Page 101 of Found in Obscurity

He threw his head back, his fingernails breaking Lorin’s skin, voice increasing in volume as his entire body locked and he spilled between them.

The sight of him, the smell and sound of his pleasure pushed Lorin over the edge too, and Kit held him through it, breath hot and fast on Lorin’s neck.

He hissed softly and Lorin raised his head, watching Kit examine his left palm. His eyes were wide open and there was a smile stretching his lips.

“Kit?” Lorin’s voice was shaky, and Kit looked into Lorin’s eyes, some of the excitement and happiness seeping away. Lorin frowned. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“No…” Kit shook his head, tightening his legs around Lorin’s hips.

He was still inside him, still locked in tight, and he didn’t want to detach himself just yet. Not when he didn’t know what was happening.

Kit swallowed hard and slowly turned his hand toward Lorin, showing him the palm. There was a stark black mark spread over all four of his fingers, matching Lorin’s power mark exactly. Like a replica of it. An exact copy on Kit’s skin.

Lorin gasped and gripped Kit’s hand, staring at the mark and feeling his entire body freeze at the sight of it.

He’d thought it would scare him.

He’d thought it would be enough to send him running.

History repeating itself.

But there was none of that. Just pure joy spreading through him like wildfire.

“Kit…” he whispered, and Kit swallowed hard, fighting to keep his eyes locked with Lorin’s. Lorin understood now why he was acting like that. “My familiar, my mate. My soulbond.”

Just like his parents.

Kit nodded and Lorin kissed him deeply for a moment before bringing his marked palm to his lips.

“My everything.”

Kit

The early dawn slid its crisp fingers underneath the heavy curtain and across the floor toward the bed to offer a gentle hello.

Kit’s half-asleep, slitted eyes hazily tracked its progress as he felt slow breaths warm his nape. The feel of Lorin’s body at his back, his chest rising and falling in time with his own was enough to keep his mind and body in a dreamlike cloud, suspended by the need to soak in its purity.

Higher thought didn’t exist. Just his senses.

He felt melted down to his basest form, both fox and man. Flayed open, with his beating heart and their tender connection glowing faintly like a firefly to light up the space between them. Kit had never felt more vulnerable, yet safe. He was wrapped up in his den, curled up with his mate. He didn’t know how long he’d been purring for before the sound reached his ears.

It didn’t hurt his throat anymore, the muscles relaxed and vibrating without that horrible stab of pain.

His body felt well used and sore, the mark on his hand still sensitive.

He wiggled his fingers on the sheet in front of him, watching the markings shift and move like they were alive.

Lorin’s arm tightened around his waist, his knees pressing more tightly behind Kit’s own as he twitched in his sleep like a kit before settling heavily against the mattress again, still dead asleep.

Kit’s purring grew louder, a lullaby for his mate.

The sun continued its rise, more light bleeding into their den around the edges. Kit dozed on and off, feeling the pull of the animal in him lifting its head to go outside and greet it like he had done many times before.

He pushed it away with a lazy hand and it listened, quieting down and curling back up in his chest to sleep some more.

His brow creased slightly as awareness spiked.

He reached for his animal again, feeling around the edges of its amorphous shape and searching for the chains that had become a forced part of him.