Howl Down the Moon, page 19
“I dunno, only watched it; never done it before.”
“Why don’t you show me what you’re talking about?” Rand asked, passing him the ice cubes. The doctor part of him was fully expecting Luka to run them down his spine or press them to the back of his neck, or maybe run them across his chest, so when Luka asked him to take his pants off, he was momentarily dumbfounded.
“Why do you need my pants off?” Rand asked, taken a bit off guard when Luka cocked his head to the side and flicked his tongue out at him.
“’Cause that’s how the guy was in the video.”
“Um, okay,” Rand muttered, tangling the drawstrings of his sleep pants momentarily before getting them undone. Perhaps he intended to apply the ice to the backs of his knees or calves. To say he was feeling self-conscious as he stood there in just his briefs was an understatement. Especially when Luka looked him up and down.
“Those have to come off too,” Luka said.
Startled, Rand froze, mouth hanging half-open as he stared at Luka.
“Want me to help?” Luka offered, reaching for the waistband. By the time Rand remembered how to move, Luka had started peeling them down, so Rand helped, his body beginning to respond to the heated looks Luka was giving him.
Luka flicked his tongue out at him again, cracked open the mini-ice tray, and put a single ice cube in his mouth before sliding to his knees. The way Luka glanced up at him, part mischief and part seduction, sent Doctor Rand packing, leaving horny Rand free to think about wicked, wicked things he’d long been curious about. Cold—holy shit, cold. That was the first thought Rand had when Luka slowly sucked his cock into his mouth. The second was how warm Luka’s mouth was, even with the ice in it. The dual sensations, coupled by the slow sucking action Luka was treating him to, left Rand gasping. The way Luka moved the ice from one side of his mouth to the other, licking over Rand’s cock in the process, had him trembling and moaning.
When the first cube melted, Luka paused long enough to add a second, that beguiling look of his nothing like the innocent ones Luka had treated them to last night when he’d been snuggling up to them. Hissing, panting, Rand slid his hands into Luka’s hair, tugging just enough to get him to up the pace. His orgasm caught him completely off guard, coming when Luka used his tongue to slide the ice down his cock, then slowly sucked it off.
Rand was glad the counter was behind him because his knees threatened to give out and his legs felt like jelly by the time Luka was done. He cracked his eyes open just in time to see Luka lick a dribble of come from the corner of his mouth, his harsh breathing growing even more ragged.
“That must have been some video,” Rand muttered once he’d finally caught his breath. “What were you doing watching that kind of stuff in the first place?”
“Curious,” Luka replied, giving the tiniest shrug. This time, when his cheeks went a little pink, Rand got the impression it had embarrassed him a little to admit that. “I know what mates do together, but I was curious to know exactly how they did them, and my wolf likes the idea of us on our knees, looking up at one of you. Makes me feel good to know I made you sound all breathless and out of control like that.”
“Damn, that’s…umm…wow,” Rand muttered, tugging his pants back up with some difficulty, as stunned as he still was.
“Saw a video with Jell-O too,” Luka remarked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his hair looking a bit disheveled. “But we’d have to make some first.”
Oh, damn, talk about being curious. Rand’s lizard brain went straight to speculating about the different sensations that would produce.
“Where does Slade keep it?”
Luka pointed to a cabinet, and Rand wasted no time retrieving it while Luka put the kettle on, giggling a little, the sound a charming mix of beguiling innocence and pure, seductive sin.
“Does that mean you liked it?” Luka asked, peering over his shoulder, smirking even as the pink on his cheeks grew a little redder.
“Very much so,” Rand replied, placing the box of Jell-O on the counter before pulling Luka into a hug. “But I think we should save further exploration of the things you learned in those videos until Slade is here to join us. We wouldn’t want to make him jealous.”
Pouting, Luka treated him to those same puppy-dog eyes Slade had warned him about. Damn, that was adorable.
“Does that mean no kisses too?”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I think kisses would be perfectly fine,” Rand said, peppering Luka’s face with kisses until he had him giggling and squirming. Well, at least that was another surefire way to counter the puppy-dog stare. “Why don’t we pull something to thaw for dinner and finish getting everything organized and put away before Slade gets back? Then we can cuddle and watch a movie.”
Nodding enthusiastically, Luka bounded into the pantry, coming back less than a minute later with three brown-wrapped packages. “Venison,” Luka said as he set them in the sink to thaw. “Slade helped me make the kill. It was my first deer.”
“That’s one deer more than I’ve ever gotten,” Rand admitted.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. I’ve spent far more time reading books than I have learning to hunt,” Rand admitted. “I’d starve if it weren’t for the meat locker and the grocery store. I am definitely what some of the elders would consider a domesticated wolf. I’ve never even spent a night in the woods.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing Slade is so good at it,” Luka said softly. “I kinda suck. I freeze when the animal cries out, and I threw up after I killed the deer. Pretty sure I’m worse than a domesticated wolf. I didn’t have a lot of time to learn from my folks, and if it weren’t for Slade, I’d still be getting beat up by geese for trying to steal their eggs.”
Rand’s heart went out to him when he heard the pained, wistful tone in his voice. “How did you ever wander this far away from town without a vehicle?”
“I didn’t,” Luka explained. “Slade didn’t live this far away from town then.”
“I see.”
“I kind of screwed up his hunt by crashing through his thicket when three geese started chasing me and beating me up. After he’d scared them away and made a few teasing comments about the utter mess they’d made of me, he spent the rest of the day showing me the right way to hunt them and their eggs.”
“Wait, so you spent the whole day with him that first time?”
“Yeah, and he made sure I ate, too, before he let me go back home,” Luka explained. “I never imagined he’d turn out to be my mate. “
“And since you weren’t an adult at that point, no bond mark would have shown up regardless of how much time you spent with him,” Rand deduced. Judging from everything he’d learned about Terry’s death and how hell-bent Slade had been on hurting Dimitri every chance he got, he could only imagine why he’d eventually moved out here and why he hadn’t attempted to bring Luka with him, despite the fierce protectiveness he felt for him.
Luka pulled out a bowl and passed it to Rand, who captured his hand and tugged him into a hug.
“Lily loved to trace our mother’s bond mark with her fingers,” Luka said softly, trembling a little in Rand’s embrace. “Her favorite bedtime story was listening to how our mother and father met each other. The funny thing is, it’s a lot like how I met Slade, only they pounced on the same prey, and after a brief debate, Dad went home with Mom, who ultimately cooked the grouse they’d squabbled over.”
“Better than how you met me,” Rand said softly and instantly regretted it when he felt Luka tense in his arms.
“I deserved what you said to me,” Luka said, so soft and fragile it pained Rand to hear it. “I’m just glad you changed your mind about wanting me.”
Rand kissed the top of Luka’s head and held him close, a few things weighing on his mind. Luka’s mood had disintegrated so fast it was concerning. He suspected Luka had never gotten over the trauma of the fire and the sights and sounds he experienced that day. Thinking back over several of the things he’d heard Luka say, he knew his mate had self-esteem issues too, something Rand’s rejection would only have exacerbated.
“You didn’t deserve that,” Rand said softly. “It was cruel of me. Your heart was in the right place; mine was focused on punishing you. That wasn’t cool, especially for someone who has sworn to do no harm. When I think about what I would have missed out on by not knowing you, I feel like the worst kind of fool. One day, you’re going to see how truly special you are, and you’ll understand why I will never forgive myself for what I said to you.”
The kettle whistled, prompting Rand to reach over and shut off the burner so it would stop screaming at them.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wreck the mood,” Luka said, swiping at his cheeks and the trickle of tears Rand hated to see.
“You have nothing to apologize for, especially not when you’re expressing how you feel. I don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t be honest with me, especially if I’ve hurt you. I want to know, and that’s non-negotiable. Understand?”
Luka nodded, his eyes still sad, but at least the tears had stopped. Now all Rand had to do was nudge the mood back in a more enjoyable direction.
“What flavor should we use?” Rand asked, gently caressing Luka’s hair.
It took Luka a moment to focus on the boxes Rand had brought out, but once he did, he considered them carefully. “Pineapple, but I kind of want to mix it with the lime too.”
“So why don’t we?”
Luka shrugged, still a little hesitant, so Rand measured out the boiling water and put it in the bowl and began mixing the Jell-O.
“What should we have with the steaks?” Rand asked, the hint of pineapple and lime mingling to create a rather enjoyable scent. By focusing on the meal, he hoped he could get Luka’s mind off the things that made him sad and back on planning a relaxing evening.
“There’s dried mushrooms that I can turn in to a gravy with a bit of bacon,” Luka replied, moving toward the pantry to look around. “Oh, there are some carrots in here we can roast.”
“I like the sound of that,” Rand replied as he placed the Jell-O in the fridge to set.
Luka emerged a short time later with the mushrooms and carrots along with a collection of dried herbs and some brown sugar and arranged them on the counter.
“Now that we’ve got that organized, we might as well tackle the living room,” Rand suggested, wanting to hurry things along a bit so they could get to the part of the day that involved movies and holding Luka in his arms.
“Um, there’s a supply closet that hardly has anything in it. We could store your medical supplies there,” Luka suggested, leading Rand down a hall with sliding glass doors at the end.
Curiosity got the better of him, and Rand had to look outside, only to make out little but a blanket of snow. “What’s out there?”
“Deck and a hot tub,” Luka replied.
Well, now that had some interesting possibilities. Rand filed that bit of information away for later and followed Luka to the closet. “It’s perfect.”
“Awesome!”
Luka helped carry the supplies, but Rand shooed him away so he could meticulously organize everything in the closet himself. He lined up the boxes by sizes, which was visually appealing but not very practical, so he pulled everything out and started over again, this time grouping like items together. Bandages in one spot, tape in another, gauze on the same shelf since the three were usually used together. He’d finished two shelves before deciding to streamline the process further and pulled everything out for the second time. This time, when he put things back, he kept the groupings but organized the sizes of each, smallest to largest.
“You really do get lost in a task once you get started,” Luka remarked when Rand entered the living room and saw that the remainder of the items they’d left there had been moved.
“How long was I working on that?” Rand asked, looking around at the immaculate space.
Luka just shrugged. “I dunno. I never looked at the clock. Your suitcases are in front of your dresser. I’m going to make lunch while you get everything put away.”
Rand was just about to comment that it was too early for lunch when his stomach growled, silencing his argument. Luka disappeared into the kitchen, so Rand hurried to the bedroom to unpack. At least this part was easy. He just organized everything in the same manner as he had it back at his house and called it good.
The smell of tomatoes and basil drifted to him before he reached the kitchen, where Luka was swaying to a song on the radio while he stirred a pot, several sandwiches sizzling on the griddle beside him.
“I hope tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches works for you,” Luka said by way of greeting.
“Absolutely,” Rand replied, glancing around to see if there was anything he could help with, but Luka already had two mugs of tea steeping alongside the plates and bowls he’d set out on the counter. Soon they were seated across from one another in a scene so cozy and domestic that Rand could scarcely believe he was a participant. It dawned on him then that he hadn’t given a single thought to research or theories since making the decision to come out here. How could he? The man across from him was gorgeous, even with his hair still a bit mussed up from their earlier activities. If anything, it made him more appealing. Rand found it difficult to take his eyes off Luka while they were eating, twice missing his mouth with his spoon, only to make Luka giggle when soup dribbled down his chin.
“Are you sure you know how to work one of those things?” Luka asked, pointing to Rand’s spoon, eyes back to the beautiful sparkle they’d been earlier in the day.
“Nope, I am an epic fail with it,” Rand said, dramatically emphasizing his words. “In fact, I am so tragically hopeless with it that I fear I’ll be forced to sop up the remainder of my soup with my sandwich.”
Of course Luka, that little shit, just laughed and pointed down to his bowl, wiped clean of everything but the barest smear of soup. “You shoulda done that in the first place.”
Chapter Nineteen
THE WARMTH FROM the fireplace hit him as he came through the door, and Slade sighed, glad to be out of the cold. Soft sounds from the television, on low volume, clued him in to exactly where to find his mates. Stepping into the living room, he was greeted with the sight of a sleeping Luka, his head pillowed on Rand’s thigh, looking as serene and content as Slade had ever seen him. Rand was stroking his hair, but when he saw Slade, he put a finger to his lips, then pointed toward the kitchen. With a nod, Slade took the hint, delicious scents still lingering in the air from whatever they’d made for supper.
“You didn’t have to wait up,” Slade said when Rand entered the room. “I fully expected you guys would be in bed by now with as early as we got up this morning.”
“We were enjoying a few movies,” Rand replied, removing a plate of food from the fridge.
“I can get that,” Slade said, moving to take it from him and warm it when Rand cut him a look so fierce Slade backed up, both hands in the air.
“How was the hunt?” Rand asked as he slid the plate in the oven.
“Successful, thank the gods. We had people distributing the meat throughout the day, but we sent them home when it got dark. Our hunting party finished the last of it with an elk we divided between several families. We’ve got another hunt planned for next week, with the goal being to stock the general store freezers. Can you make time tomorrow to go with me to a friend’s place? Her mate had a raspy, rattling cough that she’s concerned about. When I told her about you being up here, she asked if you could please come by.”
“Of course. We can go right after breakfast if you’d like.”
“That would be wonderful, and I know it would take a load off her mind to know what’s going on, instead of throwing herbal remedies at it to no effect,” Slade replied as Rand brought his plate over and set it on the table in front of him.
“Oh, man, that smells good.”
“Luka helped me get acquainted with the kitchen, and I must say, the triple-cheese grilled cheese sandwiches he made this afternoon were delicious. Talk about elevating a simple sandwich to a whole other level.”
Slade nodded, unable to answer around the succulent venison that was practically melting in his mouth. “He made tomato-basil soup with it, didn’t he?”
“Yup.”
“So good; was one of the first things he made for me after he got here. He said it was something he and his dad liked to make together,” Slade said. “I take it you guys had a good day? Did Luka find you a spot to store your medical supplies?”
“Hall cabinet not too far from the doors leading to a particular hot tub that I’m rather curious about.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to unearth it so Luka and I can introduce you to it.”
“Speaking of Luka,” Rand began, and something about his tone made Slade put his fork down and give him his undivided attention. “I’ve got some concerns about him.”
“Such as?” Judging from the look on Rand’s face, Slade knew he’d failed to keep the growl out of his voice.
“Have you ever noticed his mood suddenly shift or how often he puts himself down?”
“I have,” Slade admitted, tapping his fingertips on the table. “I’ve addressed the whole calling himself stupid, a failure, hopeless, and worthless issue several times. He does good for a little while; then he slides right back into the same pattern. I’ve noticed it happens most often when the subject of his parents, or of something he never had the chance to learn, comes up in a conversation.”
“Yeah, that’s when it happened today too, and his whole mood shifted with it. He went from teasing and flirting with me to talking about how much he sucked at hunting and had deserved the shitty things I said to him when we first met. I tried to tell him he didn’t, but I don’t think he actually believed me.”
It was impossible to miss the pained look on Rand’s face when he said that, further proof of just how much he regretted that moment.
“Doc Washington said he’d offered Luka counseling when he was young and tried to get him to move in with him and his mates after the fire, but Luka declined both. Not that I’ve got a leg to stand on in that regard. I turned down a similar offer, of counseling anyway, after Terry died and again just a few weeks ago when he was out here,” Slade admitted.
