Even though Emory was the one who needed help right now, he was holding Cameron’s hand through this, the way Cameron was starting to suspect he would hold his hand through their whole relationship.
“I don’t want to come yet, so I’m just stroking the tip,” Cameron said as he pulled himself out of his panties and began to move his hand. “I’m keeping my grip loose but twisting a little bit at the top—mmmm, just like that. Feels so good, but I want it to be you.”
“Cameron…”
“I bet your big hands could hold the whole thing. You could stroke me in one go…maybe…move down, and cup my–my round parts?” Cameron’s voice pitched up at the end, not sure if this was effective dirty talk. It was probably weird for Emory to have to learn new vocabulary in the middle of his rut. Cameron wouldn’t blame him at all if he messed them up or forgot them.
“Is that what you like, honey?” Emory growled as the slapping sound increased again. “Want my big hands to cup yoursweet little parts? I’d be so gentle… Want to hold them, caress them…get my mouth on them.”
Cameron had been unconsciously mimicking Emory’s words with his hands, and he whined loudly as he cupped his parts, gently rolling them in his palm. He loved how soft and silky they were. Sometimes, he would just play with his tip and rub the soft, wrinkled skin, and that’s all it would take.
“Gods,” Cameron moaned, arching his back and accidentally knocking his elbows into the door. He winced; meanwhile, Emory let out a pitiful-sounding noise from the other side.
“I want to see you,” he growled, more beast than man.
“You can,” Cameron said desperately, one hand continuing to play with his parts as his other hand stroked faster. “Oh gods, Emory.”
“That’s it… Come with me, Cameron.”
Admittedly, he wasn’t anywhere near close, but as Emory came a second time, Cameron let out a high-pitched whine of shared pleasure. He pulled his hands off himself as Emory fell silent on the other side of the door.
“You didn’t come…did you,” Emory panted.
“I want to wait until we’re together,” Cameron said. “Can we…can we be together now?”
Emory sighed and shifted against the door. “I don’t know, Cameron. I think this round might be over, but?—”
“So let me in,” Cameron said, stuffing himself back into his panties and spinning around on his knees. “Please, Emory.”
He wasn’t sure if it was possible to be influenced by an alpha’s pheromones through a door, but his octopus felt almost drunk. He was listing side to side, tentacles twitching anxiously as they both waited to see their fated mate.
Unfortunately, he was met with silence, not even the sound of Emory’s labored breathing coming through the door anymore.
“Emory?”
“I’m so afraid, Cameron,” Emory whispered, and his voice was coming from higher up on the door.
Cameron stood and pressed his forehead against the wood. “What are you afraid of?”
“That I’m going to fail you. Like I already feel like I’m failing you and every other person in my life. I’m so busy with work, I can’t see you or my friends. So preoccupied worrying about not seeing you and my friends, I’m falling behind at work. I’m slowing down our relationship only to hit the turbocharge button by falling into rut. I… Gods, if you could only hear my lion right now. He wants to…to mate you. That’s all he’s been thinking for days, and I didn’t understand what he was saying until now.”
Cameron’s octopus shivered and he pressed his forehead harder against the door.
“For days, he’s wanted to sink his teeth into you and never let go, so nothing—especially my stupid, stressful job that I didn’t even want in the first place—can get in the way anymore,” Emory growled. “Meanwhile, I’m hosting thousands of guests at a gala, and all anyone wants to talk about is my cousin, who abandoned me, but maybe is back now, but maybe not, and…and none of that matters at all because the only thing that matters to me is you. And all I want is to be with you, but if I open this door and my lion tries to mate with you…I’m going to lose you. And don’t say I won’t, because with what I know about you and your past, I think nonconsensual mating would be a breaking point.”
Emory’s voice was ragged, and his breathing was so fast it was close to hyperventilation. Cameron, on the other hand, felt like he couldn’t catch his breath.
He understood the basics of family and work stress, but he clearly had no idea the breadth and scope of what Emory had to deal with on a daily basis. Cameron would love nothing morethan to hold his hand or even hold his head in his lap and pet his gorgeous hair while he listened to every fear and worry.
Right now, though, Cameron had a different job to do.
“As I’ve said, I’ve been through ruts before, and we definitely didn’t mate. I think…” Cameron trailed off as an idea struck him. He pressed himself even firmer against the door, as if that would somehow make a difference. “If you’ll let me, I want to try something?”
Emory shifted behind the door, and his voice was a little more controlled when he asked, “Try what?”
“Will you let me talk to your lion?”
Emory was silent for several long moments until he finally said, “He’s listening.”
