Page 15 of Coral Rustling

Mirroring Trey’s position, Ulkna did just that.He sank his teeth into his lover’s flesh.The sweet iron-rich flavor of Trey’s blood flowed across his tongue.As Ulkna swallowed one mouthful, then sucked for a second, his snake hissed in his mind, and he completely agreed.

Mine.My mate.He’s all mine.

Once his brain came back online, Ulkna eased his teeth free of Trey’s flesh.He licked over the bite mark, admiring the snake-like fang scar.A sense of possessive pride swelled through him, and Ulkna couldn’t help but smile.

“Feeling smug, my mate?”Trey asked in a teasing tone.

Ulkna lifted his head and met Trey’s gaze.Seeing an answering look of satisfaction in his mate’s deep brown eyes, he grinned.“As if you’re not.”Craning his neck a little, Ulkna tried to see the claiming scar Trey had left on his neck, but he couldn’t seem to get the angle right.“Wish I had a mirror.”

Trey chuckled.Lifting his head, he bussed a soft kiss to Ulkna’s flesh, to the scar, sending a wash of tingles up his neck.When he lowered his head, Trey winked at him.

“It’s there.”

“Hell, yeah, it is,” Ulkna replied breathlessly.With a scoff, he muttered, “Wow.”

Ulkna dipped his head and pressed a languorous, sipping kiss to Trey’s mouth.Feeling the drying cum between them begin to itch, he brought it to an end.He couldn’t help but stare at his lover for a few more heartbeats, just admiring the handsome, larger male.Trey was just too damn good-looking—well-muscled and rugged, tanned and tone.

“You’re something else, Trey,” Ulkna purred as he eased his softening prick from his mate’s chute.“I’m so damn blessed.”

“I feel the same,” Trey assured, teasing his fingertips along Ulkna’s spine, as if he couldn’t get enough of touching him.

Ulkna didn’t mind that one little bit.It’d been decades since he’d had anyone touch him in such a way, with kindness and affection.Ulkna figured he was the definition of touch-starved, and he knew the man Fate had brought him would help fix that.

“Let me get something to clean us up with,” Ulkna stated, needing to care for his mate.With a wink, he added, “Then we’ll cuddle and talk while regaining our strength so you can fuck me.”

Trey chuckled, just as Ulkna had hoped.“Well, you certainly won’t have to twist my arm for that.”

Laughing too, his heart feeling light, Ulkna exited the tent to track down some cleaning supplies.

*

“I’ll be waiting atthe paddocks when you get done this evening,” Ulkna assured as he walked with Trey through the trees.The rising sun’s rays barely filtered through the trees, but his shifter vision made the going easy.With a chuckle, Ulkna admitted, “It’ll be a hell of a wait.”

Now that Ulkna had found and bonded with his mate, he hated the idea of being separated from him for any length of time, let alone ten-plus hours.

It won’t always be like this.

Even as Ulkna gave himself that mental reminder, Trey squeezed his fingers where they held hands.“I’ll be missing you, too, my mate,” Trey told him with an understanding smile.After a second of hesitation, he added, “But it won’t be for much longer.”

Ulkna wasn’t certain if Trey was referring to his job as a trail horse or not.Their future was the one thing they hadn’t discussed.By some unspoken agreement, they’d both steered clear of that subject.

We have time.

“We have time to figure all that out, Trey.”Ulkna repeated his thought, doing his best to reassure his lover.“Nothing has to be decided today.”

Spending the evening with Trey, listening to his stories, Ulkna had realized just how important family was to his mate.His parents were still alive, and he was in touch with most of his nieces and nephews.His great niece and nephew, on Trey’s nephew Colton’s side, had known him as their regular uncle, since Colton had chosen not to share shifters with his wife and children.As a human who fell in love with a human not in the know, Colton had seen no reason to introduce the world of the paranormals to them.

Trey had been saddened, but he understood.The human life span was so much shorter than a shifter’s.

Instead, Trey would watch Colton’s son and daughter grow up through pictures with the occasional chat with his great-nephew.With the rest of the family, he made a point of seeing them as regularly as his trail mount schedule allowed.Reagan helped a great deal, aiding him in keeping his secret and still being able to see family.

“What are you going to be doing today?”Trey asked, changing the subject.

Yup.He’s not ready, either.

“I figure I’ll—” Hearing raised voices as they approached the paddocks, he snapped his mouth shut and listened.

“Who the hell would do this?And why?”

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