“Alright, alright! I hear you,” I say with a wave before I follow Olbric across the bridge.
The bridge closes behind us, and I spare a glance to be sure no one’s paying any attention through the loophole before I shift the invisible pack onto Mo’s haunches. It’s a trick to securely tie it without being able to see it but I manage before I mount up.
“Nice save,” Olbric mutters as he gets settled on Valar. “Though if you end up winning that bet, Cancassi’s going to be furious.”
“Don’t know how I could,” I chuckle. “Unless it’s still going when we get back.”
Olbric doesn’t answer, and when I turn to look back at him, his expression is miles away.
“You okay?”
“I - yes. Just wondering about that assignment.” Olbric shifts in his saddle before he says, “We should try and leave as early as possible, just to be safe. Do you know what time they normally drop the bridge to let staff in?”
“Early,” I say. “A bit before first bell, I think.”
“Then let’s aim to be across it the second it’s down,” Olbric says.
I’m already walking on a razor’s edge between excitement and uncertainty, but something in his voice tips me towards the latter. The silence stretches between us before I ask, “Do you still want to go?”
Olbric scoffs as he nudges Valar to walk beside me. “Dom, I wasn’t lying when I said that you need to do this.”
“Ineed to do this,” I say, meeting his eyes. “Not you.”
Olbric averts his gaze, and my hopes sink. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t having second thoughts, but I’d feel a lot worse if you went off on this alone.” He casts me a soft smile. “I’m with you.”
My chest unlocks to let me breathe, and for a moment, I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude that I can’t find the words. “Have I told you how much I love you recently?”
Operation Homecoming is no small ask. I get that. I teeter between a giddy sort of excitement and crushing doubt so quickly it makes me wonder if I really am losing my mind. But knowing that Olbric’s with me has bolstered me.
Olbric chuckles and says, “You might’ve mentioned it. And I love you too.”
We dip into the tree line and go for about a mile before I pull us to a stop. On our last ride, I saw a promising hiding spot under the remnants of an old cottonwood stump, right at the first fork. As I dismount and get a closer look, my hunch is right. Under the exposed roots, some creature has dug a burrow that’s large enough to store our packs.
We get everything settled before Olbric releases an abjuration to keep it safe for the night. Looking at our gathered stash, reality truly sinks in.
“Alright,” I say, dusting my hands off. “Only thing left to get Operation Homecoming on the road is to get up early, get the perishables from the kitchens, and take the horses for one more ride.”
Olbric hums before he hooks his fingers over the waist of my trousers, pulling me forward until my crotch bumps his. “I hope you’re planning on doing something to get all of this... excited energy out of me.”
I can’t stop a laugh before I pull him close, one finger toying with the end of his ponytail. I casually twist it around my hand before I pull it tight, earning a gasp as I force his head back with a stern tug.
“I think I can manage that,” I purr. “Better hurry home, beautiful. Because if I beat you through the gates, I beat your ass red tonight.”
His grin is full of fire, even though that tell-tale haze has glazed his eyes. “All the more incentive to lose, then.”
I release him before I swing back up onto Mo. “You won’t be saying that after an hour in the saddle tomorrow,” I say before I kick Mo to a run. Behind me, Olbric swears and scrambles back onto Valar, but I’ve already taken off down the trail.
I’m no expert rider, but my head start gives me just enough of an edge to beat Olbric back through the gates. Teagan watches with mild amusement as we come barreling past.
“Told you we’d make it back on time!” I call, and I hear her laugh before I steer Mo back to the stables. We get the horses taken care of before letting Symon know we’ll be taking them out again first thing in the morning.
Then, by some silent agreement, Olbric and I head to his room.
My pulse is already racing, and I barely let Olbric through the door before I grab him. My hand finds his throat, and he gasps as I pin him to the wall, capturing his lips in a scalding kiss. He squirms, but I choke his quiet whimper off as I tighten my grip on his neck.
“What did I tell you I was going to do if I beat you home?” I purr.
Olbric’s cock is already hard, and I press myself a little more intentionally against him. His voice is choked as he says, “You said you were going to beat my ass red.”
