“We can get drunk here or party with our family instead of a bunch of strangers if we want and as for sex, I’m waiting for my mate, thank you very much,” Idris retorted.

  “We’ve busted our asses to get to this point,” Delaney threw in.

  “What happens if Duff gets here and changes his mind?” Evlithar asked. “What would you do if he decided he did want to experience clubs, parties, or whatever appealed to him?”

  “Technically he’d be listed as an honorary dragon, right? So, why couldn’t he get an apartment in Vegas in one of the Draconis buildings and then do what he wanted with his time? Then he could either return to D’Vaire in the future or transfer somewhere else,” Idris suggested. “I mean, we know we all want to be D’Vaires forever, but sometimes things change. Like if I met my mate and he didn’t want to live here, I’d have to face a tough choice. Though I’ll be honest—I hope I can talk my mate into staying.”

  “You make a good point, Idris. We can’t account for the future,” Dra’Kaedan said.

  “You put things into perspective,” Aleksander remarked. “We should be focused on what Duff needs right now. He says he wants a family and that he’d like to attend school but not necessarily in a classroom as he’s not accustomed to it.”

  “So, he’s like me. I didn’t have any formal education. I went to school for a couple of years, but I’m glad I can do it online now. I had a great deal of anxiety in classrooms,” Idris commented.

  “Duff’s parents were able to give him a foundation though, and you had to play catch up since your grandfather was too ill to see to your education. You knew only the basics and nothing at all of magic,” Dre’Kariston replied. “I think we’re all still amazed at how quickly you picked it all up.”

  Idris grinned. “Well, I do have a bunch of warlocks and wizards helping me all the time.”

  “Doesn’t mean you aren’t awesome,” Delaney told his best friend.

  “I think we can all agree Idris is awesome. Any more questions about Duff?” Aleksander asked.

  “What did you think of him, Cadlyr?” Dravyn inquired.

  “I had the same impression as the rest of the group, I believe. He sounded mature for his age and was exceedingly polite. I think he did seem earnest in his desire to find a family. He confided in us that he always yearned for siblings—something his parents couldn’t give him. He’s enjoyed his time with the Antonovs, and I think that might be what’s driving him to be even more family-centric. I think D’Vaire is an environment that’s proven itself to be an excellent place to nurture people. Broken individuals arrive and find themselves incorporated into a warm, caring family in quick order,” Cadlyr replied.

  “D’Vaire feels like a hug,” Evlithar said. “Everything about it feels like a hug.”

  “Wow, dude,” Renny exclaimed then turned to Cadlyr. “Don’t mess this up. Evlithar’s the best.”

  “Hey now, no giving Cadlyr grief about his relationship with Evlithar,” Dra’Kaedan insisted.

  “He called us a hug,” Renny argued.

  Dra’Kaedan gave his familiar’s shoulder a squeeze. “I know. He’s amazing. But you have to stay out of it.”

  “Believe it or not Renny, I do know how special Evlithar is. We’re working on it,” Cadlyr remarked. His lavender gaze met Evlithar’s, and he gave him a wink before he joined their hands. It was the first time they’d touched since Evlithar’s arrival, and a thrill raced over his skin. Cadlyr’s large palm was warm against his, and he offered the Cwylld elf a bright smile.

  Renny blew them a kiss. “Okay, back to Duff. There weren’t any red flags for me when we talked to him. I liked him. Plus, we get to pet a cat.”

  Dra’Kaedan shook his head and rolled his eyes. “He’s not a house pet—he’s a shifter.”

  “Dragons are shifters. I’ve petted dragons,” Renny retorted.

  “How exactly did Renny become a D’Vaire?” Dra’Kaedan asked.

  “I don’t know why you’re looking at me for an answer,” Aleksander said. “You summoned him. You know how he got here. Besides he’s cooler than you, Squirt.”

  “Everybody knows I’m cooler than Dra’Kaedan,” Renny boasted.

  “Not really,” Derwin argued. “And he’s not even that great.”

  “We’re going to stay focused on Duff and not on your personal opinions,” Dre’Kariston told his familiar.

  “Whatever,” Derwin mumbled.

  Evlithar wondered at the relationship dynamic between Derwin and the rest of the D’Vaires. He seemed grumpy, and it reminded him of his own family life. Tamlisyr was given everything she desired, and yet she often remained difficult or argumentative. He thought perhaps some people were more prone to being antagonistic than others. Evlithar was glad that at D’Vaire, Derwin was still treated the same as the others and it reminded him to keep his patience with both Kalthekor and Tamlisyr when he got home.

  “Since there don’t seem to be many questions, are there any major objections to the addition of Duff to the family we need to address before we call for a vote?” Aleksander asked. The room was silent. “Okay, ready to vote then?”

  “Let’s do it,” Idris exclaimed.

  “All right, all those in favor to add Duff to the household, raise your hands,” Aleksander directed. Evlithar glanced around the room and found everyone had lifted an arm to cast their ballot. He kept his own at his side since he wasn’t a permanent member of the D’Vaire family. “Okay, all those not in favor, your turn to vote.”

  Evlithar figured he had to say it as a formality, even though everyone had already voted.

  “Evlithar,” Aleksander said in an aggrieved voice. “Why didn’t you say you were still undecided?”

  “I’m not undecided.”

  “Did you forget to vote?” Idris asked.

  “I didn’t forget. I don’t live here.”

  “Ev, how many times do we have to go over the whole, ‘You’re a D’Vaire’ thing?”

  “I didn’t know that meant I could vote.”

  “He’s so cute I can hardly stand it!” Renny exclaimed as he stamped his feet on the ground in front of his chair.

  Aleksander chuckled. “Would you feel more comfortable writing your choice down?”

  “I guess he just wants special treatment,” Derwin griped.

  “No, I don’t,” Evlithar replied. “I vote yes for Duff. I think he’ll be happy here.”

  “Great, I’ll call him in the morning, so we can arrange for his arrival,” Dra’Kaedan said.

  “I’m going to get to pet a cat,” Renny declared.

  “I wish you luck,” Gavrael stated. “Victor does not allow anyone to pet him when he shifts.”

  “Okay, if Duff won’t let me pet him, we’re adopting a real cat,” Renny replied.

  “You practically are a pet. You can’t take care of one,” Derwin said. “We’re just familiars—we don’t even get treated like real people.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Dra’Kaedan asked. “You, Renny, and Brexton are people. You’re treated just like everyone else in this house.”

  “You only say shit like that in front of everybody. You don’t give a fuck about how we really feel,” Derwin snapped.

  “You will speak to the Grand Warlock with respect,” Dre’Kariston boomed out. “And this is no place for one of your tantrums. Let your king conduct our meeting.”

  “He’s not my king,” Derwin roared as he got to his feet. “I’m not a dragon!” Before anyone could reply, he raced from the room.

  “I’m sorry, Aleksander. I’ll talk to him later. I don’t know what his current problem is,” Dre’Kariston said.

  “We’ll have to get to the bottom of why he’s unhappy and see what we can do to alleviate it,” Aleksander replied. “I don’t like the idea of any of us feeling left out or like our feelings don’t matter.”

  Evlithar was shocked at Derwin’s outburst, but he hadn’t been at D’Vaire long enough to know if he was simply in a bad mood or was upset about something. He hoped Dre’Kariston and the rest of the family could help him. The meeting wrapped up not long after, and Evlithar headed outside to the deck to wait for Cadlyr. They had an important discussion which he didn’t think could be put off; his cousin would be hounding him to return soon, and Evlithar needed to know where his relationship stood. Was there truly a future for them, or was he better off leaving and letting his growing feelings for Cadlyr fade away?

  Chapter 23

  “That was exciting,” Evlithar enthused as Cadlyr joined him on the spacious deck.

  “It was, especially when you forgot to vote,” Cadlyr joked.

  Evlithar scrunched his nose. “I didn’t forget.”

  “You forgot you were a D’Vaire.”

  “Should we start our walk? We might lose the light before we finish.”

  Cadlyr gave him a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “Okay, let’s talk,” Cadlyr replied. He strode across the deck, and Evlithar fell into step next to him once they began their walk in earnest. “What’s wrong, Ev?”

  “I’ve been here for nearly three weeks. My cousin will be expecting me to return soon. While I don’t feel he has any right to dictate how long I stay, I’d like to know if it’s smart to give us more time or if we should move on.”

  “And if the choice were solely yours?”

  “It’s easier for me. I had nothing to forgive you for. The past and the mistakes made there are my own. I enjoy your company. Being around you makes me happy. I’m attracted to you and could easily see myself having a physical relationship with you. Each day my feelings for you grow,” Evlithar said. “That’s why I need to know what the future holds. The longer I stay, the more difficult it will be to say good-bye.”

  Cadlyr stopped walking and turned to face Evlithar who mirrored his pose. He was shocked when Cadlyr reached out and cupped Evlithar’s cheek in his palm. “It’s grown difficult for me to think of someone else in your place. The past is over. All we should worry about is the present and the future. There’s no one whose company I prefer over yours and if it weren’t disgraceful, I would’ve already tried talking you into my bed.”

  Evlithar rose to the balls of his feet and pressed his mouth to Cadlyr’s. Two thousand years had passed since their last kiss and this time, his belly wasn’t full of anxiety. He had no qualms about his mate being Cwylld, and there was no fear in his heart. He simply enjoyed as Cadlyr tilted his head slightly and slid his tongue between Evlithar’s lips. His eyes sprang open as he clutched Cadlyr’s tunic in his fists. Evlithar’s lashes slid down again as Cadlyr hauled their bodies flush. Cadlyr pulled away slightly and rested their foreheads together.

  “That was better than I imagined it would be,” Cadlyr confessed.

  “For me as well. I’m very interested in knowing how sex will feel.”

  Cadlyr chuckled before raising his head. He gave Evlithar a wink before grabbing his hand and resuming their stroll. “Don’t talk about sex. I’ll never get to sleep tonight.”

  “Don’t you masturbate? I do. I have every night since I got here.”

  Lifting his gaze to the sky, Cadlyr said, “Ev, you’re killing me.”

  “You’d sleep better if you did.”

  “Rest assured I not only do it but I think of you when I do.”

  “I’m glad you’re attracted to me.”

  “It’s hard for me to believe there’s anyone who isn’t.”

  “You flatter me.”

  “Ev, there’s still a great deal to figure out between us.”

  “I know. I wish I could stay here forever so we could allow our relationship to grow, but I have responsibilities I don’t feel I can ignore.”

  “I understand. Elven tradition doesn’t usually allow for lengthy courtships. Our first ceremony was scheduled for the day after we met. Do you feel you’re ready to bind our blood?”

  Evlithar frowned. “I don’t know. I want to be with you, but I don’t know how we’ll make things work in the future.”

  “You need to be there for your cousin, and I don’t want to give up my life here at D’Vaire. Is there room for compromise?”

  “I’ll be honest. My cousin won’t be thrilled if we bind our blood. He told me to come here and convince Lorcan to end things. Kalthekor feels it’d be best if I were mated to a Valzadari.”

  “There’s no guarantee that even if Lorcan did cast the spell, Fate would give you a Valzadari to share your life with.”

  “I know, and I don’t want a Valzadari. I want the Cwylld chieftain.”

  “So, I guess he’s not going to be thrilled if I show up at your side when you go home.”

  “No, he’s not but he can’t come between us. It’s illegal. I think he’ll get over his reluctance once he gets to know you.”

  Cadlyr looked skeptical. “There’s no guarantee he’s going to like me because you do.”

  “He will at the very least be coldly polite.”

  “I can deal with his derision if it means being with you, Ev.”

  Evlithar could feel tears threatening. “I’ve waited since I arrived at D’Vaire to hear you say something like that.”

  “No tears, Chieftain-mate. There are decisions to be made,” Cadlyr joked.

  “Okay, I’ll do my best.”

  “What about Tamlisyr? Is she also disapproving?”

  “She’s my best friend. She’ll like you because I do. That’s what best friends do.”

  “If you could have your way, how would you have our future work?”

  Evlithar decided to be brutally honest. “In a perfect world, I’d stay here with you at D’Vaire. We’d have our mating ceremony, and I wouldn’t have to play with myself every night because I’d have you to play with.”

  “You’re a little stuck on sex tonight.”

  “I’m not sure you understand how handsome you are.”

  Cadlyr shook his head. “I’m grateful you think so. I’m not going to tell you how much my hands itch to feel your skin.”

  A shiver worked its way down Evlithar’s spine; he needed to change the subject. He was outside alone with Cadlyr, and he was too tempted to yank down the other elf’s pants. “Would you be willing to split your time between D’Vaire and my home in Vegas with my cousin?”

  “I think that’s fair.”

  “What if we switched every two weeks? Perhaps in time, we could ease Kalthekor and Tamli into hiring people to do many of the things I’ve done for them in the past. Then we’d be able to spend more time here.”

  “I like that goal if it’s feasible, and you’re comfortable with it.”

  “I love it here, Cadlyr. Besides the amazing people, I’m able to set my own schedule and make my own choices about what I’d like to do with my time. I’ve never really had that before.”

  “Ev, are you ready to start planning our mating ceremony?”

  “I want that more than anything. Is that okay? I probably don’t deserve it.”

  “I can’t give up my title to become Valzadari. You’d have to become Cwylld.”

  “Being Cwylld isn’t scary anymore. Being Cwylld means being with you. I can give up the Valzadari name. Chieftain-mate Evlithar Cwylld-D’Vaire sounds pretty good, actually.”

  “I don’t want to do anything rushed, even though your cousin wants you back home. Can we agree to have a ceremony in a couple of weeks?”

  “Yes, we need to have an athame made at the very least.”

  “And dragons wear mating rings. Not to mention what we’ll wear and all the other details.”

  Without giving himself time to second-guess it, Evlithar let go of Cadlyr’s hand and gave him a hug. Cadlyr’s arms came around him and squeezed him close. “I wasn’t sure we’d ever get to have this talk. I was sure you were going to ask me to leave so many times,” he confided.

  “When you arrived, that was what I wanted. Turns out you’re pretty captivating.”

  “I’m going to call Kalthekor tomorrow and tell him our plans. I think we should stay here until our ceremony and have the first two weeks of our new schedule here as well.”

  “How do you think he’ll feel about another month without you?”

  The temptation of Cadlyr’s body was too great for them to embrace forever. He pulled away and took his hand. They turned back toward the house. “It’s something he’ll just have to deal with. This is my life whether he likes it or not. I didn’t think I’d have this opportunity again, and I don’t want to let anything get in our way.”

  “I’ve lain in bed the past few nights and tried my best to imagine someone else at my side for eternity. I couldn’t do it, and I didn’t want to. I’m not convinced Fate got the timing right for us, but I no longer have any doubt she got the correct matchup.”

  “I wish she’d matched us at this last elven gathering.”

  Cadlyr gave him a strange smile that was hard to interpret. “When I first got there, I thought about that poor kid who found his situation so dire he believed death was his only out, and I wished I’d met you at another time.”

  “If this one had been our first meeting, I wouldn’t have left without binding my blood with yours.”

  “I know I would’ve been more than willing to go along with your plan.”

  “We’re taught to believe Fate doesn’t make any mistakes, but I think she did.”

  “If we look at it that way, you had no real choice but to disregard her.”

  Evlithar laughed. “It’s rather audacious of me to suggest I know better than Fate, but if I could have words with her, I’d definitely let her know my younger self wasn’t ready to handle the situation she put him in. I wasn’t strong or courageous.”

  “The important thing is, we were given a second chance at this.”

  “That’s because you were willing to do so.”

  “I just wanted you here, so Lorcan could free me.”

  “Remind me to thank Lorcan for insisting we take the time to make our relationship work before casting his spell.”

  Cadlyr lifted a brow. “You know, I bet he never even intended to really cast that spell.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28