Marco was smirking from where he leaned back against the wall, watching them. “I’m not going to touch what’s yours, Doc,” he told Rafe.
Adri snarled, attempting to lunge forward to get in Marco’s face and tell him he didn’t belong to anyone but himself, but Rafe was right there blocking his way before he could take a step.
“If you damage your arm again in a pissing contest with an Alpha, I’m going to be very disappointed, kitten.”
Adri swallowed hard, a hint of guilt slipping in. Rafe still looked exhausted. The last thing the doc needed was to expend more energy patching him up again.
“Fine. Who trashed your office?” he asked Rafe, mirroring Marco’s position as he leaned back against the wall where the doc had caged him in.
“Not important. I’m old enough to take care of myself, as you so love to keep reminding me,” Rafe said, moving away to grab a broom and continue cleaning up.
“Enough. You and Adrien both need to rest. We’re moving this discussion upstairs. My people will clean this up,” Marco said, typing out a quick message on his phone.
Rafe flashed the Alpha an annoyed look, but then his eyes met Adri’s and he immediately dropped the broom to come wrap an arm around his waist.
“Come on, kitten. Marco’s right. You need to sit down and eat some more.”
Adri scowled up at the infuriating doctor. “Stop calling me that. And I’m not going back to bed.”
“Didn’t ask you to,” Rafe replied.
“Wait ’til he’s begging. It’s more fun that way,” Marco chimed in, moving past them to lead the way.
Adri’s cock twitched, swelling even harder, and he almost lost the towel wrapped round his waist. His hand resting on Rafe’s shoulder as the doctor helped him up the stairs flexed, gripping Rafe tight and sparking a sharp inhale in response.
DamnMarco for the image he’d just put in his head.How was he supposed to resist that?
CHAPTER 2: RAFE
If only begging would getRafe what he wanted. Having his younger mate in his home—in his bed—without bonding him was an exercise in torture. When Adri had stepped into his waiting room wearing nothing at all, Rafe had almost choked on his own tongue as he took in the miles of sculpted fighter’s muscles and resisted the urge to lick every inch of Adri’s smooth, dark skin that was on display. The towel now barely covering him hadn’t helped much.
“I’ll find you some sweats,” Rafe said as they made it upstairs.
Adri’s smirk in response just about undid him. “You’ll have to help me put them on.”
Rafe huffed a breath. “Brat. Get in the bedroom.”
Rafe tracked Adri’s movement ahead of him as they walked down the hallway. It might’ve looked normal for a human, but he could tell the injury was affecting his mate. Cat shifters were usually all sinuous grace, barely making a sound as they walked. Adri was still graceful, but his cautious, padding steps betrayed the care he was taking not to jolt his shoulder as he moved.
“Do you need a painkiller?” Rafe asked.
He’d been maintaining a pain-block on Adri with his power, but it was possible some was still seeping through, given how tired he was.
Adri glanced over his shoulder, head quirked in question. “Did you forget I’m a shifter? They won’t do me any good.”
Adri’s knowledge gap was another reminder that the jaguar shifter hadn’t grown up in the shifter world. Rafe had caved and done a background check on his mate when they first met, outraged that Adri’s family hadn’t come looking for him when he’d ended up forced into the illegal fighting ring. That’s how he knew Adri had been raised by humans who’d paid the price for fighting back when the coven stole him from his home. He hadn’t been able to find any other living relatives. If Rafe hadn’t already been determined to be Adri’s family, that would’ve done it. Jaguars might be loners in the wild, but that didn’t mean Adri had to be alone in the world.
“I keep witch-magicked drugs on hand for injured shifters. They’re in a warded case, so they weren’t touched when the clinic was vandalised.”
“And who exactly vandalised the clinic? You forgot to mention,” Adri said, turning to face him as he reached the drawers in Rafe’s bedroom.
“It doesn’t matter,” Rafe said, reaching past him to find the promised clothes.
Adri caught him by surprise, reaching out to grip his jaw hard and drag his face round to look down at him.
“Yes, it fucking does.”
Rafe pulled away, dropping to his knees with the sweatpants in hand and tilting his head up to look at his mate.
