Page 25

Chapter 25

Always and Forever

Cian

F enric wavered on his feet and Cian swept him up in a bridal carry and held him securely to his chest, Fenric tucking his head under Cian’s chin and sighing deeply in contentment.

Rory jumped down from the platform and came to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. “Are you well, my brother?”

“Some bruises and scratches, but I’ll be fine. Fenric?”

“I healed the grievous injuries. He needs a couple of days to recover from blood loss,” Rory informed him.

“I am right here,” Fenric grumbled from his place in Cian’s arms.

“Yes you are, and it’s where you’ll be staying for the foreseeable future.” Cian declared. “Time to go home.”

“Do you need healing before you go?” Rory asked, looking him over, frowning at the scrapes and cuts all over him.

“You’ve done more than enough healing tonight already, my brother,” Cian reminded his twin. “Don’t endanger yourself trying to help everyone.”

Daniel jumped down next to his husband and took Rory’s hand in his, bumping their shoulders together. “Angel and Simeon are coming. Let Cian go home with Fenric before they get stuck answering questions for the next hour.”

Rory sighed but nodded in agreement with his husband. “Go swiftly then, brother, before the necromancer sets his hooks in you. I’ll head off Angel and his mate, distract them with the assassin Cato.”

“Thank you,” Cian murmured and nodded to Daniel in thanks. Cian gave his brother a crooked smile and then jumped back up onto the loading platform with Fenric in his arms and carried Fenric through the gathering crowd of Tower inhabitants and employees. Several tried to stop him and congratulate him on winning the duel with Cato, but he adroitly dodged them and kept on walking, heading for the farthest door he could see in the shipping bay.

“Not one for the adulation of adoring fans?” Fenric softly sassed him from the comfort of his arms.

Cian grunted and gently squeezed his lover, making Fenric squeak. “I don’t need the adoration of strangers. Just yours.”

Fenric kissed the side of his neck, and Cian almost stumbled, but managed to keep his balance. Fenric chuckled, holding him tighter. “You say the sweetest things.”

“I do not,” Cian grumbled, frowning. “I merely speak the truth.”

“Exactly,” Fenric replied primly.

Cian lightly kicked open one of the swinging doors he found and entered what appeared to be an office off the shipping bay, thankfully empty at this time of night. He summoned an archway, and the wall and floor rumbled, the floor tiles warping and flowing like liquid as the underhill answered his call.

The archway assembled itself quickly, sensing his desire to get Fenric back home to safety and comfort. The view within the arch was of their new bedroom—fire burning in the hearth, lights on low, and the door to the bathroom open, the sound of running water in the massive tub echoing softly in the room. Cian stepped through the arch with his precious armful, and he dismissed the door, waiting until it was gone completely before carrying Fenric to the bathroom.

Entering the bathroom, Cian spied the running tub, still filling, and he gently set Fenric on the tub’s marble edge, making sure to keep his hands on Fenric in case he lost his balance.

Fenric was gazing at him in the most beguiling manner—eyes full of heat and affection, a slow, wicked smile on those lush lips. Despite being covered in dust, grime, and some blood from healed injuries, he was marvelously lovely to Cian’s eyes.

He knelt at Fenric’s feet and gently began tugging off his boots, setting them aside and working on his pants next, Fenric watching him the whole time. As he worked he found more blood, some still tacky on skin and clothes, despite the lack of wounds. Rory was thorough—Cian had no worry that Fenric was still hurt, he merely needed rest and time to recover what blood he lost when injured. Yet the sight of Fenric’s blood was enough to make his heart squeeze in his chest and his mouth go dry, and he fought to keep his hands steady as he gently helped Fenric remove his clothing.

Hands suddenly gripped his and held him still—Cian looked up to meet Fenric’s gaze. “I’m okay, I swear it. Just tired. Nothing a lot of sleep won’t fix.” Fenric squeezed his hands, thumbs rubbing along Cian’s palms and fingers, massaging the digits, and Cian realized his hands had been shaking while undressing Fenric.

“We weren’t together and I almost lost you,” Cian whispered.

He was overcome by the image of Fenric running, trying to escape the bomb blast while Cian was forced to do the same, running in opposite directions. There’d been no time for thought or fear in that moment, but Cian had time to think about it now and it was tearing him to pieces. He looked away, finding it hard to meet Fenric’s gaze.

Hands gripped his face and made him look at Fenric face-to-face, and Cian sucked in a deep breath, finding calm in the firm hold of his lover. “Hey, we’re both here, and we’re both fine.” Fenric shrugged one shoulder. “I’m more or less in one piece. Let’s focus on getting clean and then we can both fall apart in bed together.”

“I can do that,” Cian breathed out and then slowly back in, his heart rate easing, and he firmly pushed away the chaotic memory of those few seconds in the hallway.

Fenric let go of his face and carefully tugged his shirt over his head, Cian helping.

Despite Rory’s skillful healing, there was some faint bruising along Fenric’s ribs and shoulders, remnants of more serious injuries. Cian traced his fingers along the edges, careful not to press in case they were painful.

Fenric got to his feet with a low groan, moving stiffly and Cian helped him shuck his boxer briefs and then slide first one leg, then the other over the edge of the tub. The water was steaming, but not too hot, and Fenric hissed as he sank into the water up to his shoulders. The faucets stopped on their own, shutting off the water, and Cian took a moment to shed his garments, stripping quickly.

His various injuries stung when he got in the water with Fenric, but they were superficial and already healing, itching as the edges of cuts and scrapes sealed together. It was a bit unpleasant but the water soothed the process, and getting clean would speed the healing along.

Cian helped Fenric dunk himself under the water, coming back up and scrubbing his long black hair, pushing it back from his face. Cian was careful, using a soft washcloth that appeared on a copper tray on the edge of the tub along with some soaps and a couple of combs. He soaped up the cloth and as gently as he could manage, wiped and scrubbed away the grime of the last couple of hours, dried blood running red down snow-white skin. He was careful of Fenric’s face, his lover indulging him with a soft sigh and a rumble of a purr as he wiped and blotted, cleaning Fenric as if he were made of glass, fragile and precious.

He knew Fenric was tough and capable, an Elder fae, a sidhe with power and skills, but Fenric was also very dear to him and deserving of the cosseting and tenderness. Cian was not accustomed to offering tender care to anyone except his twin, and he was trying his best with Fenric.

Cian soaped up the cloth again and gently wiped Fenric’s shoulders and chest, mindful of the bruises. Fenric leaned into the touches and the purring increased in volume, helping Cian calm further.

Cian was helpless against the purring. It reached inside him to the deepest parts of his inner being and vibrated inside his soul, echoing off his bones and spirit.

Fenric was a part of him.

Fenric

Cian was stuck in his head about something, and Fenric thought about digging after it but Cian was coming down off the high from the fight at the Tower, the bomb, and the duel with Cato, and he didn’t want to push.

Cian wasn’t breakable or fragile, but he was not well-equipped to handle the risk of losing his loved ones. The trauma of the long separation from his twin left a mark on Cian’s psyche that was obvious to Fenric. He doubted anyone would handle the events of their evening well, but Cian was especially vulnerable to that particular worry—losing a loved one—after the trauma of Rory’s stasis, and it made Fenric worry.

He was no healer to sort out Cian’s mental state, but he could listen and be there for his love. If Cian was willing to talk, he would listen.

“How are you doing?” Fenric asked as Cian continued to wash his arms and hands, careful of a few bruises he found on Fenric’s forearms.

“I…” Cian paused, gathering his thoughts. He kept up the tender ministrations, eyes on his hands as he bathed Fenric. It was intimate and gentle, but not sexual in any way, and that was fine with Fenric. Cian took a deep breath. “I am a jumble of worry and fear, terror and what-ifs. I cannot lose you.”

Cian looked up from his hands and met Fenric’s gaze directly, the mercurial eyes swirling, clear evidence of his emotional upheaval.

Fenric gently took the washcloth away and set to float in the water, and he pulled Cian into a hug, holding on tight. Cian hugged him back even tighter, almost squeezing the air from his lungs. He didn’t mind. “I won’t say that I’ll always be here. I can’t. We both know the world is unpredictable and deadly, and we both lead dangerous lives. We run to the fight, not away from it.”

Cian nodded, pressing his face to Fenric’s shoulder, not saying a word. Fenric knew he was listening.

“I will promise that I’ll always fight to return to you,” Fenric whispered. “I will always return to you, or die trying.”

“No dying,” Cian gasped out, lifting his head and taking Fenric’s lips in a desperate kiss. Fenric responded with equal fervor, determined to show Cian how much he meant what he said. The kiss was hard and swift, and they broke apart to clutch at each other, getting as close as possible, the water swirling around them, and Fenric ended up with his arms and legs wrapped around Cian, tucking his head under his lover’s chin, Cian’s strong arms holding him tightly.

They stayed like that for a long time, the water warm and soothing. Eventually their breathing matched and Cian relaxed by degrees, his hold turning gentle, less frantic.

Cian took Fenric’s face in his hands, water dripping, and Fenric gazed back at his love, trying to convey how much he cared for his High Court Sidhe. Sometimes words weren’t enough.

“Bond with me,” Cian asked roughly. “Bond with me, Fenric.”

He thought for a second that he hadn’t heard correctly, but Cian still held him firmly, eyes locked on his, waiting for his answer. Fenric sucked in a deep breath and answered the only way he could, with the only answer he had in him. “Yes.”

Cian closed his eyes for a brief moment, relief washing over his face, and Fenric swiped gently under Cian’s eyes when a couple of tears escaped. Cian shook with a fine tremor, and when he opened his eyes again, the tempest within them had finally calmed, shifting to a serene pool of cobalt blue and dove gray. “Thank you, my kitten. Thank you.”

“Bonding with you is a dream I never dared to have,” Fenric whispered. “I want to be with you, always.”

“I’ll never let you go,” Cian swore, letting go of his face to hug Fenric to him once more. “Never.”

Cian

A long while later, both of them were clean and finally in bed under the covers and pressed together from head to toe, arms around each other and refusing to let go.

He held Fenric tightly as he slept in his arms, tucked to his chest under his chin. Cian dozed, not all that tired himself even with all the excitement earlier. He was fine—what scrapes and cuts he had were healed in the hours since the attack on the Tower, and it was very early morning now. Fenric’s bruises were healed as well, not a blemish to be found on his soft skin.

Daniel and Rory were at the Tower still, helping Angel and Simeon deal with the remaining chaos. Cian was glad he and Fenric left when they did—he was happier in bed with his kitten than digging through the recesses of the Tower looking for additional bombs and hidden enforcers. Thankfully, Rory was able to let him know that there was no further danger at the Tower, and Rory wasn’t needed for healing, all the wounded either sent out to the nearest hospital or tended to already.

Fenric stirred in his arms, a slight shiver of movement heralding his waking mind.

Cian held Fenric to his chest and ran a hand up and down Fenric’s back, enjoying the warm, soft skin and the play of muscles across Fenric’s trim frame. He was lithe and sensuous like a cat and just as strong, with long, lean muscles full of strength and grace.

A soft purr filled the warm cocoon under the blankets, soothing Cian down to his bones. He was addicted to Fenric’s purr and wanted to hear it all the time.

“You love petting me, don’t you,” Fenric murmured sleepily, a tiny smile lifting one corner of his perfect mouth.

“I truly do,” Cian admitted, running his hand down Fenric’s back to his pert ass, sweeping his palm over one perfect glute and then back up, enjoying how the purring increased in volume. “You love it, too.”

“Mmhhmm,” Fenric hummed, thoroughly content under Cian’s touch. “Don’t stop.”

Cian dropped a tiny kiss on Fenric’s lips, and the purring grew louder, a rumble Cian could not get enough of hearing, of feeling. More tiny kisses along that sharp jaw and cheek, to the shell of a slightly pointed ear and soft black hair. He chased the purring down the lean column of Fenric’s neck, making his love gasp when he paused to suck up a faint love bite on the side of his neck. Fenric arched into him and clung to his shoulders.

Cian kissed down Fenric’s chest to the center of his sternum, and stopped to suck another love bite into existence on his pale skin. The stark contrast of the red mark made Cian feel possessive in a way he never had before. Never before had he wanted to mark a lover as his, to keep them, to claim them and hold them forever.

“Bond with me now, my kitten,” Cian asked, words hushed in the small space between them.

Fenric blinked open his eyes and focused on Cian with fierce intent. “Yes, please.”

“I need Rory with me,” Cian admitted. “We share a soul and I cannot bond without him.”

Fenric smiled and pressed upward to gently kiss his mouth. “I know, it’s alright. Get Rory over here and I’ll get dressed.”

Cian reluctantly left the warm nest of blankets and Fenric followed him out of bed, both heading for their armoires to get clean clothes.

Cian pulled on a clean pair of sweatpants and then went to the doorway of their bedroom, opening the door. Lowering the mental wall he had raised earlier, Cian centered Rory in the front of his mind.

Brother , Cian called. Rory’s mind was open and receptive—he and Daniel were discussing returning to the conservatory or staying at the Tower for the remainder of the night.

What do you need? Rory asked immediately, turning his full attention to Cian.

Fenric has agreed to bond with me.

Rory sent him a rush of love and happiness, and he breathed easier feeling Rory’s support for his union with Fenric. There was no doubt in Rory about Cian bonding with Fenric, and he hadn’t realized how much he needed that support from his twin.

Daniel and I are on our way.

Fenric, dressed in sweatpants and a simple t-shirt, came to join him at the doorway, and Cian took his hand and led him out to the temple to wait for Rory and Daniel.

The furniture in the temple had been rearranged—gone were the bed and armoire, now in their bedroom. No sign of the pool, either, and in the center of the temple was a large brazier, a fire burning merrily within, with two large moss-green chaise lounges on either side of the fire. Cian noted with some amusement that the upholstery of the chaises was the same color as his and Rory’s hair, the wood a pale cream color and carved into sharp leaves dancing on a breeze.

“Sit with me while we wait,” Fenric said, taking a seat on the chaise to the left, tugging Cian down to sit beside him. He sat, but then he pulled Fenric into his lap before leaning back on the chaise and sighing in contentment. Fenric went willingly, snuggling into his arms and tucking his head under Cian’s chin. That purr resumed, and Cian gently pet Fenric along his shoulders and sides, happy to hold him.

They didn’t have long to wait.

The underhill was in a giving mood, and Cian was impressed when it was Daniel who called to the underhill, asking for passage to the temple. It answered with alacrity and eagerness, and an arch grew from the floor not far from where Cian and Fenric sat, liquid stones running atop each other to solidify in place. Daniel and Rory were standing in a hallway, and they stepped through quickly, Daniel dismissing the arch with a soft smile of wonder.

“Well done, little brother,” Cian called.

“Thank you!” Daniel replied with a wide grin, jogging over to them and leaning down. He hugged them both in an exuberant embrace, and Fenric laughed at being smashed into Cian’s chest by the hug. “I am so happy for you both!”

Daniel let them go after a moment, straightening, smiling down at them. “What does a bonding entail? Mine was an awakening ceremony instead of just a bonding. I was human and now I’m not. I haven’t a clue how it works between two Elder fae.”

Rory joined his husband and hugged him to his side, dropping a kiss on Daniel’s golden locks. “Let them speak, beloved,” Rory teased. “We’ll explain it to you.”

Rory clasped Cian’s shoulder in a firm grip, conveying his happiness and love. Rory was nearly bursting at the seams in approval, radiating joy for them both. There was no doubt Rory was pleased by Cian and Fenric bonding. “I am happy for you both.”

Fenric wriggled in Cian’s lap so he could sit up and talk to Daniel and Rory, Cian reluctantly letting him go. “Thank you for coming. And thank you for saving me earlier.”

“You are most welcome,” Rory said. “We are family now, Fenric, and there’s nothing I won’t do for family.”

“Do we need to do anything to prepare? This is so exciting,” Daniel was all but vibrating with emotion. “All I did for mine was pass out.”

“We bonded at the same time we awakened your soul and body,” Rory explained. “Fenric is already sidhe—all we need to do is connect Fenric and Cian at the soul level.”

“You and Cian share a soul—how’s that work?” Daniel asked, curious.

“The same way it works between us, beloved,” Rory said. “Since Cian and I are one soul, split in two, you are bound to my half of our soul, and Fenric will be bound to Cian’s half. No merging of souls, merely creating a connection. A soulbond.”

“We’ll each know where the other is, how we’re doing, feel emotions and eventually thoughts. The longer the bond is in place, the deeper it grows.” Cian explained. He shared a glance with Fenric then looked at Daniel. “Eventually all four of us will be able to connect, to speak as Rory and I do, though the connection will not be as deep as the one between Rory and me. Our shared soul is the anchor, the center of the bondings. You and Fenric will be able to sense one another, too.”

Daniel was thinking, nodding as Cian explained. “Is that something you’re okay with?” Daniel asked Fenric, surprising Cian. Daniel went on. “I’m okay with it. I’m learning how to block out certain things for privacy’s sake with Rory already, and I can learn to do that with you, too, after the bonding. Are you okay with bonding with Cian knowing you’ll eventually sense me and Rory?”

Fenric smiled, a tiny curve of his lips, and his eyes were suspiciously bright. “You’ve a good heart, Daniel Salvatore. I’m willing to bond with Cian. I get a new family along with a mate.”

Cian kissed Fenric’s cheek and hugged his love, giving him a moment to gather himself.

“Shall we?” Cian asked, voice a bit rough with emotion.

“Yes.” Fenric whispered, kissing him lightly on the lips.

Fenric

He knew only the basic mechanics of joining with a mate. The bonding was simple—the more experienced of the two led the bonding, and since Cian was both much older than Fenric and had already helped Daniel and Rory join during Daniel’s awakening, he was going to take the lead. That was more than fine with Fenric.

He was not sure about how it was going to go with Rory and Cian being a shared soul—he wasn’t worried about Rory, not at all, but more wary of the unknown process. He’d been alone for so very long that acquiring a mate and a ready-made family in one fell swoop was making him a bit nervous. He hoped he didn’t screw it up.

Fenric remained in Cian’s lap—Rory sat next to them, close enough to put a hand on Fenric’s shoulder, and Daniel sat cross-legged on the floor at Rory’s feet, storm-touched eyes full of curiosity and excitement.

“Just breathe,” Cian whispered. “I’m here with you.”

“Just breathe,” Fenric echoed quietly, closing his eyes and sinking into a trance, focusing on each breath in and out.

The parts of his mind that stood as walls against the outside world were the first to come down—having a complete awareness of self was a boon of being sidhe. He knew every part of his body, heart, mind, and soul. Every facet of himself. As he sank deeper into his inner self, he left the way open behind him—and he jolted when he felt another join him in his mind.

Cian, and to a lesser degree, Rory.

Their single soul glowed in a kaleidoscope of light, a rainbow of colors over a shining center, illuminating everything in its path.

Fenric went as deep into himself as he could go—and in the soft darkness he found himself in that place where his soul glimmered and sparkled, gold and white with flares of green, a sun burning in a universe that was made entirely of himself, of Fenric the cat-sidhe.

The bright star that was the twins followed, and Fenric fought the instinctive response to protect himself and raise walls between the intruders and his soul, exerting control over his instincts. He welcomed Cian inside.

He trusted Cian.

He loved Cian.

He sent that love and trust to the soul glimmering beside his, and Cian responded instantly, returning that love and trust. And with that rush of emotion came a glittering, golden thread.

Sparkling and translucent, it spun and wove through the space between their souls, and Fenric wasn’t one to wait—he reached out for the bond and gently grabbed it, guiding it to his own soul and forging the connection. A shock ran through him, body and soul, and a rush of energy filled his being.

Cian? he called tentatively, hoping it worked.

My kitten.

He all but exploded in relief and happiness, and he didn’t fight the rush of power and emotions that swamped him. Fenric had his love at long last.