---Jethro's POV---
A nose nudged against my throat, attempting to nuzzle even closer before a content sigh left the sleeping body besides me.
Well, Lane was hardly besides me, as he had snuggled on top of my chest in the middle of the night, legs intertwined with my own, face resting against my throat as his body ever so slowly slid to the side.
My arms had come up on instinct, cradling my precious boy against my body, making sure he didn't jar himself awake by sliding off and flopping on the bed.
A minuscule part of me was forced to admit I didn't want Lane to simply lay down on the bed in the first place. I've come to crave his attention, the way he seeks my permission, how he needs my approval in whatever he does.
It's addictive.
My eyes slid down to where he had settled, a shadow of a smile on his lips as they whispered against my skin. The soft, steady puffs of breath let me know he was still deeply asleep and not at all aware of how he was teasing me.
I could feel his every move against my skin; each tentative breath he took, expanding his chest and creating a soft pressure against my own until he exhaled in a puff of air that rushed over my throat. How his fingers twitched mindlessly in a never-ending dance of flexing and contracting, showing just how utterly pleased he was.
It made my heart pulse erratically as my own fingers trailed delicately over his spine, pressing gently until I felt the beginnings of his purr slowly vibrate against my chest.
I kept the touch as light as possible though, wanting Lane to keep sleeping for a while longer. He'd need his rest after I kept him awake for several hours after all.
My body heated up at the thought, liquid heat pooling in my groin at the reminder of our play last night. A low growl escaped my dragon that I quickly stifled down when Lane stirred in his sleep.
Further down the hall, a sound of an opening door squeaked through the hallway and I sighed, knowing I'd be forced to place Lane down to deal with our uninvited guests.
Cradling the back of his head with my palm, I slowly rolled to my side, regretfully allowing him to slip off my body and settle on the bed.
I paused when Lane's face scrunched up, eyes blinking lazily before one bright golden eye managed to pry open with a great deal of effort. Judging from the empty look, I knew Lane was still deeply asleep.
His tiger had pressed its consciousness to the forefront, an instinctual behavior to make sure Lane was safe. I smiled reassuringly, hands pressing gently into Lane's skin in a soothing manner.
"It's okay pet. Go back to sleep."
His heavy lidded eyes blinked slowly before he let out a chuff and nuzzled into the bedding. A smile grew on my lips when I saw Lane's nostrils expand in delicate whiffs, a purr rumbling through his chest until his breathing settled once more into sleep.
For a while I could do nothing but stare down at him, watching the steady breaths that puffed past his pink lips, the minute changes in his expression as he slept or the way his nose twitched whenever he moved, catching a new waft of my scent.
A soft, almost hesitant knock sounded on the door, making me bite back a growl because damn it, just sitting here and observe my sleeping boy was addicting!
Opening up the door, I did my best to fight back my dragon and forced a neutral expression on my face. I doubted it worked, as the she-wolf was shaking slightly and quickly averted her eyes down towards her fussy son.
Sighing, I already knew the reason of her interruption and had to unconsciously praise the woman to push her own instinctual fear to the side to provide for her son.
I stepped out and closed the door silently behind me, motioning with my head to the kitchen. She followed silently, gently holding her son in her arms as he squirmed and whimpered out his pained protests.
It was an even bigger fuss when his mother tried to give him the painkillers though. He pushed away the syringe from his mouth, protests growing louder and louder until I nearly growled and instead opened up the fridge with a scowl.
Yanking one of the last tins of yoghurt from the shelf, I gestured for the syrup filled syringe in a clear demand, watching the she-wolf's eyes light with understanding when I blended the strawberry yoghurt with the kids' medicine.
When the little brat proceeded to eat the dessert with glee, thinking he had won his struggle, I nearly smirked to myself, satisfied of having outsmarted the kid.
Lane wasn't that much an issue when he had to take his meds...
A smirk slid over my lips before I could stop it. The she wolf glanced at me warily, feeding her son the last spoonful of yoghurt before cleaning up after themselves.
"U-Uhm... Forgive me for bothering you b-but, you mentioned going to the Council t-today?"
I turned my head towards her, observing her quietly until she continued, "I-It's just that, I was wondering how...how we're getting to the Capital in the first place and i-if the Council is even going to listen to your-"
"They'll listen to anything I need to tell, if they know what's good for them." I spoke with such finality in my tone that the she wolf quickly stopped her stammering and fiddled with her son's hair.
"As to how we'll get there, as soon as my Mate has woken up from his slumber, I'll shift to get everyone there as swiftly as possible." My eyes dipped down to where her son was slowly nodding off, the medication clearly taking away his pain and causing him to fall asleep once more.
"He'll need better care than what I can provide here, plus a pack to grow up in." A snort escaped me before I continued, "Curtis has undoubtedly caught wind of the entire situation and will hide behind the robes of the Council, hoping they'll side with him as this is pack issues."
Her expression soured into a worried scowl, one that deepened as her son huffed in his sleep, no doubt feeling the painful pulling of the stitches with every move he made.
"He'll never leave us be. As soon as he knows where we are, he'll come back to take care of business. And this time they'll kill me first, as I have disobeyed my superiors and the orders he had given them."
She blinked, frowning as I placed a plate of food down before her, seemingly not understanding why I was helping her in the first place.
"Like I said before Ma'am, Curtis and his bunch of yappy pups don't scare me. Now eat up, the eggs will get cold." I prepared two more meals, setting aside a little food for when the pup woke up again before I went to head for Lane.
"Uhm..."
I paused in the doorway, tilting my head to show I was listening as she stuttered before sighing. "Is... Is y-your mate alright? I... I thought that I h-heard something last night. Did he have any nightmares?"
Amusement rushed through my body as I smirked darkly, knowing we had seemingly failed to be quiet enough not to disturb our guests.
"I mean, it's not my place to pry, I just, thought I heard him cry last night... The pack knows a remedy for nightmares and it has been passed down for generations on end, so I wanted to offer, if it was appropriate-"
"I'll ask if he needs it for his... nightmares." I replied, eager to wake Lane up so he could finish his meal. And I wondered with an even wider grin how bright he'd flush if the woman asked him about the nightmares he suffered from.
I could already imagine the warm red hue that would settle in his cheeks, how he'd squirm on the spot and be unable to make eye-contact.
Quite like how he squirmed and blushed so prettily last night, as he begged for release...
A deep rumble echoed through my chest as my dragon showed its excitement, heat building in my chest and slowly settling in my groin before I could manage to calm down.
That effort went straight to hell as I opened the room, eyes landing on Lane's prone form on the bed. Evidently my precious Kitten felt smothered underneath the blankets and had proceeded to kick them off the bed.
Leaving him holding my pillow against his face, perky behind arching up slightly... and deliciously bare.
The doorknob groaned underneath my fingers as I struggled for control, eyes dipping over Lane's shoulder, the curve of his back before Lane rolled over in his slumber. I caught a flash of pale inner thighs and the muscles of his stomach contracting as he stretched before I slowly closed and locked the door behind me.
I wonder if that she-wolf would figure things out if Lane were to suffer from a sudden bout of nightmares right this moment?
Well... there was only one way to find out.
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