“Cameron,” Eli mumbled, “I can’t breathe.”

Cameron grunted. Slowly, he extracted his teeth from the back of his neck, and lifted his weight. Eli felt a warm gush on the back of his neck, and Cameron’s tongue lapped up the blood, his saliva covering the marks.

Eli didn’t move an inch the entire time.

“Are you okay?” Cameron asked, tired.

Eli nodded.

“There’s some blood down here.” Cameron said, regretfully. His hand was stroking Eli’s behind, his dick still inside.

Eli was surprised, but also tired. He hummed, reaching for Cameron’s hand. “I’m not sore.”

Cameron ran his tongue over the back of Eli’s neck again, shuffling his hips and sighing when he made himself feel good. Eli wasn’t lying when he said it wasn’t sore. “I love you.”

He felt Cameron smile against his skin. He moved to Eli’s face, licking his lips, trying to get Eli to kiss him, even though he was already half-way unconscious. “I love you.” Cameron said back.

Cameron propped his elbows up either side of Eli’s head, and pulled his hips back. Eli only let out a little grunt, though there was a distinct sting down there. He felt Cameron’s semen running out too.

“Christ.” Cameron moaned, satisfied. He messaged Eli’s lower back, kissed his cheek again, said I love you, Eli managed a sleepy reply, and he got up for tissue.

Someone knocked at the door. Cameron righted Eli’s clothes before opening it.

Eli wasn’t listening, until Cameron growled. “Not a fucking chance.”

“Cameron,” Shane, Eli identified, was speaking calmly. “His brother is here to pick him up.”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Cameron snarled. “He’s sleeping in my bed.”

“He has to go home.”

Cameron’s snarl became more vicious. Eli stirred, but his vision was blurry. Ah. He couldn’t move at all. He couldn’t even turn his head to try see the door.

“Enough of that,” Shane’s voice took on an authorial edge. “You signed up for this when you mated with a human boy from a human family. Their customs are different, and you have to accept that.”

“He’s my mate.” Cameron didn’t back down. “He’s staying here.”

“Shane,” Oliver’s voice chimed in, “They are just after mating, it’ll be hard on Cameron to separate right afterward, if not impossible. I’ll tell Kaylen to distract Noah for at least an hour, more if she can manage, and then Eli can go home.”

Silence answered Oliver’s suggestion.

“Besides,” Oliver added, “It will be hard on Eli having to move too. So, agreed? Cameron, you can have an hour to take care of him, but then he has to leave.”

Again, Cameron was silent.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Shane muttered. Footsteps moved down the hall.

“Go ahead and spoil him, I’ll get Kaylen onto it.” Oliver said.

The door shut. Eli felt Cameron’s tension and fury as he came back to him. He traced the marks on the back of Eli’s neck, making Eli shiver. Silently, Cameron moved Eli under the covers and lay with him, wrapping his body around Eli’s like he had out on the porch. He was still angry.

When another knock came at the door, Eli summoned the last of his strength to roll around and face Cameron. Instinct moved him to wrap his arms around his waist. He couldn’t hold him tight, he could barely remain conscious, but all he needed to get across was the gesture, what he wanted, and he knew Cameron would understand, no physical force necessary.

“No,” Cameron told the door.

The door opened, making Cameron growl, only to suddenly cut off. Cameron tensed, and Eli felt the same tension overtake his body too. He opened his eyes, finding alpha Quint, and flanking him, Cameron’s dad, Arthur. Arthur sent a sympathetic look toward his son.

“Cameron,” Quint said.

There was power in his voice. Eli felt Cameron’s wolf answer to it, and responded himself, waking up even more. He moved closer to Cameron, trying to escape that uncomfortable feeling prickling over his skin.

“He’s my mate,” Cameron objected, his voice low and respectful.

“His father has finally given him permission to come here and refusing to let him go home will undo that.” Quint pointed out. “The last thing I want is Marcus coming in here guns blazing, which he will, if you don’t allow Eli to go home.”

Eli felt Cameron swaying.

He followed his instincts and tightened his arms a little. That was all it took. Cameron looked at Eli, meeting his eyes, and Eli saw the resolve blossom, as they turned luminous.

“Eli.” Quint scolded.

Eli’s hackles raised. A tiny, little, itty-bitty, growl moved in his throat, a soft sound. He wasn’t sure where it came from. His glare never reached Quint, but instead the back of Cameron’s head. Cameron had sat up, blocking Eli from view with his body, and his own growl immediately drowned out Eli’s little one.

“Easy,” Arthur warned. “Nobody’s going near your mate, Cameron.”

“No,” Quint agreed. “I don’t consider yips from puppies as genuine challenges, but you are not a puppy, Cameron.”

Cameron went quiet, yet he remained in his protective stance.

“I’m expecting you both downstairs in five minutes.” Quint said. The two men left.

Cameron rubbed Eli’s leg, his expression regretful as he turned to him.

“I’ll find the strength to stand from somewhere,” Eli sighed. He felt a little bad when Cameron looked guilty, and he nudged his boyfriend—no, his mate—¬with his leg. “I’m just being lazy, don’t feel bad. And I had fun.”

A smile touched Cameron’s mouth, “I had fun too.”

“I could tell.”

Eli, with Cameron’s help, stretched. There was a definite ache in his behind now. Smothering a grimace, he got out of bed, and followed Cameron downstairs. Everyone was gathered in the living room. Quint, suspiciously, was making conversation with Noah.

“Hey,” Noah greeted. When he laid eyes on Eli, his expression dropped. Something, akin to a glare, was shot Cameron’s way, before a more neutral look took over.

Kaylen gave Noah a kiss on the cheek before they left, and Quint waved them off with a good-natured smile that Eli could only scowl at. It was a hard climb into the front of Noah’s jeep.

They pulled out onto the main road, and Noah covered his eyes with a hand. “Eli.”

“Yeah?” Eli side-eyed his brother’s non-looking approach to driving.

“You—” Noah stopped, let the windows all the way down, and looked at him. “You could at least try not to look like you were in bed with Cameron. Dad will murder you if you come home like that.”

Eli yawned.

Noah cursed. They took a turn they shouldn’t take on the way home, and pulled up to a house Eli didn’t recognise.

“Have we moved?” Eli questioned.

“You’re showering before we go home.” Noah got out of the car and came to Eli’s door. “I’m serious, Dad will go ape at you, and it’s only just gotten peaceful again, so I don’t want that.”

Eli went with Noah to the front door, discreetly looking down on himself. He supposed his clothes were a bit rumbled. And he probably had a few marks here and there… Eli rubbed his eyes. “Can I have a coffee?”

As he asked, the front door swung open. A surprised Sinclair regarded him. “I guess you can.” Her gaze swept over him, critical. Eli regarded her the exact same way. Past her, in the hall, was stairs leading upstairs. Coming down those stairs was Zack from the football team.

“What are you doing here, Sinclair?” Eli asked her.

“Studying.” Sinclair crossed her arms as Zack came over. “And I don’t need to even ask what you were doing with Cameron.”

“Hey Noah, Eli.” Zack greeted friendly. He, unlike Sinclair, didn’t seem to take any notice of Eli’s state. “What’s up?”

“Would it be cool with you if Eli took a quick shower here?” Noah asked.

“There’s a hose in the garden,” Sinclair suggested.

“No problem, do you want a change of clothes too? I can set you up in the electric shower upstairs.”

“That’d be great, thanks Zack.” Noah said. They stepped into the hallway and Zack trotted ahead upstairs.

“You deserve the hose,” Noah said.

Eli smacked his stomach, making Noah grunt. Sinclair snorted.

Eli was happy to escape them in favour of Zack, who had clothes he claimed should fit Eli. When he got out of the shower, Eli found they did. And the sweatpants were super soft too.

They pulled away from the house, and Eli checked, seeing Sinclair’s car was parked on the curb. “I wonder what’s going on there?”

“Yeah, I couldn’t even hazard a guess.” Noah said, sarcastic.

Eli shot him a critical look. “Alright Mr sarcastic, what’s your problem?”

Noah claimed nothing. Eli thought differently. His dad and Jenny had something that smelled divine cooking up in the kitchen, and Eli was diverted from his one-track mind of sleep, to something more important: chocolate.

“Are there brownies in the oven?” Eli asked.

Jenny and Marcus were at the sink washing up, and Jenny let out a cackle. “I told you it would work!”

Marcus grumbled something to her, and looked at Eli over the top of her head. “Yes, there are brownies in the oven. Which you can only have after you eat some dinner.”

Eli seated himself at the table, breathing in that lovely, lovely, scent. He propped his elbow on the table, and hummed along to Noah’s story about meeting Quint—who he supposedly liked—and then Jenny told them about the new colt at the stable who’s crazy and dad said he was sorting out a new contract at work. Eli realised it was his turn, and he could barely keep his eyes open. “I’m tired.” He started to get up, and Noah caught his shoulder, making him sit.

“You can go to bed after we eat,” Noah said.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Yes, you are, you’re just more tired than you are hungry. But you’ll be starving later if you go to sleep first. Come on, think of the brownies. They smell amazing, right?”

“They do.”

Jenny placed a bowl of stew in front of Eli. He realised from everyone’s behaviour that he wouldn’t be left alone unless he ate, so he did. It was worth the reward; brownies, piping hot, fresh from the oven. Eli summoned the puppies to him on his trek up the stairs. He didn’t bother with the light in his room, just went straight into the bed. It was cold. He wished he had Cameron to curl up with. He rubbed his sore lower back, knowing that if Cameron were with him, he’d message him.

Eli sighed. He wanted to be spoiled.

The bedroom door opened, and the bed dipped down next to Eli.

“Are you awake?” Noah asked.

“Depends on what you want from me,” Eli said back.

“Just to talk.”

“I’m awake.” Eli rolled to face him, disrupting the puppies.

“I covered for you today,” Noah said. “But that’s the last time. You’re exhausted all day, every day, and no way should you be having sex in your condition.”

Eli had to get over his brother using the ‘s’ word in front of him before he could answer.

“I’m not sick.” Eli objected.

“But you’re not right either.” Noah pointed out. “And Cameron should know that too, so if he doesn’t respect the fact that you need to recover before any of that goes on, I’m going to take serious issue with him, and your relationship.”

Eli blinked at the dark shape that was Noah. He was annoyed, yeah, but he also knew where Noah was coming from. The sex today had been an impromptu thing. Eli had been more awake for that than he had been at any other point this week.

“Since you didn’t call me any names, I’m assuming you get me.”

“Yeah.”

Noah let out a relieved breath. “Okay. Do you want me to stay the night?”

“It’s only, like, nine. You always stay up for ages on your phone. Thanks for offering though.”

“It’s seven, actually. Have a good sleep.”

“You too,” Eli mumbled, drifting off.

He dreamed he wasn’t on a bed, but on wooden planks. The world was moving and growling. Bright light burned the back of his eyelids, though he couldn’t open them to look around. He felt the sun. He smelled… salt? He heard wood creaking all around him, and something scratching against the beams.

And then, it was the forest again, where the ground was softer, but twigs and branches poked at him.

And then his joints hurt so much he woke up crying. His dad, with his newly acquired hypervigilance, was by his side in seconds, and helped him take the pain killers the doctor gave him. Eli was in his dad’s arms until the phantom pains went away, and his teeth didn’t feel like they were all going to fall out. He passed out, and dreamt of nothing.