Master

Chapter 61

Lincoln's P.O.V

At some point in this long life of mine, I'd started believing that true happiness was a myth.

After all I'd seen and lost, I'd concluded that that sort of unfiltered joy was something that may have existed once upon a time but was lost like all the other good things of this world. I believed that any scraps of bliss we got in life were nothing more than broken remnants.

That had all changed when I met Kalem.

The moment he told me his name in a whisper and beamed at me when I told him it was lovely, that dismal belief had started to crumble. Little by little, with each freely given hug and precious smile, Kalem chipped at those thick barriers until they all came crashing down when I made finally him mine.

As it turned out, true happiness wasn't a myth. It was a lost treasure that Kalem had led me to by his light.

"Lincoln, I'm trying to focus, and you're going to make me explode!" Kalem exclaims suddenly, his cheeks brightening until he appears feverish, "you're happy feelings are too good!"

I chuckle at his outburst, laughing even harder when I spot his serious glare. He would've looked angry if it wasn't for the grin tugging at his lips. Distracted as we already are, I take the opportunity to pause Kalem's careful examination of my scar by pulling him into my lap and snuggling close.

"I would say sorry, but I can feel that you love it," I whisper while I palm his cheek, grinning when his wings flutter happily at his back. "In all my lifetimes, I have never felt this happy."

"Lincoln!" Kalem squeals as he carries us down.

Squeezing me as tightly as he can manage, Kalem hugs me until we're practically glued together, and I'm left laughing freely for him. While Kalem grumbles aimlessly, I kiss every inch of him I can, lathering him with all the affection his gracious heart could ever desire.

Since the night of our bonding, Kalem and I had been inseparable. It was like our earliest days together, when our greatest concerns had only been spending time with one other. We did that now, as we used to, not parting for even a second.

Like a pair of lovesick fools, I hand-fed Kalem the fruits from the nearby trees around our haven, and at night, I kept him in my lap when I told him stories under the stars.

When we fell into bed again, I brought him to his peak time and time again whilst greedily feeding from his most sensitive places. We made love until he was shaking all over and screaming my name, and then I did it all over again.

'Our honeymoon', Kalem called it. We were on our honeymoon, which easily made it the best week of my life.

I didn't doubt that we would've remained so for the rest of eternity, hidden away in our untouched heaven. But all honeymoons had an end, and so did ours.

In reality, we had a life with a clan to lead and friends waiting for us; we couldn't stay forever. I'd known that from the start, but I'd also meant every vow I'd made to Kalem; he came first in all things and always would. I would not repeat my former mistakes, and if Kalem wasn't ready to return to the castle, we wouldn't.

Surprisingly, it had been Kalem who'd been the one to bring up returning home.

Following Zhoron's visit and the bite, his worries steadily dwindled to a small thing that only circulated my health now. As Kalem put it, until he was sure I was in perfect condition, we weren't allowed to go anywhere - hence my current medical examination.

"So, have I passed your tests?" I ask as I part from his neck and sit up.

Kalem's frown deepens into something accusatory, "I don't know, Master! You keep distracting me before I can finish."