Page 15 of Make Me Bleed (Sanctuary #2)

CHAPTER 14

PERMISSION

I n the security of Hank’s arms, I napped. After the orgasm he gave me, followed by how cozy I felt in his embrace, it was all I could do.

Hours must’ve passed, two maybe three. When I finally started to come to again, it’s only because Hank had laid me out on his bed, leaving me to slumber alone.

I blink, rising up on my elbow, searching for him.

It’s still bright outside. Mid-afternoon at the latest, with plenty of the day left to go. I was looking forward to spending it with my beloved, and my first instinct when I realize that I’m alone in the bed is to find him.

I don’t have to leave the bedroom part of his den. Because there he is, sitting on the cave floor, back up against the wall. The two candles in the sconces over his head are lit, throwing shadows over him. His legs are stretched out in front of him, wearing his low-slung jeans and a satisfied smile.

“Sleep well, darlin’?”

I did. With all the worries and fears and thoughts running through my head, it’s been ages since I’ve slept as soundly as that.

Before I can tell him so, though, I see him lift his hand, dip three fingers into the open jar he’s holding in the other, and scoop something out. Something thick, gloopy, and obviously sticky falls in strands back to the jar. With a practiced swivel, he knocks loose the strands before placing the amber-colored dollop inside of his mouth.

“What are you doing?” I ask. “Wait… are you eating honey?” I take a better look at the jar. “Is that the one I bought for you?”

Hank smacks his lips. “Couldn’t have picked a better gift for your male. I’m a bear, after all. I love honey.” His eyes darken as his lips curve. “Especially when it’s yours, darlin’.”

I flush, and he laughs. Then, now that he knows I’m awake, he easily hops to his feet, padding back over to the bed. Leaning down, he holds out the jar. “Want some?”

“I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I tried real honey.”

“Ah, darlin’. You don’t know what you’re missing out on. Here.” Using only one finger, he gathers a drop on the tip before placing it against my lips. “Go. Suck.”

Well, he did tell me to…

I swipe my tongue over the honey, gathering it all up before sucking his fingertip into my mouth.

Hank swallows roughly, biting back a groan. “How was it?”

I give him a mischievous grin of my own. “I think I need more to decide whether I like it or not. No,” I say when he’s about to dip his finger back into the open jar. “Can I have it.”

“Whatever you want. It’s yours.”

That’s what I hoped he’d say. Taking the jar from him, I set it next to my hip as I shift until I’m resting my ass on the edge of the mattress—and I’m positioned right in front of his midsection.

Creative, right? That’s what I said.

Okay.

With a dare written on my face, I leave the jar of honey where it is as I reach for the button on his jeans. I snap it open easily, then slowly tug the zipper down.

Hank’s breath catches, though he makes no move to stop me.

Good.

Once the zipper is down, I gently tap his inner thigh, gesturing for him to widen his stance just enough to give me room. Only then do I slip my hand inside of his jeans, nodding in approval to see that he doesn’t have any underwear on beneath them. There’s nothing stopping me from taking firm hold of his erection and yanking it out so that his monster-sized dick is just about at my eye-level.

He’s barely breathing now. Watching with pleading in his eyes, I grab the honey and lift it up.

He hisses out my name. “ Elise .”

I set the jar back on the floor so that I don’t accidentally spill the rest of his gift. Then, smiling when I notice that he’s clenched his hands into tight fists to hide the fact that he’s lost enough control of his wild side that his claws are peeking through, I part my lips and swirl my tongue around the head of his cock.

Once he’s swiped clean, I proceed to taste the honey that’s dripped over every inch of his cock, paying close attention to the thick veins along the side.

I don’t bite him, though the temptation is there. Instead, I suck, only pausing once to tell him, “You’re right. I love honey, too,” before I give myself over to the need to make Hank roar as he comes inside my mouth.

That afternoon, I know that if I spend another day with Hank, I’ll wake up as his bonded mate. And while I don’t have any intention of waiting that much longer before I wear his bite on my skin, I haven’t had a shower in days—and I’d much prefer to be clean before he makes me all dirty again.

Hank’s den has quite a few amenities. What it doesn’t have? Is running water. Luckily, as a vampire, I don’t have to worry about peeing outside since I don’t do that. But bathing? I’m a very fastidious supe. I need to be clean, especially since I’m sticky all over.

Of course, I mentioned that and my beloved’s immediate reaction is to offer to lick me clean again…

I laugh, shoving him in his chest. “I’m serious, Hank. Your bear might be happy, bathing in the river. I need a hot shower.”

“You smell delicious, darlin’.” He leans in, nipping my bottom lip, kissing me. “Taste even better.”

He must really be attracted me to say that . “You’re my mate. You have to think so.”

“Damn straight. And I mean it. So if you’re rushin’ off for this shower ‘cause you think that’s what I want?—”

“It’s what I want.”

We’re still in the bedroom, the half-empty jar of honey lying on its side on the floor of his den. Hank is sprawled out on his back, completely naked, while I tried to be a little demure by patting my dress into place once he was done going down on me. It’s hiked up a little after I curled up next to him, my hand splayed on his chest as I work up the nerve to leave.

He’s playing with the skirt now. It would be so easy to lift it up, slide my panties over, and climb on top of him… but I mean it. I want a shower, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Hank, it’s that he’ll always put what I want first.

I won’t take advantage of it. This mating serves both of us. I have to do everything I can to prove that he wouldn’t want another mate—and hopefully I did when I pleasured him—but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to sacrifice what I want when it’ll end up working out for both of us.

There’s just one issue, and we both know it.

My shower is at my home. Since Hank moved me inside of his den, he’s acted as though it’s my den now, too. Like I’ll be moving in as soon as he can arrange to bring my few belongings from Dyea to his cave. It’s almost as though he just assumed that his mate would join him out in the woods.

I’m not afraid of the dark when I’m with Hank. His den provides enough light during the day, and when the sun goes down, he has plenty of candles. Now that he knows about my phobias, he’s already done everything he could to make me feel comfortable here.

And I have. I do . But I like living in Dyea. I’m a female who loves her comforts. My television shows. My shower. Living among other supes, and having my bestie so close… to stay with Hank, I’d have to give that all up.

Am I ready to do that? It’s not enough to hold me back from taking him as my beloved, but it’s something we need to discuss. I’m not ready to do that. I’ll have to be sooner or later, but that’s firmly in the ‘later’ column. We’ve been happy together so far. Giving him an ultimatum already… I don’t want to do that.

But Hank, it seems, isn’t eager to see me walk away just yet.

“If it’s what you want, then I understand. You’ve gotta go back to that settlement of yours. Fine. Give me a couple of minutes to change and extinguish the candles. Then I’ll be ready to go.”

What? “It’s daylight, Hank. I don’t need a chaperone. I’m pretty sure I can find my way back on my own.”

“I’m sure you can, too. Doesn’t mean I’m not goin’ back with you. You’re my mate. Of course I’m comin’.”

In that case, it looks like we might have to have that discussion I’ve been avoiding ‘sooner’ after all…

“What if I want to stay in Dyea? In the settlement?” My voice wavers with sudden nerves, but I push on: “With you?”

He shrugs. “That’s fine. Hopefully you have enough space for my workshop, but if not, I’ll figure something out.”

Wait—

“What? You mean it? I thought you’d want me to stay here with you.”

“Ah, Lise… I figured ya knew.” I shake my head slowly, and he chuffs out a soft laugh. “It don’t matter where we stay. My den. Your lair. Home is where my mate is. As long as we’re together, that’s fine with me.”

There’s one teeny, tiny little problem.

At my core, I’m a rule-follower. I always have been. I do what’s expected of me. As much as I love the idea of just packing up Hank’s den, grabbing his hand, and marching him right into the settlement, I know better.

I can’t do that. The border spell might’ve allowed Hank to follow me into the sanctuary, but I’m not the leader. I don’t have the authority to approve his relocation from the woods to the hidden town. Asking permission from the witches is unlikely, but I at least have to run it by Mayor Lou.

“Mayor Lou is super nice. I’m sure he’ll say it’s okay, but I’ll feel better if I go and ask if you can come stay with me.”

Hank raises his eyebrows. “Nice, huh? I gotta worry about this mayor?”

This time, I smile in response to his jealous question. “Mayor Lou is a skunk shifter.”

“Point taken.” I thought so. “Still don’t understand this idea of permission. You’re my mate,” he reminds me. “That’s all the permission I need. Where you go, I go.”

“I know. And after he says ‘yes’, that’s fine. But I’m asking you nicely, honey bear… please let me do this.”

I thought I had him with honey bear . I should’ve known better.

He is a male shifter, after all.

Hank ruffles his hair, looking determined. “I can still come with you. Wait outside in the trees until he says it’s okay and I join ya.”

He could, but I was planning on talking to Mayor Lou, maybe checking in with Conall and Bridget on whether they found Peter or not, then stopping by my house for that shower. I’d freshen up, change my clothes, and pack some of my more luxurious lingerie for one last night with Hank in his den.

Bridget teased me when I unpacked one of my many suitcases and she noticed the silky, revealing nighties I brought with me to Alaska. Now I’m grateful that my need to dress my best no matter what led me to pack them because Hank is going to roar when he gets an eyeful of me wearing one.

I want him waiting for me in his den. Wondering if I’m in the shower, wondering if I’m wet and naked… I want him crawling with need by the time I come back, ready to finalize this thing.

I can’t tell him that, though. Insead, I whisper huskily, “Wait for me here,” and leave the rest up to his imagination.

Then, rising up on my tiptoes, I take a fistful of his hair, pulling his mouth over to mine. I kiss him, pouring all the promise of forever into it before I release him.

“Hurry back,” he demands in a throaty voice.

I plan on it.

To say the mayor of Dyea is a sweetheart is an understatement. The first one to welcome us to the sanctuary, his bright nature is almost enough to look past his unfortunate scent. He knows it, too. Poor male. Every time I speak with him, I make it a point to breathe through my nose so that I don’t offend him by reaction to his innate skunky spray.

What makes it worse is that he does his best to attempt to cover it up. Instead of using cologne, though, he swaps out an air freshener that he wears on a stretchy cord over his head.

Today’s scent in lemon, and it does absolutely nothing to cover up his odor.

Relying on decades of manners drilled into me, you wouldn’t know that my eyes are watering or that I’m even more desperate for a shower. Spending time with the mayor often ends with one walking away, carrying the stench away with you as it clings to your hair and your clothes.

I’m entirely aware of that even as I wait on bated—and, okay, held— breath for his answer to my request to allow Hank to move into the sanctuary so that he can live with me.

He didn’t even hesitate to respond.

“Oh, a bear shifter mate?” Mayor Lou had clasped his hands over his heart. “Your beloved? Of course he can come!”

I thought I might make it without too much of his skunkiness transferring to me, but in a final act of congratulations, the mayor patted my upper arm.

Smiling at him, expressing my gratitude while fighting the urge to wince, I thanked the mayor, then made my escape after promising to introduce Hank to him the first chance I get.

My plan had been to go in search for Bridget and her wolf once I finished speaking to Mayor Lou. After that touch, I hate to say it, but my shower became a priority. I decided to freshen up, then stop by Bridget’s place before returning to Hank’s den.

It was a good plan. I liked my plan.

I looked forward to my plan.

And then, letting myself into the house, I completely stopped thinking about my plan as a warning tingle sent shivers coursing down my spine.

The door was open. Though I’d been locking it behind me recently, the night I ran out into the words, I didn’t bother. Mainly because I had no intention of walking away from my house until I did.

Besides, we’re a community here. I didn’t think it would matter if I left it unlocked while I wasn’t home. It was more that I was worried about someone sneaking in while I was home.

I should’ve been more concerned about that because, the moment I grab the knob and shove in the front door, I know someone is inside of my house. I’m already stepping in anyway, closing the door again behind me out of habit, before I see a figure sitting on my couch out of the corner of my eye.

Oh, Hank.

“Hank, honey, I told you I would be right back?—”

“Hank,” says a cold, emotionless voice. “Who, pray tell, is Hank?”

Not the male who’s been lying in wait for me to walk in through the front door.

Because that’s?—

“ Julian .”