11. Theo
Chapter eleven
Theo
T here’s no place I’d rather be than at his side right now.
I was going to try to play tough when I walked into the Frosted Flagon earlier tonight, but all of that evaporated when I saw Vaelin waiting in the corner. His family had said he would probably hang out there–that if he wanted to see me, he’d return to the ‘scene of the crime’--and they were right.
And when I saw him, all my anger melted away.
As we leave after another round of drinks, the chaos of the day–the bustling markets, the chatter of holiday cheer–is gone. All the stalls are closed up for the night, and there are just a few people strolling along hand-in-hand, going somewhere cozy. Snowflakes float through the air, catching the light like tiny sparks, and the cobblestones glisten.
For the first time since I arrived in Hearthwynd, the streets feel calm.
Which is strange, because inside, I’m a mess.
Vaelin walks beside me, his hands stuffed into his pockets, his usual swagger subdued. His steps are fast enough to keep up, but measured–like he’s trying to stretch this moment as long as he can. I can tell he thinks I’m still not ready to forgive him, that this might be our last night together.
Maybe it is. I can’t just stay in Hearthwynd; I have long lost fathers to meet, adventures to go on, dragons to slay.
And Vaelin…well, I don’t know what role he plays in all of that, if any. I can’t ask him to pick up his whole life and go.
“You’re quiet,” Vaelin says, his voice breaking the stillness.
I glance over at him. “Just thinking.”
“About?”
I hesitate, stroking my thumb over the little wooden fox in my pocket. “About what comes next,” I admit.
Vaelin stops mid-step, turning to face me fully. His dark hair falls slightly across his eyes, and I can’t resist the urge to reach out and tuck it behind his ear, grazing my thumb over his cheekbone.
It feels good. Too good.
“So…what comes next,” he finally says. “You mean after Hearthwynd?”
After me?
The look on his face makes my chest ache. I nod, swallowing hard. “Yeah. I need to start looking for answers, and my next destination is set.”
“So you’re definitely going looking for your father.”
I nod again. “I don’t know much about him, but I think it’s time I found out. My mother never really talked about him, and after everything that’s happened with Cedric…it’s time I stopped running.”
Vaelin studies me, his green eyes flickering in the lantern light. His expression is unreadable, and the silence stretches between us until he finally speaks. “That’s a big quest.”
I laugh. “It is.”
“And you’re just going to go alone?”
The question catches me off guard. I nod, though the thought makes my chest tighten. “I have to. It’s not the kind of thing I can ask someone else to do.”
“Why not?”
I blink, startled by the implication. “Because it’s my journey.”
“Yeah, but…” He trails off. “You shouldn’t have to do it alone.”
I’m ready for him to say it–to offer to come along, because I really want him to, because I think we make a good team. He’s a pessimist where I’m an optimist; he’s sneaky where I’m clumsy, I’m big where he’s small. I could protect him and he could protect me.
But neither of us says anything.
I start to lose hope.
“Well, I guess…” I start.
Then Vaelin reaches out and takes my hand. “You should come back to my place,” he says.
I search his gaze for something more, for that offer I’m looking for.
He doesn’t make it.
I don’t care.
Without giving him a verbal answer, I pull him closer, sweep him into my arms–and I kiss him.
This is nothing like the first time; it’s more intense, urgent. Our mouths collide, the kiss rough and demanding, as if we’re both trying to pour everything unsaid into this single moment. I clutch him to me with one hand at the small of his back while I tangle my other hand in his silken hair–and when I stumble, he helps us catch ourselves on the wall of a building.
The world fades around us–the cold, the snow–and all I can feel is him. The press of his body, the heat of his lips, the way his breath hitches when I slide my roaming hand down and find his tight, muscular ass–
The thought surprises me. Because I know I should be respectful…but I want him so, so bad.
“I don’t live far from here,” he says, somehow tearing himself away. “Come home with me.”
That’s exactly what I want to do, but I have too much decency to trust that he means it–so I ask, “Are you sure?”
He rolls his hips against me slightly and that’s when I feel his cock through our breeches. If his words weren’t enough proof…that’ll do it. And I’m already getting hard, too, because I want him so bad it hurts.
“Yes,” he says. “I’m sure.”