first time he laid eyes on the tiger, he’d have the same experience as Rael.
How the fuck is this going to work? He’d always been a “love ’em and leave ’em satisfied” kinda guy, but the man currently curled on his side in Horvan’s bed, snuffling into the pillow, had gotten under his skin in a matter of hours. Except it was more than that. Rael was already inching his way into Horvan’s heart. And when we rescue Dellan? What then? Can a heart love two people at the same time?
Horvan had always experienced enough difficulty loving one.
It still seemed like some weird dream.
Bang—there are mates.
Bang—I have a lion for a mate.
Bang—there’s a tiger who needs rescuing.
Bang—and by the way, he’s my mate too.
He knew he should be scared shitless—this was all new territory, after all—and he wasn’t sure why his brain was accepting all this so calmly, but some instinct told him it would work out. Theirs couldn’t be the only case of three mates, right? This had to have happened before, right?
Then he chuckled inwardly. What the fuck do I know? All he did know was from the moment he’d awoken with Rael in his arms, all he’d wanted to do was snuggle, to wake Rael with a kiss. Of course, there was a lot more he wanted to do, but that wasn’t gonna happen. Despite his grumbling the previous night, he knew Rael was right.
It has to be the three of us. Only problem was, them finally getting together was looking like it might be a long way off. Horvan glanced down at his dick pushing against the soft cotton of his shorts and sighed internally. You’re gonna have to make do with my hand for a while.
Then he stilled. I can’t believe I thought that. Because that simply wasn’t him. If Horvan had an itch, he made sure it got well and truly scratched. There was always a willing hole somewhere, right?
Apparently that way of thinking was now wrong, and the fact that Horvan was even contemplating monogamy was all the proof he needed that his world had been turned upside down.
“That for me?” Pale, sleepy blue eyes, barely visible beneath a mop of tousled blond hair, gazed up at him, and Horvan pushed his thoughts aside.
Horvan grinned. “Well, that depends what that refers to.” And whether or not Rael had heard his thought. “Did anyone ever tell you how cute you are when you’ve just woken up? I think it’s that whole bedhead thing you’ve got going on.”
“My hair is a curse,” Rael groused as he sat up and leaned back against Horvan’s mountain of pillows. “I guess it must be part and parcel of being a lion, because it always looks like my mane no matter what I do with it.” He smiled. “You have the same eyes when you shift, do you know that? They’re this lovely warm brown.”
Horvan was usually pretty good at accepting compliments, but for once he was at a loss for words.
“Please, tell me that is my coffee.”
Laughing, Horvan handed him the mug. “It wasn’t, but I can go pour another. Looks like you need this.”
Rael wrapped his hands around it. “Trust me, you do not want to get between me and my first cup of coffee.” He glanced around the room. “What time is it?”
“After nine, but I let you sleep. You had a rough night.” Horvan perched on the edge of the bed.
“Sorry for disturbing you last night, but that dream….” Rael shivered.
Horvan nodded. “I get it.” He might not have shared the dream, but Rael’s reaction to it had permeated his slumber. “How did you sleep once you were in here?” Horvan had slept like the proverbial log.
There was that adorable flush again. “Great, thanks. It’s a comfy bed.”
Horvan nodded, smiling. “Was I comfy too?”
Rael smirked. “You were okay. A bit lumpy in places.”
“Hey, one of those lumps was all your fault.” He cocked his head to one side. “Can I ask you something? What’s Dellan like?”
Rael took a sip of coffee before responding. “I think he’s about my height. Brown hair, a lovely bronze shade, actually. A bit of a beard that isn’t much more than stubble, with a little gray in it. And the most beautiful green eyes.”
Horvan liked the sound of Dellan already. “How old is he?”
“Thirty-eight.” Rael smiled. “And I’m thirty-five, in case you’re interested.”
Horvan shrugged. “I’m not. Age is just a number.” He bit back a smile. “And before you ask,