Chapter 20
Soren
“This is delicious,” Lyall says through a mouthful of hamburger. Neither of us had wanted to leave the bed, so I’d ordered room service.
“Don’t let the fries get cold.” I pick one up and hold it out to him, grinning when he plucks it from between my fingers with his teeth. I could watch Lyall eat and never get bored with his reactions. So much of this time is new and exciting to him, even things as mundane as burgers and fries.
“That reminds me, I’ll need to teach my brothers how to make these fries,” Lyall says.
I take a bite of my fried chicken sandwich. “They’ll love them.”
Lyall doesn’t reply. He lowers his burger back into the take-out carton, a frown erasing the excitement on his face. I don’t need to ask what’s wrong. I know, and it makes my heart hurt for him.
“Lyall… we don’t have to do this. We can try and keep our relationship a secret.”
He shakes his head. “No. I can’t continue going behind my brothers’ backs, watching them be happy with their mates while I’m denied that same happiness.” His jaw tightens, his eyes going glassy. “I will miss them.”
I wipe my hands on my napkin and then reach over to pull him against my shoulder.
He settles with a heavy sigh, his beard scratching my skin when he kisses the crook of my neck.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish things could be different.
” It’s not fair that he has to choose between me and his family. He’s given enough already.
Lyall doesn’t reply, but he takes my hand and laces our fingers together.
“If we’re going to leave together, we need a plan,” I say, feeling Lyall nod his agreement.
“We’ve got to decide where we’re going, and moving out will take a while.
I’ve got to give my manager my two weeks’ notice.
Say goodbye to Frank and Tom. And Fergus…
” My throat thickens, making it hard to swallow. “Fergus will be gutted.”
Lyall squeezes my hand, offering his support. “Will he try to stop you?”
I snort. “No. He’ll be a mother hen about it, for sure. Don’t worry. I’ll tell him how happy you make me and he’ll come around. That’s all he really wants, for me to be happy.”
Lyall tilts his head to look at me, one corner of his mouth hooking up. “I make you happy, hmm?”
I pout at him. “Shit. I must not be a good boyfriend if you don’t know how happy I am when I’m with you.”
Lyall shrugs. “There are… certain areas where you could improve, aye.” His teasing tone has me fighting back a smile.
Hunger for more than food stirs in my stomach as I lean into his space for a quick but hard kiss. “Yeah?” I nip his bottom lip. “Tell me and I’ll be better for you.”
Lyall’s breath hitches, his eyes darkening. “For starters… I believe you said you would make me scream your name. Did it sound at all like I screamed to you?”
Fuck, this man drives me crazy.
“You wanna scream, sweetheart? You’ll be hoarse by the time I’m done with you.”
Our food is forgotten as I set the containers on the nightstand. I tug Lyall into a hard kiss, my tongue demanding entrance. He lets me in, whimpering when I reach between us and grab our cocks. It only takes a few strokes before we’re both hard and grinding against each other.
It’s only been a little over two hours since we made love, and I still haven’t had my fill of him. I need to hear more of those desperate sounds he makes when he’s lost in pleasure, need to lose myself in the heat and tight grip of his body.
I just need him.
If our plans fail and I lose him… Fuck, it hurts just thinking about it. I shove my fears down and focus on kissing the man in my arms, making him feel good.
“Turn around and grab that headboard, sweetheart,” I order.
Lyall obeys, gripping the wood so hard it creaks. He slides his hips back, presenting his amazing ass, round and muscular and perfect. Opening the lube, I slick my fingers and my cock. “Does this hurt?” I ask when I slip a finger inside, swirling it around.
Lyall’s back arches, and he groans. “Nothing’s ever hurt less,” he assures me, rolling his hips back to ride my finger.
“I’m ulfhednar. We heal fast, and we have plenty of stamina to spare.
” He throws me a cocky grin over his shoulder, biting his lip when I crook my finger against his prostate.
“Now, stop holding back. Take me hard, love. Make the whole building know how good you make me feel.”
Fuck, if that doesn’t get me moving, nothing else will.
Grabbing his hips, I pull him down onto me. As his walls grip me, I squeeze his ass hard, dimpling the skin. “Fuck, sweetheart, you feel so damn good.” I rock my hips a few times, working him open on my cock. Lyall groans low in his throat, knuckles whitening against the headboard.
When he begins to thrust back against me, taking me in deeper and faster, I stop holding back. Plastering myself to his back, I hold on tight to his hips and fuck him like I’ll die if I stop.
“Gods, yes!” Lyall shouts. His head falls back against my shoulder, and I kiss and nip every inch of exposed skin. Nothing has ever felt as right as this. Whether we’re out having fun or fucking our brains out, when I’m with Lyall, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
That’s why I know that going away with him is the right decision. No matter how much I’ll miss my friends and family or the life I’ve made here, I’ll miss Lyall more if I let him go.
“That’s it, Soren. Gods! Don’t stop. Give me more,” Lyall demands. His cock is leaking a river between my fingers as I stroke him. He’s close, but so am I. I’m not letting myself come yet, not until I’ve made him do it first.
I nip the spot between his neck and shoulder. He gasps, cock jerking in my fist. “Do that again,” he says, and the desperate plea in his voice is one I could never ignore. I’ll give him anything he needs if it makes him feel happy and treasured.
I bite down hard enough so he feels it but not enough to break the skin.
A shudder racks Lyall’s body, and he spills all over my hand with a roar worthy of a wild beast. A few thrusts later and I’m coming as well, collapsing against his back. I grind into him, riding out my release until I’m too spent to move a muscle.
I pull out carefully, and Lyall wastes no time in turning around and taking me into his arms for a slow, tender kiss.
“What… was that?” I ask once I can speak.
Lyall chuckles. “I asked you to bite me where ulfhednar claim our lovers when we mate. That spot is… quite sensitive.”
“Is that what this is?” I run my thumb carefully over the scars of teeth marks. My chest hitches. “Are these marks…”
“Aye. They’re yours, love.”
My throat thickens as I run my fingers over the scars, a reminder of the love we shared that hasn’t faded.
“You have them too.”
That draws me out of my thoughts. “Huh?” I’d have noticed if I had teeth marks in my shoulder. “Where?” I check each shoulder even though I’ve seen them thousands of times by now.
Lyall runs his fingers over the spot between my neck and shoulders on my left side. “They should be here.” Sadness pulls at his brow. “I think the Council took those away as well.”
Of course they did. Motherfuckers.
“Oh…” I don’t know how it’s possible to grieve for something I can’t remember having. I hate that so much of my life with Lyall was taken from me.
“I could always give them back—if you want,” Lyall adds hastily. He looks away, uncertainty on his face. Does he think I’d say no? Even though it will hurt, I want it more than anything. I want to be marked by him. I need it on a primal level I can’t comprehend.
“I want that,” I say, grabbing his hand and holding tight. “So much. I don’t even know why, or what it means. Not really.”
Lyall exhales softly, smiling. “Even now, there’s still a part of you that recalls our bond.
They couldn’t take that from you, no matter how hard they tried.
When ulfhednar exchange bites, it completes the mating bond.
It means sharing in your joy and your struggles and being connected in our hearts and minds.
It’s… a feeling like no other.” Lyall leans in to rest his forehead against mine.
“I have missed that connection to you, Soren. So much.” The pain in his voice makes my eyes sting.
I take his face in my hands. “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere. I want everything you just described, but not yet. Not until I know we’re both safe.”
Lyall touches his lips to mine. “I’ll wait for you as I always have, Soren. Time has taught me that you’re worth it.”
I pull him close and kiss him until I’m breathless, never wanting to stop.
Soon we won’t have to hide. We can start our lives somewhere new, and we’ll never be separated again.
Lyall called a friend of his before we fell asleep, Arlo, and Arlo confirmed that the TTA doesn’t have a headquarters in San Francisco.
Which is perfect because my friend Tom owns a chain of restaurants, one of which is in San Francisco.
I’ll ask if he can get me a job at his SF location.
If he agrees, then I’ll start looking for apartments there.
It’ll be a big change, moving across the country. I’ll be so far away from Fergus and my friends. If someone had told me I’d be uprooting my whole life to be with a guy I’d only just met, I’d have laughed in their face.
But it feels right. Lyall is it for me, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with him.
All I have to do now is fight for us. It won’t be easy, but Lyall is worth it. I’m not the only one making sacrifices. Lyall will be leaving his world behind. He’ll have even more to adjust to than I will. It will be a difficult transition, but we’ll have each other.
Once I’m at work, I begin the first phase of my plan. Franklin and Tom arrive within the first hour of my shift, and while I prepare their drinks, I try to piece together what I’m going to say.
“You okay?” Tom asks when I set their drinks down.
I force a laugh. “I’m fine, just been thinking it’s time for a change.”