Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Maverick didn’t know what had happened. It didn’t matter. All he knew was Isaac was upset and running away and his instincts demanded he go after him. So despite warnings from the druid, he shifted and launched himself skyward. The scars burned where the shift pulled at them. He’d likely re-injured himself in a few places. He didn’t care. He darted forward in the direction Isaac had run, following that pull in his chest that guided him to his mate.
His mate.
He’d been thinking it far longer than he was willing to admit it out loud. But doing that ritual with Isaac, feeling himself surrounded by him, it made things clear for Maverick. He would never be satisfied with anything less than that ever again. He wanted Isaac as his mate. And he was pretty sure Isaac felt the same way. Why else would he panic?
Isaac was fast, but Maverick was faster, and he quickly caught up with the mage running through the trees. He flew above him, watching his lithe form dash through the trees. There was a flaw in his plan, though. He couldn’t land just anywhere and the forest went on for miles. Isaac would tire eventually. He needed to find a place to land.
A spark of something magic snapped in front of his face before darting off. His eyes tracked it as it flitted away before stopping over an opening in the trees. He was going to ignore it, it wasn’t in the same direction that Isaac was going, but the mage yelped and suddenly changed course. He didn't think that magic was guiding just him. Banking sharply, he headed for the clearing, landing ahead of Isaac by less than a minute. He barely had time to shift before Isaac burst through the treeline, tears streaming down his face. He backpedaled hard when he saw Maverick waiting for him, but Maverick wasn’t letting him run again. He did what his dragon had demanded on that roof, capturing the mage in his arms and dragging him to the ground.
Isaac fought against him, shaking his head and sobbing. He might have strong magic, but Maverick was heavier and Isaac’s magic was weakened from the other day. He didn’t stand a chance.
“Maverick, let go! I can’t–”
Maverick silenced his protests with a fierce kiss, gripping Isaac’s silky pink hair roughly in his hands. He didn’t let up until Isaac stopped fighting, his kisses tinged with desperation and heartache. Pulling away, he trailed kisses over the damp tracks on Isaac’s cheeks, down to his ear so he could be heard over the mage’s frantic panting.
“Isaac. My heart. My mate. Don’t run from me.”
Isaac stiffened, his fingers digging into Maverick’s shoulders. “Y-You know?”
He hummed, breathing in the strawberry scent on Isaac’s skin. “I know. I’ve known for a while. I just didn’t want to admit it.”
The whimper Isaac made sounded pained, and when Maverick lifted his head, Isaac still looked panicked.
“Why?”
He sighed heavily. “Because my life is a mess, Isaac. I’m probably days away from losing my job, I can’t control my emotions, and I literally chased you off the edge of a roof. I didn’t want to admit what you were. I didn't want you to be tied to all that. I wanted to get better first.”
Deep sobs wracked Isaac’s body, tears spilling over his cheeks. It broke Maverick’s heart to see it, and all he could think to do was hug Isaac tighter and whisper apologies in his ear. He couldn’t be sorry for finding Isaac, but he was sorry about the trouble it caused him. He deserved better than what Maverick had to offer.
“I thought–” Isaac struggled to speak around sobs, trembling beneath him. “I thought I’d forced it. I hadn’t noticed the tether between us until I woke up in the hospital. I thought my magic went haywire when we crashed and latched onto you by mistake.”
Which explained why he panicked. He thought Maverick was under the influence of his magic.
“Isaac. No one can use mind manipulation on a dragon without their permission first. You couldn’t have forced the bond. I had to want it as much as you did.”
His eyes flew open, dark green orbs wide with surprise. “Wait. Really? So Elijah…”
Maverick made a face. “While I didn’t appreciate the telepath poking around, I knew what he was doing. I allowed it because I wanted Ozen to know I was doing my best. I doubt it worked. I wouldn’t be surprised if SR overrode Ozen’s decision before I even got back.”
He shook his head. He didn’t really care about that anymore. Yes, he loved his job and the company he helped build with his friends, but he loved the man in his arms more. If he had to spend all day every day meditating to be stable enough to keep his mate, he’d do it. Dipping his head, he brushed kisses along the bridge of Isaac’s nose, over his eyebrows and across his jaw. Memorizing every inch of his face. It settled him little by little, until Isaac stopped shaking and his fingers relaxed instead of digging into Maverick’s shoulders.
“I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve been causing you trouble since the day we met,” Isaac whispered, closing his eyes when Maverick pressed his lips to his forehead.
“You have been,” Maverick agreed. Isaac’s eyes snapped back open, taking in Maverick’s smug smirk, and scowled, thumping his shoulder.
“Jerk.”
He chuckled, rubbing his nose against Isaac’s. “You shook up my life. Reminded me of the joys I’d long forgotten, like flying and sex.” Isaac rolled his eyes, but it was playful instead of annoyed and he didn’t interrupt. “You drew me out of the dark cloud that had surrounded me and taught me how to breathe again. I’m grateful for the trouble you caused. I don’t care to know what would have become of me if you hadn’t intervened.”
Isaac let out a shaky sigh, his hands moving to run through Maverick’s hair. “I probably should’ve realized sooner who you were to me. I’ve never risked my career goals for some random guy I didn’t know before.”
Maverick made a tick sound behind his teeth, pulling back to glare down at the mage. “Isaac–”
Isaac’s fingers pressed against his lips, silencing him. “I know. I’m just teasing. I just wish I would’ve recognized things sooner. It would’ve saved us a lot of trouble, I think.”
Kissing his fingertips, Maverick let out a breath. “Truly. But no mating is instantaneous. I’ve always been under the impression the mating magic looks for ways to test the bond before letting a couple know. When Ozen and his mate met, Avery had been working as a feeder for weeks without Ozen realizing they were mates. It was only after he panicked and ran, thinking he’d become addicted to his feeder and couldn’t feed from someone else that he figured it out.”
Isaac snickered, his eyes dancing. “That’s my favorite author, you know. And now I’m going to look at his mate and remember that story. I’ll end up laughing every time I see him.”
He would share every embarrassing story about his friends if it reassured Isaac. He nuzzled his face into his neck, taking deep breaths. His heart had lodged in his throat when Isaac ran, and it was only now settling again.
“So this is how I get you to breathe,” Isaac murmured, hugging his shoulders.
“Mm. So now you have to do this every time someone annoys me. Be prepared to be plastered against me every time I speak with Taron.”
Isaac’s laugh soothed him even more, and he felt himself fully relax, the fear and worry about losing his mate tempered significantly. There was only one way to make it go away, though. And he hoped Isaac was ready for it, because he wasn’t sure he could return to the world without making a claim.
“Isaac.” He lifted his head, locking eyes with the gorgeous male beneath him. “Let me claim you. Please.”
Isaac lifted his head enough to capture Maverick’s lips. It wasn’t like their normal frenzied and rough kisses. It was sweet, full of promise and recognition. Acceptance. Love. It made Maverick’s heart skip a beat and when the kiss ended and Isaac pulled away, Maverick chased him, demanding more. Isaac laughed.
“Okay, greedy dragon. This time, you lead the ritual. I’ll follow. Tell me what to do.”
Instead of rushing like they normally did, Maverick took his time, kissing every inch of skin he could reach. He slid down Isaac’s body, divesting him of his clothes, pausing at every spot that made him gasp and squirm. He moaned when Maverick toyed with his nipples, sucked in a sharp breath when he trailed his tongue down his belly, and whimpered when he nipped his inner thigh.
Panting, Isaac asked, “Are you going to tell me what the plan is? Dragons are secretive about their mating rituals. I don’t know what– ahh!”
He didn't answer outside of laving his tongue over Isaac’s hole. Isaac cried out in surprise. Their quick couplings never included this, and Maverick seemed determined to be thorough about it. Instead of explaining things to Isaac, he doubled down on what he was doing, tongue fucking his ass until the muscles relaxed and Isaac was keening and begging.
“Maverick, please! I need–” He cut himself off with another moan, clenching around him when Maverick pushed a spit soaked finger inside him. He could see where they were going with this, and his body craved what Maverick would give him, but he worried a little about taking Maverick’s gorgeous cock without lube. Especially his knot, which Isaac refused to go without now. It felt too good to deny himself.
Whispering a spell, he tried to pull at his magic to cover the distance. The bond tether answered first, Maverick’s magic boosting him to give him the strength he needed. It took a minute, he’d never summoned something that kind of distance before, and it was hard to concentrate with Maverick prepping him, but he finally heard the whistling of the bottle flying through the trees. He missed catching it this time, his head thrown back on a moan as Maverick licked his rim around his thrusting fingers, but who could blame him? That was hot.
Maverick snagged the bottle that landed in the grass above his head, but he still didn’t seem like he was in any rush. He coated his fingers and started again, spreading the lube around and stretching with his fingers. Isaac whined, thrashing his head from side to side.
“Evil dragon.”
He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, he was too caught up in what was happening, but it made Maverick laugh, and the rich sound made his chest warm. It got Maverick moving, too. He pulled his fingers out, shedding his slacks and coating his cock in the remaining lube before guiding himself in. There was less burn, Isaac’s body was getting used to the stretch, but no less pleasure as that perfect dick sank into him. He moaned and arched his back, trying to get him deeper, until Maverick’s hips were pressed against his ass.
“My mate,” Maverick whispered, sealing the sentiment with a slow kiss. Isaac agreed wholeheartedly.
“My mate,” he echoed.
It was the right thing to say. Maverick’s smile lit up the clearing, flooding Isaac with happiness and love. Lacing their fingers, Maverick drew Isaac’s hands over his head and thrust his hips, slowly and methodically, without the normal snarling ferocity. It was different, but so good. He felt every inch of that perfect dick moving in and out of him, every brush of Maverick’s skin over his. His own dick was trapped between them, the slow friction of Maverick’s abs running along his length making him ache with the need for release.
The pleasure didn’t slam into him, leaving him breathless. Instead, it moved languidly, like heated molasses through his veins, leaving him tingly all over and desperate to come. His fingers tightened around Maverick’s and he whimpered, but Maverick soothed him with a scorching kiss. Seriously. Hot. If he didn't know better, he’d think–
On his next breath, Maverick exhaled into his mouth, the heat of the dragon’s heartsfire burning through his lungs and into his chest. It hurt only for a second before it sank in, spreading through his body and leaving him feeling flushed. The desperation came back tenfold, his dick so hard, he thought he’d explode. Then, with one hard thrust, Maverick’s knot sank into him and Isaac came apart at the seams. Pleasure burned through him like a firestorm, touching every nerve, until he was screaming into Maverick’s mouth. It was all-consuming, making him buck and writhe through it, and Isaac may have blacked out in the end.
When he came back to reality, he was back where he’d found himself that morning. Wrapped in Maverick’s arms, warm and safe, and this time, he wasn’t going to fight it. Maverick could protect him all he wanted. As long as Isaac was allowed to do the same for him.