positioned himself in front of the danger, and even the way he’d kept a tight hold around Galen, all spoke volumes of what was most important to him.
Bannon had promised not to pressure him into anything he wasn’t ready to commit to, but Galen was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be an issue for much longer. While he’d been trying to hide from everyone else, all he’d really been doing was fooling himself. If he didn’t trust the man with every part of him, then how was it that he’d slept so soundly for the first time in longer than he could remember?
“Galen? Are ya with me, darlin’?”
Coming out of his inner wonderings, Galen blinked and looked up to find Bannon smiling at him over his shoulder. Returning the smile, he leaned into his… mate’s back and sighed. “I’m definitely with you.”
Giving in felt amazing. Letting go of his worry, his doubts, his insecurities and just accepting what Bannon offered was like a rush of cold air on a winter’s day. Or jumping from the high dive at the community pool like he’d done as a kid. It was a bit scary at first, the way it always took his breath away, but afterward, it was only pure exhilaration.
That wasn’t to say he was ready to be claimed or declare his undying love. He was simply ready to give Bannon a chance to prove to him why he should look forward to those things.
“Is there a reason Raven is still here?”
“Hey! I just saved your life, punk. Show a little respect.” Raven looped his thumbs in his belt buckles and puffed his chest out, sending Galen into a fit of laughter.
“Point taken, but really, you can leave now.” Raven looked between Galen and Bannon before rolling his eyes.
“I don’t know what you did to him, but he’s a mouthy little thing now. You’ll want to nip that in the bud before it gets out of hand.”
“Excuse me?” Galen’s mouth dropped open, and his eyebrows arched in disbelief. Surely he’d heard that wrong. Not even Raven was dumb enough to say something like that out loud.
“See, the thing with mates is this.” Raven completely ignored his indignation as he began pacing the room and waving his hands around idiotically. To be fair, everything the man said or did at that point, Galen found it stupid as hell. “You have to let them know who’s in charge. If you don’t establish yourself as the alpha early on, then they’ll just walk all over you.”
Galen glanced up to see what Bannon thought of the sewage spewing from Raven’s mouth. While he didn’t think Bannon agreed with all that bullshit, he was a little surprised to find the man had turned a brilliant shade of red, and he was biting his lip so hard to keep from laughing, Galen was afraid it would start bleeding at any moment.
Personally, he didn’t see a damn thing funny about the situation.
“You give them an inch, and they’ll take over the world,” Raven continued. “So, you have to assert yourself. Feisty is all well and good when you’ve got your cock inside something warm, but not where other people can actually see it. They’ll think you can’t handle your mate, and that looks bad on you, see?”
“That’s it.” Before Bannon could stop him, Galen jumped to his feet, bent his knees, and launched himself off the bed to land on Raven’s back. “I’ll show you feisty, you overgrown, pig-for-brains, egotistical asshole!” Both hands fisted in Raven’s hair, trying to rip it out by the roots.
“Galen!” Bannon jumped off the bed and began jerking on Galen, trying to pull him off Raven’s back.
Galen refused to give up his hold, though. He might not be big, and he might not have an important job around the coven, but he was a hell of a lot more than Bannon Murphy’s mate. He was gaining a little too much pleasure in Raven’s shouts of pain, but whatever. The vampire totally deserved it. “Who’s in charge now, Raven? Huh?” Bannon was still trying halfheartedly to pry Galen off, but it wasn’t going
Bannon had promised not to pressure him into anything he wasn’t ready to commit to, but Galen was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be an issue for much longer. While he’d been trying to hide from everyone else, all he’d really been doing was fooling himself. If he didn’t trust the man with every part of him, then how was it that he’d slept so soundly for the first time in longer than he could remember?
“Galen? Are ya with me, darlin’?”
Coming out of his inner wonderings, Galen blinked and looked up to find Bannon smiling at him over his shoulder. Returning the smile, he leaned into his… mate’s back and sighed. “I’m definitely with you.”
Giving in felt amazing. Letting go of his worry, his doubts, his insecurities and just accepting what Bannon offered was like a rush of cold air on a winter’s day. Or jumping from the high dive at the community pool like he’d done as a kid. It was a bit scary at first, the way it always took his breath away, but afterward, it was only pure exhilaration.
That wasn’t to say he was ready to be claimed or declare his undying love. He was simply ready to give Bannon a chance to prove to him why he should look forward to those things.
“Is there a reason Raven is still here?”
“Hey! I just saved your life, punk. Show a little respect.” Raven looped his thumbs in his belt buckles and puffed his chest out, sending Galen into a fit of laughter.
“Point taken, but really, you can leave now.” Raven looked between Galen and Bannon before rolling his eyes.
“I don’t know what you did to him, but he’s a mouthy little thing now. You’ll want to nip that in the bud before it gets out of hand.”
“Excuse me?” Galen’s mouth dropped open, and his eyebrows arched in disbelief. Surely he’d heard that wrong. Not even Raven was dumb enough to say something like that out loud.
“See, the thing with mates is this.” Raven completely ignored his indignation as he began pacing the room and waving his hands around idiotically. To be fair, everything the man said or did at that point, Galen found it stupid as hell. “You have to let them know who’s in charge. If you don’t establish yourself as the alpha early on, then they’ll just walk all over you.”
Galen glanced up to see what Bannon thought of the sewage spewing from Raven’s mouth. While he didn’t think Bannon agreed with all that bullshit, he was a little surprised to find the man had turned a brilliant shade of red, and he was biting his lip so hard to keep from laughing, Galen was afraid it would start bleeding at any moment.
Personally, he didn’t see a damn thing funny about the situation.
“You give them an inch, and they’ll take over the world,” Raven continued. “So, you have to assert yourself. Feisty is all well and good when you’ve got your cock inside something warm, but not where other people can actually see it. They’ll think you can’t handle your mate, and that looks bad on you, see?”
“That’s it.” Before Bannon could stop him, Galen jumped to his feet, bent his knees, and launched himself off the bed to land on Raven’s back. “I’ll show you feisty, you overgrown, pig-for-brains, egotistical asshole!” Both hands fisted in Raven’s hair, trying to rip it out by the roots.
“Galen!” Bannon jumped off the bed and began jerking on Galen, trying to pull him off Raven’s back.
Galen refused to give up his hold, though. He might not be big, and he might not have an important job around the coven, but he was a hell of a lot more than Bannon Murphy’s mate. He was gaining a little too much pleasure in Raven’s shouts of pain, but whatever. The vampire totally deserved it. “Who’s in charge now, Raven? Huh?” Bannon was still trying halfheartedly to pry Galen off, but it wasn’t going
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