Page 59 of Free Me

“Newly mated?”

“Newly bonded, but we do plan to mate, yes.”

Linus wanted to be irritated with the man for being so nosy, but he couldn’t. Not with how proudly Miko spoke about their relationship. Excitement and joy shone in his eyes and his wide smile, and in the way he pulled Linus’s hand into his own lap.

“Then you boys be careful when you get where you’re going,” the beta man said. “The snow and ice is treacherous even without the bother of crutches.”

“We’ll be very careful, sir,” Linus said. His prosthetic leg was covered by his jeans and sneaker, so maybe the man assumed he had a sprained knee or something. And even if Linus did slip and fall on the walk to the cottage, he wasn’t letting any injury stop him from making love to his boyfriend.

The man smiled, nodded, and cracked open his book.

The train gradually increased speed until the scenery was passing too quickly and too close to the tracks for Linus to really admire the wild forests. Miko opened his own book, a mystery series that Hyatt had turned him onto, and settled in to read. Linus had downloaded a new game on his mobile, and he hoped to master it by the time they arrived in Ampshire.

Four hours later, he hadn’t mastered the game, and he now had a personal vendetta against it, but he put that aside as the scenery outside began to change dramatically. They’d left the thick forests behind for wider, rolling countryside dusted in white. The sky above was gray and cloudy with what could be either rain or snow. For as excited as he was to see snow on the ground, he’d love to see a real snow storm in person.

Miko excused himself for a bathroom break, and when he returned, Linus did the same. He was stiff and sore after sitting for so long, and he was a bit wobbly on the moving train, but he managed the task with no problems. It felt good to move around, too. He’d done so much sitting since the accident, and he’d never been a sedentary person. Linus had lived for physical activity, especially running, and now—nope.

Linus was on a brief vacation with his bondmate, in a brand-new location, with thickening snow on the ground outside. He was not allowed to get morose or feel sorry for himself while he was in Ampshire. These two days were about him and Miko and their future. About building on their love for each other and finally physically expressing it. Joy only.

All that other crap would be waiting for him when they got home.

Something chimed and an overhead speaker crackled to life, letting them know they were thirty minutes from the station in Ampshire. Miko began bouncing in his seat. They both stared out the window as the train slowed and they entered the outskirts of the province. The rolling hills gave way to snow-covered houses and mostly residential areas. The architecture was similar to Sansbury so it didn’t feel like a completely foreign land.

Other than the thick layers of snow blanketing homes, cars and trees, and the piles of it left behind by snowplows. Linus only got snippets of the roads but they seemed well-maintainedand clear. He’d seen plenty of photographs, news clips and movies with blanketing snow, but seeing it in person for the first time was surreal. And a little awe-inspiring.

Once the train pulled into the station and they were given the signal to begin departure, Linus and Miko hung back for a few minutes, allowing the passengers in a hurry to exit first so Linus didn’t have to worry about being jostled. As confident as he was in his ability to manage walking with the crutches, he really did not want to accidentally sprain something before they even got to the cottage.

The crisp bite to the air made his eyes sting, and the sparkle of white on the tops of bench awnings and ticket kiosks hurt his eyes a little, and Linus kind of wished he had sunglasses. But they weren’t outside very long before entering the main building and heading toward the taxi rental counter adorned with the unfamiliar colors of blue and white. More peaceful, less harsh than the yellow/black of home. They waited in queue about fifteen minutes before their turn. Miko hesitated briefly before climbing inside. Linus gave the driver the address, and after a long drive out of the major part of the province, they were on a country road surrounded by nature and more snow.

So much snow. Linus couldn’t stop looking at it, and he couldn’t wait to fall into a drift and roll around like a kid in freshly cut spring grass. Papa had hated it when Linus did that, because he’d get green stains all over his clothes, but Linus persisted whenever Dad mowed the lawn. He still loved that smell.

The cottage was as quaint and cute as Frey had described, with its own snowy frosting on the roof and eaves, giving it an air of mystery that Linus loved immediately. Their nearest neighbors were several hundred yards down the shoreline of the frozen lake. The caretaker was waiting in an idling car with their key, and he gave them a brief tour of the cottage’s interior,pointing out the freshly stocked linens and towels, as well as extra cold weather equipment like snowshoes and waterproof boots.

A roaring fire crackled in the stone fireplace, and it cast a golden glow and wonderful warmth that added to the perfection of it all. For as much as Linus wanted to go straight outside and explore the snowy countryside, he also wanted to stretch out on the thick blue rug in front of the fire and cuddle with his boyfriend.

After a quick warning from the caretaker not to walk on the lake—“It’s frozen but not solid enough to skate on yet, probably won’t be for another month.”—he wished them a joyful visit and left.

Miko put their suitcase in their bedroom and explored the main rooms like a kid on a new playground. “I can’t believe this is a vacation house,” he said while fawning over the massive refrigerator and its state-of-the-art water/ice dispensers. “This is spectacular. I’d love a house like this just to live in. It’s the perfect size to start a family.”

“It is charming.” Linus also appreciated that it was all single-story. While he knew in his heart he’d be able to ascend and descend a full staircase one day, he still had a long journey to travel before he reached that destination. He gazed out one of the front windows. “I’m sure the lake is a lot of fun in summer, but I love how it looks right now, frozen over with ice and snow. It’s like a scene from a movie.”

“It really is.” Miko joined him by the window, so Linus raised his arm and tucked Miko close to his side. His warmth reminded Linus why they were here, and a strong waft of Miko’s scent curled around him like a warm hug. Stronger than ever before, and his mind understood as surely as his healing nose: the mating bond.

Maybe it had taken getting out of Sansbury, getting out of his own head and fears and disappointments, for his senses to wake up. To tell Linus what brain understood, and what his heart had felt all along: Miko was his mate. His omega.

Now to show him.

Linus nuzzled Miko’s earlobe. “Are you tired from the long trip?”

“A little.” Miko’s hand slid down to rest over Linus’s ass. “Wanna go inspect the bed with me?”

“Goddess, yes.” He made sure the front door was locked, and then followed Miko into the bedroom. It had a king-sized bed centered on the far wall, a small table on either side, and what looked like closet doors opposite a chest of drawers. Above the headboard was a blown-up photograph of what he guessed to be the lake during summer, sunlight glinting off water, and someone paddling in a small boat. The floor was covered in a thick, ivory rug he kind of wanted to roll around on. The room wasn’t very personal, but he had no idea how frequently the Porter family used to vacation here.

Miko dug into the suitcase and produced the bottle of artificial slick he’d purchased for this trip. And, obviously, for future use, but it was brand-new and just for them. The first and only man Linus ever wanted to have sex with. No, to make love with.

“I love you,” Linus said, the words slipping out with no forethought. Miko’s eyes rounded in surprise, and Linus’s entire body flushed. “I’ve loved you as my friend for our entire lives, and I am falling in love with you as both my boyfriend and my bondmate, Miko.”

Miko’s surprise softened into a tender smile. “I love you, too. And I am so ready to show you that, Linus. For us to love each other in every way possible, until we’re able to mate and begin that future together.”

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