Page 72 of Marked By Love

“I told you he’d want to bite us back!” His wolf howled.

Royce hiccupped on a laugh. “You really mean it, don’t you? You’re not planning on bolting the second I look away.”

“Not unless there’s a box of chocolates and I’m really, really hungry. Even then I might just ask you to get them for me.”

“I’ll get you as many damned chocolates as you want.” Grabbing Theo around the waist, he yanked him into his lap, kissing him. “I love you, Theo.”

Theo threaded his hands through Royce’s hair and opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Royce breathed him in. Yes, he’d kissed Theo before, held him, but this time was different.

Theo wasn’t in heat; he’d chosen Royce with a clear head. He’d accepted the fates had put them together for a reason; he’d accepted Royce as his forever.

Pulling away, Theo pulled off his shirt, and Royce followed suit. In the past, when they’d come together, it was fast and frantic with the need of Theo’s heat; this time was slow and deliberate.

Tangled together in front of the living room stove, they explored each other’s bodies, found every lick and kiss that made the other shudder and squeal in delight. They tasted each other again and again until at last Theo straddled Royce’s lap and seated himself onto Royce’s erection.

Slow and steady, their lips locked, and Theo rocked gently as Royce’s hands roamed over every part of him. Theo’s head fell back as his release spilled between them. Royce could feel his own was close. Theo locked eyes with him and turned his head to the side, bearing his neck.

The sight sent him over the edge. His lips found Theo, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh of Theo’s neck. The skin broke as his wolf’s teeth came forward.

Magic burst in Royce’s breast. Contentment, satisfaction, the warmth of love and loving another exploded inside him; every emotion, every sensation was amplified as he felt it all through Theo’s end as well as his own simultaneously. Basking in the new and wonderful sensation of the mate bond magic, Theo leaned forward, his lips finding the same spot on Royce’s neck.

His dull human teeth had to work harder to pierce Royce’s skin, but when they finally did, the magic in Royce surged again then settled. At once everything felt perfect. The fates brought them together for this very reason, so they could find the other halves of themselves in each other, so they could lean and support one another to be the best versions of themselves possible.

Royce brought his tongue along the jagged punctures he left on Theo’s neck. Wiping away the blood and easing the pain. They rested their foreheads against each other, their pants mingling in the space between them.

“Thank you,” Royce said.

Theo hummed and moved to nuzzle his cheek into Royce. “For?”

“For the fates making you mine, for you letting me claim you.”

“Hey, I claimed you right back.”

“Damn straight you did.” Royce pulled Theo in for a kiss.

Epilogue

Two Years Later

Theodore set the bag of flour on the counter. Big Poppa sniffed it as he’d sniffed each ingredient prior. Mutt reached her head up to the edge of the counter to see what the fuss was about. She snuffled, and her tail wagged.

Big Poppa got up and lumbered to the edge of the counter, leaned down, and smashed his forehead into Mutt’s. Her pink tongue ran along the side of the cat’s ruff in response.

Her leg had healed seamlessly, no additional medical intervention required. However, they always knew when a storm was coming because she got stiff and had a slight limp.

Grabbing the oat milk from the fridge, Theo started pouring the ingredients into a bowl: flour, applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, oat milk, baking powder, and sugar. When the dough was mostly smooth, he poured little globs onto the warm skillet.

The back door opened and closed, bringing with it the scent of oranges and storm clouds. Relief and contentment washed through his bond. Theodore smiled as the pets meowed and barked excitedly.

“What a greeting!” Royce beamed at the three of them before stopping at the small stoves to refill them with wood.

One of the main stipulations of them staying in the cabin was updating the central air and heating systems. Once that was done, they contemplated removing the stoves but ultimately left them. They liked the ambiance of the wood burning—not to mention repairing the holes in the ceiling from the chimneys sounded dreadful.

After petting the cat and dog in turn, Royce came up behind Theodore at the stove. Placing his hands on his hips, Royce leaned down. Taking a deep inhale of Theodore behind the ear before gently kissing his mate mark.

“You’re making pancakes,” he observed.

“Sure am.”