Chapter 37

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Rule Number 14- A feeder should smartly separate what must be done well now and what can be improved later.

Avery was torn between embarrassment and amusement. He completely forgot about things like neighbors once he and Ozen started, and he would probably never stop blushing whenever he bumped into them in the hall. It was a little funny to see the stunned faces of the police staring at his very naked mate blocking the doorway, though. The griffin seemed like he understood, but the other officer’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and he seemed incredulous when his partner made him walk away.

Ozen’s growls faded the longer Avery was cuddled against him. There were still dozens of things to discuss, and Avery wasn’t overly familiar with mates in general, much less about mates of incubi. But luckily, they had the rest of the weekend to figure it out before they had to go back to work. For now, Avery was too tired to grill Ozen anymore. Leaning against him, Avery sighed and closed his eyes. He needed a nap.

When Ozen scooped him off his feet, Avery didn’t protest, throwing his arms around Ozen’s neck as he made his way back to the bed. They got comfortable, returning to the position they’d been in when their conversation started, but Avery didn’t have to keep his distance anymore and pretend to be professional. He rolled into Ozen’s chest, snuggling close.

Ozen chuckled, running his fingers through Avery’s hair. “Tired, firefly?”

Avery hummed, melting against Ozen’s warmth. “Haven’t slept well this week. Too worried about you.”

Ozen sighed, and Avery could hear the regret in his voice. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll make it up to you. Get some sleep.”

Avery wanted to, but something made him pause, and he reached up to grab Ozen’s hand. “You won’t… You won’t leave, right? I… I really want you to stay.”

Ozen’s fingers laced with his and he kissed the back of Avery’s hand, waiting until Avery looked up at him to answer.

“I won’t go anywhere without you. I promise.”

Relief flooded through him, and exhaustion quickly followed. He cuddled close, sighing happily when Ozen wrapped his arms tightly around him, and he was out like a light a minute later.

Ozen was still there when he woke up, lying on his back with Avery’s head pillowed on his chest. His arms were still around Avery’s shoulders, keeping him close. Avery never wanted to leave that spot. Unfortunately, his bladder had other ideas, and he eventually had to wriggle free to use the restroom. He took a second to brush his teeth and wash the blood off his face. He hadn’t realized that would be part of the mating, but he didn’t hate it. It wasn’t like licking a paper cut; there was no copper taste to it. Avery made a note to ask Ozen why once he was awake.

His phone rang before he could climb back into bed, and he rolled his eyes when he saw Taron’s name on the caller ID. He considered ignoring it, but knowing Taron, he’d keep calling until someone picked up. Sneaking into the kitchen, Avery kept his voice at a whisper when he answered.

“Hello?”

“Good morning, sunshine! How’d it go last night?”

Avery summoned every ounce of patience he possessed to deal with Taron’s lack of boundaries. He was Ozen’s friend and business partner. As Ozen’s mate, Avery had to get along with the shapeshifter, even if he was slightly obnoxious and nosy.

“We’re fine. Is there a reason you’re calling so early?”

Taron snorted. “Early? It’s almost lunch time. Don’t tell me you’re just waking up now. How late were you two going at it?”

Frowning, he pulled the phone away from his ear to look at the clock. Sure enough, it was after eleven. He didn’t remember the last time he’d slept that late. Even on weekends, he got up early so he could have as much time to work on his book as he could muster.

“Hello? Avery? You didn’t fall asleep, did you?”

Putting the phone back to his ear, he replied, “No. Just checking the time. I didn’t realize it was this late. Is there a reason that you’re calling other than to bug me?”

Taron chuckled, but his tone turned serious as he explained, “I know I can be a bit much, but Ozen has been my friend for eons. I care about him, and I was worried when he disappeared the way he did. He’s okay, right?”

The sincerity in Taron’s voice made Avery smile. “Yeah. He’s okay. He’s still asleep.”

“Seriously? Damn, you wore him out. And… he fed? You don’t need to tell me details. I just want to make sure he’s not punishing himself.”

“He fed,” Avery assured him. “I’ll have him call you once he gets up. Will that help?”

“Nah, he doesn’t have to do that. I trust you. Thank you, Avery, for taking care of him. I was truly worried before he found you.”

Warm arms wrapped around Avery’s waist and he leaned into Ozen’s embrace. “I’m glad I found him, too. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

Ozen nuzzled his neck, pressing a gentle kiss on the bite mark from last night. It made Avery shiver, and he felt torn between going back to bed and ordering food. Ozen’s friends forced him to eat while Ozen was gone, but after last night, he felt starved. His stomach rumbling decided for him. Ozen straightened, turning Avery to face him.

“Would you prefer breakfast here, or would you like to go out?”

“It’s almost noon,” Avery pointed out with a smirk.

“Brunch, then,” Ozen amended with a smile. He looked better than he had the day before. He didn’t look pale and exhausted anymore, and his expression was relaxed. He was also not shy about walking around naked. Avery had at least pulled on some briefs. Feeling every inch of Ozen’s flawless skin pressed against him sealed the deal for him.

“Let’s order in. That way, when we’re done eating brunch, you can eat me.”

Ozen’s grin turned wicked, and he yanked Avery off his feet, palming his ass as Avery wrapped his legs around Ozen’s hips.

“I can agree to that.”

Avery was drifting in and out when Ozen got out of bed. They’d had an amazing brunch, followed by a delicious frot in the shower and cuddles in bed afterward. Avery was feeling lazy and planned on taking a short nap when Ozen pulled away. Fear seized in his chest and he sat up in a rush, looking around wildly. Ozen froze by the foot of the bed, surprise and confusion written on his face.

“Avery? What’s wrong?”

It was hard to hear him over the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Ozen sat on the edge of the bed, running soothing fingers through Avery’s hair until he settled enough to speak.

“I… I thought…” Avery grimaced. Now that he wasn’t in the middle of panic, he realized how ridiculous he sounded when he admitted, “I thought last night was a dream and you would leave again.”

Ozen didn’t seem to judge him or get annoyed with his clinginess. He pulled Avery into his lap and surrounded him with his warmth, whispering reassurances in his ear.

“I know it’s hard to trust me after everything that happened, but I promise I’m not going anywhere. I was just going to get a glass of water.”

“Oh.” Now he felt a little stupid. There was no reason to panic, and he didn't want to be the kind of guy who wouldn’t let his boyfriend go anywhere without knowing where he was going first. That was creepy.

Ozen pressed a kiss to his forehead, and he didn’t seem to be in any rush to leave. He made sure Avery was calm and comforted before getting up to get them both a drink. When he sat back down, Avery cuddled close, frowning at the glass in his hand.

“Will it always be this way? The idea of you leaving scares me.”

Ozen hummed, tipping his head thoughtfully. “If my grandfather is correct, the desperation will fade, but the urge to be around each other will only get worse. Since he was the one who told me what you were to me, I’m inclined to believe him.”

Avery’s mouth fell open. “Worse? I– Wha– How will we function?”

Ozen chuckled, lifting a shoulder with way too much nonchalance. “Together, I suppose.” He must’ve noticed the worry on Avery’s face, because he set their drinks down on the floor and took Avery’s hands, kissing the backs of them. “I’m not one hundred percent certain what will happen because I’ve never had a mate before. Neither has my father. My grandfather has two, but he travels a lot, and I hadn’t heard from him in a long while, so I’ve never met them before. He promised we could meet them and that he’d be there to answer any questions we had. I’m sure we’ll figure it out. We’re in no rush, firefly. After last night, your life span now matches mine. And by incubi’s standards, I’m still quite young.”

Avery pursed his lips, wondering if it was considered rude to ask how old he was. Again, Ozen seemed to pick up on that and answered without him asking.

“I’ve lost track of the exact years, but I’m well over two thousand now. My father, Korath, will enter his fourth millenia soon, and my grandfather is well into his sixth. We’ve got plenty of time to figure everything out.”

Avery could only gape at him. He knew supernaturals lived longer lives than humans. You had to be incredibly healthy to even make it to one hundred as a human. But living over six thousand years? The concept was dizzying.

Still… It made him feel better to know he had so much time with Ozen. If he was going to spend thousands of years on this earth, he’d rather do it with the man beside him. Ozen was right. They’d figure it out. Together.