Justhome.
For once, the silence doesn’t feel like absence. It feels like freedom.
Xeni grunts quietly in his sleep and hugs me tighter. Pins and needles explode through my arm as I shift to make him more comfortable, but I smile through the tingling prickles as he nuzzles in.
Another hour passes before he finally stirs awake, his nose wrinkled and expression adorably confused for a moment as he sits up and stretches. Those arms reach for the sky as his spine arches, and his shirt lifts to reveal the smooth plane of his stomach underneath.
He bites his lip when he catches me staring, then swings his legs over mine to straddle my lap.
“What are you looking at, big boy?” he teases.
I huff a low laugh as I run my hands along his thighs. “Just admiring how pretty you are.”
He hums and leans in to kiss me. “Here I was, trying to make this dirty while you’re being sweet.”
I fist his hair and pull him back so we’re nose to nose, and he lets out a heavy breath as his lips part. “You’re always trying to make things dirty,” I tease.
His mouth curves into a self-satisfied grin. “It is one of my many specialties.”
My fingers drag along the crease in his thigh, and he pinches his lip between his teeth.
I inch my mouth closer to his ear, kissing the lobe before I whisper, “I bet I could shove my hand down your pants and race you over the edge in minutes—”
“Yes,” he breathes, “that. Let’s do that.”
“—but…” I pull back with a teasing grin. “There are people around right now.”
“So?” he whines, pushing out his bottom lip.
I chuckle as I urge him in for another kiss. “Every part of you belongs to me, Xen. Heart, soul, and body.”
Goosebumps lift on his skin as I rake my fingernails across his scalp.
“Every single tiny hair on your arm is mine,” I continue quietly. “Every inch of this beautiful skin, and every beat of your heart. Those little noises you make when we fuck? Those are mine, too, and I won’t share them.”
He kisses me with more heat, but less intention, and when he pulls away, he lays his head on my shoulder.
“I could be super quiet?” he offers after a stretch.
A laugh that’s far too loud leaves my throat. “Insatiable.”
He shrugs, and his cheeks lift in a smile against my neck. We sit like this for a few minutes longer, until his stomach growls and I insist on feeding him.
The next few hours pass in a lull of hushed conversations as we wait for the sun to set. We attempt to pull Sovran in with a slew of questions about who he is, what he’s been doing, and where we’re going, but we only get simple answers. Eventually, we leave him to stand guard solo.
We repack and bide our time until it’s dark enough to travel. Sovran leads the way, steering us away from the main passages. We walk northeast and keep an excellent pace since everyone is well-rested. A few headlights form on the distant roads, but we crouch behind rocks or hold perfectly still as they pass.
No one seems alerted to our presence, and when dawn breaks, we’ve put a good amount of distance between us and the city.
“How much further?” Ego asks as we stop for another food and water break.
Sovran glances around at the terrain before nodding toward a distant landmark. “If we continue at this pace, we’ll arrive before afternoon.”
“And this camp will be happy to see us?” Cato asks. “We’re not going to get gunned down at the gates, are we?”
“They will allow you lodging while you make your plans,” Sovran answers.
I fight back my eyeroll at the vague responses. “Alright, that’s a good thing. How do you know them?”
