Chapter Ten

Penley couldn't look away from Ansley. He was in the middle of the courtyard, holding hands with Dallin. The map was in front of them, and Ansley's eyes were closed.

He was about to cast the seeking spell.

Penley was pretty sure that everyone in the courtyard was holding their breath. He could also see people peeking from the windows, a sure sign that Jillian, Sandy, and the other humans who lived at the castle wanted to know what was happening. They might not be directly involved, but they were family, and they cared about what happened to the mages. They wanted all the dragons to be found, and hopefully, that was about to happen.

Part of Penley didn't want to hope. After what had happened the last time Ansley had cast the spell, he wasn't sure he should. Carlyle hadn't had anything to do with Ansley not being able to locate Winter, but everyone was still nervous, including Ansley.

What if Ansley's spell didn't work this time, either? What would they do? What would it mean?

"Don't start worrying before something happens," Bennett whispered.

Penley wanted to ask him how he was supposed not to worry, but he kept his attention on Ansley. He'd centered himself and had raised his free hand. Penley sucked in a breath and waited for the flames to engulf the map. He felt a bit better when that happened, but he was still anxious because this had happened last time, too, but when they'd looked at the map, there had been no sign of Winter's position.

As soon as the flames died down, everyone rushed forward. Dallin and Ansley were the first there, crouching around the map. Ansley looked up, and Penley's knees almost buckled with relief when he saw the smile on his friend's face.

"New Orleans," Ansley declared.

Jarvis pushed his sweater's sleeves up. "New Orleans it is," he declared as he stepped away to open a portal.

Penley knew he would be of no use to get Kent, but part of him still yearned to follow the others through the portal. He wanted to be with them and keep them safe. As an alternative, he wished Bennett would stay back. He didn't think Carlyle would attack the castle while the dragons were gone, but he didn't like the thought of all the dragons being away.

They were all going. If anyone needed protection, they could shift. With fewer mages to keep an eye on, it would be easier for them to protect the mages going to New Orleans, and the castle was surrounded by protective spells, so those who stayed back would be safe.

"I'll be fine," Bennett promised as everyone around them started talking.

Penley hoped he was right, but he was afraid to believe him. What if everything wasn't all right? What if, even though everyone had found their dragon, something happened to one of them?

Carlyle might attack and grab one of the dragons or even kill them. What would the mages do then?

"I'm not going alone," Bennett reminded Penley. "I'll be surrounded by other dragon shifters, and the mages coming with us are more than capable of defending us."

That much was true. Jarvis, Ansley, Tyne, and Dallin were going. Keylon had insisted he needed to go, too, but things between him and Winter were still shaky. They hadn't had time to talk and get to know each other again, and considering that and the bickering between Keylon and Samuel, Jarvis had decided it would be best for Keylon to stay back. Keylon wasn't happy about it, but Penley understood why Jarvis wanted him and Keylon to stay back.

Besides, Penley had plans.

He hoped the dragons and mages wouldn't be gone for long, but he had stuff to do while they were away. He might talk to Emory, even though he wasn't sure if he should tell him what he was trying to do. He didn't want to give him false hope, but he also didn't want him to be in the dark about what he was doing. He deserved to know that Penley was working on giving him back his dragon, but at the same time, what if Penley was never able to give him that?

Bennett pressed a kiss on top of Penley's head. "You stay here in the courtyard. I'll be back as quickly as possible."

"Stay safe and bring Kent home."

"I'll do what I can," Bennett promised.

He could keep that promise, unlike if he'd sworn everything would be all right. They didn't know if everything would be all right. They had no idea what they'd find on the other side of the portal.

But it was time for them to go. Jarvis's portal was open, and the others were gathering in front of it. Keylon looked like he wanted to run after Winter, and Winter was hesitant. Samuel was talking to him, and when he caught Keylon and Winter looking at each other, he rolled his eyes.

"Just go to him," he whispered as he pushed Winter in Keylon's direction.

Winter's eyes widened, and he glanced at his friend, but Samuel had already stepped back.

Penley was curious. Keylon and Winter had been together before, but for now, that kind of relationship didn't exist between them anymore. After all, Winter wasn't Alvin. He wasn't the man Keylon had been dating and never would be.

Would Keylon fall in love with Winter? Would Winter want Keylon? No one knew, but Penley wished he did. He wanted his brother to be happy. He wanted everyone to be all right.

"Be careful," Keylon said as he looked everywhere but at Winter.

Penley grinned when Winter squeezed Keylon's shoulder, making him jump.

"I'll do what I can," Winter promised before turning to Emory.

Penley looked at Bennett. He still hovered next to him, but instead of looking at Winter and Keylon, he was staring at Meyer and Tyne. They were both by the portal but weren't talking to each other. Meyer was so tense that he looked like he might break if something bumped against him, while Tyne kept a careful distance between them.

Penley sighed. Eventually, he'd get to the bottom of that. He couldn't allow Tyne to continue treating Meyer the way he was. He didn't know if he could help them, but he could appeal to Tyne's will to win against Carlyle. Together, he and Meyer would be more powerful and capable of defeating the mage. Separated, all bets were off.

"Let's go," Jarvis ordered.

Bennett stepped toward the portal, but Penley quickly grabbed his waist and hugged him. He buried his face against his dragon's chest and inhaled his scent.

He had to believe that all of them would make it back. He wouldn't have it any other way.

When he looked up, Bennett kissed him. "Be right back," he promised.

Penley had to let go, even though he didn't want to. He watched Bennett as he joined the others in front of the portal and as they walked through it. The portal stayed open, but there wasn't much to see through it. It looked like Jarvis had opened it on a roof, in a place where people wouldn't notice it.

Penley swallowed and continued staring through the portal until everyone he loved had vanished from sight.

* * * *

As soon as Bennett was through the portal, he looked around. Jarvis had explained that he always tried to open portals in quiet spaces. Bennett hadn't been sure what that meant, but they were on top of a building.

He could see other buildings around the one they were on, but thankfully, no one was looking out their window. Meyer came to stand next to him, but his focus was all on Tyne. Bennett wanted to tell him to be more careful about his surroundings, but he doubted it would change much. Even after the way Tyne had treated him, Meyer's instinct was telling him to keep his mage safe.

"He's in this building," Ansley said as he looked at the map he was holding. A flame burst on it, quickly disappearing. "I cast the spell again to have a more precise location, and I can confirm it."

"Don't tire yourself out," Jarvis warned.

Bennett was curious about how it worked. It had taken days for Ansley to recuperate from trying to find Winter, so how could he cast the same spell again so easily? He wanted to ask but didn't want to bother Ansley, especially now. Maybe it was easier because he had a general area on which to focus, or maybe because Kent was in the building.

Marlow opened the door to the inside of the building. They were cautious as they moved, but they didn't see anyone. The building was quiet, although Bennett could hear the sound of people in the distance. They were in a big city, so it wasn't a surprise.

He expected to have to poke around the building to find Kent. They knew it would take some time, but they wanted to return as quickly as possible. There was always a chance that Carlyle would be here. So far, Bennett hadn't seen any signs that he was, but he wouldn't put it past the mage. He'd never met him and wasn't looking forward to it. From everything the others had said, he wasn't a great person.

A woman's scream made all of them jump. For a moment, they stayed on the stairs as if frozen. The sound of screaming was incredibly loud in the silence of the building, and Bennett expected people to open their front doors. No one did.

The mages and dragons all rushed in the direction of the screaming, but it took them a moment to locate it. Thankfully, the building wasn't huge and only had three floors. They found the woman on the second one.

She stood in the hallway just outside an open door. She had stopped screaming, but she looked bewildered and confused. She jerked and turned when she heard them coming. She took a step back, which, considering their group, wasn't a surprise. Having so many men rush in her direction couldn't be reassuring.

Bennett frowned when he saw there was blood on the woman's chin. It looked like her lower lip had been split.

"What happened?" Jarvis asked.

The woman raised a trembling hand toward the inside of the apartment. "He opened an—an opening, a door, in the middle of the living room. I don't know what it was. He took Sol."

Bennett swallowed and exchanged a glance with Meyer. Winter and Parker were moving toward the apartment, but they were cautious. After what the woman had said, Bennett doubted they'd find anything or anyone.

They were too late.

"Are you hurt?" Ansley asked as he focused on the woman.

She shook her head as she pressed her hand against her mouth. "I'm fine. That man hit me when I tried to stop him from taking Sol. What happened? Who are you?"

Parker appeared at the open door. From his grim expression, Bennett already knew what he had to say. "There's no one here."

Jarvis nodded once and looked at their group. "Just in case, I want everyone to check the building. I don't know how strong Carlyle is, so he might not be able to take Kent far."

Bennett and Meyer looked at each other. Bennett didn't have a lot of hope, but he'd do what Jarvis asked. It was why he was here.

They left the woman with Ansley and the others. Tyne and Winter went down the stairs to the first floor, so Bennett and Meyer went upstairs. Meyer watched Tyne walk down, and Bennett caught Tyne watching Meyer, too. No matter how much he hated him, he also worried about him.

Maybe it wasn't hate, after all.

Bennett wanted to ask Meyer how things were going between him and Tyne, but they had to be careful. Carlyle could be hiding behind a corner or in one of the apartments, and allowing him to take another dragon would be a disaster.

The third floor was empty except for a few people who peeked out of their apartment doors. They'd probably heard the woman scream, and Bennett and Meyer reassured them everything was fine. A few didn't look convinced, but they clearly weren't about to stick their noses into something that didn't involve them and went back inside.

"Kent's not here," Meyer said as they went back to the stairs.

"I didn't expect him to be. Carlyle took him."

Meyer nodded. "Why? Did he take him to make us weaker, or does he have something in mind for him? What can he do to a dragon shifter?"

Bennett's thoughts went to Emory. There was plenty Carlyle could do to hurt a dragon shifter, and he prayed that Carlyle wasn't strong enough to do that to Kent. He didn't know if they'd be able to find the last dragon now that Carlyle had him. They would try, but it didn't look good.

When they got back to the second floor, everyone was gone. The apartment door was still open, so Bennett peeked in. He wasn't surprised to see they'd gathered there, and he and Meyer quickly walked in.

Jarvis was talking to the woman. Her eyes were wide, but she wasn't screaming anymore. He looked up when he heard Bennett and Meyer. "Anything?"

Bennett shook his head. "There were no signs of either of them."

Jarvis's expression told Bennett everything he needed to know. "Winter called. They didn't find anything on the first floor, so they're going to check the area around the building."

"They won't find anything," Bennett warned.

"I know." He turned to the woman. "Pippa is Sol's best friend. Sol is Kent's new name."

Bennett nodded at her. He didn't know how much she knew, but even if she was aware that Sol was a dragon shifter, she had to be freaking out.

"Pippa told me that a portal appeared in the living room while she and Sol were cooking. A blond man stepped out, followed by two others. Sol tried to defend her, but they took him. When she attempted to step in, the blond man hit her. Then he and the other two dragged Sol through the portal."

"Tell me what's going on," Pippa said in a slightly trembling voice. "They took my best friend. I want him back."

Jarvis nodded. "We want the same, and we'll do everything in our power to get him back. It'll take some time, though."

Pippa crossed her arms over his chest. "I don't care how long it takes. I'm coming with you."

Jarvis didn't appear surprised. "I would have offered to take you along anyway. You should pack your bags. I don't think you'll be returning here."

Pippa didn't hesitate. She rushed away, leaving Jarvis, Bennett, and the others alone. No one said anything.

There was nothing to say. Carlyle had taken Sol, and they had no way to get him back.

* * * *

With almost everyone going through the portal, there wasn't much for Penley to do. He kept glancing at Emory, whose gaze was fixed on the portal. He was no doubt worried about Winter, and he looked ready to jump through the portal to help his brother. He might be unable to shift, but that didn't mean he wouldn't defend his brother to the best of his ability.

Penley sucked in a breath. Should he talk to Emory? Should he give him hope when he wasn't sure he could achieve what he was attempting to do? Maybe giving Emory hope would be cruel, or maybe it would give him what he needed to get through this. If he could cling to the hope that he might one day get his dragon back, wouldn't it make things easier for him?

Penley didn't know.

Maybe he didn't have to tell Emory anything. He stepped closer to Emory, making sure no one noticed him. Everyone was focused on the portal, and even Emory didn't realize that Penley was close enough to touch. Penley didn't reach for him.

Instead, he pushed his magic out of his body and reached down to the earth.

The earth's magic rose to welcome his. They knew each other well, and they behaved like siblings. They danced around each other, but Penley had something precise in mind, so he pushed deeper.

He remembered what Bennett had told him about his relationship with this dragon. It didn't precisely mirror the relationship between Penley and the earth magic, but it did reflect Emory's relationship with his dragon. Even though he couldn't shift, Emory would always be a dragon shifter, and Penley suspected that Carlyle hadn't been able to take that from him. The dragon was still there. It couldn't come out because Carlyle had taken the magic Emory used to make that happen.

Dragon shifters were magic, too. It was what enabled them to turn into massive animals without hurting themselves. They couldn't use that magic beyond shifting, but Carlyle had probably found a way to change that. He'd taken Emory's magic and, through it, his ability to shift.

Penley doubted he'd ever be able to give Emory all his magic back, but he could give him enough to shift, or at least, he hoped so. He'd have to find where to get that magic, though, and it was never easy to convince something or someone to part ways with something like this. Emory's magic was gone, but it could be replaced.

Someone stumbled through the portal, startling Penley. He stepped away from Emory, who was already rushing forward to meet Winter. Tyne was next, then Jarvis and Marlow came with a woman. Everyone else followed, carrying bags.

There was no sign of Kent.

"What happened?" Penley said as soon as he reached Bennett.

Bennett shook his head. "We were too late."

Penley turned to Jarvis. He was their unofficial leader, and he'd explain what happened. He looked exhausted as he quietly talked to the woman. Her eyes were wide as she looked around, but she didn't appear afraid.

Jarvis straightened his back. Everyone fell silent, and Penley waited to find out what had happened.

"We got there too late. Carlyle attacked Sol before we reached him and took him away through a portal. Pippa is Sol's best friend, and she saw everything."

They had Kent's new name, but they didn't have Kent. What were they supposed to do now?

From Jarvis's expression, he wouldn't have an answer if Penley asked. No one knew what they were supposed to do now. Ansley would no doubt want to cast the spell again, but the chances that he'd find Sol would be close to zero. Now that Carlyle had him, he'd make sure Ansley couldn't locate him again through seeking spells.

Hopefully, Carlyle was still too weak to open a portal to the other side of the world, but even if they were still in the country, they could be anywhere. There would be no way for anyone to find Sol, not even the mages.

Penley looked around until he found Dallin. He wasn't crying, but he looked ready to do so. He probably wouldn't want to break down in front of everyone, and Penley couldn't blame him for that. He wanted to go to his friend, but Keylon beat him there. He wrapped an arm around Dallin's shoulders and pulled him toward the castle, and everyone watched them go.

"I'll show you around the castle," Jarvis told Pippa. "You can stay here for as long as you want."

"At least until you find Sol." She still looked bewildered, but a stubborn tilt to her chin told Penley she wasn't going anywhere.

He was curious about her, but now wasn't the moment to start asking questions. There was a little blood on her chin, which meant she'd been hurt, so she'd need medical attention and some rest.

Since Penley couldn't talk to Pippa or Dallin, he stuck to Bennett's side. His dragon didn't look wounded, which was a relief, but at the same time, Penley's heart was breaking.

He wrapped his arms around Bennett's waist, and Bennett held him close. He kissed the top of Penley's head in a gesture that was becoming familiar, and that helped Penley relax.

"What happened?" Penley asked.

"He got there before we did. He attacked Sol and Pippa, and since he had his friends with him, they managed to drag Sol through the portal. They left Pippa behind. She knows that Sol's a dragon shifter, so we don't have to explain that to her, although you guys might have to explain magic since Sol wouldn't have remembered any of that."

Penley nodded. He'd be happy to explain whatever she wanted to know, but not right now. Everyone was down, including him. He also needed to reassure himself that Bennett was all right, which meant spending time alone. Penley wanted to be able to climb into his dragon's lap without anyone watching him. He wanted to bury his face against Bennett's chest and cry.

He straightened his back and swallowed. He had to be strong for everyone else, but only until he was out of sight. "I have to go," he said.

Bennett frowned. "You're not going to work now, are you?"

"I just need time alone."

"Alone or away from everyone but me?"

Bennett already knew Penley so well. Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise, but it was. "Away from the others," Penley confessed.

"Then let me come with you. Whatever you need, I'll give it to you."

"I just want to go to my room for a bit."

Bennett wrapped an arm around Penley's shoulders. "So that's what we'll do. I don't think Jarvis needs us right now. We'll have to regroup, but that can wait until tomorrow."

Neither of them could be sure about that. They didn't know what Carlyle was doing to Sol, and thinking about it made Penley panic. He wanted to help Sol, but how? Even if he'd had the strongest magic of all of them, Carlyle was stronger. He'd make sure they couldn't find Sol, and nothing Penley and the others could do would change that.

* * * *

Bennett didn't know how to help Penley. He didn't think anything he could do or say would help much. There was no way to know what Carlyle would do with Sol, but Bennett knew he'd somehow use Sol against them. The problem was that not knowing how meant the mages couldn't find a way around it. They couldn't save Sol, which might mean his death.

Everyone was aware of that. Bennett wasn't sure what was worse—feeling useless like he did or having magic but not knowing how to use it to save Sol like the mages.

Bennet wanted to help, but he didn't think there was a way to do so. The only thing he could do was stay close to Penley and support him in whatever way he could. Right now, Penley seemed to want to be close to Bennett, so Bennet would give him that.

It had to be scary for all the mages, even though they had their dragons back. They'd looked for them for so long only to have Sol taken right under their nose. He was the last piece of the puzzle, and hopefully, with him back, they would have been able to defeat Carlyle.

Could they do so without Sol? Maybe, but Bennett doubted any of the mages wanted to consider that possibility. Even if they were powerful enough without Dallin's shield, they'd be more powerful with him, and Dallin would be better protected. Bennett was sure that the other shields would agree to help keep an eye on him, but their priority would always be their mages, not him. There was no way around that, unfortunately. Each mage had his shield for a reason.

"I can't believe we let this happen," Penley muttered as Bennett guided him into his room.

Bennett had chosen to come here because Penley would be more comfortable, and if he needed to break down, he could do so in private.

Bennett closed the door. "We didn't let anything happen, Pen. All of us did everything we could, but we got there too late."

Penley raked a hand through his hair. "If Ansley had looked for Sol instead of Winter, Carlyle wouldn't have found him. Winter and Samuel would have been able to defend themselves from Carlyle, but Sol was alone."

"Or maybe Carlyle would have killed Samuel and taken Winter. I'm sure Keylon would have been happy never to deal with Sam, but the result would have been the same. It was a race against time, and you guys won every time but this one. You did everything you could, and you shouldn't feel guilty."

Bennett understood why Penley felt that way and didn't like it, but he could tell there would be no changing Penley's mind. All the mages probably felt like this, but it wouldn't be anything next to how Dallin had to feel.

Bennett didn't even want to try to imagine the heartbreak and terror. He wished he could do something for Dallin, but beyond finding Sol, nothing would help.

"It's not about feeling guilty," Penley argued.

Bennett stared at him—he was sure it was precisely about that. He knew Penley well enough to be ready to bet on it.

Penley's cheeks flushed. "Okay, part of it's that I feel guilty and like I should have done more. But think about Carlyle, Bennett. We only managed to defeat him the first time around because we were all there with our shields. How are we going to do it again without Sol? I don't know if we can."

Bennett wished he could promise that everything would be all right, but he didn't. Penley might be right. The mages might not be enough with one shield missing. If they weren't, everyone was in trouble.

But Bennett didn't want Penley to obsess over that and think they'd been defeated before they had the opportunity to try. Everyone was overwhelmed now, but it wouldn't last forever. Once they had some time to wrap their minds around what had happened, they could start planning the next step.

Penley started pacing, but Bennett would have none of that. Penley needed to be distracted. Luckily, Bennett was the best man for the job.

When Penley walked past him, Bennett grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "Stop thinking that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. We don't know if you guys will be strong enough to get rid of Carlyle without Sol, but isn't Carlyle weaker right now? He spent decades stuck in a gemstone and doesn't have a shield."

"Even if he is weaker, it won't last forever."

"No, but it might last long enough for us to take advantage of it. We can find a way around Sol's absence, but not if all of you decide we've already lost. Give yourself today, but tomorrow, start working on taking Carlyle down for good."

Penley's body relaxed. "I don't know if I can do it."

"Well, I think you can."

Penley peered up at Bennett.

Bennett wished Penley could see himself the way Bennett saw him. Penley might not be the most powerful of mages or the one with the most helpful specialty, but that didn't mean he wasn't strong and capable. It didn't mean he wouldn't be instrumental when it came to taking Carlyle down.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," Penley murmured.

"What you've been doing until now. You just need a little more faith in yourself."

Penley cocked his head. "And if I don't have it, you'll have it for me?"

Bennett grinned. "Precisely. I'm glad you finally understand."

"I'm glad I finally have you back."

How was Bennett supposed to resist? Every word Penley said went straight to his heart, but especially these. When Penley had initially avoided Bennett, Bennett had thought things would always be like that between them. He hadn't realized that Penley wanted him, but he was glad that he eventually had, and even more so, that he'd fallen for Penley. He couldn't think of a more perfect man for him. Hell, he couldn't think of a more perfect man at all. Penley was everything, and Bennett would do whatever he had to keep him safe and make him feel cherished.

When he leaned down to kiss Penley, Penley pressed closer. They were still working things out, but they'd settled into a comfortable relationship after their first kiss. They hadn't talked about what it meant, what their plans were, or what the future would look like for them, but Bennett didn't think they needed to. They were mage and shield. They were already bonded, and hopefully, they'd soon be bonded even more strongly.

Bennett wrapped his arms around Penley's waist and hauled him even closer. Penley squeaked, but when Bennett moved him toward the bed, he didn't resist. The trust that shone in his eyes made Bennett want to promise him so many things, even things he wasn't sure he could give him. He didn't need to say any of them out loud. Penley knew him. He wasn't Devon anymore, but he was still Penley's dragon, and that meant everything.

Bennett grabbed the bottom of Penley's hoodie and pulled it up. He wasn't surprised when Penley raised his arms so he could slide it off him. Penley knew what was about to happen, and from the heat in his gaze, he wanted it as much as Bennett.

Penley's t-shirt was next to go. Bennett threw it behind himself, then skimmed his fingertips down Penley's chest until he reached his jeans. Penley sucked in a breath and froze, and so did Bennett. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Neither of them moved, as if they were afraid the other would get spooked if they did. Bennett unbuttoned his jeans slowly, then waited a few more seconds before lowering the zipper.

Penley shivered. His eyes were wide, his cheeks flushed, and he'd never been more beautiful.

Bennett let go of the jeans, and they dropped to the floor. Penley was barefoot, so he just had to step sideways to be almost naked. On the other hand, Bennett was still fully dressed, and he didn't like that. He wanted to feel Penley's skin against his, to wrap his arms around him and hold him close. This wasn't just sex for either of them. It was a way for them to get the intimacy they'd never had, to complete their bond and show each other that they were in this for the long run.

Bennett had been slow and careful when he'd stripped Penley, but he didn't have the same patience for himself. He threw his t-shirt aside, then pushed his jeans down his legs, pausing only to toe off his sneakers and take off his socks. As soon as he was wearing only his underwear, he pulled Penley back against him. He slid an arm around his mage, grabbing one ass cheek and smiling when Penley squeaked again.

Bennett swallowed the sound from Penley's lips. Penley was enthusiastic, so Bennett knew that he wanted this as much as he did. Penley was always a bit awkward, and this situation wasn't any different. He smacked Bennett's chest with his hand when he tried to wrap his arms around Bennett's neck, then bit Bennett's lower lip when he kissed him.

Bennett didn't care. In fact, he kind of loved it. He didn't care about how many lovers Penley had in the past, but he liked that Penley trusted him enough to be himself without shame.

Bennett was still holding Penley's ass with one hand. He cupped the other around Penley's shoulder, then slid it to the back of Penley's head. He kept him in place, smiling when he felt the hardness of Penley's cock against him.

He looked down and let go of Penley to reach between them. He skimmed the back of his hand against Penley's cock and grinned. "You're so hard for me," he whispered.

Penley whimpered. Bennett wasn't sure Penley could speak, but that was all right. Penley didn't need to for Bennett to know what he wanted.

He grabbed Penley's hips and guided him toward the bed. When Penley fell back onto the mattress, Bennett climbed on top of him. For a moment, they stayed there, staring at each other. Bennett had a hard time believing this was real. Penley was under him, looking at him like he'd hung the moon.

Bennett skimmed a hand down Penley's chest. The skin there was flushed, and Penley's nipples had pebbled. Bennett didn't know where to start. Penley's cock pressed against his underwear, begging to be let out. Penley was a feast stretched out in front of Bennett, and Bennett had to make a hard decision.

What did he want to do to his mage?

He leaned closer as he stroked his hand further down Penley's body. His fingers bumped against Penley's cock as his lips closed around one of Penley's nipples. Penley gasped and arched his back, pressing his body closer to Bennett. Bennett hooked his fingers under the elastic band of Penley's underwear and raised it around Penley's cock, freeing it.

At the same time, he sucked on Penley's nipple, then gently rolled it between his teeth. Penley bucked under him, his entire body moving as if he couldn't control himself. Bennett loved that. He loved that he could get this kind of reaction from Penley, and he wanted to push him further, see how far he could push him and what his reaction would be.

He wrapped his hand around Penley's cock. Penley's hips punched up, making Bennett smile against his chest. He teased it with the tip of his tongue, then wrapped his lips around it to suck.

Bennett continued his assault on Penley's nipple, but it wasn't the only part of Penley's body he was focused on. He let go of Penley's cock and slid his fingers lower, pushing aside Penley's underwear.

Penley's hole fluttered against Bennett's fingertips. Penley pushed down, telling Bennett he wanted more. Bennett was eager to give everything to him. It was a strange feeling because, at the same time, Bennett wanted to draw this out. It was clear that wasn't what Penley wished for, and Bennett cared more about how Penley felt than about how he felt.

Penley slapped his hand on the mattress in the direction of the nightstand. "Lube is there."

He was out of breath and panting, and Bennett almost couldn't believe he'd been the one to cause that. He leaned away, finally letting go of Penley's nipple. It glistened with saliva, and against the background of Penley's flushed skin, it was beautiful.

"You're sure about this?" Bennett asked. "It'll seal our bond."

"We're already bonded."

"But this will be different."

Penley narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to get out of doing it?"

"Never. I want you so much, Penley. I know you don't see yourself as I see you, but I wish you could. You're brave and beautiful and smart and caring. You're everything a man could want, and I'm lucky that you chose me. If I have a choice, I'm never letting you go."

Penley's cheeks were on fire, but at the same time, he had a pleased expression that told Bennett he liked what he'd just heard. Now, if only he would tell Bennett what he wanted, things would be perfect.

Bennett leaned down to kiss Penley's stomach. Muscles rippled under his touch, and he wasn't surprised when Penley tried to reach the drawer. He wiggled away from Bennett, but Bennett grabbed his hips and pulled him back to the center of the bed. "Stay here."

Penley obeyed. He watched Bennett as Bennett got to his feet, pushed his underwear down his legs, and abandoned them on the floor. He didn't have to look for the lube when he opened the drawer because it was right there. It was clear Penley used it often, and when Bennett arched a brow at him, Penley's cheeks went up in flames.

He was so fucking adorable, which was part of why Bennett was in love with him. Bennett didn't think he could list everything he loved about Penley. There were too many.

He climbed between Penley's legs. Penley opened them wider, but he still had his underwear on, so Bennett couldn't see all of him. That could be easily dealt with, thankfully. It only took Bennett a few seconds to take off Penley's underwear, and once he had Penley naked in front of him, he stared.

He didn't know where to start. Penley's skin was pale all over except for his chest and face. There, he was flushed as if he'd run a marathon. His long legs trembled as he hooked them around Bennett's waist, and while he was clearly embarrassed, he didn't hesitate to look Bennett in the eyes. The mix of embarrassment and courage went straight to Bennett's already hard cock.

He'd never realized how much he could want someone. He'd had relationships over the past few decades, but they'd always felt like something was missing. Now, he knew that was because something had been missing, or rather, someone.

Bennett slicked his fingers and gently pushed one into Penley's body. He kept an eye on Penley's reactions because he didn't want Penley to be uncomfortable. At the same time, it allowed Bennett to see what Penley liked and disliked. Right now, he seemed to dislike how slow Bennett was going.

That made two of them.

Bennett wanted nothing more than to fuck Penley into the mattress, but he'd never forgive himself if he hurt his mage. No matter how much he wanted to be inside Penley, he wasn't willing to rush into it.

"I'm not going to break," Penley whispered.

"That's good, because I have no intention of breaking you."

"You are going to fuck me, though, right?"

Those words coming from Penley's mouth were a shock, but Bennett loved it. He liked that Penley felt free to be like this when they were together. He wanted to know every facet of Penley's personality, and this was one that he really enjoyed.

By the time he'd worked Penley up to three fingers, he was pretty sure Penley was about to come. He kept twisting his upper body as he tried to fuck himself on Bennett's fingers, and when Bennett pulled them out, he glared at him. Luckily, Bennett wasn't intimidated. Penley would never hurt him, not even if he decided he wasn't in the mood to make love to him, after all.

But he was in the mood. He couldn't remember ever wanting someone like this, and he wondered if he'd felt the same way when he'd been Devon. He knew Penley had a crush on him back then, but did he have a crush on Penley? Had he been able to tell the kind of man Penley would be in bed?

It was weird, but Bennett was almost jealous of his past self. Devon had known Penley in a way Bennett never would.

But then, Bennett would know Penley in ways Devon never had.

He slipped between Penley's legs and grabbed his cock, aiming it toward Penley's hole. Penley opened his legs wider, then pulled them up to his chest. Like this, Bennett could see all of him and couldn't resist.

Thankfully, he didn't have to.

He might have taken a lot of time prepping Penley, but it meant that now, he slid into him without any resistance. He felt Penley's entire body relax as soon as he was fully inside of him. It was as if Penley had been waiting for this for a long time and had let go.

Bennett squeezed Penley's thighs as he pulled him closer and started fucking him. He'd had every intention of going slow and making Penley feel cherished, but now that he was inside of him, he was losing control. The way Penley was reacting to it didn't help. He kept whimpering, moaning, and using his feet to get Bennett closer. It was as if he wanted them to become one, but this was as close as they could go.

Bennett realized that was wrong when he felt something move deep in his chest. He hadn't known what to expect, but he'd been aware that their bond would only be complete after they did this.

Something shifted inside of him, maybe his dragon. Bennett never stopped fucking Penley, not even when Penley started glowing. It made Bennett blink, but he assumed it was part of completing the bond and was eager for that to happen. Besides, a glowing Penley wasn't any less attractive.

As something inside Bennett reached for Penley, he felt something that came from Penley reach for him. Penley had explained that he had his own magic. Some mages did, while others could only manipulate the magic around them. Bennett really didn't care about the difference between the kinds of mages. He only cared about what was reaching for him from deep inside Penley.

Bennett held his breath as the two things finally met. The pleasure in his groin exploded, and he gasped as he came. Penley whimpered, squeezing his knees around Bennett's waist as he came undone.

Bennett couldn't resist. He leaned forward and kissed Penley. He didn't stop fucking his mage, but he slowed down as he kept Penley open for him. He had one hand hooked under Penley's knee while he pushed the other under Penley's head and held him in place as their tongues tangled.

Bennett could feel Penley's release on their skin. It would get sticky soon, but he didn't care. He wouldn't mind being stuck with Penley, and he was pretty sure that after what had just happened, he was.

"Were you supposed to become all glowy?" he asked in a whisper, his lips brushing against Penley's.

Penley chuckled. "I think so, although I've never talked to anyone about this. Maybe I should have, if anything so we'd know what to expect."

"I'm sure Jarvis would have told you anything you wanted to know."

Penley shuddered. "I don't want to talk about Jarvis when you're still inside of me. He's like my big brother."

Bennett kissed Penley again. "We don't have to talk about anything."

Penley wrapped his arms around Bennett. "Good, because I don't want to talk. I just want to be here in your arms and enjoy the moment."

They should do just that. They wouldn't have a lot of time to be together like this in the future. Carlyle was out there, plotting against them. He wouldn't stay gone forever, and when he finally reappeared, the mages would need to be ready to face him. Thankfully, it could wait a few hours.

Bennett wasn't done with Penley yet.