Kelvin #5: MM Fated Mates (Tangled Tentacles), page 17
“I need them to get away.” Magnus waved his hand at the specialist teams all in their white coats. “But if I ask them to take ten minutes off, then I’m going to be branded as one of those poor souls who can’t accept the death of a family member. I’ll be ushered away, you’ll be told that I really shouldn’t be here, and…”
“That’s not how the Thalassa’s work,” Kelvin interrupted firmly. “You just helped us resolve a situation that has plagued our family for five centuries. Now let me help you.”
Magnus nodded. What else could he do? He felt drained inside – the cocktail of emotions running against the desperation he felt that he was missing something important. Maybe therapists were right. Maybe he didn’t belong at the crime scene. The fact that Kelvin had found his sister, and the other body too, was a blessing in itself. But Magnus knew he would not sleep soundly until he knew who his sister’s killer was and brought that person to justice – one way or another.
“The scene is yours.” Kelvin’s voice broke his thoughts. Stunned, Magnus turned around and sure enough, there wasn’t a white coat to be seen. “They are back at their vehicles and have been told not to return until we order them back in. I take it your lovely cat needs to come out.”
“Yes.” Yes, that’s what he needed. His leopard wasn’t one for words, but the agitation spoke volumes. Stripping out of his clothes, handing them to Kelvin, Magnus refused to look at Kelvin directly as he let his cat take over. He couldn’t help the natural instincts he had around his mate, but his sister’s makeshift graveside wasn’t the place.
Once comfortable in his fur, Magnus took the time to rub his cheeks up each side of Kelvin’s pant’s leg, and then over the free hand Kelvin held down so he could sniff and cover it in his scent. Once satisfied, Magnus turned and faced the grave area. Elsa’s body had been placed on a gurney about three feet from where the disturbed earth was. Giving himself over to instinct, the big cat padded out in a circular fashion, sniffing everywhere his nose could reach. Grass, the odd bush, the bark of a tree. Scents were the language of his kind, and while Magnus knew his sister would never have had the chance to leave him a message where her body was dumped, he still circled, around and around, taking in everything, filtering it through his senses.
It was a lot more difficult, the closer to the burial site he got. Death was such a pervasive smell – almost sweet, but dark and sickening all at the same time. The big cat had to focus though, sticking his nose in the hole where his sister’s body had been left.
Magnus let out a crooning sound, even though he knew no one but Kelvin would hear. He wasn’t going to think about platitudes people always gave out when they heard of a death. He didn’t know Elsa was in a better place. She’d been happy where she was with him – of that he was certain. But Magnus let it all go as his nose kept working.
Wait. There. Magnus scanned the same inch of dirt again. Sniffing hard, he raked the small patch of dirt with a claw and tried again. Okay, it wasn’t a smell coming from something buried deeper, which had to mean it was coming from the body that’d been removed.
I’ve got you. But Magnus had to be sure. Still in his cat form, he swung from one side to the other, covering every inch of dirt until he’d backed up to where Elsa’s body was resting, covered respectfully with a sheet.
Annoyed, Magnus batted at the sheet with a paw. He needed it gone but he didn’t want to disturb anything by pulling it off. “Let me deal with this.” Kelvin was at his side in an instant. “I take it, you want this off. Just give me a second.”
Tentacles appeared down both Kelvin’s arms, attaching to the sheet, and lifting it, creating a tent-like effect Magnus could get under. He closed his eyes. He didn’t need to see the wreck Elsa’s body had become. But his nose sniffed and catalogued every scent as he padded slowly up and down beside the body.
There it is. Just under Elsa’s shoulder, under where her armpit would’ve been. A shred of material, not more than six inches across and barely four inches down. It stunk of decay and mud, but there was another scent Magnus picked up ingrained in the fabric. The scent of a man he knew.
Magnus wished he could cry, but leopards barely made any noise at all. Very few of his kind would understand the closeness he shared with his sister. They wouldn’t have realized how important Elsa had been to him – the sunshine in his otherwise dark days of working as a Special Agent. He would never hear her laugh again, never see her smile. Now, there was only one thing left for him to do.
Backing out from under the sheet, Magnus let his cat go and his human side came forward.
“You found something,” Kelvin said, holding out his clothes, as Magnus dressed quickly.
“I need an evidence bag and a pair of sharp tweezers.” Magnus bent down to tug on his boots. “I’m not doubting your kraken’s amazing ability, but there is an additional scent on the patch of material under her left shoulder – like under her armpit. Did you want to try and pick it up, just to confirm it?”
As soon as it was said, it was done. Kelvin reached with tentacles for the bag and tweezers on one hand, his other reaching under the blanket, almost exactly where Magnus had mentioned.
“Is that a cologne?” The tentacles carrying the bag and tweezers disappeared under the sheet.
Magnus shook his head. “It’s a person. A person who probably grabbed her lifeless body and tossed her in that hole. A person Elsa and I both knew from where we lived before.”
Tentacles came out, brandishing the bag with the material swatch inside of it. Taking it, Magnus sniffed into the bag once more to double check. “It’s definitely him.” He held the bag out to Kelvin. “Do you need to reinforce the scent for yourself? This is not exactly a scent free zone right now.”
“My kraken and I will just need two minutes. Excuse me.”
His hand resting on the gurney, Magnus watched as Kelvin strode into the edge of the tree line, his tentacles already waving in anticipation. Kelvin always looked so put together – his suit jacket over a t-shirt would look weird on anyone else, but Kelvin walked with such purpose, such confidence, no one would ever question his clothing choices, or anything else. Kneeling down, Kelvin tilted his face to the sun as his tentacles scrabbled through the dirt.
I’m going to have to quit my job. The realization came like a brick in the gut. It had such an impact, Kelvin looked over in concern, and Magnus quickly smiled to show all was fine. But watching Kelvin do his thing, the one thing all krakens could do, Magnus realized if he stayed in his work, he would end up taking advantage of Kelvin over time, and no mating worked well on that basis.
Yes, Kelvin was helping him right now, but this case was personal for Magnus. As much as he’d love to save every missing person, or cold case that filled the file vaults of precincts and law enforcement agencies all over the country, that would not be fair on his mate. And Magnus would not do that. His mate was an accountant. He was brilliant with figures, and Magnus would find a niche for himself at the Thalassa company, he was sure of it. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll have children too.
Kelvin stood up, brushing the dirt and weed debris off his tentacles as they retracted. “I’ve got him,” he said coming over and plucking his jacket off a steel cabinet. “Not far away, maybe an hour’s drive at most. Shall we get this finished today?”
Looking down at the remains of his sister, Magnus swallowed the lump in his throat. Then he raised his head, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on his brow and the brush of a breeze against his skin. Elsa. The idea made him smile. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Thirty
Kelvin
After the last few days, it had been an anticlimax to find the guy who had been Magnus’s old neighbor, was responsible for her death. When they’d knocked on the door, the man had taken one look at Magnus and crumbled faster than a stale cookie. Fuck, he’d whined like a baby, giving up everyone involved in the local franchise that sold shifters.
It made no difference they’d shut down another vile ring of assholes, not when Magnus’s anger and grief were all Kelvin could feel. The one bright part had been seeing the young cat shifter the fucker had in his cellar rescued and returned to her family. That at least had brought the glimmer of a smile to his mate’s face, if only briefly.
Kelvin eyed the computer he’d plonked himself in front of an hour ago in the hopes of doing some work. He eyed the blank screen with disgust and gave up trying to pretend he was able to focus on work.
“Go on, you’re useless like this.” Todd didn’t look up from his computer, his fingers flying over the keys. “Magnus doesn’t need space, he needs you.”
“When did you get to be so smart?”
He chuckled, pushed up his glasses as he faced Kelvin. “I’ve always been the smart one.” He pointed to the door. “Get. Your mate needs some tentacle love.”
“Please, I do not need you thinking about me and my mate like that!”
“I’m not. Remember I’ve got two dragons that are more than willing to─”
Kelvin slapped a tentacle over Todd’s mouth. “I’m going, if only to stop you talking about stuff a brother does not want to know.”
Todd’s brows arched, his eyes dancing with amusement. That isn’t going to stop me talking.
Shut up. Kelvin got up and furled back his tentacles. “Thank you for giving me a push.”
He raised his hand in a salute. “Anytime. This crap isn’t going anywhere, and we can work on it once you’re happier that Magnus is doing okay.” Todd’s expression turned serious. “Has he mentioned taking up Alexi’s offer to work for us?”
Kelvin nodded. “He’s up in our apartment working on his letter of resignation. His boss was not in the least bit sympathetic towards him. He’s better out of there. But I want this to be a choice he wants and not just because we happen to be mates. I’d go with him anywhere.” Kelvin spoke the truth. Todd had always been his confidant.
Todd sat back in his seat giving him his full attention. “I’ll miss you if you leave, but I’m with you. It has to be something you both want. So, it’s time to man up, brother, and ask him.”
With those words ringing in his ears, Kelvin went up to the apartment only to find it empty. Where are you?
In the pool.
A smile slid over Kelvin’s face, lighting his eyes with mischief. Perfect, I’m coming down stay there.
Eyeing his suit, Kelvin headed to the bedroom and stripped off, slipping on a robe. Then he went in search of his mate.
When he entered the pool room, he made sure to use the lock code he had that would prevent anyone interrupting them. His mate was naked, sitting on the edge of the pool.
Slipping off his robe he threw it on the sofa on top of Magnus’s clothes. Kelvin padded barefoot and naked to Magnus whose gaze was on his semi-hard cock. “You see something you like?” Flirting had never been his thing, but he was willing to give it a go.
Cat’s eyes flashed at him, and Kelvin shivered in anticipation at the devilish grin that followed Magnus licking his lips. “Yes.” He patted the side of the pool, but Kelvin had other ideas, as did his kraken.
Kelvin ran and leapt in the air, his shift as easy as breathing. His tentacles snagged hold of a shocked looking Magnus as they wrapped securely around him. Bringing him up off the side of the pool to fly through the air with him.
The splash as they hit the water was minimal. His kraken dove to the bottom of the pool and Kelvin immediately sensed his kraken’s intention. Magnus shifted and his cat butted his head against the tentacles he could reach.
So beautiful, the kraken crooned, his thought fully in tune with his animal.
It took mere moments to locate the treasure and they surfaced a minute later. There, in the large tentacle, was a bloodstone pendant, one that Kelvin’s kraken had been keeping safe for more than seven centuries. The pendant was designed so that it would sit in the center of the wearer’s chest, right against the heart. The heart that belonged to the kraken.
Bloodstone, though not the most expensive stone, held power and helped the wearer accept change, while keeping them grounded. For Magnus it would represent what Kelvin and his kraken were offering, protection and love.
Kelvin shifted at the same time as Magnus, his mate stared at the hand that held the pendant. “Will you be mine? My beginning, my middle and my end?”
The shuddery breath Magnus released hit Kelvin’s chest as he bobbed in the water before Magnus lowered his head. Slipping the chain so it hung around his neck, Kelvin’s skin prickled with awareness.
When Magnus lifted his head Kelvin was already reaching for him. Arms wrapped around his neck and his mouth was taken in a hungry kiss. Kicking his legs Kelvin propelled them to the side of the pool. Pressing Magnus against the side, his hands slid over wet skin. The groan vibrated against his tongue as it swept into Magnus’s mouth. The hunger growing with each touch. The pendant rubbed against his skin as Magnus clasped them together. His legs tangling with Kelvin’s. His hot and heavy cock rubbed against Kelvin’s.
They groaned and moaned together, the water splashing around them as they sank in the water. They twirled and danced both fighting for dominance until Magnus gave in, going pliant in his arms.
Want you so badly.
The chuckle was all in Kelvin’s head. You have me.
Using his tentacles to prepare Magnus, his mate undulated, pushing back and forth into Kelvin’s touch until Kelvin couldn’t think about anything other than Magnus impaled on his cock.
He propelled them up through the water and twirled Magnus until he was facing the edge of the pool. “Hold on,” Kelvin growled impatiently.
Magnus tilted his ass back at him in invitation looking over his shoulder, the light in his eyes was all challenge. “Show me what you got kraken of mine.”
Not needing a second invite. Kelvin caged Magnus in against the wall, his body pressed fully against Magnus’s. He parted his legs and inch by inch, Kelvin pushed into the hot, tight channel.
Magnus gasped and groaned, his head coming back to rest on Kelvin’s shoulder once he was fully seated inside his convulsing channel. “Fuck, feels so good.”
Kelvin used one hand to hold on to the wall and the other slid down to Magnus’s cock. The hard, silky flesh pulsed as he squeezed in time to his slow thrusts. Time slipped away as he slowly made love to his mate until he was begging for more.
“Stop teasing me, fuck me.”
Kelvin withdrew, then thrust in hard and fast his hand mimicking the motion of his cock. “This what you want?” he panted, his cock clasped so tight he got spots in front of his eyes.
Magnus cried out, “Yes, fuck… more.”
The water sprayed up around them as Kelvin gave his mate everything he wanted. The powerful thrusts caused water to blind and drip down Kelvin’s face, but he never stopped, not when his mate begged for more.
The buzzing in the base of his cock became too much and Kelvin struggled to stop the orgasm from barreling through him. “Come,” he demanded, his hand stroking faster as Magnus’s body writhed against his.
Pain, that was more pleasure, came as his cock was crushed in Magnus’s channel, his ass milking him for all he was worth. His hips stuttered along with his breathing when his mate gave a strangled cry and buried his face in Kelvin’s neck and bit hard. Hot spurts of come covered Kelvin’s fist before floating away. His own come pulsed deep in his mate with each draw on his blood cementing their bond further.
When their bodies finally relented enough that Kelvin could drag Magnus out of the pool, the sofa was as far as his legs could get them. He had just enough foresight to drop the clothes and robe to the floor before collapsing down, pulling Magnus onto his chest.
They lay there, their breathing evening out several minutes later.
“That showed me,” Magnus said chuckling.
He shifted a little, the pendant rubbing against Kelvin’s drying skin, once more tingling from the sensation. Clasping his hands on Magnus’s back. “You did challenge me.”
Magnus lifted his head meeting his stare. “I did and you can do that any time you like.” He reached for the pendant and ran the stone through his fingers, his expression not one Kelvin could read. “I handed in my resignation. They almost snatched my hand off with the speed of the return email. Do you think your brother will still be serious about the job after my boss does my reference?” His attempt at humor failed miserably.
“First off, the work you’ve done is reference enough. Alexi might be a dick at times, but he was never stupid. You are an asset regardless of the fact you are my mate. We’d want you working for us. But can I ask, is this what you want? I’ll go─”
“It is what I want. You. This. All of it. I want it.” The kiss was slow and deep as if he was kissing Kelvin for the first time. When he eased back Kelvin’s heart was ready to burst with emotions. “You are all I need. The rest is icing on a very nice cake.”
Kelvin grinned widely. “Now that you mention cake, I’m hungry. Shall we go see if there is any food around?”
Magnus threw his head back laughing loudly when he recovered enough to speak, his eyes were glittering with happiness. “I’m sure we can figure out how to feed you.” He winked and rolled off Kelvin before offering his hand. “I can’t have you in a weakened state… for later, now, can I?”
Kelvin scrambled up, his body already on board with what his mate was implying. He grabbed his robe and threw clothes at Magnus. “Dress, food, then me as dessert!”
He raced to the pool door, his mate’s laughter following him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Magnus
“This is one of the last places I wanted to be today,” Magnus grumbled, sitting his sunglasses more securely on his nose. They were sitting in Kelvin’s car, outside of the FBI office. A place Magnus used to consider a second home, he spent so much time there, but today he didn’t want to get out of the car. “And I wouldn’t inflict the politics of this place on you ever. Honestly, the place runs on a mix of frat house, and the ‘good old boys’ mentality. How anything actually gets done…”
“That’s not how the Thalassa’s work,” Kelvin interrupted firmly. “You just helped us resolve a situation that has plagued our family for five centuries. Now let me help you.”
Magnus nodded. What else could he do? He felt drained inside – the cocktail of emotions running against the desperation he felt that he was missing something important. Maybe therapists were right. Maybe he didn’t belong at the crime scene. The fact that Kelvin had found his sister, and the other body too, was a blessing in itself. But Magnus knew he would not sleep soundly until he knew who his sister’s killer was and brought that person to justice – one way or another.
“The scene is yours.” Kelvin’s voice broke his thoughts. Stunned, Magnus turned around and sure enough, there wasn’t a white coat to be seen. “They are back at their vehicles and have been told not to return until we order them back in. I take it your lovely cat needs to come out.”
“Yes.” Yes, that’s what he needed. His leopard wasn’t one for words, but the agitation spoke volumes. Stripping out of his clothes, handing them to Kelvin, Magnus refused to look at Kelvin directly as he let his cat take over. He couldn’t help the natural instincts he had around his mate, but his sister’s makeshift graveside wasn’t the place.
Once comfortable in his fur, Magnus took the time to rub his cheeks up each side of Kelvin’s pant’s leg, and then over the free hand Kelvin held down so he could sniff and cover it in his scent. Once satisfied, Magnus turned and faced the grave area. Elsa’s body had been placed on a gurney about three feet from where the disturbed earth was. Giving himself over to instinct, the big cat padded out in a circular fashion, sniffing everywhere his nose could reach. Grass, the odd bush, the bark of a tree. Scents were the language of his kind, and while Magnus knew his sister would never have had the chance to leave him a message where her body was dumped, he still circled, around and around, taking in everything, filtering it through his senses.
It was a lot more difficult, the closer to the burial site he got. Death was such a pervasive smell – almost sweet, but dark and sickening all at the same time. The big cat had to focus though, sticking his nose in the hole where his sister’s body had been left.
Magnus let out a crooning sound, even though he knew no one but Kelvin would hear. He wasn’t going to think about platitudes people always gave out when they heard of a death. He didn’t know Elsa was in a better place. She’d been happy where she was with him – of that he was certain. But Magnus let it all go as his nose kept working.
Wait. There. Magnus scanned the same inch of dirt again. Sniffing hard, he raked the small patch of dirt with a claw and tried again. Okay, it wasn’t a smell coming from something buried deeper, which had to mean it was coming from the body that’d been removed.
I’ve got you. But Magnus had to be sure. Still in his cat form, he swung from one side to the other, covering every inch of dirt until he’d backed up to where Elsa’s body was resting, covered respectfully with a sheet.
Annoyed, Magnus batted at the sheet with a paw. He needed it gone but he didn’t want to disturb anything by pulling it off. “Let me deal with this.” Kelvin was at his side in an instant. “I take it, you want this off. Just give me a second.”
Tentacles appeared down both Kelvin’s arms, attaching to the sheet, and lifting it, creating a tent-like effect Magnus could get under. He closed his eyes. He didn’t need to see the wreck Elsa’s body had become. But his nose sniffed and catalogued every scent as he padded slowly up and down beside the body.
There it is. Just under Elsa’s shoulder, under where her armpit would’ve been. A shred of material, not more than six inches across and barely four inches down. It stunk of decay and mud, but there was another scent Magnus picked up ingrained in the fabric. The scent of a man he knew.
Magnus wished he could cry, but leopards barely made any noise at all. Very few of his kind would understand the closeness he shared with his sister. They wouldn’t have realized how important Elsa had been to him – the sunshine in his otherwise dark days of working as a Special Agent. He would never hear her laugh again, never see her smile. Now, there was only one thing left for him to do.
Backing out from under the sheet, Magnus let his cat go and his human side came forward.
“You found something,” Kelvin said, holding out his clothes, as Magnus dressed quickly.
“I need an evidence bag and a pair of sharp tweezers.” Magnus bent down to tug on his boots. “I’m not doubting your kraken’s amazing ability, but there is an additional scent on the patch of material under her left shoulder – like under her armpit. Did you want to try and pick it up, just to confirm it?”
As soon as it was said, it was done. Kelvin reached with tentacles for the bag and tweezers on one hand, his other reaching under the blanket, almost exactly where Magnus had mentioned.
“Is that a cologne?” The tentacles carrying the bag and tweezers disappeared under the sheet.
Magnus shook his head. “It’s a person. A person who probably grabbed her lifeless body and tossed her in that hole. A person Elsa and I both knew from where we lived before.”
Tentacles came out, brandishing the bag with the material swatch inside of it. Taking it, Magnus sniffed into the bag once more to double check. “It’s definitely him.” He held the bag out to Kelvin. “Do you need to reinforce the scent for yourself? This is not exactly a scent free zone right now.”
“My kraken and I will just need two minutes. Excuse me.”
His hand resting on the gurney, Magnus watched as Kelvin strode into the edge of the tree line, his tentacles already waving in anticipation. Kelvin always looked so put together – his suit jacket over a t-shirt would look weird on anyone else, but Kelvin walked with such purpose, such confidence, no one would ever question his clothing choices, or anything else. Kneeling down, Kelvin tilted his face to the sun as his tentacles scrabbled through the dirt.
I’m going to have to quit my job. The realization came like a brick in the gut. It had such an impact, Kelvin looked over in concern, and Magnus quickly smiled to show all was fine. But watching Kelvin do his thing, the one thing all krakens could do, Magnus realized if he stayed in his work, he would end up taking advantage of Kelvin over time, and no mating worked well on that basis.
Yes, Kelvin was helping him right now, but this case was personal for Magnus. As much as he’d love to save every missing person, or cold case that filled the file vaults of precincts and law enforcement agencies all over the country, that would not be fair on his mate. And Magnus would not do that. His mate was an accountant. He was brilliant with figures, and Magnus would find a niche for himself at the Thalassa company, he was sure of it. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll have children too.
Kelvin stood up, brushing the dirt and weed debris off his tentacles as they retracted. “I’ve got him,” he said coming over and plucking his jacket off a steel cabinet. “Not far away, maybe an hour’s drive at most. Shall we get this finished today?”
Looking down at the remains of his sister, Magnus swallowed the lump in his throat. Then he raised his head, feeling the warmth of the sunlight on his brow and the brush of a breeze against his skin. Elsa. The idea made him smile. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Thirty
Kelvin
After the last few days, it had been an anticlimax to find the guy who had been Magnus’s old neighbor, was responsible for her death. When they’d knocked on the door, the man had taken one look at Magnus and crumbled faster than a stale cookie. Fuck, he’d whined like a baby, giving up everyone involved in the local franchise that sold shifters.
It made no difference they’d shut down another vile ring of assholes, not when Magnus’s anger and grief were all Kelvin could feel. The one bright part had been seeing the young cat shifter the fucker had in his cellar rescued and returned to her family. That at least had brought the glimmer of a smile to his mate’s face, if only briefly.
Kelvin eyed the computer he’d plonked himself in front of an hour ago in the hopes of doing some work. He eyed the blank screen with disgust and gave up trying to pretend he was able to focus on work.
“Go on, you’re useless like this.” Todd didn’t look up from his computer, his fingers flying over the keys. “Magnus doesn’t need space, he needs you.”
“When did you get to be so smart?”
He chuckled, pushed up his glasses as he faced Kelvin. “I’ve always been the smart one.” He pointed to the door. “Get. Your mate needs some tentacle love.”
“Please, I do not need you thinking about me and my mate like that!”
“I’m not. Remember I’ve got two dragons that are more than willing to─”
Kelvin slapped a tentacle over Todd’s mouth. “I’m going, if only to stop you talking about stuff a brother does not want to know.”
Todd’s brows arched, his eyes dancing with amusement. That isn’t going to stop me talking.
Shut up. Kelvin got up and furled back his tentacles. “Thank you for giving me a push.”
He raised his hand in a salute. “Anytime. This crap isn’t going anywhere, and we can work on it once you’re happier that Magnus is doing okay.” Todd’s expression turned serious. “Has he mentioned taking up Alexi’s offer to work for us?”
Kelvin nodded. “He’s up in our apartment working on his letter of resignation. His boss was not in the least bit sympathetic towards him. He’s better out of there. But I want this to be a choice he wants and not just because we happen to be mates. I’d go with him anywhere.” Kelvin spoke the truth. Todd had always been his confidant.
Todd sat back in his seat giving him his full attention. “I’ll miss you if you leave, but I’m with you. It has to be something you both want. So, it’s time to man up, brother, and ask him.”
With those words ringing in his ears, Kelvin went up to the apartment only to find it empty. Where are you?
In the pool.
A smile slid over Kelvin’s face, lighting his eyes with mischief. Perfect, I’m coming down stay there.
Eyeing his suit, Kelvin headed to the bedroom and stripped off, slipping on a robe. Then he went in search of his mate.
When he entered the pool room, he made sure to use the lock code he had that would prevent anyone interrupting them. His mate was naked, sitting on the edge of the pool.
Slipping off his robe he threw it on the sofa on top of Magnus’s clothes. Kelvin padded barefoot and naked to Magnus whose gaze was on his semi-hard cock. “You see something you like?” Flirting had never been his thing, but he was willing to give it a go.
Cat’s eyes flashed at him, and Kelvin shivered in anticipation at the devilish grin that followed Magnus licking his lips. “Yes.” He patted the side of the pool, but Kelvin had other ideas, as did his kraken.
Kelvin ran and leapt in the air, his shift as easy as breathing. His tentacles snagged hold of a shocked looking Magnus as they wrapped securely around him. Bringing him up off the side of the pool to fly through the air with him.
The splash as they hit the water was minimal. His kraken dove to the bottom of the pool and Kelvin immediately sensed his kraken’s intention. Magnus shifted and his cat butted his head against the tentacles he could reach.
So beautiful, the kraken crooned, his thought fully in tune with his animal.
It took mere moments to locate the treasure and they surfaced a minute later. There, in the large tentacle, was a bloodstone pendant, one that Kelvin’s kraken had been keeping safe for more than seven centuries. The pendant was designed so that it would sit in the center of the wearer’s chest, right against the heart. The heart that belonged to the kraken.
Bloodstone, though not the most expensive stone, held power and helped the wearer accept change, while keeping them grounded. For Magnus it would represent what Kelvin and his kraken were offering, protection and love.
Kelvin shifted at the same time as Magnus, his mate stared at the hand that held the pendant. “Will you be mine? My beginning, my middle and my end?”
The shuddery breath Magnus released hit Kelvin’s chest as he bobbed in the water before Magnus lowered his head. Slipping the chain so it hung around his neck, Kelvin’s skin prickled with awareness.
When Magnus lifted his head Kelvin was already reaching for him. Arms wrapped around his neck and his mouth was taken in a hungry kiss. Kicking his legs Kelvin propelled them to the side of the pool. Pressing Magnus against the side, his hands slid over wet skin. The groan vibrated against his tongue as it swept into Magnus’s mouth. The hunger growing with each touch. The pendant rubbed against his skin as Magnus clasped them together. His legs tangling with Kelvin’s. His hot and heavy cock rubbed against Kelvin’s.
They groaned and moaned together, the water splashing around them as they sank in the water. They twirled and danced both fighting for dominance until Magnus gave in, going pliant in his arms.
Want you so badly.
The chuckle was all in Kelvin’s head. You have me.
Using his tentacles to prepare Magnus, his mate undulated, pushing back and forth into Kelvin’s touch until Kelvin couldn’t think about anything other than Magnus impaled on his cock.
He propelled them up through the water and twirled Magnus until he was facing the edge of the pool. “Hold on,” Kelvin growled impatiently.
Magnus tilted his ass back at him in invitation looking over his shoulder, the light in his eyes was all challenge. “Show me what you got kraken of mine.”
Not needing a second invite. Kelvin caged Magnus in against the wall, his body pressed fully against Magnus’s. He parted his legs and inch by inch, Kelvin pushed into the hot, tight channel.
Magnus gasped and groaned, his head coming back to rest on Kelvin’s shoulder once he was fully seated inside his convulsing channel. “Fuck, feels so good.”
Kelvin used one hand to hold on to the wall and the other slid down to Magnus’s cock. The hard, silky flesh pulsed as he squeezed in time to his slow thrusts. Time slipped away as he slowly made love to his mate until he was begging for more.
“Stop teasing me, fuck me.”
Kelvin withdrew, then thrust in hard and fast his hand mimicking the motion of his cock. “This what you want?” he panted, his cock clasped so tight he got spots in front of his eyes.
Magnus cried out, “Yes, fuck… more.”
The water sprayed up around them as Kelvin gave his mate everything he wanted. The powerful thrusts caused water to blind and drip down Kelvin’s face, but he never stopped, not when his mate begged for more.
The buzzing in the base of his cock became too much and Kelvin struggled to stop the orgasm from barreling through him. “Come,” he demanded, his hand stroking faster as Magnus’s body writhed against his.
Pain, that was more pleasure, came as his cock was crushed in Magnus’s channel, his ass milking him for all he was worth. His hips stuttered along with his breathing when his mate gave a strangled cry and buried his face in Kelvin’s neck and bit hard. Hot spurts of come covered Kelvin’s fist before floating away. His own come pulsed deep in his mate with each draw on his blood cementing their bond further.
When their bodies finally relented enough that Kelvin could drag Magnus out of the pool, the sofa was as far as his legs could get them. He had just enough foresight to drop the clothes and robe to the floor before collapsing down, pulling Magnus onto his chest.
They lay there, their breathing evening out several minutes later.
“That showed me,” Magnus said chuckling.
He shifted a little, the pendant rubbing against Kelvin’s drying skin, once more tingling from the sensation. Clasping his hands on Magnus’s back. “You did challenge me.”
Magnus lifted his head meeting his stare. “I did and you can do that any time you like.” He reached for the pendant and ran the stone through his fingers, his expression not one Kelvin could read. “I handed in my resignation. They almost snatched my hand off with the speed of the return email. Do you think your brother will still be serious about the job after my boss does my reference?” His attempt at humor failed miserably.
“First off, the work you’ve done is reference enough. Alexi might be a dick at times, but he was never stupid. You are an asset regardless of the fact you are my mate. We’d want you working for us. But can I ask, is this what you want? I’ll go─”
“It is what I want. You. This. All of it. I want it.” The kiss was slow and deep as if he was kissing Kelvin for the first time. When he eased back Kelvin’s heart was ready to burst with emotions. “You are all I need. The rest is icing on a very nice cake.”
Kelvin grinned widely. “Now that you mention cake, I’m hungry. Shall we go see if there is any food around?”
Magnus threw his head back laughing loudly when he recovered enough to speak, his eyes were glittering with happiness. “I’m sure we can figure out how to feed you.” He winked and rolled off Kelvin before offering his hand. “I can’t have you in a weakened state… for later, now, can I?”
Kelvin scrambled up, his body already on board with what his mate was implying. He grabbed his robe and threw clothes at Magnus. “Dress, food, then me as dessert!”
He raced to the pool door, his mate’s laughter following him.
Chapter Thirty-One
Magnus
“This is one of the last places I wanted to be today,” Magnus grumbled, sitting his sunglasses more securely on his nose. They were sitting in Kelvin’s car, outside of the FBI office. A place Magnus used to consider a second home, he spent so much time there, but today he didn’t want to get out of the car. “And I wouldn’t inflict the politics of this place on you ever. Honestly, the place runs on a mix of frat house, and the ‘good old boys’ mentality. How anything actually gets done…”
