TanglingWithHisTiger

by VictoriaVallo

Eric kissed him, and the embrace deepened as he stroked Byron. When he managed to break away, he said, “I am yours. I only need time.” He moved down and knelt to take Byron’s cock into his mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Byron gasped as Eric sucked him, and Eric teased him right to the edge before pulling away. “Fuck me,” Eric said. “Claim me. Prove I’m yours.”

  Byron rose and actually pushed him to the floor, pinning him face down on the rug and entering him in one stroke. Eric cried out, but then he moaned as Byron pounded into him. When Byron’s hand went across his chest, Eric intertwined their fingers and held Byron’s hand over his heart.

  Byron practically growled as he came into Eric, which made Eric come in a quick burst that left him trembling and panting. Every inch of him tingled as they clung to each other. A bit of movement from Byron revealed the man was still hard inside Eric.

  “Again?” Byron whispered.

  “Yes,” Eric whispered back, sighing as Byron began taking him once more, this time with a gentler rhythm that made him feel protected and cherished.

  Made him feel that he already did love this extraordinary man.

  * * * *

  One Week Later

  Byron sat in one of the common rooms in the Hall of Vanes and leafed through the announcements of new bounties. Lots of offers had gone up for Drake’s men and his remaining two ships. Byron felt he might stand a good chance if he checked some of the places Drake had used in the past to hide or store his booty, but the bastard’s trial would begin the next day.

  And he wouldn’t miss that for anything in the world, except perhaps the man striding toward him, and even then he’d find the decision a hard one.

  Eric sat at the table across from him. “Anything interesting?”

  Byron straightened the papers before him and sat back. “Just trying to keep myself informed.”

  With a growing smile, Eric nodded.

  He certainly looks pleased about something. “What is it?”

  “I was right. About Thomas. He’s asked for Bella’s hand.”

  “Oh? That’s wonderful. Just what the family needs, a joyous occasion.”

  “Well, she hasn’t answered him yet. Apparently she loves him … like a brother. She actually laughed when he asked her, thinking he was joking. She said she feels awful, but she apologized and said she’d think about it.”

  Byron slid the flyers aside and leaned his crossed arms on the tabletop. “Perhaps he and I should get a drink together. We’re in the same boat.”

  Eric raised one eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say I love you like a brother.”

  Byron laughed, but then he leaned forward. “What would you say?”

  Eric licked his lips and then softly said, “I’d just say … I love you.”

  Byron went still before replying, “You tell me that for the first time in public? When I can’t pin you to the nearest flat surface and ravish you?”

  Eric shrugged one shoulder. “You asked the question. I just answered it.” He reached over and took Byron’s hand. “And I’ve been thinking. About us. The future.”

  “And?”

  “Even though it was dangerous, I enjoyed working at your side. I don’t want you to give it up.” He caressed Byron’s fingers and then lifted them to his lips. “I’ve handed in my resignation to Vane Harold. He wished us joy in our adventures.”

  “And?” Byron said again.

  “And what? Didn’t you hear me?”

  “I heard you, but you left out the most important part.”

  “I didn’t leave anything out.”

  Byron extended his other hand and took Eric by the chin. “Will you be my mate? Will you ask for Vena’s blessing on our union? For Wyld to guide us through our life together and Kyros to strengthen us as we take their most sacred vow?”

  Eric looked uncertain, casting his gaze down with a frown, and Byron drew back. “I don’t understand,” Byron said before pushing away from the table and heading for the door. He didn’t hear Eric following him and kept walking until he was out on the street. He headed for the water and then stood on the beach alone looking out at the sinking sun.

  It was nearly half an hour before Eric came to find him, and Byron refused to look at the man. He wasn’t angry—he was hurt. Eric had just said he loved Byron, so they ought to be celebrating. They ought to be in Eric’s bed fucking each other senseless.

  “Last week,” Eric said, “when you told me you loved me and asked me to take the mate vow, I was uncertain. But I’ve found I can’t picture my life without you. That scares me.”

  Byron whipped his gaze over to Eric. “Why would it scare you?”

  Eric gestured to Byron. “Look at you. You’re a fantasy come true. A hero stepping out of an adventure novel. I have talents and intelligence, but … we’re not in the same league. In that alley, I was ready to fight off an attacker. But then I looked into your eyes and practically melted. No man like you has ever looked twice at me.”

  Byron struggled for words, feeling completely confounded. “What are you saying? Why do you think so little of yourself? Is it your brother? Someone else?”

  “No. I’m just being realistic. I don’t want you to regret binding yourself to me for life.”

  Byron couldn’t find any more words, so he simply grabbed Eric and pulled him into a crushing embrace, taking his mouth roughly and making sure the man knew whom he belonged to.

  Eric panted against him when they parted, and Byron made him look up. “I love you. You’re perfect to me. My fantasy come true. A strong, brave man who can fight with his body and his mind. Who gives me as much pleasure and passion as I give him. I want you to be mine as completely as you can be. I don’t just want you in my bed. Or for a priest to sign a piece of paper and say words over us. I want all of it. The true and full blessing of the gods.”

  Eric opened his mouth but then closed it without saying anything.

  Byron sighed and said, “But if you’re truly scared, I won’t force you.” He kissed Eric’s forehead. “I’ll have you in my life on your terms, if that’s what I have to do.”

  “I … I feel so stupid.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve been chasing me since the day we met, yet I was afraid. I feel foolish.”

  Byron stroked Eric’s cheek. “Is that an answer?”

  Slowly, Eric nodded. “Yes. I’ll be yours. Take the mate vow.” His cheeks pinkened, and he laughed. “But maybe we shouldn’t invite too many people. Not sure I want a big crowd seeing me get naked.”

  “What do you…” he paused, nodding suddenly, “… oh, right. We strip and shift to our other forms for the last part.” He chuckled. “My, that’ll be something for the crew to remember.”

  “It’s a long ceremony. Maybe they’ll all be asleep by then.”

  “More likely they’ll have sneaked out to sample the reception wine.”

  Eric wrapped his arms around Byron and sighed, his head resting over Byron’s heart. “Still hard to believe my life has gotten this exciting.”

  “Never thought I’d be so glad someone was trying to kill me. I might never have met you if not for your brother.” He kissed the top of Eric’s head. “You call me a hero, but you’re the one who’s been saving me. You stopped your brother, and you kept Drake from shooting himself. Who knows where I’d be without you.”

  “Dumb luck.”

  “If you say so. I like having you watch my back.”

  “Should we go to a temple and talk to a priest? The mate vow takes a lot of preparation, I hear.”

  Byron drew back and looked down into his lover’s face. “That can wait until tomorrow. We have more important matters to attend to.”

  Eric’s eyes darkened. “Do we?”

  “Oh yes. We do,” he said before capturing Eric’s mouth in a long, deep kiss.

  * * * *

  Four Days Later

  Eric stood beside Byron, both of them leaning against a stone building under the shade of a ledge
and out of the blazing sun, as they waited for Drake to be brought out and hanged. Byron had tossed and turned the night before, and he’d only stilled when Eric had wrapped his arms around him and held him tight, so tight he couldn’t move. The trial had gone quickly, and the vanes had been unanimous in their decision, as not one person had come forward to speak on Drake’s behalf or plead for him in any way. The testimony against him, on the other hand, had taken two and a half days. A line had formed down the hallway and out into the street outside the Hall of Vanes, and dozens of people had denounced the man, one after the other.

  During the testimony, Byron had silently listened, studying every witness closely. He’d come to the edge of his seat at the back of the gallery when the appointed advocate had come forward to defend Drake. The man had paused a long time, not looking terribly happy about the position he was in. After facing the gathered crowd a few moments, the advocate declared a guilty plea along with a proposal of Drake being sent to the mines across the sea in the Utha region. So many people had begun whispering at once that the vanes had been forced to call for order in the gallery. It had taken nearly five minutes to silence everyone again.

  But they’d then delivered a swift verdict of guilty on all counts and a sentence of death by hanging, not even bothering to leave the room to consult over it. Drake had been calm and quiet throughout the trial, and Eric knew this worried Byron. His lover still thought Drake had some kind of plan. Eric knew it was possible, but it seemed everyone in Dannis wanted Drake dead as much as Byron did. Even the advocate who spoke for Drake had looked relieved at the verdict, gathering his things and exiting the room almost immediately.

  “I heard someone saying two more of Drake’s men have been brought in,” Eric said.

  Byron grunted without looking over at him, but after a moment he reached over and took Eric’s hand. “I love you all the more for fussing over me so much,” he finally looked at Eric, “but you don’t have to. I’ll be fine.”

  “Only trying to help.”

  Byron lifted Eric’s hand and kissed it. “I can’t wait for you to be my mate.”

  Eric pressed closer as more people gathered. Christian sidled up beside them, exchanging a nod with Byron.

  “Quite a crowd,” Christian said.

  “It’s a big deal. People will be talking about it for years to come,” Byron said.

  “How are preparations going?” Christian asked.

  “Fine. The priest said everything will be ready in a few more days,” Byron said. “And you’re going to help, right?”

  “I don’t get naked, do I? I’m supposed to meet with the priest this afternoon,” Christian said.

  Byron laughed softly, which made Eric feel a bit better. “No. But you will have to run the ceremonial blade over our palms for the blood exchange.”

  “Blood exchange, huh? That must be during the warrior’s part of the ceremony,” Christian said.

  “Yes, it seals our promise to Kyros. To honor and fight for each other,” Byron said.

  Christian nodded. “All right. As long as you two don’t get carried away at the end when the clothes come off.”

  “We’ll be shifted at the end,” Byron said.

  “I’m not sure that will stop the two of you,” Christian said with a grin.

  The crowd got quieter for a moment when the double doors at the front of the hall opened, but as Drake was brought onto the dais, all the voices around them rose again. The noose was put around Drake’s neck, and he was offered a blindfold, which he refused. The executioner went to stand by the lever that would open the trapdoor below Drake’s feet, and Vane Harold came to stand on the dais, holding his hand up for silence.

  When everyone quieted down, Harold cleared his throat. “No matter the crime, all people are allowed one last chance to reconcile to the gods.” He gestured to the priest who stood nearby and paused before adding, “Or to say final words.” He focused his attention on Drake. “Do you wish to do either before you enter the next world?”

  Drake looked to the priest, pausing a long time. Eric felt Byron tense. Byron seemed to be put so much faith in the gods these days that Eric worried seeing Drake absolved at the last moment would be a hard blow for Byron.

  But then Drake spat in the priest’s direction and yelled, “Fuck you all! I lived more than all of you put together!”

  Vane Harold stepped aside and nodded to the executioner, who pulled the lever right away.

  Eric turned away, watching Byron instead of Drake. While his face remained still, Byron’s eyes told a different story. Countless emotions seemed to burn there. Eric knew one moment wasn’t enough time to deal with all Byron might be feeling, but he felt his heart lift when he saw Byron sigh in relief and close his eyes.

  Cheers rose up around them. Eric had never heard of that happening at any execution, but he could understand it after all the testimony they’d heard.

  Byron turned to Eric and kissed him. “Come on. Stop looking so concerned. I only wanted to be sure the deed was done.” He began leading Eric through the crowd. “We have more important things to think about.”

  “I know.” He maneuvered to walk beside Byron. “But you can talk to me about anything. Remember that.”

  “I’ve wasted enough of my life on him.” He smiled at Eric. “Time for a new adventure.”

  This time, Eric smiled back and nodded, more than ready for all that was to come.

  Epilogue

  Two Weeks Later

  Byron thrust harder as he watched Eric struggling against the ropes that bound his wrists. He lay face down over a table in the sunroom, his wrists tied to the legs on the other side of the table. The sun played along the skin of his back, and Byron caressed the stripes of light that reminded him of the beautiful stripes Eric had in his shifted form. They’d been home on Byron’s estate in the Edo Isles for a week, and Byron still hadn’t tired of finding new places to fuck his mate.

  Mate. He loved the sound of the word so much.

  “Say you’re mine,” Byron said, slapping Eric’s right ass cheek.

  “I’m yours. You know I am,” Eric said, crying out as he tightened around Byron.

  Barely able to hold on at the feel of his mate’s body gripping him, Byron thrust deep as Eric came. When Eric’s tremors calmed, Byron fucked him slowly in long strokes, drawing out Eric’s pleasure and making the man whimper beneath him.

  “Purr for me, baby,” Byron said as he pumped faster and neared completion.

  “Tigers don’t purr,” Eric said breathlessly.

  “But you do,” Byron said, throwing his head back as he came and filled his mate. He leaned over and kissed and then bit Eric’s neck. “Especially when I fill you with my cum.”

  “Beast,” Eric whispered back just as Byron bit him again, harder this time. “Ahhh! Gods, you’ll have me hard again.”

  Byron chuckled and withdrew, leaning down to lick the excess cum from Eric’s crack, something that Eric claimed embarrassed him but that Byron could tell he secretly loved. After another quick slap to Eric’s cheek, Byron came around and untied him, rubbing each wrist and kissing it before helping his mate to straighten up. To his delight, Eric climbed onto the table and crawled over it on his hands and knees to kiss Byron.

  When they parted, Byron said, “Come run with me. I want to see the other half of my beautiful mate.”

  Eric changed positions to sit on his bottom and put his arms around Byron’s neck. “We’re going to get soft. All this decadence. Rolling in fields all day and sleeping in.”

  Byron licked his lips. “I could send a letter and have Christian back here within a week.”

  Eric pressed closer. “Let’s not be too hasty. I’m not completely against our temporary retirement.”

  “Honeymoon,” Byron said against Eric’s lips.

  “Honeymoon,” Eric repeated with a laugh. But then his expression grew wistful. “I still only half believe this is real.”

  Byron repositioned his cock and pr
essed it against Eric’s stomach. “You can’t be serious, as often as I’m fucking you.”

  “I mean that part about you loving me. Taking me as your mate. I never imagined being swept up into something … something that feels the way this does.”

  Byron sobered as he took in his mate’s happy expression. “Neither did I.” He kissed Eric again and then said, “Come on. Run with me. I love chasing you.”

  Eric laughed as he slid off the table. “You love catching me.”

  “Won’t deny it.”

  Eric knelt and stretched before he shifted, and Byron waited and watched as he always did. Then he let his bear loose, feeling his beast revel in its freedom. His beautiful tiger bounded over to him and rubbed against him before dashing for the open door and heading down into the garden.

  And toward the hedge maze.

  Byron had been waiting for Eric to explore the maze, which only Byron knew the secret to. He quickened his pace in pursuit of Eric. Of all the dalliances he’d enjoyed in that maze, he knew the best of all would be claiming his mate at the very center.

  The End

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  Also from Victoria Vallo

  Captured by Space Aliens Volume I:

  Bound & Boarded (Banned from Amazon)

  Captured by Space Aliens Volume II:

  Tortured & Tamed (Banned from Amazon)

  Captured by Space Aliens Volume III:

  Seized & Seduced (Banned from Amazon)

  Captured by Space Aliens Volume IV:

  Mastered & Mated (Banned from Amazon)

  Different Stars

  Unforgetting Hearts

  More Than a Fantasy