“Damn, I didn’t get to ride you.” Sterling panted out the words.
Riley licked at the wound, one arm coming away from the wall as he circled it around his mate’s waist. “Give me a second to recoup my strength and you’ll have your chance.”
Sterling chuckled as Riley slowly lowered his mate, careful that they were stilled joined together.
“I don’t know what it is that has you stuck inside of me, but I love it.”
Riley sure as shit hoped so, because he planned on staying “stuck” inside his mate every damn chance he had.
Maybe being mated to the peculiar fella wasn’t going to be so bad.
Chapter Six
“Hold still, Bacon,” Sterling said as he struggled to harness the pig. “You may not like having a harness on, but trust me, fella, around here, it’s for the best. I don’t need you running off and getting eaten.”
“Where did you get that?” Riley asked as he sat on the side of the low-lying bed and tied his boots up. Sterling was still a little amazed that Riley had changed sides so quickly. The man was acting if they were a mated couple who were comfortable around each other, which was odd considering the man had been surly as hell just yesterday. After all these weeks of chasing after the bear, Riley had just come to an abrupt halt and accepted Sterling.
Sterling swore the man would never stop completely and utterly confusing him.
“What, the harness?” he asked. “Iam gave it to me. Although I still don’t trust him. He was eyeing Bacon pretty heavily this morning. I would swear the man was licking his lips.”
Riley waved his hand at Sterling. “Bring him here and let me see if I can adjust the harness.”
Sterling was a bit surprised Riley wanted to help with Bacon. The man had told Sterling more than once that the pig was a farm animal and should be left outside. He thought Riley was going to have a fit this morning when Bacon woke up and then struggled to get into bed. Sterling had taken mercy on the pig and pulled him up and tucked him in between them.
But Riley hadn’t said a word.
Not even when Bacon had tried to feed from Riley’s nipple. Now that had been funny as hell, only Riley hadn’t laughed. But he hadn’t snapped at Bacon either. Maybe the bear was really trying to change. Sterling hoped so. He liked this new Riley.
Sterling scooped Bacon up and handed him over to his mate.
He secretly smiled whenever he thought of that word. Gods, Riley had mated him. Sterling still couldn’t believe it had happened. Especially the sex. His bottom was still achy as hell, but he wouldn’t change last night for all the world.
“Uh, Sterling…” Riley picked Bacon up, lifted the pig high in the air, and glanced under the belly.
“What!” Sterling said in a panic. “What’s wrong with my pig?”
Riley turned Bacon over and then chuckled. Sterling loved Riley’s laugh. It was deep, sensuous, and made Sterling sigh every time he heard it. He hadn’t heard it often, but when he did, his cock always jerked in his pants.
“Nothing, hon. But Bacon is a girl.”
“Are you sure?” Sterling asked as he looked over Riley’s arm.
“I’m sure, Sterling. She’s missing the vital parts that would make her a boy.”
“Well, damn,” Sterling said as he sat down next to Riley and watched his mate tie the intricate knots to hold Bacon’s harness.
“Disappointed? We could always trade her for a boy when we get home.”
Home. Sterling loved the sound of that single word. “No,” he replied. “It just means that I’ll have to be extra careful with her. Girls are very delicate.”
Riley finished the knot and handed Bacon off to Sterling. “Just keep her away from Iam.”
“If he comes near her, I’ll…I’ll toss him over the pit and roast him!” Sterling was not about to let anyone eat his little girl for breakfast…or lunch, or dinner for that matter. “He’s barbaric and evil. Only evil men would want to eat a baby pig. I swear, I’ll kick him in the shin again if he even thinks about trying.”
“Calm down, Sterling. No one is going to eat Bacon.” Riley glanced at Sterling and then laughed. “Not your Bacon, at least.”
Sterling swatted Riley on the shoulder and glared at his mate before taking Bacon outside for her morning walk. He had to find some milk for her. She was just a baby and needed her nutrients. The supply he had brought with him was almost gone. He had found a feeding bottle in the barn before they left the ranch, and then stored some milk in a jar and shoved it in his bag. But the jar was almost empty.
“Excuse me,” Sterling asked the first elven man he spotted. “Do you perhaps know where I might find some piggy milk?”