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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

H yax had zero interest of being in this room, being paraded around by a man who was technically his husband but in reality, was a piece of shit he wouldn’t care if he never saw again. If he didn’t need to find out more about the reasoning behind their marriage, he’d have fucked off already and would be balls-deep in Gwil, which was his endgame for the evening, the thought of which was helping him survive the small talk.

At least the food was good, and the waiters were bringing platter after platter of the traditional wedding favours, there would be no sit-down banquet. The guests would get plenty, and the quality of the food and drink was unsurpassable, but Hyax had no patience to sit for three hours pretending he was happy to be there. If he’d have had his way, they would have parted company after the ceremony, but that was never going to be accepted and in order for the Elementa not to insist on some of their more convoluted customs, there were others he’d included for appeasement.

Metra had already downed three glasses of ambrosia, but Hyax had been deliberate in his decision not to overindulge, which would be for later, once he was reunited with Gwil. He sipped his drink and offered another mindless thank you for attending to someone he didn’t recognise.

King Daha, Metra’s father joined them. “Gentleman, it is time for the sipping of the ladle.”

He’d promised he’d remain for the traditional elements, but he had limits. He offered Metra his arm, just like he’d done as he’d left the great hall, the message clear he was the dominant partner, fake relationship or not. Metra tutted but took his arm and fell into step behind Daha who escorted them to a plinth where a silver bowl was waiting, filled with a deep red liquid. This was an Elementa tradition, his own tribe weren’t big on this sort of rubbish.

Daha picked up a silver ladle and stirred the liquid twice then held up the full ladle. “Drink deep from the heart and all other matters will follow.”

He made sure to take the first sip, not wanting to share any more bodily fluids with Metra than he had in the past. The drink was pleasant, fruity and non-alcoholic, which was a pity as a bottle of vodka would have done it the world of good. Metra took his own sip.

A servant picked up the bowl, the tradition would continue with the other guests being offered a drink from the marriage cup.

“As fun as this has been, I have somewhere else to be,” Hyax said.

“You can’t leave yet,” Metra said, grabbing his arm.

“I think you’ll find I can do what the fuck I want. Take your hands off me.”

“What will people say if you leave your husband so abruptly?” Metra insisted.

“The truth, that I only married you because of protocol and I would rather be shagging my sexy vampire boyfriend.”

Metra’s expression changed to contempt. “You’re so in love with your fucking vampire, yet it’s one of his own that’s behind this marriage.”

They’d heard rumours but Hyax shouldn’t be aware of anything, and maybe Metra would spill his secrets if he were to pretend to be surprised. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Metra paled. He glanced over his shoulder. “Not here. Give me five minutes of your time in private. I’ll explain what I meant, and I’ll even escort you out so we can look like we left together, and you can go wherever you want.”

Hyax didn’t know what Metra was playing at, but he was far too curious not to listen. He’d also not factored in leaving with Metra, but this way he wouldn’t have to answer questions on the consummation, as it would be assumed. “All right. Five minutes.”

There was a private balcony for the reception room they were using but it was roped off as it was too small to host more than a couple of guests at a time. Hyax unlocked the doors with a flick of his fingers and led Metra outside. Ostensibly, it could’ve appeared as if they were having a moment alone in the romantic sense, not something Hyax would encourage but it couldn’t be helped.

“Start talking, Metra.”

Metra stepped forwards and Hyax put out his hand to stop him. “You don’t need to be any closer than you are, I can hear you fine from here.”

“I’ve done what you asked,” Metra growled. “Last time we spoke, I admitted I didn’t behave as I should’ve but that’s history. We should move past it.”

Metra might have confessed to his poor behaviour, but Hyax didn’t want to rehash the past. “This is not the conversation I asked for, and you know it. As I said I will tolerate you, be less hostile now you have finally admitted you were a piece of shit. But I’ve not forgotten you sent your little whore to try and convince me you two weren’t screwing.”

“That was a mistake. It was part of the plan to have you more accepting of our marriage.”

Metra must think him an idiot. “By compounding a lie I was never going to believe?”

“It wasn’t my idea.”

Hyax wasn’t sure Metra was capable of original thought. “Whose was it?”

Metra kept glancing back inside, he couldn’t be more suspicious if he tried. “My parents. When my mother told me we had a way to deal with our significant financial issues, and that it involved you, I informed her of our past liaison and how we had ended. Once she’d calmed down and stopped accusing me of treason, she said I needed to fix things and suggested I try and convince you I wasn’t an arsehole.”

“Too bad I’m not stupid.” He decided not to comment on the financial issues. “Now back to why we are here, what did you mean by the vampires being behind our marriage?”

Metra pouted, looking even more of a twat. “I shouldn’t have said anything, but since I did, I can’t put the genie back in the bottle. I don’t know who, just that some very rich fang was willing to pay a lot of money to have you marry me.”

This information tallied with what Gwil and his mother had told him. “Why would the vampires care who you marry?”

“They don’t care who I marry, just that you were getting married to someone who wasn’t Gwilym Hilt.”

Again, Metra seemed to corroborate Gwil’s intel, this time about an ex who might want to keep Gwil away from Hyax. “If it were a fae-led buyout, it might find it feasible, but the vampires aren’t against my relationship with Gwil. Quite the opposite.”

Metra shrugged. “I don’t know what else to tell you. My mother said a very rich fang, and I mean staggeringly so, was willing to pay an amount we couldn’t refuse. That’s a vamp in the singular, not all of them.”

“And you don’t know who?”

“No. I’m not even sure my mother knows because it was all done through various legal associates that we couldn’t trace back.”

“Then how do you know it wasn’t all just a load of bollocks?”

“They paid ten percent of the total amount upfront to even talk to my mother.” Metra winced. “I’m sorry, Hyax. But there was no way we were ever going to say no. We couldn’t afford to take the chance on refilling the treasury.”

Hyax needed to push, as there was more here than Metra was admitting to. “Come off it, I don’t believe my hand in marriage was worth that amount of money.”

“It made up a large part of it, but they were keen that it didn’t appear obvious, so they’ve also offered to buy golashe from us, and we agreed to mine a specific quantity and then negotiated a continued supply.”

Golashe was like normal chalk but had additional stabilising properties for use in a smattering of potion bases that made it useful but not really a sought-after commodity. “Why did they want golashe?”

“I don’t think they wanted the golashe itself but as a cover. It’s not like it can be used for anything dangerous, so we saw no reason to query. Not considering the price agreed.”

Hyax couldn’t imagine his mother agreeing to anything with such limited information, but then maybe Queen Vaness knew more but wasn’t willing to share the details with Metra, which he could understand.

“Thank you. I appreciate you telling me.”

“Perhaps we could have a drink before you leave.”

Hyax snorted. “I don’t think so. Although I expected you to be pushing for a consummation.”

“I know you think I was dropped on my head as a babe, but I did my own research. Our previous relationship counts, and I’m many things, but I’m not a rapist.”

He might not like him, and Metra had hurt him emotionally, but he’d never caused him physical pain or forced himself on him or anyone else as far as he’d heard. “True. Let’s leave together, my thanks for your willingness to share the background. Dare I ask where you will spend the night?”

“Do you really want to know?”

He took that to mean Sitial, and for the first time, he thought Metra might care for someone other than himself. “No. I can guess. You love him. Don’t you?”

“Yes, and much like you and Gwil, I would never be able to call him mine. Worse for me is he is married, his wife knows, and has her own lovers, but our tribe’s rules prevent me from giving him a similar role you gave Gwil.”

If he’d cared he should have realised there would be something, otherwise Sitial would have been front and centre of the congregation. Gwil had looked bewitching in his black consort role, and if his mother hadn’t spirited Gwil away he’d have had trouble not fucking him over the nearest surface. She would have known it too, and it was for the best that he wasn’t hanging off another man at his wedding.

“Talking of Gwil, it is time for me to leave.”

“At first I thought you were laying it on thick about him to get back at me. I can see why you’d think him attractive but for some reason, he’s become your everything.”

Metra didn’t deserve an explanation, and he wasn’t going to get one. “Yes, he has. Now come on, unless you want to explain to the guests why I am leaving you on your own.”

They returned to the reception hall, and after an endless procession of congratulations, escaped into the hallway. Hyax opened a portal, Metra did the same. “I daresay I will see you around, Metra. Hopefully not too soon.”

The vision that greeted Hyax as he stepped into the conjugal chamber made him whimper. Gwil was reclining on the bed, still wearing his consort robe. This was probably the best gift he’d ever received.

Gwil grinned and popped a chocolate into his mouth.

“I see you’re lounging around like you own the place,” Hyax said, coming over to the side of the bed.

“I thought since I was the Prince’s Pet, I should enjoy it as much as possible. I could get used to this—they even brought me blood. Good blood.”

Hyax sat and laid his hand on Gwil’s hip. “And I could get used to seeing you wrapped in chiffon and silk.”

“I have to admit it feels nice, although it took a while to get used to not wearing trousers.”

Hyax took that as an invitation and slid his hands under the hem and up Gwil’s leg, to mid-thigh. “You do not know how hard I am now, seeing you in your consort’s robe.”

“I had planned to wear a nice suit but seems this is more fitting. You’re all gold and shiny and I’m black and brooding.”

Hyax leant over and rolled Gwil onto his back. “You’re fucking beautiful, and you’re mine.”

“I think you’re going to have to work hard to assure me of that because last time I checked I wasn’t the one you married.” Gwil’s tone was playful, not accusative.

“Do you have suggestions on how I can do that?”

Gwil’s eyes sparkled. “I suppose we have this marvellous bed. I bet you could put it to good use.”

Often he didn’t have the patience to remove Gwil’s clothes and would use a flash of magic to have him naked in a second, but peeling away his consort robes would be a treat he would not squander. He stroked his hand down the front of the robe, a series of buttons materialised and he unfastened them, popping each through its buttonhole and the silk of the robe sliding over Gwil’s body, revealing his moon-pale skin. He did allow himself to remove Gwil’s boxers and socks with magic, but he left the robe in place and he had the delicious idea to keep on his own—at least for the first time.

“I love seeing you naked,” Hyax said, and grasped Gwil’s cock, giving it a couple of strokes before letting go and revelling in Gwil’s cry of excitement.

“Don’t tease, Hyax.”

“I have no intention of teasing you.” He conjured up several purple silk ribbons and a pot of sparkling lube. He held them aloft. “But I am going to put these to good use.”

Gwil made a keening noise. “Fuck yes!”

As a young fae, Hyax had become quite proficient at tying knots, and he had enjoyed binding Gwil during their intimate encounters. He muttered a spell under his breath and the purple ribbons wrapped around Gwil’s wrists and tied him to the bedframe.

Preparation was another area where he’d used his magic as a sort of assistant, but after a quick cleansing spell, he intended to use his fingers. His own cock was already hard, and he wanted nothing more than to be buried deep inside Gwil.

Gwil was on the submissive side when it came to sex. Hyax had been surprised at first, but then he’d realised Gwil was happy to have someone else take the lead in one part of life. For years, he’d not had a long-term partner, and it thrilled Hyax to know he had been gifted Gwil’s trust.

He watched in fascination as he teased Gwil’s entrance and let his finger slide in and out. Gwil had a dirty mouth—he babbled out a litany of demands begging to be fucked and only when Hyax was satisfied did he magically open his own robe to waist level and coat his cock with lube.

“You’re not getting undressed?” Gwil asked, lifting his head.

“Later… I thought you’d appreciate me fucking you in my wedding garb, knowing that the other groom wouldn’t get the chance.”

“Fucking hell… do it!”

The feeling of sliding into Gwil was exquisite, his vampire physiology meant he was cooler than other humans or fae and Hyax loved the difference. He lost himself in the rhythm, stroking Gwil’s cock as he writhed against his bonds. Hyax had always loved sex, and with his connection to Gwil, sex was so much more. The heat rose in his belly, his wings vibrating as his orgasm built. There was nothing better.

Gwil cried out, his cum spurting over Hyax’s hand. Hyax picked up the pace, chasing his own climax and he reached his goal, gasping as he came deep inside the man he loved.

Several moments later, he was able to withdraw, but his head was spinning with delight. He banished away the ribbons and a quick cleaning spell removed any lingering residue.

He settled down next to Gwil and they exchanged a long, lingering kiss. “Love you,” Gwil said, his smile dopey.

“Mine.”

Hyax stroked his fingers over Gwil’s collarbone, his pale skin impossible for him to resist. His unadorned neck reminded him of the gift he’d intended to give Gwil, but he deserved to be presented with the collar in a special setting, and not have it feel like an afterthought.

He already had a place in mind.