by Olivia Black
Breaking the kiss, Khaun pushed himself up off the ground. He held out his hand to Eric, and the human took it. Khaun pulled Eric up to his feet. Hand in hand, Khaun led Eric back to the heart of the party.
A Noglion male holding a tray of drinks passed by, and Khaun grabbed two cups. He passed one of the cups off to Eric and watched as the young man tipped the glass back and downed the contents in one gulp. Khaun followed the human's lead.
"Whoo!" Eric shouted and threw his cup over the edge of the mountain.
Khaun chuckled. It was nice to see Eric like this, joining in the revelry. Eric had a few more drinks. It didn't take long for the human to become intoxicated. The drinks might taste good, but they were really potent. It didn't take much to become inebriated especially for a man Eric's size. Khaun thought about stopping Eric before he drank too much, but he liked seeing this side of the human. And he was by Eric's side. Khaun would make sure that nothing happened to Eric.
Eric jumped up. He wrapped his arms around Khaun's neck and kissed him. Dropping his arms, Eric spun around and started dancing, moving to the beat of the music. He twisted around, rocking his hips seductively. The human bent his knees, gyrating his hips, as he shook his ass. Glancing over his shoulder, Eric smiled.
Khaun thought his heart might stop. Damn. How did he get so blessed? His eyes widened as he stared at Eric intently, watching each move the young man made. It was incredibly sexy. As he glanced around, Khaun realized that Eric was attracting a lot of attention from the males around him. It wasn't really a surprise though. Eric was incredibly beautiful.
Khaun moved closer to Eric. He reached out and grabbed ahold of the human's waist. Khaun pulled Eric back against him and danced with the young man, moving in sync with the human. He glided his hands up and down Eric's chest, feeling his soaked skin.
They danced and drank throughout the night. In the early morning hours, when Eric started yawning and swaying on his feet, Khaun carried him away from the crowd. He wanted to carry Eric down the mountain and hide from the rain in a cave, but it was impossible. The valley around the plateau was flooded. And it would remain that way for a few more hours.
Khaun sat down near the edge of the plateau. He took the black cape off Eric's shoulders, swung it over his head, and leaned over to protect Eric from the elements.
"I'm not tired," Eric whined, his voice slurred from the alcohol. He yawned, and his eyelids fluttered, closing. "I still want to dance."
"Uh-huh."
Eric curled up on Khaun's lap. It didn't take long for the young man to fall asleep. Khaun held the material, keeping the rain off Eric.
Chapter Eighteen
Eric woke up with the suns. Opening his eyes, Eric groaned. He grabbed his head as a sharp pain throbbed in his temples. Eric sat up. Squinting, he glanced around and quickly realized that he was with Khaun tucked deep inside the cave near the entrance.
"Morning, pet."
"How did we get down here?"
"I carried you here before suns could rise," Khaun told him. "I thought it might be safer than having you wake up on top of the mountain."
Eric nodded. It was definitely a good idea since the heat from the suns was already beating down on the planet. It seemed that Noglion got only one night of rain. Although calling it a rainy night was far too tame of a description. When the sky opened up, it flooded the planet and filled the valleys. But the drainage basins pulled the water underground.
"Why didn't you just carry me home?"
"The door was sealed shut."
"Are we still locked out?"
Khaun shook his head. "I don't think so."
The male rose to feet, and Eric stood up, as well. Khaun grabbed the black cape and wrapped it around Eric's shoulders before heading toward the metal door. He pressed his hand against a pad beside the door, and several locks disengaged. There was a hiss before the door slid open, exposing rough rock walls. Eric followed Khaun over the threshold, and they walked, side by side, down the tunnel.
He yawned and rubbed his eyes. Eric was exhausted. After a night of drinking and dancing and sleeping on the ground, Eric just wanted to climb into bed. It took a while, but eventually, they reached their home. Khaun opened the front door, and Eric walked in first. As soon as he stepped over the threshold and entered their home, Gru stood up. He didn't look happy. If anything, the male looked angry.
"Uh-oh," Eric murmured.
"Why didn't you tell me you were taking Eric out to the rain festival last night?" Gru directed the question at Khaun. "Finn and I have been worried."
"I'm sorry," Khaun said. "We didn't have much time to get out before the doors were sealed shut. I just assumed you would know that Eric was with me."
Gru sighed, clearly irritated. He walked over to Eric. The male removed the black cloak and tossed it aside. Gru wrapped his arms around Eric and held him in a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry." Eric felt bad. He didn't mean to make Gru or Finn worry about him.
"It's not your fault, pet."
Eric yawned. Damn, he was tired. This was the first time in his life that he'd been able to drink and dance the night away. There was no such thing as 'fun' on Earth. Every day was a struggle.
"Are you tired?" Gru asked.
He nodded.
"Let's get you to bed."
Gru picked Eric up and carried him to his quarters. The male placed Eric on his bed before climbing in beside him. Gru grabbed the blanket and pulled it up, covering them both. Eric rubbed his eyes and yawned. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.
The sound of the doorbell ringing woke Eric. Kicking his legs over his bed, Eric walked toward the front door. He rubbed his eyes and groaned. Eric reached out, tempted to open the door, but for some reason, he hesitated. It couldn't be Gru or Khaun. The males wouldn't ring the bell. Maybe it was a male delivering a message from one of his mates.
Decision made, Eric pressed the button on the wall, and the door slid open. Two males stood on the other side of the threshold.
"Can I help you?" Eric asked.
They eyed Eric for a moment before stepping into the house. At that moment, Eric knew there was something terribly wrong.
"What the hell do you want?" he questioned, his voice shaking.
Fear and anxiety shot through Eric's system. Panic like he'd never known before welled in his throat. Eric took a step back and then another, distancing himself from the strangers. The males reached for their loincloths and tore them off, revealing their hard shafts. Eric knew what they wanted. The males wanted to fuck him. Together, they moved toward Eric.
Eric screamed, "No!"
He tried to make a run for it but didn't make it far. The males grabbed him. Terrified, Eric fought with all of his strength. He wasn't going to allow these Noglion males to rape him. Eric's feet left the floor as one of the males picked him up and threw him. He hit the floor hard. Pain exploded, and he cried out. Eric started to crawl, desperate to get away, but the males grabbed him.
Eric heard a loud snarl. Finn. He'd almost forgotten that Finn was home. The males holding Eric's arms snapped their heads to the side. Eric took advantage of the distraction. He pulled his foot back and kicked out, hitting one of the males.
Eric was in pain. His whole body hurt. He twisted and turned, fighting until, finally, the males released him. Both of them backed away. Fear was etched on their faces. Eric's eyes followed theirs, and he watched as Finn stormed into the room. Rage like nothing he'd ever seen before twisted Finn's features.
The male roared, and Eric lifted his hands and covered his ears. Finn's eyes met Eric's. He saw Finn's yellow eyes flash over his body. The male moved fast. He threw himself at the nearest male, attacking. Finn fought them both, taking them on in hand-to-hand combat.
One of the strangers screamed. It was a horrible, pain-filled sound. Something warm sprayed him. Eric dropped his arms and looked at them. It was blood. Crawling backward, Eric moved toward the far wall. He stared at Finn, watching him. The
male was deadly. He used his nails, slashing the intruders, slicing through their scaled skin. The larger of the two dropped to his knees before falling forward, his throat cut open. The second male didn't even get out a sound before Finn was on him.
Eric pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his hands around his shins. Ducking his head, Eric closed his eyes. He heard a scream followed by a gurgling sound. And, then, nothing at all.
"Eric."
He lifted his head and opened his eyes.
"You're safe now, pet." Finn walked toward him, slowly. "No one is going to hurt you."
His expression was easy to read. The male was pissed. Finn was breathing hard. He had blood on both of his hands and splashed across his bare chest. But, as he stared down at Eric, anger morphed into concern.
"I'm okay," Eric said.
Finn reached for him. Eric didn't flinch even though both of his hands were bloody. Finn lifted Eric up into his arms and held him tightly against his bloody chest. Eric buried his face in Finn's throat. He panted heavily, shaking from the adrenaline rush. Tears filled his eyes, and he blinked rapidly in an effort to hold them back. Eric didn't want to cry. He didn't want to break down.
Eric wrapped his arms around Finn's neck, holding on to the male. He rested his head on the male's scales near the curve of his shoulder.
Eric inhaled the masculine scent. The male's smell helped to calm Eric's rapidly beating heart.
* * * *
Finn refused to put Eric down. He refused to hand him over to Gru or Khaun. Finn's arms were wrapped around Eric, holding him in a tight embrace. Eric didn't seem to mind. The human was still shaking as he clung to Finn. They all sat on the couch together, Eric on Finn's lap. After a bath, they were both clean. The dead males had been removed from their home. Eric had been lucky. Besides some cuts and bruises, he was whole and healthy.
"I don't understand why they would do this," Khaun said, clearly confused by the actions of the Noglion males. In their society, things like this didn't happen. "It's a death sentence for attacking a pet."
Gru shook his head. "There are a lot of unmated males, and they all want human mates."
"I know, but"--Khaun sighed--"they came into our home and tried to rape Eric."
"I'm glad you were here, Finn," Gru said.
"If it wasn't for this damn leg, I would've been able to do a better job protecting him."
Eric lifted his head. He cupped the male's face, holding his cheeks. "You did protect me. You saved me, Finn." Eric leaned toward the male and pressed their lips together.
"There's a surgeon that can fix your leg, Finn," Khaun said.
Finn pulled back, breaking the kiss. "Make the appointment."
Finn closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of his pet. Eric sat on his lap, safe and secure, and Finn quickly realized how important the young man was. All the things that could have gone wrong began to fill his mind.
What if he hadn't been in his quarters? What if he hadn't heard Eric scream? The human could've been raped. He could've been killed. If anything happened to Eric...Finn stopped that thought.
"Finn?"
He opened his eyes and stared deeply into Eric's beautiful blue-gray globes.
"It's okay," he said. "I'm fine."
Finn pulled Eric tighter against his chest and brushed his lips against the human's forehead. He couldn't lose Eric. He felt as though he finally had something to live for. Finn rocked forward, trying to rise to his feet, but he didn't get far. He couldn't get up off the couch while holding Eric in his arms.
Gru rose from the chair in front of him. "Let me take him from you."
Finn scowled. The last thing he wanted to do was give up the bundle in his arms.
"I'll carry him straight to your room and put him in your bed."
Finn nodded. It didn't seem as though he had any other choice. He dropped his arms, and Gru lifted the human up off his lap. Turning on his heel, Gru strode out of the living room and disappeared down the hallway.
Inching his way to the edge of the couch, Finn put all of his weight on his right foot and pushed his hands against the sofa, pushing himself up. It took a few minutes to gain his balance before he could start walking. Finn took small, measured steps as he went to his bedroom. The pain was almost unbearable, but Finn pushed through it. Finn limped as he made his way down the hallway, heading toward his quarters.
Finn walked into his bedroom, and his eyes immediately went to the bed. Eric was lying in the center with Gru cuddled up behind the human. Finn smiled. He knew that his brother needed to hold their pet. This horrible incident had scared them all.
From now on, the three of them would need to watch Eric closer in order to keep him safe.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, Finn used his arms to push himself back onto the soft mattress. He lay down beside Eric, and the human moved closer to him. Eric placed his head on Finn's chest and wrapped his right arm around his waist.
"Are you really considering the surgery?"
"I would do anything to make sure that you are safe and protected."
Eric lifted his head and asked, "Is that the only reason?"
Finn shook his head. "It's time."
Eric smiled and lay back down.
After six years, Finn was finally ready to let go of the past. It had been so long that Finn couldn't remember what it felt like to not be in pain.
Chapter Nineteen
Eric paced back and forth in front of the door, waiting for Finn to return from the hospital. Finn wouldn't let Eric escort him to the medical building, and he wouldn't let Eric visit throughout the weeks of recovery and rehabilitation. Eric tried to be understanding, but he didn't know why the male wouldn't let him be by his side. He just wanted to help. Eric wanted to hold Finn's hand while he was healing from the surgery on his leg.
"What's wrong, pet?" Khaun asked.
Eric stopped and spun around, facing Khaun. The male was lounging back on the couch with his feet propped up.
"I'm just waiting for Finn to get home."
"The surgery and rehabilitation was a success. Trust me," the male said. "He's fine."
"Then, why wouldn't he let me visit him in the hospital?"
"I've already told you." Khaun smiled. "Finn is a proud male. He can't stand anyone seeing him in a weakened state, especially you. He wants to be strong for you, pet."
Eric sighed. Normally, he didn't mind the tough, alpha-male personality. He liked his males strong and dominate and in control. But Eric really missed Finn. The weeks had gone by agonizingly slow. The whole time he was gone, Eric couldn't stop thinking about Finn and worrying about the male's well-being.
"Where's Gru? He said that he would be here when Finn got home."
Khaun gave Eric a pointed look and asked, "Why are you nervous?"
Eric took a deep breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling.
The front door slid open, and Eric spun around. Finn stood tall with an easy smile gracing his lips. Eric ran his eyes over the male. There were still scars crisscrossing his leg and thigh, but as he stepped into their home, the male didn't cringe or grind his jaw. He didn't look as though he were in pain. Finn looked good. The male looked healthy.
"Pet," Finn said softly.
Eric wanted to go to Finn but refrained. He wasn't really sure what to say. Eric hadn't spoken to Finn since the day he'd gone to the hospital.
"How are you feeling?" Eric asked cautiously.
Finn smiled. "I've never felt better."
The male opened his arms, and Eric rushed toward him. He jumped up into Finn's arms, and the male hugged him tightly, lifting Eric off his feet. Eric wrapped his legs around Finn's waist, locking his ankles.
"I missed you," Eric told him. It was a relief to have Finn at home.
"I missed you, too, pet."
"You've been gone for a long time."
Finn chuckled lightly. "I've been counting down the days."
Eric leaned back and connected their lips in a hard k
iss, telling Finn without words how happy he was to see him. It didn't take long for Finn to turn the tables on him and take control of the kiss. He stole Eric's breath, making his head spin. Finn moved his hands down to Eric's ass, cupping his cheeks in his large hands and lifting him higher. Finn started walking, gently rocking Eric's hips back and forth. Eric gasped. He ground his hard cock into Finn's stomach, needing the delicious friction against his erection.
"Do you mind if I join in on the fun? Or do you want to be alone with our pet?"
Finn broke the kiss. Glancing over his shoulder, the male said, "It's up to you."
Khaun chuckled. Eric didn't need to look over Finn's shoulder to know that Khaun was following them to Finn's bedroom.
As soon as Finn walked into his quarters, the male gently tossed Eric onto the bed. Eric lifted himself up in his forearms and watched Finn unlace his sandals and pull off his loincloth. Naked, Finn climbed onto the bed. His eyes hungry, the male crawled toward Eric like a predator.
Finn started at Eric's feet. He leaned down and placed a trail of kisses up his legs. The male nibbled and licked and kissed his way up Eric's body. Eric's cock jerked. He lifted his hips off the bed, silently begging for Finn's mouth. Eric wanted to feel the male's lips suctioned tight around the head of his shaft.
Finn lifted his head and arched a brow. He didn't say anything though. He simply lowered his head once more and gently nipped at Eric's hip. The male twirled his tongue along Eric's groin, skipping right over his hard cock, and continued up Eric's stomach and chest. When Finn reached his nipples, the male placed little love bites on each disk. He licked and sucked at each bud, and Eric arched his back. Finn's mouth was doing amazing things to him.
Finn moved. He placed his hands on either side of Eric's head, leaned down, and kissed him. The male ran his tongue across Eric's lips, and Eric opened his mouth. Their tongues tangled, twisting together. The kiss was mind-blowing, stealing Eric's breath. Eric touched Finn's chest, running his hands over the male's shoulders and down his arms. His muscles flexed under Eric's hands.
