Uli grabbed Alex"s hand to lean in and whispered, "I guess I"ll get it straight from the source from this point forward." The words had an edge of excitement to them, but his voice was laced with regret.
Alex really just wanted to put his mates out of their misery, but they had to come to the realization their happily ever after involved a foursome. But he didn"t know how to properly break the news, so he let Uli"s hand slip from his grasp.
"Um, okay. I guess I"ll catch you guys later." With a small wave, Ulrich turned to let Cutter drag him into the back of the club where private rooms were set aside for couples.
Ca.s.sidy seemed pleased with the result. "Hey, it"s your birthday. You should totally..."
"Please stop, Ca.s.sidy." Anger and fear ran through Alex at a quick clip. Tonight, Uli would be validated that Cutter was his mate, but he would be more confused and upset for continuing to feel drawn to Alex and Storm. Alex could almost feel the conflict rolling through Storm. Cut seemed to be acting out.
Alex wished his transition were already complete so he"d be able to prove his claim. Then Uli and he could work as a team to convince the other two.
Finally, Ca.s.sidy sensed things were not as they appeared. "Oh, sorry." He gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Alex." Frowning, Ca.s.sidy escaped into the dancing crowd to put his kneepads to good use.
Alex searched for Storm. Separated by the crush of the dancing crowd, Storm pushed around the flailing bodies that had gotten between them. As he leaned close to yell over the music, Storm"s hair tantalized Alex"s senses. "Where the f.u.c.k are they going?"
"Where do you think?" Tolerating Storm"s indignation wasn"t going to be easy, but Alex needed to ensure the hothead didn"t try to hook up with another zombie because Alex couldn"t allow that. Uli"s blond head of hair just disappeared from sight.
"Why"d you let them go?" Storm stomped his foot and shoved his hands into his pockets. Storm aimed his frustrated exhale and angry expression directly at Alex, as if the entire thing could be blamed on him.
"How exactly would I have stopped them?" Pushing Storm"s hair out of his face, Alex smelled faint traces of Uli"s Obsession cologne on him. "Besides, what do you care?"
Storm pulled his eyes off the direction Cut and Uli went to stare at Alex. "I don"t."
"Liar." Being right wasn"t always productive.
"I mean I just don"t understand why Cut"s so into Uli." The dark-haired man lifted his hand. "I mean, he"s attractive in a "s.e.xy foreign exchange student" kind of a way, but he"s still a kid."
"He"s nineteen and only a year younger than you."
Storm shrugged. "He seems younger. He"s smart and funny but..." His voice trailed off with less anger and more longing.
"So, Cut doesn"t go for smart, funny, attractive guys?"
The dark-haired man cleared his throat and reached behind him to the table to grab his drink. He polished it off in one swig and belched unattractively.
"Maybe you should have danced with him when he asked." The guy must already be kicking himself and didn"t need the "I told you so". Alex stepped into Storm"s s.p.a.ce. He softened his tone, hoping to entice his difficult mate. "Come." He slipped an arm around Storm"s waist to pull him into the writhing bodies.
"I don"t dance," Storm said stubbornly.
Alex surfed fingers down Storm"s arm, raising goose b.u.mps. He asked, "Why not?"
"I don"t know how," Storm claimed.
"So you don"t kiss and you don"t dance?" Alex wrapped a hand around Storm"s hip and guided them into the ma.s.s of undulating male bodies.
Storm clung to Alex as if he"d been thrown into shark-infested waters.
Not being able to resist, Alex slid a hand under Storm"s waistband to enjoy the silky, hidden skin. Storm"s form molded into his as Alex led them in a slow, sensuous glide. He inhaled Storm"s scent. As irritating as the guy might be at times, it felt amazing to have him in his arms.
The music changed to a faster beat, but Alex chose to keep their tempo at half time. Alex increased pressure on where he touched Storm so he would resist the tempo change. Storm appeared momentarily confused, but his body melted, as if trusting Alex to direct him. The small victory deserved a reward, so Alex swept aside the s.h.a.ggy hair blocking those piercing amber eyes. If the eyes were mirrors to the soul, the mate in his arms had a beautiful if injured one. "You"re quite handsome when you"re not being an a.s.s."
"You"re stronger than I thought," Storm said with enough surprise that might have insulted someone else.
Snorting with laughter, Alex lead Storm into a number of turns and ended with their lips inches apart. The laughter died as they once again shared air. He teased Storm with antic.i.p.ation of the kiss.
Storm pulled back. "I...we shouldn"t...not here." His gaze skated to where they"d last seen Uli and Cutter.
"Excuse me?" What insanity was his mate spurting now?
"What?" Storm shrugged and tossed his head, which moved his long hair over his shoulder. "I told you before I don"t kiss guys."
"You also said you didn"t know how to dance, but look at you now."
"It"s just something I don"t do...not in public." He was a bad liar, and hopefully he"d stop feeling the need to try in the future. The real issue was he didn"t want his best friend and Ulrich to find them making out.
Alex"s true nature a.s.serted itself. There may have been hours before midnight, but he"d make Storm pant and beg before giving him what he needed, and he"d do it right here on the dance floor.
"But at the party you made out with Cut and Uli."
"Yeah, well..." Storm grimaced at being reminded. His eyes darted to the door their friends had disappeared through. "That was a mistake."
"Was it? Or is it just me you don"t want to kiss." Alex chose to forget the episode that triggered Cutter"s jealousy in order to flirt with his mate.
Alex"s ensured he blew warm breath against Storm"s lips. He moistened his dry lips and caught a restrained whimper from his dance partner. He held them still on the dance floor as bodies gyrated past them. He felt Storm"s heart beating in time with the throbbing c.o.c.k pressed against him. Alex focused his attention on Storm, not bothering to hide his own desire.
On a broken moan, Storm tried to kiss him.
"Not so fast." Alex shifted back from the victory and grabbed the hair at the nape of Storm"s neck to take in his wide eyes. "I thought you didn"t kiss in public."
Storm must have recognized his dominance because he clung to Alex. He punished him just a little by getting close to his mouth and backing off. He snaked out his tongue and trailed a wet lick over Storm"s full lips until the man in his arms begged breathlessly.
Alex tried to project an image of cool control. "Admit you just don"t want Cutter and Uli to see you."
"Fine, you"re right. I don"t want to upset them, but I want to kiss you. Please, Alex." He writhed closer as if he coveted all of their parts touching.
Being able to do nothing but answer his mate"s plea, Alex caressed Storm"s lips with his own. On a soft exhale of surrender, Storm"s petal-soft lips opened, and he invited Alex to deepen their kiss. Alex did. Storm shivered and pressed even tighter against him.
His mate rubbed a full erection against his thigh. The needy man broke the kiss to beg again. "Alex, G.o.d you are just so...please."
When he wasn"t pretending to be tough, Storm had a rather angelic appearance. How could Alex resist? Cupping a palm over the man"s arousal, Alex squeezed and rubbed Storm through his jeans.
The power of his control flooded Alex. He leaned into Storm to lick the sh.e.l.l of his ear before he whispered, "If I keep going you"re going to make a mess in these nice jeans." He continued to ma.s.sage Storm"s crotch, making the man in his arms completely at his mercy.
"Don"t care." Groaning, Storm thrust against Alex"s hand, seeking more friction than he was getting.
Everything in Alex longed to take Storm to completion. No one paid attention to them. Each of the other dancers were involved in similar covert activities. But he wanted an admission of sorts from this difficult man. "What do you want?"
Storm huffed out air and struggled to take in more as Alex made sure his hand remained a little too light. "You know."
"I might not. You"d better tell me," Alex teased as he ran his lips over Storm"s throat. Storm wasn"t getting what he wanted unless he asked-nicely.
"To kiss you as I come." Storm"s eyes begged for mercy, but if it were given before he surrendered completely, Alex wasn"t sure if he"d be able to put the four of them into a position for all of them to get what they craved.
"Beg me." Alex dropped his voice, the gravelly growl just shy of a command.
"Oh G.o.d." Storm thrust urgently against Alex"s hand. Storm"s breath seemed to quicken when he realized Alex had no intention of giving in until he begged.
Finally, Storm acquiesced. "Please, Alex. I"m begging you. Kiss me. Make me dry clean my f.u.c.king jeans. I don"t care who sees us, I need you to just kiss me and..."
Crashing their bodies and mouths closer together, Alex"s precise action controlled Storm"s every movement. Pushing his hand down harder gave Storm the pressure he craved. He rubbed firmly, kissing him until Storm"s head rolled back. Alex slid his mouth to Storm"s throat, licking, biting, and sucking until his limit was reached.
"When I kiss your lips, you may come. Understood?"
Storm whimpered and gave a jerky nod.
Making Storm feel out of control with l.u.s.t gave Alex an amazing kick of power, mixed with love. He gripped a hank of Storm"s glossy hair and tilted his head at the right angle. He crashed his mouth down on Storm"s in an openmouthed tangle of tongues.
The man lost control. Alex heard a loud groan as the body next to his danced in time with the pulsating c.o.c.k erupting in Storm"s jeans. Rubbing and ma.s.saging the spasming shaft made Alex"s pants tighten. Storm slumped against Alex. The spent man seemed to be trying to catch enough oxygen in his mouth to survive.
Storm"s eyes flashed around and he turned his head turned toward where Cutter and Uli had disappeared. Storm hauled himself away from Alex. He tried to stand on his own but Alex needed to put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Dazed amber eyes shifted to Alex, as if Storm tried to piece together what had happened. "I, um, I got to go."
Without another word, he hurried toward the front exit of the club, banging into several men on his way out.
Alex scrutinized him as he rushed away. Storm had only been gone two seconds and Alex missed him already. If only there were an easier way...
Thankfully, his excited need abated as he trudged back to his room. He had almost been tempted to stop at the Extraction room. He definitely wanted to make a donation, but he wanted to wait for Uli to return. He had a feeling Uli was going to need him. He sat on their loveseat and tried not to think about the evening.
His eyes fell onto a copy of The Mating Book. Maybe he would find some answers in the book? But before he opened it he heard a key in the door, alerting him of Uli"s return. The door slammed opened and pushed shut with excessive negative energy.
"Well, he"s my mate. I was right." Uli sounded p.i.s.sed off. He threw himself onto the red suede loveseat next to Alex.
Alex turned to him and tried to smile as if he shared Uli"s happiness about this discovery. "It"s what you wanted, right?" He glanced over at the clock. 11:40. He stifled a yawn. Remaining upright became a challenge.
"Shouldn"t I be complete? Why do I still have a hole in my heart? A big f.u.c.king hole in my heart!" Ulrich turned away but his sad sniffing filled the room. Dammit. "And don"t say he"s not my mate. I tasted him. He is..."
Alex had to offer comfort. He dragged the distraught man into a tight hug, "Shhhhh, it"s okay." Uli felt perfect in his arms. How could Ulrich not know they were fated to be four? "Maybe he"s not your only mate?"
"What?" Uli twisted away to wipe a sleeve over his face.
"Maybe you should talk to Jackson and Corey."
Uli yawned and shook his head. "Corey"s a s.l.u.t."
"Don"t say that." He put a finger over Ulrich"s lips to quiet his words. He barely restrained a moan when Uli tongued his finger like it was a lollypop.
"He"s always. .h.i.tting on any man within a ten-mile radius." Ulrich didn"t seem to realize what he was doing or he simply enjoyed the taste of Alex"s finger.
Alex"s mouth went dry as his finger slipped between Ulrich"s lips. "He"s not. They"re just searching for their mate." His beautiful mate started sucking on his index finger like it was stick of candy. Each draw went straight to Alex"s p.e.n.i.s like a line of fire. Ulrich"s mouth was hot. The very same mouth that bought Cutter to satisfaction was on him.
Uli pushed up against Alex and whimpered as if he were in pain. The lower half of his body rubbed across the front of Alex"s jeans. Alex shut his eyes and savored the pa.s.sionate attention.
"I don"t understand." Uli"s eyes misted over as he urgently shifted their positions, which increased their contract. "Want you bad. Not supposed to want you." He kept sucking Alex"s finger with his wet mouth in between his disgruntled words.
Alex"s jeans grew tighter as Uli rubbed back and forth against him in a maddening rhythm. Alex was already aroused from the birthday tradition and then Storm turning to him for comfort and release. This slow rub with the focused suction on his finger became too much to bear.
"Oh, Uli." Alex opened his eyes as he tried to stop, only to enjoy Uli"s face twist up as his mate found release.
Alex was helpless to resist his oncoming o.r.g.a.s.m. Ulrich continued to tug on his finger in long, sucking pulls, drawing Alex"s finger deeper into his mouth. Release was immediate. His body pulsed out his relief in pleasured spasms, echoing Uli"s.
The blond"s lower half moved in time with the throbbing of their shared climaxes. Again and again, Uli humped and rutted against Alex, providing and receiving satisfaction.
An exhaustion fell over Alex just like Lafayette said it would. A quick glance at the clock told Alex that he needed to get to bed. Uli stumbled off Alex.
"This shouldn"t have happened." Uli didn"t meet Alex"s eyes as he backed away. Before Alex could respond, Uli"s bedroom door slammed shut.
Alex wanted to help Uli but needed to collapse. He stood and lost his balance, grabbing onto the counter to stabilize himself. He held the wall to stumble into his bedroom. For the first time ever, he locked his bedroom door before crashing down into a deep sleep.
Chapter Ten.
Pounding on Alex"s door started to hurt Uli"s fist. He"d never locked the door before. "Wake up, sleepyhead." As he continued to bang he started to feel clingy and a bit insane, but he knew if he could see Alex he"d be happy again.
A grumbled growl floated through the door. "Exhausted. Need sleep."
Alex was never a late sleeper. Irrational fear sliced through Ulrich. "Are you hurt? Should I call the doctor?"
"No!" was followed by a groan of agony.
What the h.e.l.l? "Open the door."
"Uli, I"m fine." Ulrich pressed his ear against the door so he heard a m.u.f.fled moan. "I need sleep."
"But..."
His plea was cut off by a very dominant request. "Later." Before he could object, Alex softened the demand. "I know we need to talk. I promise, give me until after lunch."
"Okay." Uli tried not to sound pouty. Alex must be exhausted from his party.
He didn"t feel like studying, so he went for a walk around the grounds. The acres of rolling green hills around the house and Club Zombie reminded him of the parks and meadows his mom used to take him to for hiking. He was only four or five, but he"d loved those long walks with her. He"d hold her hand and they would walk for hours, listening to the woods and each other.
Uli stopped for a moment to hear the breeze rustle the leaves and feel the warm sunshine on his face. He missed Alex, Cutter, and Storm. What the f.u.c.k was wrong with him? He"d just seen them a few hours ago. He plopped down by the pond"s edge and tried to figure out when he"d become completely codependent.
Immediately, the ducks came over, looking for a handout. "Sorry, guys. I don"t have anything but a pack of gum." He held up the gum. Most of the ducks quacked and swam away, disgruntled. A few eyed the shiny gum packet and appeared to be considering cleaning their breath. "Not for you. Sorry."