Page 16

“Fuck! Fuck, Caius,” Max gasped, curling over Caius’ head, his hips jerking with short, aborted thrusts like he was fighting to hold still.

That wouldn’t do. Caius gripped Max’s ass with his free hand, working another finger in and swallowing until Max hit the back of his throat.

“Yes,” Max hissed, his gasps and sharp cries of pleasure growing louder until even Rían could likely hear.

Precum coated his tongue, the taste matching Max’s scent with bitter and salt beneath it, and the musk of sex filled his nose, but it wasn’t enough. With a twist of his wrist, he pushed his fingers deeper and found the spot that ensured Max came apart.

With a broken off cry, Max spasmed and shuddered with release, spilling down Caius’ throat. His grip went slack once he was spent, his body turning boneless as he panted against Caius’ hair. He sank back down to sit and slumped into Caius’ chest with a long, satiated moan.

Caius held him with a soft, pleased growl, languishing in the scent and taste of Max while the mage caught his breath.

Then he shifted his fingers, curling them enough that Max arched and gasped his name.

There was no rush to get Max worked up again, so Caius took his time, dragging his tongue along Max’s neck as he added more lube and another finger.

By the time Caius neared his own limit, Max was hard again and apparently running out of patience. He fisted both hands in Caius’ hair and dragged him in for a searing kiss. “Fuck me.”

With a growl, Caius toppled Max to the bed and stood.

He stripped with military efficiency and grabbed the lube, raking his eyes over Max as he sank to a knee between his thighs.

Max’s breathing sped up as Caius poured lube into his hand and coated himself.

With his other hand, he snagged Max’s leg and pulled him to the edge of the bed, then leaned over him.

He captured both wrists and pinned them over Max’s head with his good arm, gripping his hip with the left and lifting Max enough to press against his entrance.

Max tipped his head back with a long, pleading moan and wrapped his legs around Caius, digging his heels into Caius’ ass to pull him closer. “Please, please, hurry the fuck up.” It sounded more like a demand than a plea, even as he flexed his wrists against Caius’ hold.

Intent on savoring the moment, Caius pressed his nose into Max’s neck and breathed deep before sinking into his heat.

Max thrashed and arched beneath him with a hissed, “Fuck!” He tilted his head to the side, baring more of his neck, his legs shaking as they squeezed tighter around Caius. “More.”

Caius obliged, inching deeper and deeper until he was buried completely in the too warm heat.

He dragged his teeth against the rabbit-quick pulse at Max’s throat before sealing his lips against it, leaving a mark as he rocked his hips in slow, shallow thrusts, ignoring the ache and burn starting in his left shoulder.

Maybe it was the bond at work, maybe it was something else, but he doubted he’d ever get enough of Max. Of the scent or smell of him, as addictive as his moans and sharp cries of pleasure. They were overwhelming, filling Caius’ senses with the burning need for more.

He pulled back and out, gripping Max’s thighs and flipping him to his stomach. The surprised yelp drew a soft rumble of a chuckle from him, before he sank back into Max with a groan, gripping his hips tight enough to move in earnest .

Max was a sweetly begging mess beneath him, stretched out on his hands and knees, flushed with pleasure and the heat of flames beneath his skin.

It still wasn’t enough. In all his forty-two years, the need to claim had never been this strong before.

Binding Max, marking him as pack, neither satisfied the primal need to put a far more visible mark on him.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he growled, giving up the fight against his wolf.

The lighting suddenly changed as his eyes turned gold and his breath caught.

In human form, he could smell magic, but the wolf could see the echo of it. A mage always looked brighter than a normal human because of the swirl of raw energy coalesced around them.

Max was lit up like a sunset. Thick threads of oranges and reds and purples, and a bright blue edging to white at his core, with sparks of silver scattered throughout.

The outlines of the tattoo were a darker blur of magic against the brightness, a tangible mark, but it barely scratched the possessive itch of his wolf.

“Y-yours,” Max whimpered, tossing his head back with a sharp whine.

He would have howled if he’d let his wolf out any further. Instead, he dragged Max closer, lifting his hips higher before rutting into him. With one hand, he found Max’s leaking cock and began stroking, planting his other hand between Max’s shoulder blades to pin his chest to the bed.

With a curse, Max bucked into Caius’ hand, pleas falling from his lips like prayers one moment and commands the next.

Unable to hold back any longer, Caius sank his teeth into the juncture of Max’s neck, biting down hard enough to break skin and taste blood.

Max screamed and jerked beneath him, spilling over Caius’ hand as he shuddered through a second orgasm a moment later.

Keeping his teeth locked in place, he gave a few more deep thrusts before his own release ripped through him. His wolf finally satisfied, Caius carefully released Max’s neck, licking away the smear of blood as he continued to lazily grind into him, riding out the last tremors of pleasure.

Eyes closed and body completely limp, Max groaned and gasped for air, barely even twitching as Caius pressed a lingering kiss to the claiming mark .

When his shoulder threatened to give out, he eased back, snatching the discarded towel from his earlier shower to wipe them down.

Then he pulled the covers back and nudged Max to the other side of the bed, flicking the lamp off before stretching out next to him.

When Max remained quiet, he reached over, smoothing sweat-damp hair back from his face. “All right?”

Max hummed and leaned into the touch, grasping Caius’ wrist and rolling into him. “Yeah…. That was amazing.”

“It was,” he agreed, sliding his hand down Max’s side and over his ass with a deep sigh of content.

“We can do it again?” Max asked, keeping hold of Caius’ wrist as he rolled to put his back to Caius, then wiggled until he was tucked against his chest.

“Mmhmm.”

“Good.” Max sighed and nuzzled against Caius’ palm before trapping it between his cheek and the pillow.

Caius buried his nose in Max’s hair before hooking his other arm around him, pulling until they were flush against each other. “Quinn will likely want a turn next,” he murmured, closing his eyes as lethargy settled into his limbs.

Max’s heartbeat spiked, and he tilted his head back as Caius nuzzled along his neck. “Is that okay?”

“If it’s okay with you. Wouldn’t have let them bind you if I wasn’t willing to share.”

“No shit,” Max breathed, sounding dazed. Which wasn’t too surprising.

He wasn’t sure how much Max actually knew about shifters, but an alpha willing to share a binding or a mate with anyone was practically unheard of.

But Quinn and Lukas were more than just pack.

They trusted each other with their lives.

Had survived some of the worst missions together.

Their pack was forged through fire and blood, and he fully meant it when he said anything of his was theirs.

Including Max.