Chapter 11

Theo

If there were a fire right now, I would be absolutely useless. Mind completely blank and fuzzy, I try to string two words together and fail. Giving up, I just let myself lean against my mate and soak up his warmth.

Once I have enough energy to pry my eyes open, my gaze finds his and I smile dopily. I register the feeling of his cock, hard and impatient, against my hip. I press against him and watch as his eyes fall closed and his head tilts back, a groan leaving him as his hips punch forward.

While my mind is still quite fuzzy, a thrum of anticipation flows through my body, and I feel an overwhelming urge to return the favor my mate just blessed me with. My hands grip Bastian"s hips, pushing him back just enough for me to allow gravity to pull me to my knees. His arms tighten in alarm as I start my descent, but loosen again when he realizes I'm not falling.

My unsteady legs fold, and my knees snap against the hardwood. The fire in my mate"s eyes has my spent dick giving a valiant effort to fill again. I look to him for permission before freeing his neglected and angry-looking cock. Leaning forward, I use my hands to brace myself against his muscular thighs. I keep my eyes on his, not wanting to miss a second of his reaction.

"Open, mate. Tongue out." His tone alone makes me whimper. "Do you want me to finish on your face or in your mouth? It"s never happened before during oral, but it"s different with you, Theo. If you want to put those beautiful lips on my cock, I have to know if you want my barbs opening your throat while I pump you full." His voice is strained with need, and his hand grips the hair on the top of my head, pulling tight enough to sting but not hurt.

Oh God, that"s hot. I hadn"t even thought of that as a possibility. I keep my mouth open but beg with my eyes and nod quickly, hoping to convey my need. Footsteps sound by the front door but quickly retreat as Bas"s rumble of approval forces a shudder from me. Gold eyes flash as my hungry lion pulls my head toward him, setting the tip of his length on my tongue, letting me feel its weight. A few experimental slides against my tongue to the back of my mouth give way to small thrusts, opening up my throat. I gag but push through, eyes brimming with tears. More movement from the corner of my eye only heightens my need to please my mate, knowing there are people watching him take what he needs.

"Such a pretty mouth, so good, so tight." His words punch out between thrusts that are becoming longer and harder. I keep my eyes on his face through tears, watching the veins in his neck pulse and his skin flush as he uses me to chase his orgasm. "Swallow it all, baby."

He explodes, barbs springing to push against my throat and mouth, holding me in place while his orgasm continues to fill faster than I could normally swallow. Spots fill my vision as I choke, but I lean into the helplessness, letting his pleasure lull me. I catch echoing groans from farther away and know at least one more person found their release the same time my mate did. I let myself drift, knowing I"m not passing out but wouldn"t fight it if I did . . . Bas will take care of me.

Gentle hands massaging my jaw bring the world back into focus. I nearly jerk at the stretching pain, but soft murmurs and praise flow from Bastian"s lips, soothing me. "You did so well, mate. Look how beautiful you are. I"m the luckiest man in the world."

His barbs slowly retract, and I move my jaw around to release the tension. Bas pulls me gently to my feet, scooping me into his arms once I"m upright and striding purposefully down the hall.

"I want you to rest, baby. At least for a little while." I nod my assent and drift off, letting the rocking motion of my mate climbing the stairs pull me under.

Murmurs break through my pleasant dream. I slide my hand over the cool sheets covering Bastian"s side of the bed and frown. He must have tucked me in and found something else to do while I was resting. Stretching, my body pops, and I take stock. My jaw is a little sore still, but otherwise I only feel hungry. I'm debating the merits of tracking down a snack and potentially facing the pride members who were privy to our sexy time moment earlier, when our door opens and my mate appears with a tray of food.

"Good afternoon, mate." His eyes sparkle with humor and satisfaction.

"What time is it?" I question.

A smirk accompanies his smug tone. "A little after three."

My eyes widen. No wonder I'm hungry. He must read my face because he assures me that he checked my monitor and that's why he has a meal ready. He settles the tray over my lap after I sit up against the headboard. My gaze roams over the spread, and I groan in appreciation.

"So what's the plan for the rest of the day?" I nibble on the artisan bread slathered with a delicious apricot and fig spread while gathering some mixed nuts for my next bite. While I love junk food as much as the next guy, I"ve grown accustomed to watching what I eat, and love that I have a mate who either asked or researched the best snacks and light meals for me.

"We have our first meal with a pride family in about two hours. I was going to start with Tom and Mary, but they didn"t get in line first, and Beth would throw a fit if we pushed her back for them. You know how much she likes to have something to hold over Mary"s head." Bas can"t hold back his humor at their antics.

I laugh. "Gotcha. So we"ll be doing that for a while. Anything else? I know you probably have pride stuff too—is there something I should be doing yet? I also have to find a time to visit my mother . . ." A flash of guilt hits me. I haven"t thought of her once since I met Bas.

"Whatever you need, love. Though you do need to bring Wes with you when you leave pride lands, plus maybe a guard or two until the threat is dealt with." He sounds conflicted, but I understand the need for extra security, so I simply nod my acceptance and take another bite.

"If we have the dinner tonight, maybe I should go tomorrow during the day?"

"We have both lunch and dinner set for the next few days, but you can go either early afternoon or in the morning. We can also push times around if those don"t work with your mom. You could invite her here?"

"Oh God, no. Even if she could travel, Mary would likely kill her on sight, and I doubt anyone here would stop her. She was a horrible mother, but she"s in a coma and has no one else. No matter how much I may hate her for her treatment and negligence of me when I was young, a part of me still loves her and doesn"t want her to be alone in her final days." I don"t understand it myself, so I don"t really expect him to.

"I will ask for the full story someday, but you know your heart, and you"re doing what you believe is right. I cannot fault you for that." He leans down to press a sweet kiss to my lips, and I relax into him, taking his offer of comfort.