Page 44 of Beyond the Veil (Endangered Fae #4)

Webs break. The tendrils float and brush hearts. Echoes of tendrils. Always.

From a bane sidhe lullaby, Conversations with the Wild Fae by D. Sandoval

E mbassy parties were often deadly boring.

Diego was actually enjoying this one. Looking ridiculously good in his charcoal gray suit, Finn held court in one corner of the ballroom, telling stories that might or might not have any basis in reality to a group of captivated diplomats and aides.

Both men and women watched him with the same shining eyes and Diego knew better than to be the least bit jealous.

He raised his glass to Finn from across the room and received a wink in return.

When he turned to set his empty glass on a passing server’s tray, he spotted a flash of purple on the opposite side of the room.

Danish embassy affairs did attract some interesting characters, but this particular shade of purple gave him pause.

He approached the long way around the perimeter so he wouldn’t appear to be marching across the floor to a confrontation.

The man turned as he neared, his bright purple hair in a neat tail down his back, his black cutaway stunning on his tall, athletic frame.

He nodded to Diego and smiled, his golden eyes catching the light in eerie reflection.

“Good evening, sir.” Diego held his hand out and waited for the man to take it. “I’m Diego Sandoval, with the Fae Collective.”

“A pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m called Nusair.”

Diego managed a smile of his own. “It suits you. What brings you here tonight, if it’s not rude to inquire?”

“It is.” Nusair leaned in closer to murmur in Diego’s ear, “I’m sleeping with the Swedish ambassador.”

“Ah.” Diego followed his gaze to a stunning woman in the middle of the dance floor who overtopped him by at least a foot. “I hope that works out well for both of you.”

“I like the variety these international parties provide.” Nusair snagged a canapé from a passing platter. “And what are you doing these days, sorcerer?”

“The Fae Collective has named me their liaison to the wild fae. The duties are rather varied but I suppose I’m the most qualified human alive right now.”

“Sounds about right.”

They stood side by side in a strange, companionable silence watching the ebb and flow of the partygoers until Nusair cleared his throat. “Diego, I’m a bit embarrassed over my behavior. The last time I saw you.”

“We were all a little desperate and things were…unsettled.”

“Hmm. I was in that place too long, I think. It wasn’t good for me. Suddenly having the sand under my feet, getting that collar off, the power surge, made me a little crazy.”

“I thought it might have,” Diego said diplomatically. It was the perfect place for such things. “Thank you for not flattening me into a little sorcerer sand pancake.”

“Heh. You’re welcome.”

“How’s Gamila?”

“She’s doing well. Back in my Otherworld palace.”

“And the phoenix?”

Nusair took a sip of his champagne before answering, “Had to self-immolate before she could recover. She won’t remember any of it for a number of years.”

“Ah.” It was impossible to tell from Nusair’s airy tone whether that was good or bad, so Diego kept to non-comments and small talk about other guests for a few minutes.

“Amazing how much espionage goes on at these things.” Nusair nodded to a couple against the wall. “He just slipped a thumb drive in her cleavage.”

“Really? Incredible. I suppose if the Fae Collective ever wanted an espionage unit, I’d have to offer you the job first.”

“My dear sir, that could only end in tears. Nobody trusts a djinn.”

“You make certain of that. I suppose it keeps everyone at a distance.”

“It does.” Nusair gave him an appraising look. “You know, you’re not so bad for a human.”

“Thank you. I think.”

“Ah, her nibs is signaling. She wants either to show me off or to leave the party early, which I’m looking forward to. She has the most amazing vibrating cock ring. If you weren’t so disgustingly happily married, I’d invite you for a threesome.”

“I’m flattered, but no thank you.” Diego touched Nusair’s arm as he turned to leave. “I’m glad you’re all right and it was good to see you again.”

“You, too.” Nusair gave him a jaunty salute and swaggered off to his mistress of the evening.

It had been a strange encounter, certainly, but Diego felt the world steady beneath him. No one might trust a djinn, but for whatever strange reason, a djinn trusted him. He was where he needed to be, doing what he needed to do. Meddler, mediator, advocate—it was good to find his feet again.

Theo crawled under the workbench after the rolling washer. He could just let it go and pull another from the 3/16 drawer in his washer caddy, but it would nag at him that one was missing.

“There you are. Bad thing.”

“Theo?” Limpet called from the doorway. “Are you talking to small metal bits again?”

“Yes.”

“That’s all right then. So long as you don’t have another lover under there.”

Careful to avoid the common mistake of slamming the back of his head against the workbench as he got back up, Theo eased out from under and resumed his fussing with the battery pack. “I’m elbow deep in this, little bit. What is it?”

“I brought you lunch.”

“What do you m—” Theo glanced over and froze.

How his throat could go dry and his salivary glands could go crazy at the same time was a mystery, but they did.

Limpet stood there in nothing but what he was born in, if one remembered that he was born with a seal pelt as well.

He stood with his feet in the tail of his pelt, the fur pooling obscenely low around his waist, revealing his Adonis lines and the base of his hairless cock.

“Lunch,” Limpet said with a sweet smile. “You haven’t fed all week.”

“You’re trying to kill me.”

“Not at all. I’m trying to keep you strong and healthy.” Limpet shuffled closer, his voice low and husky. “It’s better when you’re strong and can pick me up. And toss me on the bed. And—”

“Quiet time. Definitely quiet time.” Theo sank to his knees before his brain could explode and peeled the pelt down until Limpet’s beautifully curved cock bounced free.

“No whispering?” Limpet asked, panting as Theo ran his tongue over the crown.

“No. But moaning is good,” Theo murmured as he licked his way up and down the shaft, Limpet complying perfectly with a ball-tightening moan.

“Stay very still, love. So very still,” Theo whispered against the silken skin of Limpet’s cock.

His selkie lover twined his fingers in Theo’s hair and hung on as Theo swallowed him down, sucking hard. Limpet let the pelt drop entirely, spreading his legs so Theo could reach between. He gasped as Theo pressed behind his balls, his head dropping forward and back in an extremity of ecstasy.

“I’ll have to stop work if I feed,” Theo growled.

“A two-hour nap,” Limpet gasped out. “You need to rest.”

Theo hummed as he took Limpet back into this mouth, tongue swirling over his skin. When he felt Limpet’s balls tightening, he undid his jeans with his free hand and stroked himself hard, though he knew he wouldn’t need much.

Fangs extending, teeth aching with need, Theo pulled back and found the large vein on the underside of Limpet’s cock with his tongue.

His hand around Limpet’s base to keep him steady, he scraped the skin gently with his fangs and bit down.

Above him, Limpet cried his name, coming all over Theo’s neck and chest. The blood hit his tongue and he groaned at the sweet glory of it, like drinking bottled starlight, like tasting laughter.

The sheer joy of it made him dizzy and had him coming within seconds, feeding and orgasm crashing together in exquisitely painful ways.

When he could think again, he licked the little wounds carefully and held on to Limpet as he sank to the floor. His selkie nuzzled at his throat, murmuring soft, soothing nothings, snuggling into his arms.

“You’ll be sore for a few days.”

“Worth every moment of it.” Limpet kissed his jaw. “We’d best get you lying down before you fall.”

Drunk and stumbling from the feeding, Theo half walked, half crawled to the cot in his workroom, and pulled Limpet down on top of him. Once down, the spinning stopped, but the happy lassitude remained and he found he was giggling as Limpet tried to get comfortable.

“Vampires don’t giggle.” He tried for a menacing tone and just started snickering again.

“As you say, love. So what are you making in here?”

“Besides some really good sounds?”

Limpet swatted him gently. “Yes, besides those. What machine thing are you making?”

“Ah. Jasper and Nate are getting married. Finally.”

“Yes, I knew that. It’s a wedding gift?”

“Sort of. Jasper wants an afternoon wedding outside. Family tradition. So. Outside. Daytime. Vampire. Not good.”

“All true. Is it some sort of sunshade?”

“Better.” Theo stopped to snicker again. He couldn’t help it. “Sun’s bad because a vamp’s core temp goes up too much. Something about solar radiation. Anyway. Cooler body, no sunstroke.”

“That sounds like a lovely idea for you as well, but I’m not following. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, corazón . ’Cause it’s genius. It’s a body fridge.”

“Like the one in the kitchen? That would look odd at a wedding, don’t you think?”

Theo laughed helplessly at the thought of strapping a full-sized fridge to Jasper’s back over his tux. Limpet had to shush him with kisses and petting before he could go on. “No…no. A tiny one. That could go under his shirt. Around his chest.”

“Oh! That is a good idea. Does it work?”

“It will. It will. I’m getting there. Just have to work on the battery pack. Too bulky.”

“Theo.” Limpet gave him a soft kiss, angling up to look into his eyes. “I’m so very proud of you.”

“For making a micro-fridge?”

“For trying to be happy. For not settling for the life you thought yourself doomed to.”

“I couldn’t settle anymore, you know,” Theo said softly as he brushed the wild hair back from Limpet’s eyes.

“Why was that?”

“Because it’s not me now. It’s us.” Theo settled Limpet’s head on his shoulder, his eyes closing in drowsy bliss. “Had to do better for an us.”

There were a lot of maybes still out there.

Maybe Limpet’s family would never accept him.

Maybe Theo’s family would never agree to see him again.

Maybe another crisis would see him back out with the security team again.

All the maybes could wait. He wasn’t a lone soldier in the dark any longer. Us. It’s a good word, the best word.

He could have the sunlight, the starlight and Limpet all at once, and never have to choose again.