Rachel looked at the three of them in turn. “I think it’s kind of exciting. Knowing that something’s going to happen but having no idea when, how, or where. It could even be one of us.” She practically vibrated in her seat.
Daryl hoped like fuck it wasn’t him.
He didn’t think he’d react well to being taken by surprise, whether he sort of knew to expect it or not. Attacking a member of the council wouldn’t go down well, he imagined.
Dinner looked lovely, but Daryl barely tasted any of it. Too on edge, constantly scanning the room, unable to stop himself from doing a mental headcount every two minutes as people got up to get dessert or go to the loo.
His knee bounced under the table, and after one too many times rattling their water glasses, Jason gripped his leg, stilling him.
Leaning in close, Jason whispered in his ear, “Want to go back up to the room?” then sat back, gaze boring into his.
A shiver ran through him at what that implied.
He stood so abruptly his chair scraped back across the floor.
Jason choked on the sip of water he’d just taken, and Rachel and Jenn stared with barely contained amusement.
“See you two in the morning.” He then gave Jason a pointed look, making him grin.
“Hopefully,I’ll see you both in the morning,” Jason said, standing up and resting on his chair back. “If not, then rescue me quickly.”
Rachel laughed. “Same.”
AS SOON AS the door to their room clicked shut, Jason was on him, backing him up against the nearest wall. “You’re not a fan of this task, are you?”
Daryl growled in frustration and let his head rest back against the wall. “How can you tell?”
Jason’s laughter coaxed a small smile out of him.
“If it’s any consolation—” Jason ran his hands up Daryl’s chest, settled them on his shoulders and gripped hard. “—I don’t like it either, but I can see why it’s one of the tasks.”
“Really?” Daryl huffed and Jason slid his fingers round to grasp his neck. “Because I thought the aim of these two weeks was to bring this pack together, not have us all looking around at each other, anxiously waiting for one of us to disappear.”
“Exactly.” He stepped closer, bringing his body flush with Daryl’s. “We all feel like that.Allof us.” Daryl knew what he was getting at, but still . . . “And when we have to rescue whoever’s been taken, we’ll work together to get them back.” Dipping his head, he ran his nose up along the column of Daryl’s throat. When he reached his ear, he whispered, “No one’s going home early.”
“No.” Daryl sighed, grudgingly accepting that Jason’s logic had some merit. “They’re not.”
Jason kissed him once before resting their foreheads together. “Whoever goes, it’ll all be fine
and we’ll get them back.” He drew away a little, eyes alight with amusement. “Unless, of course, they make the mistake of taking you; then we’re fucked.” A slow smile spread across his face. “I don’t think even Alpha Cornell would want to try and kidnap you.”
Despite thinking exactly the same thing, Daryl grumbled, “I’m not that bad.”
Laughter met his words, Jason’s smile now huge. “Mhmm. If you say so.” He tugged Daryl close, ending the conversation with a lingering kiss that made Daryl’s eyes flutter closed and his hands tighten on Jason’s back.
Kissing Jason was easy. The heat of his mouth, the teasing slide of his tongue, and the soft sounds he made combined to drain the tension from Daryl’s shoulders. He relaxed against the wall, holding Jason in his arms as he sank into the kiss and forgot about the alpha council and their stupid fucking tasks.
“Much better,” Jason breathed, lips brushing Daryl’s as he spoke. “If there was ever a moment we both needed to relieve a bit of tension, this is it.” He stepped back, took Daryl’s hand, and tugged him towards the beds. “Get your clothes off.”
With their jeans and T-shirts littering the floor, they tumbled onto Daryl’s bed, Jason landing on top. He put his hands either side of Daryl’s head and looked down at him. “What do you want?”
He bit his bottom lip, and Daryl had only one thought in his head. “Your mouth.”
Smug, as though Daryl had played exactly into his hands, Jason winked and shuffled backwards, trailing kisses down Daryl’s body as he went. Closing his eyes, Daryl shoved a pillow under his head and let Jason’s tongue and nimble fingers chase away thoughts of anything other than what was happening in their room.
Claw tips trailed over his ribs, and he hissed, back arching into the touch. After so many days sharing a room, their scents had mixed together so much in there it was starting to feel like home instead of the impersonal hotel room it had been on the first day. Each inhale left him more relaxed than the last, his wolf for once not pacing under the surface, always wary.
This is the most vulnerable you’ve allowed yourself to be in a long, long time.
