Together they werewhole.
Lucian would never let his doubt tear them apartagain.
The weight of Marcus’ body pushed down onto him, and a sudden surge of clarity alerted Lucian to the fact that it wasn’t Marcus’ fingers filling him anymore. Marcus’ cock stretched him, plunging deep to put pressure where it was needed. Lucian shoved his face into the pillows and cried with delight. There was nothing else he could do. He’d given his body to Marcus, and now Marcus drove him deeper into pleasure than he’d ever beenbefore.
He was enslavedtoit.
How long Marcus rocked into him, Lucian didn’t know. Time folded in on itself, drawn into the same, indistinguishable space that Lucian had been set adrift in. Lucian felt, heard, and experienced, but in disjointed ways that always led back to the stimuli shaping hisworld.
To the man who’d taught him that it wasn’t wrong to be selfishinlove.
ToMarcus.
Even with his wrists tied in a position that made his shoulders ache and his back contort, Lucian couldn’t dismiss the fact that what Marcus did, he did for Lucian’s benefit. The ownership Marcus proposed wasn’t one that was selfish—it wasselfless. The traumas of the past did not reflect in thismoment.
Theycouldn’t.
After so long spent giving his body, Lucian finally knew what it felt like to receive. He took Marcus—all of Marcus—as Marcus guided him through another soul-wrenching orgasm. The vibrations around his cock and the intrusion of Marcus’ body didn’t abate, and so Lucian gave in to them willingly. He lost himself in over-stimulation. It wasn’t until the obscene pleasure of Marcus’ knot stretched him to near breaking that Lucian camebackdown.
He’d come more times than he could remember. The sleeve was wetwithit.
With a delicate touch seldom seen in a man of Marcus’ build, Marcus flicked the switch on the vibrator and unlocked the sleeve from the base of Lucian’s cock. Fingers wove through Lucian’s hair and directed his head to the side, and Lucian peeled back his eyelid to look up. Marcus held the sleeve in his line ofvision.
“Look at this,” Marcus demanded. He twisted the sleeve back and forth, allowing Lucian to see the clear reservoir at the tip all the way around. It was flooded with translucent, pearly cum. “Look at how you performed for me, fledgling. I’m soproud.”
“M’proud, too,” Lucian mumbled. He wanted nothing more than to curl up under the blankets and sleep for days, but he knew his service wasn’t over yet. Marcus had yet to release him from his handcuffs. “I wanted to make youhappy.”
“You’ve made me so happy.” The palm of Marcus’ free hand caressed the flesh of Lucian’s ass, and Lucian closed his eyes and let a lazy smile stretch his lips. “You did such agoodjob.”
The praise bridged the space between Lucian’s mind and body, allowing him to recover from the disconnect Marcus had driven into him. He focused on the feeling, and bit by bit, the world pieced itself back together. Lucian felt the aching throb in his balls as his body rebelled against the orgasms he’d been forced to endure. He measured the rapid beating of his heart as it slowed back to normal. The click of a key in the locks by his wrists rang in his ears, and the relief of freedom spread like cooling mint through his shoulders. Another series of clicks released his ankles, then a clank marked the moment the spreader bar toppled to the floor. He was still bound to Marcus, his body pulsing around Marcus’ knot as Marcus’ body attempted to breed him, but it didn’t disturb him. Lucian explored the feeling of it with cautious curiosityinstead.
An alpha’s knot had always meant the end of a job well done, but tonight, it meant somuchmore.
It meant the beginning ofsomethingnew.
Marcus gathered him in his arms, and Lucian allowed him to manipulate his body until they were both stretched out on the bed, wrapped up in each other. Marcus pulled thick blankets over him, the weight and the warmth welcoming. As they laid there, Marcus caressed his body and released the leather suspension cuffs from Lucian’s wrists. Lucian let him, his body too relaxed to do much ofanything.
“Tomorrow morning, when we wake up, you will be Lucian again, and I will be Marcus,” Marcus promised. The words were whispered against the back of Lucian’s head, and Lucian shivered. “All I need is one day atatime.”
“That’s what I need, too.” Lucian’s jaw was too heavy, partially locked from sleep, but he managed the words anyway. “Thank you,Master.”
“You’re welcome, fledgling,” Marcus whispered. He kissed the conch of Lucian’s ear and held him closer. “You’reworthit.”
Lucian was starting to believeit,too.
25
Marcus
Coffee dripped into the pot.Eggs fried in a small, greased pan on the stove. Toast popped, and Marcus transferred it to a plate, then shook the burning from his fingertips. Soon enough the bread was buttered, the eggs were plated, and the coffee was poured. Late morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows. It was going to be agorgeousday.
Plates supported on his arm, cups of coffee in either hand, Marcus headed back to the bedroom and nudged the door open with his hip. Lucian slept, nude, nestled amongst his sheets. Natural light shone in his hair, highlighting the pale white strands. The overnight visit had let his stubble noticeably sprout, shading his jaw. He kept his arms folded beneath him, hugging a pillow to his head like his subconscious was worried it’descape.
Or maybe, Marcus thought as he deposited a cup of coffee and a plate of breakfast on Lucian’s bedside table, he was unwilling to let it go because of the scent it bore—theirscent.
Marcus set his plate and coffee by his side of the bed, then settled in beside Lucian. As the mattress shifted to accommodate Marcus’ weight, Lucian’s shoulders pinched closer to his head. He rolled over, and Marcus took him into his arms and held himloosely.
“G’morning,” Lucian mumbled, still halfasleep.
