Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
MIKO
The sleeping sounds of my pack made me happy.
Orion’s body on mine also made me happy.
But I couldn’t sleep. My eyelids didn’t grow heavy once, the warmth of the fae’s body not enough to mollify me like it should. An overload of thoughts crashed into each other like laundry in a washing machine stuck on a spin cycle.
Damn.
A nice memory snagged me, dragging me back to the celebratory dinner my dad organized when I became alpha werewolf of England’s southern territories.
Me, Mum, my sisters, Dad, several of Dad’s coworkers from the bank he worked at, and some of Mum’s fellow research assistants from PharmaLondon held up their glasses in the posh London restaurant.
“I want to raise a toast to my amazingly brave son for winning the alphaship,” Dad said, his arm around Mum.
Glasses clinked and praise was showered upon me.
Dad said a few words in Filipino, finishing with, “Mahal kita.”
“I love you, too, Dad,” I responded.
Mum dabbed at her watery eyes with a napkin.
He switched back to English to say, “And he did this at twenty years old! What a man!”
My sisters hugged me as everyone cheered.
God, I missed my family so much. If only I could keep the good memories of them at the forefront of my mind instead of their deaths.
My chest burned with guilt.
They were all human, me the only one with supernatural blood. Dawn got to them, taking their lovely lights away forever.
I’d had to end them.
I’d had to remove them from this world.
I’d had no fucking choice.
“I miss your lights,” I whispered, hands clenched painfully tight.
Not this. Not now. I couldn’t lay here and sink into sorrow.
I pulled Belle, my unicorn stress ball, from my pocket and squeezed hard, fighting the tide of grief.
She didn’t help. My brain had other ideas, dragging up the image of Dad staggering toward me, his eyes pink from Dawn’s curse. Dead. Reaching for me, jaws snapping. An empty shell destined to rot and kill, dragging his left foot.
“Dad…”
I knew the drill. Trauma to the brain. Just like Mum, Carmelita, and Tala. They deserved better than being zombies. Taking them down was the kindest thing to do.
“I’m sorry, Dad…” My tears were like lava.
He moaned, coming closer.
I readied the dagger in my hand.
Trauma to the brain.
Trauma to the brain.
Trauma to the brain.
“I’m so fucking sorry.”
I hauled myself out of remembrance at the last moment, that final blow replaying somewhere in the distant corners of my mind.
“Fuck…”
Orion stirred against me. I watched him for a few moments, focusing on the slight sun-kissed hues of his fair skin, the rich scarlet of his hair.
God, he was beautiful and so unexpected. I’d given up on the idea of finding a mate after the world fell apart. Who wouldn’t? But then along came this fae.
Every single second I spent by his side, the deeper I fell. And that only made things painfully complicated.
His glossy, rosy lips parted slightly as he let out a gentle breath, his snoring on pause.
The best lips I’d ever kissed.
My mind continued to spiral, too much shit trying to grind me down.
I eased Orion off me. He stirred again, smacking his lips. I waited in case he woke up. But the snoring started again.
I left him to his dreams, which I hoped were sweet. Quickly surveying the carriage to make sure everyone was still sleeping soundly, I stepped onto the platform.
I took deep breaths, stretched my limbs, and rolled my shoulders. That was much better than laying there spinning my wheels.
I considered heading up the inactive escalators for some fresh air to clear my head. But I stuck to the platform, taking a walk, focused on emptying my thoughts.
Fighting the spiral.
I paused beside a bench.
Why my dad? What could he possibly have to do with Dawn?
I tried to pluck a theory out of thin air, but there was nothing.
Mum worked for PharmaLondon, who were suspects in the early days of Dawn, but they were quickly ruled out of any involvement.
She’d never get herself tangled up in world-ending shit. Too moral, too good.
God. This made zero sense.
Footsteps. A yawn, the scent of cherries tickling my senses.
“What are you doing out here?” a bleary-eyed Orion asked.
“Thinking.”
He yawned again, wrapping his arms around himself. “Oh.”
“Go back to sleep.”
He rubbed his eyes, moving closer. “I’m okay.”
“You look exhausted.”
His brows pinched together. “Charming.”
“It’s true.”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Same to you.” What a cute retort.
“I want some alone time.” What a cold answer.
He nodded, rocking on his heels. “I understand. I’ll leave you alone.”
“You really should catch up on your rest.”
“Uh-huh.”
I picked up on some bristly energy. “What’s wrong.”
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
That got his hands out of his pockets, and a finger pointed at me. “Apologies for the pointing, but don’t order me around.”
“What? I’m not—”
“You are. You’re trying to wrap me in worm fluff and I’m not having it.”
I cocked my head to the side. “What the fuck is worm fluff?”
His cheeks flushed for the second time tonight. “Fluffworms make worm fluff. They’re like silkworms but dabble in fluff. Don’t change the subject.”
His irritation only made him cuter. “Fluffy stuff?”
Walk away. Spare his heart.
Orion squared up to me, my nostrils now full of cherries. “Listen to me, wolfy. I might be skinnier, not as beastly, but I can still hold my own.”
“Beastly?”
His hot emerald glare weakened my resolve.
“It’s amazing you want to protect me like you do,” he continued, “and I appreciate it so much. Makes my belly warm. But the same applies from me to you.” He pointed between us, taking a step back. “This bond mate thing brings out the knight in me.”
“Knight?”
“Don’t take the piddle.”
I swallowed a laugh. “I’m not.”
“Then do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yeah. You want things to be equal.”
“Yes. Well, as equal as they can be.” His shoulders slumped as he released a heavy sigh.
“Look, I know I have my limitations—especially compared to you. I’ll never be able to take down zombies with a punch.
But I can hold my own. And I’ll never let you jump into a fight alone.
” He tapped at his chest. “This bond won’t let me.
I just want…” He hesitated, eyes brimming with tears.
“I just want you safe. I want you alive. I can’t… I can’t… Please don’t die.”
“Orion…”
“Please.”
I closed the gap between us. “I can’t make that promise.”
“I know you can’t. I’m being selfish.”
Everything was so, so fucked. “Come here.”
He stepped back. “No. I’ll leave you alone. You don’t need me spoiling your quiet time.”
Orion turned to walk away. A sudden spike in my heart’s rhythm propelled me forward. I grabbed him, spinning him to face me.
“Mi—”
I swallowed his words with a kiss.
He gasped against me, stiffening, not kissing me back.
I pulled my lips away. “Sorry, I—”
He grabbed my head and dragged me back in, shuffling closer, pressing his body to mine. Every sliver of anguish rolling inside my brain halted, fireworks exploding around them, smothering my pain with pretty colors.
Orion parted his lips, probing me with his tongue. I let him in, the kissing growing wetter by the second, my balls tingling, cock standing to attention.
I reveled in the wet sounds, the wrestle of our tongues, the electric rush across my lips. Drank in his sweet taste, every part of his scent, the feel of him against me.
His hands slid to my waist.
I mirrored his action.
Fuck. My inner beast stirred, desires popping off like gunshots. I growled into his mouth, fingers digging into his hips. Those clothes of his were nothing but obstacles. They needed to be gone.
I paused, telling him that.
“Not here,” he returned.
I pressed my forehead to his. “Why not?”
“The others—”
I kissed his neck, cutting him off.
His hands found my backside. “Stars… Miko…”
“I want to fuck you so badly.”
“Not… Not here.”
“On that bench over there.”
“Miko…”
“Let you bounce on my dick.”
He giggled, slapping a palm over his mouth.
I stopped lapping at his skin, my ears pricking. “What’s wrong?”
“Giggled too loudly.”
“I thought you’d seen something.”
He smiled, gently bumping his nose into mine. He was only a few inches shorter than me.
“I can only see a handsome werewolf trying to get my underwear off,” he whispered.
“With my teeth.”
“Wow.”
“Maybe not here, though.”
“Glad you agree.”
I licked my lips. “Can I touch you?”
“Where?”
“You know where.”
He glanced down. “But…”
“No clothes have to come off. Only loosen.”
“I…”
I kissed him again.
“Miko… I… Oh, stars.”
“Only if you want to.”
His throat bobbed. “My cock is telling me yes.”
“But what do you say?”
He giggled again. “Am I a separate entity?”
I shrugged. “Both delicious.”
“I…” He glanced down again, then over at the train. “Can we move behind the pillar over there? I don’t like being on view.”
“Is that a yes?”
“What about your alone time?”
“I prefer this. So? What do you say? No pressure.”
“You don’t make it easy.”
“I’ll back off.”
“Don’t you dare.” He kissed me. “But over there.”
We moved out of sight of the train. I pinned him against the concrete pillar, devouring his mouth some more, popping the top button of his jeans.
“Yes…” he breathed into me.
I found his hardness, stroking him through the fabric of his boxers. Never taking my lips from his, consuming every moan as if they were physical.
They’d be a spoonful of cherry jam if they were.
Diving into his boxers, I curled my fingers around his dick. Got myself a good angle and began to stroke him.
Orion’s lips slid from mine as he dipped his head to watch. “Oh, Miko…”
“Look at me.”
His eyes connected to mine.
“I want to see your face when you cum.”
He bit his bottom lip.
“Can I?” I asked.
“Yes…” He steadied his gaze, his trembling breath driving me crazy. “But let me… Oh, fuck. Let me… Let me touch you.”
My balls sent signals to my brain, instructing me to answer with, “Go for it.”
He slid my zipper down, taking out my dick.
We kissed as he got to stroking, tongues wrestling, diving deeper, losing ourselves to the rising heat.
You’re everything I need…
I returned my mouth to his neck, my dick singing with pleasure. He knew how to touch, rolling my foreskin back just enough to press every damn button.
Hard.
Now it was my turn to be breathless.
I sucked his skin, upping my game. He met my intensity, keeping it equal.
As much as I wanted to resist his earlier statement, preferring to be the knight, it tugged at my heartstrings. Adorable as fuck and amazing. Here was a guy who wanted to keep me safe.
Mind. Blowing.
I felt the change in his dick, the pulse before the release.
Orion grit his teeth, holding back a cry.
With a free hand, I covered his mouth. My palm muffled his wail as he climaxed hot and sticky over my fingers. He bit down on my skin, moaning, working me harder at the same time.
Never taking his eyes off mine.
Seeing him squirm and feeling his cum run down my wrist catapulted me to the sweet, sweet edge.
I grunted, balls hitching, toes curling, inner beast going wild.
This wasn’t enough. His legs should be wrapped around me as I pounded him into that pillar, filling him up, enjoying every single sound, every thrust.
“Fuck…” The dam broke. I shot jets of cum all up his arm, spattering his jeans. “Fuck…”
He kissed me, then looked down. “Messy.”
“I think we have some baby wipes,” I managed to pant out.
Orion lifted his hand, examining his sticky fingers. “Yes. I think we do.” He met my gaze again, slowly sucking me off each digit, ending with his thumb.
Unexpected.
Hot.
I did the same. He tasted so good, like the cherry on a Belgian bun.
“Now kiss me,” he demanded after our fingers were clean.
I obeyed, biting on his bottom lip. Still rock hard, still more than ready to fuck him and myself senseless.
He broke away, delicately touching his lips. “Erm…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Sorry about that.”
“About what?”
“The sperm sucking.”
Again, his words were so cute. “Why are you sorry?”
“I don’t know what came over me.”
I put my hand in the air.
He giggled. “I mean, I just… I just wanted to taste you.”
Keep on saying that on I’ll give you more… “How was it?”
“Tasty.”
“Likewise.”
He smiled, inspecting his jeans. “Maybe it’s time for baby wipes.”
I’d made a serious mess on the denim. “Wait there.”
“Not before you kiss me again.”
I happily obliged.