Page 79 of Searching for the Prince

Gwil hesitated. “Won’t your family be upset? Or your husband?”

“I told my mother of my plan to give you my collar. As for Metra, I don’t give a fuck. I’m pretty sure he gave Sitial his, and not recently either.”

Gwil stroked his thumb along the strip of platinum. “Do you care?”

It was a loaded question. He’d been so angry at Metra, he’d held onto the rage long after the event, and Gwil had asked at least once why he was so bothered, and why he hadn’t let it go if he was truly over Metra and no longer cared. Now Metra was his husband, he guessed it would be even more pertinent.

“I guess I cared that he lied to me, and now he’s admitted the truth I can close that chapter. It stopped being about the cheating and more about the lies, and that he thought me stupid enough to believe them. I couldn’t give a fuck who wears his collar, only that you would be willing to wear mine.”

“Am I supposed to get a fancy ceremony or will being up here looking out across London count?”

“If you’d rather wait?—”

“I didn’t say that.” Gwil pulled at his tie, sliding it free and shoving it into a pocket, then he popped the top button of his shirt. “I’ll wear it, but I don’t have one to give to you.”

Hyax liked the idea of wearing something of Gwil’s. Collars were fae tradition, but he could have one made, or there were rings but maybe they could save those for something else. “It doesn’t have to be a collar, choose me something you’d think I’d like.”

“Simon told me Meddi was meant to be a collar bearer, maybe I could get Midnight to cough you up a sparkly hairball.”

“Fucker.” He laughed. “She thinks she owns our house so she probably thinks she owns me too.”

“She’s a cat. We’re her slaves. Or I am, you’ve just not had all your training yet.”

“I should bring Meddi to meet her.”

“I don’t know, introducing the kids, it’s a big step.”

“I think we’re ready. We’re living together, we’ve a house.” He was playing along but Gwil was his happy ever after. Fae lived a long time, Gwil was, in theory, immortal, and he wanted to spend forever with him.

Gwil smiled. “Now, mark me as the Prince’s Beloved.”

He picked up the collar, discarding the box and fastened it around Gwil’s neck. He’d never been so deeply in love before, everything before Gwil was a pale infatuation in contrast and he never would have thought he’d find his happy ending with a vampire.

Gwil pressed forwards and kissed him, and Hyax had to stop himself from testing his new portal skills and toppling Gwil backwards through one and straight onto their bed.

“Thank you. I’ll take great care of it.”

“It suits you. A beautiful present for a beautiful man.”

Gwil snorted. “You’re the beauty in this relationship, I’m the blood-sucking monster.”

He tapped Gwil on the nose. “Myblood-sucking monster. And don’t you forget it.”