Chapter 28
Aiden tugged Jamie into his bedroom and slammed him against the wall. He caged him in place with his arms and searched his eyes for any signs of distress. Jamie’s eyes were at half-mast, his breathing fast and shallow.
“Mate is ready. Stop stalling,” the phoenix pushed. Aiden frowned at his very unhelpful beast’s commentary.
“What’s wrong?” Jamie panted. “Second thoughts?”
Aiden made a sound that he’d never heard come from another human before, something deeper than a growl. It must be his phoenix making his view on the matter known. He shook his head. “Just making sure you’re OK with where this is heading?”
“And where is that?”
His mouth was on Jamie’s before he’d finished his question. Jamie made a surprised sound before parting his lips and letting Aiden in.
“Want to be with mate,” the phoenix demanded.
Aiden dragged his mouth all along Jamie’s jaw toward his ear, nipping and kissing along the way. “I want you in that bed undressed,” he whispered, his voice rough.
Jamie’s body shuddered in his arms. He lifted his head to give Aiden more access. “You have to let me go first.”
Aiden bit down on his earlobe, earning a groan from Jamie. “If I must.” He released Jamie and took a step back. His phoenix hissed within his head. He wanted to get closer to his mate, not farther apart.
Jamie lifted his shirt off over his head and tossed it to the floor. He stumbled while climbing out of his jeans, chuckling nervously at himself.
Aiden forced himself to slow his breathing as he watched. Something was happening inside him. He felt hot, almost feverish. His mind was racing. His eyesight shifted between his human and that of his phoenix. He heard his pulse pounding in his head. Oh, no!
“Are you trying to force a shift?” he asked his beast.
The phoenix didn’t answer.
“Aiden, what’s wrong?” Jamie asked.
Aiden staggered to the bed. Jamie was sitting, legs hanging off the side. He held out his arms and Aiden fell onto him. Jamie rolled him over onto the bed and placed a hand on his cheek. “You’re burning up!”
“Freaking fire-breathing parrot trying to force a shift,” Aiden stammered. “I’m holding him back, but he’s stubborn.
Jamie released a bark of laughter before clamping his mouth shut abruptly. He lay on his side against Aiden and ran a hand through his hair. “Shh, just calm down.” Aiden closed his eyes and leaned into Jamie’s touch.
Jamie’s voice echoed inside his head. “You know he didn’t mean to call you a parrot. You’re magnificent. He knows that.”
Aiden could hear the amusement in Jamie’s silent words.
“I think part of him coming into his full powers—your full powers—is being with his mate. Can you let Aiden and I be together?”
“No!” the beast yelled back. “Want to come out and see mate!”
“We’ll let you out in a bit, but I need to be with your other half now. He needs me,” Jamie insisted. He leaned his head against Aiden’s.
The beast didn’t answer, but Aiden could feel him sulking. That was new. There was also another emotion. Unease? No, it was closer to… nervousness?
“Are you afraid?” Aiden asked his other half.
“Never!”
Aiden thought he had ended the conversation, but then he added “Just don’t want to mess it up.”
Aiden’s eyes snapped open.
“What?” Jamie asked.
“He’s anxious.”
Jamie pushed up onto one arm, frowning. “About what?”
Aiden sighed. “ He thinks he’s going to disappoint you.” He sighed. “What did I do to inherit such a melodramatic monster?”
Jamie smiled and dropped a kiss onto Aiden’s lips. “I know it’s hard to think of it this way, but I had the same thoughts when I first started shifting. By some miracle, he’s able to fly, but he may not know how to do other things that older shifters do. Like be with his mate.”
Aiden frowned. “It’s still silly. I’ve done this before.”
“Not with me you haven’t. Not with any men either?” Jamie raised an eyebrow.
He shook his head. He felt his cheeks heat. “I understand the mechanics.” He couldn’t keep the snark out of his voice. Damn it, he sounded like a teenager.
Jamie chuckled. “Looks like you may be more like your beast than you thought.”
He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to Aiden’s.
“You could never disappoint me. Just relax. Everything will be OK. I promise,” Jamie wordlessly conveyed to the phoenix.
Aiden took heed of the message, too. His chest tightened again. This man was a prize he just didn’t deserve, but this time he couldn’t lose him like before. If he did, he’d burn everything around him to ash.