His breath coming in harsh pants, Vince released him and sagged against his bonds.
There was a bang of a door followed by Jared saying dryly, "Damn it. I missed all the fun," which roused Vince just enough to turn his head so he could see the room's entrance. In flooded Jared, Seb, and Lex accompanied by four more wolves. Jared held a gun on Backus, who-even though his hands were lifted in surrender-glared with hatred at the human.
A wet nose bumped Vince's hip, drawing his attention. He managed to get his lips to curve into a smile, amazed at the pleasure he felt to see the wolf, be touched by him. "Frankie. Hey, baby," he murmured. "You came for me."
The wolf whined, then seconds later, his massive lover rose from his knees and swept his gaze over him. "I'll always come for you, Dobs. I'm so sorry I left. If I'd stayed and talked … " He lifted his hands and reached for Vince, but then drew back, as if uncertain where to touch.
"Not your fault. Not your fault … " he assured weakly.
Jared appeared with a knife and cut through the ropes. Frankie wrapped an arm around Vince's shoulders and he hissed at the contact. "Sorry, Dobs," Frankie said, a miserable expression on his face.
Slowly, Vince was lowered to his knees. It took everything in him not to shout as fresh waves of pain coursed through him, caused by the lowering of his arms and the circulation returning, relegating the pain in his back to a dull ache.
Blinking to clear his vision, he lifted a hand to Frankie's face. He couldn't really feel it, not with the way his fingers tingled, but he tried to smooth away the stress lines anyway. "Hi, I'm Vincent Marché," he whispered, "but friends call me Vince. You're my beloved, and I'd like you to call me Vince, too."
Frankie's expression turned concerned. "Dobs?" He spoke softly, using his free hand to tuck a strand of Vince's hair behind his ear. "Did they hit your head, too?"
"No, baby. No head injury, just my back, and thighs, and ass … " his head took that moment to spin. "Shit, I think I'm going to pass out now."
This time when Vince woke, it was in a comfortable bed and he was warm, dry, and lying on his stomach. He cracked open an eyelid and found himself staring directly at Frankie. His lover lay on his side facing him, his eyes were closed, his mouth was open slightly, and soft snores escaped him.
For some reason, Vince found that beyond endearing, and even a little sexy.
He smiled and rose up on an elbow … and a spike of pain shot through his back and ass. His hiss roused Frankie, who jerked up. "Dobs? Are you okay?"
Vince grimaced and nodded. "Please, I really do want you to call me Vince. I used to go by Vince before I earned that nickname. I'd like to go back to it," he told him, waiting for the pain to ebb.
"Why?" Frankie asked.
Laying his head on his hands, Vince stared at Frankie. "Because I want you to know how serious I am," he explained. "I'm ready to start a new life, Frankie. A life with you."
Frankie returned his smile, his green eyes darkening with affection. "Okay. Does that mean you want to claim me?"
A surge of heat flooded Vince. His shaft stirred. Hopeful looked so damn sexy on his beloved. "I'd love to claim you, Frankie. Are you ready to devote your life to me as I will to you?"
His wolf gave him a funny look. "My life is already devoted to you."
Desire, need, and affection for this man, this shifter, flooded Vince, and he knew Frankie was the best thing to ever happen to him. Now, all he had to do was convince Frankie that he knew it. "I'm going to make you mine, wolf," he vowed. "Then I'm never going to let you go."
"Okay," Frankie immediately replied.
Vince moved, ignoring the pain, and shoved down the sheet.
"Wait," Frankie said, making Vince pause. "Let me take a look at your back and thighs. Lark cleaned up your wounds, but Lex said you'd heal faster if you feed. Do you want to do that first?"
The idea of feeding from his lover, his beloved, his wolf, made Vince's fangs ache with anticipation. "Oh, I'll feed from you, baby," he growled. "When I claim you."
Frankie's eyes widened, and he gave a visible shiver. The scent of arousal flooded the room, and Vince's dick oozed a bead of pre-cum. He ached with the need to be buried inside his shifter. He'd put it off too long, and now his patience was at an end. His claws lengthened and he sliced through the boxers Frankie wore.
His lover gasped, but from the way Frankie's newly revealed, engorged dick flexed, Vince knew he was just as excited as he was. Vince gripped Frankie's shaft and pumped once, twice, watching as another translucent bead glittered from the slit.
Vince bent down and licked it off, pleased by the moan erupting from Frankie's chest. "Is there lube in here?" he asked. That was probably something he should have checked before removing his lover's clothes.
"Yeah," Frankie panted. He reached up his left arm and pulled a half-empty tube from beneath his pillow.
Vince chuckled. "Convenient."
"Jacked off to thoughts of you last night," Frankie revealed.
Groaning, Vince remembered what Frankie looked like spread out on the couch in Declan's study, his pants around his ankles and his big dick in hand. Beautiful. "I'd love to watch you jack off some time, but right now, I need my shaft buried in your ass."
"Hell, yeah," Frankie agreed.
He started to roll over, but Vince stopped him with a hand on his hip. "Like this. I want to watch your face as I enter you, see your body flush with pleasure as you come, and know that I gave that to you."
Frankie whimpered and grabbed the backs of his thighs, pulling his legs to his chest. "Please."
Growling low in his throat, Vince forced his claws to retract, then poured a generous dollop of lube on his fingers. He leaned over his lover and tapped lightly at the wrinkled muscle that he wanted to enter. Frankie moaned and rocked his hips, obviously searching for more.
Vince didn't wait to give it to him. He pressed his finger into Frankie's channel, liberally spreading lube. A second later, he added a second finger. Leaning over his lover, Vince pressed a soft kiss to Frankie's lips.
He sucked on his lover's tongue gently, swallowing the man's moan. While he slid a third finger into Frankie, Vince brought his free hand up and tweaked his man's beaded nipple. Frankie grunted, his back arching.
"Need you, Vince. Please," he hissed through clenched teeth.
Vince leaned up and stared down at his lover. He took in the way Frankie held himself open. His long thick rod lying rigid across his ripped abs. His chest rose and fell in rapid pants. Even the lust and need etched across his features and dilating his eyes was clearly discernible. Everything combined to make Vince hotter for Frankie than he'd ever been for anyone in all his one hundred sixty two years.
"I will slide into you, now," he vowed. "And claim you for my own, Frankie."
"Vince," Frankie whimpered.
He smiled at the use of his given name by his beloved. He wanted to please his lover, not just with his bite, but with his touch as well. "Relax, Frankie," he urged. Vince rose up on his knees between his lover's thighs, the movement tugging the sensitive skin of his back, reminding him of his injuries.
Gently, he gripped his lover's hands and urged him to release his legs. Frankie's brows drew down in confusion, but he obeyed, allowing Vince to lift his arms to the rungs of the headboard. "Keep them there for now," he ordered. At Frankie's frown, he added ruefully, "As much as I want you to wrap me up with your arms and legs the second I enter you, my back and thighs wouldn't be able to handle it."
"Oh," Frankie whispered. "Are you sure you're well enough to do this?"
"Hell, yeah," Vince growled. As flattered as he was at Frankie's concern, there was no way in hell he was going to let his injuries put a hold on bonding with his shifter.
He scraped his nails down Frankie's arms and over his shoulders. When he reached the man's nipples, he pinched them both just hard enough to make Frankie hiss, giving him something to think about other than Vince's injuries. Then he leaned down and replaced his fingers with his mouth on his lover's left nub, sucking and nipping the sensitive bud. Frankie squirmed and mewled, his legs jerking where they lay on either side of Vince's hips.