Page 15 of D’Vaire or Nothing (D’Vaire #44)

T he leader of the brown bears, Alpha Artair Ursus Arctos, surveyed the impressive card-themed resort and silently thanked Fate that the Emperors had created a few suites in the hotel with enormous beds for triple matebonds.

Although Artair enjoyed experiencing new places with the men he loved, he was a bear built on a grand scale and didn’t relish the idea of ever squeezing into a normal bed with the two mages who owned his heart.

They had done that for a few weeks near the start of their relationship, and it had been cramped.

At his side, Terra Superus Riker Arturus narrowed his green gaze. “What’s going on in your head, Big Guy?”

“I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but if he wants to sneak upstairs for the night, he better be prepared to give us a striptease,” remarked the ruler of the mages, Magus Superus Lochlan Arturus.

He had the light of battle in his pale blue eyes.

It was a look he wore well, but there was no way Artair would dance for his men as he peeled off his clothes.

“I thought we were hanging out?” asked Riker’s brother, Ignis Superus Reece Arturus. “Or are you dumping us like Donnell and Josh?”

“What were they planning on doing anyway?” Riker inquired. “And no, I don’t think we’re going upstairs yet.”

“No, we’re not,” Artair replied. “And I believe Donnell and Josh mentioned something about playing poker.”

“I’m surprised my brother is going to spend the night gambling,” Beta Owen Ursus Arctos commented. “Donnell never splurges or squanders money frivolously. Then again, Josh could convince Donnell to do just about anything.”

“Love does sometimes broaden one’s horizons,” Artair drawled as he studied the beautiful men Fate had given him. “If I have my way, Fate will bring your mate soon, and you’ll find out exactly what I mean.”

Owen shuddered. “Gross, stop trying to ruin my life. Maybe I should ditch you guys and go to that Hearts bar to see if I can find a hot guy to spend my night with.”

“The resort is closed to the public,” said Lochlan’s brother, Aeris Superus Lawson Arturus. “Unless you plan on spending the night with someone in our extended family or badgering the poor staff trying to do their jobs right after being hired, I don’t think you’ll have much success.”

“Shit, I forgot it’s just us this weekend,” Owen replied. “Well, I guess you guys are stuck with me.”

“Or you could go upstairs and crash the elemental slumber party happening in our suite,” Riker teased.

“Nope, Josh’s elemental is still way too fond of spraying me with water if he disagrees with anything I say,” Owen said. “Seriously though, are we going to stand here at the edge of the casino or find something interesting to do with our evening?”

“So, I heard that there’s a small bar near one of the street entrances,” Reece commented. “And do you know what they have in there?”

“How would we know?” Artair asked the fire mage. He couldn’t help teasing him. “This is the first weekend it’s been open and only to our extended family. Not even the public has been here yet. We just discussed this with Owen.”

“It’s a rhetorical question,” Reece retorted with a roll of his azure eyes. “Please, Fate, don’t send any more bears into my life.”

“Rude thing to say for a mage with a fiery bear as an elemental,” Owen muttered.

“Anyway,” Reece stated firmly. “It’s a karaoke bar.”

Riker grabbed Artair’s hand, so the alpha laced the fingers of his free hand with Lochlan’s as the earth mage led the march through the casino. “Let’s go, karaoke sounds like fun. We’ll sign Artair up for the first song.”

“No, we won’t,” Artair replied. “I don’t sing, and I definitely don’t do it in public.”

“Then we make Owen do it,” Riker said as Reece led their group toward the street entrance.

“Bears don’t do karaoke,” Owen remarked, wariness in his brown eyes.

“Look, a bear is singing tonight,” Reece responded. “Either it’s you, Owen, or you talk your alpha into heroically volunteering to take your place.”

“Artair, I love you,” Owen said.

“I love you too, Owen,” Artair replied. “Do you want some help picking out your song?”

“Maybe I’ll go upstairs and hang out with the elementals,” Owen grumbled, but he kept walking with their group instead of making a beeline for the elevators.

Artair didn’t question why. Although Owen had some latent anxiety about the mages insisting he sing, they were too kind to force him to take the stage.

“Good call, Edgar needs practice throwing rocks,” Riker teased, speaking of the elemental he’d summoned at sixteen.

Edgar was a sweet pile of stones, but he could be belligerent.

Unfortunately for Riker, he saved those moments of pique for his sorcerer and had spent many years hurling heavy objects at him.

Lochlan had stepped in to mediate, and now Riker and Edgar were close.

They rarely argued any longer, and Artair couldn’t recall the last time Edgar had thrown anything.

They arrived at the bar, and Artair grinned at the smallest of the imp population, Illsisatro Orxarias, who was belting out a harmonious tune onstage.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun,” Riker enthused. “Where do we sign up?”

“I’m not doing it,” Owen insisted.

Reece shook his head and studied the bear with pity. “Riker is talking about signing himself up, not you. Want to do one together first, Rike?”

“Sure,” Riker responded. He turned and wrapped his arms around both Artair and Lochlan. “Want to go find some seats while Reece and I get signed up?”

Lochlan took Riker’s mouth in a deep kiss that had Artair smiling and his beast roaring with delight in his head. At the end of their caress, Riker was a little dazed, so Artair pressed his mouth to the mage’s and dipped his tongue in to tease him. The scent of honey overwhelmed his senses.

When Riker whimpered, Artair supposed he’d pushed the mage far enough.

But Artair wasn’t done. He cupped Lochlan’s nape and held him close as he reacquainted himself with the water mage’s taste.

Unlike Riker’s sweet surrender, Lochlan was aggressive, and Artair was the one who wanted to whine in delight.

Somehow, Artair kept it together, and as he lifted his head to grin at his mates, he hoped to hell no one would notice how much snugger his trousers were in the crotch area.

“Wow. Tough choice. Sing or go upstairs and bounce on a mattress with you two,” Riker whispered.

“Rike, let’s go,” Reece demanded.

Artair’s smile grew. “Guess your brother decided for you. But don’t worry; we’ll make up for lost time later.”

“As long as you both promise we aren’t getting any sleep tonight,” Riker insisted.

“We rarely get any sleep on the weekends; why would this one be any different?” Lochlan asked. “Go get signed up, we can’t wait to hear you sing.”

“Love you, Loch. Love you, Big Guy.”

Riker dashed off before Artair or Lochlan could respond. “He’s in trouble for that,” Artair told Lochlan.

“Agreed. I think I should borrow his magical dice idea, but every scenario tonight puts him at our mercy. He’ll have no choice but to—”

“Okay, spare me the damn details,” Owen groused. “We already know you three are the only ones in our little group getting laid tonight. We don’t need you to paint us a picture.”

“Let’s sit down and enjoy the show,” Artair suggested. If he were lucky, the karaoke portion of the evening would be fun but fast so Artair could climb into bed with his mates and celebrate the miraculous love they shared.

∞∞∞

Beta Donnell Ursus Arctos’s gaze met that of the man he adored, and they both grinned.

In the living area of the suite were five mage elementals, and they were all asleep.

The television was blaring cartoons, and toys were strewn around.

It was early, but the evidence suggested the elementals had played hard.

Careful not to wake them, Donnell led Aqua Superus Josh Arturus-D’Vaire to their private room. He shut the door behind them and found a lockmage staring at him with curiosity blazing in his beautiful teal eyes.

“What’d you forget up here?” Josh asked. “Let’s grab it and go play some poker.”

“You have two decisions, Joshua.”

“I do?”

Donnell pulled a new pack of cards out of his pocket that he’d bought in the shop downstairs earlier, while the mages were getting their elementals fed and settled.

“Either we go downstairs and sit with a bunch of our extended family as I teach you some basics of poker, or we stay here to play by a unique set of rules.”

To Donnell’s delight, Josh flopped onto the bed and shoved off his shoes. “We’re staying here. Tell me about the rules.”

Reaching out to prevent Josh from peeling off his suit jacket, Donnell cupped his chin and tenderly kissed the row of seashells the mage-warlock hybrid had had tattooed on his temple before they met.

“You might want to keep that on,” Donnell suggested.

Josh frowned. “Why?”

“Because you lose if you wind up naked first.”

“Oh, hell yes, strip poker,” Josh crowed. “Let’s get started. Can I tell you what I want you to take off? Because I seriously need to spend as much of my night as possible staring at your furry bear chest.”

“No, I get to decide. So do you.”

“Fine, but I’m starting with my socks if you’re going to deny me those fanfuckulous pecs.”

To keep things fair, Donnell slipped off his shoes and climbed onto the bed opposite Josh. A table would’ve made things easier, and there was one close to the window, but Donnell was far more interested in getting his mate naked than ensuring their poker lessons lasted for long.

“Do you want some rules?”

“Yes, give me some fuckity rules. I need to start winning so you lose the clothes.”

“We’re going to modify things a bit, so don’t wander into the casino tomorrow thinking this is how it works. First thing you do is the ante. For our evening, the ante will be simple. Announce what you’re taking off if you lose the hand.”