Page 48 of Devil May Hunt
Chapter 14:
Gunho was lounging on the king-sized bed, flipping through a magazine mindlessly. He’d been kept waiting for forty-seven minutes, which had to be a record, and he’d regretted allowing his mate to bathe alone every second of it.
He’d helped him run the bath, had poured in enough healing salts to ease battle injuries, and had agreed to step out afterward and wait. He wouldn’t have, if it hadn’t been obvious that his mate needed a moment alone. The confidence Brennon had been carrying through negotiations had fissured when they’d stepped into the room and his eyes had landed on the bed, and he hadn’t been able to hide it.
The last thing he wanted was for his pretty lover to fear him, or their inevitable intimacy. He could admit he’d maybe been a bit…harsh with how he’d handled things, but he wasn’t going to apologize for taking what he wanted.
The drug wouldn’t turn Brennon into a true omega, but it would tie him to Gunho in a similar fashion and, for now, that was enough to satisfy these wild urges within him that demanded he lay claim to what was his. The rest, he could be patient and wait for.
Like love.
On the one hand, he understood how greedy it was of him to want or expect that from a man he’d all but forced into being with him. On the other…Gunho had every intention to make it as difficult for Brennon as possible to deny him that. That could develop naturally.
He’d love him eventually.
Gunho couldn’t say for certain what he felt toward his mate was love either. He wanted him, enjoyed his company, and cared for him, absolutely. But love? Love was such a strong word. Love couldn’t be forced or bought. It was the only thing he’d never be able to steal, and that drove him mad with doubt and worry.
But he couldn’t focus on his own negative emotions, not when Brennon so clearly needed his attention.
The cadet finally stepped from the bathroom, dressed in a pair of low-hanging black sweatpants and a loose t-shirt that belonged to Gunho. He was drying his hair with a towel, and his eyes momentarily flicked to his before darting away, pretending to take in the room.
He was nervous. Wary.
Gunho set the magazine aside. “Come here.”
Brennon’s shoulders tensed and he shook his head.
“It’s late,” he said. “You should get some rest.”
“I’m not staying in here with you.” Brennon motioned toward the door but had the good sense not to move toward it. “There’s got to be another room. I’ll stay there.”
“We’re mated,” he reminded. “We sleep together.”
“I agreed to live with you, not—”
“You also agreed to come when I call.” Gunho lifted a hand and held it out. “So come, pretty lover.”
He’d train him so that eventually they wouldn’t have to waste time like this. He’d show him there could be trust between them, that there was no reason to distance himself. In thepast, Gunho had been unable to prove that to his father, or his grandfather. Hadn’t been able to win their favor or gain their acceptance.
But he’d do it this time. With Brennon.
Unfortunately, they weren’t quite there yet.
“If you’re going to be like this and fight me anyway,” Gunho made a big show of uncurling from the bed, “I may as well take what I wanted downstairs.”
“Wait.” Brennon blew out a breath and then gave in with a curse. “Fine. Whatever.” He walked over, sticking to the outskirts of the bed until he was at the other side and there were no other options available to him but to climb on.
As soon as he was seated, Gunho reached for him, dragging him across the mattress, chuckling when he put up a struggle. He repositioned so he was sitting in the center of the bed, his back propped against the headboard, his squirming mate between his legs. His arms banded around his chest and waist, tugging him against his front, and he dropped his chin to Brennon’s right shoulder and waited for him to settle.
It didn’t take long. Eventually, Brennon huffed and deflated, his body going lax in Gunho’s hold.
He purred appreciatively and nuzzled the side of the cadet’s neck, sure to keep the touch soft and not sexual. He had to show him they could touch without it turning into anything erotic. That they could coexist and lean on each other. That it wouldn’t always be about satiating lust.
“How was your bath?” he asked, keeping his voice quiet. “Do you feel any better?”
Brennon hesitated and then finally admitted, “Yeah. It was fine.”
“Would you like me to call you out of training tomorrow?” Gunho hushed him when he tensed. “Relax, it was on offer, not a threat. I won’t keep you from your studies if that’swhat you want. Although, I am curious, why bother staying at the Academy if you plan on taking control of Cree Cosmetics anyway?”
