Smiling to himself as he remembered the way Adri had tucked him in, he shrugged on his jacket and made his way downstairs. His gaze zeroed in on his beautiful mate as soon as he reached the threshold of the training space. Adri was barefoot and shirtless in the sparring ring, his muscles moving with feline fluidity as he prowled around his opponent—a young bear shifter who towered over Adri but lacked the dominant assuredness emanating from his jaguar.
“Again,” Adri commanded, sparking an impressively fast blur of motion from the bear as they attacked.
Bears weren’t known for their speed. Although jaguars weren’t known for facing down opponents head-on like Adri was, either. They were ambush predators. That didn’t stop Adri from twisting his body in a move that made the muscles of his torso flex as he redirected the attack away from himself and sent the other shifter hurtling to the ground.
Rafe winced in sympathy, but before the bear’s head could bounce off the solid mats, Adri was there, catching him to cushion the worst of the impact. Rafe couldn’t quite make out what Adri said to the bear who was panting on his back on the ground, but a short time later, his mate was reaching down to pull the other shifter to his feet and into a rough embrace before shoving the bear off toward the showers.
A low growl rumbled in Rafe’s throat despite himself. It wasn’t that he begrudged Adri the contact with his mentees. Rafe understood pack and the bonds that touch helped build, although the supposedly loner jaguar shifter probably wouldn’t put it that way. It was just that Adri was half naked, his throat frustratingly bare of the mark Rafe wanted on it, and as Rafe stalked closer, he could barely smell himself on Adri. It was driving him crazy.
“The door’s that way,” Adri said, not even bothering to turn to him as he gestured in the other direction.
Rafe stalked after him, waiting until they were far enough away from the people still training that they wouldn’t hear his low words.
“Kitten,” Rafe said, letting the warning sound clear.
Adri’s bratty dismissiveness was exactly the kind of rudeness he could make the jaguar love to be punished for. Adri should know better than to turn his back on a member of the Lunetti Pack. Rafe might only exist on the periphery of Marco’s operations, but he was still pack. Appearances were important in their world.
Adri snapped his head around, baring his teeth at him. “Don’t call me that,” he hissed.
Rafe wasn’t going to do any of the things he’d promised the other day without consent, but that didn’t mean he was going to let Adri get away with whatever he was trying to pull by giving him the cold shoulder.
Raising his voice a little so the supernaturals training nearby would hear and know who his mate belonged to, Rafe met and held Adri’s gaze. “Thank you for letting me stay, sweetheart. Sorry I slept so long.”
Adri huffed in annoyance, knowing exactly what he was doing. “Whatever. Don’t overdo it this afternoon,” he growled back.
Rafe’s mouth stretched in a slow smile as he realised the jaguar couldn’t help but look out for him even when he was pissed off at Rafe for invading the gym. Moving slow enough that Adri could bat him away if he wanted, Rafe reached out a hand andclasped his neck, rubbing his thumb down his throat to refresh his scent. Adri’s skin was hot and sweaty from his sparring, his jungle scent swirling in the air, and Rafe stepped closer without meaning to, letting his fingers drift down his pecs, petting him.
“Fucking wolves,” Adri growled, rolling his eyes, but he also leaned into the touch, a sound suspiciously like the start of a purr cutting off as he cleared his throat.
He looked like he might say more, but then his eyes flicked to the other fighters and his mouth snapped shut.
“Come to dinner with me,” Rafe whispered, letting his hand drift even lower as he leaned in to nuzzle Adri’s neck.
“Can’t. I’m coaching a fight,” Adri said, his eyes half-closed as the rumbling vibration in his chest grew louder.
Rafe’s tongue slipped out, lapping at his skin. Salt and desire burst across his taste buds.
“Can I watch?” Rafe asked.
“Can I stop you?”
“Do you really need to ask me that? I stayed away for years because you asked.”
“Let him come, Carter!” a voice shouted from the other side of the room.
“Yeah, stop giving the poor doc blue balls!” someone else called.
“Not what I meant, Sera! Get your mind out of the gutter!” the first voice called back.
Adri groaned and thumped his head on Rafe’s collarbone. “Ignore them. I do.”
Rafe pressed a finger to Adri’s chin, tipping it up so the jaguar was looking at him. “Invite me to the damn fight, kitten.”
“Fine. You can come.”
Rafe raised an eyebrow, smirking.
“Not you, too. You’re too old for that shit.”
