Chapter 5 Cornelius
Cornelius
Watching Matthew eat pizza for what I discovered was only the third time was an experience.
An erotic experience because the noises he made while chewing had me struggling to stand still when all I really wanted to do was take him to the bedroom and spend hours exploring his body and seeing what other noises I could get him to make.
But I was being a gentleman. I was almost three hundred years old, and I’d come in my pants like a teenager earlier. That was something that I didn’t want anyone other than my One to ever know. But he’d felt so perfect in my arms, and when I got my first taste of him, I was completely lost.
“You’re quiet. Do you not like pizza?”
I focused on Matthew and smiled. “I like it just as much as any other food. I was thinking though. And I’m trying to behave.”
“Oh. Well, what if I don’t want you to behave? What if I’m wondering how it will feel when you explore my body?”
I groaned because it was so difficult to be a gentleman when Matthew said things like that.
“I’m trying so hard to be good.” I wrapped a hand around the back of Matthew’s head, pulling him toward me and lowering my head to brush my lips against his.
The small whimper that escaped from between his caused me to smile and pull back just a bit.
When he tried to follow, I let him, and when his lips touched mine, I framed his face with both of my hands, angling both of us exactly right so I could take complete control of the embrace.
When I swiped across his lower lip, he opened, letting my tongue in.
Matthew tasted of pizza and sweet tea, and if I hadn’t eaten the same thing, I might have questioned the combination.
I made a mental note to stop long enough to brush our teeth before we took things too far in the bedroom because otherwise, things would become quite interesting in the middle of the night.
“Oh, hey, sorry. I expected you to be upstairs,” Balthazar said from beside the fridge. I pulled away from Matthew and looked over at my roommate and fellow warlock.
“Not yet, no.” I cleared my throat. “We’re taking things a little slow, and we just finished supper. There’s more pizza if you want some.”
“No, but thanks. I’m going to eat at Alpha Forest’s house.
He called and invited me to crash there for a few days.
” Balthazar’s focus drifted to Matthew, who was still sitting on the island.
His head was now resting on my chest, under my chin.
“Hi, Matthew. Sorry to interrupt,” Balthazar said with a hesitant smile before he once again directed his gaze to me.
“Umm, I’m planning on heading back to Amherst this weekend.
I wanted to let you know, so if I don’t see you before then, I’ll see you there? You do plan on going home, right?”
“Yeah. Matthew seems amendable to the idea, and the more I think about it, the more I realize how much I miss being around the rest of the coven. It’s not bad here, but it’s not the same.”
“No, it’s not,” Balthazar said in agreement.
“We’ll be along later. I’m not sure when though. Matthew mentioned traveling, and I might see about doing a little of that before we return to Amherst. And I need to let Master Arthur know that I found my One and hope to bring him home in the somewhat near future.”
“Oh, yeah. Did you want me to let him know?”
I shook my head. “Thanks though. I’ll give him a call here in just a bit while I get Matthew settled in.”
“Yeah, let me get out of your way. I’ll see you both in Amherst, and again, congratulations to you both. I can’t wait to meet my One.”
“Thank you,” Matthew said before I could.
I nodded in agreement. Balthazar was a bit younger than me, but I knew he was at least a century and a half old.
No paranormal wanted to have to wait so long to find their special someone.
After a certain point, even hookups lost their appeal because you knew you couldn’t ever connect with them on the same level.
I watched as Balthazar walked off toward the stairs and disappeared. “Is he okay? He didn’t have to leave.”
“Yes he did. He doesn’t want to hear us when I claim you any more than I want him to. And before I sensed you, he and I were already talking about going home to Amherst. We were only supposed to be here for a few weeks. That was late last summer.”
“Oh. Okay, so the dishes, they go in the dishwasher?” Matthew asked as he hopped down off the island. “And I can’t believe I sat on the counter that entire time. He’s not going to think I’m rude, is he?”
“No, he won’t. And just to clarify for you: the dishwasher is under the counter. The thing you were sitting on is the island. And the kitchen in Amherst has a huge island. It’s at least twice the size of this one. You’ll love it.”
“Really? Oh the dough I could roll out on there! Are you sure what’s his name won’t mind me being in his kitchen?”
I chuckled. “I’m sure that Grantham won’t mind at all. But just to set your mind at ease, we’ll ask together. Now, let’s head upstairs, and we’ll see how things progress.”
Matthew’s cheeks turned a rosy red, and his eyes darkened.
My body responded to him, and instead of waiting, I grabbed him and quickly teleported us to my bathroom.
I placed him on the counter and held up a finger before I went in search of his bathroom things.
I found them in the bag I’d placed on the bed and carried it back to him.
“Here. You’ll want to brush your teeth while I start the water for the bath.”
“Bath? Are we not going to…”
“Oh yes. We most definitely are. But a good way to relax is by taking a hot, soothing bath. And while you’re in it for a few minutes, I’ll give Master Arthur a call before I join you.”
“He’s not going to tell you that you can’t claim me, is he?” Matthew asked, ducking his head. I lifted his face with a gentle finger under his chin.
“Absolutely not. Why would you think that?”
“Well, because warlocks and fae don’t normally get along. I’m not quite sure the reasoning. Maybe it’s because we both have similar powers?” Matthew reached into the bag and pulled out his toothbrush and paste before he turned around to face the sink.
“Possibly. We could ask Master Edison; he would probably know.” I turned toward the tub, and after I turned the water on, I plugged the drain after I found a temperature I thought wouldn’t be too hot for Matthew.
I didn’t want to burn him, but I didn’t want the water to be too cool either.
When I turned back toward Matthew, I realized he was standing at the sink, frozen, his face completely pale. I rushed over to him.
“Matthew? What’s wrong?”
“Edison? You mean the warlock Edison? It’s not the same one, right? Not that really powerful one? You know, the cranky one?”
It was my turn to be a bit shocked. Sure, Edison had been a bit…proper and was incredibly intimidating, but cranky?
“Sweetheart, what do you mean? Here,” I said as I turned my One around to face the mirror.
In it I projected an image of Master Edison, and Matthew jerked, trying to get away from the sink as fast as he could.
I held him tight and removed the image. “Obviously it’s the same Edison. What has you terrified, sweetheart?”
“He’s cranky and doesn’t like us. He was actually in our realm the other day, yelling at the fate Thomas.
But we all grew up knowing to avoid the warlock named Edison because he didn’t like us and he would kill us if we got in his way.
That man in the mirror was the same one.
Why would you ask him? It’s obvious he doesn’t like fae. ”
“Well, sweetheart, because it’s simple. Master Edison used to be our coven master.
He passed it down to his firstborn, Arthur.
” Matthew had gone even paler in my arms, and with a thought, I had the water turned off in the tub and was on the bed, holding my One in my arms. “Talk to me, sweetheart. What’s going on in that mind of yours?
Master Edison is a fair master, and he has a coven full of strong and equally powerful warlocks.
I’m blessed to be a member of his coven.
And I’ve never heard of him killing others just because. ”
“I’ve only seen him just the once, and I didn’t get close to him.
Like I said, he was yelling at the fate.
I’m not sure why he was even in our realm, but he was.
But the story that we’ve been told was that he didn’t like that we had powers that could match his and set out to get rid of all of us he could find.
They say that’s why we left this realm and went to the fae realm.
To hide.” Matthew looked up at me, offering half a smile.
“I don’t believe it. Not even a little. There has to be a miscommunication or something. Did you wish to go to Master Edison’s and talk about it?”
Matthew gasped as he frantically shook his head. “Does this mean you don’t want to claim me? It would hurt, but I would understand.”
“Sweetheart, nothing but death could keep me from wishing to claim you. But you must realize, I am a member of Master Edison’s coven, even if his son is who we call master now.
Master Edison visits often, and is still very much involved in the coven.
” I ran a finger down the side of Matthew’s face before I leaned down and kissed his forehead.
“I want to claim you, and have you claim me. But I need to be sure it’s what you desire as well. ”
“I want to be yours. But are you sure they’ll accept me? I don’t want to cause issues.”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Now, how about we go back to the bath and you climb in and try to relax.
I’ll call Master Arthur and put it on speakerphone so you can hear.
I’ll tell him about you, and you’ll be able to hear firsthand how he doesn’t have an issue with the fact you’re fae, okay? Does that sound good?”