The demon swarm was no match for Nari and her squadron of Claws. Once they’d broken the swarm and settled in to the long, tedious process of clean-up, Nari hailed Roman and Andreas. “Great job, guys,” she said. “Any later and this would have been a nightmare.”

“Our pleasure,” Andreas responded.

“We’ve got this from here, if you two want to head back. I know this was an off-cycle mission for both of you.”

“For the pack,” Roman answered automatically. “We’ll let the Hub know you’re coming in.”

The swarm was broken, but the civilian ships couldn’t just be released to go on their way. Nari would lead them to the Hub, where the ships would be checked by Wolf technicians and the passengers and crew would be inspected for any infestation. It was going to be a long day for the people on those ships.

As soon as Roman and Andreas came out of darkspace, Lukas was on the com. “Status report?”

“Demons driven off,” Andreas answered. “Nari’s coming back with six damaged ships, but no casualties in Echo. All three civilian ships will need to be scanned.” He paused. “Faust Indira didn’t make it. They’ll be bringing her Claw in for salvage.”

“It was a swarm,” Roman put in. “A small one, but—”

“But we’re out of the Eclipse,” Lukas finished. “We shouldn’t be seeing swarms at all. Especially not that far out from the Dark World.” His sigh crackled in Roman’s speaker. “I’ll take this to Lord Faust. Looking like this is just going to be a bad cycle.

“The stars turn. We’ll get through it,” Andreas said.

“Come on in and get cleaned up,” Lukas said. “I’ll pull your ship data and deal with the report.”

“You’re the best, Lukas.”

Decontamination was the usual annoyance. Roman and Andreas moved together through the akashic scans. Roman stood still for the strange, tickly feel of the nima moving through him, looking for the cold spots that meant a demon had gotten inside. After that, to be double sure, a quick chat with the empath on duty and, more importantly, the collie at his side. Roman and Andreas both passed. Released, they headed for the showers. Which they had to themselves, with the Claw squadron still out.

Andreas had a familiar light in his eyes. After the wild flight and tense battle, Roman’s own adrenaline was still pumping. So it was no surprise when Dre grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him hard against the locker room wall. He caught Roman’s hands by the wrists, pinned them over Roman’s head as he delivered a hard, ravaging kiss.

Roman was instantly hard, and he could feel the line of Andreas’s cock against his thigh, even through two flight suits. Roman ground his hips against Andreas, a wordless plea.

“So worked up,” Andreas said with a laugh. As though he wasn’t in the same state.

It was always like this after a rescue, after a battle. These were the moments every scout—every Wolf lived for. One more victory. One more escape. One more day they got to live, when they’d faced the abyss and come back out with minds and bodies intact.

Roman wanted this, needed this. Needed Andreas’s hands and mouth and dick to erase what had happened, to make him for get that moment with the demon.

Andreas used his body to keep Roman pinned against the wall, but released Roman’s hands so he could pull at Roman’s flight suit. “That was some serious fucking flying.” He dragged it open, pulled the shirt beneath up over Roman’s head and down his back, leaving Roman’s arms trapped in two layers of material, caught behind him. “I don’t know how you do it. Paths I can’t even see till you dive through them.”

Roman couldn’t keep still, struggling against the restraint, drawing a predatory grin from Andreas. Roman’s pulse pounded; his balls were tight. He tried to grind against Andreas again, but Andreas pushed Roman back against the wall with a knee against Roman’s hip and held him there.

“I don’t know how anyone in the pack can watch you fly like that and not want to fuck you.” Andreas dipped his head, nipped at Roman’s neck, down his chest, worried at the hard points of Roman’s nipples. Exquisite pain and stabbing pleasure and Roman arched his back to press into Andreas to beg for more.

Andreas seemed happy to oblige. He spun Roman around and shoved him back against the wall. The cold tile against his skin was another delightful discomfort, a new sensation to sharpen all the rest. Andreas yanked at Roman’s clothes, pushing everything down into a tangle at Roman’s knees.

Andreas left one hand firm between Roman’s shoulder blades to keep him pressed down. The rustle of Andreas’s clothing made it clear what he was doing with the other. Then hot, bare skin covered Roman’s back.

Roman needed this. Needed it badly. He wasn’t above begging. “Fuck me, Dre. Please.”

Andreas gave another sharp bite to Roman’s earlobe, sending a shock of pleasure through Roman that made him gasp. His voice was warm and rough against Roman’s ear. “Sure that’s what you want? I’m not convinced.”

“Fuck, Dre. Come on. Do it.”

He heard Andreas spit, then felt the wide head of Andreas’s cock press against him, slicked with nothing more than precum and saliva. Exactly the way Roman liked it. “Please,” Roman begged.

Andreas thrust forward with rough strength—also the way Roman liked it. Roman arched back, his fingers scrabbling across the tiled wall without purchase as Andreas fucked him hard and fast and perfectly.

Roman gave himself over to the sensations—to the delicious friction, to hot skin behind and cold tile in front, to the almost suffocating pressure of Andreas’s weight driving him into the wall, to the desperate relief as Andrea’s hand wrapped tight around Roman’s own cock.

Still, it wasn’t enough. Not enough to erase the memory of black tentacles—of black braids—reaching around him. Driving close—so close—to his peak, but he couldn’t break through.

“Harder,” Roman pleaded.

Andreas obliged, slamming into Roman over and over. His hand was painfully tight. Close, so close, but still not enough.

Andreas bit down on Roman’s shoulder with bruising strength. Still not enough.

A desperate sob tore from Roman’s throat. He needed—he couldn’t—he had to—

A familiar fragrance filled his nose. Smoke and spice and roses.

A fresh surge of adrenaline and fear—the demon!—drove Roman over the edge. He screamed as he came.

Andreas gave a couple more thrusts, then he too broke, his teeth clamping hard on Roman’s skin as his own pleasure took him.

Roman stood still, panting, his every sense alert to both the reality around him and any slightest ripple of darkspace. But there was no disturbance. He and Andreas were alone. No demon.

Andreas grunted as he pulled away. His thumb caressed the tingling bite he’d left just above Roman’s shoulder blade. He ran his fingers through Roman’s hair fondly. “Come on, Ro. Showers. Now we really need it.”

Roman found himself grateful Satsu wasn’t here. She would have noticed that burst of panic. She would have asked. But with Andreas, Roman could just toss a tight smile over his shoulder and say, “I’ll be right in.”

Andreas kicked free of his clothes and after a moment Roman heard the water start. Roman sat down heavily on one of the benches and spent the time it took to pull free of his boots and the tangle of his clothes to tell himself he’d only imagined that perfume—that it was a scent he’d only dreamed—that it wasn’t even real.

By the time he joined Andreas under the hot water, he almost believed it.