Chapter Seventeen

Doc rubbed his belly as he closed his surgery door. Having missed his morning appointments, his afternoon wasn’t spent loving on his mate in their big comfortable bed, but rather sewing back on a toe, reassuring two rabbits who came in to confirm their pregnancies and performing emergency surgery on a young wolf shifter who hadn’t bothered to remove the plastic wrapper from a chocolate bar he’d stolen from his mother’s stash.

Glancing upstairs, he smiled as he heard pots and pans being clattered about. Joe had spent a good part of the afternoon at the mayor’s office, which was now the temporary home for the sheriff’s department too and then came back with an armful of groceries. He wanted to cook Doc dinner. Just thinking about it gave Doc a warm glow inside.

Heading back into his surgery, Doc cleaned up, making sure all waste was properly disposed of and his instruments were secure in the sterilization tank. He’d been that busy, he hadn’t had a chance to fully process the events from earlier in the day, but now, as he did, he slumped onto his rolling stool, burying his face in his hands.

I shifted in front of other people. Decades. It’d been decades, possibly longer since Doc shifted in front of another person – except for Joe of course. Joe would keep his secrets safe. In fact, Doc’s cheeks flushed as he remembered Joe standing in front of him as if protecting his lizard from judgmental eyes. It is what it is, he realized, thinking about it now. If they had to move to another town, or people stopped coming to him because they were scared of his shifted form, then he’d deal with that issue when it happened.

Doc hadn’t had a choice and that helped put the whole morning into perspective. When he saw Wall swing at Joe with a hunk of wood, there was no thinking involved. Secrecy was the last thing on his mind. No one was going to swing a weapon at his mate and get away with it. He’d never shifted so fast in his life and he’d remember the look of fear on Wall’s face for a long time to come – it was a memory guaranteed to put a smile on his face.

Doc thought about the other thing quietly plaguing his mind since that morning. He looked over at the cupboard where he stored his supplies. It can wait until tomorrow, he thought, getting out of his chair. Joe had dinner ready, and barring any emergencies, Doc would finally get the chance to claim his mate properly. Someone had better be dying if they want to interrupt me tonight. He adjusted his filling cock as he slowly climbed the stairs.

/~/~/~/~/

Joe pottered around the kitchen, wincing as he moved too far one way. There wasn’t a lot left he had to do. The roast was resting on the top of the stove, the vegetables crisp and ready to serve in the oven. He’d heard the front door close and lock downstairs and knew his mate would be coming up soon. He’s going to need a hearty meal, Joe thought with a smile, the plug he had in his butt keeping him in a state of constant arousal.

It wasn’t as though he meant to go snooping through his mate’s things. After a long and frustrating afternoon listening to his cousins blame everyone from Myron to the Fates for their actions, which included organizing Hargraves’s escape and the bombing of the Sheriff’s office, no one was any closer to finding out where Myron was hiding or what his Uncle’s motivation was.

Thoroughly sick of listening to them bitch and moan about how nothing was actually their fault – Rocky fed them, then ordered them to be chained in the basement of the Mayor’s building, naked, bound in Simon’s special cuffs so they couldn’t shift or get out of them by any means, and basically left them to stew for the night. Glad to escape, Joe grabbed just enough goodies to make a roast meal, all under the beady eyes of Mrs. Hooper, and headed back to Doc’s for a shower.

But he didn’t have any clean clothes with him, and that led to him looking for something of his mates to wear – which meant going through his dresser and finding…toys. Lots of toys. Joe’s eyes had bugged out when he found an entire drawer full of things that usually graced the shelves of an adult shop. Floggers, plugs and dildos of all sizes, some weird clamp things Joe had never seen before and leather cuffs – some with chains and some without.

Yeah, Joe had slammed the drawer shut as fast as he’d opened it, his cheeks flaming. Pulling out a pair of sweats from another drawer, Joe’s fingers had lingered on the toy drawer. Those plugs looked really tempting and one of them was still in its packaging, so it hadn’t been used. You’d be doing your mate a favor, prepping yourself. It wasn’t that Joe didn’t trust Doc to do a thorough job himself, but…wearing a plug to prepare for his mate was daring…totally out of his comfort zone, and that’s why Joe had to do it. Doc had done it for him and didn’t even blush.

What he hadn’t counted on was how the damn plug sent shivers through his prostate every time he moved. Getting the plug inside himself was a novel experience, but wearing it, while doing something simple like preparing a meal – there was no way Joe could ignore the sensations. Even chopping vegetables became an erotic experience. Every time Joe walked, his prostate sang and when he bent over to check the roast meat in the oven he was conscious of an unfamiliar heavy fullness and the strong urge to clench his ass muscles. A tickle ran from his balls to his hole and at the time, Joe had squeaked before looking around hurriedly to make sure Doc wasn’t around.

Come on. Come on. Joe looked up at the wall clock. It’d been ten minutes since he’d heard the door locking. I do hope my mate’s not fretting about this morning. Because that would be the sort of thing Joe could see Doc doing. He was just debating if he should go downstairs and see for himself when he heard Doc’s tread on the stairs. That’s when self-doubt decided to slap him around the head.

Oh my god, Doc’s going to think I’m some kind of a slut. I’ll hurt his feelings because he’ll think I didn’t trust him to look after me. Oh my god, I need to get to the bathroom and take it out…but then he’ll still know. He’s a doctor. What if my hole is still loose? He’ll think I’ve been lying to him about being a virgin. Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I do this?

“Hey, babe. Are you okay?” Doc was there, right in front of him and Joe felt like a blithering idiot. He opened his mouth, but words wouldn’t come out. And then Doc’s scent hit him, and he realized his mate was as horny as he was, and there went his ass, clenching all over again.

“I need to kiss you!” Flinging his arms around Doc’s neck, Joe felt his need rising. His skin was tight, his cock hardened to the point of pain. The butt plug was part of the reason, but in reality, it was all Doc’s presence – it’d always been Doc.

/~/~/~/~/

Doc felt the fire in his balls spread as he brushed against his mate’s warm lips. The scent of Joe’s arousal battled on his tongue along with the roast meat and cooking vegetables. But even if he hadn’t eaten for a week, nothing was more potent than the smell of aroused mate. Doc didn’t have a clue what had his mate tied up in knots when he walked in, but now was not the time for conversation.

Or food apparently. Caught up in Doc’s kiss, Joe still had the wherewithal to turn off the oven. “Take me here,” Joe whispered as he pulled back, his voice ragged with lust, his lips spit-slicked and swollen. “I’ve been ready for two freaking hours. I’m going to burst.”

Not exactly the claiming scene I’d envisaged. Doc was old, but he was no fool. Sliding his hands down Joe’s back, he pushed his fingers under the waistband of sweats he recognized as his. Joe’s butt muscles were as tight as a rock. Doc wanted to slap them to see if they’d jiggle but instead he curled his fingers around, pushing them into Joe’s tight crack. He quickly found the source of Joe’s discomfort.

“Oh, babe, I don’t deserve you.” Doc bit back a moan as his cock leaked.

“You’re not mad at me for finding your stash?” Joe looked up from where he was busy unbuttoning Doc’s shirt.

“Fucking grateful.” Shoving Joe’s sweats down his thighs, Doc shuffled him backwards and lifted him onto the kitchen counter before pulling the sweats off all the way. “Lie back,” he growled, as he dropped the sweats on the floor. “I have to see.”

Pushing the plates, he’d left out to dish up on aside, Joe rested his elbows on the counter, his face the color of beetroot. “Hmm,” Doc traced around the black silicon that contrasted so beautifully with Joe’s skin. “You went with the biggest one I had. I would’ve loved to see you get that in that tight hole.”

“It wasn’t easy, but then you’re not exactly small.” Joe bit his lip.

“Hey.” Doc leaned forward and pecked Joe on the lips before ripping off his shirt. He heard a button ping, but as long as it didn’t go near the food he didn’t care. “You, my mate, are fucking incredible.” He shoved his pants down to his ankles and fisted his cock. “Just thinking about you does this to me.”

Griping Joe’s bent thighs, Doc pulled him, so his butt rested on the edge of the counter. The perfect height. Catching the edge of the plug, he pulled it out a short way and then pushed it back in, wiggling it as he did so.

Joe’s groan came from his balls. “Don’t tease, please,” he begged. “Do you have any idea what it’s like trying to cook with this thing in me?”

Doc could imagine, having done it himself a time or two, but he wasn’t mean enough to tease. Not when Joe’s balls were already tight, and his cock was thumping a wee tattoo on Joe’s abs in time with his harsh panting. Taking care to go slow, Doc grabbed the edges of the plug and pulled. The one Joe’d chosen flared in the middle and seeing how the plug stretched Joe’s hole wide as it came out had Doc sending a vote of thanks to the Fates. Joe truly was perfect for him in every way.

“Empty,” Joe moaned as the plug fell free.

“Not for long.” Swiping enough of the residual lube from the plug, Doc coated the head of his dick and thrust forward. The squeeze around his cock was indescribable and rather than push any further, Doc widened Joe’s hips as far as they would go, leaning forward so he could taste his mate’s lips.

“You,” he said nibbling softly, “mean the world to me.”

“Does that mean you love me?” Joe’s dark eyes were intense.

“It’s impossible not to.” Doc was never one for fancy words, but in that moment, he would’ve given Joe his soul without question. “Breathe out slowly.” Despite the plug, Joe’s ass was still tight, and Doc rocked his way slowly inside, determined his brave mate wouldn’t suffer a moment’s discomfort.

“We need to buy a bigger plug,” Joe gasped when Doc was half way in. “Already full.”

“You were made for me. You can take it,” Doc grunted as he pushed the last inches inside and froze. He didn’t dare look down. If he caught one glimpse of the way Joe stretched around him, he’d blow. Instead he studied his mate’s handsome face. Flushed, red cheeked, his eyes bright and his lips darker than usual, Doc knew the word love could in no way describe the depth of what he was feeling. “Everything,” he whispered. “You are everything to me.”

Reaching out, Doc caught Joe around the neck and pulled his torso closer. His lizard stirred, poised, waiting, Joe’s neck calling to him. Doc had a momentary flash of fear – what if…? But then Joe groaned and wiggled his hips and Doc had to move. Determined to treat his mate as more than a hole to fuck, Doc’s thrusts were sharp, stabbing motions that sped up as Joe’s hole relaxed. But he refused to let go of Joe’s nape. He wanted Joe to know he was loving on his whole body. They bumped noses, sharing breath, both panting loud enough to rival a train.

“Oh, gods, right there,” Joe panted as Doc hit his stride. “Right there!”

One hand on Joe’s hip to steady him, the other clasped firmly around Joe’s neck, Doc dared to look down and groaned at the sight. It was obscene the way Joe’s body flexed and held him tight, and yet it was more beautiful than anything in Doc’s long life. Part of it was their mating bond, sure, but Doc knew it was more than that. He couldn’t feel this way with any other. Only Joe. Only Joe. “Oh, my gods, Joe.” Doc’s cry was ragged, but his orgasm blindsided him. His teeth were in Joe’s neck before he knew what was happening, his animal roaring in his head as he was finally allowed the claiming he’d been waiting for.

Blood. Joe’s blood coated his tongue and that was enough to snap Doc from his orgasm-stupor. Joe’s body was trembling, and he cried out. The smell of spunk hit the air as Doc removed his teeth with as much haste as he dared. Please, please, please, he prayed with everything he was, licking over the jagged wound. He’d never known of another Komodo dragon to take a true mate. He’d never bitten his late wife. Joe flopping his head back with a long groan didn’t help.

“Joe. Joe!” He said frantically, cradling Joe’s head and bringing it upright. “Are you all right? Talk to me, god damnit, talk to me.”

“You expect me to talk after the best sex of my life?” Joe’s smile was goofy, and his eyes were wide, his pupils blown. “Damn. If people knew what your bite could do, they’d be queuing up.”

“You’re not hurt?” Doc scanned the bite. It was already healing, as a mating bite would, leaving behind a wicked scar. “You don’t feel any pain, nausea or headaches?”

“I see rainbows,” Joe giggled. Holding up his finger he went to tap Doc’s nose and missed. “Lot’s of sparkling lights and rainbows.”

Burying his face in Joe’s shoulder, Doc’s shoulders shook with relief. It seemed when a Komodo dragon took a true mate, their bite acted like a hallucinogenic drug. With luck, the effects were only temporary, but inside Doc was overwhelmed. His darkest fear had been pulled into the light. All his life he’d feared taking a true mate – scared beyond belief that his bite would prove lethal to the person he loved. Holding Joe tight, he felt strong arms wrap around him clumsily, even while his mate was still giggling. A hug. It was exactly what he needed. The cleanup, dinner and everything else in their life could just wait five minutes.