Authors: Kim Dare
Bayden leaned back against Axel, unable to do anything except accept whatever Axel chose to do with him and—
Axel’s hand disappeared. “Later,” Axel whispered in his ear. He stepped away, leaving Bayden blinking in confusion.
It was Axel’s choice. Just because he’d chosen to let him come quite consistently so far, Bayden knew that there was no guarantee it would always be that way.
After a penance, it was time to play. Axel had meant it—he really was in the mood to play—and to tease. By the time they were due to open the pub that evening, Bayden had lost count of how many times he’d been taken to the edge, only for Axel to stop at the last moment.
Straightening up from where he’d been crouched down, checking over his bike, Bayden turned toward the pub only to realise Axel was coming from the other direction.
Neither of them said anything as Bayden locked his bike away, but he could feel Axel’s gaze following his every move. He hadn’t even had time to put his keys in his pocket before Axel kissed him.
Bayden parted his lips, welcoming him in, easily following Axel’s lead.
Axel pushed him back against the wall alongside the lock-up’s roller door and pinned him there. Bayden made a pleased little noise in the back of his throat as Axel rubbed their bodies together. Catching Bayden’s wrists, Axel trapped them against the rough concrete.
Bayden bucked against him, meeting every movement and—
A wolf whistle cut through the air.
Axel broke the kiss and looked around. Bayden was just tall enough to peer over Axel’s shoulder. Hale, Griz and Drac all stood in the yard. They’d obviously left their bikes around front. Bayden had been too distracted to hear them arrive.
“Don’t stop on our account, we’re enjoying the show,” Griz called out.
Axel sighed and pulled away.
“What, is he suddenly shy?” Hale demanded.
Axel tossed the keys to the pub’s front door to him. “Bugger off, the lot of you.”
Bayden waited until they were all out of sight. “I’m not shy, sir.”
Axel smiled. “I know.”
If that wasn’t the reason, then… Bayden looked down.
“Pup?”
“I wouldn’t embarrass you in front of them, sir.”
Axel raised an eyebrow.
“You can treat me the same as a human sub, whoever’s there. I wouldn’t show you up, sir. I won’t do anything lupine in front of them.”
Axel studied him seriously. “You’re new to this—just like every human is at some point. You’re still learning. You don’t really know what your kinks are yet, and you sure as hell don’t know what your limits are.”
Bayden shook his head. “I wouldn’t disobey any order you gave me, sir. I wouldn’t say my safe word.”
Axel shook his head. He stroked Bayden’s cheek. “Still learning,” he repeated. His voice was off, it sounded like he was reminding himself of that, not Bayden. Suddenly, he smiled. “Anyway, I have plans for us later. Ones that don’t involve an audience. I don’t want any distractions.”
Bayden nodded his acceptance of Axel’s decision.
Axel slid his arm around Bayden’s shoulders as he led the way back into the pub. “You’ve said that you’d like to pretend that we’re the same species lots of times, haven’t you?”
Bayden nodded cautiously, hardly daring to hope.
“Stick around, pup. You’re going to get the chance to do exactly that.”
* * * * *
Bayden had barely returned from locking the pub’s front door at the end of the night when he realised the atmosphere had already changed. ‘Later’ had finally arrived. Axel was ready to play.
“Do you remember what your safe word is?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re not
allowed
to say it if you need to. You’re
required
to.”
That was fine. It’s what Axel would tell a human too. “Yes, sir.”
“We’re going to play. We’re going to go back to the first night you walked in here. But we’re going to pretend that one thing was different. We’re going to imagine that we’re the same species.”
Bayden nodded. His palms were slick with nervous sweat. He wiped them on his jeans. “You’ll tell me if I do the wrong thing, sir, something that isn’t entirely human?”
“No.”
Bayden pushed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t want to just be
close enough
. I want to get it exactly right for you, sir.”
“We’re not going to pretend you’re human. We’re going to pretend that I’m not.”
Bayden frowned. “Sir?”
“We’re going to pretend that, the first night you came in here, it wasn’t a human working behind the bar. It was a shifter.”
Bayden swallowed.
“You’re going to pretend that I’m a wolf.” Axel came out from behind the bar.
Bayden remained frozen in place as the gap between them gradually disappeared.
“You’re going to act exactly as you would if you were with another shifter, apart from one thing. If you want to do anything that a wolf would understand as meaning no—that you want to stop—”
Bayden shook his head, denying the possibility.
“Then you do that,” Axel went on. “But you say it, too. No, or stop, or your safe word—whichever you prefer.”
He stood directly in front of Bayden, just outside his space. Bayden stared up at him. Axel wouldn’t step forward unless he gave him his word. If Bayden didn’t want to play that particular game, he had an easy out.
But if Axel was a wolf, if everything could really be that simple… If there was any chance of that, Bayden couldn’t say no. He nodded.
Axel raised an eyebrow, obviously far from impressed.
“Yes, sir. I understand the rules.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll obey them.”
“And, tell me, Bayden. What would a more dominant wolf do with you?”
“Whatever he wanted, sir,” Bayden whispered.
Axel stepped forward.
If Axel was a wolf, if Bayden wasn’t trying to control his own reactions and make them what a human expected, what a human would understand, then…
Bayden dropped his gaze and tilted his head down, just the way he would if he wanted to acknowledge the dominance of another wolf.
Axel moved closer. Bayden held his ground as well as he could, but Axel pushed up against him, forcing him out of the space he occupied. Bayden was about to take another step back when Axel slid his hand behind his head and held him in place.
There was no attempt to coax. Axel wanted Bayden’s head to stay where it was, and that was what was going to happen. The kiss was harsh, almost ruthless.
Bayden parted his lips, welcoming Axel in, offering him everything he had. Axel wasn’t holding anything back. Bayden was free to act like a wolf, but somehow, that had given Axel permission to act like himself.
Still pushing forward, Axel forced Bayden back. Bayden had to grab Axel’s shoulders just to keep himself on his feet.
A wolf wouldn’t have minded—Axel didn’t seem to mind either. Even when Bayden’s back hit the wall, and he had no excuse for keeping his hands there, he held onto Axel’s shoulders.
Axel nipped at Bayden’s bottom lip. His tongue thrust against Bayden’s, warring with him, making it clear that there would be no quarter given, no peace treaty offered.
Bayden whimpered, making his attempts to kiss Axel back gentler, more overtly submissive as he felt Axel step up and take the alpha’s role as his right.
Axel pulled back. He frowned.
He thought Bayden was saying no. Panic shot through Bayden at the idea of so much perfection being taken away.
“Yes.” He tugged at Axel’s T-shirt, begging him to understand. “Yes.” He said again, as if saying it often enough might drown out the no that Axel had imagined hearing. “Yes.”
Axel’s frown cleared. Then, against all logic, he pulled away even further.
Bayden tried to keep hold of Axel’s T-shirt. Axel ignored that as he reached for the base of Bayden’s vest and pulled it up. No words, no orders, but Axel wasn’t stopping, he was getting Bayden naked.
Axel didn’t ask for Bayden’s assistance, or for his opinion. He was completely focused on making things happen just as he wanted them to. Bayden was mesmerised. He’d barely lowered his arms before Axel roughly twisted him around and shoved him up against the wall.
Bayden braced himself against the paintwork.
Axel reached around Bayden and undid his fly. His touch was impatient. Bayden half expected the denim to tear, but his jeans were still in one piece when Axel pushed them down.
The denim bunched up around his legs. Bayden tried to crouch down and take off his boots, but Axel pushed him up against the wall again.
Scrabbling at the paint, Bayden tried to hold himself still as Axel’s hands roamed possessively over his body. Available—that was all he needed to be—available and willing. There was no need to communicate anything beyond that.
Axel wrapped his hand around Bayden’s erection and jacked him roughly. Caught between human rules and lupine experience, Bayden wasn’t sure if he should hold back or not. He glanced over his shoulder. Axel liked it when he didn’t hold back. If Bayden knew what a more dominant wolf preferred, there wasn’t a question what he’d do.
He did his damnedest to relax his body and simply let Axel make the choice for him.
Axel made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like pure triumph. He released Bayden’s cock, his query apparently answered. Bayden glanced back in time to see Axel take a bottle of lube from his pocket.
Bayden tried to shuffle his feet apart. His bunched up jeans made it impossible. All he could do to show willingness was stress his submission.
Axel slicked his fingers and slid them between Bayden’s buttocks. His touch wasn’t painful, but there was far less concern. Axel was starting to trust him not to mind a rougher touch—to enjoy a rougher touch.
Reaching past Bayden, Axel put his hand on the wall. His palm covered Bayden’s fingers where he braced himself. Axel’s arm was right there, in easy touching distance.
If Axel didn’t like what Bayden did when he responded like a wolf, then he would… Bayden hesitated. If that happened then, Axel would probably, finally throw his weight behind the idea of Bayden learning to act more like a human.
Either way, Axel would end up getting a submissive who behaved the way he wanted.
Bayden let his instincts take over. He whimpered, nuzzled against Axel outstretched arm and silently prayed.
Axel’s fingers stilled inside him, as if he was thinking. He didn’t say anything but, when he moved again, he thrust his fingers deeper. Bayden whimpered his approval. He couldn’t stop himself rocking his hips and pushing back against Axel’s fingers, but he concentrated on nuzzling at Axel’s arm and shoulder—at whatever bit of him he could reach.
He shuddered as Axel’s fingers rubbed against his prostate, taking him to the edge of his orgasm once more. Without warning, Axel took his fingers away.
Bayden whimpered. He moved his weight from foot to foot, damn near wiggling his arse in invitation.
The sound of a fly being drawn down made Bayden moan with impatience. It was a short zip. It couldn’t take that long to undo it, but years passed before Axel pressed the tip of his cock against Bayden’s hole.
Bayden froze. That was fine and natural and just as it should be. But, Axel froze too, and that was so many kinds of wrong.
Bayden whimpered, a high keening noise.
Axel remained perfectly still.
Bayden looked over his shoulder, desperate to work out what was wrong. “Yes,” he offered, just in case there was any doubt about that. He met Axel’s gaze but couldn’t hold it. He rocked his hips, frantic to work himself back onto Axel’s cock but not quite able to take the initiative.
Axel grinned. He didn’t just seem to know how much Bayden needed him to screw him, he obviously thrived on knowing it.
Bayden dropped his head forward. He wanted to beg, but he knew he wouldn’t have begged a wolf—not with words. Bayden pressed a kiss against Axel’s arm, not telling Axel that he wanted him to screw him, but telling him that, even if he didn’t screw him before he sent him mad with frustration, he’d still love him anyway.
Bayden hesitated mid-lick. He’d love him anyway…
As if that was the realisation Axel had been waiting for. He pushed forward, sheathing himself in one strong motion. Bayden didn’t have room in his mind for thoughts then.
Axel’s rhythm was fast, his thrusts almost harsh enough to knock Bayden off his feet. He gasped. His hands slid against the wall as he sought to steady himself while still rocking back and meeting every movement of Axel’s hips.
Axel held Bayden’s sides, gripping him hard enough to make his skin bruise and his soul sing out with pleasure. Bayden wasn’t sure if Axel wanted him to come or not. It felt more like Axel didn’t care any more, as if Axel was in the moment and the only orgasm he cared about was his own.
Bayden moaned his pleasure as he gave himself up to a world in which he had no need to think. His instincts were more than enough until Axel suddenly jerked away from him.
His cock slid out of Bayden’s arse. His hands deserted Bayden’s hips. Before Bayden could look over his shoulder, Axel spun him around.
Off balance with his jeans trapped around his ankles, all Bayden could do was slump back against the wall and relish every moment as Axel kissed him hard enough to risk bruising his lips. Bayden clung to Axel’s shoulders and returned each harsh kiss with a tender one of his own.
Without warning, Axel pulled back again, but he didn’t leave Bayden behind. Axel tugged Bayden forward. The jeans hobbled him. Axel only seemed to realise that when Bayden stumbled.
Lifting him off his feet like a human bride on her honeymoon, Axel carried him the few paces to the nearest table. Flat on his back on the table, Bayden peered up at Axel, completely enthralled, but he still wasn’t capable of parting his legs when Axel tried to step between them.
* * * * *
Axel cursed when he saw Bayden’s jeans. He didn’t have the patience to undo boot laces.
Bayden let out a frustrated little whimper and peered up at Axel as if he fully expected Axel to be able to fix the problem with a look. Well, maybe not with a look, but…
“Stay.”