Twenty-Four
Riley
Waking with Gareth’s lips around my cock on Christmas morning had to be the best sort of Christmas present I could ask for. I hardened further in his mouth as he bobbed up and down on the shaft, ran his tongue around the underside of the head, and took me deep into his throat, swallowing around me.
The suction, the warmth of his mouth, was perfect, taking me close to the edge in just a few minutes. He laid a hand on my stomach, pressing my hips into the mattress as I tried to pump them.
I sank my fingers into his hair and tugged on the strands as he pulled off until just the very tip was in his mouth.
He looked up at me, a mischievous look in his brown eyes as he licked and sucked the head.
I tried to push him down further, but he resisted and took a grip on my balls.
“Oh, fuck!” I cursed as he massaged them and ran a finger down my taint to my hole.
He circled it, grinning around my dick as I moaned.
“Please!” I begged, wanting him to push inside me as he took me into his throat.
Pulling away and releasing me with a pop, Gareth reached for the lube and coated his finger before returning it to my entrance. With his other hand, he pumped me using his saliva and my precum to slick the movement. “More,” I gasped as the finger sank knuckle deep.
Gareth licked a line from my root to my tip as he pushed another finger inside me. The burn was exquisite, making me flex my fingers and toes and cry out.
Once again, he took me deep into his throat, tightening around me as he pumped his fingers. Between hitting my spot and the perfect suction, I was lost. I tipped over the edge, my hips jerking as I came, shouting his name.
He licked me clean and gently eased his fingers from my body. I lay there as he grinned at me and kissed my inner thigh tenderly. “Gimme a minute,” I rasped, hoarse from my shout. “And I’ll return the favor.”
I’d spent enough time with my mate to know what he liked, so once I recovered, I launched up and wrestled him back to the bed so he was face down on the pillows. Kissing the back of his neck, I worked my way down to the loose cotton pants he was wearing low on his slim hips.
Slowly, I eased his pants down, baring that peach of an ass to the cool morning air.
Gareth shuddered, and goosebumps broke out over his skin.
I ran my hands over the exposed skin, squeezed his cheeks, and spread them, showing me his hole.
I leaned over and blew a breath over it, making Gareth whimper.
“Please,” he groaned as I laved my tongue from his nuts to his pucker. He cried out as I began to eat him out in earnest. I licked, sucked, and nibbled on his ass as if it were the tastiest treat I’d ever had.
Gareth wriggled, trying to get friction on his neglected cock, and I speared my tongue inside him.
Taking pity on him, I worked his cock and pulled it back so I could suck on the head and tease his rim with a finger.
I swapped, licking around his hole as I stroked him, his length now trapped between his legs.
He bucked, but stilled when I whispered, “Be good, baby. Stay still and I’ll take care of you. ”
Leaving his cock for a moment, I pried his cheeks apart and blew again, loving the sounds he made. I returned to licking and sucking on his hole before I spat and worked the fluid in with a finger.
He was impossibly tight around me. Needing more to slick the way, I grabbed the lube and worked it and two more fingers inside him as I went back to sucking his brains out via his cock.
Gareth looked down at me, his teeth around a pillow as he tried to quiet his cries.
He was shaking, his eyes full of pleasure as I sank my fingers deeper and twisted.
He jerked as I hit his spot. I kept hitting it while stroking his cock.
Feeling him about to hit his peak, I took him onto my tongue. “Let go, baby.”
Shuddering and groaning against a mouthful of pillow, Gareth unloaded. I swallowed him down and worked him through it. I stopped just before he became oversensitive and flopped down onto the bed next to him, drawing the comforter over us.
“Merry Christmas, Gareth.”
“Merry Christmas, Riley.” He turned and kissed me deeply.
Together, we lay in bed for a little while, just chatting about nothing and trading kisses, until my stomach interrupted the peaceful moment with a growl.
“Presents?” Gareth suggested.
“Sure,” I said, my voice cracking around my nerves. I got out of bed and got on one knee, fishing out the box I’d stashed under the bed. “Gareth, would you do me the honor of bonding with me today?”
He bolted upright so he could meet my eyes properly. “Yes! Absolutely, let’s do it now.”
I laughed, relief and joy at war inside me for top billing. “We’re hosting lunch, remember?” I checked the time. “In fact, we better hurry up and open presents and start the food, or we won’t be eating until late.”
Gareth pouted with twinkling eyes. “Do we have to?”
“Yes. We promised Fen—” Shit. It hurt to know that my friend was gone. He’d messaged late the night before to let me know he was okay, just that he needed a little time away. While I was grateful he’d done that, I was still furious at Tatsuya. Thankfully, he wasn’t coming to the gathering.
My mate got out of bed and wrapped me in his arms. “We still have your brother, Oscar, Keeley, True, and Dawn coming for lunch.”
“Right.” I pulled away and headed into the living room to the pretty little Christmas tree Gareth had insisted upon setting up.
There were a few packages for him under there, all from me, since his parents hadn’t thought to send anything to him.
As parents, they really sucked. I handed the gifts to Gareth in order from my place on the floor, leaving the best for last. The usual gifts: socks, aftershave, and shower items were opened and appreciated before I got to the main present.
“Here.” I handed it to him carefully. The contents were fragile.
Gareth was gentle as he unwrapped it, placing the discarded paper on the sofa beside him. His eyes met mine as soon as he unveiled the glass case, a single raven feather inside. Etched into the glass were the words, “I’ll always fly home to you.”
A single tear made its way down his cheek as he stared at it. All the emotions he was feeling filled the air. I could practically taste them.
“This means so much to me. Thank you, Riley.” He leaned over to kiss me.
We swapped places so he could find my gifts.
I unwrapped a cozy scarf, some thick gloves, a book about the history of Greyhaven—reminding me of the book I’d seen at the museum—and then a dog collar with an AirTag.
Gareth blushed when I opened it and looked at him, confused.
“So I can always find you. Even without the bond. You can wear it in your dog form, and I’ll be able to come to you. ”
My heart warmed, a feeling that spread out from my chest. It made me feel so safe and wanted to know he would search for me if it, the curse, separated us.
We might have been fated mates, but he was choosing me.
I choked back a sob. “This is perfect. No one would think about this. Magic, yes, but tech? No, Boyce doesn’t know shit about technology.
This could be really useful! Thank you.”
“I just wish it was as special as your gift.”
I kissed him. “I love it. And you.”
He let out a wail and covered his eyes. “Why do you have to be so good at this romance stuff? You even said it first!” His eyes were filled with tears as he put his arm down. “I love you too. I’m going to show you how much every day until I die.”
“When that day comes, I’ll follow you into the after.”
“Okay, now you’re pissing me off. Stop topping me!”
“You didn’t say that last night. In fact, you were begging—” Gareth launched himself at me, toppling me back into the sofa cushions and covering my mouth with his to cut off my laugh.
Our friends stayed late, only getting the hint that we wanted to be alone when Gareth started tidying up around everyone. Passive aggressive? Maybe. I thought it was hilarious.
It had been the best afternoon I could remember.
I’d never really had a group of friends like this, since I was always too afraid of leaving them.
Greyhaven had given me the opportunity to revel in the simple things, like having people I could rely on around me.
It had given me the freedom to be a metamorph openly.
Keeley and the others now knew my secret, which was becoming less of a secret every day.
“Are you ready?” Gareth asked.
“I am. The food part might be a problem. I’m kinda full from lunch.” The food had been fantastic and plentiful, with everyone bringing a dish over to add to what Gareth and I had made.
“Me too. Which is why I made us some cupcakes and thought you could make us something small, like sandwiches,” Gareth said as he got the pretty cupcakes out of the larder.
“These are cute.” He had iced our names onto them in red.
“Red velvet. I’d heard you say they were your favorite.”
A lump rose in my throat at the gesture. “They are.”
I went to the fridge and set about making two of the best sandwiches I could construct in under five minutes. Once done, I cut them into little segments so they’d be easier to feed to Gareth.
“Ready?” he asked, looking nervous.
“Yeah.” I snagged a segment of the sandwich and fed it to him. “I accept our bonding,” I intoned. “With this offering, I nourish your body, as my love will feed your soul. My heart and life are yours until my death. Nothing can part us.”
Gareth took the morsel and chewed as I spoke. Once he swallowed, he replied, “I accept your offering and your heart until death.”
He fed me a piece of the sandwich without speaking. We let the magic and the moment swell as we became tied together.
Then it was his turn to repeat the vow, only with something fed to me by his hand that he had made himself. I accepted it, loving the burst of sweetness from the cupcake as the bonding began.
Gareth ate his share of cupcake, a symbol that he would only give what he would receive. Then, once finished, he led me to the bathroom.
Inside, he set the water running, and we slowly stripped each other.
He backed himself into the cubicle, towing me along.
The water was the ideal temperature for the next part of the ceremony.
Gareth had laid out bars of soap. One for our bodies and one for our hair.
I started by lathering the soap into his hair and gently scrubbing it through the strands.
I helped him rinse off and then started washing his body.
It was only when I kneeled at his feet that I spoke.
“With this gesture, I demonstrate my care for you, body and soul. My willingness to perform acts of service will show you how much I value our bond.”
The magic was almost tangible as Gareth copied me, washing me down as gently as I had done for him. When he got to his knees, the emotions were almost overwhelming. Hearing the words had tears running freely down my cheeks.
Gareth stood and switched off the water. He wrapped his arms around me. “Nearly there, sweetheart.”