Hello! I want to thank all the readers, the ones who favorite, the ones who alert and especially the ones that review. I know I say this in every chapter but I believe that the feedback I receive from you is the motor that keeps me going.
I wanted to mention two stories that I'm enjoying very much; Cursed by TurnItUp03 and Gravity by Jack Stall. If you get a chance check them out, you won't regret it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight
Chapter 20
After making love for the first time the alpha and his pup stayed together not wanting to leave each other's presence for even one second. The rest of the afternoon passed quickly since they were too busy kissing, playfully evading furtive glances and enjoying life like neither one of them ever did before. After sharing a quick meal they enjoyed each other's bodies once more before going on to a peaceful sleep. They were spent, sated and happy. The two wolves spent their first night as lovers in a tight embrace that lasted all night. For the first time in years Jacob didn't have any nightmares and was able to rest while holding his puppy in his arms. They both knew that life would only get harder for them from then on, but that took a back seat to the joyous celebration going on in their souls.
Jacob woke up his submissive by kissing his sleeping form until the little wolf was roused from his peaceful sleep. The master chuckled watching as his puppy could barely keep his eyes open and weakly fought to remain in la-la land. "Good morning love." The alpha nuzzled the slave's neck while whispering in his ear. Seth pretended to remain asleep just so his master would keep teasing his ear with his warm breath and loving words.
Seth had a very good reason to be tired. Not only had the previous day strenuous activities lent themselves to be exhausting. The slave spent half the night watching his master's sleeping form and dreaming of joyful days and love-filled nights. He knew it was an impossible dream but he dared to fantasize about a future with his master. The submissive would be deluding himself if he honestly believed that what happened between them would change anything. It didn't matter how loving Jake acted or how many times he called him love or baby, at the end of the day other people's opinions would weigh heavily on the alpha and he would succumb to the pressure.
"Good morning Jake." Seth finally relented and opened his eyes. His eyes focused slowly but as they did his master's handsome features became clearer. The submissive kissed the tip of two of his fingers and pressed them against Jake's full lips. Grabbing the slave's hand he covered it with tender innocent kisses. Seth's hand was almost as delicate as a woman's and so small that it was completely lost inside his master's paw of a hand.
Jacob interlaced his fingers with those of his submissive and rested their hands on the slave's stomach. "Seth, this is how I want to wake up every day for the rest of my life, with you by my side and feeling my heart swell with emotion when your gorgeous steely gaze lands on me." Seth smiled because regardless of how cheesy his master's words sounded he knew they were heartfelt. He could feel the emotion behind every word like he was speaking directly to his soul.
"Why are you smiling? What's on your mind?" Asked Jacob.
"Promise you won't get angry." Seth was making an effort to trust his master but fifteen years of torture showed him how cruel and unpredictable a dominant could be.
"Can't promise that; I may get angry and be forced to punish you." Seth's face fell when his master's words left his lips. He knew it was too good to be true, he should've known. Life had never been fair, why would it start now?
Noticing Seth's distress Jacob realized how utterly idiotic his statement had been. "Oh fuck, I have a serious case of foot in mouth disease. I'm sorry pup; I was trying to be funny and failed miserably." Jacob nuzzled Seth's cheek trying to get him to at least smile. He had a serious talent for making a mess of things. Nothing worked, the submissive was too lost in the bad memories those words elicited to even care to listen to his master.
Frustrated and scared with the whole situation Jacob sat up to have a better view of his submissive. Seth's eyes were lost, far from their paradise; he was relieving some of his hell. "Please baby talk to me, I'm sorry I scared you. You know very well that I will never lay a finger in you ever again unless it's to love you."
After his last statement Jacob was able to bring Seth back to their reality. "Master, don't apologize to me, it's undignified. You have all the right to punish me if you see fit. My life is in your hands." Every time Seth got scared or if Jacob did something that reminded him of his status as slave he would revert to his slave mentality and call Jacob master.
"First of all, stop it with the "master" shit. I told you to call me by my name and it really pisses me off when you don't. Are you trying to punish me by calling me master or is it some kind of passive aggressive bullshit? Whatever it is, quit it." With every word Jacob was digging his grave deeper. Such was his anger that he didn't even notice that Seth was slowly inching away from him. The slave's heart was like a wild horse in an open field and his eyes were as wide as they could get.
The submissive didn't know what to do. He had angered his master and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't call Jacob master to punish him or for the other thing that Seth didn't even know what it meant. The slave was just scared; he knew how aggressive his master was. He had the scars from the numerous times Jacob's belt had left imprints on his skin after he beat the living daylights out of him. The pure fierceness of the attacks was something that he would never forget. The slave remained silent; he wouldn't dare temp the fury his master.
"I can't deal with this shit, I said something stupid, I admit it, but you are being an idiot. It was a joke, a bad one, but a joke indeed. There is no need for this behavior. When are you going to understand that in the eyes of the world for now you are my slave, but I don't see you as such? To me you are my Seth, the only person to ever make me feel alive. The only person I care about." Jacob knew what was really in his heart but refused to acknowledge that truth. It was at the same time wonderful and terrifying.
Jacob last statement really hit a chord with the submissive, who flung himself to his master's arms seeking and providing much needed comfort. The submissive placed his head on the left side of Jacob's chest while his master surrounded him with his arms. Seth still couldn't utter a word, both men realizing just how traumatized the submissive was. "I'm sorry baby, for what I said before and for being a monster. I almost asked you the stupid question of the day, 'why are you so scared of me?' Instead I should ask myself how you can stand to be next to me." They stayed in their embrace, their bodies' swaying slightly like there was a secret symphony playing, one that played just for them. The master absentmindedly traced circles on the slave's naked back. The sub would never understand how or why his master's touch was so powerful, but he was grateful nonetheless for the effect it had on him. He could feel himself melting against his master's body, each muscle that until then had been tense relaxing notably.
The master pushed himself off his submissive even though he wanted to stay in their embrace for the rest of their lives, but he heard the unmistakable sound of Seth's stomach growling; his pup was hungry. Something as normal as that sound brought shame to Jacob, how many times he heard that sound and ignored it for some twisted reason or another. He made his puppy pay for the sins of others, it was not fair but in his sick mind it was justifiable. They knew they had many hurdles and obstacles to overcome. They needed to leave behind them all the pain and suffering they had endured. Jacob knew he didn't deserve that luxury, he would never forget how he treated his pup. In his evilness he made sure to leave a permanent mark on the slave's body. That mark will be a constant reminder of his failure as a human being.
"Baby you're hungry, come, let's go." Master and slave interlaced their fingers as they walked in the direction of the woods.
"Seth you're awfully quiet, are you not going to speak to me ever again?" Jacob turned towards his submissive before phasing and looked at him with a questioning look on his face. His eyes shone with hope, he still dared to dream even if it was an impossible dream.
"Yes I am, I just got very scared Jake. Please don't joke about punishing me, I was not torturing you by calling you master, I felt I angered you and panicked." They were locked in a loving embrace that they wished could last an eternity. Jacob placed a kiss on Seth's prickly head.
Jacob held the submissive sweet face between his hands while alternating his words with loving kisses. "I know… baby…, please… trust… me. When I told you I won't ever hurt you again I meant it. I may huff and puff, even scream my head off but my hands will never find your skin in anger." Seth smiled against his master's lips. "Mmmm does that smile mean I'm forgiven?"
"There is nothing to forgive, I overreacted."
"Love, there is so much to forgive, even if we live five lifetimes it will not be enough time to make up for everything I did to you."
"Let's drop the subject; I don't want to spend the rest of the day debating about the value of forgiveness." Seth felt the need to defuse a situation that was turning too dramatic. It was completely unnecessary to rub salt on their wounds.
"Sounds good to me, c'mon I'll hunt for you."
"Why? We always hunt together; I'm getting better at it." Stated Seth slightly embarrassed.
"You are a great student and learned to hunt very fast but I need to provide for you." Jake looked unsure of himself, nothing like the cocky alpha he was. He acted more like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Provide for me?" Seth gave the alpha a questioning look.
"Yes, you know, take care of you. After all, you're my boyfriend." Seth stopped in his tracks like he had crashed onto a wall. Did Jacob lose his mind? That had to be it; there was no logical explanation for what he said.
"Please Jake, don't." The shocked plea that came out of Seth's lips was the product of panic. He was very much aware that those words, as beautiful as they were, equaled a death sentence for the submissive.
"I know what you're thinking. Seth, there is nobody here but us and please, even if it's for a few days, can we dream?" The submissive thought about it and Jacob was right; there was no reason for them to not engage in some role play. Reality would rear its ugly head and they will crash down hard, but he needed to enjoy the moment.
"Ok boyfriend, hunt for me." Seth was grinning like the Cheshire cat, earning a serious eye roll from his master.
Seth sat quietly on his hind legs observing with fascination how his master's massive form stalked its prey not making a noise. For such a huge beast he moved like he weighed less than a feather. In no time an elk felt victim to his sharp canines. The alpha dragged the animal to where the submissive was sitting and offered it to him. The sub looked at Jake quizzically, he was waiting for his master to dig in; he was supposed to wait until his master was satisfied to get his share.
Seth, eat. It was not an order but to the slave felt like one.
But you haven't taken your part yet, I cannot eat before you do. Stated Seth.
I'm telling you to eat, don't contradict me. Even though they were both being very careful and zealously guarding their thoughts they still felt apprehensive and communicated way more curtly than needed.
Jake joined the sub after Seth began tearing pieces off the unfortunate animal. They ate their fill and buried the carcass before going on with the rest of their day. The morning passed with the two lovers engaging in silly games and having deep conversations about every subject they could think off. Their conversations usually gravitated to each other; they loved to learn what made the other one tick. Seth thoroughly enjoyed hearing all the trouble his master used to get into when he was only a pup. He never would've guessed that the man he feared above all others had been a rambunctious child that gave his parents grey hairs on a daily basis. Jacob on the other hand felt his heart constrict inside his chest with Seth tale of misery, abandonment and rejection.
They craved each other, their bodies screaming for contact. Seth asked his master to take him in the forest and Jacob happily complied. What the master didn't expect was the sub's eagerness and willingness to be loved in every possible way. The alpha pondered on the fact that this was what he had been missing all those years. It was not a matter of having sex; it was a matter of having a willing and loving partner. The submissive leaned on a tree, surrounding the rough trunk with his arms and offered himself to his master. He had nothing, his body and his heart was all he had to offer and those had already been claimed by Jacob. Unwilling to hurt his slave the master used his tongue and fingers to prepare him. Seth writhed under his master's touch; lost to everything but his master's fingers which were driving him crazy to the point of begging. His moans were loud and wild, he was letting go of so many years of constraint. Seth couldn't see his master's face but he knew how he looked, his body shimmering with a thin layer of sweat, hair stuck to his forehead and a satisfied smirk on his handsome face.
Jacob was driving him wild, the master's length in his tight channel was something he never thought he would enjoy, but he was. The alpha could get a little rough but one touch from Seth or a tiny whimper was enough to tame the beast. The moans and grunts coming from the two lovers were getting louder, their breathing quicker and irregular. Seth arched his back as much as he could to allow his master to penetrate him even deeper. Soon enough the slave turned into a moaning mess as white splashed the floor beneath him. The sub came hard mumbling his master's name and some unintelligible words that Jake would've loved to be able to understand. Propelled by the submissive's tightening around his member and his moans of pleasure, Jacob's body tensed in the most delicious way as he filled his slave with his load. The sub's legs gave under him; the intensity of his release was making him very dizzy. Jacob slumped on the moist floor, like his slave, he could barely stand. The master pulled his submissive to his lap and covered his face with tender kisses. They smiled at each other; they didn't need words, their spirits were connected, telling each other what the men were too afraid to muster. Seth ran the tip of one finger over his master's lips; he needed to touch every part of him. It was the only way he could be certain that this was not a dream.
As days passed they got closer, to them one day was like one hundred days, the quality of their commitment making up for the lost time. Their love-making sessions were something to write poems about. As their bodies connected they became one body and one spirit. A relationship that began in the worst possible way was quickly changing. They shared a new level of mutual acceptance and trust. The master and his slave nurtured each other like a mother cares for her child. Seth was feeling better about himself; his thoughts were not inundated with images of past abusers and pain. Instead he saw himself on a different light, and he liked what he saw. His love was unconditional and that allowed him to forgive and forget. The submissive's love for his master was sincere and so profound that it could waver but would never disappear. Until then Seth had been loyal to his master like no other, but that would change, from then on he was not only loyal but devoted to him. Jacob was experiencing intimacy for the first time ever. He felt free to reveal his true self to his puppy. Seth was able to take a peek into his master's true self and he loved it, warts and all. The alpha was opening up but that meant he was becoming vulnerable and that scared him. Both men were entering an emotional minefield, one that could be set to destroy with only one wrong step.
Jacob was lying face down on the grass, his face resting over a bundle of his own clothes. With the sun's unforgiving rays caressing his back every scar became visible to Seth. He felt compassion for his master, he didn't care that Jake didn't really deserve compassion, being able to care for this tortured man made the slave a better person. The slave sat next to his master and gently ran the pads of his fingers over the thin lines on his master's back. The touch made the master moan in satisfaction but that was short lived. The instant he realized what Seth was doing he sprung up and sat looking at his submissive with wide eyes. "Stop doing that!" he screamed to the top of his lungs.
Seth recoiled but stood his ground, he couldn't live afraid of the man he loved. An awkward silence came over the two men, Jacob was ashamed of yelling at his sub and Seth was troubled by Jacob's reaction. "They are only scars Jake."
"They are more than that and don't ever bring up the subject again." Jacob's words were covered with a shroud of barely disguised rage.
"Baby you have to make peace with the marks on your skin. Yes, then can be a reminder of a past horror but you cannot live carrying that burden, nobody can." Seth got close to his master and ran his fingers through his hair comforting him. It killed him to see Jake suffer; he cared too much to allow that.
"Seth you don't understand…" The alpha's words trailed off. He was playing a horror movie in his head, one with him as the main character. He understood that it was nothing when compared with Seth's past, but it had been the worst thing to ever happen to him.
"Jake look at me, do you honestly think I don't understand what it means to bear a mark on your skin that reminds you of how cruel somebody was or how weak you are?" Seth took Jacob's fingers and guided them over the raised scars on the left side of his chest. He traced the letters J B that months ago Jacob sadistically burned onto his skin. Jacob's breath got stuck in his throat and his eyes became inundated with tears he refused to spill. "Until I forgave you for this I couldn't begin to care for you the way I do. Please baby you need to make peace with all the demons that torture you, you have to take away their power and the only way to do it is by forgiving."
"Seth you're an angel, it's impossible to grasp how you have been able to forgive me. If I was in your place I would've never forgiven me. I know I will never forgive the bastards that did this to me. Not for me, now I couldn't care less. But these lines on my back are a constant reminder of the most abhorrent act I ever committed. I was so weak baby, so weak and that cost my mom her life." Jake's last few words were barely understandable and afterwards he couldn't speak any more; his voice was drowned by a constant stream of sobs. He held onto Seth to remain anchored to this Earth. The submissive not only held him but cried with him, he shared his pain.
An undetermined amount of time passed, Seth cradled his master's torso on his arms while Jake cried with his face buried on the submissive's chest. Seth sympathized with his master but didn't pity him; it would be degrading to do so. Jacob was lost in his self-destructive thoughts, how many times he had considered ending his existence, if only to destroy once and for all the burden he had been carrying for so many years? In a way he was happy he never did. If he had been successful he would've died without knowing the power and beauty of true love.
"I won't ask you now but I want you to know that when you are ready to talk about what happened to you mom I'll be here to listen. My only guess is that it's something so horrific that you decided to bury it deep within yourself and it has been eating you alive for far too long. The thing is that experiences like the one you lived cannot be hidden. It will be like an unsupervised pressure cooker that when you least expect it just explodes." Seth's words barely registered with the alpha, he knew that he could trust his slave with his life. The one he didn't trust was himself, he was no better than the men that tormented him. He was probably worse than all of them put together, mostly because he had allowed the events of that fateful day to change him into a demon that would consume every soul in its path.
"I know baby, one day I will tell you." Whispered Jacob.
That night they made love slowly and tenderly, the way it's supposed to be. Seth made a point to make his master feel loved. For once Jacob allowed the submissive to lead, he submitted to everything the slave wanted. The alpha basically just lied on his back and the slave did everything else. Jacob held Seth's waist as the slave rode him to oblivion. That night Jacob's nightmares returned, but unlike other occasions the slave chased the bad dreams away with his loving words and his caresses.
The next morning passed in a similar way as the previous days, the only difference was that Seth woke up with a daunting feeling he couldn't shake off. He didn't say anything to Jacob, his master had a very rough night and the last thing the submissive wanted was to add to his master's uneasiness. He took it upon himself to help the alpha have the best day in paradise. They hunted together, after eating their breakfast they sat under a big tree to protect themselves from the punishing rays of the summer sun. Jacob was particularly quiet and the submissive was giving him his space, the alpha needed to deal with everything on his own terms. "Babe stay here, it's Thursday, I need to talk to dad, you know how he worries." Seth nodded before moving so Jacob could stand up. He observed his master's shift in rapt fascination, it only took a few seconds but every time he saw it he was more in awe. The raw power of Jacob's wolf was unbelievable, no wonder so many wolves envied him. The alpha took longer than in other occasions, Seth was worried that there could be something bad going on.
After phasing back Seth could read the apprehension on his master's face. He looked utterly despondent. The submissive swiftly stood up and ran towards his master, meeting him halfway. Jacob enveloped the small wolf with his arms in an embrace so tight it could easily interfere with the sub's breathing. "Seth, we have to go back, we leave tomorrow at dawn."
The submissive took a step back and studied his master's eyes looking for any sign of humor but found none. He held on to the hope that he was joking, it would be a cruel joke but he would forgive him as long as he got to spend a few more days at the falls. "Jake why do we have to leave? Is everything ok?"
"Yes, everything it's fine at the house. There have been some disturbances along the border. The west keeps pushing through trying to breach our defenses. They will not succeed of course but they are becoming quite a nuisance. Dad wants me back because he thinks it's too risky for us to be here all by ourselves, also the harvest will start soon and he needs me there." Jacob felt that an explanation was in order; he could see the changes in his submissive, the slight tremor of his lower lip, the flared nostrils and the rapidly beating heart. His distress was painful to watch.
Seth walked away from his master like he was in autopilot. He knew this time would come, they couldn't stay there forever, but he hoped they could. He dared to hope and like it always happened fate laughed in his face. The submissive sat at the edge of the pool with his legs inside the water. He had been given a gift and should be grateful; he was reminded of how it felt to be free. To not be looking over your shoulder to see who was coming after him, in fear of what that person might do. To speak freely and without having to monitor every single word that came out of his mouth. But more than anything he was reminded of how it felt to be a human. For almost three weeks he was Seth Black, not dog or slave. His dignity was handed back to him but unfortunately the second they step back in the house somebody will tear away that most important part of him.
Jacob felt helpless and inadequate to ease his submissive's pain. His only hope was that Seth would obtain his freedom. Not knowing what to say or what to do he sat beside the slave and rubbed circles on his back. He didn't want to leave either; in no other place they would feel so free to love each other. Even if Seth got his freedom, their relationship will be frowned upon. In the eyes of more than one wolf it would be disgraceful that the son of the Aleph ended up with a submissive. He could give shit about it, he was never one to try to please people and why should he start doing it now? The master chuckled internally thinking that whoever had something to say about his love life should be prepared to say it to his face and then run for his life.
"Jake, please… leave me here. Tell them I died, that I tried to escape and you had to eliminate me. If you don't want to look bad to your dad tell him some rogues got me and when you found me the decent thing to do was end my suffering." Seth cried and his voice broke. "Please I'm begging you don't take me back." His voice rose to a scream as he desperately pleaded to his master.
Seth crumbled like a house of sand during a storm. Jacob held the man he loved feeling like he was dying inside with every tear his submissive spilled. He debated whether or not to tell the slave about his plans to grant him his freedom but decided against it. If by a cruel twist of destiny he couldn't fulfill his promise the slave would not only hate him but be heartbroken. He would've had a taste of freedom for the second time but with disastrous results. It would be cruel to crush his spirit in such a way.
Jacob swallowed with difficulty the lump that had formed in his throat before speaking. "Baby I can't leave you here, you would be completely unprotected and any dominant could find you. Remember the wolves that chased us from the beach, the rogues?" Seth nodded. "If you managed to survive and not be attacked by any dominant you could turn into one of those beasts. We're pack creatures, the pack not only provides us with protection and company, it keeps our wolves under control. When the wolf makes us succumb to our primal urges we get in serious trouble." Seth placed all his trust in his master, if he didn't believe the man he loved, who could he believe?
"I understand master; I'll go back with you." No other words were exchanged between them. The moment was so intense and so painful that simple words were inadequate. Jacob sat next to his submissive not even daring to hold his hand. He didn't deserve to do it, if he couldn't protect him from this pain who says he could protect him from other dominants?
The clouds moved in the sky and the sun changed position in the blue expanse as minutes turned into hours. Still Seth didn't move from his spot by the water and neither did his master. It was like they were paralyzed by a devastating feeling of hopelessness. Each one of them was lost in their thoughts even engaging in daydreaming to escape their reality for a few minutes. In a perfect fantasy world they would be free to love each other without any limitations. They could be spontaneous and unpredictable. Their nights would be filled with the intensity of two lovers hungry for each other. It was a beautiful dream but a dream indeed. The reality of their existence stated that tomorrow they would go back to being master and slave.
"Seth." Jacob tried to get the submissive's attention. After a few tries the slave turned his head to look at his master through red rimmed eyes. "We should get something to eat; sundown will be in about an hour."
"I'm not hungry master; you go, I'll wait here." Jacob didn't fail to notice how Seth had reversed to calling him master. He wouldn't hold it against him, in his submissive's mental state it must've been very confusing to sort out the roles. What the master insisted and wouldn't relent was on making Seth promise that he would not do anything stupid. Seth stayed behind while Jacob hunted. The alpha killed the first animal that came into sight; he needed to get back to his puppy as soon as possible.
Upon his return Jacob searched for Seth's form panicking for a moment when he couldn't see him. The only difference was that unlike past occasions he knew his puppy was still around, he trusted him not to leave him. After searching for a few minutes the master found Seth in a shallow fast moving area of the falls. He could comfortably sit on the rocks while the water swooshed around him. After taking inventory of Seth's movements Jacob cursed his life and wished he would've done many things differently. The submissive was sitting in the water shaving his head, something he had not done for almost three weeks. He had accepted his fate, resigned to his fucked up life, he complied with his master's rules.
Jacob approached him slowly; all he wanted to do was run in the opposite direction so he wouldn't have to face the evil he created. He stood by the edge of the water and observed as the slave methodically shaved all the fuzz from his head. Noticing his master's presence Seth turned towards him. The submissive face was the picture of desolation and sorrow. It was contorted in pain, not physical pain, but the worse kind of hurt, his spirit was dying slowly. The master walked inside the water and sat behind his sub with each of his long legs wrapped around the young wolf. Taking the blade from Seth's hand he proceeded to slowly and carefully shave his head.
Seth relaxed under the care of his master, regardless of the circumstances of one thing he was certain, Jacob would never hurt him again. He was afraid he would lose his temper at one point or the other but trusted him enough to know he wouldn't abuse him. The submissive heard his master take a shaky breath and turned on his spot to face him. The alpha's feelings were pouring out from within, staining his cheeks. Seth tried to blink away the emotion that was blurring his vision without much success. "Aren't we the biggest pair of idiots? This will not be for much longer my Seth. I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to end your days as a slave. I honestly believe that one day you'll be free and you'll get to take the reins of your life. Do you trust me?"
"Yes I do trust you."
"Good, then stop crying."
"I can't master, it's just too overwhelming. You see it… hurts to be a slave again, it hurts badly." Seth's words came out strained and with a hint of desperation. Jacob felt the all familiar tightness in his chest as his spirit was making it constrict painfully. The alpha saw how he had messed up once again; he gave the slave a taste of freedom and then took it away. His selfish acts knew no end. To add insult to injury he expected the submissive to remain calm and quiet like a well-trained slave. Jacob asked himself if he would be able to ever see Seth in a different light.
"I'm done." Jacob let out a breath after finishing the daunting task. It was the least he could do, he was the one responsible. Seth ran his hand over his bald head and sighed deeply resigned to re-taking his duties as slave.
"Master…" Jake didn't let him continue by gently placing one of his fingers over the slave's lips.
"It's Jacob." The master's voice was soft and filled with kindness.
"After tomorrow I'll have to go back to calling you master, I might as well start now." Explained Seth, he was making a conscious effort to not be bitter or sound angry.
"That will be only for a little while and when others are present. In our room we'll be just like we're here, but with better food." Seth smiled sadly; he didn't know whether or not to be hopeful. Life had a cruel and twisted way of flinging shit at him. He did like how Jacob called the room they shared our room. Looking back at how they acted when they began that trip he had to admit that the difference was like night and day. Maybe destiny wanted Jacob to see the submissive's home town and learn all the atrocities that took place on his last week there. He suspected that once they were back at the house his master would succumb to appearances and he would go back to the behaviors he was most famous for. The slave had learned to trust his dominant but in that instance he was very wary of what could happen.
"I brought you back some of those darn berries you like so much; I don't know how you can survive on that crap." Jacob's voice had a bit of humor in it; he was trying to lighten the mood. He stood up and helped Seth stand up as well, after so long sitting down one of the slave's legs was asleep and he was limping. The master noticed and picked him up bridal style. Seth didn't present any resistance and Jake walked out of the water carrying his submissive.
"They are yummy, you should try them Jake. Actually they are kind of a treat; I never get to eat fruit." Seth felt peaceful on his master's arms; he rested his head against his master while they talked. Jacob on the other hand felt increasingly troubled with each one of the slave's revelations. Every time the slave revealed another chapter of his hellish life Jacob felt like somebody jabbed a hot dagger directly into his heart.
"Seth I bet you have a million doubts in your mind. You have no idea how many things will change. I won't tell you, but the changes will greatly benefit you." Jacob was filled with good intentions; he just prayed that the rest of the world would agree with him. Change would still happen but he might need to get creative in his efforts.
Jacob gently placed the submissive on the soft grass under the shadow of the tree that until then had been the roof over their heads, providing shade during the day and protection from the rain. After Seth ate everything his master brought back to him they decided to turn in, knowing that they would have to be in their way early the next morning. That night they didn't make love, they enjoyed the simple pleasure of each other's company. They paid close attention to the nighttime sounds; they wanted to memorize their personal paradise. The two lovers said goodnight to all the night creatures that had been their company in their many love filled nights. They bid farewell to the stars, the moon and to their waterfall. That area would always hold a special place in their hearts. In that spot in the middle of nowhere and with a magnificent waterfall as their only witness, the master and the slave had fallen in love.
The next morning they left at sunup, if they made haste they would arrive at the manor by sundown. No sense in stalling the inevitable, neither one of them wanted to return but it was a necessary evil. As soon as the two lovers entered the Black property Jacob went to dominant alpha mode and Seth walked several steps behind him like it was expected of a slave. While still in the woods but close enough that they could see the house the master told the submissive to phase. Seth pulled two pairs of pants from their bag and after handing his master one pair he donned his own. Jacob could sense the nerves and apprehension that ran through the slave's veins.
Seth pulled out from the bag the one item he was dreading the most, his collar. Jacob took it from him and with shame and anger seeping out of him placed it on the submissive's neck and locked it with his key, which in turn he placed around his neck. "Seth you know we have to keep appearances, do not, I repeat do not pay attention to anything I say that could sound hurtful or insulting. Pretend I'm an actor and I'm just playing a part. You know better than anyone what's really in my heart, and that, my sweet puppy, is you." Jacob's words put the submissive at ease; he knew that soon enough he would face other dominants that would act very much like his master had in the past. At least he had one less enemy; the man who had hurt him so much in the past was becoming his biggest ally. What remained to be seen was if he would be able to remain true to his heart.
"Hey look who's back!" Exclaimed Harry from his spot by the door. He took a few steps inside and the two men could hear him talking to another wolf. "Get Billy; tell him that Jake is home."
"Man, you look good, that vacation really did you a world of good, now you only look like half an asshole." Joked the wolf before he bumped fists with Jake.
Billy came out of the house and encased his son in a tight embrace. Seth could see how much Billy loved his master and felt a slight twinge of jealousy. He was happy for his dominant, but wished that even if it was only once, that his father would've looked at him how the Aleph was looking at his son. "Jake I missed you; never leave for so long ever again. This has been the longest we've been apart since you were born. But it was well worth it, you're practically glowing." The slave could see the blush that covered his master's face. Seth wanted to believe that he had something to do with his master's appearance. He hoped he was not having any type of grandiose delusions.
Father and son walked inside the house leaving Seth standing by the door. The slave was going to follow them when he felt a very hot hand grabbing his bicep. "What the fuck is this? Why is it that nobody told me there was entertainment in this house?" Harry tried to talk but was left speechless when he saw the wolf spin Seth around and kiss him sloppily. The submissive was taken by surprise but soon enough he was fighting to escape the wolf's hold. It was all futile since the damn person holding him seemed to be made of rock and had an iron grip on the slave. The slave wouldn't give up, he kept pushing the wolf away from him while trying to look around to see if anybody would come to his aid. He was out of luck since the few men present just snickered and made lewd comments. The wolf that by then Seth knew was named Eric grabbed Seth's crotch almost painfully which gave the submissive an idea. Since his hands were already pinned against Eric's body the submissive closed one hand into a fist and hit the bigger male as hard as he could. That did the trick since Eric let go of the slave before trying to soothe his crushed nuts.
"This mother fucker hit me!" The minute Seth saw the man raise his arm high in the air, he knew what was coming. The slave was not looking forward to the pain, it had been months since the last time anybody hit him. He had not even set foot inside the house and he was already being attacked. What made matters worse was that his master hadn't even cared to look back before disappearing inside the house.
"What's going on here?!" Screamed Jacob, pure rage dripping from every word. The alpha grinded his teeth as raw hatred for the stranger who was attempting to hit the submissive flowed through him. He was sure Seth was following him when he walked inside the house but after realizing he was nowhere to be seen walked back outside to look for him. He looked from the unknown wolf to his slave; he could see the fear in the submissive's eyes when their gaze connected from an instant.
"This mutt hit me." Hissed Eric while pointing at Seth with one hand and holding his crotch with the other.
"I don't know who the fuck you are and I don't care. But I know who he is and there is no way in hell this dog hit you. So shut up and stop whining. And you.." The alpha was pointing at Harry who suddenly had lost the color in his face. "Why didn't you tell this bastard that Seth is off limits? Did you forget so quickly? If you did I'll be more than happy to remind you." Jacob's expression was dark and hostile; he was making a monumental effort to play it cool since he didn't want to expose their relationship. Eric's face was painted with anger and disbelief. This was not the same Jacob Black that would leave a submissive black and blue for the simple reason of lifting his eyes to look at him.
"And you stop being a fucking whore and get out of here!" It hurt Jacob to speak in such a way to his submissive but he knew it was necessary. For many reasons the best way to protect Seth was to keep the charade going. Not only the greedy bastards from the council would be very tempted to remove Seth from his service and re-sell him for a profit but if his enemies learned how important Seth was to the alpha they could hurt him just to get to Jake. The submissive remembered his master's words and tried not to pay attention to his insults, it still hurt. Seth scurried past his master and ran in the direction of their room.
"Dad I need to talk to you, you have time?" Jake was hurting, he was risking his own happiness by giving Seth his freedom, but if he had learned something about himself in the past weeks was that his happiness was secondary to Seth's joy.
"For you I always have time, but can't this wait? You must be tired and hungry."
"It can't wait dad, it's important." They walked together and entered Billy's office. Jacob was nervous and the Aleph could sense there was something troubling him.
"Dad I'll cut to the chase, I'm ready to sign Seth's freedom papers now. I was very selfish before and it's time I right that wrong." He knew he was doing the right thing but the possibility of Seth leaving left him cold. The idea of living without his pup sliced through him like a sharp knife.
"Son hearing you make that decision makes my heart soar, you are trying to do the right thing for another person and the fact that the person is a slave makes it even more meaningful and special. I'm really curious about what caused this change in attitude but that's a conversation for another time. I've told you this before and hopefully today you'll understand. Every action has a consequence; if you would've acceded to sign his liberation months ago he would've been free a long time ago. Now it's impossible." Jacob blanched; disbelief etched in his features. He shook his head from side to side trying to wrap his mind around his father's last statement. His hands gripped the hem of his shorts as if he didn't do that he would start throwing punches left and right.
"What do you mean impossible? Just give me the damn paper and I'll sign it!" Jacob was frustrated and disheartened. Once again his mistake was affecting somebody important to him. He questioned himself if he was a jinx to all who cared about him. He couldn't help falling for the submissive, he knew in his head he shouldn't even attempt it but his stupid heart had a mind of its own. How was he going to tell Seth that he would remain a slave longer than they both expected?
"We don't have that power anymore, the council sent out a decree a little after you left. I didn't bother to mention anything since you made it very clear you didn't want to part ways with the slave. It clearly states that a slave cannot be granted his freedom under any circumstance. There is an excep…" Billy couldn't finish the thought; an irate Jacob lost all semblance of calm and lashed out at his father. He was so fed up and tired with the whole system. What made matters worse was that his father seemed too eager to be in good terms with the council.
"This really bites! You know what? The council can go fuck themselves! Last time I checked you were the fucking Aleph. I know you're not a politician but sometimes I question your loyalty." Jacob violently pushed backwards the chair he had been sitting on and stormed off towards the door.
Jacob turned on his heels to look at Billy. "Father I have a question, if I would've phased into a submissive, do you think you could sit back and let them torture me to make me into a slave?" In his own way Jacob was projecting his torment to his father. Jacob had many things to be ashamed off but very few as life changing and devastating as the cruel choice that would affect Seth for the rest of his life.
"Of course not, I would've fought for you with all my strength." Billy tried to remain calm, he was not as angry as he was confused by his son's attitude.
"Then stay out of my way while I do the same for Seth."