Chapter Ten
Ellery studied Kefir very carefully, while the little lion blinked up at him, all big serious brown eyes and silence.
“Finish what you were saying,” Ellery ordered.
Kefir hesitated for a moment. “Arslan says that humans need more time than lions do to be able to work out what they want, because they don’t have a lion’s instincts.”
“And do you belong to me or to Arslan?” Ellery hadn’t intended the question to leave his lips, but somehow, the words wriggled free of his control, and they were suddenly there, hanging in the air between them.
Kefir’s hand went to his collar. He seemed to realise it was an important question, but it was hard for Ellery to be sure—he always looked as if he took everything so very earnestly.
“You’re my master, sir. He’s the leader of my pride.”
Ellery pushed that answer aside, in no mood to deal with semantics. “If we each gave you a different order, who would you obey?”
Kefir stared up at him as one minute passed into another, then another.
He was actually thinking about it. Ellery felt himself tense as the seconds ticked by. Kefir had to think about it?
“You, sir.”
Kefir met Ellery’s gaze. It hadn’t been an automatic answer. Kefir wasn’t saying it because he was expected to, or even because he wanted to please his master. He said it because he meant it.
His master had asked him a question, and Kefir had answered it honestly. Slowly, but honestly. Ellery nodded his approval as the true value of the response sank in. Hooking his fingers into Kefir’s collar, Ellery pulled him forward to be kissed.
There was no hesitation. Kefir purred into his mouth, rubbing his whole body against him in simple, submissive enthusiasm.
Ellery was vaguely aware that they weren’t the only ones losing themselves in pleasure.
The sacrifice was already enjoying the attentions of his second partner on the rug.
Marrick was caught between both his feline masters on one of the sofas flanking the hearth.
To the other side of the blaze, even Arslan was enjoying Ryland’s mouth as he watched over the others.
The urge for Ellery to mark his territory, to make it clear that, regardless of any place Kefir might occupy in the pride, no one owned his submission but him was overwhelming.
He tightened his grip. Sliding his palms down his arms, Ellery tugged Kefir’s hands behind him.
Kefir looked over his shoulder as Ellery broke the kiss, apparently more than a little curious about what his master was up to.
Kefir moved his hands slightly within Ellery’s hold on him, but he didn’t try to pull away from it.
It remained easy for Ellery to hold both of Kefir’s wrists in place with one hand.
Kefir’s fingers twitched, and he smiled, pleasure slowly spreading across his face.
Ellery hooked the fingers of his free hand into Kefir’s collar again. He barely had a chance to tug him forward before Kefir leaned in for another kiss. His lips caressed Ellery’s very gently, begging for whatever his master was willing to grant him. Within seconds, a kiss wasn’t enough.
With Kefir supported easily in his arms, Ellery rose from his chair. Kneeling on the floor, he lay the little lion on the carpet before him.
No survival instincts. No doubts. As Ellery knelt between Kefir’s spread legs and looked down over his body, all he saw in him was perfection.
Kefir wriggled a little then. Ellery hadn’t released his grip on his wrists until he was already on the floor, and now, Kefir’s hands were still behind him, making his back arch awkwardly.
“Keep your hands where they are.”
Kefir swallowed rapidly, his chest rose and fell with each deep breath he dragged into his lungs. His tongue crept out to lap at his lips as a rush of nerves seemed to turn his mouth dry. But he didn’t move his hands.
Ellery made him wait while he looked his fill. The little lion was a curious mixture of strong lines of muscle and a delicately small frame, all masculine strength bundled up in a small, compact, and thoroughly stunning parcel.
Running his hands down Kefir’s sides, Ellery felt the little lion’s muscles twitch as he twisted and wriggled, trying to get as much contact as he could with his master.
A kitten indeed… Ellery’s lips twitched into a smile as he brushed his knuckles across Kefir’s abs, just to see if he’d react the same way a real tabby cat would.
Kefir let out a little purr that made Ellery chuckle.
The purring changed to a mewing little whimper when Kefir noticed Ellery snatching up a tube of lube from the supply on the table next to him. Kefir tried to pull away, as if to turn over, but Ellery easily kept him where he was with one hand spread out on his stomach and a serious expression.
A flash of confusion shot through Kefir’s eyes. Grabbing a cushion off the chair behind him, Ellery pushed it underneath Kefir’s hips. The lion worked with him and lifted his backside a little off the floor, but the confusion didn’t fade.
Ellery rewarded Kefir’s cooperation by teasing his hole with lube slicked fingers. With his legs pulled back, there was no way Kefir could find the leverage to move. All he could do was accept what his master gave him and whimper beautifully as Ellery’s fingers slid in and out of his body.
Cock hard and curving back to his stomach as his master teased his hole, Kefir was easily the most stunning thing Ellery had ever set his eyes on.
No matter how much he wanted to rush, he forced himself to take his time, to see that Kefir was well prepared and damn near desperate for more before he quickly rolled on a condom and slicked it with extra lube.
Guiding Kefir to rest his ankles on his shoulders, Ellery pushed into him very slowly. Their eyes met over Kefir’s contorted torso, and Ellery saw the light in the little lion’s eyes change as he slid even deeper inside him.
Ellery kept his gaze until he was buried to the hilt.
Kefir’s breaths came quicker then as he struggled to adapt and accept a whole host of sensations Ellery knew he didn’t yet have enough experience to be accustomed to. Ellery remained still inside him, waiting him out.
It took every scrap of control he knew he had and more to be patient. The urge to mark his territory still pounded inside him, but as he stared down at the little lion, something else took over—his need to take good care of his sub was far stronger than anything else.
Finally, as Kefir’s eyes dropped closed, Ellery turned his attention to the tight little hole stretched around the base of his dick. Rocking his hips, just a little, Ellery watched his cock slide out of him a fraction before quickly disappearing inside Kefir again.
Kefir gasped his approval, but Ellery made him wait to feel his master move inside him again. He gained a whimper in reward for his restraint, and Kefir began to squirm.
Gradually building up the movement, Ellery began to thrust deep into Kefir in earnest. Letting go of Kefir’s hips, he moved his hands to Kefir’s ankles. Pushing them away from his shoulders, he bent Kefir’s knees back toward his body. The angle of his thrusts changed.
The little lion let out a little cry. He tossed his head back.
His body tensed frantically around Ellery’s cock.
Kefir’s dick twitched and pulsed between them.
His wriggling increased, until Ellery was sure he was going to topple them both.
His legs kicked out, until it took all of Ellery’s strength to hold them both steady.
Another thrust and Kefir arched off the floor, his entire weight falling on his shoulders as he bucked under the bliss that seemed to pour into him with each thrust. His clenching hole pulled Ellery over the edge right after him.
Ellery’s orgasm caught him off guard. He thrust again, his grip tightening around Kefir’s ankles again as he spilled into him in a series of deep thrusts.
Seconds passed, and all Ellery was aware of was a glorious cascade of bliss and pleasure.
His eyes fell closed as his climax tore through him, sudden and desperate.
It wasn’t until several moments later that he became aware of the noises in the room around him. The fire crackling on the other side of the room. Kefir’s ragged breathing. His own racing heart and… And that was it.
Ellery forced open his eyes.
All the other lions were watching them, seemingly more than a little fascinated by what was unfolding in their little corner of the room.
Ellery’s attention automatically went to Arslan as he sought the reaction of the only other man in the room who seemed to have any sort of clue what he was doing.
Arslan’s expression was impossible to read, but there was no sign of the anger or the disapproval that Ellery suddenly realised he’d expected to see there.
There was no hint of surprise either. He’d known what role each man would take when they were together.
Maybe most important of all, there was no sign of jealousy or inclination to fight for possession of Kefir.
If Ellery doubted that the other lions in the pride would accept his relationship with Kefir so easily, then he couldn’t bring himself to be too concerned with that.
The only one who seemed capable of making a significant amount of trouble for Kefir was Arslan, and the leader of the pride seemed to accept how things stood.
The rest of the world dealt with, Ellery turned his attention back to his kitten.
Kefir blinked open his eyes and looked up at him. He made no attempt to move until Ellery pulled slowly away from him. Even then, Kefir waited patiently until Ellery had dispensed with his condom and was ready to move back to his chair.
A nod was all Kefir needed to have him wriggling around and levering himself up onto his knees, his hands still neatly kept behind his back.
The boy never once looked toward anyone else in the room. Ellery could almost believe that there wasn’t anyone else in the world as far as Kefir was concerned. His thoughts were all on his master.
Leaning into Ellery’s body, Kefir lapped at his skin as he rubbed his forehead against Ellery’s stomach. A tug on his collar brought him easily up onto the seat.
He let out a contented little murmur as he settled himself on Ellery’s lap and snuggled against him, obviously not in the least doubtful of his welcome there.
Shaking his head slightly, Ellery found himself disinclined to put any uncertainties in his head. It felt odd, after so many years spent on a leather scene where subs tended to find him intimidating. But Ellery liked the purity of the trust Kefir had in him far too much to want to damage it.
He slowly ran his fingers over Kefir’s skin as they rested together, enjoying the way his touch made the little lion snuggle in all the closer to him. He really was a kitten at heart.
As Kefir’s eyes drifted closed, and Ellery’s attention turned to the room around them, he couldn’t help but wonder what Kefir would think of some of the other places he’d taken his subs to over the years.
While his eyes roamed over the other lions, Ellery found himself impatient to find out just how Kefir would handle being the only lion in a room full of humans.
It was one thing to make sure the boy knew that his master respected the world he came from, but maybe it was well past time Ellery took Kefir on a field trip into his own domain.
A little time away from the pride would do them both good.
It would also do Arslan a world of good to realise he couldn’t play dictator to another man’s sub, too—leadership of a pride be damned.
Kefir chose that moment to purr, as if he sensed his master’s plan and agreed with it wholeheartedly.
Ellery nodded to himself. Decision made.