“Ben, you ready for three?”
Benton nodded into the cotton and was glad Baxter understood. Baxter pulled out two and replaced three fingers inside his hole. They began pumping in and out of his body in a relaxed rhythm. Every so often, they would trip over the bundle of nerves inside him while Benton humped the bed and moaned out his pleasure. There seemed to be no limit to Baxter’s patience, and Benton had no idea how long they went on this way.
“I want my dick inside you,” Baxter demanded. Benton didn’t respond. He panted into his pillowcase as Baxter pulled his hands away. The mattress began its creaking again, and he knew the other sentinel was moving behind him. Lube, a little chillier than he would have liked, was pushed inside him and then the bastard he loved tormented him by brushing the wrinkled skin of his anus over and over again.
Benton lifted his head and peered back at the smiling jerk behind him. “I will grab my daggers and kill you if you don’t get inside me,” he managed.
Bracing himself with one hand on the bed next to Benton’s side, Baxter used his other hand to guide his lovely cock into Benton’s greedy body. Lowering his head and resuming his former position, Benton enjoyed the fullness of Baxter’s dick sliding inside of him. He loved being filled by him and wished they could always be joined this way. Of course, that would leave him with the same dilemma Baxter alluded to earlier. He liked being inside Baxter as much as he liked being fucked.
The dark blond hair that surrounded Baxter’s sex tickled Benton’s ass when he was finally deep inside him.
“Fuck yeah,” they said together.
Baxter stuck his other hand down next to Benton’s waist and started plunging in and out of him. He was leisurely in his pursuit. Benton lifted his hips to meet his man thrust for thrust. Benton’s skin was slick with perspiration, and he knew Baxter’s had to be the same. They glided toward each other and back away again as they loved. Benton began pushing more forcefully down against the pillow beneath him. He welcomed the roughness of the material shoving him that much closer to his breaking point.
“Kiss me,” Baxter demanded.
Lifting his head, Benton turned so their lips could meet. Baxter’s tongue thrust in and he fucked Benton’s mouth with the same intensity he was currently pummeling him with. Their bodies were moving faster and though it was hard to continue their kiss, Baxter wouldn’t let him escape. He took his face in his hand and held him close while his dick rubbed over his prostate, driving him insane with need.
“I need to come,” he all but shrieked through their mindlink.
Baxter released his hold on his cheek and began pounding Benton’s hole with more ferocity. Benton was being hammered and he reveled in it. His balls tightened and tingles danced down his spine. His back arched and he called out Baxter’s name as his balls emptied. He heard Baxter roar behind him and knew he’d found his orgasm as well. Benton continued to rock against the pillow beneath him until it became painful to do so. He relaxed as Baxter’s weight crashed down onto him, smashing Benton into the bed.
“I might be the better sentinel, but you’re the best lover on the planet,” Benton said.
Baxter bit his shoulder. “You wish you were the better sentinel. I’d say we’re tied in the sex department.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind but I love you.”
“My dick loves you too.”
“You going to get off me anytime tonight?”
Kissing his cheek, Baxter rolled off him. He grabbed a T-shirt from the floor and began mopping up the remnants of their lovemaking. Once he was done, he tossed the soiled garment to the floor and lay down next to Benton who had rolled onto his back.
“You should take a nap or something,” Baxter suggested. His brown eyes were full of satisfaction.
“A nap? Bax, it’s nighttime. Normally people sleep at this point.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want you to waste the whole night doing that.”
“Oh, I get it. You want to have sex again.”
“Yep, but I get to bottom.”
“What makes you think I want to lose time I could spend sleeping plowing your ass?”
“Please, you probably wait on pins and needles until I give you the green light to top me.” Baxter leaned forward and kissed Benton’s mouth. “You like my ass that much.”
“I wouldn’t say pins and needles, but I’m definitely fond of that ass. So is my dick.”
“Which is why we’re napping and not sleeping.”
Benton turned onto his side and snuggled against his man once he did the same. “Set the alarm. I don’t want to miss my chance.”
Baxter yawned loudly in his ear. “You got it.”
Chapter 10
Sitting in his office in the handsomely decorated Sentinel Brotherhood Headquarters, Alaric waited for the Reverent Knights to arrive. He’d attended Council session earlier, and it had been strange to see the Order of Necromancia’s box darkened. Alaric kept waiting for Chander to walk in but the reality was, he was no longer the Arch Lich. The Emperor had been terse throughout the proceedings. Chrysander had never mentioned the necromancers or whether the dragons were intending to stay.
The entire agenda had been what Alaric supposed was a normal day but nothing about it had seemed ordinary. Not wanting to dine in the opulent dining room designated for Council leaders, Alaric had instead traveled to D’Vaire. It was there that he’d checked his messages and received one from Drystan asking to meet with him as soon as possible. He had texted back, and an appointment had been arranged.
Alaric was grateful to have a reason to be in his office, at least for a little while. It gave him an opportunity to make sure Evergreen and Dudley were settling into their new jobs. As he’d told them, there wasn’t a great deal to do yet but that hadn’t stopped Evergreen. He had handed over all the notes he’d put together for Chander on upcoming issues to be voted on. Evergreen promised to continue working on anything and everything Alaric would need to know to cast his ballot appropriately.
It wasn’t something Alaric had thought about, and he was glad to have someone who knew how things worked within the Council on his team. He just wished he’d gained the pair under better circumstances. The phone on his desk chirped and then he heard Evergreen’s voice. “The RKs are here.”
“Thanks, Evergreen. Tell them to come on up.”
“Will do, boss.”
Within a few moments, Drystan and Conley were standing in the doorway. Drystan had a bag slung over one shoulder, and both men were wearing serious expressions.
“Thanks for taking the time to meet with us, Alaric,” Drystan said.
“My pleasure. Come in and have a seat. What can I do for you?”
The pair accepted his invitation and sat. “I’m afraid we have a rather delicate situation to discuss with you.”
“Is this about the fact that Chand could possibly be facing a death sentence?”
“Chand isn’t under the threat of death. That punishment wasn’t added until after the incident in question,” Drystan explained. “And to prosecute a situation of separation it takes the cooperation of both mates—something we explained in detail to the Emperor. Neither Con nor I are willing to accommodate them. The Council can pursue this if they wish, though it’s technically outside the law if they do it without us, but they can’t pursue a death sentence.”
“Thanks for explaining it to me. It’s a relief to know his life isn’t in danger.” They might not be together, but that didn’t mean he wanted Chander executed.
“I’m sorry—we should have taken the time yesterday to go into detail with you about that,” Conley responded.
“It’s fine. I’m glad to know now. So, if it’s not about Chand then, what are you here to discuss?”
Drystan’s expression was grim. “It is related to Chand. It just has nothing to do with what happened yesterday.”
“Is this in relation to the separation papers?” Alaric hoped not; he couldn’t explain why he had yet to
sign them. That left it impossible to articulate to others when he didn’t understand it himself.
“No,” Drystan said. “But it is related to your separation. Or at least the reason behind it.”
That certainly got Alaric’s attention. “You have piqued my curiosity.”
“Last night we were with Chander and he…well, he showed us something we believe is a criminal act,” Conley explained. “As Reverent Knights, it left us with little choice but to come here today and show you the evidence. Then you can decide if this is worth pursuing.”
“Okay.” Alaric’s mind raced as he tried to figure out what Chander could have seen that was criminal and how it related to him and their break-up.
Drystan pulled a laptop out of the bag he’d brought with him and came around to place it on Alaric’s desk. “I apologize. This is graphic in nature. Please understand.…We’ve been discreet and we have no plan to share this with anyone else. If an investigation is warranted by you and Chand, it will be handled by us personally. We’ll only pass it on to those with the expertise needed to unravel this mystery.”
Alaric’s brow furrowed. Drystan’s words were confusing. He nodded at him, not sure how else to reply. Drystan turned his attention to the device and hit a few keys. Then he turned the computer in Alaric’s direction and took a step back. Alaric directed his gaze to what the pair were so anxious for him to see and his blood ran cold. It was a photo. Whoever had taken it had been in the bedroom he’d once shared with Chander.
It featured Alaric lying on the mattress with a man who appeared to be Victor straddling him. They were both naked and appeared to be in the throes of lovemaking. The person or persons who had faked it had done an excellent job. The skin tone, the size of the cat shifter, all of it appeared to be accurate, but it was a sham. Chander had been the only person Alaric had ever made love to. Someone had sent this to Chander to convince him Alaric was cheating. Alaric’s gut churned, and it was as if someone had taken his dagger and gutted him.
This was why Chander had lost his mind and kicked Alaric out. He’d told him to get the hell out because he had believed Alaric had fucked Victor. As awful as it was that there was someone out there who wanted them apart, it was worse that Chander had bought it. Chander had believed he was capable, both physically and emotionally, of betraying him this way. Alaric couldn’t have performed a sex act with another living soul, and he’d never wanted to. It had always been Chander he was attracted to. It had been a boyish-looking necromancer full of guilt who had twisted his heart from the beginning.
Supplied with a reason for Chander’s behavior on that fateful day, Alaric almost wished he was still in the dark. It was easier to think that perhaps Chander’s illness and the emergence of his demon had led to some kind of temporary insanity. That was a welcome reality versus knowing Chander had trusted him so little he imagined Alaric could go to bed with their housekeeper.
The image was now burned into his brain and anger began to dance through him. He was pissed at Chander and equally upset with whoever had taken it upon themselves to try and separate them.
“I want to know who did this,” Alaric bit out.
“I figured you might,” Drystan said.
Alaric looked up at him. “Weren’t you concerned this photo was real?”
Drystan shook his head. “No. First, you’re a sentinel. You aren’t capable of cheating. And I saw you with Chand. You wouldn’t have done this to him and especially not when he was ill and dying.”
“But Chand obviously thought I did.” Alaric knew the words sounded bitter, but he didn’t care. He loved someone who thought so little of him that he believed he was willing to dishonor him in this way.
“I can’t explain his reaction, and I’m not going to try,” Drystan replied.
“You don’t have to,” Alaric said. “I didn’t mean to imply you should.”
“I know this is shocking.”
“Damn right it is.”
“We believe someone tried to purposely separate you,” Conley stated. “That’s a crime and this one does have the death penalty in consideration.”
“I want justice.”
“Good, I was hoping you would,” Drystan confided.
“You said it takes two mates to pursue an investigation like this,” Alaric remarked. “Does that mean Chand has agreed to do it?” Alaric didn’t think it made any sense. If Chander believed this was real, and his emphatic booting of Alaric out of his life certainly attested to that, then why would he see a need to get the fallen knights involved?
“Technically, no,” Drystan responded. “I’m going to tell you this because he’s your mate, but he was rather drunk when he showed this to us. But I think now that we have your approval, we can get him to agree.”
“Fine, if you can’t get him to agree then I’ll go talk to him. Things might be over between us, but I’m not going to allow whoever did this to get away with it. They had no right to invade our privacy this way and upend our lives. I can’t fix what’s broken with Chand, and after seeing this I’m not sure I’d want to, but I am damn well going to see this through.”
“I’m going to talk to Chand, and hopefully we can get started on this right away,” Drystan replied.
“I appreciate you showing this to me.” Alaric’s words were hollow. He didn’t like knowing Chander believed he was a liar and a cheat but reality, as vicious as it could be, was better than fantasy. He thanked the fallen knights for their time and, once they were gone, headed back to the compound. His life there had been harsh compared with the beauty and technology of the Council world, but the soothing monotony of Alaric’s routine was a necessary balm.
Alaric’s world had been upended, and he was clueless as to how to deal with the riot of emotions bombarding him. He’d been angry at Chander since the day he had broken his heart and though he couldn’t let go, Alaric had never imagined in his wildest dreams his mate had been living with this in his head. Resentment simmered and Alaric finally understood what had allowed Chander’s demon to break through the unwitting cage he’d been in for over six centuries.
It had been his fury and hurt from seeing Alaric with Victor. He’d felt justified in firing the shifter, whose dismissal finally made sense to Alaric. Chander had torched the bed they’d once shared—the very piece of furniture Alaric had lost his virginity on. The same one he’d cuddled Chander in at night while he’d worried over his health. He’d never known it would be just a few short weeks they’d share, not because Chander lost his fight with an anomaly tearing away at his heart muscle.
Instead, the demonic necromancer had seen a picture and let it define Alaric’s role in his life. He’d apparently not given any thought to what kind of man he was. He was a fucking sentinel. An elite assassin with little more than his own honor to offer the world. Apparently, that meant nothing to Chander. The tender care he’d given him while he was in the hospital, the loving he’d offered as they began to build a matebond were things easily disregarded. He had been tossed aside like garbage because Chander was willing to believe the worst of him. Alaric seethed and decided he’d had enough thinking about it. He had men to see to and he couldn’t bear to reflect any further on Chander. They were done. Alaric had been turned loose, and perhaps that was for the best.
Chapter 11
Chander was keeping busy in his bedroom. There were books to read and nothing to distract him from his pursuits. He was also hiding—not that it was doing him much good. The Reverent Knights were on their way over, and Chander’s presence had been requested at the home office of the Emperor. His first day of unemployment was busier than he’d expected. He didn’t really mind; he was just trying to forget the previous night. Humans apparently got drunk and didn’t always remember their revelry, but magickind weren’t that lucky. Chander recalled in perfect detail showing the people closest to him the picture of Alaric and Victor.
He wished he hadn’t done that, but it was over and he couldn’t take it back. Drystan and Con
ley were honor-bound to show it to Alaric, and Chander wondered if that was why he’d opened that damn email. These last few months of everyone thinking Alaric had been the innocent one who’d been told to fuck off hadn’t been easy on Chander. Perhaps that was why he’d wanted to crash through that delusion and have Alaric confronted with his crime.
There was a knock on his door and all four men he’d trusted with the secret photo piled into his space.
“You really need to get some damn furniture,” Drystan groused. “It’s fucking weird to meet with you in your bedroom all the time.”
“Good luck talking him into that,” Baxter retorted as he took a seat on the bed and pulled Benton down next to him.
“I don’t have time for an argument. I need to get over to Chrys’s house, so I hope this won’t take long,” Chander said.
“You’re going over there like that?” Conley asked.
Chander looked down at his faded T-shirt, worn jeans, and sneakers. He gave a shrug. “I’ve decided to enjoy the perks of not having a job. I get to wear whatever the fuck I want.”
“Whatever floats your boat,” Drystan replied. “We just met with Alaric.”
His heart thumped in his chest. “Oh?”
“I’m sure you remember the photo you shared with us last night.”
“I do.”
“Alaric would like to open up an investigation,” Conley revealed. “Someone maliciously sent you that picture to separate you. We need your cooperation.”
Chander rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to pursue an investigation into a photo that showed Alaric for who he truly is.”
“Alaric didn’t fuck Victor,” Baxter shot out.
“You saw the proof yourself,” Chander replied. “I know it’s difficult to think of him that way, but pictures don’t lie.”
“Fake ones do,” Benton retorted.
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