Star-Crossed Mates (5 page)

He didn’t say anything else, nor did he sound accusing in any way. This was not Wolfram Rozenstadt, Magistrate over all spirit wolves, but Wolfram, Klaus’s friend. The words came easily. “I went to meet my mate, or rather my mates.”

“In Ireland,” Wolfram completed his sentence. “With Andrew Blunt’s serum.”

When Klaus nodded, Wolfram sighed. “You know you should be arrested right now. I’m sure you helped them get away. They couldn’t have eluded the hunters otherwise.”

“If you do imprison me, I will ask you to hear me out first. Ross is a victim in all of this.”

Wolfram arched a brow at him. “How so?”

Klaus opened his mouth to explain, but he realized Ross never actually got to explain. “He was forced into it by Joseph,” he said.

“I thought we already suspected that,” Wolfram shot back.

“Anything else?”

“We didn’t have much time before the hunters interrupted us,”

Klaus explained. “But my gut and my heart tell me more than enough.”

Wolfram’s gaze could have pierced diamonds. “How do I know your good judgment isn’t affected by whatever power Ross has?”

“I suppose you just have to trust me.”

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It was a gamble, something Klaus never attempted with his friend.

He hoped Wolfram would appreciate it and understand his point.

“Very well, Klaus. I can accept that. I’ll hear them out, but I don’t guarantee the result. Ross caused a lot of damage at the Hart compound. He almost killed Paul. So it doesn’t only depend on me.”

Wolfram got up, now in Magistrate mode. “I’ve never been accused of nepotism, Klaus. I trust I’m not taking the chance for nothing.”

Klaus bowed his head, half to convey his respect, half to hide his eyes from Wolfram’s. “Thank you, My Lord. You will not regret it.”

Wolfram headed toward the door. He stopped just as he put his hand on the knob. “Tell me this, Klaus. If Clay is your mate, why did you stay by my side all this time?”

It was the question Klaus had been dreading. As much as he wanted to convey his fear and distress, he doubted anyone would ever grasp it. He didn’t even know if his mates believed him. “I stayed because I understand,” he said.

Wolfram didn’t ask anything else. He left the room without another word. Klaus stared at the door for the longest time, wondering what his Magistrate would do.

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Ross’s mind whirled. The night in Ireland had done a lot to put things into perspective. He’d always sensed the pain hidden inside Clay, a pain he himself stirred, but didn’t realize the root cause until now. Beyond the obvious chemistry between Klaus and Clay, the man represented an enigma. Oddly, Ross believed his explanation, but at the same time, he remained concerned.

He couldn’t understand Klaus’s insistence to return to the Magistrate’s side, and it frustrated him. How could Klaus just leave them to their own devices and run back like a loyal puppy to Wolfram’s side?

Ross had never met Wolfram, but so far, he didn’t have a very good impression of the man. He sounded selfish and self-centered.

Ross might not have an excellent history with the spirit wolves, but at least he hadn’t stolen a man away from his mate.

Still, he supposed he should be thankful they’d avoided capture so far. They’d left Ireland posthaste and found refuge in a small village in France. No one paid any heed to them, since tourists were apparently quite common.

Now, the day of their established contact with Klaus had come.

Ross threw a look toward Clay. “Well? Aren’t we going to call?”

Clay didn’t answer. He just stared outside the window with an absent expression. Ross crossed the room and reached out for the young spirit wolf. “Clay, come on.” Ross wrapped an arm around Clay’s shoulders. “Talk to me. What’s the matter?”

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He could feel the anxiety coursing through his mate, but didn’t have the courage to fully reach out. “It’s just that… No matter what we do, the Magistrate is always going to be more important to Klaus.

Even if one day, everything turns out the way we want it to, I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive him.”

Ross could understand Clay’s pain, but chose to play devil’s advocate. “Why not? You forgave me.”

Clay sighed. “It’s not the same. I don’t blame you for what happened at the compound. That was all Joseph. But Klaus… He does what he wants to. No one forced his hand to leave me and humiliate me like he did.”

Ross didn’t manage to find anything to say to that. He just turned Clay and pressed his lips to the other man’s. Their bodies fit perfectly against each other, with Clay’s just a little more muscular than his.

Beautiful and delicious, just like Ross remembered it.

At first, Clay seemed surprised, but then, he took charge of the kiss. Ross melted against his mate, allowing Clay to devour him. He didn’t know much about kissing. Clay was the only person he’d ever kissed, other than a few chaste pecks during his time with his adoptive families. But for once, Ross didn’t feel bad about his inexperience. He knew anything would fall short in front of Clay’s passion.

Clay’s tongue invaded Ross’s mouth, massaging, tasting, taking no prisoners. Ross pushed closer to his mate, rubbing against the other man. He could feel Clay’s erection against his thigh, and he found himself yearning to touch it, to taste it.

As their kiss broke, Ross licked across Clay’s jaw and sucked on his mate’s Adam’s apple. He smiled to himself when Clay groaned out his name. Apparently, he’d found a sensitive spot. Taking advantage of his mate’s distraction, Ross pushed Clay against the wall. Before he could change his mind or chicken out, he knelt at the spirit wolf’s feet.

The new position changed their dynamic tremendously. As he struggled to work his mate’s pants open, Ross experienced a
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flashback of panic. Joseph had asked him to do this exact same thing.

True, Ross refused, but he’d earned himself a horrible beating and near-death for his disobedience.

Clay’s gentle hands pet his hair. “Hey, it’s okay,” his mate said in a gentle voice. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want.”

Ross looked up at the other man and the moment seemed to go on forever. Ross’s fear lingered at the forefront of his mind, haunting him. At his every step, Joseph was there, threatening to slip back into his mind if he didn’t pay attention. Even now, Ross felt the damn feral trying to make use of the occasion.

But Ross refused to accept Joseph’s control. He’d hurt so many because Joseph told him to. He’d destroyed the serum that could help the ferals remove their insanity. Never again. Never again would Ross allow Joseph to takeover.

Ross clung to the desire and affection he saw in Clay’s gaze and steadied himself. Once he steeled his resolve, he found it strangely easy to lower Clay’s zipper with his teeth. His mate’s cock sprung up, already leaking a copious amount of pre-cum.

Any doubt Ross might have kept dissipated, replaced by sheer lust and sensual curiosity. He pressed his tongue to the tip, taking in his mate’s taste. He had no idea what to do, so he just went with it, licking Clay like he would a lollipop, occasionally sucking on the purplish head. On impulse, he reached down and massaged Clay’s balls with his hand.

He must have been doing something right because their connection flooded with Clay’s pleasure. It took Ross by surprise, and he moaned around Clay’s dick. In echo, Clay groaned, his head thumping against the wall.

Ross could feel his mate’s desire to thrust increasing more and more. At first, Clay kept hold of his control, obviously remembering Ross’s original reluctance. But Ross didn’t allow his mate to back down. Through their connection, he tried to convey the fact it was all right and he could take it. In the end, Clay let go and began plunging
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his cock in Ross’s mouth in earnest. Ross lost his rhythm and focused on holding on, letting his mate do whatever he wanted with him.

Clay fucked his mouth, his hands yanking on Ross’s hair, pulling him closer. Ross did his best to breathe through his nose and take Clay as deep as he could. He could smell the manly scent of Clay’s bush, oh so close. His arousal increased more and more. By some miracle, he managed to muster enough coherence of mind to unzip his own trousers.

In a peculiar development, Ross found his mind drifting, imagining a different man there, with them. He could almost feel Klaus’s presence, joining them in a dream-like state. He couldn’t have explained it if he tried, but neither did he care.

As Clay fucked his mouth, Ross allowed himself to enjoy the moment, the feel of Clay’s cock on his tongue, the pleasure flowing through their connection and the urgent need he sensed from Klaus. A part of him reached out to the other man, crossing over distance of emotion and space.

At first, he resisted the temptation to touch himself, knowing it wouldn’t take much to bring him over. But soon, the desire became too intense, and he reached down, jacking his own dick in fierce strokes. A few moments later, Clay buried his cock deep in Ross’s mouth, sending hot seed down his throat in an explosive orgasm.

Faced with his mate’s pleasure, Ross couldn’t hold on. His climax swept out of him, making every nerve ending in his body alive with ecstasy.

Ross would have liked to cling to the moment forever, but alas, the haze began to dwindle all too soon. He collapsed on the floor, dazed. Clay knelt by his side, and they shared a brief, delicious kiss.

“That was amazing,” Clay whispered when they broke apart. “Thank you.”

Ross could still sense the pain inside Clay, but it became a bit more soothed. “I think maybe, in time, I might be able to forgive
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him,” Clay said. “I tried to ignore the past once. It never would have worked, even if Klaus hadn’t pushed me away.”

“It’s not your fault,” Ross answered. That much, he knew. In all this mess, just Clay remained a victim. Both Klaus and Ross hurt him.

For his part, Ross knew he didn’t have any right to judge Klaus. He slowly realized it and understood it more and more. But he needed to try to make it up to Clay. To do that, the three of them would have to work together.

For the moment, they had a call to make. They’d already delayed it long enough, in fear of what would happen, what Klaus would say.

Ross and Clay got up at the same time. In swift motions, they cleaned up a bit, packed their bags, and left the room. Keeping an apparently unhurried pace to avoid drawing attention, they headed toward the pay phone outside the little bed-and-breakfast they’d chosen as a temporarily hideout. They’d chosen this method of communication because all others could be tracked. Since they intended to leave the bed-and-breakfast after this, they should be all right.

Clay retrieved the phone card, inserted it in the slot, and dialed Klaus’s number. Ross held his breath as he waited. Klaus picked up on the first ring. “Hi,” he said, sounding a bit breathless. “How are you doing?”

Ross surmised Klaus must have experienced at least a glimpse of their sexual episode earlier. He imagined the man getting aroused over Ross’s blow job, but quickly pushed away the thought. Now was not the time for such things. They needed to focus on the practical first, such as how to get rid of the virus in Ross’s system and explain the situation to the spirit wolf Magistrate.

“We’re okay,” Clay replied. “Any news?”

“I talked to Wolfram,” Klaus said after a brief moment of hesitation. Immediately, Clay tensed, and so did Ross. Any contact Klaus had with the Magistrate increased the abyss gaping between Ross’s mates.

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“All right,” Clay said neutrally. “What did he say?”

“He’s willing to hear you out, but you’d have to come back.”

Ross shared a look with Clay, his feeling of uneasiness increasing within him. What if he did return to the States and Wolfram decided he was guilty? Sure enough, Ross more than deserved any punishment Wolfram would think of, but he didn’t want to be separated from Clay. His mate needed him.

And then there was Joseph. Ross couldn’t be certain, but he believed the feral must be in America. The distance between them made Joseph’s hold of him dwindle, even in the moments when the virus took hold. So far, Ross managed to keep his fear in check and avoid any panic attack, but he didn’t know what would happen should he see Joseph again.

More than anything, Ross hated to be weak. He hated the way Joseph made him feel torn, helpless. Joseph knew exactly how to attack him, how to tear into Ross’s mind and turn him into a broken man, a mere puppet. Ross knew his instability would return if they went back.

Clay must’ve sensed his anxiety. “Can’t we meet someplace else?” he asked into the phone. “It would be safer.”

At the other side of the connection, Klaus sighed. “I’ll try to see what I can do, but I can’t promise anything. Wolfram is in some trouble now and—”

Before Klaus could finish the phrase, Clay interrupted him, “Tell you what. Why don’t you stay with your precious Magistrate? Thanks for bringing me the serum for Ross. I consider our accounts clear.”

“Clay, wait,” Klaus tried to protest. “I didn’t mean—”

The anger on Clay’s beautiful face drained, turning into pure emotional exhaustion. “It’s okay. Ross and I will manage on our own.

You have your road, and we have ours. I see that now. Good-bye.”

Without further ado, Clay ended the call. He put the receiver back and retrieved his phone card. “We should get out of here,” he told Ross. “They probably know where we called from by now.”

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Ross nodded. They silently returned to their room and grabbed their meager belongings. After paying the owner, they left the little bed-and-breakfast and headed out into the unknown.

* * * *

Klaus stared at the phone in his hand in disbelief. Just a few moments ago, he’d sensed his tenuous connection with his mates overflowing with sexual energy. That had given him hope, at the same time making him dread the moment of the call. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Clay would not forgive him so easily. Klaus had hoped Clay would be open to suggestions, and that might’ve been the case, if Klaus hadn’t fucked up yet again.