Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 33

Morning comes too quickly, I rub my eyes with the back of my hand as I paw at my alarm. I'd never been much of a morning person, but knowing the level of intoxication Verando had reached last night, I'd fully intended on letting him sleep.

It wasn't often I saw him overwhelmed, ghosts of the past had to be throwing him through a loop for him to allow such a lapse in control. Glancing over my shoulder, he's still curled up to my back with his arm draped loosely over my side. His nose pressed against the back of my shoulder, making as much contact with me as possible.

Spotting the collie on the other side of him, I know my absence will not cause him to stir, at least not immediately.

Brushing my hand lightly through his hair, he sighs appreciatively, pulling me closer to him. How often did I stop to admire this man? Turning in his arms, I take in the carefully constructed features of his face, once more cursing the devil woman who rested a scar upon his lower lip. In the silence of just the two of us, here together, I promise him that I would fix this.

I relish in the warmth, the connection with my soul mate. My wolf hums, a primitive desire to be claimed by the person who owned me so completely. A touch is all it would take to bring him to the surface and fill this yerning. But, I was wiser than that, I knew that there was no satisfying this hunger for him. Despite the ache, I'd much rather allow him to rest and sleep off the bad decisions of the night before.

Are we going to bring up last night? The wolf asks hopefully.

I try not to think about it. That wasn't him, that wasn't something he was interested in, for reasons that I know go beyond his masculine nature and his eversion to anything that acted on his submission. Verando would do anything that I asked, anything that would make me happy, but he'd made it clear from the moment the thought crossed my lips that it was a hard limit for him.

While I tried not to blame the black haired Spanish man, I knew his constant pursuit and eventual violation of the man had left him sour to the thought.

It was my job not to abuse his willingness to please me.

Kissing his forehead, I brush my nose affectionately against his. War-torn and still the object of my affection, I would do everything in my power to make this easier on him. "Keep an eye on him, Badger." I murmur to the dog as I dress and head downstairs.

Darrius rushes up to greet me, throwing his arms around my waist. "Tata, Daddy isn't up yet." He complains. "'Cello doesn't do it right."

Raising my eyes, I spot the poor soldier attempting to muddle through breakfast and smile appreciatively. "Everyone's a critique," I comment to the man as I lift Darrius up to rest him on my hip. "Any drama through the night?"

"No, thankfully, but that's not to say we haven't attracted a great deal of attention. Every damned elemental within the country is no doubt considering making a move." Gesturing with a tilt of his head towards the television, I spot Tonic and Leo watching the news. "I'm afraid that a werewolf in this century has turned quite a few heads."

The headline flickers, over and over, a werewolf is among us. Magical creatures were dangerous, we were messing with the timeline, we were risking everyone's safety. Signs pan across the screen, no more time travelers. It seemed at every turn we were bumping into each other, humans and mythicals who desperately wanted a place in this world but struggled to coincide.

Swallowing, I tighten my grip on Darrius. It had to come crashing down eventually, when they no longer needed us, they would come for us. Verando had predicted it in the following days after my kingdom was conquered. Man would not allow us to live in the same space.