He isn't, but he knows that. Essek shakes his head anyway, breath catching as he's crowded against the tub's side, exposing his neck willingly for his husband's hungry, wandering kisses. A soft ah slips out as teeth close around his ear, and he braces his feet against the bottom of the bath to push closer, resting his thighs over Percy's.

Though heat sweeps through him with the murmur into his ear, Essek shivers. "I don't think I was ever in danger of that," he says, wry but faint. Not with how much there was. "But the effort was certainly appreciated."

There is no avoiding the ache growing inside him or how slick he's becoming, not with his alpha against him smelling so enticing, just as he has for days now. Essek's nails drag across Percival's shoulders restlessly. He can't go much longer without admitting quietly, "I need you still."