14. Cade

14

CADE

H ot damn! Finally, something that made sense. My head spun with ideas, but the baseline idea still remained. I had to find Death. Even though the entity had died…well, perhaps. Maybe? I wasn't sure how any of this made sense. I hoped that Jay's ex's grandmother might have some answers.

Auntie Lavinia was gone. Mom was gone. I didn't have any other supernatural leaders in the family left. I was it. The lone wolf. No one else would have been as knowledgeable as Aunt Lavinia and Mom. I was going to have to do some legwork on my own.

I glanced at my watch. It was almost eleven o'clock at night. Sam was still up — his eyelids drooping but gaze holding steadfast to the TV screen.

"If you give it another fifteen minutes, he'll be out like a light." Jay elbowed me in the ribs, nodding toward Sam.

Sure enough, his head started to bob forward. A good sign he was ready for sleep.

"As soon as he's out, I'll put him in the spare room. He'll be safe?" Jay looked at me to get confirmation.

"We haven't seen anything all day, and from the way this house is built, I cannot imagine we're going to have issues."

"God, I hope not." Jay closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. It didn't take the full fifteen. Sam's head lulled forward and didn't come back up. "I'll put him to bed."

While Jay was busy tucking Sam in, I poured us each the last of the red wine.

When Jay entered the kitchen, I held out the glass to him, which he gratefully accepted.

"I gotta tell ya, I'm exhausted. The past few days have been unnerving." Jay took a sip.

"You've done remarkably well taking this all in. Not many would be able to."

"I'm still not sure I can. I know it hasn't all hit me yet. But there's this amazing dude, who has been really kind and has got this sixth sense, who protects us." Jay took a step closer to me.

I put my wine down on the counter, grabbed the sides of Jay's sweatpants and pulled him toward me.

"I know there's a lot going on, and we're not out of the thick of it yet, but can I kiss you?" I asked, staring into Jay's welcoming eyes.

"I've been waiting all night for some boy time. I don't know what it is about you, Cade, but despite everything going on, you make me forget the worst. I get lost in the smell of you, the feel of you?—"

He didn't get the chance to finish. I moved my arms from his waist to his head and pulled him in for a long, warm, wet, stubble-against-beard, kiss.

Jay sighed, which progressed into a moan.

His cock immediately stiffened and as he leaned into me, he pressed himself against my thigh.

Not sure why, but a boner always felt good when rubbed against something. Even if it was caged within clothes.

I pulled away from our oral exploration.

"I want to see," I said while pulling on the drawstrings of his sweats.

"We just have to be quiet."

"I know. I will be. That means you too." I pulled one string, which undid the bow he had tied. I pulled the waistband out.

"Jay McClaren, you naughty boy. You're freeballing?"

"I took off the underwear about an hour ago. Couldn't stand them any longer."

I reached into his pants and cupped his balls, which filled my palm and spilled over.

"Big nuts, big cock. Lucky me." I waggled my eyebrows, then gripped Jays' rod and stroked him a few times.

"Oh God." Jay shivered with delight. The tip of his meat glistened with pre-come. I ran my finger through the fluid and swirled it around the head, then under his foreskin. "You are devious. That feels amazing."

I pulled my finger away, popped it in my mouth, and sucked, tasting him.

"Mm, delicious." I stuck my finger back on the tip and continued to massage Jay's fat dick head. He moaned.

"Maybe we should take this to the bedroom?" Jay asked.

"Gladly." I grabbed my wine glass, as Jay took his, then I reached for his free hand, gripped it tight, and led him down the hall. As we passed by Sam's room for the night, we stopped. We could hear Sam's breathing was steady, and as Jay pushed open the bedroom door to look in on him, the shaft of light from the hallway illuminated his peaceful face. Hopefully, that would continue throughout the night.

Jay turned to me and smiled, then ushered me down the hall and into the primary bedroom. With no furniture other than an air mattress, we set our wine glasses down on the floor, then stood and faced each other.

"Can I undress you? Jay asked.

"I am all yours. You may do what you wish."

"Such a gentlemen." Jay smiled as he started to unbutton my shirt. The minute he had enough of my chest exposed, he ran his hand over the hair. "Fuck I love this. I would never grow bored of petting your chest."

I gripped his erection through his pants and squeezed. "You're wearing too many clothes."

"Then take them off for me." Jay cocked an eyebrow, as if the gesture was a dare.

I got to work. The sweats peeled off easily enough, but the size of Jay's chest after so much time in a gym meant I was tugging on his snug-fitting tee. But I wasn't about to give in. Once he was naked and standing before me with his sizable erection, I dropped to my knees and swallowed him down to the base.

"Oh my God. You're good at that." Jay gripped the back of my head and gently thrust his hips.

I gagged a little. He was enormous.

"I'm sorry." Jay pulled out.

"Oh no, don't be." I snatched his waist and pulled him toward my open mouth. This time, I really did gag. I had to remember to relax and coordinate my breathing. My stretched lips complained but the velvety skin sitting on my tongue and the salty honey of excitement with tangy flavours made me forget about any discomfort.

I caressed Jay's butt cheeks. They were smooth where mine were furry.

I slid my fingers down the crack of his ass and found his hole, teasing it with a finger.

"If you keep that up, I will come, and it's way too early for that to happen." Jay pulled away, then looked down at me, "You are not naked. Stand up."

"Yes, sir," I said, beaming ear to ear.

In the silence of the night, with nothing but a side lamp casting a yellow glow across the barren room, I watched Jay's fingers deftly pull apart my remaining buttons, on both my jeans and my shirt.

He ghosted my skin with barely felt fingertips raising goose pimples all over my body. My nipples hardened into little fur-covered nubs. Jay noticed and tweaked them.

My cock bobbed with excitement.

In the warmly lit glow of the room, a stark contrast to the cold winter night outside, and the frosty death grip Auntie Lavinia had left, Jay's presence left me hot and sweaty.

It had been so long. Too long.

Jay's gentle stroking evolved into heavy petting, touching every inch of skin.

"You've even got a furry back. You do not understand how effin' sexy that is."

"I'm honoured to be your Neanderthal."

"You're my teddy bear." Jay clasped both of us together in one hand and stroked as he leaned forward and kissed me.

I sucked in air as my eyes rolled into the back of my head. My knees wobbled as his tongue invaded my mouth and left me grasping on to his massive biceps so I could remain standing.

"Fuck me…" I groaned.

"Nope. You're gonna top me. I want your cock buried deep inside me while you press your body against me and all I'll feel is your fur rubbing up against me while you pound my ass. Maybe after that I'll fuck you. Maybe." Jay chided but continued to stroke us both.

I have never leaked much pre-come, but Jay produced it in gallons, and with his continued back and forth fist movement, our cocks had become a slicked mess.

Warm and wet.

A tingle ran down my spine and heat blossomed in my groin. My balls tightened.

"Jay, I'm gonna?—"

"Oh, fuck." Jay's hips reflexively bucked as a spray of white exploded out from him.

That pushed me over the edge as I added to the sticky mess.

After several more strokes, we were both leaning against each other, battling for air, and attempting to find the muscle strength in our legs to stand up straight.

Jay let go of us.

I glanced down. My erection was coated.

Jay knelt, grabbed my cock, and shoved it into his mouth, sucking the come off of me. Once I was clean, he bounced up, licked his lips, then gave me a peck on the mouth.

"Delicious." He turned toward the bathroom, but I halted his steps.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To clean up?"

"Like hell you are." I swung him around and then dropped onto my knees and repeated his actions. An accomplishment for me as Jay was much bigger, but I wasn't going to let him have all the fun.

I licked him several times, then stood up, and with come still on my tongue, I kissed him.

He moaned. "Fuck, you are amazing. Please tell me we can do that again."

"I have several things I'd like to do with you," I said, "but not tonight. Let's wait until Sam is with his mother. I want to hear you scream my name." I raised an eyebrow while staring directly at him.

Jay shivered. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Back at ya." I leaned forward and kissed him again.

We spent a couple minutes cleaning ourselves up, then crawled into our makeshift bed. He squirmed his muscular body into me, so I was playing big spoon. I wrapped one arm around his chest and tucked the other underneath my pillow.

Jay grabbed my arm and pulled it in tight.

"Shouldn't we put some underwear on in case Sam comes in here during the night?" I asked.

"I doubt he'd do that. He would most likely knock on the door first. However, given the situation, it's probably a good idea. But I like your cock nestled into the crack of my ass like that, so for right now, I'm not moving." He wriggled his butt.

"Your call." I chuckled.

I awoke the next morning to a knock on the door. But not to the bedroom. It was on the front of the house. Jay's head rested on my chest. I was still buck naked, but sometime during the night Jay had managed to slip some underwear on.

Forever the prepared dad. I respected that.

"Jay," I shook him. "Jay, buddy, you gotta get up. Someone's at the front door."

"Huh, what? Where's Sam?" he mumbled. Total dad.

"Not sure, but I have to move." I reluctantly pulled myself away, and I was surprised how tangled our limbs had become and that we had maintained a deep sleep, obviously exhausted, but comfortable with each other too.

I couldn't say that about all the men I had slept with. Most times I was more eager for them to leave than to spend the night cuddling. This was yet another aspect on which Jay had proven some measure of compatibility with me.

My back was sore though. Only in my thirties and already an air mattress was doing me damage.

I slipped on my jeans and T-shirt and headed toward the front door.

Sam was still asleep, which made me glance at my watch. It was already nine o'clock. Who the hell would be knocking on the door?—?

"Oh shit." I raced to the front door and whipped it open.

"Well, it's about bloody time. I've been standing out here—" Uncle Gally looked over my shoulder and then back at me, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You dog."

"It's not entirely what it looks like," I said.

"Mm-hmm." Gally pushed me aside and stuck his hand out. "Hi, I'm Gallius Ivanov. This one's uncle."

Jay took his hand and shook it enthusiastically. "I've heard all about you. Nice to meet you. Jay McClaren."

Gally pulled Jay in close and whispered far too loudly, "Keep him happy? For me? I'm tired of picking his ass up off the floor."

Jay giggled.

The heat of a thousand suns flushed across my face and shoulders, then ran down my back. "Jeez, Gally, really?"

His smile was nothing short of devilish.

"All right boys, show me this house." Gally kicked off his boots and took his coat off, but with no coat hangers in the place, all I could do was sling it over the kitchen island.

"I'll go wake up Sam and let you two tour around. Once I get him settled with breakfast, I'll come join you. Would you like coffee?"

"There's no furniture, but you have coffee?" Gally quipped.

"That's because of your very astute nephew. I don't function without it, and he was gracious enough to remember to get some, and a coffee machine, and sugar, and cream, and mugs. He's kind of amazing." Jay stared at me as he said the words, then winked.

That wink. Cheesy as fuck, but I kinda loved it.

"Nice. Yes, coffee would be awesome. Let's go, Cade. Show me everything."

By the time I was done showing Gally everything about the house that made it a safe haven for me, Jay had met us in the primary room with coffee mugs fixed just the way each of us had requested.

I grabbed the trick shelf, pulled down, and as the hidden room was exposed, Gally whistled.

"A fucking panic room? You're going to buy a house with a panic room? Damn. I need one of these. This is sweet."

"You don't find this creepy?" Jay asked.

"Hell no. I'm Romani. You have no idea how creepy this family's history has been. This is nothing. In fact—" Gally turned to me. "—aren't those markings the same ones your mother used on her bedroom door?"

"Yup," I said.

"Safeguard, right?"

"Yup again."

"And the perimeter outside has an iron fence?"

"Correct." Jay gave me some side-eye. I knew what he was thinking. Is your entire family this weird?

"And the foundation has a salt line and is laced with a string of evil eyes?"

"Uh-huh."

"Damn. Whoever lived here before knew what the hell they were doing. Cade, this house is perfect for you. And frankly, you deserve it. Approved." Gally slapped his bearish meaty hand on my back. "You don't think the cemetery across the street will cause issues? That's my only qualm."

"No. That too has the same iron fence around it. If I didn't know any better, I would have said the two properties were connected at one point. Doesn't matter. The metal serves as an impenetrable barrier. I'm good, twice over." I pulled the shelf up which swung the door back into place. We exited the closet, then made our way back to the kitchen and stood around the counter. Sam spooned in some sugary cereal as he watched cartoons. "Do you mean it though? Can I put an offer in?" I asked, sweat running down my back, my palms clammy. This meant so much to me. A place of my own. Something safe. A retreat where I could hide, and recharge, and for once in my life, be utterly alone if I chose.

Gally smiled and nodded.

I could barely contain myself. I turned to Jay, "How fast can I get this place?"

"Woah, bear-man. The asking price reflects the changes the family put into the home. It's not cheap. It's over your budget."

Gally put his other hand on Jay's shoulder. "Do me a solid, Jay, get my boy the house. I don't want to say that price isn't really a consideration — because it always is — but it's not really an issue." Gally then winked at Jay.

Jay smiled. "Okay. Give me the afternoon to put the papers together. We'll present the offer first thing tomorrow and see where it goes. Do you want a home inspection?"

"He just had it." Gally said.

"No, I mean by a professional." Jay said, then corrected himself. "No offense."

"None taken. I used to do inspections. I can see problems from a mile away, and when Cade told me about the place, I did some digging. I know the contractors who did the renovations. Solid people. I have no concerns regarding their work."

"Okay, then. How about closing? Sixty days? Thirty days?"

"You mean until I can move in?"

"Yeah."

"Tomorrow? Jay, I have no need to go back to the city. I need to figure out some of the things we already found out yesterday, and Sam needs my help. Right now, you're kinda my new client, as much as I'm yours," I said. "Besides, we need to go see the previous owner."

"The witch?" Gally asked.

We both turned to look at him with shocked looks on our faces.

"Oh, come on. Really? Have you seen the outside of this place? The original construction? The safe room? Isn't it kinda obvious?"

"I mean, we used to call her that, but I never really put any stock into it." Jay shrunk into himself. "Up until a couple of days ago, I'd never seen a ghost, so…witches? Not a thing. It did belong to my ex's grandmother, after all. I just thought everyone referred to her as that because she had a reputation for being…well, difficult."

"Oh, witches are definitely a thing." Gally grimaced. "Fucking gross too. You wouldn't believe some of the things they do to twist energies to make their magic happen."

"Gally, I think that's enough." I placed a hand in front of him, hoping to keep him quiet.

"You haven't told him?"

"Told me what?" Jay's brows furrowed.

"Nah, that's up to your boyfriend to educate you. I'm not doing it." Gally slugged back the last of the coffee in his mug, then turned to me and said, "Just let me know how much you need transferred into your account."

"You're doing a full cash offer?"

"Absolutely." Gally replied with a stern face. "No mortgages in this family."

"Well then, we should be able to get this at a slightly better price then. All cash, immediate possession. Got it."

"I'm out. Take care guys. Jay, nice to meet you. Take good care of my nephew. Be a good boyfriend."

"We not boyfriends," Jay and I said in unison, then looked at each other, both with slight confusion and concern on our faces. Sam spun around in his chair when he heard that.

Gally burst out laughing. "Yeah, you are. You just haven't figured that part out yet."

Gally made his way to the front door, snagging his coat off the counter on the way, then toed his boots on. He turned to me and pulled me in for a bear hug.

I could barely breathe.

"Nicely done, kid…on all fronts." He cupped the back of my head and placed his forehead against mine. "You deserve this. Don't ever let anyone tell you different. Oh, and you best make plans to come up and visit once a month. Hear me?"

"Yes, sir." I glanced anywhere but into his eyes, which was difficult given our current proximity.

"I mean it, Cade. Good for you."

He released me, then waved at Jay, who stood by Sam.