“What a difference a day makes,” Princess/Timmy thought to himself, as he finally collapsed on the queen-sized bed in his childhood bedroom.
He wasn’t exactly physically exhausted, in fact, he felt pretty keyed up, all things considered.
The night before had been a roller coaster ride of mitigating circumstances. All of which had, in rapid succession, played out like some sort of danse macabre.
It had begun, oddly enough, with him enumerating and commiserating his frustrations with solving the dilemma charged to him by the goddess Aphrodite, with Max Donnelly.
He had reached the end of his patience and his wits with Mr. Hunky McHottie as well as any hope of securing and reuniting his Gamma with his twin brother Alton, who, up till late last night, was still bound, as a Gamma enforcer, to said Hunky McHottie.
Max had said to leave it in his hands and Princess had almost all but forgotten about it because of the surprising and equally confusing and troubling events following Matt McCormick’s ceremony the previous evening.
They had spent hours afterward when Matt practically shot up from his prone position on the make-shift dais they had concocted for the event, and immediately threw his arms around Baxter Whitmore and began profusely thanking him for saving his life.
During the ceremony, and indeed almost from the start, they could all sense that something wasn’t quite right.
Those uneasy feelings became even more exasperated when Baxter suddenly clutched Matt’s left hand in both his own and the silver ring around his iris’s flashed a brilliant silvery hue as he stared blankly into the distance as if seeing something, that was invisible to all others, but himself.
As unsettling as that had been, it was the pheromonal stench of primal fear that radiated off Matt, that troubled them the most, with Danal being so concerned that he suggested they try removing the glowing medallion from Matt’s chest.
It was Billy who had stopped them from doing it, demanding they all step back as he climbed the steps of the Reliquary and positioned himself behind Baxter, closed his eyes, and placed both his hands on either side of Baxter’s shoulders.
To everyone present, it seemed that the pair were somehow conjoined in some sort of metaphysical communion that allowed them to bolster and strengthen the bond between them.
In essence, to Princess, it appeared as if Baxter was siphoning or absorbing unseen energies from Billy and pouring them into Matt, with Baxter acting as a tempering conduit between them.
It wasn’t until later, after Matt’s reawakening and after he had time to gather and compose his thoughts, they learned that Baxter had actually mentally breached the void between this dimension and the one where Olympus existed and touched Matt’s mind with his own and had somehow been able to focus the combined life force energy he gathered between him and Billy and focused it into a weapon he could discharge through Matt’s hand, against the entity known as Ares.
At least, this was the story they presented, though Princess was certain there was more to it than either Billy or Baxter were currently revealing.
For quite some time, Princess, Jason, and Billy had discovered they could communicate, with some degree of concentration, mentally between each other, so it came as no surprise that Billy and Baxter shared such a bond. But it was an altogether separate matter that Baxter had been able to mentally piggyback from our dimension to the one containing Olympus mentally through his physical contact with Matt.
Aphrodite had told him, in no uncertain terms, that those of the Heritage could not physically cross between this realm and theirs, that it would kill anyone of the Heritage who tried.
Princess didn’t voice those concerns during their meeting afterward, but it didn’t stop him from formulating his own observations; the key component being, that technically, Baxter didn’t physically cross the realms, Matt had described it as more of a mutual possession/cohabitation of his body.
Just that tiny bit of revelation spoke volumes to Princess, chief being, that the Heritage curse Aphrodite had placed upon them was a physical one, not a mental barrier. It also revealed, what Princess hadn’t already concluded due to lack of evidence, that Olympus was indeed a physical realm, as real as their own, though governed by a separate set of physical and he suspected spiritual rules.
Both of these tidbits, were valuable pieces in the overall puzzle that was slowly taking shape in the back of his mind, leaving Princess convinced, more than ever, that he needed to solve the riddle of Gemini as quickly as possible.
Even Aphrodite’s reluctance in just speaking out exactly what it is that he was meant to do, now seemed to impart an ulterior motive for doing so. Perhaps, he speculated to himself, there was some element of faith involved in all this. Not so difficult a thought, since they were supposedly dealing with beings who existed on some higher plain than their own and had for untold ages ruled as god-like beings over mankind during the most formative years of their civilization.
Aphrodite had alluded to that finding, inferring that reuniting and joining with Gemini would bridge and prepare the way for him and those like him.
Perhaps what Aphrodite was literally telling him, was that joining with Gemini would open a pathway for him to cross from this world to the island she said she had prepared for him and his sister/brothers.
That would be great, but what yet remained hidden from Princess, was the reason why this was necessary, and how would this benefit those like him going into the future, that would be tantamount to saving all of mankind? Not least of which, why did she need some homophobic bigot from rural Kansas to achieve this goal?
Clearly, there was a lot more he needed to figure out, but right now, he was unable to devote all his concentration to it, especially since there were two studly twins currently showering in his bathroom.
The thought of their two wet muscular bodies slipping and sliding against each other as they bathed together was distracting enough, but his very active libido envisioned them soaping each other’s muscular, taut flesh with their large callused hands, massaging frothy suds all over each other before rinsing it away with the watery spray of the shower nozzle cascading down their naked, muscle striated skin.
Princess had availed himself of Dalton’s ample physical attributes on more than one occasion and now that there were basically two of them, he saw no reason he shouldn’t double his pleasure, now that he had taken Alton as his own Pack gamma enforcer, rounding out Dalton’s gamma protector status, thus expanding his Pack, to the three of them.
The personal cost to himself for achieving this outcome, had been negotiated by Max Donnelly and not only served his own purposes but garnered Princess his desired goal, providing he accepted one, not-so-small caveat. Princess had to agree to an engagement to become Paul Lakatos’s mate; or at least he thought that’s what it all meant, though he was still a bit sketchy on a few of the finer points of their agreement.
The deal had actually been rather simple, Paul would take Michael and Kent as part of his Pack in exchange for Alton, but only if Princess agreed to accept Paul as his mate, with the time and date of that happening, to be determined later.
His first thoughts, at the time, had been to reject the offer outright, but Aphrodite’s assurances that in acquiring Gemini, he would also find his future mate; coupled with the fact that Paul clicked every one of his personal turn on buttons, practically made the choice for him. Besides, he didn’t agree to a specific timetable. As far as he knew, they could be engaged for years, or at least until they got to know each other a little better.
As he lay there lounging, enjoying the muted sounds of water coming from the bathroom, Princess silently thanked himself for having the foresight to suggest to his parents that they take up temporary residency at his grandmother’s estate to prevent one of his greedy aunts from taking up squatter rights. That is until the fate of their ancestral home could legally be determined.
It wasn’t like Princess ever expected to meet the stipulations of his late grandmother’s will, which would entail him finding someone to make a baby with, let alone a boy, but he did receive a fair amount of devious pleasure dangling that potential carrot over his parents head.
Either way, it garnered him free reign over his childhood home in their absence. Of course, staying there also helped Dalton, now that his transfer to the Albany Marine base had been approved and the new school year had started.
Still, there was something about living at the compound that felt more like home to him than any other place, even though he still saw and hung out with pretty much the same people at both places.
Maybe it was the sense of freedom he felt there that enticed him the most, so much so that he had even considered asking Jason if it would be possible, once he graduated high school if he might be able to build his own modest cabin there for him to occupy whenever he was able to visit. Not that sleeping under the stars or in a tent wasn’t fun, but the cool autumn nights and the looming threat of winter would greatly curtail whatever enjoyment he received from roughing it in the great outdoors.
The sound of the shower shutting off, pulled Princess from his reverie, to focus his attention on the bathroom door as he now anxiously awaited the twin brothers to emerge.
The burgeoning bulge in his tight, thigh-high shorts, an ardent testimony to the underlying intent behind his current actions.
It was one thing to think he was reuniting Gemini, in accordance with the goddesses decree, but he would be lying if he didn’t admit that there was a carnal side to his intentions this evening.
It had been quite a while since he had time to enjoy Dalton’s physical attributes and now he would be enjoying double that pleasure, if indeed they were identical in every way.
The last time they had coupled it had been Princess who did the fucking, but tonight, with two blond muscular giants to service him, his thoughts, as well as his hole, itched excitedly at an alternative prospect.
Dalton was the first to step from the bathroom, smiling instantly when he saw his Alpha sitting with that certain come hither look in his eye. It helped that he was unabashedly naked and his big cock already began plumping up as he crossed over to him to stand by the side of the bed next to him.
Alton on the other hand, stood there silently standing in the door frame clutching a damp towel around his waist, head bowed, like some skittish virginal bride on her honeymoon.
Princess of course knew exactly how to handle this situation, as he leaned forward appraising him up and down with his eyes and otherwise enjoying his nearly flawless muscular body: “Lose the towel and haul your ass over here PDQ gamma.” Princess said, with just a hint of authority in his voice.
Hesitantly the nervous gamma did as instructed and quickly made his way to stand opposite his brother, on Princess’s other side.
Not one to stand too much on tradition and ceremony when dealing with those of the Heritage, Princess instead brought his hands up between their bodies and cupped their bloated balls in either and began gently squeezing and fondling them until he achieved his desired effect. Two thick veiny thirteen-inch twin cocks bobbed and weaved in front of his face as Princess stared admiringly at them.
Soon, passion overrode reason and sensibility, as Princess leaned forward and alternately stuffed the glistening heads of their dicks into his hungry mouth until both of them were squirming in place as he suckled them into full rock-hard, pre-cum drooling erections.
It didn’t surprise Princess how quickly Alton adapted to the situation as he dropped to his knees between them and began taking turns stuffing the entire length of their beefy pricks down his throat and snaked his long tongue out to suave their balls until they practically dripped with his drooling spittle.
The gasp and groans steadily emanating from both of them, were like music to his ears, as he increased the pace of his manipulations before finally spitting them out for the final time and rose up between them to stare up into their glazed-over, lust-filled eyes.
He kissed Dalton first, slowly letting his tongue slip between his expectant lips, before pulling away and turning and moving up onto his tippy toes to reach Alton’s pouting lips.
Alton was hesitant at first and it wasn’t until Princess reached around a clutched the cheeks of his firm, round bubble butt and gave it a hard smack with one hand as the other probed the cleft between the twin orbs, that he relented.
With a gasp, Alton’s lips parted and Princess wiggled his wet tongue between them and filled Alton’s mouth, probing deeply as his lips sucked at the startled giants.
Feeling more than warmed up, Princess pushed the two aside and plopped back on the bed: “Undress me…slowly.” He cautioned, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of four large hands gingerly removing his clothing.
Once naked it was Dalton who lay beside him and began gently licking his nipple with the very tip of his tongue, followed by Alton, who proceeded to mirror every one of his brother’s actions as they jointly explored Princess’s body with their hands, lips, and tongues.
Princess had to admit, that for a novice, Alton seemed fairly adept and enthusiastic at taking instruction and soon, along with his twin brother, had Princess clutching the back of their heads as their tongues swirled around his own swollen genitals, eliciting numerous grunts and groans of approval to issue past his clenching teeth.
“Okay, that’s enough foreplay you two” Princess scolded playfully, reaching down between them and grasping their girthy cocks in both fists and tugging them toward him: “I’m in the mood to be spit roasted by two horny gammas, and if I don’t get that within the next thirty seconds, there’s gonna be hell to pay on the training field tomorrow!”
Dalton instantly sprang into action, moving toward the nightstand and whipping out a large bottle of water-based lube, squeezing out a long trail across the length of his swollen member before tossing the bottle to the side and motioning his brother to squat above Princess’s head as he clasped Princess’s ankles and hauled his legs into the air and placed the business end of his palpitating pecker against Princess’s quivering hole.
Within mere seconds, Dalton had orchestrated exactly what his Alpha had wanted and watched with satisfaction as his twin brother drove the full length of his cock balls deep into Princess’s mouth as he simultaneously slid the full length of his own prodigious phallus to the hilt in the human Alpha’s clutching gash.
Almost instantly, Princess was transported into that euphoric state he often achieved through rough, aggressive manhandling sex.
Dalton had often proved he could dish it as well as take it when either mood struck his Alpha’s whim and Princess couldn’t help but note that Alton seemed to almost instinctively, intuitively pick up on his twin’s vibes as they both pummeled his holes with precision and purpose.
At one point, and barely missing a stroke, Dalton had grunted “Switch” and the pair shifted effortlessly and in near-perfect unison, drove their rock-hard pricks back into him.
It was during a second such switch, that the niggling of an idea formulated into coalescence in his otherwise sex-addled brain; appearing unbidden as if plucked out of some timeless void where it had remained hidden until the right moment presented itself.
In his mind’s eye, the image of both twins laying on either side of his body, with his legs raised and both of them driving their meaty cocks in tandem and occasionally, simultaneously into his upraised hole spurred him into action.
As if compelled to do so, and seemingly, not entirely of his own volition, Princess barked out the instructions to his gammas, who just as quickly took their positions and began trying to stuff both their big cocks into his already loosened anus.
It took some effort and several attempts, but soon, the duo was seesawing into him, and as the pressure began to build, Princess noticed a warmth began to funnel into his gut forming a glowing ball of radiant heat that pulsated throughout his body, from one central core point.
Princess lost himself in the sensation, his focus centering on the mounting energies building in his gut, until it nearly consumed every one of his passion-infused senses, which would later explain how he failed to detect the presence of a fourth person entering the room, until a snarling, lust infused growl permeated throughout, from the other side of his childhood sanctuary.
Through glazed, squinted eyes, Princess’s gaze traced the sound haphazardly back to its source, only to find Paul Lakatos filling the frame of his bedroom doorway.
Barely cognizant of his actions, subsumed by the burning passions that now drove his primal desires, Princess reached out to Paul, beckoning him into his arms in the hopes of completing the circuit that fused their vision together in an unbreakable tether of hunger, wants, passion and needs.
For what appeared to be an interminable amount of time, Princes felt that Paul was resisting the alluring pull that subsumed them both, until a deep guttural growl began to rumble throughout the room, issuing from the deepest primal core of Paul’s being.
With a flash of brilliant blue, Paul’s iris’s lit up and his bestial utterance preceded the rending of his clothes, as he ripped them from his body in mere seconds as he closed the distance between them until he stared wantonly down into Princess’s eyes, naked as the day he was born.
Princess had never seen Paul so much as shirtless before, but couldn’t help but groan his approval at the towering muscular specimen glowering lustfully down at him.
Paul was every inch the Alpha he could have expected him to be, a quasi-resemblance caught somewhere between the mature austerity of Max Donnelly and the youthful vitality of Jason Griffen.
His blond golden hair was cut high and tight, shown like a halo backlit by the ceiling light directly above him, adding to the near-divine illusion of masculinity perfected beneath the striated tautness of his muscle-swollen skin.
Princess yearned to touch him, to draw him into his arms and be consumed by the totality of his passions, knowing full well, that such an action, the joining of their two bodies, would somehow complete them both, forever joining their two beings into an inexorable chorus of unity and endless potential.
With a grunt, Paul seized Princess’s ankles and spread his legs further apart, just as Dalton and Alton ceased their incessant thrust and instead now used their meaty phallus to pry his hole further apart until Princess felt like he would most assuredly be split in two.
Even in the foggy depths of his current mindset, fueled only by an insurmountable yearning to carnally seal the bond between them, that radiated from the very same grinding heat that continued to build in both size and scope from the central core of his being; for the first time, Princess let his gaze slip from Paul’s hungry, consuming eyes, down his heaving chest and broad shoulders, to finally take in the ribald, raw majesty of his swollen and fully engorged manhood.
Princess had noted many times the bulging mound of hidden flesh beneath Paul’s trousers and had imagined the potential size and scope of what he might find there, but the massive, gargantuan throbbing beast that protruded from his hairy groin, surpassed his wildest imaginings.
From pubic bush to glistening piss slit, it appeared as if a fully adult human male’s arm stuck up between his legs.
Thick as a Pringles can with a near-fist-sized glans crowning its glory. All Princess could do was gulp and stare at it and marvel at its expansive dimensions.
In total it had to be at least sixteen inches in length and throbbed continuously like it had a mind and will all its own.
Spellbound, all Princess could do was whimper as Paul lowered himself on top of him, as the massive blunt end of his schlong slid between the twins palpitating peckers, using them as a guide and wedge to the entrance of his already overstuffed hole.
Paul’s lips barely brushed against his own, as his head slipped to the side and his heated breath whispered gently against his ear: “Mine!”
Princess barely had time to register the word before Paul, in all his primal glory, drove the full length of his prodigious endowments, hilt deep into Princess’s fleshy sheath, juxtaposed by both Dalton’s and Alton’s own girthy members.
Instantly, the balled-up core of energy that had been building within him, began to spread out like uncoiling tentacles, slowly expanding throughout his central nervous system.
It was just a trickle at first, not nearly enough to push him over the edge, but sufficient enough in suppressing his consciousness and allowing the elemental forces caged within him to guide his next, instinctive action.
Princess turned his head and offered the growling beast nipping at his nape, the full vulnerability of his bare neck.
Paul pulled back slightly, his lips parting into a wide snarl, exposing the lengthening extrusion of his bestial fangs, before swooping downward and chomping into the exposed flesh of his throat.
Princess had heard, several times from others who had experienced a mating bite before, what to expect. But nothing could have prepared him for the explosiveness he now encountered.
That trickling ball of energy slowly weaving its way throughout his body, now erupted, like the three cocks now exploding inside him simultaneously, unleashing torrent after torrent of white-hot heat inside him; and all Princess could do, allowed it to consume him and whisk him far and away into a sea of swirling bluish light…
Princess didn’t know how long he lay there basking in the afterglow of the moment, as well as enjoying the gentle, comforting breeze that washed over his naked skin, but it was the unmistakable sound of water breaking softly against a sandy shore that made him suddenly sit upright with a start and take stock of his current surroundings.
Princess shot to his feet and twirled around several times, trying desperately to make sense of his surprising change of venue.
He mentally retraced his steps leading up to the moment Paul bit into his neck… Princess’s hand shot up to his throat as his fingers adeptly traced the puffy outline of his recent mating bite. It was still moist from Paul’s spittle and the slight, lingering sting of where his fangs penetrated, which reassured him that he hadn’t imagined that part at least, though he couldn’t exactly attest the same about his current predicament.
This was the Island, he was sure of it! The very same island he had first appeared upon right before his meeting with the entity calling itself Aphrodite.
“Do you yet doubt what your senses tell you, daughter/son?” Princess heard from behind his shoulder, in the same lilting, sing-song voice he recognized as the Goddess’s own.
Princess twirled to face the entity, a broad smile bristling ear to ear, greeting him warmly.
“Am I dreaming?” He asked, adding quickly: “How is this possible without the medallion?”
The entity just shook their head and chortled whimsically: “That was the point of finding Gemini and reuniting them, like the brothers of old were, before Zeus and Ares’s devious plans poisoned the mind of one and caused his actions to split their line asunder.”
Before Princes could even posit his next question, Aphrodite pressed a finger to his lips silencing him: “One brother’s line has nearly conquered the world, imagine what might have been achieved had both survived?”
Princess/Timmy smiled knowingly, as a sudden realization struck him: “The Brothers united was your plan all along wasn’t it?”
The Goddess teetered on a giggle, batting their eyes mischievously: “Conquering the world was never our intention, we sought only to restore the balance that Zeus’s curse robbed from man, forever changing his fate if left undone.”
Not sure he fully grasped the meaning of the Goddess’s words, Princess pushed for clarity: “Zeus’s curse, how would the twins have broken it?”
It wasn’t like he understood the full nature of this curse that Aphrodite spoke of, but, he had noticed that direct questions seldom lead to direct answers where the entity was concerned.
“Do you not see?” Aphrodite queried a hint of annoyance in their voice: “They were thrice blessed, the blood in their veins being that of two gods and sanctified by Zeus himself. Separately they could sire nations, but together, combined, they could restore the balance bereft their kin when Zeus bid Prometheus to yolk them out of fear for what man might yet achieve.”
“That being?” Princess asked cautiously, wishing more than anything that Gavin was here with him right now, he being far more knowledgeable about Greek mythology than anyone else he was close to, or trusted for that matter. But the question foremost in his thoughts begged asking “why would Zeus, the king of the gods, fear man?”
A cold smirk suffused Aphrodite’s face and the lilting tone of their voice shifted into one commanding attention: “Zeus foresaw man rising above the need for gods and feared his own, inevitable dissolution.”
A shiver ran down Princess’s spine with the cold starkness of Aphrodite’s words. But he also felt a twinge of sadness inherent in the less subtle meaning behind the Goddess’s chosen words.
Has Aphrodite grown weary of their own existence?
The question gave him pause to consider, but before he could frame his concerns into a question, Aphrodite grabbed his shoulders and squeezed lightly, announcing abruptly: “Our time is at an end, you must heed me and return to your mate, for I have fear, in his reckless frame of mind, he may expose his true nature to the local villagers where you dwell.”
“Omigawd, PAUL!?” Princess practically screamed aloud, what must he be thinking? Princess pictured himself laying there on the bed, back in his old room, in what must appear to be a near vegetative state, and poor Paul desperately trying to rouse him.
Nearly panicking, Princess/Timmy entreated the entity: “Please send me back, Paul must be losing his mind right now not being able to wake me.”
Aphrodite tilted their head questioningly: “Wake you?”
To Princess’s consternation, Aphrodite began to chuckle: “This is not like our last visit, the curse of the metal did not draw your spirit to me, you are here in whole, transported of your own accord when the trinity of Gemini and your mate unlocked the potential I bestowed within you to traverse the divide between your world and this one, just as I foretold you.”
Princess’s eyes grew wide as saucers as he began groping himself as if it would verify the veracity of the Goddess’s words or make a lie of it, before boldly declaring: “I’m actually here!?”
Aphrodite just shrugged and stared blankly back at him. As if any of this was the most natural thing in the world to be happening.
“How do I get back?” Princess pleaded as the true meaning of Aphrodite’s caution about Paul painted an entirely different scenario that must now be playing out back at his house.
In answer, Aphrodite knelt and scooped up a handful of sand and placed it in Princess’s: “Like the sifting sands pouring through your fingers back to the ground, clear your mind and let your essence drift back from whence it came.”
Doubtful but desperate, Princess closed his eyes and tried blocking out the island and its beach and sands and pictured himself back in his room, in the comfort of his bed.
At first, nothing seemed to be happening, just a slight knot building in his groin, but Princess focused his attention completely on that sensation and centered his thoughts on building the same energy he had felt before, but try as he might, without the aid of the twins dueling phallus’s, his will alone felt insufficient to the task. That is, until he felt the warm tingle on his neck where Paul’s mating mark was.
Princess shifted his focus, centering it wholly there and finding a slender golden ethereal thread that projected into the deepest recesses of his consciousness.
Almost instantly, it acted as a tether that spanned this plain of existence with the physical realm he was born to.
With his mental hands, Princess reached out and clutched it like a rope, thinking to haul himself from where he was now, back to where Paul and the twins were. But the moment his mind joined with the link, his head nearly exploded with the deafening howls of his mate calling out to him.
Instantly, a bluish swirling pond split the void and drew him back along the golden tether as his own mind called out to Paul’s, seeking to calm his raging, bestial thoughts.
One word rang crystal clear back to him, suffused with concern, relief, and unbridled passion: “Mate!?”
Even before it had completely registered that he was back in his room, he felt Paul’s powerful arms surround him, squeezing him tightly, engulfing him completely, in a way he had never thought himself capable of before.
In that moment, measured only by the span of a few heartbeats, Princess felt the flood of his mates bond wash over him, filling him with a sense of such completeness, he wondered how he had ever existed without it, and through their mating bond, he poured the contents of his heart and soul, in equal measure, back to the man he would now and forever call his mate.
He didn’t know how many minutes had passed, as he yet clung to Paul’s embrace and the comforting warmth of his body against his own, but he gradually sensed the presence of the two large figures hanging back beyond the threshold of his bedroom doorway, silently standing vigil, their faces lit up with golden-eyed contentment and mirthful, almost juvenile smiles at the sight of the duo clinging to each other.
Paul broke the silence first as he pulled away slightly, staring into the sea of Princess’s bright blue eyes: “What happened to you, one moment you were here, in my arms receiving my mating mark, and the next…” Paul’s arms shot up in a dramatic arcing circle before returning to embrace him: “An poof, just like that, you were gone, vanished into thin air.”
Princess smiled slightly, burying his face in Paul’s bare chest and deeply breathing in his deep musky scent: “Maybe we should go downstairs and make a pot of coffee, this is going to take some explaining.”
* * * * *
“Just keep it cool, keep it casual,” Jason Griffen thought to himself as he pulled down the side road that lead directly to Jake and JD’s new home.
It was Saturday, and normally Jason would be knee-deep in the mounting bureaucracy and endless meetings that resulted from all the momentous changes they had been implementing back at the compound.
Not that it really bothered him, it was all part and parcel of his, Billy’s, and Princess’s overall plan.
Of course, what they were attempting came at a personal cost and his was the ceaseless parade of paperwork involved in the smooth operation of running any growing organization. And that’s exactly what they had become, at least on paper anyway.
At least it wasn’t like he was alone in all this. He had Max’s expertise and Brock’s endless talent for juggling and multitasking multiple things and situations at one time, at his beck and call.
Of course, there was also his beta Atticus, whose boundless energy and devotion to both him, his Pack, and their cause, made even the most mundane and repetitious of daily drudgery, tolerable.
Even now, with everything that was going on back at the compound, Atticus had been the very first to push him into taking this evening off for himself. If anyone understood what this evening meant to him, it was his beta.
Even before he left, Atticus had already taken charge of arranging transportation and accommodations for Barin and Chuck Myer’s return to Kansas, to negotiate the Hatcher kid’s visit to the compound.
Chuck was familiar with his family and felt that he was certain that wouldn’t be an issue. The real problem was going to be getting James Hatcher himself to agree, though Chuck had ideas about that too.
Jason had been spared the details, not being sure he actually wanted to know considering the way Matt and Blake had described him.
Jason’s other concern was Danal, who, over the course of the last few weeks, since Hadrian departed, had grown more and more withdrawn, and at times downright contentious with all the changes undergoing; constantly questioning and urging them to slow their pace.
Carl had shone some illumination on Danal’s concerns, stating that his old mentor feared that word of what they were doing, void clarity of why they were doing it, could be taken or seen in the wrong way and could draw undue attention from those that might see it as a threat, either to their own territories or their authority.
His decision to reveal that he could fully shift had shaken things up quite a bit, and had given many pause in what to make of it, but Danal warned, that caution wouldn’t last long and after the initial buzz spread around from pack to pack, he feared other alphas might consider his mere existence a challenge and the fact he was building a large pack, like in the of days of old, could cause a backlash they could not easily afford and might have avoided or lessened if they were taking a more measured, timely approach.
But he, Billy, and Princess, forewarned by the goddess Aphrodite that their time was short, had made the choice to proceed like each day was their last chance to prepare for an uncertain future.
Max’s meeting with his Pentagon contact had affirmed their fears that something was going down with the various packs in Europe. That someone or a group of someones was pulling the strings over there but had as yet shown their true face. One thing was for sure however, who or whoever saw Billy Donnelly as a threat and come hell or high water, with or without Danal, the Council or anyone else support or approval, they were determined that what happened the night of Billy’s Heritage ceremony would never be repeated again. Surprise, chance, and a good deal of luck had seen them victorious that night, but truth be told, had they been properly prepared, it would have never happened in the first place.
Even now, they were working on a plan that would send a clear message, that any future incursions would meet with an equal response.
But tonight, those thoughts were being set aside. Tonight was about building and repairing bridges, and as Jason pulled into JD and Jake’s driveway, he was determined to leave the outside world behind and allow himself to relax and see where the evening and fate, might take him.
* * * * *
JD had just removed the three steaks from the fridge and was about to take them out to Jake, who was out on the back porch checking the potatoes and corn they had started earlier on the grill when he caught sight of Jason’s black SUV pull into their driveway.
A twinge of nervous excitement mixed with a smidgen of trepidation, temporarily caused a slight elevation in his respiration as he hurriedly scuttled across the kitchen and out the back door to drop the steaks off to his husband: “Jason’s here.” he noted, trying to sound a little more casual about it than he actually felt.
A simple smile cracked Jake’s face, followed by a not-so-innocent wink: “Best not keep him waiting then…” Jake took the tray containing the steaks from JD’s hands and skewered one before plopping it on the hot grill surface: “We wouldn’t want our Alpha to think we’re being inhospitable now would we?”
Jake’s persistent inclusion of him in Jason’s pack was just one of the many endearing qualities JD loved about him, though, from JD’s perspective, nothing had ever been mentioned, let alone affirmed about his status as being someone married to a pack member.
Jake had dismissed his doubts when he pointed out what Brock and Atticus had gone through just so Brock, a human, could be considered eligible to read the Codex, but Jake had countered that not only was JD born of the Heritage, that marriage itself conferred, at least in part, a role within the pack hierarchy, citing his own mother as well as Baxter’s as proof, stating that they fell under pack protection as something that he referred to as an omega.
JD had looked the word up later online, noting that such a status did at least exist in wolf packs, but also noting that an omega classification was considered the lowest of all within a pack; usually consisting of the sick, the weak, and infirm or elderly.
At the time, when he read that, it had angered him slightly, since none of those things either described him or the women JD knew who had married someone of the Heritage. Arliss’s mom sprang to mind. There was nothing weak or infirm about that woman. Everyone that had the occasion to help gather or transport goods from the Gundarson farm could attest to that women’s fortitude. Like her son and husband, the woman was a workhorse, as well as one hell of a pie maker, one of which sat on the counter and would serve as their dessert after dinner, which he procured by way of payment for helping Gavin and Arliss the day before, at the farm, after school, while Mrs. Gundarson babysat Jakson.
JD barely made it to the front door and opened it before Jason rose a hand to knock on it.
It was awkward at first, seeing him framed there in their doorway, dressed casually, but still managing to look stylishly handsome. The stonewashed denim jeans and the dark maroon button-up long-sleeve shirt fitting him perfectly and showcasing his broad muscular shoulders were a perfect look for him.
“You cut your hair,” JD noted nervously, for lack of something better to say that wouldn’t sound as out of place as the sudden heat building in his groin as the sight of him did.
‘Yeah…” Jason answered demurely, a blush flushing his cheeks as he combed his fingers through his hair: “It was getting a little to bushy to manage properly” he concluded, cautiously taking a furtive glance into JD’s eyes, as if trying to gauge whether the new look met with his satisfaction.
It did. Though you’d never know that judging by his typical JD response.
“Get your ass in here…” JD retorted, stepping aside and clearing the way for Jason to do just that: “Ain’t nobody here got the energy to massage that massive ego, at least not until we get some chow down our necks first.”
Jason’s eyes lit up with merriment as he chuckled deeply, extending his arm as he did so: “Lead the way.” He suggested as JD just rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, before pivoting and leading Jason out to the back deck, where he and Jake had already set their patio table up for their outdoor dining pleasure.
Jake had prepared a bevy of the usual cook-out cuisine… pasta salad, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and of course the obligatory southern-style baked beans as well as the freshly grilled steaks cooked medium rare, and just now being pulled from the grill.
“What, no sweet tea?” Jason teased, as he sat down where JD indicated and plucked his paper napkin up, and unfolded it in his lap.
Jake reached over to a small cooler by the table and plucked out three ice-chilled beers and tossed one in Jason’s direction: “Compliments of Uncle Carl.”
It still befuddled Jason, that someone like Jake and many others that served their country and could be called upon at any minute to give up their lives in service to that country, at the delicate age of almost twenty, was still considered too young to buy a beer.
Jason popped the top and raised his can to the others, who did likewise: “To Uncle Carl and all the men like him, who see us for who we are, not what others would pretend us to be.”
They all clicked their cans together and took a deep swig, before settling into their meal and a quiet late afternoon, early evening of stress-free fraternal camaraderie and familiar friendly banter.
Later, as a slightly cool, autumn chill compelled them indoors, and all the mess from their evening meal had been addressed and squared away, they gathered around on the floor between the sofa and the fireplace in the living room.
JD sat, casually leaning against Jake, as Jason sat directly across from them, just a couple of feet away.
Cradled in his right arm, Jake held Jakson as he finished bottle-feeding him his last meal of the evening before putting him down for the evening.
As they talked, JD couldn’t help but notice the side-eye glances Jason frequently shot Jakson’s way, when it suddenly dawned on him…
“Would you like to hold him?”JD asked, turning slightly to scoop Jakson from Jake’s arms, before scooting over to Jason and carefully placing the gurgling infant in his arms.
Normally, with someone new, JD would automatically instruct them on how to correctly hold a baby that size, but Jason’s left hand gently scooped the back of Jakson’s head and neck as the rest of his arm formed a natural support for his tiny body.
To JD, it appeared as if Jason did so out of pure instinct and it gave him pause to consider if that might be a natural impulse any Alpha might have; that innate need to protect and provide.
Jakson, for his part, had stopped gurgling and blowing mucous bubbles, to stare directly up into Jason’s eyes. It almost looked like he was studying him; determining whether this was someone he could trust or not.
“How’s if feel to hold the youngest member of your pack Alpha?” Jake asked, his eyes beaming with pride at the sight of his and JD’s son swaddled in the protective arms of his Alpha.
It was at that moment Jakson made a sound they hadn’t yet heard before. It was lower in register to his usual cooing or blubbering, but could almost be construed as a build-up to a good cry, yet the intense way he started up at Jason, didn’t convey he felt any distress. To JD, it looked almost like he was trying to communicate something to Jason.
Just to be sure, JD offered to take him back, but Jason just smiled and held his hand up to wave him off, a huge smile subsuming his face: “It’s okay, he’s just letting me know he’s an alpha too.”
That wasn’t news to either Jake or JD. JD’s dad, Max, had told them, the first day he held him, that their son was an Alpha. What surprised them, was that they had never mentioned that to Jason or anyone else for that matter.
It was in that familial moment, as JD watched Jason and Jakson make faces back and forth at each other, that watching them do so, coupled with the way the light outlined Jason from behind, in the dimly lit room, that a sudden flush of arousal washed over him.
JD knew it for what it was, he had experienced it multiple times while watching his husband Jake and their son interact playfully.
All that strength, barely contained beneath the surface of their skin, coupled with the gentle, playful demeanor and manner in which they interacted with his nearly helpless child, was a huge turn-on for JD, indicated by the sudden flush of his cheeks and the growing heat in his loins.
Jake had once told him when something similar to this moment transpired between them, that he found the scent of JD’s arousal during such times, an aphrodisiac he could hardly resist.
That unbidden thought no sooner ran through his head, when he suddenly realized that it was just as likely that both Jake and Jason could now sense his current physical state.
Something that Jason seemed to confirm a second later when he looked up at him with the same longing he had in his eyes that night back in his room when his mom had come with him for dinner.
That night had also been the last time they had any kind of real intimacy.
JD broke eye contact with Jason and looked back over his shoulder at his husband, who just smiled warmly back at him, before swooping in to take Jakson back from Jason: “It’s well past this little one’s bedtime.”
Jake rose with Jakson in his arms and skirted his way around the couch, before slowly padding his way back to Jakson’s nursery, leaving JD and Jason to stare after them as an awkward silence fell between them.
JD was about to say something, if for no other reason than to break the pall that had fallen over the room, but Jason abruptly stood up, his gaze uncomfortably avoiding his own: “I guess I should probably be heading out, it’s getting late.”
The hesitant stammer in his voice, though barely detectable, was a clear indication to JD that Jason was just trying to stave off either of them from doing or saying something that might spoil what had, up until that moment, been a pleasant evening.
It was a welcome change of pace from where they had been for the last couple of months, and it was clear Jason didn’t want to jeopardize what ground he had gained this night.
JD was searching for just the right words that would make Jason reconsider when he felt Jake reenter the room: “Sorry Alpha, no can do, you’ve had at least three or four beers tonight and we can’t have you getting behind the wheel of a car and just driving off.”
Jason just harrumphed and rolled his eyes dismissively: “I think I know my limit Jake, besides, my mom’s house ain’t that far away and I promise not to try and drive back to the compound tonight if that will ease your conscious.”
In answer, Jake just held out his hand: “Like I said Alpha, not happening. Hand ’em over!”
For a moment, the pair just stared at each other, as if gauging each other’s resolve, when Jason, with a shrug of his shoulders, reached into his jeans pocket and gingerly pulled out and laid his car keys in the palm of Jake’s hand.
“Have it your way Gamma, you are the Pack Enforcer and what kind of Alpha would I be if I didn’t at least try and set a good example.”Jason posited, a look of amused acceptance supplanting his facial expressions.
Having resolved to follow his Gamma’s instruction, Jason looked around and eyed the couch, and moved cautiously, as if to stake his claim.
“Why don’t I see if I can clear some stuff out of the spare bedroom so you don’t break your back on that old lumpy couch?” JD offered helpfully, thinking he was just following his husband’s cue.
As he crossed the room to make his way around Jake to head down the hallway that led to the spare room, Jake reached out and grabbed his arm with his free hand, halting him in his tracks.
“We could do that…” Jake said, as he casually tossed Jason’s car keys in his hand a couple of times before turning his head sideways to lock gazes with JD.
Jake winked cockily, a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth and a mischievous look in his deep, golden amber-colored eyes: “Or maybe…”Jake said suggestively, imparting a quick glance in Jason’s way: “Maybe our Alpha would be more comfortable sharing our new king-sized bed and making this evening even more memorable than it already has?”
Jake’s open-ended invitation sounded like more than a suggestion, but when he threw his arm around JD, completely ignoring the surprised look of astonishment on his face, and steered him toward their room herding him toward it, there was little doubt, in either his or Jason’s mind, he wasn’t settling for anything less than complete compliance.
JD leaned in and quietly whispered into Jake’s ear: “You never cease to amaze me, Mr. Donnelly.”
Jake didn’t even skip a beat in his response, squeezing JD’s shoulder playfully: “You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet Mr. Bauers…not by a long shot!”