Marked Northern Shifters 1

between Alec’s shirt and jeans, and Alec jolted at the touch.
Not the pants. When Liam had gone after his pants, Alec had panicked. So Liam circled Alec’s stomach, his navel, and fingertips traveled across Alec’s ribs to find a nipple.
Alec’s groan was deep, long and shaky. The shakiness almost undid Liam and he strove to stay gentle. Then Alec was kissing back, his tongue mating with Liam’s, who captured Alec’s erect nipple and teased. Alec whimpered and Liam wondered how much longer he could hold out. Patience , he demanded of himself. This was just too important and that fear of Alec’s had been very, very real.
What Liam should do was release Alec’s arms, and yet a part of him still feared Alec would jump off the couch.
Appalled by that thought, Liam broke the kiss. If Alec wanted to break free, he must.
They stared at each other, Alec’s eyes black, his scent thick with arousal. Taking his weight off Alec’s pinioned arms, Liam ran hands down Alec as he eased back to sitting. He placed a palm on Alec’s placket and rubbed him through his jeans. Alec pushed against him. Slowly Liam unbuttoned and unzipped Alec, then pulled down boxers and jeans. His thick, dark cock sprung free.
Liam smiled, but when he looked again at Alec, the flatness to his gaze was back. The question of trust had returned and there was the faintest tremor beneath Liam. He eyed Alec and carefully—his own hand shaking at his control—touched the head of Alec’s cock with one finger.
“Should I stop?” he asked, reluctant to actually voice the question in case Alec said yes.
For an instant, Alec closed his eyes and Liam could barely breathe with waiting.
“No.” Alec’s word. It sounded like an admission of sorts.
Spreading the precome around Alec’s head, Liam slid a finger up and down the slit, and Alec turned his face to one side, saying, “God.”
Liam took him in hand, with long, firm strokes, and Alec was humming. Lowering his mouth, Liam eased Alec to the back of his throat. His thumbs stroked the creases at the sides of Alec’s sac.
He let Alec’s cock hit the back of his throat three times and Alec hardened, ready to spurt. Not wanting it to end this soon, Liam raised his head and watched Alec writhe while he stroked beneath Alec’s sac.
He approached Alec’s hole and Alec noticed.
“No.” Alec’s eyes were unfocused, his face heated.
“No, what?” Liam kept his thumbs where they were, caressing the sensitive skin between balls and anus.
Again, Alec shut his eyes briefly, his breathing unsteady. “No fucking.”
“Okay.” Liam paused. “But you want it.” Still, Liam didn’t move his thumbs. This restraint was exquisite, if difficult. He was about to come in his pants. “Why do you want it and say you don’t?”
Alec thrashed his head.
“I’ll just touch the muscle, I won’t penetrate.”
“Okay,” said Alec.
Liam quickly undid his own pants and held himself. With the other hand he caressed Alec, moving his thumb down to press lightly against Alec’s hole. Alec lifted his ass off the couch. Liam bent to take Alec fully in his mouth, stroking himself and keeping that contact with Alec’s hole.
Liam came first. Then Alec pressed his butt downward against Liam’s thumb and shot against the back of Liam’s throat.
Despite his own jism on him and Alec’s still-hard cock in his mouth, Liam could barely move. Didn’t want to move. His whole body sang with this physical connection to Alec. But Alec felt differently and, not long after he spurted, he pulled out and away from Liam, extricating himself from the couch.
Alec’s eyes were flat again. Mistrustful. As if he wasn’t quite sure what had just happened. Liam badly wanted to cuddle, but sex always seemed to end like this, with his partner wondering what the fuck had happened and Liam being unable to explain.
You wanted it , Liam longed to say, but words did not convince anyone of that and any other explanation was impossible.
Alec yanked up his jeans. “I’ll walk home.”
Liam winced. “No. Let me—”
“Please. You’ve done enough.”
“I stopped. I listened to you.”
As he jerked on his shirt, Alec’s hands trembled and Liam walked over to smell if it was fear. Some.
“ Back off ,” warned Alec.
“Just let me drive you home. I promise I won’t touch you.” The moment hung there and Liam waited, unmoving. He didn’t want Alec to walk out of the house alone.
“All right,” conceded Alec grudgingly.
Liam breathed