Jono stood with his arms crossed over his chest in the baggage claim at LaGuardia’s Terminal B, eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. The smell of so many people coming from so many places, packed in a tight area, made his nose twitch. Jono could’ve stayed in the car, but he was too impatient right now. He checked his mobile one more time, but Patrick hadn’t texted since saying he’d landed and responding with a smiley face emoji when Jono had replied he was waiting in the baggage claim.

Jono had picked a spot that was out of the way of people arriving to claim their luggage but still had a good view. No one looked twice at him if he didn’t count the toddler a weary mother was trying to keep occupied. Jono ignored the kid in favor of keeping an eye on the shifting crowd, perking up when he caught sight of a familiar face.

In a sea of people, Patrick’s dark red hair stood out, and Jono felt his shoulders ease as he finally got eyes on the mage. Three weeks of separation had hurt in a way they hadn’t anticipated, the soulbond still too new for distance to be easy. The soulbond was settling, the awareness of it burying itself deep beneath his wolf, but Jono knew he’d always be aware of Patrick to some degree from here on out.

“Hey,” Patrick said with a tired smile. “You could’ve picked me up curbside and saved some money.”

“Shut it. You’re worth way more than a parking ticket.”

Jono closed the distance between them and gave Patrick a welcoming kiss that lingered longer than was probably polite for public. Jono didn’t care, just happy to have Patrick within sight again. Texts, phone calls, and FaceTime couldn’t compete with being able to reach out and touch. Having the only member of his pack away had left Jono snappish and irritable, to the point Emma had sent him home early from the bar a few nights over the last week.

When he pulled back, Jono made sure to drag his hand over the side of Patrick’s throat, discreetly scent-marking him. Most people wouldn’t recognize the touch for what it truly meant, but it settled something deep inside him. The raised eyebrow from Patrick told him he wasn’t being subtle, but Jono didn’t care.

Patrick hiked the worn-looking, probably military-issued camouflage rucksack higher on his shoulders and nodded at the baggage carousel. “I came with two other bags.”

“Hope that’s the last of it.”

“Should be. You handled everything else.”

Jono nodded, remembering the numerous walk-throughs of dozens of flats Patrick had him do with the help of a broker. Sage’s suggestion had been a witch who hadn’t blinked at Jono’s eyes and could easily interpret the magical requirements Patrick threw at her over the phone that Jono had no clue what he was on about.

In the end, after seven days of nonstop searching, Patrick had signed the lease with Jono for the top-floor flat of a five-story Chelsea townhouse. The townhouse was older than most of the other places on the list, but the two-bedroom flat was surprisingly spacious and had gone through a recent renovation. The small, private garden space at the rear of the building shared by all the tenants had been a perk Jono doubted they’d use much, but it was nice to have.

Jono had been living in Manhattan long enough to know it was a steal. Patrick’s job as an SOA special agent could’ve tipped their chances either way, but they’d lucked out and beat out other potential renters. Jono had handled the moving trucks full of Patrick’s things around being interviewed by police out of the PCB about what had happened during summer solstice.

Jono had claimed not to remember much of his time with Ethan only because he hadn’t wanted to relive that torture just yet. Aside from that, he didn’t know where the Dominion Sect had held him captive, nor did he know the identities of the acolytes he’d seen.

Right now, all Jono cared about was the man who’d come home to him. Patrick had managed to condense all his meetings into three weeks rather than four since he’d had Jono helping with some of the moving issues. That was one week sooner than they’d initially thought, and Jono couldn’t wait to get Patrick alone.

The luggage came out surprisingly quick, and Jono picked out Patrick’s by scent. He hauled both off the conveyer belt and started for the exit.

“I need to buy a car,” Patrick said as they stepped outside into muggy July heat. The afternoon sun was bright overhead in a cloudless sky. “I’m gonna hate driving in this city.”

“Marek is letting us borrow one of his for now. It’s what I drove to pick you up.”

“The Maserati?”

Jono snorted. “If only.”

The Lexus was perfectly serviceable for their needs, and Jono hadn’t argued the choice. He chucked the luggage in the boot when they reached the vehicle and got behind the wheel.

“Will Marek kill me if I smoke?” Patrick asked once they were on the road.

Jono frowned. “Probably, but you really shouldn’t smoke.”

Patrick slouched in the seat and tipped his head back. “It’s stress relief. DC was shitty.”

“How?”

Patrick shrugged. “The agency is getting raked over the congressional coals. It never looks good when double agents are unearthed in the government. Setsuna’s holding on to her job, but who knows if she’ll keep it.”

“And you?” Jono wanted to know.

“I’ve submitted my official report, but there’s a chance I’ll have to testify in a closed hearing before the House Committee on Oversight.”

Jono wasn’t well versed in how the United States government functioned, but that didn’t sound good to him. “Does that mean you’re in trouble?”

“Just means I’ve got too many eyes looking my way. We’ll need to be careful.”

“All right.”

“I still want a cigarette.”

Jono didn’t care for the smell of nicotine, but he’d deal with it until he could convince Patrick to break that habit. He reached over and settled his hand high on Patrick’s thigh, fingers stroking lightly. “Think I can distract you from that craving.”

“Huh.” Patrick spread his legs a little and Jono took a deep breath, smelling arousal beneath the underlying bitterness in his scent. Even after weeks apart, he still smelled good. “You might be onto something.”

The drive back into Manhattan was excruciating, not just because of traffic. Patrick was right there, and Jono couldn’t do anything about that until they made it to their new home. It took almost an hour for them to finally arrive there. Jono found a parking spot on the street a block and a half away on the side that wouldn’t have street cleaning tomorrow.

They got out and Jono grabbed the luggage again, waving off Patrick’s attempt to take one. “This way.”

Jono led Patrick home, his mood lightening with every step that brought them closer to the front door. The townhouse itself had a brown façade and stairs leading up to the entrance. Nearly every window facing the street had an air-conditioning unit set into it. Jono didn’t mind the heat as much as most people, but he’d turned the air-conditioning on that morning for Patrick.

“Keys are in my pocket,” Jono said as they reached the front landing.

Patrick took that as the invitation it was to step closer and slide his hand into Jono’s front pocket. They stared at each other through their sunglasses as Patrick did his very best to drag his fingers alongside Jono’s clothed cock while searching for the keys. The touch made his cock harden a little in anticipation.

“Where’s my set?” Patrick asked when he finally pulled his hand free, keys dangling from his fingers.

Jono’s jeans were definitely too tight now. “Upstairs.”

“Lead the way.”

Jono lowered the handles of the heavy luggage and picked up each one as if they weighed nothing. Patrick opened the door for him, and they stepped inside the tiny entranceway. Jono ignored the door to the first-floor tenant and started up the stairs to the right, bypassing three more landings until they reached the fifth floor.

Their entranceway at the top landing was small, made more crowded by both of them and the luggage. Patrick tossed Jono the keys, and he unlocked the door. Shouldering it open, Jono carried the luggage inside and deposited them near the wall.

Patrick didn’t immediately enter, standing just beyond the front door with both hands on the doorframe. He stared down at the floor with a look of concentration on his face, pale blue light flickering at his fingertips. Jono expected to feel something through the soulbond as Patrick cast magic, but he didn’t.

Guess it’s only when he needs to tap a ley line that I’ll feel it, Jono thought.

They’d talked a little about what happened before Patrick left for Washington, DC, three weeks ago. Figuring out the extent of the soulbond was going to happen through trial and error. It wasn’t something either of them could flaunt in public, and Patrick was reluctant to even try channeling his magic through Jono’s soul still.

Jono was adamant that they work on it. In a fight, Jono needed to know what to expect when magic rushed through his soul. He needed to know how to handle it. The only way to do so was to experience it firsthand.

For now, Jono could wait.

“Okay, threshold is set,” Patrick said, finally stepping inside and taking off his sunglasses. “The broker was right. This place has strong anchor points.”

Jono watched as Patrick took in the flat in person for the first time. The door opened up on the long open-plan living area. The living room was to the left, the blinds over the windows facing the street pulled high to let in the sunlight. The kitchen was located off to their right, with an island separating it from the dining area. The windows there overlooked the garden out back.

Directly across the way from the front door was a tiny hallway leading to the master bedroom and its private bathroom, as well as the smaller room and second hallway bathroom. Most of the furniture was Patrick’s, but a few new items had been purchased from a local department store, and Jono had brought over one or two of his own pieces. The sofa was new, as was the king-sized bed Jono had been sleeping alone in for too long. The flat had only smelled like him for the past week and a half since officially moving in, and Jono was determined to fix that today.

He closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Patrick from behind. Jono dragged one hand down Patrick’s chest to cup his dick with strong fingers. Patrick let out a hiss, arching into the touch in a delightful way.

Jono ran his nose against the arched line of Patrick’s neck up to his ear, breathing in the scent of him. “There’s a brand-new bed I’ve been wanting to break in.”

Patrick raised an arm to tangle his fingers in Jono’s hair as he turned his head for a kiss. “Yeah?”

Jono slanted his mouth over Patrick’s, kissing him with a need he wasn’t ashamed of. His hardening cock pressed against the top curve of Patrick’s ass, and Jono couldn’t wait to bury himself in the other man.

“Bedroom,” Jono growled.

“You’ll have to stop trying to get me off right here if you want us to get there,” Patrick said, grinding back against Jono.

Jono turned Patrick around and easily hauled the leaner man over one shoulder. The undignified yelp Patrick let out had him chuckling.

“I will kill you if you don’t put me down,” Patrick snarled.

Jono smacked him on the arse, giving him a bit of a squeeze. “Promises, promises.”

The fact that Patrick didn’t struggle to get down made Jono smirk as he headed for the master bedroom. The large space had a mix of mismatched furniture in it, but the bed was the only thing that mattered. Jono hadn’t made it that morning, so he got a fistful of the duvet and yanked the bedding off before tossing Patrick onto the mattress. He bounced a little upon landing, face flushed from arousal and a bit of embarrassment.

“You ever do that again where anyone can see and you’re sleeping on the couch,” Patrick told him, already yanking at the laces on his combat boots.

“Doubtful,” Jono said as he pulled his T-shirt off.

Patrick’s fingers faltered for a second as he took in Jono’s bare chest, eyes darkening. “You think I wouldn’t ban you from the bedroom?”

“Bed is half-mine.”

Patrick kicked off his shoes and started to unbuckle the thigh straps holding his dagger in place. “Shut up and strip.”

Jono laughed, already undoing his belt buckle. “Bossy. We’re a pack, love. You don’t get to be a dictator.”

“I do if it means you’re going to fuck me.”

Put like that, Jono hurried up and got naked. By the time he’d stripped out of all his clothes, Patrick was just getting around to undoing his jeans. Jono helped pull them off along with his underwear with swift tugs. Then he went to his knees in front of Patrick, following the musky scent of arousal to Patrick’s cock.

“Gods,” Patrick groaned when Jono took him in his mouth. “Jono.”

Patrick’s voice trailed off in a hitched sigh that washed over Jono’s ears. Jono sucked hard at the head of his cock before swallowing down more of him. The dark red hue of his pubic hair was shaved close to his skin, and Jono dragged his thumb down Patrick’s balls, tugging at them in a teasing manner.

Patrick’s legs pressed against Jono’s shoulders in reaction to the touch. Jono pulled off far enough to lick at the precum leaking from the slit, tongue curling around the sensitive head. Callused fingers tangled in his hair and gave it a good tug. Jono stroked Patrick’s cock with firm fingers as he looked up refusing to stop touching him.

Face flushed, eyes wide, Patrick looked as if he wouldn’t mind Jono having his wicked way with the mage.

Jono intended to do exactly that.

“Get up here,” Patrick all but begged.

That was an order Jono didn’t mind obeying. With one last suck to the tip of Patrick’s cock, Jono got to his feet as Patrick moved further onto the bed, unconsciously licking his lips. Jono stroked his own cock as he dug up a brand-new bottle of lube from the nightstand, well aware of how Patrick couldn’t seem to look away.

Jono took pride in his body in both forms, and he enjoyed the greedy way Patrick reached for him when he crawled closer. His skin didn’t carry the roadmap of scars that Patrick’s did, and Jono resolved to trace the memories scattered over pale skin at a later date. Right now, Jono wasn’t in the mood to go slow. Giving in to Patrick’s need today was the only thing Jono wanted to do.

Patrick liked it hard and fast, wanting to get off as quickly as possible. Teaching him to go slow was a work in progress, and Jono didn’t mind showing him how good it could be. But after three weeks of separation, if he didn’t get his cock in Patrick’s arse, he’d bloody well maim someone.

“Missed you,” Patrick groaned against his mouth as Jono settled between his thighs. “Fuck, I don’t remember missing anyone like I missed you.”

“Yeah,” Jono muttered as he opened up the bottle of lube with one hand. “Hated having you gone.”

Maybe it was the soulbond making them feel this way, but Jono wasn’t so sure. Patrick had caught his eye from the very first second they saw each other. Attraction had simmered between them since the first night they’d had sex. Relationships and packs had been built on less. He’d seen it for himself in London and here in New York City.

People had killed for less.

He had killed for less, and Jono knew Patrick would never judge him for it.

Jono would fight for Patrick, and he knew Patrick would do the same for him. It might not be love, but loyalty and affection were still powerful in their own right.

The sex was definitely a plus.

Jono coated his fingers in lube before wrapping them around both their cocks. Patrick bit his lip and groaned, thrusting up into the tight circle of Jono’s fingers. The flush on his face had moved down his neck and chest, nipples dusky and hard. Jono couldn’t help himself and leaned down to suck one into his mouth.

“You’re killing me here, Jono,” Patrick moaned, his hand settling on the back of Jono’s skull to keep him there.

He chuckled against warm skin, biting at the sensitive nub between his teeth. “What a way to go, love.”

Patrick laughed, the sound hitching in his throat when Jono gently pinched the tip of his cock. “Fuck me. Please.”

Jono gave one last stroke to both their cocks before sitting up and reaching for the lube again. Patrick shifted against the bed, pushing himself to a sitting position. He crawled into Jono’s lap with a heated look in his green eyes, legs splayed wide over Jono’s thighs.

“Like this,” Patrick said, rising up on his knees a little. “Show me what you got.”

Jono dragged a hand over one of his ass cheeks, opening Patrick up so he could push one finger inside that tight, clenching heat. Patrick shuddered against him, pressing their mouths together for a kiss that was all teeth and tongue as they fought for control. Jono stroked his free hand up Patrick’s back to get a good grip on his hair and pull his head back. Keeping him in one place, Jono kissed him absolutely breathless.

Patrick gasped against his lips when Jono pushed a second finger into him, rising up before sinking down onto Jono’s fingers.

“Couldn’t stop thinking about you on the flight here,” Patrick murmured, digging his hands into Jono’s shoulders.

“I’m not on shift tonight,” Jono said as he curled his fingers, searching for that sweet spot. “Could christen the sofa if you want. Maybe the wall. Dining table is a bit too dodgy—think we’d break it.”

Patrick laughed, the sound breaking on a moan as Jono found his prostate and rubbed at it. “Are you calling me cheap?”

Their cocks rubbed between their bodies as Patrick rocked against him, riding his fingers. The ache in his own cock was starting to get distracting. “You aren’t skint, but your taste is.”

Patrick laughed, his entire body shaking with it. Jono stretched his fingers against the clench of muscles and smiled against the warm curve of Patrick’s neck and shoulder. He breathed in deep, Patrick’s scent bitter and sharp in his nose.

He was the best thing Jono had smelled in a long, long time.

“You are,” Patrick said, still laughing. “You’re calling me cheap! I work for the government, what did you expect?”

“Sod the government,” Jono muttered as he pulled his fingers free.

He grabbed Patrick by the waist, urging him higher. Warm hands framed his face, and Patrick kissed him with a focused intensity Jono relished. He carefully guided Patrick down onto his hard cock, groaning as the fat tip pushed inside. The resistance gave way with a shallow thrust as more of his cock slid inside with a little pressure. Patrick moaned, biting at his bottom lip. Jono spread his legs, forcing Patrick’s wider.

He pushed up into that heat with quick, forceful thrusts that opened Patrick up inch by thick inch. Jono had always been pleased at how long and thick his cock was, the way he knew his partners enjoyed taking it. Patrick was no different, the soft, hitched breaths that caught in the back of his throat with every inch Jono worked inside him impossible for Jono to ignore. Fingernails scraped over his skin, the quick irritation fading in seconds as Jono stared into Patrick’s eyes.

Jono fit one hand to Patrick’s hip, flattening his other against the space between sharp shoulder blades on that scarred back. Patrick leaned back into his touch, eyes half-lidded, tongue peeking out from between wet lips as Jono pulled him all the way down onto his hard, aching cock.

The sound that came out of Patrick’s mouth was wordless, needy, his fingers digging bruises into Jono’s shoulder. Jono bottomed out with a growl, cock throbbing deep inside Patrick, exactly where he wanted to be. He could feel Patrick clench weakly around him, the tightness something Jono had to breathe through. He reached around to trace his fingers around where they were joined, rubbing warm fingertips around the tautly stretched skin of Patrick’s hole.

The way Patrick shuddered brought a smile to Jono’s face.

“If you don’t move,” Patrick gasped, hips rolling shallowly to get away from Jono’s touch. It only served to shift Jono’s cock inside him, making him moan.

“You’ll what?” Jono asked, as he readjusted his grip on Patrick’s body, sliding the mage off his cock a little.

“I’ll—”

Whatever he would have said was forgotten at the first hard snap of Jono’s hips, cock driving in deep. Patrick cried out, pushing back down onto Jono’s cock even as he thrust up again. Jono got both hands on Patrick’s ass and pulled him up off his cock again, keeping him there. It gave Jono room to thrust into him, cock dragging against his prostate. Patrick twisted in his arms, swearing as he tried to sink down and was unable to. Jono held him in place with strong hands, hole stretched wide around his cock, the long glide in wet and a little less tight now.

“Going to take you like this. Going to own you,” Jono growled as he sped up the motion of his hips. “You want that?”

Patrick answered through a messy, uncoordinated kiss. “Yes.”

Jono hiked him up higher, just a little, holding him there with easy strength so Jono could fuck him as hard as he liked, as hard as he dared. The sound of skin slapping together filled the bedroom, sweat making their bodies slippery as they held on to each other. Patrick’s breathless little whines were like music to Jono’s ears, and he chased the sound with his mouth.

Patrick’s cock was trapped between their bodies, the friction and the pounding Jono was giving his arse all it took to eventually tip him over the edge. Patrick came with a cry, head tipped back, cum painting both their chests. His body shook in Jono’s arms, tightening around his cock in an exhilarating way. He grunted, shifting position and slowing down a little through the sudden resistance.

“C’mon, don’t stop,” Patrick said, tugging at his hair. “You know you want your cum on me.”

Jono swore, biting at Patrick’s scarred collarbone with gentle teeth at those words. “Fuck, I want to wreck you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you should.”

Jono took that as permission given and leaned forward, guiding Patrick down to the bed again. He didn’t pull out, just twisted his hips so that when Patrick’s back touched the mattress, Jono was driving back into his hole. Patrick groaned, his hands on Jono’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

Without needing to hold Patrick up, Jono could focus on getting off in the best way possible. Fucking Patrick was like coming home, his body open and willing beneath Jono, hands greedy with touch. Jono couldn’t last much longer, not with the way Patrick was looking at him, as if Jono was the only one he could ever want.

Jono came with a shout, grinding into Patrick for a few short thrusts before he pulled out all the way and stroked his cock with a hard fist. Cum spattered over Patrick’s balls and the delicate skin beneath them, dripping down to his loose hole.

Spent, Jono reached between Patrick’s legs to rub his cum into too-sensitive skin, mingling their scents together in that intimate spot. Patrick twitched a little at the touch, knees pressing against Jono’s sides.

“You’re cleaning me up,” Patrick said lazily, breathing a little hard, skin flushed red in the afternoon light from sex.

Jono smiled at him, slow and full of promise as he teased Patrick’s hole before pushing a bit of cum back inside him. He let his fingers stay there, keeping Patrick open to his touch.

“Later. We still have a sofa to desecrate.”

Patrick’s laughter filled the bedroom, easy and rich, his smile all Jono could see. The soulbond was an indescribable thing tying him to this man, and it should have frightened him, but it didn’t. This, right here, was what Marek had promised Jono three years ago when the seer had pulled him out of London.

Pack, Jono thought as Patrick reached for him, drawing him down into a lingering kiss.

Home.