As it flowed, Adrian wrapped his fist around Sterling’s cock and collected it. Each spurt was a sign of satisfaction—an indication that he’d given Sterling a gift. It was all Adrian needed toletgo.
He shot into Sterling, grunting. As orgasm struck, he ground against Sterling’s ass, emptying himself deep. Adrian lacked the ability to knot, but as he came, he slipped a finger into Sterling alongside his shaft and curled it, weakly mimicking the swelling that would have occurred if he’d been born analpha.
Sterling shuddered, then fell lax upon themattress.
“I’m knotting you,” Adrian murmured as he curled his finger. “Fuck, I’m knotting your ass, Sterling. You’resohot.”
He pushed his finger into a tight ring and held it for a moment before relaxing it and sliding out of Sterling. When their bodies parted, their play session ended, and Adrian fell onto the bed, exhausted and mentally drained. His mind crash-landed back in his body, and he curled up against Sterling and kissed him until Sterling melted against him. For a while, all they did wascuddle.
“You were so good,” Adrian whispered. He closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. The world was too much. “You were so, so good. I’m soproud.”
“I’m proud of you, too,” Sterling whispered. His voice was still broken, but even as he recovered from subspace, he had the presence of mind to help Adrian come back down, too. “That was different than it was before. It washealthier.”
“I think so, too.” Adrian smiled. He rested half on top of Sterling and half on the bed. “As long as it wasn’t too much for you, I want to do this again sometime. Isthatokay?”
“It’s more than okay. I wantthat,too.”
Somehow, despite the walls he hid behind and the barbs he wore, Adrian had found a man who trusted him without reservation. In Sterling, he’d met hismatch.
Strong where he was weak, confident where he was timid, and willing to listen when Adrian ran his mouth, there was no other man who fit him as well. Adrian let that thought settle in his bones and flood his mind. He’d been questioning it for so long, far too full of self-loathing to admit it for what it really was, but he had no moredoubt.
He lovedSterling.
And slowly, he was learning to love himselfaswell.
* * *
Adrian joltedawake to the sound of an incoming call. At his side, Sterling stirred, but Adrian barely noticed as he flailed an arm to grab his phone from the bedside table and yanked it back to his chest. He answered with his eyes closed, longing to fall backasleep.
“Hello?” Adrian croaked. Sleep fragmented hisvoice.
“Adrian?” Like being doused in ice water, one word was all it took to shock Adrian to full lucidity. Short of breath, all Adrian could do was listen. “Adrian, where are you? Where isGabriel?”
It was hismother.
Since Adrian and Gabriel had come to stay with Sterling, she hadn’t called once. She hadn’t so much as sent him a text. Their father was equally as absent, but that was to be expected. Adrian thought she’d finally let them go, but he was clearlymistaken.
“Mom?”
“Whereishe? You took him from me again, didn’t you?Didn’tyou?”
It wasn’t morning sickness that turned Adrian’s stomach. Not this time. He curled up on himself, struggling against his nerves. All it took was the sound of her voice to drag him back toward his negative mindset, and he fought it with every bit of mental fortitude he had. He didn’t want to go back to living like that. Notagain.
“No,” Adrian said. “You were going to hurt him, so I took him where he’dbesafe.”
“If you don’t bring him back to me right now, I’m going to call the police.” The stern way she spoke was serious. He squeezed his eyes shut and delayed, trying to find the best way to shut her down. If she knew where Gabriel was, if she checked him out and brought him home prematurely, he would be subservient and meek his whole life. Adrian didn’t want that for him. “I’ll have you arrested. I’ll have you thrown in jail for so long, you rotthere.”
“Stop.” Adrian knew he sounded heartbroken, but he had no more walls left to put up. Sterling had stripped them down one by one, laying them to rest. Now he remembered why they were so important. Hearing such evil things from his own mother destroyed him in ways Adrian didn’t know he could be destroyed. “I’m your son. I know that what I did before was wrong, but… but it was a long time ago, and Gabriel’s getting the help he needs now. I’m looking after him as bestIcan.”
“You think that I’m going to believe any apologies from you?” The longer he engaged her, the angrier she became. Each word was like an arrow, fired with such velocity that it pierced him straight through. “You’re a snake, Adrian. Everyone knows it. Everyone saw how you treated Gabriel. You made him run away, didn’t you? You made him run before, and now you’ve gone and made him run again, and for what? Because you’re jealous? Because you can’t get it through your thick skull that you willneverbe what we wanted you to be, no matter how hardyoutry?”
The ice water that had chilled Adrian’s stomach didn’t feel much like ice anymore. Putrid bile rose up his throat, burning. His handshook.
He couldn’t let her do this. He couldn’t let her win. He’d come so far and tried so hard, and he wouldn’t let her shut himdownnow.
“Mother.” Adrian’s voice was solid—he refused to let it betray how sick she’d made him feel. “I know that it’s hard for you to understand, but Gabriel is an adult now, and he’s able to make his ownchoices.”
The bed shifted. Sterling was moving, but Adrian couldn’t bring himself to look. What he needed to do, he had to do onhisown.
