Page 22 of Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie: Phlox's Story (Perfect Pixie Series Book 5)

Phlox

Leon was quiet the rest of the evening. He watched me eat my burger and fries, making certain I finished the entire meal before allowing me out of our corner booth. When finished, I managed to beg off so I could help Wendall in the washroom and cleaning up the tables. While I was tired, the busywork helped keep my mind off today’s batshit-crazy revelations.

My mind was full to overflowing. I was still unpacking Leon’s declaration. I was a vampire’s beloved. I didn’t doubt his belief. That wasn’t a word vamps threw around willy-nilly. If Leon thought I was his beloved, then I was. Simple as that.

What wasn’t so simple was how I felt about it. The idea was growing on me, but I needed to make certain that growth was fruitful and not akin to mold on stale bread. So far, Leon was being exceedingly generous. He wasn’t pushing the point, and I appreciated his consideration.

“Are you nearly finished?” Ray suddenly seemed to pop out of nowhere, asking Wendall if he was ready to leave. When I jumped and dropped a glass, Wendall and Ray looked at me. Trinket’s eyes widened and the way she chittered made me think she was laughing at me. Wendall didn’t so much as flinch when Ray spoke.

“Don’t worry,” Wendall soothed. “I reacted the same way the first few times Ray appeared. I don’t think he means to do it.” Wendall casually shrugged, as if he wasn’t certain and cared even less.

“Apologies, Frost. It is as Wendall says.” Ray barely flicked his gaze in my direction before honing in on Wendall. Softness filled those crimson ringed irises. “Do you require more time or perhaps more help?”

“No. I think we’re about done. Did you get Aunt Silvidia filled in?”

“I did. I also had an interesting meeting with Hamish.” Ray didn’t elaborate and I didn’t ask. Fairies weren’t known for their altruistically sharing ways. When he deemed the information important enough to share, Ray would do so then and no sooner.

“Go on.” I made a shooing motion with my hand. “There’s just half a bin left. I can take care of it.”

Wendall chewed his bottom lip, looking uncertain. “Are you sure? I don’t mind staying if—”

“Go,” I ordered. “Seriously, this is nothing.”

Wendall’s smile made the miniscule work worth it. “Okay. Thanks, Frost. I’ll see you later.”

By way of goodbye, Trinket unwrapped her tail, dipped it in the dirty water, and splashed me.

“Trinket!” Wendall scolded. “That’s not very polite.”

The little scuttlebutt didn’t take the scolding to heart. Tapping her hidden feet, Trinket shifted from side to side, cooing and twittering madly.

“I swear, sometimes you act like you have no manners at all.” Wendall’s words might have been harsh, but his tone was filled with unwavering love.

“It’s fine,” I said, wiping the dirty water from my face.

Wendall shot me a skeptical glance but in the end accepted my capitulation. “If you say so. Thanks again for finishing up.”

“No worries. Go on and get some rest.” I’d heard fairies didn’t need nearly the amount of sleep or rest that other species did. Given Wendall’s mixed human/fairy genes, I had no idea where he fell on that scale.

With a small wave goodbye, Wendall followed Ray through an atmospheric tear. I had no idea where they called home. I imagined it was somewhere in Fairy but wasn’t certain. If someone else knew, they hadn’t told me. Maybe I’d ask Johnny sometime. Right now, I had enough minutiae clogging up my brain.

I spent the next few minutes attempting to quiet my mind. I somehow managed a modicum of success and was finishing the last glass when Leon poked his head through the door and asked, “Are you nearly done?”

“Almost. Just this last one,” I assured.

He came the rest of the way into the washroom and leaned against a nearby counter, doing that stillness thing all vampires had in spades.

My pulse quickened. I couldn’t figure out if it was disturbing or endlessly flattering being the center of someone’s attention. I was straddling the fence, leaning ever so slightly in the flattering direction.

Emptying out the sink and wiping down the area, I finally turned my attention to my would-be paramour. I gave Leon the same attention he lavished on me. I figured mine might be a little more clinical as I was still concerned about his health. He’d fed from me late this morning, before the sunrise, but I doubted it was enough.

“Are you hungry?” I asked. There was no sense beating around the proverbial bush.

“I am always hungry for you,” Leon answered, leaving me confused.

“Are you talking about my blood or something a bit more carnal?” After Leon fed, I’d passed out and had to leave before he woke up. Sexy times had been placed on hold.

Leon smirked and offered up a completely unhelpful “yes.”

I threw my dirty towel at him. It hit Leon’s chest and fell limply to the floor. My face was flushed and burning hot. I doubted my body had time to replenish all the blood Leon relieved me of but there still seemed to be enough to turn my face into a tomato.

Leon’s low chuckle made my toes curl and did funny things to my heart. I didn’t think the heart was supposed to jump rope like mine felt like it was doing. Closing the distance between us, Leon leaned in and nuzzled my neck. I briefly tensed before relaxing into his gentle touches.

“I will never take what you do not freely offer, Phlox. Be that your blood or your body. You hold my leash. I am yours to command as you will.”

“Shit,” I whispered through my disbelieving lips. “That’s a lot of power. I’m not sure I want it.”

“Whether you do or not is unimportant. It is yours regardless of your desires.”

I inhaled, pulling Leon’s scent into my core. My inner shifter rolled in it, purring and making an embarrassing fuss. I spent far more time as a pixie than a Pallas’s cat. My cat was fully on board with Leon’s claim. My pixie side was holding up the show.

I wanted to let Leon bite me. It seemed natural and yet the fear remained. It wasn’t that I was afraid of the pain, it was that I was afraid that if it hurt again, that would mean it would always hurt. I wanted what Peaches described. I wanted Leon’s bite to affect me the same way. Fearing that wouldn’t be the case, or more precisely, confirming that fear, kept me from offering. Right now, I still had hope. If Leon bit down and the pain was the same, that hope would fizzle. I wasn’t ready to take that chance yet.

Pulling away, I said, “I need a shower. I needed one before Trinket’s idea of a goodbye, but now I smell like dirty dishwater on top of my other stink.”

“You smell nothing short of delicious to me, but I understand your desire for cleanliness. Would you like to shower in your apartment or downstairs?”

Leon’s shower was far more impressive than the little cubbyhole in my apartment, but all my toiletries were there, and it seemed silly dragging them downstairs. The way things were going, maybe I just needed to move all my belongings into Leon’s cubbyhole.

“As long as you don’t mind damp hair, I won’t be long,” I promised.

“Take your time. The sun doesn’t rise for another eighty-seven minutes.”

I wondered if I’d ever get used to Leon’s very specific timestamp regarding the sun’s movements.

“I’ll be back in plenty of time.”

“And I’ll be waiting,” Leon promised.

I raced upstairs and took the fastest shower of my life.

* * *

Leon’s teeth tugged the edges of my bleeding wrist. He wasn’t as ravenous this time. He also didn’t take as much. Leon cradled my body, holding me as if I were the most important creature in existence. It was a heady sensation. I’d always felt loved. Auntie Tandra made certain of that. But the love of a parental figure was wholly different than this. I’d had lovers before, mostly brief dalliances here and there. Nothing that lasted more than a few weeks to a month or longer. I knew down to my very core this was different. I realized that before Leon confessed twenty-four hours ago.

Licking my wrist, Leon closed the wound, speeding the healing. I felt slightly lightheaded, but nothing like yesterday.

“Thank you,” Leon reverently said. “Those words are a pale reflection of my true feelings. However, they are currently all I have.”

“They’re enough.” With my head resting on Leon’s chest, I thought back to our earlier conversation as well as my thoughts while washing glasses. I could feel the press of Leon’s firm cock against my rear. My own sex was in a similar state. I could easily turn within Leon’s arms and sate that desire. I’m not sure why I didn’t. I only knew that, although it would undoubtedly feel good, it wasn’t what I needed.

Suddenly, it was crystal clear what I wanted. I only hoped Leon had been truthful earlier. Clearing my throat, I ignored Leon’s obvious desire and said, “Did you mean what you said?”

“You will need to be more specific.”

“Sorry.” I wasn’t sure why I was nervous. Maybe it was because I didn’t share my shifter side with a lot of others. Leon had seen it a couple of times. But this situation was different. “About being okay with me shifting and laying on your lap.” My cheeks warmed. I hadn’t even done that with Auntie Tandra. Sometimes I’d shift and sit at the opposite end of the couch, but I never crawled into her lap. I’d never wanted to do something like that with anyone else, not like I did now.

Leon was eerily quiet before he finally answered, “I would be honored if you would do so.”

I thought honored was a stretch but appreciated the sentiment. With a deep inhale, I focused on my inner cat, pulling it forward. I’d been told there was a shimmer of light when I shifted but it wasn’t something I could see. Auntie Tandra offered to record my shift so I could see it, but that wasn’t something I was interested in.

Stretching, I eased into my new form, relishing the feel. My purr was instantaneous. Leon’s slender fingers had to dig deep. My fur was thick and plush, the cooler temperature of Lucroy’s underground home a welcome reprieve from the sweltering heat of summer.

“Beautiful.” Leon’s whispered praise filled up all my hollow spaces. Kneading my paws, my thick claws dug into Leon’s pants. I was careful not to dig too deep. I didn’t want to hurt Leon, but his pants felt good between my toes. I wanted him to smell like me and rubbed my cheek over his chest, reaching up and rubbing his neck and whatever skin I could reach.

Leon’s thick chuckle matched my purr.

“I do not know why I was blessed with you as my beloved, but I will not question or doubt it.” Leon sounded confident. “I will never allow another to take you from me. Should you wish to leave on your own, I will not stop you. But should it not be your wish, there will be no hope of survival for the culprit.”

I hadn’t thought it possible for my purrs to gain in volume, and yet, that’s exactly what they did. Nestling in, I curled up in Leon’s lap and soaked in the peace.

We stayed that way until near sunrise. Leon rose, picking me up with him. He didn’t ask me to shift back to my pixie form. Leon carried me to the bed and laid me on his chest. His fingers only stopped stroking me when the sun grew higher in the sky, suppressing my mate with its power.