Zio stared back at him, gaze heated. Hungry.
“How do you know I’m thinking about anything in particular?”
Zio canted his hips and fluttered a hand over Devan’s groin. “Are you taking the piss?”
Devan smiled in spite of himself. “Not on purpose. Sorry. My, uh, mind got away from me.”
“Your mind is obviously a filthy place to be.”
“It would seem so.”
The tension in Zio’s body melted away a little. He brought his hands back to Devan and ghosted them over his chest, his abdomen, and the very place Devan wanted him most. His touch was featherlight. Gentle. Curious.
Devan bit his lip. “If you want me to retrieve my mind from the gutter, you’re gonna have to stop doing that.”
“Uh-huh.”
Zio’s tone was noncommittal.
Devan groaned and flexed, chasing his magic hands. “Now it’s your turn to stop.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I know. That’s why you have to.”
“I don’t have to do anything.” Zio moved fast, straddling Devan in the blink of an eye. He dropped a hand either side of Devan’s head and ground down, softly at first, but then, when he met no resistance, harder, with more purpose, drawing another moan from Devan. “We could fuck,” Zio whispered. “Just once. No one would know.”
“Everyone would know,” Devan gritted out. “But that’s not the issue.”
“Then what is?”
“Don’t play dumb.”Gods, why am I having this conversation again?“You know if we mess around like this, the chances of us biting and completing the bond are a million times higher.”
“I don’t care.”
With Zio playing him, neither did Devan. The bond swirled around them, tendrils snaking into his brain, clouding his rational judgement, overriding everything, even his commitment to keep the pack safe.
He gripped Zio’s wrists and flipped them over. They’d slept in underwear, but it was gone before Devan could contemplate what he was doing. Naked, all bets were off. His body ached to be inside Zio. He closed his hand around Zio’s neck, the other shoving Zio’s legs apart. His cock pressed against Zio, demanding entrance.
Zio snatched a shaky breath. “Kiss me.”
Devan leaned down. Skin touched skin, and Zio’s legs came around him, drawing Devan closer, their lips millimetres apart.This is it. He’s mine—
“Um, guys?”
Reality crashed in, slamming into Devan like a tsunami. He reared back, a fierce growl escaping him. “Fuck. What do youwant?”
Shannon looked on, expression an irritating mix of wary and amused. “The reinforcements have arrived. Varian came with them, and he wants to see you, Devan.”
“What about me?” Zio asked.
“He didn’t mention you, and he’s not stopping. Just said to find Devan.”
Confusion broke through the hormone-haze clouding Zio’s eyes. He frowned but said nothing as he scrambled out from beneath Devan.
Devan’s hand shot out to stop him, but he caught it in time and sprang to his feet. “Where’s he at?”
“Comms tent. Peace out.”