Epilogue - Ezekiel
THREE MONTHS LATER
The conference centre was uncomfortably loud. The readers hadn’t even been let in yet, but just the hustle and bustle of the authors and their assistants was enough to have me wincing.
Sam, thankfully, wasn’t bothered by it. He grinned at the author he was helping as he organised preordered books into tote bags. When he turned his head to the side, you could just about make out the blue rings of his Loops.
It was one of the things enabling Sam to do this today. The earplugs blocked out enough noise to stop him becoming overstimulated, while allowing him to still hear conversation. Assisting one of his authors at a signing had been on his bucket list of things he never thought he’d achieve. Gabs Wolfe was one of his favourite clients, and he’d gone through a lot of ups and downs when she approached him about this event. I’d felt his initial disappointment at turning it down along with the regret he’d felt afterwards.
The bond had given me the encouragement I needed to persuade him to give it a go. To speak to his therapist and come up with a plan.
Sat on one of the steel beams holding up the roof, I was so fucking glad I had. Sam was almost vibrating with joy, sunshine flowing through the bond. I grinned down at my mate, captivated by his happiness. As though he sensed me looking, Sam raised his head, shooting me a quick wink before returning to his task.
Up here, with a compulsion net in place, Sam was the only one who could see me. He didn’t need me here today, but we’d both known he’d be less anxious if I was.
We’d gotten to the venue last night. With my powers, and Nate erasing the CCTV footage, we’d broken in with ease. Sam had had a chance to map out the whole space, figuring out where the author’s table would be, where the toilets were, and which room they’d go to for lunch.
It had gone a long way towards easing his anxiety about the event. Tyler had encouraged him to be open with the author he was assisting. It had taken several sessions, but eventually Sam had felt confident enough to explain his needs to the author. Gabs hadn’t hesitated in making accommodations for all his needs, including arranging a chair for him and sending a very detailed list of everything he’d be expected to do.
Gabs could expect a very elaborate floral display to arrive at her house on Monday as a thank you. Not from Sam, but from me.
Anyone who made my Sam happy earned a place in my good books.
The doors opened, the cacophony tripling almost instantly as readers began to pour into the room.
I settled in, keeping a careful watch on Sam. I’m right here, baby. Whenever you need me.
He couldn’t hear my thought, but from the grateful smile he shot my way, he knew. He didn’t need the words.
I was always here for him, and he knew that.
T urned out neither Sam nor I had any reason to worry about the signing.
“That was brilliant,” Sam gushed several hours later. He’d helped Gabs carry her things to her car, but his arms were still laden with bags. “Did you see the queues Gabs had? She thought no one was going to stop by her table, but I knew it’d be crazy. I’m so freaking happy for her.”
I scooped the many bags from his arms, grinning at him. “That’s hilarious. Does she not realise how popular she is?”
Sam snorted. “No. She’s one of my authors who’s convinced no one will read her books, and is perpetually surprised by how well they do.”
“Better that than having a massive ego, I suppose.”
“True.” Sam winked at me. “I have enough of those at home.”
“I’m glad you managed to get the books you wanted,” I said, holding up his bags. “I would’ve gone if you hadn’t managed it.”
He patted my arm solemnly. “Zeke, I love you, but I have almost zero faith in you remembering what I’ve ordered or which books I want quotes in.”
“I forget one thing when food shopping and you never let me live it down.”
“No, you forget one thing every time you go food shopping. But it’s okay. I think it’s cute.”
Sam had taken over the meal planning from me and Rami once he realised we had the same ten meals on a rotation. Thanks to him, all of us were benefitting from a broader diet.
Even if I did forget key ingredients every time Sam sent me out with a list.
Given Sam’s aversion to heights, we’d booked a hotel room nearby instead of flying straight home. We walked there from the venue, Sam’s excited chatter entertaining me the entire way.
“I’m so glad you did this,” I told him as we finally stepped into our room. After carefully stowing his books under the desk so one of us didn’t accidentally damage them, I picked him up in a bear hug. “I love seeing you this happy and excited.”
“I love feeling like this,” Sam said, clasping his arms behind my neck as he stared at me adoringly. “It’s all because of you, Zeke.”
“No,” I said, brushing my nose against his. “You’re the one who put in the hard work, Sam. You were the one who had the sessions with Dr. Tyler. The one who had the courage to tell Gabs what you needed to make this happen. It’s all you, baby.”
“But I’m only here because of you. You gave me the determination to seek help. Without your support, I might’ve given up weeks ago.”
Privately, I disagreed. Sam might not think so, but he was one of the strongest beings I’d ever come across. Just getting up and going about his day was harder for him than most people. Having a front-row seat to his anxiety, I was in awe of how well he managed on a daily basis. I wasn’t sure I could do it.
But Sam could. He did. Every damned day, he tried.
And on those days when he tried and nothing would work? When he went back to bed and shut out the world? That was when I came in with my expert blanket burritos, noise cancelling headphones, and whatever else he needed.
Sam had fought alone for so long, and I didn’t doubt he would’ve continued doing so, even if we hadn’t met.
But we had. And now, he didn’t need to fight alone. I was going to be there for every good day. For every bad day.
“How about we get in the shower and get clean” I said huskily, toying with the bottom of his shirt. “Then I can show you how proud I am of you by dirtying you up again?”
“Yes,” Sam said, stepping out of my embrace to start stripping. His hands froze on his belt. “Oh my god, do you know what I’ve just realised?”
“What?”
“There are no supes in this hotel, right?”
“Right,” I said slowly, not catching on as to why Sam was bristling with excitement. “I set wards when we arrived, and no supes have crossed them.”
Sam’s eyes held a wicked gleam. “And there’s no risk of a compulsion net hurting any humans around us?”
“No.” We’d been over this before—nets didn’t harm humans with neurodivergent or psychological conditions in the same way as direct compulsion. “Why?”
“Because…” Sam trailed his hands up my chest, batting his eyelashes in a way that was far from innocent. “If you put one up around the room, no one will be able to hear how loud you make me scream.”
I picked him up with a growl, backing him up until we collided with the wall. “Baby, I have a net up already for that exact reason.”
“You do?”
“Oh yeah.” My cock ground against his as I pressed him harder against the wall. “I’ve been thinking about this for weeks now. As soon as we decided on a hotel, I realised what it meant. I’ve been dreaming about the noises I’m going to tease out of you. The way you can scream my name without having to worry about who might hear.”
“Zeke,” Sam whined, his nails digging into my shoulders as he humped against me frantically. “Shower. Now. Please.”
I kissed him hungrily as I carried him into the bathroom. I didn’t break away even as I leaned over the bath and flicked the shower on. Only when the room was full of steam and Sam was panting in my arms did I finally pull back.
We didn’t speak as we hauled off the last of our clothes, our mouths finding their way back together as we clambered into the bath and under the spray.
Letting the hot water rinse away the day, my tongue plundered Sam’s mouth as I squeezed his rear. Our cocks brushed together teasingly, hinting at the pleasure to come.
“I need it. Now,” Sam moaned. I didn’t know what was more captivating—his glassy eyes or his deliciously swollen lips. “Make me come, Zeke. Please.”
Normally I’d go to my knees for him, but Sam wouldn’t like that without me washing him first. Instead, with one of my hands I lifted him off his feet, bracing him against the wall. Into the other, I pumped some of the hotel’s conditioner. With him slightly higher, our cocks lined up perfectly, making it easy for me to wrap my hand around us both.
“Fuck yes.” Sam’s head fell back as he gasped. “That’s it.”
“You like that, baby?” I growled, stroking firmly. “Think you can come for me like this?”
“Yes,” he breathed. His hips drove upwards, fucking himself faster through my fist. “Kiss me, Zeke.”
My mouth was on his before he even finished speaking. I didn’t stop kissing him. Not during his orgasm, or as my own crashed through me.
I held him there as we came down from the high, our kisses becoming sleepy.
“I don’t know about you,” Sam rasped when we finally paused, “but I’m ready to test out that bed.”
I smiled. “To sleep, right?”
His jaw cracked as he yawned. “As much as I hate myself, yeah. Can we do sleepy morning sex instead?”
“Way ahead of you.” I put him down, making sure he was steady on his feet before letting him go. “I paid for a late checkout. Figured you’d be tired after today.”
“You’re too good to me.”
“No.” I lathered up my hands and turned to wash him. “I’m exactly good enough.”
A fter extending our checkout time not once, but twice, Sam and I finally made our way back to the compound. We were both a little punch drunk on love, swaying into each other and giggling as we stumbled over the threshold.
“Ew, do you mind?” Nate’s offended tone greeted us. “Some of us are single, you know.”
“Sorry.” I grinned wolfishly at Nate, not sorry in the slightest. “You’ll be the same though. Just you wait.”
“That’s assuming my mate ever appears,” Nate said darkly, shouldering past us and out into the grounds.
Sam frowned, staring after him. “Is it just me or is he…”
“Unusually prickly?” I said. “Yeah, that’s not normal. I’ll go talk to him.”
“Nope.” Theo was coming down the stairs two at a time, shooting past us with a determined frown. “I’m on it.”
I debated following them, but decided Theo was best to deal with it. If it escalated, at least they were outside and away from anything breakable.
With Sam’s encouragement, I’d opened up to the unit about my childhood several weeks ago. Their reactions had ranged from sadness that I’d been treated that way, to fury that I’d kept them in the dark for so long. The upshot of it was that they were trying to not antagonise me intentionally now. As a result, I’d found myself growing closer to all of them.
Sam was right. I should’ve told them earlier. Meeting him truly had made my life better in all the ways.
“I wonder what else has happened while we’ve been away?” Sam said, toeing off his boots.
“Whatever it is, you don’t need to worry about it.”
Sam froze midway through unwinding his scarf. “Am I part of this family, or not?”
I frowned. “Of course you are.”
“Then it is my problem,” he said. “They’re all mine as much as I’m theirs, Zeke. That’s how this works.”
God, every day I thought I couldn’t love Sam more than I already did, and every day, he proved me wrong. “I love you, Sam, exactly as you are.”
I’d thought I’d only fall in love with Sam once, but I’d been wrong. I fell in love with him every day. With every smile. With every joke. With every kiss.
It didn’t matter that our journey had been rushed, because it was far from over. And I never intended on letting it end.
Thank you for reading Devoted!