“I never left you in the past. You’ve always been right here.” Aspen tapped his chest. “For me, it’s been you or no one.”
Everything inside Leif screeched to a halt. “Wait. Did you just read my mind?” Tears streaked from the corners of his eyes, rolling back onto the bed. It was out of his control. “No. Seriously. Did you just read my mind?” He didn’t care if he looked hysterical. Leif needed to know.
Aspen swallowed so hard, it looked like it hurt. “I think I did.”
Leif didn’t hesitate. He didn’t give a single fucking thought. Leif simply shot up and buried his fangs in Aspen’s throat. He sucked. Leif couldn’t think about what would happen to his sanity if no mating mark appeared. The fallout would be too huge to fathom.
The moan Aspen released combined with his emotions overwhelmed Leif. His body jerked as a powerful orgasm overcame him. He felt everything Aspen did, and the experience shook him to his core. Even as he still spit cum, Leif retracted his fangs. He had to know. His entire chest stuttered as he tried to breathe. He couldn’t even blink as he watched the wounds heal, leaving behind two perfect round scars. Leif fell apart. He had turned his back on everything, including his Goddess, and now he stared at the biggest blessing a warrior could only dream of having. Despite his abandonment at a time when her nephew disappeared, she had still given Aspen to him.
“Shhh. Don’t cry. I still love you. It might still happen one of these days.”
Leif realized his mind had turned so chaotic that he had left Aspen in the dark. He didn’t understand. Leif shook his head. “No.” He swiped his eyes. “You don’t… there’s a scar.”
Aspen turned into a statue. Not a single thought stood out for Leif to see. It was as if shock froze him and wiped him clean. Before Leif saw it coming, Aspen struck, tearing into Leif’s throat.
A loud gasp ripped from Leif before another earth-shattering orgasm rocked his soul. The sensation of being stitched together—like a rope in his chest being tethered to Aspen — was a muted thing beneath the pleasure. When Aspen pulled away, blood still covered his lips. He had taken on a slightly bear-like appearance. His gaze stayed glued to Leif’s neck. After a moment, he scrambled away and covered his mouth.
Leif took in the vision of him. His dark hair was a mess, and his huge, hairy body was sexy as fuck with his hard cock still dripping with cum.Goddamn. All that is mine.
Aspen’s gaze finally moved back to hold Leif’s stare as he obviously heard Leif’s thoughts. His hand dropped from his face. He still looked shaken. “I don’t know what to—”
Leif pounced. He swiped his hand through the river of cum coating his stomach and grasped Aspen’s dick. Leif stroked him, coating him with the mess before impaling himself. The pain washeaven. A blissful reality check. They were alive. They were one. Biggest of them all, they were mated.
Leif bounced on Aspen’s cock, taking what he wanted as he stole the deepest kiss he could get. He wanted to crawl beneath Aspen’s skin and never leave. Nothing else mattered. Every memory and ounce of pain led to this moment, and everything was worth it.
I love you. Fuck, Leif. I love you so much. You feel so good. I never want to stop.
Aspen’s thoughts matched Leif’s.You’ll never want for a single fucking thing. I love you so damn much. You’re permanently my cuddly bear. Nothing can break this.
“I know. Mhmm. Please. It’s right there. Come for me. I need—” A strangled cry burst from Aspen, sending Leif flying. He gasped for air simply from the emotional impact.
“Tell me you love me again.”
Aspen’s arms squeezed him tighter. “I love you.” The way the words stuttered from Aspen made Leif realize he was crying.
Leif kissed the tears away. There was nothing either of them could say to express what they felt. Over fifty years together and two years of absolute soul-crushing agony apart, and they had been spun on their heads. Sometimes there were no words yet in creation to describe the power of a moment. But the soul knows and is forever marked. Just as they were now. It was beautiful.
Chapter Four
Aspenmeanderedfromroomto room through the house, sipping coffee while Leif slept. Most vampires didn’t need sleep at all but chose to keep a schedule because eternity was damn long. Having to fill twenty-four hours every day with activity of some sort had driven some to madness. In Leif’s case, he had been born a druid and turned vampire in his twenties to keep himself safe through violent times. Leif hadn’t grown fully into his powers by then, and the world was untamed. Everyone woke up with one goal: survive. Leif had done that. Unfortunately, using his magic took a toll. He was one of those rare vampires who slept for a genuine purpose. He was wiped out.
Aspen stopped in the open doorway of one empty room in his new home. His unpacked boxes sat in the open closet. They were there for a reason. The boxes contained the life he had shared with Leif. Aspen had boxed them and stored them, attempting to separate himself from that part of his past. Now he imagined hewould unpack them soon. Not today, though. Aspen still reeled and expected the whole mating thing to be a dream. He would wake up any minute, and the pain might actually end him when everything slipped through his fingers.
Aspen moved on, inspecting the home he purchased. The place wasn’t huge, but it was paid for, and the woods were nearby. It was a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house. Like nearly everything in Wulfe, the place had been here for a while. It was nearly a hundred years old, but everything was solid and made by hand to last. The house had an old-home smell that brought out all the nostalgia. Not to mention, the place had been built in the day when rooms were huge. At just over two thousand square feet, he didn’t feel confined. That was important for a bear his size.
Aspen made his way back to the living room. He had to force his feet to keep moving when they wanted to stop at his bedroom. Leif was all warm and cozy. All Aspen had to do was slip beneath the covers and kiss Leif awake. Leif needed rest. Aspen felt his exhaustion. The last two years had ground Leif down in a way Aspen hadn’t expected. He hated himself for the pain he had caused. At the time, there were no good options, and loving Aspen had been destroying Leif.
As Aspen stepped into the living room, he found the most beautiful woman he had ever seen sitting on his couch, openly relaxing. Leif would always be the hottest person alive to him, but he had eyes, and she was stunning.
A smile stretched across her lips at the sight of Aspen. “There you are.”
Her voice was mesmerizing. Aspen couldn’t explain that. There was just something behind every note. “Um.” Aspen rubbed the back of his neck and then looked behind him as if the answer to her presence was hiding somewhere. He focused on the blonde again. She looked slightly familiar, but she was still in his house without invitation. Plus, Leif had warded the house last night. But she was just a tiny thing, and Aspen wasn’t, so she couldn’t possibly be that big of a threat. Still… “Why are you in my house, and why do you look familiar?”
She waved her hand absently. “Leif’s wards faded about an hour ago. He obviously didn’t mean for them to be permanent. To answer your second question.”
It didn’t escape Aspen that she hadn’t answered the first.
“I brought you a drink from Leif at the casino after your big win. Kyrie did that for you, by the way. He’s a beautiful soul.”
