The crowd cheered more, right on cue, so I continued. "First, we're going to show you an acoustic version of a song you might have heard before. It goes something like this … "
I was right. The acoustic rendition went down perfectly, and my band mates were skilled at tailoring their instruments to match the delicate timbre. I could see audience members swaying as I sang. Even Xander looked cheerful, a far cry from the stern expression he typically wore while working.
There weren't any rabid fans here at all. Of course, you could never be too sure, but I felt safe. The people in the audience seemed older and more mature overall, perhaps because it was a bar and thus had an age limit.
The whole experience was magical. Fairy lights twinkled under the bar counter, and the occasional car zoomed past the window. Laughter came from outside and the sound of tinkling glass from inside. I lost myself in my music, immersing myself in the emotions it invoked in me. My wolf felt at peace, calm and happy to be doing what it wanted to do.
Even when we performed our louder songs with powerful guitar chords, the sound didn't seem oppressive in the small space. It seemed like it filled it up with energy, invigorating the attendees, even though it was getting pretty late on a weekday night. Instead of feeling exhausted at the end, like I did with larger shows, I felt rejuvenated. I felt like I could go out on the town and enjoy myself.
"Thank you so much, Portland," I said at the end. "You are awesome for coming out tonight. I'll see you again next time I'm in town."
I blew a kiss to the audience and stepped off the stage. Xander immediately came to my side to make sure I was safe, but there was no need. A couple of people just wanted to talk to me, and they didn't seem threatening at all. The rest of the band members mingled in the crowd and even went to get drinks.
I wished every concert could be like this. The energy of the larger venues was awesome, but I had forgotten how much I had enjoyed playing at places like this. It felt more conducive to sharing my music the way I wanted it to be shared.
After enjoying some good conversation and liquor, it was time to head back. We were driving down to San Francisco tomorrow. It would be an easy drive, but I didn't want to end up sleep deprived-it would throw my whole day off. On top of that, we were all inebriated. Even Xander had had a couple of drinks.
"I loved that show," said Jareo. "It was perfect."
"Yeah, dude," said Joel. "I didn't feel like I was going to pass out at the end."
"I agree," I said wistfully. I was sitting next to Xander in the van, as I always did. But I was more aware of how warm and solid his body was next to me. I wanted to press myself up against him and snuggle into his chest, or even just rest my head on his shoulder. That would have been the ideal end to the night.
We trudged up the hotel stairs. I couldn't help but yawn. "Can I talk to you real quick?" said Xander.
"Uh, sure," I said. "Where? Here?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "Follow me."
I followed him right into his hotel room. Holy shit, I thought. What was he playing at, especially after the conversation we had earlier?
"I didn't mention why I didn't want to date," he said with a sigh, plopping himself down on the bed next to me.
"Okay." I didn't really understand why he had to explain this now.
"I was cheated on," he said. "So I need to heal before I can be in another relationship."
"Oh," I said. "Okay."
"I was thinking about what I said earlier, and I didn't want you to feel like it had anything to do with you. It's all me. It still hurts." He looked away. From what I knew of Alphas, this kind of heart-to-heart conversation was exceedingly rare.
"Thanks for telling me," I said, unsure of what else to say. "I guess I'll go now?"
He hesitated. "Stay."
A tingle went up my spine. Now, I really wasn't sure what he wanted. He was behaving very strangely, quite unlike the stolid character I had come to know.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" I asked.
"Not tell," he replied. "Do."
He leaned forward and took my chin in his hand, pressing his lips to mine. I was immediately overwhelmed by his Alpha scent, which was woodsy, with a touch of that intoxicating shifter musk. He had a day's growth of stubble, which brushed against my skin, and his hands were large and warm as he started touching me.
Even if I wanted to stop, I couldn't have. My wolf pushed me to go farther, exulting in its success at finally pairing with its fated mate. I could practically hear it howling in triumph inside me, alongside the swelling of my heart as my feelings for Xander rushed through me.
His hands started roaming across my body, slipping up under my shirt and touching my soft skin. I moaned into the kiss-I couldn't help it-remembering to feel thankful that Michael had gotten Xander his own room. It seemed like everything had converged to arrive at this one moment.
Xander pulled away, looking at me with wide eyes, then stood up. I was alarmed, thinking that he was walking away, until I noticed that he had simply gone to make sure the door was shut. When I heard the click of the lock as he turned it, my heart fluttered. I was locked in here with him.
"So, you don't want to date me, but … " I said.
"Shhh." He sat down next to me, wrapping his arms around me and drawing me close. I wasn't about to complain, but I did know that we'd have to have a talk about this when we had the opportunity. Xander was giving me some serious mixed signals.
But for now, I was happy to play along, and so was my wolf. We started kissing again, passionately, like all of the tension that had built up over the past week was only now being released. And it was. I found him extremely sexually attractive, and I assumed he found me the same way, and we hadn't been able to do anything, because we hadn't had a second of time alone together.
He started to slip my shirt up. My cock was straining against my boxers, and I wanted to free it, but instead, I tried slipping his shirt off. He stopped me.
"Nuh uh," he said. "Let's get you naked first."
I was sure that I was dripping copious amounts of precome, so it was just as well. When I slipped my hand down to touch his cock through his jeans, he groaned and worked faster at undressing me. Soon enough, I was completely nude on the bed before him and completely vulnerable.
I had never been so exposed like this before. Sure, I had had sex, but something about the fact that Xander was my fated mate made it different. I watched him as he slipped his own clothes off, revealing a broad, hairy chest, rippling with muscles. I stared at him goggle-eyed, drinking in his sexiness. I was currently a very lucky guy.
His cock looked like it would stretch me out a bit. In fact, it was so large, that I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to take it. But I did know that Xander would be gentle and patient with me. I hadn't had sex in a while, and I had forgotten what it felt like to have a nice, big cock in my ass.
He lowered his body over mine, spreading my legs so he'd have better access to my opening, which was wet and puckered, ready to be filled. He pressed the head of his cock against it, teasing me, getting it slick with my juices. As he covered my body with his large, firm one, his cock slid inside easily. I groaned in satisfaction.
"You feel so good, holy shit," I said, my eyes closed.
"You do too," he said, his voice rich with pleasure. "You might have the best, tightest ass I've ever seen."
I laughed. But the urgency of sex took over us as he started thrusting, slowly at first, to get us both used to it, then fast and hard. He was fucking me so hard that I felt like I was sinking into the bed, pressed into it under his weight. I couldn't help but let out a rough grunt with every thrust as my body took his force.
Getting fucked by an Alpha was truly an experience.
He wrapped his arms around me to pull me closer to him. His chest hair brushed against my own smooth chest, and his stubble grazed my chin. I found his mouth with mine and roughly kissed him; he responded by thrusting his tongue against mine, penetrating my mouth like he was penetrating my ass.
I tried to angle my legs so I could wrap around him, but he was just such a big guy. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him; it was all muscle. He definitely weighed at least twice as much of what I did. But his movements were so controlled, so deliberate, that I felt perfectly safe with him. He was a man who obviously knew his own strength.
"Oh, Xander," I said breathlessly, "I think my cock needs some attention, too."
He moved his head so his eyes were boring right into mine. "Alphas first," he growled. "After I take my pleasure, you'll get yours."