Pack Dynamics

Aftermath

When Mason woke up it was still dark. Despite spending the night on the floor, he was more relaxed and rested than he had been in a long, long time. Casey, his mate he reminded himself with relish, was still sleeping soundly, curled at his side.

With infinite care, Mason rolled the younger shifter onto his back. Casey’s brow furrowed a little, but he quickly settled, limbs sprawled. Mason used this opportunity to inspect the puckered, pink stripe that made up the stitches on the cat’s chest.

A little wary, he pressed his fingers up the line, which began above Casey’s small, convex navel and ran straight up to the center of his sternum. He watched Casey’s face to see if the touch hurt, but the blond didn’t stir. At his wolf’s prompting, he leaned forward and meticulously traced the line with his tongue, licking the scar.

Casey’s breath hitched softly, but otherwise there was no response.

Mason moved higher and licked the scars around Casey’s throat, a mixture of human and wolf teeth marks – but all Mason’s. Mason licked the shell of Casey’s ear next and murmured softly, “All mine, just like you.”

The sleeping boy didn’t deny it.

Mason felt a heady sense of dominance. Asleep and vulnerable, Casey was at his mercy. Mason’s thick cock hardened immediately, rising upright. He deftly rolled Casey over onto his front and slid a hand under one thigh to push his leg up, exposing the cleft between Casey’s two round, firm buttocks. He used a hand to press the cheeks apart so he could inspect the hole there.

Casey continued sleeping like the dead.

Mason traced a finger over Casey’s small hole. It looked red, still a little loosened from their earlier activity, but Casey wasn’t torn and could definitely take more use, much to Mason’s satisfaction. He grabbed the lube from the floor where it had been left, and lathered his hard cock with it.

~~~

Casey woke up with his chest rubbing against the cushion as Mason’s obviously lubed cock surged into his hole, balls-deep in one stroke. He cried out and started to wriggle automatically. Mason grabbed his hips and held him in place, not breaking the steady, hard rhythm in his ass.

“Wha – Mase...?” Casey yelped groggily.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

The warm gravel of Mason’s voice in his ear soothed Casey at once. He calmed down, letting his instincts take over.

Mason felt the body relax under him and rewarded his mate by fucking him harder, his balls bouncing off Casey’s ass with each stroke.

Casey moaned. He wasn’t fully awake yet and the pleasure felt warm and hazy instead of intense and exhilarating like it usually did. He let his mind drift as Mason hunched over him, giving up his body for the Alpha’s pleasure.

Mason kept up the steady pace for just about ten minutes before he slammed in deep and came with a muted howl, half-collapsing on Casey’s back.

After a few moments to recover, Mason gingerly pulled his still half-hard cock out and pressed a kiss to the back of Casey’s neck before getting up.

Casey relaxed against the cushion, hearing the shower turn on in the bathroom. His thighs felt sticky as Mason’s second load in 12 hours leaked from his sore ass. It was then he realized he hadn’t gotten to cum. His cock was well on its way to fully erect and pressed into the dog cushion; he could just reach down and... but he was still so drowsy, he couldn’t be bothered to move. He closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him again.

~~~

The next time Casey woke up it was because he heard the sound of a body hitting drywall, the vibration traveling through the floor. He scrambled up off the ground and burst out of the bedroom into the main room.

Mason, bare-chested and wearing only black cargo shorts, had the intruder slammed up against the wall, feet dangling in the air. Mason’s breathing was heavy with rage, claws lengthening around the intruder’s throat.

“Vladislav?” Casey whispered in confusion, brain trying to make sense of what was going on. “Whoa, Mason, stop!”

Mason didn’t spare him a glance, too busy growling and showing his lengthening canines menacingly.

“Mason...” Casey approached cautiously. Vladislav’s ruby red eyes followed his motion. “Mason, it’s okay, really, he’s a friend.”

“He’s a vamp.” Mason growled through a mouthful of teeth.

“I know.”

“He was breaking into the apartment.” Mason snapped, claws digging deeper.

“I’m sure he had a reason. Look, he’s not even fighting you. Please, Mason, put him down. Trust me.”

Slowly, Mason lowered him until the toes of Vladislav’s polished black wingtips touched the floor. The Alpha also shifted the position of his hand from around Vladislav’s throat to the center of his chest, keeping him pinned to the wall.

Casey let out the breath he had been holding.

Mason looked over at him for the first time and released a fearsome snarl. “GO PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!”

Casey jumped, startled at the anger suddenly being directed at him. Then he remember he had run out there stark naked. He moved quickly back into the bedroom, throwing on the first pair of shorts and tee he found. He then rushed back out, hoping no blood had been shed in his absence.

The two other men were still in the exact same positions they had been in when he had left them, thankfully.

Mason turned halfway, looking over at Casey grimly. “No one sees you naked, except me. No one even thinks about you naked.”

“Not really the time, Mase...”

A lip curled as Mason growled ominously.

Casey shivered with a mixture of desire and apprehension, “I mean, yes, Alpha.”

“You,” Mason order, still looking at Casey, “Stay right there. And you,” he turned to the vampire and slowly released the hand on his chest, “Sit.”

Vladislav slowly straightened his white linen shirt as he pulled away from the wall and gingerly sat on the couch under Mason’s watchful gaze. The vampire looked over at Casey, “I am glad to see you are looking well.”

Mason growled, stepping between them, blocking Vladislav’s line of sight, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I had heard Casey was injured and had been in the hospital.”

“Heard from who?” Mason demanded like an interrogator.

“Whom...” Vladislav pointed out constructively.

“Vlad...really not important right now.” Casey groaned.

“Who’s been talking to you about Casey?” Mason demanded a second time.

“I have my sources.” Vladislav said coolly, elegant eyebrows pulling together.

Mason growled, clearly a second away from attacking the vampire again.

“It was me, Mase. I texted him from the hospital, about what happened to me and Shelby.” Casey interjected quickly, hoping to diffuse the situation. “Vladislav is a friend.”

Mason glared at Vladislav as if he were a shot-gun totting hunter, not a friend.

The vampire took it all in stride, leaning back on the couch, folding his hands in his lap. “I understand your lack of enthusiasm. I would be displeased if a person showed up at my house unannounced, a possible threat to my wife.”

Mason wasn’t fooled by the apparent calmness; he didn’t take his eyes off of the interloper.

It was Casey’s turn to growl lightly, cheeks flagged with pink. “I’m not his wife.”

“Of course not.” Vladislav placated immediately. “I did not mean to insinuate...”

“You’ve seen Casey. He’s fine.” Mason cut in. “Now you should go.”

Vladislav and Casey spoke at the same time. “Mr. Rossi...” “Mason...”

“No, I’m not having a –” Mason bite off the rest of his sentence.

Casey eyed him suspiciously. “A what, Mason?”

“Nothing.”

“No, say it.” Casey demanded.

“A Betrayer.” Mason finished with a confrontational tone. “I’m not having a Betrayer in my home.”

Casey’s heart stopped for a moment and then picked up an unhealthy speed. “Mason, I’m a Betrayer.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No, you’re not.”

Casey grit his teeth, “Saying it doesn’t make it true.”

“I get it.” Mason stressed, “You like helping people. People other than just wolves. I can ask the Alliance for more special interest jobs. Maybe even see if they ever deal with humans if you have some strange sort of predilection towards them. But we will not betray our kind, our family.”

“You didn’t tell him.” An unfamiliar voice spoke from the doorway.

Vladislav stood with fluid grace, “Mr. Rossi, may I present my wife, Miranda.”

Mason’s head snapped up. Whatever image Mason had of Vladislav’s wife – a tall, pale, strikingly
beautiful vampiress with blood red lips and black hair and some sort of leather bondage gear as clothes – this was not it. The woman standing in the doorway was of medium height with plump curves; she would have to be about 60. She was beautiful however, with clear blue eyes and thick grey and white hair flowing midway down her back.

“Miranda!” Casey cried out, moving towards her.

Mason put out an arm to stop him. “Tell me what?”

Casey wet his lips, “What?”

“Don’t play stupid, the witch said there’s something you haven’t told me.”

“The witch has a name.” Vladislav interrupted, though the words were spoken neutrally, just like the vampire’s expression, it was a warning all the same.

Mason was momentarily sidetracked. He glanced at Miranda. “You’re really married to him.”

A smile softened her fine features, “Going on 45 years.”

“Really?”

Miranda’s eyes glittered merrily. “Really. Boy, mama was in a tizzy when a vampire started courting her 16 year old daughter.”

Vladislav walked up to stand beside her, “Her mother tried to put a stake through my heart.”

“She thought you were a cradle robber.”

“I still am.” Vladislav almost cracked a smile then. “You will always be 374 years younger than I am. Still no reason to try to kill me.”

“She didn’t end up killing you in the end.”

“No, but she did place a rather unfortunate hex on me involving a rather personal physiological reaction.”

Miranda placed a hand on his chest, smiling up at him affectionately. “I found I way to reversed that curse... eventually. Besides, your mother tried to turn me into after dinner drinks the first time you introduced us.” She turned to Mason and gave a little shrug, still smiling. “You can’t chose who you fall in love with. And you can’t choose your family.” With that she gave Casey a rather knowing look.

The significance wasn’t lost on Mason, he turned to Casey head on. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Vladislav offered his arm to Miranda, “We should cut our visit short, I believe these young ones have things to discuss.”

“You don’t have to go.” Casey assured them quickly.

“We will go visit Shelby now. You know how to contact us if you need anything. Be well.” With that Vlad lead his wife out.

~~~

Once the couple had left, Mason folded his arms over his chest, regarding Casey with a set jaw and cold eyes. “Well? What was she talking about? Something about family?”

Casey scrubbed a hand over his face with a deep breath, “My parents.”

Mason’s eyes widened imperceptivity. “I thought you never knew your parents.”

“I didn’t. Shelby did. Her parents knew my parents. They worked together until my parents were killed.”

“Shit.” Mason swore softly.

“Yeah.”

Mason moved closer, eyes shadowed. “Are you okay?”

Casey nodded, ashamed of his sudden desire to be held by the Alpha. Fuck, he wasn’t some omega. But Mason was so close, he could feel the other man’s heat radiating off his body...

“Were they... Did they work with the Betrayers?” Mason asked softly.

“Yeah.”

Mason let out a slow breath of air. “I’m going to make you some coffee. Why don’t you go sit. Then we’ll talk.”

~~~

Mason sat himself down on the couch beside Casey and handed him over the steaming mug of coffee, extra cream.

Casey took the cup. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Mason reached forward and laid a warm hand on Casey’s side a few inches above his hip. He stroked gently and methodically. “So, parents, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Tell me everything.”

Casey laid it all out. What Shelby had said that first night, the pictures and video she had of Casey’s parents. Casey explained about the work his parents had done, right up to their last mission and the evidence the Betrayers had collected that showed the order to kill had come from the somewhere in the Alliance command centre.

When it was all over, Mason’s head dropped back against the couch, eyes closing with a deep exhale. “Fuck.”

“Yeah.” Casey agreed with a sigh, setting his coffee mug down. “What do we do now?”

One of Mason’s eyes cracked open, lips twisting into a smug smirk.

“What?” Casey groused.

“You said we.”

“Try to stay on topic, Rossi.”

“You said we.” Mason drew out each word.

Casey snorted, “Well at least we now know for sure I’m not the girl in this relationship.”

“I think we could use a refresher. If we were thinking either one of us was a girl.”

Before Casey could even blink, Mason was across the couch, lowering down on him, hips flush to press their flies together. He bracketed Casey’s body with his arms, leaning down to capture his mouth with a kiss.

Casey looked a little flustered, torn between trying to concentrate on the very serious subject matter and his apparently addiction-worthy attraction to Mason.

Mason knew he should probably feel guilty about turning a conversation about Casey’s dead parents into foreplay, but they could use a little break from all the stressful conversation. Plus, he could fee his wolf feeding his arousal, looking for some primitive way to comfort his mate. His mate who had just called them a ‘we’.

“We,” Mason stressed, breaking the kiss, “need to be in that gorgeous tight ass of yours again.”

Casey hissed needy, winding his arms around Mason’s back, making up his mind to concentrate on this, and nothing else. Casey’s hips pushed up to rub his growing erection against Mason’s, “What are we waiting for then?”

~~~

The sun was high the sky, streaming through the windows. Casey and Mason were entwined on the floor, naked, sweaty and cum and dust streaked.

Casey scrunched his nose a little, running a hand over his gritty skin. “When was the last time you swept the floor? I feel like the dust bunnies plastered themselves all over me.”

“How are you still able to make coherent sentences? I tried so hard to fuck your brains out.”

“Try harder next time.” Casey tried to sit up and pulled a face as his muscles rebelled. “Never mind, you fuck any harder next time I won’t be able to sit down, or you know move, ever again.”

Mason manoeuvred into a standing position and then reached down to drag Casey up with him. “Go start the shower I’ll grab a bottle of aspirin for you.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Mason pulled him close for a lingering kiss, “God, you’re sexy when you’re obedient. If you had any idea what is did to my wolf...” He ended on a growl.

Casey pulled back a little, lips quirking. His voice was low and teasing as he spoke, “Yes, Alpha. Of course, Alpha. Anything you say, Alpha.”

~~~

Later, showered, shaved, and medicated, Casey came back out to the main room.

Mason rose to his feet and took half a step towards him.

“No. Stay right there.”

Mason crooked a ‘who-me?’ eyebrow at him.

“You’re going to sit there. I’m going to sit all the way over here.” He waved his hand at his plaid recliner. “And we’re going to talk about where we’re going from here.”

Mason opened his mouth.

“And if you say something like ‘back to bed’ or ‘up my ass’, I will kick your ass.”

Mason shut his mouth and sat back on the couch dutifully.

Casey sat down and took a deep, steadying breath. “I can’t work with the Alliance anymore.”

“Okay.”

“They arranged the murder of my parents, Mase. Beyond that, I don’t agree with their policies, and... Wait? Okay?”

“Okay.” Mason confirmed. “I’m not going to break ties completely. I think it’s in our best interest to remain in the loop and outwardly appear loyal, of course. But, we’ll stop taking contracts with the Alliance.”

“Like that? You’re just going to give up the position you’ve been working towards for years?”

“Like that.”

“So, I guess it’s my turn now.” Casey wet his lip lightly, stomach knotting. He could do this. He was Beta. He was responsible for the pack, just as Mason was, and it was past time he started putting them first.

Mason just regarded him calmly.

“No more working with the Betrayers.” Casey continued in a rush, “That doesn’t mean I won’t keep contact with Shelby, and Miranda, and Vladislav.”

Mason didn’t look ecstatic about it, but he wasn’t going to argue it right then and there. Casey was agreeing to drop the Betrayer title and trade, which was enough for now.

“So, no Betrayers and no Alliance. Where does that leave our pack?” Casey asked.

“Independent. We’ll work on our own, we’ve done it before. We’ve developed a reputation for being able to fix ‘problems’ other packs can’t. We’ll be able to support ourselves.”

Casey nodded, putting his trust in Mason.

“Okay?” Mason prompted.

“Okay.”

“Thank-fucking-God. Now, can I please get up and approach my mate?”

Casey’s lips quirked. “Permission granted.”

Mason prowled over to him, bending down to lay his hands on the arms of the chair, trapping Casey between them. “Do you know what I’ve been dying to do for years now?”

Casey looked up and shook his head, a teasing glimmer in his eye. “No, what?”

Mason smirked, “I want to fuck you over this God-damn ugly chair of yours.”

Casey bit his lower lip softly, “I’m a little sore.”

Mason just smirked and reached down to unbutton his fly, “Your throat sore, kitten?” He dragged his zipper down. “Cause otherwise, I don’t think we have a problem here.”

Someone chose that moment to pound on the door with a, “Hey, Boss!”

Mason groaned and refastened his pants, straightening. “Tell me sororicide isn’t still illegal.”

Casey just snorted and called, “Come in Nora, door’s open.”

The door opened, Nora came in first, followed closely by Ty. Eugene trailed in last, his should were hunched a little, head forward so his hair shaded his face.

Casey sniffed the air, something wasn’t right.

Mason beat him to the punch, “Eugene, why do I smell your blood?”

“It’s nothing, Alpha, don’t worry.” He started to bring his hand up to his cheek and then quickly stopped himself, lowering his hand back down.

Mason let out a low growl. “You do not tell me what I should or should worry about. I am your Alpha and I asked you a question. Now, answer me and stand up straight.”

Stiffly, Eugene straightened, head coming up. When his hair swung back in place, four parallel scratches could be seen down the side of his face, ear to chin. They were pretty fresh, and a crimson red.

Casey hisses softly and got up from the recliner to help. “What happened?”

Nora snickered quietly. “Your girl happened to him, that’s what.”

Casey’s eyes shot wide, “Shelby?!”

“She’s not his girl.” Mason snapped, glaring at Nora.

Eugene held his hand up defensively, “I swear, Casey, I wasn’t going to hurt her or nothing. I just wanted to talk to her. You know, let her know you were coming back to our pack. And maybe try to get her to see that being a Betrayer was a stupid thing to do.”

“She scratched you? I’ve never, ever seen Shelby frown at someone, let alone attack them.” Casey looked stunned.

“Yeah, well, that jaguar has some claws.”

Casey snorted lightly, “You must have really pissed her off. What were you doing at the hospital anyways?”

“Looking for your skinny ass.” Nora interrupted. “You were still supposed to be checked in. The docs said you left against their orders.”

“I couldn’t take anymore poking and prodding.” Casey tried to look pitiable.

Nora’s lip pursed, looking deliberately between Casey and Mason. “Really, you came here because you didn’t want to be poked and prodded?”

“Nora!” Casey gasped, the tip of his ears pinkening.

“Oh, don’t play innocent, I’m not buying it; your mating bites have mating bites.”

Mason glowered at Nora, “You should stay out of your Alpha’s business, not to mention that your Alpha is also your littermate and therefore his love life is definitely not something you should poke your nose into.”

Nora dropped down on the couch. “Kinda hard to not be interested when you’re standing there petting him.”

Mason and Casey both blinked. Neither one having even realized that Mason’s fingers were stroking lightly at Casey’s hair the whole time from his position sitting on the arm of the recliner. When Nora pointed it out, Mason slid his hand down to rest on the back of Casey’s neck.

Ty changed the subject neatly, “So, you’re feeling better, Casey?”

“Yeah, a little sore, but...”

Mason snorted.

“What are you? 12?” Casey gave him a little scowl. “My chest is a little sore, from the stitches. But I had to leave the hospital, I was going stir crazy. Plus, Mason and I had some things to talk about.”

“Yeah?” Nora quizzed, “Like what?”

“Like the fact we’re officially mated now.” Mason announced, eyes glimmering possessively..

Nora’s expression softened, “About time.”

Ty grinned, leaning forward to shake Mason’s hand. “Congratulations.”

Eugene stepped forward last and echoed Ty’s ‘congratulations’, but he added under his breath to Mason, “But you could have done better.”

Mason accepted their congratulations and then the other shoe dropped. “And we talked about changes to how the pack will function.”

Three heads snapped to attention.

“We won’t be taking cases from the Alliance anymore.”

Nora, Ty, and Eugene looked at him as if he had stated they were going to have tea parties with the helldemons instead.

“What? No way, they were paying us like two thousand a job.” Eugene bordered on whining.

“And once we go independent we’ll make three times that because we’ll get the whole fee instead of just a cut.” Mason pointed out.

Nora’s lips were pinched. “You’re sure about this, Mason?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m in.” Ty spoke up, sprawling at the end of the couch. “I always thought the people in charge there were high-strung bastards. Be good to have a little more freedom.”

Eugene crossed his arms over his chest defiantly, “There’s no way I’m working with Betrayers.”

Mason shot him a cross look. “I don’t expect you to. We don’t betray our kind, and we don’t betray our pack.”

They took a moment to digest that, especially in light of what had happened with Jessica.

Finally, a small smile stole over Nora’s lips. “So we’re going rogue.”

Mason rolled his eyes. “Not rogue exactly.”

“I like the sound of rogue.” Ty teased, “Sounds bad ass.”

“I guess it would be nice if we control what cases we take and what ones we don’t.” Eugene allowed.

Nora smiled, “So what’s our first new order of business?”

“Dinner?” Ty suggested, patting a hand over his broad stomach.

“I could go for something to eat.” Eugene offered his agreement.

“I hate to be the downer,” Casey interrupted, “But maybe first we should figure out what to do about Lavoie?”

Casey’s suggestion was met with silence and shifting eyes.

Nora has the only one who met his gaze. “Already taken care of.”

“Huh?”

“Mason took care of Lavoie while you were in the hospital.”

Casey looked over at Mason.

The wolf shrugged lightly, “He tried to hurt you. Moreover, I needed something to do to work off steam while you were in the hospital. He wasn’t hard to find, because the fire at the mansion his pack was checked into The fucking Grand. Idiot.”

“You killed him?”

“I didn’t track him down to shake his hand.”

“What about his pack?”

“Scattered. But they wouldn’t know their asses from a hole in the wall without Lavoie there to direct them. It won’t be hard for the Alliance to track them down. And I imagine with all the information we handed the Alliance about grao d’escuridao they’ll be wanting to bring Lavoie’s pack in for questioning ASAP.”

Ty clapped his hands together once. “Well, that dinner idea is sounding better and better right about now.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Nora concurred, “Dinner’s on Eugene.”

“Why me?”

“Because if you buy us dinner we may not bring up the fact a girl kicked your ass earlier.”

Eugene snarled lightly but didn’t say anymore about it.

Mason stood and pulled Casey up with him. “Dinner it is, let’s go.”

Casey smiled faintly, he was the last one to leave the apartment, and locked up before following after his pack, his family.

~~~

Mason was the first ready for bed that night. He lay against the headboard, long legs stretched out and crossed casually at the ankles, his fingers laced behind his head as he waited for Casey. He was naked, sheets strategically draped over his lap.

Casey came out of the bathroom, hair mussed and smelling of jaguar and toothpaste. His eyes sparkled when he saw Mason ready and waiting for him.

Casey pushed his pyjama bottoms off before climbing into the bed. Fluidly, he crawled over the bed, straddling Mason’s thighs. He pushed the sheets aside so their warm skin pressed flush.

Mason looked up at him, eyes hooded but hungry.

Without saying a word, Casey moved against him and leaned down to capture a kiss from the Alpha’s lips. Without moving his hands from behind his head, Mason returned the kiss, undulating his body slightly to grind their erections together.

Casey kissed him several more times, each time slow and sensuously, their tongues circling lazily. Mason for the most part stayed still, letting Casey direct the action.

When Casey finally broke the kiss, he was breathing shakily and his lips were cherry-pink and swollen. Just as noticeable was his hard cock standing straight up, leaking drops of clear precum down over the crown.

“I want you.”

Mason smiled wickedly, giving his hips a little tilt up to make his own hard cock salute. “Take me then.”

Casey took the lube off the side table and carefully stroked an even coat over Mason’s pole, drawing rough, small moans from his Alpha’s throat.

Casey used what lube was left on his fingers to rim his asshole, preparing himself. Then, he shifted forward and positioned himself over Mason’s cock and slowly started to press down, his tight muscles forcing down around the thick, veined shaft.

Casey hissed moan was accompanied by throbbing in his dick as his took Mason’s length.

Only once Casey had impaled himself right down to the base did Mason unlace his fingers and reach forward to hold onto Casey’s hips, silently urging him to move.

Case did start to move – rocking his hips in a slow, careful rhythm as he took Mason’s rigid shaft, riding it.

Slowly, as the pleasure built, Casey started moving faster and losing a little bit more control with each thrust.

Before long, Casey was arching back, thighs straining in an effort to lift and lower himself fast and hard, moaning wildly.

“Stroke yourself.” Mason ordered gruffly. “You’re going to cum on my cock.”

Casey shifted, reaching forward to wrap a hand around his pulsing, achingly hard prick. He started pulling himself off with firm, quick strokes. “Nggh, oh, fuck!”

“That’s it. Keep going.” Mason urged, snapping his hips up so his cock surged forward, hitting deep each time Casey rocked down. “Yes, perfect, gorgeous, bitch.”

Casey keened softly, pleasure building to a peak. Losing his rhythm, Casey leaned forward, he buried his face against the crook of Mason’s neck and then bit down on the tendons, cries muted as he came hard, spurting over his and Mason’s stomachs.

The burn in his neck and the clenching of Casey’s ass around his cock, send him over the edge. Mason filled Casey with his scalding cum.

Casey groaned against Mason’s skin, slumping down. Languidly they unwound from each other and Casey slowly pulled off and rolled over onto his back.

Mason stretched with a deep sigh. He gingerly kneaded a hand over his throat. “You bit me.”

Casey smirked, settling himself half on Mason’s chest. “Yeah, I did.”

“You’re not supposed to do that.”

“So sue me.”

“I’d rather just rest a while and then fuck you again.” Mason rumbled, brushing Casey’s hair back off his forehead.

Casey sighed dramatically, “If you must... God, the things I endure for you...”

They were silent for a few minutes, Mason idly playing with Casey’s hair, petting.

Casey lifted his gaze without taking his head from Mason’s chest. “Just out of curiosity’s sake what are the chances you’ll ever let me give it a go on the top?”

“You were just on the top.” Mason pointed out, being deliberately obtuse.

“Not talking relative position here.”

Mason leaned down and pressed a kiss to Casey’s lips, “Don’t hold your breath.”

Casey inched up to return the kiss, lips quirking, “That wasn’t a ‘no’.”

“I have something for you.”

“Changing the subject?”

“Trying to.”

“I’ll right I’ll bite; what did you get me?”

Mason shifted Casey off him and then rolled to the side of the bed, reaching under it to pull out a brown paper bag. He tossed it to Casey. “New collar.”

Casey made a little face, “Really? I mean if you really want it on my neck, I’ll wear it.” He looked up earnestly. “But if it’s only for some sense of ownership or to keep me in line, You don’t need it. We don’t need it.”

Mason rolled his eyes a little, “Just open it, kitten.”

Casey snorted a little. “Alright, alright.” He unfolded the paper bag and turned it upside down so the collar fell out. Double layered leather, velvet lined, chrome rivets, d-rings, and an engraved plate in the front. Casey traced his finger over the letters; R-O-S-S-I. “It’s a mating collar; you got me a real mating collar. And you even got the one I was looking at in the Pet Store.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know, the one I saw when you were picking out omega collars.”

“I got this over two years ago, Case.”

Casey’s mouth dropped open. “You got this before I –“

“Before you left. Yes.”

Casey ran his fingers over it. “I...I don’t know to say.”

“Not much to say. Yes or no.”

Casey liked to think he was the only one who would have been able to make out the flicker of uncertainty in Mason’s direct gaze. “I’ll wear it.”

Mason’s jaw flexed, relaxing minutely and his gaze trained on Casey intently, waiting.

Casey swallowed, a sudden lump in his throat. He fingers trembled perceptibly as he held the collar out towards Mason, embarrassed by the sentimentality of even asking... “Will you put it on me?”

Mason’s eyes flashed as he took it from Casey, holding the two ends. He gently reached around and buckled it snugly, thumbs brushing Casey’s scared skin.

Casey cocked his head to one side and then the other, testing the feel. “How does it look?”

Mason’s only answer was a growl and then he was on top of Casey, driving him back into the mattress, bed frame squeaking in resistance. His teeth sunk into Casey’s shoulder and his hands were everywhere, petting, pressing, probing.

Inside, his wolf, his constant companion, howled his approval as Mason claimed his mate, again and again and again.

~~~


~~~