22. Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two
Monty
P ink is lying limply in my arms. I love that I am getting to hold him. I hate that he is out cold. I know that sometimes vessels pass out from the intensity of being emptied. But Pink never has before.
Mind you, things have never been anywhere near that intense before. The sex was incredible. Mind-blowing. A pleasure like no other. In fact, I don’t think it was sex at all. It was making love.
And now my soul is bloated with Pink’s magic. He gave me so much, and all of it is so potent and so strong.
So, all things considered, it is not surprising that he fell unconscious. But when will he wake up? Should he still be comatose? It has been ten minutes and thirty-nine seconds. How long is too long? How long do I wait before getting help?
Just as my panic is really starting to dig its claws in, Pink stirs. A faint murmur and a gentle shifting of position.
I let out a sigh of relief. Pink’s eyes flutter open and focus on me.
“That was intense,” he whispers hoarsely.
“It was,” I agree as I gently pull my arm out from under him.
I reach for the water bottle that I noticed earlier and unscrew the lid and hand the bottle to him. He accepts it with a smile and shuffles up to a semi-sitting position. I watch his throat bob as he gulps down the water.
“I’ve heard it can be pretty intense,” I waffle mindlessly.
Pink finishes his drink and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’ve never heard anyone describe it like that.”
His beautiful brown eyes are full of questions and wonderment. He is not rebuking what I have said. He is simply mulling over the evidence.
As am I. Because he is quite right. Nobody ever describes a mage emptying a vessel being anything like I just experienced. And while it is not a topic for polite conversation, I still feel I would have heard about it. If it were a known and understood phenomenon.
I clear my throat. “Perhaps what we experienced is how things should be between a mage and a vessel. When things are neither formal nor arranged, but natural and instinctual. And when there are genuine and mutual feelings.”
I resolutely push down my desire to cringe at saying mutual feelings. It is presumptuous, but if I am explaining a theory, I need to be clear.
Pink’s eyes widen. I can almost see the cogs of his clever mind whirling. “That would make a lot of sense.”
My heart gives a little skip at Pink’s approval of my theory. He pulls himself up into a sitting position. The blankets pool around his waist, leaving his lovely chest bare. He doesn’t seem to notice. He is too busy pondering my idea.
“I think we have stumbled upon something,” he says as he stares at me with excitement.
I can’t help smiling at him, even though his enthusiasm is breaking my heart.
“Knowledge that has probably been oppressed for a reason,” I say gently.
Pink’s bright eyes widen even more, then they dim. He drops my gaze and absentmindedly fiddles with his water bottle. “Most likely,” he agrees solemnly.
My clever boy has cottoned on lightning quick. He understands what a dangerous nest of vipers the society we were raised in is. There is no need to explain it to him.
“We shouldn’t tell anyone,” I blurt out anyway. Just to be perfectly clear.
He sighs sadly. “Who would I tell?”
I claim his hand and give it a squeeze. I hate that he feels dejected by his exile, while at the same time I feel guilt at my plans to drag him back into that world.
We can hide in my house with Laurie and never see a soul from Old Blood society. Nevertheless, if I was a better man, I wouldn’t do it. I’d leave Pink in peace in his exile. I’d stick to my original determination to not drag Pink into my life.
Pink squeezes my hand back and gives me a soft smile. My heart skips several beats.
I’m not strong enough to leave Pink behind. I can’t do it. I won’t do it.
I shake my head in an effort to gather my thoughts and to focus on the here and now. I’ve emptied Pink. It was intense, but now he is fine, and he always seeks privacy after being emptied.
“Shall I leave?” I say.
Pink’s grip on my hand tightens. He blinks. “Can you stay?” he asks as a beautiful blush spreads across his cheeks.
“I’d love nothing more,” I assure him with a grin.
The smile he gives me in return is truly dazzling. He wriggles down and holds the covers open for me. I lie next to him and pull him close, tangling our limbs together like I have always wanted to.
A deep, deep thrum of contentment pulses in my veins. I am so happy I could burst with it. This moment is sheer and utter perfection.
Pink lets out a soft, happy sound and I close my eyes in bliss.
“So…are we…boyfriends now?” he whispers shyly. “Since you know, that went well and the dates have been so lovely.”
My arms tighten around him. “I’d be honored to be your boyfriend.”
I really think I might expire with happiness, or at least take a turn at fainting from the joy of it all. This truly is the best day of my life.
Pink giggles happily. “So it’s official then?”
“Looks like it,” I reply.
I’ve never had a boyfriend before, so I’m not entirely sure how it works, but it seems likely that the rules are ours to make.
One day, if I get my way. Pink will be my fiance. Then, I will be his husband and he will be mine. Duke Consort Eastminster, is a title that will suit him greatly. I can’t wait to bestow it upon him.
There are obstacles to overcome, tricky paths to navigate, but I am sure it can be done.
But that is all in the future. The present is right here. And, ‘Pink’s Boyfriend’, is the best title I have ever had. Until it is beaten by, ‘Pink’s Husband’, it will remain my proudest accomplishment.