Page 99 of Something Handsome This Way Comes

“Grievance, he gave us these for free. It’s not a big deal; muffins are good too. But I’ll save mine for morning coffee tomorrow,” Milo said, closing the box. “I already brushed my teeth anyway.”

“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute,” Grievance said, turning to the bathroom.

“Wait, what flavor was it?” Milo asked.

Grievance paused, hand on the doorknob. He said nothing, but his clever mate could read him like a book even when he stayed silent. Maybe especially then.

“It was blueberry, wasn’t it? Your favorite. I bet you really liked it,” he teased.

“Average pastry from a below-average baker,” Grievance huffed and slammed the door. Milo laughed at him from the other side. Then he shouted. “Hey, I think those were made by Sadie!”

“If they were made by Sadie, they were good. If they were made by Rowen, they’re trash. Now stop talking about the damn muffins,” Grievance shouted through the door, turning on the shower so he couldn’t hear his mate continue to laugh at him.

The warm spray melted the edge from Grievance’s nerves. It was one of his favorite Folk inventions, made even better by his own tinkering. Now, the water pressure was hard enough to gently massage the back of his neck.

Grievance leaned his head back, letting his long hair fall into the spray. He thought back to the first time he was in this shower. Bruised. Bloodied. On the verge of giving up. But Milo had found him. Washed his hair. Taken him in, clothed him, cared for him in a way no other living thing in this world ever had.

My sweet, perfect mate.

Grievance rolled his neck into the stream, sighing as every bit of rigid tension washed from his body as easily as caked-on sweat.

When Milo showered with him, he had this way of finding all of Grievance’s sore spots. The places where his body felt on edge. He soothed Grievance’s hurts. All of them. Even the ones Grievance couldn’t see.

“Mmm. Milo~”

Grievance moaned his name, stroking his hard cock at the way it rolled so easily off his tongue. At how everything about Milo was perfect. His voice. His kindness. His body…

Fuuuuck that body. So lean and supple. So willing and breedable. So perfect for my cock~

Grievance stroked himself hard, back against the tile wall, disappearing into the memory of his beloved mate.

Wait… when had he gotten hard? Grievance looked at his dick in his hand. How long had he been standing here stroking himself? He blinked, trying to clear the water from his eyes. It didn’t work. His vision continued to swim.

Suddenly the room swayed, and Grievance had to throw a hand up against the wall and brace himself.

What… the fuck is happening?

The harder he tried to focus, the more his awareness faded, swirling away like water through the drain at his feet. All he could focus on was the throbbing need in his cock. The heat in his body.

Fuck… Milo.

My mate.

My mate.

My mate.

Grievance was losing himself, dissolving into a being of pure need. A need that could only be satisfied by joining himself with the one person in this world who knew him. That held his heart. That transformed his magic and his soul.

Milo~

He groaned the name loudly, hoping his mate would hear him. Would come for him. Save him from the horrible pain of wanting him this badly.

He needed his mate. His mind. His body. His perfect tight heat. His womb. Grievance needed it all.

Grievance’s vision narrowed until it felt like he was looking through a tunnel. And there was only one thing at the end of it.

My mate… my Veya.