Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
Talon came in from a flyover of the lake, his feet still cold from where he’d dragged them in the water.
God, that was a wondrous thing.
Mercury was dozing on the couch, and he grabbed his mate, who was heavier now, thank the gods, and put him right in his lap.
Mercury squeaked, “Cold! What have you been doing?”
“I was playing in the lake.”
“Oh, wicked, wicked dragon.” Mercury snuggled right up to him, wrapping him in blankets.
“How are you? Are you having a good day?”
“I am. I think Kami’s looking for you.”
He rolled his eyes at Mercury’s words and wrinkled his nose.
“Seriously, I think he wants you to help him look for rocks.”
“Oh, you know what I think? I think Reno needs to get with the program and get Kami pregnant again.”
Mercury’s eyes went wide and started dancing with laughter. “So mean!”
“I’m not. It’s just…seriously. If Kami got pregnant again, he’d be quiet for at least a few weeks.”
“Well, I think that’s mean.” Funny, but mean.
Still, I don’t want to work today. I’m playing hooky.
“By the way, your brother has requested our presence for supper.”
Talon sighed dramatically. “Did you want to go?”
“I think that we should. They’ve been so unhappy over there. I’d like to do things that made them happier.”
He shrugged it. If that worked for Mercury, it did for him. Elowyn was an amazing cook, at any rate. Maybe things were more settled between Triton and Cerran. It had seemed better last time Talon had seen them. “Of course, if you would like to go, I would be willing to do it.”
“Then that’s settled, but we have plenty of time to snuggle some more before that.” He loved how Mercury’s snuggle could genuinely mean cuddling, or it could be a euphemism for something far more strenuous. One never knew.
“I would love to snuggle. To get warm, I mean.”
“Mmm. It’s not like I’m going to get any more pregnant,” Mercury stated, “but we could certainly practice for next time.”
Talon felt love for Mercury, for this mate of his, overwhelm him.
He chuckled softly and took a long, deep kiss. Mercury snuggled right in, hands soft on his belly, and he dragged them both together, sweet and easy.
The knocking came to his door before he could think about deepening the kiss, rubbing against his lover, dragging Mercury closer to him. He blew the hair out of his face, frustrated. “Who is it?”
“You know who it is. Let me in. We have work to do.” Kami’s voice was strident, unpleasant, off.
“I’m off today.” He shrugged to Mercury, frowning deeply.
“You’re off? You don’t get to just call out. You know that’s not how it works—there’s a stone that needs finding, and I need help. Now.” Kami banged on the door again, louder this time. “Mercury! Tell your mate this is important, to quit screwing around, and get his ass out here.”
Mercury’s eyes flashed, pure metal, and he stood and stormed to the door, flinging it open. “Pardon me?”
Kami stood there, red-faced and furious, “I said, tell your mate that this is important and to quit screwing around.”
Mercury’s head tilted, which Talon was beginning to discover was his hailee’s tell when his temper was going to make itself shown.
“The last time I checked, he is my mate, not yours. And secondly, he is an adult dragon and therefore capable of choosing for himself what he’s going to do.
Thirdly, if I want to screw around with my mate, I can. ”
Talon sat there just staring. He couldn’t believe this. It wasn’t unwelcome, of course. Of course it wasn’t. In fact, it was more than a little exciting.
On the other hand, it was surprising.
Kami’s eyes narrowed, glittering. “Don’t challenge me. I think you’re a sweetheart, and I think you’re dear, but Talon and I have been working together for a long time, and I need his help. And to be perfectly honest, you don’t get to call the shots here.”
“Now, Kami,” Talon started, and Mercury held one hand up behind him as if to say no.
“This is not your home. This is mine, and I might be a sweetheart, but I was fucked with for an incredibly long time and told what to do for even longer. I can tell you this right now; this is my family—this baby, and Talon—and I have seen horrors and lived through bullshit that you have not experienced. I strongly suggest you check your fucking attitude and come back later and ask Talon if he is busy and if he has the ability to work today. If that’s too much for you to handle, let me know.
I can show you the way out. One way or the other. ”
“Wasn’t that impressive? The little mouse has teeth.” Okay, so it just me or was that fucking hot? Kami teased Talon who sounded altogether more upset out loud than he did mentally.
It’s incredibly hot. Please, though, don’t make him mad. Just go. You can call back later.
Oh I didn’t really need you. I just wanted to see what would happen. It’s a failing of mine.
Be nice now. I don’t want him hurt.
I don’t want to hurt either.
Both of you are going to get hurt. Get out. Mercury’s voice was loud, sharp, and powerful. “Trust me, you may think that it’s fun to play with me. It’s a mistake. Both of you go.”
Talon stood. “Hailee…”
Mercury stormed over to where he was, pointed at him, one finger against his chest. “That was mean.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“No? I notice you didn’t stop it.”
He shook his head. “I just found out! I told him to stop! Obviously you heard me.”
“It was still mean.” Mercury turned on Kami. “I thought you were my friend.”
“I am! I was just—”
“No.” Mercury shook his head at Kami. “This is not how friends act. Friends are kind to one another. Friends are decent to one another. Friends care. If this is how you are friends, then I do not care to be your friend or your family. Now leave.”
And just like that, Mercury shut the door in Kami’s face.
I didn’t mean to hurt him. I was just curious to see if he would protect you, if he would defend you. Kami actually sounded shocked.
Go on and talk to Reno. We’ll fix it later. I have to make this up to my hailee.
This was not how today was supposed to go. This was not supposed to be weird, and awkward, and emotional. He was supposed to be making love to his mate and relaxing. This was his day off.
Mercury searched his eyes. You didn’t know?
He shook his head. “Literally, when you heard Kami’s thoughts, that was the first I heard of it as well. Did I think it was hot?” He shrugged. “Am I supposed to not? No one’s ever defended me like that. No one’s ever loved me quite like that.”
Mercury tossed his head. “Well, I do. I love you. Quite like that.”
“Good.” He held out his arms, hoping his mate would come walking into them; he needed to hold Mercury and let his mate feel how much he loved him.
And soon he would probably defend Kami to Mercury, but he couldn’t do it right now.
Mercury couldn’t possibly understand the kind of teasing he and Kami had learned to give each other over the years.
Simply never had that kind of exposure to anyone else.
Not only that, Kami wanted to make sure Mercury loved him as much as Talon loved Mercury.
Asking would have been easier, but when had Kami ever done anything easy?
Mercury sighed, resting his head on Talon’s chest. “Does he hate me? Isn’t it why he keeps doing these things? Is he jealous that I’ve taken over his spot in your life?”
“Oh, hailee, no.” He stroked Mercury’s back.
“Kami and I were just friends, more like brothers. And like brothers, we tease and we fight and we worry about each other. He wants to make sure that you can stand up to anyone who might come after you or me, and you can stand up to me.” Talon chuckled.
“You haven’t seen it, but I can get in a mood. ”
“No, I haven’t seen it from you, but I have seen it with your brother here. He can be grumpy.”
“And we have a lot in common, Triton and I.”
“Where does that leave me and Kami?” Mercury searched his gaze, moistening his lips with the tip of his tongue.
“Standing up to him today went a long way, I bet. You have to just give him as much shit as he gives you. And I’ll make sure to tell him when he needs to back off.
” Soothed and petted, wanting Mercury to know he was right there and that he wasn’t really going to let Kami abuse him in any way.
“But I want you to know I never think of you as any kind of a joke.”
“Thank you. Can we go back to snuggling now?”
Talon pulled back again to look down at Mercury. “Are you sure you want to? I do, but I want to make sure you don’t feel like it’s some sort of mandatory thing if you’re still angry.”
Mercury nodded, rising up on tiptoe to kiss his chin. “I do. Though I want to go snuggle in the bedroom instead of on the couch.”
“Let’s do it.” He sent one tiny little very direct thought to Kami to stay away, and then he picked Mercury up in his arms to take him to the bedroom. This was a way he could show Mercury how much he meant to Talon, that he was no joke. He could love on him and give him everything he had.
Besides Mercury had a whole new strength about him now that he was eating well and putting on a little bit of muscle from doing short workouts with some of the younger dragons. He was learning Tai Chi, which seemed to suit Mercury so perfectly.
Talon laid him on the bed, smiling down at him as he started working on Mercury’s soft clothing, taking it off. He wanted to touch skin. He wanted to worship Mercury as he deserved to be worshipped.
Mercury gave a soft sigh, reaching up once he was nude to wrap his arms around Talon’s neck. “Kiss me?”
Talon brought his mouth to Mercury’s lips, wanting Mercury to be right there with him. He needed heat, and he needed Mercury to be wet for him so when he sank his knot inside that sweet body, it was pleasurable for both of them in so many ways.
Mercury moaned, arching up against him, legs spreading wide, and he could smell his pain. Talon knew Mercury was becoming open and wet for him.
Mercury plucked at his tunic, growling a little bit. “Take this off.”
Talon laughed for sheer joy, rising up on his knees so he could take off his shirt, then wiggle out of his pants. When he lowered back down, they came together skin to skin, and they both groaned at the feeling of it.
“My knot is already rising for you, hailee.”
Wiggling, Mercury seated him more firmly between those spread legs. “Good. I want to feel you. I need it. You have to give it to me. That’s mine.”
Gods, this was fucking perfect. Let his low bass rumble slide over Mercury, watching hailee’s eyes widen as he got a little feral, bending to nip the long column of Mercury’s throat.
Gasping, Mercury dug into his back with his blunt nails on his clawed fingers, giving a tiny sting right back. That was the best feeling on earth, knowing that Mercury was finally willing to stand up and give as good as he got.
Well, Talon certainly didn’t want Mercury to stand up right now.
He put the tip of his cock against Mercury’s hole, not bothering to give his fingers to open Mercury up. No, he had a feeling Mercury was wide open for him and ready any moment.
He could feel the wetness against his skin, and he knew Mercury was ready for his knot. So he slid deep in one hard thrust.
“Braaken!” Mercury closed around him like a vise, then echoed that with his arms and legs, clinging like a sea vine. He was lovely with color in his cheeks, his eyes closed, his silvery hair spread around him. Talon had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.
“More, Talon. I need you to move!” Mercury dug into the backs of Talon’s legs with his heels, yanking.
“Mmmph!” He grunted as he almost fell forward, but then he was able to pull back and thrust in again.
And again.
Then they were off and running, his hips thrusting back and forth, his ass clenching as Mercury took him in.
Talon panted, sweat beading up along his body, collecting especially where his scales were popping up.
Mercury just held him, arms and legs and body wrapping around him.
Keeping him right there, plunging in and out.
His knot started to engage almost immediately, and Talon could feel how Mercury shook as it started to swell much bigger every time he thrust. Soon they were barely moving, just sliding up along the bed, in fact, until Mercury hit the headboard and reached up with his hands to keep him from bending in half.
This was no sweet, gentle loving. This was fierce and hard, and he knew this was perfect. This is what they both needed. Mercury needed to believe he could do this, and Talon needed to take his mate.
“Please? Oh, please,” Mercury cried out. “Please.”
“That’s it, hailee. Ask for what you need. Tell me what you want. I’m right here and I will give it to you.”
“You! I need you! I need your knot! I need you to give it to me, Talon. Please now!”
So Talon yanked his hips back and then thrust one more time deep so that he could be seated all the way in, his knot fully engaged. Mercury cried out, and without either one of them even touching that sweet little cock, he came all over them, coating their bellies with seed.
Talon came deep inside Mercury’s body, filling him with everything he had, knowing that it would let Mercury know he was wanted, needed, and desired. This was his hailee.
“Braaken.” The word came out as a broken little sound, and he moaned because it was perfect. He couldn’t have asked for more.
“Do you trust me, my hailee?” He knew Mercury did, but he needed to hear the words aloud. The scene with Kami had upset them both more than he’d thought.
“I do. So very much.” Mercury patted him, clumsy as all get out.
“Good.” He eased them to their sides, knowing they would be stuck like that for a bit.
“I’m still mad at Kami, though.”
Talon chuckled. “Fair enough, my love.”
He would let Mercury take care of the situation with Kami on his own.
His sweet mate was far more fierce than Talon had expected.