grown-ups call him?”
“The cook called him Bastard.”
Aslan suppressed a snort and looked away quickly so that Wren wouldn’t see his smile. Bannon wasn’t quiet as successful at hiding his humor, however, as he chuckled quietly. He looked absolutely smitten with the child—just like everyone else who’d met him.
“How about something else?” Torren asked, obviously trying not to laugh as well. “And you shouldn’t say that word.”
“’Cause it’s a bad word?” Torren nodded, and Wren did as well.
“Some people called him Mr. Reeves.”
“That’s good,” Torren praised the boy. “I’m very proud of you for remembering that.”
Wren’s sweet face lit up in a huge grin. “Can I stay now? Please, please, pretty please?”
Torren chuckled and kissed him on the forehead. “I’m not going to let anyone ever hurt you again. You got that?” Nodding rapidly and still grinning from ear to ear, Wren threw his arms around Torren’s neck and hugged his fiercely. “Thank you, Torren. I love you.”
Torren looked surprised but recovered quickly, holding Wren close and resting his cheek on the top of his head. “I love you, too, little man.”
Just like that, Aslan was a bawling, blubbering mess all over again. It really wasn’t his fault, though. In that moment, watching the man he loved comforting the little boy in his arms, Aslan saw his entire future laid out in front of him, and he wanted it so much that he ached with it.
“You can never have that. Your mate will tire of you soon and cast you aside like the others. Come back to us. We’re the only ones who truly care about you.”
It had been several days since he’d heard the snide, calculating voice. With his heart overflowing with love, it was almost too easy to tune the little cocksucker out, though.
“You’re wrong,” he said silently. “I have everything I need right here.”
“Why is everyone crying?” Raith asked as he walked back into the room with a small carton of chocolate milk in his hand.
“Who’s crying?” Galen’s voice cracked, and he wiped at his eyes again.
“Are you still mad?” Wren asked, refusing to relinquish his hold on Torren. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.” Raith smiled and shook his head. “You didn’t make me mad, little dude. Look, I brought you some chocolate milk.” He held it up and winked. “So, am I forgiven?”
Wren wiggled until Torren passed him over to Raith. “Yes, now gimme.”
Raith chuckled, but Aslan frowned. “What do you say?”
“Umm, gimme, please?”
Aslan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Close enough. Raith, make sure he eats something with that.”
“I’ll race you for the last ice-cream bar.” Wren squealed and darted out of the room once he was on his feet, Raith hot on his heels.
“That’s not what I meant!” Aslan yelled after them. He huffed and threw his hands in the air. “I give up.” Torren wrapped him up in his arms and spun him around in a circle. “Stop worrying so much, caro. We’ll make sure they eat their vegetables and brush their teeth before bedtime.”
“You are an idiot.” Aslan was laughing as he pressed his mouth to Torren’s, though. “I love you, too, you know.”
“Mmm,” Torren purred. “How much?”
“Take me to bed and I’ll show you.”
Chapter Ten
After a quick check to be sure that their guests would keep an eye on Wren, Torren tossed Aslan over his shoulder and raced down the hall toward their suite. Reaching up, he swatted his little mate on his upturned bottom. “What are you giggling about?”
“Impatient much?”
“I’ve been thinking about sinking my cock into your tight ass all day. What do you think?” It wasn’t a lie. He’d been sporting a semi since he woke up that morning, walking around on autopilot and debating just blowing the whole day off and taking Aslan to bed. He still needed to meet with Bannon, but he had a couple of hours yet, and he intended to make every single minute
“The cook called him Bastard.”
Aslan suppressed a snort and looked away quickly so that Wren wouldn’t see his smile. Bannon wasn’t quiet as successful at hiding his humor, however, as he chuckled quietly. He looked absolutely smitten with the child—just like everyone else who’d met him.
“How about something else?” Torren asked, obviously trying not to laugh as well. “And you shouldn’t say that word.”
“’Cause it’s a bad word?” Torren nodded, and Wren did as well.
“Some people called him Mr. Reeves.”
“That’s good,” Torren praised the boy. “I’m very proud of you for remembering that.”
Wren’s sweet face lit up in a huge grin. “Can I stay now? Please, please, pretty please?”
Torren chuckled and kissed him on the forehead. “I’m not going to let anyone ever hurt you again. You got that?” Nodding rapidly and still grinning from ear to ear, Wren threw his arms around Torren’s neck and hugged his fiercely. “Thank you, Torren. I love you.”
Torren looked surprised but recovered quickly, holding Wren close and resting his cheek on the top of his head. “I love you, too, little man.”
Just like that, Aslan was a bawling, blubbering mess all over again. It really wasn’t his fault, though. In that moment, watching the man he loved comforting the little boy in his arms, Aslan saw his entire future laid out in front of him, and he wanted it so much that he ached with it.
“You can never have that. Your mate will tire of you soon and cast you aside like the others. Come back to us. We’re the only ones who truly care about you.”
It had been several days since he’d heard the snide, calculating voice. With his heart overflowing with love, it was almost too easy to tune the little cocksucker out, though.
“You’re wrong,” he said silently. “I have everything I need right here.”
“Why is everyone crying?” Raith asked as he walked back into the room with a small carton of chocolate milk in his hand.
“Who’s crying?” Galen’s voice cracked, and he wiped at his eyes again.
“Are you still mad?” Wren asked, refusing to relinquish his hold on Torren. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.” Raith smiled and shook his head. “You didn’t make me mad, little dude. Look, I brought you some chocolate milk.” He held it up and winked. “So, am I forgiven?”
Wren wiggled until Torren passed him over to Raith. “Yes, now gimme.”
Raith chuckled, but Aslan frowned. “What do you say?”
“Umm, gimme, please?”
Aslan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Close enough. Raith, make sure he eats something with that.”
“I’ll race you for the last ice-cream bar.” Wren squealed and darted out of the room once he was on his feet, Raith hot on his heels.
“That’s not what I meant!” Aslan yelled after them. He huffed and threw his hands in the air. “I give up.” Torren wrapped him up in his arms and spun him around in a circle. “Stop worrying so much, caro. We’ll make sure they eat their vegetables and brush their teeth before bedtime.”
“You are an idiot.” Aslan was laughing as he pressed his mouth to Torren’s, though. “I love you, too, you know.”
“Mmm,” Torren purred. “How much?”
“Take me to bed and I’ll show you.”
Chapter Ten
After a quick check to be sure that their guests would keep an eye on Wren, Torren tossed Aslan over his shoulder and raced down the hall toward their suite. Reaching up, he swatted his little mate on his upturned bottom. “What are you giggling about?”
“Impatient much?”
“I’ve been thinking about sinking my cock into your tight ass all day. What do you think?” It wasn’t a lie. He’d been sporting a semi since he woke up that morning, walking around on autopilot and debating just blowing the whole day off and taking Aslan to bed. He still needed to meet with Bannon, but he had a couple of hours yet, and he intended to make every single minute
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