“Right. Good. Okay then. ” Casey turned around and walked away quickly. Grabbing his shirt, he shrugged it on and hurried back toward the compound for lunch, leaving Rory still on the ground, staring after him in surprise and feeling as strangely bereft from Casey walking away as he’d felt excited when Casey protected him.
The rest of the day passed slowly. Casey tried to stay away from Rory as much as he could, his feelings in conflicting confusion. He finished his work for the day and walked tiredly back to the compound. Rory had left an hour or so before.
Casey knew when Rory left, as certainly as if he’d come to tell him. He could already sense a great deal about him, and he knew if—or when—they mated, he’d be able to pick up his thoughts as well.
Casey was by far the most dominant wolf in the equation, and he suffered no doubts Rory, as driven as he was, would answer the blood call. The problem was the idea of mating with Rory was the most difficult thing in the world. It just wasn’t possible for Rory to be his mate. What kind of crazy cosmic joke was this, anyway? He’d come to the Mountain Wolf compound for one reason and one reason only—to kill the wolf called Rory, taking his justifiable revenge against the man who’d killed his brother. How could this killer be his bloodmate? It just didn’t seem within the realm of possibility.
When he’d first arrived with the rogue group, he’d been given a list and told to pick a work station. When he saw Rory’s name as a gamma, along with a wolf named Ian as crew leader, he’d been excited over how easily he’d located his brother’s murderer and could get close to him. He’d signed up for the work detail immediately. He’d shown up for work early, anxious to get a good look at the man he was soon going to kill. The delicious smell wafting into the common room stunned him at first and then fascinated him. Wolves never knew when they might meet their blood match, and it usually came when they least expected. Certainly, now, while he was on a vengeance quest for his brother, was not a time he expected to run into his mate, but the scent intrigued and beckoned him.
When the young, gorgeous wolf walked into the room, Casey could barely restrain himself from leapi
ng over the chairs between them and taking him right there in front of everyone. He was smaller than average, but perfect, with beautiful little features and curly brown hair. He definitely had the cutest little bubble butt Casey had seen in a long time. Casey had a sudden vision of his cock stuck firmly between those delectable ass cheeks. The young wolf seemed not to even notice him, and Casey found himself incensed and determined to make him pay attention. He assumed the young man was Ian, the crew leader. When they stood close together, just before the alpha told them to break it up, he had been very tempted to kiss his beautiful young wolf right then.
When the alpha’s mate, Nicky, called him not Ian, but Rory, Casey was devastated and rocked to his core. All he could do was run back to his room and lick his wounds, trying to figure out how such an insane thing could have happened.
By morning, he’d pretty much convinced himself he was mistaken, and he wasn’t nearly as attracted to Rory as he thought he was. Casey was strong—he’d always been strong willed and able to do anything he put his mind to doing. He could beat this thing. He’d steel himself against the little murdering bastard and not be bothered by any stupid smell. He could do this. Rory was not his mate. The very idea was ludicrous. He left his room the next morning confident and strong, ready to put aside any tender feelings he might still be harboring for the young wolf.
That lasted until Rory walked in with his little notebook, looking nervous and tired, with bluish shadows under his pretty eyes, like he hadn’t slept well. Tenderness, love, and passion almost overwhelmed Casey, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He planned on ignoring him, but once again, he had to speak to him, to tease him, to make Rory notice him, like a damn kid. Later, when the dude pushed him down at the work site, he literally saw red. Damn! He felt so protective of him, he wanted to wrap him up in cotton and keep him safe.
Casey walked back to the compound dragging his feet, dreading the evening when he might see him again at supper. In the common room for dinner, he looked for Rory right away, spotting him sitting at the table of the alpha, Marco. Marco’s beautiful mate, Nicky, was with them, and he gave Casey a little wave as he walked in. Rory pretended not to see Casey.
That’s okay, darlin’. You know I’m here, and it’s taking your appetite away, isn’t it? Good. Suffer, damn it. You need to suffer like my brother did. Like I’m suffering now seeing how fuckin’ gorgeous you are. Damn you!
Despite his harsh thoughts, every protective instinct in his body wanted to go to Rory and make sure he ate a good meal. He had to make himself stop being so protective, not think of him as his mate and fortify himself against him. He had to stop thinking of him, period. Only how in the hell was he going to do that?
After supper, he waited until he saw Rory go upstairs for the night. He went to his own room for a long, hot shower. Afterward, he slid into bed. Once there he tossed and turned, trying to sleep, trying to make his mind a blank. Instead, all he could think about was Rory. He wondered if Rory was in bed too, lying there, maybe thinking of him.
Giving up, he slipped out of bed and got into his clothes. He went to find Rory, unable to stay away, unable to stop thinking about him. He needed to see him. He needed to be alone with him to figure out if he was really the one. If he was, everything would have to be different, and he wouldn’t be able to complete his quest for revenge. At least not the way he’d originally planned. A wolf was unable to kill his mate—physically, emotionally unable without killing himself. It was unthinkable. In his heart, he already knew Rory was the one, and the real reason he left his room was he couldn’t stay away.
He knew where Rory’s room was, but he could have found it without prior knowledge. Right up until the moment he entered the hallway, Casey still had faint hopes he was mistaken about Rory being his mate. The overpowering smell of chocolate chip cookies, his favorite smell, drew him right to Rory’s room. The door was unlocked, and he eased it open, finding the room glowing as pale silver moonlight streamed through an open window. Rory must have gone right to bed after he ate dinner and was stretched out on his back under a single sheet.
His mate was naked, his T-shirt and underwear lying on the floor beside the bed as if he’d pulled them off while he slept. Had been dreaming and got too hot? Was it Casey he dreamed about? At the idea, a wolfish smile lit up his face. Everyone in the compound thought Nicky was the most beautiful male anyone had ever seen, and he truly was something to see, but looking down at his pretty mate, Casey thought Rory was gorgeous in his own right. His hair was a soft and silky brown, streaked with golden highlights. He had a handsome face, with high cheekbones and a cute little nose turned up ever so slightly on the end. Casey wanted to bend over and kiss the tip of his nose, but settled for brushing his finger over the tip. He smiled when Rory reached up to scratch at it. Stepping back, he dragged the sheet with him to admire Rory’s body, lean and perfect, with wide shoulders, tapering down to a small waist. His abs rippled with muscles, and Casey couldn’t stop himself from bending over to brush his lips across them. Rory sighed in his sleep and tried to turn over. A hand on his stomach kept him in place, but disturbed, Rory twisted his legs restlessly and moaned.
Sitting down on the side of the bed, Casey shook Rory gently. Coming awake slowly, he murmured something in his sleep, saying Casey’s name. He came wide awake as he realized who sat on the bed beside him.
“What…what are you doing here?” His voice was panicky and breathless. “Shhh. Don’t talk. ” Rory sat up, scooting high up in the bed next to the headboard to get as far away as possible. He yanked the sheet back up to his chest. “Get out of here, Casey! We have nothing to talk about. Please. I-I’ll see you tomorrow. ”
Casey shook his head. “No. It’s no good. You’re my mate, and I can’t fight it. I’m tired of fighting it. Now that I’ve found you, I can’t eat, sleep, or do anything but think about you. You know it will be that way until we mate. Maybe then I can get some peace. ”
“No! You don’t understand. I’m not ready yet. I have to have some time. ” “Time to talk yourself out of it? Time to run away? No, it has to be soon. I can’t wait much longer. ”
He gripped Rory’s ankle and pulled him down from the headboard. Catching him under the arms, he lifted him onto his lap. Though Rory struggled a little, Casey took his mouth with his own and kissed him, grinding his mouth into his and battling his tongue for control until Rory kissed him back, arms wrapping tight around Casey’s neck. Casey licked gently at his mouth, teasing his bottom lip with his teeth.
He laid Rory’s unresisting body back on the covers and trailed kisses down his throat and onto his chest. He spent some time with each nipple, while Rory writhed under his tongue. When Rory’s hand gripped his own cock, Casey pushed his hand away and took Rory’s beautiful cock, rubbing the tip with his thumb while he finished his ministrations on Rory’s nipples with his mouth and tongue. Slowly he continued a trail of kisses to Rory’s groin where he engulfed the sweet weeping cock in his mouth, sucking it to the back of his throat when Rory’s hips surged up in welcome. Over the length of the shaft, licking at the underside, he moved slowly up and down.
Rory gripped the sheets on the mattress so hard his knuckles went white, and he groaned so loudly Casey was afraid someone would come in to check on him any minute. He brought his tongue up to the tip of Rory’s cock and made a rolling swirl. Rory couldn’t hang on any longer. His hips bucked, fucking Casey’s mouth hard, gasping out, “Casey, Casey,” over and over as he came explosively. Casey took every drop of his salty cum, sucking it down his throat and kept on sucking until Rory begged him to stop. Only then did he pull his mouth away with a soft plop. Rory trembled all over, limp when Casey pulled him into his arms and kissed him. Rory’s arms slipped around his waist, snuggling close to him.
“Tell me the truth, baby. Was that your first time?”
Rory dropped his long lashes over his eyes and nodded shyly. “Yes,” he said breathlessly.
Casey smiled, a thrill of ownership coursing through him. “Good. I’ll be your first and your last, darlin’. No one else will ever touch you like this except me. ”
Rory nodded slowly, refusing to raise his gaze.
“That was your first lesson, Rory. We can’t deny our blood song. Do you understand?”
Rory nodded again.