Chapter Fourteen

Gavin stared directly into the eyes of the man who had so thoroughly changed his life in one short week. He’d been on an emotional roller coaster, taking Dale with him along for the ride. And Dale had been right by his side the entire time, never letting him down. Someone he hardly knew anything about.

There was no denying they had a connection. It might not be exactly the same kind of connection he had learned grizzly mates had with each other, but it was damn close considering one member of this relationship was human and they’d only known each other a week. It seemed shifters often knew who their soul mates were the moment they met them—including Paige and Wyatt—but the bond that had formed with equal intensity between Gavin and Dale could not be denied either. Perhaps because Dale was a shifter?

Either way, it was time for Gavin to give Dale his undivided attention and help the man through whatever he needed to get out of his system. If he had to guess, he would say whatever happened five years ago had since then been bottled up inside Dale with no outlet.

Dale took a deep breath and began, not wasting any time. “His name was Ethan. I met him six years ago. I was in Calgary on business, and we met at a gay bar.” He rolled his eyes. “So cliché.”

Gavin smiled, saying nothing. He hadn’t expected the story to start with Dale’s ex-boyfriend. Perhaps he played a bigger role than Gavin anticipated.

“He was twenty-two. I was twenty-six at the time.”

“Go on.”

“We hit it off fast. He wasn’t new to the lifestyle. He was submissive and owned it already. In the beginning, we spent nearly every weekend together. It wasn’t easy. We lived two hours apart. My job was demanding, so he usually came here on Friday nights and stayed until Sunday.”

“Did he know you were a shifter?”

Dale shook his head. “No. Never. It’s important that we don’t let anyone know about us. People in relationships with humans go their entire lives keeping their identity secret. Not always, but most often.”

“Then how do you switch forms and run free?”

“Always a problem. In this case, it was no big deal. He didn’t live with me full-time.”

Gavin nodded. That seemed even worse than knowing and dealing with that knowledge. Although if Ethan never knew, he wasn’t missing anything.

“I was working for the Arcadians. I’m not…” Dale shook his head. “Never mind.” He inhaled sharply, seemingly shaking whatever he was going to add and changing directions. “I’m good with computers.”

“Apparently,” Gavin joked, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. Dale was unusually stressed about some detail he couldn’t bring himself to share yet.

“I worked in a local office about thirty minutes north of here part of the time, but the longer I was with them, the more freedom I had to come and go. They trusted me to get the job done from anywhere, so eventually, I worked fulltime from home.”

“You didn’t own this home yet though, right?”

“Right. I had a house closer to town. I didn’t start building this one until…later. After.”

After what? Gavin kept his mouth shut. Let him tell the story. “What, exactly, did you do for the council?” Innocent enough question, right?

“My official job was Internet Security. I was responsible for ensuring outsiders didn’t hack into the Arcadian Council’s system while also monitoring humans to ensure they didn’t get too close to the truth.”

“And when they did, you sent someone to clean up the mess,” Gavin expounded, reading between the lines.

“Yes.”

“But there’s more,” Gavin encouraged. People who provided intel to protect a species wouldn’t have a breakdown over computer monitoring.

Dale cocked his head, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “You sure you aren’t a shifter? Your ability to read minds is uncanny.”

Gavin smiled and squeezed Dale’s hands.

Dale sobered, swallowing. “When it’s necessary, I find people. Runaways. Abductions.”

“Like you found Paige…” Suddenly it was all so much clearer.

“Yes.”

“You hacked Kelly’s computer and dug around until you found out where she’d rented that cabin.”

“Yes.” For a long time, Dale stared at him as though he were done and the story was over. Finally, he sighed and continued. “Not everyone takes kindly to my line of work. It tends to make people nervous, knowing I can find out anything about them at any time.”

“I can see that., but it also tells you who’s guilty, right? I mean people who hide nothing have nothing to hide. Sort of like finding out the government can listen in on my phone calls. Why do I care? I’m not trying to overthrow the government. If they want to listen to me chatting with my friends about where we’re going to get a drink later that day, enjoy.”

Dale nodded. “Not everyone would agree. But yes. That’s the gist of it.”

So, something happened. Something went horribly wrong. “Did someone threaten you?”

Dale let out a low rumbling sardonic chuckle. “You could say that. I was looking for a missing child. A little girl. Two men had abducted her from British Columbia. Took her from her parents in the middle of the night.”

“Shifters?”

“Yes. I sometimes dealt with humans when they called us in on a case, but not too often. These were all shifters. The child and the kidnappers.”

“Okay.”

Dale glanced away, continuing without looking at Gavin. “They were not good men. They wanted to sell the child into human trafficking.”

And you didn’t find her in time…

Dale was sweating. He wiped a sheen of moisture from his forehead with one hand. “I worked night and day to locate the girl. Ethan came to visit, but I couldn’t leave my desk for several straight days. The job isn’t just demanding—it sucks your soul.” He glanced back at Gavin. “You know what I mean? How could I possibly sleep while that sweet child was out there somewhere?”

“I understand.” Gavin released Dale’s hands to grip his thighs, hoping it translated into support.

“I finally found her. They were holding her in a basement several hours north of her home, waiting for the search to die down before they sold her.”

Gavin felt the intensity as if he’d been there. “Was she…alive?”

“Yes.” Dale nodded emphatically. “She was fine. Safe. The council sent people in to rescue her. She’s nine now and hardly remembers the incident.” He smiled.

Gavin was confused. What was the problem?

Dale sobered. “The men got away though. And the girl wasn’t able to give a good description. No one knew who they were looking for. A few weeks went by. Ethan came to visit on a Friday night. We had a great evening together, and then I left him asleep in the bed on Saturday morning and went into the mountains to run. I had so much pent-up energy. I needed to run.” His voice got louder, his words coming out faster.

Gavin gripped his thighs. Fear rose in his throat, bringing bile along with it.

Dale’s eyes filled with tears. One escaped to run down his face. Anguish consumed him. “I was only gone an hour.” He choked on his own words. “An hour,” he screamed. “My own home. Ethan should have been safe.”

Finally, it all fell into place. Mother fucker.

Several long moments passed while Dale pulled himself together enough to continue.

Gavin couldn’t swallow or breathe. He hurt so badly for Dale.

Ethan hadn’t left him. They hadn’t broken up either. He’d been killed.

Dale’s voice was softer, barely audible when he continued. “When I got home, Ethan was gone.”

“They took him,” Gavin confirmed.

Dale nodded, wiping another tear from his cheek.

Gavin wanted to reach out and wipe the salty wetness away himself, but he wasn’t sure Dale wanted attention brought to his tears.

“I did everything I could, but I couldn’t find him. At least not in time.”

Gavin’s heart pounded. His breaths were quick and shallow. He could feel Dale’s pain as if it were transferring from his lover to himself through touch. Fuck.

“They played a game with me. Left hints. The clock was ticking. In reality, I never had a chance. He didn’t have enough oxygen. They had buried him alive in a cramped container. I can’t even imagine what his last few hours were like.”

“Oh, God. Dale. I’m so sorry.” Gavin slid closer. He lifted one shaky hand and wrapped it around Dale’s neck, pulling his lover’s head to his shoulder to hold him while he cried. The truth was Gavin cried too.

For a long time, they stayed like that, rocking slightly. Crying. Gavin wasn’t sure he would ever recover from hearing that story. And he could see why after five years, Dale hadn’t recovered either.

Dale finally lifted his face, reddened with tears and emotion. “This is why I don’t do relationships. Why I haven’t dated. Why I steer clear of humans.”

“Would it have mattered if he’d been a shifter?”

“Yes. If we’d been bound to each other, we could have communicated. I might have stood a chance at finding him. As it was, I had nothing. And the bad guys knew it.”

“Did they catch them?”

“Yes. They were sentenced to death. It’s rare among my people, but it happens. We call it going rogue.”

Gavin grabbed their empty beer bottles and took them to the kitchen. After he threw them away, he grabbed two more beers and returned.

Dale took the offered bottle and drank half of it in one long gulping series of swallows as if he were dehydrated. He set the beer on the coffee table and turned to Gavin. “It wasn’t fair of me to string you along or even let you into my life for a minute without telling you.”

Gavin shook his head. “Why? Those guys are gone. Dead. And you don’t even work for the Arcadians anymore. You can’t live your life in fear.”

“Of course I can. I do. Gavin, I’ll never consider you to be safe with me. There are too many risks. Even if I did construction for the rest of my life, I would still worry about retribution for pissing off someone years ago.”

“You can’t hibernate out of fear. If you do, the bad guys win.”

“I have to stay diligent.”

“Not any more than anyone else in society. We look both ways when we cross the street, don’t go out at night alone in dangerous cities, keep private details off social media. We do what we can. It’s the same for anyone. You can’t let your fear paralyze you.”

“Wanna bet?” Dale lifted a brow, his expression bone chilling.

It was time to break the pity party and change the direction of the night. It was late. Very late. But Gavin knew what would shake Dale out of his depressive state. He set his beer on the table next to its twin and slid to the floor onto his knees. He didn’t have the confidence of a proper sub, nor did he have the experience to do everything right. But he had instinct, and his gut told him to submit and let Dale’s natural tendency to dominate take control.

Gavin climbed between Dale’s knees and set his head on Dale’s thigh. He even clasped his hands behind his back.

Dale didn’t move or say a word, which only increased Gavin’s nervousness. Was he doing this right? Or had he made the wrong choice in trying to lure Dale into a scene. As a last-ditch effort, throwing all his chips into the pile, he lifted his face toward his Dom and deliberately bit into his lower lip.

Dale sucked in a breath, his eyes wide. His tongue reached out to moisten his lips. And then his hand jerked forward to cup Gavin’s face, his thumb landing on the offended lip, tugging it. “You want to play, little sub?”

Gavin batted his eyes.

“How about you take everything off before you kneel between my legs?”

Gavin hesitated only a second, assuring himself that Dale was in the right frame of mind and this wasn’t going to backfire on him. Finally, he scrambled to his feet, pulling his shirt over his head. There was no concern that his cock would be hard. It had gone from zero to fully erect the moment Dale said the word sub. Or maybe it was play.

He bent to remove his boots and socks and then shrugged out of his jeans and underwear. Before Dale moved a muscle, Gavin was back between his lover’s legs, his cheek rubbing against the firm erection pressing against its denim prison. He didn’t dare reach to pop the button or lower the zipper without permission.

“Good boy. You deliberately antagonized me.”

It was true.

“What did I tell you would happen if you intentionally pulled a stunt you knew was forbidden?”

Gavin swallowed, knowing his gamble might be the death of him by the night’s end. If Dale was true to his word, he might withhold orgasm which would be painful and frustrating but totally worth it if his Dom let go of the pain and sorrow to rejoin the living for a few hours.

“Stand up.”

Gavin wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but he rose to his feet.

“Clasp your hands behind your head, elbows back.”

He complied, trying not to shake.

Dale’s gaze roamed up and down his body, lasciviously. He finally paused, staring at Gavin’s erection. “Your cock is so damn glorious. I love the way it stands at attention, waiting for contact, desperate. It bobs ever so slightly when I talk dirty to you.”

As if on command, his dick did indeed jerk toward Gavin’s stomach before springing back.

“It’s too bad you won’t be getting any relief anytime soon.”

Damn. Maybe this plan had been a horrible idea. It suddenly seemed like he might pass out if he didn’t come soon. His cock had gone from zero to one hundred in seconds. Dale’s words of denial made things incrementally worse.

“Go to the bedroom. Lie on the bed, spread eagle.”

Gavin scrambled from the room as if he were being timed. He pulled the comforter down to the foot of the bed and climbed up to lie in the center. He’d never felt so vulnerable or exposed as he did when he stretched his arms above his head and spread his feet.

When Dale entered the room, Gavin didn’t move his head, seeing him out of his peripheral vision. The god of a man had removed his shirt and shoes. He was barefoot. His jeans were unbuttoned. He headed straight for the closest. Gavin nearly moaned as he listened to the rustling.

Finally, he returned. He had a handful of items Gavin couldn’t see, and he still couldn’t describe them when Dale set them all on the floor beside the bed. He lifted a black strip of soft fabric into Gavin’s line of sight. “I think you should be blindfolded, don’t you?”

“Yes…Sir.” His cock jerked, his desire amping up with every new experience. Would it always be like this? Or would the edge stop being as blatantly arousing with time and knowledge? If he stayed with this Dom or any other Dom for a period of time, wouldn’t he be able to anticipate the alpha moves, lessening the quick jump to full arousal?

Dale wrapped the cloth around Gavin’s head, lifting his neck gently to secure it at the back. “Safe word?”

“Red, Sir.” The world was black. He hadn’t been messing around. And Gavin’s arousal shot through the roof.

“Don’t hesitate to stop me at any time. It doesn’t reflect on you personally. I won’t ever be disappointed or angry. In fact, if I ever find out you were uncomfortable and didn’t let me know during the scene, I will tan your hide so you can’t sit for a week. Do you understand?”

His threat seemed incongruent, but Gavin swallowed. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good boy.” More rustling and then Dale slid his palm down one of Gavin’s arms until he reached the wrist. He wrapped something around the sensitive skin. A rope. And then he secured it to the farthest rung of the headboard. When he did the same on the other side of the bed, Gavin’s breathing picked up. He pulled his knees together, feeling too exposed.

Dale stroked his skin up and down his thigh, drawing goosebumps. “You okay, little sub?”

“Yes, Sir.” Why did he enjoy the diminutive terms of endearment, as if Gavin were small? They made him feel cared for. Cherished. Gavin was not well-trained yet, but it was growing increasingly obvious that Dale was up to the task—if he could just let go of his past fears and take a chance on life.

Dale tapped Gavin’s cock so lightly he wasn’t sure he didn’t imagine it. “It’s supposed to storm in the morning. You know what that means?”

“No, Sir.” Where was Dale going with this line of thinking?

“It means I can’t work on the deck. We can sleep in. It means I can take all the time I want to ensure you don’t intentionally disobey me in the future. I’m pretty sure I can convince you.”

Gavin shuddered. He was also close to biting his lip out of frustration before he remembered that was what got him into this mess in the first place. He didn’t imagine he would ordinarily behave like such a brat. It wasn’t his style, and he doubted Dale was in the habit of keeping a naughty submissive.

Now he just had to hope he hadn’t bitten off more than he could chew.

When Dale grabbed his ankle and tugged it forcibly toward the bottom corner of the bed, Gavin drew in a sharp breath. Could he endure this?

His other leg followed. He tested the ropes, tugging and deciding they were loose enough that he could escape in an emergency but secure enough to give the illusion he was at his Dom’s mercy.

For a few minutes, Dale didn’t touch him. He had no idea exactly where Dale was in the room. His senses were heightened. He could hear only the occasional rustling of fabric, the distinct sound of a zipper lowering, the swish of denim sliding down Dale’s legs. At least the man was getting naked, though Gavin was sorry he couldn’t see anything.

A long inhale told him a candle had been lit, something with cinnamon. Interesting. The faint sound of the overhead light being shut off.

The silky feel of Dale’s expensive sheets were cool against the heated skin of Gavin’s back. He knew they were navy because he’d climbed onto the bed himself, but at the moment all they were was soft.

His cock bobbed when Dale climbed onto the bed and positioned himself between Gavin’s legs. The exposure grew in its intensity. When Dale set a single finger at the base of Gavin’s cock and stroked up the length to flick off the end, Gavin moaned. He would explode if this went on very long. And he had a feeling it was going to last far longer than he was comfortable with.

Carefully avoiding any more contact with Gavin’s cock, Dale leaned over him and flicked his tongue over first one nipple and then the other. “I love the way these little buds jump to attention when I touch them.”

Gavin arched his back, silently encouraging his Dom to continue.

Dale chuckled. “Oh, sweet sub, you will never get me to relieve you that way. You have so much to learn.” He punctuated the last word with a sharp pinch to one nipple.

Gavin gasped. “I’m sorry, Sir. I shouldn’t have bitten my lip. It won’t happen again.”

Another chuckle. “Oh, I’m positive you’ll be sorry. I also know you’ll do it again. It’s in your nature.”

Gavin shook his head, wanting to make himself clear. “No. I was just trying to chase away your melancholy. Honest. I swear I’m not disobedient.”

“Hmmm. I bet if I gave you a list of infractions, things I didn’t want you to do, you would break nearly every one of them by the end of the week.”

Gavin’s lips parted. Was he right? “No. I’m good. I promise.”

“Oh, you’re better than good.” Dale leaned back, his fingers dancing up and down Gavin’s torso, goosebumps rising in their wake. He startled Gavin when he pinched both nipples at once, hard.

Gavin gasped again, the slight pain welcome. When had he started liking pain? Last night when you let this amazing Dom spank your ass.

“Judging from your reaction, I’m going to assume your nipples are a source of tremendous arousal.”

“Mmm. Yes, Sir.” It was hard to catch his breath.

A moment later, he was shocked to find Dale’s fingers pinching and holding his nipple firmly, pulling it from his chest. And then something cold clamped down on his skin.

Gavin bucked, his entire body rebelling against whatever was now holding his nipple hostage. Before he managed to wrap his head around the clamp, Dale set his elbow on Gavin’s chest to hold him steady and repeated the same torture to the other nipple.

Gavin tipped his head back, fighting the weird sensation.

“Breathe, baby. They’re just rubber clamps. They feel strange the first time, but they won’t hurt you.”

Gavin took quick shallow breaths, adjusting to the strange pinch.

“Good boy.” Fingers danced around the offended nipples, circling them over and over. “So sexy. My cock is bursting. Every whimper you make drives me crazier. Every time you fight against the ropes, I have to squeeze my cock to keep from coming.”

I’m pretty sure I could come right now without any contact.

“And damn. You have no idea how much I wish I could get into your head and read your thoughts. I bet that last one would have earned you a swat to the balls.”

Gavin froze. Surely Dale wouldn’t hit his scrotum.

“Got your attention.” He reached between Gavin’s leg and wrapped his palm around the latest subject of discussion. “Don’t worry. I would never harm you. You know that, right?”

“Yes, Sir.” Gavin’s voice was raspy. Deeper than usual.

A popping noise made Gavin finch. Lube. It dribbled cold and wet onto his cock, running down toward the base. Enough of it continued to fall that it worked its way around his balls to his tight rear hole.

One finger ran down the length of Gavin’s cock, circled the scrotum, and then teased the entrance to his ass. Over and over that finger stroked with not enough pressure and too much pressure at the same time. If a man could lose his mind from being teased mercilessly, it would happen tonight.

Gavin groaned, praying for release. Praying for more contact. Praying for a spontaneous orgasm. He didn’t even care if he got into more trouble than he already had for coming. It would be worth it.

But Dale stopped touching Gavin’s cock, leaving it wet with lube and so hard it hurt. He stroked between Gavin’s thighs, up and down, over and over, teasing, tempting, driving Gavin higher and higher. “How do you like this kind of play, little sub?”

“I’m not fond of it, Sir,” he gritted out.

“I bet not. Maybe don’t try to manipulate me in the future, huh?”

“I promise, Sir.” At the moment, he would promise the moon.

“I’d climb up your chest and let you suck me off, but I bet you would come from the act.”

He was probably right.

“Shall I slide my dick into your ass?”

“If you want, Sir.”

“Mmm.” As if he had all the time in the world, he continued to drive Gavin mad with that one finger, running it up and down his cock, over his balls. He tapped the tight hole of his ass several times but didn’t penetrate, probably knowing any contact like that would push Gavin over the edge.

“I’d love to wrap my mouth around your cock, baby. I bet it’s super tasty tonight. Like need and desire. You know your come tastes different when you’re so aroused you can’t think? The adrenaline gives a subtle change to the flavor.”

Gavin’s head was spinning. Did any of that make sense? He moaned loudly when Dale leaned down and flicked his tongue through the slit. “Yeah. Delicious.”

Dale tortured him in silence again for long minutes. It felt like hours. Finally, he leaned forward and whispered into Gavin’s ear. “If I slide into your sweet ass, will you be able to keep from coming?”

“I don’t think so, Sir.” He groaned, wanting Dale inside him so badly he hated admitting that truth.

“Good boy. Don’t ever lie to me in bed. I’ll know it.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You probably deserve a reward for that, huh?”

“If it pleases you, Sir.” It occurred to him that Dale was enduring the same torture. He needed relief as badly as Gavin.

“I’m going to press into your ass anyway, take pity on you since I know you disobeyed me tonight for a good cause. I know you’re a good boy. You just wanted to shake me out of my depression.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I want you to hold back until I give you permission to come. Understood?”

“I’ll try, Sir.”

“That’s all I can ask. You need me to stretch you first? Or you want me to slam in without preparation?”

Gavin nearly swallowed his tongue. “Please, Sir. Do it. Now.” There was enough lube running down his crack to ease the passage. Any pain would be a welcome reminder that Dale was his Dom. He would relish it.

“I need to remove the clamps first. You’ll feel a sharp pain followed by an intense need to come. That’s when I’ll take you.” Dale released both clamps simultaneously, making Gavin call out at the intense sensation.

Then Dale lined his dick up with Gavin’s rear and pushed into him so slowly it was hard to breathe. He hadn’t thrust hard and fast as he’d insinuated, but this method was almost worse. The slow burn made Gavin grit his teeth to keep from coming.

When Dale was fully seated, Gavin stopped breathing altogether. No way could he keep from coming. The breath whooshed from his lungs a moment later when Dale flattened his body over Gavin, trapping his erection between their bellies.

As he pulled partway out of Gavin’s ass and thrust back inside, his stomach rubbed too hard against Gavin’s cock. “Dale, I can’t. Please…Sir. Please. Let me come.” He was shocked to find tears welling up in his eyes. He didn’t want to disappoint his Dom.

Dale’s fingers touched his cheek. “Oh, sweet sub, don’t worry. I would never push you further than you can handle. Come for me. Now.” He punctuated that last word with another rough thrust.

Gavin’s balls drew up tight, and his cock stiffened fully. One second later, his orgasm burst free, a pulsing release that made stars swim behind Gavin’s blindfolded eyes.

On the heels of Gavin’s amazing ejaculation, Dale stiffened, holding himself deep, his own orgasm forcing itself prematurely. Dale moaned around the release, his voice mingling with Gavin’s whimpers of relief.

For a moment, Dale leaned forward, his forehead on the bed next to Gavin’s cheek. And then he lifted his body a few inches and pushed the blindfold off Gavin’s eyes. He searched his expression. “You okay?”

“So much better than okay, Sir.”

A smile grew. “Good. Let me get you cleaned up.” He lifted off Gavin and padded from the room. When he returned, he held a wet cloth which he gingerly used to clean Gavin’s semi-erect cock, his belly, and his ass. He tossed the washcloth aside and grinned down at Gavin. “If I release you from my bed, will you sneak out of the house in the night?”

“No, Sir.”

Dale lifted a brow in question.

“I promise, Sir.”

Dale leaned over and untied first one wrist and then the other, he eased Gavin’s arms slowly to his sides, rubbing the muscles with both hands. As he scooted down the bed to release Gavin’s legs, Gavin watched his lover move. So fluid. So confident. So damn sexy it brought a knot to Gavin’s throat. Could they make this thing work between them?

It was a long road to the finish line, but Gavin sure hoped they made it because he was falling in love with the most perfect partner and Dom he’d ever meet in his life.

If Dale could get over his fears, and if he would have Gavin as a mate, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad spending his days and nights with the first man to bring Gavin out of his shell and breathe light into his dormant soul.

Dale leaned over the nightstand to blow out the candle, and then he stretched out beside Gavin and pulled the comforter over their bodies. He tossed a leg over both of Gavin’s and rested his arm across Gavin’s belly. “Don’t you dare move without permission, not even to go to the bathroom. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir.” It was weird still being in the role.

“If you disobey me on this tonight, I will never trust you again.”

Gavin reached for his Dom, cupping his face with one hand. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. For as long as you’ll have me.”