Binding Santos (6 page)

Tyron watched Santos stalk toward the gauntlet of demons.
How many demons are in the coalition? Have you ever seen anyone complete this?
Tyron spoke to his mate through their mental link, trying to hide the worry he felt.

There are thirty demons in the coalition. The free-vote right hasn't been invoked in nearly a century. I wasn't in court at the time.

Did he complete it?

No, little one. He didn't.
And then the first two demons attacked, the one on the right slamming his fist into Santos's sternum right before the one on the left shot a bolt of energy at his demon's face. The pain swamped Tyron through the mental link, taking his breath away. Seconds later, more pain hit him, and he realized Santos had stepped forward and took on the next pair of strikes.

The fourth pair both shot bolts of electricity at Santos, making the demon wrap his arms and wings around himself in agony. By the eighth pair, that's what each demon was doing, and from the residual pain Santos allowed to filter through to Tyron, the demons were getting more powerful near the end.

He wracked his mind for a way to help his mate, and a slim idea formed. Tyron lowered himself to the floor and knelt on the carved flagstones. Pulling into himself, he searched for that place of peace he retreated to when he meditated. Tyron finally found it when he felt Santos stagger at the tenth pair. Taking a deep breath, he opened himself fully to Santos, pushing past the block the demon put up to protect him. He felt the next hits to his mate's body fully, and mental pain swept over him. Through it, he forced his breathing to remain slow and even as he sucked the pain out of Santos's body into his own, flooding his mate with relief.

"Tyron, are you still with me?"

Yes, Santos,
he replied as the pain began to slowly ebb. Suddenly, Tyron felt hands under his arms, and he realized Santos helped him to his feet. He tilted his head back and grinned at Santos. "Oh. You said that out loud."

"Yes, little one. I did." He chuckled and kissed Tyron quickly before whispering, "I couldn't have done it without you." Santos turned to look at the shocked and disgruntled demons making up the coalition. "Demons choose their own bindlings," he stated flatly. "No permission needed."

Member Braken nodded, his eyes blazing with anger and something else. Respect. "As you say, Santos Ry Conica. Permission is no longer needed by the Demon Coalition for a demon to choose their bindling."

Santos nodded once before turning Tyron toward the door and heading that way. "Hey, Santos." Tyron heard the demon that'd stood by Santos when he'd entered call after them.

Santos turned and lifted a brow. "Selvator?"

The other demon grinned. "Since you'll probably want to work less so you can spend more time with your bindling, think you could use a hand at your detective agency?"

"A well-trained tracker is always welcome, Selvator. How about you meet me at the office Monday morning at ten?"

Selvator nodded. "Thank you, old friend."

Santos nodded before resuming his walk toward the exit, drawing Tyron with him. "Let's get out of here. We have some things to discuss, I think."

∗ ∗ ∗

His wings wrapped around his bindling, Santos took them to the clearing near Rostrorod. Tyron looked around with interest, taking in the warm sun beating down on them. Santos furled his wings, grabbed Tyron's hand, and led the way through the trees. "Once I figure out the lei line closest to our quarters or the infirmary, I'll use that one instead. Until then, this one will have to do. It's only a short walk to Rostrorod."

"Our quarters..." Tyron murmured questioningly, his eyes searching Santos's grin.

It occurred to Santos that he may be jumping the gun. He paused, pulling his bindling into his arms.
His bindling.
Damn, he loved how that sounded. "I guess I just assumed I'd move in with you. Now that we're bound, I don't want to live away from you." He cocked his head, trying to read Tyron's expression. "If you'd prefer, we could live at my condo, but since you're the clan doctor, I figured you'd want to remain close to your infirmary."

He waited for the gargoyle to say something, but Tyron just continued to stare. Santos slowly loosened his arms. "Or if you need more time, we'll keep our separate places," he murmured, feeling foolish for making assumptions.

Tyron smiled slightly. He wrapped his arms around Santos's neck and pulled his head down. When Tyron pressed his lips against his own, Santos groaned softly before tightening his arms again, pulling the smaller man's body flush to his own. His cock filled as he plundered Tyron's mouth, tasting his bindling's essence, so sweet, so rich.

When he released Tyron's lips, they both gasped for breath. He smiled down at Tyron. "What was that for?"

"For your willingness to give up that awesome condo to live with my clan," Tyron gasped out.

"I'm not doing it for your clan, little one," he said. "I'm doing it for you. I figure if we're at your place, you can't ditch me in the morning." His tone was teasing, but he knew he couldn't hide the hurt through the connection they now shared.

"I'm sorry," Tyron whispered. "I didn't think you were interested in more than a one night stand, and I couldn't face you asking me to leave," he admitted, dropping his head.

Santos cupped Tyron's cheek in one hand and tilted his face up, forcing him to meet his gaze. "When I woke without you there, I just about came after you then and there. I was half dressed before I realized I was about to treat you like a wayward mate. I knew I needed to do some serious thinking before approaching you again. Stringing you along in any way wouldn't have been fair, and I knew it." He brushed several light kisses over Tyron's lips, taking in his surprised expression. "It didn't take me long to realize I wouldn't be able to let you go once I had you again." He smiled. "And
not
having you again wasn't an option. I'll never get enough of you, Tyron of Cuchulian. You are my bindling. The other half of my soul."

When he saw Tyron's smile, he couldn't stop himself from dipping his head and claiming Tyron's lips. He lifted the smaller man into his arms, pleased when Tyron wrapped his legs around his waist, bringing their bodies flush together. Stepping forward, Santos pinned his mate against a tree, grinding his erection into Tyron's equally hard shaft.

"Santos!" Tyron hissed, his head falling back against the trunk. He moaned, rolling his hips forward.

"I'm going to strip you down, my sexy bindling. I'm going to pin you to this tree and take you right here in the woods where anyone can see. You are mine now, Tyron," Santos growled.

"As you are mine, Santos. If anyone else lays a hand on you, I will kill them," he promised, growling low in his throat.

The man's possessive words burned through Santos, making him even hotter. "Yesss," he hissed before claiming Tyron's mouth in a heated kiss. He brought his claws to Tyron's waist, intending to shred the man's jeans, but Tyron stayed his hands.

"Ah, ah. I need those," he teased.

"Then you'd best get them off," Santos growled. He unbuttoned his pants, letting them slide down his hips as he pulled out his twitching cock and slowly stroked it. He watched as Tyron leered at his swollen dick. The gargoyle slid his hands down his chest, taking a second to tweak his own nipples through his shirt before grabbing the hem and pulling it over his head. Immediately Tyron's green wings curved upward behind him. Growling low in his throat, Santos's own red wings spread behind him, sending swirls of wind around the pair, echoing their desire.

He wrapped his fist tighter around his cock as he watched Tyron shimmy out of his jeans. He nearly swallowed his tongue when the gargoyle sucked three fingers into his mouth before turning around, leaning one hand up against a tree, and shoving two of the now wet fingers into his ass. Mesmerized, he watched as Tyron pumped them in and out, his body rocking as he fucked himself on his fingers.

When Tyron shoved in a third finger, Santos growled and lunged forward. He wrapped his claws around the gargoyle's wrist, pulling the fingers free. Lining up his cock, he shoved into the smaller man, not stopping until he bottomed out and his balls slapped against Tyron's ass. "Mine," he snarled into his bindling's ear. "My ass!" A possessiveness he'd never felt before swept over him. His teeth shifted fully, something he almost never allowed to happen, and he showed off a mouthful of sharp teeth.

Tyron's eyes widened as he stared over his shoulder at him. For a second, Santos thought he'd scared his mate. Then Tyron groaned and shoved his ass against him. "Claim me," he whispered. "Tear into me with that sexy grin."

A shudder of excitement racked his body at Tyron's words. Fuck, if Tyron's mewling, vibrating body was any sign, his bindling was turned on by the idea of his teeth slicing into his shoulder. A growl escaping him, Santos gave them both what they wanted as his hips began to thrust in and out of Tyron's tight, hot sheath. He gripped his bindling where the shoulder met the neck and bit hard. Blood gushed over his tongue, and he moaned at the exquisite taste of his mate. Fuck, the small sips he'd enjoyed while in the Overworld didn't do Tyron justice.

Tyron screamed, but it wasn't in pain. His cry of pleasure echoed between the trees as the sun warmed their skin. His gargoyle's ass clenched as his release shot from him, painting the bark of the tree in pearly essence. Tyron's muscles locked around Santos's cock, sucking the orgasm out of him. The demon released the gargoyle's flesh, blood dripping from his teeth. He threw his head back and roared his release. "Mine," he growled repeatedly, his body still shuddering from aftershocks from the most intense orgasm of his life.

"Yours," Tyron murmured, leaning back against Santos's still shivering body.

Still connected, Santos dipped his head and licked at the wound he'd torn into Tyron's shoulder. Yeah, he'd bit him a little hard, but fuck his mate was sexy. He couldn't stop himself. Gently he suckled the flesh, healing it with his saliva as only a mate could, leaving a large pink scar.

Santos sighed, looking over the mark he'd left on his mate. Smiling at the proof that Tyron was now his, he finally let his softening cock slide out of his bindling. Both of them groaned at the sensation. "Soon. I'll have you again soon," Santos promised.

Tyron grinned before bending to retrieve his pants. "I'm going to hold you to that," he quipped.

Growling teasingly, Santos put his pants to rights before grabbing his bindling and latching onto his lips. When he released Tyron, Santos smiled at his mate's shining eyes. "Any time, love. Any time."

Before he could start anything else, Tyron eased away from him and grimaced. "I could really use a shower and a change of clothes. And I really need to check in with my Huzza."

Santos smiled and nodded. "A bed would be preferable," he teased. Gripping Tyron's hand tightly, he began to jog through the forest. "Come on, sexy. Let's go find one." Winking over his shoulder, he pulled Tyron behind him. "I've got ideas for what to do in that shower!"

They reached Rostrorod, and Santos pounded on the door, since Tyron didn't have keys on him when he'd been kidnapped. The door swung open, revealing a gargoyle Santos didn't recognize.

"Tyron," the large man shouted. "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling Tyron into a hug.

Santos growled low in his throat, not pleased to see his bindling in another man's arms. Tyron extricated himself from the other gargoyle, patting his arm. "Yes, Cliff, I'm fine. Santos saved me."

When Tyron turned and smiled at him, the love the gargoyle felt for Santos showed clearly in his eyes. Santos's growl turned to a purr as he pulled him close and kissed him. "And you saved me," he whispered the words for Tyron's ears alone. Gratefulness to the Fates for seeing fit to give him Tyron filled Santos.

After one more not-so-chaste kiss, he looked at the gargoyles standing around them. Most had expressions of surprise or amusement on their faces. "We need to speak with Maximus as soon as possible."

"I'm here, Santos," Max said, threading his way through the parting gargoyles. He held out a hand and pulled Tyron into a one armed hug before quickly releasing him. "Welcome home, Tyron. It's good to see you safe."

"Thank you, Huzza," Tyron said, ducking his head in submission.

Max chuckled. "Relax." He turned his piercing blue eyes on Santos, taking in his shirtless form and bruising ribs. He smirked. "Well, since you're alive, I'm assuming you came to some arrangement with the coalition?"

Santos smirked, nodding. "Yup. Thanks to my exceptionally strong-minded mate, I was able to get the permission requirement for claiming a bindling revoked. Any demon can now bind with whoever they want. It should make for an interesting couple of years for the coalition." He smirked, loving the idea of causing the controlling bastards trouble.

Max chuckled. "Glad to hear it."

"We have more to discuss," Santos said softly, his gaze roving over the men still looking on with interest. "Things of a more intimate nature."

"Ah. Of course," Max said. He started leading the way down the hall before glancing over his shoulder and winking. "Congratulations, by the way. Did you have to bite him so hard?"