Page 65 of Secrets & Sake

He’s crying. Haven’t I hurt enough people? Didn’t even bat an eye after a while. Compartmentalized all of it and locked it away. Sometimes, when I’m feeling really low, I’ll open that box and drown in all of it.

But I don’t want to hurt him. Never Hiro.

So I fight. I kick and claw my way toward that light, toward the smell of cherry blossoms and spring. A bond burns to life in my chest, and I grab on like a lifeline. My body comes alive. My healing kick-starts, driving out the poison coursing through me.

I… I’m coming, Hiro.

Wait for me. I’m almost here. Don’t cry. I’m coming. I promise, I…

I open my eyes, gasping in a lungful of air.

Brown eyes, dewy with tears. Damp, pale cheeks. Sweaty, raven locks sticking to his forehead. Most beautiful damn man I’ve ever seen.

A gentle red light shines on Hiro’s face. “R-Raiden? What is that?”

I follow his wet-eyed stare. For the first time, I can see the red thread wrapped around my pinky finger. I follow the thread’s twisting path up to Hiro’s hand. The thread’s wrapped around him, too.

We’re connected, bound together by destiny itself. I can no longer deny what he is to me—and I don’t want to. In fact, I think finally accepting it is what gave me the strength to live.

“It’s… complicated,” I mutter, grimacing as the wound starts to close.

“I… I did it!” Hiro holds out the source of all my agony—a silver bullet covered in blood. Such a tiny thing, but it nearly stole me from this world. “Look, Raiden! Look, your wound just closed, and that yucky black stuff is all gone.” He grins in triumph. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Knew you wouldn’t let me die.” I realize my head is lying in his lap. He makes a comfy pillow.

“Well, at least someone believed in me. Geez. I was freaking out! You can’t do that to me again!”

I chuckle and squeeze his hand. “Not like I meant to get shot, you know—”

And then he’s kissing me, his lips warm and soft and sweet. He breathes life back into me, and finally, I let myself relax. I lean into the touch of his hands, soft on either side of my face. I’m alive. We’re together. Relief surges through me, and I find the strength to sit up and curl my fingers through his hair.

Even though I’m exhausted, my cock kicks to life and tightens my jeans. Turns out surviving certain death and being saved by my mate is one hell of a turn-on. “Need you,” I growl against his lips.

“Don’t want to hurt you,” Hiro says, panting breathlessly from the relentless kisses I shower to his lips.

Slowly, I sit up and straddle his lap. “You won’t. I’m healed.” I rock against him and find him hard and wanting. I growl my approval when he moans.

“Are you sure?” He yelps when I suddenly flip us so he’s on his back on the floor beneath me.

“Need you, Sunshine. Thought I’d never get the chance to do this again. Have you beneath me. Hear you moan my name.” I shove my thigh between his legs and rub against him, making him squirm.

“I… I thought you were—” Hiro’s voice breaks, and tears brighten his eyes.

“I’m here.” I lunge down to kiss him, grab his hand, and press it to my chest. “Here. Right here. Not going anywhere.”

Hiro fists my shirt and hauls me in even closer. Our lips crash together. Tongues tangle, teeth scrape, and I try to pull away so I don’t cut him with my fangs, but he makes a needy little sound and holds me tighter.

We rock together, too desperate to get out of our clothes. I could finish this way, grinding on him, locked at the lips, hands roaming and squeezing. But I won’t fuck my mate on the floor like some careless hookup.

Of all the people I’ve been with, no one has ever meant more to me than him. Somehow, he’s become someone so precious to me. My sunshine in a world so dark and cold. A port in the stormy uncertainty of my life.

“Wanna be inside you. Now,” I say, panting against his lips.

“Take me to bed,” he whispers, and those are the sexiest words I’ve ever heard.

I grab the back of his thighs and lift. His arms and legs twine around me. Carefully, I carry us to the bed. I don’t change our position, keeping him in my lap where I want him. Tonight, I need him close.

Hiro loops his arms around my neck as his lips collide with mine. I wriggle out of my suit jacket, and Hiro helps me with my buttons. I growl at him, and he gets the idea, ripping the whole damn thing open. Buttons scatter everywhere. Hiro picks a few off of me, laughing against my mouth.

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