,” Regan said.
“We didn’t try and hide it. Under pack law, Ryan or I can admit
unregistered availables who show interest.”
“True. But you didn’t tell me that he had been stalking Ryan prior
to this and that he thought Ryan was his mate. Those things smack of
instability. Despite his impressive display in the reception area, I am
concerned if this is a good idea,” Mustang said.
Ryan swallowed. “We believe he may be a latent, Alpha. We’re
having Dean investigate into it now. When we were here last night
filling out paperwork, he picked out the symbol for ‘wolf son’ from
the ink book. He said it ‘felt’ right.”
“Ah I see. So your mate bond awakened his wolf. So why is he
registered as an available?” Mustang asked.
Regan grinned and leaned forward. “Because Ryan is a stubborn
ass who refuses to take him as a mate despite the bond. The wolf will
not be denied, my brother.”
Available 49
“Is that true?” The question was deadly. Ryan’s heart started to
pound a million miles a minute, and he thought if he didn’t get out of
the shop soon he was going to throw up.
“I’m not convinced of the validity of his claim just yet,” Ryan
muttered, staring at the floor. His entire body screamed “fuck off.”
“Until I figure it out, I thought I’d assign myself as trainer and
integrate him into our world.”
Mustang leaned back on the desk. “Or I could send him to be
cleansed by the Circle and be done with it. I don’t have time, nor will
I risk the pack for possibilities. If he isn’t your mate, there is no
reason you need to train him. It takes away from your duties. If he is
unstable enough to think that you two are ‘destined’ to be together
when fate clearly hasn’t made the distinction, that is a problem.
Likewise, if he has boundary issues, the best way to deal with it is to
send him away. The Circle’s methods are relatively harmless.”
Ryan cut in. “That’s unacceptable. He might’ve gone through the
improper channels, but he is now legally an available. We owe it to
him to have him trained. Afterward, if it is found that he doesn’t suit,
we can send him to the Circle.”
“Which still leads me to the problem of having a beta caught up
playing house with an available,” Mustang said. “I’m reassigning
him, Ryan. You two have a volatility that will only cause me a
headache. He’s a cute kid, but when push comes to shove, it’s too
much hassle.”
Pain exploded through Ryan’s chest, and before he knew it, he
had his hand wrapped around Mustang’s throat. “You will not touch
him,” he snarled, his wolf so close to the surface that it slurred his
speech to a low rumble. The smell of earth and the feel of fur filled
his senses. He was damn close to shifting.
Mustang’s nostril’s flared. “You have until the count of three to
let me go and get back in your damn place or else I will put you down
so hard that you won’t have to worry about training anyone for a very
long time. One. Two—” Ryan let his grip loosen and forced himself
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to take a step back. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Did I just attack my Alpha over
a man I don’t really want to be mine? Mustang straightened and
smoothed over his clothes. “Denying your mate will only cause you
heartache, friend.” He’d expected another dressing-down. The weird
encouragement was somehow worse. Ryan could handle fighting
against himself, but it seemed his whole pack was against him.
Mustang sighed. “I’ll allow this debacle to take place, but until you
claim him, you will treat him exactly like you would treat any other
submissive you are training as an available. I expect reports on his
progress.”
Ryan gritted his teeth. What choice did he have? “Yes, Alpha.”
“Good.” Mustang waved them toward the door. “Make sure he
has Grayson’s number. We don’t usually take those unfamiliar with
BDSM for a reason. I don’t want him getting isolated and
overwhelmed.”
“We’ll make sure of it, Alpha,” Regan said for him as they stood.
“You want us to send Gid back in here?”
Mustang nodded. “Please. I have a break between appointments,
and my submissive was about to tell me a secret. Out, both of you.
Ryan?”
“Yes, Alpha?”
“If you need any counseling, you know my number. Discovering
your mate is a hard thing to work through. I’m here if you need me.”
Sometimes it was great having a pack. It meant that he never had
to deal with anything alone. He could always count on his pack to
support him in the things he did. However, everyone and their mother
knew his business, and they all tried to offer him advice on how to fix
it. No thank you. “If I need it, I’ll come to you, Alpha,” Ryan said,
going for the diplomatic angle. It wasn’t his strong point, but it would
have to do in this situation. Until he let Bradley go, everyone was
going to assume the man was his mate.
He walked down the hallway to see Grayson pat Bradley’s back
and smile at something his smartass sub said. He growled without
Available 51
meaning to as unreasoning instincts said the other male needed to
back the hell off. Grayson raised his eyes and met Ryan’s, a look of
incredulity on his face. As an Omega, Grayson outranked even
Mustang on the power scale, though he was Mustang’s submissive.
On top of that, he was a huge wolf that Ryan really wouldn’t want to
be on the receiving end of any sort of argument. Granted, the guy was
sweet, but he was extremely protective over the pack subs and the
humans in their charge.
“Problem, Ryan?” Grayson asked with false joviality.
“No problem, Grayson.” His eyes went to his sub. “You’re not
going to let me wait until Friday huh?” Bradley shook his head,
stubborn as ever. It figured. “Well, come on then. Let’s grab some
grub and bring some back for the guys. How does Mac’s sound to all
the above parties?”
“Mac’s sounds awesome,” Regan said, sliding back into his
station chair and opening up a sketch pad. “You know what I want.”
“I’ve got the old order in Mustang’s vehicle. You mind if I take it,
Alpha?” Ryan asked, knowing the other man could hear him despite
his regular volume. It was one of the benefits of being wolf.
Mustang’s voice sounded a second later. “Go ahead. Put some gas
in it while you’re out. The card is in the glove box.”
Mac’s was one of their favorite restaurants slash biker bars. The
local college kids kept out of it for the most part, and the food there
was phenomenal. It was a BBQ joint right on par with the best Ryan
had ever had. Mac, the owner, was a burly wolf only a few inches
shorter than Ryan who managed the Wolfskins clubhouse, the pack-
affiliated biker club. Ryan wasn’t a member because he had way too
much to do and he preferred the racing bikes anyway. However, Mac
never made a distinction between the members in the club and those
without. He was a good guy even if he was a bit rough around the
edges.
“I’ve never been,” Bradley said, drawing his attention back to his
problem and off of food. Man, I am being ADHD today. Focus, Ry.
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God. Focusing on Bradley seemed like a bad idea though. Every time
he tried he was swamped with the overwhelming need to take the
other man in his arms and whisk him off to somewhere private to
scratch the itch that had him by the balls since he’d come into the club
last night.
“Mac’s is a bar restaurant down the road. A lot of college kids
find it too rough a place to hang out. It’s open late though, and Alpha
has a thing for the BBQ chicken. Shall we?” Ryan asked, not
bothering to wait and see if Bradley was going to follow.
He jumped the steps and circled the employees’ parking lot, the
gravel crunching beneath his boots as he walked. “You forgot the
keys,” Bradley called from behind him. The sound of jingling made
him stop. Damn it. That was embarrassing. Bradley’s hand scalded a
path along his spine as the human touched his lower back before
reaching around his body to deposit the keys in Ryan’s now-shaking
hands. It was like he was a junky and Bradley was his fix. “You
know, Ryan, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had avoidance
issues.”
“I hadn’t planned on dealing with this yet.” “This” encompassed a
wide variety of “oh fucks” that he was deliberately not thinking about.
He swallowed and gripped the keys. “So how were your classes?”
“Good. I had to work today, but my classes are going well. I don’t
have another class until my studio class tomorrow,” Bradley said,
letting the subject drop. “My professor sold one of my pieces. That’s
why I was able to get you the helmet. A recruiter from the High Point
Institute of Fine and Performing Arts was interested and bought it for
some kind of business thing at the college. He’s trying to get me to
apply for their Master’s program there.”
“You must be pretty good. You going to do it?” Ryan asked. The
thought did weird things to the pit of his stomach, namely, it twisted
his intestines into knots, and the urge to forbid Bradley to leave was
almost too strong to resist.
Available 53
Bradley shrugged as Ryan hit the unlock button to the car. They
both climbed in, and Bradley’s hand automatically went to the radio
to fiddle with the channels on Mustang’s satellite. “I was considering
it, but now that I’m your submissive, I’ve rethought my future. I’m
thinking about opening up a small gallery downtown or maybe
interning at Howlers if there is a position available. I want to be close
to you.”
Surprise flickered through Ryan. “That’s a bit hasty. Don’t you
think? We don’t even know if this is going to work out.” But, then,
being an available wasn’t a thing someone quit. If he went to another
pack territory, then he would just become an available in another
pack. He’d still have the same obligation to be open to courtship from
Dominant pack members and to remain unattached to any human
boyfriends to accomplish that. Ryan swallowed. This wasn’t the life
he’d choose for the willful man in the car with him. Such a life could
break the spirit of an innocent.
Bradley turned his pretty hazel eyes on Ryan. “I used to think
being famous with my art would make me happy, but in actuality, I
think that it would’ve eventually strangled my muse. I thrive in
creative environments and when I don’t have to rely on my own
judgment to keep my life running. Even with an agent, it seems like a
whole lot of business and very little time for art. I have what I need
right here.”
“But you have no idea what you’re asking for,” Ryan murmured.
It was a pretty picture he painted though. He could work on his art
and be available to Ryan whenever Bradley needed it. Ryan had
always been a Dominant who craved a lot of face-time with his sub. It
was one of the reasons he liked going to the club nearly every night.
He longed for a deeper connection to his subs than most Doms played
for.
“I won’t know until someone teaches me,” Bradley said gently.
The would-be submissive kept treating him with kid gloves, and it
was beginning to make Ryan more than a little annoyed. He was the
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one who was supposed to be in charge. Got to actually step up and
take charge if you want to top him. The voice in the back of his mind
sounded very suspiciously like his wolf. It wasn’t actually words, but
it was the meaning behind them that was expressed through a series of
pictures and feelings. Yeah, yeah. I get it. Be a Dom. It was hard with
Bradley though. Ryan had his own hang-ups about the situation, and
that made getting into the proper mindset a little difficult.
He flicked the blinker on as they took a right onto Triton Street.
At the end of the road, Mac’s was already in full swing. The bikes
were lined up outside in neat rows, and the cars were parked behind
that. It would be hard finding a parking spot this time of night, but if
all else failed, Ryan was fairly confident that Mac wouldn’t have
Alpha’s car towed from the employees’ parking lot around back.
Though it was Ryan’s lunch, it was actually more of a late dinner than
anything. The shop didn’t open until noon, so that meant they had
later nights than most folks kept.
“It looks like a barn,” Bradley said, looking concerned. Luckily
there was a parking spot on the far end of the lot. It wasn’t that bad. It
looked like every other steak joint that Ryan had come across. Of
course the big biker’s welcome sign and rough-cut wood may have
added a more rustic touch than most places had.
Ryan glanced over at his companion. “It isn’t fancy, but I promise
you the food will turn your mouth into an oral orgy of taste.”
“I’ll take what you give me. I’m not picky,” Bradley said, offering
him a shrug. Somehow Ryan had a difficult time believing that.
Bradley seemed to have a damn opinion about everything. Why did
the quality turn him on? Most of the club subs were eager to please,
anxious to obey, and unwilling to give so much as their opinion on the
temperature of the room because they were scared to disagree with a
Dom on anything. Bradley was refreshing. His wit and charm coupled
with his stubbornness was just an appealing combination. That had to
be it.
Available 55
Ryan put the car in park and cut the engine. “Being my sub is
going to involve more than some kinky sex and the occasional
spanking. There is much more involved with it.” Why did I blurt that
out?
The human nodded. “I know. In the book, the sub had to learn all
kinds of rules and stuff. I’m willing to go wherever I need to go,
Ryan. Just show me how.”
“After we eat and drop the stuff off to the shop, you and I are
going to my house to discuss some things. They won’t make you
comfortable, but there are things I need to know before I plan out
something for you on Friday.” I’m possessed!
The grateful smile that crossed Bradley’s face twisted his heart
into a knot. Damn. He’s beautiful when he does that. It made him
want to suck on that full bottom lip and play with the four thin rings
that captured it. “Whatever you need from me. I’ll give it to you.” The
words that every Dom wanted to hear seemed sweeter coming from a
place of total sincerity. Bradley wasn’t just aiming to get off in their
little encounter. He seemed to genuinely want to please. The only
motivation and goal seemed to be Ryan becoming his, and that in
itself was an intoxicating thing. To be wanted was one thing. To be
needed was something else entirely.
“Let’s go. You’re skinny as a rail and need the food.” Ryan
opened his car door and rolled out of the vehicle. Bradley followed,
and Ryan resisted the urge to drape his arm around the human’s
shoulders as they walked through the front door. It was impulsive and
more of a way for him to mark Bradley as taken than anything else.
He resisted, but it was a bigger struggle than he wanted it to be.
The hostess on duty was a familiar face. Mac’s daughter, Kira,
usually waited on the pack members who came in from Howlers. She
bounced up to them, brown ponytail swinging. “Hey! Which one?”
“Ryan,” he said, smiling back at her. She was a really perky kid,
and they always left her great tips. “How’s it going, Kira?”
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Her eyes were pretty much glued to Bradley, who shifted
uncomfortably under the scrutiny. “Pretty good. Papa got Brian a
dishwashing job in the back. We get to move out next week. Got a hot
date?”
“You know me better than that,” Ryan said with a wink. “I’ve got
a to-go order after we’ve eaten to take back to that slave-driver of an
Alpha of ours.”
She nodded. “Cool, cool. I’m Kira. Are you new?” She extended
her hand, and Bradley took the handshake. He didn’t look happy
about it though. Weird.
Understanding dawned. “Oh my bad. This is Bradley, Kira. He’s
an available I’m training. Bradley, this is Kira. She’s Mac’s daughter.
She recently got mated to Brian, one of our pack submissives. She
also takes care of the Howlers men when we come in to bug Mac.”
“Congratulations,” Bradley said, warming considerably. “It’s a
pleasure to meet you.”
Kira grinned. “He’s super cute, Ryan. And possessive. Oh boy.
You thought I had a thing for our beta?”
He shrugged, and Ryan nearly swallowed his tongue. He was
jealous? That was why he got all quiet?
She winked. “Thought so. Bold and not afraid to show what you
want. I like those qualities in a sub. You’re going to have your hands
full with his one, Ryan. Guaranteed.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. Yeah. He needed yet another person to tell
him that Bradley was going to be trouble. He didn’t need that
information, thanks much. He understood that perfectly well all on his
own. “We’ll take a booth,” Ryan rumbled, taking Bradley’s elbow
and giving him a squeeze.
Kira turned on her heel and walked further into the restaurant.
Bradley and Ryan followed at a slower pace, and Ryan was
hyperaware of the way Bradley’s arm felt under his hand. I’m in
trouble.
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Chapter Five
This place sure had a lot of neon beer signs. The bar was
obviously the center fixture, and the high bar tables took up a majority
of the space. The flags hanging from the ceiling displayed a wolf with
his head kicked back howling at a crescent moon. The golden
embroidered name Wolfskins blazed. Guess he wasn’t kidding about
this being a biker hangout.
The booth was near the waiters’ stations, but it was the only
available one, so Bradley couldn’t complain. Besides that, the
company was someone out of his fantasies. The feel of Ryan’s hand
burning through his sleeve was enough to make him want to drag the
larger man back out into the parking lot for something that had little
to do with food.
“I can smell your want, boy. Knock it off,” Ryan snapped as Kira
walked away to fetch their drink orders.
“I can’t really control that, Ryan,” Bradley said. The order stung.
He couldn’t obey it anymore than he could suddenly gain the ability
to breathe underwater.
Ryan sighed, closed his eyes, and seemed to count backward from
ten. “I know. I’m being an unreasonable jackass.” He took another
deep breath. “I’m not behaving properly about this. I’m just off
balance, and I’m not used to it.”
Kira reappeared with their drinks before Bradley could say
anything about it. “You know what you guys want, Ryan?”
“Two of your manager’s specials,” Ryan said, his eyes not leaving
Bradley’s face the entire time he spoke. Bradley could care less about
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what he was ordering. All that mattered was Ryan looking at him with
that blatant consideration in his gaze. Kira nodded and walked away.
“Do you always order for your submissive at a restaurant?”
Bradley asked. Was that common? They didn’t cover all this in his
romance novel. He might’ve read a book, but it hadn’t been a how-to
manual.
“It’s something I enjoy. Usually I get to know their tastes better,
ask if they’re vegetarian or something first. But I took a chance with
you.” Ryan smiled at him, and Bradley’s heart felt like it stopped.
“The manager’s special is two pieces of grilled chicken, green beans,
and an ear of corn off the grill. Do you dislike any of those?”
“No. They’re all fine. I just want to make sure I know the rules,”
Bradley said, resting his elbows lightly on the table in front of them.
Ryan sipped on his water. “What do you want to get out of this
relationship?”
That was an easy question. “You of course. I want to be yours.”
Bradley had thought of little else in months. It had saturated his art,
his sleep. Everything had been touched with Ryan.
“What do you want for you? What do you crave? Hmm, I’m
coming at this from the wrong angle. How about this, tell me your
fantasies. I need to see you,” Ryan said. Heat flooded Bradley’s
cheeks. He couldn’t say those out loud in a restaurant. “Imagine it’s
just you and me in a hotel somewhere. Kira isn’t going to care what
we say. She’s a pack Dominant and has heard it all. Trust me. Tell me
about what you thought about in the months since we met.”
Bradley sipped on his water, stalling. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve
been thinking a lot about”—he lowered his voice and glanced around
before he continued—“you know, sex and stuff. It’s normal to think
about the person you like that way though.”
Ryan nodded. “Yes. Of course it is. Be more specific. Tell me
your most potent fantasy, the thing that gets you off fastest.”
If he thought Bradley could say that out loud, he was out of his
mind. “I can’t.”
Available 59
“You can. You’re embarrassed to, but sometimes things in the
lifestyle will expose you in ways that leave you vulnerable to me. It
breaks you down into your most primal form. You like the idea of
being tied up?” Bradley nodded. “Spanked?” He hesitated a bare
second before he nodded. He’d liked it the one time he’d had it
before. “Those are the things people who aren’t in the lifestyle
understand about it. It’s more than that, Bradley.”
“I want to learn,” Bradley said stubbornly. He wished Ryan would
stop lecturing and start teaching him.
“That’s the first step, but obedience is the second. Do you agree
that you’re giving power over to me as your Dominant?”
“Yes.” “Sir” was on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back at the
last second, startled at where the impulse came from. He felt himself
slipping into a place of safety and warmth. Ryan had cast a line and
was reeling him in by slow degrees.
“Then you need to trust me and obey me. Given my weirdness
around you, the trust will take time. But it will come as we get more
comfortable with one another. There will come a time when my will
is as important as your own.” Something about the way Ryan said it
made Bradley sit up and pay attention. His cock swelled behind his
zipper. He liked that idea. He liked the idea of being that close to the
wolf. Ryan lowered his voice to a rumbled purr. “And when that day
comes, your pleasure will become as important as my own.”
Bradley swallowed. “I want that.”
“Then tell me your fantasy, boy,” Ryan commanded.
“We’re outside. Running,” Bradley began, swallowing hard. His
pulse rate kicked up as the image came to the forefront of his mind.
“You’re chasing me, and I know if you catch me I’m in trouble. I’m
running as fast as I can, but I want you to catch me.” He glanced at
Ryan, who gave a nod of encouragement. “You catch up and tackle
me to the ground.” He pressed the heel of his palm against the now
painful swell of his erection. “We wrestle for the top position, and
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you push me to the ground and…” He panted, unsure if he needed to
continue.
“Keep going,” Ryan growled. It seemed like he wasn’t the only
one affected. The fact that Ryan was turned on by his fantasy made
Bradley’s balls draw up tight to his body.
“You tell me not to come until you say so, and then you’re inside
me. The way you fuck me”—he raised his eyes and their gazes
locked—“it was like you own me.”
Ryan stood suddenly and offered Bradley a hand. “Come.”
Bradley’s heart pounded. What was going on? It was hard to figure
out what Ryan was thinking. His expression was thunderous, but the
decided bulge said he’d enjoyed Bradley’s words as much as Bradley
had. With the barest moment of hesitation, he took the proffered hand,
and then he was pulled out of the booth and toward the back of the
bar. Ryan whistled as they got close to the bartender. The guy looked
up and nodded as Ryan pointed in the direction they were heading.
“Are you mad?” Bradley asked, unbalanced. Maybe he’d been
looking for a kinkier fantasy. Maybe he’d done it wrong.
“No,” Ryan rumbled, opening a door opposite the bathrooms
before tugging Bradley inside. A quick glance around said that this
was some kind of storage closet, but it had a vanity and mirror.
Maybe the wait staff used this place to get ready as well as stash their
cleaning stuff. “Get on your knees.”
Bradley blinked. “What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself. It’s one of my pet peeves,” Ryan
rumbled, tapping Bradley on the shoulder before indicating the floor
with a quick glance. As if in a dream, Bradley did as he was bid,
obeying Ryan’s command. He felt his power leave the second his
knees touched the linoleum. He gave it to Ryan.
“Whatever you want,” he whispered, looking up the strong length
of Ryan’s built body.
Ryan cursed, which confused the hell out of him. Didn’t he want
this? “I wanted to wait, wanted to make the first touch something
Available 61
special since you’re so new. Fuck it. I’m not special.” He popped the
button on his jeans and lowered the zipper. His naked cock sprang
into the open air, and Bradley whimpered at the sight. If nothing else,
Ryan had a beautiful cock. It was long, thick, perfect for whatever the
man wanted to use it for. “You make me need, boy.”
“This is special,” Bradley murmured, his mouth watering. He
understood. Ryan had wanted this as much as he had. He was just
better at denying the impulse. He dragged his gaze from Ryan’s dick
and met the Dominant’s eyes. “Because it’s you.”
Ryan growled. “Suck.”
Bradley didn’t need to be told twice. He braced his hands on
Ryan’s thick thighs and leaned forward to lap at the already pre-cum-
slicked head of Ryan’s cock. The second the taste hit his tongue,
some foreign part of him all but howled in triumph. He shivered as
the press of something foreign filled his senses, rubbing along him
like a pelt of fur and filling his nose with a faint musk. A wave of
need hit him so hard he was pretty sure his vision dimmed for a
second.
He shoved his head down, choking on Ryan’s length but not
caring. “God,” Ryan gasped, threading his hands in Bradley’s hair.
Mine, that foreign part of him spat. Bradley closed his eyes, savoring
the sensation and taste of Ryan. He wanted to be filled, marked,
taken. He needed it with a desperate edge that defied everything he’d
been taught growing up. He needed to be Ryan’s. I am. I am his now.
That settled the spiraling need somewhat.
“That’s it, boy. Suck my cock,” Ryan rumbled above him. His
fingers tightened, and the control shifted so that Bradley wasn’t so
much sucking him at his own pace as Ryan was fucking his face. It
made Bradley dizzy. Yes. Yes. The feeling was just like in his dreams.
“Wanted to make this clean for you.” He grunted. “Just couldn’t
wait.”
I want it dirty. I want this. But of course Bradley couldn’t say that
out loud with his mouth full. Ryan seemed to understand his pleading
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look however because his hips snapped forward faster. Minutes later,
Ryan let out a guttural rumble of pleasure an instant before his hot
spunk poured over Bradley’s tongue. He swallowed eagerly, savoring
every sensation as his dizziness sent him careening over the edge of
some invisible precipice. Like a teen with his first skin mag, he shot
into the tight confines of his jeans, his hips fucking air as he came. He
sucked compulsively on the softening cock in his mouth as he rubbed
the head of his own dick through the rest of his orgasm.
Ryan pulled from his mouth with a groan and an audible pop.
“Fuck. Christ, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Bradley shook his head, a lethargy seizing him. “No,” he said
hoarsely. “Don’t.” He needed to be in this moment for a while,
needed to savor it.
“Are you all right, sweet?” Ryan asked, tucking himself back in
his jeans before kneeling in front of Bradley.
He licked his lips. “Fine.” A little shaken but otherwise fine. A
blow job had never been so intense before. If this was an indication of
how things were going to be with the two of them, then Bradley was
pretty sure that he was going to die when they actually had sex. “My
jeans are wrecked though.” He looked down at the stain slowly
spreading through his blue jeans. His cheeks heated. Damn. He didn’t
want to walk back out there like this.
Ryan cupped his cheek. “Is there something else you could wear
in your bag? I could go out to the car and get it.” The thoughtfulness
of the gesture should not be making Bradley feel like he was going to
melt into a puddle of infinite happiness.
He swallowed and nodded. “My work overalls. They’re splattered
with paint, but it’s better than cum. Just bring me the bag so I can
stash these in there?”
“No problem. I’ll be right back.” Ryan pushed himself to his feet,
and Bradley’s throat tightened.
“Wait.” The word was out of his mouth before he thought of a
reason for why Ryan would wait. He opened his mouth but froze as
Available 63
Ryan paused. What was he supposed to say? Give me a cuddle? Let
me know you felt that? Let me know that I did a good job? All those
options seemed stupid and made him look weak. He balled his fists up
on his thighs as unreasoning fear hit him. He didn’t want to fuck this
up. It was his one chance at being with Ryan.
Ryan dropped to his knees in front of him again. “Hey now, shhh,
what’s wrong, sweet?”
He shrugged helplessly. What was he supposed to say? Goddamn
it.
Ryan wrapped his arms around Bradley and pulled him into his
lap. Instant calm infused him as the scent and feel of the other man
permeated his senses. Ryan kissed his temple. “The best part about
being my submissive is that you don’t have to be strong all the time,
Bradley. You give your burdens to me always. Don’t ever think you
can’t tell me something. What is going through your head?”
“It’s hard,” Bradley hedged.
“I know. But that’s part of the control you’re holding onto. Let me
in, Bradley.” The soft command undid the final knot in his chest, and
he all but sagged against Ryan.
“I’m not entirely sure. You just popped up to get my bag, and I
felt, I don’t know, abandoned, maybe. I know that’s stupid, but I
didn’t know if you liked it or if you regretted it or anything. I know
it’s dumb. I mean, you came. So I must’ve done something right,”
Bradley muttered, hiding his face in the crook of Ryan’s neck. He
wasn’t trying to be whiny or clingy, but he couldn’t seem to help
himself.
Ryan nodded like what he said made sense. “That’s a natural
reaction. I topped you, and you’re still unsure of where we stand. I
didn’t give you any indication of where we were going or if we were
going to continue. That was my bad. I got overeager listening to you.
I thought talking about it here would help, but I underestimated how
badly I wanted you. We are going to do this, Bradley. I am going to
teach you how to be a sub, and for the duration, you will be my sub.
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That means I take care of you and will not walk out on you. Period.
Does that make you feel better?”
Bradley kissed the side of his neck. “Yes.” Sir. The promise
seemed to make his former concern silly. “I’m all right now. You can
go get the bag.”
Ryan chuckled. “Why thank you for giving me permission.” He
disentangled them and stood once more before helping Bradley up
and sitting him down on the stool that was in front of the vanity. “I’ll
be right back. We’ll continue our conversation when we get back to
the table. Think about anything you want to try and any questions you
have.”
Bradley nodded and smiled at him in the mirror. Someone in
heaven must’ve been listening to his pleading over the past few
months. He looked at the two of them side by side in the mirror before
Ryan turned to the door and left out of it. They looked like they fit
together.
Bradley was smaller than Ryan, but he was toned, cut. His
piercings, each one given by Ryan, saved him from looking too
innocent with his mop of blond hair that he was always forgetting to
cut and his big hazel eyes. Ryan was huge, towering, and just as cut as
Bradley was except his muscles were probably more from the gym
than from his natural build. He was tattooed on both arms, and when
he wore a tank top, the line of dermal piercings that ran the length of
his spine was visible. He looked edgy without trying but with the
extras looked like he was the last person someone would want to run
into in a dark alley. His dark hair and eyes complemented Bradley
nicely. His eyes skated over his arms. He hoped to become a part of
the story on the half-sleeve of ink that was on his right arm.
* * * *
“I’ll be right back, Mac. I’m ducking out to the car for Bradley’s
bag,” Ryan said, letting the owner know that he wasn’t ditching out
Available 65
on his meal. Kira was keeping their plates under a hot lamp, thank
God.
Mac rounded the bar and matched his steps. “I’ll walk with you.”
Uh-oh. He was in trouble.
“What’s up, Mac?” Ryan asked as they passed the double doors
and came into the parking lot.
“How long have you been with that sub you’re interviewing?”
The question wasn’t unexpected. Despite being inferior in the pack
hierarchy, Mac was older than him by ten years and had been settling
down when Ryan had been an unruly pup. That gave him the right to
tell the beta exactly where to get off as far as Ryan was concerned.
“He was a client at Howlers the past few months.” He couldn’t
even lie and say he’d “known” Bradley. Other than the thirty-minute
flirtations they’d engaged in when Bradley came in, every time Ryan
had run into him in public, he’d made it abundantly clear he didn’t
want to know Bradley in a more intimate setting. He’d been running
away from Bradley’s advances ever since he first realized he was
genuinely attracted to the boy.
They made it to Mustang’s work truck, and he hit the unlock
button on the key. Mac slapped him on the shoulder and turned him
around so they were facing. “Do you think ducking into the back
during negotiations to scratch an itch is the best way to go about
getting to know him well enough to Dominate him in a scene?”
“I’m not hurting him, Mac. I’m going to train him as an available
and then turn him loose.” It was his new mantra. He would find the
strength to walk away at the end of it all. He had to. For his salvation
and for Bradley’s. He would make a fine mate for someone else. The
low growl in the back of his mind told him that his wolf was telling
him he was out of his fucking mind.
“You don’t look at a sub with all that want and trepidation without
them being your mate. It’s plain as day for anyone with eyes. You’re
going to hurt the both of you if you keep denying the instincts God
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gave you. Fair warning, you hurt a new sub and you and I will have
more than words. Got it?” Mac asked, his voice deadly.
Ryan resisted the urge to snarl. He knew Mac was just being
protective of a new sub in the pack. Even if they weren’t really pack
members, availables were an intricate and valuable part of it.
However, it felt a lot like his territory was being invaded, and he
really didn’t care for it. “I will care for my sub as I see fit,” he bit off.
Mac crossed his arms over his chest. “Stupid pup, look at what
you just said. Your sub. Yours. Trainers don’t own availables
anymore than the men and women that the availables cater to do.
Your job is to teach him to be a submissive. At the end of the night,
it’s not supposed to be an intimate tussle. Read your training manual
before you jump in headfirst without looking. There are precautions to
take—”
“Don’t lecture me, Mac,” Ryan interrupted. “I’ve had enough
people doing that today. You, Kira, Mustang, and my brother have all
given me hell over that boy, and I didn’t even want him to begin with!
He followed me. He inserted himself into my life. I didn’t pursue him!
As far as I’m concerned he should be grateful I’m even taking the
time and energy to indulge him in training after the shit he’s pulled!”
Mac didn’t flinch from Ryan’s bellowed statement. “If you resent
him that much, you need to walk away now, Ryan. You don’t deserve
his submission.”
Ryan gaped. “What?”
“Get in your damn truck and go. Leave his bag and I’ll give it to
him,” Mac demanded, holding his hand out supposedly for Ryan to
hand over Bradley’s bag.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? He’s my responsibility!”
Mac snorted. “And I’m sure Alpha will find someone who won’t
think of him as a burden to be tolerated. He didn’t let you be the
hunter in your relationship. So what? Would you be any less
persistent in your pursuit of someone you liked? I seem to recall a
time when you followed David around like a goddamn puppy. You
Available 67
showed up here more than once with only enough money for a coffee
just so you could sit in his section. He said ‘no’ how many times
before he went out with you?” Each word felt like an ice pick being
driven into his chest over and over again.
“Yeah?” he asked, his voice brittle. “Look how that turned out.
It’s not healthy to like someone that much.”
“Love turns us all into fools,” Mac said softly. “You’re a grown-
ass man. Stop being afraid of being a fool. You’ll only end up looking
more like one if you deny it.”
Ryan turned away and grabbed the bag out of the floorboards.
“I’m trying.”
“I don’t mean to be harsh on you, Ry. I just want you to be aware of
how you’re goin’ about this. Your heart is not the only one who stands
to be crushed under your boots if you let it. If you need help—”
“You’re here. I got it.” Ryan shut the door and locked it back.
“I’m lost with him.”
Mac nodded. “Ain’t no finer place to be, boy.”
Ryan disagreed. It felt awful to be in this position. A few weeks. A
few weeks of normal Dom/sub stuff and then I’ll walk away. The
memories would keep him warm. They would have to.
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Chapter Six
Bradley pulled the overalls up his hips and fastened the first
shoulder then the other. It wasn’t the height of fashion, but it would
do in a pinch. He stuffed his other pants in the bag and straightened.
Ryan leaned against the doorframe, looking at him with an odd
expression on his face. Bradley smiled. “Okay. I’m ready to eat. I’m
starving.”
“I need to apologize to you,” Ryan said. Bradley’s heart clenched.
God, what now? He didn’t think he could take anymore of Ryan’s yo-
yoing today. He was more confusing than any man Bradley had ever
met, bar none. “I haven’t exactly given this a fair shot. Yes, you came
to me unconventionally, but it doesn’t mean I should treat you like a
freak. I’m sorry about that.”
Relief scalded him. “Thanks. I just want to make you happy.”
“I know. I’m a little leery of anything that looks like a permanent
collar, but that is my issue. I’m going to treat you right, Brad.”
“Bradley,” he corrected automatically.
The corner of Ryan’s mouth lifted in a semblance of a smile. “Not
Brad?”
“No. I hate when people shorten my name. It’s Bradley.”
Ryan openly laughed then. “All right. I can respect that. I won’t
call you Brad.” He offered his arm up for Bradley, and he looped his
arm in the wolf’s almost instantly. “Did you think of things you want
to try?”
“Yes. I thought about a few things that I wouldn’t mind trying. I
read about this flogging scene in my book, so I’d like to feel that,”
Bradley said, trying not the blush as he answered Ryan’s questions.
Available 69
“That’s doable. What else?”
Bradley swallowed and took the plunge. “I really want you to fuck
me.” He saw Ryan’s shoulders tense and hurried to finish. “I know
that it doesn’t have to go there, but I want it to. I need to know if it’s
on the table and if I got a vote, what I wanted to vote for.”
Ryan hesitated. “Fine. It’s on the table. When we’re ready and not
until.”
“Tonight?”
“Don’t push it, smartass.”
Bradley sighed. “You take all the fun out of teasing you.”
“I’m the second-highest-ranked person in my pack. I don’t usually
get teased by availables,” Ryan said, cutting a pointed look over in
Bradley’s direction.
“What do they usually do?”
“Swoon,” Ryan rumbled. It took him a minute to register that
Ryan was teasing him back. He laughed, loving this side of the Dom.
“Flogging and fucking. Anything else?”
Bradley shrugged. “I’m not sure really. I don’t know a lot about it.
What’s that long thing that people use to smack horses with?” They’d
made it back to the table, and Ryan motioned for him to regain his
seat. Kira came over a second later with their food.
“I went ahead and put in Mustang’s order. It’ll be up when you
guys finish up,” Kira said as she sat the plates in front of them. It
seemed like sheer BBQ heaven, and Bradley’s stomach rumbled in
admiration. When was the last time I ate? He couldn’t remember. Not
since yesterday afternoon. “Someone is hungry.” She winked. “Wave
me over if you need a refill. I’ll let you two talk.”
“Thanks, Kira,” Ryan said. As she walked away, he turned his
attention back to Bradley. “The thing is called a crop. I’ll show you
when you come over. I have all kinds of goodies for you to go
through. If something strikes your fancy, just let me know and we’ll
give it a try.”
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“Oh and I just remembered something I was reading about in one
of the forums I found today in class about erotic asphyxiation. It
sounded hot—”
Ryan’s face turned to stone. “No.”
“But—”
“No fucking ‘buts.’ It’s dangerous, and I won’t do it,” Ryan
snapped. Bradley felt like he’d been slapped. His cheeks heated, and
he felt like every single person in the bar was now staring at them.
“Fine,” he muttered. “It was just an idea.” They fell into an
awkward silence as they ate. Bradley pushed the green beans around
on his plate, not hungry anymore. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t know
that it was off-limits.” He swallowed. “I’m seriously just throwing
ideas out there.”
Ryan sighed. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. It’s
just a trigger for me. I had a friend who really enjoyed it. He nearly
died, and ever since I’ve been more than a little touchy about breath
play.” The whole thing was said in a rush as if Ryan felt the need to
explain but wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.
“I’m sorry about your friend,” Bradley said. “We don’t have to do
it.”
Their eyes met. “Thank you for understanding.” Ryan waved to
the food. “Eat. You were starving a second ago.”
Bradley did, settled now that he knew it hadn’t been his freakish
fantasy that had made Ryan lose it on him. “So are all wolves into
BDSM?” He bit into the chicken and starbursts of flavor invaded his
mouth. It was a little spicy like some Cajun food he’d had in the past
but it had the rich taste of BBQ sauce under it. Delicious.
Ryan nodded. “Any born wolf is raised in the lifestyle. Dominants
take care of the submissives, and submissives nurture the pack. It’s
just the way things are done. That’s why I said to relax in here.
Everyone who works for Mac is pack, and the few humans that come
in here are mostly availables anyway.” He took a swig of water before
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he continued. “I’m not an easy Dom. I’m rough and have a short
temper. I wouldn’t have chosen me for your first Dominant.”
“So why did you?” Bradley asked, already knowing the answer.
The more he knew about werewolves, shifters, whatever, the more he
realized he’d been right. Ryan was his mate and was just being overly
stubborn about it.
Instead of the denial he’d been expecting, the wolf just winked.
“Like you said, smartass, you’re irresistible.” Bradley laughed. “So
tell me about this infamous book of yours. Was it S&M 101?”
“No. It was called Under a Blood Red Moon by Emily
McShayne,” Bradley said, grinning at Ryan’s instantly confused
expression.
“What the hell is that?”
“It’s a BDSM romance novel featuring a vampire Dom, Chris, and
his pet werewolf, Shane.” Bradley pretended to swoon. “It
was…awesome.”
“Pet werewolf?” Ryan asked, wrinkling his nose. “That sounds
god awful.”
“No way!” Bradley said, feigning outrage. “It was fucking hot.
Especially when Shane was naughty and Chris spanked him and
called him a bad dog.”
Ryan sputtered. “What the hell kind of trash do they produce
nowadays? Jeez. No wonder you know next to nothing.” He
harrumphed and took a drink of his water. “Now if I wrote a novel on
the lifestyle and werewolves, it sure as hell wouldn’t be some cheesy
rendition. ‘Bad dog’ my ass.”
Bradley giggled. “Oh come on! You haven’t even read it. Are you
saying that if you turned me into a werewolf you wouldn’t spank me
and call me a bad dog?”
“Hell no,” Ryan rumbled, his eyes sparkling with a heady mixture
of amusement and seriousness. “I’d call you my bad pup.”
Bradley couldn’t help but shudder at the tone in Ryan’s voice. The
tone of the conversation shifted, and the lighthearted joviality of the
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moment was lost to heavier things. He shifted, uncertain of what he
was supposed to do as the tension rose. He knew what he wanted to
do. He wanted to slip into Ryan’s side of the booth and climb into the
other man’s lap. It was so easy between them. What complicated
matters was Ryan’s denial of their connection.
“I’m supposed to be honest, right?” Bradley asked, his hands
playing nervously with the edge of his napkin.
“Yes,” Ryan said, his eyes thoughtful.
Bradley breathed. “Then I can honestly say that I want to be close
to you in a very naked way right now.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“We were going to wait.”
“You were going to wait. I was going to masturbate a lot.”
Ryan’s booming laugh startled him. “You are trouble. What if I
forbade you from jerking off until I got you off?”
Bradley grinned. “Then I’d have some pretty blue balls by
tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night?” Ryan sputtered. He dug in his pocket and got
out a couple of bills to pay for their food. “We’ll pay for the Howlers’
orders at the register. You think I’m easy, huh?”
“I do not think you’re easy,” Bradley murmured. “You are many
things, Ryan, but easy isn’t one of them.” But he liked it that way. He
liked that his soon-to-be mate wasn’t just some sweet paper-pusher.
Ryan was a good man, but he was also an edgy, tattooed Dom. As an
artist, Bradley tended to be a difficult person to live with which was
why he lived alone now. His tiny studio apartment was over a
hardware store within walking distance of his job and the college. So
he didn’t have to bring his bike with him everywhere if he didn’t want
to. He loved the accessibility of the place.
Ryan slid out of the booth and waited for Bradley to do the same.
“I want to take you home, Bradley. I just don’t want you to start
Available 73
picking out our mating tuxes. Until I’m ready to let you have me, how
about I lay down some rules to heighten the anticipation?”
The idea appealed. Bradley got out of the booth and twined their
hands. “A test run, huh?”
Ryan grinned and nodded as they walked from the table to the
front register. “Yeah. A test run until Friday.”
“All right. I’m game.”
Kira appeared at the register a second before they got there. She
must’ve come from the kitchens, but he hadn’t been paying attention
to anything other than how good Ryan looked in a tight pair of blue
jeans. “I put the rest of your orders in a grocery bag, Ryan. You bring
cutey back with you when you come.”
“I can’t promise he’ll want to come back, but I guarantee if he
does, we’ll stop in,” Ryan said, handing over a credit card. “I forgot
Mustang’s card in the car, so just use mine for all of it. We’ll even it
out later.”
She swiped his card and handed him the slip to sign, and Bradley
waited patiently for him to finish. In no time Ryan had the two
grocery bags of food in hand and was ushering Bradley back out the
door and to the truck, the advertisement for the tattoo shop blazing
along the side of the black vehicle in bright green-and-yellow font. He
really needed to design them a new logo. That one was a bit hard on
the eyes.
When they were ensconced once more in the comfort of the truck,
Ryan looked over at him and cranked the engine. “Your first task will
be to deliver these bags of food to the shop and to tell Regan to
reschedule my appointments for tomorrow or to take my clients.
When you get back, I’ll give you three rules to follow until Friday,
and if you disobey them, there will be consequences.”
Bradley resisted the urge to squirm happily. “Okay.”
“You’ll want to start tacking on the honorifics so you’ll get used
to using it. Most Dominant wolves will want a ‘Sir’ at least. If he’s a
particularly large asshole, he’ll demand a ‘Master.’ I would suggest
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that you avoid any wolf who doesn’t get to know you first and
demands to be called ‘Master,’” Ryan lectured. “You won’t have to
worry about submitting to other wolves for a while, but when we go
out and you meet other Dominants you’ll be expected to ‘Sir’ or
‘Ma’am’ them appropriately. Our hierarchy is a little rigid, so it’ll
take some getting used to.”
Not as much as it should be. “Then I’ll use the honorifics, Sir.”
Oh that felt fantastic. It was just right.
Ryan visibly shuddered. “Good boy.”
Bradley relaxed back into the seat, and Ryan cranked the radio up
to a mild roar, and the classic rock station was actually playing
something decent for once. He smiled softly to himself. He was
finally exactly where he needed to be.
* * * *
“Don’t forget to give Mustang the keys,” Ryan said, tossing the
keys at the eager boy as he all but vibrated with the need to carry out
his first task for his Dominant.
He caught them with his free hand. “Okay. Sorry.”
“Sorry what?” Ryan asked.
Bradley smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, Sir.”
“Good boy. Hurry up.”
Bradley all but ran from the employees’ parking lot and up the
steps into the shop. Ryan chuckled. He’d forgotten how exciting it
was to newly discover the lifestyle and one’s orientation in it. Bradley
was probably flying high right now, and Ryan hoped that he could
live up to the high expectations that the submissive had.
Mac had been right in some ways. He didn’t need to keep Bradley
at arm’s length in order to save himself from the intimacy of
Bradley’s company. At the end of the night, Dom/sub relationships
were about intimacy, and halfway engaging the human in play would
only lead to Ryan hurting the kid. It was the last thing he wanted. He
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would let his guard down. Maybe, just maybe, he could walk away
from the whole thing in the end with only a small scar to show for it
instead of a gaping gash.
His cell phone started ringing in his pocket, and he sighed. He
knew it wasn’t Regan because his brother usually gave him a mental
heads-up before calling because he knew how much Ryan dreaded
unknown phone calls. He frowned as he extricated the cell out of his
pocket and looked at the caller ID.
“Hey, Dean, what’s up?” he asked as he engaged the talk button.
“I just got off the phone with Alpha, and he said to call you. I
have some interesting news for you.” Dean Lison’s slow drawl came
over the line loud and clear.
Ryan’s grip tightened. “So spill. What’s my new sub boy’s deal?”
“It’s not just your sub boy, but we’ll get to that. Your boy was the
son of one Mr. Alexander Gage. The mother remarried when he was
four, let Bradley keep his last name, but she took her new husband’s.
Father had regular visitation until the boy was ten and then relocated
to Scotland.
“Now here is the interesting bit, Alexander Gage was beta of the
Black Mississippi pack but went MIA after a dispute with his Alpha
that left four people dead in Jackson. He shows back up here and
applies for admission into the Blackfoot pack with the old Alpha.
Mustang’s dad grants a visitor’s pass but doesn’t let him in as a full
member. He knocks up a local waitress, buys a two bedroom in South
Fork, and settles illegally into the area.
“The old Alpha finds out, and there is a big showdown where, get
this, Bradley is kidnapped by the old Alpha and spends something
like two weeks on the Alpha’s lands as Gage negotiates the return of
his son. The wife apparently gets pissed by the time she gets him back
and dumps Alexander’s ass. The guy she marries is part of the pack,
Ryan,” Dean said.
Ryan frowned, trying to process what Dean was telling him.
“Wait, the old Alpha didn’t allow human-wolf pairings any more than
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Mustang did unless the human was turned. Only pack members could
marry. Did he turn her?”
“That’s the thing. There is no record of her turning in the Circle
archives. She was a born wolf, Ryan. I don’t know why Bradley isn’t
pack. He’s a full-fledged wolf,” Dean said. The words hit Ryan like a
freight train.
“Re?” Ryan asked through his mind link to his brother.
“What is it?”
“Keep Bradley in there for a minute.” Aloud he said, “How is that
possible?”
He could almost hear Dean’s frustration when he next spoke. The
man didn’t like not knowing things. It was one of the things that made
Dean such a good PI. “I have a couple theories, but I honestly don’t
know if I can give you a straight answer. I’m going to talk to my
Circle contacts and see if I can get probable causes. In the meantime, I
think it would be a good idea if you keep Bradley with you and
yourself from being alone for now.”
Ryan’s brain churned with possibilities. “Why? Bradley and I just
started his training. I don’t know if it’s a great idea to shove him so
far up my ass he doesn’t see daylight. Plus I don’t want him to think
something is up until I have answers to give him.”
“He’s not the only one stalking you.”
Ryan frowned. “What?”
“In my investigation, I also found someone besides Bradley has
been tracking your movements. Wolf by the scent,” Dean said.
What, do I have a big sign around my neck that says “Stalk me!
I’m loveable!”? “Why? I may be beta, but I’m nobody. I work at an
ink shop and live with my brother in a split level.” He had no assets to
speak of really. He lived just like everyone else.
“Old boyfriend maybe?” Dean asked.
“I don’t have boyfriends, Dean. You know that.” Except one.
When he was sixteen. David wouldn’t come all the way back here for
Available 77
him though. Like Regan said, he was happily mated to someone else
in another pack. “Why would you say boyfriend?”
Dean hesitated a second before he replied. “Because whoever it is
broke into Bradley’s apartment and destroyed the place this morning.
I heard the call go out on the radio and went to check it out. One of
the patrol guys, Angel, told me about the damage. All his art was
wrecked, the furniture and appliances were destroyed, and the
windows were busted out. If you bring him back there, he won’t have
anywhere to sleep.”
Ryan let out a string of curses that would make a sailor blush.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This is a damn conspiracy.
The world has gone crazy. Dean, find out who the fuck is following
me around, will yah?”
“Will do, beta,” Dean agreed. “Just be careful in the meantime. I
don’t want anyone getting hurt while I figure this out. If you were a
normal guy, I’d say get a bodyguard or something, but as beta you can
take care of yourself. You know the drill. Watch for suspicious
activity and be aware of your surroundings.”
“I can do that. You going to tell the Alpha or should I?” Mustang
was not going to be happy about this, but if anyone could figure out
what his father’s old pack had been up to, it would be him. He’d torn
it down and built it back up. It only made sense that he understood its
fundamental structure beforehand. He wouldn’t tell Bradley until he
had all the facts. The questions would drive the kid batty if all Ryan
had to offer him was the bits and pieces Dean had found out. When he
told him, he’d hand him the whole thing on a silver platter and be
prepared to answer the follow up questions that would ensue.
“Already told him,” Dean said. “He told me to call you. Enjoy
your new sub, Ryan. Be safe.”
“Yep. Talk to you later.” They hung up, and Ryan sighed. What
was with people following him around? It made zero sense. “Re, send
Bradley out to me. I have to tell him about his place.”
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“He’ll be out in a minute. He’s playing artist with Grayson. Kid
has some skills,” Regan said, a smile in his voice. “We could use him
around the shop to do some of the art. Mustang could focus more on
the paperwork we’ve got piled sky-high on his desk.” There were
some pack members who disagreed with Mustang’s choice to
welcome humans and turned wolves into their pack. The loudest of
which was Alder, one of the pack Dominants who had been the
greatest source of dissension when Grayson had been welcomed in as
Alpha mate. The disciplinary forms had gotten really overwhelming
as pack members bucked at the new laws and generally tried to cause
Mustang additional headaches just to prove their point. Everything
had to be filed with the Circle, their governing body. Coupled with
the new conflict with the adjacent pack that supported the idea of
separation, it had become more than a minor pack issue. Ever since
the pack had had a showdown with that pack over Cian’s submissive,
shit had hit the proverbial fan and Mustang was all but drowning in
the paperwork that came with it.
“Don’t encourage him. I’m still not keeping him. Why is he
playing artist with Grayson?” He couldn’t help the note of jealousy
that laced his question. Mine. His wolf was all too ready to remind
him about this instinctive need to claim the other man.
Regan snorted. “Because the Alpha mate has the right to keep
submissive members of the pack content in any way he sees fit. He
was having some trouble with the piece he’s doing for Dalia and her
mate. You know the wolf language is hard to duplicate correctly.
Anyway, your sub offered a hand, and they started talking. Nothing
more. You need to check that attitude, bro. If Mustang hears you
growl at his mate, he’ll let Grayson beat your ass.”
No truer words had been spoken. Mustang was big, but Grayson
was massive. The fact that he was submissive only made him a very
effective weapon to be used at Mustang’s sole discretion. Ryan pitied
the man fool enough to go after Mustang or any of the submissive
members of the pack. He didn’t think Mustang would really let
Available 79
Grayson beat him but it was a funny thought. He never thought he
would have cause to fear a beating from the Alpha mate.
“Fine. Hurry him along then. I want to get him away from here
and home. Did Mustang tell you what was going on?”
He felt his brother’s mental nod. “Yeah. That is such bullshit. I
don’t get it. I’m every bit as attractive as you are, obviously. How do
you warrant two stalkers and I get not a one?”
“Apparently you scare them with your strong adherence to and
adoration of the ‘whips and chains’ bit of your S&M training,” Ryan
said dryly. “Seriously, you have the heaviest hand in the pack.”
“Whatever. I’d rather be the hunter than the hunted anyway,”
Regan rumbled. “He’s on his way out to you. Ry, be gentle. The kid
has stars in his eyes.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Ryan said automatically. It wasn’t that
he didn’t appreciate that his brother was protective of his mat—sub.
Shit. I have to stop thinking like that. It wasn’t that he didn’t
appreciate his brother being protective of the boy, but call it sibling
rivalry or possessiveness, he ruffled at the thought of Regan
protecting Bradley from Ryan.
Their conversation was interrupted by Bradley coming out of the
door of the shop. Ryan smiled and tried to think of how to tell Bradley
about what had happened. How was he supposed to “gently” tell the
man that all his things were ruined and he couldn’t go back to his
place even if he wanted to?
“So what now, Sir? Are you going to tell me my rules?” Bradley
cut in before Ryan had a chance to formulate the best way to break
the news. He crossed the lot to a shiny black motorcycle. The sub
must’ve driven it here. “If I’m going to follow you, will you save me
from a heart attack and wear the helmet I got you?” Bradley asked,
seeing the direction of his gaze. It was cold. He should get him out of
the cold before he told him.
“Sure. I’ll wear it for you. The first three rules are simple. First,
from now on your cock is off-limits. It belongs to me, and because of
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that I get to decide whether or not to let you have the release you keep
teasing me with.” Ryan watched his reaction, carefully noting how the
would-be sub responded to his mandate. The fine shudder than ran
down Bradley’s frame was a good sign. The hardening shaft pressing
against the material of his overalls wasn’t a bad one either.
“Yes, Sir.” The sharp “S” went right to Ryan’s arousal, curling
around his balls and squeezing a responsive growl from him. Mine.
“Secondly, for my sanity, you are to check in with me every
morning by nine a.m. and every night by nine p.m. It’s a safety thing,
and it’s a way for us to have scheduled talks throughout the day just
to touch base.” He enjoyed those moments with a sub. It had been one
of the first tools he learned to use from his mentor, Trace, when he
was a pup and had started training to become a Dominant. He hadn’t
used it in years of course, but it gave him a sense of peace that he
could do so now.
“Definitely doable, Sir. Your number is already programmed.” He
just bet it was. Ryan just wanted to shake his head and laugh at
Bradley’s audacity. The man had no qualms with using any means
necessary to make his interest known.
“Lastly, you will send me a e-mail itinerary of your day so I won’t
be calling you in the middle of class or while you’re at work and
worry when I don’t get an answer,” Ryan finished. He had been
honest. They were simple starter rules, things that even the most
novice of submissives should’ve been able to accomplish.
“All right, Sir. I can do that as well.” Bradley beamed at him,
looking as pleased as punch at the prospect of obeying him. While
he’d been denying the fact that he was going to train Bradley, Ryan
had missed the definite shimmer of submission that shone out clearly
from Bradley’s eyes. He might’ve been a sub, but he wasn’t timid and
he had no qualms with asking for what he wanted. The quality was
intoxicating.
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Ryan nodded, satisfied. “Good. Follow me over to my place and
I’ll let you go through the treasure chest and pick out things you want
to try. We might even do a brief scene if you’re up to it.”
“May I go home and change clothes first?” Bradley asked. “I need
to grab my sketch pad as well. If I’m going to be at your house for a
while, I’ll have to work on homework.”
Ryan hesitated. Shit. This was not how he had planned on this
conversation going. “How about we go to my house for a bit, and
we’ll go back to your place together?”
Bradley gave him a weird look. “Seriously? You have been jumpy
as hell and all too eager to get me out of your sight with the exception
of one blow job. What gives? You look like you swallowed
something sour.”
Ryan shrugged, trying for nonchalance. “I told you at the
restaurant that I’m in. Do you want to my sub or not? Here and now is
when you decide.” Manipulative prick. That was the mildest thing he
could’ve called himself for pulling that card. It went against every bit
of training he had. Buffering a sub’s feelings with physical touch and
comfort was one thing. Making them wait on information when
necessary was another responsibility of being a Dom, but deliberately
playing on Bradley’s fear that Ryan would bolt at any time? That was
fucked up.
“No, no,” Bradley protested, his eyes widening just like Ryan had
calculated they would. “I’m sorry, Sir. We’ll go to your place first.”
You going to train him to obey a Dom blindly? This isn’t just about
your comfort, asshole. The voice sounded suspiciously like his
conscience. He deserves better. “Let me get my bike.”
“Wait, Bradley,” Ryan said before he could stop himself. Bradley
trembled, looking like he was terrified to have screwed up so soon. It
just made Ryan feel worse. “I was being an asshole and preying on
your insecurities. I meant what I said, I am all in. If you want to
change the game plan for things like this, that isn’t a problem as long
as we’re talking about it. No one, including me, has the right to
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manipulate your emotions to get a certain reaction. Your desires to go
to your place or to ask questions of my motives are perfectly
legitimate. There will be times when I ask you to do things blindly but
always for a good reason. This isn’t one of those times. I was stalling
for time.”
“What are you talking about?” Bradley asked, looking beyond
confused.
Ryan’s gaze wandered across the light-gray asphalt and to the tree
that stood as the last remaining bit of nature on the otherwise urban
street. Mustang had refused to take it down and had it trimmed back
every year so that the city wouldn’t cite them for it. He had said that
they couldn’t throw all instincts away with the modern age but instead
had to preserve the base of their morality and their adherence to the
natural. He was being metaphorical, but he had been right. He
couldn’t deny his instincts as a Dom or as a wolf in this situation. His
gut told him he had to be honest with the man who so willingly gave
him his submission.
“I was uncomfortable telling you this information until we were
on my home turf, but I can’t take you home and do a scene with you
without telling you first. There is someone besides you who has been
following me around.”
Bradley frowned. “So? You’re mine. They can fuck off.”
Ryan sighed. “The fact that this person is being a creeper isn’t the
issue, Bradley. He or she apparently found out that you are under my
protection and are training with me. They wrecked your place. I spoke
with our pack private investigator a second ago, and he seems to think
that the place is pretty trashed.”
Bradley visibly paled, and Ryan stepped forward in case the other
man did some 1920s heroine move and fainted. “My art?” Bradley
asked. “What about my art?”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure what’s left, sweet.”
“We have to go. We have to go right now.” Bradley looked like he
was about three seconds away from having a mental breakdown.
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“Shh, we’ll go together. I’ll drive you on my bike. Do you have a
friend you can stay with for a few days?” If he had to stand guard
outside camped out like a homeless person, he would to ensure that
his sub was safe.
Bradley’s lower lip started to tremble. “I can’t stay with you?”
Ryan wrapped his arms around the distressed man and pulled him
into the shelter of his chest. “Of course you can. I just didn’t want to
assume you wanted to.” What had he done to deserve this wonderful
gift of a submissive? There was so much trust, so much faith, that
Bradley put in Ryan. He was utterly humbled by that blind faith.
Bradley surprised him by popping him in the stomach with his
fist. Ryan winced and rubbed the offended area. “Ouch,” he growled.
“Of course I want to. You’re my mate,” Bradley said, glaring with
his eyes full of unshed tears. “Stop being stubborn and admit it
already.”
Ryan’s eyes shot wide. Just when he decided that Bradley was too
soft, too innocent, something would raise his ire and he would display
in no uncertain terms his stubborn dedication to whatever he was
talking about, and the reaction was never damn well predictable.
“You’re a little asshole. You know this?”
“One of my better qualities, I’m told.” Bradley sighed, his
shoulders slumping in defeat. He was doing a good job of putting on a
brave face even if it was unnecessary. “You don’t think they wrecked
everything do you?” There was the sweet sub that had asked to stay
with him. Boy was giving him whiplash.
Ryan smiled at him anyway. He deserved whatever small comfort
he could get from Ryan. “We’ll find something salvageable I’m sure.”
“I hope so.” Bradley bit into his bottom lip. “I think I can drive.
So I’ll take my own bike, Sir.” He stepped so smoothly back into the
role of Ryan’s sub. It gave him some kind of security to be in that
role, and Ryan was grateful for it. However, him being upset and
driving wasn’t happening.
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“You’ll ride with me,” Ryan said, making sure the order was
clear. There was a moment’s hesitation that all the subs Ryan had,
where they waffled between the independence they were “supposed”
to assert when another male told them what to do and the equally
powerful urge to obey their chosen Dominant. Ryan nearly crowed in
triumph as the tension seeped out of the scents around them to be
replaced by calm acceptance.
Bradley leaned back into him for a moment, and Ryan petted him
for doing well. The sub all but purred, “Okay.”
“Okay what?”
“Okay, Sir,” Bradley said. He was catching on very quickly. It
came naturally, and it would serve him well with other Doms. The
idea did not sit well with him.
He took the helmet out of Bradley’s hands and put it on his sub’s
head before doing the same to his own. He hated these stupid things.
They covered his face, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Plus it
looked stupid.
Ryan let go of his lovely sub and swung his leg over his bike
before patting the area in front of him. Bradley perched on the front of
his motorcycle like he had the other night. “You remember the way,
Sir?”
“I got it,” Ryan rumbled, cranking the engine and putting up the
kickstand.
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Chapter Seven
Bradley wasn’t prepared for what he found at his apartment. The
tiny studio above the hardware store was indeed wrecked. The words
hadn’t been enough preparation for the sheer devastation of the room.
His mattress had been upturned, his clothes strewn, and his pictures of
friends smashed. However, that wasn’t what caught his attention. His
paints, canvases, and brushes were bits of litter on the floor. Tears of
rainbow-colored paint were smeared over the hardwood, and the
broken glass from the windows added a crystalline texture to the
ruined space. The last five years of his artwork was gone.
Ryan made the mistake of picking up one of the broken canvases.
The sound of ripping canvas reached Bradley’s ears, and he whipped
around. “Don’t touch anything!” he screamed, furious at the shifter
for touching his broken things. “I might be able to repair that if you
don’t break it irreparably!”
“Sweet, this is trash,” Ryan said, apologetically. “It’s done. It’s
ripped practically in half, and there is not a way to restretch the
canvas and make the repair unnoticeable. Do you have the original
sketches? Maybe you can duplicate it.”
The shock of Ryan’s apparent knowledge of his art momentarily
banked his anger. “You know how to stretch canvas?”
Ryan shrugged. “Yeah. What do you think I went to school for? I
was a Fine Arts major. I interned at the shop all four years, and for my
senior exhibition I did a gallery showing where I stenciled and
tattooed fourteen people along with still exhibitions of tattoo
photographs and several large canvas paintings. I knew I was a beta,
and as such, by pack law, I have to be one of the ones able to perform
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any marking for any pack member at any time.” He crossed his arms
over his chest. “I’m sorry for your loss, but if you yell at me again,
we’re going to have a problem.”
Bradley nodded his acknowledgment of the statement and knelt
beside his mattress. His sketchbook was halfway under a downed
glass of water that he’d apparently had on his nightstand. “No,” he
whispered. “I don’t even have the sketches. They ruined everything.”
He swallowed, untold amounts of misery swamping him. To anyone
else it might’ve seemed silly, but that was only because they didn’t
understand. He’d poured his soul into these sketches, paintings, and
charcoals. They had been every expression of who he was.
“Do you have anything at school?” Ryan asked.
“A few pieces that are going to be in my senior exhibition. My
professor keeps the big canvases in his office.” That was something at
least. He hadn’t lost everything. He raised his eyes. He hadn’t lost his
pieces of Ryan. “I don’t know where to start cleaning this up.” He
looked around helplessly.
“There is a cleaning service we can use,” Ryan said as Bradley
started the slow spiral into renewed panic. “I’ll call them. Gather what
you can and try to find a bag to put it in. Whatever you don’t have,
we’ll buy at the store later. I plan to keep you naked while you’re at
my house.” He dropped the last sentence flawlessly. Bradley’s mind
immediately jumped from his broken things to the object of his
fascination.
“Really?” he asked suspiciously.
“Yes, really. I plan on fucking you until you forget about the wet
paint on your floor,” Ryan rumbled.
Bradley’s eyes narrowed. “You think I’m that easy?” Ryan’s
earlier words were thrown deliberately back at him.
Ryan smirked at him. “I think I can be pretty convincing.”
“How about here? Now? Don’t fucking tease me, Ryan. I can’t
take it.” He felt bruised, broken. He couldn’t handle Ryan dangling
the carrot in front of him if he was just going to yank it away again. It
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was pretty screwed up that Ryan could use himself as a weapon
against him. Ryan hesitated, and Bradley growled. “I knew it.”
Ryan reached out and yanked Bradley forward. “You know
nothing.” His lips descended on Bradley’s, and untold amounts of
pleasure swamped him. Yes. This was just what he needed.
“More,” Bradley breathed as their lips meshed and mated. Ryan
licked his mouth, and Bradley opened willingly. He didn’t care if the
timing wasn’t what it was supposed to be. He needed something to
replace his broken things, and Ryan fit the bill more than adequately.
I could lose everything so long as I get you in the end. He could let his
paintings go if the man who had become his muse stayed in his life.
Don’t let go, Ryan.
Ryan didn’t disappoint. This time he didn’t pull back, didn’t
hesitate, and for that Bradley was very grateful. He’d known for
months that this man was his destiny, and finally, Ryan was realizing
it, too. Their lips merged, tongues tangling as Ryan forced the organ
into Bradley’s mouth to spar with his own. Bradley groaned and
opened wider, his paintings forgotten for the moment. He needed, and
that was all that mattered.
Bradley broke the kiss to drag his shirt over his head and toss it
away. Ryan did the same, and then their bare chests pressed against
one another. The wolf tweaked Bradley’s pierced nipples, sending a
frission of sensation up and down Bradley’s spine. Yes! People always
treated his piercings delicately, like they were afraid they’d rip them
out or something. Not Ryan. Ryan knew just the right amount of
pressure to apply to make Bradley sing.
“So fucking hot,” Ryan rumbled, twisting in the opposite direction
and making Bradley come up on his toes in the process. “Such a
fucking tease, making me pierce you over and over again.”
“Mine,” Bradley returned, his whole body burning. How could he
explain adequately that he needed the marks to feel right about the
world? They were Ryan’s ownership put into his flesh, and it had led
to more than one masturbation session after Ryan had threaded a
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needle through his flesh. Ryan attacked his pants, popping the button
off the top and all but wrecking the zipper in the process. They fell to
his ankles, and Bradley stepped out of them. He hadn’t worn
underwear as per usual, and he knew Ryan appreciated the sight of his
bare cock by the sharp inhale he made as he stood there for his
assessment.
“You bewitch me,” Ryan admitted, kicking off his shoes before
stripping off his jeans and tight black boxer-briefs. Bradley resisted
the urge to drool at the skin exposed. How often had he fantasized
about this moment? He’d wanted it to happen here but not quite like
this. It didn’t matter though. It was happening. “I haven’t been able to
think about much else but your pretty body since you walked into the
shop.”
The admission went straight to Bradley’s cock. “I want to be
yours always.”
“You’re my sub. That has to be enough for now, Bradley,” Ryan
reminded, gripping his arms and all but dragging him down to the
hardwood floor. The stickiness at his back said that Ryan had pushed
him into a puddle of his paints, but he didn’t mind. There was
something intoxicating about rolling around the ground, smearing one
another with his art.
“Enough,” Bradley agreed an instant before Ryan’s lips covered
his once more. The delicious pressure of the larger body above him
made Bradley’s eyes roll. His mate was just the right amount of
everything. Mine. He threaded his hands through Ryan’s blond hair
and arched against the hard planes of his abdomen. Take me. Please,
take me. They stayed that way for endless moments, grinding and
kissing until both of them were smeared with the paint and their
combined pre-cum.
Ryan broke their kiss. “Where is your slick?” Ryan asked, his
voice a low growl of sound. Bradley trembled, his brain taking a
moment to process what the other man had asked.
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The destruction of his place was absolute. “I don’t know.” Where
had it been? “Bathroom?”
“Where?”
He pointed vaguely off to the direction of the small bath adjacent
to the kitchen. Ryan pushed off him, and Bradley whimpered at the
lost contact. “No.”
“Shh, sweet. I’ll be right back.” He paused halfway across the
space. “Don’t you dare touch your cock until I come.”
The order wrapped around Bradley’s balls and squeezed. “Yes,
Sir.” He’d meant for it to come out as sarcastic, but it sounded breathy
instead. Ryan growled and beelined for the bathroom. The urge to
disobey and give himself a little relief was strong. What would Ryan
do if he disobeyed? Would he do like the vampire in the story did?
Would he spank him? The thought sent a shiver of anticipation
through him. He wanted that.
The sounds of bottles being tossed around filled the air as Ryan
tore through his wrecked bathroom in an effort to find his bottle of
slick. On the floor, Bradley smiled. He liked this eager side of Ryan.
With a moment’s hesitation, he reached down and wrapped his fist
around his cock, groaning at the sensation that made him buck up into
his sure touch. He knew just how to jerk himself off and maximize the
pleasure. His eyes slid shut, and he imagined Ryan’s reaction when he
returned from the bathroom. A dozen possibilities flickered through
his thoughts.
His Ryan was a true Dom. He wouldn’t take Bradley’s
disobedience well. He resisted the urge to grin at the erotic
possibilities his displeasure would bring. Maybe he’d order him to his
knees and suck him again. Maybe he’d spank his ass and then fuck
him. God, yeah. That’s what I want.
Ryan’s displeased voice filled the room. “What do you think
you’re doing?”
Bradley didn’t miss a beat. “Playing. Being bad.” He opened his
eyes slowly to see the wolf towering over him, a small bottle of
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unopened lube in his hand. He swallowed as a little fissure of fear
opened up inside him. He hadn’t considered the possibility that
Ryan’s punishment might mean more depravation. Would he not want
him as a sub if he didn’t obey him absolutely?
“Ah, so the sub realizes that topping from the bottom might not be
a good idea,” Ryan said, a sadistic smile on his face.
“What’s topping from the bottom?” Bradley asked, his hand
slowing on his prick before it stopped all together. His arousal still
dripped pre-cum, begging for attention, but Ryan had captivated his
attention.
“It means you deliberately disobey me in hopes of getting a
certain reaction for your disobedience. New subs tend to do that more
than more experienced ones. So what did you want me to do,
Bradley?”
Bradley trembled. “I wanted…I wanted you to spank me before
you fucked me.”
Ryan growled. “Next time you will ask for it instead of
disobeying me. I won’t have a sub topping me.”
“I can ask for stuff? Isn’t it just punishment?”
“Stop getting your information from bad pornos. Of course you
can ask for things in a scene. You’ve never had an issue asking for
shit before.” He stared down at him, looking like a king thoroughly
displeased with his latest conquest. “Because you didn’t know, I will
let this slide. But next time you won’t get my cock for days if you pull
something like this. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” Bradley murmured, feeling thoroughly chastised. He
sat up, suddenly feeling vulnerable. “You don’t have to fuck me. I
broke my rule.” As much as he wanted to scream at himself to shut up
and let it slide, he couldn’t. He’d broken one of three rules he’d been
given to obey. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be a submissive after all…
Ryan moved suddenly, all but tackling Bradley back down to the
ground. “You also do not get to give me permission to do anything,
including fucking you, boy.”
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Bradley’s head swam. This was going to take some getting used
to. “I’m sorry.”
“No. Bradley, look at me.” He did. “There is no shame in messing
up. Everyone does. Even me. You are beautiful and mine, and I want
to give you something to make you feel good. Do you feel like you
need consequences for deliberately breaking your rule?”
Bradley nodded slowly. He felt like until he made up for it, he
wouldn’t be forgiven even if Ryan said it was all right.
Ryan sighed. “Oh you beautiful boy.” He leaned down and
pressed a kiss to Bradley’s lips. “Have you ever had a spanking,
sweet?”
“Kind of. Once. I liked it.”
“Bet you haven’t had one like I can give you,” Ryan said. “You
owe me fifteen for your disobedience, and then all is forgiven and you
will enjoy our sex.”
A thrill shot through Bradley. “Thank you, Sir.”
Ryan reached out and briefly cupped his cheek before pushing off
of him and rolling away. Bradley sat up and stared at his mate
hungrily. What was he supposed to do? Ryan pushed himself to his
feet and crossed to the window that faced the side of the building
where he’d parked his bike.
“Can you see the alley from the road?” he asked.
Bradley frowned. “Not that I know of.” The hardware store didn’t
even have a window on that side, and the building next to it had been
vacant for months. “You’d have to be looking hard. Why?”
“Don’t bring your clothes and come,” Ryan commanded, walking
over to the side door that led to the fire escape and dumped into the
side where the bike was parked. Bradley rolled to his feet and
followed, his heart pounding. What was his Ryan thinking?
* * * *
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I’m going to hell and am out of my damn mind. Risking arrest or
the stalker seeing them should have made what Ryan was thinking
utter madness, but unfortunately all the blood used to fuel logic had
lodged quite firmly in his permanent hard-on. Bradley had looked so
lost once he realized what he’d done and how unhappy it had made
Ryan that the “punishment” that he was about to dole out had seemed
a perfect solution.
“It’s cold,” Bradley complained as they reached the bottom of the
metal stairs and stepped out onto the cold pavement. The temperature
didn’t seem to have any effect on their hard cocks however.
“Deal with it. It’s punishment, remember?” Ryan asked, forcing
his voice to seem stern and detached.
Bradley let out a little moan of sound, his cock jerking. “Yes, Sir.”
It figured that Bradley wouldn’t let their first time together to be
vanilla. The boy was determined to fit neatly into Ryan’s life, and so
it only fit that he would make their first time together some kind of
kinky scene. Can I walk after this? His wolf had serious doubts. The
shadow that clung to him, his wolf, reached out for Bradley, wanting
to touch. Ryan yanked it back. No. They couldn’t. The wolf
whimpered in protest. He was his trainer, soon to be his lover, but he
wouldn’t be his mate.
Ryan pointed to his bike. “Lay over the seat, ass in the air.”
Bradley obeyed, and Ryan had to put a restraining hand on his
erection to keep from shooting his load right then and there. Fuck that
was sexy. The blond-haired minx leaning over his motorcycle while
Ryan took him had been his most potent fantasy since the boy walked
into the shop. What do you know, dreams really do come true.
Bradley made another noise of want and arched his spine so that his
plump little ass rose in blatant invitation. They would have to be
quiet.
The saddle bag on the side of the bike beckoned, and Ryan walked
over and opened it. The bandana inside would work nicely as a gag.
He folded it appropriately and put a hand on Bradley’s lower back.
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“Open your mouth, boy,” he commanded. His dick waved in protest.
It would’ve much rather have been the one to go inside the boy’s lush
mouth. Trying to be patient with Bradley was a test of his sanity. He
tied the bandana around Bradley’s head so that the middle of it
muffled any sounds the boy could make by virtue of fitting into the
boy’s mouth. “Now stay still and take your punishment.”
He switched the slick to his free hand before bringing his other
hand down with a crack on Ryan’s unguarded ass. The boy
whimpered, arching back into the strike. “Don’t.” Smack. “Ever.”
Smack. “Forget.” Smack. “Who.” Smack. “You.” Smack. “Belong.”
Smack. “To.” Bradley gave a muffled cry as Ryan’s hand landed
again with enough force that the mark he’d made went stark white
before filling with a rosy red. Oh Bradley colored nicely.
Bradley started rocking his hips back and forth, swaying the way
some subs did when they started to descend into subspace. Yes. That
was where he wanted his submissive to be. He wanted him to forget
about paintings and stalkers and their future. He just wanted Bradley
to feel him in this moment. He squeezed the angry red flesh, and
Bradley shuddered. “You’re so beautiful like this,” he admitted,
landing another three blows in rapid succession. “Always wondered
how you’d look across my bike.” He popped him again, a little lighter
this time. “Last three, boy. Take them gracefully and I’ll fill you up
right here across my bike.” He switched hands, popping his other
cheek for contrast. Bradley continued to rock back into the blows,
making little noises of want with each fall of Ryan’s hand. He’d been
right. The boy was a natural.
The last strike hit, and Bradley shuddered as Ryan rubbed his
hands over the scorching flesh. “Good boy. You did so well.” He
imagined that Bradley was just starting to float in a world where
everything felt just right. His own body was screaming at him to
claim the boy that was submitting so nicely to him. It was almost a
compulsion to fuck him at this point.
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“I could get addicted to you, boy.” He didn’t know what
possessed him to say it, but there is was. He just hoped that Bradley
hadn’t heard the guttural admission due to his subspace.
* * * *
He pulled Bradley’s ass apart and smeared some slick onto the
eager rosette that seemed to beg for his attentions. Bradley’s whole
body was on fire, his nerve endings more alive than he could ever
remember them being. He was floating in a world of sensation, and he
didn’t think he could get any higher. From the spanking alone he was
dancing along the edge of orgasm, but it wasn’t just a focused
pleasure on his cock or ass. Was it possible to have a full-body
orgasm? Because if so, he was going to have one.
Ryan pushed a finger inside him, and Bradley rocked backward
instinctually, clinging to the leather and chrome motorcycle he was
posed on. He thanked God for the gag in his mouth that tasted faintly
like Ryan as his noises got louder with each subsequent finger fuck.
He couldn’t even form words in his mind as his hole was stretched for
Ryan’s use. He wanted to be the man’s fuck doll. Whatever he
wanted, whenever he wanted, as long as this incredible feeling didn’t
fade.
“I can’t wait to get you home,” Ryan rumbled, pushing a third
finger into Bradley’s ass. “I have so many more things to play with
you with.” Bradley whimpered at the images that flickered through
his head. He needed. “Going to make you come so much you won’t
be able to move after.”
Please! Finally, Ryan seemed to have some mercy and pressed the
thick head of his cock against the tight ring of muscle that guarded
Bradley’s entrance. How was Ryan even talking at this point? Bradley
was fucking mindless. He pushed back, wanting Ryan to shove inside
him.
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“You all right?” Ryan asked. At least he sounded strained now.
Bradley nodded, telling him without words to hurry the fuck up with
each backward thrust of his hips. Not fragile. Fuck me. Please.
Ryan shoved deep, and Bradley couldn’t suppress the cry of
triumph that issued out of his throat at the invasion. Finally, Ryan was
his. The wolf wasted no time in setting a hard pace that showed
exactly how close to madness the man really was. He pounded inside
him, and Bradley met him thrust for thrust. They fucked like they’d
both been waiting a lifetime to come together, and maybe they had.
All Bradley knew was that he needed this like he needed air in his
lungs.
The pace and the intensity were not something to be maintained
however. It wasn’t long before Bradley felt the telltale tingle at the
base of his spine that signaled his impending orgasm. He gave a
muffled whimper of warning, asking permission.
Ryan growled and slowed his pace. “Want to come on my cock,
my little slut?”
Yes, please, Sir, yes. His hands dug into the leather of the seat and
he screamed as his balls drew up painfully.
“Come then. Show me how much you want me.”
Bradley lost it, his body seizing like he’d stuck his finger in a light
socket. He didn’t know up from down as his world rocked and
splintered, sending him rocketing off into space before beginning the
endless fall back to earth. Distantly, he was aware of Ryan giving his
own rumbled shout of completion as Bradley’s body clenched around
him, and the pleasurable spurts of his release warmed his insides
exponentially. The action shouldn’t have been nearly as hot as it was,
but he felt so thoroughly claimed by it that his cock gave another
enthusiastic stream of orgasm against the side of Ryan’s bike.
Bradley sagged, trusting the bike to keep up his weight. His whole
body trembled and his mind was completely blank as Ryan’s grip on
his hips loosened and their breathing evened out. He clung to the bike,
never wanting the moment to end.
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“Are you all right, sweet?” Ryan asked, reaching up and
unknotting the black bandanna where it was wrapped around his head.
Bradley moved his jaw, which was surprisingly sore given the fact
that it was only a piece of cloth that had stretched it. “I’ll let you
know when I start thinking again.”
“Let’s get you back inside and a bag packed.”
Oh yeah. He wanted to go back inside. He itched to sketch, to
paint. He needed to get this feeling on paper. If only he could move.
Ryan’s low chuckle sounded behind him. “Need help?” He
nodded. Strong arms wrapped around his waist and hauled him
backward, righting him. “Hmm, next time I get it in my head to try
something kinky, remind me that cum is a bitch to try and get out of
the little grooves on the side of my bike.” Bradley frowned. He didn’t
mean to make a mess. “Shh, sweet. That was a joke.” It was only
when Ryan spoke that Bradley realized that he’d made a noise of
protest at the thought of bothering his bike. “Wow. You’re high as a
kite right now, huh?” Bradley nodded and stumbled toward the steps.
“Hmmm, you’re going to kill yourself like that. Here.” Ryan bent and
scooped him up like some damsel out of a Shakespeare play and
strode a little unsteadily up the metal steps.
Bradley smiled and looked up into the handsome face of his lover.
“Love you, Ry.”
The other man glanced down at him and gave him a sheepish
smile. “That’s the endorphins talking.”
He was wrong. But it wasn’t polite to correct his Dom so soon
after getting his mind blown.
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Chapter Eight
Ryan deposited Bradley on what was left of the couch cushions
and went to pack the bag himself. He was still deeply in sub space,
and Ryan didn’t want to bring him out of it too abruptly. It was good
that he was allowed to bask in it a bit, especially the first time. Ryan
didn’t doubt that it was his first time as well. His reactions were too
raw, too open. He’d been completely exposed to Ryan, and Ryan had
been able to do nothing but stand in awe of his submission. No one
had ever given him submission quite like that. And soon he’ll be
giving his beautiful sub self to other Doms at Riders. The insidious
voice made him growl. No way. No fucking way. What choice did he
have? If Ryan didn’t claim him, Bradley was an available. The
thought made him sick. No one deserved to see that blissed-out look
on Bradley’s face.
“I’ll be over here in your bathroom getting your toiletries, all
right?” Ryan asked as he finished stuffing the only unripped pair of
jeans he could find into a discarded duffle.
“Okay,” Bradley murmured, his eyes half-shut as he rested his
head on the couch cushion he’d dragged over.
They were probably going to have to buy him ninety percent of
his things. Whoever tore through the place had left little untouched.
He sniffed the air but recognized no scent. Too many humans and
wolves had traipsed through the area, and he couldn’t discern who
was supposed to be there from who shouldn’t have been. At least
Bradley wasn’t near hysteria anymore. The look on his face as he’d
realized that his paintings were gone had broken Ryan’s heart.
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He imagined that the art was more precious to his submissive than
anything else in the loft. Bradley was going to freak when he saw the
special room Ryan was thinking of converting for Bradley’s use when
he stayed at his house. Whoa, cowboy. Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Trainers usually had a room where they let subs stay, but they didn’t
remake an existing room for any one sub’s tastes. It just wasn’t
practical. There is nothing practical about the way I am acting and
feeling toward him. He sighed. Why did he feel like Bradley had won
some kind of epic battle that had completely gone over Ryan’s head?
He stomped back to the ruined bathroom and started sorting
through half the bottles he’d tossed around in his desperate search for
slick. There was no reason that anyone should need five different
shampoos, toothpastes, and hair gel. Not to mention all the vitamins
that littered the floor. Why couldn’t he take one multivitamin like
everyone else?
The sound of shuffling and movement made him pause his search.
“Bradley, are you all right?”
“Fine, Sir,” Bradley called back, sounding distracted. What was
he doing? He poked his head out of the door and was astounded by
what he saw. Bradley had dragged out three sketchbooks from God
knew where and had them positioned around him in a semicircle. He
had a piece of broken charcoal in his fist and was furiously working
on the first one. As quietly as possible, Ryan moved back into the
room to watch as Bradley descended into another level of
consciousness that Ryan had never seen before. It went beyond
submission. It was submission, sex, and art all in one.
Ryan may have majored in art and may have worked as a tattoo
artist for a living, but he wasn’t really an artist. The art didn’t suck
him in and engross him like it had done to some of the other people he
had the privilege of attending university with. He felt the energy
surrounding him with a unique blend of subspace and an artist’s mind.
It was striking.
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Without looking up, Bradley spoke. “It feels like three pieces in a
collection. The first canvas is the start of it.” Ryan wasn’t entirely
sure what he was looking at, but he nodded all the same. “I need
paints. Do you have paints at your house?”
“We can stop by The Brush on the way there. We pass right by
it.” The Brush was the art store that supplied a lot of the university
students, and it was also where Ryan got most of his at-home supplies
as well.
Bradley nodded. “I need to get these out soon. I don’t want to lose
the feeling.”
“What feeling?” Ryan asked, curious. Bradley’s eyes were bright,
passionate. He was beautiful.
“Submission, sex, you. All of it. It’s right here.” He touched his
paint-smeared chest. “I need to get it out.”
Ryan nodded. This was an interesting expression of subspace if
he’d ever seen one. The euphoria was translating into creative energy.
“I’ve got your things together. Put on your pants and the shirt you
were wearing and we can go.”
Bradley blinked. “Oh yeah. Getting dressed is kinda necessary
huh?”
He chuckled. “Yes, sweet. It is.”
“Ry?”
“Yes?”
“Did you like it?”
“Did I like what?” Ryan asked.
“Did you like the spanking and the sex?”
Ryan’s body tried to stir at the memory. “Yes, sweet. I loved it.
Now get dressed.”
“Can we do it again?” Bradley asked as he gathered up his things.
His shirt went on first and then he winced as he pulled up the pants.
The spanking was probably still smarting.
“Which part?”
“Both. All of it. More?”
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Ryan laughed. “Eager, pup. We’ll explore more. Not all of it
tonight. You need to paint remember?”
“Oh. Oh yeah. That’s right.” He pushed his feet into his shoes.
“I’m ready.”
I don’t know if I am, Bradley. But here we go.
* * * *
“Get what you need,” Ryan commanded as they walked up the
curb to The Brush. “I have canvases, so just get whatever else you
need.”
“Big canvases?”
“They are my specialty,” Ryan said dryly. Yeah, Bradley in
headspace was freaking adorable. He was wide eyed, innocent, and
eager. The combination was the most alluring thing Ryan had ever
seen.
The owner of the shop, a wolf a little taller than Bradley named
Xander, came around the corner of one of the aisles and waved a hand
in greeting. “Hey, Bradley. How’s it goin’, man?” He was a beautiful
man. A thin swimmer’s build, tanned skin, dark-chocolate hair, and
amethyst eyes made an alluring picture. He was also an experienced
submissive who wouldn’t ask for anything in return for Ryan’s
attentions. Too bad he wasn’t even remotely interested. No. His
current tastes ran more in the direction of a mouthy little stalker who
had been told by a metaphysical being that the two of them were
mates.
Bradley looked up, looking thoroughly distracted. “Gotta get a
painting out. I need reds. Lots of reds. And orange. Flecks of
cadmium yellow, too.”
Xander chuckled. “Right on. You know where it’s at.” His eyes
locked on Ryan. “Hello, beta. How are you?”
Ryan glanced over at Bradley, who disappeared down another
aisle, to make sure he didn’t hear the purr in that tone. Xander was
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one of the pack submissives who had been with his brother. “I’m
Ryan, Xander. Not Regan.”
“Ah,” Xander said, pouting. “Sorry. He just rarely comes around
anymore. I thought maybe he was angling for a three-way.”
Ryan shook his head. “No can do. I’m training that one.” He
motioned toward Bradley, who was no doubt filling his hands and the
small shopping basket to capacity. “Whatever he buys, put it on my
tab.”
Xander nodded. “I will. So you’re training, huh? He must be the
one I’ve been hearing so much about. There are rumors that he’s your
mate. Any truth to it?”
Ryan shrugged, not committing either way. “People love to
gossip.”
“I see,” Xander said, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “You haven’t
been in here in a while either. You still working canvas?”
“Some. Not much lately. I started working some metal art with
Regan recently, and that seems to be more where the muse is at. There
and in the ink of course.” They had quite a setup in the backyard. He
was sure Bradley would appreciate it when he came out of headspace.
Xander tucked his hair behind one ear. “Of course. I imagine
being a beta for a large pack and working the shop takes some
considerable time out of your artistic schedule. Will you tell your
brother that I’d like to talk to him, please?”
Ryan nodded. He would pass the message along. There was a
pause in the shuffling of things in the next aisle over. “What’s the
problem, Bradley?”
The mournful reply was cute. “I don’t have enough money for all
this.” He couldn’t have that much stuff.
“Excuse me for a second, Xander,” he said, turning away from the
pack submissive.
Xander chuckled. “No problem, beta. Take your time. Your new
boy always spends an ungodly amount of time making his mind up
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over paints and ends up spending too much money in the process.
You guys have fun. I’ll be in the back working on a piece myself.”
Ryan waved, not hearing half of what he said. “Bradley, where are
you, sweet?”
“Right here.”
That was incredibly informative. He circled the aisle and didn’t
spot Bradley at first, but his eyes zeroed in on the boy sitting on the
floor with at least twenty tubes of paint spread out in front of him
with double the number of brushes as paints. There were also several
sketch pads and implements for those as well.
Bradley was glaring at his choices like they would suddenly cost
less if he stared at them long enough. “Why are they so expensive?”
“To torment you apparently.” Ryan tilted his head, doing a quick
calculation in his head. “You can get all of them. I’ll cover the cost
since it was my stalker that wrecked your things.” Speaking of which.
He needed to text Regan and get him to send a cleaning service to the
apartment and contact the owner to make sure it was all right. He’d
replace the windows himself if the insurance didn’t cover it.
Bradley looked up, blinked. “You sure?”
Ryan nodded. “Of course. Just get them all and let’s go. I want to
get home.” It had been a long day, and he had plans for his beautiful
submissive for the night if he could drag him away from his paintings
long enough.
“Okay. Okay. Sorry. I just…this feeling is so big, you know?”
He nodded. He did know but not in the same way Bradley did.
New subs were always so fascinated with the world from the
perspective of the submissive. As a Dom, his high was a little
different, but it was still just as powerful. He felt a bit like God,
actually. The control made him buzzed in a way that made him
overprotective and very much “mine” about his sub. Maybe that was
why the word repeated itself in regular intervals since he’d taken
Bradley.
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They gathered his things off the floor, and Ryan carried it over to
the register. “So are you still sore?” he asked, his voice low to not
alert the other wolf to their conversation.
Bradley actually blushed. “A little. Not too bad. Just a dull ache.
Is that good?”
“Very good.” It meant they could play more later.
Regan’s voice came into his mind suddenly. “He isn’t the type of
submissive you let walk out of your life, bro.”
“Xander is looking for you,” Ryan said, ignoring the words and
their implications. “Can you contact the cleaning company Mustang
uses and get them to do Bradley’s place? I’ll text you the address.”
Regan snorted. “Yeah. Fine. No problem. Speaking of the Alpha,
he’s looking for you. Has some information about your boy and his
wolf.”
Ryan winced at the reminder. He’d almost forgotten what Dean
had said about his submissive being a wolf.
“You know, it’s rude to have a conversation when someone is
talking to you,” Bradley cut in, annoyance thick in his voice. “I was
asking you a question.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you. Regan just—” He
frowned. “How the hell did you know I was talking to someone?”
Bradley shrugged. “I felt it. It’s like he’s a part of you, and when
he is in your head I can feel him, too.”
“Told you I felt him through our bond. That is some freaky shit
right there.”
“Shut up,” Ryan snapped. “You’re not helping.” Bradley looked
like he’d been slapped, and he immediately regretted his words. “I
wasn’t talking to you, sweet. I was talking to my smartass brother.
Shh, I didn’t mean to yell.” He pulled his submissive into his arms
and stroked down his back in soothing motions. He kissed the top of
his head. He never wanted to put that look of hurt on Bradley’s face
again. That nearly tore his heart out.
“He’s your mate, Ry. Claim him.”
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He was about to growl something appropriately Fuck-off-ish, but
the connection went blank as Regan drew away from him. He sighed.
Xander came out of the back room with a bag. “Sorry I made you
wait, guys. I had my agent on the phone.” He rang them up, and Ryan
handed his credit card over without hearing the total.
Claim him? How can I do that when he’s so fucking perfect and
I’m so fucking not? “Ryan?” Bradley asked as he signed the receipt.
“What is it, sweet?”
“Thank you for my things. I really appreciate it.” He smiled
warmly at Ryan, and Ryan was lost once more. Walking away was
going to be almost impossible, but staying seemed infinitely as
difficult. He wasn’t even sure if he could walk away with the way his
wolf was acting. He just didn’t know what to do anymore.
* * * *
Bradley paid zero attention to the house they pulled up to. His
mind was already swimming in paintings of rich reds, bright oranges,
and flecks of yellow to draw the mind and eye into it all. He was an
erotic artist at heart who focused almost solely on the beauty of the
male form, but he was feeling something like Munch’s The Scream,
where his paintings would express more than what was on the canvas,
a sound, an emotion that went beyond the physical. He had a feeling
that the first canvas would be all raw emotion, sex, something as
bright as he imagined. The second would be his surreal piece where
everything was spelled out for those who didn’t understand the first,
and the final piece would be something else entirely. Blues, greens,
shades and highlights of movement in bed sheets, implied passion.
Yes. That would be what he would put on canvas.
Ryan led up to a room of windows at the far end of the gray split-
level with wood paneling in the inside. It would have wonderful
natural light first thing in the morning. The space had to be Ryan’s
studio. It was perfect. Stretched canvases were stacked in the closet,
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and Ryan showed him where all the supplies were and the small half
bath attached where he could get some water.
“I’ll be down the hall in the living room. Come when you’re
finished,” Ryan said, looking at him strangely, like he’d never seen
him before.
“Will you model for me later?” Bradley asked, dragging his mind
off the paint and to his lover.
Ryan paused. “If you want. I can do that. Are you okay?”
“Fine. You inspire me.” Ryan inspired everything. How was he
blind to it? Their connection had only strengthened when they’d made
love.
The wolf chuckled. “All right, sweet. Come find me when you’re
done. Try not to be too long. I need to feed you and discuss some
things with you before we crash.”
Uh-oh. They always had to talk when Ryan was about to avoid
something. No matter. Bradley would find a way to convince him and
assuage his doubts. His lips twitched at the thought. Wasn’t he
supposed to be the one in need of convincing?
“Okay.”
Ryan left, and Bradley was left alone with his canvases.
Hours later, Bradley was pretty satisfied with the progress he’d
made so far. The first painting needed a few more brush strokes to be
perfect. The second one would take longer, but he’d gotten the
sketches out of his head and onto paper, and that was all that
mattered. He now had them nailed down and could rest. He wiped his
forehead and wasn’t surprised that it was dotted with sweat. Despite
the openness of the windows, the room was well insulated and warm.
Combined with his rigorous paint strokes, it wasn’t a surprise he was
damp. It was why he’d stripped down to nothing while he painted.
That and the idea that Ryan could walk in any moment was a
motivation for him to get naked.
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He stroked the edge of his painting lovingly. Ryan was here. The
way he felt about him anyway. Mine. There was that voice again. He
sighed. The voice was right. Ryan was most definitely his.
“You are beautiful when you work,” Ryan rumbled from the
doorway.
Bradley turned, smiled. “Thank you. I was about to come find
you. Did you enjoy your time without me bugging you?”
Ryan pushed off the doorframe. “A little lonely actually. I talked
to my Alpha. There is an official pack investigation going on about
who broke into your place.”
“Any leads yet?” Bradley asked, stretching his arms over his head
in an effort to work the kink out of his shoulders. He had been
working for some time, and he tended to get a little stiff.
Ryan shook his head. “Not yet. He was just letting me know.” He
stretched his hand out in offer. “Why don’t we move this party into
my room and I’ll give you a rubdown?”
“Really? That would be awesome, Sir.” The prospect of Ryan’s
hands rubbing out his muscles made him nearly groan in anticipation.
The honorific was coming more naturally the more he used it. “Do
you think we can maybe do a scene before bed?”
The Dominant took his hand and led him out of the room. “I have
been thinking about it since I left you in here. We can do a brief scene
if you like after your rubdown.”
This time as he came down the hallway, Bradley could actually
pay attention. The soft white carpet seemed to be new, but the wood
paneling was very retro. It looked like Ryan had done some updating
to the place.
“So is the lower level your man cave?” he asked as he was led
past a collage of pictures that featured Ryan and Regan along with
some other friends and family.
Ryan shook his head. “No. My brother and I bought this house
together. He lives in the bottom level. I live on the top. It was
originally two separate apartments, and we bought it from the old
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owner a couple years ago. We never really wanted to live in separate
places, so it worked out nicely.”
“That’s cool that you guys are so close. I’m not really close to my
family. My mom doesn’t really like me. I ruined her life or
something,” Bradley said. He really admired the close bond that Ryan
shared with Regan.
“Oh? Do you not have any siblings?”
Bradley shook his head. “Nah. My mom couldn’t have any kids
after me. She had some complications during pregnancy or
something. I always wanted a big family though.”
They finally reached his bedroom at the end of the hallway, and
he twisted the door to open up the room. The space was surprisingly
sparse, only containing a bed, a tall lamp, and a low dresser. The
walls were white with the exception of one large painting that took up
nearly the entire wall opposite the bed next to what Bradley imagined
was a walk-in closet. “Most people don’t understand the twin bond
thing,” Ryan said. “They get put off if they find out I kind of live with
my brother and have no plans to change that fact. Even though wolves
are pack animals, they don’t quite understand why I have to be this
close to my family. He’s all I have.”
Bradley’s eyes went to the king-sized bed and the Ed Hardy
comforter on it. His lips twitched. It was so very fitting with his tattoo
artist image, but for some reason it didn’t feel like him. His man was
simple and would probably be perfectly content with a plain
comforter in a solid color. He pulled his attention from the
decorations to their conversation.
“You don’t have any other family?”
“My mother and father chose to move to another pack when
Mustang won the contest for Alpha. They disagreed with the
hierarchy change. Since Regan and I supported Mustang fully and
stepped in as his betas, they chose to discontinue our relationship.”
The way he said it was so simple, but the hurt had to go deeper than
that. Bradley knew from personal experience that a parent’s rejection
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hurt worse than anything. “I chose my new family, and I couldn’t be
happier with that choice.”
“Right on. I respect that,” Bradley said. He padded over to the bed
and climbed up onto the mattress. “I have a few friends, but nothing
like you and Regan have.” He plopped down face-first in the
welcoming embrace of the bed that felt closer to sea foam than cotton
and waited for Ryan to join him.
He didn’t have to wait very long at all because the bed bounced a
second later as Ryan joined him. “So you’d be okay with us living
with my brother on a permanent basis?”
Bradley shrugged casually despite his pounding heart. Did that
mean that Ryan was considering giving them a fair shot? “Why
wouldn’t I be?” He was rewarded for his answer by Ryan’s strong
hands digging into his knotted shoulders and back. Oh wow. He really
needed this.
“The painting you did is awesome. You really captured passion,”
Ryan rumbled a second later. “I am impressed. You’re talented.”
“Thanks. Everything I’ve done lately has been a little on the
intense side. It’s all about us.” He didn’t care if that sounded creepy
or whatever. He needed Ryan to know that he was Bradley’s muse.
“‘Us’ is something that I’m still getting used to, but you capture
the feeling.” Ryan’s hands glided down his back, working out the
kinks with well-placed digs into the muscle. Oh he was good at this.
“I’ve been a little leery of intense for a while now.”
“Something to do with the ‘friend’ you told me about?” Bradley
asked. He had suspected when Ryan was telling the story that he’d
had firsthand experience with whatever had happened.
Ryan sighed. “Bradley, I’m not the best guy to train a new sub. I
don’t do intense because I got carried away with my first sub and
things got very scary for the both of us.”
“Will you tell me about it?” He could practically feel the tension
wafting off the other man in waves. What had happened to make him
so nervous every time he thought about it?
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The hands massaging his lower back paused. “I’ve never told
anyone except the pack council.” He paused. “Do you really want to
know why I was so freaked about training you?”
Bradley considered him. “I would like to know, yes. But you
don’t owe me an explanation. Everyone has things in their past that
are better left buried.” He thought about his own history. “Maybe we
can play quid pro quo. I’ll tell you something about my past and you
tell me yours. That way it’s not unbalanced where one of us knows
more than the other.” He was thankful that Ryan allowed even this
much closeness.
“Maybe someday. Not now though. I’m not ready,” Ryan said
after a long pause. Bradley tried not to take it personally. He may
have been the inexperienced sub, but Ryan was the inexperienced
lover and Bradley needed to show some of the patience that Ryan was
displaying with him.
“Okay,” Bradley said. “You want to show me your toys to see
which one I want to try out?”
He felt rather than heard Ryan’s deep rumble of interest. “Sure.”
He stopped his massage and rolled off the bed. Bradley lifted his head
to follow the movement. “I converted my office and what used to be
the third bedroom into a playroom. The bigger pieces are in Regan’s
level, but we can enter through the basement if you ever get an urge
for some of the larger toys. However, I have a cross and a spanking
bench with your name on it.”
Bradley smiled at the barely suppressed excitement in the other
man’s voice. Ryan could say what he wanted about not wanting to
play very hard, but the more he talked about toys, kinky furniture, and
the like, the more excited he got. He crossed over to the closet and
pulled the door open. There was a large black chest inside that
Bradley propped his head on his hands to get a better look at. He
needn’t have bothered. Ryan picked it up and brought it over to the
bed before placing it beside Bradley. He extracted a key from the
dresser and unlocked the thing.
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“This has a little of everything in it. I also have a few books that I
want you to take home with you and read. It’ll give you more
practical knowledge of the lifestyle as opposed to your romance
novels.”
“Okay,” Bradley agreed. “I can flip through them and see what
strikes my fancy. Are you going to send me home when my place is
fixed?”
That seemed to give Ryan pause. He slowly nodded. “Yes.
Staying with me is sort of like submission overload. I don’t want you
to forget there is a life outside of this.”
Bradley nodded. They’d see about that, but he wasn’t going to
argue with Ryan now. Not when he was picking out things for the
wolf to beat him with. His lips twitched upward into a smile. That was
funny. “I know I want the crop,” he said, pulling out the foot long
device that was used to urge horses onward. He’d seen it in the porn
he’d watched. “I also want to try some CBT, but I don’t know what
you need for that.”
Ryan chuckled. “Bold as ever. You never do what I expect you to.
I thought you’d be timid, ask questions, be unsure, something. You
never cease to amaze me, sweet.”
“I aim to please, Sir, and I have never been timid.” He paused.
“So what do you need for CBT?”
“Cock and ball torture isn’t my specialty, but we can definitely
work it into a scene for you. I have the weights and ties in the other
room. I can actually use the crop for the detail work so to speak.”
They were talking casually like they were discussing the weather or
what they’d do over the weekend, but Bradley was pleased to note the
prominent bulge his lover was sporting. He knew they’d be natural
together, perfect.
Bradley’s eyes caught on a shiny bit of plastic. He pulled it out of
the box and turned it over in his hands. “What is this for?” He touched
the plastic-encased needles.
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Ryan sucked in a breath, and his pupils dilated. “Needle play.
You’re not there yet.”
“What do you do with them?” Bradley asked.
Ryan adjusted his bulge before giving him a hooded look that was
pure lust. “I pierce your skin over and over again. The needles are
topped with colored balls so I can make patterns up and down your
flesh. It’s one of the most intense things I’ve ever done in a scene.”
“You did it to someone else?” Bradley tried like hell to keep the
jealousy out of his voice, but he knew he didn’t quite manage it.
Ryan chuckled. “Yeah. I did. It was after the second time you
came into the shop and had me pierce you.” His voice got deeper as
he recalled the memory. “It was your nipples. I did the first one, and
you moaned so prettily. The second one, you arched into my touch
like it was exactly what you wanted and didn’t give a damn about
who saw you getting off on it. You gave me the idea for a scene. I
went to the club after and picked up a sub to act out my fantasy.”
“You want to do that to me, Sir?” Bradley asked, swallowing
hard. “You want to pierce me and fuck me?”
Ryan groaned and leaned forward before seizing Bradley’s lips in
a kiss that was all teeth. He bit into Bradley’s bottom lip hard enough
that Bradley cried out. Bradley’s head swam, and he felt himself
sinking into that happy place he’d been before. He wanted more,
everything that Ryan described, and a few things he hadn’t. Ryan
broke the kiss with a curse. “God, Bradley, you go to my head faster
than a fifth of Jack. Yes. Someday I want you to scene with me and
do that. But not until you get more experience. All right?”
Bradley nodded. He could wait forever for his Sir to be ready for
that step. If he had to nudge him a little in that direction, it was fine,
too. He was flexible. “Yes, Sir.”
Ryan kissed his forehead. “Good. I think we’ll try out the cross
tonight since you looked at it so eagerly the other night during my
brother’s scene.”
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Bradley couldn’t suppress the moan at Ryan’s wicked grin. If it
was possible to die of system overload, he was going to do it.
Everything Ryan suggested sounded phenomenal.
“We’ll go over stances when you come into the playroom. I’ll go
get it ready and leave the door open for you. Wait five minutes and
then come in. When you get past the door, kneel on the carpet and I’ll
fix your position. Understood?” Ryan asked.
“Yes, Sir.” It was going to be the longest five minutes of his life.
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Chapter Nine
Ryan finished connecting his favorite pair of leather cuffs to the
St. Andrew’s Cross and stood back to look at his creation. Bradley’s
eyes burned into him as he looked his fill. The boy was cuffed to the
cross, body completely exposed to whatever Ryan wanted to do to
him. His cock hadn’t turned off from the first second Bradley had
opened his chest and touched his tools with reverent hands, the boy’s
scent saturated with lust and anticipation. They were well matched.
Everything felt as natural as breathing between them, and Ryan could
definitely see something more coming from their interaction if he let
it go that far. I’m walking away, remember? That voice seemed to be
getting less powerful by the second, but Ryan chose to ignore the
niggling feeling of “oh shit” that his logical mind wanted to descend
into.
Naked, Bradley was a temptation that was impossible to resist.
His nipple rings beckoned to be pinched, weighted, suckled. His
proud cock with the three piercings along its length wasn’t any less of
a temptation. Especially since he had been steadily dripping pre-cum
since Ryan had ordered him out of his kneeling position and onto the
cross.
He looked good in Ryan’s playroom as well. The Lucky Green-
and-cream walls were a good natural pallet to show off the dark
cherrywood and leather furniture that filled the space. Bradley could
be an excellent art piece to add to the décor. The thought aroused him
way more than it should have. To keep Bradley, to display him in his
room at will, was an intoxicating thought. He could even invite other
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Doms from Riders and have a card game while his beautiful boy hung
from the cross, spotlighted, while they played.
“You look like my favorite type of slut, sweet,” Ryan rumbled,
keeping his voice deliberately bored. He went to the wall and adjusted
the lighting so that a single recessed light beamed brightest over his
lover. Yes. He was striking like this.
“Your slut, Sir. Only your slut,” Bradley said, panting lightly as
Ryan continued to look him over. You’re such a bold boy. Ryan
wouldn’t admit it, but he loved that quality about Bradley. He circled
behind the cross where Bradley’s backside was exposed. The way the
cross was designed was simple. Cuffed like he was, the only part of
Bradley’s body he couldn’t get to was his back and legs. The X was
cut high enough so that delicious backside of his was completely
exposed.
“My slut, huh? You going to suffer for me, my slut?” Ryan asked,
grabbing his balls where they hung free between Bradley’s legs and
giving them a good squeeze. The boy hissed and came up on his
tiptoes. Ryan grinned where he couldn’t see him. “That’s one. Feet
flat on the ground, boy.”
“Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir,” Bradley panted.
“Good boy.” He really was such a good boy. He needed
something to focus on while they did the scene though, something
familiar. “What’s your safeword, Bradley?”
Bradley paused and the scent of panic filled the room. “I don’t
remember.”
“Shh, it’s all right. That happens. Repeat it after me, Pumpkin.”
“I knew it was some kind of fruit,” Bradley muttered. Louder he
said it. “Pumpkin.”
“Good boy. Don’t forget it again.” The sub was always tempting
him to laugh at inappropriate times. Bradley was a spitfire, that was
for sure.
Ryan knelt behind him and opened the plain brown box he’d left
there. The glass vibrator would pose as a nice distraction. It was
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shaped so that its numerous ridges would press against all his sweet
spots and the flared base widened so that it would seat firmly inside
the boy without falling out, no matter how desperate the sub got
during their scene. The remote was placed on one of the shelves by
the cross.
He grabbed some slick off the same shelf before spreading
Bradley’s cheeks and finding his pleasing pucker again. He began to
work open Bradley’s tight ass once more. The boy hissed before he
started rocking against his fingers. Their play from earlier had
loosened him up some, but he was still ungodly tight. This time I’m
going to make it to the bed before I take him. Bradley deserved to be
fucked in a proper bed at least once while he was Ryan’s submissive.
He just had to learn a little patience where the boy was concerned.
When he was satisfied that he could take the vibrator, Ryan
slicked the toy and pressed it steadily inside his lover’s body. Bradley
shuddered, opening for him perfectly. “You’re such a good boy,
Bradley,” he complimented, loving the way his lover’s ass looked
stretched with a phallus. He stood and hit the button of the remote,
setting it to a timer that would alternate between hard vibrations and
lessening ones in regular intervals, eventually increasing the amount
of time the hard vibrations were set until it cycled back around again.
Bradley whimpered. “Thank you, Sir.”
Now the real fun could begin. “You aren’t to come without
permission, boy. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” Bradley said, his voice unsteady. Good. He wanted his
lover overwhelmed and off balance in a good way. He wanted only
good memories of today despite the ruined apartment and all the
trouble that came with it.
He walked back around the cross to Bradley’s front, snagging the
crop where it sat on his instrument tray. He’d decided to wear jeans
and go shirtless to remind himself that he wanted to go to his bedroom
before he took Bradley, so he grabbed some of the ball weights off the
table as well and stuck them in his pocket. “We’ll work you up slow
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first,” he said, running the leather head of the crop along Bradley’s
body. He wouldn’t always warn the sub of what he was going to do,
but these first few scenes he would do a lot of hand-holding.
He popped the crop on the boy’s chest and watched his boy’s
reaction. He reacted like a dream, leaning into the strike and closing
his eyes. He was going to sink into subspace quickly. He did it again.
“Feel good, sweet?”
“Yes, Sir. Feel good.”
Ryan caught his nipple with the next strike. Bradley groaned and
arched into the touch, which caused the vibrator to go deeper and
made him cry out again. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” Ryan
admitted, hitting him again, punishing his beautiful submissive for
making him want him so damn much. There was no room for words
after that point as he smattered strikes along his chest, abdomen, and
finally his weeping cock. He caught the sensitive underside with a
particularly stinging pop, and the boy danced for him. So he did it
again.
“Sir!” Bradley yelped, panic in his voice. “I’m going to come!”
“Not yet, boy,” Ryan warned, continuing his torture. He stopped
his strikes for a moment in order to get out the weighted line in his
pocket. Some submissives loved this, but he’d have to watch Bradley
and make sure. He connected a leather ring around the tight mound of
Bradley’s testicles and attached one of the weights to the small rings
it sported. He didn’t release it yet to let it hang. “This is going to up
the intensity a bit.” He let the chain drop.
Bradley howled, bucking up against his restraints and nearly
knocking Ryan on his ass in the process. “Oh! Oh fuck!” Bradley
shook his head like he didn’t know what to do. “Master, please,
fuck—gonna—God!”
“Want another?” Ryan asked, his cock hard enough to bust the
zipper on his jeans. Damn. He was beautiful.
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“Please, Master! Yes!” The honorific was as stimulating as
Bradley’s reaction was. The deeper he went into subspace, the more
he seemed to substitute “Master” for “Sir.”
Fascinated, Ryan added another weight and let it swing. Bradley
screamed and bucked, his whole body tightening in one long line of
muscle. His muscles were jumping, dancing, like there was a current
of electricity put through them. Ryan took up his crop and started
popping the boy’s nipples again.
“When I let the weights off, you can come,” Ryan said, mentally
counting the number of times he had smacked each nipple in his
mind.
“Stings, Master,” Bradley murmured, head swaying back and
forth to the rhythm of Ryan’s strikes. Oh yeah. His boy was deep in
headspace now. He was nothing but sensation. Pride filled him.
Taking his sub out of his body and transporting him to a place beyond
pain was something every Dom wanted to achieve. The absolute trust
was intoxicating.
“It’s supposed to, sweet boy. You’ve been so good. You want to
come for me now?” Ryan all but purred when Bradley gave a deft
nod. “Ready?” He dropped the crop before reaching down with his
other hand and gripping the clasp of the leather he’d attached to
Bradley’s sac.
“Yes, Sir.”
He popped the clasp and let the weights fall to the floor. He held
onto Bradley’s balls with one hand, massaging them out while his
other hand stroked the boy’s dick. Immediately, a stream of cum
erupted from the tip of Bradley’s cock, and the boy screamed his
release to high heaven. Ryan grinded against the boy’s thigh as he led
him through the most intense orgasm Ryan had ever witnessed. He
was going to have to invest in soundproofing the room if Bradley was
always so vocal, or else either the neighbors would call the cops or
Regan would be banging on his door demanding that they quiet down.
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“Good boy,” Ryan praised, over and over as his body came down
from his orgasm and slumped in the restraints. His own cock was
aching in his jeans. He had to get the boy to his room. Now. “You’re
my beautiful boy.” Mine. His wolf growled at him as he undid the
cuffs on Bradley’s legs and arms. He had to catch the boy to keep him
from falling over. His sub murmured something indiscernible and
looked up at him with the most pleasure-filled eyes he’d ever seen.
Ryan scooped the boy up and all but ran from the room, down the
hall, and into his bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind him before
tossing his lover into the middle of his mattress. He growled as he
attacked his clothes, breaking the zipper and shredding some of the
denim in an effort to get naked. His wolf was in full control at that
moment, and all Ryan could think about was getting inside his lover.
Bradley moved restlessly, legs spread wide. It was then Bradley
remembered the vibrator he’d put in his boy’s tight ass. Without
preamble, he reached down and slowly pulled the dildo out of his boy,
who groaned at the loss.
He tossed the toy aside and climbed between Bradley’s spread
thighs. “Mine!” he snarled as the boy spread wider. He didn’t care
that he sounded like an animal and that Bradley was looking at him
like he was God or something. He finally had his boy in his bed.
Mine. Mate. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he wanted to.
Instincts older than any barrier he could’ve possibly erected seized
him. He shoved roughly inside Bradley’s stretched ass, pounding
away before Bradley even had time to adjust. The boy gasped and
arched into him, his nails scoring Ryan’s shoulders. Everything felt so
good on his oversensitized skin. He needed Bradley’s flesh in his
mouth.
He bit into Bradley’s shoulder where it met his neck and fucked
him like he was going to pound him through the mattress. Distantly he
was aware of Bradley coming again, his body shuddering beneath
him, but then his own orgasm boiled through him, and the world went
white for an instant before it exploded. His cock jerked, spilling the
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sticky proof of his pleasure inside his boy and knotting at the base of
his thick length.
He groaned as sanity started to return. This can’t be happening.
But it was. The proof that Bradley was his mate was right there. His
wolf had all but declared him so earlier. So why didn’t I knot the first
time we had sex? He’d still been denying it, clinging to the fact that
Bradley wouldn’t be his forever. He’d suppressed the wolf, and the
wolf had finally gotten tired of it. Mine. He sighed, lapping at the bite
mark he’d made on the side of Bradley’s neck. Yeah. Yeah. Ours. It
would’ve been depressing had his body not still been singing and
shuddering through multiple orgasms the entire time he laid against
his love.
“God in heaven,” Bradley murmured as Ryan rolled a little to the
side to keep from crushing him. Ryan looked down to see something
he never expected to. A thick knot was formed at the base of
Bradley’s cock, and every time another shudder of release went
through Ryan, it went through him as well. Fuck. He really is wolf. It
didn’t make a lot of sense considering that when a Dominant wolf
claimed a submissive one, the sub typically didn’t knot, but if there
was a trait that declared a person a shifter, it would be the knotting
when they mated with their fated partner. Apparently even Bradley’s
body was stubborn and declared to the world that they were meant to
be together.
Bradley reached up with a trembling hand and cupped his cheek.
“I love you, Ryan.” The words sank into his core this time. He
couldn’t dismiss the raw honesty in Bradley’s eyes. “I’m yours now.”
Ryan nodded, swallowing as his throat tightened. “Yes, Bradley.
You’re mine.”
* * * *
Bradley never wanted the night to end. He napped a bit after their
exhausting scene and subsequent lovemaking, but even deep in
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subspace, he couldn’t sleep. He laid awake for hours watching his
beautiful mate sleep. They were mates. Ryan admitted it at last.
When he’d finally been able to pull out of Bradley, Ryan had
tucked them both under his comforter and commanded Bradley to
sleep, promising to talk about everything in the morning. Bradley had
tried to obey, but he wasn’t very good at it. He ran his hands over the
heavy muscle of Ryan’s chest and sighed. This man was his. Every
inch of him. He wanted to scream it from the rooftops.
The session and the sex had been a little overwhelming, so much
bigger and more intense than Bradley had fantasized about, but that
was all right. Ryan was his. Mine. He smiled at that familiar voice. I
know. Isn’t it wonderful?
A noise from the living room drew his attention, and he frowned
in the darkness. Who was there? Ryan had no pets that he knew of.
Slowly, he slid from the bed before padding over to his bag and
grabbing a pair of boxers therein. Ryan had promised clothes
shopping tomorrow as well, but for now it would do. If it was the
stalker, he should probably wake Ryan up, but if it was just a noise,
he didn’t want to disturb his lover’s slumber. Now that he’d admitted
that Bradley was his mate, there was probably going to be a few
growing pains as Ryan got used to the idea. Better to let him sleep.
He opened the door as quietly as he could and closed it behind
him before he padded down the hall. If nothing else he could get a
glass of something to drink from the fridge. He was dying of thirst.
He rounded the corner from the hallway and jumped as he nearly
collided with the tall frame in his way.
He skidded backward and almost fell. Who was—the guy turned
his head and relief went through Bradley. “Damn, Regan. You scared
the piss out of me!” he whispered, glaring up at his lover’s twin.
Regan smirked, his lip tilting up on one side mockingly. “Sorry. I
didn’t know you were such a light sleeper. I figured with all the
screaming from earlier that you and Ry would be passed out until
morning.”
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Bradley blushed at the mention of his screaming earlier. Granted,
he had been rather loud. But wasn’t it impolite to say so? His balls
were aching from the session and he was sore all over, but it was a
good sore. “What are you doing here anyway?” he asked, curious.
Regan shrugged. “Ryan always has OJ, and I had a craving for
some.” He pointed to the door that Bradley had assumed was the
pantry. “That door leads down to my half of the house. There was talk
at one time of us closing it up and having two completely separate
spaces, but it wasn’t practical. We’re both too much a part of one
another’s business, and it would be a bitch to have to go outside every
time one of us wanted in the other’s place.”
“Keep your voice down, please,” Bradley said, crossing over to
the fridge. Orange juice sounded like heaven right now. “Ryan is still
sleeping.”
Regan snorted. “That man sleeps like the dead. I could set off a
bomb in the kitchen and he wouldn’t wake up. The only reason I’m
up is because someone was in the driveway a minute ago. No idea
who and they’re wearing something to mask their scent, but they were
there. Since I didn’t have anything else, I came up for OJ.” He
motioned to the living area with the plush red leather sectional next to
the fifty-six-inch flat screen. “Want to chill with me for a minute
before I go? Not to be a creeper or anything but Ryan is in total denial
about what is going on with you two, and I want the skinny.” He
reached into the cabinet above Bradley’s head before handing him a
cup out of it.
“Thanks,” Bradley said, setting it on the counter and pouring his
juice in it. “Yeah. I can chill for a second.” He was too wired to go
back into the bedroom and try to sleep, so it was a better alternative.
He was feeling clingy, but just knowing that his lover was asleep in
the other room gave him comfort.
Regan went over, plopped down on the couch, and grabbed the
remote for the TV. He’d obviously done it more than once because he
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knew exactly how to work it. He turned it onto one of the rock and
roll music stations and beckoned Bradley over.
Bradley went, sitting a couple cushions over for propriety’s sake,
just in case Ryan came in and decided to get territorial over the space
between them. “What did you want to know? I know you guys are
close.” He had no qualms telling Regan his perspective on things.
Ryan trusted him absolutely, so it only made sense that he do the
same.
“You smell different,” Regan said, frowning. He sniffed the air. “I
mean, you smell like wolf, sex, and Ry. Weird.”
Bradley shrugged. “He claimed me finally, if that makes a
difference.” He rubbed his neck where Ryan had bit him. “I’m not
sure if that means I’m going to turn furry or not.”
Regan reached out and tilted his head to the side. “Ah, I see. If
that’s the case, then congrats. I’m glad my brother finally got his head
out of his ass. To turn someone into one of us, you have to be marked,
offer an act of submission, and take the Dominant’s bite. You might
have accomplished all three. We’ll ask Ry tomorrow.” He smiled.
“Welcome to the family, little brother.”
“Thanks.” It was nice to be seen as something to be welcomed
instead of shunned. “I imagine he’s still going to have hang-ups about
it though. I mean, whatever happened that keeps him from letting
loose is still bothering him.”
Regan sighed and sat back in the couch. “Honestly, he needs to
forgive himself for that. It’s been years, and he’s a grown man now.
The damn elders and Mustang’s father really fucked him up in the
head over it.”
“What happened? He started to tell me, but he’s not ready yet.
You don’t need to give me details, but I’d like an idea so I can start
figuring out how to help my Master.” Bradley wasn’t sure if that was
appropriate, but he felt like it was his job to do so.
Regan considered him. “You really are an oddball sub. Most
expect the Doms to just take care of them. You’re the sub who
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absolutely believes that it is your mission to care for and obey your
Dominant. Am I right?” Bradley nodded. “Thought so. You’re a
special kid, Bradley. I hope one day to be as lucky as my brother is.
Ryan’s hang-up about relationships and his ability to have one comes
from his first boyfriend. David was really into breath play, wanted it
all the time, but they were both way too inexperienced to go there
without supervision. Long story short, they got carried away and
David almost died. Ryan blamed himself because he was David’s
Dom and should’ve known that he was past the ability to safeword.
Just the same, David should’ve safeworded way earlier but was a
stubborn kid who thought he could take anything. When the axe came
down from the Alpha, Ryan was punished, first in front of the pack
with retribution to David’s family and then again in intensive
‘counseling’ sessions where the fucker basically told him that he
couldn’t be trusted with inexperienced subs or even in any type of
normal relationship until he was more experienced and a better
Dominant. My brother was a sixteen-year-old kid, and as you can
imagine, it rocked his confidence. He refused from then on to get
involved with anyone who wasn’t an available and never took on a
personal sub. He just doesn’t trust himself.”
Quiet horror settled into Bradley’s skin. “God that’s awful. He’s a
wonderful Dominant and a good man. How can he not see that?”
Regan shrugged. “Got me. No one in his life has ever pushed the
envelope and demanded more until you came along. He won’t listen
to me or any of the other Doms, and subs, especially the ones who
hang out at the club, don’t care to bolster a Dom’s confidence. They
want our mastery, but they don’t really care about us as people and
same goes for us for the most part. My brother has always needed a
relationship but has been too stubborn to see it. That’s why I’m glad
you came along.”
“This would explain why he freaked when I asked about breath
play,” Bradley muttered, examining those instances where Ryan had
been the most uncomfortable. “Poor Ryan.”
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“Yep. I hope you take care of him, kid. If you don’t and you hurt
him, I will bury you. We clear?” The threat made Bradley shudder.
The look in Regan’s eyes said that he would make good on it if
Bradley ever gave him reason to.
He nodded. “Yeah. I got it.”
“Good. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come find me
downstairs or shoot a text to my phone. You have the number?” He
nodded. It was on the back of the card that Ryan gave him.
“Awesome. I don’t expect you to attend the classes for availables
anymore, so any pack questions, feel free to ask, too.” The wolf
stretched, popping something as he did. “You going somewhere
tomorrow?”
“Yeah I have a studio class I have to go to and work the next
day.” He wasn’t sure what the point of the question was though.
Regan nodded. “Tell Ryan to take the car tomorrow. It’s supposed
to rain. I put your bike in the shed out behind the tattoo shop
whenever you go by there.” He slapped his hands on his knees. “I
think I’m going to grab some shut-eye myself. We’re booked
tomorrow, so I better get some rest. You should probably do the same.
You wired?”
“A little bit,” Bradley admitted. Regan handed the remote to him.
“There are literally a thousand channels to choose from. Usually
sub boys want to crash after a session, but you are just going to be
different huh?” He smiled when he said it, telling Bradley that it was
a compliment. Bradley smiled sheepishly and nodded. “Figures. My
brother has all the luck. Speaking of sessions, you enjoy yours?”
Bradley grinned and gave him the highlights, proud that he had
done so much in his first official session.
When he finished, Regan was grinning, too. “That is a hell of an
ending to the night. Damn. He mates you at the end of it. That’s some
real BDSM romantic shit right there.”
Bradley laughed at his phrasing. “I suppose so.”
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“Right on. Well, I’m off to bed. If you need anything, don’t forget
to yell.”
“Will do. G’night,” Bradley said, waving as Regan pushed
himself to his feet and crossed the floor to the door in the kitchen.
The wolf paused as he opened the door. “You know, most people
aren’t okay with me and Ry’s weird-ass connection thing. It doesn’t
bother you that I’m here, does it?”
Bradley shook his head. “Nope. You’re as much a part of Ryan as
I am. You feel right.” He couldn’t explain it adequately. Ryan needed
Regan to be there just as Regan needed Ryan to be close. It would
make Bradley one hell of a prick to try and break that up.
Regan smiled. “Cool, man. See you.” With that he disappeared
down the dark staircase, shutting the door behind him. Bradley sighed
and turned his attention back to the TV before giving up the fight to
find something to watch and slinking back down the hall to Ryan’s
room. He had hopes for tomorrow. As he slid into bed with his mate
and was immediately enveloped in Ryan’s strong arms, he knew that
his hopes were definitely within reach.
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Chapter Ten
Two weeks passed, and Bradley could honestly say they were the
best in his life. Ryan still wouldn’t say “I love you,” but he at least
acknowledged that Bradley was his mate and had agreed to drop the
whole “trainer” façade and register Bradley as his official mate
despite the fact that he hadn’t turned him yet. That was fine with
Bradley because their relationship was progressing nicely. He’d been
able to move back into his apartment a few days previously, but he
and Ryan still managed to see one another every day. The space only
seemed to encourage Ryan to move things faster, and that was
awesome in Bradley’s eyes.
Hey, Sir, just got out of class and am heading to work, he texted
as his professor called an end to their lecture and he started gathering
up his things. His phone buzzed with a reply almost immediately.
Good. What time do you get off?
His fingers flew over the keys. My shift ends at 11. You want to
come over?
Pack meeting tonight. Probably won’t be done in time to do much
but sleep.
Bradley frowned. That sucked. Oh…
That’s okay. I’ll see you
tomorrow then. Breakfast at your place right? He could take his bike
over as soon as he got out of his early class at nine.
Yes. I’ll make chocolate waffles to make up for it. ;)
Bradley grinned. He loved Ryan’s waffles. He wasn’t sure what
he did to them, but they were some of the best he’d ever eaten.
Session after? He bargained. They hadn’t done a scene in three days,
and he was jonesing for one.
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LOL, minx. Fine. Session after. Serious note, be careful walking
home tonight. Someone broke into the shop last night and went
through my desk. He might still feel threatened by you. Also, Mustang
gave me some info I need to share with you, but it can wait until
tomorrow. Text me when you get home.
He hadn’t thought about the other person who had been following
around Ryan since the first night they’d been together two weeks ago.
It hadn’t been really threatening since whoever it was ransacked his
apartment. For the most part, the only signs that someone was even
still following him around were when one of the twins claimed to
have smelled or heard someone around their place. It was all very
strange. He replied. I’ll text you when I get in. <3 U.
He tucked the phone into his jeans pocket and gathered up his
laptop and backpack. There were a couple of projects he needed to
finish up for his design class, and he still had to take his exams, but
for the most part he was done with the semester’s responsibilities. All
he needed to work on was finishing up the pieces for his senior art
exhibit. He couldn’t wait for Ryan to see the full extent of the
collection. It had everything from when they first met to the piece
he’d finished last night to complete the three-piece set that he’d
started after their first round of lovemaking. Professor McDaniels said
that the whole collection was admirable and had been encouraging
him to apply to art schools that had been after him. Bradley had
tucked that want away, however. He wanted to stay here. His heart
was here.
Besides, Christian Svengard, a big-name designer, club owner,
and art collector had taken an interest in his work since he’d started
working the “Adamson” pieces and was snapping up his work and
commissioning him to begin work on a new collection over the
summer. It was a big break and one that could possibly mean that he
would be able to work on his art full-time once he graduated. He’d
been saving that news as a surprise for Ryan. His Dom was already
spoiling him rotten. He’d taken his studio at his house and converted
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it to one better suited to Bradley and his work. When he wasn’t in the
playroom or in Ryan’s bedroom, that was where he spent his time.
He waved to his friends and classmates as he cut out of the
classroom and took the side hall out to the entrance that would spill
him out onto the sidewalk that ran parallel to the school and down the
street to Denny’s. He couldn’t wait for his shift to be over. He hugged
his jacket close and snuggled into his scarf. A few more hours until he
could touch Ryan again. It wasn’t such a long time to wait.
* * * *
One of Bradley’s customers waved him over from his station as he
refilled the glass of Sprite for table four. “Can I get some more coffee
please?” he asked, raising his cup.
Bradley nodded and smiled. “Be right there.” He delivered the
Sprite to four and rounded to grab the coffeepot for six. “Sorry about
that. It gets a little busy this time of night.” The two hours after the
last classes let out at the university and the morning shift were the
busiest out of the day. Bradley preferred to work this shift out of any
of the others. He wasn’t much of a morning person.
The brown-haired man smiled. “Not a problem. You’re the beta
Ryan’s new toy aren’t you?”
Bradley froze, trying to think of what the hell to say to that. “Um,
we’re seeing one another.”
“But you’re an available right?” he asked, looking a little too
interested at the place where his available tattoo sat as if by sheer
force of will he could see through Bradley’s clothes. It was creepy.
“Yeah, technically. Only for Ryan though.” He took a step back
from the table. He couldn’t be rude, but at the same time, he really
didn’t want the other guy to touch him.
The guy sighed wistfully. It was creepy as hell. “There was a time
when being an available meant you catered to any Dominant who had
the inclination.”
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Bradley chose to ignore it. “Well, good thing we live in a different
time. Can I get you anything else?”
“Just the check when you get a chance.” The man reached out and
grabbed Bradley’s wrist, pulling him closer. A shot of adrenaline
went through him along with a healthy dose of fear. “You know, the
current administration might not be in power much longer. You might
want to consider finding another Dominant to take shelter with when
he’s gone. Not me, I’m straight. But I know some guys in another
pack that would be more than happy to take on a pretty sub like you.”
Bradley yanked his hand back, rubbing his wrist against his jeans
and resisting the urge to crack the wolf over the head with the
coffeepot. “I’ll take my chances. What do you mean there might be a
change in the pack? Like someone is going to challenge Mustang?”
The customer shrugged and smiled like he had a secret. “Who
knows? Anything could happen.”
The tone made Ryan shudder. “I’ll be right back with your bill.”
He turned and took off toward the front to print out his bill for the
table. He had a bad feeling about all this.
* * * *
Mustang jostled the papers on the podium as he checked off the
last on their discussion list for the evening, and Ryan checked his
phone for the hundredth time. It was close to midnight, and Bradley
still hadn’t texted him.
Regan elbowed him in the ribs. “Yo, pay attention. Mustang is
going to put your balls on a spit if you keep being so twitchy.”
“I can’t help it. Bradley should be home by now.” He checked his
phone again. Fuck. Why was he so on edge? His sub should get a
proper vehicle and drive around like a normal person. Walking
everywhere was ridiculous, and his motorcycle was dangerous. Not
that Ryan would give his up, but still.
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Regan’s laughter filled his mind as his brother struggled to keep it
from manifesting in Mustang’s crowded meeting house. The
converted, whitewashed barn was not the place to start rolling on the
floor over Ryan’s newfound mother-hen attitude. “Oh boy, you got it
bad.”
“Shut up. I can’t wait for you to find your mate, bro. It’s going to
be a trip watching you get all gooey over a male.” He would take
particular pride in his torture. Caring about another person was hell
after all this time avoiding it. And he did care about Bradley. The
submissive was more than he’d ever hoped for, and the way he let
Ryan take their relationship slow was much appreciated. It didn’t
matter that his instincts demanded that he move the sub into his space
ASAP, Bradley let Ryan take his own sweet time about it. It would
happen soon though. Very soon. He didn’t know how many more
nights he could take without Bradley in his bed. It was lonely without
him. However, until he explained to him what he’d learned from
Mustang about Bradley’s heritage, he wasn’t going to move on it.
Regan grinned. “Never gonna happen. I’m a free spirit and all
that.”
“Oh it’ll happen, Re. When you least expect it, a mouthy sub is
going to walk up to you and be like ‘here I am, take me home’ and I
want to see how you deny him.”
Mustang interrupted Regan before he could reply. “If that is all
from my betas as well”—Mustang glared—“then we can call an end
to the meeting.”
Ryan shifted uncomfortably. Fuck. They were going to get a
lecture about paying attention again.
A lone voice rang out from the back of the room. “We still want to
discuss the situation with the human admissions into the pack.”
Ryan tilted his head to see who was speaking. Alder had gotten to
the meeting late as per usual and then waited to the end to kick up a
fuss. Irritation flickered through him as a few of his buddies seconded
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the petition. It was the same group of six men that it had been for
weeks now. They were really getting on his nerves.
Mustang’s eyes narrowed. “For the millionth time, Alder, we are
not discussing this again. The pack put it to a vote. The vote was in
the affirmative and I approved. We’re done discussing it.”
Alder huffed. “Well we should discuss it. Alpha Daines is
threatening to challenge us for territory if we don’t deal with the
issues at hand.”
Mustang growled. “And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I
will not be instructed on how to run my pack by a man who has
kidnapped one of its members and nearly killed me in the process.
Now, if you think Alpha Daines has it so right, Alder, you are
welcome to go join his pack and leave mine. The meeting is
adjourned.” A grumble went up from the interjectors but they
eventually moved toward the exit.
The rest of the pack started dispersing, leaving Mustang, Ryan,
Regan, and Mustang’s mate, Grayson, at the front of the room. Ryan
made a mental note to check into Alder and his cronies later. He
didn’t like how uppity he was getting. The man’s disagreement was
fine but he was getting less accepting of Alpha’s decisions not more.
They’d have to watch him.
“So when are you bringing your mate to the house for supper and
the official meet and greet, Ryan?” Grayson asked. Ryan always
found it a little disconcerting to have to look up to Mustang’s mate.
The man may have been a submissive, but he towered over most of
them.
Ryan shrugged. “After I tell him he’s actually one of us, I
imagine. I’m supposed to talk to him about it over breakfast
tomorrow. He’ll probably have a million questions he’ll need
answered, and I’ll need your help to do it.”
“So plan on bringing him by on Sunday,” Mustang said, wrapping
his arms around Grayson’s muscled waist. “We’ll make a nice grilled
supper and show him around the grounds. I’ve already contacted the
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Circle, and they’re going to send out a specialist to see why he’s not
shifting. The suppression had to have been painful as hell to make his
wolf completely unnoticeable.”
Ryan nodded. “Yeah. If you’ll excuse me, I have to call Bradley.
He should be home by now.”
“Oh before you run off, I meant to tell you. David called today to
check in,” Mustang said as Ryan turned to leave.
Ryan frowned. “Why would he call to check in?”
Mustang shrugged. “He apparently saw your new mated status on
the Circle’s site and thought to check up on you. He didn’t have your
number anymore but wanted to call. He expressed some concern over
rushing into a mating but I assured him that you are doing just fine. I
found it a little suspicious.”
“Yeah, I can see why, especially given everything that has been
going on lately. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Mustang waved him on. “See that you do.”
The group nodded, and he turned from them, walking toward the
back paddock where the younger wolves were kept during a full
moon. He dialed Bradley’s number from memory and listened to it
ring. Pick up your phone, boy. I hate worrying.
“Hello?”
“Thank fuck. Why didn’t you text me when you got in?” Ryan
snapped as a combination of irritation and relief filled him.
Bradley’s laugh on the other end said he wasn’t fazed by his
growling. “I’m not home yet. I stayed a little longer at work than I
expected. I’m almost to my place now.” He told him in quick
succession about the incident with the customer and his veiled threat.
Ryan frowned as he listened to it, the fear from earlier coming back to
gnaw at his gut.
“You were probably talking to the man who tore up your
apartment, sweet. Go there and stay there. I’m coming over.” Could it
be David? Would he go so far as to harass his mate? It didn’t seem
like something he would do but they hadn’t seen one another in years.
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Last he heard, David was happily mated. It didn’t make sense that he
would be here in any capacity. I don’t even know if it’s him. Don’t get
worked up over nothing. It could be anyone.
There was a pause and the sound of jangling keys on the other
line. “Are you sure? I understand if you’re tired.”
“Better yet, let me come pick you up. I didn’t relish the prospect
of sleeping alone anyway.” Ryan wanted to have his lover and his
brother under the same roof, his lover because he worried and his
brother so that he could have an extra set of senses to guard his mate.
“Okay. I can do that. To be honest, he really creeped me out.” The
sound of a door closing was magic to Ryan’s ears. “I’ll pack what I
need for school and work tomorrow and wait on you to call to come
downstairs. It’s really cold tonight. You going to bring the car?” The
car that Ryan and Regan shared wasn’t their preferred form of
transportation, but they used it especially when it was near freezing
like it was now.
“We drove it to Mustang’s. We’ll leave from here and swing by to
pick you up. It’ll be about thirty or forty minutes. You call me if you
see anything suspicious, all right?”
Bradley’s voice sounded warm when he spoke. “Yes, Sir. I’ll call
you. Love you, Ry.”
His heart tripped over itself at the simple expression. He was a
coward for not saying it back, but he couldn’t yet. It was too big, and
he was too afraid of what it would mean if he said it so soon. He was
just beginning to come to peace with the fact that he and Bradley were
in a permanent relationship and really didn’t want to jump the gun. He
still felt unworthy of Bradley’s love, and that was a big problem.
“Get a hold of him?” Grayson asked from behind him.
He half-turned, nodded. “Yeah I did.”
“Who is that?” Bradley asked.
“Grayson. I was a little worried, so he was checking to see if I
found you.” He pulled the phone away from his mouth. “Can you tell
Regan to meet me at the car?”
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“Will do, Ryan,” Grayson said, patting him on the shoulder before
turning from him and walking back over to the group of men who
were quietly talking.
“I’ll let you go, Ry,” Bradley said, the sound of rustling came over
the line like he was moving about his apartment. There couldn’t be a
lot he had to grab. He didn’t have much left. He was still sleeping on
a blowup mattress that Ryan had bought him, and the new clothes and
things were still at Ryan’s house. “Call me when you pull onto my
road.”
“Okay. See you in a bit. Bye.” They hung up, and Ryan stuck the
phone in his pocket. He looked up and met the amused gaze of his
brother. “Not a word.”
“Wasn’t gonna say a word,” Regan drawled.
* * * *
Ryan had never been more relieved to see home. Mustang was
going in person to Denny’s to try and scent which wolves had been
there most recently, and Regan was going to compile the list of people
who hadn’t attended tonight’s meeting. He just hoped that the person
following him around was found quickly. The man was getting
bolder, and he didn’t want to risk Bradley. He was tempted to lock
him in a tower or something.
“You two have fun. I’ll probably patrol the neighborhood before I
crash, so I’ll see you two for breakfast in the morning,” Regan said as
Ryan put the car in park.
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “Inviting yourself to breakfast, bro?”
“Hell yeah.” Regan smirked, not missing a beat. “Angry hoards
couldn’t keep me away from your chocolate waffles, Ry.”
“Re…”
Regan opened his door and ducked out. “Tell him when you get
him inside. Don’t wait till morning. You have all night.”
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“Your brother is something else,” Bradley said from the backseat,
a smile in his voice.
“He’s a pain in the ass,” Ryan rumbled. “Let’s get you inside,
sweet. I don’t want you out in the cold too long.”
Bradley laughed at him. “I doubt I’m going to catch my death in
the car that’s still warm. It’s a ten-minute walk from campus to work
and another fifteen from work to home. I’m fine. What did you need
to tell me?”
“Let’s go up to my room first.” Ryan opened his door and rolled
out into the cold air. He opened the back door of the car and grabbed
Bradley’s bag from the floorboards. He felt exposed outside and was
itching to get his lover back where he would be safe.
“You know, I’m more concerned about you than me,” Bradley
said, following him out. For the first time in Ryan’s memory, he
locked the car and set the alarm. They never really had been scared
that someone would break into the Mazda before.
Ryan took his lover’s arm with his free hand and dragged him up
the sidewalk to the porch. “That’s a foolish assumption to make. It
would be too easy to use a man’s mate against him in a hostile
situation. It’s been done before, and it will be done again, I’m sure.”
Bradley swallowed visibly. “I didn’t think of that. It seemed to me
he was just delivering a warning or something.”
“Could be,” Ryan allowed. He unlocked the door and beckoned
his lover in. He really needed to get an alarm system installed. It was
something he’d discuss with Regan when he got back from his jaunt
around the neighborhood. Bradley pulled off his jacket and started
unbuttoning his white work shirt. Or he could wait until morning. He
closed the door behind them and locked it.
“What are you doing, sweet?” Ryan asked.
Bradley threw him a mischievous smile. “Getting naked, Sir. I did
have a project in my performance art class that I want your help
with.”
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“I didn’t know you were taking performance art,” Ryan
murmured, watching as Bradley unbuttoned another button on the
stark white shirt. He needed to make this stop. He had to tell Bradley
about his heritage, what it might mean to them.
“It’s an elective.” He gave him that mysterious smile again. “I
really need the help with the research I’m doing. We’re not actually
doing an in-class performance but I have to write a paper about what
my performance would be and why.”
“Okay…what do you need help with?” And why was he getting
naked to get some help?
Bradley turned and walked down the hallway toward the
playroom. “It’s called ‘Union,’ the fundamental connection between
art, sex, and submission. My prof is very excited about it.” Fuck his
professor. The words elicited an instant hard-on. “If my Master would
be so gracious as to assist me in my project, it took all class to line up
the marks.”
Marks? What marks? He followed his submissive. Well if it’s for
school, the delay is all right. Surely. Regan would have to get over it
and just help him explain in the morning. If his sub wanted attention,
he was hard-pressed to think of a reason why he shouldn’t give it to
him.
Bradley’s shirt fell away revealing his back which was ticked with
a pattern of dots. “I didn’t expect to see you, so I was going to take
some self-photos and call it a day. But the hands-on experience is
even better. Don’t you think?” The question was far from innocent.
Ryan knew exactly what those marks were for.
“You want a piercing scene?” He nearly swallowed his tongue as
he asked the question. Did he have enough sterile needles in the
playroom? He did a quick mental calculation. He would have enough
for the back design so long as he didn’t fuck it up.
Bradley swallowed and nodded. “Yeah,” he said breathlessly. He
unbuckled his pants and let them fall to the floor. “I’ve been thinking
about it since the first night. I really want it.”
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Ryan considered him. “For your project?”
“For me. You’ve pierced me before at the shop, and I’ve always
gotten a little thrill from it. I want you to do it and then fuck me.
Please, Sir, I’ll get on my knees and beg if I have to.” Ryan had no
doubt that he’d do it either. His Bradley was the boldest sub on the
planet and had no qualms asking, bargaining, or begging for what
they both wanted.
“Convince me,” Ryan rumbled, unsnapping the button on his
jeans. “If you’re a good boy and suck me nicely, then we’ll talk about
giving you what you want.” He was going to get what he wanted
anyway, the minx. But Ryan had to make him work for it a little bit at
least.
“Thank you, Sir.” The way Bradley said “Sir” made him weak-
kneed every time he heard it. He wasn’t a hard sub to deal with. He
balanced Ryan so nicely that the wolf was hard-pressed to find an
instance where he would have rather not have a permanent submissive
under him. All his worries about compatibility and workability were
moot when it came to his Bradley.
Bradley went to his knees gracefully and finished pulling open
Ryan’s jeans. He fished Ryan’s cock from the confines of his boxer-
briefs and sighed as if all his wishes had come to fruition in that
moment.
“Don’t stare at it all day, boy,” Ryan said, putting steel in his tone.
“Suck it.” He didn’t need to tell Bradley twice because the boy was
way ahead of him. His cock was immediately enveloped in warm, wet
heat, and Ryan couldn’t suppress the groan of thanks that issued from
his mouth at the act. He threaded his fingers through Bradley’s pale
locks. “Good boy.” He took the control from his submissive, forcing
him to follow his desires as he fucked his mouth. Bradley took it all in
stride, a look of absolute peace on his face. Bradley was made to be at
Ryan’s feet.
After Ryan drew as close to the edge of orgasm as he dared he
pulled Bradley back by his hair. “That’s enough. I don’t want to come
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in your beautiful mouth yet, my sweet slut. I want to be buried inside
you when I release.”
“Please, Master,” Bradley breathed, his naked cock so hard it
curved upward toward his stomach. “I want you inside me.” Ryan
doubted he just meant his cock. Submission to Bradley seemed to be
about drawing Ryan into his soul and giving Ryan a shelter to lose
himself in. As much as Ryan wanted to disagree and run away from
the prospect, it was impossible. Ryan’s shelter, his sanity, his love,
was Bradley. Fear had no place in their playroom. He just hoped that
he gave the submissive a tenth of what Bradley gave to him over and
over again.
“Stay,” he commanded. He looked down on Bradley’s weeping
cock. “Play with your cock until I finish setting up, but don’t you dare
come.” He paused. “Have you been a good boy since you’ve been
away from me?”
Bradley nodded, panting. “Yes, Master. I didn’t touch my cock
sexually when I’ve been apart from you. I think about you though,
and it’s hard.”
Ryan nodded, satisfied. “Does it turn you on to have to wait for
me, boy?”
“Yes, Master. God yes.”
“Good. Do as I instructed and it will be just a moment.” He didn’t
wait for confirmation. Instead, he walked over to the closet and pulled
out one of the massage tables he kept in there for just such an
occasion. He’d done a few exhibitions before, he pierced for a living
after all, but nothing as intimate as this. The ritual of sterilizing the
area and getting everything ready took on a romantic quality. Bradley
watching him with hooded eyes while jerking his cock from the
middle of the room just made the moment even more surreal. I have
found Dom heaven. His name is Bradley Gage.
* * * *
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Bradley stretched as he woke up to the sunlight streaming in
through the window shades they’d forgotten to close last night. The
soreness in his muscles and back acted as a reminder to what they’d
done the night before. God, that was intense. It had been one of the
most intense scenes they’d done, but it had also been one of the most
intimate. It had taken Ryan over an hour to pierce him properly,
bringing the sun design on Bradley’s back to life under his mastery.
Afterward, Ryan had made love to him slowly, tracing the design with
gloved hands and murmuring his praises over and over again. It had
sent Bradley soaring.
Bradley couldn’t wait to do it again. The more he found out about
submission, the more he wanted to go deeper, more intense,
everything. The sensory overload was like a drug to his senses.
He rolled over and looked at his still slightly snoring Master, who
lay on his back with one hand thrown over his eyes. I’m the luckiest
man on the planet. He reached out and ran a reverent finger down his
Master’s chest and stomach. The sheet over his lower half was in the
way, so Bradley slowly pulled it off to reveal Ryan’s hard cock. His
own body stirred in interest at the sight. His Master was so good to
him.
A quick glance down at the foot of the bed revealed the lube
they’d used the night before was still where Ryan had tossed it. He sat
up and grabbed it before depositing a good amount on his fingers.
Still looking at Ryan, he reached behind himself and started fingering
his hole, slicking himself up for what he had planned. He didn’t touch
his cock though. His Master hadn’t given him permission to play with
that yet. He gritted his teeth to keep from groaning as he screwed his
fingers deep, eager to get to the next step.
As soon as he was adequately stretched, he positioned his legs on
either side of Ryan’s hips and took his hard cock in hand. His
Master’s eyes opened languidly, still in the position between asleep
and awake.
“Hmm,” he rumbled. “Good morning.”
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“Morning, Sir,” Bradley greeted, sitting down on Ryan’s turgid
length so that it stretched him deep. He gasped. It always felt fantastic
to have his lover inside him, and this time was no exception. Ryan
murmured something incomprehensible and gripped Bradley’s hip,
setting the pace for their morning ride. “I love you, Ryan. Love you
so fucking much.” The confession felt good to make. He’d always
loved him. Bradley didn’t care if people thought love at first sight
wasn’t real or that he couldn’t possibly love Ryan this much after
such a short time together. All he knew was that Ryan made anything
bad in the world bearable and that something inside him had told him
on day one that this was going to be the man that he was going to
spend the rest of his life with.
“Mine,” Ryan snarled, grabbing both Bradley’s hips and
slamming up into his body. The penetration felt deeper in this
position, and it sent a little shocked thrill through all of Bradley’s
muscles as Ryan scored Bradley’s pleasure spots with each feral
lunge.
“Yours,” Bradley agreed, his cock throbbing in time with his
erratic heartbeat. Ryan released one hip and grabbed the steadily
dripping length of Bradley’s arousal, causing him to cry out.
“Come for me, Bradley. Right now.” The growling command
wrapped around his sac and squeezed. His cock pulsed before
shooting his seed across his Master’s bare abs and chest, marking him
as his own. The weird bulge in his cock swelled up, throwing him into
another orgasm and extending his first one. He whimpered at the
sensation, and Ryan rubbed the spot unerringly, wringing him dry of
pleasure. The Dominant barked out a warning an instant before Ryan
slammed up into Bradley’s body and his insides were bathed in the
sticky proof of his lover’s release.
He collapsed against his lover’s chest, uncaring that he was laying
in his own cum. He breathed hard as Ryan continued to pulse and
swell inside him. This moment was perfect, and nothing could ruin it.
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“Hmm, I made a mess,” Bradley murmured when he regained the
ability to speak.
“Best kind of mess,” Ryan rumbled, holding him close. “Hell of a
way to wake up. I could get used to it.”
Bradley grinned. “If you’re offering, I can make it happen. I’m
magic like that.” He was only half-teasing. The prospect of living
with his lover full-time did funny things to his pulse. He was pretty
sure the organ skipped a beat.
Ryan’s arms tightened around him. “I am offering. Move your
things in here with me.” Leave it up to his Dom to not ask but
demand. It made Bradley feel all gooey inside.
He pressed a kiss to the wolf’s chest. “Okay. I’ll finish up this
month’s lease with the landlord and see if I can find another tenant to
sublease.”
“I can’t promise paradise, but I can promise to try. We’ll work
through my hang-ups, you and I.” The promise was enough.
“Whatever you need of me, Master. I’ll give it to you.” He’d give
him everything, mind, body, and soul if the Dom let him.
Ryan tilted Bradley’s head up so their eyes met. “Thank you.
After David was taken away from me, I didn’t think I could be
another man’s Master anywhere but in the safety of the club.”
Bradley’s heart pounded. “And now?”
“Now I think I’ve proven that I can trust myself with you. You’re
what I’ve always needed, Bradley.” He pressed a kiss to Bradley’s
lips. “I’ve been thinking about you all night. I need you to know what
I did so you can judge for yourself, but I know that I am ready to be
your Master if you’ll have me.” How adorable was that? His careful
Master, his perfect lover, was everything.
Bradley resisted the urge to yell in triumph. “I know your
confessions won’t matter, Master. But if it will make you feel better
to tell me, be my guest.”
“I suppose you’ve garnered what happened from my brother?”
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He nodded. There was no point in denying that Regan had told
him. The two of them had such a weird psychic connection that it was
almost impossible to keep secrets between them, at least that was the
way Ryan had explained it to him before.
Ryan nodded. “Then you know I almost killed my sub. Everyone
tells me that it wasn’t my fault because of my inexperience, and to a
degree that is true. However, that wasn’t all there was to it. I was a
monster for what I did with him. I played God. I knew I was going too
far, but I resented David for always being able to push me past the
limits I set, and so I pushed him well past his. Everything in me knew
he was begging me to stop even if he wasn’t safewording, but I went
ahead and kept choking him.” He shuddered as if lost in memory, and
Bradley held onto him, providing an anchor so that his Master knew
he was there and he wasn’t going anywhere. “He really got off on
breath play, and maybe a part of me wanted to teach him a lesson
about asking for more than what he could take. I don’t know really.
Everything from then is a little blurred now. I haven’t trusted myself
since.”
“You’re not a bad man, Ryan,” Bradley whispered. “You were a
kid in a situation that you shouldn’t have been in. You were both
playing with things that only consenting adults should play in, and
you got burned for it. From what I understand, your relationship
wasn’t healthy in the vanilla sense either.”
Ryan shook his head. “It wasn’t. I followed him around like a
puppy for months before he even agreed to go out with me. I was a
toy for him to play with. He needed a Dominant a lot more man than I
was to deal with his catty, jealous games. He played me a lot. That’s
not to say that he was bad for doing it. We were both kids. But it
wasn’t healthy for either of us, and for whatever reason we seemed to
bring out the worst qualities in one another. If what happened hadn’t
happened, it was only a matter of time before we broke it off
anyway.”
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“Do you forgive yourself for what you did?” Bradley asked. It
was important. Ryan needed to learn to forgive his mistakes if they
were ever going to be able to get to the point where they could really
be with one another with no barriers.
Ryan shrugged. “For a long time I believed my therapist when he
said that I shouldn’t forgive myself. But, since I met you, it’s getting
easier to live with the guilt. I think that maybe I was just a kid and I’m
a different man now.”
Bradley pressed a kiss to Ryan’s cheek. “Good job, Master.”
Ryan barked out a laugh. “Subs don’t usually praise their Doms
for being good, Bradley.”
“Well, I’m not your average sub, Master,” Bradley said, grinning.
“I love you and forgive you anything. You’re your worst critic. So
does this mean we’re going to be in a relationship with no excuses,
barriers, or foreseeable hang-ups?”
Ryan nodded. “Yes, sweet. That’s what that means.” They sealed
it with a kiss. “Now, I’m going to mop off and go start breakfast. Why
don’t you hop in the shower and get ready in the meantime? I know
you missed your morning class, and you don’t have to work, correct?”
How the man managed to memorize his schedule after only looking at
it once was beyond him. Bradley kept the damn thing on him at all
times and still managed to miss appointments.
“Nope. After class, I have a free day.”
“Good. I go into Howlers at noon. You want to come and see how
things work? Maybe I could convince Mustang to hire you as an
intern. We need an extra set of hands.” Ryan may have made the offer
casually, but Bradley knew better. He was opening the door for his
sub, taking him deeper into his life.
Bradley beamed. “I’d love that. So I should go get ready so you
can hop in the shower after breakfast?”
Ryan nodded. “Yep.” He pressed a kiss to Bradley’s lips again.
“Go before you distract me again.” Bradley laughed, joy coursing
through his veins. Life was good.
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Chapter Eleven
Bradley was humming “Call Me Maybe” as he got out of the
shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. The damn song was
catchy even if he resented the fact that it looped in regular intervals on
every radio station known to man. Despite the fact that the music
wasn’t exactly to his tastes, he was in a fantastic mood.
Drying quickly, he threw his towel over the shower stall before
shoving his legs in the new jeans Ryan had bought for him and
pulling on his favorite rock and roll T-shirt that he’d fished out of a
dollar bin at Goodwill. He loved thrift store shopping.
The smell of waffles beckoned him out of the bathroom and into
the hallway. His mouth watered. Ryan really did make fantastic
waffles. He sniffed again as he got closer. “Did you burn one?” he
called.
He exited the hallway where it opened up into the living room and
kitchen and frowned. Where was Ryan? The waffle maker was still
on. Maybe he went downstairs to get Regan. That was it. He circled
the island and nearly tripped over something on the floor. He looked
down and screamed.
“Ryan!” His Master looked like he’d fallen to the ground, still
shirtless in a pair of blue jeans. He knelt beside his lover, shaking his
shoulder in an effort to wake him. Something white and foamy was
coming out of the side of his mouth. Bradley couldn’t even think of
what the hell it was. “Ryan, baby, please, open your eyes.” Tears
flooded his vision as raw panic seized his chest. Regan. He needed to
get Regan. He was a beta. He would know what to do.
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He pushed himself to his feet and jerked open the door that led to
the bottom of the split level. He flicked on the light to illuminate the
steps. His eyes zeroed in on the body at the bottom of the stairs.
Regan. “Fuck!” He shook, unable to process what he was seeing. He
couldn’t dial 911. They were werewolves, shifters, whatever. Who
could he call?
He turned from the stairs and ran back down the hall to the
bedroom. He screamed in frustration as he had to sift through all the
scattered clothes in the room only to remember that they’d stripped in
the playroom last night. He abandoned his search in the bedroom and
jerked open the door to the playroom. Thirty seconds later he had his
cell in hand.
First he dialed Mustang, but his phone went to voice mail. He was
near hysteria at that point. A low groan from the kitchen had him
moving there while he searched his contacts for someone else to call.
Grayson Gambler, the Alpha’s mate.
He threw himself on the floor beside his lover as Ryan made
weird gurgling noise and his eyes started rolling. Bradley sobbed, at a
loss of what to do. Someone picked up on the other end of the line.
“Hello?” The voice sounded sleepy.
“Gray?”
“Yeah. Who is this?”
Bradley whimpered. “It’s Bradley. Ryan’s Bradley.”
“Bradley, what’s wrong?”
“Ryan and Regan. They’re…I don’t know. I went to shower, and
then I came out and everyone is passed out. I don’t know if Regan is
dead. I didn’t check. Please, I don’t know what to do…”
“Stay right there. Are you at Ryan’s house?”
Bradley shook. “Yes.”
“We’ll be right there with a doctor. Do you see anyone around?
Are there any intruders?”
Ryan made another noise of pain, and his body started seizing.
“Ryan!” Bradley yelled, dropping the phone and grabbing hold of his
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lover for dear life. It was worse than a horror movie with his eyes
rolling, foam coming out of his mouth, and whole body moving like
someone stuck him with an electrical pulse. Ryan’s body stopped
gyrating and locked up and more foam dripped from his mouth.
Bradley couldn’t process what he was seeing. His whole body
flushed hot and cold in rapid succession, and his own muscles started
tensing like he was about to fight or something. Am I poisoned, too? It
was his last logical thought before the world flashed white and his
body started to shake.
* * * *
Bradley wasn’t sure how long he’d been passed out, but when he
came to it was to the realization that he wasn’t himself any longer. A
new awareness lit his mind up like a Christmas tree as a million scents
assaulted him. Burning waffles, poison, his mate. It all hit him at
once. He could even smell the organic cleaning solution under the
sink that Ryan used. A low growl wound its way out of his throat as
another scent added to the mix. Enemy.
He lapped at his mate’s face before crouching in front of him,
daring anyone to come near him. His mate was sick. His ears pricked
forward, listening for signs of movement. It was then he realized he
wasn’t human anymore, but it seemed like a distant concern. He had
to take care of his mate, his Master.
Footsteps on the stairs made him tense, and the door swung
inward as the man from the diner stepped onto the landing. “Hmm,”
he said, frowning at Bradley as Bradley snarled at him. “Missed one.”
Bradley didn’t wait for him to say anything else. He launched
himself at the man, throwing them both down the stairs to the lower
level of the house. The guy must’ve moved Regan’s body because
they landed on the landing with Bradley on top and no Regan in sight.
He growled, snarling, tearing into any flesh that was available to him.
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No one was going to hurt his lover. No one. The Alpha would be here
soon, and he would make Ryan better.
“Fuck!” the man cursed, hitting Bradley in the face with what
looked like a cell phone. He latched onto that arm and started shaking
his head, shredding the flesh. The man howled, shoving him violently.
A blow to his stomach dislodged him, but he circled back around,
going for the man’s legs. “Son of a bitch!” A flash of white blinded
Bradley for a second before another wolf slammed into him.
He felt the Dominant energy coming off the man, and his natural
urge was to back off from that aura, but stronger instincts won out. He
had to protect Ryan. Ryan was helpless. He would be a terrible mate
if he let the stranger near him. Teeth clamped onto the back of his
neck and shook him. Bradley cried out at the intense pain that
momentarily blinded him. He went flying as the grip was released.
He limped off, shaking his head to clear it. He looked up in time
to see the wolf heading back up the stairs. No! He launched himself at
the wolf again, and their fight began anew. Bradley knew logically
that this wolf was bigger than him and that he was probably going to
die, but he didn’t care. Ryan was all that mattered to him.
A shot rang out, deafening him. The body above him went
completely limp, and he struggled to get out from under it. He had to
get to Ryan, had to. The heavier wolf was pulled off of him, and a
human hand reached toward him. Bradley snapped at it. Was this
another enemy? Would they hurt his Ryan?
“Easy, little wolf. My name is Dean. I saw Alder go into the
house. Are you Bradley?” The words didn’t make much sense to him.
He growled. “I need to go check on Ryan, Bradley. He’s hurt like
Regan is. Alder poisoned them with silver powder from the looks of
it. Can you please move so I can go check on him?”
Bradley didn’t budge from the stairs. He couldn’t. Ryan was up
there, and he was sick. People were trying to kill him, and he didn’t
know who he could trust. The front door to Regan’s house opened,
and Mustang walked in.
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“Who is that?” Mustang rumbled, clearly agitated. Other people
filed in the door, a guy with honey-colored hair and a young woman
with pale-blond hair. Bradley snarled at them all. He would kill all of
them if they tried to hurt Ryan. “Is he one of the ones, Dean?”
The dark-haired man with the sympathetic gray eyes spoke. “No,
Alpha. I believe this is Bradley. The trauma of finding his mate
must’ve forced the shift.”
Shift. What shift? He whined. What was going on? Everything
was really fucking weird.
“I don’t think Ryan had time to tell him. He’s confused and going
on all instincts,” Dean continued.
“Bradley,” a voice echoed through his mind, soothing the part of
him that wanted to tear into them. “This is your Alpha. Stand down.”
The command was effective, the fight went out of him, and he went to
his belly. “Good boy. Dr. Carrigan and his sister are going to go
upstairs and see to Ryan. If it’s silver poisoning, we only have a few
minutes to administer an antidote. You stay right there. Gray will
come lay next to you while we take care of business. All right?”
Bradley nodded, too tired to fight anymore. Another huge wolf
padded toward him. The scent told him the identity of the Alpha mate.
It hit him. Holy shit. I’m a werewolf.
* * * *
Ryan woke up in Dr. Carrigan’s clinic. It was usually where
injured wolves were brought when there was an emergency. It was
easily recognizable with its cream-and-yellow wallpaper and
motivational posters. His head pounded. Fuck. What the hell had
happened? The last thing he remembered was Regan coming up and
starting to make waffles.
Mustang’s gravel-filled voice drew his attention to the right.
Moving his head hurt. “You awake, Ry?” He nodded, but his throat
was so dry that he wasn’t sure he could speak. “Need some water?”
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He nodded again. Mustang got up and went over to the small sink
against the wall and filled a cup. “I sent your mate to get some sleep
with mine. He hasn’t left your side since you were brought in. Do you
remember what happened?”
Ryan shook his head and made a noise of gratitude as Mustang
brought the cup to his lips and let him drink. “Where…Bradley?” He
really wanted his mate, to make sure he was okay.
“With Grayson,” Mustang said. “They’re sleeping in the on-call
room. Alder was the one who poisoned you. If it wasn’t for your little
mate, he would’ve poisoned me and Gray, too. He masked his scent,
snuck into the house, and put silver in our milk. Your orange juice
was the culprit in your house. It was lucky that Bradley called us
before we sat down to breakfast or else there would’ve been no
cavalry to come to the rescue.” Mustang sat back in the chair beside
the hospital bed. “Alder has apparently been shadowing us all for
months, finding out our schedules, grocery lists. The most common
items in our cabinets. Dean has been interrogating him for the past
two days now. He’s been working for the pack that kidnapped Cian’s
Jeremiah a while back. The Circle’s enforcers are coming to collect
him tomorrow. Alder apparently has been unhappy with how I’ve
been running my pack and wanted the other Alpha in charge instead.”
“Why did he break into Bradley’s house?” Ryan asked, his head
spinning with the possibilities. Did this mean that they would be
having an open rivalry with the other pack? The underlying tension
had been building for a while but he hadn’t thought it was that bad.
Mustang was a damn good Alpha. There was no reason for that.
Mustang shrugged. “We don’t know all the details yet. Apparently
my father’s pack and the other pack have been intertwined for some
time. I think he was ordered to break into Bradley’s apartment and
make it look like a jealous lover or a robbery in an effort to see
exactly what he knew about his heritage since he was getting involved
with the pack. I don’t know what they were hoping to find in his
apartment that would clue them in on what he knew but that was the
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intention. They didn’t want anyone to know about his suppression
because the Circle would bring Alpha Daines up on charges and fuck
up their plan to kill me and my administration. They don’t have
statutes of limitations on shit like that.
My father approved the suppression but Alpha Daines was
apparently the one who almost destroyed Bradley’s wolf when he was
a child to punish Alexander Gage for finding out about a slave-trade
operation that my father and he were running across the U.S. We’re
not even sure how big it has gotten at this point but the Circle is
looking into that, too. This situation opened a can of worms, Ryan.
The kidnapping and suppression wasn’t for Alexander’s faux pas with
Bradley’s mother like we originally thought. I doubt Bradley
remembers it either way. He was two years old according to the
information I found.” Mustang swallowed and looked absolutely
disgusted. “It makes me fucking sick. Bradley’s suppression was a
warning to keep Alexander’s mouth shut.”
Ryan’s frown deepened. “How did they do it?”
Mustang shrugged. “I’m not sure. The Circle is conducting an
official investigation. Apparently, it involves torture and some kind of
mental rewiring that is rougher on wolves than a complete mind wipe
on humans. It’s terrible.”
Ryan was chilled at the knowledge. Poor Bradley. “So why were
we targeted if they were after Bradley?”
“They were going to kill off me, Gray, you, and Regan and have
the other Alpha step in to take over the territory. It would give them
enough wolves and land to muscle out the Circle’s enforcers and
continue the operation. They were basically going to wage a silent
war on the Circle and push them out. It’s un-fucking-believable. I
can’t believe this happened so close to home and we didn’t even
realize it. Thank God you had Dean investigate this.”
Ryan swallowed at how close he came to losing his lover. “I
didn’t tell him about his past. Did you?”
Available 151
Mustang hesitated. “Sort of. He shifted when you started flipping
out from the poison. Alder came into the house to finish you both off.
Dean was tailing him at the time but wasn’t sure what was up yet.
Your mate saved your life.”
“Fuck.” That was the only adequate word to describe what he was
feeling. Relief, fear, anger that he hadn’t given his lover fair warning
about the wolf inside him that their meeting had woken up after a
twenty-something-year slumber rushed through him all at once.
“He’s okay,” Mustang said. “He’s taking it much better than I
expected him to, to be honest. You’ll have to teach him the finer
points, but he has the instincts down pat. I think the reason is because,
despite being dormant, his wolf was always a part of him. It’s
probably why he recognized you as his mate before you did.”
“His ‘Force,’ the thing inside him who told him things,” Ryan
said, making the connection. His persistent mate, his beautiful
submissive. “I should have told him when you told me. He’s probably
going to be mad at me for keeping it from him.”
“I’d be madder if it wasn’t the coolest thing ever,” his mate’s
voice interrupted his mental ass kicking. “A heads-up would’ve been
nice, but under the circumstances, I’ll let it slide this time.” He looked
up and saw his mate lounging in the doorway, looking calm and
collected as ever. The strain showed in the dark circles under his hazel
eyes and in the stiff way he pushed off the doorway and walked
gingerly into the room. At least his spirit hadn’t suffered under the
attack. “How you feeling?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Ryan really wanted him closer.
“Like I got hit by a truck. How about you?” Ryan asked.
“I’ll leave you two alone. I’ll finish debriefing you after you get
your cuddle time in, man,” Mustang interrupted, pushing himself to
his feet. “Make Bradley rest as well. His stitches need a break.”
“Hey,” Bradley protested. “I just got done resting them.”
Mustang smirked and let himself out of the room without another
word. Ryan tugged on Bradley’s wrist to get his attention. “He’s right
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you know. You need to rest up the stitches.” He dreaded the answer to
the question he had to know. “How bad was it?”
Bradley shrugged delicately. “Fourteen stitches on the back of my
neck and back. It’s not insignificant, but it wasn’t too bad. I’m still a
little stiff and sore, but that’s okay. Shifting back helped.”
“It will. Something with the transformation repairs cells. I’ll feel
better when I’m well enough to shift back and forth. Silver is a bitch
to get over though. I’m glad you’re all right, and thanks for saving
me,” Ryan said, tugging his lover down so that he could kiss him
properly. He pressed their lips together and made sure he didn’t break
it until both of them were a little breathless.
“I was so scared I was going to lose you,” Bradley murmured,
wrapping his arms around Ryan’s body so that they were as close as
possible. “I mean, we came really close to an ending without good-
bye. You know?”
Ryan’s throat tightened at the thought. “Yeah. I know, sweet. But
you did well. You defended your Master when he couldn’t defend
himself. You guarded our house and acted just as you should’ve. You
saved us all, my beautiful strong sub boy.”
They stayed that way for a long time, holding one another and
letting their wolves’ shadows merge and mingle. Ryan was almost
asleep when Bradley next spoke. “I’ve been a wolf all this time huh?”
“It looks that way,” Ryan said, giving his lover a light squeeze.
“Your mother told Alpha that she didn’t want anything to do with you
anymore after the old Alpha ‘killed’ your wolf. She had no way to
know that your wolf just went into hiding. Things like that are
unheard of.”
“I’m glad,” Bradley whispered after a moment. “I’m glad I’m a
wolf. I knew we were mates.”
Ryan chuckled. “Stubborn boy, yes. We are. Forever and ever and
all that jazz.” Speaking of which…“Bradley?”
“Yes, Sir?”
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“I love you.” He managed to get the words out without
hyperventilating which was a good sign. “I’m sorry I ever doubted
you. I think I’ve loved you from day one. I was just too stubborn to
admit it.”
Bradley kissed his hospital gown-clad chest. “Yeah, well, I’m
more stubborn than you are.” The minx. “I love you, too, Ryan. I
always have.”
There would be a lot to do when Ryan recovered. He wanted a
collaring ceremony, an official claiming, fuck, a wedding, too, just
because he needed to express this feeling inside him. He didn’t want
to leave any doubts in anyone’s mind that Bradley was his. No, they
weren’t super traditional, and Bradley wasn’t exactly an average sub
boy, but that was what made them perfect for one another. The
awareness that for the first time in his life things were exactly as they
needed to be settled into his skin, washing away his worries for the
future. He would do whatever was needed to make this work for both
of them. He kissed his lover’s forehead. And if he ever lost sight of
his goal, he was sure his sub would be all too happy to tell him how to
get back on track.
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Epilogue
“Exquisite,” Christian Svengard said, motioning to the center
piece of the collection, Bradley’s pride and joy, Surrender. He’d only
finished it a few nights previously after a whipping session with his
Master had led to hellishly good inspiration. “You have a promising
future ahead of you, Bradley.”
Bradley beamed at the words. Christian had dropped by the studio
unexpectedly to collect the pieces he’d bought from Bradley for his
new hotel in Amsterdam. “Thank you. I hope my professors are as
enthusiastic about the showing as you are.” He still had all summer to
get the collection in order and arrange it, but still. He was nervous
about the whole thing. It had been almost three weeks since that awful
day when Bradley had gotten out of the shower to find Ryan near
death on the kitchen floor and fought his would-be assassin until help
arrived. They had been the best weeks of his life. He reached up to
touch the golden chain with a matching lock that dangled from his
throat. Everything was just as it should be for the first time in his life.
Christian nodded his head, his light eyes almost glowing with
enthusiasm. “I’m sure they will. I have big plans for you either way.
When the series completes, I want the whole lot. I don’t know what
has encouraged this passion, but I hope it continues.”
Bradley was still hung up on the “I want the whole lot” bit of the
sentence, so Christian’s statements about passion went completely
over his head. “I, uh, wow. Thank you.”
A familiar voice interrupted whatever other stuttered reply
Bradley was forming. “I hope that his passion only grows with time.”
Available 155
Bradley turned to see Ryan standing just inside the studio door, a
dozen roses in hand.
Christian chuckled. “Ah, so here arrives the reason behind the
intensity in the art. Very nice.” He took three strides in Ryan’s
direction and stretched out his hand for a shake. “Christian
Svengard.”
Ryan gripped his hand in what looked like a firm shake. “Ryan
Adamson. You’re the guy my Bradley has been telling me about.”
The thrill that shot through Bradley over the possessive way Ryan
said “my” should have made him embarrassed, but it didn’t. He’d
waited too long to hear those words to be upset about them. “You buy
his work?”
“Indeed, I do,” Christian said. “Bradley Gage is soon to be a name
synonymous with sex on canvas if I have anything to say about it.
They can hang a master’s degree from wherever. The boy has more
raw talent in one pinky than most struggling artists do in their entire
bodies. I’m afraid if he goes off to some fancy school they’ll try to
rein that in. If his muse is here, I’d love for him to stay here.”
“I think I can guarantee he won’t be going anywhere for a while,”
Ryan said, grinning and winking in Bradley’s direction. Bradley
smiled. They’d discussed the possibility at length, and it had been
decided that Bradley would stay in town, work part-time at Howlers,
and work on his art the rest of the time. With the connections Bradley
was making in the industry, there wasn’t really a reason to move after
graduation even if his professors were encouraging him to further his
education. His heart was here.
“I’m glad to hear it. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around. Here is my
card.” Christian handed him the card. “I’ll need to get in touch with
him over the summer to arrange to pick up the pieces I commissioned.
I’m assuming I need to talk to you.” Bradley bristled a little bit at the
words, but then the meaning of the sentence struck him. Was
Christian Svengard in the lifestyle?
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Ryan shrugged. “He can talk for himself, but I’d appreciate an
update whenever you have one.”
Christian nodded. “That I can do. Anyways, I have to get on the
road since the pieces are packed. I’ve got a flight into Chicago that I
have to make. Bradley, I’ll see you this summer.”
“Thanks again, Christian,” Bradley said, waving at the man as he
stepped around Ryan and waltzed out of the room with all the tightly
bundled energy that he filled it with.
Bradley turned his attention to his lover and completely forgot
about Christian. “For me?” he asked, motioning to the bouquet of
roses clutched in Ryan’s fist.
“Of course it’s for you,” Ryan rumbled, handing them over. His
wolf’s shadow bumped against Bradley’s in greeting, and a shiver
went through him. The foreign part of him now had full form and
tended to have a distinct mind of its own. Mate. He resisted the urge
to sigh as his body started thrumming with energy. Ever since Ryan
had taken him out running two nights ago, his wolf was eager to come
out and romp with his Master’s.
“What’s the occasion?”
Ryan grinned. “Can’t I just bring flowers to school for you?”
Bradley shrugged. “I suppose you could, but it’s a little unusual,
especially given the fact that you were supposed to be booked for the
afternoon. Did you get a cancellation?”
“Nope.”
“Then what is the deal?” He rubbed his nose against the soft
petals of his flowers. He hadn’t expected to see Ryan until he got
back home after eleven.
“The appointment is for you. I’m fixing your available tattoo.”
Bradley blinked. “All right?”
Ryan chuckled. “Was that a question?”
“Um, don’t think I’m an idiot or anything, but why does my
available tattoo need to be fixed?” Bradley asked, curious.
Available 157
“I don’t want anyone to mistake you for an available even if the
rest of the pack knows you’re my mate,” Ryan explained.
Ah, now that explained it. Ryan was all about slapping on as
many proofs of commitment as he could since he’d decided to
commit. It was cute really. Bradley smiled at him. “Whatever you
want, my sweet Master.”
Ryan took his arm and grabbed Bradley’s backpack off the floor.
“Then let’s go. I want to fix your tat and then take you home so I can
claim you.”
Bradley did roll his eyes then. “Again?”
Ryan’s lips twitched. “Was that a protest I heard, sub?”
“No,” Bradley said, suppressing the laughter that bubbled up at
the thought. His lover was insatiable. “Lead on, Ry.”
* * * *
Ryan smoothed his gloved hand down the freshly inked skin,
rubbing a healing ointment into the agitated flesh. Bradley had long
since descended into subspace, drifting along as Ryan inked the words
of his heart into his sub’s skin. Available for Ryan. It was appropriate.
The only person that Bradley was available for was him, and Ryan
liked it that way.
It was hard to believe that a few weeks ago he had been cringing
at the prospect of being in a committed relationship. Now if he had to
go more than eight hours without seeing his beloved, his world was
somehow less full. Bradley had taken his fears and turned them into
joys. What more could a Dom ask for?
He nuzzled the back of Bradley’s neck after wrapping the new
ink. “I love you, Bradley.”
“Hmm, love you, too, Sir.” Bradley turned his head and speared
him with his beautiful hazel gaze. “Take me home?”
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“Of course, sweet,” Ryan said, unable to resist pressing another
kiss to Bradley’s neck. When Bradley moaned at the touch, Ryan
wasn’t sure if he was ready to go just yet. “Problems?”
“You make me want,” Bradley admitted, pushing his ass up into
the air as if waiting to be mounted. If he kept up the animal come-
fuck-me attitude, Ryan would probably take him up on it. The brush
of fur against his skin from his wolf’s shadow told him that his other
half was in agreement. They needed to take his Bradley before they
left for home.
The sharp knock on the door interrupted whatever sensual act that
had been tickling Ryan’s brainpan. He huffed. “What?”
Mustang’s muffled voice came through the wood. “Take it home,
Ryan. I need both private rooms for pack ink in about ten minutes.
Last-minute booking.”
Ryan gave a frustrated rumble. “Okay, Alpha. We’ll clear out.” At
Bradley’s whimper of protest he smoothed a hand down his cute
backside. “Shh, sweet. We have an entire playroom at home to
indulge your needs in.”
“Yes, Sir. Let’s hurry.”
Impatient boy. He loved Bradley’s eagerness. Maybe tonight he’d
finish the largest canvas he was working in the room Ryan had given
him for his art. He helped his lover put back on his shirt in between
long, drugging kisses that ate up the ten minutes Mustang had given
him a deadline over. He broke the kiss with a sigh and ran his hand
through Bradley’s golden locks.
“We have all the time in the world, sweet,” he promised, twining
their hands. They had the rest of their lives to make love and enjoy
one another’s company. The issues with the other pack still had to be
resolved, and Bradley was still getting used to being wolf himself, but
Ryan was sure about one thing in their lives and that was the strength
of their relationship. He tugged his lover from the room.
“You two go on home. You coming in to intern tomorrow,
Bradley?” Mustang asked as they got to the main reception area.
Available 159
Bradley nodded. “Yes. My last day at Denny’s was yesterday.”
Mustang waved them on. “Good. See you both then.” He returned
his attention back to the group of men who had congregated in the
front of the shop. “All right, boys. Let’s have you fill out these
forms.” It was just another night at Howlers.
He pulled his lover out of the shop before putting on the helmet
Bradley had gotten him and getting on his bike. His lover mirrored his
actions on his own back, blowing him a kiss before he straddled the
body and cranked the engine. His sub was stubborn, beautiful, and
strong willed. Ryan wouldn’t have Bradley any other way.
“Let’s go home, Master,” Bradley said over the roar of the engine.
Ryan nodded. “Let’s.”
THE END
WWW.JANADOWNS.BLOGSPOT.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jana Downs lives in the beautiful mountains of Western North
Carolina with three cats, one dog, several dozen fish, and a very
understanding partner in crime who hates to read but makes
exceptions for her stories.
You can usually find her either watching bad reality TV, buying
way too many books on Amazon, or dreaming up another man or two
to occupy her time because life is good but several drop-dead-
gorgeous nonexistent men is just better.
For all titles by Jana Downs, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/jana-downs
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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