The Pack and The Ruffian

Reconnecting

Jake sat in his cell, his head bent low over a table as he wrote on a piece of paper. He’s been getting letters from Mark for the last four days. And it was almost time for them to swap letters again. Mark always came at the same time every day. With a cup of coffee for both and chocolate. They’d spend an hour just talking and then they’d exchange letters. He found himself looking forward to those letters almost as much as their daily visit. Even resenting his prison, he felt calmer, happier, knowing that Mark would come to him. His head snapped up as he heard the door open at the top of the stairs, and Mark came walking down. Since he was the only one down there now, they’d left the lights on, and he wasn’t in the dark as he was when he was locked up with Mark. He wondered sometimes just how much Mark had to do with that. He knew Lucy also advocated for him. She’d always stood by him. He stood then froze as Mark took a key out of his pocket and unlocked his door. Mark stepped in with him but left the door open. Surely Mark knew if Jake wanted, he could run. He’d not get far, but hey, he could try.

“Don’t make me regret this,” Mark said. Reading Jake’s mind.

“I won’t,” Jake said and meant it. He’d not been this close to Mark in so long, he’d almost forgotten what he smelled like up close, almost. “Why are you doing this?”

“What? The visits, or the open door?”

“Both I guess.” Jake shrugged and sat on his bed. His couch had been taken away. His TV too. He watched as Mark sat on his small desk chair, after handing him his coffee.

“When I was down here, a monster in the darkness. You spoke to me. I don’t know if you knew the whole time who I was, but you spoke to me.” Mark took a sip of his coffee. “When you realized who I was, why didn’t you tell someone, Lucy, at least?”

Jake swallowed and hid his eyes behind his cup. “I wanted revenge. On you, on Sam.”

“They never knew about us. I kept you a secret. When I died, they had no reason to include you in the family’s grieving.” Mark said. “This was on me, not on Sam or this pack.”

“Why didn’t you?” Jake asked. “Tell them, I mean.”

“Oh, that’s easy. Pride. Fear. But mostly shame.” Mark held up his hand to stop Jake’s words. “I was afraid of what my family would say. I was this strong, badass pack Alpha, and here I was, I cheated on my wife, had a child, and I’m gay. It didn’t matter that Diane didn’t mind. To me, the world would see me as weak, and other alphas would come for my pack.”

“You felt shame for what we had,” Jake said quietly.

“Not for that! I guess it seems like the same thing, but Jake, what we had, have, even now, it’s powerful.” Mark stood and sat down next to Jake. “The world has changed. I have changed. I’m not that strong Alpha, but my heart, this soul that’s left in me, needs you, loves you.”

“Don’t!” Jake stood. He paced to the door and spun back. “Don’t say things like that. I’m locked in here. And I can promise you, Sam will not let me out of here anytime soon. Not after what I’ve done. And this, these sparse hours, stupid letters, are not enough. It will never be enough!” Jake threw the letter at Mark, who caught and held it between his fingers.

“Do you still love me?” Mark stood. “Is there even a small part of you that loves me?”

“Jesus.” Jake ran a hand through his hair and then grabbed onto the bars of his cell. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you. I’ve loved you through it all. When you were gone, when your family pushed me aside. When I found out what happened to you,” Jake dropped his chin to his chest. “But that doesn’t matter, we can’t be together while I’m down here for the sins I committed.” He tensed when hands settled on his shoulders, then moved down over his back to his hips. Strong hands, Mark’s hands. Mark stepped closer to him and pulled him back against Mark’s body. He could feel Mark rubbing against his ass. His breathing hitched and he tried to step away. “Please, Mark don’t torture me like this.” He turned and found himself locked into a green gaze, filled with need and lust. “Fuck.” He swore, drove his hands into Mark’s hair, and tugged his mouth closer. Their lips met in a frenzied kiss. Hands groped, hips pushed for dominance, tongues dueled. Mark, surprisingly strong, pushed Jake back against the bars and pressed their bodies tight together.

Fabric ripped. Mark didn’t care, his blood was on fire, and all he could think about was taking, feeling, dominating. A pressure was building in his gut, wanting him to take, to mate, to assert his power. “f**k, wait.”

“What? No!” Jake held Mark when he would have stepped away. “Don’t.”

“It’s too much, I’ll hurt you. I don’t know how much of that thing I was, but it's still in me.”

Jake traced his eyes, now with a stranger's red glaze over the green. There was something dangerous shining behind those eyes, and it thrilled him. Mark had always been gentle and careful. But he’d known, one day, he’d get the taste of the real Mark. “I want you,” Jake said. “I want you to take me.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Mark said. “My wolf is not my own yet. I could bite you, hurt you.”

“I would welcome your bite, your mark on me. And you’d never hurt me.” Jake pulled the ripped shirt from his body. He knew he was sculpted like a swimmer. Narrow hips, strong shoulders. His body was his pride. He unsnapped his jeans, pushed them down, and stood naked in front of Mark. “I’m yours. I always have been.”

Mark, unable to resist, ran a finger over the prominent muscles on Jake’s stomach. Down to the V that led down to Jake’s thick, rigid p***s. The thing inside Mark, clawed, snapped, and fought to be let out. To claim his mate. Mark’s head snapped up. “Mate.” He growled. He felt the moment his control on his beast snapped. He shoved Jake back against the bars, sunk down to his knees, and took Jake deep into his mouth.

Jake, taken off guard, dug his hands into Mark’s hair and tried to control his hips, moving in quick jerks, pumping into Mark’s hot mouth. Mark didn’t let him. He sucked, licked, and teased Jake until Jake tugged his head away with all his strength.

“Need to taste you too.” Jake panted. He pushed Mark to the floor and knelt between his legs, he tugged his pants down, threw them on his own pair, and with a grin at Mark, dipped his head and took Mark deeply, he sucked and nipped. Mark growled his body on fire. His wolf howled inside his head, pushing him to take, to mark. He shoved up, pushed Jake to his hands and knees, and shoved deep into Jake. Jake gasped at the sudden burst of pain and pleasure, the lubrication not enough. He tried to adjust to Mark’s size, but Mark pulled his body up, his back to Mark’s chest.

“Mine,” Mark growled and drove his canines into Jake's shoulder. Jake groaned and bucked. His hand gripped his d**k hard, pumping quickly as he came. He felt Mark tense and then his hot seed filled Jake. Mark ripped his mouth away, blood dripped from his chin as he turned to Jake’s face and kissed him. He pulled away, his hips still slowly pumped into Jake. “Mine.” He repeated and grinned.

“Yes.” Jake agreed and dropped his head back on Mark’s shoulder. “Yes.” Mark pulled out carefully, aware that he’d been rough. He lay back on the floor and pulled Jake to his side.

“Are you okay?” Mark asked.

“Ask me again in a few minutes.” Jake laughed. His body shook from head to toe. Aftershocks made his d**k jerk on Mark’s hip. His shoulder stung where Mark bit him. And he knew he’d have to be careful not to return the favor, it would mate them completely. And even though Mark had said that Jake belonged to him, and he’d bitten him. He knew there was no way they could ever be together.

“Stop overthinking this,” Mark said.

“I’m not. I’m being rational.”

“Then stop being rational. Do you not feel it?” Mark asked. His eyes were green again, calm, sated. For now. Jake looked up at him, and shook his head.

“I don’t…”

“Don’t lie to me,” Mark snapped.

Jake felt his own temper rise but shoved it down. Mark was dominant now and answering temper with temper would just cause a fight. “I was going to say, I don’t know how this will ever work. And I don’t know if I can give you the same.” He touched the mark on his shoulder. “But I recognise my mate. I always have. You were the reluctant one.”

“I’m not now.”

“Now that I’m locked up in your daughters’ prison.” Jake couldn’t hide his resentment.

“You tried to kill her,” Mark said. “I know we have a huge mountain to climb. Do you trust me enough to get us to the top of it?”

“I’m not going to hold my breath. But I do know that you will try.” He shifted so he could kiss his way down Mark’s body. “Now, it’s my turn.” He said and gripped Mark in his hand. “We don’t have much time left.”