Quentin Heart (Vampire Consort #2)

Chapter 1

Were his eyes more silver?

Quentin tilted his head from side to side as he examined his image in the bathroom mirror. A ring of silver glowed around his pupils.

That was new.

“What the fuck?” he whispered.

“Are we indulging in my favorite pastime?” His lover’s whisky-warm voice rolled through him like the perfect summer’s day. Jaks’s handsome face reflected in the mirror as he wrapped his arms around Quentin from behind.

“What’s that?” As far as he knew, Jaks didn’t have any hobbies.

“Admiring your beauty?” He flashed a sharp-toothed smile at their image, distracting Quentin from his inspection and drawing his gaze to his lover. Damn sexy vampire.

“I think I’m changing,” he admitted, returning his attention to his eyes. His silver-ringed pupils glowed slightly in the dim lighting as if ignited by his inner magic. He didn’t know how else to phrase it, but he looked different.

He didn’t want to admit that lately he’d been feeling different, too. Stronger, more magical. His power came smoother than ever, but with a weight and density it had never held before. If he had more time and interest, he’d worry, but he was tired of life’s bullshit, and his day was already full.

“In what way?” Jaks propped his chin on Quentin’s shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts and back into the conversation. “We look good together.”

Quentin laughed. “You’re so vain.” He reached back and lightly patted Jaks’s cheek. “Good thing you’re pretty.” He sighed when Jaks didn’t respond to his teasing. “See that silver in my eyes.” He pointed at the mirror. “That wasn’t there yesterday.”

Jaks dug his chin into Quentin’s shoulder in mild retaliation. He admired their reflection for a minute before speaking. “I see I was wrong. You can get prettier.”

An irritated shoulder jerk displaced his lover’s chin. “I’m not pretty.” He bulldozed on to put off any argument about his looks. Jaks’s belief that Quentin was the epitome of human beauty was frankly ridiculous,? and he wasn’t in the mood for that discussion again. “What do you think it means?”

Jaks spun him around to get a closer look. He brushed a kiss across Quentin’s cheekbones, one, then the other, distracting him from his concerns. It was several minutes later before they continued their conversation, and by that time, Quentin’s lips were puffy and his mind fuzzy.

“If you are truly concerned, you might want to ask your mother about it… or better yet, your father. It could have something to do with your fae heritage.”

“Why would it be showing up now?” he snapped, then winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to take my temper out on you.”

Jaks laughed. “You’re like a kitten taking on a cougar.” He kissed the tip of Quentin’s nose, then inhaled deeply. “You smell slightly different, too.”

“Do I? What do I smell like?”

“Spring flowers, honey, and magic,” Jaks replied without hesitation. His vampire senses had no doubt cataloged Quentin’s smell in seconds.

“What did I smell like before?”

“Lightning, but now it’s mixed in with other more nature-drenched scents.”

Quentin wrinkled his nose. “Sounds too sweet.”

“Let’s see if you taste as sugary as you smell. I wasn’t paying enough attention last night.”

Before he could comment on his lover’s lame excuse, his mouth was taken in a passionate kiss that was definitely more spicy than sweet.

Heat curled in his stomach as he pressed closer, trying to merge with the vampire who was quickly becoming essential to his well-being.

This he could get behind, or in front of, or in whatever position Jaks preferred.

Long minutes passed before they separated. It took Quentin three deep breaths before he could regain his voice. “What’s the verdict?”

“You taste the same.” Jaks leaned closer to speak directly in his ear. “Delicious.”

“Idiot,” Quentin scolded, trying to brush off the tingles running down his spine from Jaks’s hot breath.

“I still want to know why this is happening now. I haven’t heard from Lars since he regained his human form and left with his brothers.

Maybe mom has a way to get hold of him.” He scratched the back of his head.

“If nothing else happens, I won’t bother. ”

“You should try to contact him anyway. As much as he wasn’t there for your childhood, I suspect he would’ve shown up if you were injured or in danger. You can’t avoid him forever,” Jaks chided.

That was patently untrue. He could hide forever if he liked.

Quentin would’ve liked to believe his father would’ve come if needed, but the cynical side of him, who grew up fatherless, was holding a grudge.

“We’ll see.” He refused to commit to anything.

As much as he had said he wanted to get to know his father, it still hurt that it took a supposedly powerful fae this many years to attempt to reconnect with his son and had only done so because he needed help himself.

Deep down, Quentin believed that if his father really wanted to see him before, he would’ve.

Jaks kissed Quentin’s forehead. “It could be that prolonged contact with your father is now calling out your fae heritage. That was the most contact you’ve ever had with him, right?”

“Yes,” he replied sourly.

“Then maybe it was the proximity to him calling out his genetics.” Jaks ran soothing hands up and down Quentin’s arms.

“Is that a thing?” He didn’t know much about fae magical development benchmarks. “I’m old enough that any fae abilities should’ve shown up by now, shouldn’t they?”

“I’m not sure. You’re definitely old enough for your human magic to be fully in, but the Fae age more slowly and live longer. You might be just the right age for their magic.”

A cold pit formed in his stomach, like a polar ice storm. Power never came without cost. Even his human magic took a toll on his body. One of the reasons he got the tattoos on his hands was to help channel it. “Great. That’s just great.”

As much as he enjoyed inventing and playing with magic, Quentin wasn’t a fan of odd things happening to him.

He liked his routine and his current power level.

It had taken him years to learn to control the large amount of magic coursing through his body.

He didn’t like the idea of having to start again from scratch.

Jaks’s lips curled in subtle amusement. “Don’t worry about it now. Don’t you have a class to get ready for, professor?”

Quentin pressed his head against his lover’s collarbone, groaning. “I don’t think I can do this.” His first class was going to start in twenty minutes, and he was woefully unprepared. “I’ve only taught one seminar. Why would they think I could teach an entire class twice a week?”

Smooth laughter answered his angst. He didn’t growl at Jaks only because his lover took that moment to slide his long fingers through Quentin’s messy hair and rub soothing circles against his scalp.

He melted.

“You have nothing to worry about. They wouldn’t have hired you if your last seminar hadn’t gone so well. From what you told me, Dean Mearson was thrilled with your teaching style.”

He sighed against Jaks’s chest. “That’s the problem with success.

You do well once, and they expect a repeat performance.

Maybe I could have you turn me before my class starts.

They wouldn’t want a vampire teaching.” He lifted his head and batted his eyes at his lover. “What do you think, handsome?”

Jaks remained unmoved by Quentin’s theatrics. “It would be more convincing if I didn’t happen to know you have no interest in becoming a vampire. I’m beginning to think you’re stalling, Dr. Heart.”

“Ugh. Don’t call me that. I sound like a late-night DJ who gives bad love advice.”

“That’s oddly specific.”

“I’ve had nightmares, and that’s all I’m willing to say.”

Jaks’s soft laughter eased some of Quentin’s anxiety as he clung tightly to his comfort vampire.

Jaks pressed a kiss to Quentin’s forehead, then his nose, ending with a luxurious kiss on his mouth. After several minutes of this pleasant activity, Quentin was firmly set away with a gentle push to his shoulders. “You’d better go now if you don’t want to be late.”

“How do I get myself into these situations?” He wasn’t whining, he wasn’t. Well, maybe a little.

“I wondered about that when you absentmindedly walked into a vampire lair and arrested the leader without a hint of fear.”

“Good times.” Quentin snuggled back into his lover’s arms, his laughter muffled against Jaks’s shirt as he hugged him, not wanting to admit defeat and leave.

“It was the most bloodless coup of any vampire clan I’ve ever seen. You are incredible.”

A soft kiss pressed against the top of his head had Quentin offering up his lips again.

“You’ll do great.” Jaks’s breath mixed with Quentin’s, leading to another, more heated kiss.

“I hope so. I don’t want Dean Mearson to regret granting my degree or be embarrassed because I can’t teach some kids magic. Rendell would love to claim I’d only gotten the job due to favoritism.”

“Rendell is a jealous twat. Don’t believe anything he says.” Jaks hugged Quentin hard, then released him and stepped back. “Now go and show them why you’re the youngest person ever to get a doctorate in spell creation.”

“Only in the US. I think there’s someone in Japan a few years younger than me.” He couldn’t recall the person’s name, but he was pretty sure he was right. He shook his head after failing to remember, which wasn’t surprising considering his memory issues. “Never mind. I’d best get going.”

“Come find me when you’re done. Today is going to be filled with boring meetings without my cuddly lover.”

“Poor thing.” He kissed Jaks’s cheek in commiseration.

Jaks smiled, then gave him another hug. “Don’t stress. You’ll do great. If you don’t, you can spend your days with me instead of being stuck in your stuffy lab. Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t wish you good luck after all.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully.