Agony ruptured in jagged points from his hip. Blood rushed up Luca’s throat, and he expelled it. Luca rolled down the hill, and the momentary reprieve ended in a tumbling bomb of misery. He stopped on a stretch of rocky ground.
Silence blanketed the world, and cold replaced the pain while heat pooled around Luca’s limbs leaking from the holes in his body.
“Luca.” Nox’s gentle touch gathered Luca up. The pain threatened to rise, but he didn’t care. At least when he died, he’d be in Nox’s arms.
*****
Large gashes left Luca’s insides exposed, and a thighbone jutted from the ribbons of muscle. Worse than the injuries, the hum of Luca’s life force winking in and out. Nox found a hollow place in the rocky hillside and cradled Luca’s broken body.
If he truly took strength from Nox, he would heal. Nox just had to surrender his strength. He curled around Luca, making himself into a door over the opening, blocking out the elements. Air bubbled from Luca’s throat and his frightened gaze softened as if he could see Nox in the absolute darkness.
Luca lifted his hand to Nox’s face, rasping his cold fingertips across the stubble.
Nox willed the Anubis to the surface. It slid over his limbs, engulfing Luca’s body in millions of hair-fine threads. The flavor of blood, the slickness of muscle and torn flesh traveled to Nox on crawling nerve filaments. Luca gasped. It was impossible for his breath to touch Nox’s ear, yet the warmth caressed him as if Luca’s lips had been pressed against his skin.
Another gasp, then a shudder ran down Luca’s body. His waning heartbeat stuttered before falling into a steady rhythm, matching Nox’s. Blood crashed through Luca’s veins, his flesh stitched each new cell, creating an electric hum until Nox’s entire body vibrated.
Nox.
The thought filled Nox’s mind.
Nox.
The relief, the contentedness devoured his emotions.
Nox.
Threads slithered in and out of Luca, fueling the healing, leaching resources directly from Nox. Hunger twisted his stomach, his muscles trembled, but he made no attempt to stop the transfer, willing to give everything to ensure Luca’s survival.
Even if being drained could kill Nox, he wasn’t afraid.
Frigid trails cut down Nox’s back, slowly filling the crevices between his body and the rock ledge. The invading puddles boiled away into clouds of steam. Even as the Anubis returned to Nox’s body, the heat remained a physical force encasing Luca.
“Nox.” This time the brush of Luca’s lips was real, the velvet touch scorched Nox’s mouth, and Luca’s tongue was fire he gladly accepted. “You found me.”
How could he not? “I will always find you.” A truth as real as the man in Nox’s arms.
Luca turned, smearing mud and leaves between their bodies. His touch raked over Nox’s chest, his cock pushed against Nox’s thigh. He growled, ducking his head to bite Luca’s shoulder. Rain splashed through the gap, and a blessed stream of cool air brought relief to the sauna.
Just like an Alpha who’d been healed, arousal soaked Luca’s skin. He arched against Nox.
“Not here.” Nox held Luca tighter. He deserved a bed, soft blankets, even the necessity of lubricant.
“Nox.” His name nothing more than an exhale, but it held the vice grip of a mental order. Nox lifted one of Luca’s legs until it was folded against his ribs. More rain flooded the tight confines. Muck clung to Nox’s skin. He found the space to reach his cock and stroked, pulling precum to the tip. The fluid dripped over Nox’s fingers.
Luca shuddered. “I feel that.” He parted his lips panting. “I feel you touching yourself.” Luca bit Nox’s bottom lips. Copper joined the sweet flavor of his mouth. “Now,” Luca growled the word against Nox’s mouth.
Nox tilted Luca’s hips forward. The small burrow gave him very little space to maneuver his cock to Luca’s hole. The ring of muscle contracted.
Nox used the tip of his dick to paint the precum over Luca’s opening. This would hurt him. This could even injure him.
“Don’t care. Need you.”
Nox pushed, and Luca moaned. The ache and burn a head-to-toe sensation as it traveled from Luca to Nox. Yet he couldn’t stop.
Because Luca wouldn’t let him.
With all the power of an Alpha who’d not only given life to over a dozen men but had the skill and experience to command them, Luca rolled over Nox, caging him. He breached Luca’s opening and moved his hands to Luca’s hips, pulling Luca down. The tightness of his hole, the softness of his body, the heat, that glorious heat only found with the power of death urged Nox to move. He rolled his hips, shoving himself deeper, pressing his balls against Luca’s ass. His cry held no pain, just the urgency of what Nox could give him.