by Frey Ortega
Well, his mate was right. Bennett was tight, and that probably had a lot to do with the fact that he hadn’t done this in a long, long time. And Gods, did it feel good. More than good, actually—it felt amazing. It was different. This was different. There was something in this moment that he couldn’t quite place, but it made it all just seem so…perfect.
It was like the stars aligned and the moon shone down on them, while the seas seemed somehow calmer and it felt much quieter than it did before just to let the two of them focus on each other—like the Gods were perfectly putting things into place. Bennett didn’t know why it felt that way, but it did.
Maybe it was mating.
Did it matter?
Bennett didn’t think so.
Why did it take him so long to do this?
Bennett didn’t know, either. All he knew was that this was a long time coming, and it was going better than he ever thought sex could ever be.
Elijah placed his hands behind his head once more, relaxing himself, clasping his fingers together as he watched Bennett. And Bennett, of course, was simply content to swing his hips up and down, bracing both his hands against Elijah’s chest and squeezing the muscles underneath the smooth, lightly-furred skin.
“God, you feel so good,” Elijah said, his voice thick with desire. “Kiss me. Please.”
That tinge of begging in Elijah’s voice awakened something in Bennett he never knew existed. It turned out he liked being in control. Sure, he liked being on the bottom a lot, too—at the very least being the recipient partner—but he was beginning to really understand that he didn’t need to just lay there and take it. With a mate who was willing to be patient with him, like Elijah…sex could be different.
This was more than just sex. Bennett didn’t know that there were new things he could learn about pleasure. It turned out, all he needed was a willing partner who was flexible both physically and with control.
Who knew?
He leaned down, placing both his hands over Elijah’s arms and tracing the lines of muscle up and down, until he moved his hands over his mate’s, and entwined his fingers with Elijah’s. Chest to chest, Bennett pressed a kiss against his lover’s lips, seeking entrance into the vampire’s mouth with his tongue. The response was immediate—with only the softest groan, Elijah darted his tongue out to meet Bennett’s. It was like Elijah was coaxing him forward with his tongue, and Bennett was only too happy to comply.
In Bennett’s head, it felt like he was the dashing young lord—the charming rake—and Elijah was the coquettish lover about to be devoured.
He’d been reading a few too many of Elijah’s books, too. But that only helped him feel more at ease at taking control. All he needed to do was channel those same characters.
Bennett deepened their kiss, running tongue along tongue, biting—consuming—that it almost felt like he was unleashing his own inner predator on his mate. It was a part of him he didn’t even know existed.
They kissed until they were both breathless and Bennett had to pull away. Panting, he looked down to see Elijah’s face flushed. This felt so surreal—so passionate, but so different. It was fiery hot enough that he’d stopped the downward thrusts of his hips and instead grasped Elijah’s hands tighter before taking the vampire’s lips again in a kiss.
Shit. He could get used to taking the lead like this.
Still, he couldn’t ignore the way Elijah’s stiff cock throbbed inside of him. It was enough of a reminder for him to start moving, and little ripples of warmth and pleasure started to bloom inside him.
Maybe he wasn’t the rake. Maybe he was more the coquette, after all.
Bennett was no virgin. He hadn’t been for some time now, but he hadn’t known pleasure like this before. He always thought that sex was supposed to be deeply uncomfortable. A lot of the good, world-shattering sex seemed like they were made more for movies, or for some of those romance books that Elijah—and now him, to some degree—so clearly loved.
But hell, this was as close to the mind-melting, earth-shattering sex described in those novels as Bennett ever imagined it could be. Even the kisses they shared had been electrifying, and the place where the two of them were connected didn’t hurt at all, even with such a large intrusion. His ass just throbbed in a dull, but altogether pleasant way.
With each thrust, each slap of hip against hip, each kiss and swipe of the tongue, Bennett felt this impending pressure—a desire to go faster, to go deeper— building up that threatened to consume him. A tingling started to build inside him, starting from the place Elijah’s cock was pressed up and spreading outward like a shockwave of heat throughout his entire body. It made his body shiver—his lips parting in a gasp—and that warm, tingling pleasure was addictive enough to make him want more. He arched his back and rode his lover in earnest, fighting the urge to touch his own cock. Bennett hadn’t noticed the slow, steady trickle of precum making a slightly uncomfortable mess between the both of them until Bennett pulled away, and the wet spot on their stomachs was more considerable than he realized.
This felt good. Almost too good. He needed more. He wanted more. Bennett knew he could live with something like this all his life, if he wanted.
And he did. It was a surprising moment of clarity—one that resonated with him on a deep, basic level.
So he knew what had to be done—what had to be said.
“Mate me,” Bennett whispered, his voice urgent even though it was hushed.
This was the right time. Bennett knew it in his gut.
Elijah’s eyes widened, but his lips curled even wider into a wide smile. “Right now? Right this very moment?”
“Just do it. Please.”
This time, it was Bennett’s turn to beg, and it seemed to have been the catalyst Elijah needed to take charge. When the vampire finally leaned up and collected Bennett against his stronger, larger frame, he pressed their bodies together and stared Bennett in the eyes. He moved his hand up to Bennett’s nape, cradling the back of his lover’s head and gently pressing his nose into the crook of Bennett’s neck.
Elijah’s breath felt warm, and Bennett shivered in excitement.
“Ready?” Elijah asked, his voice little more than a growl at this point.
“Yes,” Bennett replied softly. “Hurry. Please.”
Without saying another word, Elijah plunged those fangs in Bennett’s neck in one quick, fluid move.
Elijah didn’t make him feel the way any other vampire did. Bennett didn’t feel scared. He knew this was right. It felt right.
But more importantly, he felt loved.
Cherished.
Needed.
Bennett clung tighter to Elijah’s body, gripping him so tight he could’ve sworn he felt every muscle in Elijah’s body…and there were many. “Ah!”
The pleasure between the two of them only intensified more and more, and Bennett knew it because he was beginning to feel the bond slowly come to life. It felt like a tickle in his brain and in his body—a gentle, feathery feeling that swept over him and spreading warmth all over. Bennett felt much more sensitive than earlier, and he was powerless to resist the pleasure he felt at the way Elijah’s hands slowly moved across his body. The stubble on Elijah’s chin tickled, but in a good way. The heated breath that wafted across his skin made Bennett whimper. But most of all, the bite itself felt so raw, so intimate, and so unnerving that there were no real words to explain it.
To Bennett, it was like a song building to a crescendo—slow and steady, becoming more and more passionate and fiery as Bennett’s senses started to dim until the only thing that mattered was their bonding. Their bodies pressed together—Elijah’s fangs in his neck, the same way that his cock was in Bennett’s ass—and the way it almost felt like they were merging into one entity.
In fact, that’s exactly what was happening.
Every inch of skin that Elijah touched felt like it was on fire. Then, in one quick snap of their hips together, a zing of pleasure coursed through Bennett
. Elijah’s cock was pressing right up against that little part of Bennett that made him shiver and tingle.
And if the way Elijah groaned against Bennett’s neck was to be believed, he was feeling just as good—maybe even better.
Their hips moved in slow, sinuous motions, rocking and filling each other with what they desperately needed. But suddenly, Elijah’s grip on him tightened, and the warlock felt the telltale twitch and throb of that cock inside of him. And slowly, something warm began filling him.
Elijah’s grip on his body slacked.
The moment the bond clicked between the both of them, Bennett gasped as he arched his back, pressing their bodies even more tautly together, and opened his eyes wide. It was suddenly like the shades of gray in his life had burst into full color and the universe finally made sense. Things he hadn’t even been aware of started to align in a way that made sense, and it was a sensation of fulfillment he was absolutely sure he’d never felt before.
This was new. This was different. This was…completion.
Mating.
It made him start to rock his hips even more hurriedly, angling each thrust so that Elijah’s ramrod stiff cock continued to rub the most sensitive parts inside him. Without even touching himself, he started to cum. A single, steady stream of white cum painted the already-messy space between the two of them, and Bennett fell into Elijah’s arms, so much so that the vampire had to hold him aloft just to brace the two of them together.
Elijah pulled free from Bennett’s neck, licking the wounds he made with slow, gentle rubs of his tongue.
And as they both came down from their high, the two of them slowly settled into the sheets—Elijah still balls deep inside of Bennett, and Bennett’s legs wrapped taut around his lover’s waist as they lay there in the messy afterglow, panting—all the warlock could do was think about the new feelings emanating from the man before him.
It was odd to feel someone else’s emotions in his mind and in his heart. It was like a warm hug that wrapped him from the outside in.
Elijah’s chest rose and fell, and not only could he hear his mate’s heartbeat, but he could feel it. And not in the way when one would put a hand over their partner’s chest—though Bennett could still do that—but it was like Elijah’s heart was beating in his own chest now.
In some ways, it felt like they were one. And with each breath, that feeling grew stronger and stronger.
Bennett had never felt safer—or more secure—even though he was still very, very well aware that there were still people out there who wanted to kill him.
But that could wait.
For now, finally, Bennett focused only on the moment.
Chapter Fourteen
“It’s been quiet here. A little too quiet, if you know what I mean.”
Julien sounded tired, and Elijah knew his friend had probably been staying up these past few days. He was just that kind of guy—that kind of leader.
Elijah put the phone on speaker and set it down on the desk. He leaned back, and swiped at the screen of his tablet with a soft huff. He was feeling restless, he had been bouncing his legs for the better part of an hour, and he was tapping his fingers on the table almost a bit too fast. Careful. Don’t want to cause a fire from the friction.
“Always a bad sign, I’d say,” Elijah replied. “No news?”
“I asked the other hunters in the area—you know, the ones we actually have ties with—and they informed me that judging from their own communications with the Cleaners, it seems the head brass only sent a couple of their people to deal with us. Thankfully, Marcel and all the mess he left behind didn’t warrant enough of their attention to get the full brunt of their force. It seems we might only be looking at a group of four or five, at best.”
“Yeah, but four or five of those guys still managed to kill two of the witches, who were still human, I might add, so they technically shouldn’t have even been in the crosshairs to begin with,” Elijah said. “Didn’t even think twice about killing one of their own. They’re bigger monsters than us.”
“Which also seems to suggest that they don’t think of witches as human, if they have no problems killing them,” Julien said. “This is at least good news, though. Well, it’s not bad news, at least, which is always something to be thankful for.”
Elijah sighed. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I’m just really worried.”
“As you should be. This is important, after all. What we have to focus on is your mate’s safety,” Julien replied. “I think it should be safe for you guys to come back after a few days. Maybe they just sent that contingent force as a warning to us, or something.”
“So, you think that they sent five of their men to us to warn us?”
“Maybe. It’s one theory. You know—things will get worse if Marcel isn’t deal with. That kind of thing.”
“I don’t get it. That makes no sense to me. Isn’t it more likely that they’re sending these five guys out to scout ahead, understand the lay of the land, and then report back? That’s certainly how I would do it.”
“You think all of this is recon for the Cleaners?” Julien asked. “That’s certainly one way to look at it. I was considering that as one of the possibilities, but thought otherwise. Extremists don’t really think that logically, now, do they?”
Elijah frowned. “We know that the Cleaners have always been methodical and exact. Be honest with me, Julien—have you been getting enough rest? Have you gone home to Eos recently since this started? You need to do that, you know.”
“Admittedly, no on both accounts. But also, being hopeful never killed anybody,” Julien said, sighing.
Elijah couldn’t help but grin. “Mm, that’s questionable.”
Julien laughed under his breath. “Well, you’re right. At the very least, knowing more about how they operate means that if we get rid of them, we won’t have as many problems dealing with the bigger group…if we even deal with the bigger group. I’m still trying to keep positive. We’ll know more about our enemy, and information is half the battle.”
“Right. Know your enemy. Someone’s been brushing up on their Art of War,” Elijah quipped. He then sighed, taking a deep, measured breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to lash out earlier.”
“I know you’re worried, and you have every right to be,” Julien said, his voice soft but firm, like some kind of therapist. Ugh, Elijah hated it—it made him feel more agitated when someone was trying to calm him down —but he kept his mouth shut. He’d known his friend long enough that he knew Julien was just trying his best to calm him down, and Elijah wasn’t really feeling like calling his friend out for doing his best in a shitty situation.
Because that’s what this was—unfair, downright cruel, and overall just…shitty. Was there any other way to explain it?
He knew his emotions were heightened because of his recent mating. Feeling all of Bennett’s emotions through their link was enough to make Elijah’s chest hurt almost constantly. The sadness on Bennett’s shoulders felt like a weight that threatened to drag them both down. The fear he felt was almost crippling in its intensity. Worst of all, the feelings of worthlessness that plagued him made Elijah want to swaddle his mate in a cocoon of blankets just to keep him safe from the outside world.
“I know you’re doing your best,” Elijah answered. “This situation just sucks.”
“I know. Nothing in this situation has been easy. You’ve always wanted to be mated, but I can’t imagine you wanted things to turn out this way,” Julien said. “No one would.”
Elijah snorted. “No, definitely not.”
“All we know of the Cleaners is based off of conjecture and hearsay, too,” Julien said. “I can only imagine the kind of strain and pressure this is putting you and Bennett under.”
The mating bond definitely helped Elijah to understand Bennett a little bit more, and what he’d learned was enough to give Elijah pause every time he looked Bennett’s way. His mate had been through so much. Even if their bon
d didn’t reach all of Bennett’s memories and what he’d felt, Elijah had become deeply intimate with the darkness that the young warlock had been surrounded with. For such soft beauty on the outside, Bennett kept a lot of inner demons at bay.
I know you’re doing your best,” Elijah said. “And you did say we could come back soon. I’m sure Bennett prefers waking up on dry land. It was fun for a couple of days, but it’s getting a little old by now. I’m sure he’d agree.”
Just the thought of Bennett having to go another day fearing for his life and the life of so many of his friends almost made Elijah tear up. His mate deserved the world. Their mating was helping—that much, Elijah was sure of, because he actually could feel the way Bennett lit up whenever they were together—but Elijah knew that Bennett would always carry a small part of that darkness with him wherever he went.
More than anything else in the world, Bennett needed the time and space to heal.
Julien laughed. “Yes, that sounds about right. This was a crazy plan, but I’m sure the both of you needed the time together. How is he, anyway?”
“He’s fine. Better now,” Elijah replied. “We’ve mated.”
“You did? Congratulations!” Elijah could hear Julien’s smile through the phone. The man sounded a tiny bit less tired than earlier, which somehow made Elijah happy, too. This was bound to be just as stressful for Julien as it was for the rest of them, if not more so. After all, he was responsible for all of their lives as the coven leader. “Damn, Vadim and Uriel owe me five bucks now.”
Elijah raised an eyebrow at that. “Taking bets, are you?”
“On how long it would take for you to maul your mate? Yeah,” Julien replied. “I’m happy you and Bennett finally got together.”
“I’ll have you know I didn’t maul him,” Elijah said, pouting.
“Oh, he totally did,” Bennett said as he slid into the room and draped himself behind Elijah, pressing a soft kiss against his mate’s cheek. Elijah felt heat creep into his cheeks. “But not on the first try. That was I think the third… or was it the fourth?”