Chapter Eleven

Travis

“I’m alone!” Cardian called out as I started down the hall.

“How are they?” I asked when I turned the corner into the living room.

Cardian smelled exhausted, excited, and something I couldn’t put my finger on. Hell, there was a lot I couldn’t put my finger on after being up all day and night until this morning.

“Asleep finally. Dakota and Scott. The baby too. I just swung back for a shower and to pick up the outfit and blanket and stuff that Dakota wants for the baby,” Cardian said, kicking off his shoes at the door.

“Have you guys named him?” I asked, because I figured Sheldon would ask me when I went back to bed.

“Not yet. We’re waiting until Dakota’s wolf wakes up too. That way I know he’s not under whatever Dara drugged him with the for the surgery.”

“Good idea. Don’t want to name him onion,” I chuckled.

“What? Who do you know that’s named onion?” Cardian narrowed his eyes on me.

“No one, apparently it’s a terrible name,” I laughed again.

“You, brother-in-law, are slap happy. Go to bed. Go whatever with Sheddy.”

“Why do you call him that?” I leaned against the wall.

“It’s how he used to introduce himself as a toddler. Before that mom and dad called him Sheldy as a nickname. Sheddy just stuck,” Cardian shrugged, moving past me down the hall and pausing outside his bedroom door. “Oh, Scott told me to remind you to call work about this and see what to do about the car, because they’ll keep charging you or whoever is paying even if it’s just sitting in the parking lot and not doing any driving. Oh and you guys can stay here as long as you want to. Just no Trista. You, I can make Terrick understand, but I don’t think I can do that for her.”

“Got it,” I nodded, feeling that old pang I felt as a kid whenever I shouldered Trista into whatever group of friends I hung out with.

“Only now, we’ve had to shoulder her away too, or the rest of our life is going to suck tail,” my wolf sighed into my thoughts.

“Sorry,” Cardian said and flashed me a smile that said he meant it. “We’re all related to asses somewhere on the family tree.”

“Let me know if you guys need anything,” I yawned, not wanting to continue the conversation with him.

“Night, well, morning,” he laughed before disappearing into his bedroom.

When I returned to the guestroom Sheldon was out cold.

“His internal clock is set to a timer,” my wolf laughed.

He slept curled up, half on his side and half on his belly. His features smoothed out in his sleep. I pulled my shirt off over my head before crawling into bed behind him. He scooted back into me, reaching for my hand to pull my arm tight around him and held it to his chest. I kissed the top of his head.

“Not even a text, huh?” Trista’s voice chimed off over our twin link. “You meet your true-mate and don’t even text me?”

I took a deep breath and deliberately thought nothing back at her. She wasn’t thrilled about my job at Starscale Search. It was hard to get space from someone who could spy on your life from inside your own head. I buried my face in Sheldon’s soft hair and let his scent overtake me and consume my thoughts. Trista was a grown ass adult too. She’d find her own way, somehow.

That day I dreamt of being a kid again. Trista ran circles around the yard, chasing me, before I turned around and chased her. I wasn’t sure if we were home on Mage Street or if we were visiting the sanctuary, but we ran in alternating circles, faster and faster, until we both fell over laughing. Things were so simple back then. How did any of us ever grow up to be who we were?

***

Sheldon’s arm pulled me close to him as his other hand slid down my belly toward my already hard dick. Sunlight danced through the curtains, its angles whispering of midafternoon. Sometime while we slept, Sheldon must’ve gotten up or we both tossed and turned enough for him to end up behind me. He kissed my neck and I twisted around to kiss him as he undid my jeans and slid his hand into my underwear.

“Good morning to you too,” I whispered against his soft, plump lips.

“You smell good,” he said, burying his face in my neck again.

“Blood or sex good?” I asked as his warm, soft fingers wrapped around my dick.

“Both, but don’t worry, I won’t eat you,” he laughed against my flesh.

“Well, I might eat you,” I teased and nudged his head up for another kiss.

Our tongues danced between our mouths as he worked me over with his fist. He pulled me closer to him, stronger than I expected him to be as he moved me around without letting go of me. His hard dick, pressed through his underwear, warm against my back.

“You’re feisty this morning,” I said, bucking my hips, sending my dick through his fist and savoring every moment of it.

“You smell good,” he said again and licked up the side of my neck.

A chill shimmied down my spine as leaned back against his lean, muscular body. His warmth radiated against my flesh as he stroked me. Pleasure spiraled around me, following his tight fist and lingering everywhere he touched. I caught his mouth with mine and kissed him again. My thoughts spiraled with his fist, falling away as he built momentum.

Sheldon’s hand fell still, and his thumb drew slow, teasing circles around the tip of my dick. I might’ve melted into the bed if he kept it up. His hand slid back down, quicker than before. My balls drew up tight to my body, full and heavy. I kissed him harder, unable to get enough of his sweet tasting tongue, licking at mine. He squeezed hard and stars danced behind my eyelids as I exploded in his hand.

“Mate,” I growled the word against his mouth.

“Mine,” he growled back, still holding onto my dick.

I twisted out of his grasp ready and eager for more of him. We kissed easier once I didn’t have to crane my neck around to reach his soft lips. Our tongues danced between our mouths as I toyed with the idea of kissing all the way down his body. The phantom taste of his salty flesh danced on my tastebuds.

A wail cut through the house and Sheldon pulled away, going soft as he did.

“Sorry,” he said, blushing or maybe he was still flushed from arousal. “Kid.”

“It’s alright,” I said, leaning in for another kiss. “We’ll figure something out today. I have the car after all.”

“Car sex can give head injuries,” he laughed.

“One day you’ve got to tell me that story, but I meant, we’re able to go other places if we want to.”

“Other places to romp, huh? Where did you have in mind, world traveler?”

“Shit. You’ve never left your coven’s territory before now, have you?” I asked, entwining my fingers through his.

“Not often. Once I went with Mother to see the new coven south of here. Ash and Phoenixes and or something like that. She only took me because of my ears. We have a treaty with them now, but not an alliance. I’m not sure they convinced her that they’ve changed their ways. Though, she’s a cynic.”

“And you?” I asked him.

“Me, what?” he laughed. “Do I trust them?”

“No, because I can’t read their thoughts. Not even my hearing is that good. I think we should properly meet the baby before we take off. Wait! Do you have clothes here? I sorta made a mess of yours this morning,” Sheldon smirked.

“That you did,” I said, the color rushing to my face. “My stuff’s still in the car.”

“I’ll get dressed and grab it for you.”

“I can---”

“Hey, none of that,” Sheldon laughed, sitting up. “I’m not some helpless omega.”

“I was going to say I can ask Duke or Blithe to go grab it,” I said.

“I know, but I can walk to the parking lot and carry it back without dying from the stress of it all,” he said, dramatically running his hand across his forehead.

“Maybe I want to keep you close,” I sat up.

“That I might be able to get behind,” he leaned in for another kiss and the baby wailed again. “Or I can go get them.”

“Can you hear him when he’s not crying?” I asked, drawing out the moments before we were separated.

“Yeah, but that’s easier to tune out. The crying zaps my brain like lightning or something,” he shrugged. “Where are your keys?”

“On the dresser,” I nodded across the room. “Where do you want to go? If anywhere,” I added the last part not to sound bossy.

“Show me somewhere I’ve never been before. That should be easy enough,” Sheldon laughed, stepping into his pants.

“How far are you willing to go?” I asked.

Sheldon blushed at the question before pulling his shirt over his head. He smelled so damn good that it was hard not to pull him back into bed with me. The baby could cry. He had two parents. The clothes in the car weren’t going anywhere.

“I know how to use the Otherworld gateways. They’re everywhere. So, take me anywhere. If I don’t want to be there I know how to get home.”

“Well, I gotta turn the car back in at the airport if we’re not coming back here in the next day or so.”

“I don’t know how long our mating moon will last,” Sheldon laughed.

“A long time, I hope,” I said, unable to keep my wolf’s needy growl out of my words. “I’ll get your clothes. You decide where you whisk me away too. I’ll pick where we go on our first vacation after our matingmoon. That way it stays fair. Oh, but my house at the stronghold is an option.”

“I don’t think this is a good time for me to meet your parents,” I said and nodded down at my dick already hard again.

“Fair enough,” he smirked. “I like you that way.”