Gannon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (11 page)

McBride drew one last pull and let go, licking the wound closed.

Gannon followed suit, but he kissed Alden, loving the way he eagerly opened his mouth and swirled his tongue so he could taste himself in Gannon’s mouth. Lost in the kiss, Gannon hardly noticed that his master was gone, and he was left alone with his bloodbonded mate.

Alden didn’t want to part from Gannon, but eventually they had to when his cock went totally soft. Once he withdrew, Alden wrapped his arms around him and clung fiercely to his mate. He had been terrified that it would hurt, that he wouldn’t enjoy sex or giving blood, but he found he adored both. He gushed out
thank you
half a dozen times and kissed his mate’s face until he finally landed on his lips.

He couldn’t hear Gannon laugh, but he felt his chest vibrating from the sound. Moreover, Alden was also able to feel his joy. Gannon was happy, and that was exactly how Alden wanted him to be. His fear was gone. He knew he would still struggle with his emotions, but it wouldn’t be as crippling as it had been. A calm seemed to have come over him once they were bound by blood.

Alden had always dismissed the tales of the rather psychic nature of the bloodbond, but now he knew there was something there. He
felt
his mate. He knew Gannon far more intimately after they had shared a combination of blood and sex. Lust had certainly been a part of their mating, but that had been softened into something very close to love by the care Gannon had shown in claiming him.

Initially, the idea of not using the rectal dilator had been a bit frightening. Alden had horrific images of being ripped apart by an overzealous mate, but one look into Gannon’s eyes and he knew he would take his time and go slow. He had made the right choice.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy.” Gannon kissed him repeatedly then rested his forehead against Alden’s. “Are you happy?”

“I am.” Alden suddenly realized they’d forgotten all about McBride. He lifted his head and looked around the bedroom then back at Gannon.

“He left after he fed.”

“Was he happy?”

“I think so.” Gannon reached up and touched the spot on his neck where their master had fed from. “He usually doesn’t drink that much unless he’s enjoying the taste.”

“Do you think the fact that you were drawing from me helped to sweeten your blood?”

“I do.”

“What did you think of your first blood?”

“You were so delicious.” Gannon stroked his finger tenderly over the fresh scar on Alden’s neck. “Does it hurt terribly?”

“No. It’s sore, but not drastically so. I feel amazingly good.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Alden wanted to make sure Gannon understood just how happy he was. “I trusted you completely, and you didn’t let me down.”

Gannon blushed at bit at his praise. “I was so afraid of hurting you. I think it took me far longer than it should have.”

“I’m glad you took your time. Better slow than too fast and then both of us being unhappy.”

Gannon grinned and then stood, keeping Alden in his powerful arms. “Are you hungry?”

“I am.”

“I say we should shower, eat, and then get right to bed.”

“Turning over a new leaf, are you?” Alden was pretty sure that Gannon spent most nights playing games in the big living room chair until he had to go to bed by necessity.

“I’m a mated man now, so I have to take my responsibilities seriously.” Gannon carried him into the bathroom and set him on his feet. He fiddled with the shower, stepped in, and then pulled Alden in with him.

They played in the shower as they cleaned up, but they didn’t linger too long, not when Gannon’s tummy was rumbling so strongly that Alden was able to feel the vibrations when they were pressed together.

In the kitchen, Gannon programmed the cookbot while they played footsie under the table. When the meal was ready, they ate, brushed their teeth, and then returned to bed.

“Do you want the light on?”

“No.” Alden was certain that he would be okay. “I feel safe.”

Gannon couldn’t look happier. He reached out, flipped the light off, and they snuggled together under the sheets. Alden thought that he was too excited to actually fall asleep, but the next thing he knew was waking up to sunlight streaming in through the window. He realized he was alone and exited the bed with some trepidation. Curious if Gannon was in a bad mood again this morning, Alden padded his way first to the bathroom and then to the kitchen.

“Good morning.” Gannon pulled a chair out for Alden.

“Good morning.” Alden settled at the table, and within a few minutes he had a plate with eggs, meat, and fruit arranged artfully.

Gannon sat across from him, and they ate in silence. Gannon looked sleepy but happy, and Alden was relieved that they wouldn’t have a repeat of yesterday. Once their meal was done, Gannon dressed for work.

“McBride said he wanted you to work, too. Are you ready?”

“There wasn’t a suit in the things he dropped off yesterday.”

“You won’t need it. Today, we’ll be planting
tallos
. All you need is a sturdy pair of trousers, good shoes, and a long-sleeved shirt.”

“Why the shirt?”

“To protect your silky, pale skin.” Gannon stroked his fingers over Alden’s shoulders right up to his neck. When he hit the fresh scar, Alden shivered so hard he almost shook himself out of the kitchen chair. He had no idea that he would be so incredibly sensitive.

“Do you like that?”

Alden was unable to speak and barely able to nod, but he managed.

“Are you sure you’re up for working today?” Gannon settled in the chair nearest to Alden.

“I’m fine.”

“I just want to make sure. It was your first feeding.”

“I liked it.”

“Me, too.”

Before they could fall to kissing again, they moved back to the bedroom and went to the closet. Gannon tapped his shoulder. “Wow. It’s amazing.”

“You’re welcome.” Alden had organized all of Gannon’s clothing so that if he was late in the morning, he would be able to find what he needed in a snap. “And you no longer have to sniff things to know if they’re clean. Every few days, I’ll take the clothing from the bathroom, wash it, and hang it up in here.”

“You will? No, no.
We
will do that. Since you’ll be working in the field right along with me, it wouldn’t be fair for you to do all the house stuff.”

“Okay, we’ll trade off. One does the laundry and the other cleans the bathroom.”

“I like that. And together we can do the bedroom and the living room.”

“They shouldn’t get too bad.”

“We can have sex after,” Gannon suggested.

“Now that’s the way to motivate us!”

“Let me help you dress.” Gannon selected a thick pair of pants, but he couldn’t find a shirt that he liked from what McBride had brought over so he selected one of his own. “Is it weird to wear clothes for the first time?”

“A little.” Alden pulled the pants on, and it took several minutes for him to get used to the feel of them. “I’m afraid they will chafe.”

“If they do, I’ll slather you in lotion each night.”

Grinning, Alden allowed his mate to help him slip on his shirt. The sleeves were so long they almost hung down to his knees.

“Trust me. I’m going to make this work.” Gannon rolled up the sleeves so they hit at Alden’s wrists. Then, he gathered the shirttails together and tied them around Alden’s waist. Grasping his shoulders, Gannon turned him so he could see himself in the mirror over the dresser. “You look so gorgeous I want to strip all this back off you, toss you on the bed, and kiss my way all over your body.”

Alden met his gaze in the mirror. “Is that so?”

“I won’t, but I’d really like to.”

“You make me feel so confident.”

“You should be. You’re wonderful.”

“Will your brothers like me?”

“Oh yeah. They’ll be drooling all over you.” Gannon kissed the scar. “But only I can have you.”

“Good.”

“Did McBride put some shoes in there?”

There was a pair that fit okay for now, but Alden needed sturdy boots. Still, they were going with what they had because Alden wanted to be a part of things. Fitting in and finding himself useful was important to him.

After dropping a hat on his head, they left the house and went out to the field. Unused to the physicality of the work, Alden found it difficult to keep up with the others. He noticed that the other thrall, Ferris, was having the same problem he was. Somehow, knowing he wasn’t alone actually made him less self-conscious.

“Remember that I’ve been doing this since Jonas brought us here, and while we were in prison we worked on public roads and stuff.” Gannon offered out a flask of water that Alden greedily drank from. “You’re doing fine. Really.”

“Thank you.”

Alden met the other brothers, and they all seemed nice enough but for the one they called Caleb. Rather than working with the group, Caleb was fixing a fence quite a distance away, but his gaze kept returning to them. Alden wasn’t sure what it was about the eldest and biggest of the Morgan brothers that disturbed him, but he found himself glad Caleb wasn’t too close. There was something of an animal about him. Something base and predatory.

A tap on the shoulder turned Alden’s head toward Ferris. “Don’t worry about Caleb. He’s been behaving since McBride told him if he didn’t he wouldn’t get a mate of his own.”

“That’s good to know.” The information helped to lower Alden’s concern about him. He still found it strange how Caleb kept his distance from the group, but maybe that was the only way he was able to behave. Or maybe being close to what he so desperately wanted was simply too difficult for him to handle. To find a thrall who could take that man was going to be a daunting task.

As the day wore on, Alden became more adept at planting the tiny seeds. The precision they had to work under was exacting, but he didn’t mind. This was far better than being in the thrall house all day trying to find a way to thwart the bullies. Unlike the others, Alden didn’t spend his time talking, mainly because it was impossible for him to focus on his planting and someone’s mouth at the same time, but he found he enjoyed the respite. He was able to keep to himself, plant the tiny golden seeds, and think of all the strange things he’d always wondered about but had no time to think deeply on.

One of the very first things he considered was his new and interesting master. McBride had been upset yesterday, but not unduly so, and he seemed determined to help his slammers acclimate in whatever way he could. This impressed Alden because most landed gentrymen wouldn’t care what their slammers felt. He’d seen how they behaved when he and the other thralls had gone out. They wouldn’t bother to take the time to ensure they were able to mesh happily with their thralls if they were so lucky to have them. But McBride took a very different tack.

If Alden could ask him any question, he would ask him if the blood from Gannon had tasted sweeter after Gannon had had his first taste of Alden. He’d heard all manner of speculation from the other thralls about why gentrymen needed far more blood than any other class, but none of the answers he’d heard made sense. To Alden, it seemed to be something physiological. Genetically, the landed gentrymen were much bigger than the average slammer, and practically gigantic compared to most thralls. The Morgan brothers were the exception to that idea, though. They were almost as big as McBride.

His gaze went again to Caleb. He was exactly as big as McBride. That notion got him to wondering about where the brothers had come from. All men were decanted now that there were no women, and the Genetics Board was careful to keep a balance between the classes so that there wouldn’t be a glut of one that could possibly lead to unrest. Keeping everyone happy in their place was a tricky business. Which begged the question of the massive Morgan brothers. And seven? The more Alden considered, the more he thought they’d been special ordered. That could be the solution.

Perhaps some landed gentryman had wanted to leave his son a solid set of slammers that could work his fields, feed him well, and generally support him all the way into his old age. That would certainly explain the Morgan brothers. Alden wanted to ask his mate, but he doubted that Gannon would know. Moreover, he probably wouldn’t care. Gannon didn’t seem to be too concerned with what other men were doing. Alden wasn’t, either. He was just curious. He thought it had something to do with his need to make order out of chaos. He hoped the longer he was here and the safer he felt, the less driven he would be to straighten everything up.

Alden turned at a tap on his shoulder.

Caleb was behind him, staring at his neck. “Where’s your collar?”

Reaching up, Alden realized they had forgotten to put his yellow strip of leather back on. Since they hadn’t followed the ritual, they had neglected to put Gannon’s mark of ownership on him. By going around bare, Alden was essentially offering himself to any hungry slammer.

“Go up to the house and put it on.” By the motions behind his closed lips, Alden knew that Caleb was massaging his canines with his tongue. It was the same motion McBride had made last night while watching him and Gannon. How curious that Caleb was mimicking the hunger of a gentryman.