Page 42 of If the Shoe Fits (Rainbow Tales #2)

A week passed. Xander saw amazing things and met many interesting people.

His grandfather was one of them. Having a family wasn't entirely a new experience for Xander, but he had gone a long time believing that these days were past—that all happiness was out of his reach.

Then Leo showed up and everything changed.

But Leo was out of reach now, and Xander had to focus on what he could have.

Beyond his family, he was forming an attachment to Zane.

The Shining One man was often nearby, but he never showed any jealousy when other men flirted with Xander.

All he displayed was confidence. He would smile to himself while Xander turned these men down.

One night, during dinner in the dining hall, Xander asked Zane about this.

Dining was done throughout the day and night in the royal castle.

Servants were unnecessary. Food was cooked and baked under supervision, but the serving of it was done through magical means alone.

This allowed the court to come and go as they pleased, eating when they grew hungry instead of at a set time.

Only when the King held a feast did the court dine together.

So, Zane and Xander had some privacy at the little round table they'd chosen, tucked in a corner of the room and half hidden by the plants that could be found everywhere—in and out of the castle.

“Why do you never get jealous or even irritated?” Xander leaned back in his cushioned chair and sipped his wine. He was still getting used to the food and drink of the First Realm, and every sip threatened to make him moan.

“Should I be jealous, my Prince?” Zane asked.

Xander grinned. “No. But I might enjoy seeing you less confident.”

“Well, if you want me to be jealous . . .”

“I'm teasing. Don't be jealous. I'm not at a place where it matters yet.”

“And that is why I'm not jealous.” Zane waved his glass at Xander. “Perhaps I get a little annoyed at the men who approach you when they know we've been growing closer, but I can't fault them for trying. As you say, you are not in a position to commit yourself yet.”

“Listen to you. I would be angry with myself.

You've spent a week with me, and I've allowed you to .

. . do things, but I haven't given you more than that.

I haven't even given you an idea of when I might be ready.

And you're fine with it. I don't have a lot of experience, but that's amazing to me.” Xander remembered Leo's offer and how he'd asked for more time.

Xander had given him a week. The same amount of time that he'd known Zane.

“You do know that we are immortal here?”

“Yes, my mother told me. I don't think it's sunk in yet. How can I be mortal in one place and immortal in another?”

“This realm is magic. It preserves our youth and maintains our health.”

“Right,” Xander murmured. “That's why my mother had to bring me here to heal me.”

“That and the magic is simply stronger here.” Zane set his hand over Xander's on the table. “What I'm trying to say is that when you're immortal, you don't have time hanging over you, prompting you to act. In other words, my Prince, I can wait.”

“And will you?”

“Of course!” Zane lifted his glass in salute. “You know how much I want you.”

“Do I?”

“If you don't, you're a fool, and I know you're not that.”

Xander smiled. “Zane, you've made this so much easier for me.”

“What?”

“Getting over him.”

“Why, of course! That's my wicked plan.” Zane winked, but then went serious. “Do you want to tell me about him?”

Xander squished up his face. “Do you want to hear about my first love?”

Zane chuckled. “Not at all. Not even a tiny little bit. But I would endure it if it helped you.”

“Endure nothing for me. I don't want that responsibility.”

“Silly prince.” Zane tsked. “Love isn't about responsibilities. It's a pleasure but also a pain. Suffering can be so sweet if you know you suffer for love.”

“That sounds like bullshit.”

Zane burst into laughter. When he settled into a smile, he shook his head. “You make me laugh like no other. The things you say . . . they take me by surprise. So honest and pure. ”

“I should laugh at your antics. You tease me constantly.”

“Not about this—us.”

Xander stared at Zane's serious face. “I don't know when I'll be ready for love.”

“As I said, I have time.”

“But what if it's wasted on me?”

“Nothing is wasted on you, Your Highness. Even if your heart were whole, a relationship with you might not result in love. There is no telling what the future holds.”

“Could you just call me Xander when we're alone?”

Zane grinned. “It would be my honor.”

Xander snorted and shook his head.

“What?”

“I've spent most of my life . . . well, no one was honored by anything I did.”

“I know about your life, Xander.”

Xander met Zane's stare. “There's more to it than I told you.”

Zane stared at him.

Xander cursed. “Does everyone know?”

Zane nodded. “Shining Ones love a bit of gossip. Especially royal gossip.”

A flush burst over Xander's cheeks.

“There's no shame in what happened to you.

You were abused by humans when you were too small to defend yourself.

But you fought back when you knew better.

And you took to magic like a bird to the sky, even in that sad, dull, magic-deprived place.

But that's not surprising for the Prince of the Shining Ones.

You only needed someone to show you what lay inside you.

Then you became who you were born to be. It's, well, it's inspiring, Xander.”

“If you say so.” Xander picked at his food.

“Shame does not belong to the victim. Don't you dare claim it!” Zane took Xander's hand. “It belongs to your abuser.”

“Zane,” Xander whispered.

“There is so much you're holding onto. At least let that go.”

And Xander did. Staring into Zane's gemstone eyes, he felt the humiliation vanish. Like a ghost in the light. Just gone. The haunting merely a memory to laugh at and wonder over. No reason to be afraid at all. It was silly, really.

With that lightness filling his chest, Xander felt himself sway forward. Zane met him halfway. They had shared many kisses over the week, but this one was the most comfortable. This one told Xander that he could have something real with Zane, not just a path through heartbreak.

He eased back and smiled. “I want you too.”

“Oh, yes. I know.” Zane grinned.

Xander laughed, and it was a boisterous sound of freedom.

He threw his head back with it and felt it from his belly to his lips.

When it simmered into a smile, he opened his eyes and found Zane staring at him with an enchanted look on his face.

Enchanted. He had done that. This handsome man was enchanted by his laugh.

It made Xander want to laugh more. Or maybe do something that made him smile in another way .

“There's that confidence,” Xander said.

“It's not confidence when it's true.” Zane winked.

“Well, it is true.”

“I've lived a long time, Xander.”

Xander leaned forward. He hadn't considered that his potential lover could be as old as his grandfather. “How long?”

“Over a hundred years. A human lifetime. Not as long as many here, but enough to learn a few things.”

“What have you learned?”

“That if something is meant to be, nothing can stop it. If you are destined to be with your human prince, fate will find a way to bring you together.”

“Even with us in different realms?”

“Even then. And if that happens, I will accept that you are not for me. That is why I can be so confident. Why I don't get jealous. Because if we're supposed to have an enduring relationship, we will. For now, I will enjoy my time with you and hope for more.”

“I didn't know shining ones believed in destiny.”

Zane shrugged. “I named it thus for you. So you would understand. We call it source.”

“Source?”

“The source of magic. We believe it is sentient. It guides us. It will guide you if you allow it.”

“And how do I do that?”

“Just be open to your feelings. It's the only way Source communicates. It will nudge you in the right direction. It nudged me to find you on your first day here, when you got lost in the corridors.”

“I've wondered how you happened across me,” Xander whispered.

“Source.”

“Source,” he repeated. “I will be more aware and feel those nudges.”

With a grin, Zane slid his foot up the inside of Xander's leg. “Do you feel anything nudging you now, my Prince?”

“Xander sucked in a breath, but pushed Zane's boot away with a snort. “Cease, you rascal.” He paused, then added, “Although, I might be nudged later tonight.”

Zane's eyebrows went up. “Then, I will hope more than usual today. And prepare for the possibility.”

“Prepare?”

“You'll see.” Zane leaned in and kissed him. Then, with his lips just an inch away, he said, “If you feel the nudge.”