The Woods ✔

Revelations

Caden lay the whole night awake and stared at the dark ceiling.

Ajax would come the following day to talk with him and to decide what to do.

The prospect of having to look the man in the eyes freaked him out and he contemplated running out of the front door till the other end of the continent. It was in his genes to fear a stronger male and give him a wide berth. And he would have to be in the same room with him!

He groaned and flipped over on the sofa so he could bury his face in the cushion.

The sun already peeked over the eastern treetops and dread filled him. Any minute now the front door could open and he nervously curled up on the sofa.

Kaliska and Robin were still asleep and he thought about waking them up so he wouldn't have to face Ajax alone. But he didn't want to go on their nerves and risk getting kicked out. He glanced at the window to survey the progress of the rising sun. Should he start breakfast? Michael's mood had always been better if he had had something to eat. Perhaps he could appease Ajax with food?

He didn't even crawl out under the blanket yet when the front door opened and he dove behind the sofa with a squeak. Damn, why was he such a scaredy-cat all of a sudden?

Every coherent thought flew out of the window when a certain masculine scent invaded his senses and brought the panic to a whole new level. It was him! Where were Kaliska and Robin? How the hell was he supposed to face him alone?

The steps paused in the doorway and Caden held his breath, irrationally hoping the man wouldn't hear him. Seconds stretched to minutes, minutes became hours.

A startled hiss escaped him when a hand suddenly reached over the back of the sofa, grabbed him by the neck and pulled him to a standing position. The blanket pooled at his feet and he realized that he stood completely naked in front of the alpha male.

He wanted the ground to swallow him up.

Ajax took his time examining him with an emotionless expression and Caden felt extremely nauseous. He knew that he resembled a twig and would be completely helpless if Ajax decided to attack. His hands trembled and he balled them to fists at his sides to hide it.

Fainting suddenly sounded like a damn good idea.

Ajax was still as intimidating as he had been during their first encounter. The V-neck shirt clung tightly to his body and showed off powerful muscles. He wasn't overly built however he had the lithe body of a cat Caden couldn't seem to achieve.

The man leaned forward and he hissed in warning but was ignored. Surprisingly gentle Ajax sniffed his neck and Caden even tilted his head to the side to give him more space. Warm breath rushed over his skin and he shivered anxiously.

For a change he understood what Ajax did and he relaxed slightly at the familiar gesture. Scenting another cat was common in the wild and nothing to be afraid of although he stayed alert because he didn't know when Ajax' mood would shift.

A cry of pain escaped him when Ajax went as far as biting him. Caden froze and exhaled shakily. He was able to feel every single teeth digging into his skin and though they were blunt and didn't draw blood he swayed unsteadily on his feet.

They remained in this position for a few minutes, Ajax proving his dominance and Caden forcing himself not to crumble like some maiden in distress. Only about two inches separated them and the close proximity along with the bite was nearly enough to put him to flight.

Finally Ajax released him with a satisfied growl. Caden avoided eye contact and instead looked down at the bunched up blanket on the floor. He felt so exposed and judged with every inch of his pitiful body on display.

"You caused quite the ruckus."

He jumped surprised and stumbled but Ajax caught him before he could lose his balance completely. Rough hands gripped his upper arms and he didn't dare to move.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered, not exactly sure whether for causing a ruckus or for behaving like a fool.

Ajax released him and he cautiously peeked up at him. His face was still emotionless and his oddly coloured eyes were set steadfastly on Caden. Up close he noticed a tiny scar on the other man's lower lip.

"What are you doing here anyway?" The low rumble of that neutral voice distracted him from the actual question and he had problems forming a coherent sentence.

"I- Things."

He officially made a fool out of himself. The heat he had last felt while talking with Oliver returned to his cheeks and the knowledge made him blush even harder.

"Things," Ajax repeated dryly and Caden nodded weakly.

"Stay away from pets," Ajax warned. Caden nodded again and sighed a breath of relief when the male finally stepped away from him.

"Wouldn't want to hurt such a little cub," he remarked as an afterthought and sat down on the sofa Caden had tossed and turned on the last night.

He gulped audibly and hastily picked up the blanket. Despite hating the constricting feeling of clothes he would ask Robin for at least a pair of pants to avoid embarrassing situations in the future.

He didn't want to look like a complete coward in front of Ajax so instead of hiding in the kitchen he curled up on an armchair and stared out of the window. His pulse gradually slowed down and he felt dizzy when everything caught up to him.

An alpha male! An alpha male had scented and bitten him! He wondered if their encounter would have gone that smoothly, too, if they had met somewhere in the woods. Surely there would have been a lot more canines involved.

Inconspicuously he glanced over at Ajax who had his eyes closed and was obviously completely relaxed. He knew that he had brought his point across and Caden wouldn't dare to attack him. The roles were clear.

Admittedly he looked quite good with dishevelled blonde hair, stubble which was a few shades darker, and broad shoulders followed by a narrow waist and equally as narrow hips leading down to long legs encased by rugged jeans. However Ajax was not one of those man that were pictured in magazines, he was the one that had been captain of the football team and the school's bully because he was blessed with exceptional good genes and everyone wanted to be friends with him in hopes of sharing this glow.

Behind his appearance was something Caden was sure only a few humans could name properly. There was this promise of wildness, of unrestrained strength, of more. Simply more of everything.

Ajax radiated power and it drew Caden in as much as it made him recoil.

"Trying to get in my pants?" Ajax murmured with half opened eyes.

"N-No," Caden replied confused.

"Then stop staring at me."

Again Caden blushed in embarrassment and whipped his head around to concentrate on the world in front of the window.

Why would Ajax think something like that about him? He wasn't interested in other males!

Robin luckily saved him from embarrassing himself further. He trudged down the stairs while cutely rubbing his eyes and yawning every other step. Surprised he blinked at Ajax and then yawned again.

"I thought you would come over later," he muttered to no one in particular and shuffled into the kitchen.

Ajax followed him and Caden licked his dry lips. That had been a close one.