Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Maverick’s face darkened suddenly, and he took a step back. “Not now. Focus on your family.”
That surprised Isaac, but with the ritual to distract him, he couldn’t argue. Maverick distanced himself as much as he possibly could, leaning against the wall of the house as he watched the family reacquaint themselves with the mage.
Their connection was getting stronger. If he’d been shifted, connecting like that would have made sense. But only mates could speak telepathically in this form. He hadn’t even meant to do it. Isaac had been thinking so loudly, Maverick overheard him and it irritated him that Isaac had been thinking about another man. Granted, he hadn’t been thinking anything flattering about the SR representative, but still. His dragon protested the mage thinking about anyone else but him.
He wasn’t sure Isaac was aware of what was happening or anything about their connection. He was prepared to lie and say it was because of the ritual. Isaac had obviously opened himself up to his surroundings for it, which made it easier for Maverick to connect with him. That was all.
The backyard, which had been quiet and dark when they began, slowly filled with magic. Wind rustled through the grass, wrapping itself around Isaac like a familiar, rustling his bright pink hair. Isaac’s eyes stayed closed, his breathing deep and even, his focus inward. Maverick wasn’t even sure he was aware of how the yard looked now. The grass and trees glowed, the torches danced in the wind, and a mist rolled in around their feet. All the elements come to greet the gorgeous mage who needed them.
It wasn’t an overly long ritual. Maybe thirty minutes. But despite the simplicity of it, he could see the fatigue in Isaac’s face when it was through. His smile was forced when his grandmother spoke to him and he had dark circles under his eyes. He needed rest.
“So are you staying in the house with us?” Isaac’s cousin, Alder, asked sweetly as he reappeared at Maverick’s side. “Isaac likes to commune alone. He’ll probably disappear for a few days.”
Another flare of heat burned through his chest. Not his temper that time. It was Isaac’s. He could see it written all over his face as he glared at his cousin. He got the feeling those two didn’t get along. And Maverick wasn’t going to continue a conversation that was only upsetting his–
No. He’d been about to call him his mate, and he refused. It wasn’t going to happen. Isaac deserved better.
Frustrated with himself, he was a little brusque when he spoke to Alder. “I’m going with him. Excuse me.”
Isaac was heading for the treeline when Maverick escaped. Watching him walk away only pissed him off, and he caught up with Isaac quickly, grabbing his wrist to stop him.
“Where are you going?”
“The cabin. I like staying out there. It’s quiet. Feel free to stay here. My family can teach you meditation probably better than I can.”
Isaac wasn’t normally this short with him. Something was bothering him, but the dark look on his face said he wasn’t going to explain it right now. And Maverick didn’t really care. He didn’t come all this way just to be separated from Isaac.
“Lead the way.”
Isaac didn’t argue, spinning on his heel and marching off into the dark woods. There was still a glow to the trees, so they could see where they were going just fine, but Isaac kept putting his hand on the trees as he passed them, like he needed the support to keep going. At first, Maverick tried to leave it alone. They were both irritated, and he didn't want to start another fight. But the longer they walked, the more it bothered him until he couldn’t take it anymore. Without asking, he scooped Isaac off his feet and continued walking, a scowl on his face.
Isaac was startled enough to freeze for a second before demanding, “What are you doing?”
“You’re using the trees to walk. You’re tired. Just tell me where to go.”
Isaac sighed heavily, but he didn’t throw a fit. Instead, he twisted in Maverick’s arms and cupped his cheeks, forcing him to stop to look at him.
“I’m not using the trees to walk. I’m greeting them. It’s my own little ritual to reintegrate myself whenever I stay out here. That’s why I keep touching them.”
Oh. Maverick frowned, looking around. He knew plenty about the elemental spirits, any paranormal who used an element was familiar with them. He just hadn’t clued in to Isaac greeting the trees like that. It wasn’t something he’d ever think to do himself.
Setting Isaac onto his feet, he apologized gruffly. “I’m sorry. You looked exhausted earlier. I thought you were too tired to continue.”
The irritation on Isaac’s face softened and the smile he gave was a lot less forced that time. “Thank you for thinking of my wellbeing. I promise, I’m okay. The ritual helped a little. I always felt like participating in rituals was like taking a shot of espresso. It won’t last forever, but I have the energy to get to the cabin. We don’t have much farther to go anyway.”
He was right about that. They walked for only about five more minutes before the trees parted into a small clearing with an ancient but well-maintained cabin in the center. The front door was unlocked, and Isaac activated a spell inside for light. There was a hearth with everything necessary for a fire, but Isaac bypassed it, heading toward the small hallway in the back.
“The bathroom is here. You should take the room on the right. The mattress is bigger and you’re a lot taller than me. I’ll be just across the hall if you need anything. Don’t forget to apply the salve before bed, and if you need any help, just ask.”
Despite how accommodating Isaac was being, Maverick’s dragon kicked up a fuss when he walked away. He tried to ignore it, stripping down to his boxer briefs and applying the salve and new bandages before climbing into bed. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sleep. The dragon kept providing image after image of Isaac falling just out of Maverick’s reach until he couldn’t take it anymore. He threw back the covers, shoving out of the bed with a huff.
Isaac’s door was partially open, but the room was dark. He hated himself for bothering Isaac when he obviously needed sleep, but it was either that, or risk exposing Isaac to his foul mood in the morning after a night of no sleep. He pushed open the door, creeping through the dark in hopes of not waking the mage, but Isaac must not have been fully asleep yet, because he murmured, “Can’t sleep?” into the dark room like he heard Maverick’s every move.
He froze at the foot of the bed, clenching his jaw as he replied with a terse, “No. I keep getting flashes of you falling. I don’t think I can sleep away from you tonight.”
Isaac didn’t protest. He just reached behind him and tugged the covers down on the empty side of the bed to make room for him. Maverick slipped in behind him, reaching automatically to pull the mage to his chest. It was too intimate. Something a mate would do. And he hated how much he loved it. Isaac seemed to like it too, if the happy sigh was anything to go by. He went lax in Maverick’s arms, his breath evening out as he fell asleep.
Holding Isaac brought his dragon’s protests to more of a grumble, but he still wasn’t happy. If he could communicate with the beast, he’d demand to know what else he was supposed to do, but that would be equivalent to talking to himself. His dragon half didn’t speak to him. It guided him on instinct to the things he needed, but he wasn’t separate from Maverick. Still, the general feeling of unhappy grumbling wouldn’t dissipate, making it that much harder for Maverick to fall asleep.
Isaac sighed and turned over, his face barely illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”
“If it was nothing, you wouldn’t be growling. What is it, Maverick? And don’t say nothing.”
He bit back a growl, frustrated. “I don’t know. My instincts are demanding to know you’re safe. Holding you helps, but it’s still there.” He closed his eyes, trying to banish the images of Isaac falling out of his head. He’s fine. He’s right here beside me. He’s not in danger.
Soft lips pressed against his, pulling his focus away from his spiral. He let the feeling of it settle him little by little, sipping at Isaac’s lips, but like every time he got his hands on the mage, it eventually turned steamy and his body began demanding more to assuage his fears. Being inside Isaac, wrapped around him, would definitely soothe that need that kept hounding him.
Isaac seemed happy to go along with that plan, his lips parting to allow Maverick’s tongue to tangle with his. Like Maverick, Isaac had chosen to sleep only in his briefs, so Maverick had unfettered access to his skin. He ran his hands over Isaac’s chest and back, checking for injuries. What little he had were small and bandaged up like Maverick’s were. Maverick wasn’t about to pull off the bandages to check, so instead, he pulled away from Isaac’s mouth to kiss along his jaw and down his body, pausing over every injury to kiss that too.
After he was certain he got everything, he came back up, kissing Isaac harder than before. Showing him with his touch how angry he was that Isaac got hurt protecting him. How angry he was with Isaac for being so reckless. If he hadn’t reached Isaac in time, he never would have been able to live with himself. He knew what Isaac was thinking, and he agreed it was necessary to get away while he was that angry, but Isaac’s extreme reaction showed just how over the deep end he’d gone. He would never put his mate at risk again.
Needy moans filled the air as Maverick pawed at Isaac’s briefs. He needed skin to skin contact all over. He needed to feel that he was okay. He needed more .
A tearing sound preceded Maverick throwing the offensive material away. He was no less brutal with his own clothing. Isaac groaned as Maverick rolled himself between his thighs, grinding his cock against Isaac’s roughly.
Ripping his mouth away, Isaac panted out a spell Maverick didn’t recognize. Did he say lube?
Isaac’s hand shot into the air as something came whizzing from the other room. He caught it, shoving the plastic bottle against Maverick’s chest. It surprised him enough to pull back, and when he realized what it was, he huffed out a laugh.
“Did you really use your magic while you’re weak to summon lube?”
“Shut up. I’m fine,” Isaac grouched, gripping Maverick’s hair to pull him back into the kiss. The urgency in Isaac’s kiss spurred Maverick on, and he answered with equal fervor while coating his fingers in the slippery liquid. His instincts demanded he be inside his mate, but he refused to hurt him by skipping prep.
Isaac ground down on his fingers, demanding more and unhappy to wait. “Maverick, I swear to the goddess, if you don’t get that big beautiful cock inside me in the next two minutes, I’m gonna–”
Maverick cut off his tirade by pressing against his prostate. His voice went from a growl to a moan in an instant, and Maverick growled when that perfect ass gripped his fingers tightly. He switched between stretching and petting Isaac’s prostate to keep him distracted, but after three fingers, he was at his wit's end. It was only when he was about to lube up his cock that he realized what was missing.
“Isaac. We don’t have–”
“It’s fine,” Isaac panted. “I get tested after every relationship and I trust you. Just, please!”
He trusted him. On one level, he knew that. He wouldn’t have taken that leap that morning if he hadn’t. But to hear him say it out loud filled his chest with heat so intense, he was worried he’d start breathing fire. He had no choice but to admit that their relationship was more than just a casual fling to help Maverick with his temper. And if he wanted to be worth Isaac’s trust, he had to put in the work to change. He wouldn’t let that trust be broken for anything.
“Maverick,” Isaac whined, shifting restlessly beneath him.
He pushed away all thoughts of the change that needed to happen. Now was not the time. He had a needy mage beneath him who was demanding his attention. He wasn’t going to squander that. Still, he couldn’t help himself from teasing a little.
“What do you need, little mage? You’re looking a little flushed. Is this too much for you? Should I let you rest?”
Isaac’s eyes snapped to his, and he growled an adorable sound nowhere near as intimidating as his dragon. “Don’t you dare. I want your knot, Maverick.”
Maverick sucked in a sharp breath. The mage knew exactly what to say to get him moving. He coated his cock in lube without much finesse while Isaac drew his knees to his chest. They groaned together as he pushed inside. The tight squeeze always drove him wild, but with the lack of protection, it was even more intense. If he wasn’t careful, he’d finish before his mate. He barely gave Isaac time to adjust before he had to move, drawing his hips back and thrusting hard.
Isaac’s moans rose in volume, his fingers digging into Maverick’s back to keep him close. Maverick slipped a hand under Isaac’s hips, lifting him a little, and the change in angle sent the mage into a frenzy, writhing and digging his heels into Maverick’s ass to urge him on. It was rough and a little barbaric, both of them demanding more from each other until the heavy wooden bed was smacking against the wall and Maverick was nearly blind from the pleasure.
His release slammed into him right as Isaac’s body accepted his knot and clamped around him in his release. He let out a shout as wave after wave of pleasure crashed into him, leaving him breathless and shaking, barely keeping himself from crushing Isaac with his weight on his forearms.
Dark green eyes blinked up at him, glazed with lust and exhaustion. Maverick let instinct guide him one last time, pressing a gentle kiss to each eye to encourage the mage to close them.
“Sleep. I’ll keep you safe.”