Chapter Fourteen
Butch
Fuck!
That was all I could manage as I slumped over Leonidis. Fuck custard and cream. My brain was trifle now and his sweet kiss on the end of my dick left me with a wild desire to haul him to my bed and let him do all the things floating through his mind.
“Knees,” he managed through puffy lips, looking at me through heavy-lidded eyes.
I took that to mean his knees, not mine, so I firmed my wobbly leg muscles and lifted my mate up, pressing his back against the tiles. His legs wound around my middle and my cock twitched at the glide of wet flesh against me. I pressed against him more fully, tiredness competing with the delight that was my mate. It was his turn to lean back and close his eyes. I studied him, not missing the dark bruising under his eyes that encouraged me to leave things as they were. I wanted him, and I also wanted to keep my promise to go at his pace.
“I know you’re watching me,” he murmured, peeking out from under one lid.
“You’re worth watching,” I rasped, totally enchanted.
Had I said this before? I wasn’t sure.
I shifted until he was under the spray more fully and, using my lower body to keep him against the wall so he didn’t have to stand, washed him with the same reverence he’d shown me. He groaned, low and needy, and my hands skimmed his waist and over his thickening cock. The mate bond buzzed between us.
With effort, I stopped and carried him out of the shower after turning it off, placing him on the rug so I could quickly dry myself before taking my time rubbing the soft, fluffy towel over him. He swayed, his eyes no more than glittering slits as he stared at me.
I wanted to have the time to treasure him, here and now. Us both being alphas meant absolutely nothing with how he captured my heart with his strength.
“I wasn’t strong enough to stop—”
I pressed a gentle kiss to his swollen lips. “It’s hard to fight when he played dirty. I’ll make him suffer for that, I swear!”
He wrapped his arms around my neck and clung on. Despite that, his next words broke my heart. “You should stay away from me, I only bring danger… death.”
“Never gonna happen,” I said firmly. “I don’t care what happens. Whatever we do, I’m yours and you are mine. I’ll glue myself to your side for eternity. “
He gave me an uncertain smile, and I sensed his worry that I’d change my mind when the shit hit the fan.
I swept my lips over his in the softest of kisses, holding his gaze. “Think about it. Fate chose an alpha for us each for a reason. You’re mine, Fate doesn’t make mistakes. Let me love you. Let me treasure you.”
His giggling was so adorable and made my heart shudder in my chest, reinforcing the need to protect him with everything in my power. I felt the moment he let go, let me in, and tears filled my eyes. “I won’t let you down.”
He pressed his nose to mine. “I won’t let you down either.” The lion was there in his eyes and Great Rhu, I wanted to roll over his fur.
“I can arrange that, if you want.”
I blushed the color of my stalk at him catching my thought. “Could you now?” I finally managed to say when the blood finished pooling between my legs and showing him exactly how I felt about the offer.
He nudged me back and a moment later, there was my scarred lion. He was glorious, his mane floofed out, his eyes tracking me as I came closer to shift and land on his mane. I groaned in delight at the feel of his fur rubbing against my fuzzies.
He lowered to the floor, and I took the opportunity to roll down his back, hearing his chuckle at how I gloried at the feel of him against my stalk. Custard leaked from my stalk as I slid down his tail and wriggled under it, finding his spined cock.
Intrigued, I rolled to it and he moved so I could get closer. The second my stalk tickled it, he groaned in my head and a spike caught on the fleshy part of my stalk.
He roared, digging more spikes into my flesh and I custarded all over his spiny length before I could gather my wits. Then he was spurting cum over my leaves, making me shiver in delight. Great Rhu, how hot was that?
I lay fanning my leaves over my stalk, spraying his cum over me, groaning at the feel of it sinking into my flesh. His scent mixing with mine.
We are mates! Proper mates. It was my last thought as the lack of sleep caught up with me and the darkness slowly claimed me. A furry body tucked me closer. I was in heaven.
I awoke dazed and confused, trying to figure out why I was lying in the bathroom on a bed of fur. “Why am I on the floor?” I asked sleepily, looking at the window, seeing daylight and trying to figure how long I’d slept for.
The lion beneath me growled when I moved. A huge possessive paw tried to pull me back as I rolled to sit up, chuckling. “I have to get up, my darlin’. I need to catch an arsonist.”
A moment later, a naked Leonidis stared at me shyly. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” I murmured, coming forward to kiss him because who could resist when he looked sleepy, warm and most definitely mine.
“I am,” he answered, his eyes sparkling with joy in a way they hadn’t before.
I got up and tugged him with me when I became tempted to say ‘fuck work’ and take him to my enormous bed and ravish him.
“I’d like that.” A pretty blush appeared over his chest, spreading up his neck.
“Me too.” I walked him into my bedroom. “When this is all over, I’m not letting you out of here until I’ve had my fill of you.”
“I think I’d be agreeable to that.”
My cell-phone dinged, alerting me to a text message. I groaned and went to where I’d left my phone, opening the message from Deputy Livingstone.
I frowned, heart skipping a beat at what was on the screen and looked about for some clothes, my mind racing over the next move.
“What is it?”
“There’s been a sighting of Amell. I need to go.”
He blanched, but he nodded. “I’m coming with you.”
I was shaking my head. “No, you need to go stay with Maximus, please,” I begged, sensing the denial before his lips parted. “I need to know you are safe so I can do my job.”
His gaze roamed over my face while I felt him probe my thoughts. I remained open so he could read all of them. No, I didn’t think he was weak. I just knew I needed to give this my full attention and worrying for him would only distract me from the job at hand.
“I’ll go,” he said softly, reaching for his dirty clothes.
“You can wear some of mine, if you like,” I offered, pulling clean sweats and a T-shirt out of the closet for him first, then some for me. I didn’t bother with my uniform. Right now, what I wore wasn’t important, only that I had my gun with me. I shielded my thoughts as we dressed quickly.
He walked off with my cell to his ear and I went to my gun box, getting my ankle holster and another handgun I tucked into the back band of my jeans.
I raised an eyebrow when Leonidis returned, frowning. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, Gordon wants me to go to Red’s house as he needs reassurance.”
“What’s wrong with Red?”
“I told the others Amell has been sighted so I think Red’s convinced he will go after all of us. He’s worrying about the two of us.”
“You and me?”
“We’re not staying with the pride, so he’s worrying we’re vulnerable.”
I nodded, understanding the fear because it was the same fear I had for my mate.
“Red is still convinced Amell and his monsters will try to abduct one of us again after he failed at burning us alive in the house. The only time he feels safe is when Gordon and the rest of us are all close by.”
I would not dismiss his fears. Twice they’d tried and nearly succeeded. They had also a pro who had managed to disable the security cameras with a jamming device to pour lighter fluid all over the kitchen and set the fire undetected. The monster was a fucking animal who needed putting down. “Why don’t we go there then?” I suggested, warming to the idea of safety in numbers. “The last thing I want is Red to be scared.”
Leonidis’s smile returned. “For a big gruff stalk, you’re so sweet.”
I blushed at his praise. Sweet was the last thing the stalks of the town called me, particularly when I arrested them.
I packed some extra clothes into a holdall and handed it to Leonidis, grinning. “These are for you just in case we don’t get back for a day or two.” I assured him when he lost his smile, “It’s gonna be okay.”
My mate kissed my cheek after a moment of hesitation. “Thank you. And thanks for the clothes, I don’t care what they look like. It’s just a relief not to wear these.” He bent to pick up his dirty clothes. “Although these are all I have left,” he sighed forlornly.
“I know you feel like your entire world is crumbling around you, but you’re not alone. I’m here for you. We’ll figure this out together.” I needed him to know he wasn’t alone. He had his pride and the town, but more importantly, he had me.
I captured his mouth in a kiss, and he sank into it, taking all the comfort I could infuse into it and then murmured against his sweet lips, “We got this.”