“And if I decide that I don’t want to go through with it?” Then Sawyer thought about that. “Wait. Idohave a choice, right?”
“Of course. You will always have free will.”
“Except if you die.”
“Well, yes.” He drew his gaze slowly up Sawyer’s arm to his face. “A mating bond is so intense, you will not want to fathom a life without your partner.”
“We wouldn’t be one of those annoying too-clingy couples that can’t be apart for a minute, would we?” Sawyer cringed. “I mean, you’d still go off and do your octo thing, and I’d do my cop thing, and?—”
“My octo thing?”
“Well, yeah.”
Ciaran snorted out a laugh, one corner of his mouth lifting up into a crooked smile that lit Sawyer up inside.
He would kill to see it again.
Literally.
He would literally... what? Kill someone just to see Ciaran smile?
Yes.
“Jesus Christ.”
“What?”
Sawyer shook his head. “Uh. You said it’s intense. How intense is normal? Because I’m having some unusual thoughts.”
Ciaran looked concerned. “Such as?”
He squinted his eyes shut, ridding his mind of homicidal thoughts of doing anything to make Ciaran smile, including murder. “Nothing. It’s fine. We should probably get dressed. Being naked isn’t helping.”
Just then Fraser called out before he waltzed into the room. “Hey.” He stopped mid-step, smile dying. “Wow, the pheromones. Jeez. And you’re both naked. I heard you talking and assumed you had clothes on.” His eyes went wide, aimed directly at Ciaran. “Did you...? Are you...? Did you complete the bond?”
“No,” Ciaran murmured.
“It smells like you did,” he said, making a face.
“Fuck off,” Ciaran grumbled. “And I’m not naked.” He pulled the covers back to show the waistband of his shorts.
Fraser laughed, but then he launched himself at Ciaran as if to tackle him on the bed, and Sawyer reacted without thinking.
Without intending to.
Pure instinct.
Sawyer cleared the bed and before Fraser could lay a hand on Ciaran and had him by the throat and pinned to the wall. “Do not touch him,” he seethed, hand tightening.
Then he realised what he’d done.
Sawyer didn’t know who was more shocked, him or Fraser.
He pulled his hand back with a gasp. “Fuck. Sorry. I’m sorry.” Then he spun around to look for Ciaran, who was now on his feet, stunned as well. “What the fuck was that? Why did I do that? What’s wrong with me?”
Ciaran pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around Sawyer because, fuck, he was still naked.
Sawyer cocooned himself in it and slumped onto the edge of his bed. He dared look up at Fraser, who was rubbing his neck. “I’m so sorry,” Sawyer whispered.
