“I can come,” Mathias said quickly. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Ward answered. “And don’t panic. It’s nothing bad, I promise.”
“Very well then.” Mathias took a deep breath, Ward’s assurances having had the intended effect. “We’ll speak in a bit.”
Putting a halt to the conversation was somewhat awkward, because neither of them wanted to say goodbye. However, Ward wasn’t willing to discuss their future while on the phone. He steeled himself and uttered a quick, “See you soon,” before he ended the call.
When he set the device down, he considered what he was about to do. He waited for the panic to come, but it didn’t. This was right, and the natural next step in their relationship.
As he waited for Mathias to arrive, he put his art supplies aside and took a quick shower. He was pulling on his clothes when he heard the knock announcing Mathias’s arrival. “Be right there,” he called out.
Quickly zipping up his jeans, Ward made his way to the door. He opened it and smiled brightly when he found his lover standing outside. “Hey. Thanks for coming so soon.”
“How could I not?” Mathias arched a brow. “I might not be human, but I know that the ‘we need to talk’ line usually isn’t a good sign.”
Ward rolled his eyes, although inside, he felt a little warm at the familiarity of their banter. “In all fairness, that’s not what I said. I said I wanted to talk to you.”
“Semantics,” Mathias replied as he stepped into the house and closed the door. “But it does seem that this time around, I was mistaken to worry.”
The comment was light-hearted enough, but it held an obvious question. Ward plopped down on the couch, biting his lip and wondering how to address it.
“Ward?” Mathias prodded, sitting down next to him. “Tell me. You know you can trust me.”
Mathias reached for Ward’s hand and twined their fingers together. It gave Ward the final push he needed. “Peter called.”
Mathias’s expression darkened. “One of these days, I’ll pay a visit to that human.”
“Not necessary,” Ward replied with a smile. “I just... I spoke with him and I realized something very important. I don’t care about him, not like I once did. You’re my life now. And... I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not afraid anymore.”
Mathias’s eyes widened. “Do you... Do you really mean that? You want to...”
He trailed off, obviously having trouble speaking, lest he utter something that would turn out to be false. Ward didn’t want any more disappointments and doubts between them, so he nodded quickly. “I want to be your mate, yes. So... Claim me.”
Mathias’s eyes flashed with something dark and dangerous, and Ward was reminded that behind the polite veneer, Mathias was still half-shifter. It didn’t scare him. He loved it when Mathias followed his impulses, since those times always ended with magnificent orgasms for him.
“Don’t tease me, Ward. I can’t... You know how much I want this, but if you’re not sure...”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t sure. I wouldn’t toy with your feelings. You know that.”
The smile that bloomed on Mathias’s face was almost too shy for a man who was a centuries-old werewolf warrior. “Yes, I do know.”
The shyness vanished in an instant, replaced by sensual decision. Mathias shot to his feet and snatched Ward off the couch. “Well, far be it from me to deny my beautiful mate,” he purred.
Ward wrapped his arms around Mathias’s neck and his legs around his lover’s waist. “See. You’re learning. Who said you can’t teach an old wolf new tricks?”
The teasing comment earned him a growl from Mathias. The world went a little hazy around him, and Ward kept his focus on his lover’s face, instinctively guessing Mathias was using his werewolf speed to make sure they reached their destination—the bedroom, most likely—as soon as possible. Despite that knowledge, he was surprised when, far sooner than expected, he was set on the mattress with almost excruciating gentleness.
Ward didn’t know what he’d thought would happen from that point on. He wasn’t exactly a virgin, but penetrative sex with a werewolf-Sidhe hybrid wasn’t territory he’d ever explored, or had even dreamed of. He had to admit he was a little anxious. What could he possibly have to offer that a centuries-old shape-shifter hadn’t already experienced?
He needn’t have worried. When Mathias climbed into the bed next to him, his eyes held a silent promise that muted anything Ward might have wanted to say. He tried nonetheless, but only ended up opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, probably making himself look like an idiot in the process.
It was worth it, though, because it earned a soft, warm smile from Mathias. The next thing Ward knew, Mathias was kissing him, and Ward forgot to worry about stupid things like sexual compatibility and lack of adequate experience. For once, he let it all drift away, focusing simply on that, on Mathias’s taste, the perfect way the two of them just fit.
Mathias’s tongue slid into his mouth, and it might not have been the first time they kissed, but it almost felt that way. It progressed quickly, of course, growing from the nearly lazy lip-lock to so much more. Mathias’s heavy body settled on Ward’s, his weight pressing Ward into the mattress. It was heavenly, and Ward distantly wondered why he’d waited for so long.
Arousal mixed with frustration inside him, the desperate need to feel Mathias’s naked skin under his fingertips. The one thing that comforted him was that he wasn’t alone in this situation. Mathias’s fingers trailed over his sides, and Ward felt claws tearing into the material of his shirt, as if in response to Ward’s mental plea.
He whimpered into their kiss, and Mathias growled in reply. Both sounds were muffled by their lip-lock, but somehow, seemed to fuel the passion burning between them. The gentleness Mathias had showered him with dissipated into something else entirely, into an almost angry possessiveness.