Chapter Fifteen
Flint tugged Arrow’s hand, pulling him out of the office and toward their house. Python called something after them, but his tone was teasing, so Flint ignored it. Arrow needed the reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore, that someone had his back in more ways than just handling agency bullshit.
My wolf needs to be taken care of.
The thought came out of nowhere, but as soon as it hit Flint’s brain, he knew it was true. Arrow had spent weeks looking after Flint, through proving himself and changing his entire life. Now it was Flint’s turn.
“Where are we going?” Arrow asked, though his stride matched Flint’s easily.
“Home.” Flint pushed open the door to their house, the one that used to be just his but now belonged to both of them. “You need to relax.”
“I’m fine, really…”
Flint spun, pressing Arrow against the closed door and kissing him hard. Arrow made a surprised noise that quickly melted into a groan, his hands coming up to grip Flint’s hips.
You’re not fine, Flint thought - although he kept that to himself - feeling the tension thrumming through their bond. More like stressed and worried and doing your damn best to hide it.
He gentled the kiss, slowing it down, pouring reassurance through their connection. Arrow’s shoulders gradually loosened, his grip on Flint shifting from desperate clinginess to the firm hold Flint was used to.
“Bedroom,” Flint murmured against Arrow’s lips. “Now.”
Arrow followed without argument, which told Flint everything he needed to know about his mate’s state of mind.
The wolf who’d shown up at Cyrus’s workshop demanding answers just six weeks before wouldn’t have submitted so easily.
But his Arrow - the real one, the one who’d stripped away all his armor and let Flint see the man underneath - trusted Flint to take care of him.
And I always will.
The bedroom still smelled like both of them, sheets still messy from earlier that day when they’d woken up wrapped around each other. Flint turned to find Arrow watching him with those intense green eyes, waiting.
“Come here,” Flint said softly.
Arrow crossed to him, and Flint reached up to cup his face, thumbs stroking over sharp cheekbones. Arrow leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering closed.
“I’ve got you,” Flint whispered. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah.” Arrow’s voice came out rough. “I do.”
Flint kissed him again, slower this time, letting Arrow feel every bit of love and devotion flowing through their bond. When he pulled back, Arrow’s pupils had dilated, his breathing uneven.
“Strip,” Flint ordered gently. “But take it slow.”
Arrow’s eyebrows rose. “Slowly?”
“Mmm.” Flint stepped back, giving himself room to watch. “I want to see you.”
A flush crept up Arrow’s neck, but he started moving, reaching for the hem of his muscle shirt. The fabric pulled up and over, revealing the strong planes of Arrow’s chest and abs. Flint’s mouth watered.
Arrow tossed the shirt aside and reached for his belt, his fingers working the leather free. The clink of metal, the rasp of the zipper - Flint cataloged every sound, every shift of muscle beneath golden skin.
The jeans slid down Arrow’s thighs, pooling at his feet. He bent to untie his boots, muscles flexing in his back and shoulders, and Flint had to remind himself he was trying to take things slow. He wanted to show Arrow what it meant to be cherished.
Arrow straightened, kicking the jeans and boots away, standing before Flint in nothing but tight black boxer-briefs that left very little to the imagination.
“Those, too,” Flint said, surprised at how steady his voice came out when his own cock was looking for a way out of his running shorts. They really didn’t hide much.
Arrow hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pushed them down, stepping out of them gracefully. His cock hung heavy between his thighs, already starting to fill.
Mine, Flint’s snake hissed. Our mate. Our wolf.
“Now get on the bed, babe,” Flint instructed. “On your front for now.”
Arrow’s eyes darkened further, but he moved to the bed without protest, stretching out on his stomach. The long line of his spine drew Flint’s gaze, the curve of his ass, the powerful muscles of his thighs. Beautiful didn’t begin to cover it.
Shucking off his clothes quickly, Flint moved to the nightstand, pulling out the massage oil they’d bought on a whim during one of their trips to Big Sky. The bottle felt cool in his hands.
“What are you doing?” Arrow asked, turning his head to watch.
“Taking care of you.” Flint climbed onto the bed, straddling Arrow’s thighs. “Just relax and let me.”
When Arrow tried to push himself up on his elbows, Flint pressed a hand between his shoulder blades, gently pushing him back down.
“My turn,” Flint said firmly. “You’ve been doing so much for me for weeks - all the changes you’ve made in your life just for me. Let me do something for you.”
Arrow exhaled slowly, muscles loosening as he settled back against the mattress. “Okay.”
Flint warmed the oil between his palms before placing them on Arrow’s shoulders. The first touch made Arrow groan, and the sound went straight to Flint’s groin.
“That’s it,” Flint murmured, working his thumbs into the tight muscles at the base of Arrow’s neck. “Just feel.”
He took his time, learning every inch of Arrow’s back, looking for where the muscles bunched and needed extra attention, and those places where Arrow was ticklish.
Flint lost himself in taking in every reaction - the movements that made Arrow’s body twitch, the places where a hard rub made him sigh with relief, and those other areas, like the base of his spine, where Arrow shivered at a lighter touch.
Flint’s hands traced the constellation of faint freckles scattered across Arrow’s shoulders, mixed in with some really faint silvery lines of old scars.
The marks were faint and clearly old. They likely came from teenage scrapes wolf shifters were prone to when they were full of confidence with no experience in fighting behind them.
Shifters healed fast, but sometimes marks remained, and Flint looked forward to learning how Arrow got his.
“You’re stunning,” Flint said quietly, bending to press a kiss between Arrow’s shoulder blades. Arrow made a soft noise, sounding pleased.
Continuing down, Flint’s hands spread wide across Arrow’s ribs, feeling them expand with each breath.
His fingers lingered at the curve of Arrow’s lower back, and Flint bent over, kissing the dimples just above his ass.
He kneaded the strong muscles of Arrow’s glutes, and Arrow’s breathing hitched as his hips wiggled.
“Fuck,” Arrow muttered into the pillow. “That feels amazing.”
“That’s what I was aiming for.” Flint worked his way down Arrow’s thighs, feeling the powerful muscles shift beneath his touch.
Arrow was built for running, for hunting - he was a predator in every sense of the word.
And yet he lay, completely vulnerable, trusting Flint with every fiber of his being.
The intimacy of it made Flint’s chest tight.
He massaged down to Arrow’s calves, his ankles, even taking time with each foot until Arrow had gone completely boneless against the mattress, his breathing deep and even.
“Turn over, babe,” Flint said softly.
Arrow obeyed, rolling onto his back. His cock stood fully hard now, flushed and leaking against his abs, but Flint deliberately didn’t look at it. Not yet.
Instead, he started at Arrow’s neck, pressing kisses along his jaw, down to the claiming bite on his shoulder. Flint traced the mark with his tongue, and Arrow shuddered, fingers flexing against the sheets.
“Mine,” Flint whispered against the mark.
“Yours,” Arrow agreed, his voice cracking on the single word.
Flint kissed across Arrow’s collarbone, down his sternum, pausing to tongue at each nipple until Arrow arched beneath him with a broken whine.
The taste of Arrow’s skin flooded Flint’s senses, making his own cock ache, but he ignored his own need, focusing entirely on Arrow.
He badly wanted to show Arrow just how cherished he was, and loving on his body wasn’t a hardship.
Licking his lips, Flint used them to trace down the defined ridges of Arrow’s abs. Arrow’s hands came up, his fingers threading through Flint’s hair, not pulling but just holding on. You’re anticipating. Flint mentally chuckled.
When Flint reached Arrow’s hips, he deliberately bypassed his straining cock, kissing down one thigh instead. Arrow made a frustrated noise.
“Patience,” Flint murmured against the sensitive skin of Arrow’s inner thigh.
“Flint…”
“Shh.” He kissed lower, down to Arrow’s knee, his calf. “This is me taking care of you.”
He worked his way down to Arrow’s feet, massaging each one with oil-slicked fingers until Arrow had subsided back against the pillows, his body trembling, but he was trusting Flint to give him what he needed.
Perfect, Flint’s snake hissed. Our mate trusts us completely.
Taking his time, Flint kissed his way back up Arrow’s other leg, savoring every inch of exposed skin. Arrow’s thighs trembled when Flint’s breath ghosted over them, and his cock jerked, as precome pearled at the tip.
“Please,” Arrow whispered, and the raw need in his voice made something possessive and tender unfurl in Flint’s chest.
“I’ve got you,” Flint promised.
He settled between Arrow’s thighs, hands stroking up and down those powerful legs as he finally, finally leaned forward and licked a slow stripe up the underside of Arrow’s cock.
Arrow’s hips bucked, a strangled sound escaping his throat.
His fingers tightened in Flint’s hair, careful not to pull too hard.
Flint took his time there too, exploring with lips and tongue, learning what made Arrow gasp and what made him moan. He traced a thick ridge running along the underside before swirling his tongue around the head, tasting salt, musk, and Arrow’s essence. It was fast becoming Flint’s favorite taste.
When he finally took Arrow into his mouth, sinking down until the head bumped the back of his throat, Arrow’s entire body went taut.
“Flint…”
Flint hummed around him, one hand wrapping around the base while the other stroked Arrow’s thigh, grounding him. He set a steady rhythm, taking Arrow deep and then pulling back, using his tongue and the slight edge of teeth to drive his mate wild.
Arrow’s breathing was harsh and ragged, his control fraying with every pass of Flint’s mouth. Through their bond, Flint felt the pleasure building, spiraling higher and tighter until Arrow was trembling on the edge.
“I’m - fuck, I’m so close,” Arrow managed, fingers flexing in Flint’s hair like he might try to pull away. Flint doubled down instead, hollowing his cheeks and sucking hard, one hand coming up to roll Arrow’s balls gently. And that did it.
Arrow came with a shout, hips jerking as he spilled down Flint’s throat. Flint swallowed it all, working him through it until Arrow collapsed back against the pillows, his face flushed, chest heaving, and eyes glazed.
Flint released him with a final, gentle kiss to the tip and crawled up Arrow’s body, settling beside him. Arrow immediately pulled Flint close, tucking him against his chest.
“I love you,” Arrow whispered, his voice raw. “So fucking much.”
The words settled into Flint’s chest like a warm ember. “I love you too,” Flint said, pressing a kiss over Arrow’s heart. “Always.”
Arrow’s arms tightened around him, and through their bond, Flint could tell the stress about Patterson, and the agency had been shoved into the background for now. All he could sense was contentment and the love Arrow felt for him.
Mine, Flint thought happily as his snake stirred.
Ours, his snake corrected. Our mate. Our home. Our family.
Pressing a kiss against his head, Arrow’s fingers were soothing and arousing all in one go, up and down Flint’s spine. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For reminding me what matters.” Arrow’s voice rumbled through his chest. “For this. No one else has ever had my back the way you do.”
Flint tilted his head up, meeting Arrow’s eyes. “You deserve it, all of it, and I’ll keep reminding you until you believe it.”
Arrow’s smile was soft - nothing like the cocky smirk he’d worn when they first met. “I’m starting to,” Arrow admitted. “You’re pretty persuasive in your own way.”
“I wondered how long it would take for you to work that out.” Flint chuckled as he settled back against Arrow’s chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. “In the meantime, I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.”
He moaned as Arrow’s hand settled on his ass, gently rubbing, and dipping his finger into Flint’s crack. “In the meantime, if that’s a question,” he said, pressing back against Arrow’s hand, “the answer is yes, please. Are you going to take a turn at making me feel good now?”
“Yes, please,” Arrow growled as he rolled Flint onto his back.