But that was before. Life is much easier for me now that I travel on theBeetle. I don’t want to think about theafter.
We build a fire and make a luxurious salad for dinner. All the while, Gandalf sings us songs from the old days. He used to be a musician before the Rise. At some point after dinner, he even pulls out a guitar and plays for us. I’m enchanted by the old merchant with a wizard’s name.
As evening unfolds and the stars blaze in the sky, we trade stories. Gandalf knew the world as it was before the Rise. He also knows our world, as it is now, better than anyone else.
At some point, Griffin goes back to theBeetleto make us some kind of dessert, and I’m left alone with Gandalf.
“He has grown into such a remarkable man,” he muses, watching Griffin disappear into the six-legged machine. “Unlike most of his brothers and sisters.”
“You’ve met them?” I ask.
He nods. “Vicious creatures, the lot of them. Too much power paired with a human heart. But Griffin is different. He was always kind. But it could have everything to do with the fact that his family loved him dearly. He was cared for, unlike some of the others. Aurora, especially. She was… everything.”
“Beet…” I whisper.
“Yes. She was built to think and sound like Aurora. That woman was a force of nature, and a nasty piece of work. But we all loved her,” he says, eyes shining. “And that kid—that man,” he corrects, nodding toward theBeetlewhere Griffin has disappeared into, “grew up with her best qualities. He’s a treasure. And I’m glad he found someone to care for him again.”
He gives me a look full of meaning over the fire.
“I’m—I…” I stammer.
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you, young man. You’re lucky. Don’t mess it up.” Then he laughs like an evil wizard and grabs his guitar again.
Beet has been uncharacteristically quiet for a while.
Griffin comes back moments later and offers us some kind of rice cakes. We eat them under the stars and spend time with the old merchant until he announces that it’s time for bed. We tell him good night and go back to theBeetle,a little farther away from Gandalf’s camp.
Griffin offers me a hand to help me up through the hatch. But instead of going in, I come closer and watch him.
“What?” he asks with a small smile.
“I’m not your friend,” I say. He tenses and his fingers tighten around my own. “What I mean,” I quickly add, “is that I’m notjustyour friend. My body craves your touch and your warmth. Every minute of every day for the past week, I’ve been thinking about your mouth on me, and your cock in me. I’ve been thinking about the things you could do to me, and the things I could do to you.” I get on my toes to brush my lips over his. “So, please, don’t tell people I’m just afriend.”
I turn back and climb inside theBeetle.
Seconds later, I hear the hatch being closed behind me, followed by hurried steps. Griffin tackles me from behind and I scream in delight as he carries me to his bedroom. He drops me on his bed. We tear at each other’s clothes, wild and free. This time, he doesn’t stop me as I pull his boxer briefs down. Once we are both naked, he trails wet kisses over my chest and belly before going down on me.
“Oh, fuck…” I breathe out, getting a hold of his horns as he swallows me whole. “Stop… I’m going to—” It’s too much, too fast.
He lets go with a decadent wet noise, and I whimper. He rises to face me.
“Do you want to be inside me?” he asks, his deep voice scraping over my skin.
Of all the things I expected him to say, that never made it on the list. I moan and hold on for dear life.
“Fuck… You almost made me come just now,” I say. “Yes… fuck yes.”
I never imagined that he would let me fuck him.
We didn’t turn the light on, but moonlight pours from the small window.
His eyes glow as he watches me. He reaches for the drawer beside his bed and pulls out the bottle of almond oil we used yesterday. He starts to finger himself while he straddles me. I can’t get my eyes off him. His face, his body, his cocks… Gandalf is right. Griffin is a fucking treasure. I use both hands to stroke his two dicks.
I’m mesmerized as he sits on my cock, and slowly stretches himself around me. My back arches. So good. He feels so good. He’s sowarminside. I feel like catching fire.
Griffin holds my wrists and somehow manages to dominate me while taking me. It’s so perfect; I know I won’t last long.
Luckily, he seems to share my urgency. He speeds up and stares into my eyes.
