Page 8 of D’Vaire or Nothing (D’Vaire #44)

“R ainbow, are you finished already?” asked High Arcanist-mate Greyson D’Vairedraconis.

With a nod for his other half, High Arcanist Morgen the Moonbow pushed his plate toward the broad-shouldered dragon shifter sitting across from him in the King of Clubs. Morgan’s meal had been delicious, but the serving size was too large for the wizard.

“Do you want some?” Greyson asked Crescent. The cute dragon familiar Morgen had summoned years ago offered Greyson a grumbly sound, so the shifter slid a chunk of salmon onto Crescent’s plate. Thankfully, Crescent was a dainty eater, so they could take him whenever they dined out.

The ability to share a meal publicly with a wizard familiar was an anomaly.

The other three little dragons in the D’Vaire household ate as if it were an Olympic sport to cover themselves in as much of their meal as possible.

As a result, there were two tiny sinks built into their island at home so they could be hosed down after eating, and their High Arcanists rarely took the pests out to restaurants.

Tonight was no different, and it had amused Morgen to watch the little dragons react.

It ranged from stalwart acceptance to a dramatic dive onto a couch to feign death.

Although Morgen hadn’t wanted to encourage their antics, he hadn’t been able to stifle his laughter as he left the hotel suite with Greyson.

“Isn’t this place beautiful?” Greyson asked as he tucked into his meal again.

Morgen’s pastel rainbow gaze drifted from the booths against the wall to the large king of clubs above the semi-open kitchen.

“Yes, dragons are elegant.”

“Some dragons to be sure; I don’t know if I qualify.”

Studying the gorgeous man with the grey eyes that flashed occasionally with a pale rainbow, Morgen smiled.

“You do, Grey. I find you graceful and beautiful.”

“Stop describing yourself,” Greyson teased, amusement on his face. “What are you most excited about doing this weekend?”

“Having my mate buried in my arse.”

“Crescent, ignore Rainbow’s dirty talk,” Greyson replied with mock outrage, then flashed a grin at Morgen. “That happens often enough at home; what else do you want to do at this fancy resort?”

“Is it odd that I was hoping to talk you into a visit to the Spectra Wizardry library while we’re here in Vegas?”

Greyson shook his head. “No, and it will take no convincing. I’m happy to go there; it’ll take me centuries to explore it fully.”

“This afternoon when I was packing, I was thinking of another trip I took. One that eventually brought me to D’Vaire.

I couldn’t help but think of the Consilium Veneficus.

Centuries have passed since they split from the Council.

They remain poorly organized, and wizards like me are suffering there.

Why don’t more of them join us? We would welcome them with open arms and have so much to offer. ”

“We’ve had this conversation so many times, and I’m no closer to finding an answer that satisfies either of us.”

“Maybe I am being foolish. I stayed. I was there for decades. The last thing I wanted to do was think about politics or why the Council left Europe in the first place. There must be plenty of people stuck in the same rut as I was. But if I could figure out how to connect with them, we could have such a profound effect on their lives.”

“If they pay no attention to those matters and avoid them as you did, there is not much we can do to reach them,” Greyson reminded him gently.

“Intellectually, I understand it, but it hurts my heart. I ache for the wizards like me. It wasn’t until I came to D’Vaire that I realized how unhappy I’d been. I want better for my people.”

“You do the best you can for every wizard each day. So do the rest of the High Arcanists and the Prism Wizards. There are limits. It is an awful truth, but it remains unchanged.”

“And I shouldn’t be ruining our dinner by trudging through the same mire for the millionth time.”

“I’m with you, Rainbow; there is no possible way my dinner could be ruined,” Greyson said, his words ringing with sincerity.

Morgen smiled and swore his heart ached a little as it grew a bit larger in his chest. Some days Greyson made him so happy he feared the damn thing would expand so much that it’d rupture in a spectacular overload of joy, but Morgen was being fanciful.

The love they shared was intensely real.

However, Morgen was in no danger of expiring thanks to an excessive amount of bliss.

“Should we have some dessert, do you think?” Morgen asked.

“If you’ve saved some room for it, I would love to add something sweet to my belly.”

“I think Dra’Kaedan has had too much influence on my life because I was thinking how well a slice of cake would suit me right now.”

Greyson laughed merrily. “Your words will please the Grand Warlock when we tell him.”

Their server arrived and cleared their dinner dishes.

She returned moments later with the short but enticing dessert menu.

Morgen immediately ordered the cake and was pleased that Greyson chose the mousse since he’d wanted to taste that as well.

They added a brownie to their check for Crescent before their server disappeared again.

“Do you ever think of what our lives would be like if we had been asked to leave D’Vaire once they found out about our deception?”

Greyson shook his head. “I try not to allow my mind to imagine it. A tiny part of me is foolish enough to believe that if I think too hard on it, I might summon such an ugly reality into existence.”

“I had not thought of that. A frightening prospect.”

“Nearly as terrifying as losing you.”

“Such a thing isn’t possible, Grey.”

“And for that, Fate and you have my thanks. I love you, Rainbow.”

“I love you too. It may seem strange to be grateful for a trip to the supermarket, but without it, who knows how long we would’ve waited to find each other.”

“You were there for groceries. I popped in for beer. Think of how easy it would’ve been for me to put that off or decide it wasn’t worth the trouble that night,” Greyson said, then rubbed his belly. “Actually, don’t consider it. The possibility is making me feel ill.”

Morgen was about to counsel his mate strongly about changing the subject but grew distracted as the Dark Indigo Duke Macardle D’Vairedraconis and his other half, fellow High Arcanist Idris the Indigo, charged into the restaurant and practically ran up to their table.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Mac commented. “Have you paid yet? We’re idiots and decided to skip dessert. Which meant we had nothing to give Roger when we went upstairs to change into jeans. He was already pissed that he had to stay in the room. Now, he won’t even fly up to my shoulder.”

“Oh dear,” Morgen replied. The dragon familiars in the family considered the mates of the wizards their personal perches, and it was rare to find Mac without Roger curled on his shoulder. “We haven’t paid yet. Our desserts are on their way. Did you want us to get something to go for Roger?”

“Or you could tell us what’s on the menu and we can ask the host to order it for us,” Idris suggested, his gaze troubled.

“They have cake,” Greyson said.

“Perfect, thank you,” Mac responded and hustled to the host with Idris hot on his heels.

“I was about to tell them I was happy to add it to our order, but they took off too fast,” Greyson muttered.

“Guilt is probably eating Mac,” Morgen commented, then leaned in toward his mate. “Frankly, I can’t believe they both forgot.”

“Pretty sure they didn’t go upstairs to change into jeans.”

“Huh?”

“They are still in suits. Why didn’t they switch clothes before coming back down again? No, they went to their room to celebrate being lovers.”

Morgen blinked. “Oh,” he replied with a chuckle. “I can’t believe it took me so long to figure that out.”

“I practically had to spell it out for you, Rainbow.”

Delighted with Greyson’s teasing, Morgen smiled. “Perhaps I was so busy imagining you without your suit that I lacked the ability to think clearly.”

Crescent grumbled at Morgen’s words as if he didn’t want to listen to anything else sexual, which made Morgen laugh again.

“Save that for later,” Greyson advised.

“Right after dessert.”

Greyson’s grin was slow and carnal. “And not a minute longer.”

∞∞∞

“Woah, what do you think is going on?” Lord Grigori Volkov-D’Vaire asked the wizard holding his hand. They watched Mac and Idris rushing through the resort at a speed a trifle too fast to be considered walking.

High Arcanist Delaney the Dark shrugged.

His eyes met Grigori’s, and the vampire marveled as he so often did at how the deep unrelenting black of his irises blended seamlessly into his pupils.

Delaney’s gaze was one of the most outrageously gorgeous parts of him, and Grigori was a lucky man to get to stare into those fathomless depths for eternity.

“I don’t know. Want to follow them and see if we can find out?”

Craning his head, Grigori was able to catch sight of the couple rushing into the King of Clubs. The restaurant was around the corner, and Grigori had been in there wrapping up a delicious meal with Delaney less than ten minutes ago.

“They went into the King of Clubs,” Grigori said.

Delaney shook the bag dangling from his free hand. “I bet you anything they forgot to get dessert for Roger.”

With a wry smile, Grigori turned his attention to his mate and waggled his eyebrows. “Now, why would that send them into such a tizzy that they were practically running through this fine resort our Emperors invited us to this weekend?”

“How many guesses do I get?”

Grigori reached out to pet the custom collar resting beneath Delaney’s open shirt. Collars were customary for vampires and their mates. “Only one.”

“I’d argue that I should at least get multiple choice, but we’re thinking the same thing.”

“That some of our very best friends in the world were so distracted by the thought of stripping each other out of their suits that they forgot about sweet innocent Roger?”

“I have a hot mate; I understand how easy it is to get distracted,” Delaney remarked as he rose to seal his mouth to Grigori’s. The tempting scent of leather, dark-roasted coffee, and wood overwhelmed Grigori’s senses. A rush of euphoria quickly followed, and he thanked Fate for his mate.

Grigori had every intention of feeding from Delaney while they were on their mini vacation. There was nothing on the planet as intoxicating as drinking Delaney’s magical blood, and it had the glorious side effect of thoroughly arousing them both.

“Did I mention I need blood?” Grigori whispered against Delaney’s lips.

“Nope, but I can count, and I know how long it’s been since the last time. I’ve been half-hard all day thinking about it.”

Once again, Grigori toyed with Delaney’s collar and brushed his thumb over the gold rectangular lock with the letters V and D intertwined in a fancy script. They’d sealed that lock with their blood the day they bound their souls for eternity.

“What if we waited until tomorrow?” Grigori asked softly.

The corners of Delaney’s mouth slid downward in a ferocious frown. “Why torture me? Wait, why am I asking that? You do it constantly.”

“Because you like it. I didn’t say we couldn’t have sex tonight. We can. We will. But I think we should put more planning into our blood drinking since we have this weekend to enjoy here in Vegas.”

Delaney’s mutinous expression didn’t change. “What kind of planning?”

“Like the kind that requires you to wear a butt plug for a while.”

“Did I piss you off this week or something? You want me to wander around a resort with a plug up my ass?” Delaney demanded, but there was no hiding the flames of desire the suggestion had kindled in his remarkable eyes.

“We’ll both like it, Delsaurus Rex. No need to rumble through Deck of Cards and trample people in revolt.”

“Have I told you lately how weird you are? Because it’s one of the best damn things about you.”

“Yes, I but always appreciate the reminder of how much you adore me.”

Delaney nipped Grigori’s chin. “You get me, and it’s beautiful.”

“So, you’ll wear the plug tomorrow and let me fuck you slow and deep once I finish drinking your blood?”

“I’ll wear the plug, but we both know slow isn’t happening after you feed.”

“Not the first time we fuck.”

Delaney grinned. “Okay, your ideas are showing promise now.”

“I just have to avoid getting blood drunk from all that sorcery in your blood. It grows a little more difficult every year.”

“You’re exaggerating. My power doesn’t grow that fast, and I happen to like silly vampires.”

“One of them anyway.”

“A beautiful one with perfect black hair and light blue eyes.”

“Okay, that’s not really narrowing it down much,” Grigori said, trying to quickly calculate how many of his mother’s people that would encompass.

Thinking of his mother reminded him that in his family alone there were several people who fit that description.

“You could be talking about any Volkov, honestly.”

“You know I’m not. I’m talking about the genius one who right now has a small notebook and three small pencils in one of his pockets.”

Grigori patted himself and groaned. “Yeah, but I forgot my phone.”

“If anyone is looking for you, they can text or call me. Or it can fucking wait.”

“You can tell my mother that if she decides she has a pressing need to speak to me tonight.”

“She’s in the resort somewhere. I’m sure she can pass the message along to someone. We all know you forget stuff.”

“Not one of my most stellar qualities.”

“It’s the only part of you I ever found fault with.”

“Because I missed our first date. Terribly rude of me. But I called you the minute I figured out how I’d messed up.”

Delaney smiled and kissed Grigori again. “We had a great conversation that night. I probably started falling in love with you right then.”

“I already liked you. From the moment we met, I wanted a life with you.”

To Grigori’s pleasure, Delaney hugged him. “My handsome and loving vampire.”

“Reporting for duty, as always.”

“Want to go lose money on some slot machines?”

Grigori brushed their lips together. “I thought you’d never ask, Delsaurus. But first we must go upstairs and get your dragon. He’s probably still playing dead and must be bored by now. Let’s grab him some candy from the shop and rescue him.”

“Okay,” Delaney said with a chuckle that turned into a kiss.