Patrick let himself be led to the road that would take them out of the cemetery, Sage and Wade beside him, finally able to believe that it was well and truly over. That it wasdone, and he could go home.
It felt good, Patrick realized, soul light in a way it never had been before, to finally be free.
Epilogue
“Wow,”Patrick said, staring at the oceanfront mansion Marek and Sage owned in the Makena neighborhood on Maui.
Jono gave a low whistle. “Bit posh, innit?”
“A bit? I think you need your eyes checked.”
Patrick got out of the car, the humid heat of Maui in June hanging heavy in the evening air. They’d spent roughly fourteen hours in the air traveling from the East Coast, with a stop in Los Angeles to refuel Marek’s private jet, and had finally touched down in paradise an hour ago. Their private chauffeured car had been waiting for them in the hangar, and they’d been driven to the place they were going to call home for the next two weeks.
Sage had taken care of all the logistics for them. Even at six months pregnant, she was a force to be reckoned with. As their dire, she’d cleared their pass-through rights with the Hawaiian god pack. The group of werecreatures weren’t werewolves but weresharks, and Patrick wasn’t keen on getting on their bad side. Luckily, his and Jono’s travels hadn’t been an issue, despite it taking weeks to extract themselves from work, both with the government and the packs.
But this vacation was long overdue, and Patrick firmly put work and responsibilities aside in favor of hauling their luggage into the mansion. The interior was all dark wood and clean white walls, with huge windows overlooking the ocean on every level. Jono led the way upstairs to the large guest suite, carrying his luggage to the walk-in closet that was probably bigger than their guest bedroom back home.
Sage had coordinated cleaners to come and open up the estate so it didn’t smell musty. Patrick left his luggage by the bedroom door, wandering over to the windows. He pulled back the curtain, peering out at the crystal-clear blue waters of the Pacific Ocean lapping against the rocky shore just past the green lawn and gently waving palm trees. The sun was dipping toward the horizon, promising a spectacular sunset.
Paradise never looked so good when he got to share it.
Warm hands settled on his hips, pulling him back against a firm chest. Patrick craned his neck around, seeking a kiss that Jono readily gave him.
“Finally got your vacation,” Jono murmured.
“Yeah,” Patrick said, half turning in Jono’s arms. “It only took forever.”
“Sage said she had groceries delivered today. Do you want to eat?”
Patrick pushed against his chest, forcing Jono backward toward the bed. “Maybe in a little while.”
Jono’s wolf-bright blue eyes went a little dark from lust as he slipped his hands underneath Patrick’s shirt. “Is that so?”
“You should probably get undressed.”
Jono laughed softly, already stripping out of his clothes. They left a trail of clothes to the king-sized bed in between kisses. By the time Jono hauled Patrick onto the bed, they were both naked. His skin prickled from the cool air in the room, making him shiver, though it was Jono who made him moan when firm fingers wrapped around his half-hard cock and gently stroked him. The friction wasn’t something he could handle for long, and he bit at Jono’s bottom lip.
“Did you pack the lube?” Patrick asked. Jono was too busy sucking a bruise against the side of Patrick’s throat to answer. “Jono.”
“In my luggage.”
“Go get it.”
It took five more minutes before Jono left Patrick to go find the lube. Patrick made good use of the separation by lying on the bed and stroking his cock, enjoying the view of Jono coming and going.
“Menace,” Jono said as he settled between Patrick’s legs again, fingers already slick and sliding over his balls.
Patrick let his head fall back, allowing Jono to lick his way down his throat. “You’re one to talk.”
Jono hummed, biting at his collarbone before dragging his teeth gently over scar tissue. “Would rather not.”
“Then don’t.”
They’d done enough talking since Patrick’s return, and their partnership was stronger than it ever had been. Patrick could see it in the steady growth of their god pack beyond the core four they’d been for over a year. How there was less friction between the packs under their protection and the remaining Night Courts in the five boroughs. Their alliances hadn’t faded after the fight, were only growing, and Patrick knew none of that would be even close to possible without Jono by his side.
“What do you want?” Jono asked as he rolled his hips against Patrick’s, their cocks sliding together.
He hissed at the sensation, digging his hands into the sides of Jono’s waist, holding him close. “Just you. Only and always you.”
