by Shea Balik
It was music to his ears. Nothing could ever be sweeter than holding Mingus and hearing those words.
CHAPTER 17
“Happy Birthday to you.”
It was hard to imagine that they’d pulled it off. Mingus had had his doubts when it had been nearly nine last night before they’d even managed to get the cakes frosted, sorry, iced. Why Oluf made that distinction, Mingus had no clue, or desire to even ask.
He was exhausted.
For after they’d iced the cakes the night before, they’d had to come up with a firm menu for lunch, since the party would happen before the bonfire and ritual that would give Kyleigh her druid magic that evening. Okay, so the ritual wasn’t actually needed, but it was tradition, so who was he to complain?
“Happy Birthday to you,” they finished singing with Arne, Wylie and Dermot adding, ‘And many more.’
So long as the party was basically over, Mingus didn’t care. They’d had lunch, which had consisted of all of Kyleigh’s favorites. Then presents. Fucking Wylie had told them so late about the party that they hadn’t had time to go to the store since they had been baking and cooking since yesterday afternoon.
Thankfully, Dermot had insisted he and Arne get something from Mingus and Oluf when he and Arne had gone shopping yesterday. He knew beggars couldn’t be choosers but they could hold a grudge that would mean no bacon for the next week. A sparkling tiara for a girl who hated the thought of wearing a dress, wasn’t his idea of a good gift.
By the smirk on the man’s face, Arne had known damn well she wouldn’t like it. Mingus had glared at Arne before turning to Dermot, who at least had the grace to mouth, ‘sorry’.
Thankfully, all of that was over. All they had left to do was eat their cake before going out to start the bonfire.
“I want to let you know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” Kyleigh said when she’d put down her licked clean plate. Her gaze turned to Oluf and Mingus. “I know you had to have slaved away to make all of this.”
Oluf waved off her thanks. “It was our pleasure.”
Mingus nodded at her to let her know Oluf spoke the truth.
“Since we still have some time before heading out to the bonfire, I would like to make an announcement.” Kyleigh appeared nervous and Mingus was instantly on alert.
He had no clue what she was going to say, but somehow he didn’t think any of them would like it. He was right.
“After talking with Rowan, I’ve decided that I would like to go live with her for a while.” Had she said she was going to run off and join the circus, Mingus would have been less surprised. He might have even wished her well.
Okay, so that wasn’t entirely true. Like at all. Still, this didn’t seem right.
“Ky, are you sure about this?” Cullen asked her. “I mean, you’re an adult, so I’m not going to tell you what to do, but…” he glanced over at Ulf, his eyes silently pleading for help.
“We just want you to be happy, Ky, and all of this seems a bit, well, sudden,” Ulf told her. “You only just met Rowan a few days ago.”
Six, but what difference did that make at a time like this?
There were tears shining from Kyleigh’s eyes but she refused to back down from her decision. “I know. I just think, for now, I need some time to…” She took a minute to take a breath before forging on. “Take some time for myself and get my head on straight.”
“But how will we protect you if you don’t live here?” Mingus blurted out, as he tried to think of a reason to keep her here.
Kyleigh let out a harsh laugh at his words. “The last time the Fae came, they enthralled us all. Sure, they didn’t make us do anything terrible, but…” A tear fell down her cheek and Mingus wanted to go hold her.
Ulf and Cullen beat him too it. “We get it,” they both said at the same time.
Cullen stroked her hair for several minutes before saying, “We’re going to miss you like crazy, you know that, right?”
Ky’s arms appeared to tighten around the two men. “Me, too,” she whispered. Mingus was close enough to hear those words, but they didn’t make him feel any better.
It felt as if he were losing a sister. One he’d never had until a few weeks ago.
But when he opened his mouth to try and convince her to stay, his mom gently elbowed him to get his attention. She shook her head and placed a finger over his lips.
It was killing him to listen to her silent plea, but Mingus did. His mom had never steered him wrong in the past.
“When do you plan to do this?” Oluf asked the question everyone was probably thinking.
She glanced over at Oluf and Mingus, her lips curving in a gentle, almost peaceful smile. “Tomorrow.”
The thing was, as much as Mingus wanted to tell her to stay, that smile alone made him remain silent. For the first time since he met her, Kyleigh seemed to have found some sort of happiness, or, maybe contentment was the better word. No way was he willing to be so selfish as to not let her have that, just because he’d miss her.
“Then come on,” Cullen said as he stood up from the couch tugging her up to her feet. “If this is our last night together, let’s celebrate by finding out about your new druid magic.”
That made Kyleigh giggle. A sound Mingus wasn’t sure he’d ever heard from her before.
“Ready?” Oluf asked as he stood and held a hand out for Mingus.
He placed his hand in Oluf’s and nodded. “I’m going to miss her, but if this is what she needs, I say we send her off with a bang.”
“We call to our ancestors who have blessed us with their magic.”
The fire roared on the far side of the valley, away from all the animals so as not to spook them. The heat was welcome, as the sun had already set behind the high mountains, and cooled the air to a chilly temperature.
The druids had gathered around the bonfire, while the Vikings stood at their backs, a part of, yet still separate from, the ritual. They were there to show their support for Kyleigh, more than to protect anyone.
It was true the Fae could come, but it would be unlikely. Especially if they did feel the magic of the druids as they performed this ritual. Mingus couldn’t imagine them wanting to take a chance that they might get stuck on this side of the Veil, since there was no way they understood what type of ritual they were performing this night.
Mingus smiled as their voices rose together in unison. For this is what being a druid was all about. Not the spells or trying to seal the Veil. No. Druids had started as a group to honor Mother Earth, the sun, and moon. Before the Fae had descended into their world, these rituals were true celebrations, not something that had to be done to keep the Fae from crossing over.
It was easy on nights like this one to imagine what life had been like before the Fae had come. The joining of a community to revel in a harvest, or the start of spring. Mingus could only hope that even if they did manage to seal the Veil permanently, that he and his friends would still honor their past by continuing the traditions of their people.
“Your daughter is here today to receive the gift that you bestow upon her. We ask our ancestors to come forth and honor her.”
Even this chant, one that was created after the Fae had started to infect the human world with their selfish domination, was one of peace, not revenge. Of hope, not destruction.
“Heed our words ancestors, for she has come in peace and love. Give her your blessing on this day so she may be of service to our people.”
A wind kicked up and for a crazy moment, Mingus swore he could hear the whispered words of the ancients giving their blessing. Warmth surrounded him as if thousands of arms were offering their joy and comfort to him.
He hoped, when he heard Kyleigh’s gasp of surprise, she felt the same thing as she finished the dance meant for the one who was being honored on that day.
For several minutes only the crack and pop of the fire could be heard. When Kyleigh turned around to face them, she was smiling from ear to ear.
“Did you feel that?” she asked them. “It was like my parents were here, wishing me happy birthday.”
As one, they all circled around her, both congratulating her and hugging her one by one. When it was Mingus’s turn, he whispered, “I will miss you so damn much. And Pretty Baby will be here waiting for you to return, so promise, one day, you will at least visit us.”
She nodded before hugging Oluf.
“So?” Cullen said when everyone had their turn. “I know it’s always easy to feel the magic inside you, but do you?”
It was as if they all held their breath as they waited to hear. Kyleigh closed her eyes. But when she opened them she was already shaking her head. “I don’t feel it.”
“Don’t worry, kiddo,” Wylie said. “It took me a while to figure it out and now I can do all sorts of neat tricks.” A log that was on fire started to swirl around them causing Kyleigh to giggle.
“Thanks, Wylie,” Kyleigh said. “I’ll remember that. Anyway, Rowan should be able to help me tap into my magic.”
Mingus really wished she hadn’t said that. For as much as he desperately wanted to be supportive, there was something inside of him that kept trying to stop her from leaving. He just wished he knew why.
CHAPTER 18
“Who would have thought the house would seem so empty with only one person missing?” Mingus murmured two weeks after they had watched Kyleigh leave them.
Oluf hadn’t even tried to hold back the tears that morning as he hugged her one last time before she got into Ulf’s truck. He and Cullen had driven her to Rowan’s office. When they’d gotten back, they’d gone into their room and weren’t seen again until the next morning.
Both their eyes had been puffy and red-rimmed the next morning and Oluf couldn’t blame them. He hated that Kyleigh felt more comfortable with a virtual stranger than her family. For that was what they were. Come hell or high water, they all had each other’s backs and would do anything for one another.
Yet, Kyleigh hadn’t felt comfortable enough to stay. “I know.” Oluf rolled them both on their sides as they lay in bed, holding the man who had become his world in such a short time. “I feel like we’ve done something wrong.”
Mingus leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Me, too. And that she no longer talks to us is…”
“Wrong,” Oluf finished for his lover. “I mean, I guess I understand her reasoning, but it still sucks.” That was a lie. Not the sucking part, for that was completely true. But the part about him understanding.
“Really?” Mingus asked. “Because, the ‘I need time to figure out my feelings,’ seemed like crap to me.”
That was Mingus. He definitely knew how to get to the point. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. But Rowan claimed it was natural for some people to want to distance themselves when they felt as conflicted as Kyleigh.”
Mingus let out a snort of disbelief. “Who the hell is she, anyway? I mean, we know nothing about her except that she’s a druid. That doesn’t instantly make her a good person.”
Oluf had to bite his tongue to stop from smiling at the grumpy look on Mingus’s face as he bitched about Rowan. “I know. But she checked out when Dermot and Arne looked into her background. We have to believe that Kyleigh knows herself well enough to come to us if she needs help. In the meantime, we should trust her to make her own decisions.”
“She’s too young to do that,” Mingus insisted.
“She’s like a month younger than you,” Oluf pointed out.
Mingus glared at him, clearly not liking what he’d just said. “Stop using logic when I’m upset. We’ve talked about this.”
This time Oluf couldn’t stop his lips from curling upwards. “I love you so damn much,” he said before sealing their lips together.
“Not fair,” Mingus mumbled into the kiss. “You know I can’t resist your lips.”
Oluf pulled back just long enough to say, “That’s what I’m counting on, sexy.” Then he continued to nibble along Mingus’s lower lip, just like the man liked.
It was fascinating to learn all the different sides of Mingus, but Oluf had to admit, this might be his favorite. In the weeks since he’d claimed Mingus, they had been having sex almost non-stop. From what he could tell from the other couples, it was normal.
If he was a betting man, Oluf would imagine it had something to do with the fate and destiny thing. Like now that they’d found their other half, it was almost imperative that they come together as often as possible.
They’d even been overcome while cooking once or twice and used the large, enclosed pantry to their advantage. As much as Oluf did love that ‘need you now’ side of Mingus, this slow, romantic, almost as if he needed to continue being wooed side was the best.
It allowed Oluf to do what he loved best, worship every inch of his body. The lips weren’t always the first place Oluf started, but he did enjoy the way Mingus sank into the kisses. It was as if he surrendering himself over to Oluf. Trusting that Oluf would give him exactly what he needed.
Not that Mingus didn’t give back, because he absolutely did. Even now, his fingers skimmed along Oluf’s back. Every so often he’d stroke along Oluf’s more sensitive areas, like the base of his spine, until he reached the globes of Oluf’s ass.
His touch was like magic as he dug his fingers into the muscle, working his way over the curves to reach the juncture to his legs. That’s when Oluf was sure he would go insane. But he always held on, not because it was easy, but because he wasn’t about to give into the pleasure until he had Mingus writhing beneath him, begging for Oluf to be inside of that tight, hot body.
A moan spilled from Oluf’s lips and into his mouth at he felt those talented fingers gliding across the base of his ass to the crack. He’d asked Mingus before if he wanted to top, for there was nothing Oluf wouldn’t give him, including his ass.
At the time, Mingus hadn’t wanted that, but Oluf could tell he’d been intrigued. Maybe one day Oluf would know what it felt like to hold the man he loved inside his body. Never before had Oluf thought that would be something he wanted, but when it came to Mingus, he desired to experience everything.
Dipping his tongue between those lush lips, Oluf could taste the mint of the toothpaste he’d used, but beyond that was the sweet honeyed flavor of Mingus. It was better than any food Oluf had ever created. If he could find a way to bottle it, Oluf knew he’d make millions.
The cute noises coming from Mingus as Oluf’s hands plucked at his nipples told him that his lover was as into this as Oluf was. Sipping on Mingus’s lips for another moment, Oluf moved down his throat, his teeth scraping against the scar he’d left when he’d claimed Mingus as his.
Just like always, Mingus arched up as if wanting to feel Oluf’s teeth sink into his flesh once again. Then his hips rolled upward, causing their cocks to slide together and they both let out loud groans of pleasure.
A finger was rubbing along the crack of Oluf’s ass. When the tip reached his entrance Mingus played with the muscles there. Uncertain if this was Mingus’s way of telling him he wanted to be the one to top, Oluf lifted his head from where he’d just started to lick across one nipple.
He stared at Mingus, who was fucking beautiful with his head tossed back against the pillows and the muscles along his torso quivering with anticipation. Those lush lips were rosy and slightly swollen from their kisses and his eyes were becoming darker as his pupils were beginning to widen and take over the sky blue color.
“So fucking sexy,” Oluf whispered.
Mingus’s gaze went to his. A soft smile on his face as he said, “You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel like it.”
That was something Oluf had trouble believing, even though it was something Mingus had told him on multiple of occasions. “Then everyone else is an idiot,” Oluf said as he leaned down to take those lips again in a searing kiss that had them both panting for much needed air.
“Please Oluf,” Mingus cried out when they broke the kiss. “I need t
o feel you inside me.”
Well, that answered the question about what Mingus wanted. Oluf couldn’t be disappointed though, for each time he buried himself in Mingus’s tight channel was like coming home. Something Oluf feared he’d never have the chance to feel after all this time. A place he belonged.
As he shifted them so Mingus was on his back and Oluf above, he reached under the pillow, pulling out the well-used tube of lube. At this pace, he was going to have to start buying cases of the stuff.
A needy cry surrounded him, the sound of an angel, as Oluf slid a slick finger into Mingus’s entrance. The way the muscles fluttered around him, squeezing Oluf’s digit as if Mingus wanted it deeper, nearly had his eyes rolling in the back of his head. The thing was, he knew when he replaced his fingers with his cock, it would be a million times better, more intense, just… more.
It was like that no matter what they did, from nothing more than rubbing off on each other to penetrative sex. Mingus had the ability to make Oluf feel like a God, even if Oluf was only holding Mingus’s hand.
“Not too much. You know I like to feel all of you,” Mingus said breathlessly as his hips worked the finger inside of him.
That had started during one of their rushed pantry sessions. They’d both been too on edge to wait and Oluf hadn’t done a very good job prepping Mingus’s body for his thick cock.
When Mingus had practically dug his nails into the shelves to stop himself from falling apart at the seams when he came so hard cum had landed three shelves up. It had taken a full ten minutes of Mingus leaning back against Oluf before he could think coherently enough to even speak.
Since then, Mingus demanded Oluf only open him as little as possible to not make it hurt, yet give him the burn as he felt every single inch of Oluf entering him that he craved.
There was nothing better than feeling Mingus’s muscles grip him so damn tight as he entered his channel. With that thought in mind, Oluf slid a second finger in with the first.
