Jeff’s hands clenched on the headboard. “More, Fen. Go ahead. Give me more.”
“Are you sure, elskede?” Not for the world would he cause Jeff any more pain.
Jeff nodded and arched his back, forcing Fen’s finger farther inside him.
“Give it to me.”
Fen bit down on his mate’s shoulder and sucked up a mark before giving his mate what he’d asked for. He thrust three fingers inside the man, relieved to hear the moans erupting from Jeff’s mouth. “Are you ready?”
Jeff nodded and panted. “Oh fuck yeah.”
Fen reached around and stroked Jeff’s cock, smiling at the precome that slipped over his fingers. “I think you are.”
Jeff growled, the sound low and menacing, much better than the whimpy little sound he’d made before. This was the true sound of a mate in heat, demanding his lover’s cock.
Fen obliged him, sliding into Jeff’s body in one hard thrust. Jeff threw his head back and gasped. “Still want it hard, love?”
Jeff reached behind him and pinched Fen’s hip. “If you don’t fuck me I will kill you.” He looked up at Fen with a wicked smile. “Or worse. Buy one of those glittery butt plugs for your father’s birthday and make the tag out from you, with love.”
Fen barely bit back a laugh. “You are evil.”
“I am horny. Make with the fucking.”
“As you wish.” Fen grabbed hold of Jeff’s hips and began a punishing rhythm that had the man gasping for breath and holding on for dear life.
Jeff twisted and draped his arm behind Fen’s neck. Fen kissed his mate as he fucked him. Jeff moaned into his mouth, his ass clenching around Fen’s cock.
Fen wrapped his fist around Jeff’s cock and stroked until Jeff began to go off in his hand. His come splattered the headboard. Only then did Fen allow himself his own pleasure, muffling his howl of completion against Jeff’s skin.
Jeff leaned his head against the headboard and chuckled wearily. “There is no way I’m cleaning that up.”
Fen snorted and pulled out of Jeff. He tugged and pushed until he had Jeff nestled in his arms, his head pillowed on Fen’s chest. Fen wrapped Jeff’s curls around his fingers and sighed. He couldn’t ever remember being more content.
A knock on the door interrupted Fen’s quiet joy. “It’s me, Kir. I want to make sure Jeff’s healed up.”
Fen was pleased with the sleepy, satisfied smile on his mate’s face. The man was worn out, and Fen couldn’t be happier. “We’ll be out shortly.” But just in case, Fen covered them with the blankets.
“Hmph.” Fen could hear the humor in Kir’s voice. The blond god walked into the room, uncaring about their nudity, and studied Jeff intently. A huge smile graced his lips as he took in Jeff’s faded scars. “I’m glad to see it worked.”
“He’ll have the scars, but these, besides my mark, are the only ones he will ever bear.” A fact that just about killed Fenris. The knowledge that his mate would bear the marks of his torture at Odin’s hand for the rest of eternity nearly ruined the happy mood he’d been in just moments before.
The only scar Jeff should have was Fen’s mating mark.
“Shh.” Jeff’s hand patted Fen’s hip. “Snarly.” He snuggled deeper into the covers like a young pup, already mostly asleep.
Jordan poked her head through the bedroom door. “Jeff. Vincente’s on the phone. He wants to come over for pasta.”
Jeff smacked his lips and smiled. “Yum.”
“Oh yeah. He’s out. Good luck waking him back up.” She grinned and left the room, followed by a smiling Kir.
Fen pulled himself from beneath the covers, careful not to wake Jeff. The man needed his sleep, and Fen would see to it that he got it. Jeff barely stirred.
He dressed quickly and headed to the living room. All three Tate-Saeter’s were there, talking quietly about Jeff’s healed injuries.
Logan smirked and waggled his brows. “Wore him out, did we?”
Fen noted how careful his father was to keep his voice low and was grateful for it. “Yes.”
There was no way his father could help but notice the pure contentment in his response. Nothing could take Jeff from him now. Logan nodded and headed for the front door. “Be careful. I strengthened the wards while you two were consummating your marriage, but that doesn’t mean Grimm can’t find a hole in them somewhere.”
“Have Magnus and Morgan returned?” The brothers would be horrified to find out what had happened to their family during their absence.
“Not yet. We’re hoping they get here soon, before Jeanne goes ballistic and hunts Grimm down with a bowie knife and a bandana.”
Fen was not going to ask. He was not. “A bandana?” Shit. He’d asked.
Logan grinned. “Ask your mate about Sylvester Stallone some time. Rambo is must-see TV for any red-blooded American male.”
“What do we do about the Old Man?” Fen stared into his father’s eyes. “He scarred my mate.”
Logan blew out a breath, all humor leaving his face to be replaced by grim determination. “We find him and kill his ass.”
Fen frowned, confused. “How will that hurt him? Has his ass done anything wrong?”
Logan’s expression blanked just before he burst into laughter worthy of Kir.
He barely breathed as he doubled over.
“What the hell?” Jordan stared at Logan as if he’d grown a second head.
“What did you do to him?”
“I asked him why we wanted to kill the Old Man’s ass. Surely the beast has no say in what Odin does.” It was probably as much of an innocent as Sleipnir, Fen’s half brother and Odin’s eight-legged steed. The last time he’d seen his brother the beast had cast him one sorrowful glance before taking Odin away into the night sky.
He had no idea how long ago that had been, nor did he want to. He only knew he’d recognized that look. For all his brother seemed to be free, he was just as imprisoned as Fenris.
Her lips twitched. “Oh. American Idioms 101. When we say we want to kill someone’s ass, we mean we want to kill them.”
He shook his head. “Why didn’t he say so?”
“He did, you just didn’t understand it.” She patted his shoulder. “You’ll get it eventually. Jeff will help.”
He stared toward the bedroom door and smiled. “Yes. I know he will.”
Jeff, delicate and fragile looking, snored so loudly the door rattled. Fen grinned. Next to him, Jordan bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Gods, his mate made him happy.
Chapter Nine
“So.” Jeanne Grimm had papers strewn all over his dining room table, and he couldn’t be more pleased. Jeff stared down at the charts and diagrams she’d whipped up while he’d been sleeping and grinned. She pointed to a spot on her timeline. “Heimdall blows his horn.” She moved to the next item. “Odin speaks to a decapitated head.” Her finger moved along, ticking off the things listed in the prophecy. “Yggdrasil, the World Tree, trembles.”
“Earthquake?” Jordan popped yet another piece of pizza in her mouth. For a woman who professed to hate olives she was eating a metric ton of them recently. And was that pineapple on her pizza as well?
“Good thinking.” Jeanne nodded approvingly. “Some Ettin is loosed. Any ideas?”
No one said anything. Then again, the majority of those in the know were currently in Kir and Logan’s condo holding their own war council. The Grimm family had been relegated to Jeff’s place, not that he was complaining.