Chapter Nineteen
After their meal, Leona gathered her things and they walked her south to Rosehip Coven. She seemed very sure of her welcome there but Orion less so, so they hung back and watched until she disappeared inside.
They strolled back through the forest, Nix enjoying the heat of the evening sun. So much so that he slipped off his t-shirt, letting the warmth get to his back and shoulders.
"Show-off," Orion murmured.
"You're one to talk," Nix muttered back. "Every time you move it's like you think someone's watching."
"Clearly someone is watching," Orion retorted. "You. Like what you see?" He turned slowly on the spot, pulling off his shirt as he did. It was nothing Nix hadn't seen before but he still found himself swallowing, hard, and willing his body not to get too excited.
"It'll be dark soon," was all he managed to say, turning and forcing himself onward. Orion fell into step beside him, his shirt thrown carelessly over one shoulder.
"This is the best time to be out in the forest; the twilight. Do you feel up to shifting? How about we have some fun?"
Orion didn't wait for his answer, stopping to hang his shirt over a tree branch before stepping quickly out of his pants and tossing them across the branch too.
Then he simply walked away, leaving Nix standing alone in the clearing, shirt in hand. A second later, he heard Orion shift, the thump of his bear paws hitting the forest floor. There was no reason he couldn't shift, he had more energy now that he'd had in months, if not years. And he wasn't scared of Orion. And he wasn't scared of bears.
He could hear Orion moving about nearby but he didn't come looking for him. He was waiting, patiently, for Nix to join him. So Nix followed suit, throwing his shirt over the low hanging branch and slipping off his borrowed pants. He knelt for the change, letting it wash over him slowly, his body reveling in the freedom of another form.
Taking some time to acclimatize, he explored the clearing, sniffing trees and shrubs, catching the scent of a squirrel. The scent of bear was strong nearby. He'd always imagined it to be heavy, musky, and damp. But it wasn't. It was earthy, clean, and Nix followed it without hesitation. Orion had gone further than he'd realized and he found him at the edge of a stream, peering down into the water. Nix stood next to him and mimicked him, taking in the contrast between their two forms. It wasn't just size. Orion's fur was dark brown while Nix's was a mix of grey and white. Orion's dark eyes matched his fur while his were lighter, standing out in the twilight. Orion leaned forward and drank from the water, the cascading ripples obscuring their reflection. When he finished, he turned, pushing his wet nose against Nix's flank and scenting deeply. Nix stayed still, permitted the Alpha's proximity, his warm breath a contrast to his cold, wet fur.
Orion nudged him, the gesture unexpected. Nix moved away a little, trying to work out what the Alpha wanted. Orion pushed him again, a little harder this time, then lifted his head, looking into the distance. Nix cottoned on quickly. The Alpha wanted a chase and he wanted Nix to give him one. He pretended not to understand, moving away another foot, lowering his head submissively. Orion rumbled a growl low under his breath and looked away as an owl hooted loudly in the distance. Nix took advantage of his distraction and raced off through the trees. There was nothing at first, no sound of pursuit, no suggestion Orion had even noticed his absence. Then a loud growl carried through the trees followed a moment later by the thump of Orion's paws as he raced across the forest floor.
Nix swerved, ducked, and dived his way across the forest, taking advantage of his small size and his ability to maneuver through tight spaces. Orion got closer and closer, but Nix ducked through a dense bramble bush, knowing Orion wouldn't be able to follow, and the Alpha fell behind once more. He turned around, racing back towards the stream, crossing it in two strides, knowing the crossing of their scent trails might buy him a second or two.
A sudden silence in the forest a minute later caught him by surprise and he slowed to a stop, trying to work out where Orion was. Had he crossed the stream yet? Nix crept across the ground on quiet feet, keeping low to the floor and listening for any sign of Orion. There was nothing but the distant call of birds returning home to roost. Had Orion got bored and gone home? Had he just left Nix by himself in the forest?
Slowing to a stop with a little whine of dismay, he wondered what to do now. Trot after Orion like an obedient dog or…
A large brown paw swiped at him from behind a bush. Nix jumped a foot in the air, let out a most undignified howl, and raced away, Orion hot on his heels. There was no escaping the bear now, his strong form bearing down on him. He dived into another deep bush of undergrowth but the roots were too thick and tangled for even him to get through.
The hands that grabbed him were all too human, and he was pulled out to come face to face with Orion, the Alpha's predatory grin sending a shudder through him even as his body obligingly shifted back to human form.
He was panting for each breath, his body glowing with sweat and craving the touch of the man who pinned him to the floor.
"You're mine," Orion growled. "And I am going to show you exactly what that means."
He shuddered again at the Alpha's promise, pushing against his hands, and reaching for him with his own. Orion pulled him to his feet and pressed him against the trunk of a tree as they reached for one another, kissing with every ounce of energy they had. Orion was already hard, Nix could feel his erection pressed tight against him. He knew exactly where this night would take them. This was what he wanted. What they needed.
As they kissed, Orion's tongue pushing between his lips, the Alpha's hand slid between them, stroking his shaft and gently coaxing him to hardness. His hands found Nix's thighs, lifting him so he straddled the Alpha's waist, then pressed them together so their aching cocks were side by side, rubbing against one another with each shift of their bodies.
Orion slipped his hand between them again, stroking Nix slowly, drawing out moans and gasps from him, and coating his fingers in the precome he coaxed from him.
Then his hand slipped underneath, between Nix's cheeks, rubbing back and forth across him. He squirmed at the Alpha's touch and whimpered. Orion shushed him, his dark eyes full of passion as he kissed Nix's cheek. "That's it. You're doing great."
A single finger pressed inside him and Orion swallowed his moan with another kiss. Nix needed this. Needed to feel the Alpha within him.
When Orion pressed a second finger into him, he lost control, thrusting down against it, crying out at the sudden burn and ache within him. The Alpha's fingers were gone, leaving him empty. Orion's mouth left his, pressing against his ear to whisper soft words.
"Shh, not so fast. It's your first time. We'll take things slow but not too slow." He kissed the edge of Nix's mouth, one hand rubbing back and forth across Nix's hip, the touch only heightening his craving for the Alpha.
Dropping his head against Orion's shoulder, he whispered his reply.
"I can take it."
"Yeah, you can and you will. You're going to take all of me, one inch at a time."
He shuddered at the promise in Orion's words, feeling the Alpha's fingers return, slipping inside him again. He didn't move this time, letting the Alpha set the pace of pulling out and thrusting inside. A third finger and he moaned again. It was tight and stretched and just this side of pain. The Alpha's hand withdrew, returning to his shaft, milking it with slow strokes until his fingers were wet and slipped inside him easily.
The Alpha was speaking again. "Steady now. Nice and slow to start. I need you ready for me."
"I'm ready," he keened, squirming as Orion's fingers twisted inside him, his back rubbing against the rough bark of the tree.
But Orion clearly wasn't convinced, capturing Nix's mouth with his and thoroughly distracting him while his fingers worked him open.
Orion's hands were on his thighs again, lifting him and spreading his legs. He lowered him slowly, and Nix held his gaze, his hands on Orion's shoulders as the Alpha slipped inside of him.
It was such an amazing sensation, one he'd craved despite never experiencing it before. The pressure was indescribable but Nix soon grew impatient for the Alpha to move. He did, pulling out and thrusting in one smooth movement that seemed to push all the air from Nix's lungs. His hands held tightly to Nix's hips, the thrusts pushing him against the tree trunk, the bark scraping at his back.
Nix reached for him, wrapping arms around Orion's neck and kissing him fiercely. Each thrust heightened the sensations, the pleasure, until Nix was moaning loudly. Orion's hand on him shifted, changing his position. The next thrust set off a spark of pleasure from somewhere deep inside him. He tightened his legs around Orion, urging the Alpha on and crying out when the next thrust hit that same spot. Something was building within him. He could see it in Orion's eyes too. A need for this connection between them, for the joining of their bodies.
Orion's thrusts grew faster and faster, his grip tightening until something broke within Nix and pleasure flooded him. Gasping, Orion stilled within him letting out a hoarse shout as he found his own pleasure. Boneless and sated, Nix let his upper body rest against his Alpha's chest, letting the sensations wash over him and hearing Orion's fast breathing against him. For a while, neither of them moved, Orion's hands running soothingly across his hips and back until they had both caught their breath.
Slowly, Orion set him down on his feet, holding him steady when he knees threatened to go from under him. Nix kept his hands on Orion's shoulders, smiling over at him as he began to regain his senses.
"So that's what it's all about," he said, giving Orion a lazy grin. Orion grinned back at him, catching his chin, kissing him hungrily.
"It only gets better from here."
Afterward, they washed in the stream as the last light of day faded. Orion went in search of their clothes, returning with them and they dressed side by side.
"Is this why Leona left?" he asked Orion.
"She has good instincts. She knew we'd need privacy, time alone together."
There was that word again. Instinct.
As they began the walk back to Briar Hill, he winced as his clothes rubbed against his body.
"Sore?" Orion asked, trying to smother his grin.
"A little. That tree really had it in for me. So did you, come to think of it," he said, meeting his Alpha's grin with one of his own.
"Come on then, there's a nice soft bed with your name on it."
When they reached the house, Nix headed to the guest room. Orion stopped him at the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To bed," he said, gesturing through the door.
"Oh, you can't escape me that easily," Orion retorted, catching hold of him by the wrist and tugging him forward.
"Wait, what you are—" he started to ask, as Orion picked him up and threw him over his shoulder, carrying him down the corridor and into his bedroom. Orion lay him down in the center of the bed, tugging off Nix's clothes before dealing with his own. The bed dipped as he climbed in beside him.
"Come on, lie on your stomach," the Alpha said, turning him with gentle hands. He brushed his palm slowly across Nix's back.
"A few scrapes, that's all. Come tomorrow you won't even feel them."
"Will I still feel you?" The pleasant ache inside him was a constant reminder of the growing bond between them. He didn't want it to disappear too soon.
Orion's hand trailed down his back and across the curve of his ass.
"Today, tomorrow, the day after that…"
He lay his head down on the pillow, feeling Orion's body slide closer. His eyes grew heavy and he let them close, the Alpha's voice a soft murmur in his ear.