Chapter Nine

“To success!” Drew toasted, holding a bottle of vodka and moving around the room to fill glasses. “We completed our list and, other than Eliseo’s bravery and your injuries today―” He tipped his head to Gale in acknowledgement. “―we came away unscathed, and I can keep my promise to return you to Keon in perfect condition.”

“Yes.” Rylee nodded to his boyfriend and raised his bottle of beer. “Thank you for being perfect guests, for reminding us of home, and for doing important, worthy work to make Vihaan safe, one pack at a time,” he toasted, raising a cheer from the fraternity.

As they celebrated, Gale glanced at Jude. He’d gone for a ‘prescribed’ nap after returning from Tripp’s cabin with one more recruit to return home and found Jude crawling into bed with him not long after. A soft sigh sounded in his ear, fingers traced his abdomen, a kiss fluttered over his bandage, and Jude snuggled in. Nothing special or vital, but it meant everything. A true sign of a mate bond.

Drew handed Gale a mask. “This is for tonight. Though I hate to say goodbye, I know you guys are eager to get home. This is for your farewell party, which we’ve disguised as a Halloween party,” he explained while helping him on with the mask.

Gale eyed the identical mask he had handed Jude and snuffed his amusement. A wolf. How typical.

Drew stepped back and raised a glass of vodka. “To Keon!”

“To Alpha Keon!” he called with the rest, downing his shot and letting Drew refill his glass.

If he must attend a human party, he’d need alcohol to survive. Watching Drew flit around the house, organising people, food, and no-go areas was a good substitute. Rylee tried to reign him in as much as possible, but Lorcan helped the most, while Delaware plied Drew with drinks to help him relax.

The one thing he’d learned about Dnara was why Keon stayed. These guys were of varying ages, from various places and packs around Vihaan, but they’d come to this world for a reason. They formed this pack of found family that fought, supported, loved, and took care of every member.

Gale envied them the home they’d made, the freedom, and the happiness. He hoped he could find the same under Keon’s leadership.

“Hey. Are you excited for the party?” Isaac asked, grinning like a fool while Janet rolled her eyes. “Don’t you love the masks Drew gave us?” He tipped his over his face to strike a pose, hands curling into claws.

Gale almost spat out his drink but it was cute. “You’re adorable.” He slung an arm around Isaac’s neck to kiss his head. “Yeah. I guess I am excited,” he realised, glad Isaac would have the chance to experience it. This time in Dnara had been good for him, and he’d soon have the choice of studying here or making an extended visit.

Before, he might have worried. Now, he knew Drew and the guys would take care of him.

*

The party proved to be Gale’s worst nightmare. Music he didn’t understand, dancing, and a group of loud-mouthed humans who liked to grind on anything that moved.

Men danced with, and against, other men. Women danced with, and against, other women. They swapped dance partners like trading sweets. One minute, a woman was grinding against a man with moves most Vihaans would believe belonged in the bedroom, the next she sandwiched herself between two girls.

The biggest surprise was the circle in the far corner of the dining room. One guy had shown off fancy dance moves while another gave an improvised rap.

Drew appeared and explained they frequently used their war of words and dance moves to get the party started.

The half-dozen guys who formed the circle were talented, no doubt. Even Gale drifted closer to watch their ‘battle’, but when Isaac started muttering under his breath on their third round, Gale shoved him into the group. It was unfair to throw him in, but Isaac began a rap without hesitation. He was fast, and his words focused on life in the pack, how they’d been pushed and controlled for years but they were bursting free of those confines to live a safe and liberated life.

It was bloody beautiful.

Drew leaned a hand on his shoulder. “Damn, I feel like a proud dad.”

The best part was seeing the humans accept him and try to retaliate, their raps revolving around freedom and expression. Isaac thrived in their company, and one guy started trying to teach him dance moves.

Gale drifted away to let him enjoy the party. During the night, he’d lost track of the team. Isaac had stuck close, feeling out of his depth until Gale forced him to face the strangers of the party.

He found Janet grinding against one of the Vihaan frat boys, with enough pheromones flying to suggest Janet would be coming back or the poor Vihaan would follow her to the pack. At least Janet was old enough to make mistakes and live with them. He didn’t need to keep an eye on her like he did with Isaac.

Eliseo was in his element, talking to a group of students. He was carefully situated on the sofa by the front window, where he wouldn’t get jostled but could rest and enjoy the party atmosphere. He was deep in conversation with two men and a woman who were hooked on his every word. If he didn’t decide to stay, Gale might break his arm and throw him through the doorway to show him what a mistake that would be.

Jude was…Jude. He wandered around the room, chatting to a Vihaan or exchanging polite but vague words with the humans. He drank slowly and didn’t seem to be enjoying the party.

Gale was about to head over to talk about the mate bond, when a twink touched Jude’s arm. Gale heard the glass break and felt it cut into his hand but didn’t care. He tapped into his m’weko senses and focused to block out everything but Jude’s voice. It was hard to isolate the guy talking, but Gale hadn’t been trained as a warrior for nothing.

“Want to go somewhere private?” the guy asked, fingers trailing over skin that didn’t belong to him. Fingers about to be broken if he didn’t back off.

The real mind fuck came when Jude glanced across the room to catch Gale’s eye and responded cautiously, “Why?” Not an agreement. Not a rejection.

“I want to fuck you.”

Gale nearly broke a tooth clenching his jaw. He had no rights. Jude hadn’t accepted or rejected him. Gale was in an intolerable limbo where he couldn’t storm over to claim his mate but was at the mercy of the mate bond demanding he do exactly that. After snapping the bastard’s neck.

A faint laugh had Jude leaning in to whisper, “You wouldn’t know where to start.”

The blatant rejection was all Gale needed, all he could bear to wait for. He unfurled his hand over the plant pot beside him, dusted off the glass shards, and stalked across the room. He didn’t try to temper his jealousy. He pushed the flirt aside and advanced on Jude, who stumbled back a single step.

“What did I tell you?” he said, a growl lurking beneath the surface, one he failed to hold at bay as he caught Jude by the nape of his neck and pulled him close enough to kiss. “Your ass is mine.” Gale plastered his mouth to Jude’s, urging him to surrender for once in his stubborn life, to accept the bond and stop the torment.

Jude grasped his belt loops to tug Gale closer, opened his mouth for a deep kiss, and moaned the second Gale gave him what he wanted. He didn’t speak but didn’t need to. This was public acceptance, a real, visual, visceral acceptance as good as an official mating.

Thrilled, he cupped Jude’s ass and lifted him off his feet, relieved Jude wrapped legs around his waist and locked his ankles. He was determined to do this, to make it real.

A feigned m’weko howl filled the room, and he laughed against Jude’s mouth, recognising Janet’s familiar voice. Still grasping Jude’s ass, Gale managed to flip her off but couldn’t wipe the smile from his face when the m’weko call spread to Eliseo, Isaac, and then all three. Acknowledging the mating, accepting it for what it was. Celebrating.

Jude’s face was a picture. Flushed bright red, he could have hidden—he would have, not long ago. This time, he bit his lip and caught Gale’s face in both hands. “This time, I’m saying it to you, and it’s not a question,” he warned, holding eye contact as the words slipped from his lips. “Mate me.”

Nipping at his full, tempting bottom lip, Gale smiled. “Baby, I’m going to do so much to you tonight,” he promised, already heading for the door to carry Jude to their room. “I will mate you after Keon makes you mine. Officially. In front of the pack.”

A shuddering sigh escaped Jude. “Okay.” He waited for Gale to cross the threshold of the room to kiss him. “I want that.” He stole another deep kiss as Gale shut the door.

“I know.” He wasn’t naïve. He knew what Jude wanted, what he needed. The question had been whether he’d allow it.

Gale didn’t waste time. He planted Jude on the edge of the bed and undressed them, without hesitation, without lingering. That could come later. Tonight, they didn’t have the patience or the time. This was the last affirmation before they returned to Vihaan, to the pack, to their families and their old lives. The last chance at freedom before returning to how life used to be, and the struggles they’d face once they announced their mate bond.

Tonight was for them.

As soon as they were naked, Gale stepped between Jude’s legs and kissed him. Nothing—not their doubts, fears or the reality of going home—between them.

Jude gasped when he broke the kiss.

Dropping a hand to his cock, Gale cradled the hard length in his hand and put the other to the back of Jude’s head.

No direction was needed. Jude bent to take Gale into his mouth, as he reached to the bedside table for lubricant and made sure to coat his fingers liberally.

Gale hissed and gripped Jude’s neck hard as a wet mouth enveloped the head of his cock, the sensation more intense than he’d expected. Jude held him in one sure hand, as he used his lips and tongue to tease the head of his cock.

Fuck, that mouth. He tugged Jude’s hair, and the sight of lust-laden eyes had him biting his lip.

When Jude moaned and sucked Gale’s length into his mouth, Gale stopped thinking. He held Jude firm and rocked his hips, thrusting into a hot mouth, moaning at the feel of a teasing tongue caressing the veins and slit.

Sucking in a breath, he loosened his grip as Jude pulled off his cock and coughed. He swallowed a few times, letting Jude decide what happened next. He could back off and call it quits, or finish what he started.

“Better than your porn, right?”

Jude slipped off the bed to stand. When he thought he’d chicken out, he shoved Gale’s shoulder. “Lie back.” His voice was hoarse, and it made him grin. He’d done that. His cock had done that.

Refusing to ruin it with unnecessary words, Gale lay on the bed, head on the pillow, lazily stroking his spit-wet cock. He never took his eyes off Jude, as he climbed onto the bed to straddle his knees.

Gale grunted when Jude bent and took his cock deep into his mouth, tightening his throat around the sensitive head, never breaking eye contact as he sucked with amateur enthusiasm.

Gale bit his lip and cupped a hand under Jude’s chin. Dragging him up by his hair, Gale caught his mouth in a kiss. Jude moaned and surrendered without hesitation. Devouring his mouth, he gripped his painfully hard cock and gave it the last few strokes it needed, to careen head first into an orgasm.

Jude broke the kiss to watch, hand flying to his own cock. He gasped and shuddered as he stroked, giving Gale an unguarded view of his long cock.

As hot as it was to watch, he scooped the thick come covering his cock and held his fingers to Jude’s mouth. Without pausing, not a blink, he closed his mouth over one finger and another, moaning as he sucked every drop from his hand.

When Gale put his middle finger in his own mouth, needing to taste the blend of their scents and saliva, Jude came with a sharp cry. A hiccuped sound followed and Jude shook as he fell to rest his forehead on Gale’s chest.

“I am going to mate you and fuck you so hard when we get home, baby,” he promised, kissing his forehead to seal the deal.

When Jude raised his head, he had tears in his eyes. “You better,” he warned, fragile and scared to believe.

Fine. Words were cheap. Gale would prove it with his actions.