* * * * Nikolai lay inside his lover for a long time. He’d knotted Jagger, and he was unable to pull away for almost an hour. He’d never knotted anyone before, of course, and never wanted to, but once he bit into his mate’s sweet neck, his wolf came forward, strong and bestial and out of control. His gland swelled, locking them together. The venom in his cum when the knot came out was causing the change to come over Jagger even now. It wouldn’t kill him, of course, but it would initiate the change. Jagger would become stronger and faster, even better-looking. He would now live a long life, like Nikolai, and Jagger would be unable to be parted from his wolf without causing himself extreme emotional pain. Jagger would never again be attracted to another man, and would be unable to sustain an erection unless it was for Nikolai, thus ensuring his faithfulness and devotion.
Nikolai pulled out of his lover slowly, hating to leave his body. He pulled Jagger into his arms, gently stroking over his side and hip, calming and soothing him as his body jerked and trembled. Jagger was deeply asleep, another aftereffect of the mating bite. His cheeks were pink already with the fever that was taking his body temperature higher and higher. It wouldn’t last long, only a few hours, but when he awoke, he’d be a Lycan mate.
He hoped Jagger really did understand what he’d agreed to. Sometimes it was hard to tell with his little mate. His little prince was so arrogant and downright cocky at times, wanting everyone to believe he was wise beyond his years, but surely everyone knew the nature of the Lycans, even in this backwater. His
family had been trading with the Jayronians for many cycles. Yes, certainly he wasn’t just pretending to be knowledgeable. His little mate must know what he had agreed to. The mating pull usually worked both ways, with the mate of the wolf just as unable to resist it as the Lycan. The pull was certainly strong for Nikolai with this little one. He could never leave him now, not for anything or anyone, and he’d felt that way since he first laid eyes on him.
Nikolai gathered him closer and kissed the back of his neck over the bite. He couldn’t have held off another minute to make him his. Being around him all day, making love to him the night before, and breathing in his scent had finally overcome his efforts to wait. The mating pull had been urgent. His wolf approved of his decision and was finally lying asleep inside him after raging at him for two days. Snuggling into Jagger’s hot little body, he relaxed all the tension he’d been feeling, all the effort it had taken him for the past two days not to claim his mate. Feeling sleep stealing over him, he whispered in his mate’s ear, “I love you, sweetheart. Only you, forever. ”
As if his words reached him in his dream, Jagger sighed softly and pushed his bottom back against Nikolai. Incredibly, Nikolai felt his cock thickening. Gods, could he ever get enough of this sweet boy? Nikolai pressed his cock into Jagger’s crease, and allowed sleep to take him away.
A loud knocking on the door a few hours later woke him up with a start. “Your Highness? Your Highness, the delegation from Lycanus 3 has arrived more quickly than we anticipated. They’re waiting in the throne room and your father asked me to come get you—both of you—right away. ” His little prince woke up beside him and looked around him in confusion. He’d been deeply asleep. Nikolai reached for him and drew him back down into his arms. His fever was almost gone now, and he hated to see him disturbed. The prince frowned and bit his bottom lip.
“They’re here so soon? What time is it?” Nikolai glanced over at the clock on the wall. “Almost midnight, love. My…uh…stepbrothers have always been an impatient bunch. I wish they’d waited until morning, at least. ”
Jagger struggled to sit up again, and this time, Nikolai let him. He was frowning and shaking with anger. “I won’t give you up! I won’t! I’ll allow them to see you, but only under heavy guard. If those bastards think they can come in here and take you from me, they have another think coming!” He turned to Nikolai and scowled at him. “You’re not leaving with your family, Niki. You’re my family now. You belong to me, and I won’t give you up. You’re mine, and you and your family will just have to get used to that idea. ”
“Calm down, baby,” Nikolai said, stroking and petting his back. “I’m not leaving you. ”
“No, you’re not,” Jagger said firmly, his hand gripping Nikolai’s thigh. “If they try to force the issue, I’m prepared to defend myself and my property. Where’s my sword?”
“No,” Nikolai said firmly. “No fighting or trying to show them what a little savage you are. If you pull a sword on them, my brothers would attack you the minute they saw it, and I don’t want to have to hurt any of them to protect you. ”
Jagger looked at him in amazement. “Y-you would do that?”
“Of course I would,” he said with a shrug.
“B-but against your own family?”
“If I had to…” He kissed the side of his neck. “You belong to me too, baby, and I don’t have any intention of giving you up either. ”
“Oh…well…all right then. Stall them for a few more minutes until we can—until I can dress, please. ”
Nikolai strode to the door and opened it, surprising the king’s aide, whose eyes grew wide at the sight of Nikolai’s naked body. “Tell the king we’ll be there in a few minutes. ” The aide nodded and scurried out, while Jagger climbed from the bed. He went over to his clothes cabinet and bent over looking through his things, while Nikolai went back over to the bed and began pulling on his clothes that were scattered nearby.
“We have to hurry. Your family is probably giving my father a hard time. ”
“No doubt,” Nikolai said with a grin.
Nikolai finished dressing and came closer to him, dropping a kiss on his forehead. “Settle down, baby, nothing bad is going to happen. ”
The door flew open and the same aide as before stood wild-eyed in the doorway. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but the Lycan delegation is becoming quite…uh…restless. They’re demanding to see your concubine, and they said if we don’t produce him immediately—”
“Yes, yes. We’re coming. ” Jagger turned to Nikolai. “May I have your arm then, to escort me?”
Nikolai grinned and bowed. “Of course, little Master. ” He held out his arm and Jagger placed his hand on top, just barely touching it, and giving him a quelling look. “Don’t call me that,” he snapped and Nikolai grinned as he inclined his head.
* * * * Nikolai was having an interesting night. He had accompanied his little prince down the seemingly endless corridors to the throne room, the breeze blowing through the thin material of his ridiculous wide trousers, his feet bare on the cold marble tile. He hadn’t taken the time to pull on his boots or even the tunic. The tunic was see-through anyway, so he figured, why bother? It was just his brother and cousins, after all.
When they walked into the throne room, he saw his family right away—Lucas, his cousin and his alpha, Kyle, his brother, and Larsson and Konnor, two of the other alpha cousins who made up his closest male relatives. Only his cousin, Blayde, still on his honeymoon, was absent, but Nikolai had no doubt he’d been sent for as well. When he walked in, he saw both relief and outrage on their faces, as they took in what must seem to them his outlandish appearance. Lucas’s mouth dropped open, and he sputtered a few times in outrage. He whirled around to glare at the king.
“What the fuck is he wearing—is that a dress?” His voice became so loud and high-pitched at the last words that an old dog lying beside the throne jumped up and howled in alarm.
Nikolai looked down in confusion. The wide legs of the harem pants must look a lot like a skirt. He grinned and stepped forward to take his cousin’s arm and explain. Instantly, it seemed, Jayronian guards stepped between them with guns drawn. Nikolai stopped, but growled menacingly at them, his red eyes glowing. He tensed his muscles, ready to shift and attack if they moved against his cousin. It was one thing for his little mate to be a pain in the ass, but quite another for the guards.
When Lucas and the others heard his growl, they joined in, until a whole chorus of menacing rumbles filled the hall. Sensing imminent trouble, Nikolai grabbed his prince’s hand and pushed him against the wall. He pointed a finger at him. “Stay right there,” he said, and turned around, holding out a hand to Lucas to try making peace. “No, Lucas, it’s all right. I’m fine, really. I haven’t been harmed at all. ”
Lucas hesitated, his outraged gaze going straight to his bare chest, the wide harem pants, and then traveling further down to inspect Nikolai’s bare feet. His eyes blazed again, and Nikolai spoke to him in a calming voice. “Yes, they made me a kind of harem slave, but it’s not exactly how it looks, Lucas. Really, I’m fine. ”