After that day at the gallery with River, everything started happening very quickly. Ash could still remember what it was like to watch all the years pass him by, wondering if this was really all the world had to offer him. Seasons changed but life stayed the same whether he was suffering under heat or cold or rain.

That was nothing compared to this.

He closed down the gallery over the weekend, not that anyone particularly seemed to mind since no customers were knocking down his door in their eagerness to buy from him. During those few days, he set about taking the gallery apart. He removed every single painting and carted them all over to River’s storage unit, and then he did the same for every last art supply in his possession, including a tube of silver glitter paint that he found lying on the floor in the bathroom, behind the toilet. It was still usable.

Once he had stripped the gallery of everything that made it his, he contacted the owner of the building and terminated his rental agreement. The owner had a few choice words for him and he didn’t blame her, since he was the second business to fail in the location. He wouldn’t exactly be helping to give her building a stellar reputation.

Lacking a job now, Ash retreated to his apartment to continue painting what he could while he waited for River to buy his new house. Deep in the back of his mind, he still felt incredibly guilty about the fact that he was going to move without helping to pay for the house. Those thoughts occasionally rose to the surface, circling around him like hungry sharks who had spotted a choice morsel in the water. Their presence made it difficult to continue and in those moments, he would seriously consider giving up.

A conversation with River always fixed that, giving him just enough strength to keep going on. The fact of the matter was that River would have been buying a new home anyway, whether or not Ash was in his life. It was a damn convenient situation, though not necessarily a parasitic one.

They wanted to be together, with both of them feeling the same way. It wasn’t as if he was forcing River to do anything he didn’t want to, and vice versa.

Somehow, he managed to pull through those uncertain days. Most of his time was taken up with painting on canvases that he intended to sell, though the ones he produced then were nothing like what had come immediately after his visit to the wishing well. And at night, an hour or two before he went to bed, Ash worked steadily at a secret project that pushed his skills to the very limit. He went to sleep each night drained, but satisfied.

Monday passed and River reported that the house would be his by next week. He would be taking several days off to move in as much as possible before heading back to work. When he spoke of moving out, his voice took on an awed cast that Ash found adorable and just a bit sad. No one should have to go so long without knowing what true happiness felt like.

Then again, the same could be said of himself.

He volunteered to assist River in his move, and shot down all the protests that came his way. It was the least he could do in this situation, and he wanted to look at the house where he would be living.

On Friday, River officially bought the house. He paid for it up front and received the keys, and all the required paperwork to prove that it was his.

Also on Friday, Ashton woke up to find a piece of paper had been slid underneath his bedroom door. There was no sign of forced entry and all the doors and windows were locked. Exactly how someone had managed to get the paper in here was a mystery to him, but it was unfortunately a mystery that he was going to have to accept.

The paper read: “Six months. That’s all you get.”

This was followed by today’s date, which sent a chill down Ash’s spine. It was quite clear to him that he was being watched closely, and that he would continue to be watched for all the months to come. The hourglass had been flipped over, and now the grains of sand were trickling out.

But he didn’t tell that to River. Not right then. He brought it up several days later, but for that Friday night, he let his lover remain happy and carefree, thinking that nothing could ever go wrong. They met up for dinner and drinks at a restaurant whose name neither of them could pronounce, though their attempts to do so only grew funnier the more wine they drank throughout the night. Their server seemed to grow annoyed with their behavior very quickly but never commented on it, which was perhaps the reason River gave them such a large tip. They knew they were being annoying but they were just beyond helping it at that point.

Technically, neither one of them should have been driving that night but Ash trusted River to be overly cautious about going about that task in an inebriated state. As for himself, he wasn’t particularly worried.

He probably should have been, but he had no way of knowing that it would put another person at risk. It was much too soon for even him to know.

The next day, after Ash managed to beat back the worst of his hangover, he drove to the address River had given him and parked on the curb in front of a very large, very handsome house in an upscale neighborhood. Just being here made him feel a little weird, though he had as much right to be there as anyone else did.

A medium-sized U-Haul trailer had been hitched to the back of River’s fancy little new car, which wasn’t exactly a sight that Ash thought he would ever see, since the two didn’t quite mesh well. The back doors were already propped open and a few boxes had been shoved in towards the back, cast in shadow.

“Hey!” a delighted voice cried.

Turning, Ash was just in time to see a gray blur before he was being crushed roughly and enthusiastically against a broad, muscular chest. “Uh, hi!” he said, laughing a little as the breath was forced from his lungs. “River! You’re hurting me!”

“Sorry!” River pulled back, grinning self-consciously. He stroked his fingers through his hair as if trying to restore some order to it, then reached out and mussed up Ash’s hair. “I’m just excited. I can’t believe all this is finally happening. It’s like I’ve finally woken up from some nightmare.”

Ash decided that he rather liked having his hair messed up by River, and he decided to keep it that way instead of restoring order to it. Reaching out, he hugged River tightly and then pressed a kiss to his lips. Stubble tickled against his sensitive skin and he pulled back slightly. “You need to shave. You’re getting a little pokey.”

“I’ve already packed all that up. If you want me to shave, you’d better help me move real quickly or else you’re going to have to wait a long time.”

Ash shook his head, then patted River’s ass. He liked the way it tensed up under his hand, responding to his touch. “What’s a little waiting for guys like us?”

“You’re right.” River reached around behind him and held Ash’s hand, then pressed his lips against the back of it. Pleasant little tingling tremors raced through his body, making him feel weak and tense all at the same time. “I’ve got nearly everything boxed up. It’s just a matter of getting it out here. And then I’ll need some help getting my desk and a few other things. We might need to make two trips.”

“What about your bed?”

“Got it all dismantled. We can just carry it out here one piece at a time.”

“You’re really prepared, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am. I’m never not.”

And that was one of the things Ash liked about him. It could be frustrating at times but there was something admirable about a person who always knew exactly what to do. He just needed someone to show him that, on occasion, it was okay to not have everything planned right down to the most minute detail.

Someone like Ash.

Hand-in-hand, not caring who might see, they walked up the driveway to the open garage. Their hips brushed together the entire way, their bodies moving in an easy rhythm that came so naturally it was as if they hadn’t ever been apart for any length of time at all.

River showed him where the boxes were -everywhere, it seemed- and they set down to work. Between the two of them, they had the U-Haul filled almost all the way up in less than 15 minutes.

Ash was just walking back up through the garage and into the connected laundry room when a burst of furious voices made him jump in surprise. He spun around, one hand over his pounding heart, and he knew this was it. It was over. Six months, his ass. There was no way in hell that people like Vinny and his cohorts would just let him go like that.

And then he realized that one of the voices belonged to a woman, and the other belonged to River.

“You’re making a huge deal out of nothing. This is my life, Jeanine. You have your own life now and so do I. Just let it go.”

“Let it go?”

The woman was so shrill that Ash winced and covered his ears. This was definitely one of those times when it wasn’t a perk to have extraordinary senses.

“You were out there practically having sex with that man, and I’m supposed to just let it go? Do you have any idea how many of our neighbors were watching? Do you have any idea what this will do to my image, for my husband to be a…a homosexual? You do know that I work at a Catholic school, don’t you, River?”

This really wasn’t an argument intended for Ash’s ears but now that he was over his terror of being executed today, he found that he was curious about how River was going to handle this woman. He had addressed her as Jeanine, his ex-wife, and there was no one else that she could possibly be; even if he hadn’t heard her name, Ash had no doubt that he would have recognized her by her shrill, berating tone alone.

All this time, he had been operating under the assumption that she was a vile woman. This accidental eavesdropping was doing nothing to dispel that, and he decided to stay put just in case River needed help.

I don’t know what sort of help I can offer, but if there’s a chance to give this woman a piece of my mind, I’m going to do it.

“Jeanine. I’m your ex-husband.”

“Yes, and now everyone will know why!”

“For fuck’s sake.” There was a rustle of fabric, as if River had tossed his hands up over his head. “Everyone knew why from the minute we got married. It’s because we argue, not because I’m a closet case. The fact that I am has nothing to do with this. And we both know that you aren’t going back to that school. You caused a lot of problems for them in the past before you took a break. They aren’t going to want you back.”

“The nerve!”

“And what makes you think you’re any more appealing in their eyes than I am? If they knew the truth that we were wolves, they would hunt us down with pitchforks and burn us at the stake.” There was a pause, a ragged gulp of breath. “Don’t think I don’t know why you’re doing this. You’re trying to prolong this so that you won’t have to be alone.”

“You really have some nerve, River. You really do. I don’t know why I ever even married you in the first place!”

Probably because you wanted a perfect life. And you saw a boy whose parents wanted a perfect life for him. And you jumped on the chance without thinking that he might have belonged to someone else.

“Jeanine, I’ve had enough of this.” River sounded as if he was speaking through gritted teeth. Shoes scuffed against carpet, growing closer. Ash slid back through the laundry room and into the garage, not wanting to be caught in the act of listening in.

“Our reputation! You’ve caused a scandal, River! I’ve already gotten five texts from Marcella two doors down and…”

“Great. Now you can go complain to them about me and twist the truth so that you’re the one who’s suffered all this time. Meanwhile, my own reputation is going to take a hit when it gets around that I’ve got a gay partner. But I’ll keep going on anyway and most of my clients will stay loyal to me, because I have been loyal to them. Who have you been loyal to, Jeanine? Ashton, we’re leaving. Get in the car.”

Ash jumped as River addressed this last part to him. Guilt prickled at his spine as he realized that the other wolf had probably known he was there the entire time and just hadn’t said anything. However, guilt faded away immediately underneath a barrage of selfish pleasure as River stormed through the kitchen, into the adjoining laundry room, and out into the garage with the sole intent of grabbing his hand.

An irate woman followed, walking as stiffly as a pissed-off cat. Her hands were on her hips and her head was held up high, flushed with unattractive color. There was no doubt that she was a wolf but she lacked any of the usual grace or poise, and it was difficult for Ash to tell if it was because of her fury or if she was always like that.

Perhaps both, if she was always as argumentative as this.

Jeanine’s mouth was open to say something, to fire off another retort, but her jaw snapped shut as soon as she saw Ash with his hand in River’s. Her eyes glowed with an inexplicable brew of emotions, a whirlwind storm of feelings the like of which Ash doubted he would ever have the misfortunate to see again.

“You! The harlot who was corrupted my husband.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

This was not how he wanted to start their new life together, with the bitter words of this desperate shifter hanging over them. Yanking his hand away from River so that he wouldn’t be dragged off before he had his say, Ash swung back to face Jeanine and jabbed a finger towards her face.

She stopped, surprise wiping her features clean. For only a moment Ash was able to see her for what she truly was: a tired, despondent woman with a great deal of problems that she hadn’t yet worked through. Then, the moment passed and she bared her teeth at his finger.

He didn’t move, because he could sense that she was no real threat. All bark and no bite. “Back off.”

“Excuse me?”

If there was nothing in the human world like a woman scorned, then there was nothing in the shifter realm like an angry omega. Ash took a threatening step towards Jeanine, straightening his spine and squaring his shoulders to show her that he really meant business even if she didn’t. They were nearly the same height but he had weight and muscle on her. Then again, she looked like the kind of person who wouldn’t fight fairly.

“Back off, I said. I don’t care what kind of past you’ve had with him. He’s mine now. My alpha. Not yours. Grow up and fucking deal with it.”

“You have some nerve coming into my home and…”

“Sorry, but I didn’t come here to set up shop and stay forever. I came to help River move out so neither of us has to deal with you again. So, back off and let us do it.”

Jeanine opened her mouth and then closed it again, seeming uncertain of what to say. No doubt she was used to people in her life giving up on their arguments with her by now, because they knew it was the fastest way to get her to shut up. Opposition like this, cutting straight to the core of the matter, was unfamiliar and strange. If he cared to scent her, he thought he might be able to detect fear, amongst other unpleasant things. What if she was the kind of person who got off on confrontation?

No way was he going to risk smelling that.

“Back off,” Ash repeated for a third time, punctuating each word with a meaningful silence. “He’s mine now. He doesn’t belong to you anymore and he never will. Not again.”

And he never did in the first place. You just deluded yourself into thinking otherwise.

Jeanine flinched as if she heard his thoughts, falling back a step. Directly behind her were the stairs, and she stumbled backwards up them. It seemed for a moment as if she was about to fall but then she caught herself with one hand against the doorframe. She stared at him with an expression very much like betrayal, though that seemed much too personal of an emotion for this situation. Then, she stepped up inside the laundry room and shut the door.

Ash shuddered and clenched his fists, trying to fight away the anger that he knew was brewing in his gaze before he looked at River.

River stroked his beard, short glimmers of silver curving against his fingertips. “Well, that certainly was something, wasn’t it.”

Ash looked up into his eyes, trying to see if there was any sort of judgment there. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t deal with her talking to you like that. It pisses me off that she did this to you and I never knew about it.”

“You’re my hero.” River smiled softly, which Ash was glad to see, but it was a smile mostly devoid of joy. “I really mean that. I never knew what I was missing all that time but now that I’m with you, I think I understand. You’re such a free spirit.”

“Well, maybe. But it took me a long time to figure out how to be that way. And I’m not really sure if it was such a good thing.”

“You just needed someone to keep you on track when you started to stray. That’s what I’m here for now.” River smiled again and it was more genuine this time. It was still undermined by sadness but Ash thought that in time, that melancholy tinge would fade away. He was determined to have that be the case.

River looked as if he wanted to say more but instead, he just took Ash’s hand in his and walked over to his car. Ash followed along willingly enough, happy to be led anywhere River wanted to take him.

As soon as they backed out of the driveway, Ash said, “Are we there yet?”

River put his foot down gently on the brakes and turned to glare at him. “Don’t make me kick you out of my car. It’d be pretty damn sad if you couldn’t enjoy the sight of our new house together because you were so exhausted from having to walk there.”

He sounded very serious, so Ash behaved throughout the rest of the car ride. The ride wasn’t very long but it was certainly a change in scenery that Ash hadn’t been expecting. From all of River’s talk of money, he had expected his lover to seek out a place very similar to the home he already had; it wasn’t exactly materialism in Ash’s mind, but more of a desire to remain in familiar territory. After all, River had worked incredibly hard to get to this position in life.

But that wasn’t the reality of things. This neighborhood was composed of cute little buildings that had a lot of character packed into their petite walls. They looked like the sort of cookie cutter houses which might dot a European cliff, jutting out above calm turquoise waters. Yellow and pink and blue, it was a haven of pastels surrounded by swathes of healthy emerald grass. Every single yard was filled with decorations and plants and furniture, which seemed at just a glance to be so full of life and individuality. There were no stereotypical gnomes or flamingos, or cheap plastic lawn chairs, nothing that a person would be ashamed to claim as their own.

Ash saw several hand-painted signs, and even carved stones, which listed the family members in the houses and when they had been born.

If this wasn’t a damn safe place to live, no one would have risked that.

“This isn’t what I was expecting,” he commented quietly, as River slowed down to a stop to allow a woman pushing a stroller to cross the street. She waved jovially at them and Ash automatically raised a hand in return, though he wasn’t sure if she saw it or not.

He felt River’s gaze glance across to him before he started driving again. “I wanted some place that would feel like home. I didn’t know what I was looking for until I found it.”

“This is the kind of neighborhood where newlyweds come to have kids.”

“Right. That’s what the agent was selling it as.”

“Are you trying to give me a hint about something, River?” Ash laughed, but he found one hand wandering towards his stomach to rest on it. He hardly noticed that he was doing it at all, and it was a gesture that he almost immediately forgot he had done. There was no reason for him to apply any significance to it at the time.

River flashed a grin towards him without taking his eyes off the road. “Well, we’ll have to talk about that later, because we’re here.”

There was no need to point out what house was theirs, because it was clear which one it was even before River pulled up in front of it. It was the house with the large lawn that had no decorations at all, a blank slate just waiting for someone to come and fill it with life and spirit. The walls were crisp white and the roof was tightly-angled with new dark brown shingles. A small path wrapped around from the driveway to the front porch, first passing by a side patio to get there.

River turned to the left and up over the sidewalk gutter into the driveway of the house across the street, then started carefully backing up into his own driveway. Once he was there, he turned off the engine and then pulled out the keys. They dangled from his fingers. “We’re here,” he said, very quietly. “What do you think?”

What did a person say in a situation like this? There were no words in his mind to convey what he felt. The language to express his feelings hadn’t quite been invented yet it seemed, so all Ash could do was turn to River and hope that his silence could speak for him.

It must have because River reached out and took his face in his big, warm hands and brought their mouths together. Their lips melded between them, and for a moment their hearts and souls were as one.

Then, Ash pulled away to be able to breathe. His groin felt tense and tight, his dick stiffening between his legs against his will. This wasn’t the time for that, and so he clenched a fist against his thigh, willing it to go away.

Then, River’s hand settled right on top of his dick, fingers curling to claim him. “I can tell you’re as excited as I am,” he murmured.

Bracing himself against the seat, Ash raised up his hips to rub himself more firmly against River’s hand. Pleasure coursed through him in hot little tingles, racing up from the source to encompass every part of him. Somewhere deep inside him, heat started to gather. Only one thing could touch that place to give him release, and it was right here beside him.

River rubbed him in return, then leaned down and ghosted a kiss right over the patch of fabric where Ash’s dick was being held in check.

Ash gasped, his hips bucking with surprise and delight. Never in all his life had he had an alpha do something like that to him and it seemed almost taboo, yet it also seemed so incredibly right. In that instant, he no longer cared about what society might expect from him and his partner. They weren’t just wolves, meant to dominate and to be dominated. They were humans, who craved experimentation and could do anything they pleased.

However, as soon as that surge of pleasure faded, Ash slid his hands into River’s hair and tried to guide him up. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this here,” he whispered. His wolf senses could go no further than the limits of the car, which meant he couldn’t tell if there was anyone out and about who might see them. He would bet on it, though. This was a neighborhood designed to raise children, and it was a beautiful day. Who knew how many innocent kids and their parents could be just around the corner?

River growled, frustrated, and Ash felt it reverberate through his entire body. He gasped again, his dick straining for release, and some of his resolve from only a moment ago started to slip away. Human as they might be, he was as much a slave to his instincts as any wolf and there was no denying that he wanted to be fucked right now. This instant.

Their lips met again and Ash barely restrained a whimper, sensing that this was it and they were about to leave the heat of the moment behind in favor of acting like sensible adults. Then, River growled against his lips, “Got an idea. Let’s christen the house. Do it in there. Make it ours.”

“Yes!” Ash was breathless. This was something that they might have done when they were younger, when they were finally sexually active, and they were finally going to get to do it. All that time they had spent waiting to see one another and now they could do everything they had missed out on.

They kissed again but it was brief this time, almost frantic. River pulled away and struggled with his seat belt, fumbling for a few seconds before managing to get it to release him. Ash watched his ass, wondered if he could bite it at some point, and then his door was being opened and a pair of strong hands were pulling him out through the gap. Before he even had a chance to protest, his feet were off the ground and he was being lifted up, pulled in very close to a broad chest. The sense of weightlessness was startling even though he could feel that he was being supported from beneath, and he flung out his arms to grab onto anything that he could in an effort to reclaim stability.

“Hey!” River laughed. “You almost smacked me in the face!”

Ash clutched his arms around River’s neck, feeling dizzy as the other man turned around and started to walk up the length of the driveway. The world swayed around him with each step, moving to its own rhythm. To be out of control, completely at the whim of someone else, was terrifying to the human part of his brain.

But to the wolf, it was the best thing that could have possibly happened. He had been picked up by his alpha, one who was stronger than him. He was at River’s mercy, completely dependent on him for just these few moments. Submissive.

Omega.

He relaxed, eyelids fluttering half-closed. A deep sense of calm washed over his entire being and he relaxed against River as the man shifted him over to one arm so that he could open the door. The only part of Ash that wasn’t calm and utterly content was his dick, which felt so full and hard that it was nearly painful.

With the front door of the cute little house opened wide, Ash was able to look around. They stood in a small foyer with a living room right in front of them, a hallway to the right, but that was about where he stopped paying attention because River was dropping him. The feeling of weightlessness returned but Ash didn’t care, for he had grown used to it by now. It didn’t matter in the end anyway, because then River’s arms were back around him, one hand supporting his head.

Then, they were both on the ground. River kicked out at the door and it clicked shut behind them with an echoing sort of finality. They were here in their new home and no one could see what they were about to do to each other.

Ash would have been more than happy -delighted, even- to just roll over onto his stomach and be claimed right then and there but River had something else in mind. He crawled up the length of Ash’s body until they were face to face, tangled up in each other.

“Can I mark you?” he whispered.

The Ash of a couple weeks ago would have denied this offer without a second thought. He was nobody’s to be claimed. After all, he had only just recently discovered what it was that he had a talent for. He was free and unmarkable, in the midst of a journey of discovery.

But all that had changed now. His journey of discovery had led to a dead-end and waiting for him there was River, who had so kindly taken his hand and was slowly taking him back through all the twists and turns where he had gone wrong. They had hardly moved more than a few feet in the right direction but already he knew that it was far better than any future he ever could have, were he on his own.

So, there was still no second thoughts, no doubts in his mind at all, when he lifted his eyes to River’s soulful silver gaze and said, “Yes.”

River’s chest heaved and moisture glistened in his eyes. Their lips touched, just a glance of contact, and then they were attempting to devour each other, pressed together, tongues tangling between them. Ash writhed beneath River, lost in the waves of ecstasy that he had never known could be summoned by the mere act of kissing. And now River was moving on top of him, their lips still locked, and the pressure of the other man’s weight only added to the extreme pleasure rocking through him.

His hands were roaming of their own accord, touching everywhere, clawing, but never landing anywhere for more than an instant. He couldn’t quell the feelings raging within him, wouldn’t have ever dared dream of it, and he was slowly losing himself inside them. His body was out of his control. He was putty in River’s hands, to be shaped and molded into doing whatever the other wolf would ask of him.

River’s body rocked on top of his, his hips pressing down on top of Ashton’s. He bucked every now and again as the tremors that went through him reached their crescendo.

Through the blind lust coursing through him, Ash felt a strong hand clamp around his wrist. His arm was forced above his head, and then the other. It took only one of River’s powerful hands to hold him down, though it wasn’t as if he ever had any plans of escaping.

Their mouths pressed together and they tasted each other, sweetness and desire and hunger mingling. River had a hold on Ash’s face, keeping him firmly in place while his lips claimed Ash’s over and over again. Ash strained towards him, struggling to keep up.

Yes, he cried inside himself. Yes, yes!

This wild hunger, so animalistic and yet so tender, was exactly what he had seen from other alpha wolves when he had sex with them. Except, this was different. It was better, because he loved this wolf. He loved River. He always had, always would. Time had gotten away from them, but never again.

Never.

They finally parted for breath and then Ash felt River’s free hand clawing at the front of his jeans, ripping unceremoniously at the button and zipper. A small giggle bubbled up inside him as River struggled with it, though he eventually managed in the end.

And then his jeans were yanked down and his underwear followed suit only a moment later, allowing his dick to spring free of its restraints. Ash hadn’t even been touched yet but just the sensation of being free was almost enough to make him orgasm.

Wonder of wonders, a hand wrapped around his dick. The fingers were strong and callused but oh-so-gentle as they curled around him and started to move, from the base of his shaft all the way up to his tip.

Ash gasped and thrust his hips upwards, then slowly lowered back down to the carpet as the hand descended to his base again. When his eyes were open the world seemed much too bright and colorful, and yet also so hazy. He couldn’t focus on anything, couldn’t truly break out of the haze of sexual need which had overcome him. Everything was fractured. He saw River’s eyes, his grin, but never both at the same time.

“River,” he whimpered, though he wasn’t conscious of having made the decision to speak.

And River didn’t respond anyway, just kept moving his hand slowly up and down Ash’s dick. His fingers tightened ever so slightly as they rose up, then loosened on their way down again.

Ash moved to the rhythm, and his eyes closed. He couldn’t help it. His mouth opened and soft, rapid gasps started to pull from deep within his lungs. Everything inside him felt as if it was burning, as if at any moment he would explode into a jet of flame. His body was overheated, his thoughts scorching, his dick blazing.

And just when he thought the pressure was too much to bear, River leaned down and slid his mouth over Ash’s swollen tip. The warm wetness sent Ash into an ascending spiral of heat and he cried out, then howled out his pleasure as River sucked him.

He thought he had lost himself before but it turned out that was only the beginning, as everything inside him turned to spasms. He was cumming, cumming so hard that all thoughts were wiped from his mind. His groin tightened and tightened, and then suddenly loosened and everything else inside him took this as a cue to go limp.

For a time that could have been seconds or days, Ash just lay there on his back and breathed. He couldn’t open his eyes. The effort was too much. All he could do was lie there in the delicious aftermath of the best orgasm he had ever had.

Then, through the darkness, gentle hands caressed the skin on his thighs.

“I love you,” River whispered.

Ash would have liked to respond in kind but speaking was still beyond him. Using the last ounce of willpower that he had, he sent it as a thought. I love you, too.

He had no idea whether River heard it or not because now those hands were holding onto his hips, rolling him over so that he lay on his stomach.

“Up,” River commanded. He hardly sounded like himself, his growl was so deep and full of want.

Even though he had just cum only a short time ago, Ash felt the first tentative tensing of another orgasm brewing just out of his reach. He was shaking, muscles still quivering from his recent release, but he obediently pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. Lifting his ass, he assumed the position that submissive wolves had been adopting for untold eons.

Claim me, that position said. I’m yours.

Hell, he didn’t even care that River was about to go in dry. Ash had done similar things with more experienced partners and it had turned out alright. He just had to hope that River continued to be a fast learner.

His senses were sharpened by the adrenaline coursing through him. He heard each tooth separate as River undid his zipper, and he heard the minute rustling of fabric as the button holding the two flaps of denim together was released. Skin grazed against skin as River reached in for his cock, accompanied by the faintest crinkling of compressed hairs.

And then Ash heard a new sound. In actuality, it was a very familiar sound but he hadn’t been expecting to encounter it here: a bottle cap was flipped open.

Slick fingers pressed against his tender ass opening, massaging him. He pressed automatically back against those fingers, moaning as they pressed inside him. There was a question in the back of his mind but for the life of him, he couldn’t summon it.

And then it didn’t matter, because those reaching fingers were being replaced by a swollen, velvety cock tip. His own cock was throbbing now, aching for release, but there wasn’t much he could do about it because he needed both of his hands to support himself against the floor.

Whimpering, overcome with delight, Ash relaxed his muscles and allowed River to fill him. He took it all, inch after inch, until they were pressed together with no room remaining between them.

“Take me,” he gasped softly. “Take me. Fuck me.”

And River was only too happy to comply. Bracing himself with a hand on either side of Ash’s body, he slowly started to thrust. The tip of his cock rammed softly into that overheated place deep inside Ash’s body, and then it rammed firmly as River picked up speed. Then, finally, it rammed roughly.

And by that point, Ash was so hot, so strained to his limit, that he was more than ready for it. Whimpering and growling deep in the back of his throat, he shoved himself back on River’s cock just as hard as River was thrusting inside him. They rocked together, back and forth, pushing and shoving, grunting and growling. Their thoughts were connecting, their pleasures melding. Each man could feel what the other did, echoing deep inside him.

Then, behind Ash, River cried out. His body gave a massive spasm that shook through him from head to toe, and burning heat filled Ash from within.

Ash cried out with him as the heat poured against his tender, over-excited core, and then he lost himself in an orgasm that was somehow even stronger than the last. If a man could die from pleasure, he would surely have perished in that moment.

Somewhere deep in the middle of his orgasm, while he was still shaking and bucking furiously, there was pain. It was good pain, perhaps the best pain that he had ever felt in his goddamn life. It was a bite, delivered neatly and cleanly to the back of his neck

He was claimed.

He belonged to River, as he always had and now always would.

From out of the darkness of post-coital bliss, Ash became aware of a small, repeated sound. It took a massive amount of effort to peel open his eyelids, making him feel as if he was that mythological character -Sisyphus, or something like that- who was condemned to push a boulder up a hill for all eternity. Every time he thought he was making some progress, his eyes slipped shut again.

Finally, when his eyes were open, Ash was greeted with a haze that was slow to absolve itself into identifiable shapes and colors. When that eternity of development had finally passed, he turned his head to look for River.

The alpha lay mostly beside him, though he still had an arm and a leg flung over Ash.

That would explain why I feel so heavy.

But, there was something wrong with River. He was shaking but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that this sort of shaking was not the good kind. Little tremors wracked his shoulders. He hid his face against the crook of his elbow, perhaps sensing that Ash had noticed something was amiss, but it was too late to prevent Ash from catching a glimpse of his tears.

Fighting against the tiredness of his muscles, Ash slid his body closer to River’s, nuzzling up under his arm. “Hey,” he whispered. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

River gave another of those soft, weak little sounds, then turned to look at Ash. Despite the fact that he was crying, that there were wet tear tracks meandering down into his beard, his eyes glittered with joy. His mouth was twisted up into one of the most beautiful and mournful smiles Ash had ever seen.

“I’m just so happy,” he whispered.

Tears burned sweetly at the backs of Ash’s own eyes at this declaration. He tangled himself ever deeper into River’s arms and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, tasting salt. “I’m happy, too.”

It seemed like such a weak declaration, not nearly meaningful enough to convey all that he felt inside him, but he had to hope that it would be enough.

The two new mates lay there together on the floor, feeling their newly-bonded souls pulling ever closer together. The wolves inside them were rejoicing, prancing and howling their delight to each other.

But on the outside, they were two after-sex tired men cuddling in an empty house. And that was just as good.