by Maggie Walsh
“So if you think to say something out loud you might jinx it, so you would keep it to yourself,” Sutton muttered, finally really understanding what Casimir had been trying to say to him. Then, the full understanding hit him, thinking about how terrified his mate must be trying to open himself up to the world and letting the “universe” know that he had sons, a brother, friends and a mate that at any moment any one of them may be taken away from him. “And he’s doing it all for me.”
“If he can face his fears like that, then so can I”, Sutton rasped, then quickly stood up. “I need to go.”
CHAPTER 15
Casimir held Sutton’s hand as he walked with his mate towards the doors to The Cage. Tonight Deja was performing and he had front row tickets for them. It was nice having an in with the headline act, that was for sure. He and Deja had spoken and thankfully the man was willing to help Casimir out. Cas wanted his mate to know just how sorry he was for all the pain he had caused Sutton. Cas wanted Sutton to know that he knew he had hurt him, and that it would never happen again and just how much Sutton meant to him. Cas only hoped this worked.
“I can’t believe you got us in tonight. Deja’s shows are usually sold out weeks in advance,” Sutton said, bouncing from one foot to another.
“I’m glad you’re okay with coming here tonight,” Casimir said looking down at his mate, feeling the urge to readjust his hard-as-fuck cock again. Damn, did Sutton look good.
When Casimir had told his mate to dress sexy, he had been teasing, but apparently Sutton took him up on the request, because when Cas had knocked on the man’s door and his mate opened it, Casimir damn near came in his pants right then and there.
Sutton wore a pair of formfitting black leather pants with turquoise swirls sliding along the seams, with a turquoise leather top that seemed to enhance every sleek muscle his little silver fox had. However, it was Sutton’s Kohl-lined eyes with turquoise eye makeup enhancing the man’s beautiful burnt umber eyes and his beautiful silver-grey hair with black streaks that were tossed to the side in a sultry just got out of bed look, that had Cas almost panting. Holy mother of the gods, this man was going to kill him.
Casimir must have been staring too long, because Sutton nervously asked, “Is it too much?”
“Gods no. It’s… oh wow, you look… I mean...” Casimir truly didn’t know what to say. If he told his mate that he looked absolutely fuckable, would Sutton slam the door in his face? It took a second for Casimir to realize the whimpering sound was coming from him.
Sutton smiled, or more so smirked, causing precum to drip from Casimir’s hard-as-fuck shaft. The little shit had to know how turned on Casimir had been in that moment. Sutton had to know he was seconds away from saying fuck the date, and taking Sutton right there against the doorframe, because Sutton grabbed a light jacket, saying, “I’m ready when you are.”
Oh he was ready alright. Just not the kind of ready that Sutton was talking about… or was Sutton trying to tell him he was… no, he meant the date. Casimir hadn’t proven himself worthy of completing their mating yet. Not yet, but hopefully tonight would help. Casimir had a big night planned for his mate. He just hoped that he could pull it off.
“Casimir, are you alright?” Sutton asked, as they stood at the door waiting for the bouncer to let them inside.
Coming out of his thoughts, Casimir smiled at Sutton, saying, “I’m fine, just thinking about how sexy you look tonight, and how everyone is going to be so jealous that I have you by my side.”
“Oh, so what you’re saying is I’m your arm candy,” Sutton said, with a laugh.
Casimir had no idea what his mate was talking about, and his confusion must have shown. Sutton laughed, shaking his head, saying, “Arm candy is what people say when an old man decides to hook up with a young woman, so everyone is envious.”
Casimir’s brows drew down. “You are no hook up, and everyone is envious of who I am walking in with. You are a beautiful man, Sutton and I am not old… okay maybe so, but…”
Sutton lifted up and kissed Casimir’s cheek, whispering, “You’re one thousand four hundred and ninety-four years old, Cas. I’m one hundred and seventy-five. That makes you the old man and me the arm candy… but I’m good with that, because every young one in here is looking at me far more enviously.”
“How about we just say everyone in here is envious of us both,” Casimir said, with smirk.
“I like that. We’ll go with that thought,” Sutton replied, with a laugh.
Casimir made his way with Sutton to their seats, and Casius stood up. “Hey Dad, I’m so glad you could make it. Hey Sutton, you’re looking good.”
“Thanks,” Sutton said, sounding a little nervous.
Choosing not to bring attention to his mate’s unease, Casimir helped Sutton into his seat next to Benji, and then sat to wait for the show to begin. A server immediately came to their table. “Can I get you something to drink or maybe something to eat?”
Sutton smiled. “Hey, Bailey. I’ll have a beer and a bacon cheeseburger with fries.”
“Same for me,” Casimir stated. “I have it on good authority that Blake’s burgers are the bomb.”
It didn’t take long for Bailey to bring them their drinks. Casimir looked at his watch getting more and more nervous. Would his plan really work? Would Sutton think Cas was making a fool of them both? Was this stupid? Gods, he was going to make an idiot of himself.
Looking at Sutton, he watched his mate looking out at the dancers on the floor as they waited for Deja’s appearance. It wasn’t scheduled for a couple of hours. Maybe Cas should go tell Deja not to do it.”
Casius leaned over and whispered, “Everything is going to be fine, Dad. Trust us.”
“But what if…”
“Dad, it’s all going to work out and the song is perfect. Yes, it was really overplayed in its time, but it says everything you told Lon and I you wanted to say but didn’t know how. Deja agrees and that man knows all about getting a point across through song. Now why don’t you ask your mate to dance?” Casius whispered.
Casimir’s eyes widened. “But… I don’t know how to dance.”
“When a slow song comes on, just get your man and hold him close as you sway to the music. You’ll do fine,” Casius insisted.
Daughtry’s Start of Something Good began to play and Casius nudged Casimir. Turning to Sutton, he swallowed a large lump in his throat, then bit the bullet. “Would you like to dance?”
Sutton’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he smiled. “I’d love to.”
Casimir took Sutton’s hand in his and walked them out onto the dance floor, admitting, “I’ve never done this before.”
Sutton smiled even wider, softly saying, “It’s okay, just take me in your arms and slowly rock back and forth.”
Casimir did as Sutton and his son had told him and drew Sutton into his arms. As the song played, they both swayed to the music. The feel of his mate in his arms once again almost had Casimir teary-eyed. Gods, he never thought he would ever feel this again. The song soon changed to an old classic by Sergio Mendes, Never Gonna Let You Go. It was a song Casimir had listened to many times, and found he couldn’t help singing the words softly as he and Sutton danced. “I was as wrong as I could be to let you get away from me. I’ll regret that move as long as I’m livin…”
He was in a magic world where he hadn’t fucked up and lost the one man meant to be his. The magic world where they were joined as one, and he never wanted to leave. “I’m never gonna let you go, gonna hold you in my arms forever…”
Sutton pulled back slightly, looking up into Casimir’s eyes and Cas could see Sut start to tear up as Casimir continued to sing. “Oh, you gave it all and I took it for granted…”
Casimir couldn’t look away as he continued to gently rock them from side to side and sang softly, putting all the feelings he had been holding in for so damn long. “Wait and see, it’s gonna be sweeter than it was before…”
A lone te
ar slid down Sutton’s cheek as the song ended. Neither moved as another song began, this one much faster paced. Sutton wrapped one hand around Casimir’s neck and brought his head down, softly kissing Casimir’s lips.
The song was gentle, sweet, and filled with so many words and feelings. When he pulled back, Sutton quietly said, “We should go back to the table.”
Casimir didn’t want to move. He didn’t want to give up this moment. However, Casimir knew he must do just that. He had big plans for this evening and Casimir hoped that before it ended, Sutton would know that not only did Casimir truly understand what he had done to cause Sut so much pain, but that he had every intention of proving how truly sorry he was, and how blessed Cas was to have such a wonderful mate in his life.
They made their way back to their table, surprised to see Pelt and Wolf standing behind Destrain and his mates. Sitting next to them was Wyndingo and Ollie, along with York and Timmy, Twix, and Marcos, Morgan and Angelo, Jett and Zev, Illan and his mates, Day with his mates Rhys and Ethan, and even Aracas. “Hey guys, I didn’t think you all were going to make it tonight.”
“We’re family. Of course we’re here to support you any way we can,” Illan stated firmly.
Casimir not only heard what Illan was saying, but he felt the words to his very soul. “We are at that. Thank you.”
The night went on as they waited for the show to start. Sutton was right when he said the bacon cheeseburger was to die for. Casimir knew he would be here many times to have it again and again. Everyone was laughing and talking, and then the lights dimmed.
Sutton leaned in asking, “What did Illan mean when he said they were here to support you? Is something wrong?”
Shaking his head, Casimir softly replied, “No love, there’s nothing to worry about. Just… just watch the show and hopefully you’ll understand.”
The sound of the piano playing had them all looking towards the stage. Deja’s voice softly saying, “Tonight is a special night dedicated to a hero of Maddox. This show was planned and put together by myself, my brothers, and Sutton’s mate, Casimir. Many times we make mistakes and those mistakes hurt the last person you would never want to hurt. However, as our first song says, with enough love, in the end it doesn’t even matter… or at least we hope. Forgiveness might not come easy, but I’m a romantic at heart and I believe that with enough love, things will work themselves out.”
* * * *
The lights lit up the band and the first words from Linkin Park’s In the End began, with Deja singing, “It starts with one…”
Blake and Deja marched out as Blake rapped out, “One thing I don’t know why…”
Sutton listened to what Blake and Deja sang. “I had to fall to lose it all, but in the end it doesn’t even matter…”
Sutton felt the wall cracking with each song, from Pink and Nate Ruess’s Just Give Me a Reason and then Pink with Adam Lambert’s What Do You Want From Me and the songs just kept coming. Each one telling Sutton just how sorry Casimir was, and then Deja started singing Daughtry’s What About Now?
“What if our love never went away? What if it’s lost behind things words we could never find?”
Sutton had told Cas how this was his favorite song, but he felt as if he was listening to it for the first time.
“What if you’re making me all that I was meant to be?”
Tears trickled down Sutton’s cheek just as they had done when Cas had started singing as they danced. Gods, did Cas really do all this for him? It couldn’t have been easy. Everyone knew this show was for Sutton, and that Cas had done this to make up for all the hurt… he had put it all out there for everyone to hear… and he did it for Sutton.
The night went on, and then Deja sat down and looked at Sutton, then turned to Cas. “Are you ready?”
Sutton was surprised when Casimir stood up and went on stage next to Deja. Looking at Sutton, Casimir said, “I have never been good with words, Sutton, but for you I’m trying. I have to give the credit for this evening to Casius and Lon. They told me that when Deja struggled to say something he would do it through song. We met with Deja and I told him the best I could how I was feeling and what I wanted to say… well kind of. The four of us pored through song after song and I found the ones I was looking for to speak for me, but this next song I’m hoping you know truly comes from me. It hopefully will show you that I know what I did, and I swear to you I will spend the rest of my life proving to you just how much I love you, because I do love you, Sutton. You mean everything to me.”
Casimir handed the microphone back to Deja and immediately he started singing, Bette Middler’s Wind Beneath My Wings.
“It must have been cold there in my shadow…”
Sutton watched as Casimir got closer to him and Deja continued to sing, “A beautiful face without a name for so long. A beautiful smile to hide the pain…”
The closer that Casimir got to him the harder Sutton’s heart was beating.
“I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it. I would be nothing without you. Did you ever know that you’re my hero….”
Casimir held his hand out to Sutton. He stood without even thinking about it, allowing Casimir to pull him into his arms, tucking Sutton in close as they began to sway.
“I could fly higher than an eagle, for you are the wind beneath my wings…”
Slowly the two moved to the music as everyone looked on. As the song finished, Casimir whispered, “I love you, Sutton. I’m so sorry for hurting you. Please forgive me.”
Sutton couldn’t stop the tears and he couldn’t speak. All he could do was nod and Casimir swooped in kissing the breath right out of him.
The sound of cheers, whistles and catcalls had them finally pulling back. Cas took Sutton’s hand and led him towards the door. Sutton didn’t understand why they were leaving but was still so stunned about how this evening had gone, he followed without question. Once out in the parking lot, Sutton realized they weren’t alone. Illan and all the others of Crystal as well as many of Casimir’s family and friends were walking with them. It was confusing when they made their way to the alley, and Destrain rushed forward saying, “After you.”
A large swirling portal opened, and Casimir continued through it, never letting Sutton’s hand go. Once they made it through, Sutton looked around. Suneth was standing with his men in the middle of a field, smiling. “Welcome to my home, Sutton. I hope your evening has been going well?”
Sutton nodded. “Yes, thank you. What are we doing here?”
Casimir turned, saying, “Long ago, the dragons and phoenix would join together for what we called a Fire Shower.”
“Fire Shower?” Sutton asked.
Angelo walked up to Sutton, saying, “It is something you must see and experience to understand. Trust me, it’s worth it.”
The next thing Sutton knew there was a seven-headed dark blue dragon taking flight, with Avery on his back. A sun-glazed and yellow three-headed phoenix was flying next to them, and then the sky seemed to light up as more dragons and phoenix took to the air. Oranges, greens, blues, and golds lit up in the sky. Soon the gargoyles joined in the sky as well, and Casimir motioned upwards, and announced, “A Fire Shower.”
“It’s beautiful,” Sutton whispered.
A large green dragon with the tiniest gargoyle Sutton had ever seen took to the sky. The little gargoyle giggling, “Fly Yorkie! Fly us high!”
York tilted, knocking Timmy around his belly in a move that had to be practiced, taking who could only be Timmy into his clawed hands and nuzzling him with his long snout, as Timmy giggled and nuzzled back. Shit, even in dragon and gargoyle form you could see the deep love the two had for each other.
“Will you fly with me, Sutton?” Casimir asked.
Turning to Casimir, Sutton felt his breath catch. The love in his mate’s eyes shone bright and the last of Sutton’s walls crumbled. Taking Cas’s hand, Sutton went on his tippy toes and gently kissed his mate, then whispered, “I would go
anywhere with you, Casimir. I love you, and when we are finished here, I expect you to take me home and claim your mate.”
Casimir drew in a sharp breath, then picked Sutton up swinging him around in circles saying, “I love you! I love you! I love you!”
“Then let’s do this, because I really want you to take me for a few rides tonight,” Sutton said, wiggling his brows.
Casimir laughed, then released Sutton and took a few steps back, then shifted into a royal blue five-headed dragon. Slowly, Sutton stepped forward, asking, “Can I touch you?”
Casimir nodded the middle head in agreement. Sutton walked up to him, noticing that instead of scales he had long quills like a porcupine instead. “They’re so soft.”
An odd sound came from Casimir as Sutton petted his fur, and then glided his hands over his wing. “You are a beautiful dragon, mate.” Stepping back, he then asked, “So how do I get up there?”
