5

JAX

“Mate.”

The word rang in my head repeatedly. My heart squeezed in my chest. My breath caught.

Time froze.

A gush of heat pooled down my back as my jaw dropped. Every nerve in me screamed at me to run— to leave immediately but I could barely summon strength.

The suppressants in my system were wearing off.

Mates were myths. Legends.

Not me. 

Not with him.

Cipher.

My breath rolled out in haggard puffs as the bathroom tilted in its axis. I pressed my back further against the wall, the cold tiles sending a clashing cascade of cold.

“What—”

My voice broke halfway. 

His scent hit me. Rough.

Like a visceral punch to the guts. It rolled into my nostrils— cedar, smoke and a dark tinge I couldn't deduce yet couldn't resist.

My legs weakened.

“What did you just s—”

My knees gave out and I fell. My vision blurred, darkening at its edges. I tried to keep my eyes open. Failed woefully at it. I heard his voice over the haze. Distant yet calming. His arms grabbed me. 

His voice came again. One last time. Calling my name.

But I was already gone. Engulfed in absolute darkness.

THE NEXT MORNING.

Heat.

That was the first I felt.

Heavy. Suffocating.

Then came the memory of last night. It crashed into my mind. And slowly, I began remembering. 

The text.

The ride to Cipher's mansion.

My entire plan to steal back my suppressants.

It all seemed perfect then I remembered the whole walk through the hallway. The moans. 

Lily's friends.

And Lily.

Riding Cipher's cock and crying out in pleasure. More than she ever did with me.

I remembered stumbling into the toilet. And then, him. 

The mate bond.

My vision blurred right at the point he caved in on me, my back pressed against the cold toilet walls.

Then nothing. Pitch black.

My eyes creaked open slowly and I gasped.

Wrong ceiling.

I immediately tried to move but I couldn't. I lowered my gaze and saw arms wrapped around me. Strong ones.

They were possessive. Even in sleep.

I was able to weasel out of his arms and I turned, meeting the head of the man I swore to bury in ice.

Cipher.

He was shirtless. 

I looked down.

I was too.

My fingers caught a tight grip of the duvet.

No.

Please no.

I raised it. My heart dropped.

Skin. Bare skin.

He was naked. I was too.

We were both naked in his fucking bed.

My mind flashed back to a memory from last night. The toilet. Mate.

That word.

That fucking word.

Then nothing. Again.

I must have blanked out from the shock. I stared back at the tangled sheets, our naked bodies and a soreness deep in my stomach I couldn't fathom. 

That could only mean one thing. 

Oh god. Fuck.

We had sex.

I stared hard at the image of him on the wall. He was my mate.

The moon goddess had to be joking.

He was my rival. My enemy.

Proud, cocky and arrogant.

A bland mix of everything I stood against. 

The one man I wanted to destroy more than ever.

I slept with him.

Our naked bodies attested to it.

I couldn't have anyone see me here. In his bed. Bare. Wrapped around his arm's tight grip. I slipped out of his hold slowly as I stepped down from the bed. My bare feet hit the floor and I rushed to go look for my clothes. I found them and jumped into them instantly.

I rushed over to the mirror in the room with a sore ache spreading in my veins. I fixed my hair roughly as I heard a soft groan roll out from his direction and my heart jumped in my chest.

Fear gripped me as I ducked, my heart heavy in my chest.

I waited a few seconds to check again and was relieved to find out he hadn't woken up yet. I flashed my gaze around the room, trying to think of a place he'd hide my suppressants.

I didn't need to look around too long before an idea popped up. The cupboards. I rushed over to them, checking every single one before I finally found it. It looked odd.

I could've sworn it had a different seal but I didn't have enough time to double check. I put it in my pockets, grabbed my phone on the side of the bed and dashed out.

I was glad no one saw me. They were all drunk and wasted. All naked. I switched on my phone to see a hundred and seven missed calls.

I wanted to ignore them before I spotted the caller id.

It was Lily.

It was from Coach.

He sent texts too.

I checked the recent one and gasped at one.

“The company board has made a decision on who they are going to pick. You need to be there. I traced your phone to that party. I'm outside now. Get out of there now.”

I dashed out of the building to find Coach's car parked outside.

He popped his head out of the car, his eyes scanning mine as I made my way back down the rest of the road.

“Get in here.”

I did just as he asked. And as I got into the car, he didn't ask any questions. Only passed over a fresh shirt to me.

“Wear it.”

I took off the sweaty one I had on and changed it as he drove away from the building. I couldn't help but steal a glance of it as we sped away. 

The rest of the ride was spent with me thinking, trying to gather my thoughts and failing woefully at it too.

When we got to the building, we were ushered in by a guy in dark specs like the guy from the match. “This way.”

He ushered us in. I eyed him. He was heavily built and didn't have any problems getting everyone in our path to shuffle away. 

When we got to the elevator, he inputted the number of the floor and we got in. My heart pounded heavily in my chest and as it made a ding.

The doors opened and we walked in. My mind flashed back to Lily's betrayal and I felt a wave of rage, confusion and frustration. 

“We're here.”

The sound of the usher jolted me out of thoughts. He stepped out and stood in a line by the side of the hallway alongside other guys in similar outfits and shades. 

Coach turned to me. “You look lost, kid. You good?”

I nodded hesitantly. “Y-yes.”

 “Whatever you do, do not fuck this up. Let me do the talking. Just sit pretty and say nothing.”

I let out a shaky breath. “I won't.”

He stared longer and I had no other choice. “Okay, I promise.”

He led me back down the rest of the distance till we got to the door. His fingers reached for the knob and he gripped it before pulling it open. The door pulled open to the sight of the board. 

I spotted the man from the hockey game at the end of the desk. His eyes were devoid of emotions. I did all coach asked. Got into my seat and allowed him to do all the talking.

And as he finished, one of the ladies in the room spoke. “We're actually waiting for one last member of the meeting.”

My brows creased. “Who is i—?’’

I was just about to finish when the door pulled open and I saw him. Cipher. All dressed in a new suit.

My heart squeezed in my chest. No. Not again. His eyes stayed pinned on me for long. Too long. My heartbeat pounded heavier in my chest and I began to feel weaker.

“Mr Jax are you even listening?”

One of the board members asked and I jerked out of thoughts. 

“Yes, I just have to use the restroom.”

I got out of my seat and made my way back down the rest of the road to the rest room. I closed the door behind me, checked for security cams, and then brought out the suppressants.

I brought out two and popped them into my lips, waiting for it to kick in but it didn't. Instead, I felt another hardening form in my pants and I felt weaker.

Fuck.

This couldn't be happening now.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the door opened and he walked in, my suppressants in his hands. 

“Looking for this?”

“You bastard, you switched them.”

I lunged towards him, throwing my fist in the air. It didn't touch him, he gripped me tighter from behind. “i switched it for some aphrodisiacs. So now you're turned on instead of energized. Good to see you this weak again.”

He pulled dangerously close to me. 

My lips quivered. “We can't.”

"I want you to cum now, Jax"

He gripped my neck. Tightly. His left hand moved towards my cock and it jumped. Fuck.

“Hell no. I can't be doing this here, Ci—”

"Rough. Hard. Just do it. For me."

I spat, rolling my eyes. "I'll cum to the sight of boring medicine ads than to you. I—"

A wave of pleasure overcame me and I threw my head back, leaning against his chest. Just then, I felt his fingers take hold of my cock. Jerking it. Roughly. His breathing intensified. And to hell, I wanted to snap out of whatever daze he had me in but I couldn't.

I wanted this.

"Here, spit in my hands."

He ordered and I snapped. "I'm not doing shit,"

And that was when he used his right hand in choking me even further. "Do it. Now."

His eyes burned with emotions I couldn't fathom. The mystery wrapping around all of this was too much to take in. And to hell, I was here for it.

"Not gonna to say it twice, you brat,"

I rolled my eyes. And succumbed. 

My throat was dry but at that moment, I found the right amount of saliva to spit out. "Is that enough?"

The words crashed out of my lips before I could think of anything else. Curiosity clenched my veins. I raised my gaze, staring hard into his soulless midnight black eyes.

Instead of giving me a response, he laughed, that cocky smirk that used to make my intestines tighten into knots now making me feel a whole kind of way. A way I didn't want to feel.

"This is gay,"

I spat, not minding how my words came out.

His eyes darkened. "Well, gay, could mean two things."

I listened. Attentively.

While his hands, covered in my own saliva, found it's way to my cock and started jerking it off. Slowly. I gasped for her with every hitch of my breath. The wave tumbling down my spine grew stronger and I threw my head back again, this time as it leaned into the side of his neck, he bit into my ear lobes.

And I liked it.

Fuck, I wanted more.

This was supposed to feel wrong. Scratch that, it was.

But with the way his hands worked against my cock and the wonders his lips worked against my ear lobe, I felt a surge of hunger.

"Fuck...."

The sound of my moans were heavy. And I feared the others outside would overhear. I clamped my hands over my mouth almost immediately, biting back the moans that tried to slip out.

"Unclamp your hands, Jax."

I shook my head, my fingers quivering as I pressed them hard against the bed's cushion. 

He knew the reason why. 

And yet, he still urged me to do it.

"No."

I mouthed, my voice unclear as it slipped through the tight coverage of my hands.

The look in his eyes told me he didn't agree. Yet, he didn't say a word. His fingers increased their pace even more. 

Faster.

"Ugh... Fuck.."

This time, it wasn't a moan. 

It was a scream. A cry.

I'd cum soon.

I could feel it.

And I knew whatever sound that would explode out of me would be one that would sure as hell cut through the silence and alarm others. I couldn't allow that.

A knock cut through the air and we both froze.

Cipher kept going, dragging me further towards the edge.

His eyes darkened.

“Mr. Jax. Your coach asked me to tell you to hurry.”

I rolled my eyes.

He laughed, continuing as he stroked me harder.

I let out a muffled moan as I came in his grip, my heart panting in my chest. As a compliment, he popped out one of the suppressants and gave it to me.

I swallowed it greedily as I felt a rush of energy and I pushed him off him and washed my face as I walked out. 

I got back into the room to find out the meeting was over. 

“There he is.”

I froze by the door frame, my heart heavy in my chest. I turned to chest and I felt a bit of relief seeing his smile. 

“We've made a decision.”

I stepped into the room and shortly after, it opened again. I didn't need to check to know who it was.

“What was it?”

The lady’s face flashed all shades of red. “For the first time ever, ice time corp will be taking in two hockey gods. Mr Jax and Mr Cipher. Congratulations.”

Everyone clapped. I heard a dark chuckle from behind and heat spread down my back.