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Harry was going crazy. He had tried to distract himself with school, and when that didn’t work, business—that had kept him busy for a little while. More and more supernatural families were setting up homes in Greysfield. That meant more paper work to be filled, and more Heads to meet with. Under his guidance, every meeting had gone without a hitch. His mum was in Cuba working with some new healers, and Gemma was on the school board, working on making allowances on the new inflow of students. And Harry and Liam and Niall were keeping the peace.

It helped to have Thomas and Lydia around—He had merged beautifully with Ashton’s pack, and as a Panther he was a great asset. His influence seemed to cover more area than Beacon Hills, spreading into New Mexico, and outer pack relations had never been stronger. Lydia herself was hardworking, and better yet, stubborn. She was a beta, but she worked like an Alpha. In the space of a week, she took control of the other banshees in the school—Leigh and Perrie and Jesy and Jade—and had headed the creation of a security detail that was airtight. She had so many tricks up her sleeve—her banshee was stronger than most had seen, and she had been the one to help Thomas develop his magical ability while they had been in Beacon.

Harry had been kept very busy—however. As he had feared, he hadn’t been able to take his mind off his fertile. He felt their bond every second, weak but overwhelming all the same. He ached to touch his fertile, to feel the bond ignite and spread under his palms. Louis had started to wear the clothes Harry bought for him, and Harry was losing control fast. Not only did his actions mean an acceptance of the courtship—Louis’ body in those clothes. Everybody in the school had to know what he was now. He was so small, so gorgeous, androgynous bordering on feminine. His features were almost delicate—his ice blue eyes and the dip of his waist, and his small, careful hands.

He was sin itself—the clothes he wore, the clothes Harry bought him, pulled tight over his body in ways that seemed indecent. Harry would find himself lost in the bulge of his thighs underneath his denims, and the soft peek of his tummy when he wore crop tops. His arms were strong, Harry could see that. He was all lean muscle and soft curves, and Harry wasn’t sure how he could be the perfect embodiment of both things at the same time. Harry could wax fucking poetic about the flutter of his eyelashes.

Somebody knocked on his study door.

“Come in” He winced at the roughness of his voice and took a sip from his now warm coffee. The door opened and his keeper of the manor, Paul, poked his head in. Harry smelled him before Paul could announce him. Harry sat up straighter in his seat, sure his senses were shutting down, and Paul smirked and opened the door wider for Louis to walk in.

Louis flounced his way over to Harry, holding what looked like a goldfish bowl filled with sticky blue popcorn.

“Harold” He grinned, plopping down heavily unto his desk. He was sitting on some documents that Harry needed to approve. And some math homework. Harry looked at him. He was fairly sure he was in love. The thought was upsetting but not uncomfortably so—he had hoped to touch Louis’ ass at least once before he had to deal with the love thing.

“Louis” He answered, raising an eyebrow. Louis dug his hand into the bowl, pulling out a fistful of caramel corn. Harry was disgusted and so hard he was shaking. Louis let the popcorn drop into his mouth, one at a time, and when that was done; he stuck out his little pink tongue and began to lick. He licked fat strokes over the palm of his hand, and then sucked each finger into his mouth, pulling them out with an audible pop. He didn’t look at Harry, but he didn’t have to—he knew he had Harry’s attention.

Harry rolled his eyes as Louis’ hand hovered over the bowl once more, and reach out to grab his wrist. His fingers curled back around themselves and a vein popped in his eye—probably. Louis was looking at him now. His mouth was open, like he was shocked. There was a drop of caramel stuck on the side of his mouth. Harry wanted to lick it off. He brought a thumb out instead, collecting the mess on his finger before bringing it to Louis. His tongue came out again, but his eyes were glazed over like he didn’t know what he was doing and he didn’t so Harry brought his thumb back, wiping it on his jeans. He played with the idea of letting Louis drop for just a second more, caught up in his slack mouth and dark blue eyes, but he pulled him across the table instead, pushing the cold coffee aside and settling him into his lap. Louis nuzzled into him and he leaned down, closing his eyes and just smelling.

And then he let the chord snap.

Louis gasped a mouthful of air and clung to him, shivering.

“What the fuck”

Harry could have cried—He wanted to act like this was a one off, that Louis was the blushing virgin with the virtuous mouth. But. The fuck was too smooth, too natural. His mate was filthy and he couldn’t do anything but cuddle him. And he fucking liked cuddling him too.

“Sub drop” He said. Louis opened his mouth, wide eyed and pink cheeked. Harry rolled his eyes again. Fucking drama queen. “I know you know what that means, so I won’t bother telling you about it. Something tells me you’ve done your research.”

Louis dropped his innocent act and grinned.

He’s a manipulative little minx isn’t he?

“That something would be right” He pulled his hand from Harry’s grip and placed both on Harry’s chest. “Something tells me that you know why I’m here”

“That something would be right” He repeated. He pulled Louis closer. He was straddling him now, playing with the necklaces lying under his shirt, brushing against his skin a little bit. He nipped at Louis’ bottom lip—once to hear him gasp, a second time with a flick of his tongue, just to taste; and a third time to watch the blood beneath his lip bloom bright red. “I felt you tugging at the bond. You were trying to track me” It wasn’t a question—Louis nodded anyway. “It didn’t work” Louis nodded again “And now” His hands roamed down to Louis’ ass, feeling the heavy give of it, kneading it until Louis was purring. He sought out the warm strip of skin between his jeans and his top with his fingers and started drawing slow circles. “You want me to touch you just enough to strengthen the bond a little”

“It’s a mutually beneficial situation isn’t it?” Louis was playing at being snarky, but his voice wavered with every rotation of his fingertips. Harry felt his fertiles thighs tense as he tried to stop himself from shaking. “I liked your gifts”

He was moving his hips in slow circles, nibbling on his lower lip like he had the right to. He looked up at Harry through his eyelashes, with those blue blue eyes of him and Harry held him lightly by his chin and kissed him. He surprised both of them. Louis’ hands flew to his shoulders. Harry’s shock made him bolder –he didn’t pull back. He and Louis stayed pressed together, chests and thighs and arms, and lips hanging open so that they breathed into each other’s mouths. There was something comfortable about the way they didn’t quite know when their lips started moving or when they both closed their eyes. There was something comfortable about Louis’ nails biting into his shoulder through his shirt and his fingers more than biting into the thick flesh of Louis’ thighs. They kissed and sighed into each other’s mouths, played with the thought of licking, of tasting. Louis nipped and nipped and nipped, more teeth than kiss and Harry licked behind his sharp teeth, lapping at the back of his mouth like he was trying to reach the last bit of jam. He guided Louis into a careful rhythm with his hips, back and forth—Louis was a slow learner, but every unsure stutter sent a shot of something electric up his spine, again and again and again, until everything bordered on the edge of not enough.

He pulled back. The first thing Louis did was reach up and wrap his fingers around his horns like a dare.

“Your hair is so soft” He didn’t let go. Harry kissed him again, burning hot at the thought that Louis was using his fucking horns to brace himself.

Pin him down, never let him go, make him beg for it.

Louis pulled back this time and Harry smiled at him until he smiled back.

“Have you gotten what you came here for, little one?”

Louis huffed, but Harry knew exactly what was on his mind. He didn’t want it left unsaid so he chased it, sucked a dark purple mark into Louis neck.

“It’s never going to be enough, babe” Louis was shaking now and he felt the growl build up in his throat before he opened his mouth. “That’s why you have to wait. It’s never going to be enough, but until it is you’re going to keep chasing it. And I’m never going to stop you”