“So careful.” Cal swept his thumb back and forth beneath Ray’s ear, then, as if compelled, slid his hand down to the base of Ray’s throat again, leaving his fingers curled loosely over Ray’s pulse. “The strength it must take. I can tease you all day, but Raymond is still in control, always. You wouldn’t hurt me, not like that, yet still you… will do all you can, all you feel safe doing, to make me happy.” A frown came and went on Cal’s face. “You like all the growling and pouncing but you had to hint around for me to do this.”
He squeezed.
Ray held his breath.
Cal relaxed his hold, slightly. “Keep going,” he ordered, curious and mesmerized.
Ray dragged a single claw down Cal’s lower stomach, then let it hook on the band of his underwear.
“I thought you’d be tired,” Cal informed him, verging on breathless. “Is this you seducing me? Is this what you think marriage is supposed to be like? Or… ah, wearing a ribbon around your neck doesn’t mean you have to do this.”
But he hadn’t let go.
Ray gently traced the length of Cal’s cock through his underwear, the sharp tip of his claw not catching on a single thread. Cal’s cock responded beautifully. He liked having Ray this way.
“Were you hiding this too?” Cal wondered faintly. “You don’t like being passive.”
Ray curled his lip.
“Not being passive,” Cal corrected immediately, then laughed, short and startled. “Pleasing me a different way. You could have shown me this before. We could’ve….”
Ray moved one shoulder in a shrug; he had no other answer for whatever he had decided in the past. But, “Don’t think it would have felt right, then.” It was the best explanation he could manage.
“What’s changed now?” The weight of Cal’s hand was steady. Ray nearly closed his eyes. “Ah,” Cal realized warmly. “The others who would have objected are all gone. All your trust is in me, and your pack, so you are literally putting yourself in my hands? Or is that you can’t wear a bit of ribbon without it being true as the humans would mean that? You don’t have to…”
Ray pushed out a growl and lowered his head.
Cal bumped Ray’s chin, directing Ray to look up. Ray glared at him with glowing eyes.
“A wolf on a leash.” Cal exhaled. “That’s so much. Ray, that’s so much for one half-fairy. I wish you had made this clear when you claimed me. Claimedme, ha. It was the other way around and you didn’t… you probably didn’t know. Is that it?”
Ray swallowed, then nodded.
“No wonder they tried to keep me away, with all this in my power,” Cal said, the remark soft and seemingly already forgotten as he lowered his other hand to point to the floor. “Go on, then.”
“Hey, Cal! Come here!”
Cal jerked away from Ray and was nearly out the bedroom door before Ray barked, “Pants, Callalily.”
Benny was not shouting in alarm and he wasn’t in immediate danger. His tone was impatient and no one else was with him. But to appease Cal and before he could argue, Ray got up. “I’ll go. Finish dressing.”
Cal seemed to recall what they’d been doing before Benny had called out. He swept a look over Ray, then down at himself. He adjusted his cock as he raised his head, tearing his gaze away from Ray’s throat. “Well…”
He might try to argue anyway. Ray snorted and went to the living room to check on Benny for him.
“Benny’s seen me naked plenty of times!” Cal called after Ray in disgruntled sing-song.
Benny, facing the wall and dozens of taped-up pieces paper, waved that off without turning around.
“We made out when I was fifteen,” Benny confided in Ray casually when Ray came up to stand next to him.
“What?” Ray hadn’t asked. He most definitely had not asked anything like that. He didn’t think his amnesia would block that out.
“It was for twenty minutes… ten minutes really, but we kept trying in case a spark or something would happen.” Benny shrugged. “You’ll find it out again sooner or later.” He made a little ‘meh’ gesture with one hand. “A good first kiss for both of us to have, I think, but also really weird because it felt nice, but also not like anything. And your early twenties don’t count, you know?”
“Ah.” Ray had no idea what else to say to that that was safe. Cal messing around with Benny when they were younger was nothing next to Cal fucking random trolls as far as the wolf was concerned. That would have made no sense, except that Benny was pack, close pack, andpretty, much as Cal was. Ray glanced toward the bedroom, then at Benny again, feeling the need to say something in case Benny was worried. “I was sixteen. A boy from the drama department in my high school.”
“Nice.” Benny held out a fist. Ray, confused, did the same and let Benny bump it. “Cal!” Benny shouted again. “Come on!”
