Royal Line (4 page)

His hips rolled, his head falling back, banging against the wall. One of Grio's big hands cradled his head from the wall, but not his ass, which slammed against it again and again. His body shuddered, shaking with pleasure, with pressure. Grio's other hand wrapped around his cock, both their cocks, pressing them together.

"Yes." He snarled the word, nodded. "Harder."

Grio tightened his hold, jacking their pricks. Phoenix nodded and focused on fucking Grio's lips, stealing his breath.

Needy moans filled his mouth. That was it. Just like that. Come on.

Grio's thumbnail caught his slit. Fuck. He arched, shooting hard, marking Grio with his scent. Roaring, Grio came as well, more come splashing up over their cocks. They rocked for a minute, their spunk mingling.

Grio's kiss became lazy, sensuous. Leaning back hard against the wall, Phoenix encouraged Grio's weight. A low hum vibrated against his lips, Grio's hand letting go of their cocks in favor of grabbing his ass.

Insane. Delicious. Wild.

"I have to go to class. I have to work." He wanted to fuck.

"Call in sick."

"Maybe once." He could, but... Part of his brain was screaming about logic and sense. The rest of him was having a purr and voting for more orgasms.

"Uh-huh." Grabbing his ass with both hands, Grio pulled him up hard against all those lovely muscles and walked them toward the bed.

"Strong." He arched up, rubbed against Grio's chest, playful and horny.

"All the better to manhandle you into bed."

They tumbled into the bed together, bouncing, both laughing.

"We've lost our minds, man. We're strangers locked into a weird house and we think we're tigers."

"We know we're tigers," Grio insisted, rolling over him and taking his mouth.

Fuck it--kissing was better than thinking. And Grio was damn good at it, put his whole body into it.

They rubbed together, skin and fur and muscles moving in concert.

"Want to feel you inside me," growled Grio.

Something inside him rumbled happily, and just like that he rolled Grio over, spread himself over the broad back. His teeth sank into Grio's shoulder, dug in. Grio bucked back up into him, calling out to him.

The world sharpened and he held on, hand pushing Grio's thighs apart. They spread for him. Grio's head dropping low.

"Mine." The word tore from him, and he meant it. How could he mean it? How could he mean it so fiercely?

"Yours." Grio said back, ass pushing toward him demandingly.

"Yes." He bit down again, pushing his fingers into Grio's lips.

Sucking right away, Grio pulled hard on his fingers. Yes. Yes. His eyes crossed, a deep growl bubbling up inside him.

Grio's teeth scraped his fingertips. He grabbed hold of Grio's nape with his teeth and tugged his fingers away, burying them in that sweet, tight ass. Everything in him was going on pure instinct, humanity shoved aside. Grio's body squeezed his fingers, tight around him.

He didn't waste much time on preparation. Grio wanted him and he needed in. Now.

Groaning when he pulled his fingers out of that tight ass, Grio pushed back toward him, wagging his ass enticingly. That was all the encouragement he needed. Phoenix surged forward, burying himself in a single, strong stroke. Grio roared, body rippling around his cock, fluttering.

Grio's fingers opened and closed on the sheets, low sounds coming from him. Vocalizing softly in low sounds, Phoenix moved his hips in sure, steady punches, driving into the perfect sheath. Grio pushed back to meet his thrusts, grunting as he punched in.

Over and over, their bodies met, slamming together, skin slapping. They moved faster, Grio clamping down as he pulled out, making the hot body drag all along his skin.

"Yes..." he hissed, fingers sliding down to twist with Grio's. Grio's grip was strong, holding him as surely as that ass gripped his cock.

Their thrusts slowed, became deeper, harder, the bed groaning beneath them.

"Phoenix..." His name sounded like a plea.

"Mmm..." His words were gone, dissolved into needy growls.

He moved, changing his angle, and Grio clamped down tight on him, roaring. His own roar tore from him and things got intense. They drove together, biting and growling and rolling on the mattress.

In the end, he wrapped his teeth around Grio's nape, biting hard enough to break the skin. Grio roared again, squeezing him as Grio came, the scent of spunk filling his nose. That drew his own climax, his spine feeling like it was going to snap as he shot deep inside Grio.

He collapsed onto Grio, who held his weight without complaint, slowly lowering them to the bed. The whispers of worry tried to make themselves known again, but the scent of Grio was almost enough to quell them.

As if Grio knew, he squeezed, body rippling around Phoenix's cock.

"Napping time," murmured Grio.

"Napping." He growled softly, nuzzling the dark red hair. He loved the scent of Grio, it fascinated him.

Grio reached back, big hand wrapping around his hip and keeping him right there.

His cock slipped free and suddenly he was heavy, boneless, and he dragged his rough tongue over his mate's shoulder. Grio shifted beneath him, fur stunning, covering pure muscle. Making a low noise, Grio rested.

Phoenix moved around until he found a sunbeam from the skylights, then let his eyes close. Nap. Nap. Nap.

At this moment, nothing else mattered.

Grio woke as his tiger, still curled up in bed, with Phoenix wrapped possessively around him. It felt so good, so right. He was in so fucking much trouble, though. Not only was he with another male, that other male was a royal. Headquarters was going to plotz. Groaning, he let himself shift back to his human form.

Damn, Phoenix really was a beautiful tiger. He reached out, scratching the big head, right between the ears. One eye cracked open, stared at him, then Phoenix chuffed softly.

Grinning, Grio continued petting and scratching. "You're a magnificent tiger."

The big head pushed into his belly, nuzzling him, scenting him. He'd never met a human that took to his true form so totally, so completely.

This whole thing might have started with Phoenix thinking he was insane, but Phoenix's tiger knew exactly who he was.

Leaning over, Grio kissed Phoenix's nose. "Beautiful beast."

A soft fuzzy cheek brushed his, a warm caress. One of the royal family, in bed, loving on him. It was almost unbelievable.

Groaning, he dug his fingers into Phoenix's fur.

"I'm going to have to call in, report. We're going to have to make a plan." Grio knew Headquarters was going to have all sorts of ideas about what they wanted to do with Phoenix. Someone from the royal line was a big damn deal.

Phoenix snorted and started grooming him. Whoa. Tiger breath.

"One of us needs to shift, babe." He wasn't adverse to it being him, but the details weren't going to just disappear because he wanted them to.

Slowly, reluctantly, Phoenix the man appeared, heavy in his arms. He kissed the top of Phoenix's head, the bright red hair soft against his lips.

"You're as beautiful a tiger as you are a man," Grio told Phoenix.

"I still don't know what to do, really."

"That's why I needed to do this with you privately instead of in the middle of the quad at the university. I'll teach you how to control the change, so you don't suddenly become a tiger in public."

"Yeah, that would suck. So, what, I figure it out, I go home, everything's cool?"

Grio wished he could say yes to that. "Headquarters is going to want to talk to you. We didn't know there were any royals still alive." Honestly, he didn't want to tell them. He didn't want to have to give Phoenix up.

"Headquarters? Like government?"

"It's an organization of tigers whose mission is to locate, educate and keep safe new tigers. One of the founding members is wealthy."

Shrugging, Phoenix seemed relatively unconcerned. "So we won't tell them. I don't intend to eat anyone."

"Except they sent me to find you. They're going to want a report." They knew he was out here with the new tiger.

"Tell them they were wrong."

Yes, but it was important--vital--that they have someone with Phoenix's genetics. The humans didn't need another professor. Even Grio could see that.

"But they weren't. We need... Your line has to continue, Phoenix. I'm not saying you have to father children, but a donation of some sperm..." He definitely didn't want to let Phoenix find a wife and have children the traditional way. Just the thought made his hackles rise.

"There's a tiger sperm bank?" One eyebrow lifted to the ceiling.

"When your species is dying, there sure as hell is." Or he'd bet some version of one.

"I...I don't. I don't know what to say about that."

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." Grio cupped Phoenix's cheek.

"I have to grade papers and I have the next chapter of my dissertation due. Somehow this doesn't jive with the whole...other thing."

"Most of us go about our regular lives. My regular life just happens to be working for Headquarters." It was what he was good at.

Phoenix nodded, sighed. "So, honestly, what happens next? I obviously can't do what I want."

"Sure you can. All you need to do is spend a couple days with me, learning to be a tiger. Then you go back to your life. With, I imagine, the odd meeting with Headquarters to discuss...uh, your legacy."

"Right. Okay. I assume it's not like full moon, watch out for silver bullets?" Phoenix was agitated, beginning to pace, completely unaware of his nudity. He was rather stunning, in fact.

"No, we've got nothing to do with the moon. And regular bullets will kill us just as dead as silver bullets." There was a lot of shit you could blame on werewolf movies.

"Well, then, what else? I'm queer, so no worries about getting someone pregnant with a mutant. Can you catch it?"

"Mutant..." Grio chuckled, then shook his head. "No, it's not catching. You have to be born with it. That's part of why we're dying out. You can't just make new tigers."

"Well, that's handy, I suppose."

"And not handy. We wouldn't be dying out. But yeah, I guess it limits our risk of exposure." Honestly, he didn't want to be talking about this. He wanted Phoenix to bed him again. And he wasn't even a bottom.

Phoenix nodded and continued walking a hole in the floor.

"What are you thinking?" Grio asked.

"That this is a ridiculous situation. That I have to figure this out. That I can't believe we're talking when we could be fucking."

Grio's nostrils flared. "Well, you're a smart man, I bet we can do the quick version. Later."

"I am. This is insane. I don't just fall in bed with strangers." Those eyes fastened on him.

"And I don't bottom for anybody." That didn't mean he didn't want to rollover and present his ass, beg Phoenix to fuck him again.

"No? I do. I like pitching and catching. I liked pitching to you a lot."

"I liked catching for you. I want to fucking do it again." It didn't seem to matter that he didn't bottom. Something about Phoenix made him need it. "We've got this great big bed."

"We do and I'm assuming we're running out of time to use it." Phoenix began to stalk him.

Grio moved backward, heading for the bed and making Phoenix give chase at the same time. The tiger lived right under Phoenix's skin, those bright eyes lit from within. Continuing to move backward, Grio jumped onto the bed. Phoenix's lips were open, soft chuffs escaping him.

Grio managed to trip over a pillow, going down hard. With amazing reflexes, Phoenix jumped, caught him before he fell, mouth dropping over his. Fuck, that was hot.

Grio opened up, letting Phoenix in. A heavy curtain of hair fell over him, brushing his face. Groaning into the kiss, he pushed his fingers into Phoenix's hair. The scent of them together was pure, heady, delicious. Hell, it was an addiction.

Phoenix lowered them to the bed and he took the man's weight gladly. Their bodies fit and he moaned as they came together, rocking easily. There was something about Phoenix that made him want, more than he ever had. Something that affected him deep in his bones.

Wrapping one of his legs around Phoenix's, he held them together. They rocked into each other, nice and slow, Phoenix obviously not in any hurry now that they were actually touching.

Grio tugged lightly on the hair in his hand, tilting Phoenix's head so the kiss went deeper. He felt the little throb of Phoenix's cock, bobbing against his thigh. It drew his hand and he reached for it, wrapped it in his fingers.

"Mmm." Phoenix rubbed their cheeks together. He let Phoenix scent him, wanting to smell like his prince.

Low rumbling sounds filled the air, Phoenix calling to him, tugging at his heart.
Mate. Mate.

Oh, fuck.

Grio called back.

Phoenix nodded, rubbing their cheeks. "Mate."

No. No, they couldn't. He wasn't royal blood. He shook his head, but the rest of his body pushed closer. Headquarters was going to kill him and cut him into filets.

Phoenix moaned, brought their cocks together, stroking them, base to tip. Rowling, he bucked, pushing into Phoenix's hand. Nothing else mattered. They rocked together, each kiss getting just that much wilder, sharper.

"Need you." He did. He needed Phoenix inside him.

"Here. Right here." Phoenix nipped his jaw.

He tilted his head back, offering his throat to his prince. The first touch of Phoenix's lips was so gentle he wanted to scream. His whole body tensed, pushed toward Phoenix.

"Mine. I want you." The next touch was a bit firmer.

"Yes. Yes. I'm right here."

Phoenix growled softly, teeth scraping his teeth.

"I'm yours. Take me," he growled right back.

"Mine. My own. Swear it." The words were laced with intent, Phoenix's eyes pure tiger.

"Yours, Phoenix. Now
mark
me, damn it."

Sharp teeth sank in, making him scream, the burn deep. His whole body bowed up and he clawed at Phoenix's back. His nails dragged, tearing and marking Phoenix in return.