19. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

S eryn didn't need blood, but he wanted Mitchell's so bad he almost just took it. The only thing stopping him, besides the lack of verbal consent, was knowing he wouldn't hear Mitchell call him a good boy, and he longed for that almost as much as he did the blood.

As if reading his mind, Mitchell said, "You'll get to bite me, but you'll have to wait just a little longer. Do you think you can do that, or do you need it right now?"

He almost lied so he wouldn't have to wait, but then thought better of that, too. "Can I after you're inside me?"

Mitchell moaned. "God, just thinking about it makes my cock hard. I want you so much."

"You made us wait."

"The anticipation was worth it."

Mitchell's skin was hot and wet from Seryn licking it so much, but he still buried his face in it. He didn't want to be sassy, but he hadn't liked not bonding right away. "No."

Mitchell swatted him on the ass.

It didn't hurt, but it took Seryn by surprise, making him jump. He pulled back just enough to meet Mitchell's gaze, smiling in that way Mitchell didn't like.

Mitchell cursed under this breath. "You haven't shown negative emotion often."

Seryn wasn't aware he'd shown emotion. He neutralized his face, putting on a smile as if he were changing his shirt. "I won't do it again."

Mitchell hugged him so tight it felt like a weighted blanket. Seryn relaxed. He didn't know he was tense until it all melted away, disappearing somewhere in Mitchell's embrace. "You don't have to hide anything from me. I promise I won't hurt you."

Seryn didn't stem the emotion the second time, but just let himself feel. He'd hidden behind a smile for so long he didn't know what he felt. Confusion. He knew that one. Something bloomed in his chest. Some wonderful pain that felt horrible and hopeful all at once. "You won't punish me?"

Mitchell cursed. "I meant the swat on the butt to be playful. Not as a punishment. I'm so sorry if it triggered you. I'll never do it again."

Was he triggered by the swat? No. "It was forgetting to hold it in."

"Do you trust me?" Mitchell searched Seryn's gaze as if looking for an answer there.

Seryn stayed open. "I want to. I'm starting to. But emotions are hard."

"I know, sweetheart. I'll help you, okay? We'll work on it together. You can start by telling me what you feel right now."

"I want you to fuck me."

Mitchell chuckled again. "Horny. Got it. What else?"

"Safe. I feel safe. Or, no. That's not a feeling." Seryn dug around inside his body, listening to what it was telling him. His muscles felt loose and that hardly ever happened, and he felt like smiling all that time. He was having fun with Mitchell, even though the discussion had turned serious. "I'm happy."

Gods, he didn't know if he'd ever felt anything like it in his whole life. Nothing up to that point made him that way.

"Horny and happy. That's sounds like the best combination." Mitchell kissed him as he lay Seryn on the bed. He didn't stop either. He settled on top of Seryn, cradling him as though he were precious.

The pain in Seryn's chest flared. It felt as though his heart grew too big. Like that movie about the green, angry Santa guy.

Seryn pulled at Mitchell's shirt, wanting to touch his skin. He hadn't intended for Mitchell to move, but he sat up, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it on the floor. He never took his gaze off Seryn.

And Seryn couldn't stop touching Mitchell.

He protested when Mitchell got off the bed.

"Take off your coat, sweetheart."

"Okay, Daddy." Seryn stood, taking off the coat and setting it on a hook attached to what Seryn assumed was a closet door. It could have been the bathroom, too. Seryn wasn't sure because the door was closed.

Mitchell's gaze heated. "Never in a million years would I have thought I'd like being called Daddy, but it makes me so hot when you say it."

"I like it when you tell me I'm a good boy. Daddy." Since they were confessing things, he might as well get that off his chest. And one other thing. "I don't understand why my chest hurts."

Mitchell stopped halfway through unzipping his pants. He met Seryn's gaze with one of concern. "Does anything else hurt?"

Seryn shook his head. "I'm not sick."

It took Mitchell a second, but something finally dawned on him. He stepped closer to Seryn, pulling on his shirt. He helped Seryn take it off, dropping it to the floor alongside his own. And then he touched Seryn's chest before taking Seryn's hand and having him reciprocate. "Right here."

"Yes," Seryn whispered. The moment filled with something Seryn couldn't name. They spun in each other's orbits, the only two people in the universe. And whatever pain was between them disappeared, growing into something else. Neither one of them would say what it was. Seryn wouldn't put a voice to it because he wasn't sure what it was. He thought he knew, but he'd never felt it before. And Mitchell wouldn't say it because he hadn't wanted to commit to someone before Seryn. He didn't understand how he couldn't back out once they bonded. It didn't matter that Seryn had said as much. They would bond and he would understand how attached Seryn was. He would see it through their link.

"What should we do about it?" Mitchell asked.

"I don't know. What should we do, Daddy?"

"We could pay attention to it. See if it gets worse."

"Worse? Like how?" How could it get any worse than what it was now?

"I don't know. Maybe we'll do this bonding thing, and the ache will get bigger."

"Is that bad?"

Mitchell smiled. "Not at all."

"I had a vision once." He wasn't sure why he was bringing them up. They had tapered off to the point he could manage them. As long as he wasn't very far from Mitchell, he was fine. One time, he'd even conjured a vision at will. He hadn't ever been able to do that before. "We were at my house at the pool. You wore red swim trunks, and I was naked, lounging in the sun. You scolded me for not having sunscreen and went into the pool house to get a bottle. You never punished me. Instead, you slathered me with lotion and even got me off. After that vision, the ache started."

"I guess I keep my promise to never punish you." Mitchell kissed him but it was brief, with a little lick across Seryn's lips, promising more once they finished with their conversation. "This Daddy likes to take care of his boy."

Seryn smiled. "That's me."

"That's always you. And only you." It was a bold statement to make for a guy who had a few problems with bonding just two weeks ago.

"Do you promise, Daddy?" Seryn gripped the back of Mitchell's neck, holding him in place as if doing so would make him give a positive answer.

"Yes. I promise." Mitchell sealed it with a kiss as if Seryn was a princess and Mitchell was a prince charming. Romantic and cliché all at the same time.

He trailed a kiss along Seryn's jaw. "You're a good boy." More soft kisses, as if he were trying to heal Seryn's pain with them. "Sexy boy." He licked along a trail toward Seryn's neck. "Sexy vampire warlock." He nipped at Seryn's neck, hanging on for a couple of moments. He didn't bite down, but the promise of it made Seryn shiver. "My little protector."

"My big thief." Seryn had realized one of Mitchell's gifts was how he could charm anyone into just about anything. Desperation had driven him to do things he wouldn't have otherwise, like steal from some high-profile people, but when he wasn't running on fear, the charm was there, as if it were genetic.

If they hadn't been fated mates, Seryn would have been drawn to Mitchell, regardless. All that charm Mitchell directed at him would have won Seryn over.

And then there was the daddy kink. Mitchell took to his role as if he had been practicing for years. He did for Seryn what he couldn't do for himself. He quieted all the noise in Seryn's head.

Mitchell tilted Seryn's head to the side, giving himself room as he sucked on the spot he had just bitten. All the attention on Seryn's neck went straight to his cock.

"I wish I could bite you like you're going to bite me."

"Do you want to taste me?" Seryn let his fingernails extend into claws.

"In more ways than one, baby." Mitchell pulled away when Seryn reached toward his neck. He made a slit but didn't go deep. It would give Mitchell enough of a taste to see if he liked it.

"Mating with a vampire warlock has its perks."

Seryn chuckled.

" Being a vampire warlock has its perks." Of course, it came with a downside too. Growing up with humans who couldn't mentor him was where the downside really was. He was sure if he'd had a warlock mentor during his formative years, he'd be able to control his visions by himself. He wouldn't have been hanging by a few threads his whole life and gone bonkers after meeting Mitchell.

"Do you know how many times I've heard you laugh?" Mitchell licked the blood trailing down to his collarbone. And then he hummed with pleasure. "Why do you taste so good?"

Seryn needed pressure on his cock. Something that would help ease some of the tension. When he moved closer, Mitchell held him still. He fumbled with Seryn's pants even as he licked and sucked Seryn's neck.

When he got them open and pushed them down as far as they would go, Seryn did the rest of the work, stepping back to take them all the way off. But Seryn didn't take everything off. "My underwear too, Daddy?"

Mitchell licked his lips as he took in Seryn's form. "Turn around first."

Seryn did.

Mitchell cursed. "You're sexy."

Seryn knew he was attractive. Not many wanted the baggage Seryn came with, though. "People fear me."

He felt Mitchell's body heat before there was skin on skin contact. Mitchell kissed Seryn on his cut, licking the blood away. "I'll bet they are. You'd kill them without blinking an eye."

He'd kill anyone. It didn't matter who. Anyone except Mitchell. "People like how I look, but they don't like who I am as a person."

Mitchell ran his fingers along the waistband of Seryn's underwear. "I like all of you."

Seryn whimpered when Mitchell came close to touching his cock. "Please, Daddy."

"What do you want, boy?"

"For you to touch me. And for you to keep tasting me."

"You taste so good. I never expected that." Mitchell pushed at Seryn's underwear. Seryn had to take them all the way off.

Mitchell hissed when Seryn bent at the waist. He gripped Seryn's hips and pressed into him. Seryn could feel Mitchell's hard length against his ass. Even though Mitchell's clothing it felt amazing.

Seryn arched his back as he straightened.

Mitchell cupped Seryn's balls and took his length in his other hand. "You're not little everywhere, are you, boy?"

Seryn smiled. He'd never cared that much about cock length. His or anyone else's. He didn't think it mattered that much, and he still didn't. He liked all cocks. All sizes and shapes were great, to look at and to feel. But Mitchell liking his cock pleased him.

"You like the compliment." Mitchell ran his thumb across the head, gathering Seryn's pre-cum, and then he stuck his thumb in his mouth, tasting it. "This tastes good too."

"I want more, Daddy." His blood heated with all the teasing. Mitchell stretched out a moment, making it more than foreplay. He made Seryn feel seen in a way no one ever had before. For Mitchell, Seryn could have been the only person left on earth.

"I see you, little protector. I see all of you." Did Mitchell understand why he said those words? Did he know he had a link forming with Seryn? "I'll give you more, boy."

No. Seryn didn't think he was aware of it yet.

Mitchell wrapped his hand around Seryn's cock again. "Do you want to cum, boy?"

"Please make me cum, Daddy." It was the right thing to say because Mitchell began jacking Seryn off. His rhythm was slow. The lack of slick made the way rough. Seryn minded it less than Mitchell did.

"My boy needs something. Let's see if there's something in the nightstand."

Mitchell duck-walked them over to the side of the bed. "Open the drawer and look, boy."

He knew why Mitchell told Seryn to do it. He could feel Mitchell fumbling around with his pant zipper, moving his clothing around so he could free his cock.

An unopened bottle of slick was the only thing in the drawer. Leave it to Daruss to make sure every room in the house had lube in it.

Seryn opened the bottle and then squirted some onto himself.

Between feeling Mitchell's naked cock, hard and wanting against the crack of his ass, and Mitchell's smooth strokes on his cock, his body burned with need. He tried to fuck into Mitchell's hand.

He panted. His moans became louder the closer to orgasm he got. The need built in his core. The urge to bite was almost overwhelming, but with his back to Mitchell's front, he had nowhere to put them. He fell over the edge anyway, without taking from Mitchell.

Mitchell gradually slowed down until he stopped all together. When Seryn shivered, his hold loosened. "Get on the bed. On your hands and knees. Ass up, boy."

"Yes, Daddy." Seryn did as he was told. His bones felt a little like jelly. Mitchell wasn't giving him time to come down from the pleasure high. His cock might be soft, but he was still hot with need.

Seryn hissed when Mitchell smeared what could only be Seryn's cum into his hole.

He peered over his shoulder when he heard the distinct sound of clothing rustling. Mitchell took his pants and underwear off. Mitchell had scars all over. Old and new. They made him look rugged and almost as dangerous as Seryn was. But his body was a work of art. He resembled a pirate who had years of life carved into his body.

His cock was angry with need. It had a pearl of pre-cum glistening at the opening.

Mitchell growled as if he were a shifter instead of a human. "I'll let you look your fill later. Right now, I want to prep you for my cock."

"Yes, Daddy." Seryn arched his back, presenting Mitchell with his ass.

"That's a very good boy." Mitchell put more slick on his finger, mixing it with Seryn's cum. He rubbed Seryn's hole, driving him crazy with need. Seryn moved into the finger, wanting it inside, but Mitchell took his time. When he pushed a finger in, it was as if Seryn could breathe again.

Mitchell pulled part way out and then back in again. His rhythm grew faster in stages.

"Yes. Like that Daddy." Seryn couldn't keep still. He had to move. He needed more. "Please. Can I have one more?"

"One more, baby," Mitchell added another finger without stopping his thrusts. "You're so responsive. So sexy."

"Need you. Please, Daddy." He'd never been so desperate for someone before. And he certainly had never experienced this level of emotion while having sex. He wasn't sure what he expected. For it to feel mechanical. Just needing to get off as it always had been before. With Mitchell, it was so much more than that. It was passion and intimacy and connection. No. It was a longing to connect with Mitchell at a heart level and hoping they could do that with their bodies.

Seryn whimpered and would have protested when Mitchell pulled his fingers out, but Mitchell flipped him over. It came as a surprise, but he recovered fast enough to pull his legs back, making room for Mitchell between them.

Mitchell positioned himself before settling onto Seryn. The blunt tip of his cock pressed against Seryn's opening. Mitchell pressed in slowly, giving Seryn time to adjust.

Seryn clung to Mitchell, feeling overwhelming pleasure. The fullness was the perfect amount.

"You good?" Mitchell asked when he was all the way inside.

When Seryn tried to answer, all that came out was a moan.

"Can I move?"

Seryn nodded. "Please."

Mitchell took him at his word. He pulled out part way and then pushed back in again. It seemed Mitchell liked to start out slowly. It was glacial.

He pressed his forehead to Seryn's. "So good, baby."

It was the most intense pleasure Seryn had ever experienced. It took him a moment to understand not all the pleasure was his own. Some of it belonged to Mitchell.

Mitchell picked up the pace. Seryn realized he liked to fuck in stages, increasing the speed a little at a time.

It revved Seryn up again, making him desperate to cum, but there wasn't enough friction on his cock. He tried to reach between them, but Mitchell stopped him.

"I've got you, sweetheart." And Mitchell had it all under control, it seemed. At the same time Seryn felt Mitchell's hand on his cock, he exposed his neck.

Seeing it pushed Seryn over the edge before he even bit Mitchell. And when he finally did, he swore his orgasm peeked again. Blood from the source, especially Mitchell's, wasn't the same as bagged blood. It was sweeter and warmer.

Each drink made Seryn want more.

He knew Mitchell came inside him. He could feel the way his cock seemed to get bigger. The sound Mitchell made was so loud the other occupants in the house probably heard it too.

Seryn's nails lengthened into claws all on their own. He'd never lost control before, but he couldn't stop it. Never in his whole life until that moment. It scared him, but he couldn't stop drinking.

"Shh, sweetheart. You don't have to fear your emotions."

You're mine. Oh no. He didn't know where that came from.

"I know I am." He rubbed Seryn's side all the way to his ass. His cock was still inside Seryn, softening a little at a time. "You can just feel. You don't have to be scared. No one will hurt you this time. No one will hurt you, baby."

How did you know? Seryn hadn't ever talked about his past before. How his foster father would punish him for crying. Painful, creative punishments that would have left Seryn scarred if he were human. When the crying stopped, Seryn's foster father had punished him for other things. Laughing. For having a certain expression.

How is he talking in my mind? Mitchell didn't know he'd thought that loud enough for Seryn to hear. "I have experience with the foster care system too, remember?"

Seryn sighed when a fullness unlike anything he'd ever experienced hit him. He stopped drinking and then pulled his teeth out, licking across the wound. And then he snuggled into Mitchell. "Did I scratch you?"

"You didn't hurt me at all, baby."

Seryn had tried to be careful when his claws had come out, but he couldn't be sure. He wasn't aware he was crying until he sniffled. He wasn't sure why he was, but Daddy said it was okay to feel things, so he let the tears come.

"I guess my big cock brought it all to the surface all at once, huh?"

Seryn chuckled through the tears. Mitchell's cock really was big. "The perfect size. Best sex ever."

"For me too, baby." Mitchell held him. It wasn't long before Seryn calmed his emotions and fell asleep.