Finally Grayson’s voice cut through. “Is this call about backup?”
“Yeah, if anyone’s free. You know how the first few weeks are after finding your mate.” Everyone on the team had already found their mate, subjecting the others to banging headboards, shouts of pleasure, and nearly catching the couple trying to screw in other rooms of the house. A few times Colton thought he’d have to turn a hose on one of the horny couples.
“My back still hurts in a few places,” Grayson replied. “Right now, the whole team’s buried in the fight ring case. Big operation. Two, maybe three nights, we’ll have it down. I can make some calls to find you an extra set of eyes. See if anyone wants to earn a favor. A mate’s protection falls on all of us. If I can’t find anyone, I’ll do it myself.”
Craig was human. Colton could handle the guy. But if Craig made him leave Zack’s bed, prick would end up buried somewhere in the mountains. “Stay on the dogs. I’ll handle it.”
“You sure?” Grayson asked. “I’ll leave Malik in charge if you really need backup.”
“He’s human,” Colton grunted. “Just wanted to enjoy some uninterrupted time with Zack.” He still had to claim his mate. Colton stayed hard in Zack’s presence. Plus, once he bonded them, his panther would settle down.
“I’m still just a phone call away,” Grayson offered.
“Thanks.” Colton hung up and stared out the window, trying to picture Zack’s brother, but all he saw was the shape of Zack’s face when he smiled, that wicked gleam in his eye when he’d pounced earlier.
Turning off the kitchen lights, he padded to the bedroom.
Zack’s hand was curled close to his chest, the bruised wrist still a dark band shadowing his pale skin. He slept in a tiny curl, legs drawn in, like he was trying to protect his ribs from taking another hit.
Colton slid down carefully, mattress squeaking under his weight, while listening to the steady, even sound of his mate’s breathing.
There was nothing special in the room. No art on the walls. No trophies or medals, nothing that said anybody had ever thought of Zack as more than a placeholder in someone else’s story. But somehow, with his mate tucked into the sheets, the place felt crowded with a thousand better memories waiting to happen.
Moving slow, Colton curved his body around Zack’s. Pressed close, one arm wrapping over, hand cupping the groove where Zack’s hip flared warm and solid. With every shift, Zack’s body melted deeper into the hold, tension evaporating even in sleep. Faint hint of sweat and laundry soap clung to his hair.
For a while, Colton watched the rise and fall, counting the rhythm until his own slowed to match.
Drifting, Colton thought of all the things he could do to keep Zack out of harm’s way. He’d owned his own security firm for decades, and possessed the skills to protect one small human.
Years of punching out threats on the wrong side of town, never feeling this outmatched. It was more than just a drive to protect. It was the way Zack’s voice, even the nervous version, made Colton want to listen, made the hours slip by as if real life waited somewhere else.
He angled his head down, breathing in the scent of Zack’s neck, careful not to wake him. Even asleep, his Blue found a way to tangle their legs together, holding him close. Sleeping with Zack meant drifting in and out of awareness, always knowing his mate was safe.
For the first time in three hundred years, Colton didn’t want to drift far.
Sometime around midnight, Zack rolled and shoved his face up under Colton’s chin, mumbling a nonsense word and curling in.
A laugh, quiet and rough, caught in Colton’s chest, but he didn’t move. This was exactly where he wanted to be. Where he was meant to be.
When sleep finally came for him, he let it. Still curled tight around his mate, holding on to what he’d spent centuries searching for.
Chapter Eight
Zack loved snuggling as much as the next person, but Colton had taken it to a whole new level. His arms kept Zack pinned against a roadmap of muscles, as if Zack was the guy’s personal teddy bear.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if Colton weren’t radiating so much heat, making it feel like Zack was trapped against a hot water tank.
An amazing-smelling tank.
Zack inhaled deeply, then couldn’t resist taking another breath. Something about Colton’s scent transported him back to childhood summers spent in his grandfather’s study, where woodsmoke mingled with the rich scent of well-worn leather.
Morning light filtered through the blinds, painting gold stripes across Colton’s bicep. Fingertips traced the defined curve, following each ridge and valley. Muscle shifted under the touch, firm and warm, making Zack’s breath catch.
Slowly exploring, he mapped the terrain of Colton’s arm, then ventured across to his pecs. Fabric stretched tight over the solid expanse. Each breath Colton took lifted Zack’s hand, steady and hypnotic.
Brown eyes opened, catching him mid-exploration.
Yanking his hand back, heat flooded Zack’s face. “Sorry, I—”
