I carried a pitcher of beer back to the table where me, Jesse, and some other guys from work were sitting. We had all decided to grab drinks after work and though I didn’t want to go, as I was glued to the library, Jesse insisted I needed to come out to get my mind off of things.

And he was right. Because though I loved learning more about this anomaly and potentially magical event, it was depressing knowing I couldn’t convince anyone else of this. I was in a desperate search for more concrete proof. I knew that eventually, when they had exhausted all other options, they’d be open to the possibility of magic, and when that time came I was going to be ready to explain it to them.

But in the meantime, I could definitely use some relaxation and drinking with the guys really did that for me.

Well, more than just the guys; lately it was Jesse that provided the most calm in my life. He’d been my rock recently with the stress of my research and being talked down to by our commander. He’d been a great comfort.

I supposed that wasn’t unusual. He was always quite comforting, he was a good friend. But I’d felt a shift recently. Like his comfort went beyond friendly.

But I told myself I was imagining that because of the obvious feelings I was having for him. I wanted his comfort to mean more, to be more romantic than friendly, but just because that was what I wanted didn’t make it true. Jesse hadn’t really given me any indication that he liked me besides treating me well, which was what he always did because he was my best friend. I was reading into things.

So I kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t going to pursue something and make Jesse uncomfortable. But I really did enjoy hanging out with him this way. Even though I enjoyed it more when we were alone.

Right after that thought, one of my coworkers, Anthony, began to yawn. “I don’t think I can stay out much later, guys, I’m on shift early tomorrow.”

Hell yes, it was like I’d put the thought into the universe and the universe was responding to me positively. I knew now that Anthony had put it out there that he wanted to go home, it would cause a chain reaction among the guys and soon it would only be me and Jesse left.

This actually happened quite often so it was very predictable. We’d all go for drinks and socialize but at some point in the night, most of the guys wanted to go home to their mates and children.

But being bachelors, me and Jesse had nothing and nobody to go home to and didn’t mind hanging out by ourselves.

“Yeah, I’m going to head out too,” another guard member, Shawn, added.

Just as I expected, the other three of them agreed and we began to say our goodbyes.

As I stood up to let them out of the booth, Jesse standing behind me, he asked if I was going home too.

“No, I want to have a few more drinks, you?” I asked and tried to sound casual. I didn’t really want him to know that I was completely desperate for him to stay and drink with me… though I kind of was.

“I’ll have a few more drinks, sure.”

The rest of the guys left and we found a smaller booth across the bar. It felt rude to take up one of the only two large booths in case another group came in.

Though this had the added benefit of putting me and Jesse in closer proximity.

No, damnit, stop it, Finn. You can’t keep thinking like this. Stop allowing yourself to desire Jesse like this.

But I didn’t know how to help it.

“You look like you’re feeling better,” Jesse observed.

“Yeah, I am. You were right, as usual. I really needed to go out tonight.”

He smiled. “I’m always right because I know you better than anyone. I know when you’re getting stuck in your own head.”

I laughed. “Well, of all the things to get stuck in my head about, this is a damn good one! I mean, seriously, Jesse… do you spend as much time thinking about it as I do? This could be the first magical event to be recorded in a thousand years!”

“You know, I don’t think it’s possible to think of anything as much as you do… But I have been putting a lot of thought into it, yeah. I don’t know. It’s just so weird. It kind of feels like since it occurred there’s been a shift in my life… kind of like you mentioned finding in your research the other day.”

I knew exactly what he was talking about. I had discovered that in cases of extremely pronounced magical events, individuals around the event could become affected. Whether that effect was positive or negative simply depended on the type of magic and the individuals reaction to it. It varied widely.

“But, I don’t know,” he continued, “maybe I’m just imagining that since you told me about it.”

I shrugged. “I feel like things have been different for me too, so who knows?”

I knew I wasn’t imagining mine.

I’d become enthralled with Jesse in a way I hadn’t before. Every day the feelings grew despite all my efforts to shut them down. It was like they were unstoppable, growing everyday, intensifying…

But I doubted I could blame that on the anomaly. It was more likely that his comfort in my time of undue stress was increasing my feelings.

Though either way, they were becoming damn hard to control.

“Is your life shift bad or good?” Jesse asked me.

I actually wasn’t sure how to answer that.

“I don’t know, I mean… it’s hard to put an association to it. I guess if I had to it’s… confusing.” That was the best way I could describe it. It wasn’t good or bad. It was simply mind-boggling.

He laughed. “I’d call mine confusing too, yeah.”

I looked his way as I sipped my beer as I considered whether I wanted to say what was on my mind.

“What is it?” he asked, noticing me shifting around.

“Nothing, just… you’ve been really great to me, though. While I’ve been confused, while life’s been kind of hard, you’ve been awesome. And I really appreciate it.”

He smiled. “Of course, what are friends for?”

“Is that what we are? Friends?”

The question just came flying out of my mouth before I even had a chance to process it. My eyes widened as I realized what I’d uttered out loud.

He raised both eyebrows. “What?”

“I…” I didn’t know what to do. Should I back track? Should I just spit out the feelings that had been on my mind and in my heart?

Ultimately, I couldn’t deny them anymore. Or, at least, the alcohol wouldn’t let me lie. My inhibitions were lowered and I felt obligated to be honest with him.

“Do you see what’s happening between us?” I asked.

He played stupid at first, which almost made me back down. “What’s happening between us?”

I looked straight into his eyes and a shiver went down my spine. “There are feelings here, right? It isn’t just me? Tell me it’s not just me.”

His face softened. “No… No, it’s not just you.”

My heart leapt in my chest at hearing that.

To be honest, though I was praying this feeling went both ways, I really had no idea. I wasn’t sure about that at all. So to hear him confirm it, that it really wasn’t just me…

We were quiet for a moment. Him staring at me and me staring back. But slowly, almost effortlessly, our faces began to move toward one another.

And when his lips finally met mine, a spark flew between us. An undeniable, intense, life-affirming spark.

I knew what this meant and I quickly pulled my mouth away from his. When I got a glimpse of his face, I knew that he’d had the same realization.

“We’re… we’re fated mates,” I muttered. “I mean, we have to be, right? Everyone says you know what it feels like once you feel it and… we just felt it, right?”

“I guess so,” Jesse answered, “but isn’t this kind of weird? I mean, we’ve known each other our whole lives, wouldn’t we have realized if we were each other’s fated mates? Don’t people realize pretty soon after meeting each other?”

“Usually, yeah, I think so. But maybe it has something to do with the fact that we’ve known each other since we were kids. I’d never heard of anyone realizing who their fated mate was as a child, so…”

Or maybe it had to do with the anomaly. I didn’t voice this thought out loud but we both said we’d felt a shift since the anomaly. Perhaps this shifted our destiny…

I didn’t know and frankly, I didn’t care.

“I know this is going to sound weird for me to say because, you know, I’m me and all but… I really don’t care about analyzing it to death. I don’t know the reasons but there’s one thing I’m absolutely positive of… you’re my fated mate.” I couldn’t help but smile at him.

I’d dreamed of this moment all my life, when I’d find my mate. Admittedly, I thought when it happened it would be with a woman, but this was so much better. Because I was fated to my best friend. A man I’d known my whole life, who knew me inside and out, who already cared so deeply for me.

Maybe it was the mask of alcohol but in the moment, this all felt so perfect.

Jesse grinned at me. “You want to go back to my place?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, please.”

I was expecting the cab ride back to Jesse’s was going to be awkward and tense. Knowing what was going to happen, allowing the sexual tension to build; normally when I met a hookup at a bar I found the car rides very tense.

But this wasn’t tense at all. As soon as we got in, he reached his hand over to mine, taking it in his. I leaned up against him, put my head on his shoulder, comforted by the physical closeness.

For a moment I even thought, hey, I don’t need to have sex. I could do this all night. I’d be happy just to be in Jesse’s arms.

Of course, that feeling changed once we actually got back inside his apartment and he began kissing me again.

This kiss was different. Our first was gentle, timid, both of us nervous to see where this would lead. This kiss on the other hand was passionate, dramatic, intense in a way I’d never experienced before.

And It got me immediately horny. Fuck cuddling, I wanted to see his naked body.

We stumbled to his bedroom, never taking our lips off of each other. Thankfully, I’d spent a ton of time at his apartment and knew where everything was so I didn’t even have to open my eyes to get to his bedroom. Still, because of the alcohol, we almost fell a couple of times.

When we were finally in his bedroom, Jesse pushed me down onto the bed forcefully and I fell back first.

That was the first moment I saw it… truly saw it. I’d always known that Jesse was an alpha intellectually. But he was so kind and nurturing that I rarely saw those typical alpha traits come out of him.

Though I’d always heard we shifters express our roles most intensely in the bedroom, I hadn’t given it much thought. But seeing him now, the way he was looking at me, it was so obvious to me just how much of an alpha he truly was.

And it was fucking hot.

Which begged the question… Was I really even a beta?

I had no time to think about that though. Jesse grabbed my pants and ripped them off of me, jerking them intensely downward. He had an amazing amount of physical strength and it all looked effortless for him.

He didn’t take off my shirt though, because as he started pulling at my pants, I began to undress myself too. Once my shirt and pants were both off, his gaze changed. He was looking at me in a way I’d never seen before. It was primal, and he looked like an animal despite being completely in human form.

He continued to stare at me, observing my body, taking it all in as he slowly began to undo his belt.

As he dropped his pants, my eyes were as glued to him as his had been to me. I couldn’t believe the size of his massive cock.

I couldn’t believe I was about to take it inside me.

This was a whole new concept to me. I’d had sex with plenty of women but no men. So the idea of having a dick actually inside me… Well, if you’d asked me a month ago, I probably would’ve said the idea didn’t much appeal to me.

But looking at Jesse now? It more than appealed to me. It was like a flip was switched in my head. I wanted him, desperately. I could feel my cock tingle as I thought about what it was going to be like to feel him inside me, rocking me, letting a load off inside me.

I’d already had an erection prior to this moment, just from us kissing, but it had become so much more rock solid now.

He pulled up his shirt and I stared at his tight abs. He had this muscular V-shape that led down to his cock.

He looked like a Greek god, truly.

He began to climb up onto the bed, stretching my legs out in front of me, spreading me open and pushing my legs back effortlessly. I was not exactly a light man—I was muscular like him—but he still made moving me around like a rag doll look so easy.

I knew that I should probably have felt nervous, this being my first time with a man and everything. I hadn’t anticipated how it was going to feel.

But, despite the fact that his alpha instincts had taken over, I knew he still would make sure this first time was as comfortable for me as possible.

He lowered his head to my ass, catching me completely off guard when he licked it… thoroughly. I hadn't been expecting to enjoy it so much, but his cool tongue felt so good on me.

Then he licked two of his fingers. He pressed one to me, pushing gently on my ass, trying to assess how easily he could break through my walls.

To both of our surprise, his finger slid right in. I gasped as it did— it was a completely new feeling to me.

And one I hadn’t been expecting to feel so good. I mean, I knew anal felt good for men, but I hadn’t imagined it was going to feel just as pleasurable as when I penetrated a woman.

But, being penetrated was surprisingly nice, even when it was just one small finger.

I couldn’t imagine how good it was going to feel when it was his entire fucking cock.

He put the second finger in, which stretched me a bit more. That one didn’t slide in quite so easily, so he spent some time massaging me. Stretching me apart, bending his fingers, making me squirm a little bit underneath him.

Little did I know, it was nothing compared to the way I’d be screaming in just a minute.

After he had thoroughly massaged me, he got in position, getting on his knees and setting his massive cock at my asshole.

I was prepared for some pain, completely. But, I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t care. I wasn’t focused on that. I was focused on what it was going to feel like to have Jesse inside me.

He wasn’t going to wait, not after massaging me and being sure I was ready. I could see why he had been so set on making sure I was prepared— because, as soon as his cock was pressed to me, his alpha instincts took hold.

He thrust himself into me in one fell swoop. I couldn’t lie— it stung a bit, but I liked it. A little bit of pain only made the pleasure better. And, oh, the pleasure—it was so intense, I felt like I’d been robbed of air. It was like the wind had been knocked out of me. I forgot how to breathe.

And, I also forgot how to think. I wasn’t sure how to be a functioning human at that point. I was lost in the intensity of his cock inside me.

I gripped the bed sheets because they were the only thing to grab. I felt like I had to hold on to something. It was almost like the pleasure was too much, so I had to shift and squirm underneath Jesse. It was the only way to process what was going on.

Likewise, he had to grab something pretty tightly; so, he dug in to my thighs as he began to ruthlessly plow into me. It was incredible, only made sexier when he began to let out these animalistic grunting noises.

He lowered his head to my neck and began to bite at me. Again, I didn’t care, the pain only heightened the pleasure. I grabbed onto his back, scratching it, and he didn’t care, either. We were both animals, and we could both take it.

As he was biting my neck, he began to reach down below and gripped my cock. He started rubbing the shaft up and down. I moaned loudly in response— it was absolutely overwhelming. I was in ecstasy.

I wanted this to go on forever. Sex had never been this good. But, I knew that was the exact reason it couldn’t go on forever. Especially not after Jesse had started touching my cock. That was all too much. There was no way I could last while he was rubbing me out.

I felt ready to burst at any moment, in fact. I tried to fight it, but staring up at his perfect body as he fucked my ass and touched my cock was too much. It was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. And I was going to burst.

I screamed out in pleasure as my orgasm rocked me. My balls tensed up as I shot rope after rope of hot cum out. Some of it landed back down on me, and some of it landed on Jesse. Neither of us seemed to care. In fact, Jesse might have even liked it.

Actually, he definitely liked it, because it was only thirty seconds later after ramming me as fast as he could that he screamed out. I could feel it as he shot his own fat, hot load into my ass.

I was completely out of breath as he climbed off of me.

“Holy shit…” I muttered.

“That was amazing.” He laughed out loud, as he panted. He laid down next to me, completely naked, and I was surprised how comfortable it felt. I mean, it was one thing to be naked with someone during sex. You got distracted by the sex and didn’t care how vulnerable it felt. But it was quite different to just lie there with each other.

“It really was,” I confirmed for him.

And we just lay there, in quiet but comfortable silence, until we both drifted off to sleep.