Chapter Seven
Marquis
Always. Bad things always came in threes.
One thing they hadn’t accounted for when Mads had revealed Midnite’s true name was it breaking the hold the fae had and his family recalling his true name.
This, combined with some sleuthing on his mother’s part, had her calling and screaming at Roan Greymorning until he had agreed to facilitate a meeting on the grounds that she keep her opinions to herself.
Sexuality to mages was not some binary they could categorize as gay, straight or other.
Also, Roan wanted her memory wiped or modified.
Best idea he could have ever come up with.
In addition, one of their mages, Tack, had an issue with his wand that Rexford couldn’t fix.
So, his presence was necessary on two counts.
On top of it all? Mads was growing depressed.
Dr. Vans had made it clear that it wasn’t anything Marquis was doing wrong or a side effect of the long-term manipulation.
It was distance from his mate and being trapped in their facility.
So, he wanted to speak to Marquis and propose Mads travel with him.
As he arrived at the facility that morning, Dr. Vans waited for him at the entrance with a rather nervous expression slanted across his face.
“How did your tests go?” Marquis walked alongside him as the doctor led him toward his office.
“As you said, I was getting sick. They found some inflammation in places that could have become cancerous in time.” While not the death sentence for mages that it was for humans, it was still highly inconvenient. Vans was finding it out the hard way.
“And you’ve ceased whatever tinkering it was you were up to?” Marquis rocked on his heels before taking a seat.
“I have, but it cuts my research short a bit. It did leave me with a theory of something that might help Mads, though.” He cleared his throat nervously before staring at Marquis, begging the question.
“What is this proposal?” Marquis drummed his fingers on the desk as Dr. Vans went into a spiel about the need for a mate bond to be sanctified, that there were several ways, the most important and functional of which was estrus…
“No.” Marquis cut him off. “You’re suggesting I spend a heat with him when we barely know one another anymore.”
“Yeah, well, I’m out of ideas at this point. There’s nothing that will fix his trauma. Magic only goes so far. He doesn’t have innate magic anymore. There’s no shifted form. There’s nothing yet. I don’t know if there ever will be. It’s infuriating.” Dr. Vans stared Marquis down with tented fingers.
“What are the pros to this?” Marquis leaned back, part of his horny man-pig brain entertaining the idea.
“The pros will be hormonal equalization, a resolidification of the mate bond, potential discovery of his shifted form, because after heat, most familiars shift to reset things. How’s progress on his wand?
If you inundate his magic reservoir, it may also create a surge of oxytocin strong enough to create something that will overstimulate the trauma cycle.
” Dr. Vans drummed his pen on the desk before scrounging around for his notebook.
“Because as I see it, the cons are potentially triggering a sexual abuse memory, full meltdown in the hormonal throes of heat. Or, I could get him pregnant! That must be the worst idea ever! How’s that for trauma so—” Marquis halted when Dr. Vans slammed his notebook down.
“Worst idea ever? Or best. He lost a babe, essentially, Marquis. Nothing will replace the childhood he lost with Rexford, but see how he interacts with the babies when you take him to Redsky later. If he’s in his own head and happy as a lark, it may be the best thing for him.
” Dr. Vans raised a brow, and Marquis swore under his breath.
“I’ll propose it to Mads. I want you to talk him through things, though.
I want him fully willing, aware of the consequences, and prepared for every eventual.
” Marquis held the bridge of his nose and sighed.
“I don’t even know if we should get back together.
After what we’ve both done… It’s been so long it may hurt more. ”
“That’s why you should go on this trip.” Vans made another note and sat the book down. “Now go get Mads and have fun. Please. And be yourself.”
“There’s nothing left of myself that I won’t have to relearn. I became a different person the day he left.” Marquis sighed heavily. “But I look forward to being his one day. If it’s possible.”
Dr. Vans laid his notebook down and stared at Marquis. “He prays that you’ll look at him and see him like you used to. He wants you back. And honestly, he’s getting his libido back, and if I have to hear him whinge about needing something he wants, something he wasn’t forced or drugged into doing—”
“Drugged? We know for certain it was drugs?” Marquis pursed his lips.
“It’s been my foremost theory. I was able to do a hair analysis early on, and it was easier to say what he wasn’t given.
I just didn’t know if any of it affected him.
Most human drugs don’t… Though we were certain he has shifter blood, so we cannot really rule out that they used some sort of bane or poison.
” Vans threw his hands up. “But it’s up to you.
It’s your bed, and I don’t get to decide who warms it. ”
A sharp knock on the door drew both their attentions. “Dr. Vans, is Marquis here with you? I thought I heard his voice, but it’s been a while.” Mads.
“Yes, he’s in here. Come in.” Dr. Vans gave Marquis an evil look before grinning wide. Once Mads’s face caught Marquis’s gaze, the doctor spoke once more. “I was taking a few moments to impress upon Marquis how beneficial I think it would be for you two to spend a heat together.”
Mads froze, eyes wide. No horror or pain flashed, only hunger. “Really?”
Hope blossomed in the omega’s voice. Brightness flashed in his eyes.
“Truly. Marquis is reticent because he fears for your constitution and trauma.” Vans stood and gestured for Marquis to rise.
“Oh.” Disappointment, this time. Mads truly wanted a heat with Marquis. “I can’t beg you. I can’t ask that of you if you aren’t readily offering.”
“I am thinking about it. I desire you as much as ever, Mads. But I wish for us to rekindle, first. I do not want to hurt you.” Marquis cleared his throat and stood, offering his arm.
“Let’s see if your resolve lasts as long as it did the first time.
” Mads smirked. Marquis had refused to sleep with Mads until they were officially mated and wed.
It was a tense time, but he scheduled their wedding the week after Damien and Baron’s.
It was convenient since family had still been around and Baron had left with Damien for their honeymoon.
“I held out until our wedding.” Marquis sniffed imperiously.
“You proposed on our third date, and we were married in two months.” Mads huffed. “Some resolve.”
“I’m a weak man.” Marquis gave the doctor a wave and set off. “My resolve grows weaker, still, when you’re near me.”
“Ahem. Wand?” Dr. Vans stuck his head out of the office as they made their way out.
Marquis reached into his front pocket inside his jacket and pulled free a wrapped sleeve. “I was going to give it to him…”
Mads held his hand out gleefully, and Marquis set the bundle in it with a proud smile. He unraveled it with absolute joy on his face and stared down at the waxed surface of the gleaming wand. “You made this for me. I can feel you in this wand.”
Marquis hid a nervous chuckle.
“I bet you can feel his other wand, too, if you li—” Marquis jerked his elbow back and hit Dr. Vans in the stomach with a gruff oof.
“I probably could, but it’s more fun to tease him until he’s willing,” Mads said, beaming with his full lips stretched wide. “His resolve is tissue-thin.”
Marquis took a deep breath. “Gods be with me. I am a weak man with temptation with a wand and two legs following me.”
Mads picked up his bag sitting in the hallway and smiled. “Come on, Marquis. Let’s go see our son.”
Our son. Something about that made Marquis happier than he’d been in eighty years.