Page 42 of Midnight Rules
“I’m not opposed to it. But we need to talk about Regan.” On some level, Iven understood the distrust. He was a dad, too. He would protect his sons at all costs.
Iven sat in the chair beside the door and took his shoes off. “Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
“He was the witch I told you about.”
“I figured that, honey.” Iven smiled.
“He just showed up one night. He wore dirty underwear and nothing else. Someone had beaten him. That was a few months ago.” Marric raised his chin. “But he’s a Ransome now. I won’t give him back to the bastards who hurt him without a fight.”
“Those witches and wolf shifters planted him here.” It wasn’t that Iven disagreed, but he needed to know Marric’s motivation. Iven had two choices. Either he approached the situation as a sheriff, or he approached it as Marric’s mate. Marric’s motivation would determine how Iven moved forward.
“He’s just a scared little boy, Iven. He needs someone to save him as much as I do.”
“Does he know his parents? Or where he came from?”
Marric sat on the edge of the bed. He shook his head. “He’s said more tonight than he ever has before. He’s mentioned a dungeon once.”
“With all the farmhouses in Timeston, I wonder if he means a basement.”
“I never pressed him. He’s been through so much. The coven is prejudiced. Not just against dark magic users, but pretty much anyone who’s different.”
“When all this is over, we need to get him into therapy.” Iven wouldn’t abandon the kid.
Marric’s shoulders sagged. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, looking up at the ceiling. “You really are going to help raise him. You won’t turn us in?”
“No. In fact, I’ll help you gain custody.” Iven stood and closed the distance between them. Iven put his arm around Marric, pulling him even closer. “I won’t let anyone hurt Regan again.”
Marric put a hand on Iven’s thigh. “Let’s stop talking.”
Iven smiled when their gazes met and then he leaned in, kissing Marric next to his ear and then down his neck.
Marric tipped his head to the side, giving Iven more room. He gripped Iven’s thigh a little tighter. “That’s…” Marric moaned. “Oh gods.”
Iven smiled and bit Marric’s neck again. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt. It was just a scraping of his teeth across his skin. But it had the effect Iven had wanted it to have. He smoothed it over with a lick and then a kiss. “Is your neck sensitive?”
“I guess it is. No one has ever…” Marric moaned again. Iven had a feeling it wouldn’t take long for Marric to come out of his skin. Iven could burn him up if he wanted. “Iven. Gods.”
Marric put his arm around Iven. But it wasn’t close enough. Before Iven knew it, Marric straddled his lap.
It was after Iven had his arms around Marric that he realized Marric was shaking.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
Marric kissed Iven on the crook of his neck and growled. His wolf was close to the surface.
“If you want to leave a mating mark, you’ll have to wait until after we’re naked.” Iven would come in his jeans if Marric bit him before he had his cock out. He might have an overnight bag with extra clothes inside, but it was best if he didn’t have cum stained pants.
Marric growled again but then stood and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. His pants came next. Before Iven knew it, Marric stood in front of him with nothing on.
Marric wasn’t delicate everywhere. He worked the land, and that showed in the definition of his shoulders and chest. He had a smooth abdomen which trailed down to his hard cock.
The longer Iven stared, the more Marric folded in on himself.
“Don’t hide from me.” Iven hadn’t meant for his tone to sound so assertive. He’d told himself to wear kid gloves with Marric. He was sick and didn’t need Iven to be the voice of authority in his life. Iven had learned that the day they met, when Marric told him he wouldn’t always follow Iven’s orders and then fell asleep with a raging fever in the backseat of Iven’s car. But his control slipped when Marric stood in front of him, so open and vulnerable. All he wanted was to memorize every little thing about him, searing his image in his mind.
Marric let his arms fall to his sides again. He bit his lip. “I feel weird.”
“You’re not even close to weird.” Iven was as hard as a rock, but he ignored it to draw Marric to him. Iven kissed his abdomen when he was close enough. “You’re gorgeous.”
