Sliding his hand down Ant’s back, Viktor increased the pressure on his mate’s ass, their cocks making a mess as their abs rubbed together. Ant was getting swept away, moving entirely on instinct.

Oh, babe when you let yourself go you’re incredible.Viktor waited with the patience of a predator – he was sure if he had a tail he’d be slowly wagging that, too, just like a cat ready to strike. Waiting, waiting… Viktor struck, sliding his fangs into Ant’s neck, pressing their bodies together so hard not a breath of air could get between them.

The first drop of Ant’s blood on Viktor's tongue cemented their bond even further. He felt the click. As he took a few cautious sips, Viktor could almost see their bond grow and why. The way Ant clung to him as a protector but more importantly, as a man who let the respected mage be himself.

Ant’s orgasm hit short and fast, and Viktor’s cock quickly followed without him even thinking about it. Needing his mouthto breathe, Viktor released his fangs from Ant’s skin and quickly licked over the wound before he wrapped his arms fully around his mate, holding him close as their panting eased to soft breathing.

Easing his head back, Viktor could see his mate's eyes were already closed and the spunk was cooling between them, threatening to stick them together.Oh babe,he thought with a sigh,I probably should put you back in the bath.But as he didn't want Ant to drown, Viktor rolled Ant gently over onto his back, peeled their bodies apart, and went looking for a washcloth. He could use some of the scented bath water to give Ant a sponge bath before he drained the bath.

I wonder what Bridget's going to have to say in the morning, Viktor thought as he got what he needed and went back to the bedroom. Ant hadn’t moved from where Viktor had left him, and he quickly washed over his mate’s body before lifting him and tucking him under the covers. As he followed and held Ant close, Viktor winced as he checked the shadows from the window.Gods, Bridget will be here in just a few hours. So much for my mate getting a sleep in.

Viktor couldn’t sleep. After the night they’d had, he didn’t expect to. He stayed quiet and watchful, matching his breathing with his mate’s, and soothing his mate with soft gibberish and strokes on his skin every time his sleeping Ant twitched or frowned. There would be no nightmares on Viktor’s watch.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Ant yawned and stretched out his arms as he woke up, his eyes flying open when he realized his bedroom was a lot lighter than he thought it should be. Viktor was propped up on his elbow, stretched out beside him, watching him with a neutral expression on his face.

“Why did you let me sleep in?” Ant stretched and yawned again. “Has Bridget already been here? What time is it? Where’s Able?”

“Bridget hasn’t been here,” Viktor said slowly. “Able is fed, watered, and was enjoying the sun on the porch outside last time I checked. You were tired and needed your sleep.”

“I love how you care for me.” Ant patted the bed and then reached out and patted his bedside cabinet. “It’s not good that Bridget didn’t come today. We really wanted to speak to her, and I felt for sure she would come. Have you seen my phone? Oh, wait, it would’ve been with my clothes. Are they still in the bathroom?”

“No,” Viktor chuckled. “I folded your clothes and put them on the chair over by the window last night. I cleaned up after you fell asleep.”

“I must’ve been really tired. I didn’t even hear you.” Ant rolled out of bed, barely noticing he was naked. He was with his mate. It didn’t matter. “Excuse me a minute, I'll just go and take care of things in the bathroom and then we better find out what's happened to my missing sister. It’s really not like Bridget to simply not turn up.”

He went through into the bathroom, although he could still hear Viktor through the open door.

“Maybe she didn’t think you were here because she didn’t see my car? Perhaps she thought we’d gone to my house instead.”

Ant quickly did what he had to do, considering Viktor’s ideas and marrying them against Bridget’s typical behavior. “I don't think that would stop her from coming in,” he said as he washed and dried his hands. “Even if she didn’t think I was home, she would still pop in. If you recall, I didn't have a car for years so there was no reason to think that I wouldn't be home just because your car wasn't here. For all Bridget knew, you had to go out this morning to do something else. You could’ve had an appointment or an early meeting. That’s typically the life she lives so she wouldn’t think that was unusual.”

Ant came back into the bedroom and went over to where Viktor had folded his clothes, searching through his pockets and pulling out his phone. “There're no messages. That's very strange.” He woke up the screen by tapping it and then double checked, because maybe for some reason his notifications weren't showing. That had happened before. But no, there were no messages from Bridget.

“This is getting stranger,” Ant said, feeling a fissure of worry start to slither through his gut. “Even if she wasn't going to come she would have still checked in by text to see how we were doing this morning. Hmm.” His worry started to grow wings. “This isn't good Viktor.” He noticed his mate was already dressed. “Did you want to go out for breakfast? Because if you did, would you mind if we stopped in and checked at Bridget's house first just to make sure she's all right?”

Viktor was up off the bed in a flash. “We can grab some breakfast on the way. Is Bridget's house very far?”

Ant shook his head as he went over to his chest of drawers and pulled out some fresh underwear. He could probably do with a shower, although… he sniffed at his arm. He smelled of the bath bomb Viktor had used the night before, in the bath they barelyused. He wasn't going to grumble about it. But it didn’t stop him asking, “Did you give me a sponge bath last night?”

Viktor came up behind him, sliding his arms around Ant's waist. “Somebody had to, because my very exhausted mate did fall asleep, but at least you waited until your cock was spent first. It was a close call.” He chuckled, brushing a kiss on Ant's neck. “It's all right. I’m not getting frisky. This is affection. I know you're worried. Get yourself dressed. I'll go and make sure Able doesn't need to go outside one more time and then we'll… Oh, damn. We’ll have to call an Uber or something. My car’s a wreck.”

Clearly the vehicle was important to Viktor if he was mentioning it. It wasn’t like Ant had forgotten the events of the night before. “We can shop for one later today.” Ant opened one drawer and then another and then opened the first drawer again. “I need to find out where Bridget has gone first. It’s probably nothing. Perhaps she did have an early morning meeting. Maybe something had cropped up at the office and she just got caught up.”

Viktor was watching him. “Has that happened before?”

Ant shook his head. “No, I'm kidding myself. Something is definitely wrong.” He quickly pulled out a relatively newish t-shirt and a pair of jeans and then looked around for his boots. They were waiting underneath the chair that Viktor had folded his clothes onto.

“You are very tidy,” he said as he went over and picked them up. “I do appreciate that,” he added as he finished getting himself ready. “All right, I can hear Able outside the door. Let him in if you please.”

The moment Viktor opened the door, the big German shepherd came bounding up to Ant, wagging his tail wildly, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Ant made sure to bend down and givehim a good few minutes of scritches, because despite what might be happening with Bridget, Ant couldn't get through his day without his reliable furry companion. “I know. I know. Viktor let me sleep in. Wasn’t that nice of him?” he said making an extra fuss.

When Able was satisfied he was Ant’s favorite companion, Ant realized he'd just given his dog more attention than his mate.That’s probably not a good thing for a mating.Indicating for Able to stay, Ant hurried over to Viktor, standing on tiptoes so he could brush a kiss on Viktor’s chin. “Sorry. Good morning.”

“Good morning to you, too.” Viktor stroked the back of his fingers down the side of Ant’s face. “It's all right,” he added. “I know you're just being you.”

“Yes, well, this morning is one of those unusual situations. I've never had to worry about Bridget before.” Ant caught hold of Viktor's hand as they left the bedroom, clicking his fingers of the other hand for Able to follow. “Bridget's the sensible one out of the two of us, the one who's always organized and keeps herself together. That’s why I knew she’d be able to help us with this Manzano family business. It’s totally out of character for her not to turn up today.”