by Noah Harris
Dante shook his head. “I’m never going to stop needing you, Rosa. You never once tried to take the place of my mother, but you’ve been a mother to me from the moment you took me in. I don’t think anyone ever stops needing their parents, no matter how old they get or how far away they go. I’ll always come back here to find you, whether I’m in trouble or not.”
Rosa’s bottom lip trembled. “I don’t care what status you are, you’re always welcome in my home. I’ll knock those old fools’ heads together if they try anything.”
Dante drew her close with a thick chuckle. “I don’t think they will. I think they’re still hoping I’ll change my mind at some point. But I know if they ever try anything like that, you’ll be right there to beat some sense into them.”
It was then that he noticed the trembling of her body, and the slight shaking of her shoulders. The woman who had been his guardian, caregiver, and eternal champion, pressed herself closer to him. His eyes stung as he tried to hug her as close to his body as he could. In that moment, she seemed so much smaller than he had ever thought before. Rosa was the strongest person Dante had ever known, and her small moment of grief at Dante’s impending departure made her even stronger in his eyes. He vowed to himself that one day, he would find a way to repay her for everything she had done for him, no matter what it took.
She took a moment to regain control of herself before finally pulling away. There was a smile on her face, the same warm strength radiating from her that he’d grown used to seeing. Her lip was no longer trembling, and it was easy to believe she hadn’t lost control just moments before. Only the shine in her eyes gave away the tears she had shed moments before.
“You’re a good boy, and I know you’re going to be okay out there. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and you’re not going out there alone,” she said finally.
Dante nodded. “He’ll have my back.”
“He had better or I’ll find him,” Rosa swore.
Erik’s chuckle, now close, interrupted them. “Hear that, Liam? If you don’t want Rosa hunting you down across the globe, you better keep my boy here safe.”
“If anything happens to him on my watch, she won’t have to. I’ll present myself to her,” Liam promised.
That seemed to mollify Rosa, who nodded in approval. “I suppose that means I don’t have to have that talk with you then.”
Dante gazed between the three most important people in his life and smiled sadly. He wished he could take all of them with them, impossible as that was. Rosa, for all her willpower and strength, wouldn’t be able to make the journey. She wasn’t getting any younger, and she was settled in the sept for life. He had no doubt Erik would be willing to come with them if he was asked, but Dante refused. Erik had always told him how much he loved being in the sept, saying it felt more like home than the city packs ever had. Erik would follow him to the ends of the Earth if asked, but Dante knew he would never be happy away from the sept.
Dante nodded toward Rosa, then looked to Erik as he spoke. “You promise to keep an eye on her?”
Rosa huffed. “And what makes you think I need a babysitter?”
“I’m more worried about what you’ll do to everyone without me to yell at all the time,” Dante told her with a grin.
She pointed at Erik. “I’m sure that one will keep me plenty busy. Without you here, he’s going to feel the need to pick up the slack on causing trouble around here.”
Liam sidled up to Dante with a smile. “Yeah, he’s been telling me a few stories. Traveling around with you is going to be a little more interesting than I first thought.”
Dante sighed. “I probably don’t want to know what stories he managed to fill your head with in that short time, do I?”
Erik shrugged, not looking sorry in the slightest. “Nothing too embarrassing. I promise.”
Rosa reached out, patting first Dante and then Liam’s cheeks. “Now we’ve got that out of the way, you two get to bed. This night has gone on long enough, and you’re going to need your rest.”
“Wow, she’s already mothering you,” Erik told Liam.
She turned to him. “And you need to get your butt into bed too. Don’t know what you’re even doing up at this hour nosing into other people’s business in the first place.”
“I like to stay up late! There’s no crime in that!” Erik protested.
“And you just happened to hear all the commotion out here by accident then?” Rosa demanded.
Erik winced. “I was nearby! It was kind of hard to not hear, you know!”
Rosa grabbed Erik by the elbow, dragging him with her. “Boy, I’ve known you for most of your life too, so don’t lie to me. I know full well how nosy you can really be.”
Dante smiled at Liam as he listened to Erik’s protests. “Ready to go before she turns that on us?”
Liam’s smile was exhausted looking. “Please.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Dante stirred to life, squinting against the light that filtered in from a nearby window. A dullness radiated up his left arm, and he remembered that he wasn’t alone in his bed. Liam lay in front of him, his back pressed to Dante’s front. They were on their sides, and Liam’s weight on Dante’s arm had cut off the blood supply to the limb.
They’d stumbled in the night before, more interested in getting some sleep than in anything else. Liam had barely glanced around the room before his gaze had fallen on Dante’s bed, his eyes filled with hope. The two of them had fallen into bed together. Dante had drawn his mate close to him without hesitation, breathing deep of the scent that was both exciting and somehow familiar. They hadn’t spoken, letting the moment speak for itself as they listened to one another’s breathing. The sounds of the forest at night, outside the window, had added to the lullaby that eased them into a restful sleep.
Dante couldn’t remember the last time he’d woken, feeling as rested as he did. Despite being unable to feel his arm, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb Liam’s sleep. He wished he could see the man’s face in the morning light. They hadn’t had the chance to sleep in bed with one another yet, and Dante wanted to savor this first moment. Settling himself with the comforting sensation of Liam against him, he let himself relax back into the folds of his bed and enjoy it.
Liam stirred, mumbling unintelligibly as he shifted against the sheets. Dante waited to see if he was awake, letting Liam move and stretch slightly. Eventually he lifted his head up, turning it so he could catch Dante’s gaze. Dante smiled at him, nuzzling his neck and taking a deep breath, a sound of pleasure rumbling out of his throat. Liam muttered something back, the words lost in his sleepy state, but the affection was obvious.
“Morning,” Dante greeted him finally.
“It is in fact morning,” Liam grumbled.
Dante smiled fondly. “You’re not a morning person.”
“What gave it away?” Liam asked.
Dante lifted Liam up so he could free his arm, even as he pulled Liam as close as he could again. “The confused, slightly grumpy look. The fact that you can’t manage whole sentences without grumbling. Or maybe it’s just the aura of ‘leave me alone, I don’t know my own name’ that you’re giving off right now.”
Liam rolled over, snuggling his face into Dante’s neck. “Correct. All of it.”
Dante chuckled. “How does a former scout and long term Lone Wolf end up not being a morning person? I’d think waking up groggy and disoriented would be a hazard.”
“It would be, except I can wake up fast when I need to. I just don’t like to wake up is all,” Liam said.
“Go back to sleep, then. We still have plenty of time,” Dante promised.
“Naw, I’m awake now. Should have said I didn’t like to wake up, before that is. Been awhile since I woke up with someone else in my bed. I usually kick people out before that. Gotta say, it’s a nice change, waking up with you here,” Liam said with a sigh.
“I’m honored.” Dante said with a laugh.
L
iam kissed Dante’s collarbone gently. “No, I’m the one who should be honored. You chose me over everything else in your life. I don’t know if that was a stupid decision on your part or not, but I know what it means. And I’m going to do everything in my power from here on out to make sure you know what you mean to me, too.”
Dante returned the kiss, but on the top of Liam’s head. “Not that the sentiment isn’t appreciated, but you don’t have to do that. You just…be you. That’s more than enough for me.”
“Just be myself, huh?” Liam asked.
“Never stop being yourself,” Dante corrected.
Liam sighed, the sound content. “People like to say that to others all the time, and it always sounds like the worst kind of advice there is. No one wants anyone else to be totally themselves, because people don’t like to deal with the difficult traits other people have. But from you? I think you actually mean it.”
“Well, yeah, of course I mean it. I don’t think we’re going to magically get along all the time or something. But that’s okay. I wanna see you when we’re happy with one another, and when we’re ready to smack the other person. I know we can get through anything together, and apparently Gaia agrees with me,” Dante finished with a soft laugh.
“Romantic and an optimistic fatalist. You’re something else,” Liam said pushing his hips closer to Dante’s.
“That doesn’t always sound like it’s a good thing,” Dante said, waking up a little faster.
Liam’s hand stole under the blanket, running teasingly over Dante’s skin. “Maybe, but it’s a very good thing this time.”
Dante shivered as Liam’s fingers ran over his hip. “I see you’re waking up just fine.”
Liam’s dark eyes flashed up to Dante’s face devilishly. “I got to sleep next to you for the first time ever last night. And that means I got to wake up next to you this morning. Maybe I want to go a step further and see if I can get morning sex out of you, too.”
“Is that so?” Dante asked with another laugh.
“Well, that and you’ve kind of been pressing your dick against me this entire time. It’s pretty hard at the moment,” Liam told him, nudging his hips forward to emphasize his point.
“I would blame it on it being the morning, but it’s not easy to not be hard around you,” Dante told him as he cupped his chin.
It didn’t seem to matter how many times they kissed, it always sent a rush through Dante. Liam slid over the top of him, never breaking the kiss as he lay flat across Dante. Dante’s hands found their way to Liam’s hips, sliding down to cup the man’s ass and squeeze. Liam pushed back on Dante’s grip, moaning playfully against his lips.
“I think I like you in the morning if you can stop being grumpy so fast,” Dante said as he slipped his hand beneath the band of Liam’s underwear.
“You keep me sexed up, and you don’t have to worry about any long-term grumpiness,” Liam mumbled against his lips.
That was a deal Dante would gladly agree to. He watched eagerly as Liam pushed himself upright long enough to pull his shirt off and toss it to the side. In the light of the sun, it was easier to see the ripple of his compact muscles as he bent over the edge of the bed to retrieve his shorts. Dante didn’t pay much attention to the bottle Liam pulled from his shorts pocket, content to watch the sunlight play on Liam’s scars. Knowing what he did now about Liam’s past, Dante thought it was a testament to the man’s luck and skill that he didn’t have more of them.
Unlike Liam, Dante had taken the time to strip his shirt off the night before. The only barriers remaining between them was the thin material of their underwear, and the thin sheet that had somehow wrapped itself around Dante’s midsection. Between the two of them, they managed to extract Dante from the sheet and push their underwear off in the process. Dante had always loved the feeling of his naked body pressed against another’s, but it had taken on a whole different meaning with Liam. No matter how much of Liam’s body touched his, he always craved more, craved being closer.
Liam bent forward, kissing Dante slowly and deeply before breaking the kiss. “You on top this time.”
Dante was more than happy to oblige, making sure Liam was holding on as he rolled them over. Before Liam settled himself on the bed, Dante had already broken away from him. He lay a trail of soft kisses down Liam’s body, taking care to kiss each scar he came across just as he’d done before. His teeth scraped playfully over Liam’s hip, sucking gently on the skin above his groin. As he lowered himself down onto Liam’s body, he snagged the nearby bottle of lube and popped it open with one hand. He paused just long enough to coat his fingers before he dove back down to the wonderland that was Liam’s body.
Liam glanced at Dante’s finger, and watched his lips trailing closer to his groin. “Oh, we’re feeling evil today.”
Dante ran his tongue slowly over the length of Liam’s cock before replying. “I want to hear you moan. There’s no need to hide it now, so be as noisy as you want.”
Liam said nothing, watching Dante’s progress as he slid back up to the head of Liam’s cock. Dante’s fingers nudged the circle of muscles of Liam’s ass, pushing a single digit forward as he wrapped his mouth around the sensitive head. Liam moaned low, his fingers clenching the sheets as Dante lowered his mouth carefully. His tongue swiped and curled over the head as he took Liam’s cock into his throat gradually. His finger opened Liam up as he slid it back and forth.
Dante worked at a steady rhythm, taking his time before adding a second finger inside Liam. His mate’s hips twitched as he seemed to fight the urge to push himself up. They hadn’t really talked about one another’s abilities in the bedroom before, so Dante was happy to surprise his mate by taking the full length of his cock into his throat. To his amusement, Liam groaned louder, almost shouting as the muscles of Dante’s throat worked over the head of his cock.
“Shit, I didn’t know you could do that,” Liam gasped, his groan deepening as Dante took the opportunity to add a third finger.
He knew he could get away with being less careful with Liam. Neither of them were inexperienced when it came to sex, and the time they’d already spent having sex was evidence enough to show Dante he could be hasty if needed to be. There was no rush in his mind, however, he was enjoying everything too much for that. The feel and taste of Liam’s cock as it slid back and forth over his tongue, the grip of him around Dante’s fingers. Liam was being far more expressive than he’d been the first time. He was allowing every moan and whimper to pass his lips, stomach muscles rolling as he pressed into Dante’s hand. The bright light of the sun showed Dante everything in stark detail, and he was loving it.
Liam began to wriggle, gasping out. “Baby, please. I need you. No more fingers, please.”
Dante pulled free, smiling up at Liam. “Four fingers would be safer, you know.”
“I’ll stretch and you damn well know it,” Liam huffed impatiently.
Dante thought about teasing the man further but decided there would always be time for that later. It wasn’t until Liam became impatient that he realized he wanted to be inside the other man as much as Liam wanted it. His need to bury himself in his mate had been hidden beneath the sensory experience of trying to bring Liam as much pleasure as he could manage. Now that the option was out in the open, he couldn’t bring himself to kneel fast enough.
But kneel he did, grabbing hold of Liam’s hips and pulling him into his lap. Liam wrapped his legs around Dante’s hips happily. Dante reached down between them, using his other hand to pour the lube onto his cock and spread a generous layer across it. Liam’s eyes never left his face as he made sure they were both ready. Anticipation hung in the air between them and Dante finally moved so the head of his cock pressed where his fingers had just been.
He’d been right about a fourth finger probably making things a little easier. There was a moment of resistance as he pushed forward, before the sudden grip of heat around his cock told him he was in. Liam sighed, a sound of contentment an
d pleasure rather than pain. If he was uncomfortable, he was doing a good job of hiding it as he gently rolled his hips toward Dante.
Dante slid into his mate gently, letting the heat of the man’s body slowly move down the length of his cock. He bent forward, kissing Liam’s body gently as he sank inside him inch by inch. Their lips met as he felt his hips press against Liam’s ass, sheathed entirely in the other man. Liam’s head fell back, gasping as he wiggled his hips.
“You okay?” Dante asked, a little concerned.
“Just a little full,” Liam admitted with a low noise.
“I can wait,” Dante told him.
Liam snorted. “Like hell. I didn’t wait the first time, and I’m not waiting now. Full isn’t bad. You feel damn good right now, and if you don’t start moving soon, I’m going to lose my mind.”
Kissing Liam again, Dante pulled his hips back. He’d intended to start with shallow thrusts, and gradually work his way deeper. Liam’s eagerness found himself pulling back until his cock was almost free of Liam before pushing back into him. Liam’s back arched slightly, and he gasped, his grip moving to Dante’s shoulders and gripping hard. His features showed no pain, and his hips pushed up toward Dante at the tail end of the thrust. The next slow thrusts were the same and garnered the same results.
Dante began to work his hips in a steady rhythm, driving into Liam with the sound of flesh meeting flesh. Liam gasped out encouragement when he wasn’t moaning or simply holding tight to Dante. Dante could feel the rising need to ram hard, drive deep, and to claim his mate. He tamped the instinct down each time it rose up, letting his eyes rove over Liam’s body.
There would always be time for old-fashioned rough, possessive sex. Dante wanted to enjoy the moment, watching Liam’s face shift and change with each thrust into him. The sound of his mate’s deep moans when his cock found the perfect spot within him was music to his ears. Liam had taken Dante’s comment about no longer needing to be quiet to heart, and each noise drove a shiver of pleasure up his spine. He could see and hear everything from Liam, and he was intent on taking in every little detail. Their first time, in secret and under the moonlight, had seemed like a wonderful dream. Under the bright light of the rising sun, he was going to make sure he memorized every gasp and shudder, every shift of muscle and the grip of Liam’s legs around his waist.