Page 238 of Labor of Love

“Gods, you’re so beautiful.”

Lothian had been told so prior, but for some reason it meant more coming from Ryland just now. He’d been warned that an alpha in rut usually didn’t have sweet words or gentle touches, and yet Ryland was giving him both.

His hand curled around Lothian’s aching cock and squeezed just right. Lothian shuddered. “Ryland!”

“I’ve got you.”

He had not expected this softness of his first time with an alpha in rut. But he felt Ryland really did have him in hand, in more than just a physical way. From what omegas were told while growing up, most alphas when in their rut would care for little but copulation. Ryland wasn’t just taking him. He was taking care of him. Lothian’s heart swelled.

He arched into Ryland’s grip, chasing the pleasure of his moving hand. Ryland kissed him again as he stroked. It felt amazing. And yet....

“I need.” He spread his legs, begging to be filled. His thighs were wet with slick and his hole pulsed. That emptiness stung. “Ryland, please.”

“I know, love. I know.” He let go of Lothian’s cock and slid his hand between Lothian’s thighs. His fingertips brushed Lothian’s aching hole. He stroked around the inflamed flesh before sliding two fingers easily inside. Lothian hummed in pleasure. The stretch was so good but still lacking.

“More.”

“Yes.” Ryland slid fully onto the bed gloriously naked. Lothian tried to take a moment to appreciate the thick fur of his chest hair, the sculpted muscles. There was a scar on Rylan’s abdomen he wanted to ask about. But all he could focus on was the alpha’s cock. It was long and thick, the faint bulge at the base hinting at an enormous knot. Lothian keened with happiness.

That. That was what he needed.

He pushed Ryland back against the bed and quickly straddled his waist, tired of waiting.

“Lothian.” Ryland moaned his name, gripping his hips, but otherwise letting Lothian do as he wished. Lothian clasped the base of Ryland’s cock and lowered himself onto it.

Pleasure exploded up his spine.

He had used toys, but none of them came close to feeling as good as Ryland’s hard flesh. The stretch was almost too much. Almost. He let out a long breath and began to move, slowly at first but quickly speeding up. He rocked his hips and clutched at Ryland’s chest as he felt his shaft grow even thicker. “Oh yes!”

Ryland threw his head back on the pillow, the muscles on the sides of his neck standing out as he met each of Lothian’s thrusts with one of his own.

Lothian moaned. It was perfect. It was as if Rylan’s body and his had been made to fit together.

“I’m not going to last long, love,” Ryland said. “You feel too good.”

“That’s okay.” Lothian panted as he moved. “We can just do it again later.” He smiled.

Ryland breathed a chuckle, then arched with a cry. His knot swelled, locking them together. Lothian felt the heat of Ryland’s seed spreading within him and his own orgasm crested. He came without touching himself, splattering cum across Ryland’s chest.

He shuddered with each wave of pleasure washing through him and collapsed forward. Ryland caught him, wrapping him in his muscled arms.

2

Time grew soft, melting around them like taffy. Ryland held Lothian, stroking his hair back from his face and staring into his eyes. Lothian looked back, mesmerized by the golden gaze. There were shadows there, a troubled look he couldn’t quite read. He tried to think why Ryland would look pained when they had spent the last several hours mating. Then, his slow mind caught up to reality. He swallowed, his throat sore from crying out in pleasure.

“You didn’t feed.”

Despite being in rut, Ryland had controlled himself. His hand stilled on Lothian’s hair and his gaze drifted to the ceiling. “I wanted to. Badly.”

“But you didn’t.” Lothian’s heart knocked against his ribs. It was unheard of for an alpha to resist feeding during a rut. They were programmed to feed and fuck, to pass on their genes and continue their line.

When the vampire population had been failing, scholars had sought a way to increase their breeding stock. Alphas were bred to be more virile, omegas to be fertile. Feeding during sex was how vampires bonded. Usually, a pair waited for their Bonding Ritual before completing the bite, but in-rut alphas and in-heatomegas were often unable to control themselves. In that case, a Bonding Ritual occurred after the more physical joining.

By not feeding, Ryland had prevented the vampire bond from starting to form. He had given Lothian an out. They need not be bound.

Lothian knew how hard it must have been to resist the instinct. Hadn’t he just failed in resisting his own? However, before he could commend the male, or even say anything else, another wave of want fell over him. It had been only minutes since Ryland’s softened cock had slid from him, and he already felt that aching emptiness beginning again. He squirmed against the bigger male. Ryland’s golden eyes darkened.

“Already?”

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