13. Danny

Chapter 13

Danny

Riley

not that you probably care seeing as you're still ignoring me, but i have another hookup coming over at 7pm

idc if you come over. i'm only telling you because you'll be pissed if i don't

and, unlike you, I care about making this friendship work. Ignore me all you want, but I'm not going anywhere

I was standing by my motorbike, trying to process the texts that kept coming. After talking to Leo earlier today, I'd resolved to talk to Riley. To get everything out in the open and move on from there.

Meanwhile, Riley was thinking about getting off with a stranger again.

"Jesus fucking Christ, " I bellowed, throwing my phone at the wall. It didn't even have the decency to break, the cover Riley had got me keeping it safe and sound.

"Not sure what's going on, but I don't think you can blame Jesus."

I jumped out of my skin before turning my glower on Ferry. "Why are you here?"

"Picking up Leo," he said, gesturing at the fire station behind me. "Are you going to tell me why you've fallen out with your phone?"

"No," I ground out, trying to find my carefree grin and failing. "Just…trying to figure some stuff out and now it's got even more…complicated. Things with Riley have got a bit weird and now I don't know what to do. It's all messed up."

"Ah." Ferry nodded slowly. "I can understand that."

"You can?"

"Yes. You forget that I was pursuing Leo, knowing he was my mate, while he had no idea who I was to him. Nor had he realised he was into men. Not only did he need to figure out his feelings for me, but I had to figure out how to behave around him. I'd waited thousands of years to be properly reunited with him, only for him to view me as a stranger. You can't really get more complicated than that."

"How did you bear it?" I asked. "Knowing your feelings for Leo went deeper than his feelings for you?"

"With patience." He patted my arm. "That's probably not the answer you want to hear, but it's the truth. I had faith that Leo would return my feelings eventually, and he did."

"Because he's your fated mate." I tried and failed to keep the bitterness out of my voice. "Not all of us have that luxury."

Ferry's gaze turned confused. "Wait, shifters don't have fated mates?"

"Nope, that's reserved for angels and demons only." I gave him a thin smile. "The rest of us are expected to use our own judgement and hope for the best."

"Ah. That actually makes a lot of sense."

"What does?"

"Why you and Riley aren't already mated. I figured there must be a reason, but if you aren't fated, I imagine the pull is easier to fight." He paused thoughtfully. "Not that you can ignore it entirely."

I grabbed my helmet, trying to signal that the conversation was over. As a supe, it was completely unnecessary, but humans would question it if I didn't wear one. "Like I said, he's not my fated mate, so there's no pull."

"Does your wolf think that?"

I froze. "What?"

Ferry lifted his hand to wave at Leo, who had just exited the building. "With all the time you've spent with Riley, I'm assuming your wolf has claimed him even if you haven't. I'm not a shifter, but I can't imagine that's easy to ignore."

Then, like he hadn't just dropped a fucking truth bomb into my lap, Ferry sauntered off and wrapped himself around his mate.

I stared after him, my jaw still hanging. Seriously? Did everyone know about my feelings for Riley before I did?

Number one idiot, that was me.

It didn't solve any of my problems though. I couldn't take a mate without endangering them and having to return to my clan…and Riley didn't want a relationship, let alone a mate.

One thing was for certain though, I wasn't going to sit here while another man went to his house and fucked him.

No, I'd avoided Riley long enough. Too long, if I was being honest. I missed him. It had been the longest fourteen days of my life, and I fucking missed him.

No more. I was going to have some balls, like Leo had suggested, and tackle this problem head on.

Assuming I didn't arrive at Riley's to find someone else balls deep inside him. My wolf strained against my skin.

I rode way too fast to Riley's, breaking every traffic law known to man. I wasn't worried though, a quick text to Sebastian later would clear up any issues. Twat he might have been, but there wasn't a system he couldn't hack.

My heart was hammering in my chest as I pulled onto Riley's street. What if I was too late? What if his hookup had arrived before me?

I'd barely flicked the engine off before I was striding for the front door. Helmet in hand, I touched it to realise it was on the latch.

Fuck.

I stood there for a second. If Riley was having sex with someone, there was no way I wanted to hear that. I couldn't. My wolf was fighting his lead already, desperate to be free.

I strained my ears, letting my power slip from me. All I could hear was Riley's rapid, staccato breaths. He was breathing fast—because someone was touching him? Or was he just anticipating what was to come?

My power returned to me, telling me Riley was the only one in the house. The relief that hit me was so staggering that I had to cling to the doorframe to remain upright.

I wasn't too late.

Unleashing my power once more, I set up a compulsion net over Riley's front door. Any humans who approached within the next three hours would turn away without knocking. I felt zero shame over it. I didn't want my time with Riley to be interrupted.

Leaving my helmet on the table, I kicked my shoes off and hustled up the stairs. It was strange; I'd spent the past two weeks avoiding Riley, and really he was the one I should've been talking to. Leo was right—keeping all of this from Riley was a dick move.

Especially when you considered everything else I'd been keeping from him…namely that it had been me dicking him down, not a random bloke off the street.

I took the stairs two at a time. For a moment, I'd forgotten that Riley was expecting someone, but it came screaming back to me as I pushed open his bedroom door.

Blood rushed to my cock at the sight before me with aching swiftness. Just like the first two times, Riley was kneeling face down on the bed. His legs were apart, his dusky hole on display. It was glistening with lube, just begging me to sink my shaft into it.

No, I told myself. Not this time.

Crossing over to him, I touched his shoulder. I planned on speaking, alerting him to my presence, but the instant I touched him, I was lost. My hand moved of its own accord, sliding along the muscles of his back reverently.

My wolf was panting right alongside me. Fuck, I'd missed Riley. I'd missed him so much. How had I been able to stay away for so long?

"I know it's you." Riley's muffled words had me freezing. "I know you're the same person as the first two times."

Horror washed over me. How did he know? And more importantly, did he know it was me ?

"I don't mind," he said, shaking his arse pointedly. "I want you to fuck me again."

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. My hand was still touching him, refusing to leave his skin.

"I don't know who you are, just that it's been you both times," Riley said, his head remaining pressed against the pillow. "Please, don't make me wait. I want you to do this."

My mind went blank. What did I do? If I alerted Riley to my presence, he'd know it had been me all along. If I left, would he look to see who it was? I could leave the room faster than he could move, but a normal human wouldn't be able to.

He'd know it was me regardless.

"Please," he whispered. "Just once more."

I wavered. Maybe doing this was for the best. We'd have sex, then I'd leave and pretend to come back. Once I'd talked to Riley, explained what was going on with me, I could confess what I'd done. That it had been me this whole time.

He couldn't find out before though. He might not give me a chance to explain if he didn't understand that I'd had no choice. That, at first, I couldn't stand the idea of him being hurt or taken advantage of.

That my wolf had claimed him as mine…even if neither of us wanted that.

Riley whined, reaching under himself to stroke his erection. "Please."

His quiet plea decided for me. Riley shouldn't have to beg or take matters into his own hands, not while I was here.

My zipper came down, finally relieving the pressure on my aching cock. Pausing to put on the condom, I wondered if we'd ever do this again. If we did, I'd be able to take him bare like our first night together. Would he let me?

Bit premature, my inner voice chided me as I prepped Riley further. He never got himself ready enough for someone my size. He might not let you in the same room as him again once he knows the truth.

I forced that thought away. That wasn't going to happen. Riley was a reasonable man. He'd understand why I'd done this, I was sure. As for the other stuff? Well, even I didn't know what I wanted, so I couldn't expect Riley to either.

All I knew was that I needed to start being honest with him. This would be the last time I'd lie to him.

I pushed past the tight ring of muscle.

The last time I'll pretend.

I smothered a groan as his now familiar heat greeted me.

The last time I'll hide anything from him.

Thrusting forwards, drawing a garbled moan from Riley.

The last time I'll run from my feelings.

Fingertips tightening on hips, white spots appearing beneath.

The last time I'll deny the truth staring me in the face.

Covering his back with my weight, my hand going beneath him.

The last time I'll fuck him like this.

My teeth grazing his neck.

Please don't let this be the last time. Please.

Riley came a split second before I did, his spine bowing as his hole clamped around my cock. My release rushed forth to join his, my vision whiting out. I could feel my mouth moving. Could hear sound coming out of it. I was out of control. I didn't know what I was saying. The words my mouth was forming without my permission.

A distant alarm was screaming in my mind, trying desperately to get my attention. I was too far gone to hear it. Too far gone to remember to stay silent.

When I finally regained enough sense to realise what I was saying, horror washed through me.

Over and over again, I was murmuring one word.

" Princess. "

Riley was stiff beneath me. His head lifted an inch from the pillow, but he didn't look back. Then he asked one question. Said one word.

And I knew everything was over.

"Danny?"