Sorry for the long wait, guys, but Real Life interfered.

All good things must come to an end and so has this fic. No worries, I'm planning a fourth part to the series :)

Thanks for the support throughout the lengthy fic that was never planned to run this long. You all kept me going!

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All in all it went rather well. There was enough to feed the small army that had taken over his place, and Nick enjoyed the get-together as much as he could with the surreptitious looks he was given by some of the guests. Phoebe was talking to the hares and maushertz, trying to ease their fears, and she came by often to push something to eat at him. The eisbiber had brought a ton of dessert and Nick just knew they wouldn't take it home with them.

Bud was giving the house a calculating once-over and Nick staved off whatever was coming with a sharp look. He knew the eisbiber had been going over a possible new paint job for the outside. But Nick had put his foot down. Firmly.

Frank came over to him, Victoria in tow, both holding a beer. Bud visibly fought his first instinct to melt into the background. He squared his shoulders and stood his ground. Nick smiled at the two predator wesen. Victoria was a tall, slender woman with shoulder length, dark hair and a sharply cut face. He had only seen her shift once, when they had been introduced, and it had been her way of openly showing him who she was.

"Thank you for the invitation, Nick," Victoria said, raising her beer bottle. "I like what you did with the house. Very… homey." She inclined her head toward Renard, who was several feet away, talking to Monroe.

The regnant only smiled briefly and turned back to Monroe.

"Yeah, well, thanks. And thanks for the help in selling mine, as well as getting this one."

She smiled, showing white teeth. It was almost feral. "It would have been too bad if the seller had taken advantage of you. Or his agent."

Nick frowned and she laughed, waving off his suspicion.

"No, I didn't do anything. We had a talk. That's all."

"Uh-huh."

Victoria laughed, a pleasant, amused laughter. "There were no threats involved. It was a matter of professional behavior and conduct. It had nothing to do with you being who you are, detective."

He gave her a skeptical look.

"Mostly," she amended. "Frank told me how you helped his family, how you helped him. A lot of us, actually."

Nick evaded her eyes. "If he told you about the case you know I had to arrest his wife and his son."

"I know what happened. You acted as an officer of the law. As a Grimm you could simply have killed her, their son, maybe even Frank."

He grimaced.

"You're special, Nick Burkhardt. It was my honor to help you. Should you want to sell this property again, let me know." Victoria smiled more. "You will get a bill for my services then."

Nick laughed. "That would be very much appreciated!"

They clinked beer bottles.

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An arm wrapped around his middle, pulled him back against a hard body, and lips descended on his neck. Nick smiled and felt blood pool in his groin when blunt teeth lightly bit his skin.
The house was silent, with everyone gone, but it looked like a hurricane had swept through. Nick didn't care right now. He felt pleasantly buzzed from a beer too many, stuffed full of delicious steaks and the occasional vegetable skewer, and right now his body was thrumming with the response to the increased presence of his mate. The bond between them was singing, open and completely unshielded, and the warm hands on his body were wonderful.

Renard wrapped both arms around Nick's waist, holding him tightly, burying his face in the warm juncture of neck and shoulder. He pushed a hand under Nick's dark blue shirt, meeting skin, brushing over the deceptive softness that covered hard muscle.

Nick turned his head, meeting Renard's lips in a sloppy kiss, then he turned in the embrace. Sean let him, loosening his hold, then Nick's lips were on his mate's, claiming, wanting, needing, relaying a lot that had never been said before. Renard started to push him toward the bedroom and Nick chuckled against the reddened lips.

Clothes were shed.

Nick took the opportunity to bite Renard's shoulder, drawing a rumble that spoke of the primal side coming forward, like called to the Grimm, who was playing with fire.

And he loved playing.

A lot.

Because even if Sean lost control to a degree, even if claws pushed out and sharp teeth renewed the claim mark, Renard would never truly hurt him.

It was also arousing as nothing else Nick had ever tried before.

Like right now.

He was rock hard, aching, wanting, but not ready to roll over and give himself to his mate. Well, he was on his back and Renard was perched over him, pinning him down, mapping his body with his hands and mouth, but Nick wasn't passive. He was far from it. He was also far from submissive.

He clenched his fists into the sheets when Sean parted his legs, stroking his thighs. Then he gasped, moaning at the moist heat that engulfed him and his hips twitched involuntarily.

And Renard was good. He was damned good and there were teeth! Nick cried out at the sensation of slightly too sharp teeth that didn't hurt, that only stimulated more, that stoked a fire in him he had never known to possess. Strong hands clamped down on his hips, holding him as the suction increased.

"Sean!" he groaned.

Nick was already beyond coherent thinking when he sensed a slick finger entering him, then two, searching, finding and ruthlessly stroking him from the inside.

Seconds later the fingers were removed, and Sean's weight was pressing him down as his lover slid into him with one fluid motion. Nick was close to screaming when his mate didn't move, just grabbed his hands, entwining their fingers. He looked down at Nick, panting hard, and the fire of passion and hunger and something else that was still burning in his eyes made Nick tremble with an answering need.

Gold rimmed the green eyes. The Grimm responded to the wesen's primal aura, pushing back, his own power flaring, and Renard's lips peeled back over lengthening canines.

Sean pushed a little deeper.

Nick clenched his muscles and the gold flared more.

"Nick…" Renard breathed.

"No games," Nick whispered harshly. "I want you so bad!"

His mate's eyes were screwed shut, nostrils flaring, as he was trying to rein in his instinctive reaction.

Nick pulled him into a kiss that was more like a battle, like a fight for dominance, and he only pulled away to sink his teeth into the other man's neck.

It was like that was what tore away the chains.

Renard thrust into his mate, making Nick's eyes roll up in bliss. He pushed back as the other thrust harder, faster, claiming him, wanting him as much as Nick wanted him.

There was no slow and sensual this time, just pure and simple need and lust, hard and deep, and hell if Nick would complain. He actually egged Sean on.

Slowing a little, Renard twisted his hips, moving in tiny circles, knowing it drove the Grimm wild, and the heated look he received only had him smile darkly. Pulling out and then resheathing himself deeply, had Nick close his eyes, mouth opening in a soundless gasp. Renard did it again and Nick's fingers clenched into the blanket.

It was him who screamed out his completion the moment Sean reached his own and bit down on his neck, and he heard his mate's rough and deep answering groan as Renard closely followed him over the edge.

Nick knew the teeth had broken skin, had felt the brief pain, saw the flecks of his own blood on Sean's lips, who licked off the last traces. The bond was wide open, echoing their emotions, the psychic link alive with each other's presence.

Renard bent down, the kiss gentler, calming, almost apologetic, and Nick drew him into an embrace, both men spent and still breathing hard. He smiled as he felt the flood of emotions touch him, emotions Sean never really talked about, emotions Nick knew existed between them.

"Mine," he murmured into Sean's ear.

He felt the lips pressed against the mark curl into a smile.

"Yours," Renard answered drowsily.

Nick felt his eyes droop a little. The day was catching up on him and while he knew they were sticky and disgusting, he couldn't summon the drive to find a wet towel. That would have meant getting up. He really wasn't up for up.

Renard chuckled, sharing the sentiment.

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He was watching.

He liked watching.

Maybe it made him a voyeur, but he couldn't help it. Well, most of the times he couldn't help it. It was like an obsession. Nick Burkhardt was an obsession, an addiction and a dangerous fire that couldn't be tamed or contained, but he was always drawn to it.

He watched covertly – and not so covertly. Being psychically bonded to the man had its disadvantages. But most of the time he was rather good at the undercover surveillance. Sean Renard had his ways and he was good in wearing masks. He could watch and still appear not to be interested at all. At least when they were among those who didn't know a thing about their true relationship.

He had preferences, too. Like nudity. Nudity was… very nice.

Renard loved seeing his mate naked, liked to see the strength and power incarnate in the Grimm. He liked to touch, to kiss, to nibble. He also liked to claim what was his and still feel the power that told him that he belonged to Nick just as completely.

Totally and completely. He needed the Grimm so badly. So hard. And he felt so… intensely. It had come over him like a tidal wave and it refused to let him go.

Nick fed that obsession Sean had with his mate. Well, he wasn't obsessive like a fanatic follower. It was more like… he couldn't think of changing anything between them. Renard couldn't imagine someone else at his side. He couldn't think of a time he wouldn't love this man, despite all their arguments and heated discussions and different views on a subject matter – pick one, any one.

They would bicker, he would growl, Nick would snap back, they would work out their differences. And they would also work harmoniously together, like so many times before. They understood each other; perfectly. He had opened up like to no one else before.

Renard could recall his sister's fond expression that was so incredibly clear despite the video feed distortion.

"Bonds do that, Sean," she had told him, voice soft and filled with emotions.

Mireille Luce Renard was mated herself; Andrew was her strength. She knew what he felt and despite the fact that Renard hated to talk about his emotions or anything else with his sister, she knew. Years of no contact than the occasional Christmas card, but she knew.

Mated regnants could understand.

Well, maybe not his brother, who was an ass – and a mated one at that – but his sister did. And she had encouraged him to give in completely.

Then again, Sean wouldn't really have needed that encouragement. Nick was everything to him.

His eyes strayed to the man in question and he bit his lower lip at the sight.

Nick was still asleep. He had been after a serial killer who had gone after the homeless, killing five within just one week. A schattenreich had been involved and it had been a nasty take-down. Schattenreich lived in the shadows, fed off the sick and dying, and were found mostly following street people around. This one had gotten too hungry, too greedy, and the Grimm had had to take him down.

For good.

Renard knew it had sat on his mate; Nick hated killing.

The Grimm had simply crashed at Sean's place without much ado. He had come in, taken a shower, fallen onto the mattress, and he had been asleep within minutes.

Sean could feel the sleeping mind along the connection and he was wary not to disturb the exhausted man. He was working, using his laptop, a noise level his mate was used to, but he kept his shields up.

Nick moved lazily. Renard's eyes were on the prone man again. Nick was on his side, on top of the blanket, muscular legs showing, up to a nicely shaped butt that was outlined against the gray material of the shorts. The dark blue t-shirt did nothing to hide the lithe physique and Renard tore his gaze away.

Something trickled along the bond and Nick rolled onto his back, one arm flung out over the empty spot beside him. Renard watched and studied the sleeping features.

There had been a lot of pain lately, the fear and the agony of possibly losing Nick. The bond was between their minds and souls, as tacky as it sounded, and losing Nick would kill him. Literally. It would open up a black hole of despair. Renard didn't want to go through that again.

He saved the work he had been trying to do and closed the laptop. It was late – or early, depending on your point of view – and he would need at least a few hours of sleep. He stripped in the bathroom, brushed his teeth, slipped into his pajamas, and silently padded over to the huge bed. He tried to be careful, but the mattress dipping had Nick blink his eyes open.

Sean admired how there was never a moment of confusion, how those gray depths fixed on his with a brief intensity that seemed to scan him right down to his soul. It was the Grimm examining him, stripping him bare, assessing the danger, and the wesen inside Renard responded. Not aggressively, not like a challenge, just letting the other predator know who he was. It was such a brief moment, barely there, but it told him how far Nick had come.

So very, very far. He had accomplished so much, it was breathtaking. It was reassuring in a dangerously dark sort of way.

Nick murmured sleepily and snuggled close. An arm was thrown over his waist and he enjoyed the physical closeness that was echoed by warm pulses through the bond.

No words were exchanged.

None were needed, with the bond between them humming softly.

fin!