“So good,” Rune said, his voice trembling.One clawed hand gripped Palmer’s hip, the nails pressing into his skin.The other splayed across his lower back.“You feel perfect.”
He gave Palmer a moment to adjust, and Palmer focused on breathing and on the way his body was learning to accommodate Rune.Then Rune began to move.
Each thrust was deep and hard, and Palmer cried out with every one of them.The angle was perfect, and he could hear the wet slap of skin, the ragged sound of their breathing, the heat of Rune’s body against his.
Rune leaned over him.His mouth found Palmer’s neck, and Palmer felt the press of fangs against his pulse.The feeling made his cock jerk and leak harder.He wanted more.
Rune’s tail wrapped around Palmer’s waist, holding him in place.He drove in harder, chasing his release, and Palmer was right there with him.The tension coiled tighter and tighter in his groin, the friction and fullness pushing him closer to the edge.
Palmer’s orgasm hit suddenly.He cried out as his cock jerked, spilling onto the rug beneath him.His body clamped down around Rune’s cock, and he heard Rune roar a sound that was more dragon than human.
He loved it.
Rune’s hips slammed forward, and he stopped moving.Palmer felt his come, and he relaxed as he welcomed it.
For a long moment, he could only hear their panting.Rune’s weight settled over his back, and Palmer felt his arms tremble, barely holding them both up.
Rune pulled out slowly.Palmer felt something warm trickle down his thigh and shivered at the sensation, but he was spent.
Rune collapsed beside him, immediately pulling him into his arms.His tail draped over them both.Palmer pressed his face into the crook of Rune’s neck, breathing in his scent.He felt Rune’s heartbeat begin to slow, and his own breathing evened out.
Palmer let himself hope.Maybe this could be his life.Maybe this could be real and lasting.
“I’m not letting you go back to your room tonight,” Rune said.
Palmer smiled against his skin.“Wasn’t planning on it.”
Rune’s hand came up to cup the back of Palmer’s head, fingers threading through his hair.Out there, the palace was still a dangerous place for him.Pearl was still plotting.But here, right now, Palmer felt safe.He felt like he belonged.
And for tonight, that was enough.
Chapter Eleven
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PALMER JERKED INTOa sitting position at the first knock.For a second, he looked around, trying to understand what time it was.Rune’s bedroom was dark, and he and Rune were curled up in the nest, sleeping, or at least, they had been.Palmer could hear the frantic knocking on the door even with the bedroom door closed, though, and he knew something had happened.
Rune was awake now, too.From the little Palmer could see in the low light, his boyfriend was blinking and trying to understand what was going on.Palmer gently patted his hand and extricated himself from Rune’s hold, knowing he needed to go open the door.
“What’s going on?”Rune asked, following him.
Palmer considered telling him to go back to bed, but he already knew that Rune wouldn’t go.“I don’t know.”
Rune turned on the light.Both of them blinked for a moment, but Palmer was already moving toward the front door.He briefly looked down to ensure that he was decent, but thankfully, he disliked sleeping naked.With his job, it wasn’t the first time he was woken up in the middle of the night.
Rune got to the door before Palmer and threw it open.He’d placed himself between Palmer and whoever was there, so for a second, Palmer couldn’t see who it was.He did see that Rune relaxed, though, so he knew that it wasn’t a danger.
“Curran’s in labor,” Birch declared, sounding frantic.
Palmer was relieved.No one was hurt.Curran did need him, or at least, that was what he’d said every time he’d mentioned laying his egg, but both of them knew the truth.Curran could probably do this on his own.He wouldn’t have to, though.He’d asked Palmer to be there, and Palmer would respect his wishes.Curran wasn’t only his patient.They were friends, and Palmer wanted to make sure that he was okay.
“We also need a healer,” he told Birch because that was what he and Curran had agreed on.Palmer wanted to be prepared, just in case.He didn’t anticipate anything going wrong, but he’d rather be safe than sorry.
“I already sent someone to get them,” Birch confirmed.
“Good.Give me a few minutes to get dressed, and I’ll be right with you.”
Palmer didn’t waste time going back to the bedroom.He didn’t even think about leaving Birch with Rune, and he barely had the time to wonder how Birch had known where to find him since he wasn’t in his quarters.His relationship with Rune wasn’t a secret, though.
