Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
By the time the hottest part of the summer was upon them, Tyr was running on fumes.
He had been buzzing like a worker bee himself. He had pruned and watered and cleaned. He had jarred and processed and delivered. He had waxed and stored and had done all of the things that he needed to do to maintain the health and happiness of the hives and the village.
Riley was staying in the ocean with one of Mari’s friends, fascinated by the culture and the homes there. Brayden flitted back and forth from building to building, from home to home, just learning everything he could.
Sloan was working for the most part with Cade, he thought.
They had seen precious little of one another. They shared the morning meal. Sometimes they shared an evening meal. Sometimes, though, Tyr just came in and bathed and went to bed.
Being a dragon beekeeper meant working from sunup to sundown, and summers made for very long working days.
Today, he was sticky and stinky and hot and tired, and he wanted to bathe in cool water where no one knew where he was.
Mate. I’m going to find a cool swimming hole and bathe. If I fall asleep there, don’t worry.
Don’t worry? That’s ominous. Can I come along?
Of course you can. If you want to. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was going. He just wanted somewhere cold. Maybe up the mountain. It never got terribly hot up there.
Of course I want to. Or— There was a hesitation, a low chuckle that he could hear through their bond. You could come down to the basement. And see what I’ve wrought.
Tyr really wanted to swim, but he needed to see Sloan smile, and going to see what was in the basement, it would make Sloan smile.
Tyr could just take a bath, after. Maybe he could just lay on the floor of the basement and be cold down where the storage area was cool. Regardless, he would do it. I’ll be there in a minute. Would you like some honey tea?
That would be fabulous. Do we have any of those sweet rolls left? The ones that you traded for? The spicy ones?
The ones that look like moons? I do. I’ll bring them.
There was a little part of him that was a bit grumpy. He was exhausted, and he didn’t want to pour drinks and bring pastries and go downstairs. He wanted to go get cold and wet.
That was mean, though, to be mad.
He wasn’t really mad; he was simply tired.
He shrugged and poured two great big glasses of honey tea. Then he grabbed a basket and threw in the pastries along with a big hunk of cheese and some nuts.
He liked nuts, and Sloan had cracked all of the nuts without even being asked, which was lovely of him.
And he was almost not stomping when he went down the stairs. He was stomping a little bit, because otherwise, he might fall because he was very tired. It was cooler down here though, and he stood in the cold storage area and waited. Which way do you want me to go?
I’ll come to you. Sloan sounded so happy, and Tyr was willing to be the recipient of that joy.
Excellent. He could just wait right there and sip his tea. He was cooler down here, and as the heat dissipated, his mood improved.
In fact, by the time Sloan reached him, he was singing and reorganizing some of the stores that were down here. It really needed a bit of a sweep and a dusting.
“You sound so happy, love.” Sloan took the basket and gave him a kiss, the connection making him a little bit dizzy. “How are you? How are the hives?”
“Cooler, now. The sun is blessing the ground and the honey, and the bees are buzzing about, heavy and lazy, but I am feeling it, in my scales.” He rubbed noses with Sloan, basking in the sensation, letting it lift him up. “How about you? Have you had a lovely day?”
“I have.” Sloan’s brilliant blue and green eyes were alight with pleasure and… mischief? “I have a lot for you to see.”
How much could Sloan have done with such a small amount of space? Still, Tyr was happy to follow along and look at whatever his mate wanted to show him. “Lead on!”
“Come along, love.” Sloan grabbed him by the hand and tugged him deeper into the cellar area of the house, which…
“This is all new.” Surprised, he looked around, his eyes widening. There was a lovely hall now with lighting somehow inserted. He thought it was magical, but the sconces threw out good illumination without being glaring.
Rooms opened up off the hall, the first one a gaming room, with a table for cards or dice, and what he knew from the Rocky Mountain clutch to be a billiard table and dartboard.
There were a few games from their village area as well, and comfortable furniture.
Chairs and tables for sitting and having a drink or food.
“You like it?” Sloan asked.
“It’s amazing! Look how pretty.” He moved into the room so he could plop on a chair. Oh, that was comfortable. He could sit here and watch Riley and Brayden argue about their games like they squabbled about everything.
“So it’s good?”
“It is!” It would stay at a set temperature, too. Cool now in the summer, and in the winter, they would have to use blankets and sweaters but never be truly cold.
“There’s more.” Sloan took him through to another room, and this one was…
“Sloan! You made a reading room and snuggling space.”
“I did. It’s cooler down here for the summer, no?” Sloan looked so pleased.
“It is.” In fact, he was feeling better every moment. “I love it.”
“Okay, so come see what else. There’s places for our hoards, and for Riley and Brayden if they need them. But there’s two things I think you’ll love even more than this.”
Intrigued, Tyr followed Sloan out of the glorious colorful room with all its pillows and daybeds and tables, heading down a slight incline. The air began to get more humid at the bottom, the natural cave waters asserting themselves.
“Here. This is for you.” Sloan tugged Tyr into a small natural rock cavern where a walkable ledge surrounded a pool just big enough for a dragon. Full of cool water. “It’s a rain runoff, I think. Not a thermal pool.”
His mouth popped open on a gasp. “Sloan! Cwys! This is—”
Tyr ran to his lover and tackled Sloan, heedless of the snacks and tea, to embrace him.
“Oof. You’re always so hot and tired. I wanted a place for you to relax.” Sloan kissed the corner of his mouth. “You’re my mate.”
“Your cwys. I am. This is the most amazing gift. My own pool! My own place to breathe!” He started stripping down, not even thinking about it.
He wanted in the water. He wanted to swim.
Sloan stepped back to watch him, and he slid in, the initial chill taking his breath. Then he moaned, because it felt so good, so perfect.
He didn’t shift, and he stretched out on the water and floated, humming deep in his chest. “It’s perfect. Oh, it’s so good.”
The cold water poured over him, sliding through his scales and making them tinkle and clink.
There was a soft chuckle, and he glanced up. “What’s funny?”
“Happy. I’m so happy. I love seeing you so relaxed and easy in your skin.” Sloan settled at the edge of the pool and dangled his feet. “You’ve seemed so exhausted.”
“Summers are all about hard work.” And he knew it. He understood it, on a bone-deep level, but sometimes, it made him so very tired.
“Yeah. Summers were the easier time for us. Longer days, shorter nights. Vamps tend to hibernate a little.” Sloan rolled his shoulders, sliding his feet through the water.
“Yes. I have the winters off. There is sleeping and reading and baking and more sleeping.” He floated over to Sloan and ran his fingers up his lover’s legs. “This is an amazing pool. Would you like to come in too? Is there more to see?”
“There’s another pool.” Sloan’s grin went a little evil. “But it’s hot. So is your sand pit.”
“Ooh…” He held up his arms and let Sloan lift him from the water, the motion effortless, so strong, and just right. “Let’s go. Please.”
He wanted to see everything. Literally everything that Sloan had imagined.
“You’ll love it.” There were a few more rooms full of colored jewels, one with other things stored in airtight containers, and then another long corridor carved into the rock that led down. The farther they progressed into it, the warmer it got. The more humid.
“Oh, this is going to be heavenly in the winter, won’t it?” It was nice now, on his cooled skin and scales, and he was feeling loose-limbed and happy, pushing against Sloan and nuzzling every few steps.
“Mmm.” Sloan chuckled. “I can’t wait for you to see. This is going to be so wonderful for us.” The corridor opened into a huge cavern so suddenly that he staggered, his eyes going wide.
“Whoa.”
That cave was vast, with a huge pool and an equally large sand pit, both steaming with gentle wafts. The walls glowed softly, and everywhere he looked he saw the sparkle of crystals.
The magic just flowed right through the cavern, the feel of it like a warm hug.
“Oh. Sloan. I— I love it.”
Sloan beamed at him. “I’m so glad. I created them for us. I wanted a place that we could while away the winter together, or relax in the summertime, sometimes it would be nice, maybe?”
He nodded. “Especially after being in the cold water, that would be perfect. It’s private and a good space. A healthy space.”
“Yes.” Sloan held him, and they both stared over the water. “I just want you to know that this is exactly what I wanted for both of us. I wanted a private, personal sort of space for us to share with—well, share if you’d like.”
“Yes, and your brothers will have so much fun here. And the children. I can see the triplets coming to swim and to visit with Tanya. And our Fredda. How much would she love that? She already is a little fish in the water.”
“You’re reading my mind. I want her to be able to enjoy being here with us and I want her to enjoy the village. I want Aleana to feel safe with her here too.”
“No, I think she does.” Tyr didn’t want to talk about this family right now, though.
He wanted to talk about this amazing pool and pit. “Can we go in? I want to swim with you.”
Sloan’s answer was to begin to undress and pull his clothes off. Then he immediately headed toward the water.
“Have you been in yet?”
Sloan shook his head and said, “No, I wanted to wait for you. I thought it was important.”
“I think it is, and I think we are. I think this is important.” He waited until Sloan was in, then he headed toward the water, finding it hot but not painful. It was simply an amazing soak.
He slipped in and wiggled around a bit finding the perfect spots. He grinned as Sloan laughed at him.
“You like it?”
He nodded. “I do. What’s not to like?” As soon as Sloan came close in the water, he grabbed his lover and held on tight, rubbing their bodies together in a greeting as old as time. “This is amazing. Thank you for making this for us.”
“Thank you for giving me a space and a mate. I feel… I feel as if I’m at home for the first time in my entire life. Is that odd?”
He smiled at his, oftentimes, strange mate. “Why would it be odd? You feel as you feel. I’m glad you’re home. This is where you belong, after all.”
“Exactly. This is where I belong. And I’m so happy to be here.”
“I’m glad,” Tyr said. “I also feel more at home than I ever have, and you know that I love my bees and my house. With you, though, it feels complete, as if we know what we want now and we are working toward all of it. Not just part of it.”
“Yes. Yes, exactly, and our families are important, but what’s really special is you and me together.” Sloan kissed him then, and Tyr caught his breath because it was the most perfect kiss he could even imagine.
They slid together in the water, and he thought about shifting but this was good as it was.
No, this was better than good, and he could feel Sloan against him, all of that warm skin and some rough scales, could feel the way that they moved as they sank under and then popped back up.
It was like a dance, and Tyr dearly loved to dance.
He held on to Sloan, keeping them close together. “Is it terrible that I want you to knot me right here?”
“No, it’s wonderful, although I think that we should probably move where we can hang on to the ledge so we don’t sink once we’re stuck together.” Sloan’s laughter made him chuckle, and he nodded.
“That is probably a fine idea.” No disappearing in a cloud of bubbles.
So they swam to the side, and Tyr propped himself up on his elbows on the edge of the pool, lifting and spreading his legs so Sloan could come in between them.
And it was as if he needed no preparation.
He was already wet, and he was already open.
Sloan was so hard for him, and they came together in a rush of need.
Sloan thrust into him and kept thrusting until they were so stuck together that it was nearly impossible to move, while the water laughed at them, pushing them closer and closer to each other.
It was as if this entire cave knew how much they needed one another, and when Tyr came, it was with a cry that echoed off the walls of the cavern followed by a moan when Sloan’s knot fully engaged inside him. Tyr wondered if he was going to possibly bear fruit from this coupling.
He certainly hoped he would. He wanted Sloan’s babe more than anything he’d ever wanted in his long life.