23. Mav Asks An Important Question

23

MAV ASKS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

Telos nudged his sleeping alpha. “Mav.”

“Whuh?” Mav stirred, then slumped back against his pillow.

“Mav.” Telos nudged him again. “I want fries and a sundae.”

His alpha snored.

“ Mav. ” Telos grunted when there came a kick in his belly. “The baby wants fries and a sundae.”

Mav snuffled and jerked awake. “What?”

Telos repeated his order. “Piddly Dunkins makes them best.”

“What time is it? Are they even open?” Mav mumbled, rubbing his face.

“3 AM. Yes. I checked. Go get the baby some.”

“Mm.” Mav cupped Telos’ belly—now half the size of a watermelon—and gave a proud rumble when their baby kicked. “I felt that. Did you feel it? Our baby kicked!”

Telos rolled his eyes. “No, I didn’t notice a foot connecting with my insides, hard enough that someone outside my body could feel it.”

Mav snorted, leaning in to nuzzle Telos’ chest. “Yeah, sass me while I’m too sleepy to think of a reply.”

“Fries. Now.”

“Fine.” Mav fumbled himself upright, pressing a sloppy kiss to Telos’ lips before shuffling out of bed. At the bedroom door, he paused. “Couldn’t you have asked one of the butlers? They’re probably both eavesdropping on us.”

“No one’s eavesdropping,” Hadley said from somewhere in the mansion.

“We’re totally not paid to keep our ears open for all sounds, including extremely private sex sounds,” Hilly-Billy added.

Telos groaned. “Shut up, both of you.”

“Would you like a pickup line with your sundae? We have one you need to hear,” Hadley said.

“ No. I’m going. Bye.” Mav was downstairs, car keys in hand.

“‘You should clap your buttcheeks like cymbals,’” Hilly-Billy said anyway. “‘They will announce your presence and my heart will open to swallow the thunder of your majestic jiggly bottom.’”

“Who the hell even writes this insanity?” Mav muttered, before slamming the car door.

“Our patron god,” Hadley said. “Did you hear? Dicky Mems agreed to the pickup line fortune cookies! They are going to be in our future. ”

Mav drove off with a loud roar of his engine. Telos laughed and settled back into bed, squirming over to Mav’s side so he could roll in the combined scents of Mav and sex.

“He still owes me a pickup line,” Telos said.

“Better hold him to it,” Hilly-Billy answered. “He seems the sort who’ll conveniently forget an amazing pickup line.”

Telos nuzzled Mav’s pillow and wriggled a little, enjoying the solidness of the plug inside him. Even then, the bed began to feel too empty as the seconds ticked by. He hugged Mav’s pillow, then brought it out of bed with him, shuffling to the nursery.

Estie was fast asleep in her crib. A second crib waited patiently on the other side of the room—also from Mav’s hoard.

Telos’ heart thumped. Soon, he would have two babies to hold. Being a dad didn’t feel so scary now that he had Mav promising to help.

He padded the rest of the way through Mav’s gorgeous, spacious mansion, past paintings of horses and cars. Dickens, Mass, and BH found him and squeaked their wheels excitedly, following him down the gentle stairs.

In the basement, Telos peered into the retina scanner, and the double doors slid open soundlessly. The carts trailed after him.

The strangest thing in Mav’s hoard was a large leather couch. At least, Telos had thought it strange, before Mav had sat in it to polish the riding gear he’d collected over the centuries.

The couch no longer only smelled like leather and polish. Ever since Telos had pulled Mav onto it, the couch had begun smelling like sex, too.

He sat down on it now, Mav’s pillow hugged to his chest. And he stared at the new empty space on one side of Mav’s hoard.

Was Mav selling off his treasures? Did he need the money?

After looking around, he realized that Mav hadn’t sold his things—he’d just crammed them together on the other side of the large room.

Telos glanced up when Mav’s car rumbled back onto the property. The engine cut off; a door slammed. Then the front door opened, and Mav’s footsteps echoed through the foyer.

“I’m downstairs,” Telos said.

Mav changed his trajectory and jogged down the stairs. A moment later, the steel doors slid open to reveal his muscular figure. Mav scanned the room, glanced briefly at the frolicking carts, and focused on Telos.

“Did you bring my fries and sundae?”

“They’re for the baby,” Mav said, but he handed over the paper bags anyway.

“Fuck you. I’m the one carrying our baby.” Telos turned when Mav sat on the couch, planting his feet on Mav’s lap. The fries were crispy and salty, and they were delicious covered in vanilla soft serve. “Here, try one.”

Mav wrinkled his nose, but he opened his mouth and accepted a fry. He chewed. Then his eyebrows shot up. “That’s not bad.”

“I told you!”

Mav scowled and stole a fry, dipping it into Telos’ ice cream.

“Hey, don’t shove your potato sticks into my cream,” Telos said.

“Yeah? Want me to shove my cream somewhere else?” Mav grinned. He scooped more ice cream onto his fry, then pushed it into Telos’ mouth. “Suck on my cream, babe.”

Telos flushed. But he met Mav’s gaze and wrapped his lips around the fry, sucking off the ice cream. “Good enough?” he asked, before licking the tip of the fry.

This time, Mav didn’t bother with a fry. He dipped two fingers into the ice cream and pushed them into Telos’ mouth, sliding deep.

“Fuck,” Telos hissed around his fingers. He closed his lips around Mav and sucked, slowly, sinfully, until Mav’s pupils dilated. The banked heat in Telos’ body flared to life.

Mav set the ice cream and fries on the floor. Then he turned Telos over onto his hands and knees, tucked his pillow under Telos’ chest, and pushed his fingers between Telos’ cheeks, sliding out the heavy plug that sat in him most days—even when he taught at Cartfalls College.

“Looks like you need to be topped up,” Mav purred, slipping his thumbs into Telos’ hole and stretching him wide.

Telos groaned. He fumbled for a fry and stuffed it into his mouth, except he didn’t taste any of it.

Mav pressed a kiss to Telos’ stretched hole, his breathing growing heavier. He licked Telos there and kissed him again, reaching into his pants to stroke himself. “You look gorgeous.”

“Yeah, say that to my face.”

Mav laughed and prowled along Telos’ body, stealing a kiss over his shoulder. “You’re gorgeous and hot, and I want to fill you with so much cum, it drips out around the plug.”

“Yeah, okay, that’s hot.” Telos groaned and wriggled his hips. “Why aren’t you inside already?”

Mav swept his tongue into Telos’ mouth. Then he slid his tip between Telos’ cheeks, snagged it against Telos’ hole, and pushed in with one long stroke. Cum overflowed out of Telos and splattered all over the couch. Telos didn’t care; not when Mav was filling him up in the best way.

“You swallow me whole,” Mav groaned. “Sucking me down so perfectly like you’re begging for more.”

“I hope your balls have rested enough, because I need another load.”

“Fuck.” Mav gripped his hips and slammed inside, right against Telos’ sweet spot.

Telos wheezed. It didn’t matter how hard Mav filled him; he always wanted more. Mav was only too happy to indulge him—sometimes he visited Telos at the college and fucked him in his office, right before his lectures. Sometimes he dragged Telos out of his car, and fucked him up against it.

“I love when you drip cum down your thighs,” Mav whispered in his ear, giving him short, firm thrusts. “Especially when it leaks through your work pants. Any of your grad students could look closely and see how you’re stuffed full of cum. Utterly bred.”

Telos panted, his face growing hot. “Sometimes the wolves smell it on me.”

Mav smiled sharply. “You let them smell you?”

“They look, but they don’t know that your cum came from inside me. They just think I let my boyfriend shoot all over my body.” It was embarrassing, but Telos gave those grad students a haughty look and no one said anything.

“Maybe I should do that one day. Cover your cock and ass with my cum.”

Telos groaned. “Fuck.”

Mav slid his hands down Telos’ chest, squeezing his damp pecs. Then he stroked further down, rubbing Telos’ round belly.

“Mine,” Mav growled. “All mine.”

He thrust into Telos harder, faster. Telos clutched the couch and tried to hang on. Except Mav bit his shoulder and slammed against his prostate, and Telos was coming everywhere, his body clenching hard.

“Fuck. Fuck! You just got so tight for me.” Mav hissed, clapping their hips together. He nailed Telos’ prostate so hard that Telos’ bones felt like they’d liquefied. All he knew was Mav’s thickness anchoring him, filling him inside.

Mav gave a few more urgent thrusts. Then he came with a roar, his knot swelling just behind Telos’ rim. It stretched him better than the plug did, sealing him as Mav continued to fill him with heat.

“That was so fucking good,” Telos mumbled, slumping against the couch. “Can’t get enough.”

“Am I going to wake up to you riding me?” Mav rubbed his palms over Telos’ belly again.

“Possibly. You’re going to get completely drenched in cum when I pull out the plug.” Telos grinned.

“What’s new?”

They drowsed together sleepily, Mav turning them onto their sides so they could be more comfortable. Except he shrugged out of his shirt and pants, moving around so much that his knot nudged against Telos’ insides. Telos moaned. “The hell are you doing?”

“Getting naked.” Mav stopped moving. Then he pulled Telos against himself and maneuvered them onto the floor, before shifting into his dragon form. While he was still inside Telos.

Telos wheezed as his body stretched to fit his alpha. Mav wrapped himself around Telos; the pressure increased against Telos’ sweet spot. Mav kept rocking into him, over and over until Telos panted and squirmed—a firm roll of Mav’s hips sent him over the edge. Telos came with a snarl and a shudder.

“Sleep now,” Mav whispered, rubbing his side.

Telos adjusted his head on Mav’s paw, catching his breath. “You made space in your hoard.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Why?”

Mav didn’t answer for a while. He trailed his other paw lightly down Telos’ arm, then held his hand. “You haven’t guessed it yet?”

“I’m too tired to think.” And maybe Telos wanted to be asked, instead of assuming anything.

“I want you to move in with me officially. The empty space is for your hoard.”

Telos’ heart kicked.

Mav huffed, tapping Telos’ chest with a scaly finger. “I heard that.”

“I demand more space for my collection.”

“Of course.” Mav paused. “But Doc’s dino bag isn’t allowed in here.”

Telos snorted. “Still jealous?”

“Maybe.”

“Your pterodactyl balls painting is in my bedroom. And you’ve given me more fossils; those are all in my hoard. I did the jigsaw puzzle, but I’m missing one fucking piece that Estie couldn’t have gotten to because it’s all on a table that she’s too short to reach.”

Mav shifted against him, his scales rubbing against Telos’ back.

A sudden thought popped into Telos’ head. “Wait. You didn’t steal that piece, did you?”

Mav shrugged. “Why would you think that?”

“Because you’re an asshole like me! And you’ve been in my penthouse a few times. I would steal it.” Telos turned and frowned at the dragon over his shoulder. “Did you?”

Another shrug. “If you move in with me, you’ll get the chance to see if I’ve hidden it somewhere.”

“That’s as good as an admission.” Telos elbowed him hard. Mav grunted. “I spent hours searching for it everywhere! Under all the couches! And the fridge! And you made me search under them twice! ”

“I know,” Mav rumbled. “You had your ass up in the air several times.”

“Fucking—” Telos elbowed him again, flattered. “I’m going to sleep. Asshole.”

“Goodnight, asshole,” Mav said, nuzzling him.

Telos shook his head, but his smile was helplessly fond.

The carts came closer, wheeling around them. Telos was about to doze off when Mav rubbed his paw over his chest.

“Will you bond with me?” Mav whispered, almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

Telos’ heart stopped. “Usually people declare how much they care about each other, before discussing a lifetime commitment.”

Mav paused his stroking. “Do you want me to wait?”

And now Telos’ heart was racing. He wriggled on Mav’s cock. “Let me off.”

Mav shifted quickly; one moment he was a man without a knot, slipping out of Telos. The next moment, he’d turned back into a dragon, peering into Telos’ eyes.

Telos shifted into his favorite pterodactyl species—the green one, with the largest wingspan. They were roughly the same size now; he was just a few inches shorter than Mav. “Ask me again. Now that I look like this, the dinosaur our friends keep teasing me about.”

Mav wrapped his tail around Telos, reaching out to touch Telos’ side with his paw. “You’re nothing to sneeze at, you know. Your abilities are incredibly useful. You can turn into just about any creature you want, and you can hear better than most other people. What you choose to do with your body is your own business.”

Telos puffed out his chest.

“I’ll bite them if they tease you again,” Mav said.

Telos’ heart warmed. “Aww, Mavvie Chicken. I could prank them, you know. I just haven’t set my brothers on them yet. Because all of us can turn into dinosaurs. Just because you haven’t seen a horde of dinosaurs with pickup lines, doesn’t mean it can’t exist.”

Mav snorted, flames flickering from his snout. “Is that going to happen?”

“You bet your ass it is.” Telos slumped forward, leaning against Mav’s strong chest. “Are you going to ask me?”

Mav sucked in a slow breath. “Telos. Professor and Knower of All Things Dinosaur. I’m sorry it took me this long to see you as you are. But now that I have, I can’t unsee it. You’re snarky and clever and strong. You love Estie and our baby with all your heart. You’re an amazing and protective dad. You’re—You’re the most perfect mate an alpha could ask for.”

Telos listened to the truth in Mav’s heartbeat. He returned Mav’s intent stare, Mav’s touch sending electricity through his body.

“How do you feel about me?” Telos whispered, his heart pounding.

“I want to keep you close,” Mav admitted, bowing his head. “I want to hear you singing along to the car radio, watch you play with Estie, and give our carts terrible names. I want to walk around corners to see you as a dinosaur trying to surprise me, and I want you to try and make me cringe with terrible pickup lines. I want to spend lazy Sundays in bed with you, talking about everything and nothing. I want you to be my mate for the rest of my life.”

Telos’ throat tightened. For so long, he’d wanted to hear all that from Mav. And now that he had, it almost seemed like a dream, except he’d spent several weeks in Mav’s bed, letting Mav hold him and kiss him. “Is that all?”

Mav swallowed. “I love you.”

Maybe Telos cried a little. He sniffled and leaned into Mav, folding his wings around Mav’s beautiful scaly body. “Well, okay.”

“Just ‘okay’?”

“I’ll be your mate.”

Mav rumbled. Relief and joy fluttered at the back of Telos’ mind, mirroring his own. “Good,” Mav said, his voice tight. He pulled Telos closer and hugged him. “That’s really good to know.”

“I will decide when we bond,” Telos said hoarsely.

“Of course.”

“We will have ice cream and fries.”

“As you wish.”

“We will demonstrate fry-sucking to anyone who wishes to learn more.”

Mav laughed, his chest shaking against Telos. “It needs to be innocent. Estie will be there. And so will your brothers. Oh, gods, how are we going to fit all your brothers? My flight’s bonding cave isn’t all that big.”

Telos really did have a lot of brothers. It was possible that his parents were still making more. “I... I don’t know. We’ll see.”

After a while, Telos asked uncomfortably, “Will your parents be okay with us bonding? They raised you not to consider alphas as mates.”

Mav glanced sidelong at him. “I’ve been talking with them. They may be receptive to the idea.”

Telos’ heart fluttered. “Oh.”

Mav gave him a tiny smile. Then he shifted back into a man and tugged on Telos’ wing. “C’mon, let’s get out of here. The floor was nice for a bit, but I’ve come to appreciate the joys of a soft bed.”

“All the better for fucking on, Mavvie Chicken,” Telos purred. He shifted into a small pterodactyl and perched on Mav’s shoulder, before flopping against the side of Mav’s head.

Mav moved toward the exit. “Please don’t call me that in bed.”

Telos laughed. “I’m so going to.”

“I’ll make you regret it.”

“Yeah, right. You love me.”

Mav shook his head, but his smile grew wider. “I can’t believe I do.”