Chapter 12
Grigori grinned the moment the dark wizard walked through the doors of the restaurant he suggested for what he considered their real first date. He’d arrived a full hour early—there was no way he was going to make the same mistake twice and ruin his chances with Delaney. From his vantage point at the table, Grigori admired Delaney as he turned to speak with the hostess.
He was wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He respected the ten black lines that marked his ranks through the wizard hierarchy which grew bolder and more intricate as they worked their way up and around his forearms. With his body facing away from Grigori, he had a perfect view of what was the most incredible ass Fate ever graced the planet with. It made his cock twitch and his palms sweat. He wanted Delaney, and it was making him nervous since he didn’t want to do anything stupid—like beg to see him naked.
The hostess walked Delaney toward where Grigori was seated, and he rose to greet him.
“Here’s your table, High Arcanist. Let me know if you need anything else,” the woman said as Grigori stared into the hypnotizing dark eyes of his mate.
“Thanks,” Delaney replied. After she stepped away, he smiled. “Thanks for showing up tonight.”
“I got here at six,” Grigori confessed. He was going into complete nervous mode as they stood there.
Delaney’s brows drew together in confusion. “I could’ve sworn we agreed on seven for dinner.”
“We did. I wanted to be early.”
“An hour?”
“You waited for three for me last night.”
“Doesn’t mean you had to punish yourself.” Delaney glanced down at the table. “Should we sit?”
“Yeah, sorry. I…well, I guess I’m nervous,” Grigori managed. He took his seat and used his napkin to mop the moisture from his hands and brow.
“I’m nervous too. I think it’s natural.”
“Is this the thirty-minute hairdo you had last night?” Grigori asked. “I really like it.”
“No, I was too tired to bother with it. I can’t ever manage the right style anyway. You actually like it?”
“Yeah, it hangs down toward your eyes, which draws more attention to them. They’re amazing.”
“Thanks,” Delaney said as he ducked his head a little. “I like yours too.”
“Good evening, can I get you gentlemen something to drink?” a waiter asked. Grigori swore he arrived out of nowhere, and he jumped at his question. “Are you all right, Vampyr Lord?”
“Yeah, sorry. No, I’m okay. Um…I guess a Coke or something?”
The waiter’s face was bored as he turned his attention to Delaney. “And for you, High Arcanist?”
“The same, thanks.”
Once the server disappeared, Grigori tried to settle himself down, but it wasn’t working. He was feeling a little faint, something that only happened when he completely tangled himself up in nerves.
Delaney must have picked up on at least some of his tension, because he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Dating’s harder than I thought. I mean, I don’t want you to think I’m a complete spaz. I haven’t had the most experience…you know, with men and stuff,” Grigori tried to explain. Then he realized he was painting a picture of someone he doubted Delaney would want to be in a relationship with.
“That’s okay, I can relate.”
“I’m not a virgin or anything,” Grigori blurted out. Those words had a profound effect on Delaney; his entire countenance changed. His eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched.
“Right,” he bit out as he snatched up the menu. “We should figure out what we’re going to order.”
Grigori wanted to know what he did to offend Delaney, but their waiter had a sixth sense for appearing at the wrong moment, and he materialized with their drinks. “Ready to order?”
“Yes,” Delaney replied, then rattled off his choice.
“And you, Vampyr Lord?”
“Uh…tacos?”
“What kind of tacos, Vampyr Lord?”
“Can I just have what he ordered?” Grigori asked as he pointed at Delaney with one trembling finger. He knew that somewhere in Las Vegas, his mother had an urge to hunt him down and smack him, and she had no clue why. His manners were turning out to be atrocious on the most important night of his life.
The waiter grabbed their menus and took off, much to Grigori’s relief. The soft button-down shirt he’d donned for the evening was sticking to his damp skin. Delaney’s pissed-off gaze skittered over to another table, and Grigori glanced in the same direction. “Is that the Grand Warlock?”
Delaney turned back toward him. His expression was not a friendly one. “Yes, I require security, and his mate volunteered for the duty tonight.”
“Sebastian’s here.”
“Sebastian?”
“He’s one of the guards who watches over the Volkovs. He likes tacos. He was excited. Of course, he could have had a really nice dinner last night, but you know I forgot my phone,” Grigori babbled. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to show that he remembered it and his notebook and pencils went flying onto the floor. “Fuck.”
“Need some help?”
“I got it,” Grigori responded as he slid down from his seat to get all six feet and three inches of himself under the table to pick up his belongings. He smacked his knee into the table leg and managed to rap his forehead on the edge of it as he finally got all the damn pencils, then straightened back up.
“Did you get everything?”
“I think so.” Grigori peeled his shirt from where it was sticking to his chest. He was glad he was smart enough to wear a dark one, so his dilemma was less noticeable. “I’ve managed to piss you off. I didn’t mean to. Could you tell me what I said to make you mad? I don’t want to do it again. I didn’t expect to be this nervous. It was so easy talking to you on the phone. I thought I’d be okay, but I have to admit—your eyes, they do something to me. It’s a physical thing, it’s like I’m drowning or something.”
“Drowning?”
Grigori grabbed his drink and sucked down half of it. He was making things worse, not better. “In a good way. It’s like I’m losing a battle with myself, I want to fall to my knees and confess all my secrets. And I don’t know…just be alone with you. Like I’m going to surrender all of myself to you. It’s both wonderful and a little scary since we just met. Sorry, I know I’m not good at saying flowery stuff. The worst assignment I ever had was one to write twenty poems. My brain doesn’t work that way. Math. Science. That’s my wheelhouse.”
“Fine, you want to know why I got upset?”
“Absolutely.”
Delaney leaned in slightly. “I don’t see anything wrong with being a virgin. Some people choose to wait for their other half and not get involved in casual sex. I’m one of those people.”
Grigori’s brain stopped. He didn’t consider himself possessive, but he wanted to kiss Fate’s feet. The wizard was his. All his. He couldn’t have held back the smile if he tried. “Wow.”
“I get a little pissed off with this attitude that to be a man or whatever you need to get laid. I want it to mean something.”
“As the person you’ve saved yourself for, I’d like to tell you that if my dick had hands, he’d be clapping. Thank you, that’s a beautiful gift.”
Delaney’s dark eyes hit the table. “Hopefully I won’t suck.”
“You’re against oral sex?”
The wizard’s head lifted, and he cocked it to the side. “I meant, I hope I’m not bad at sex.”
“Oh, thank goodness—my heart stopped.”
“It might take me awhile to get the hang of sucking.”
“I’d like to volunteer myself as your willing test subject.”
“Grigori?”
“Yeah?”
“You okay? You’re still sweating profusely.”
“Oh shit, does it stink? I hate this.”
“No, you don’t stink. I can just see it on your forehead, and your
shirt’s becoming a second skin. The view of your chest is nice, but I don’t want you to be so nervous.”
“It’s getting better the more we talk. I promise. I don’t know why this happens. I’ve been this way my whole life. I must be a freak—everyone else in my family is elegant and poised. I’m the complete opposite,” Grigori explained. He desperately wanted a subject change. “You didn’t bring Greggory?”
“At home he eats in a sink—that’s how messy of an eater he is. We just hose him and Roger down afterward.”
“Roger is Idris’s familiar. Named for Chieftain Cadlyr.”
“Did you memorize everything I told you last night?”
“I wrote down the stuff you told me about your family. I hope it’ll help me be less nervous when I meet them all,” Grigori confessed. “I hope you’ll invite me soon. Actually, Chieftain Cadlyr already did so yeah, Delsaurus, I’m coming over.”
Delaney laughed, and the waiter once again emerged with their meals. “I hope you like what I ordered,” he said once the server was gone.
“Me too, or I’m going to complain the rest of the night,” Grigori teased as he surveyed the meal in front of him. It was the exact same thing he always chose, which he informed Delaney.
“It is not, you’re making that up.”
“No, we’re so perfect for each other.”
“Because we share the same taco tastes?”
“Yep,” Grigori agreed, then leaned in slightly. “And sweet mother Fate, because of that ass of yours.”
“I haven’t seen yours yet.”
“I can solemnly swear it’s not as nice as yours. I must know, would you ever consider bottoming for me? Because I need to adjust my fantasies if you aren’t interested. It’s not like I’ll be mad or anything. I just don’t want my dick getting his hopes up any higher than necessary.”
Delaney’s dark eyes met his. “I like when you forget to be nervous and are just Grigori spewing out whatever comes into your brain. Yeah, I’m interested. What about you? Or do I need to disappoint my dick?”
“Pet him gently tonight and assure him he can have his dreams.”
“Why do you have a notepad and a phone in your pocket?”
“And three small pencils?”
“Exactly.”
“I prefer to physically write down ideas when I get them. As for the phone, I have this incredible mate I’m trying not to disappoint, so I’m not going anywhere without it ever again.”
“You’re doing a great job tonight.”
“Except for the excessive sweating and insulting your virginal status.”
“I feel like I apologize for it all the time.”
Grigori swallowed his bite of glorious meat, cheese, and crispy shell. “Excuse me? Why?”
“I told you about Duff. He’s always getting on my case about it, especially now that Idris is mated. Before we were both virgins, and Duff told us he was going to wait as well. He sure changed his tune once Idris met Mac. We went out to a club one night, and he got laid. Now, all he cares about is clubbing and getting laid. I had a lot of fun dancing and stuff, and I wouldn’t mind going again but it’s like every time he brings it up, I get less interested. I know it’s not going out—it’s his damn attitude I don’t want to deal with. It’s no one’s business if I don’t want to have sex, and I shouldn’t have told him I was a virgin in the first place.”
“You said that wrong. You didn’t want to have sex before me. You’ve already admitted to your little fantasies.”
The wizard grinned. “You’re the one with leather fetishes.”
“I’m not sure I can handle that ass of yours in dragonskin.”
“I’m going to have to dig those pants out of my closet.”
Because he really could not deal with that mental image in a public place, Grigori went back to the subject of Duff. “So, you used to be good friends with this guy?”
“Yeah, we seemed to click when he first moved in, but I’m not sure he was being himself. He told us he was gay, then he lost his virginity with a woman. Now, he sleeps with both.”
“He’s what? Eighteen, you said? Maybe he’s just discovering himself.”
“True, but why does he have to be obsessed with who I’m not sleeping with?”
“I don’t know, maybe he’s one of those people who enjoys getting under people’s skin. You know like those jerks at school who will call you names or toss your books on the floor,” Grigori said.
“Good point. I should do a better job of ignoring him like I did those idiots growing up. It bothers me that I can’t find common ground with someone who used to be a friend and is a part of my family.”
“Maybe you two just need time and space.”
“Maybe. So, let’s talk vampire misconceptions.”
“The big one. Do we bite dick?”
Delaney laughed. “I wasn’t thinking about that particular one, but sure.”
“It’s not a misconception. Hormones are produced during sex, and we use our fangs to increase the pleasure our partner is feeling. Supposedly it feels amazing.”
“Okay, but don’t warn me before you do it, because then I might freak out.”
“Deal. What else?” Grigori asked.
“I watch a lot of horror movies. So—”
“I can’t turn into a bat. I have a reflection. Young and weak vampires must avoid the sun, but the rest of us are okay as long as we compensate with blood, so we keep it to a minimum. Garlic is tasty, and if you stick most people in the chest with a stake and don’t remove it, they’re going to die.”
“The stake isn’t to kill a vampire anyway, it’s to keep them in their coffin.”
“I most certainly do not have a coffin, they are creepy. I sleep in a bed, and vampires are burned in pyres like everyone else.”
“You guys have secrets like your clubs. What about mind control? What’s it like?”
“We use mind control regularly on a single person at a time. You don’t have to worry about that though—it won’t work on a person’s mate. I know some magickind are capable of compelling or essentially asking a person or groups of people to do things, but those are temporary spells which are different than what a vampire can do. It’s most effective against humans but the stronger the vampire, the more powerful magickind or shifter you can manage. You can force them to do something or even alter their feelings. It takes some time to master though, so they have no memory of you being in their thoughts. When you’re twelve and discover your ability is far beyond your peers because of your parentage, you will get beat up if you make the guys who’ve been pestering you stick their hands in toilets. For a bunch of idiots, they figured out it was me after the coercion faded. I didn’t have enough practice to make my presence in their brains undetectable.”
“Did you really?”
“I got sent to the principal’s office. My mom wasn’t happy with me, but I thought it was hilarious.”
“How do you get your hair to lay like that?” Delaney asked.
Grigori shrugged. “I wash it, run a comb through it, and it dries like this.”
“I’m not sure this is going to work out between us.”
“Unnecessary hair envy?”
“It’s not unnecessary. Yours is this perfect wave away from your face.”
“Blame it on my parents. They’re going to start begging me to invite you over for dinner soon.”
“I’ll be the one sweating then.”
“I promise to use my napkin to mop you up as appropriate.”
“So…uh, should we schedule another date?”
“We already have. I’m coming to D’Vaire to meet your family. I’ll be there tomorrow evening as long as you send me a picture of your bedroom, so I can teleport. You’ll need to do that as soon as you get home tonight.”
“Why my bedroom, and why do you need it tonight?” Delaney asked.
“Why do you think? It’d be nice if you were lying in the bed when you took the photo.”
; “I’m only doing that if you send me one of you.”
“Since you asked so nicely, I’ll even take off this sweaty shirt before I snap it.”
“My balls just shouted in ecstasy.”
“Is that what that noise was? I thought it might be, but it’s always nice to get confirmation. Now, did you want dessert before we go home and jerk off?”
“I need something for Greggory and Roger.”
They hailed the waiter over and ordered treats for the wizard familiars. Grigori’s shirt was bone-dry, and he hoped it meant that in the future he wouldn’t spaz out around Delaney. Once his nerves were out of the way, he found it so easy to talk to him, and he was enamored with him. Grigori was going to do everything in his power to build a relationship with Delaney.
Chapter 13
No one ever told Delaney how exhausting a matebond would be in the beginning. In the last few days he’d managed only a handful of hours of sleep, but he didn’t have any complaints. The night before after a delicious meal, he arrived home and poured out his entire evening to Idris. Then he received a text message from Grigori. The vampire was wearing nothing but a towel, and his wet hair was tangled around his face. His message informed Delaney that Grigori needed a shower after all his sweating and that he was expecting a return photo promptly.
Feeling brave, Delaney headed to his bedroom and dug out his dragonskin pants. He laced up the front, tossed his shirt to floor and, feeling like an idiot, flopped down onto his duvet to take a picture. Since he hadn’t received an immediate reply, Delaney peeled off his clothing and with Grigori’s image smiling back at him, jerked off. He’d barely gotten his pajamas on afterward when his phone rang.
On the other line was the satisfied voice of Grigori, and once again they spent hours talking about everything and nothing at the same time. The vampire told him how explicitly he’d enjoyed Delaney’s response to his nearly naked snapshot. Delaney had helplessly gotten hard again as Grigori painted a fantasy of the two of them together. They hadn’t known each long, but Delaney was more than ready to start working on losing his virginal status.
Shaking off his errant and delicious thoughts, Delaney focused on getting his brain on board so he could get something done during his workday. He found himself alone in the Dark Indigo office; he suspected Idris was off somewhere flirting with Mac. The couple adored each other, and Delaney had a momentary vision of someday being the same with Grigori. They would be mated and seek each other out to talk or maybe to sneak a kiss.
Becoming D'Vaire (D'Vaire, Book 11) Page 10