Chapter 11
Quentin woke to the smell of bacon.
Not the worst thing he’d ever woken to. He groaned when he remembered he had to teach class today. It wasn’t the kids or the teaching part he disliked; it was the bureaucracy.
Ugh.
Opening his eyes revealed the gorgeous sight of Jaks lounging beside him, wearing only pajama bottoms. He took the time to admire his beautiful vampire’s delightfully bare chest.
“How was your meeting with the council?” His voice came out rough, and he desperately needed a glass of water, but he was reluctant to move.
Jaks had spent most of the past few days talking to council members about various clan problems and trying to feel them out over Glenn’s sire.
Quentin wiggled deeper under the covers as he waited for his answer.
Sue him, he was comfortable.
“Fine.”
“What did they want to talk about?” He wasn’t going to deny he was curious about what old-as-dirt vampires chatted about.
Jaks’s warm voice washed over Quentin like an aural hug.
“Oddly enough, they only wanted to interrogate me about you and Glenn’s sire.
They were very impressed with your credentials, my love.
Don’t be surprised if they call you with orders for your amazing inventions.
They also found it very amusing that you were the one to take out Vlad. ”
“Because I’m human?”
“And also, because you did it quickly and without bloodshed. As vampires, we always enjoy a little blood, but they were particularly surprised by the accounts from various witnesses over how you captured Vlad. Apparently, some of my clan were extremely proud that I claimed you as mine. I might have bragged a little.”
Still half-asleep, Quentin couldn’t imagine a scenario where any vampire, other than Jaks, his mother, or possibly Glenn, would be proud of Quentin being their consort.
He tried to banish the happy glow that gave him.
There were probably more who would be happier to drain him dry.
It was too soon to be patting himself on the back over his inclusion into Jaks’s clan.
“Glad I could make their day,” he said dryly. Not sure of the proper response.
“More like their century. Norson, one of the council members, had been trying to have Vlad reprimanded for years. He wanted me to relay that he was willing to grant you a favor in the future as a reward for your capture.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I don’t suppose one of those favors can be letting us take care of the vampire in the woods?”
Jaks’s face took on a stony cast. “No. They were quite insistent that he be left alone. I did find out his name, though.”
Quentin raised an eyebrow, waiting.
“Nikko. He is an ancient, loner vampire. They tried to portray him as a senile old man in his retirement. Even after I told them that he attacked and abandoned Glenn, they didn’t change their minds.
They are sticking to the letter of vampiric law.
I’m meeting with them again to see if I can find any wiggle room. ”
“I hate bureaucracy,” Quentin snarled. “They’d rather look the other way than admit one of their kind has fallen off their rocker.”
“Scoot up. I brought brunch with my bad news.” Jaks picked up a tray off the table beside him, and Quentin slid until his back met the upholstered headboard.
Jaks placed the tray over Quentin’s lap.
After their conversation, the scent of bacon had lost its shine, but Jaks’s hopeful expression had Quentin reluctantly eating.
He’d rather throw it against the wall to show his anger, but his mother raised him with manners, and it was the first time a lover had brought him food in bed.
He didn’t want to discourage that behavior.
It wasn’t like any of this was Jaks’s fault.
He was trying.
Crap. He was a sap for his sexy vampire.
“How are you feeling?”
Quentin leaned into Jaks’s touch as the vampire stroked his head. “Sleepy.”
“You’ve been working too hard. Make sure to take a break when you need one.”
“You nag worse than my mother,” he teased.
“Good. The more people nagging you, the better. Maybe you’ll listen to one of us.”
Quentin gave Jaks the scornful glare he deserved.
They remained like that for an hour. Talking and Quentin eating. Taking time to bask in being together, before Quentin’s phone chimed a merry tune.
“What was that?”
Quentin sat up. “I set a reminder to go to Hafrey’s house before class.
I planned to pick up my order and buy a selection of common herbs to give my students examples of plants used in rituals.
It’s a good time to teach it before we get further into rituals.
” He checked the time. “Damn, it’s later than I thought.
I won’t get to stop and talk to him.” He had woken closer to noon than his usual eight o’clock.
It was the first time he was going to talk to Hafrey since Grevin’s attack.
The surly necromancer was still at Jaks’s mansion, cursing at his healer, but reluctant to worry Quentin’s mother by leaving early.
Their dynamic was hilarious.
“Do you want me or Braed to go with you?”
“I notice you didn’t leave ‘go by myself’ as an option.” He couldn’t help but be amused by his lover’s attitude. After Grevin’s disappearance, he didn’t even feel a flicker of his usual annoyance at Jaks’s high-handedness.
“Because it’s not. There are still dangers out there, and I would feel much better if you had protection.”
“I’ll need someone to drive me. The herbs shouldn’t be covered in magic if we want to use them as an example. It might mess up the rituals.”
“Glenn can drive you, and Braed can guard you.”
“Why not Glenn guard me?” he asked, even as he suspected he knew the reason.
“He’s too new, and he’s not strong enough to take on your enemies. The most he can do is call for backup if you are attacked, and he can do that while Braed is protecting you.”
“Fair enough.” It wasn’t worth arguing about, and he did need a ride. “Are you spending your entire day in meetings?”
“Mostly, I want to find out how far they are willing to let Nikko go before I can hunt him down. Like I said. So far, I’ve had no luck.”
“Do you think they have a hidden agenda? Is there a reason they don’t want you to take him out?”
“They always have an agenda. I suspect they don’t want me to have a monopoly in this area. It’s one of the reasons they were happy you had captured Vlad. However, if Nikko comes after you, I’ll kill him.”
“If he comes after me, they’ll have to let you,” Quentin countered. “Won’t they, since we’re bonded?”
“They do.” He pinned Quentin with a stern look. “That doesn’t mean to let yourself be kidnapped.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” As tempting as the thought was to be bait, he preferred to remain out of the clutches of an unknown, possibly unhinged, vampire.
“Good. Call me if you get into trouble.” Jaks slid out of bed and dressed before Quentin’s appreciative gaze. After his socks and shoes were on, he picked up Quentin’s tray. “Come on, love, you are the one who told me you had to get going.”
“Ugh. I was enjoying the floor show.” He let Jaks pull him up. Although tempted to wallow in the extremely comfortable bed, he did have to start his day.
Jaks laughed, then kissed him on the tip of his nose.
“Careful, I have brutal morning breath.”
“I’m sure I can suffer through it.” He cupped the back of Quentin’s head and tilted Quentin’s chin up to give him a proper kiss.
Several more followed.
When they finally broke apart, Quentin was hard, panting, and ready to call off his errands.
“You still have class,” Jaks unhelpfully pointed out.
“Spoilsport.”
“I think it would be more of a disappointment if the school called us in the middle of sex.”
“That would definitely be off-putting,” he admitted. “Fine. Go schmooze with the big, bad vampires. I’ll do my errands and teach my class. I’ll catch up with you later.”
He let his lips be devoured for another ten minutes before tearing away from Jaks. He only whined a little. “Go. I need to shower.”
Jaks opened his mouth. Quentin raised his hand to stop him. “I’m not showering with you. You’re the one who reminded me I had to get going.”
“Fine.” This time, it was Jaks doing the pouting.
Quentin turned away to hide his smirk.
A half hour later, he was dressed and ready to face the day.
He received a text message from Braed that he was waiting in the hall.
Apparently, Braed didn’t have permission to enter Jaks’s personal rooms. After the last explosion, Jaks had hired warders to keep everyone out—except him or Quentin.
Jaks had told him it was in response to the dangers Quentin had faced at the manor previously.
He had made exceptions for Glenn, Quentin’s mother, and the doctor, but only if they came alone.
Braed stood across from the door to the suite, wearing a fashion editor’s wet dream of a suit. Gray with silver buttons, it emphasized his trim build while subtly declaring it cost more than your net worth. “Ready?”
“Yes.” Quentin tried to put on a pleasant mask. This was his mother’s romantic partner. He should respect that, even if something about the other vampire rubbed him wrong. No doubt, his own prejudices created unfounded suspicions. After all, no one was good enough for his mother.
Still.
He couldn’t quite put a finger on what bothered him about Braed, other than his abrasive personality.
“Glenn is waiting downstairs with the car.”
“Good. I only have one stop, then you can leave me at the university.”
“I can’t. I promised Master Jakinson that I would watch over you today. After I inspect your classroom, I will remain outside, but I can’t leave you alone on campus.” His tone didn’t leave any room for compromise.
“Fine.” Deciding it was better to give in to Jaks’s probably necessary paranoia than fight the annoying vampire. As they walked, he pulled out his phone and called Hafrey.