It had been awhile since he had had a liaison of the sexual nature, but it had not been for lack of trying. Brogan had a type, and he rarely passed up a chance to hook up with any good-looking man who was blond and preferably blue eyed. Recently he had struck up a friendship with a dragon who fit his type exactly. They had shared several hot kisses, but so far they had not made it to the bedroom. Fortunately his soon to be lover, Paul, visited the Council of Sorcery and Shifters headquarters often to represent his court, and it was only seventy miles from Brogan’s home in Arizona. It was the perfect time to head home for a while. Living out of his suitcase was growing tiresome, and he was a bit lonely for his family. Getting to know Paul better and spending time with his family was just what he needed.
His home had changed since he had left nearly a year before. It seemed unreal to him, but warlocks or witches, as they were now called, were not fully extinct, and the only known one now called his family home. She had brought along a familiar too. Brogan idly wondered how that worked. Did she summon it for a few hours when she needed help with a spell or something? He had no idea what it looked like but knew it could at least talk. Did it resemble a human at all? Brogan could not help the shudder that passed through him when he thought about the familiar... thingie. Honestly, the whole thing just creeped him out.
Putting his disturbing thoughts aside, Brogan thought about the other changes that had taken place at his home. There was now a necromancer living at Court D’Vaire. He knew that everyone was fond of their new addition, and Brogan was looking forward to meeting her. Aleksander had also told him that they were putting together a proposal for the council to make their home a sanctuary. That idea had helped Brogan cut short his travel plans and get his butt back home. There was no way he wanted his home opened up to a bunch of strangers. Had any of them even thought about what would happen if any of these people living on the fringes of their society were dangerous? They could all be murdered in their sleep. He needed to get home and be the voice of reason and bring Aleksander and the rest to their senses. This sanctuary idea had trouble written all over it, and he was determined to put a stop to it.
He was a duke, and his role was first and foremost to see to the protection of his court and he would never shirk his duty to protect Aleksander. For centuries, he and the other D’Vaires had done everything they could to protect him from being seen by the world. Too many people had judged him based on looks alone, and Aleksander had wilted somewhat under the scrutiny. A sanctuary would put him way too far out in the public eye. He knew that Aleksander had met with the emperor, among others, and things had gone well, but that did not mean that he would not face prejudice from ignorant or simple-minded idiots.
Shifting into dragon form and flying straight home had occurred to him, but he decided to take a plane ride home. He did not want to show up and meet all the new D’Vaire additions for the first time in the buff. It was impossible to shift with clothes on and he doubted anyone would appreciate him flashing them. He had heard that magickind were not as comfortable with nudity as shifters. Stepping off the plane that had finally brought him back to Arizona, Brogan pulled out his cell phone. Turning it on he realized he had a new text message from Paul, his soon to be lover.
‘U home yet?’
‘Just landed. How r u?’ Brogan texted back.
‘Awesome. Looking 4ward to seeing u soon.’
‘Me 2. Talk to u 2morrow?’
‘Definitely. Txt or call. I’ll be waiting.’
‘Take care.’
‘U 2.’
Brogan pocketed his phone with a sense of satisfaction. It had definitely been too long since he had gotten laid, and Paul was exactly what he needed to end his drought. He could fly up to meet him as soon as he got caught up at home. Concentrating on getting his luggage and locating his driver, Brogan was more than ready to get home and restore some sanity to his family.
“Hey, squirt, what are you up to?” Aleksander asked as he entered the living room where Ayden was lounging and watching a DVD of his favorite show.
“Just watching my show, Quasimodo,” Ayden replied.
“Quasimodo?”
“Yeah, you know… despised and shunned because of his appearance, just like you,” Ayden explained with a bat of his lashes.
“Hmm,” Aleksander murmured with a small smile.
“You know you’d be great on this show,” Ayden told Aleksander.
“How do you figure that? I’m not a drag queen.”
Ayden’s favorite show was a popular drag queen competition, “You should be. You wouldn’t even have to wear a wig with those long raven locks,” Ayden said coyly.
“Only problem is that I can’t walk for shit in heels.”
“Not even going to ask how you came by that knowledge,” Ayden answered with a laugh.
“Good, because I’m not telling.”
“Sasquatch.”
“Shrimp.”
“Hey! Stop fighting and come help us blow up these balloons!” Larissa yelled from the kitchen.
“Why the hell are we blowing up balloons?” Ayden asked Aleksander, as they headed to the kitchen to do as they were told.
“Hell, if I know. It’s only Brogan coming home. It’s not the damn emperor arriving,” Aleksander retorted, and Larissa smacked him on the arm.
“He hasn’t been home for nearly a year. We want him to feel welcome,” Larissa announced.
“He lives here!” Aleksander exclaimed and quickly moved out of Larissa’s reach.
“At least we get cake,” Ayden threw in and nearly popped a lung trying to inflate the giant ass balloon Larissa had handed him to inflate.
“I hear a car!” Larissa sang, and Ayden winced. Ayden was convinced that the tone fairy had bypassed that dragon.
“Good. Blowing up balloons sucks,” Aleksander stated, and Blodwen smirked at him from across the room as she tossed the balloon she had just blown up on the table.
From the kitchen, Ayden heard the front door open and excited voices from the entry way as Larissa and her mate Madeline had decided to meet Brogan at the door. The trio entered the kitchen moments later, and Ayden felt light-headed as he got his first look at Brogan D’Vairedraconis. He was tall, barely an inch shorter than Aleksander who stood at 6’6”. Broad and muscular, Brogan wore a smile that set off a set of barely there dimples. Movie star handsome, he had eyes the color of Ayden’s much-loved navy wallpaper. His hair fell just over his forehead, in short, boyish brown curls and Ayden felt an inexplicable pull to run to his side. The beat of his heart quickened, and all the blood in his body pooled in his groin. Shocked, Ayden realized that this dragon was his mate!
Ayden watched as Brogan’s nostrils flared, and he took a few deep breaths as if scenting something unusual. Their eyes met and locked. The room faded and time stood still. Or at least it seemed that way to Ayden. Brogan finally ended their intense stare fest and allowed himself to be led over and introduced to Latarian and then Blodwen. Ayden watched, as if in slow motion, as Aleksander brought his mate over to meet him. Ayden could see the surprise on Brogan’s face when Aleksander introduced him as Latarian’s familiar. Maybe no one had told him that witches came along with a ready-made companion. After they had exchanged hellos Ayden offered his hand to shake, but Brogan managed to evade it by walking away with Aleksander. Ayden was flummoxed. He had no idea why Brogan had not said anything about them being mates. Maybe Ayden had been the only one to feel these strange feelings.
Ayden watched as Brogan neatly separated himself and Aleksander slightly away from the group of people chatting excitedly in the kitchen. He knew it was probably in poor taste to eavesdrop, but Ayden was not exactly known for his good behavior. Using his magic to drown out the revelers, he zeroed in on the conversation across the room and amplified their words for his ears only.
“What’s wrong?” Aleksander asked immediately, the concern in his voice evident.
“Her familiar. What’s he like?” Brogan demanded.
“Ayden? A total brat. We all adore him.”
“Is he, like, real?” The horror in Brogan’s voice was unmistakable.
“What do you mean ‘is he real’? You just met him. Of course, he’s real.”
“He’s like a magical thing right. She summons him for spells and shit?”
“He was made from her magic. Other than his ‘birth’ and his ties to Latarian, he is the same as you and me,” Aleksander explained.
“Ties to her? Like he has to be in the same room or something?”
“These are the weirdest damn questions. No, they do not have to be in the same room,” the ire was definitely evident in Aleksander’s tone as he answered Brogan’s questions.
“Oh. So he’s like anatomically correct?”
“Well, I didn’t give him a physical exam Brogan. What the hell?”
“He’s awfully short. I thought familiars were big. Status symbols. Magicians have enormous familiars. Was he like a factory reject because all the other witch ones died?”
“What the fuck Brogan? He is small, according to the prism wizard that was Latarian’s choice, but she seems to think it is somehow his fault. He is wicked powerful. Stronger than even Latarian. What the hell is a matter with you?” Aleksander was sounding more pissed off by the minute.
“I am freaking the hell out.”
“Why?”
“I think he’s my mate.”
“You think?” Aleksander’s tone was rich with sarcasm.
“He’s my mate, damn it!”
“So what’s the problem?” Clearly Aleksander did not see one.
“I don’t know how this whole familiar thing works.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. He’s a person like you and me, Brogan. Is that the only problem? You’ll see. He’s great. You should be happy. You found your mate,” Aleksander clapped Brogan on the shoulder.
“One other small problem.”
“What’s wrong now?”
“I sort of have a boyfriend.”
At Brogan’s words, Ayden let the noise in the room once again fill the space between them. He had heard enough. His mate didn’t want him and he was with another. Ayden was not going to dwell on it. He had resigned himself to being mateless. Obviously Fate had decided to throw him a bone. Or, in this case, a dragon.
Ayden felt for Brogan, he should have a different fate, but the destruction of Ayden’s race had altered both their destinies. No longer able to be with his true mate, a familiar such as him, he had been re-paired with poor Brogan. Blodwen had been right when she had suggested that Fate could offer him a second chance, but it was not what either of them deserved. Their mate pair was a poor substitute for what should have been. Brogan deserved someone better suited to him. Obviously someone taller would have been preferable, and Ayden deserved a familiar like himself who understood what he was and was not freaked out by his very existence.
Suddenly exhausted by the day’s events Ayden desperately wanted to leave the welcome home party. He had no idea what he was supposed to do in a situation such as this, so he snuck down the hall to his room and grabbed a pair of pajamas blindly. Changing his clothes was done robotically, and Ayden climbed into his bed and tucked the covers beneath his chin. Tomorrow he would visit his true mate and apologize for the feelings his new mate had stirred.
Brogan’s head was spinning. He could not believe he had just found his mate. Surrounded by his family, he desperately needed to get away and think, but that was impossible at the moment. His family was so happy to see him. They had gone to so much trouble to cook his favorite foods and decorate the kitchen and living room with streamers and balloons, he could not disappoint them by disappearing.
The same could not be said for his mate who was suddenly nowhere to be found, he had left the room so fast Brogan had not even seen him leave. In truth, Brogan was glad to see his mate was gone. Brogan had not done the right thing when he had realized Ayden was his; he had barely said two words to him. Mates were supposed to be acknowledged as soon as the connection was realized and instead Brogan was pulling Aleksander to the side and spilling out his guts.
Not that Aleksander had been any help, he had basically told Brogan to get his ass over there and fix it. Aleksander was not going to stand by and see any member of his family hurt. Brogan really didn’t want to hurt his mate either, but he had panicked when he had felt his heart race and smelled the most amazing fragrance in the world. His cock had filled so fast he had nearly swayed on his feet and Brogan had tucked his tail and ran towards Aleksander. Denying his mate’s existence had not been his intention, but he had just needed a moment or two to figure this whole thing out. Completely ashamed at his behavior, Brogan spent the next couple of hours faking smiles and pretending he had not a care in the world.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Brogan was finally able to escape to his room under the guise of unpacking his suitcases. Noirin had served them a delicious welcome home cake but before he had left the table Aleksander had given him a pointed look which clearly said don’t fuck this up. No pressure or anything. Brogan went up to his room and dropped his bags on the plush area rug. He flopped down onto his bed face first and felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. Shit. Paul. Now he had to tell his sort of boyfriend about his finding his mate instead of making plans to get naked and freaky. This day just kept getting better. Sighing, Brogan hit the button to view his latest text message.
‘How was the big homecoming?’
‘Interesting,’ Brogan texted back. Maybe Paul was busy, and he wouldn’t text back until the next day. Seconds later Brogan’s phone buzzed and Brogan groaned. He had never been the lucky sort.
‘Do tell.’ Paul wanted to know about his day. It was time to drop the news about Ayden.
‘I met my mate.’
‘Grats! We still friends?’ Brogan didn’t see any reason he couldn’t remain friends with Paul. Their relationship had had some heated moments, but they had spent more time just talking. Paul was a nice guy and traveled a great deal, so he didn’t have too many close friends, and Brogan didn’t want to just abandon the guy.
‘Thanks. Of course, we r still friends.’
‘Cool. Talk 2 U 2morrow. Wanna hears about ur hot mate.’
‘Perv. Later.’ Brogan shut off his phone and tossed it on the nightstand. Telling Paul about his hot mate would not be a problem. Shifting on the bed to lie on his back, Brogan brought forth a mental image of his little mate. His cock immediately started to fill. Ayden was short, especially to a man 6’5”, but Brogan was not at all disappointed with his body.
For a smaller guy, Ayden appeared long-limbed and, while not bulky, his physique was muscular and toned. Brogan had been disappointed that he had not gotten a chance to see Ayden’s backside. Nothing excited him more than a great ass. He had gotten a quick glance at what Ayden was packing in those tight jeans he had been wearing, his little mate did not appear to have been short-changed in that area. Brogan’s groin was now decidedly uncomfortable.
Unbuttoning the top button of his jeans, Brogan lowered his zipper. His now fully engorged dick had some room to breathe as he considered his mate’s physical attributes. As if Ayden’s tight little body wasn’t enough, those stunning green eyes would have had him hooked. They were very unusual; a vivid green with a darker color underneath poking through and they were slanted slightly upwards, which gave him a feline kind of grace. Brogan found it very alluring. Ayden’s hair was cute. He had a mop of wavy red hair whose thick strands would be perfect for grabbing onto while Ayden wrapped his pretty mouth around Brogan’s cock.
No, Brogan had no complaints regarding his mate’s looks. It did surprise him that Ayden was not blond, but he certainly wasn’t going to be deterred by something so superficial. His personality, on the other hand, could be an issue for Brogan; Ayden seemed very quiet and reserved. Ayden hadn’t even called Brogan out about the whole them being mates thing. Brogan preferred men who were a bit bolder; he liked a m
an who stood up for himself. From his experience, that type of man tended to be a wild cat in bed. Brogan loved wild cats. Aleksander had referred to him as a brat, but Brogan had seen no evidence of it. Maybe it was the whole familiar thing; Ayden was probably used to being subservient.
Brogan briefly wondered what kind of knowledge his mate had, he didn’t know if anyone had even explained the mate thing. Perhaps that was why Ayden had not said anything. If so he must be overwhelmed by the mating pull and the all-consuming horniness. Brogan knew he certainly was and he, at least, understood why he was feeling all this stuff. Crap, had anyone even explained the birds and bees to the little familiar? Then again, he knew Latarian was at least a couple hundred years old. Witches had been thought to be extinct at least that long, so there was not really any chance that Ayden was still a virgin at his advanced age.
Feeling relieved at the thought, Brogan didn’t think he could handle initiating someone inexperienced. He liked a partner that knew exactly what he wanted and how to get it. A couple of hundred years had probably given Ayden plenty of opportunity to find out what he liked. Brogan suddenly found himself getting rather pissed thinking about how Ayden would have discovered his sexual preferences. His cock deflated as images of Ayden wrapped in another man’s embrace filled his mind. Brogan wanted to tear apart all the men that had come before him. Ayden was his and his alone. Brogan realized he was actually growling. He needed to calm the hell down. Rolling his shoulders, Brogan forced himself to put his thoughts of Ayden with other men aside. It was not like he could hunt each and every one of them down and kill them for having carnal knowledge of his mate, but it was damn tempting.
As physically attractive as Ayden was, Brogan could not deny that he being a familiar dampened his excitement about finally finding his mate. If only Ayden were a dragon, Brogan thought sadly. He would probably be spending this night getting to know his mate better rather than sitting in this room getting pissed off and confused. Brogan was trying very hard not to freak out over this whole familiar thing. Thinking back to his earlier conversation with Aleksander, Brogan knew he needed to pull his head out of his ass and get to know more about Ayden. He wished he had taken the time to ask Aleksander about witches and familiars during his phone calls home. Now it seemed easier to go straight to the source; Ayden would be able to answer all the questions he had about who and what he was, and hopefully it would ease all of Brogan’s unease. Because despite all the fucked up freakiness surrounding him, Brogan was happy to have finally found his mate. He was so damn tired of being lonely.
Grand Redemption (D'Vaire Book 1) Page 6
