Some photos were mostly of his mate smiling and posing for pictures, but one photo stood out from the rest of the photos his eyes had scanned over. Aston's laughing face beamed from the picture as he stood next to an unidentified attractive man that looked at his mate with a soft smile. The uneasy feeling of jealousy flowed throughout Nicolai’s body, the emotion behind the man’s eyes screaming something that he did not like. Nicolai knew he had only just met his mate, but the thought of others looking at his tiger like he did made him feel possessive. He did not like this feeling. He had witnessed the possessiveness of so many other mated couples, seeing the toxicity that it could cause to the bond due to the lack of freedom for the significant other. That was something he had promised so long ago to never do to his fated mate no matter the gender and status.
The sound of the shower turning off snapped Nicolai out of his thoughts as he looked away from the photo and the memory of a man that he would one day find out about. He walked back around the sectional sitting on the arm that Aston had previously occupied, waiting for his mate to reappear from his shower. Thinking back to when Aston had entered the bathroom, he remembered that Aston had not taken any clothes along with him. Nicolai’s mind broke once again. The mental image of Aston emerging from the steam-filled room was enough to render him a drooling primal animal. He envisioned Aston’s nude skin glistening from the heat of the shower, droplets of water trailing down his muscled body leaving no ridges or invention unexplored. A single towel tucked lowly on his waist sitting at the bottom of the V-shaped muscle of his groin, the only piece of fabric robbing Nicolai of something he would have deemed glorious. His pants became painfully tight as his lion growled underneath his skin sensing a common feeling between them towards their beautiful mate.
The door opened revealing a fully clothed Aston rubbing his hair dry with a towel that should have been covering a prize that Nicolai so desperately wanted. He discreetly rubbed the drool from his face as his mate was distracted with his hair. Aston had felt so refreshed from his shower feeling a little more himself after ridding himself of the dirt from the cliffs. The strong smell of arousal hit his nose as he stepped further into the room making him pause for a millisecond, his eyes finding their way to Nicolai sitting in the arm of the sectional.
“Nicolai have you been sitting there the whole time?” He asked with a small smile not trying to make it obvious what he had smelled, “I figured you would have explored more or turned on the tv.”
“I did actually explore that is, but I figured I would sit here and wait for you” Nicolai grinned.
“Oh” Aston huffed, “Well hopefully I didn't keep you waiting long.”
“I mean I've been waiting my whole life for you, but I figured a few more minutes wouldn't have hurt” the lion replied confidently.
Aston’s face burned once more at his mate's words giving him an embarrassed smile, realizing that Nicolai did have a way with words. He didn't know if he would ever get used to it, or if he would ever want him to stop. No one had ever made him feel as flustered as Nicolai did, maybe someone whom he had known a long time ago but he didn't come even close to his mate.
“Well I'm here now” Aston chuckled, getting a smile from the lion “and I can tell you I don't think I'm going anywhere any time soon.”
“I hope not,” Nicolai smirked.
Aston laughed nervously, “Let’s see if we can get you something to sleep in.”
Nicolai watched as his mate wandered towards a set of large sliding barn doors that he had surprisingly not noticed just next to the bathroom. The barn doors stood tall towering over him and Aston, the dark wood and black ironwork contrasting with the color scheme of the rest of the room. The doors slid open with ease, the wheels on top releasing a soft grumble as they rolled into place on the other side of the tracks. Nicolai’s breath hitched. The sight before him on the other side of his mate was like one out of a dream, it was something that made him realize the difference in his and Aston’s lifestyles.
Nicolai stood at the entrance between the barn doors doing his best to absorb the spectacle that stood in front of him. Against the back wall rested a massive California king-size bed that was dressed beautifully with a navy blue comforter that had matching pillows looking softer than silk. The bed frame was a light oak color that was simple yet detailed with such a complexity that baffled him even more.
His upbringing had been somewhat rough, having been shoved into adulthood at a young age along with his sisters. Ever since the death of his parents, Nicolai had only depended on himself and his sister's since becoming the alpha at the age of 15. He watched his mate walk up to a solid oak dresser opening it to find clothes for him to sleep in, feeling the high from happiness start to slip away. Remembering what he had gone through until his current situation felt like a cold darkness slowly creeping from the tips of his body to the center. He had felt so alone for so long, even amongst his sisters and the rest of their pride, feeling like the weight of the world was on his back like the titan Atlas struggling to hold it.
The familiar coldness caressed his body as it enveloped him, running along his skin like a silent whisper trying to convince him to accept it. He had felt this way many times before knowing the outcome before it would finally swallow him. He didn't want to go back into the numbness. Nicolai looked at the sun that was Aston’s form feeling ashamed that he would feel this way even with the revelation of finding his soulmate in the tiger before him. He needed to feel again.
“Can I ask you a question, Love?” Nicolai said timidly, seeming very unlike himself.
“Sure you can,” Aston replied, finding a pair of navy bottoms.
“Can I-” Nicolai stopped realizing that the question would be possibly inappropriate.
“Can you what Nicolai?” Aston asked, hearing the hesitation in his mate's voice.
“Can I-” he cut himself off again before starting again “No, would it be okay if I kissed you?”
Aston stopped cold in his tracks as he searched his dresser for sleep clothes that his mate could wear. He slowly looked towards Nicolai, locking eyes with him, seeing the apprehension in his golden orbs with a sliver of hope. The question had caught him off guard. Did he want to kiss Nicolai? The thought of having the man before him pressed up against him made him feel weird. He could only compare the feeling to running in the woods behind the compound, something that could only elicit one feeling from him; Natural. The indescribable want to kiss the lion before him felt more natural to him, now, then it did when he had first met Nicolai earlier that day.
The other thing that resonated in his mind was his mate asking his consent to kiss him, something that had never happened to him before. The thought of giving his consent made him flush with desire for his mate as he realized that Nicolai was waiting fearfully for his reply at the entrance of the bedroom.
“Yes” Aston breathed.
“Wait. what?” Nicolai replied, looking like a deer in headlights.
Aston smiled at his mate, “Yes Nicolai, you can kiss me.”
Nicolai gulped at those words. His lion roared from within rubbing against his skin as if finally coming out of hiding at the prospect of getting to taste their mate. Aston got closer to him, his legs having a mind of their own taking long strides towards the tiger. Aston looked up slightly into Nicolai’s dark golden gaze, his body reacting to the feeling of the lion's power slamming into him. A loud mewl resonated from within him; his tiger was ready. His power flooded from deep within his body and he had no plans of stopping it, desire completely taking over his state of mind. The two men looked into each other's eyes studying the other, Nicolai becoming captivated by his mates alluring hazel gaze once again.
Aston jumped as he noticed Nicolai reach up with a single hand, the skin of the lion's palm feeling hot to the touch on his already warm cheek. He leaned into it wanting more of that feeling his eyes start to glow from the mixing of the power within the room. A soft moan escaping his lips, his glowing hazel eyes boring once more into the radiant golden gaze beaming down back at him. Nicolai’s breath left his body at the sound of the moan, him and his lion feeling beyond aroused at the sight of Aston’s desire filled eyes. Nicolai looked upon Aston's soft pouty lips, leaning forward slowly switching his gaze to the tiger's dilated eyes, getting the final consent that he needed.
Aston watched as if it were happening in slow motion analyzing the kissable lips of his mate getting closer and closer to his own. He instinctively tilted his face for a better angle awaiting the kiss that he didn't know he had been craving, slowly closing his eyes. A heat started to pool in his stomach with anticipation for something that was unknown to him. What was this feeling?
“Aston...” Nicolai whispered as he finally closed the gap between them.
Fire.
Aston’s skin lit aflame with a heat that he had never felt before, his body suddenly pressing itself against the hard body in front of him. A whimpering moan escaped his lip as he felt Nicolai’s arm wrapped around his midsection pulling him even deeper into the fire that was the lion. The kiss was deepened, his tiger rubbing against his skin as if in heat wanting to get even closer to Nicolai’s lion. It was overwhelming. He had never felt this before, but all he knew was that he never wanted it to end; ever. He parted his lips breathing in the scent that was Nicolai, overloading his senses with the smell of vanilla. He felt a wet appendage suddenly slip past his lips, his own meeting it with a challenge to fight for dominance. This new feeling was not like the electricity he had felt before but a burning heat and need.
Nicolai was drunk. He was drunk on the sweet taste of honey that was his mate, becoming addicted with each taste of his precious mate. Aston's arm suddenly swung around his neck pulling him even tighter against the tiger, the kiss getting even wetter with the exchange of their mouths. The soft smell of roses flooded his nose as he noticed another hard appendage pressing against his leg, besides his own. The raw need to take his mate on the floor of the room crossed his mind, but the reminder that he did not want to move too fast flooded his mind as well. Other than that dangerous need, a word that could only describe his mate flooded his mind.
Perfect.
Aston struggled as he pulled away, his body still radiating with a fiery heat and his legs seeming like that did not want to respond to his requests. His breaths came out desperately as he did his best to catch it from the most amazing kiss of his life. Nicolai’s breaths matched his own as he held his mate close, filling with pride knowing that he had caused his beautiful mate to become limp.
“Oh my god” Aston huffed, looking at Nicolai’s face.
Aston’s swollen lips and red face made the lion’s heart swell, “My God is correct” Nicolai grinned.
“What are you?!” Aston breathed, still trying to regain control of his body.
“Just a lion that was made just for you” he replied.
“More like the death of me is more like it. That was...was.... I don’t even know” the tiger gasped wondering what he had gotten into.
“Hot. Sexy. Perfect. Those are a few words that come to mind” Nicolai chuckled.
“That was something” Aston gasped finally regaining his footing continuing to press himself against his mate.
Nicolai laughed out loud receiving a glare as Aston rested against his shaking body.
“I'll take that as a compliment, kitten” the lion smiled leaving Aston breathless once again.
Aston blushed at the endearment before grimacing, “Oh gods, let's just get you ready for bed before your ego gets any bigger.”
Nicolai laughed once again before agreeing and helping Aston prepare the bed so that they could rest for what was to come tomorrow. Aston mentally groaned as he remembered that was going to be meeting the remaining lionesses of Nicolai’s pride for judgment. Nicolai looked at his mate in confusion as he uttered two words before finally turning in for bed.
“Well, shit!”
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