Wulfric

Had I ever been with someone so responsive?

It was an easy question to answer: no. Griffin gave his whole self up to the moment. It made it all too easy for me to be swept away by the avalanche of sensations. And now here he was, arching up into my touch while looking back at me with a heated gaze that was entirely captivating. His eyes went wicked and he watched me watching him while his tongue rolled over the two fingers in his mouth.

Oh, hell.

I flipped Griffin over so he was lying on his back again. I relished in the flicker of surprise in those deep blue eyes. Curls fell over his forehead, and we got caught up in a moment of staring at each other. He looked so beautiful like this, with curls falling over his brow and his body so freely offered up to me. It made my chest hurt, so I pushed the feeling down and reached to firmly grasp Griffin's wrist. His fingers easily slid out of his mouth as I tugged and Griffin let me guide them down to skim over the trail of hair on his stomach, then over his erect manhood, and further still until they reached his ass.

"Go on," I encouraged, bracing my hands on his legs to help him keep them folded up. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

Griffin's eyes had gone wide and I enjoyed that I seemed to have surprised him. That moment passed quickly, replaced by heat and determination as he applied himself to putting on a show for me.

Griffin let out a needy moan as he pushed both fingers inside himself at once. It probably burned, especially as saliva wasn't as good as artificial lubricant. His teeth sank into his lip and his legs twitched under my hands. I pushed a little harder onto his legs, tilting up his pelvis to give him easier access, and Griffin's fingers slipped in deeper. He released a small whimper, so soft I wasn't sure I would have caught it without my enhanced hearing.

"Wulf," he sighed, and relaxed back into the bed, his eyes falling shut.

I had expected this to get Griffin all worked up, had expected to find my enjoyment out of the knowledge that he would be even needier when things escalated. But I was just as aroused by this as Griffin was, and it wasn't long before I let go of him to snatch up the tube of lubricant that was sitting out on Griffin's nightstand. I had to remove the factory seal and took an unexpected pleasure from knowing this was a new bottle. Griffin watched through heavy-lidded eyes as I slicked up my fingers and went to replace his. Only, he just kept working himself up while I joined in, and soon we were both preparing him for me.

Griffin's free hand slid up and down my length, lingering in all the most sensitive places and using just enough pressure. I could have reached completion just like this, but it would have been a missed opportunity. If his hand alone could electrify me like this, then sheathing myself in him had to be intense.

It wasn't long before Griffin said, "That's enough," and slid away to reach for the lube. Griffin used it to coat me and then he sat up on his heels, staring at me with a new vulnerability. "How do you want me?" he asked softly.

Was I reading too much into things, or was there a deeper meaning to his question?

It hit me, then, as it hadn't done before: to Griffin, this was a huge deal. He might be unusually experienced for one of his kind, but I'd be a fool not to recognize this as a different kind of first time. It would be Griffin's last first time sleeping with someone, and he was jumping into that commitment before we really knew each other, and before I had ever given him any sense of security in our relationship.

A couple of things about this bothered me. First, that with my unending lifespan, either I was only in for a few more decades of sex before centuries of celibacy or... Or this would not be my last first time laying with someone. Neither option sat well, so I moved on to the next issue.

The vulnerability Griffin was projecting didn't sit right. It wasn't how I wanted him feeling right now at all. But how could he not, when we had never established our relationship?

See? This was why I had intended to wait for this stage. We were skipping over so many steps, and there wasn't time to cover them all now. There was also no going back, not unless Griffin stopped this himself.

Griffin still stared up at me, his eyes growing more vulnerable by the moment, while I wracked my mind for something to offer that would make him feel safe.

I cupped his cheek in my clean hand. "I am yours, and I'm not going anywhere."

It was a simple acknowledgment of what I knew to be true, but simply saying the words made my heart beat faster. So recently, I had truly desired to avoid the man who was my soulmate forever. It was exhilarating to recognize just how surely my perspective had shifted.

I had seen how soft Griffin could be, especially in these moments when he needed reassurance. I expected that he might need a minute to wade through his emotions. I was wrong.

The uncertainty in Griffin's eyes cleared like clouds parting for the sun just a second before he launched himself at me, not to be held close and not for further reassurance. No, his mouth latched onto my neck while he wrapped himself over and around me with his hard length pressed against mine. Griffin's hips rocked, and it felt so good that I let him do it another couple of times. Then, I firmly grasped Griffin's hips, lifting him up and positioning him so that the next rock of his hips landed me right against his entrance.

We got caught up in a precious moment where the surrounding world faded away. Griffin and I existed in our own space, our hearts pounding together, chests heaving, and eyes locked. The vulnerability returned to his eyes, and I thought it might be echoed in my own. Then, Griffin pushed back against me, relaxing himself beautifully so I sank in with less effort than I ever imagined was possible.

I couldn't make sense of everything I was feeling. It was like coming home. But interlaced with the unexpected sense of comfort and security, a need was building like I hadn't experienced before. And I was helpless before it.

We were both sitting up, with Griffin kneeling over my lap. The position left me at Griffin's mercy. His arms looped around my neck, and his eyes didn't leave mine as he began riding me with a sensual rhythm. Every thrust was slow, increasing in pressure until I thought I'd lose my mind if he didn't pick up the pace soon.

I stroked Griffin in time to his movements, and on a particularly hard thrust, I squeezed involuntarily. It made Griffin's eyes slide shut while his mouth fell open, and I took advantage of his momentary distraction to wrap my arms around him and lay him down beneath me. I left his warmth, incurring a groan of protest from Griffin as I rearranged us so his legs were propped up on my shoulders while I stood at the foot of the bed. Without warning, I slammed back into him, taking him deep and hard. The sound of skin slapping skin filled the room, increasing in tempo. Griffin bucked up, and I saw when he found just the right angle for his pleasure. That was when I picked up the pace, and from there, neither of us lasted long.

Griffin peaked first, his moans coming out higher-pitched while I pumped his pulsing member. He clenched around me and I helplessly joined him in ecstasy.

I threw myself down over Griffin, who caught me up in his arms and snuggled down into my throat. His chest heaved and I could only imagine he was feeling as drained as I was, but his mouth worked at my neck, teeth scraping and pressing against the skin without piercing it. My cock twitched halfheartedly, but I truly did need recovery time after such an experience.

Griffin's jaw clamped down a little more, lingering just on the edge of pain, and then he pulled away with a sigh.

I had never been one for postcoital conversation, but I couldn't help it now. That had been intense, and I suddenly worried it had been too much for Griffin. "Are you okay?"

He chuckled breathlessly. "I'm good. You?"

I wasn't sure what the right word was, but 'good' did not suffice. "I am..."

What? Satisfied? Certainly, but that wasn't nearly enough to express what I felt.

"... Happy."

It still wasn't quite the right word, but it was close enough.

At least, until I glanced at Griffin as he smiled and realized that his canine teeth were elongated. All at once, I realized that something crucial had been missing from this experience.

"You didn't mark me," I said bluntly. It was an inelegant opener to the conversation, but I was too shocked to mince words.

Griffin's expression tightened. "Yeah, I know."

I stared at him, going through everything again in my head and trying to figure out where I went wrong. I couldn't find the words to ask, and wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer, anyway.

Griffin sat up and pushed at some curls that fell onto his forehead. He gave me a hollow smile and said, "It didn't seem like the right time." I frowned at that, since it did absolutely nothing to clarify the situation for me. "Look, I know this has all been a lot for you, and I don't want us taking that step until we're both ready."

But I had been ready. I'd gone into this accepting that it would bind me to Griffin, even if it was earlier than I ever thought such a thing would happen. What was the point in putting it off? Griffin and I were inevitable, and we fit together in a way I had never dreamed possible. I couldn't help wanting him near me and couldn't imagine ever feeling differently.

So... was Griffin not ready for such a step?

But that didn't make sense. Werewolves usually committed to their mating soon after meeting. I was certain about that, as I had read it in several books.

Griffin didn't elaborate, and I didn't press him for details. I was too busy remembering the way he had bitten my throat after we'd finished in a new light. Perhaps it had been an attempt to ease the need to mark me. Before I could stop it, I covered that area of my neck with my hand. It felt... wrong... knowing that we had missed a crucial step tonight. I didn't like the knowledge that the flesh under my hand was still smooth and unmarred.

"Wulf?" Griffin said softly. I thought I detected a hint of sadness in his tone.

I dropped my hand back to my lap before responding. "Yes?"

"Are you sure you're alright?"

I forced a small smile – anything larger and it would be obviously fake – and nodded. "Of course. Allow me to clean you up. Which door leads to your bathroom?"

Griffin was obviously unconvinced, but he pointed toward a door and I quickly tucked myself into the small bathroom. It held a closet with a pile of washcloths tucked onto the middle shelf. The sink water took a while to heat up, but the wait gave me time to process how I was feeling.

I should have been okay with Griffin not marking me, or even happy about it. But werewolves weren't the only species that committed to their soulmates quickly. Each of my siblings before me had taken that leap immediately. And even though rationally, that still seemed insane to me... there was a disparity between my heart and my mind. And my heart felt a little bruised right now.

Warm water ran over the washcloth in my hand until I nodded to myself. It was okay to feel hurt, I accepted. Just as it was okay that Griffin wasn't ready. It would just be a matter of time, and I could be a patient man.

I had just calmed down and made peace with the situation when I glanced up at myself in the mirror. My eyes immediately found that patch of skin Griffin hadn't pierced, marked by a small pink patch that would finish healing soon. As if I needed any discoloration to tell me where it was. All I had to do was think about the attention Griffin paid to that spot, and the memory triggered intense tingling sensation I would have sworn wasn't just in my head.

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned away from the mirror. After taking in a couple of deep breaths, I finally felt ready to return to Griffin. He offered me a hesitant smile and gratefully reached for the washcloth, but I gently nudged his hand away and performed the ministrations myself. The gesture made Griffin's cheek pinken and his eyes go soft with affection, which in turn soothed the ache in my chest. Once we were cleaned up, Griffin and I quietly and efficiently got ready for bed and settled in for the night.

Once Griffin's breathing evened out and he started jerking in his sleep, I slid closer in the bed and wrapped myself around him. I didn't need sleep and intended to go find something to occupy myself until morning soon, but indulging myself for a spell wouldn't hurt anything. Holding Griffin close like this eased the ache in my chest further. I didn't release him until soft morning light filtered in through the blinds and it was time to arise for a new day.