Crossing the Moon - 2. Mateo

"Whenever you're ready to go home, we can take our desserts to go. Tomorrow I'm gonna get you a phone and a copy of the house key."

Feeling a little high and reckless, Elias sat back, rubbing his backside on Pax's lap.

"Let's go home," Elias said with pink cheeks and a mischievous grin. "Then, we can have some dessert."

::

Pax had never swooped out of a restaurant so fast. The two of them boxed up their desserts and clambered back into the car. The way home felt longer than the drive to the Golden Coralle, but it was only because of the growing sexual tension that had built up between them.

Once inside, Pax actually locked the door that time and placed their desserts on the table. "Would you like to have your dessert now?" He asked.

"If you are the dessert, then yes. Please. Right frigging now," Elias said breathlessly as he approached his tall, sexy mate.

The taller werewolf swallowed hard, but he wasted no time in lifting the Omega into his arms and walking towards his bedroom. He then sat down on his desk chair with Elias sitting down on his lap. Pax pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the ground. The mocha hue of his skin was even all over, as the werewolf's torso was displayed. Only his nipples were a slightly darker hue.

"Jeez, so hot," Elias murmured, his hands running over all that beautiful bare skin as though mapping it. "Oh damn, you've got a six-pack. Goddess, you make me want to strip down and rub myself all over you. Feel you everywhere. Cover myself in your scent."

"Please do," Pax urged as he lifted one of Eli's hands to his lips and kissed the fingers. "I would like nothing more than to have you strip down and rub yourself all over me."

Elias moaned, whipping off his shirt and shimmying out of his jeans.

"Off. Your pants. Take them off," Elias demanded as he hopped on one foot to pull off his sock.

Pax didn't need to be told twice. He quickly tugged his pants down and kicked them aside, along with his boxers. His golden-hued eyes never left the Omega's green ones.

"Glargh," Elias said eloquently as he looked his mate up and down.

The Omega swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth as his emerald eyes devoured Pax's long, thick length in their gaze. Horizontal. They needed to be horizontal as quickly as possible.

"If you want this to be in a bed, you should get us there in a hurry," Elias warned, gaze locked on Pax's impressive length as Eli stalked toward him. "I have exactly no experience in any of this, but I seem to have some pretty strong instincts pushing at me right now, and I'm really kind of onboard with what they want me to do."

Pax grinned and lifted Elias up by the hips as he walked over to the bed and settled down so that Elias sat with each leg straddling the larger werewolf. The silver-haired man was already half hard. He cupped Eli's face with his hands and pressed a firm kiss to his lips.

Elias threw his arms around Pax's neck and returned the kiss with fervor, little happy mumbles and moans slipping in a constant stream from his well-occupied lips.

Pax kissed the Omega until they needed to part for air. He then kissed and sucked a path down the side of Eli's neck, giving the younger man's shoulder a light bite.

Elias gasped, throwing his head back. He grabbed Pax's head, holding him still over the bite.

"More," Elias moaned. "Harder. Mark me."

"Soon," Pax breathed as his hands wrapped around Eli's waist and he gave one of the Omega's butt cheeks a squeeze. "How do you want us this first time? Do you want to be on your back? Do you want me on my back?"

"I want to lay on top of you," Elias said quickly, then paused uncertainly. "Is that okay? Is that wrong? I know you're an alpha."

"It doesn't feel wrong to me,"Pax expressed as he immediately reached for the lube in the drawer of his bedside cabinet. He quickly coated himself in a thin layer. "Would you like me to prepare you or do you want to do it yourself?"

"Uh, you better do it...have I mentioned that I've never done this before? I mean any of it." Eli's voice dropped to an urgent whisper. "I've never even, you know, jerked off before."

"Don't worry," Pax assured him as he gave him another soft kiss. "We'll go slow until we can figure out what you like. Now, this is going to feel a bit weird at first..." He warned as he slid a slicked finger inside the Omega's entrance and gently began to slide it back and forth before adding another digit.

An inarticulate moan fell from Eli's lips as he was penetrated for the first time. Elias drew his knees up to straddle Pax, arching his back to stick his rounded ass higher as he dropped his chest flat to Pax's.

"Ah, is that...holy, fuck...is that supposed to feel that good?" Elias asked, voice tight. "Because I feel like something inside me is about to explode or something."

Pax chuckled, the vibrations rumbling down his chest as he added a third finger and realized that the Omega was stretching wide rather quickly. Thank the goddess that werewolves were practically made for intercourse. Their genes allowed for quick penetration, even in male couples. So, when he felt Elias was ready, he carefully pressed the tip of his shaft along the entrance. "Ready?" He asked softly.

Elias let out a needy whine, bucking backward. Pax caught him, keeping the Omega from going too fast and possibly hurting himself.

"Please, please," Elias whimpered. "I need it." He didn't even know why, but it was what his body kept urging him to do.

Pax slowly made his way inside, letting out a low groan as he was surrounded by the Omega's heat. "You feel so good," he whispered as he carefully maneuvered them until they were seated in the middle of the bed. He then curved back until he laid flat on the bed, his hands sliding up Eli's outer thighs until he took hold of the younger werewolf's hips.

"Pax," Elias moaned, rocking himself against his mate, feeling so deliciously stretched and full.

Elias spread his palms on Pax's warm, muscled chest, bracing himself. The young man whined low in his throat. It felt so good, but he needed something. He didn't know what it was, how to get there. Elias tightened and relaxed around Pax's thick length, but that made his swirling need only ratchet higher.

The larger werewolf lifted his knees as he braced the flat of his feet against the mattress. He gently lifted Eli's hips, pulling out halfway, and then thrusted up gently into his depths. "Let me know if I hurt you in any way," Pax pleaded as he thrusted again and again. "And I promise I'll stop..."

"Don't you dare stop," Eli hissed, his words breaking off into a shuddering moan as fireworks went off in his nerves, lighting up the pleasure centers in his brain like Christmas.

Pax's hips rocked faster as his shaft pistoned deep into Elias continuously. The werewolf groaned as the pleasure began to take him over. "So gorgeous..." He gasped fervently, the words falling from his lips before he even had a chance to think them through. "Want to claim you on every surface of the house..."

"Fuck, yes," Elias agreed fervently. "Bend me over all the things." He added, though he didn't really know how that would feel just yet. All he knew was that he was eager to try, eager to do more things like this with Pax.

The cheeky words goaded Pax on. He all but slammed into the Omega's inner walls, angling until he found the area that caused his mate to cry out. He then exploited that area, twisting slightly so that each of his thrusts would slide against it. "Yes," He hissed as he articulated each phrase with a sharp thrust. "You take me so well, every...last...inch of me."

"Pax!" Elias wailed, feeling something big swallowing him up, crashing into him, dragging him under.

The Omega's back arched, and he would have fallen if it weren't for Pax's hold. Elias cried out as his vision blanked and his cock twitched, spurting hard and fast. Streaks painted the silver-haired wolf's chest and stomach, one stripe making it all the way to Pax's cheek.

The younger man's release ripped Pax's peak from him but a moment afterward. Pax gave one final thrust just as he came hard inside his mate. "Elias," he keened as the last spurt was shot from his shaft. The werewolf gently tugged the green-eyed man to lay down next to him. "Are you ok?"

"Mmm," Elias looked up at Pax with dazed, glassy eyes and a rapturous smile.

The Omega patted Pax's cheek gently, but with little coordination.

"Next time," Eli's heavy lids drifted closed, his breaths growing deep and slow. "We can do this on the couch."

Pax chuckled, leaning over to press a kiss to the Omega's temple. "Agreed," he responded softly. He tugged a blanket over them both, and it wasn't long before the golden-eyed man, too, drifted off to sleep.

::

Pax and Elias spent the following few days in high spirits and at general peace. Werewolves were given a week off from work whenever they found a mate in order to adjust, and Pax could certainly understand why. The older werewolf took the Omega grocery shopping so that they would have food that they both liked. The silver-haired man didn't bat a lash when half of the shopping cart ended up filled with snacks.

Once again, passerby Alphas shook their heads at the sight of an Omega dashing about and grabbing his own food. But, Pax openly glared at them and cracked his knuckles as if to dare them to start something. Every time he saw the bright smile on Eli's face, he knew that he did right for his mate.

The golden-eyed man was true to his promise to make Elias a copy of the house key and to buy him a cell phone. He had explained that, so long as he kept his cell phone on him and called or texted him whenever any of Eli's plans changed, he didn't mind it if Elias went on his own outings into the human side of town when Pax started working again. The joyous response Elias had given him had melted him to the core. The older werewolf figured that humans wouldn't care if Elias was an Omega and he wouldn't receive as much grief as he would if he went out on his own in plain sight of Alphas.

That night, Pax perused the fridge for leftovers and realized that there was little that was re-heatable. "Why don't we go out to eat tonight, Eli? Are you in the mood for anything in particular?" He asked his mate.

"How does Mexican sound?" Elias suggested.

"Sounds perfect," Pax agreed. "Let's go."

The two of them talked about their favorite Mexican cuisine as they pulled out of the driveway and took off. Both of them were so busy getting to know one another that Pax never got around to telling Elias about the stone having flashed again on Gifting Day. So, they were both equally surprised when the Omega's necklace began to light up halfway into the drive towards the Mexican restaurant.

"Pax!" Elias yipped with wide eyes, holding the gem away from him like it might explode. "It's doing the thing!" The Omega's stomach churned, his appetite evaporated. "Crap. Let's go back home!" Eli shoved the gem under his shirt. When the glow was still visible, he covered it with both hands. "We can find him another day, right?" Elias turned in his seat to face Pax. "I like you. Can't I just have you? You make me so happy. Better than I've ever felt in my whole life. I don't want to let anything mess that up."

The older werewolf waited until they pulled up to the parking lot of the Mexican restaurant before tugging Elias right into a rather passionate kiss. That Elias thought so much of him after having spent such little time together made him happier than he could have ever imagined. He pulled away before it quickly became something more, his fingers gently pressing against Eli's lips in a halting gesture. "Elias, I feel the same way. If it were in our fate to be just the two of us, I'd gladly accept it with open arms..." He confessed. "But, that isn't fair to our other mates. Who knows how long they have had to wait or how much it would pain them to sense us, but remain unclaimed. Would you deny them the same joy we've felt these last few days?"

Elias looked stricken, he hunched his shoulders, dropping his head in shame.

"I'm sorry," Elias whispered. "I'm always so selfish. I wasn't thinking."

Pax held a hand to the side of the Omega's face. "Eli, we're all selfish in one way or another." He pointed out. "If you really don't want to seek out our mate tonight, we can go someplace else to eat. What do you say?"

"No." Elias took a deep, shaky breath. "You're right. We can't just leave him hanging. That would be terrible." Eli pulled his necklace out of hiding; it was flashing surprisingly quickly. "I guess he's pretty close," the Omega commented, face pale and voice wobbly.

Pax took hold of both of Eli's hands and pressed a kiss to the knuckles. "Remember I'm right here. I won't let anything bad happen to you," he vowed.

Elias nodded, leaning against Pax for a moment before stepping out of the car. He then turned in a slow circle. The pulsing light slowed until they were facing the Mexican Restaurant again and it sped up again.

"What are the odds that our mate is in the same restaurant that we were going to come to eat in?" Elias asked, mouth dry.

"As I said...it's probably a touch of fate," Pax murmured in reply when he caught up to him. He wrapped an arm around Eli's shoulders to offer silent support. "Are you ready?"

"Mmm," Eli said noncommittally, taking comfort in Pax's touch. "Let's do it."

La Mexicana was doing a brisk business at that time of day, but as soon as the patrons caught sight of Elias with his bonding stone flashing like a beacon, a path was made. No decent werewolf would dream of getting between an Omega and his mate. Whispers spread as people commented on the size of the bonding stone and the fact that the little auburn-haired Omega appeared to already have one mate.

Unmated wolves stepped forward hopefully as Elias approached, but each was passed by. Activity in the usually bustling restaurant was paused as all eyes watched the couple moving through the room, the flashing light of the gem throwing shadows on the ceiling.

The stone led them to the entryway of the kitchen.

"What do we do?" Elias asked, glancing at Pax and nodding at a small sign next to the door. "Employees only."

An elegantly dressed woman let out a soft squeak of excitement as she made her way over to the couple. "Hola, my name is Mildred, I'm the owner of La Mexicana," she greeted them. "It's such a precious thing to see an Omega couple in the hunt for a mate. Please, follow me, I'll let you into the kitchen. Síganme." She opened the door for them and briskly strolled inside, her heels clicking onto the tiled floor below.

"Everyone, slow down to a stop ahora mismo!" Manager Mildred called out. "We have an Omega and his hunk looking for their mate!"

The hand that Pax had on Eli's shoulder tightened a bit as werewolves of all sizes and gender began to line up in front of them.

Elias shivered under so many eyes watching him expectantly. He wanted nothing more than to hide behind Pax. They were all staring at him so intensely. It was unnerving.

Eli took a calming breath, squaring his shoulders. He kept his eyes on the bright gem, avoiding the excited eyes watching him. It flashed faster and faster as Elias took tentative steps forward. The smell of delicious food did nothing for the curdling in his stomach. He breathed through his mouth and kept going. It was only Pax's hand on his shoulder, holding him back; that kept Elias from falling down the stairs he'd unknowingly walked up to.

Elias blinked, looking around. They'd walked all the way through the kitchen, passed everyone there, until they were standing in a darkened doorway that held a shadowed stairway. Elias knew it was his imagination, but the inky black darkness below seemed ominous, threatening. The Omega startled at heavy footsteps coming from the basement, the thudding of boots clanging as they reached the wooden stairs. Elias nearly jumped out of his skin as a deep voice shouted from the darkness.

"Dammit, Mil! I'm going to be late for work! I don't mind being your pack mule, but did you have to turn off the light, too? If we weren't able to adjust well in the dark, I'd have broken my neck," the voice trailed off.

Elias was frozen in place as the footsteps grew louder. A hulking form took shape from the shadows. It stepped into the light and Elias looked up...and up.

Elias blinked as the bonding stone attempted to put on a chaotic light show. The Omega couldn't seem to take in everything at once and could only seem to make impressions in his head.

Tall.

Really tall.

Dark.

Handsome.

Muscles.

More muscles.

Muscles on those muscles.

Holy crap.

The mountain of a man looked down, appearing utterly shocked. Elias closed his eyes and took that last step, touching the bonding stone to the werewolf in front of him. Lights flashed past his closed lids. There was a heavy thud of something hitting the floor, followed by an odd sound like falling sand. Elias opened his eyes. The gem held a new color. Ruby streaks twisted through the stone, twining with Pax's yellow. Elias looked to where he'd heard the thud. A massive bag of dried rice that the giant had been carrying sat sadly on the kitchen floor, a puddle of white grains pooling next to it. Elias looked back up into the warm brown eyes of his new mate.

"Hi," the Omega whispered.

Pax tried to take a stealthy step back to give the Hispanic wolf and Elias a little privacy, but the movement drew the attention of those brown eyes. "Uh, I'm Pax," he explained with a touch of nervousness. "We're your mates?"

"And I'm Elias," the Omega added shyly.

A smile slowly formed on the tall wolf's face, growing until he was beaming. It transformed the hard, handsome lines of his face into something softer, sweeter. Warm brown eyes twinkled with joy as he looked from Elias to Pax and back again. The dark-haired werewolf let out a loud whoop, though the noise didn't startle Elias in the least. A laugh bubbled in the Omega's chest as he and Pax were swept into strong arms and hugged gently to a broad chest.

"Mates...my mates..." He pulled back to look at them again, large hands lifting to cup each of their cheeks. "I'm Mateo. Mateo Cabrera."

He pulled them close, leaning down to nuzzle into Elias's throat, breathing in the Omega's heady scent. Peaceful calm settled into him, seeming to seep down to his bones. Tense muscles loosened and unknotted. A warm sense of contentment and belonging bloomed in his chest.

Mateo leaned back slightly and tipped his head, allowing Elias to press his face to the taller man's throat. The gesture was repeated with Pax, each taking in the other's scent. It felt like coming home.

Everyone watched, spellbound, as the three mates bonded. People crammed into the entryway of the kitchen, trying to catch a glimpse of a sacred moment gifted by the Goddess. When Mateo finally straightened again to his impressive height, the intensity of the moment ebbed. Everyone took a breath, smiles on their faces.

And that was when Pax realized that they had made the right decision. Mateo didn't seem like the kind of guy that deserved feeling unwanted. The werewolf was taller than him by a few inches, but he didn't feel intimidated in the slightest. On the contrary, the same protectiveness he felt upon coming across Elias once again bubbled to the surface in regards to their new mate.

"Oh man," Mateo realized with a soft snort. "Looks like I have to call work and let them know what's happened."

"Work? Córcholis, I have to call the whole family! Mom, dad, Jose, Ana, Yasmin, our cousins..." Mildred mused aloud.

Pax shook his head in amusement but turned his gaze towards Elias. "Should we get our meals to go and take him home?" He asked.

"Home?" Mateo asked with a grin. "You have a place?" He turned in his sister's direction. "Mil! You can have your guest room back!" Mat herded his mates to a table in the corner of the kitchen scattered with salt-shakers waiting to be refilled. He shooed them into seats and reached over their heads to grab menus off the shelf, handing them over with a grin. "Order anything you want. I'll pack it up." Mateo put a hand over his heart, wonder in his eyes. "Then we can go home."

"Don't forget to pack something up for yourself, as well," Pax told Mateo with a sly smirk. "You'll need the energy."

Mateo was related to almost half of the employees at La Mexicana, as it turned out. Mildred ran the restaurant like a jovial general. Everyone seemed to want to take a moment to congratulate Mateo and greet his new mates. Mildred finally stepped in, holding off the well-wishers and waving the trio out the back door with their arms loaded with foam containers of food and a promise that she would call the family and tell them the good news.

Mateo didn't want to be separated from his mates for a moment, deciding to pick up his car another day. He tucked himself in Pax's backseat with takeout boxes stacked around him.

The conversation on the ride home was warm, if occasionally a bit awkward. They talked about their families, hobbies, and work. Mateo worked as a guard for his large pack. He'd been groomed to be an enforcer but didn't have the stomach for it. Elias was embarrassed to have to admit he had no job. Omegas rarely worked, and he had only graduated high school the past spring. Pax and Mateo nearly fell over themselves assuring Eli that he had no reason to feel less than anyone else. The Omega had pink cheeks but a pleased smile when they pulled up to their home.

Pax himself was a financial manager for his pack. He worked at a small building downtown and spent most of his time advising businesses of all sizes the best way to cut costs and to prevent loss. Most of his family were quite business savvy. His uncle had helped him sell his father's company so that he could use the funds to go to college, get his house and car, and to start up his own business practice. His intentions had always been to simply pay his aunt and uncle back for all of their help. However, his aunt and uncle had plenty of funds themselves. The fact that he graduated and found a career for himself was payment enough for them.

The golden-eyed werewolf was never more grateful to have a steady and profitable job. He was able to provide for his mates, however many there were. He glanced briefly at Eli's stone and wondered just how many mates they truly had. Tatiana said at least three or four. If the number reached the double digits, then he might worry. But, he figured that even if they ended up with eight mates...

"Pax?" Elias called, pulling Pax from his musings.

"Ah, sorry, I was lost in my thoughts..." Pax apologized. "Let's go inside."

Mateo smiled as he stepped out of the car, taking in the single-story house before them. It wasn't huge, but certainly not tiny. At least three or four bedrooms. It was painted a soft brown with cream shutters. Tall mature trees with the mounding green or green and white leaves around the bases threw gentle shade on the yard and house. Mateo wondered if the others would mind if he planted flowerbeds, someday. Something to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

"Can I help you carry the food?" Elias asked sweetly, pulling Mateo from his imaginings.

Mateo frowned. He wouldn't dream of burdening an Omega with carrying things around.

Mildred and his mother would blister his ears if they'd ever heard of Mat treating any Omega, much less his own mate, with anything less than the care, respect, and deference they deserved.

Perhaps this was a test, then. His little mate was checking to see what kind of man Mateo was. The burly wolf became determined not to let Elias or Pax down. Mat wanted to be worthy of them, of the gift the Goddess had bestowed on them.

"No, that's alright," Mateo said with a smile. "I worked at the restaurant for years. Juggling containers of food is practically second nature."

Elias accepted the explanation, a bounce in his step as they followed Pax to the door. So far, Mateo seemed very nice. Pax had been wonderful, better than Eli had imagined he would be. The Omega would give Mateo a chance. The bond between them felt right, sitting inside him like a calming warmth. It made him feel safe.

In spite of his attempts to thwart him, Pax grabbed half of the containers the moment Mateo stepped through the door and set them down on the table. "Welcome home, Mateo," he said softly, a smile on his face.

Elias watched, suddenly anxious and excited to see what Mateo thought of the house. Eli had only been there a short time, but it already felt like home. Even though none of his things were in it, a bag of clothes had been dropped off why they were at the buffet, Elias still would be upset if Mateo didn't like it. The auburn-haired man wondered if it was another Omega thing, but pushed the distasteful thought aside.

"I love it," Mateo said with a bright smile. "The colors are very soothing." He looked at Pax and Elias. "I'll try not to break anything."

The silver-haired werewolf let out a hearty laugh. "If you break anything, we'll replace it with something sturdier, don't worry!" Pax replied as he reached over to ruffle the top of Mateo's hair. He curled a finger under his chin in thought. "My king sized bed should be big enough for all three of us, but I think I'll have to order double grand kings tonight."

"Double...why so big?" Mateo questioned. "I don't kick or steal blankets."

Pax shook his head. "No, it's not that," he countered immediately. "Well, I think it's better if Elias shows you the size of his stone."

Mateo looked at Elias expectantly, causing the Omega to flush crimson at the sudden attention. Eli looked down, fishing his necklace out of his shirt and holding it out in front of him.

"Wow, that's the biggest bonding stone I've ever seen," Mateo said in amazement, stepping closer. "Can I touch it?"

Elias nodded, a pleasant shiver running through him as Mateo ran his finger slowly along its length. It almost felt like Mat was touching him and not the gem.

"Is that me?" Mateo asked softly. "The red?"

Elias nodded.

"It's beautiful," Mateo whispered as he stroked it again.

"It's not complete," Elias admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?" the taller wolf asked.

Pax placed a hand on Mateo's shoulder and gently squeezed it. "That means that we have more mates to find," he explained. "At Elias's pace, of course."

"More?" Mateo asked, amazement covering his features. "How many more?"

"We don't know," Elias admitted with an awkward shrug. "And I know Pax said it'd be at my pace, but, I dunno..." He looked between his mates. "You guys seemed so happy to be found. Your reactions were...it was such a big deal for you. I mean, tell me if I'm wrong, but would you have wanted to wait any longer than you had to?" Elias bit his lip, trying to work out what he wanted to say, fiddling with the bonding stone in his hand. "I was scared, really scared, about who my mates would be. I thought it was going to be like a cage or a trap." The Omega let out a gusty sigh.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you." Elias peeked at the men with a wobbly smile. "Pax has been amazing and...well, I am more than happy with you, so far, Mateo. You seem great, too." He shook his head. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm starting to think maybe having mates won't be a bad thing. Maybe it's going to be amazing." Eli's smile grew stronger, surer. "The Goddess wants us together, and I think I should trust her more. I'm happy with you both, but I don't want to make whatever other mates we're supposed to have wait for us any more than they have to."

The golden-eyed werewolf puffed up his chest in response, feeling incredibly proud of Elias for having come to that conclusion on his own. "I absolutely agree," Pax replied. "Mateo?"

"Yes, I agree." Mateo cupped Eli's cheek. "You're amazing. Some time, I really want to talk to you about the fears you had or have. I know I hardly know you, but I want to. And I never want you to be afraid. Yeah?"

Elias blushed and nodded, unable to stop himself from snuggling his cheek into Mateo's broad palm. He liked their new mate's warmth already.