10. Chapter 10
Chapter ten
A s they headed into a new week, the first signs of spring appeared across the grounds at Blackhaven Manor.
Temperatures creeped into T-shirt territory. Tufts of new, green grass dotted the yellowed lawns. Tiny buds appeared on the trees, waiting for just the right moment to bloom. Wildlife began emerging from their dens to scamper through the forest that surrounded the castle.
With the Heritage Festival officially over, a quiet stillness settled throughout the hotel in the days that followed. Arlo enjoyed the reprieve from the chaos, but he knew it wouldn’t last. In fact, he and the rest of the staff had already started preparations for the next occasion—a birthday celebration for some prominent vampire’s mate.
Typically, he didn’t feel one way or another about these events. Sure, he enjoyed the perks, like free tickets to concerts he wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford. Beyond that, however, he viewed the parties they hosted at the hotel as just another part of his job.
This time, however, he experienced a pang of bittersweetness. It would be his last event as a member of the Blackhaven Manor staff. Sure, he could always return in the future as a guest, but it wouldn’t be the same. The building itself didn’t hold much in the way of sentiment, but he would miss the friends he’d made there.
On the other hand, it also marked the start of his new life. One where he was mated to a dragon shifter who adored him, indulged him, and made his heart skip a beat with nothing more than a look or a word.
A mate who had been slowly unraveling since that day in the parking lot of the pet store. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, Arlo could see the cracks in his polished veneer.
Itri hadn’t been sleeping well, and he always seemed on edge. Not nervous, exactly. Just…aware. And all because some people couldn’t take no for an answer.
Arlo didn’t have all the details, but he had been able to pry enough information from his mate to get the general idea. Apparently, Itri had procured a luck talisman for some guy named Jude Caldwell. Which sounded awesome. Who wouldn’t want a trinket that brought its owner untold fortune?
When it had come time to make the deal, however, Jude hadn’t been able to cough up the money. Shitty, but it happened, and Itri was running a business, not a charity. Unfortunately, since he couldn’t buy the talisman, he had decided to try to steal it instead. Which…rude.
Itri had confirmed it had been Jude outside of Arlo’s apartment that night with the trashcan, as well as the person who had broken into his car. His mate also suspected that Jude had been the one to nick the package containing the sleep dust.
His mate had assured him the thief wasn’t dangerous, and frankly, Arlo had to agree. Yeah, it sucked having his privacy invaded, but it could have been worse. Jude could have stolen his car. He could have trashed it. Instead, he’d dug through some papers and left the keys where Arlo could find them.
A strange brand of morality, to be sure, but it didn’t exactly scream evil. Besides, he didn’t sound all that smart. Why would Itri leave a priceless artifact in the glove box? Jude really hadn’t thought that one through.
Since that day, Itri had been actively searching for the guy…and it wasn’t going well. While Jude might be a terrible thief, he was apparently pretty good at disappearing.
“I don’t get it,” Arlo said, parroting the same thing he’d been saying for days. “Why does it matter? We’ll be in London next week. It’s not like he’s going to follow us across the ocean.”
Standing in front of the French doors that looked out over the second-story balcony of his suite, Itri sighed. “It’s the principle, dove.”
“Because he tried to steal from you?” He paused and tilted his head. “Well, I guess he did steal the sleep dust. Is that it?”
“No. I couldn’t care less about some magical sleep aid.”
The sky outside roiled with dark clouds, a building storm that mirrored his mate’s mood. Lightning flashed over the forest, the glow reflected in Itri’s eyes, and thunder boomed loud enough to rattle the windows.
If Arlo didn’t know better, he would think Itri had summoned the storm. But the news had been predicting rain all week, and the clouds had been steadily creeping closer throughout the afternoon.
“Then…what?” he asked, moving closer until he stood right behind the dragon. “Why do you care about this loser?”
With another heavy sigh, Itri finally turned to face him. “Do you remember the night we met? You asked me if I would have really killed that coyote shifter.” He waited for Arlo’s nod before continuing. “Do you remember what I told you?”
“You take threats against what’s yours very seriously,” Arlo recited dutifully, understanding penetrating his confusion. “Wait, so this is about me? He didn’t threaten me, though.”
“He was at your flat.” Another crash of thunder—this time closer, louder—rent the sky, adding an eerie weight to his words. “He broke into your car.”
Arlo knew what it looked like, but he also didn’t see it the same way. “That had nothing to do with me. You just happened to be with me at the time.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back. Itri’s expression didn’t change, but he sensed the shift, could feel the turbulence inside his mate.
“That’s not what I meant.” He hurried forward and grabbed Itris’ hands. “I was trying to say that he wants the talisman, right? He thinks you have it. So, he has no reason to come after me.” He ducked his head and peeked up at the dragon through his lashes. “I was trying to reassure you, not blame you.”
“I know what you meant.” Pulling one of his hands free, Itri pressed it to the side of Arlo’s face as the first genuine smile curved his lips. “However, since I have no intentions of leaving your side, the issue remains.”
Arlo didn’t just hear the words. He felt them. Trust didn’t come easily to him, and relying on other people was an even bigger ask. While some people built walls to guard their heart, Arlo protected his with wit, sarcasm, and avoidance.
Those tactics didn’t work with Itri, though. He knew because he’d tried. His mate didn’t let him run or hide. At the same time, he never pushed too hard. Never asked for too much. Instead, he remained a calm, steady presence, earning his devotion rather than demanding it.
“That’s not fair.” He turned his head away and sniffed.
Itri didn’t play coy or pretend he didn’t understand. “Maybe not, but that doesn’t change anything.” He slid his fingertips along Arlo’s jawline to grip his chin and urge his gaze back to him. “I—”
Arlo yelped and damn near jumped out of his skin when thunder cracked overhead, the sound exploding inside the room. The lights flickered, dimmed, then went dark, and a hush settled over the hotel as the sky unleashed in a torrential downpour.
“Ari! She’s by herself.” He grabbed Itri’s hand and tried to pull him toward the door. “We have to go!”
Itri didn’t move. “Calm yourself, dove. Ari is safe in her terrarium, and you’re safe right here.”
Arlo shook his head. “She’s probably scared.”
“You two are bonded. If you’re calm, she’ll be calm.”
He knew his mate was right, but that didn’t change anything. Yeah, it would be great if he knew how to turn off his emotions, but humans weren’t built that way. He had never been afraid of the dark, not even as a child. Thunderstorms could be unsettling, but he didn’t necessarily fear them.
The chaos of nature combined with the darkness, however, overwhelmed him with anxiety.
“I don’t know how,” he admitted.
“Okay. You’re okay.” Itri stroked his face, his hair. “Take a deep breath. Slowly,” he coached. “Good. Again.”
Despite the control in his voice, Arlo could feel the vibrations pouring off the dragon, could see it in the trembling of his hands. He didn’t understand it, though. Itri wasn’t afraid of anything.
It took a few more deep breaths for him to realize the energy pouring off his mate didn’t come from unease. It shuddered with power.
Clouds gathered near the ceiling, their edges soft and rounded. Instead of dark and ominous, they shined a bright silver as they formed a canopy throughout the suite. A quiet buzz hummed at different frequencies within each, an antithesis to the disorder raging outside the windows.
Streaks of lightning in a rainbow of colors illuminated their bellies, flickering rather than strobing, like the temperate flame of a candle. Within minutes, an ethereal pastel glow filled the room, a waking dreamscape that represented both calm and wonder.
“Wow,” he breathed. Stepping away from his mate, he tilted his head up, captivated by the light show overhead. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
“Do you like it?”
Arlo beamed. “I love it.”
“Anything for you,” Itri responded, a quiet reverence in his deep voice.
He was starting to realize that. Itri never decided anything without first considering his wants and needs. Whether a ridiculously expensive gift or a grounding embrace, he always gave Arlo exactly what he needed in the moment without ever expecting anything in return.
Arlo wielded sarcasm like a whip, but when it came to softer words, the kind that really mattered, he’d never been very articulate. Things like feelings and desires tied his tongue or lodged in the back of his throat. As he admired the gift Itri had given him, however, he couldn’t hold the words back any longer.
“I love it,” he repeated. Then he took a deep breath and turned to meet Itri’s gaze. “And I love you.”
Silence stretched between them, and for the briefest of moments, Arlo thought he had made a horrible mistake. Then every muscle in Itri’s body relaxed, his shoulders sagged, and he crossed the room in two strides to pull Arlo into his arms.
“Finally,” he whispered.
Arlo buried his face against his mate’s neck and grinned. “So, does that mean—”
“I love you, too, dove. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you in the ballroom.” Releasing him, he captured Arlo’s face between his hands and bent to deliver a searing kiss. “I love you.”
“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” he teased, but he couldn’t pry the grin off his face. As the gravity of the confession settled over him, it brought with it a sobering realization. “I’m really happy.”
“You sound surprised.”
Arlo bobbed his head a couple of times. “I mean, yeah, kind of. I’ve never been this happy before.” And he didn’t know if he should trust it. “It feels itchy.”
“Don’t worry,” Itri said with a chuckle as he brushed their lips together again. “You’ll get used to it. I intend for you to be this happy for the rest of our lives.”
Intense, but he had never backed down from a challenge. “Yes. Please and thank you.”
Rather than a verbal response, Itri answered by dragging him into an explosive kiss that spoke of both desire and possession. He attacked Arlo’s mouth, sucking at his tongue and dragging his teeth over his bottom lip.
He devoured him, devastated him. He pillaged, taking what he wanted and still demanding more. A dark, feral growl filled the suite as Itri maneuvered him toward the bedroom, the sound reverberating through Arlo’s body and making his cock throb.
While he always enjoyed kissing his mate—whether sweet and chaste, or hard and heated—this time felt different. This time, Itri kissed him the same way he had looked at him the night they’d met. Like he fucking owned him.
And Arlo reveled in every hedonistic moment of it.
As they made their way across the common room, grabbing and pulling at each other’s clothes with trembling hands, he had never felt more wanted. Or more desperate. He needed Itri like he needed his next breath, a dangerous addiction that he had no intention of giving up.
Overhead, the silver clouds followed, spilling into the bedroom to bathe the space in soft, pastel light. The lightning that had once flickered so gently now pulsed and shivered, echoing the frenzy of the moment. It was both beautiful and electrifying, the perfect backdrop to the emotions that raged inside him.
“Need you.” Sliding a hand beneath his mate’s soft, cotton tee, he moaned as he stroked his abs, tracing every hard brick of muscle with his fingers. “More. Give me more.”
The answering growl he received sent a wave of heat crashing over him, triggering a bone-deep shiver from deep within his core.
“Anything,” Itri said. He tangled his fingers in Arlo’s hair and slanted their mouths together, his stormy eyes wide and frantic. “Just say you’re mine. Tell me, and I’ll give you everything.”
The near panic in his voice penetrated the haze of desire, bringing with it clarity and understanding.
His mate lived a life of wealth and privilege, and he brandished his status like a weapon. While he wanted for nothing, there was also nothing he wanted. Until now.
And money couldn’t buy the one thing he couldn’t live without.
More than a male merely consumed by primal desire, Itri was a man on the edge. A man who had convinced himself that he teetered on the verge of having it—or losing it—all.
Just say you’re mine.
He gained comfort in knowing that even a powerful, lightning-slinging dragon needed reassurance sometimes. But it also broke his damn heart. Didn’t he realize Arlo was already his? That he always had been?
Tell me, and I’ll give you everything.
He knew his mate meant every word, but he didn’t care about fancy cars or luxury vacations. He just wanted Itri.
Arlo had always been a firm believer that he belonged to no one but himself, but this had nothing to do with ownership, and everything to do with where he belonged.
“Yes,” he breathed, gentling his touch to soothe rather than excite. “I am yours, Itri Lockwood.” Skimming his fingers along his mate’s jaw, he leaned in, capturing his mouth and pouring everything he felt but couldn’t articulate into the meeting of their lips. “I belong to you.”
Itri shuddered against him as he exhaled in a deep, contented sigh. Tension bled from his back and shoulders, and the energy that had been vibrating beneath his skin dispersed, settled.
As the storm within him quieted, so did the one overhead. The flashes of colorful light slowed, gentled, reverting back to a serene dreamscape that pulsed anew with possibilities.
“And I am yours,” Itri breathed. “I belong to you, Arlo Eichen. Always.”
They had said everything that needed to be spoken, and with that final confession, words no longer felt important.
With eager hands and fumbling fingers, they made quick work of undressing, leaving a trail of discarded clothing that led to the king-sized bed. Arlo gasped with need and anticipation when Itri eased him onto the mattress. Their mouths crashed together in another hungry kiss, their tongues dueling to an intimate, familiar rhythm.
Losing himself in sensations, Arlo relaxed against the comforter, winding his arms and legs around his mate to hold him closer. Itri stretched over him, reaching for the nightstand and coming back with a small plastic bottle. He coated his cock in the clear gel, then used the excess to slick Arlo’s tight entrance.
They both groaned when Itri pushed inside him, feeding his cock to Arlo’s yielding body as he settled into the cradle of his hips.
He started slowly, gently building up to a rhythm that had Arlo moaning and panting as he clutched at Itri’s sweat-dampened shoulders. His body thrummed with need and something deeper, an electrical current that zinged through his veins with every hard thrust and reverent caress.
The room faded away, narrowing to where their bodies joined, leaving only the two of them wrapped together while the storm outside continued to rage.
As the tempo increased, so did Arlo’s need. The muscles in his back flexed, and his spine stiffened as he hurdled toward the precipice, teetering on the edge of something big, something unnamable.
Not just a physical release, but something that would change him irrevocably.
Forcing his eyes open, he met his mate’s gaze in a silent plea for more. Harder, faster, deeper, rougher—he didn’t care. He just needed more.
That frenzied light returned to Itri’s eyes, but this time, it felt purposeful, directed. A ring of pale blue surrounded his irises, and his gaze shifted to the vein that pulsed along the side of Arlo’s neck.
Driven by instinct, he turned his head, baring his throat in offering and submission.
A triumphant growl rumbled in Itri’s chest, and he dipped his head to lick a path of liquid fire up the side of Arlo’s neck. Without warning, he struck, his sharp canines piercing the skin with skill and precision.
Arlo had expected pain. At the very least, a pinch, a sting. He experienced only pleasure. White-hot and absolute, it felt like being flooded with radiant sunshine, and he couldn’t hold back any longer.
Crying out his mate’s name, he palmed the back of his head, holding him closer, tighter, as he shattered into a million sparkling pieces. He floated somewhere beyond himself, his mind and body disconnected, adrift in a sea of sensations.
In the distance, he heard Itri call his name, the sound hollow and muted. He felt lips against his, tasted the tang of copper on his tongue. As consciousness returned, he realized it wasn’t just a kiss.
It was a tether, a lifeline, and piece by piece, Itri was slowly putting him back together.
“I wish you could see yourself right now. You are so beautiful, dove.”
Rather than freaking him out, the sound of Itri’s voice inside his mind filled him with only warmth and comfort.
“How do you feel?” Itri asked.
“Wrecked,” he answered honestly. “But in the best possible way.” Even if his brain kind of felt like it was swimming in soup. “And tired.”
“The bond is placing a lot of stress on your body right now, but it will pass.” Itri stroked his hair and brushed tender kisses against his cheeks and lips. “Don’t fight it, dove. Just rest. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
“Okay,” he agreed easily, the darkness already beckoning him. “Love you.”
“I love you, too. More than anything.”
He had been nervous to take that final step, to bind himself to Itri in every way possible. He wasn’t scared anymore. In fact, it felt right in a way nothing else ever had.
This is what they were always meant to be.