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room until he left. Whether he was bound or not, and in most

  cases he was, Levi never uttered a sound regardless of what

  Steel put him through. Steel knew the man was capable of

  making some delicious noises as he had watched Levi perform

  on the stage at the club before with other Masters. Now

  standing naked under his shower Steel had to wonder why it

  was he insisted the sub be silent.

  Huh, Steel thought to himself, you know why you insist your

  sub be silent. You don’t want to be drawn into the scene.

  Because if you are then you will want to touch, you will want to

  elicit those noises that make you so hard and needy. You will

  want more from the man than you are prepared to give.

  Oh, Steel knew he had come close tonight. For the first time

  with any sub Steel had lost his control to the point where at the

  last minute, as he ordered Levi to come for him, he had

  whipped out his needy cock from where it had been tightly

  confined by his leather pants and sprayed his release all over

  the sexy man’s hot red back. For just two seconds Steel had

  allowed himself to feel a strong sense of possessive pride at the

  sight of his come all over Levi, before his shame overtook him

  and he fumbled his way out of the room, just as he had done

  every time he had finished a scene with the man.

  As he had left the room he saw Tony go and get his Master and

  he knew the two of them would provide the aftercare that Levi

  deserved. Care that he wanted so badly to give, but couldn’t.

  Because Steel knew that if he touched Levi just once then it

  would never be enough. He knew Levi was his mate. He would

  want to keep touching the man and in time, Levi would want to

  touch him. Would want to see him naked. And Steel just

  couldn’t bear the thought that if Levi saw him without clothes,

  then the beautiful man would be nothing but disgusted in the

  ugly scars that marred Steel’s body.

  Shaking his head, Steel gave himself a brisk soap down and

  shut off the water in the shower. Just like every other

  Saturday night he told himself he wouldn’t see Levi again. But

  even as he lectured himself in his head, he knew that come

  Thursday he would set up a room for himself at the club and

  text Levi again. What he would do if the man ever said “no”

  did not bear thinking about.

  Chapter Two

  Steel slipped into the Bound and Bonded club just after 12 noon

  on Thursday. Despite the fact that he had planned to pop into

  the club today to secure his room for Saturday, Steel was not

  impressed at being summoned to turn up by the Alpha Pearson

  no less. Pearson was brief in his call to Steel that morning

  claiming only that he had something to talk to Steel about and

  he would be free for lunch at twelve.

  Steel knew he had no reason to be nervous. He and Pearson

  had been friends for years and in fact Steel had done most of

  the security work for the club. But because he knew Pearson

  so well he knew there had to be some ulterior motive for the

  lunch time invitation from the Alpha and for some reason this

  made Steel’s stomach churn. The look on his face was nothing

  short of murderous as he strode across the half filled room to

  join Pearson at his usual table.

  “Okay Pearson, what’s so urgent you felt the need to buy me

  lunch?” Steel spoke as soon as he had sat down.

  Pearson’s calm, almost smug face stretched into a smile as

  Pearson took in his friend’s displeasure.

  “Can’t an old friend simply want to catch up over lunch,” he

  countered smoothly. “After all we haven’t spoken in weeks.

  The special today is Chef’s Vongole Pasta and I have been

  assured it is positively divine. Surely you can take the time to

  share a meal with a friend?”

  Pearson’s face might be smug and his words smooth but he

  was the Alpha nonetheless. Steel kept quiet even as he scowled

  again as Pearson gave their order for two Special’s to the happy

  young twink who was serving them. Pearson seemed content

  to chat about small inconsequential pack matters as they

  waited for the food to arrive. It wasn’t until Steel went to take

  the second mouthful of his food, and yes the Vongole was

  delicious, that Pearson asked “So Steel, how’s things going with

  you?”

  “I’m fine, everything is fine,” Steel answered shortly.

  Pearson nodded as if he expected Steel’s answer. “And how

  are things with young Levi?”

  Forcing himself to remain outwardly calm, although inside Steel

  was feeling anything but, he replied tersely, “As far as I know

  they are fine. Why, has Levi complained about me?”

  “No.” Pearson shook his head. “In fact Levi hasn’t said

  anything about you at all.”

  Relaxing a little, Steel went back to eating. “Well that just

  shows what a loyal little sub he is. I will make sure I thank him

  for his discretion. You know how I value my privacy.” The

  warning look he threw Pearson didn’t go unnoticed, but Pearson

  persisted all the same.

  “You are right, Levi is very loyal. So much so in fact it is

  unlikely that he would tell you or me if he felt his needs weren’t

  being met.”

  Swallowing the mouthful of pasta, that was now starting to turn

  his stomach, Steel surprised himself with his calm response.

  “What are you talking about? Levi and I have an agreement.

  We have discussed my rules and he abides by them. Surely he

  would tell me if he was unhappy with our arrangement, or at

  least stop seeing me. It is not as though he is under contract

  or anything.”

  “And when would he discuss any concerns he had with you

  Steel, do you even talk to him?”

  Opening his mouth to defend himself, Steel shut it again really

  quickly, a flush of shame working its way up his face. No of

  course he didn’t allow Levi any time to talk to him about any

  concerns the boy might have. Steel had instigated the no

  talking rule from day one.

  “If the boy is unhappy,” and it broke Steel’s heart to think he

  might be, “then he simply needs to tell me no the next time I

  ask for an appointment. Surely his continued acceptance is

  proof enough he is happy with our arrangement.”

  Leaning across the table Pearson glared at him. “How long

  have we known each other Steel? It’s been more than twenty

  years since you joined this pack and you have been a Dom for

  more than ten of those years. Answer me honestly, one friend

  to another, are you treating Levi the way he deserves to be

  treated? Are you meeting his needs the way he meets yours?

  Are you treating him like the mate he is?”

  Swallowing back a defensive retort Steel carefully put down his

  fork and took a deep breath. How the hell did Pearson know

  that Levi was his mate? Had Levi said anything? Immediately

  Steel dismissed that thought from his mind. From what he

  could tell Levi hadn’t even told Tony or Max because he knew

  that if
Levi had said anything then Max would be on his case in

  a heart beat. Mates were special. They were meant to be

  cherished and cared for and Steel knew even as he did scenes

  with the boy he wasn’t meeting Levi’s needs. At all. But ever

  since he had gotten back from Afghanistan, Steel had been a

  broken wolf. Moody, unpredictable and prone to violence.

  There was no way Steel could take Levi as a mate. With his

  broken body and his unpredictable wolf, Levi just wouldn’t be

  safe, even if the man accepted him.

  “Who else knows about Levi being my mate?” He growled

  quietly.

  “No one,” said Pearson just as quietly. “And before you ask Levi

  didn’t tell me, I just have a nose for this type of thing. What I

  want to know is why won’t you claim him? You have to know

  he will be perfect for you in every way or he wouldn’t be your

  mate. But what you are doing to him right now is just plain

  cruel.”

  Ouch that hurt. Steel knew what he was doing was wrong. But

  he just couldn’t help himself. He lived for the time he spent

  with Levi on a Saturday. Standing behind the boy as he was

  bound to some apparatus or other gave Steel the perfect

  opportunity to admire that awesome body and the powerful

  way in which the smaller wolf submitted. He could revel in the

  boy’s scent and imagine doing so many things that he himself

  would never allow. But Pearson was right. What Steel was

  doing was wrong and totally unfair to Levi.

  “Fine,” he said after a long minute. “I will stop seeing him.

  Will that make you happy?”

  “No,” said Pearson, surprising Steel no end. “I think you should

  give him a contract. Collar him for at least three months,

  although six months would be better.”

  “You have got to be kidding me. Why would I give him a

  Dom/sub contract when I should be claiming him as a mate?

  Why would he even accept? That’s just insulting to him.”

  Pearson sighed heavily. “You have made it plain that you won’t

  claim him and I can’t imagine what that is doing to Levi, but

  think about this. How is your wolf going to feel when you see

  your mate with someone else because I have to tell you a

  couple of other Masters have already been making enquiries

  about Levi’s availability and right now your rejection of him is

  making him a prime candidate for being poached. He is a sexy

  wolf and a perfect sub. Your refusal to claim him has put him

  in a vulnerable position. Not to mention the fact it makes you

  look bloody weak.”

  Steel could barely contain the anger he felt inside at the

  thought of other men with his boy. Forcing deep breaths he

  willed his wolf down even as he fought to change.

  “Who?” He managed to get out given that talking was really

  difficult with a mouthful of wolf teeth.

  “That’s not important,” Pearson said calmly, “I won’t have

  bloodshed in my club. If you offer Levi a collar and he accepts

  then at least he will be protected against other advances.

  Surely you want to give him that at least. You’re his mate

  Steel, you should be protecting him, damn it.”

  “I can’t,” Steel whispered.

  “Do you want to?” was Pearson’s measured response.

  Closing his eyes Steel allowed himself to think about Levi,

  about having a real relationship with the man. He would love

  to be seen with the boy on his arm. He got hard thinking about

  Levi wearing his collar. For one long minute he imagined what

  it would be like to truly be a Master, the way he used to be.

  Back before his tour of duty overseas Steel had been a loving

  Dom. He knew his dates had fun with him. He excelled in

  providing strength and comfort when it was needed. He

  reveled in the sexual side of his relationships, liking nothing

  more than to keep his boy plugged so that anytime he felt the

  urge he could sink into that warm willing body that was his

  alone. Fuck, he hadn’t had sex in over four years and he did

  miss it, terribly. To have sex with his mate would be

  overwhelming.

  But if he collared Levi how could he retain control enough not

  to claim the man? Steel snorted to himself. He knew he

  wouldn’t be able to control his wolf if he ever had the

  opportunity to be balls deep inside his boy. His teeth would be

  in Levi’s neck so fast the boy’s head would spin. And Jesus H.

  Christ Steel wanted that. He wanted the boy so badly his teeth

  ached. Not to mention his cock that even now was threatening

  the strength of his zipper at just thinking about having sex with

  Levi.

  “I can’t do it, Pearson. I want to so badly, but I can’t” he heard

  himself say even as his heart broke at the words. “What if

  he…”

  “Bloody hell, Steel. You aren’t giving your boy enough credit

  and that is plain unfair. So you have a few scars? So what?

  Nightmares too?”

  Pearson continued even as Steel nodded. “Again, so what?

  Any type of relationship, be it a mating, or a Dom/sub contract,

  is built on trust. Levi has met your needs and suppressed his

  own for more than two months with you. He has earned that

  trust. The least you can do is explain your situation and offer

  the boy a chance at a Master of his own even if you won’t mate

  with him. The pair of you are stuck in a bloody holding pattern

  at the moment and it isn’t doing either one of you any good.”

  Steel thought about his friend’s words as the twink came by

  and removed their plates, replacing them with a pot of coffee

  and two cups. He had been a Marine for ten long years, the

  last two in Afghanistan. It was there he had been captured and

  tortured for ten long days. By the time Steel had been rescued

  his back was a mess and his nightmares had been that bad he

  had been honorably discharged and sent home to heal. A home

  that had been a cold and lonely place ever since. Steel had

  released his last sub just months before leaving for his posting

  overseas knowing that his two year long absence would be too

  hard on the extremely needy young human man he had at the

  time. He hadn’t taken another sub as his own since.

  He had never believed he would find his mate either. Steel had

  stayed away from the club and the pack for the longest time

  after he got home, but eventually his need to be around others

  of his kind got too much and he started visiting the club again.

  He took a few subs for one time scenes when the urge to just

  connect with someone got too much, although as with Levi he

  never touched the boys, never had any sexual contact with

  anyone. His only contact with anyone was through the fronds of

  a whip or flogger.

  The first time he had scented Levi was when the boy was doing

  a public scene with another Master on stage and Steel had to

  fight his wolf so hard to keep from ripping Levi from his

  bindings and fighting anyone who got in his way. He knew in

  that instant that Levi was meant to be his and so Steel
started

  arranging appointments with the boy. For one day a week he

  could be in a room, with his mate alone and even though he

  refused to let Levi talk to him ever, he craved the closeness

  that the pair of them needed. But he stuck to his rules and

  insisted Levi do the same. And Levi, the perfect little sub that

  he was, submitted to Steel’s rules even though it must be

  killing the little wolf not to say anything. Not to ask about the

  mating bond. Not to at least enjoy the sex they both wanted

  so badly and Steel denied them.

  But Pearson was right in one respect. He and Levi weren’t

  going anywhere the way they were. Steel knew it was his fault.

  It was his rules that had prevented the two men from getting to

  know each other outside of a scene. Steel knew exactly how

  long he could prolong a flogging on the boy’s back to bring the

  maximum amount of pleasure, but he had no idea what Levi did

  for a living. He knew the gorgeous expression on his sweet

  mate’s face when the boy climaxed to the minutest detail, but

  he had no idea what movies Levi liked to watch, or how he took

  his coffee, or even how he coped after doing scenes with Steel.

  Steel stared at Pearson in shock. He realized in that moment

  that he wanted to know those things about Levi. He wanted

  that man in his life full time. And fuck it all, he had been a

  Marine - a good one. If he could fight for his country then he

  could talk to his mate. He had to give the boy something and

  even if it was just his protection then Steel would do that. And

  maybe somewhere along the way he and Levi could work out a

  way to be together as mates the way the Fates intended.

  “Okay,” he said. That one word speaking volumes.

  “Okay?” Pearson lobbied back.

  “Okay,” Steel repeated more firmly. “I will talk to Levi, outside

  of a scene. I will ask him if he will be prepared to enter a

  contract with me. I will tell him all he needs to know,” he

  added as he saw Pearson open his mouth, “and then it will be

  up to Levi to either accept me so we can work on this together,

  or not. If he refuses me,” Steel looked Pearson firmly in the

  eye for the first time since he arrived for lunch, “I will tell him I

  won’t need his services anymore and that he is free to find a

  new Master of his own. The boy deserves an attentive Master

  even if he won’t have a mate.”