Riley could feel the weight of Seth’s stare, his racing thoughts. But Seth only let out a deep breath, tightening the hold he had around Riley’s neck. “Okay,” Seth said. “I guess now is as good a time as any.”
Riley wanted to apologize. To say he was sorry that Seth had been taken because of him. Sorry that Seth had been fated to be with someone so needy and hungry and impatient. But those words wouldn’t come any more easily than any of the others. And an apology might be taken for some kind of regret, and Rileydidn’t have any of those when it came to Seth. Not when Seth had finally agreed to be his.
Except for maybe wishing Riley had brought a goddamn coat to keep him warm.
The institute had takenhis mate’s house key, but that was fine—Riley had already broken the lock on the front door when he’d come searching for Seth earlier. He’d figure out how to fix it later. Or maybe Seth would come live with him instead and they wouldn’t need to worry about it anymore.
But no, it probably wasn’t normal for a new boyfriend to come live with the in-laws first thing. If anything, Riley and Seth were probably supposed to have their own place together, somewhere separate from the home where Riley had spent his formative years.
But Seth liked Riley’s house, didn’t he? He’d said so.
Riley’s voice snarled at him, impatient with the scattered direction of his thoughts.
It’s time, his voice insisted.
I know, Riley hissed back.
But Seth was still shivering, so Riley headed straight to Seth’s bathroom. He turned on the shower, letting the water warm while he carefully removed Seth’s hospital gown, then his own clothes.
Seth curled his arms around himself and looked up at Riley with a sweet smile, one that almost hid the fact he was shaking like a leaf. “S-See?” Seth said through chattering teeth. “I’m f-fine, baby. T-Totally unharmed.”
Riley wordlessly pressed his fingers to the soft skin at the crook of Seth’s elbow. There were two puncture wounds, tiny and healed but nonethelessthere.
Seth frowned down at Riley’s fingers. Then he bit his lip,peering up at Riley with a look that said Seth didn’t know how his next words might be received. “Oh yeah. They took some blood back there.”
Riley shuddered with the force of his fury, his fangs lengthening without warning. That they woulddaredo such a thing to his mate. Seth’s blood was precious. Unique. Perfect. It wasn’t something to be stolen without permission in a cold, unfeeling dungeon with?—
Cold fingers landed on Riley’s face, and then Riley’s head was being tilted until he was looking into Seth’s fierce eyes. “Hey. It’s fine. There’s still plenty left.”
Riley scowled. “Not. Funny,” he managed to say.
“I know. I’m sorry.” Seth sighed, looking back toward the shower. “Let’s just get warm, okay?”
Right. The spray was billowing with steam now, filling up the room around them. It was time. Riley turned the knob to a less boiling temperature and then lifted Seth over the lip of the tub, only releasing his grip when he was sure Seth’s knees would hold.
Riley followed behind him, crowding Seth in the cramped shower. He took Seth’s soap and used it on his mate, scrubbing him thoroughly and ridding him of the sterile hospital scent that clung to his skin, freeing the buttery orange perfection hiding underneath.
Seth didn’t speak again until Riley was lathering up his hair for him. “I feel a little like a sacrificial lamb. Like you’re going to cleanse me, then anoint me with oils, then lay me down on white linens and steal my mortality to the sound of Gregorian chanting or something.”
The jokes were Seth’s nerves talking, Riley was pretty sure. And what he was saying might even be a reality in an ideal world. Maybe not the chanting—Seth was clearly exhausted and talking nonsense—but the rest of it.
Riley could picture it all: lifting Seth out of the shower,carefully drying every inch of his skin and lathering him in lotion, then finally lowering him down onto clean sheets and biting into him slowly and with great reverence.
But Riley didn’t have the patience or the strength of will for all that. Seth was here, in front of him. The shower was too small for them, and Riley barely had to reach to touch the perfect curve of Seth’s spine or grab the plump flesh of his bottom. Seth was no longer shivering either. He was warm, and he was whole, and he washere.
The familiar lust Riley always drowned in whenever he was in Seth’s presence was burning in his belly, and if he wanted to, Riley could forgo his own plans entirely and press down on Seth’s shoulders, bending him over until his spine arched in that perfect way. Riley could make use of his untimely erection and press into his mate, take solace in the warm grip of him, revel in the beautiful noises he made when Riley was hitting right where he should.
But even that wouldn’t be what Riley and his voice needed.
When Riley didn’t answer his teasing, Seth twisted to look back at him. “Oh,” he said after a moment, blinking at whatever he saw on Riley’s face. “Right now?”
Riley nodded.Yes.Right now.
Seth gave him a smile. It was shaky, but it was genuine, with all the familiar warmth in Seth’s beautiful eyes. “You’re lucky I’m such a badass, otherwise this all might be a little overwhelming.”
More jokes but also more truth. Sethwasa badass. He claimed he was ordinary, but in reality he was strong and brave and adaptable. Riley had never seen anything as wonderful as Seth calmly taking Riley’s phone and asking his cousin to come save them.
Seth had such…faithin people. In their goodness and their love. He trusted that they would live up to his expectations and that they would be the best versions of themselves, just as he was always the best version ofhimself.
