Page 71 of Free Me

Mine.

He lost himself for a while, ignoring the steady pressure in his right leg, the developing fatigue, because he didn’t wantthis to ever end. But Miko somehow knew it was time to stop, and when the spell broke, Linus looked around them. Their friends were dancing in what felt like a protective circle: Eriq and Emory, Caden and Zaq, Peyton and Layne, Rei and Kinley, Khory and Aeron, Hyatt and Dorian, and various sets of parents, including Dad and Papa, as well.

Linus’s eyes stung with grateful tears as he gazed at the family all around them, family that had stuck by his side his entire life. Family who would always be there, no matter the challenges he anticipated and the ones he couldn’t possibly imagine. For all the heartache, pain, healing, and trauma he’d endured to reach this moment, he knew deep-down he wouldn’t change a single moment of it.

“I love you,” he whispered to Miko.

Miko’s bright smile said it all, but he spoke the words anyway. “I love you, too. Forever.”

Forever.

EPILOGUE

Six Weeks Later

Miko could barely stophimself from bouncing on the tips of his toes as he paced his bedroom, waiting for the early symptoms of his first heat to develop into the full-on, loose-hole, dripping-slick heat he’d heard and read about. The first aches had begun about four hours ago, not long after breakfast, which had proved his start-date guess absolutely correct. This was his second heat, but the first for two huge things: one, he would be awake and aware of it, rather than sedated after an accident; two, he’d spend it with his bondmate.

He and Linus were not mating this time. They’d discussed it with each other, and their respective parents, and everyone agreed it was better to wait. Miko’s university schedule had resumed, while Linus had deferred the spring semester and planned to return to school in the fall. Part of his reason was his choice of major. Linus had always intended to play professional soccer for at least ten years post-graduation, so he’d chosen a throwaway major.

But now, after his injury and ongoing recovery, Linus was taking a new interest in sports medicine. It might mean starting over with everything except his general requirement credits, but it was what Linus wanted to pursue, so Miko would support him every step of the way. Even if it meant holding off on mating for at least another three months, maybe up to a year. Once they mated, the provincial stipend they received every month as students would cease, and the only benefit they would receive through university was on-campus housing for mated couples.

Miko had three more semesters before he graduated. Linus had at least that many if he kept his same major, and even more if he switched. They needed to be sure of their decisions before doing anything to drastically alter their income. Sure, their parents would help them out of a jam, but Miko’s parents poured a lot of their extra income back into Perks, and the Higgses lived on Isa’s retirement fund. Miko had no idea if Tarius paid them rent to help with bills.

So big decisions were coming, but Miko didn’t want to worry about them for the next two-plus days. He stared out his bedroom window at the cold, gray day, the sky overcast with billowing clouds that promised icy rain. Spring was right around the corner but not there yet.

A knock on his bedroom door stole Miko’s attention from the window. “Come in.”

Serge Freel poked his head inside the door and smiled. “Linus was just dropped off. How are you feeling?”

“Good. Weird. I think it’ll start soon.”

“Okay, well, you know the plan.”

“Yeah.”

Because of Linus’s limitations with his leg, neither of them had wanted to try and spend their first heat completely alone. During heat, emotions and hormones were amped up for both the alpha and omega, and it was worse during the omega’ssurges. Both were overtaken by the instincts to fuck and knot until sated. During the lucid periods between surges, the alpha would typically cook for, clean up, and pamper his omega. Linus had hated admitting he wasn’t sure he could do it all himself, so they’d compromised.

For the duration of Miko’s heat, which should last the whole weekend, Miko’s parents were staying at the Higgs house. They’d asked retired nurse Serge—who was also a long-time family friend to pretty much everyone in their social circle—to be there as backup. He’d helped Emory Cross through his first heat, as well as a few others, and he’d agreed to help them with anything Linus needed, from laundry to cooking to just being an extra pair of hands.

For the most part, Serge would be out of their way, and Miko planned to do all of the fucking in his bedroom anyway. He adored making love with Linus, but goddess, he was eager to truly experience heat with the man. They’d share their love and commitment in every way possible, until the day they chose to finally mate.

Serge left, and Miko waited, listening for the familiar sound of Linus’s crutches on the hardwood floor of the hallway. Over time, he’d come to prefer the crutches, while he continued learning how to walk on his prosthetic. He was getting better each and every week, still attending physical therapy, and he’d had a few appointments with trauma counselors. They both had, following their gala-night taxi-cab-fears confessions. And it had helped Miko immensely.

He still didn’t want to ride in a taxi, and he preferred the bus or borrowing a car, but one day he knew he would again.

Linus’s familiar shape filled the doorway. His eyes shined with eagerness, and he had a backpack slung over one shoulder, which he carefully deposited on the bed. Extra clothes and toiletries, likely. If they hadn’t needed Serge’s help, Mikosuspected they’d have just spent the whole heat naked, but no one wanted to flash an old family friend.

Miko was insanely grateful to Serge for doing them this favor, when it meant an entire weekend away from both his husband and his first grandson. He knew through Emory that Dex and Serge spent every minute possible with Frey, Gaven and their infant Yvan.

“You got the condoms right?” Linus asked.

“Oh yeah.” Miko pointed to the box on his side table. As long as they used condoms when they knotted, they wouldn’t officially mate. For mating to occur and their scents to fully mingle, the alpha had to fill his omega with his come during heat. As much as Miko wanted to experience that, he was smart enough to wait. “Ready and willing, alpha.”

Linus growled softly then shut the door. Miko recognized the glint in his eyes and immediately took off his long-sleeved t-shirt. Foreplay had become practiced and fun. Kissing and shedding clothes and turning down bedcovers. Helping Linus out of his pants, and then taking his prosthetic off. Miko worshipping not only his alpha’s cock, but also the insides of both thighs. His knees, his lower belly, every part of Linus he could reasonably lick and kiss. Working his way up Linus’s lean torso to recapture his mouth.

They played for a long time, neither of them in any hurry to come, or to reach for the condoms. As the minutes passed, the ache in Miko’s abdomen strengthened as his uterus began descending. Connecting to his anal passage. Once his body completed that step, his hole softened and the first trickle of slick hit his nostrils before trickling between his cheeks.

“Oh, yes, it’s starting,” Miko groaned. “Fuck.”

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