Page 22 of Rivals

"Can't—" Nick gasped, his cock leaking against his stomach. "Too much—gonna—"

Nick's words dissolved into a broken cry as his body seized, his back arching violently off the tree. His cock jerked between them, untouched, shooting thick ropes of come across his stomach and chest.

The contractions around Viktor's knot were unlike anything he'd ever felt—powerful, rhythmic clenching that rippled along his entire length but concentrated most intensely where they were locked together. Each spasm squeezed his swollen knot with devastating precision, milking him with primal efficiency. It was as if Nick's body had been designed to wring every drop from him, to take everything Viktor had to give and demand more.

"Fuck," Viktor growled, the sensation almost unbearable in its intensity. Nick pulsed around him, squeezing in waves that started deep inside, massaging his knot in a way that had Viktor seeing stars.

Viktor increased his pace, the short, grinding thrusts growing more forceful. The tree bark cracked behind Nick's back, splinters raining down around them. Neither noticed. The world had narrowed to the points where their bodies were joined, to the knot binding them together, to the pleasure building between them like an electrical storm.

When Viktor's release finally hit, it wasn't the quick, sharp climax he was used to. It was a tidal wave: powerful, overwhelming, endless. His body went rigid, muscles locking as the first pulse tore through him with almost violent intensity. Hethrew his head back, a primal roar ripping from his chest as his cock jerked within the tight confines of Nick's body.

The first surge of his release was so intense it bordered on pain, hot and thick, pumping deep into Nick where no one had ever reached before. His knot pulsed with each wave, swelling to its absolute limit, stretching Nick in ways that had the human gasping and clutching at Viktor's shoulders.

"F-fuck, I can feel it," Nick choked out, eyes wide with shock. "Can feel you coming inside me—so much—"

Viktor couldn't respond, couldn't form words as his body emptied itself in endless waves. Each pulse seemed stronger than the last, each surge of release wrenched from somewhere deep and primal inside him. He'd never come like this—had never experienced this bottomless well of pleasure that seemed to have no end.

His hips jerked in small, uncontrollable movements, grinding his knot against Nick's prostate with each pulse. The stimulation had Nick's spent cock twitching valiantly between them, trying to respond even when there was nothing left to give.

The intensity of it built until Viktor thought he might actually die from the pleasure, his heart hammering against his ribs, sweat pouring from his skin, his entire being focused on the point where their bodies were joined. His vision blurred as his control slipped further.

Distantly, he registered Nick's fingers digging into his shoulders, heard the broken sounds spilling from Nick's lips as Viktor's endless release filled him beyond capacity. The knot kept everything contained—a perfect seal that ensured not a single drop would escape, that every bit of Viktor's seed would remain locked inside Nick's body.

Time lost meaning. Viktor couldn't tell if his climax lasted seconds or minutes, only that when the initial intensity finallyebbed, his knot was still locked firmly inside Nick's trembling body.

He pressed his forehead against Nick's, both of them panting, sweat-slicked and shaking from the intensity of what had just happened between them. Viktor's mind was clearing slowly, the implications of what he'd done—what they'd done—starting to filter through the haze of pleasure.

He'd knotted a human. He'd knotted his mate. There was no going back from this, not for him, not for his wolf. He'd claimed Nick in a way that went beyond the physical, beyond even the emotional.

Nick exhaled a shaky laugh, but there was something in his eyes, something vulnerable beneath the teasing bravado. "I was right," he murmured, voice unsteady. "You really are obsessed with me."

For a long moment, neither of them moved, their bodies locked together, breathing ragged and uneven. The night pressed in around them, the distant rustle of leaves and the faint chirping of crickets the only sounds beyond their slowing breaths. Viktor's body ached in the best way, muscles wrung out, heartbeat still hammering in his ears.

Nick let out a breathy chuckle, hoarse from overuse. “So,” he murmured, tilting his head back just enough to meet Viktor’s gaze. His blue eyes were hazy, unfocused, but there was still that ever-present glint of mischief. “Was that a one-time thing, or should I start calling you my alpha?”

Viktor groaned, letting his forehead drop against Nick’s shoulder. “I hate you.”

Nick’s laughter was softer this time. “No, you don’t.”

He was right. And that was the real problem.

Viktor pulled back just enough to study him, to take in the flushed skin, the lazy curve of his lips, the way he still hadn’t let go. Everything was different now. There was no pretending thishadn’t changed something fundamental between them. “You’re going to be insufferable about this, aren’t you?”

Nick grinned, wicked and satisfied. “Oh, absolutely.”

And despite himself—despite everything—Viktor felt the ghost of a smile tug at his lips.

Chapter eleven

Nick

Nick perched on the edge of the conference table, arms crossed, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. The air in the room was thick with exhaustion—not from work, but from him and Viktor.

Their coworkers were sick of their shit.

Well, too bad.

“Can you believe this guy?” Viktor drawled, stretching back in his chair, his arms flexing just enough to be obnoxious about it. “He actually thinks he can run this project without completely tanking it.”

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