Chapter Seven

Slowly becoming aware of his surroundings, Slater kept his eyes closed when his keen sense of smell alerted him to two distinct scents in the air. One was the comforting scent of his mate, easing his mind. He drew in a deep breath and let it fill his lungs.

Now healed, Slater was no longer in his tiger form. His mind froze. He hadn't been able to keep his tiger contained inside of him. Not when he'd been that badly hurt. It had gotten free when Slater shifted.

Alex!

Rolling to his hands and knees, Slater shoved to his feet, panicked his tiger might have hurt Alex. It had been aggressive, too determined to get to him. He didn't see his mate in the living room, but he could hear voices coming from the kitchen.

It wasn't until he recognized the other scent that he realized who was in his house.

Becky.

Slater didn't understand why she was here, but he was relieved to hear Alex's voice.

"I promise you, Mom. The tiger won't hurt me," he said with confidence. "Just drink your coffee. Do you know how long it took me to grind these beans?"

Alex had met his tiger, and it hadn't acted aggressive toward him. In fact, it sounded as if his mate accepted it.

"It's just coffee," Becky replied.

"But it won't taste like other coffee. I used freshly ground beans," Alex argued. "Not all coffee tastes the same. Can't you smell how fresh the grounds are as it brews?"

Feeling relieved that his mate was unharmed and proud that he had converted Alex into appreciating freshly ground coffee beans, Slater slipped upstairs to get dressed.

He wasn't sure if Becky had seen him shift into his human form, but he didn't want her walking into the living room to find him naked. Once he reached his bedroom, Slater quickly dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a soft T-shirt.

He'd avoided a total disaster. His mate was unharmed, and his tiger seemed content for the moment.

When Slater entered the kitchen, he saw Becky at the table sipping her coffee and Alex watching as if waiting for her reaction.

"This really is good," she said. "I might even consider purchasing a grinder now."

The smile on Alex's face was pure delight. "See, I told you it would be good. Now aren't you glad you agreed to a cup instead of hunting down a tranquilizer gun?"

Slater's brow rose at the mention of tranqing his cat.

"Jeez!" Alex jumped and slapped a hand over his chest. "You've got to stop scaring me while I'm in the kitchen!"

They locked gazes. The way Alex looked at Slater was nothing short of heart racing. He was stunning in the midday light. Slater wanted the feeling he had in this moment to stay forever. He wanted that look to always radiate from his mate's eyes. In the silence between them, Slater felt so much.

God help him.

He was a lucky man.

"I don't know you like I should, since you're dating my son," Becky said as she stood, forcing Slater to pull his gaze away from his mate, "but please don't leave Alex alone again with your exotic pet."

She hadn't seen him shift. That was a relief.

"I told you it wasn't going to hurt me, Mom." Alex looked directly at Slater. "Like any cat, all it wanted was to meet me and let me pet it. Bonding is so important."

Was Alex saying what Slater thought he was?

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Alex smiled.

His hummingbird wanted to bond with him.

"Did you hear me, Slater?" Becky asked.

He turned to her and hung his head slightly. "You said you wanted to get to know me better because I'm dating your son."

"That's not—" She huffed. "That's true, but I was talking about your tiger."

"I'm always around when Alex is with my tiger, ma'am. But I hear you loud and clear."

"You weren't here earlier," she pointed out. "Alex called me in a panic because your pet passed out and he couldn't figure out why."

Punch right to the heart. Slater didn't think his mate could be any more beautiful, but he'd just been proven wrong.

"When my cat isn't feeling well, it likes to sleep so it feels better."

Alex turned but not before Slater caught his smile, and then he started cleaning off the counter, leaving Slater to face down his mom.

"I wasn't far, Becky. I promise."

Alex's shoulders shook slightly, and with his heightened senses, Slater could hear him softly laughing.

"Well, now that the crisis has been diverted, I'm going to head back to work," she said. "Just do Alex a favor and let him know where you keep your tranquilizer gun. Wild animals can be unpredictable."

Slater guessed Alex couldn't hold back any longer because he collapsed against the counter, laughing so hard his smile was wide and his cheeks were a pretty shade of red.

"What has gotten into you?" his mom asked.

Slater had to curl his lips in so he wouldn't join his mate.

She rolled her eyes. "Boys are so strange. Alex, walk your mom out."

Alex wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to stifle his laughter as he stood up. He took one look at Slater, who was fighting his own grin, and let out another burst of uncontrollable laughter.

"I'll walk you out, Becky," Slater offered, gesturing for her to follow him.

As they entered the living room, her gaze darted around curiously before settling on Slater. "Where's the tiger?" she asked, eyebrows raised inquisitively.

"I put him in his cage."

Slater could hear his mate laughing even more in the kitchen.

As she opened the front door, she pointed at the wall. "If you're making holes that big while renovating, you may want to use a smaller hammer."

It seemed his mate had covered all the bases.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for trying to help Alex and for not tranquilizing my tiger."

"It was a close one." She walked out.

Slater stood there until she slid into her car and reversed from his driveway.

He closed the door then turned around, raising an eyebrow at Alex, who stood behind him, cheeks flushed from laughing. "You were going to let your mom sedate an unconscious tiger?"

"She's the one who wanted to do it," Alex defended. "I told her the tiger wasn't going to hurt me."

He walked to his mate and slung an arm around him, capturing Alex's body against his. "I'm sorry my tiger burst free. It probably scared you half to death."

Alex smiled, mischievousness glinting in his eyes. "He was an oversized pussy cat."

Slater laughed as he hugged his mate. "How badly did your mom freak out when she saw my tiger?" he asked curiously.

"She was completely chill," Alex replied with a grin.

"While wanting to dope up my cat." Slater chuckled. "It wouldn't have worked anyway. The drugs would have burned too quickly through my system."

Unless she'd given him enough to take down an elephant.

"We should try to clean up the mess in here." Then Alex was gone from Slater's arms, and damn if he didn't want his mate back immediately.

Alex was walking around the room, picking up things off the floor, a nervousness in him now that they were alone.

Just because Alex had agreed to mate with him, Slater wasn't going to rush him into it. If his mate wanted to clean, he would just help, trying to set his mind at ease at the same time.

He would do whatever it took to help Alex relax and ease him into this.

"I still can't believe Kijani attacked you." He picked up a book and set it on the mantel, his fingers remaining on it.

"He thought I threatened my mate." Slater grabbed the heavy sofa and yanked it back to where it was supposed to be, telling himself he'd find a way to get rid of the deep scratches in the floor later.

Alex's blue eyes looked at him, his gaze lingering for a second before he started cleaning again. "So that makes it right for him to attack you?"

Slater watched him with a slight smile and envisioned Alex being there on a permanent basis, filling his bed, his life, his heart, with endless joy and contentment.

"Mistreat a mate and you deserve even worse," Slater remarked as he grabbed a broom and trashcan from the kitchen. "I'm damn lucky he didn't swipe my head off my shoulders."

Together, they cleaned up the mess, working side by side like a happy couple restoring their home.

When they were done, they headed into the kitchen. Slater was starving from healing, and as far as he knew, his mate hadn't eaten since their early breakfast.

"I have to work tonight." Alex insisted on cooking the ground meat, so Slater simply leaned against the counter, arms crossed, and watched him at the stove.

A nice sight he wanted to see more of—Alex making this his home as well. That image was now stuck in his head.

"What time?" Slater was on duty tonight. It was time to head back to the real world. So much had gone on in the past two days it felt more like a week.

"Ten, but I like to get there twenty minutes early so I can see how much work I have to do. Second shift doesn't clean as thoroughly as I do, which I don't mind. It gives me something to do besides sitting there bored."

The thought of his mate alone in the store at night didn't sit well with Slater. He couldn't stand it. It felt like a heavy stone in his gut.

They settled at the table after their lunch was ready, Slater wasting no time to fill the emptiness in his stomach.

Alex frowned at him. "I can't believe you just consumed a pound of sloppy Joe's."

"You had a sandwich." Slater wiped his mouth off on his napkin.

His mate chuckled, shaking his head. "I guess I'd eat that much if I were as big as you."

"Need me to flex again?" Slater wiggled his brows, knowing how much Alex liked his body.

"Glad to see your ego is as hearty as your appetite." Alex took his dishes to the sink.

Once they cleaned up, Slater grabbed his mate's hand. "I haven't given you a tour of the upstairs yet."

He felt his mate's heated gaze on his ass as they climbed the stairs but forced himself not to flex his glutes.

They stopped in the middle of the hallway, then Slater pointed at each door. "Bathroom, guest bedroom, hallway closet."

Those rooms weren't important.

"And the last door on the left?"

"Let me show you." Slater opened his bedroom door with a flourish. "Welcome to the room where I want to practice making kittens with you."

"Second worst attempt at humor." Alex walked in and looked around.

"You're bruising my ego." Slater shook his head and walked in. "Sorry my wit is a dull blade compared to your sharpness."

"Third attempt." Alex smiled at him. "Keep trying and you might get there."

Alex looked up at Slater with those pretty blue eyes. "I want you."

The side of Slater's mouth curled into a smile. "Show me."

"First, your cat isn't going to come out to play, is it?" Alex frowned. "I like it, but I'm not into that kind of thing."

It was a legit question since Slater's tiger had been uncontrollable. "If he tries, I'll put a halt to everything."

Alex must've been confident in Slater's answer, because his mate grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed like they had seconds to get naked. "You do realize we don't have to rush?"

Even if Slater was dying to be buried inside his mate's ass.

Alex's face doused in flames, his breath coming out in excited pants, and damn, Slater wanted him so badly he could taste the need deep inside of him.

He sank down and captured Alex's mouth, pushing him back against the wall, pinning him there with undeniable hunger. Slater could taste the desire and longing in his mate's kiss.

From the way Alex responded, he was right there with him, sliding his hands over Slater's arms and nibbling at his mouth.

With a low growl rumbling in his throat, Slater devoured his mate.

Cupping Alex's ass, Slater walked them backward, their mouths destroying each other's senses. They tumbled into bed, Alex landing on top of him. They were flipping, turning, pulling their shirts off, only to come back together.

"At least I didn't accidently knee you in the balls while getting undressed." Alex hitched his hips. "I have another body part in mind that wants to kiss your boo-boo."

Slater arched a brow.

"It sounded sexier in my head." Alex chuckled.

"Bad attempt at humor?"

"I'll keep trying," his mate promised.

He was an all-consuming force that left Slater breathless.

Especially when he ran his fingers over Slater's stomach, scorching their way across his skin then lower, curling into the waistband of his jeans.

"You searching for something, hummingbird?" he asked, giving Alex a wicked grin.

"I'll let you know when I find it." Alex sank his teeth into his bottom lip as his fingers worked the button and zipper of Slater's jeans.

Slater slapped a hand over his heart. "That was brutal."

Alex laughed.

The sound drove Slater's need. His lips were on Alex's neck, taking him down to the bed. In a single second, Slater had the rest of Alex's clothes off.

Slater dared anyone to show him a more breathtaking sight than the one he was gazing at. He greedily took it in, worshiping every inch of creamy skin with his eyes.

Alex was the embodiment of desire, his gaze filled with a hunger that could only be satisfied by him. He had to have Alex, taste him, feel that thick cock in his mouth.

Slater didn't stop moving until he had Alex's legs over his shoulders and that beautiful ass in the air, feeling more like a wild beast than the snarling tiger inside of him. Alex's musk drew him in.

Like the scent of the hunt, a carnivore eager for a taste of the thick cock inches from his lips. Alex grabbed the base of his cock and levered the hard shaft toward Slater's mouth as if daring him to take it.

Slater's lips moved closer, but he was drawing this out, building the anticipation, waiting to see desperation flare in those blue eyes.

Only the speed of light would have beaten how fast those eyes filled with what Slater had been looking for.

Pretty, raw begging.

He gave his mate's cock a rewarding lick. Then he was at Alex's inner thigh, nipping the tender skin, grazing it with the tips of his canines.

His tiger was pushing closer, inching toward the surface. If it came too close, Slater would have to back off. He couldn't take the chance of it breaking free.

As if his tiger could sense the threat of Slater ending this, he backed down.

He couldn't wait until his goddamn beast started acting normally again.

Turning his attention back to the temptation filling his arms, Slater used his lips to tease, hovering just barely above Alex's throbbing cock, tantalizing and torturing at the same time.

He was torturing himself too. His mate's scent was driving him insane, filling his lungs with the sweetest aroma.

"This is all I've thought about since the moment we first kissed." Slater separated his mate's cheeks and lapped at his tight hole. A moan vibrated in Alex's chest, stroking Slater's ego and egging him on.

He wanted to kiss and lick every inch of Alex's body, but couldn't tear himself away from his mate's hole. He loved the sounds the guy made and how he squirmed. He slid his tongue torturously as Alex's cries grew louder.

Slater slid a finger inside Alex to the first knuckle. His muscles were tight and the pressure had Slater's cock aching. He lapped at his hole. Alex cried out and Slater ate up the sound.

He spent the next few minutes lapping and nipping, driving not only Alex insane, but himself. Slater ground his cock into the mattress, enjoying the friction as he sucked at Alex's balls, kissing his inner thighs, and bathing his hole with his tongue.

Slater wanted to connect with Alex on a sexual level, and on a deeper one, too. He wanted their bond to be even stronger, because this was the man he would spend forever with, and he didn't want any doubts in Alex's mind about how much the man meant to him. He'd seen the doubt in his mate's eyes, seen the hesitation, and Slater was determined to wipe all that away.

He sank his mouth on his mate's cock, practically tasting the desire and longing in the air between them. The room was filled with the sounds of Alex's soft moans and gasps of pleasure and the occasional purr from Slater as he devoured his mate's body.

He drew in the beads of pre-cum then worked a slow, deliberate circle around the head. Alex arched his back, his wails rising higher, as he sank his nails into Slater's arms, but that just fueled his need. Alex tasted like salt and musk, his arousal coating Slater's tongue with a delicious tang.

He flicked his tongue in just the right places, making his mate shudder with pleasure until he shouted Slater's name, his body writhing, his seed pulsing down Slater's throat. Alex panted.

As he pulled back, he kept his suction tight, circling the head with his tongue, before he lifted his head up. Alex was panting, his cheeks were flushed as he stared glassy-eyed at Slater, liquified and so damn gorgeous.

Since Slater's pants were still on, he climbed off the bed and shed everything and then grabbed the lube. Then he was back on his mate, Alex laughing as Slater kissed his neck, skating his tongue over soft skin, while he slid lubed fingers inside of his mate, his ass sucking them in. Their mouths fused, like they never wanted to be apart, wrecking Slater in the best way.

"There you go killing me with the warmup before the actual training begins," Alex said when they broke the kiss. "Although I like this cardio so much better."

"Are you whining or just suggesting better options?" Slater kissed his mate's stomach.

"I hung in there last time," Alex playfully argued.

"You did." Slater smiled. "You ready to be claimed, hummingbird?" His voice held a slight tremble. This was the moment when everything would change. When they finally cemented their bond.

Alex pulled Slater's head down for a deep, slow kiss, as if that was his answer.

Slater took it. He drowned in it, his body hard and ready as he slipped his fingers free and replaced them with his cock.

"Slater," Alex groaned, clutching, biting his bottom lip as Slater thrust inside of him, stealing the cry of pleasure from his mate's breath and pulling it into his own lungs. The sound was agonizingly beautiful, searing, driving Slater insane.

Slim legs curled around his waist, yanking Slater closer like Alex couldn't get him close enough.

That held true for Slater as well.

The noises Alex was making, the passionate cries… Goddamn, Slater was already addicted to them. He couldn't seem to get his dick deep enough. He was sweating like crazy and looking into gorgeous blue eyes that shined with need.

It felt so incredible being buried inside his mate, like Slater was the luckiest bastard alive. Alex's hole was so tight that Slater purred.

Alex's flushed skin glowed in the dim light of the bedroom, his muscles tensing and relaxing with each thrust, their bodies intertwined in a tangle of limbs and desire.

The scent of sex and sweat hung heavy in the air, creating an intoxicating aroma that Slater drew in and breathed out. He gripped Alex's hips with a fierce hold, his fingers digging into the soft flesh as he thrust hard and deep.

"Yes!" Alex arched his back, his hands fisted in the sheets, falling apart in Slater's arms as he writhed and gasped.

It was like a fuse had been lit and he was about to explode. Slater struck, sinking his canines into soft flesh. Alex's cries grew louder as Slater felt the ribbons of their souls unwind from each of them and entwine together, their heartbeats synchronizing.

Their souls were now bound together.

Extracting his teeth, Slater growled, trying to hold on to the delicious friction for as long as he could. Alex was still arching and writhing like he wanted to hold on to the feeling too.

Slater purred as he licked the wound, lapping at Alex's salty skin, more content than he'd ever been in his life.