Heart of the Warrior (34 page)

Micah pushed out of the chair and gestured toward Trace that
it was time to go. "We'll let you two get back to it." Micah stopped
at the door, turned around, and made kissing noises at them then laughed.

Sev grabbed a handful of fries and threw them at him.
"Get out of here, Micah!"

Micah and Trace ducked and chuckled.

"Get well, Sev. Let us know if you need anything."
Micah hesitated and nodded toward Arion. "But I think you've got all you
need right there."

Meaningful glances were exchanged and Sev felt the kinship
strengthen between him and Micah. He had a feeling he would lay down his life
for that male right now if it ever came to that.

Micah grinned. "That won't be necessary." With
that, he led Trace out.

"What did he mean by that?" Ari looked up at him.

Sev shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. Just that I
think Micah and I have an understanding now."

The two gazed at each other for a moment then looked back
toward the door as it hissed shut.

"I never thought I’d say this," said Ari,
"but I’m really starting to like that black-haired freak."

Sev took a bite of his burger. "Me, too."

They exchanged glances again and grinned at each other.

"And I don't care if you are half dreck. You're
my
half-dreck, and I love you."

Damn, Ari knew just what to say to make his heart beat a
little harder. He kissed Ari's cheek then brushed his lips over his ear.
"I love you, too."

After filling their bellies, the doctor came in and gave Sev
one final examination then cleared him to go home with orders to rest for the
next week.

"Do you want to see Gina before we leave," Ari
said.

Sev slipped a shirt Tristan had loaned him over his head. He
was still stiff as hell, but at least he was upright and alive. "No, I
need to get something from home first and get cleaned up." He hadn’t had a
proper shower in over three days. "And I need you."

They were still in the midst of the
calling
but it
had taken a brief hiatus while Sev recovered. But it was reawakening and they
had already had to lock the door once for some privacy.

Ari licked his lips and his gaze smoldered. "I
see."

Uh-huh. They really needed to get home and get back to being
newly-mated.

Sev was still weak, though, and as a precaution they rolled
him out to Ari’s car in a wheelchair and helped him into the passenger seat.
Ari tossed their things in the back and got behind the wheel and drove him
home, holding his hand the whole way.

Once home, Ari helped him inside and downstairs to the
bedroom, where he sat down on the bed.

"What do you want to do first?" Ari said,
grinning.

"Shower. Definitely a shower." No question about
that. Sev felt disgusting. As much as he wanted to get inside his male, like
yesterday, he wanted to be clean first.

Ari went to the bathroom and Sev heard the water turn on. In
a moment, Ari was back, kneeling in front of him. "Doc says I’ll have to
help you bathe."

"Oh, is that right?" He grinned at the way Ari was
looking at him.

So, maybe he could have his cake and eat it, too.

Ari nodded and palmed his knees, smiling affectionately.
"Yes, we can’t have you falling down or hurting yourself, you know."

Sev arched an eyebrow. "Okay, well, you’ll definitely
have to join me in the shower then. Save me from myself." He winked.

"Absolutely."

"What else are you supposed to help me with?"

Ari’s fingers rubbed up his thighs to the waist of the nylon
sweats he had borrowed from Trace. "The doc said I might have to help you
undress if your muscles are still stiff." His fingers grazed over the
erection that had popped up the instant Ari had mentioned the shower.

"I’m definitely stiff." Sev stared into Ari’s
sexy, topaz eyes.

"Yeah, I should probably lend you a hand, huh?"

"Or two."

Ari pushed his hands up Sev’s shirt and lifted it over his
head, then kissed the angry scar that was still healing over his chest. In
another day, it would only be a pale pink mark, especially if he drank from Ari
one more time.

"What did the doc say about physical activity?"
Sev rested his arms over Ari’s shoulders.

"Mmm, I think he said physical activity was good as
long as it wasn’t too strenuous." Ari hooked his fingers in the waist of
the sweatpants and pushed them down. He pulled them off along with his shoes
and looked back into Sev’s eyes before pulling his own shirt off.

"So, I guess you’ll have to be gentle with me."
Sev took the shirt out of Ari's hands and tossed it aside as Ari took off his
own pants.

"I’ll be anything I have to be as long as I can spend
the rest of my life with you." Ari took his hand and pulled him up and led
him to the bathroom.

Ari stood behind him and raked his blunt nails up and down
his back while he brushed his teeth. The head of Ari’s cock bumped against his
ass then slid between his cheeks. Sev quickly finished brushing and wiped the
extra toothpaste off his mouth with his hand then spun around and pulled Ari to
him with a possessive growl.

In an instant, their mouths came together and Ari’s tongue
darted into his mouth to taste him.

"Mmm." The deep moan vibrated from Ari’s chest
into his own and their cocks slid together.

Without breaking the greedy lip-lock, Ari maneuvered him
into the luxurious, open shower and slapped his hands around on the shelf until
he found the soap. Sev grabbed the shampoo and poured a generous portion into
Ari’s hair, then his.

Within seconds, between Ari’s soapy hands and Severin
washing both his and Ari’s hair, they were covered in thick dollops of suds
that fell down their bodies to slap onto the tile floor. All the while their
lips never parted, and their tongues never stopped dancing.

When one of Ari’s slippery, soap-covered hands dove down the
crack of his ass and the other wrapped around his shaft, Sev grunted and
staggered forward. Ari caught him, letting go of his cock long enough to steady
him before getting back to work on his hard-on.

Suddenly, a thick stream of shampoo bubbles dribbled down
Sev’s face and he jerked back with a laugh.

Ari joined in and directed them both under the shower of
water to rinse off.

"Fucking soap." Sev splashed water over his face
then worked the suds out of Ari’s hair.

"It has its advantages," Ari said, working the bar
between his hands before setting it aside and going to work on Sev’s cock
again.

"Mmm, yes it does."

The hand job made Sev's legs shake. This was only the second
time Ari had touched him like this since the accident, and it was as if they
both had been eager to get home and back to the business of loving each other.
Ari stopped stroking him and rinsed him off then eased him back until he sat
down on the shower bench. Then he knelt down in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Sev said.

Ari pushed his legs apart and slid between them. Keeping his
gaze locked to Sev’s, Ari leaned forward and took his cock between his lips.

Sev’s hands gripped the edge of the bench. Oh, fuck! This
was the one thing Ari hadn’t yet done to him and he could only stare down at
his shaft as it disappeared into Ari’s mouth. His tongue swirled around and around
the head, causing Sev to shudder. Then Ari's fist started pumping the shaft as
he sucked lightly on his glans.

"Oh my God, Ari. Fuck, yes."

Sev’s fists gripped the bench so tightly it was a wonder he
didn’t break it. Ari knew just how to touch him. He knew when to apply
pressure, when to back off, when to pick up the tempo and when to slow down. It
was almost as if he was inside Sev’s head, but that’s why nature had made them
mates. They were designed for each other. Perfect complements. Mating was nature’s
way of saying they had been made for each other.

"You’re going to make me come." Sev tapped Ari’s
head to tell him if he didn’t want a mouthful he had better pull back, but Ari
only doubled his efforts. "Fuck, Ari. Are you sure you want this."

Ari didn't stop. He only looked up through his long,
water-beaded lashes and nodded once when he found Sev's gaze. His lips sealed
around his shaft, sucking and pulling, his tongue teasing the head. His topaz
eyes practically sparkled as he watched Sev.

"Then don’t stop. Keeping do – unh – yes, that. Keep
doing that. Oh God. Don’t stop-don’t stop-don’t stop." He clamped his
hands on Ari’s head like he was holding a bowl in place to catch his release.
"Close, so close, yes, yes, YES!" his chest and shoulders pumped hard
with each affirmative declaration. "Fuck! Uuuuungh!"

Ari moaned as Sev’s offering spurted down his throat and he
swallowed reflexively as he reached down to pound his own erection. Within
seconds, he jumped up off the floor and climbed onto the bench to stand in
front of Sev, his feet on either side of Sev’s hips.

"Take me in your mouth. Hurry!" Ari commanded.

Ari bent his knees slightly and pumped his cock as he slid
the head inside Sev’s open mouth. Sev closed his lips around it, flicking the
tip with his tongue, making Ari shudder. He could tell Ari was close and knew
just how to send him over. He rubbed his palm between Ari's legs, back, and
over his scrotum. Then he slid his thumb inside Ari's ass as he gripped his
cheek.

"Aauugghh!" Ari cried out and orgasmed instantly,
his ass clenching and releasing around Sev’s thumb as cum sprayed over his
tongue.

He had blown Ari a couple of times already and eagerly
swallowed what Ari gave. He loved the way Ari tasted, and he licked and licked
until he had taken every last drop then pulled Ari down to sit on his lap.

"Thank you." Ari was still gasping for air.

Sev stroked his fingers over Ari’s back and smiled at the
way Ari wrapped his arms around him and held him like he would never let him
go. "For what, babe?"

"For being alive. For loving me. For everything."

"My pleasure," he said.

Ari barked out a breathless laugh. "Mine, too,
apparently."

"Apparently." Sev closed his eyes and smiled
against the side of Ari's face then kissed his cheek.

They held each other a minute longer, then reluctantly got
up.

"Do you think we followed doctor’s orders then?"
Sev rinsed one last time before shutting off the water.

"Absolutely. Do you want to follow doctor’s orders
again later?" Ari snagged their towels and tossed one to Sev.

"Do I look like I need that much medical
attention?" He rubbed the towel over his hair and brushed it over his
arms, chest, and stomach then secured it around his waist.

Ari stepped closer and licked his shoulder. "I think
you need at least two more days of bed rest. At least."

"And I think you’re looking a bit under the weather
yourself, babe. Maybe you should stay in bed with me." He wrapped an arm
around Ari’s waist.

They embraced and Ari nibbled his bottom lip. "I hope
I’m not contagious."

"I don’t know if you’re contagious, but you’re
definitely the antidote I need, and I think I need another dose before we go
back to AKM."

Ari kissed him, licking his lips. "I think I can handle
that."

"I hope so." Sev crowded him out of the shower and
back to the bedroom, where they fell onto the bed already wrapped in each
other’s arms.

Ari was still hard from the shower and only wanted more of
his mate. His
mate.
Nothing would tear them apart. Not Io, not his
parents, no one. This was where he belonged and he would never doubt that
again. He rolled Sev to his back and slid inside him, ready to give Sev
everything he wanted and needed for the rest of their lives together.

Sev’s legs locked around him and he pulled him down until
they were chest-to-chest and mouth-to-mouth once more.

"I’m never letting you go," he said, thrusting
into Sev, their lips brushing together.

"I’ll never let you." Sev grunted as Ari thrust
again, harder this time.

"Am I hurting you?" Ari knew he needed to be
careful with Sev for a few days.

"No. Feels good. Harder, babe."

Ari rammed into him, and again, faster, their flesh slapping
as their bodies came together.

Sev moaned. "Yes, I like that." His eyes closed
briefly as his face contorted in ecstasy.

"Must be my mate. He’s really sexy and I can’t stop
myself."

Sev smiled at him. "Your mate’s a lucky guy."

Ari licked his tongue over Sev’s lips and just
ever-so-softly kissed him as he pressed both palms against Sev’s hips, driving
into him harder.

"Oh, God!" Sev groaned hard. "Check that.
He’s a
very
lucky guy."

"I’ll be sure and tell him." Ari grunted as he
pushed forward inside Sev again.

He fell more in love with Sev every second he was with him.
Almost losing him made him appreciate that much more what they had together.

Ari fucked Sev harder, another orgasm tickling his spine,
growing on a crescendo until it exploded and shot fireworks through his balls.
He grunted and clamped his mouth over Sev’s then shuddered as he pulled out and
came on Sev’s stomach.

After the last spasm rippled through him and he lay spent on
Sev’s torso, Sev grinned against his mouth. "Doctor’s orders."

Ari chuckled. "Who would’ve thought, right?"

Sev laughed then Ari joined him.

Ari was happy. He was finally happy.

Sev held Ari’s hand proudly as they walked through the main
hall toward the holding rooms. The stares only made him stand taller as he
squeezed Ari’s hand reassuringly. He knew it would still be a while before Ari
was completely comfortable with public affection, but he had been the one to
insist on holding Sev's hand. Ari seemed determined to show Sev how important
he was to him, and just as determined to overcome the fear still inside him
that they would be the subject of ridicule now that they were
out.