Chapter Eight
“How are you feeling? I wasn’t too rough, was I?”
Ronen cradled Tanner to his chest, fascinated by his small stature and how fragile he was in his arms. But the last thing he wished to do was harm him. His mate was as precious to him as his own life.
“Hey, I begged for it. It was super hot.”
Tanner couldn’t seem to keep his hand still on Ronen’s body. He traced his fingers in circles on Ronen’s chest, then ran his palm down Ronen’s torso. If Tanner kept touching him that way, round three would be imminent. It had been a while since he’d gotten some.
Tanner snorted. “Which my body still is, by the way.” He peered up at Ronen. “I thought you said that the only thing that would fix my heat was having sex?” He scrunched his nose. “With my luck, I’m broken.”
Ronen jostled him in his arms. “No, my angel. From what I’ve heard, you’ll be this way for at least a few days, sometimes as long as a week.”
Tanner groaned. “That sounds exhausting. But fun.”
The knock Cassiel always used when checking in with him sounded at the door.
“Give me a sec, Cass,” he called out. Tanner tensed, so Ronen hugged him close. “It’s all right. She’s one of my teammates and an excellent Slayer. She’s the one who rescued me after I was dumped by the rogues. I trust her with my life.”
“Oh, okay.” Tanner didn’t sound convinced. “Where are my clothes? That other thing I was in was rather sheer. Not sure I want to meet the team like I’m modeling for Victoria’s Secret.”
“Is she one of the rogues you worked for?”
Tanner burst out laughing, and Ronen was completely lost as to why what he said was so funny.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Tanner was breathless from laughing as he wiped a finger under each eye. “I think I’m still a bit loopy from the healing followed by the round of raunchy sex. It’s a human thing. I’m not laughing at you.”
“Can you explain it to me later? I want to understand everything about you.”
Tanner’s features softened. “Of course. I feel the same about you.”
“Hey, Studly Pants!” Cassiel’s voice boomed on the other side of the door. “Meet me in the conference room. I’m not standing in the hallway all afternoon while you guys smooch and giggle.”
Ronen rolled his eyes. He wasn’t going to dignify her remark with an answer. He regarded Tanner, who was staring at him with round eyes.
“Ignore her. She’s cranky most of the time, but she’s a wonderful friend and a vicious fighter.”
Tanner arched his eyebrows. “I see. Good to know.”
Ronen couldn’t resist giving Tanner a quick but thorough kiss before rising from the bed. “Your clothes are probably still in the healing chamber, but I’ll throw something on and grab them for you.”
Tanner pointed to the opposite side of the room. “Is that the bathroom over there, or a closet?”
Ronen glanced over his shoulder. “That’s the bathroom.” Ronen jerked his chin to the right of the bed. “That’s the closet.”
“That’s cool that you guys have your own bathrooms in each room. Is there a shower and everything?”
Ronen pinched his eyebrows together as he finished buttoning up his jeans. “You don’t normally have a place to take a shower?”
It sounded as if it was very tough being a human. He didn’t think he could handle it.
“I do.” Tanner chuckled. “It’s just that we have to share. There’s one large bathroom per floor of my dorm that includes shower stalls. It’s not like I can roll out of bed in the morning and walk a few feet to get to the bathroom. This is a nice setup for a lair.”
“I don’t think it’s wise for us to share amenities. Gargoyles aren’t very patient with each other.” Ronen jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Cass being an excellent case in point.”
Tanner worried the edge of the comforter, biting his lower lip. “I hope I don’t annoy you. I tend to be very meticulous about things.”
Ronen dropped onto the bed next to his mate. “I can’t imagine ever being annoyed with you. But our impatience is mostly with each other. We’ve been created with an unusually intense drive to achieve. All we see is the end result, and we don’t like wasting time on mundane activities.”
Tanner inclined his head. “And you don’t view fooling around in the middle of the day as mundane?”
Ronen gasped. “Of course not! Nothing is more important than our bond, our sacred union. We battle evil to preserve that bond, to keep the balance of the universe.”
Tanner’s jaw went slack. “Wow. That’s heavy.”
Ronen smiled, cupping Tanner’s jaw to bring him in for another kiss. “Your taste.” He licked his lips. “I can’t get enough.”
Tanner wiggled. “If you want me somewhat coherent at that meeting, you’d better stop teasing me.”
“Sorry.” He winked. “I’ll behave for now.”
After leaving Tanner to take a quick shower, he made his way to the healing chamber to retrieve his clothing.
When he passed the threshold, he was surprised to see that Ezekiel hadn’t left yet.
Zeke glanced up, pausing his task of grinding a mixture of flowers and herbs with his mortar and pestle.
Perched on an elaborately carved mahogany stool with a straight back, his dark skin gleamed in the low light.
The rich scent of lavender and something more pungent filled the room.
“I was hoping to catch you.” Zeke’s voice was low. “Wanted to check on your mate’s progress.”
“He’s doing remarkably well,” Ronen replied, spotting Tanner’s clothing neatly folded on a side table. “The headaches and nausea are gone completely. He’s ravenous, though.”
Ezekiel nodded as he resumed grinding the herbal mixture. “That’s to be expected. His body is recovering from the demonic influence and the rise of the mating heat.” He set down his tools and fixed Ronen with a penetrating stare. “You consummated the bond?”
Heat crept up Ronen’s neck. “Yes.”
“Good. That will help stabilize him.” Ezekiel stood, wiping his hands on a towel folded next to his work area. “Start him off with some juice and broth. His system still needs time to balance out.”
“Got it. I’ll get him some juice now. We’re about to meet in the conference room.”
“Have fun. I’ll be in here getting extra tinctures and powders ready, just in case.”
Ronen knew exactly what Ezekiel meant. He was there not only for Tanner but also preparing for the upcoming conflict.
“Well, thanks again, Zeke. I really appreciate it, and so does Tanner.”
The corner of Ezekiel’s mouth quirked into a smile. “My pleasure. I’ll be awaiting the announcement.”
Ronen was about to turn around but paused in confusion. “What announcement?”
“That you’re expecting a new addition to your little family.” Ezekiel lifted one eyebrow.
Ronen’s breath hitched, his heart fluttering at the thought of Tanner growing round with their child, a physical manifestation of their bond. A possessive satisfaction coursed through his veins from the vision in his mind. Suddenly, conferences and battles didn’t seem all that interesting.
“Are you all right there, buddy?” Ezekiel touched his arm, chuckling. “Remember, we fight to keep those we love safe. That way, when we’re without our families, we know we can return and enjoy the time together, right?”
Ronen gave himself a mental shake. “Yeah, of course. I’m doing my own share of adjusting. I was not expecting this to happen so soon.”
Ezekiel clapped his shoulder. “Trust me. I can relate.”
After thanking Ezekiel again, Ronen rushed back to the room he was sharing with Tanner. He needed to touch him, to ground them together before they were in the others' presence. A part of him wanted to squirrel his mate away, keep Tanner all to himself.
He shook his head. More than once, he’d privately thought that the mated pairs he’d interacted with were being a bit extra about their bonds, that the connection couldn’t possibly be that intense. Now he knew better.
When he entered the room, Tanner was perched on the edge of the bed, wearing only a towel around his waist. Ronen supposed it would be bad form to rip it free, flip Tanner over on his stomach, then drive his achingly hard cock into Tanner’s ass.
Not that he thought Tanner would mind. Cassiel however…
Cassiel would definitely have something to say about keeping them waiting.
But the thought vanished as he stared at Tanner's bare chest, still dewy from the shower. His mate’s skin glowed with a healthy flush that hadn’t been there before, and the sight made possessive satisfaction curl through Ronen’s belly.
“I brought your clothes,” he said, his voice grittier than he’d intended.
“Thanks.” Tanner smiled, the expression lighting up his face in a way that made Ronen’s chest ache. “I was starting to think I’d have to go to the meeting in a towel.”
Ronen crossed the room and handed over the bundle of clothing, allowing his fingers to brush against Tanner’s. Even that small contact sent a jolt of electricity up his arm. The mate bond was so new, still raw and demanding.
He cleared his throat. “We should get moving.” Ronen paused his forward motion. “Oh, I forgot to mention this. I ran into Ezekiel in the healing room, and he wants you to start with juice and broth to help your system recover.”
Ronen didn’t dare drop the possible pregnancy bomb on Tanner. The kid was overwhelmed enough as it was.
Tanner sighed. “I’d rather have a steak, but I suppose that makes sense.”
Once Tanner was dressed, Ronen led him through the winding stone corridors of the lair. He kept one hand at the small of his back, unable to completely break physical contact. The warmth of Tanner’s body beneath his palm grounded him, a constant reminder that this wasn’t a dream.
“This place is incredible,” Tanner whispered, his eyes wide as he oohed and aahed over the centuries-old paintings of saints and angels in gilt frames, along with carved wood tables with marble tops that supported bronze statues or priceless vases.
“Where did you guys get all this cool stuff? It’s like I’m exploring an old castle in Europe. ”