Marked Northern Shifters 1

visibly relieved until Alec settled himself between Liam’s legs and leaned his arms on Liam’s knees. He ran palms up and down Liam’s thighs.
“You’re so muscular, without being bulky. It’s quite amazing.”
Liam’s face was heating up. “Alec?”
“Yeah, babe?”
Liam closed his eyes, perhaps at the endearment, perhaps at the touch, though Alec kept his hands on his lover’s legs. When in charge, Liam was entirely uninhibited. But at other times there was caution and resistance in him. How much was Liam’s nature and how much was his history, Alec didn’t know—not that these two things could always be separated.
Leaning a cheek against Liam’s knee, Alec asked, “What were you going to say?”
“I know I’m not fair to you. In bed.” His voice was very low. Gruff.
Alec kept his expression neutral. “You’re not?” Liam was a very intense lover, but also careful, and sensitive.
“It’s because I’m alpha. I want to always be in charge.”
Alec let his doubt show.
Liam sighed. “You don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“Perhaps that’s it.” Alec placed a palm on Liam’s hipbone, and Liam tensed while he tried to hide his reaction from Alec. “What are you worried I’ll do?”
“I’m not worried. I know I can trust you. I’m just not…”
Alec waited.
“I’m not good at talking.” Liam pushed up on his elbows.
“No, no, no. Lie back down.”
Liam hesitated, breathing too hard, but Alec didn’t look away, and Liam lay back down and spoke to the ceiling. “This is because you’re alpha, too.”
“Ah. I didn’t know that.” Alec had the odd feeling Liam thought this was some kind of compliment, but he couldn’t care less what letter of the Greek alphabet he was deemed to be. “I thought I was just used to give and take.”
Liam slanted him a look.
“You say alpha as if it’s an explanation.” Alec brought a fingertip to the head of Liam’s cock. “Does that explain why you’re dripping?”
“I’m attracted to you, Alec.”
“Well, that’s certainly good to hear.” He took Liam in hand. “You rarely let me hold you. Why?”
While Alec stroked him, Liam exhaled noisily. But when Alec cupped his sac, he saw a tear escape from Liam’s eye and decided he’d pushed the golden boy far enough. Perhaps they would have time later for more. But now, Alec reached for Liam’s arms and pulled him up, then caught his face between his palms.
His golden gaze revealed nothing and everything.
“You’ve seen me at my worst, Liam. This is not so bad, surely.”
“The initiation was a bit rougher than I’ve perhaps let on,” Liam admitted with some reluctance.
Initiation. When Liam first had sex. With some adult named John. Who was dead.
“Not that it was traumatic.” Liam was always so eager to explain that there had been nothing wrong there. “Just that he had control. They knew my nature.”
“Alpha,” Alec supplied, beginning to hate this word.
“But I was too young, they said, to act on it. I needed to be taught .” The edge in Liam’s voice was unmistakable.
At Alec’s look of confusion, Liam added, “Taught to submit. Gabriel used to take me to this grove of trees and beat the shit out of me, too. That hurt worse, truth be told, and I dreaded it more. Stereotypical alpha behavior.”
“I call that stereotypical abuse.”
Liam shrugged. “It’s over. I’ve just had a control thing since then, but”—here, Liam looked uncharacteristically shy—“that was nice.”
“That” had been hardly anything, but Alec let it go and brought Liam in for a kiss. It was more tender than passionate, the conversation having rather dulled their sexual appetites.
“You said I was alpha. Yet I spent a week shackled in a shed. Is that also stereotypical alpha behavior?”
“Alec. You had no choice. Besides, you outsmarted Gabriel. You got Claire out. That will have ticked him off.”
“Oh, good. I ticked him off. I feel completely avenged.”
Liam’s eyes went flat. “There will be more to our revenge than that.”
Chapter Thirteen
    At lunch the following day, Alec noticed Trey watching him. He tried not to feel paranoid about any of the wolves he was currently living with, but that blue gaze, cold like Gabriel’s, set his nerves on edge.
“Is there something you wanted to say to me?” Alec demanded.
    Trey finished chewing his mouthful. While Liam ate a lot, Trey’s intake was truly astounding. Apparently, he’d barely eaten the past two weeks. His