Chapter Eight

Colt stood in his bedroom looking at the mess. His mate was behind him, just inside the door.

"I'd offer to help in here, but I lack the muscles to carry smashed-up furniture to… Where are you putting it?" Milo asked.

"For now, I'll have to store the wood behind the garage until I can get someone to haul it away." He wanted to growl at what he'd done to his bedroom, but he would rather use that energy for cleaning.

"While you flex your muscles carrying the heavy stuff, I'll vacuum."

Colt looked over his shoulder. "One, your feet are bare and there's still glass everywhere. Two, I really want you to rest. You already helped to cook and clean up the kitchen. You shouldn't overdo it."

"Can I at least stay in here? I'll keep out of your way and won't wander around with the glass still on the floor."

Either Milo was uncomfortable being alone or he became easily bored by himself. His need to be in the same room as Colt didn't bother him. He liked having his mate so close.

"Okay, but I'm putting you by the wall under that window." Colt pointed across the room. "If you get up and try to do anything, your butt is on the couch until I'm finished in here."

Milo saluted him. "I'll suppress my obsessive need to pitch in instead of sitting on my butt while others do all the work."

"Smartass." Colt lifted Milo into his arms, crossed the room, and set him down on the carpet lacking debris. "Watch something on your phone if that obsessive need kicks in."

"It's in my pants pocket in the bathroom."

After retrieving Milo's phone, Colt started hauling the large stuff outside. Half an hour later, he saw that Milo had curled onto his side and fallen asleep.

Since his comforter would need to be drycleaned, Colt grabbed an extra blanket from his closet and placed it over his mate, along with a spare pillow to tuck under Milo's head.

Colt crouched there, gazing at Milo's peaceful expression as a flood of tenderness swept through him. "Get some rest, shorty." He kissed his mate's temple them got back to work. Not even the sound of the vacuum woke Milo up.

Just as Colt stored the vacuum in the laundry room, his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw that Hayley was calling him. This needed to be handled once and for all. "Yes?"

"I don't understand why you keep ignoring me, Colt. That's total disrespect. You know I hate it when you do that," Hayley whined.

Colt leaned his backside against the washer, crossing an arm over his chest. "One, I've never disrespected you. Two, I made myself clear the last time we saw each other that what we had wasn't going anywhere."

"That's not being clear!" Hayley argued. The sound of him stomping his foot could be heard. "I thought you meant you wanted to work on making our relationship more meaningful. You can't end things unless we both agree on it, and I refuse to agree."

"Life doesn't work that way," Colt gritted out. "Shit fizzled, and it's time to move on."

He could tell Hayley that he'd found his mate, but that would only send the gazelle over the edge. Colt also didn't want Milo to even be a blip on Hayley's radar. The guy was vindictive as hell.

"You know we were meant to be together," Hayley whimpered. "I don't know why you refuse to see that. Just come over and we can work this out, Colt."

A migraine was starting in the back of his skull. Whenever Colt had been interested in someone, he'd held out on revealing where he lived. It was a precaution he'd always taken, just in case.

Hayley was a prime example of why that measure was needed. He had no clue that they didn't even live in the same area code. Colt was an hour's drive away.

It had been different with Milo. Colt had realized the human was his mate before he'd asked the guy to come home with him. If Milo hadn't been his mate, they would have spent an amazing night in a motel room.

A person's home was their sanctuary.

"I'm not coming over, Hayley. There's nothing to work out. I wish you all the best." Colt hung up and blocked the guy's number. He should have done that a month ago.

He stepped out of the laundry room and right into Kellen. "Give a guy some space."

His brother's arms were crossed. "I was coming to get a load of laundry and couldn't help but overhear your conversation."

"That doesn't mean you had to eavesdrop," Colt argued. "Just because you have exceptional hearing isn't an excuse to be rude."

"Cut the shit, Colt." Kellen frowned. "What in the hell was that about? Your mate is under this roof, and you're talking to another guy?"

He had to count to ten before he lost it on Kellen. "Are you accusing me of cheating on Milo?"

"Do you remember when you offered to get even with Braylon for betraying Atlas?" Kellen asked. "You asked me to describe my mate's best friend to you."

"I remember." Colt wasn't sure where this was going. "That plan isn't feasible anymore since I found my mate."

"Atlas heard us talking in the kitchen that day," Kellen said. "He didn't think I was attracted to Braylon, but I realized that it was total disrespect to even talk about another guy, especially when Atlas was in the house."

Colt had just wanted Hayley to leave him alone. The thought of taking the call being disrespectful to Milo hadn't crossed his mind. What if roles had been reversed and it had been Milo in the laundry room on the phone with an ex-lover? Colt knew exactly how he would react. "You're right."

The skin between Kellen's eyes wrinkled. "Why aren't you snarling at me and telling me to fuck off?"

"Because you're right." Colt shrugged. "If you want me to act like an ass, I can oblige you, but I'd rather get back to Milo."

A wide grin broke across Kellen's face. "I'll be damned. You've been leashed."

"Don't get shit twisted. I'm just in a good mood. Now if you're done scolding me, I want to head back to my room."

Kellen shook his head and chuckled as he walked into the laundry room.

* * * *

It took a moment for Milo to get his bearings when he woke up. As he lay there on the box spring and mattress, he glanced around and saw that all traces of Colt's descent into despair had been erased as though it had never happened.

Milo wasn't sure what time it was, but the sun's rays had faded on the walls, a dark orange glow around the blinds like a picture frame.

It was dusk. Had he really slept the day away? Milo had never done that before and wasn't sure why that bothered him so much. There were times when he'd slept in on his days off but never an entire day.

Not even when he'd had the flu once as a teenager. Milo had gotten up repeatedly, thirsty and disoriented, until his mom had led him back to bed and tucked him in.

Her death had hurt so badly that even now he wanted to cry. It had been three years since her funeral, and he wondered if the pain of losing her would ever fade.

She'd been a single parent, struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, but she'd given him such a full and wonderful life that he'd never envied what others had. Money had been tight, but money wasn't necessary to read stories to him, take him on endless walks to the park where he could play, or movie night at home whenever she didn't have to work.

She'd been his best friend, and at the young age of twenty-five, Milo had lost her to an icy road and bad visibility. His mom had only been forty-two when the police had found her car, the woman inside dead from a head injury, even though she'd been wearing her seatbelt.

Milo had still lived at home because he couldn't afford to get a place of his own. When she passed, he'd been forced to ask his uncle if he could move in—an uncle through a brief marriage his mother had had when Milo was twenty. He and Eric weren't blood relatives.

And his life had been hell from that moment on.

Stirring behind him brought Milo out of his thoughts. Then a strong arm slid over his side before he was gently pulled back into a firm wall.

Milo sank into the heat, feeling safe with someone for the first time in three years. Knowing what Colt was and seeing the destruction of his bedroom should have given Milo pause. What did he really know about the guy? They'd texted Sunday evening and Monday morning, but the texts hadn't had any substance to them. Nothing that had given Milo any insight into who Colt really was.

It was obvious the guy had money, something that didn't matter to Milo. He would've still been attracted to Colt even if the guy had lived in a rental and worked a nine-to-five job.

Colt had a wicked sense of humor, something Milo's two previous boyfriends lacked. He really liked that Colt's humor matched his own. Milo smiled as he remembered breakfast, still struggling to think of a way to make scrambled eggs sound obscene.

But there was a darker side to Colt that scared him. Although the guy had explained why he'd destroyed his bedroom—a point Milo understood—it was still unsettling that Colt was powerful enough to reduce a sturdy dresser to kindling.

If that kind of strength was ever directed toward him…

In his opinion, the most important thing about Colt was the fact that he wasn't human. Before discovering that the guy was a wolf, Milo hadn't believed in fate or destiny, or even karma, for that matter. He just couldn't get behind the notion that some unseen, cosmic force guided people toward things.

As hard as he tried to convince himself that meeting Colt wasn't fate, he couldn't. Milo had loved wolves since he was six. Not in an obsessive way. He'd just found them fascinating, their howls haunting.

What were the odds that he would meet someone who could become one? The chances should have been zero because what Colt was shouldn't even be possible.

Yet, it was, and as insane as it should be, Milo couldn't deny how Colt made him feel or how drawn he was to the guy. Colt had said they were mates, and since the guy wasn't even human, Milo believed him.

He was pulled from his thoughts once again when Colt's hand slid over his stomach in a lazy downward descent, making Milo's heart beat a little faster. Colt's hand stopped at the waistband of Milo's borrowed jogging pants, the tips of his fingers resting under the fabric.

Was Colt doing that in his sleep, or was he awake?

The guy's breathing was even, but his hard cock was pressed firmly against Milo's ass, causing Milo's body to pulse as need filled him.

His own cock hardened, and Milo lay there wishing Colt's hand would slide even lower. Unable to stop himself, he pressed his ass, just a little, into Colt's erection.

Milo was so aroused that he was tempted to "accidently" elbow Colt to wake him. Having the guy's hand so close to his cock and Colt's erection against his ass was pure torture, especially when nothing was happening.

Screw subtly. This time Milo pushed his ass harder against the guy's groin and felt Colt's hard cock press firmly between his ass cheeks.

With a soft growl, Colt flipped Milo to his back and poised over him, his hands on either side of Milo's head, his dark green eyes heavy-lidded. Milo gasped as he stared up at the guy, the pulse of need inside of him deepening.

The only thing Colt was wearing was a pair of boxer briefs, the hard outline of his erection visible through the thin fabric.

"Don't look so surprised." Colt nuzzled Milo, nipping his skin. "You can't grind your sweet ass against my hard dick and expect me not to react."

"I was just stretching." Milo tilted his head to the side, his breath catching as Colt licked and nipped a path across his neck.

He felt Colt smile against his skin. "Then I guess I should go back to sleep since I misunderstood what you were doing." He teased Milo's earlobe between his teeth, his voice husky. "I thought you wanted my cock buried inside of you."

There wasn't a chance in hell that he was letting Colt go back to sleep. Milo curled his arms and legs around the guy and yanked him down.

Colt chuckled and lowered himself a little more but still kept his weight off of him. "Are you stretching again. or should I assume you want me?"

Milo gripped Colt's nape then drew him closer, their lips inches apart. "I've wanted to kiss you since the night we met."

"Since the moment I saw you." Colt took possession of Milo's mouth, chasing away the last remnants of sadness from his memories.

Tingles erupted through Milo as Colt plunged his tongue inside his mouth. Despite what Eric had done to him, Milo loved feeling trapped under Colt, loved having such a strong body surrounding him in such a sensual way.

As the last of the sun faded, leaving only a dim light from the bathroom to cast a glow, Colt broke away from Milo's lips long enough to turn on the lamp that was resting on the nightstand. How that piece of furniture had survived was a mystery.

Colt grabbed something from the top drawer and set it aside. When Milo looked, he smiled at the clear half-filled bottle of lube next to the pillow. Colt pushed to his knees, and Milo lifted his arms, quivering as Colt helped him out of his shirt. Milo's nipples hardened with anticipation. Colt brushed his fingers over Milo's bruising, his eyes filling with something akin to regret. "I should have been there to protect you."

"Don't." Milo curled his hand around Colt's wrist. "It's just us right now. No regret and no guilt."

With a clenched jaw and a nod, Colt moved backward and slid Milo's pants off, groaning as Milo's cock sprang free, slapping his stomach.

That growl that Milo loved rumbled through Colt's chest. The guy grabbed the lube before he slid to his stomach. Colt gripped the back of Milo's thighs, lifting them as he trailed his tongue over Milo's balls.

"Colt," he groaned, tilting his head back and curling his fingers into the bedding. He gasped when his lover's tongue trailed underneath his balls then circled around his hole.

Not his lover. His mate.

Colt's tongue was warm and soft, contrasting with the roughness of his beard. Milo trembled as his mate explored him, the sensation incredible.

He heard the lube being opened, and then the coolness of it dripped down his crack. Then Colt's finger was there, pushing inside him, filling him up. Milo's breath hitched as his mate added a second finger, making his body tense for a moment before relaxing. Then Colt took Milo's cock between his lips, sucking gently, his tongue swirling around the tip. Milo bucked his hips, a low moan escaping as a third finger was added.

His heart raced as he felt Colt's fingers curl inside him, hitting that spot that made Milo's toes curl. He gripped the bed sheets tighter, his breath coming in short gasps. Colt's mouth moved up and down Milo's shaft, his fingers working in the same rhythm.

This was so much better than any fantasy Milo could have conjured in his mind. The guy knew what he was doing, making Milo's body come alive.

Milo's breathing became erratic as Colt increased his pace. The sensation built inside Milo, and he could feel his orgasm approaching, his body tensing as he grew closer.

"Colt," Milo whimpered. "I'm going to come."

A low growl vibrated in Colt's throat, sending shivers through Milo. His mate sucked harder, his fingers curling again, hitting that sweet spot repeatedly. Milo's body tensed, every muscle straining as he came hard, his release filling Colt's mouth.

Colt swallowed, not missing a beat as he continued to suck and finger Milo through his orgasm.

Lying there, Milo panted, his body limp as Colt slowly pulled his fingers out. His mate crawled upward, his body covering Milo's as he kissed Milo's shoulder, his neck, and then his lips.

"I'm not done with you, shorty." Positioning himself between Milo's legs, Colt pressed the head of his cock against Milo's still-pulsing entrance. He pushed in slowly, giving Milo time to adjust to his size. Milo felt a brief sting as Colt filled him completely, but it was quickly replaced by pleasure.

Milo wrapped his legs around Colt's waist as the guy started to move, pulling out slowly before pushing back in.

Each thrust of Colt's hips sent a jolt of pleasure through Milo's body. He tightened his legs around his mate, meeting each thrust with one of his own. The feeling of Colt making love to him was indescribable. Milo wished he could freeze this moment in time so it would last for hours. Sex normally didn't blow him away. In the past, Milo could take it or leave it, but it was as if Colt was made of pure ecstasy, his moves so hypnotic and sensual that Milo would never see sex the same way again.

Milo arched his back as he closed his eyes. The sensations were like a high, and he was helplessly drowning while Colt drove his cock deeper inside his body.

Dropping to his hands, Colt devoured Milo's mouth, their tongues dancing together as his mate increased the tempo of his thrusts. "My mate," he whispered against Milo's lip as if he revered those two words.

My mate. Milo loved hearing Colt call him that. It was as if he was staking his claim, and Milo was desperate to belong to his wolf. He opened his eyes and found dark green liquid pools staring down at him. Milo wanted to know what Colt was thinking, what was going through his mate's mind as he punched his hips forward.

Was the depth of Colt's feelings just as strong as Milo's were? In that moment he realized that Colt had already stolen his heart. Another orgasm built inside him, feeling more intense than the last one.

"Colt, I'm going to come again," Milo wailed.

His mate growled before he sank his sharp canines into the soft skin of Milo's shoulder. There was a brief second of pain before Milo hurtled over the edge of the abyss. Pleasure detonated outward as he cried out Colt's name, his cum painting their abs.

Something deep inside Milo's core ricocheted, though he had no idea what it was. His heart squeezed for a moment, and he could have sworn it stopped beating before starting again. The intense ricocheting settled into a low hum then slowly faded away.

Colt's snarl rumbled deep in his chest as he buried his cock, his orgasm pulsing inside Milo's body. He released Milo's shoulder, and then he licked at the wound. Colt cupped Milo's jaw, his eyes deep with emotion. He kissed Milo slow and deep as he eased his cock out of him.

Milo felt empty without Colt inside him, but the feeling was short-lived when he pulled Milo's back to his chest and held him close.

"I felt something deep inside of me, Colt," Milo said. "A strange sensation that I can't explain."

"That was our bond sealing." Colt pushed his nose and mouth gently into Milo's neck. "Our souls are tied together now."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that you belong to me, Milo. Just like I belong to you." Colt tightened his arms around Milo. "It means I'll destroy anyone who thinks to harm you."

Milo closed his eyes. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, but he was too mentally exhausted to sort through his thoughts. What mattered most was that Colt cared deeply for him. Everything else could sit on a back burner for now.