Page 85 of Lucien

Roman was eyeing him closely. “Ah, so youcanfeel guilt. I had been starting to wonder.”

“I didn’t—I meant to—”

“You did not intend to forcibly turn your mate on a dusty desert hillside while he was injured and your own head was barely connected to your body?” Roman looked almost amused, the sorry bastard. “You passed out immediately afterward, you know. I have never seen anything like it.”

Luc could only stare at him, speechless.

“Your eyes are green, by the way.” Roman cleared his throat. “I had forgotten how bright they are.”

Luc reached up a hand dumbly, as if he would be able to feel the color change with his fucking fingers. He paused, then licked his tongue over his incisors. Blunt teeth met his probing.

How strange, after all this time. Luc didn’t know how to feel, but anger seemed like the safest emotion with Roman there in the room. “Why didn’t youstopme?”

“Because I was not sure we would all survive the encounter, and I was unwilling to risk Danny’s immortal life for your mate’s humanity.” Roman cocked his head to the side, still studying Luc like some sort of zoo animal. “And I am not so sure anymore that we get to choose how our tethers join our ranks. Maybe it is always meant to be a violent initiation. We both know fate is a bit of a bitch, n’est-ce pas, mon ami?”

Luc scowled at him. “I’m not sorry for turning Danny, if that’s your roundabout way to say you’re still looking for an apology. You would have dillydallied for years. He would have been hit by a car or something before you could even muster the courage to claim him.”

“Youdidhit him with a car. How consistent of you to remain such a complete ass, even with the green eyes.”

Luc was spared a reply by the bedroom door bursting open.

And there was Jamie, beautiful Jamie, his dark eyes wide with relief and love and all sorts of emotions Luc didn’t deserve to invoke. “You’re up.” Luc’s mate broke into a wide grin. “I could feel it. You got all panicky.” His grin turned to a glower, which he directed at Roman. “What did you say to him?”

Roman shrugged a careless shoulder. “I simply reminded him of the circumstances of your transformation.”

“Don’t you dare guilt him for that.” Jamie pointed an accusing finger at him. “Find another subject to take your friendship beef out on. I chose this.”

Roman rose gracefully from his seat. “I think you two might deserve each other.”

“Damn straight.” Jamie punctuated his statement with a sharp nod. “Now leave, please. I jumped through your blood bag hoops. I want to be with mymatenow.”

Roman left the room on silent feet, snapping his teeth at Jamie’s outstretched finger on his way out.

Jamie slammed the door on him.

And then Luc was alone with his flower.

He drank in the sight. Jamie looked no different. He was still so beautiful, freshly showered, his dark-green hair hanging in damp strands around his face, He was so strong. Vibrant. And still, somehow, so veryalive.

Luc breathed him in. There was a new metallic note to Jamie’s cinnamon sweetness, but it did nothing to detract from his delicious scent. If anything, it enhanced the appeal, a new exotic note for Luc to enjoy.

Jamie stalked closer to the bed and shot him a knowing look. “Searching for something to regret?”

Luc swallowed hard, smoothing the sheets around himself, feeling as if he might have regressed back to his semimute state. “I would have—I wanted to—differently—” The words all stuck in his throat.

“Candles? Flowers? Rose petals?” Jamie waved a dismissive hand in the air. “Please.”

He crawled onto the bed, straddling Luc’s hips with languid grace. Luc’s hands drifted to Jamie’s waist, his thumbs finding the soft skin between his mate’s T-shirt and sleep pants.

Jamie’s own hands cradled Luc’s face, forcing him to meet his eyes. “I wanted this, monster. I chose you. I’ll keep choosing you. And now I can do that. I can just keep choosing you. Forever.”

Luc sighed, his heart beating a steady, pounding rhythm in his chest. “Ah, mon amour. Mon humain parfait. Ma fleur du désert.”

Jamie grinned at him, rocking his hips against Luc at his French murmurings, making Luc aware that his cock was achingly hard, as was Jamie’s. When had that happened?

“Oh fuck, monster,” Jamie breathed, his hands moving along Luc’s shoulders, his chest. “Trying to make me horny with your slutty French?” He gave a strained laugh. “Not necessary. I woke up with this—thisneedinside me. This need to touch you, to be claimed by you. I’ve got this little part of me now, this—this animalistic being, and all it wants is you. The only reason I let Danny take me out of this room is because I was afraid I’d start engaging in somnophilia before you could wake up.”

“Fuckinghell,” Luc groaned as Jamie ground down into him. “I think we can safely say my French is not nearly as slutty as your English, flower.”

---