Arden resented the fact that the fae truly did seem to see him as a pet, but he was starving, so he wasn’t about to turn down another meal. For the moment, he would play along with Dusk’s need to see himself as his rescuer rather than his captor. It wouldn’t change anything. When the time was right, he would return to Eric. Vampire or not, Arden belonged to him and he would never feel at home until he was once again in his possession, however he may have come to be there.
Chapter 9
Arden
It had been a week since Arden had woken up in enemy territory and he was no closer to finding a way out of the Vale than he had been. The Brotherhood’s fortress may not have been a prison in theory, but it certainly functioned as one. Arden watched every time one of them came and went, but he still had no idea how they were making it to the other side of that door without falling into the void.
For the moment, he’d decided to bide his time and be the docile little pet they so obviously wanted to make him into. Maybe one of them would let his guard down and provide the opportunity Arden was waiting on.
Vox proved to be a decent roommate. He hadn’t slept in Arden’s bed except that first night, and Arden never would have admitted how close he’d come to asking. There was something comforting about the ghoul’s presence. Maybe it was just the fact that he seemed to be on the outskirts of the Brotherhood as well.
Still, Arden knew it was no coincidence that when the others were gone, Vox stuck to him like glue. The ghoul was his guard as much as his roommate, and Arden was sure he reported everything back to Dusk and Leo at the end of the day. Maybe he could find a way to use that to his advantage, too.
That night, he planned to see just how far luck would get him. He saw the way the ghoul looked at him when he thought he wasn’t being watched.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Arden announced. “I assume you’re going to come along to babysit me?”
Vox gave him a look, standing from the bean bag chair. “How do you know I don’t just like seeing you shirtless?”
Arden smirked. “Never said you didn’t enjoy the job.”
The ghoul rolled his eyes and offered Arden a robe off the hook on the wall. “I can wait outside.”
“No need,” Arden said, draping the robe over his arm as he headed out of the room. He could sense Vox watching him in confusion as he passed up the shower room in favor of the stairs.
“I thought you wanted a shower.”
“I changed my mind,” Arden answered, looking back over his shoulder. “I’d rather have a bath.”
Vox’s eyes widened. “Dusk and Leo will know you were in their apartment.”
“Not if you don’t tell them. And they did kidnap me. I think the least they can do is let me use their shampoo.”
“Right,” Vox muttered, looking away.
The large suite the fae and elf shared smelled like lemon and herbs. The bed was freshly made and the light streaming in from what Arden knew was a screen made it feel open and airy. He walked into the bathroom and draped the robe over the rack by the large sunken tub.
Vox kept glancing at the door like he feared he would be caught, so Arden decided to give him something else to think about. “Would you help me?” he asked innocently. “The zipper’s in the back.”
Vox stared at him for a second before walking over. “Sure.”
The ghoul seemed to struggle with the small zipper and the small sound of frustration he made before it finally gave was charming. His fingers brushed against Arden’s spine as he pulled the zipper down. Arden shivered involuntarily and hoped Vox didn’t notice since he’d almost certainly take it the wrong way.
“Thanks,” Arden said, slipping his arms out of the shirt before unzipping his leathers. Vox walked over to the bathtub and turned on the tap, sitting down on the ledge.
Arden watched as the ghoul stuck his hand under the water. “What are you doing?”
Vox looked up. “Checking the temperature.”
Arden laughed.
“What?”
“You do it, too.”
“Do what?” the ghoul asked defensively.
“Treat me like a pet.”
Vox stopped as if to think about it before shrugging. “Is that really so bad?”
Arden hesitated. He’d never actually asked himself that question. Everyone always joked that he was Eric’s pet, but the way he was treated here was so much different. Eric treated him like an object to be used and put back when it was convenient. The others, especially Vox, treated him like something precious. Something to be cherished. Something that might break if it wasn’t handled properly.
Hell, now that he was more or less human, it was probably true. He walked over and Vox offered his hand to help him into the bath. Arden took it. Sometimes the nicest form of assistance was the kind that wasn’t necessary at all.
Arden let out a deep sigh as he lowered himself into the water. It was just hot enough to relax his muscles without burning. The steam was already fogging up the mirror, making Vox seem more ghostly than usual as he stood by in his somber mask, looking at nothing in particular across the room.
“Care to join me?” asked Arden.
The ghoul seemed surprised by the invitation. “That’s a complicated question.”
“How is it possibly?”
“Care to? Yes. Am I going to? No.”
Arden smiled, leaning back with his head against the rim of the tub. “Do you always deny yourself things you want?”
Vox looked away. “More than you know.”
The pain in his voice touched something in Arden that went deeper than he imagined his soul did, if he had one at all. “I see the way you look at me,” he murmured. “I know you want to touch me.”
The ghoul’s eyes widened. “Are all chimeras so blunt?”
“I think it’s more of a vampire trait,” Arden admitted, draping his arms over the tub. “I’ve never seen the point in not saying what you mean.”
Vox snorted. “For what it’s worth, yes. I want to.”
“But you won’t.”
“No. And if you knew what was under this mask, you wouldn’t want me to.”
“You’re a ghoul. I never imagined it was anything good.”
What was visible of Vox’s face went blank. “Ouch.”
“I’m sure I’ve seen worse. Hell, I’m sure I’ve fucked worse.”
“Flattering.”
Arden smirked. “That’s Dusk’s department, but for what it’s worth, I’ve been told I give one hell of a blowjob,” he remarked, sinking down into the water.
Vox’s breath hitched audibly as his eyes slid down the other man’s wet torso. “I’m sure you do.”
Arden’s hand crept out of the water to run teasingly over the washboard of his stomach, tracing small circles on the smooth flesh where those pale eyes focused. “You know, you don’t have to steal glances. If you asked nicely, I’d be more than happy to put on a show.”
Lust darkened those icy blue depths and the ghoul took a step closer, sinking down to his knees in front of the tub. He draped his arm over the rim, dipping a finger into the water and twirling it around until the ripples teased Arden’s sensitive flesh. “You are a show.”
He said it so bitterly Arden couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you complaining?”
“No,” the ghoul sighed. He met Arden’s gaze with a hard, commanding look that sent a surge of heat right to his half-stiff cock. “Touch yourself.”
Arden swallowed involuntarily. God, those words sounded hot in that soft accent of his. His hand drifted like it was already taking orders from Vox to grip the base of his cock. It wasn’t the touch he craved, but knowing the order came from the man in front of him was the next best thing.
Vox looked down in brazen approval as Arden stroked himself. “Slower,” he urged, flicking droplets of water off his fingers as he pulled them out of the water and leaned back for a better view.
A whimper escaped Arden’s throat as he slowed
his pace at Vox’s command. It was torture, but it made his arousal all the heavier. He laid back against the tub and closed his eyes, imagining that it was Vox stroking him. Those strong hands wrapped around his shaft, pumping him slowly, draining every last second of pleasure from his throbbing core.
“God.” The word uttered in a rush of breath brought Arden back from the precipice of orgasm. When he opened his eyes, the look on Vox’s face almost finished him off hands-free.
Arden stared helplessly at him, his hand frozen. He was so close, but he’d hold off if there was even a possibility of getting what he wanted. Of satisfying the curiosity that had plagued him ever since that first night the ghoul had held him.
“You want me to touch you?” Vox asked, as if reading his mind. As if there was even a doubt about it.
Arden wanted to make a smartassed remark, but all he did was nod. “Please.” His voice was hoarse with want.
When Vox leaned in and put his hand over Arden’s, he thought he was going to die. The touch he’d craved for so long had unleashed something inside of him that was as overpowering as it was exhilarating and all he could do was buck eagerly in a plea for it to continue. His wet hands dug into the thick cloth of the other man’s shirt and he gasped as Vox’s grip tightened around his shaft.
They were so close, the ghoul’s dark tresses were tickling his forehead. Whatever was underneath that mask, it no longer mattered as long as he could touch every part of him. But Arden knew that wasn’t going to happen.
“You feel so good,” Vox purred, stroking him in such a way that put Arden’s own touch to shame. He felt like an instrument in the hands of a master. He dug his fingers into Vox’s hair to pull him closer and the other man didn’t seem to notice or care that they were both wet now.
“Inside,” Arden begged, his voice a shuddering whimper as the need to be filled overwhelmed him. “Please.”
Understanding tinted the ghoul’s gaze and his hand withdrew from Arden’s rigid shaft. It traveled lower under the water, his fingers grazing the cleft between Arden’s cheeks. The chimera gasped as the touch he needed like air and water became penetration, and it was all he could do to keep from bucking into it.
“You’re tight,” Vox mused.
Arden frowned. “Don’t say it like you’re surprised.”
“I’m not,” Vox said with a chuckle, pressing in a little deeper as if to console him. When he brushed Arden’s prostate, all was forgiven. Arden’s body went limp and his back arched in bliss. He’d been touched so many times and in so many ways by so many people, but this…
This was different.
Vox was different in so many bewildering, unexpected ways. “Right there,” he moaned, his eyes falling shut. Vox worked another finger inside of him and perfect was even better.
“Stroke yourself,” he urged once more. “I want to feel you tighten up when you come.”
Those words were enough, but Arden held off because the need to obey was greater than the need for release. He stroked himself as Vox’s fingers delved deeper into him, in and out, until he was seeing spots on the ceiling.
“Fuck,” Arden groaned.
“You like being told what to do, don’t you?” Vox asked smugly.
“Depends on who’s doing the telling,” he answered breathlessly.
Vox leaned in, his voice a seductive whisper. “Come for me.”
And that was all it took. Arden gasped as his release came with blinding pleasure, and Vox’s fingers still inside of him drew it out until he could no longer bear it. Perfectly in tune, Vox pulled out and gazed in satisfaction at Arden. “Eager to please, huh?”
“Oh, shut up,” Arden muttered, pulling the drain on the bathtub.
Vox chuckled. “That was hot.”
“Told you the show would be more fun if you joined in.”
“Mm,” Vox murmured in agreement. He turned the water back on, wetting a clean cloth and lathering it up with scented soap. He ran the cloth over Arden’s chest and the tenderness with which he bathed him was arousing in an entirely different way. “It is my job to take care of you.”
The words made Arden shiver. “Is that what this is?” he asked as Vox brought the washcloth down to wipe down his thighs. “Just part of a regular grooming session?”
Vox hesitated. “You know I enjoyed that as much as you did.”
“I didn’t even touch you.”
“No, but it’s enough.” He paused. “Would it bother you if you never do?”
“That’s a strange question.”
“Answer it all the same.”
Arden sighed. “I want to touch you,” he admitted. He wanted to do everything with Vox that he’d done with his past lovers, and then some, but it wasn’t just about what he wanted. “But if you’re never comfortable with that, it’s okay. It’s enough because it’s you.”
The answer seemed to take Vox by surprise. He stared for a moment before finally looking away and reaching for the robe Arden had left. “You need to get some rest.”
He offered a hand to help Arden out of the tub and he took it. The soft cotton Vox wrapped around him felt like heaven, but not quite as much as his touch. Arden leaned into his embrace as Vox dried his hair off with a clean towel, overcome with sleepy bliss. Bed didn’t sound half-bad, especially if he got to fall asleep in Vox’s arms.
“Come on,” Vox said gently, leading him down the hall and back to their room. They curled up together on the bottom bunk and Arden nuzzled contentedly into his neck.
Yes, things were certainly different with Vox.
Chapter 10
Arden
For once, Vox was still asleep when Arden woke up, and he decided to use the opportunity to his advantage. He got dressed and checked to make sure the hallway was clear before venturing over to the only door in the place. He took a deep breath and prepared himself for the unsettling landscape on the other side. When he opened it, it was every bit as dizzying as he remembered.
The others had to leave somehow.
It had to be magic, if not the technology the elves used that passed for it. Maybe there was a key, or a ward of some kind. Whatever it was, he was certain the others weren’t going to hand it over. He’d just have to watch more closely when they didn’t realize he was watching at all.
“You know, if you stare at that too long, you’ll lose your mind.”
Arden spun around to find Dusk watching him. The fae didn’t seem remotely surprised at what he’d walked upon, either. “I was just curious.”
“I’m sure. It’s a lot to take in and you’re in a very strange place.”
“Did you mean what you said before? About me not seeing this place as a prison?” asked Arden.
“Of course I did. I know it’s not ideal, but I’d like you to feel at home here, as the rest of us do.”
“At home, or part of the Brotherhood?”
Dusk tilted his head in consideration. “Both, eventually. But becoming part of the Brotherhood is not that simple.”
“What would I have to do, then?”
“It involves many different trials and rites of initiation, but primarily, you would have to earn our trust,” he answered. “Particularly Leopold’s.”
“Well, that’s a lost cause.”
Dusk laughed. “Not so much as you might think. If he can trust Elan, he can trust anyone.”
“How did he end up being friends with Eric’s brother, anyway?”
“It’s a long story, but the gist of it is that Leopold’s cover would have been blown if Elan hadn’t protected him.”
Arden frowned. “Why would he do that?”
Dusk shrugged. “To this day, he claims he merely wanted to have an elf in his back pocket.”
“But you don’t believe him?”
The fae smiled knowingly. “Few partnerships of convenience withstand decades of bloodshed. Fewer result in the willingness to sacrifice one’s life for a friend, and that is a sacrifice both Leo and Elan have proved willing to ma
ke on more than one occasion.”
“I see.” Arden folded his arms. “You’re all close, aren’t you?”
“We are, indeed. Like family,” Dusk said warmly. “You could be part of that family, if you choose.”
“I’m not like you. I don’t need that shit.”
“Maybe not,” Dusk shrugged. “But it’s nice to have all the same. You certainly seem to have gotten close to Vox.”
Arden froze. At first, he wasn’t sure, but there was no mistaking the fact that the knowing look in the fae’s eyes matched his tone. He knew.
Fuck.
“Next time you want to have a secret rendezvous in someone else’s bathroom, don’t use their shampoo,” Dusk said wryly.
Arden’s face grew warm. It had been so long since he’d blushed that he’d almost forgotten what it was.
“Don’t worry. Our little secret,” he said with a wink, pausing to brush his fingers through Arden’s hair. The light touch and the feeling of those long nails running along his scalp made him shiver. “You should keep using it. Your hair feels lovely.”
Arden gulped. What the hell was wrong with him? He shouldn’t have reacted this way, to Dusk of all people, but his second real-life encounter with fae proved they were dangerous for reasons he’d never fathomed. He couldn’t trust how he would respond, first with mercy and now…
“Thanks. Something tells me you won’t be as generous with whatever you use to get out of here.”
Dusk’s smile was enough to stop a heart. “You mean this?” he asked, slipping a crystal pendant out from underneath his shirt. It looked the same as what the walls were made of in the room Arden had woken up in.
“What is that?”
“It’s like a key. It allows passage through any portal in or outside of the Vale.” He walked over to the door and opened it. To Arden’s amazement, the tessellated expanse had transformed into a doorstep leading out onto a quaint cobblestone street. The sky was a faint, pleasant blue that seemed a bit too fuzzy to be real, and passersby strolled along, wearing everything from regal uniforms similar to Dusk’s to skintight bodysuits thin enough to reveal the glowing markings underneath.
Puppet/Master (The Vale Chronicles Book 1) Page 9