CHAPTER NINETEEN
“I cannot believe I talked to General-freaking-Carvene today,” I mumbled in excitement. I shoved a sleep shirt over my head. “We talked for two hours. He’s pretty damn funny. Poppy’s a lucky gal.”
Rune tossed the blanket back on my mattress, growling, “I can’t believe we’re just sleeping again.” He paused, sniffing under his armpits. “Do I stink or something? I can take a shower if that’ll help.”
I bent over and laughed, holding my stomach. I managed to shake my head, and mutter, “No. You don’t stink. Promise.” His smell of forest and sunshine was already stuck to my sheets, and I loved it. It was soothing to fall asleep to.
His hands were on his hips as he glared. “It’s not funny. I don’t understand. We’ve only had sex once.”
I straightened and stretched back, pulling at the muscles in my stomach that hurt from laughing so hard. “It has nothing to do with us. It’s just…”
“Just what?” he questioned, his golden eyes following my actions.
I bent down and crawled into bed, peeking up at him. “I had to work today. It’s really late, and I’m exhausted.”
His brows snapped together. “Is that the only reason?”
“No.”
Rune didn’t move to get into bed. “What else is it?”
“We went to a funeral today,” I whined. I pulled the blanket up over my shoulders. “It doesn’t seem proper to have sex on a funeral day.”
He snorted. “Since when do you care what’s proper?”
“I don’t normally, but on this one I do. It somehow seems wrong.” I stared up at him, begging him with my eyes to understand. “Please get in bed with me.”
He gazed down at me for another second, before he grumbled, “Fine.”
I sighed in contentment as he snuggled up next to me.
“Dammit,” he groaned. “I forgot the light.”
Like a flash, I slipped out of bed, turned off the light, Then I jumped back onto the bed and burrowed down into the covers. And into his waiting arms. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
“Mad? No. Sexually deprived? Yes.”
I blinked in surprise. “You haven’t had sex with anyone else since we did it?”
His arms tightened around my stomach. “Excuse me?”
My mouth snapped shut. That wasn’t a happy question.
He leaned up on one arm, and golden eyes found mine in the dark. “You’re my mate.”
“I know,” I whispered.
His eyes narrowed. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
My jaw dropped. “I haven’t had time to sleep with anyone else if that’s what you’re implying.”
The black panther huffed. “Do you want to sleep with someone else?”
“No.”
His head cocked, the animal inside him on the hunt. “Then why would you ask if I had slept with anyone else?”
“Uh. I didn’t know we weren’t doing that.”
Rune blinked extremely slow. “We really do suck at this relationship stuff. Maybe we should have…you know…a discussion on the other person’s expectations. I know there are couples in the shifter community who eventually take breaks from one another, but I’m pretty sure I’m not one of those people.”
My eyes widened. “You mean I get you all to myself? Not just for baby-making shit?”
“If I get you all to myself too, then I’d say we have a deal.”
I wiggled underneath him and smiled so large all my teeth showed. “Deal.”
His eyes lingered on my mouth. “Deal.”
“Anything else we should discuss?”
“Birth control. You need to hop on the bandwagon. I don’t want kids for a long ass time.” Both his brows lifted in expectation. “I’ll pay for it, okay?”
“How long is a ‘long ass time?’” I inquired.
“Like, in a thousand years…maybe.”
My lips pinched. “Is that negotiable?”
“We live forever. That means you’ll have a kid who’ll always bug you forever.”
“Ah.” I hummed, thinking that through. “You’re probably right. Birth control is a must, and I’ll graciously let you pay for it. A long ass time should stay a long ass time. I need to come to terms with the fact we’re immortal—and all that comes with that.”
He snorted. “I’m still learning how to cope with it. It doesn’t get any easier. The problems just change the older you get.”
“How old are you?” I couldn’t believe I hadn’t asked that yet.
“I’m almost two hundred years old.” And he said it so simply too.
I gasped in fake horror, “I fucked an old geezer?”
He leaned down to kiss the tip of my nose, purring, “I age better than most.”
“Yes, you do, stud.” I kissed his lips softly. “Time to go to sleep now. If I’m getting on birth control, then we should wake up early and hit the clinic before you go to work.”
He flopped back down beside me. “You’re not sleeping in?”
“Another double shift for me.”
“Can’t they find anyone else?” he grouched. “You’re going to be tired again tomorrow night.”
My lips twitched. “Patience is a virtue.”
“You need a new job. The sooner we off your father, the sooner you’ll become a princess.”
“If they hire me. Height restrictions, remember? Princesses are supposed to be tall.”
“I know a few people there. I can get you the job if you want.”
“Let me think on that.” I snorted. “Fuck yes. Get me that job.”
He kissed my temple as I closed my eyes. “We need to talk about your father sometime.”
“Not tonight.” I yawned. “Right now, I need to pass out.”
He kissed my temple once more. “Sweet dreams.”
* * *
“Do you know what I just realized?” I asked, my eyes widening.
“What?” Rune sipped at a gourmet coffee in a fancy cup. “That you need to find a new clinic?”
I snorted. “The line isn’t that long.”
“We’ve already been here for thirty minutes, and the sun isn’t even up yet.” He took another drink of his coffee, the scent lingering on him. Delicious. “Can you take off work tomorrow? Have someone else work your shift?”
“Is it important?” My brows snapped together.
“It’s about your father. Plans and stuff.”
I quickly nodded. “It’s too late to request off, but I’ll call in sick.”
“Good. I think you’ll want to be there for this.”
I nodded in agreement.
Anything that had to do with taking my father out was a priority. But that was enough about him for right now. I was living in the moment with a god-man.
I spread my hands wide in front of me. “Anyway, do you know what this is?”
He peered around at the others around us. “A place that three drunks can wander into and pass out with a safe place to sleep their day away?” His finger pointed around his coffee to three individuals with questionable attire. They were snoring too.
I chuckled and shook my head. “No, stud. This is our first date!”
Rune’s eyes continued to eye the other occupants. “Well, it’s stamped and approved. We are officially the weirdest couple ever.” His gaze flicked to mine, and he waggled his brows. “What do you think?”
“I can’t complain.” I thumped the small, white bag on my lap. It was full of sugared donut holes. “My man got me sweets on our way here.”
He nodded solemnly. “Sounds like a fine man.”
“And he has a fine ass.” I dipped my hands into the bag and popped a delicious sugary treat into my mouth.
Rune snorted in his coffee, holding a napkin up to his mouth. His golden eyes danced with merriment as he wiped off his face. “That woman over there is crossing herself. I don’t think she appreciates our conversation. But do tell me more about your man’s fine attributes. I’d love to hear what you think.”
“He smells like the forest. And sunshine. But he’s not as sweet as someone might think. He has the biggest cock I’ve ever seen.” I winked. “He knows how to work it, too.”
A woman two seats down and across from us jumped to her feet. She shook her head and marched right out the front door of the clinic, mumbling under her breath.
I asked, “Do I want to know what she was saying?”
“That we’re going Hell.” But his attention was only for me, hunger dilating his eyes, darkening them. “You liked how he moved his cock inside you?”
“Oh yes.” I closed my eyes and pictured us in the storage closet. The way his hips had pounded against mine and the sound of our skin slapping. I licked my suddenly dry lips, and groaned, “It was divine.”
Rune groaned in pain. “I have a hard-on now. This is embarrassing.”
“Megan Marshall?” A woman called. “Come on up.”
I sighed and opened my eyes, my lips curved into a grin. I dumped the white bag on his lap. “Here you go. Carry that for me.”
He grumbled as we stood us, but he definitely kept the white bag right in front of his crotch. He even walked a little stiff legged as we made our way through the rows of sitting people. Rune hissed against my ear, “You’re evil.”
“Only on days that end in Y.”
He snorted and followed after me into a sterile white room for patients.
I hopped and planted my ass on the table while he took a seat in the only chair.
The nurse asked, “You don’t appear to be sick. What are you here for?”
“Birth control.”
“Payment method?”
Immediately, I pointed. “Him.”
Rune snickered, though he turned his attention to the nurse. “What forms of birth control are there now?”
“If you’re not asking for condoms, it’s a shot. One shot to the buttocks will last six months. Though, we also have shots that will last up to one year, two years, or five years. But those are much more expensive.”
“Nothing longer than that?” His forehead crinkled.
“There’s the option of permanent sterilization.” She glanced down at his lower section, then back up. “The recovery is faster for a man than a woman too.”
He scooted on his chair, his eyes widening. “No.”
“No?” she asked sweetly. Too innocently. “No to everything?”
“No to have my balls messed with.” A fast finger pointed in my direction. “She’ll take the five-year shot.”
The nurse looked at me for approval, her lips twitching.
The nurses at this clinic were always amazing. The reason why I came here.
I nodded, keeping a straight face. “I’ll take the five-year shot, so his balls aren’t injured.”
Rune huffed. “Damn straight.”
Not that his testicles wouldn’t instantly heal. But, damn, he didn’t want them hurt. Forget a dick measuring contest. He had entered the big balls category.
Rune cleared his throat, sitting straighter. “When will this take effect?”
“Twenty-four hours after it’s injected.”
His chest heaved. I hadn’t even known he was holding his breath.
Rune sat back in his chair, a little, playful smile on his lips.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to her. “Remember, he’s paying.”