Whirlwind Revolution (15 page)

“I gave him my heart!” Torr screamed in her face. “It’s his, okay? And that scares me. Then there’s this stud who wants him, and I was jealous I couldn’t
join in
. But Hadley was into the attention, obviously loves something I can’t give him, and so I went through hell watching just so he could have it. Yeah, I could have come up with an excuse for Emrys not to touch him but he
wanted it
. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t give him everything he wanted?”

She pounded her fist onto the table, the wood creaking under the pressure. “You’re so stupid. He wants
you
! I’m pretty sure you know how to fuck, don’t you? You couldn’t take him if he needed to turn the tables?”

“Of course, but he never said anything to me about it or acted like he wanted that until Emrys put the moves on him!”

“Gods help me, you’ve been fucked over so many times, only seen shit that you don’t even realize what a functioning relationship is. You talk to the man, Torrance! Tell him you’re with him for more than the request you granted him.
Ask him
what he wants! Woo him because he’s the best damn thing that’s ever happened to you. Hadley’s a loyal, good man who could give a shit that you’re King. I bet he loves you in
spite
of it, not ever having wanted to be involved with a leader.”

Yeah, she nailed that one. Samantha was
good
.

“The advisors are really okay with me taking Hadley as my consort?” he whispered after a moment, plopping into his chair again. “Truly?”

“I wouldn’t ever lie about that, not even for your happiness. We’re all in agreement that he’s got the knowledge, years, and strength to rule at your side, be an asset. And he’ll keep you safe which you’ll need in the coming days. We were hoping things progressed naturally and we should just keep quiet.”

Torr’s shoulders shook as he lowered his head. “He’s leaving, Samantha. What do I do?”

“Beg. You beg your ass off and pray you can change his mind because he makes you a better man. And the last thing we need is a crushed, heartbroken leader. That could get us all killed. If he truly has your heart, you need it, and him, at your side.”

“Tell me what to do. I want him for real and he does have my heart. I’ll do anything.”

I flew away, needing the space. Mostly because I wasn’t sure I believed Torr.

He would do whatever was best for his people and his best friend and advisor told him it was me.

I wouldn’t be pulled back into his shit and get trampled all over some more.

I wouldn’t survive that. No matter how much I wanted it to be true and be with Torr for
real
.

8

I flew around until I was exhausted and landed by my clothes. Then I grudgingly headed up to the guest room in Torr’s suite where I had my stuff that had been sent by Director Woodrow. Time to pack and get it on a truck to the stronghold.

I couldn’t be here, and maybe by the time the felines came to the stronghold, I’d be over him.

No, I didn’t believe that lie either.

Instead I found a
naked
Torr pacing in the sitting room of his suite. He froze when I entered and I went with my gut and turned right around to leave.

“Wait, please, Hadley. Don’t go. Let me explain.”

“I heard most of your conversation with Samantha,” I admitted, not looking at him. “I just don’t think I buy it. You’re on board now because your advisors like me and think I’ll make a good consort.”

“That’s not true. I’ve never lied to you and I won’t—”

“Bullshit!” I hollered as I slammed the door and stormed over to him. “If I meant something to you, then you’ve been lying to me this whole time, treating me like I’m just a way to blow off steam.”

“I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know you wanted me to let you in,” he rambled as he grabbed my arm. “I mean, I thought I was. I’m not good at this, Hadley. I’ve been alive a hundred and fifty years and never have I cared past my duty to have sex for an heir and try to find a compatible consort I could trust. None of that mattered with you.”

Ouch, just twist the knife, why don’t you?
I didn’t even realize right away I was rubbing my chest. “Because I could never be your consort.”

“No, because you matter
to me
. I didn’t know how to handle that and all this other overwhelming shit. I thought I was opening up at a normal progression, I ask your opinion more than my other advisors besides Samantha. I trust you that much. I’m not a normal guy who can just throw caution to the wind and fall in love. I’m sorry. I misread your signs and thought I was going to get crushed at the end of the month. My instincts were—”

He closed his mouth so fast Torr winced when he bit his tongue.
Now
we were getting somewhere.

“What instincts, Torr?” He shook his head and I cornered him against his sofa. “Let me be clear. Be transparent with me now and let me see what’s really here or I’m leaving in the morning. Your choice.”

He studied me carefully. “I’m not sure it’s something I can explain but give me tomorrow to
show
you. It’s a feline thing, almost like a trial to see if a person is the right fit to mate. Now that I know you feel this is more than your request, give me to tomorrow to be transparent and take the leap.”

I met his eyes and searched for what I needed to take the chance. “And Emrys? Are you going to offer me up as entertainment again?”

He snarled as he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. “That’s
not
what happened. Listen to me this time! I thought you wanted him, and I was trying to facilitate that because it was what
you
wanted. You’re not a toy and it’s not just any gay sex I wanted to see. I realized that the idea of watching your pleasure, no matter in what form, got me hot. I care enough to put you first! The only difference is I wanted to ride you that second round. It was killing me not to.”

I blinked at him for a few moments, speechless until he growled again. “It wasn’t passing me off or my being a toy? You were letting me explore, explore
our
potential playing with a third?”

“Yes.” He nodded after a moment. “Yes, that’s what I’m saying. I didn’t have a claim on you so standing in the way seemed wrong when you wanted it and I want that for you. If I had a claim, I would have demanded to be involved or I don’t know. But I don’t
have
a claim. I was trying to do the right thing.”

“Would you want a claim to me?” I whispered as my cock twitched against him.

“I’m yours, Hadley,” he answered as he moved his hands up into my hair. “No request or hiding. If you stand by me, I will proudly walk out into the open with you now that I know it won’t cause chaos among my people. I couldn’t put myself first like that. Now? Oh yeah, I’ll shout it from the rooftops I’m yours.”

That was close to what I needed to hear, but I still had tension in my muscles because it wasn’t
all
I had asked. “Thank you but that’s not really an answer.”

He growled again, and I was distracted by the sound since it got me so hot. “Yes! If I’m yours, you damn well better be mine! I just didn’t want to demand it but you’ll see tomorrow how big of a claim I’m making on you if you let me.”

I studied him for several minutes, seeing only the emotions I wanted in his misty eyes. “Fine, but you’ve got some serious groveling tonight and I’m not promising to stay after tomorrow.”

“Okay.” He swallowed loudly and I could feel the fear coming off him. “You won’t leave me the fool though, right? I mean, this
is
real to you?”

“It’s about the realest thing I’ve ever had in my life,” I admitted. Then I shook my head and took a step back. “Don’t fuck with me anymore, Torr. I can’t survive it. It’s real or nothing here on out.” I spun on my heel and headed to the shower in his room. I turned on the water after throwing my clothes in the hamper and waited for it to warm up. “You’re a stupid,
stupid
man, Hadley. How many times does the stove need to burn you before you learn?”

“The only burning to come is our sex life,” Torr swore from behind me. I had been so lost in thought I hadn’t heard him enter the room.

Wow, that wasn’t like me. But then again, the man did rob me of all my senses. I shook my head and stepped into the shower, wanting whatever remnants of Emrys’s scent off me. Torr followed me, ignoring when I gave him my back. I wanted space, and he kinda wasn’t getting the hint.

“I know you’re trying to get me to leave,” he whispered as he picked up the soap, lathering his hands.
Or he does and is ignoring it.
“But I’m freaking out if I leave you alone, you’ll talk yourself out of giving me the chance tomorrow. That would kill me. Let me take care of you tonight, Hadley. Let me show you I can be good to you too. I won’t be closed off anymore.”

Gods help me but I wanted everything he was saying so badly that I beat that little logical voice in my head to a bloody pulp and went with my heart. “Okay.”

“Thank you, my perfect owl,” he murmured as he kissed my back. Then Torr turned me to face him and kissed my chest over my heart. It was wildly erotic as his big green eyes stared up at me. He slowly washed me, taking time to work out the stress in my muscles—cleaning himself by rubbing against my body.

Yeah, that was better than loofa, I guess.

“I’m sorry, I have to. My lynx is freaking out we almost lost you,” he whimpered when we were done. I had no idea what he was talking about until he grabbed my cock and jacked me off fast and hard. Just like I loved it. “I need you to mark me.”

“Huh?” I moaned, no blood left in my brain to think.

“Your scent. I need your scent on my groin. Mark me, Hadley,” Torr begged as he cupped my sac. I blew instantly, his words, the foreplay of my shower, and his begging doing me in. I watched him purr as my cum splashed all over his cock and groin. He rubbed it in when I was done and smiled at me brightly.

“Now what?” I reached for the soap to clean him off but he growled until I set it back down. “Okay, so no washing?”

“No, I rinse only and everyone will be able to smell my most intimate parts are spoken for.” He turned to face the stream of water, and I felt a feral smile grow on my mouth.

“By that theory your ass should be marked, Torr. It’s mine too, right?”

“Yes,” he hissed and pushed it up slightly as if subconsciously offering himself for whatever I wanted. I grabbed him around the waist and moved my cock between his cheeks.

“So is this the first step in my forgiving you, babe? You let me go all Alpha and mark you?” I humped against him, liking the sound of it.

“I’m opening up. I want to carry your scent and I said I’m yours. If you forgive me, maybe you’ll let me mark you so everyone will know you’re mine,” he countered, moaning as he helped increase our friction. “It’s not a trick or to call to your Alpha side. It’s what a feline does when they give their heart to another. We scent each other. Too much?”

“No, it’s fucking kinky and hot as hell,” I muttered against his neck, kissing up to his ear. “But you hurt me so you’re not coming yet. I’m letting you off way to easily so no
getting
off until you’ve proven to me you mean this for real and not just because your advisors like me.”

“Yes, of course, whatever you want, Hadley.” He wrapped his arms back around my neck, reminding me of one of my favorite times together… When he admitted I was the best he’d ever been with, crying out my name as he told the gods he would never go back to passionless sex.

Maybe I had missed a few signs of my own but it was all just too confusing. Plus everyone’s stupid when it comes to matters of the heart. I just wanted Torr for real. The rest and the confusion could be left in the past once I knew we were good.

I came all over his ass, my sexy lynx moaning as I marked him. Then he rinsed off, still smiling like a fool who’d just had two orgasms of his own instead of letting a man jack off on him.

To each their own. Owls had some strange traditions and instincts.

He pulled me into bed when I hesitated after the shower, and the next thing I knew, Torr was feasting on my cock. He went between blowing me or eating out my ass over and over again until I had several more orgasm and passed out from pleasure.

I could get used to
that
kind of treatment.

* * * *

The next morning I woke alone and started cussing up a storm until I saw the note on his pillow.

Please join me in the main meeting room where breakfast will be served. I made sure Samantha escorted me so I’m not alone as I promised. I had to get up earlier to prepare for the meeting and I figured you deserved the chance to sleep in after all the stress I caused you. If you join me, my Hadley, I will show you exactly how a feline stakes his claim. Hopefully it won’t scare off my perfect owl.

Yours,
always,

Torr

I was out of the damn bed so fast I almost tripped on the sheets I got tangled in. Minutes later, I was dressed and jogging down to the meeting room. Yeah, I controlled myself enough not to run, but that was it.