Chapter Three #2
Leif stared into the darkness. His mind stewed.
Celeste had given him two weeks to win Aspen or lose him forever.
Yet Lysander was on the front porch, ripping Stone to shreds, and literally nothing made sense any longer.
Lysander had sounded ugly jealous and what the fuck?
Did Celeste really intend to pair Aspen with someone obviously involved with someone else?
Plus, just ugh. How dare Stone and Lysander bring their bullshit to sweet Aspen’s door?
His heart was too tender. His life had been too hard even before Leif came kicking his way through it.
Leif had been understating every fact when he talked about the pack that had turned its back on Aspen.
They were a rowdy bunch of biker bears who lived violent lives.
Aspen had been raised in that mess. He meant “raised” in the barest minimum of the word, since they had been abusive as fuck.
Nothing pleasant had happened to Aspen before Leif came along.
The bear pack had done their best to beat the kindness out of the softest bear alive.
All they accomplished was creating a big, overly strong cuddle bug with epic anxiety issues.
Aspen had lost nothing when he lost those pieces of shit.
But love was complicated, and sometimes good sense had absolutely nothing to do with it.
It seemed Aspen had one of those “well, they’re my parents” mentality on the matter.
He had done a damn good job of hiding that from Leif for decades.
Now Aspen was too much of a mess to hide anything.
Leif saw every thought and memory. Felt every hurt Aspen hid.
Maybe he wasn’t what was best for Aspen.
It was possible Aspen should just lose himself in the Wulfe pack.
Except Celeste intended to pair Aspen with Lysander if Leif didn’t act.
Every thought he had led back to one: what the fuck?
His bear was a snorer. The sound made Leif smile.
Even though there had been times when Leif had wanted to smother him with his pillow over the years, he missed even that now.
A true life was a mixture of small irritations with tons of love.
At least, the best lives were like that, and they had shared the greatest life.
Maybe it was gone now. There was a real possibility there was nothing ahead for them but more heartbreak.
Leif hadn’t truly survived losing Aspen the first time.
He couldn’t do that twice in his life, but neither could he give up.
Leif just couldn’t. Cosmic pairing or not, Aspen had always been the one for him.
No amount of heavenly intervention could change that.
Aspen startled so hard in his sleep, he nearly knocked out Leif’s fangs. He gasped for air and then focused on Leif with a desperation in his eyes that would have brought Leif to his knees if he had been standing.
You didn’t leave.
Leif swallowed all the tears as Aspen’s thoughts brushed his brain. Try to make me.
For a moment, they simply held each other’s gaze.
Leif had no clue who moved first, but their mouths hit like they had been starved for each other for years, because they had.
His eyes stung as the memories came pouring back.
A needy whine slipped out as he recalled all the nights of Aspen’s huge cock nearly tearing him in two.
He always gave Leif exactly what he begged for, and fuck. Leif wanted it.
Leif had never been more serious about allowing nothing to come between them.
The moment he found himself beneath Aspen, Leif threw up his hands and took control of the magic most of the universe never saw.
The same magic protecting Frost became the blockade hiding them. No one could ruin them but themselves.
Aspen chuckled against his lips. “What are you doing?”
Leif wasn’t one to lie. “Keeping the world out. I’ve missed you too much to risk the universe turning against us.”
“Good thinking.” He tore at Lief’s clothes.
Leif couldn’t stop smiling. He had forgotten how amazing it felt to have Aspen support his decisions. They had always been a team. Leif needed that now. Aspen didn’t let him down. The sound of clothes ripping cut through the air.
“Sorry,” Aspen mumbled between kisses.
“Fuck that.” With a single thought, their clothes disappeared.
“Don’t hold back.” The sensation of their nude bodies touching was such a powerful reminder of their love that Leif could barely breathe.
His fangs were past the point of retraction.
Leif’s body screamed for more. “Please?” Yeah, he begged.
Leif didn’t fucking care if he looked pathetic.
Life had stripped something from him when it took away Aspen.
Now he was here, and Leif thought he might die if Aspen didn’t make love to him.
Aspen slowed down. He deepened their kiss. “I need your help,” Aspen whispered against his lips.
It took a quick glimpse into Aspen’s mind to see Aspen didn’t own lube any longer. That realization was a punch to the throat, reminding him what true loyalty looked like. What true love looked like.
Leif snapped his fingers, and lube appeared. “I’ll always have everything you need.”
Aspen stared into his eyes and made no move to continue. Leif wondered if he had ruined the moment somehow. He could practically see the realization growing inside Aspen that this one night meant more than a night of making love. They were reclaiming something maybe best left in the past.
“I never left you in the past. You’ve always been right here.” Aspen tapped his chest. “For me, it’s been you or no one.”
Everything inside Leif screeched to a halt. “Wait. Did you just read my mind?” Tears streaked from the corners of his eyes, rolling back onto the bed. It was out of his control. “No. Seriously. Did you just read my mind?” He didn’t care if he looked hysterical. Leif needed to know.
Aspen swallowed so hard, it looked like it hurt. “I think I did.”
Leif didn’t hesitate. He didn’t give a single fucking thought. Leif simply shot up and buried his fangs in Aspen’s throat. He sucked. Leif couldn’t think about what would happen to his sanity if no mating mark appeared. The fallout would be too huge to fathom.
The moan Aspen released combined with his emotions overwhelmed Leif.
His body jerked as a powerful orgasm overcame him.
He felt everything Aspen did, and the experience shook him to his core.
Even as he still spit cum, Leif retracted his fangs.
He had to know. His entire chest stuttered as he tried to breathe.
He couldn’t even blink as he watched the wounds heal, leaving behind two perfect round scars.
Leif fell apart. He had turned his back on everything, including his Goddess, and now he stared at the biggest blessing a warrior could only dream of having.
Despite his abandonment at a time when her nephew disappeared, she had still given Aspen to him.
“Shhh. Don’t cry. I still love you. It might still happen one of these days.”
Leif realized his mind had turned so chaotic that he had left Aspen in the dark. He didn’t understand. Leif shook his head. “No.” He swiped his eyes. “You don’t… there’s a scar.”
Aspen turned into a statue. Not a single thought stood out for Leif to see. It was as if shock froze him and wiped him clean. Before Leif saw it coming, Aspen struck, tearing into Leif’s throat.
A loud gasp ripped from Leif before another earth-shattering orgasm rocked his soul.
The sensation of being stitched together—like a rope in his chest being tethered to Aspen — was a muted thing beneath the pleasure.
When Aspen pulled away, blood still covered his lips.
He had taken on a slightly bear-like appearance.
His gaze stayed glued to Leif’s neck. After a moment, he scrambled away and covered his mouth.
Leif took in the vision of him. His dark hair was a mess, and his huge, hairy body was sexy as fuck with his hard cock still dripping with cum. Goddamn. All that is mine.
Aspen’s gaze finally moved back to hold Leif’s stare as he obviously heard Leif’s thoughts. His hand dropped from his face. He still looked shaken. “I don’t know what to—”
Leif pounced. He swiped his hand through the river of cum coating his stomach and grasped Aspen’s dick. Leif stroked him, coating him with the mess before impaling himself. The pain was heaven. A blissful reality check. They were alive. They were one. Biggest of them all, they were mated.
Leif bounced on Aspen’s cock, taking what he wanted as he stole the deepest kiss he could get. He wanted to crawl beneath Aspen’s skin and never leave. Nothing else mattered. Every memory and ounce of pain led to this moment, and everything was worth it.
I love you. Fuck, Leif. I love you so much. You feel so good. I never want to stop.
Aspen’s thoughts matched Leif’s. You’ll never want for a single fucking thing. I love you so damn much. You’re permanently my cuddly bear. Nothing can break this.
“I know. Mhmm. Please. It’s right there. Come for me. I need—” A strangled cry burst from Aspen, sending Leif flying. He gasped for air simply from the emotional impact.
“Tell me you love me again.”
Aspen’s arms squeezed him tighter. “I love you.” The way the words stuttered from Aspen made Leif realize he was crying.
Leif kissed the tears away. There was nothing either of them could say to express what they felt.
Over fifty years together and two years of absolute soul-crushing agony apart, and they had been spun on their heads.
Sometimes there were no words yet in creation to describe the power of a moment.
But the soul knows and is forever marked.
Just as they were now. It was beautiful.