by Toby Aden
“Might I interest you in a drink?” Aaeren asked with his back toward Apollo, withdrawing a jar of strong drink from the cabinet.
“No. I prefer to remain clearheaded,” Apollo replied and settled into a seat across from the desk and a short distance from where Aaeren stood. He leaned back into the seat, getting comfortable and crossing his ankle on his thigh.
He drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, waiting for Aaeren to turn and begin the interrogation that he knew was coming. When Yves had introduced him to the family, he had seen the clear anger that had briefly flashed through Aaeren’s eyes. He’d guessed correctly in that Aaeren had figured out the cause of his brother’s misery.
Without a doubt, Apollo had known the moment he’d stepped into the castle how desolate and restless his mate had become. The fuller cheeks had become leaner, and his expression had left no doubt as to his mental condition. That Yves had suffered during their month of separation was plain for everyone to see, and Apollo had approached his depressed mate with only one goal in mind. Wiping off the depression and putting a gleaming light back into his mate’s gorgeous eyes.
He knew that this would be no easy confrontation, and he was ready and prepared for harsh treatment and disapproval from Yves’s family.
“Am I to assume that my brother’s misery has to do with you?” Aaeren asked, his voice deceptively mild.
“That feeling was entirely mutual. If a bit muted,” Apollo agreed.
“Entirely mutual.” Aaeren shook the drink in his hand, sloshing it gently in the glass to mix then raising it to his nose to inhale. “Meaning my brother was also the cause of your one-month-long misery.” He eyed Apollo and then downed a portion of the drink before speaking once more. “Pardon me if I am wrong, but after meeting Yves, were you or were you not the one to take your leave of him?”
“Circumstance I could not control. My direct presence was required, so yes. I had to leave. Though it was not my intention to be gone so long. To be quite frank, I was fortunate to be able to put in an appearance today.”
“Damn it!” Aaeren threw the glass in his hand against the wall in uncontrollable anger, rounding on Apollo and yelling, “This is not the kind of attitude I expected, and neither was this the response I anticipated.” His hands were fisted at his side and his face heating up in anger. “Do you not care about my brother who you so blatantly claimed as your mate in front of everyone, or do you only care about what he can give you when you need him and not his own feelings?”
Apollo surged to his feet. “I can assure you, Yves’s feelings come before every other thing. However, I could not have him go along with me on my journey, nor could I forfeit my presence when it was of the utmost importance to my people. You do not understand because the nature of our bond is a lot more complicated than the average bonds of fated mates. I will not give up Yves for any reason, and now that I can finally claim him as mine, I will do so with great pleasure and have no regrets whatsoever for what he went through to get to this point. And now if that is all, I am missing my mate. Good day, King Aaeren.” With that, Apollo turned smartly on his heels and walked out the study, leaving a stunned Aaeren staring at his retreating back.
Apollo strode across the floor with purpose, going in search of his mate. He had only one goal in mind, and that was to put his stamp upon his mate. To possess the man so thoroughly that all Yves could think about was him. Centuries of suppressed passion and need crashed down into him, overpowering and overwhelming his senses.
Apollo spotted Yves across the room with Radisq, the mate of Aaeren, and marched quickly toward his mate. He did not give Yves the time to sense his presence before spinning the younger man into his arms and claiming the sweet, delicious mouth with his own in a hungry kiss. The kiss was rough, channeling into Yves how needy Apollo was.
Apollo held on to the small of Yves’s back, using his hold to keep the younger man flush against his body. With his other hand cupped underneath the smooth, silky fall of an orange-red mass of hair, holding the back of Yves’s head to position the man how he wanted him, Apollo swept his tongue into Yves’s mouth, seeking the hidden treasure there for his pleasure.
Apollo was so far gone, consumed by the red haze demanding he stake his claim for all to see on his mate and possess him whole. He used his tongue, playing tentatively before attacking with fervor and drawing the other man’s out to play. He angled Yves’s head till he was satisfied and then moved in deeper as though he could swallow the other man. He made desperate, passionate love to Yves’s mouth, unconcerned by their surroundings or the fact that the music had paused and every eye was trained on the pair, mesmerized and enthralled by what they were witnessing.
All Yves could do was kiss Apollo back and accept all that was being done to him. He held on to Apollo for dear life, for if not, he would melt into the ground from the force of Apollo’s passion. He held on, simply going along for the ride as Apollo pressed in and took what he wanted. Meanwhile, Yves was left breathless and powerless to stop the tides of emotions flooding into him.
When the touch no longer satisfied Apollo, he began pulling on Yves’s robe, tugging it until the robe opened and dropped to reveal one of the younger man’s shoulder and all without breaking the kiss. Apollo used his hand to stroke the exposed flesh, encouraged by the loud and relentless moan Yves kept emitting.
Soon, he wanted to taste the treasure he had revealed and thus tore his mouth away from Yves, chuckling darkly as the other man moaned his dissatisfaction and pursed his mouth. Apollo had other plans though for his lips and would not be deterred. He trailed open-mouthed kisses along the bottom of Yves’s ears, trailing down until he reached where Yves’s shoulder met with his neck.
“Apollo!” Yves cried, all breathy and helpless.
A loud, breathy moan escaped from Yves when Apollo began sucking vigorously at that spot. Yves arched into the touch, pressing his body tightly into Apollo’s. Abruptly, hands began pulling Yves away from Apollo, and it made him growl. All Apollo could see was Yves and what the other man could give him.
Several hands tried to separate them, and the only thing Apollo knew was fighting off the enemies who wanted to tear him away from the one precious thing to him. His eyes flashed and glowed with tightly leashed power, and with a deadly growl, he turned his gaze to his enemies. The force of the power he unleashed sent everyone a mile away from him and his beloved, pinning them into place so that not a muscle of their bodies moved.
For Aaeren and Radisq as well as all the other guards and attendants, it was like watching a train wreck, with everything happening in slow motion as they were powerless to stop it. They had never experienced anything so powerful, nor had they experienced a force that held them all immobile at once, unable to twitch a muscle, unable to produce sound, and unable to keep away from watching.
Apollo drew his mate protectively to him once more and returned his attention to the mark he was still etching onto Yves’s skin. He pressed his mouth directly over the mark and began sucking on it once more, running his hands over Yves’s body to reassure himself of the presence of his mate.
“Apollo! Take me, take me, take me!” Yves screamed in ecstasy, arching his body and offering his neck for more access.
They were both consumed by lust, oblivious to anything else but each other.
“You are mine, MINE, MINE!” Apollo growled, his voice contorting around Yves’s neck, and he held the other man flush against him. “I will kill everyone before they take you from me.”
Yves gasped in enjoyment, offering all that he was to this man who knew nothing else but him. “Yes! Yes. I’m yours. All yours.”
The sharp ringing in Apollo’s ears forced him back away from Yves until slowly, slowly, recognition began filtering through the haze he’d been under. Shock and guilt swarmed over him, like a bucket of ice-cold water dumped over him, and he shook his head slowly, moving backward. He saw the confusion come over Yves’s face, but all he could do was take steps backward
, away from temptation.
Whatever had been the wake-up call for him, he was thankful but a tiny bit resentful also. That he’d lost control so easily ate at him. He glanced around them for the first time, noticing that the party that had been in full swing before had been cut short during the haze he had fallen under.
It was not supposed to be like this. He had been this close to destroying all their work of keeping their mating intact. Then Apollo snapped his head around as though in shock, which he was. It had been no ordinary wake-up call that had dragged him back to his senses.
“Relax, brother.” A chuckle came from behind him, causing Apollo to do a one-eighty turnabout to face Hades, Lord of the Underworld. “That was a party stopper.”
“Hades! What are you doing here?” Apollo asked, the shock evident in his voice.
“A good thing I decided to show, yes? Thought I’d see for myself what all the fuss was about. Release the others, yes?”
Apollo looked around, surprised that no one had moved a muscle ever since he’d regained his composure. He pulled his powers back in, releasing Yves’s family as well as all the other attendants from being immobilized. He approached Yves and pulled his mate in front of him, running his eyes and hands all over the other man with concern etched on his features.
“Are you okay? Did I hurt you, youngling?” He rained kisses all over Yves’s shocked face, leaving the other man without a chance to respond. “I am sorry. I am so, so sorry. I never intended to lose control or for this to happen. At least not yet.”
Yves shook his head, instantly feeling his mate’s remorse. A budding need to soothe his mate’s worries filled him, and he too began running his hands all over Apollo. “It is all right. I am all right. Not that there is anything amiss or anything to be sorry for, but you did stop. We stopped well in time before causing any real damage.”
Apollo laid kisses all over Yves’s face, letting Yves know how contrite he felt for almost damaging their bond.
“I think this just means is that we should push our mating ceremony much ahead. Say two days?”
Apollo was taken aback. “Two days?”
“I don’t think either of us will be able to hold off more than that, so yes, two days. Any problem with that?”
Apollo grinned mischievously. “No, sire. No problem at all. Two days is just perfect.”
“Good.”
They turned to regard the rest of the party attendees and caught everyone staring at the duo with fascinated apprehension. The only ones brave enough to step toward them were Aaeren and Radisq.
“Do I want to know what in the bloody hell just happened?” Aaeren demanded.
Apollo shrugged, and Hades chuckled. “A bit of a loss of control.”
“Loss of control.” Aaeren shook his head disbelievingly. “That’s it. You lost control? How does one lose control to the extent that an entire roomful of people were tossed away like pieces of nothing and held immobile by just a loss of control?”
Hades patted Apollo on the back. “I’ll leave this to you to explain, brother. Come find me later.” With that, Hades walked away, stopping to pick up a glass of wine from the table before exiting the hall.
As they all stared at Hades’s retreating back, Yves broke through their silence. “Why do we not continue this another time? We have guests.”
Aaeren nodded, but all could see that this was not something he was letting go until he got satisfactory answers.
Chapter Seven
In the evening, once all the excitement had died down, and the twin suns were setting, Apollo walked with Hades down the empty street. With the wind blowing in their faces, and their clothing flapping around them, Apollo folded his hands behind his back. He turned his head to the sky and just breathed in, enjoying the fresh air.
“How did you know to come?”
Hades glanced briefly at Apollo and then sighed. “It was not that I timed my arrival to smack you back into reality. I heard you had gotten a mate, and of course, I had to settle my curiosity, and a fine man you have there.”
Hades had gotten to know Yves a bit after the whole incident, and he’d been impressed. The man might be a bit scatterbrained, but in the end, he had a good soul and was a perfect match for Apollo. For as long as he had known Apollo, he knew just what finding his mate meant to Apollo, and he was glad for the other man.
“Oh. I cannot thank you enough for what you did earlier today.”
Hades gave Apollo a sharp pat on the back. “Nothing to thank me for. However, I will be glad to partake of the ceremony.”
Apollo chuckled. “The more the merrier. You are most welcome to the ceremony. I need to get word out to the others as well as to our high priestess.”
“That I can do. However, expect the lot of them to be arriving well before noon tomorrow. You know how they get with their curiosity. I’m sure they won’t be able to wait the entire two days to see your fated mate.”
Apollo chuckled, nodding his head at the truth of Hades’s words.
* * * *
Apollo reclined on a sofa in the drawing room with Yves seated between his legs and reclining against him. Even though they were to be married the next day, Apollo had politely declined the invite to stay with Yves’s family at the castle. He’d gone back to his cottage, taking the time to pack his necessities, things he could not do without should they decide to leave on their matingmoon.
It was now early evening, and Apollo had accepted the invite to have tea with Yves family, giving them a chance to get to know him better. The air was relaxed with Aaeren, Yves’s brother and Radisq’s mate, relaxed beside them while playing the role of host.
From the way Radisq leaned against Aaeren and the way Aaeren never took his hands off his mate, it was easy to see the love between the royal couple. Even though a fated pair was revered and esteemed, most did not wait for their fated mate and were sometimes involved in arranged marriages.
It was a pleasant surprise to see that this was not so with the other couple. When he had first met Aaeren, the man had been stiff and boiling with barely suppressed anger that it came as a bit of surprise to see this soft side of him.
Apollo pressed a kiss to Yves’s head, running his hands slowly over the man’s arms. They had been like this for a while now, just talking in low voices and laughing together while Apollo watched the dynamics between his mate and his mate’s family. After a filling snack and some refreshment, Apollo had noticed how tired Yves appeared to be and had drawn him into his arms.
It hadn’t taken long until Yves fell into sleep, cozy and secured in Apollo’s arms while the rest continued discussing in low voices.
“This is the most relaxed I’ve ever seen my brother,” Aaeren said, drawing Apollo’s attention away from his sleeping mate.
Apollo smiled, “I know.” At Aaeren’s raised brows, Apollo continued. “He told me about his restlessness and insomnia. I just hope I’m enough to help him through those. I’m glad he can settle around me.”
Aaeren nodded, pleased by Apollo’s response. “You’re good for him. I’ll admit that. I just do not like the fact that he had to suffer more severely because of what you put him through.”
“You might not believe me, but it hurt me to know that my leaving caused him so much pain. I might not have had any other choice but what I can do is to never leave him behind again after our mating ceremony. I care about Yves a lot and given time, I could fall deeply and irrevocably in love with him. I would never hurt him,” Apollo said fervently.
Aaeren stared at Apollo, pleased by the response but just to ensure that the other man knew, he said. “Good. You should also know that I don’t care what you are or who you are, but if you hurt my baby brother, I will kill you or die trying.”
Apollo inclined his head, allowing Aaeren his protectiveness. He silently applauded the man’s gut to say such words to a god who could kill him with a look or the wave of his hand.
“I see what Yves meant when he said you shone so bright
ly. I’m sure you’ll be good to him,” Radisq said with a smile, squeezing Aaeren’s arm.
“He’s the one who shines brighter. He lit up my world just by being born, and I will definitely do my best to make him happy.” Apollo dropped a kiss to Yves’s head, lingering there.
Apollo stared down at Yves with soft eyes before pulling back and continuing, this time, all without looking away from this man in his arms. “I’m glad he has family who’s protective of him, and I don’t want to come between your dynamics.”
“Just love him. That’s all we ask. There’s no one who deserves love more,” Radisq said, allowing Aaeren to wrap his arms around him.
* * * *
Yves and Apollo faced each other, standing before the crowd gathered to watch their mating ceremony. The priestesses, one of the Fire Kingdom and one of the gods, stood before them, ready to proceed with the mating ceremony according to both customs of the Fae and gods.
The priestess of the Fire Kingdom produced a piece of silky red sash, using that to bind their hands together. Then eyeing them, she silently requested their acceptance before moving on to the next stage of the ceremony. Without looking away from each other, they nodded, and both offered their unbound hands to the priestess.
A sharp sting was the only indication that the priestess had cut each of their palms, which they then clasped together, ensuring their blood mingled together.
“You may repeat the vow,” the priestess announced.
“I pledge myself to thee, mate of mine. I pledge my body, my heart and my soul throughout eternity. Soul of my soul and blood of my blood as I bind myself to thee, so be it forevermore.” Their voices rang out harmoniously as they recited the vow together, of their own free will, binding themselves together for all of eternity.
Ancient words laced with power so old, spoken only by soul mates, tied them together forevermore. The moment they were done with the vow, a blinding light engulfed them, sealing them together in an unbreakable bond. The light soon dissipated, leaving the newly mated couple facing each other.
