He got up then and walked back in the directionhe’d come in dragging the gafin. Larsson followed him doubtfully. Hewasn’t really afraid of anything that might be lurking in the water. Hedidn’t want to see Tarr take off his clothes again, though. He might not be able to restrain himself this time. Still, he was finding it harder to let him out of his sight, so he trailed along behind him, keeping his distance.

Just as the river took a turn around the cliff face, Tarr disappeared around the bend and as Larsson increased his pace to keep up with him, he saw the place he was talking about. Here the water was much more shallow, mostly gravel and sand bars and the waters around them were almost calm. Larsson watched while Tarr waded out into the cool water, and sat down near a sand bar, so that the water came half way up his chest.“Come on, Larsson. Enjoy yourself for once and don’t worry about every little thing.”

“Somebody has to,” he muttered, but he sat down on the bank and started taking off his boots. Tarr had started floating on his back, his golden skin shimmering a little in the bright sunlight. Larsson stopped watching him, since he didn’t want to embarrass himself with a huge erection—something else for Tarr to tease him about, and he had enough ammunition as it was.

He turned his back and took off his clothes, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Tarr wasn’t watching. He was angry at himself for acting like a prissy virgin—he’d been naked around other men for years, both when he was in the Academy, and even with his cousins when they traveled together. Casual nudity in such close quarters was inevitable and commonplace. No one thought much about it one way or the other. But with Tarr, right from the first time he saw him, it was different. Tarr was his mate, no matter how much he wished otherwise, and being around him was hard enough as it was. Being around him when they were both naked was almost more than he could stand.

He waded out in the water while Tarr was still floating and came over to sit down in the water near him. He was covered from the waist up, so he was surprised when Tarr glanced over at him and startled violently, almost sinking himself. He sat up, spitting out river water and pointed at a mark on Larsson’s chest.

“What. The hells.Is that?”

Larsson looked down at himself in confusion.“Oh, this bruise? That’s where your men hit me with the disruptor. Made a bruise—I thought it might.”

Tarr looked stunned. He stood up and walked slowly toward Larsson in all his naked glory, kneeling in front of him and touching the dark blackish-purple bruise with the tips of his fingers. “I’m so sorry, baby. I told them not to hurt you. I told them! Thoseidiots!” His face had turned an angry, mottled red and his eyes were blazing. “If I get my hands on them again…”

“It’s all right,” Larsson said, trying to turn away, but Tarr grabbed his arm and pulled him up so that he was sitting on Tarr’s lap. His legs had nowhere to go but around his waist, bringing their wet bodies together. The feel ofTarr’s naked, wet skin, not to mention his stiff cock against Larsson’s ass made his wolf leap within him. He tried to push Tarr away, but he held him in a firm grip, bending his head to lick at the bruise gently, before raising his head and plunging that tongue into Larsson’s mouth, holding his hand at the napeof Larsson’s neckso he couldn’t get away.

After struggling for only a moment or two, Larsson found he no longer had the strength to move away. Tarr pulled back and looked down at him. He growled deep in his throat and bent again to brush his lips over the bruise with exquisite tenderness, before he moved over to each one of Larsson’s nipples. His tongue flicked out and traced over the areoles, causing Larsson to arch against him. “I’m so sorry, my little warrior. I should have known you’d fight them.”

Tarr’s words whispered over his flesh, and he shuddered at the sensation, unable to stop the small whimper that came from deep inside him. “Let me make it up to you, darling,” he whispered and one of his hands trailed down Larsson’s back and stroked gently at his entrance.

“No,” Larsson gasped and tried to pull away, but Tarr held him tightly. Larsson was shocked to find how much greater was his strength.“No, Tarr, please.”

Tarr held him by his biceps and gazed down into his eyes.“No? Don’t be frightened of me, darling. Iwould never force you, but I think…” he nibbled gently at Larsson’s ear. “I think you want this as much as I do.”

It was hard to deny the truth of that statement when Larsson’s cock was stiff with need and rubbing against Tarr’s stomach. Tarrran his hand down Larsson’s back again and massaged his lower back gently, his fingers dipping down to skim across his crease. Larsson’s body twisted into him with needs of its own and he fell down onto his chest, burying his face in the little nook between his shoulder and his neck. He needed to be close to his mate—he wanted it more than anything,and he’d waited so long to claim him.

But what if Tarr meant to claim him? The thought caused unease to wash over him and he stiffened as Tarr’s fingers found his entrance again. One of his fingers slid deep inside him then, breaching his body so intimately it made him squirm. He cried out to protest when the finger suddenly slid over something inside him. Sensation overwhelmed him and he cried out again, but with surprise and pleasure this time and pushed his ass back on Tarr’s finger, seeking it again. He buried his face deeper in Tarr’s neck, embarrassed by how needy he felt, but when Tarr stroked over the spot again, Larsson almost screamed with pleasure.

He’d never bottomed before, not for anyone, and he suddenly wondered what he’d been missing all this time. He still yearned to bury himself deep in Tarr’s body, but this was a fine substitute. He flushed all over with pleasure and only squirmed harder when Tarr eased another finger deep inside. Hisbody was on fire with need and he couldn’t get enough of this feeling that was part pain and part pleasure.

Larsson almost cried out when the fingers were pulled away until Tarr shifted him slightly on his lap and he felt the hardness pressing insistently against his hole. He stiffened again and Tarr looked down at him with one raised brow, as if asking whether to continue. He tried to speak, to protest the intrusion, but hecouldn’t. He wanted this too much. Instead he ducked his head again and kissed the side of Tarr’s neck, holding tightly to his shoulders.

He’d braced himself for pain, for an overwhelming breach of his most intimate place, but as the head of Tarr’s cock pressed gently but insistently into him, there was only a feeling of discomfort and fullness, no real pain.Tarr’s kisses were making him weak, and he moaned as the thick, hot flesh throbbed at his entrance.Clenching his fingers on Tarr’s shoulders, he looked up to tell him he’d changed his mind. This wasn’t what he liked, wasn’t what he wanted. But the look on Tarr’s face stopped his protests.

The expression on his face was fierce and possessive. His lips were drawn back in a feral grin and his eyes were hard with urgent need. There was nothing of withdrawal or surrender in his face, and Larsson knew he was lost. His protests died on his lips as Tarr took him with a hungry need, whispering to him, murmuring something he couldn’t understand. He wrapped a hand around Larsson’s cock as he pulled him down hard on his cock and the muscles at his entrance gave way to his need. He soon set up a wild rhythm that drove Larsson out of his mind.

Tarr was inside him, taking him, claiming him, and nothing would ever be the same again. Even though his rational mind told him that this was intolerable, that he couldn’t be claimed like this, another part of him reveled in it, and wanted this more than anything. Tarr was so deeply inside Larsson that his heavy balls rested snugly against his ass. He could feel the throbbing of Tarr’s heartbeat deep inside and he pulled back to gaze into those fierce eyes once more.

“Mine,” Tarr said harshly.“Mine. My nobyo.Say it.”

When Larsson hesitated, Tarr took his arms and lifted him slightly before pulling him back down hard again on his impalement.“Say it. You’re mine.”

Larsson winced and nodded, his mind overwhelmed.He’d never seen Tarr so out of control, so primal.

“Yours,” he finally agreed.“But you belong to me, too.”

Tarr moaned and began to thrust even harder, wild and passionate, his need calling to Larsson’s wolf. At the same time, Tarr’s hand tightened around Larsson’s shaft, dragging a response from him.Larsson’s claws appeared and his incisors dropped down as he fought with Tarr as if they were in a battle. Hegrabbed Tarr’s shoulders to lift himself and then slam himself back down, causing Tarr to grunt in pained pleasure. He lowered his face to Tarr’s neck again, but this time he bit deeply, burying his fangs in his flesh. As he did, Larsson came with a fierce intensity, his cum spurting out in the water between them. Tarr yelled out hoarsely as the venom from Larsson’s bite surged through his veins, and he, too, came with an intensity that was almost frightening.

Only afterward couldhe pull away and lick at the wound on the side of Tarr’s neck, which started to heal as soon as he put his tongue to it. It would heal over but leave a scar, marking Tarr as his mate. Larsson would have preferred the nape of his neck, but this would have to do. The mark would always show that Tarr was owned and off limits to any other lover. Between the mark and the fact that he would make damn sure Tarr would always have his scent all over him, no one would ever be foolish enough to touch his mate again.

Larsson sagged onto Tarr, clinging to him like a survivor of a storm. Larsson could imagine the venom racing through Tarr’s veins, changing him, making him his. He knew his skin must be glowing with fierce pride and triumph. Eventhough Tarr had claimed him thoroughly, he’d claimed Tarr right back, and neither of them would ever be the same again.

After a long time, Tarr raised his head and shook it, trying to clear his mind. Confusion and fever were aftereffects of the bite, and Larsson kissed his lips tenderly, sliding off his lap to sit beside him in the water and put an arm around him.

“Let’s go back—you need to lie down.”