by Lexi Ander
“Let’s go!” Prophet yelled at the driver.
Gabe watched in amazement as the physical barriers along the roadside collapsed and people started chasing the car. He’d always believed his loft to be the safest place for him, but after the last couple of days, the Oberon had moved to the top of the list. Perhaps he could convince Sūnder to move his plants to the ship, too.
~ : § : ~
Gabe barely kept from heaving a sigh of relief as the shuttle took them from the space station to the Oberon. Sūnder had become contemplative, but he remained aware of what went on around him. Leaving him to think, Gabe nevertheless kept a close eye on him as he spoke to the three faeborn males about their plans for the future. Shaefer asked questions about the other guardians, and seemed to be at least considering visiting the Jade Forest, whereas Quinlān and Milāni only wished to return home to Alglistán.
The sheer number of things they would have to accomplish before they could even leave Earth was overwhelming. He needed to get his loft packed up; Gabe didn’t relish the thought of dodging the crowds that seemed to form every time he and Sūnder were surface-side. And Válora had said he and Sūnder would have to do at least one interview for the news stations, something he was not looking forward to either. He could only imagine how badly the mess with the L’fÿns and DarkHunters had strained human-Chándariān relations. Not to mention the information linked to the Scarab War and the secrets being revealed with that fiasco.
What Gabe did want was to make sure Sūnder would be all right. They had both taken some seriously hard knocks the last couple of weeks, but today’s revelation about who Tālia wasn’t had to be the hardest for Sūnder. Even over the fact they could bring fey to life, and he’d never thought that could be topped.
Gabe didn’t know whether Sūnder’s officers had been pre-warned of Sūnder’s mood or if the expression on his face had scared all the Panthrÿns away. Either way, they’d made themselves scarce. Once the door to their cabin closed, Sūnder shed his officer’s uniform as he trekked single-mindedly to the lavatory. Gabe heard the water come on in the shower as he picked up Sūnder’s clothes and draped them over the back of a chair. Undressing, Gabe wandered into the lavatory and stepped into the shower too.
Sūnder stood under the spray, his face upturned as the hot water rolled off him. Gabe grabbed a wash cloth and added soap. Slowly, silently, he washed Sūnder, taking tender care of his lover, helping Sūnder to unwind.
When they stepped out, Gabe toweled Sūnder off and asked, “Are you ready to talk about today?”
Sūnder made a confused noise in the back of his throat. “I’m trying to understand what is so important about a title that Tālia would do the things she has done to retain it. I keep thinking about Father and what he must be going through. He’s been divorced from Tālia for over thirty seasons, but the betrayal—”
“Can be tempered by the relief that the two of you won’t be forced to deal with her as family any longer. Good riddance, I say. She and her whole enclave are toxic. Now your father has everything he needs to put them behind him, and the means to mend the damage they caused.” Gabe allowed Sūnder to take the towel from him and widened his stance as Sūnder knelt to dry Gabe’s legs, his caress intimate, loving. He swallowed past his suddenly dry throat, very aware of everywhere Sūnder touched him. Now was not the time to get side-tracked
Sūnder gave a weary sigh. “You’re correct. Biologically she is not my mother, but it will take some time for that information to sink in. To think the only reason she claimed to be my mother was to keep the cursèd title, even knowing that doing so would terrify L’fÿns, possibly into revolt if I was placed in line for the throne. She’s insane. She needed an offspring to shove at the druids, but I didn’t need to be alive for her to meet the terms of the treaty. She signed my death warrant with her verbal claim, knowing the DarkHunters would do her bidding without question. At least now I know why they kept coming, even though they could feel I wasn’t tainted.”
Gabe growled so effectively Sūnder jerked in surprise. “Tālia can have you over my dead body. I won’t let her get her murderous hands on you ever again.”
Sūnder trembled and buried his face in Gabe’s stomach. “Why does everyone think I need protecting?” Sūnder mumbled.
Gabe couldn’t help but laugh at Sūnder’s testy tone. “Because we love you, and seeing you attacked, if only once, is one time too many.” Gabe tilted Sūnder’s chin up, loving the way Sūnder looked there on his knees. “I know you are a strong, capable male. I saw with my own eyes how well you fight with a blade. But who takes care of your heart?”
A soft smile curled Sūnder’s lips, smoothing out his stormy expression. “My mate.”
“And I take my job very seriously. I want to shield you from harm, nurture your heart, and walk by your side in everything you do.” Gabe huffed out a laugh. “I thought I knew what love was until I met you. Now, I wake up every day more in love with you than the day before.”
The red, outer rings of Sūnder’s irises swirled and grew, sparkling like gems. “Make love to me.”
“Yes,” Gabe hissed, Sūnder surging up and capturing Gabe’s mouth almost before he finished.
A fire ignited in Gabe, matched by the one that burned within Sūnder. The magick under Sūnder’s skin surged forth and Gabe arched his back, gasping as something within him answered. He was lifted off his feet, and Gabe wrapped his legs around Sūnder as he was carried into the main cabin. He sucked and bit on Sūnder’s neck hungrily, not caring that the noises he made had an underlying edge of animalistic ferocity.
When Sūnder dropped Gabe onto the bed, he welcomed Sūnder’s weight, arching and rubbing against him, unable to get enough skin to skin contact. Sūnder’s rumbling purr vibrated his body, stoking the heat running through Gabe’s veins higher.
“Now,” Gabe begged, even as Sūnder cursed when he fumbled the lube.
He found Sūnder’s nipple and drew it into his mouth. Remembering how turned on Sūnder became when he’d spanked Sūnder’s ass, he sucked hard and then bit tentatively, watching how Sūnder reacted. Under his hand, Sūnder’s stomach muscles quivered, and a low snarl sounded above him. When Gabe released the nipple, Sūnder whined and pressed his chest toward him. The actions spoke louder than words. Gabe licked, then bit a little harder.
“More,” Sūnder rumbled.
Sūnder’s begging was so arousing, Gabe obliged.
The prep was quick, Gabe repeatedly prompting Sūnder to hurry. He needed so badly to claim and be claimed. By the time Sūnder breached him, Gabe had worked Sūnder’s nipples to tender nubs. Gabe threw his head back in ecstasy, moaning as Sūnder split him, loving every second. “God, yes. Like that.”
Wrapping his legs around Sūnder’s hips, Gabe eagerly met Sūnder thrust for thrust. Digging his nails into Sūnder’s shoulders made Sūnder snarl and pound into him harder, faster, and Gabe begged for more. Sūnder shuddered and tensed, his warmth filling Gabe up. No one would need to guess as to whom he belonged.
In a quick move, Gabe rolled them until he was astride Sūnder, still impaled on Sūnder’s cock. “You don’t think I’m done with you yet, do you?”
“Sun and stars, I hope not,” Sūnder panted.
Gabe rubbed Sūnder’s stripes, and goose bumps appeared over Sūnder’s stomach, reminding him of the bumps that had grown along the stripes. They were going to be fathers, of a sort. “Do you want to have cubs, Sūnder? I’m not talking about the little fey who will be running around here in a few months, but rather a baby. Do you think someone would surrogate for us if we wanted to have children?”
The purring in Sūnder’s chest increased. “We should talk about this again in a few years. I find that I like the thought of a cub with your markings—”
“Or yours.”
“Yes, and mine. We have time to build a family. Just don’t tell Mother or she’ll move up the timeline.” Sūnder huffed out a laugh, but Gabe could see the slight alarm in S
ūnder’s expression at the mention of Válora.
“Mum’s the word,” Gabe said, laughing at Sūnder’s confused look. To bring his lover back to the present, Gabe rubbed Sūnder’s stripes again. He was gratified by the sudden hiss and the way Sūnder arched, impaling Gabe deep on his cock.
Putting aside his idle thoughts, Gabe reached for the lube and a small roll of medical tape. Sūnder whimpered when Gabe climbed off him, but his sounds changed when Gabe slicked his fingers up and tested Sūnder’s readiness. Sūnder eagerly grabbed his knees and pulled them back to his chest. The tip of his tail thumped on the bed, giving away his excitement. Gabe loved how Sūnder stretched his neck and mewled as he worked his fingers into Sūnder. With that beautiful ass turned upward, Gabe didn’t think twice before he delivered a swat, and then another. He smoothed his palm over the darkening flesh, waiting until Sūnder pleaded for more. He didn’t hesitate to give Sūnder what he wanted, loving how Sūnder writhed for him.
When he couldn’t take anymore, Gabe tore off a piece of the medical tape and wrapped it quickly around the base of Sūnder’s tail. He wanted to claim Sūnder while looking into his eyes.
“Do it now, Gabe. Now. Now. Now,” Sūnder chanted until Gabe plunged into him. The heat gripped Gabe’s shaft, causing his resolve to make Sūnder come a second time before he spilled to waver.
Grabbing the back of Sūnder’s legs, he thrust, something deep and primal satisfied by the way Sūnder yowled and arched. This male was his, only his. No one else would have him. No one else would know his taste. Those who came before— Gabe gave several sharp thrusts at the thought of others touching Sūnder. “Mine!” he snarled. Sūnder would never be as he was before. His scent, the taste of his skin, all had changed because Sūnder was his. They were mixed together, entwined around each other in more ways than one.
“Gabe!” Sūnder gripped his cock and he came, his ass squeezing Gabe so tightly he saw stars as he spilled within Sūnder.
Breathing hard, he let go of Sūnder’s legs, his muscles quivering as he pulled out then dropped to his hands so he could lap up Sūnder’s spend.
“My Gabriel,” Sūnder rumbled. “Do you know how sexy you look cleaning me with your tongue?”
Gabe grinned and felt the soft caress of Sūnder’s tail wrapping around his ankle. “I’ll remember that.”
Sūnder rolled them until Gabe was again under him. When Sūnder kissed him deeply, Gabe shared with him the flavor of Sūnder’s come. The next few days would be tense and hectic, but here, in Sūnder’s cabin, in Sūnder’s arms, Gabe knew peace. He had spent his whole life afraid to want certain things. He’d never wanted to fall madly in love—but he had anyway. And he’d never been so happy. He’d found someone he wanted to spend time with, someone he couldn’t wait to see at the end of the day, and who couldn’t wait to see him. With Sūnder, he could build a home and raise a family, but all that didn’t have to be right now.
For now, together, one day at a time, they would face whatever came their way.
EPILOGUE
SŪNDER WAS AMAZED how quickly the weeks flew by. Much needed to be done before they left Earth’s orbit, and they were joined by more of Earth’s young male and female guardians and faeborn. He couldn’t rightly think of them as L’fÿns and, as one unfortunate Panthrÿn discovered, they wouldn’t tolerate being referred to as such either. Not that he blamed them.
The anger Gabe felt at being abandoned still rose whenever the subject came up, but every time Wÿn and the elders conferred with King Valiant at the embassy, Wÿn contacted Gabe. Sūnder was pleased at how often the two shared meals and stories, slowly becoming acquainted with each other. A few others of Gabe’s bloodline followed Wÿn’s lead and reached out to him as well. Slowly, Gabe was beginning to heal.
“At least they’re trying,” Gabe had said one day as they made their way back to the Oberon from the embassy. “I just wish they had done something earlier instead of sitting on their hands because my father thought he was sparing me the hardships he suffered. I would rather have had family, even if I didn’t quite fit. Still, it’s nice to see that something positive has come out of the pain I went through in my teens: the elders have started reaching out to family members like me, those thought too human to live easily among them, and are letting them know they’re not alone if they don’t want to be.”
“Do you think they could be like you, and have latent abilities?” Sūnder asked.
With the leak of the information on the Scarab Wars, the knowledge of the faeborn and what they could do had spread like wildfire through not only Earth, but the entire coalition of planets. As a result, Valiant had received more than a few inquiries from other planets about employing faeborn and guardians to help repair fractured ecosystems. Although Sūnder and Gabe had agreed that mending Chándaria came first, they’d decided to look into helping others. And if there were latent guardians on Earth willing to venture to Slorèx in search of a faeborn match, the additional numbers would lessen the time needed to cleanse the Jade Forest and make helping other ecosystems possible much sooner.
As would the fact that the High Druid Mèlindria, with Válora’s help, had contacted the L’fÿn families who’d fled with their faeborn babes in the centuries since the Scarab War, and invited them to come home. They’d also reached out to the faeborn Mèlindria had adopted out to non-Chándariān families on other planets to both let them know it was now safe to visit Slorèx if they wished, and supply the faeborn-specific information they lacked to keep themselves healthy. There had been more interest than expected, and Sūnder was kept busy tracking not only those who returned to see if a guardian match could be found, but also those who refused even after being told the risks of cleansing without the aid of a guardian. Although Sūnder understood their caution, he didn’t want anyone else to die when it could be so easily avoided.
“Are the elders at least considering visiting Slorèx?” Sūnder asked Gabe, pulling his mate into his arms.
“Wÿn said they’re listening,” Gabe replied, snuggling deeper into Sūnder’s embrace. Sūnder could practically feel how mentally exhausted Gabe was. “Now that they know the Watchers were secreting away the faeborn, Wÿn says some of the older, unbonded guardians are talking about mates.” Gabe sighed. “Personally, I doubt they’ll venture off Earth until we can prove the danger the noble houses present has passed. But even if they do visit, I know they won’t stay. Apparently the elders who are staying behind consider Earth their home now. And they are worried—terrified, even—of being exposed to such violence again. After reading the report Válora put together on the Scarab War, I can’t blame them. So many faeborn died within such a short period of time. I would feel the same way if I were in their position. If anything were to happen to you, I would lose my mind.”
How loving Gabe could make Sūnder feel so empowered, he didn’t know. Gabe made Sūnder feel as if he could do absolutely anything, even keep an impossible vow. “Nothing will happen to me, Gabe. I promise.”
Then Sūnder spent hours reaffirming his bond with Gabe. Those stolen moments later served Sūnder well, because once he and Gabe agreed to act as leaders to the faeborn and guardians, they were lucky to have even a few minutes alone.
Accustomed to responsibility, Sūnder put his seasons as fleet commander to use. Some days were more trying than others because, unlike trained, disciplined soldiers, civilians were civilians and needed to be handled differently. And Gabe, his beautiful, bright Gabriel, whether he knew it or not, excelled at guiding people.
Gabe often invited A’ymon over to discuss the history of the SilverHands, among other things. Sūnder thought Gabe’s interest was likely tied to Vesrÿn Baptÿst, an ancestor of A’ymon and Gabe’s grandmother. Sūnder was glad Gabe had found a connection to A’ymon, especially after the call from Gabe’s father. Sūnder had lingered in the background as Gabe had a long, tense conversation with the man. Apologies were offered, but Gabe wasn’t ready to hear them. Somehow, for all of Gabe’s a
nger at his relatives, he didn’t hold any grudges against the faeborn, guardians, or green sentinels who came with them to Slorèx. He befriended many, albeit cautiously.
The biggest surprise was an additional group of green sentinels petitioning to come to Slorèx. From what Sūnder had been told, the Green Sentinels of old had protected the wildwood against outside attacks. Unlike the green sentinels who remained after the Scarab War and evolved into the DarkHunters, the sentinels who escaped with the Lost Ones grew to be personal protectors of mated faeborn–guardian pairs. Sūnder was immensely glad it was Ronan who had been assigned to him and Gabe, although there probably hadn’t been much debate on the matter considering that Gabe and Ronan were best friends. As far as Sūnder was concerned, Gabe having true family close was what he’d wanted all along for his mate.
At the embassy, King Valiant and A’yrē waded through the political mess between Earth and the L’fÿns. Once the corrupt noble houses had been dismantled, Döminá Lileäh of Branwuen stepped forward to take the reins of leadership, the proof of change helping alleviate many of the Earth politicians’ concerns. The minor houses who had been quiet were now somewhat vocal in spreading word that the forest would be returned to its former glory.
Upon returning to E’drijān, High Druid Mèlindria handed over the title of Keeper of the Jade Forest to Sūnder in front of the people of E’drijān. There was no outcry or condemnation. By the time Sūnder had led the new faeborn and guardians into the Jade Forest and the enclaves within it, they were welcomed with open arms. Grand festivities had been planned, although Gabe greeted the common L’fÿn citizens warily. Sūnder understood Gabe’s caution because, as a faeborn male on Slorèx, he’d borne the brunt of the prejudice. But there was nary a whisper of ‘darksoul’, nor were there the slightest hints of malice. What they encountered were L’fÿns waving their colored cloths excitedly, and silvery tears shed with joy as they pulled faeborn and guardians alike to dance around the fire pits. One grand reception wouldn’t wipe away seasons of animosity and bigotry, but Sūnder had to admit it was a good start.