He jumped off the cliff and took to the open subspace sky, his mind floating past reality and into the space only a select few get to experience. His body was a series of jerks as his surrender amplified his pleasure. He was aware of Caster’s arms, the strength grounding him, but even that was something outside of this experience.
He reached for it with both hands, allowing its healing essence to wipe away all doubt, all fear as he slipped pastconsciousness, no longer aware of anything but ecstasy.
When he came to, Mark was aware of two things: Caster’s smile and the fear he would never feel that way again. How long had he been out? The ecstasy that comes with full surrender doesn’t conform to space/time.
Caster’s smile grew. “About twenty minutes.” The smile died, replaced by his dependable, calm expression tinged with awe. “You were beautiful. I wanted nothing more than to join you there.”
He couldn’t hope to put the barrier up now. He was too sated to muster the effort. Plus, he wasn’t sure he wanted to lose the connection.
Caster’s hand flowed through his hair with little resistance, the contact with his scalp sending bursts of energy through his body. “Neither do I.”
A subtle frown creased his forehead, but they were close enough for Mark to notice it. Concern intruded on his calm contentment.
Caster shook his head, his calm expression returning. “No. Don’t worry. Just feel good. Can you do that for me?”
He tried to say yes, but it came out as a moan. He pushed even closer to Caster’s body, so he was almost on top of him. His touch moved from his hair to the back of his neck, spreading the contentment into his lower body, and Mark soaked it up like a sponge, unwilling to let a modicum of reality in.
“Let’s not think about that,” Caster whispered. “We have today, we’ll always have today.” He shifted, allowing Mark to lay his head on his shoulder, a far more comfortable position for them.
The silence dragged on, its presence more comfortable than awkward. Caster’s gentle touches morphed from a comfort to an arousing temptation, and this time, the moan from his lips was a plea.
“You’re insatiable, aren’t you?” The hint of laughter in Caster’s words didn’t diminish his budding arousal. “Tell me about your first time.”
The request, no hint of command in his tone, was still startling enough for Mark to leave the comfort of his shoulder.
Caster didn’t skip a beat, shrugging even as his touch continued to be a distraction. “How old were you when youknew?”
“That I was submissive?” His voice was a little stronger than he’d expected it to be.
Caster nodded.
His mind went back to that moment many years ago, looking for the best way to frame it, but nothing could replace the truth. “It was an accident.”
Caster raised an eyebrow.
“You know that all wolves, except for Alphas, are submissive in one way, right?”
He waited for the nod, his audience captive even though the gentle touches continued.
“Well… even Alphas are submissive to the Prime Alpha.” He shook his head, still trying to find a way to present the subject without looking like an utter fool. “Anyway, the submission in that way is not like…”
“Like us?”
He nodded. “It’s not sexual. So, when I met a Dominant for the first time who wasn’t an Alpha, one my human side wanted to submit to, I was so fucking confused.” He laughed because the alternative was unthinkable. “He took full advantage.”
Caster’s hand stopped its wandering, resting on his hip, his body hardening.
“It’s OK. I was fine.”
“What’s his name?”
He gasped at the hardness in Caster’s tone, at the angercoiling his muscles in readiness.
“Dean took care of it.” His attempt to ease the tension only increased it.
“That wasn’t my question.”
The commanding tone returned, and Mark’s heart raced, not out of fear of what he might do, but the safety his protection promised and the implications of accepting it.