Page 39

A pollo woke in an unfamiliar building. It was the third time in a fortnight, which seemed extreme even for him. He was naked, itchy, and sticky.

Hay. I'm sleeping in fucking hay. Just great , he thought groggily. The only thing that made sense was that he was curled around Lachlan's back. But he smelled like blood and sweat and something icky.

"Hey, wake up. Where are we?" Apollo said, gently shaking Lachlan's big shoulder. He rolled over, and Apollo shrieked at the fresh cut down his cheek. "What the fuck happened to your beautiful face?"

"What are you screaming about?" Lachlan grumbled, and then his eyes snapped open. "Oh, gods, you're human again. Thank fuck. Am I your mate?"

"Ahhhh...I'm so disorientated," Apollo said, leaping to his feet. He looked down. "And I'm naked."

Lachlan's blue eyes narrowed at him. "You don't remember?"

"I'm sure it will come back to me when I have some clothes," Apollo replied.

Lachlan headed out into the rain and returned with a horse blanket.

"There you go. You okay? We are in Kian's back yard, by the way," Lachlan said and wrapped the blanket around him.

Apollo might have a foggy memory, but he felt good. Strong. He took Lachlan by the waist and lifted him a few feet off the air.

"Something is wrong," he said.

Lachlan huffed out a laugh. "No shit. You turned into a big fucking dragon last night. Put me down, and let's find a shower."

"I was going to say you smell ripe."

Lachlan bent down to pull on his boots. Damn, he really had the nicest ass. "What you are smelling is dragon saliva...from when you licked me…as a dragon."

"Lachie, love, can we talk about that when we are in the shower in my room in the castle? I'm no good when I first wake up—you know that," Apollo said, and rubbed at his forehead.

Lachlan put an arm around him. "Okay, let's get you upstairs. Maybe the kitchen will already have some coffee brewing."

Apollo walked in a daze as they went through the stables and into the kitchens. Hedera took one look at him and shook her head, spraying flower petals from her hair.

"Dragons," she huffed and handed them two mugs of coffee.

Apollo could have kissed her, but that would have been a bad idea for both of them.

They headed up the staircases, past the lab, and into Apollo's apartment.

He didn't know what time it was, but it was early enough that they didn't encounter anyone.

That was a good thing. He didn't want anyone but Lachlan right then.

He slid the bolt shut on the door just to ensure they wouldn't be disturbed by some well-meaning relative eager to check on him.

Apollo rummaged around for clean clothes and elixirs.

Someone had left Lachlan's beat-up duffle at the end of his bed like they knew he would find his way there eventually.

"This shower better have room for two," Lachlan said, pulling off his dirty black T-shirt. He had a purple bruise on his ribs, and Apollo hurried to find a proper healing potion.

"Here, drink this. What the fuck happened to you?" Apollo asked, giving him the vial.

"Met Kovacs. He got in a few good hits with some brass knuckles before taking control of me with blood magic and almost made me slit my own throat," he said. He drank the potion and turned the shower on. He climbed under the spray and groaned.

Apollo frowned, pausing by the shower door.

He remembered watching Lachlan join the fight at the main house through binoculars.

He had seen Kovacs tackle him, and he had tossed the binoculars and started running.

There hadn't been any pain, but he had suddenly been running on four legs, and all he could think of was. ..

"My mate was in trouble," Apollo whispered. He put his hand over his mouth as his dragon memories rushed back.

A soap-covered Lachlan was staring at him through the steam. He took Apollo's other hand and pulled him under the spray. He had told Lachlan that he was his mate.

"You remember something," Lachlan grumbled, squeezing out more soap into his hand and rubbing it over Apollo in slow circles. "I need to know if you are going to spew."

"I-I'm not," Apollo replied as his eyes closed. Fuck. He had told Lachlan he was his mate. He was sure of it.

"Are you hurting anywhere?" Lachlan demanded, and he shook his head. "Good."

Lachlan's mouth crashed down on his, and he wrapped his arms around him. Apollo rallied and pulled him closer, his nails digging into his back. Lachlan pulled back but held him firm.

"Now, you're going to tell me the truth, Apollonius," he growled.

"I am?"

Apollo was still a little dazed from the kiss. He opened his eyes. Lachlan looked pissed. He wriggled, but Lachlan only tightened his grip.

"Nope. No running for you. Am I your mate?" he demanded.

Apollo swallowed hard. "Maybe?"

"I said the fucking truth," Lachlan said, and there was hurt in his blue eyes now.

"Yes. You...are," Apollo replied.

Lachlan let him go and stepped back a little from him, a hand on his chest. Shit. Shit. Shit. Lachlan was going to leave him if he didn't find a way to fix it.

"I mean, if you want to? I won't ever force you to accept it, Lachie. I know you don't do relationships, and you're probably not?—"

Lachlan put a hand over Apollo's mouth. "Stop. Talking."

Fuck, he was so mad. Apollo stood patiently, fighting the urge to talk or bolt.

"Nod if you have known for a while," Lachlan said finally.

Apollo nodded.

"And just about everyone else knows too?"

Apollo shrugged and nodded. He wasn't sure who had figured it out other than his family, Killian, Taranis, Arawan, and Imogen…maybe they did all know?

"Fuck, Apollo. Did you really hate the idea of being mated to me that much that I had to be the last to know?" Lachlan asked, his voice cracking just enough to break Apollo's heart. He pulled Lachlan's hand off his mouth.

"That's not it at all, Lachie. Come on. I could never hate you.

I just... You've always been keen on random hookups and not relationships, and I don't know.

.. I couldn't just walk up and be like, 'Hey handsome, you're my mate, which means you're going to be stuck with me forever and ever' because you have never been with anyone longer than a night.

Sorry if I didn't want to be rejected, okay?

Fuck!" Apollo exclaimed in one long breath.

Lachlan covered his face with his hands, and a helpless little laugh escaped him.

"You really are so fucking clueless. I was only hooking up with people because I was trying to get you out of my system and even that stopped a year ago because I only want you.

I've only ever wanted you, you maniac. Fuck me, I think I'm actually having a heart attack right now. "

Apollo growled and put his hand on Lachlan's chest. His heart was beating fast, but he wasn't in any danger.

"Maybe just a panic attack? I'm serious, Lachlan.

If you don't want to mate with me, I kind of need to know soon because I feel like it's already started, and it's going to be really hard for me to walk away from you. "

Understatement of the fucking year. He would have to be sedated and carried off to Faerie or further.

"Don't you fucking dare walk away from me." Lachlan cupped Apollo's cheeks with his shaking hands. " Don't you dare, Apollo ."

"Okay, I won't. I just... I don't know if you will want me forever. Because that's what mating is. You get that, right?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah, baby, I get that." Lachlan kissed him on the lips, his tongue teasing just a little. "How could I not want you forever? Have you seen you?"

Relief rushed through Apollo, lighting him from the inside out. A rumbling purr echoed from his chest. "Yeah, I have. I've also seen you, and you're fucking perfect. Especially your ass."

Lachlan laughed and rested his forehead against his. "It's yours whenever you want it if you mate with me."

"Done!" Apollo exclaimed, shutting the water off. He slung Lachlan over his shoulder and carried him back into the bedroom. He dropped him on the bed, making him laugh harder. "Not so fun getting manhandled when it's you, huh?"

"Oh, I dunno about that. I think it depends on the man," Lachlan said, his eyes glittering with lust and mischief.

"You are going to pay for that comment, Ironwood."

"Come at me, Greatdrakes," he teased back.

Apollo pounced, and Lachlan caught him, still laughing. "I know how to shut you up."

"Do you?" Lachlan asked, nipping at Apollo's bottom lip.

Apollo used his newfound strength to wrestle his way up and rub his dick against Lachlan's lips. "Open up, sweetheart."

Lachlan opened, and Apollo slid into the welcoming heat of his mouth. Oh, fuck yes. He thrust a few times, his breath catching at how good it felt.

"There we go. Isn't that better than back-talking your mate?"

Lachlan whimpered and gripped Apollo's hips and pulled him back with a pop. "Turn around."

"I don't know if that's how it works..."

"Give me some oil from your drawer, and I'll suck you off and open you up at the same time," Lachlan said and teased his tongue over Apollo's tip. "Better make it the fun oil too, if you have any, because I'm going to need my mate in me if he's going to claim me." He batted his big blue eyes.

Something about that triggered the dragon in Apollo's brain, and he growled. "I'm going to claim you so fucking hard."

"You better," Lachlan replied.

Apollo jumped off him and hurried to his bathroom to find more of the oil he had made.

He had only been using it to jerk himself to pieces in the shower.

He found the bottle and grabbed a few clean hand towels and hurried back to where Lachlan was waiting, his arms behind his head. Apollo's brain stuttered at the sight.

"Oh, good gods, you're my mate," he said, feeling dazed.

Lachlan grinned. "Get over here and prove it."