Page 10
If Meveris could wake up like this for the rest of his life—with his mate safe and content in his arms—he”d call himself a lucky dragon.
With his nose buried in Zaryen”s hair, he caught both the already-familiar scent of his companion and the lingering scent of himself—of them—that prompted the hungry desire to curl low in his stomach. His cock was already hard when he woke up, but now it was becoming a problem.
Taking a deep breath, Meveris tried to relax, but since he inhaled more of the intoxicating scent, it made things even worse.
He shuffled away a little, not willing to pull away completely but needing some space to stop himself from grinding against his companion.
Zaryen didn”t seem to like that, though, because he closed the distance quickly and tucked himself back against Meveris.
”Good morning,” he murmured, still half-asleep but clearly awake enough to know what he was doing, if the amusement coming off of him was anything to go by.
”Good morning.” Meveris slid his hand down his companion”s chest but stopped right below Zaryen”s navel.
After all, two people could play a teasing game.
And there was no losing, either way.
”Slept well?” he asked in a whisper, rubbing his chin along the side of Zaryen”s neck gently, a prickly sensation sending small thrills down his body.
”Yes.” Zaryen tilted his head and Meveris ran his teeth gently over the exposed skin. ”Thanks for helping me relax.”
Meveris hummed as he sucked a small mark on his companion”s neck until he heard Zaryen”s breath stutter.
”My pleasure,” he whispered then, puffing air right over the darkened skin.
”Our pleasure.” Zaryen put an arm over Meveris”s, pressing it firmer against his stomach. ”And speaking of which… How about you get inside me and we have some more of that pleasure?”
Huffing out a laugh, Meveris still reached back to grab the lube before Zaryen had even finished that sentence.
They made quick work of the prep, Zaryen pliant and eager in his arms, pushing back onto Meveris”s fingers right away, and when Meveris slid inside him with one slow but insistent roll of his back, they clutched at each other”s hands, holding on.
”Hook,” Zaryen moaned into the pillow. ”Hook, there. Right there.”
Meveris kept his pace slow at first, cherishing every hitch of breath and every sound his companion let out, but his control slipped when Zaryen clenched around him. As Meveris snapped his hips, Zaryen moaned even louder, curling his fingers around his cock and squeezing it tight.
Their rhythm became fast and intense, chasing release now that they weren”t teasing each other any longer. Meveris tried to soak all of his senses in his companion—the feel and taste of his body, the sounds he was making, the smell of them emanating from his hot skin, and, finally, the sight of him. His back arching to chase the pleasure, his flushed skin, his long fingers, his half-open mouth… Meveris had never seen anything so beautiful.
At least not until Zaryen gasped and came, his body tensing for a moment right before release.
Meveris followed him over the edge, helpless and fighting for breath, muffling his moan against his companion”s neck.
Seconds passed, maybe minutes, before he could so much as lift his head, and Zaryen seemed similarly spent. The only things breaking the silence were their own heavy breathing and their heartbeats hammering wildly in their chests.
Zaryen grunted but didn”t move when Meveris slid out of him.
”I hope you”re strong enough to carry me to the bathroom, because now I really need a shower. And maybe a bath, too.”
”A bath, too,” Meveris teased, lying on his back as well and staring at the ceiling. ”Quite demanding.”
”That”s us, nobles,” Zaryen said in a serious tone that was foiled by the amusement that seemed to be emanating from him. ”We”re demanding by design. But also, how”s that you consider a bath more demanding than the part about carrying me?”
”I”ll carry you whenever and wherever you want.” Meveris shrugged. ”Having you in my arms is no hardship.”
There was a second or two of stunned silence, and then…
”You really mean it.”
It sounded like a mix of surprise and awe, so Meveris turned his head towards his companion.
”Of course I mean it.”
Zaryen stared at him wide-eyed. ”Are you always this… earnest or is it some kind of a bond thing?”
”Well, I tend to be honest and speak my mind, but I”m not willing to just carry anyone around, so that part is solely for you.”
”Yeah, please, no carrying anyone else around.” Zaryen tossed back, but then grew serious as he watched him. ”It”s not as easy to say things like that, for me. I”ll try, though, because I want you to feel like you”re making me feel.”
Meveris”s heartbeat sped up in a way that had nothing to do with any physical exertion, and he rolled onto the side and lifted himself on his elbow to see Zaryen better.
”I don”t think you”re saying too little.” He brushed his fingertips over his companion”s cheek. ”And I wouldn”t want to push you beyond what you”re comfortable with.”
”There are things I want you to know even though it might make me uncomfortable.” Zaryen caught Meveris”s hand in his. ”Besides, here”s no growth if we can”t be at least a little uncomfortable from time to time.”
Meveris brought their joined hands to his lips and dropped a kiss on Zaryen”s knuckles.
”Smart words.”
Zaryen shrugged. ”Caleen said it at a press conference a few months ago and it”s stuck with me, I guess.”
”I”m glad you”ve come around to calling Caleen by his name,” Meveris teased and watched Zaryen”s nose scrunch adorably.
”Well, after a man attempts to give you a sex talk, it”s hard to keep calling him Your Highness.”
Meveris snorted. ””Attempts to”?”
”Let”s just say we were both relieved that I”ve been educated on the matter beforehand. Sadly, many humans aren”t, especially when it comes to own-preferring people, so I understand the need for such education here, but still. Future kings should be forbidden from giving it.”
”They truly should.” Meveris tried not to laugh. ”I should have thought about that and asked for Paeveris and his companion to handle our talks.”
”You should have.” Zaryen nodded firmly before chuckling. ”No, really, it was uncomfortable, obviously, but good. And maybe I”d never have gotten around to calling him by first name otherwise, which would be bizarre considering he”s your brother-in-law.”
”Trust me, we all needed to get over that. But what is worse is the idea of my brother becoming the King Consort one day. That”s still… wrong.”
”Good for the kingdom, though.” Zaryen grew serious again as he looked at their joined hands before meeting Meveris”s gaze. ”I know it”s not like that in Paryada, but here… A little over a year ago, no one even admitted out loud that they were own-preferring. I heard it was different inside the Academy, but outside of it, nobody talked about it and certainly not in any positive light. And now the Prince Heir is married to a man. It”s… It”s hard to describe how important it has been to people like me.”
Meveris kissed his companion”s knuckles again.
”I”m glad you had that. You”re right, it”s different in Paryada, so hearing all those stories about how everyone needed to hide, and then watching it from afar as the marriage debate stirred so much anger… I guess I missed a lot, because we were mourning and it was hard to see Taveris”s memory being tarnished like this, but I know some of it now. And what happened since then—more couples being open, more people speaking up—it was important in Paryada as well, because it made our people more hopeful that they wouldn”t get tangled in secrecy.”
”They still might,” Zaryen admitted with a grimace. ”Not all humans are happy about the changes, as you know, and unfortunately even some own-preferring ones would rather have things stay like they were before. But I”m not one of them,” he added firmly. ”And I promise you, I”ll not force you into secrecy. I may not… I may not have family support moving forward, but I”ll never denounce you or what we have.”
Meveris had to kiss him then, overcome with everything he felt towards the man he hadn”t even known existed when he”d woken up yesterday and now he couldn”t imagine his life without.
”You”ll have my family”s support,” he told Zaryen when they broke for air. ”I know it”s not the same, and we are a loud bunch and quite opinionated, but my parents love welcoming people into the family and they”ll embrace you, too. My mother honestly has more love to give than anyone I”ve ever met, and my father considers a good, healthy relationship the greatest thing any of his children can achieve. It”s frankly a lot, especially at the beginning, from what I heard from my brothers-in-law, but they all appreciate it, so I hope you will, as well.”
”I”m sure I will.” Zaryen”s eyes shone as he smiled. ”Assuming I”m not going to be the exception in your parents” book.”
”You won”t.”
”Even after they hear the story of how I got here?”
”Especially then,” Meveris assured him. ”The way your family has treated you will only make my parents want to support you more. They”re always appalled by any parents who don”t shower their children with love and support.”
”That”s nice,” Zaryen murmured. ”My parents spoiled me quite a bit in the past, if I”m being honest, but they… I can tell now that it was never unconditional. When I was younger, the conditions weren”t that hard or even that pronounced. But once I grew older and realized how different I was from their picture of a perfect son, I knew it was a matter of time before I fell out of their favor. I didn”t expect it to happen so soon, though.”
Meveris leaned his forehead against Zaryen”s, his heart aching.
”It should”ve never happened in the first place. But if they don”t know that, it”s their loss. My parents will pick up their slack.”
With a sigh, Zaryen relaxed back against the mattress. ”I”m looking forward to meeting them, then.”
I”m looking forward to everything with you, Meveris thought before kissing him. I”m looking forward to making you ridiculously happy.