Page 29 of Randall (The Tenth Step #3)

Darvon

Watching Randall stand guard at Prince Valter’s back did funny things to Darvon’s stomach.

He’d had Sylvan standing just behind him for two hundred years and had seen the royal soldiers hovering behind his mother, but he never thought of a stoic guard as sexy before.

His heart quickened, and he slid his tongue across his lips, eager to taste his mate again.

The carriage shuddered slightly, followed by a thump.

“Same,” Flynn said, having jumped from Artor’s horse to land beside him.

“I want to climb him like a tree.” He dropped onto the bench seat and slid across until he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Darvon, their thighs pressing together. “How about you?”

“Same,” Darvon readily replied, imagining being held against a tree. “Fuck.”

“Yes, that too, but I get to go first. You already had a turn.”

Darvon tore his gaze from Randall to peer at his feline mate, who looked at him all innocent-like: big, golden eyes blinking slowly, lips set in an adorable pout. How could Darvon refuse him? “Deal.”

Together, they watched as Baron spoke to Artor, and they made no bones about listening in on the two vampires’ conversation.

Darvon liked that Baron appeared concerned with Artor’s well-being and that Artor seemed to care about the soldiers’ health.

Sheltered in the Fae lands, Darvon hadn’t had any interactions with their kind before, but he’d made assumptions and was happy to have them discredited.

Once Baron returned to Valter’s side, Flynn leaned in and whispered, “The night stalkers seem nice. A little scary-looking, but it’s hard to be afraid of someone who sacrificed his blood to save his mate.

Gah. They’re like puppies with their tails wagging around their mates. Cats do not stoop to such levels.”

“No, cats tell you straight up how they want their mates to fuck them.”

Flynn lightly backhanded Darvon. “See, you know me well already. How do the Fae woo their mates?”

Darvon had to think. He’d never made overtures toward another Fae, but those he had dallied with had come bearing gifts. “Presents. I hadn’t thought of this before, but accepting a gift is like an invitation, an admission of attraction.”

“And have you accepted many gifts, mate of mine?” Flynn slipped an arm under and around Darvon’s, locking him in place.

“A few, but I never gave any in return.”

Flynn gasped. “Never?”

Darvon nodded. “Never, but I see that changing in my future.”

Flynn hummed happily as he settled into the seat. “Food, drink, sex, and then sleeping. In that order… They would be wonderful gifts right now. I’m starving.” As if on cue, his stomach grumbled.

“We’re to follow Captain Lanter,” Randall said, climbing up and taking the reins from Darvon. Flynn stood to make room, but instead of getting back on the horse, he sat on Darvon’s lap.

“What?” Flynn asked as Darvon stared at him. “My butt hurts from that saddle. Good riddance. This is comfier.”

Darvon couldn’t find any fault with Flynn’s reasoning, besides his mate barely weighed anything, and it felt wonderful to hold him in his arms. The three of them together, as it should be.

They went first to the home of Mayor Herulf, who wined and dined them.

All except Baron’s sons were present since Master Nicholas escorted them to his clan’s lodgings, where blood flowed in human veins, offered willingly.

Darvon rubbed his neck as his gaze passed over Baron and Artor.

He stared at Valter and Duke and wondered how they and his brother, mated to Master Marius, could do it.

How glad he was that his mates were magick.

The only mark he wanted was the claims of his mates.

He wondered what their marks would be and assumed Flynn would bite and scratch him, but Randall’s mark…

Well… his mate had already claimed him the one way that mattered; anything else was just extra.

Taking Flynn into his body would be a decadent dessert on top of a magnificent meal.

Darvon’s cock pulsed with want. How long were they expected to stay cordial? Could they feign exhaustion from their travels? A bed, or any flat surface, would do as long as his mates were with him.

He glanced at the hand gripping his thigh and followed the arm upward, taking in Randall’s slightly bearded jaw in profile. When they’d first met, Randall had been clean-shaven, but as night turned to day turned to night again, fine hair had sprouted on his cheeks and chin.

On his other side, Flynn leaned heavily against him.

His head rested on Darvon’s arm, and his eyes were closed.

With a peek into his mind, Darvon found his mate floating in that kind of light doze only cats could achieve.

Darvon let him be; resting for a few moments would ensure he was plenty awake for some more lively activities that evening.

Randall tipped his head and nuzzled the fine hair behind Darvon’s ear. “Your thoughts are wicked, mate. Very distracting.”

“Is that so? I live to distract in the most wicked ways possible. Let us retire to our room.”

Randall’s deep chortle fanned the flames of Darvon’s desire. Want pooled in his gut, doubled when his mates both squeezed his thighs. Darvon had to fight to hold back a groan.

Duke’s gaze slid to them, and he jerked his chin toward the door. Darvon latched on to the permission, jostling Flynn to further wake him.

Flynn stretched his arms and arched his back, yawning loudly. “Bed, mates?” he asked casually, continuing the ruse.

“Yes,” Randall said, rising and offering his hands to Darvon and Flynn.

“My seneschal will show you to your room,” Herulf said, reminding Darvon that they’d taken the mayor up on his offer of staying in one of his guest rooms. As they departed, he heard the Herulf add, “Amazing. Two mates. Fate has certainly blessed you.”

Darvon agreed, circumstances notwithstanding.

While not as spacious as his suite inside the Fae lands, their room for the night was quite large.

A small sitting area was just inside the doorway, their bags set on a two-person settee.

Beyond was a large four-poster bed with heavy drapery and a canopy.

How nice it would be to close those drapes and cocoon themselves away for a long while…

Flynn whistled. “I’ve never seen a bed so big or a bedroom as fancy as this.” He turned to Darvon and latched onto his arm. “Is your room as magnificent as this one?”

Darvon took a moment to imagine his tiny mate sprawled naked in the center of his bed at home in the Fae lands and nodded. “Yes, and it will be better once I have you in it.”