"Blind? Oh. Oh... But, then how do the lenses... Never mind. Are you--Is there... uh... Is there anything you need me to do?"
"My driver knows what to do." Luc smiled at Wulf's curiosity. Some things didn't change. "I'm fine. Once I get home, a new pair of lenses will put me right again. Do my eyes bother you?"
"No. Not at all." Wulf's voice dropped. "I hate that you have to hide." Warmth next to him meant Wulf had moved to the same seat. "Are you sure you're all right?"
Luc edged away, turning toward him. "I'm fine. Is this pity, Wulf?"
"Fascination, more like."
He could feel Wulf's warmth beside him. This was not the way Luc had wanted to get closer.
"Wulf, by staring at me, you're taking advantage of a blind man."
"I can't imagine anyone taking advantage of Luc Saint-Cyr." Wulf moved away. "Have you always been blind?"
"Yes." He propped himself in the corner. "There are two times that I can see. When I wear lenses that cover my eyes, and when I've had enough sex to sate me. Being a Sempervian--that's not possible with a human lover." He cleared his throat. "At least, not often."
"But how do the lenses help you see? Do they see for you?"
"No. They're thick, colored lenses that prevent..." He gestured to his own eyes. "Well ... this."
Wulf hummed a response. "So you can't see your own eyes?"
"That's right."
"How odd." His hand bumped Luc's. "Excuse me." He slid away a bit more. "Have you ever seen them?"
"No. I've seen pictures, but never my eyes in the mirror. At least, not like they are now. When they look human, they're brown." He picked at a thumbnail. "When I'm sated."
"Sated." Wulf's clean crisp scent came to him. "That means gorged or stuffed full doesn't it? Sated sexually?"
The heat of the car prickled sweat down Luc's back. He swallowed. "Yes." Not the way he'd pictured this at all. Out of his element, handicapped in a way he'd never expected, Luc loosened his collar.
"How do you get that way?"
He coughed. "Multiple orgasms. I've achieved it with human lovers only a few times. With other Sempervians, often."
"How does that make a difference? Sex is sex."
"Our saliva, hormones, ejaculate, even blood makes us able to share our healing nature. When Sempervians share it with one another, it's satisfying in a way that isn't possible with humans."
Wulf gave a whistle. "So that's why the empress has so many lovers in her stable. They help sate her. Do you and the empress...?"
The Chosen knew who all the Sempervians were. "That would be telling."
"What's her reason? If yours is blindness, what does she have to overcome?"
"Are you asking as my Chosen, or a curious onlooker?"
Wulf went so silent, not even his breathing sounded. "I deserved that."
"And?" Luc waited, listening.
"I can't answer that yet."
"Neither can I."
Wulf moved again, turning toward him. He brushed Luc's thigh. "Does it make you uncomfortable not to be able to see?"
He considered how to answer. Wulf would take advantage no matter what Luc said. "A bit."
"Good." The leather seat creaked as he scooted back. "I think I like having you a little off balance. Maybe we'll get along better that way."
"There's no 'getting along' required, Wulf." Luc folded his arms. Two could play the off-balance game. "You'll be a guest in my home. All you need to do is obey."
Chapter Five
Tarth City, Di Lusso District
Nizamrak Building, Penthouse Level, "The Loft"
"Oh I know you did not just tell me to obey you." Wulf jammed his arms across his chest. "Of all the..." He gave a snort. "That's the same stupid thing my agent wrote on that picture. How can you throw out the word 'obey' like you have some kind of right to order me around?"
"I do, Wulf." Luc sat there with his eyes closed, propped in the corner of the car as if he were sleeping. "You'll be a guest in my home."
"Guests should be treated with respect."
A hint of a smile played about his mouth. "If you want my respect, obey me."
"You haven't changed at all. Still pig-headed."
"Is that your father's opinion, your mother's opinion, or yours?"
With a huff, Wulf turned away, refusing to respond.
The car's tinted windows let in plenty of the view. The Imperial Business District streets felt like the bottoms of canyons with all the skyscrapers that lined them. Even the shorter ones rose a hundred stories. The tallest, the Royal Arms Hotel, made an inverted pyramid shape to the thirtieth floor and then rose straight up one hundred and fifty stories. It looked as if an arrow had been thrown into the ground. Tyran engineering made it structurally sound.
As they entered the Di Lusso District, one structure rode against the sky, a dark bulwark towering above all the others. The highest building on Tarth, built by none other than Luc Saint-Cyr. Did the man do anything half-way? Not bloody likely.
"Is that where we're going?" Wulf turned back to Luc.
"To what are you referring? I can't see, remember?"
"Sorry. The Nizamrak Building." Wulf gazed back at it. "The businesses you own are all headquartered there, aren't they?"
"Yes. The Bank of Tarth, For Women Only, Lucsondis Entertainment, and idBot, among others. I live on the top floor in the penthouse. I call it the Loft."
"Sounds intriguing."
"It's exactly like your home."
Wulf froze; a prickly fear making his neck hairs rise. "What do you mean, like my home? What do you know about my place?"
Luc opened those eerie eyes of his, shut them again. "There was an article in Tarth Architectural Times last week about homes of famous people decorated by Nonnahs Rae. Same person did my place."
"Oh." Wulf relaxed a little, nodding. "I'd forgotten about that." He'd hired Rae because he wanted to pick the man's brain about the Harbinger's home, but never got the courage to ask. Ensuring Luc still had his eyes shut, he pulled open a door on the car's side panel. Huh. Full of booze. He shut it again. "So, you saw pictures of my place?"
"Mmm. You have a flair for color that I lack. Most of the Loft is black and white. Chrome. White marble. Leather furniture. Quite basic. I was impressed with your style. Very organized. Bright, full of life. Rather like you, I imagine."
"I hate my place. Rae did whatever he wanted. It's not me at all."
Luc scratched one eyebrow. "What is your style, then?"
"I don't know." He fiddled with the lock on the door. "I never considered it. It was a showcase, not a home."
"Why did hire Rae then? He's not cheap. Seems a waste of money to decorate when you don't know what you want."
Wulf twisted around on the leather seat to face him. "You don't know anything about me, so don't presume to judge me."
"Not my intention." He paused. "I'm sorry it came across that way."
Unprepared for an apology, Wulf floundered for the right response. Luc saved him from needing one.
"The rules are to protect you, Wulf. Once we reach the Loft, I want you to make yourself at home. There are three floors. Your rooms will be on the first, mine are on the third. The second is off limits."
"Why, what do you keep there?"
"If I wanted you to know, I wouldn't make it off limits."
Wulf stewed over that for a moment. "So if I can't go to the second floor, how am I supposed to get to the third?"
"The third floor is my quarters. Why would you want to come there?"
"Oh well... uh, I wouldn't." Smooth, Wulf. Why don't you tell him about your hot little shower fantasy while you're at it? To him, you're nothing more than Thomas Gabriel's son and a pain in the ass. He sighed.
"Something wrong?"
"No!" He regretted his tone the moment he spoke. "Sorry. Didn't mean to snap at you."
The car slowed. The driver's voice came over the com. "We've arrived, sir. We'll be home within two minutes."
The feeling of movement changed direction. "We're in an elevator?"
"Yes. It's easier to come and go that way. We can fly from the top if needed." Luc sat up properly. "Part of that expensive private life."
"Wow." Wulf straightened his clothes.
When the car finally came to a stop, Luc waited for the driver to open the door. "When you travel with me, Wulf, there are a few things to remember. You are first into the car and last out. You'll enter offices and buildings with me the opposite way."
"I'm not your damned servant."
"No. You're under my protection. This is a precaution to ensure your safety."
"Oh." Wulf tightened his fists, biting into his lip. "Sorry."
"Come along." Luc stepped out of the car.
When they entered the Loft, Luc bid him welcome and then excused himself. The apartment's walls were all glass on the outside, revealing the twinkle of lights across the city. Wulf picked his way through a maze of couches and chairs to the bank of windows.
Directly below, Destine Pietan Stadium glowed under its night lighting. A trail of hovers circled on Stadium Loop, their red and white lights making a blurred trail. Must be a concert or a play tonight. I wonder who it is. He'd paid little attention to the news lately. Tarth City Park stretched all along one side, between this building and Top Tier, a dusting of lights halfway up the mountain to the starport.
The remnants of glory from a red and gold sunset glowed to the west, beyond the starport. From up here, some of the lighted runways showed. White lights tracked a giant starship liner as it settled into its berth.
As he walked along the windows, the palace came into view. Massive white marble pillars led to the palace entrance. Lights shone over its surface. Even from here, the Praetorian Guard's black uniforms showed against the bright surface of the marble courtyard.
Must be hundreds of them. He slid hands in pockets and took in the pageantry of the elite force protecting the empress.
Around another corner the rest of Tarth City loomed like a blaze of glowing candles. Lights burned to the horizon. The arrow of the Royal Arms had racing lights that outlined its shape, giving the impression of the arrow burying itself. "That's bizarre."
"What is?"
Wulf whirled to find Luc behind him. "You scared the life out of me."
"Sorry." He adjusted his cuffs. The man had taken time to change out of his formal suit and now wore a relaxed fit white shirt, brown slacks, and slippers. His eyes were back to their usual solid black.
Wulf turned back to the window, afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from raking his gaze down Luc's body. Damn, he's hot.
The man's image reflected off the glass. Wide-shouldered, he had a muscled body with strength evident in every movement. Wulf swallowed, his cock lifting, thickening. His balls tingled. The delicious lust the man inspired rose in him like a latent heat.
"What are you looking at, Wulf?"
"Oh nothing." He tried to step back from the window but Luc had come up close behind him, his body blocking the movement. "Just the lights."
"You can see the palace from here." He reached over Wulf's shoulder to point it out. "I stand here sometimes and watch the Changing of the Guard. It's a spectacle."
The man's heat radiated from him, burning Wulf with his nearness. Wulf tried to speak, had to clear his throat. "I--uh, saw it when I was about fifteen. My mother took me when the Conqueror announced the discovery of the Tyrans. We saw their ambassador sign the surrender documents that brought them into the empire."
"Hmm." Luc's front almost touched Wulf's back. "The Changing of the Guard has occurred every four hours without fail since Birit 25, 4645." The man stepped aside and leaned against the glass to face him. "Do you know the significance of that date?"
"Mmm. It's the date Empress Destoiya began her reign. Is this a history lesson?"
"Sure, if you want one." The first truly relaxed smile he'd seen on the man transformed his face. Always attractive, when he smiled, the man oozed masculine charm. Powerful, rich, charismatic; Luc had it all.
"Maybe some other time. I imagine you know history better than anyone."
He shrugged. "I tend to forget details of some things, but remember others. I can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about building roads, but no longer have any idea how to breed cattle."
"Yeah?" Wulf tilted his head. "Couldn't you just put a couple of bulls together and let 'em go at it?"
"I think it takes some cows too"
"Oh yeah." He grinned. "Unless they were gay bulls."
"Now that's an image I didn't want to see." Luc jerked his head to the left. "Come with me. I'll show you to your room."
LUC WALKED WITH Wulf toward the center of the building and the guest bedrooms. Having him here made Luc want to roar like a lion claiming a mate. "I've given you a suite. Bedroom, sitting room, dressing area and bath. I was going to give you a room with a balcony, but until I can assess the level of threat, I don't want to chance that."
"You think it's that bad?" Wulf looked up at him, worry marring his fine features.
"You'll be fine as long as you stay here. It shouldn't take long to get the situation under control. Stahlwell is tied to a hefty crime element in Tarth City, but I have ties to a badder one."
"Badder." Wulf smiled, a brilliance of perfect white teeth that never failed to dazzle Luc. "Shouldn't that be a 'worse' one?"
"Not these guys."
Wulf chuckled, and the sound caressed Luc's soul.
How can I fall in love with one of the Chosen? Especially with him right here in my own home. Oh mercy... I've got to keep from touching him. I don't know what I'd do if he rejected me. Luc dragged a hand across his mouth. The scent of Wulf's skin and hair rose to him like an aphrodisiac.
"Here we are." Luc opened the door to the sitting room and gestured him inside. "There are a few things in the closet--I keep them for guests. Mostly unisex exercise wear, swimsuits, and T-shirts, but there are several white dress shirts and black pants, all in various sizes. Something should fit. If it doesn't, I'll send out for clothing."
"No need. Don't go to any trouble." He removed a few things from his pockets and tossed them on an end table.
"No trouble at all. You're my guest." Luc put his hands in his pockets to keep from straightening the items Wulf had discarded. He turned his back to them.
"You must do a lot of entertaining here." Wulf walked around the room, touching the furniture. "Everything is top quality. I'm impressed."
"Thank you." Having Wulf here inside his walls sent his heart soaring. A week ago he'd have chided himself for a fool to think such a thing could ever happen. He crossed the room and opened double doors to the bedroom. "I had McDoth turn down the bed for you."
"McDoth?" Wulf beamed at him. "I haven't seen him in years. How is he?"
"Very well, sir." The human-skinned android appeared from inside the bedroom. As always, he wore his formal butler's uniform. Light skinned like Wulf, he had short gray hair and a bright smile. "You seem to have grown up well, Master Wulf."
"I haven't been called 'Master Wulf' since you called me that I was a boy." He shook hands with the android. "It's good to see you again, McDoth."
"Welcome, home, sir. If I may assist you in any way during your stay here, please do not hesitate to call upon me."
"Thank you."
The android bowed to Wulf, then to Luc, and left the suite.
"Gosh, he looks so human. You could almost forget he's not. I get such a kick out of hearing him talk. He's so formal." Wulf shivered.
"Are you cold? Or did McDoth frighten you?"
"Frighten me? Hell no. I used to climb up him like a tree when I was little and poke him. He never did a thing about it except tickle me. I'm just a bit cold, that's all." He rubbed his arms. "Must be a chill in here."
Luc op
ened a closet door and pulled out a thick terry robe, which he held for Wulf. "This should warm you a bit."
"Thank you." He slid his arms into it.
Luc tucked it around him and folded the lapels across one another. Wulf stood silently while he adjusted it. The whiskey brown eyes beheld him with such an expression of love it rattled him. Luc released him and stepped back. "Sorry. I should let you ... do that."
Wulf ducked his head. "It's all right." He tied it around himself. "I appreciate your hospitality. You didn't have to take me in."
He waved aside the comment. "Don't be absurd. It's no trouble. You're family."
Head tilted, Wulf gazed up at him. "Is that what I am to you? Family?"
"Of course." Luc fought the notion that Wulf was asking for more. He's made it clear in the past he wants no part of you, old boy. Don't go getting your heart broken over him. "What else would you be?"
Wulf hesitated. "Yeah. What else? Even so, thank you."
Luc wet his lips, searching for something else to say. He rubbed his fingertips across the top of his head, put his hands behind him.
Wulf shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again, looking everywhere in the room except at him.
"Uh, listen." Luc clasped his hands before him. "Why don't I let you get some sleep?" He gestured to a device by the bed. "If you need anything, tap that. McDoth will see to you right away. He doesn't sleep, so he won't mind."
"Thank you." Wulf gazed up at him through his lashes.
His heart melted at the sight. After a moment, Luc rubbed his neck. "I'm a light sleeper. If you need something McDoth can't get for you, ask him to call me. You can watch Imperinet from the bed. There's a screen on the ceiling." He pointed up. "McDoth will have your clothes here by tomorrow morning. You'll be able to shave with your own razor."
"Thank you."
"Is there anything else you need? Pajamas?"
That hot smile flashed at him again as Wulf lowered his gaze. "No. I think I'll take a long hot bath and just soak. I hope it won't bother you--I prefer to sleep nude."
The image of Wulf lying naked in bed, sprawled in sleep, brought Luc's cock all the rest of the way up. His balls almost throbbed. The urge to drag Wulf into his arms made him take a step closer. Look at that gorgeous smile. Is he flirting with me? Luc swallowed. Stop it, old man. He's your Chosen. "Fine with me. McDoth won't care."
Wulf, Tales of the Chosen Page 6
