Chapter 30 Quin #3
Roxy plucked the necklace—dry and gleaming and not at all looking like it had been drenched in blood only moments before—from the cup. “He is.”
“It’s over,” Kit breathed.
“That was the oddest fisting scene I’ve ever watched,” DJ said, tone unduly light. “Might give it another go, though. Ten out of ten for ingenuity.”
“Is there a spell to clean your brain of what you’ve just heard?” Kit asked Xavier.
Xavier shrugged. “I can pull any memory from your mind that I’d like.”
“On second thought,” Kit drawled, “I’ll live with the fisting comment.”
Xavier smiled, and Quin thought it might have been the first time he’d seen a genuine smile on the witch’s face. “Ready for the tether?”
Quin looked down at Kit, and Kit looked back at him. “Yes,” they said together.
As the vampire triad settled themselves on the sofa, Xavier had Quin and Kit join hands and stand face to face. It made Quin wonder how the witches managed to force the tether on unwilling vampires. One glance at Xavier’s intense expression had Quin avoiding asking the question, however.
As he met Kit’s gaze, it struck Quin how they’d need to stand like this again someday in front of his family when they made their vows.
“What is it?” Kit asked, inquisitive eyes searching Quin’s face.
Quin let out a breathy laugh. “We’re going to get married someday.”
Kit rubbed a finger over Quin’s bare ring finger. “I’ll need to get you one, too.”
Xavier cleared his throat. “As long as you’re not expecting me to lend you another one of my rings,” he said.
“Now, you’re going to feel a little bit strange, but that’s normal.
If you feel nauseous, that’s also normal.
Inform me if it feels like your brain is melting, though.
That means something has gone terribly wrong. ”
“How reassuring,” Kit said dryly.
“My brother is fucking with you,” Roxy said. “Hurry up, Xavier. I would like to get to my bed.”
Xavier raised his hands, and his fingers began to play an invisible symphony in the air. He murmured words that sounded as if they were being said from somewhere far underground—indistinct and echoey.
But Quin didn’t focus on them. He focused on Kit. Thought about the life they would have. Imagined what it would look like, endless time spent in the darkness together. Candlelit evenings. Midnight dates. Slow early-morning sex.
Most of all, though, Quin took in Kit’s every reaction as Xavier weaved his magic between them—Kit’s unmoving chest and inhuman stillness, right up until an intangible tie snapped into place and his mouth dropped open with a gasp.
Kit’s eyes lit up, sparkling with wonder. “I can feel you,” he said. “It’s like…” he trailed off, turning to glance at Shaun before continuing. “It’s a bit like the creator-created bond.”
A frisson of alarm ran through Quin. “But neither of us can control the other through it, right?” he asked Xavier. The last thing he wanted was to have any unequal power over Kit.
Xavier shook his head. “No. A tether is mutual. The only time that you’ll ever be able to sense the other more than you do now is if they’re in imminent danger or close to death. It acts as a fail-safe.”
“Wanna test it?” DJ asked.
“How?” Kit demanded.
“I could attempt to pull your heart out and see if Quin notices?”
“I know you’re kidding, but don’t even think about it,” Quin warned.
“I’ve had quite enough violence for a lifetime,” Kit said. “But thanks for offering to rip my heart out with such gusto. Good to know that’d be your go-to murder method.”
DJ nodded sagely. “Any time.”
Roxy gave an exaggerated yawn. “I’m two hundred years too old to be up this late.”
“You don’t look a day over fifty,” DJ said with a wink.
“I was tethered at thirty-four, durak. Now,” she said, brandishing the necklace, “can I trust one of you to dispose of this?”
“We’ll sort it,” Kit said, though Quin could tell he was putting on a show of bravery. Roxy dropped the necklace into Kit’s hand. He shuddered—so minute that the others probably wouldn’t notice—and tucked it away into his pocket.
Quin would take the necklace from him as soon as possible. He loved and respected Kit’s strength in facing up to Lawrence, but he didn’t want Lawrence anywhere near Kit, even when trapped in an object.
“Thank you both,” Quin said.
“Your bill is waiting in your inbox,” Xavier said instead of a farewell as he and his sister moved to the door. Quin and Kit saw them off. Quin couldn’t seem to keep his hands off Kit, and he wasn’t sure if it was the relief of Lawrence being gone, or this new bond between them.
“So, how does it feel to be immortal?” Shaun asked from where he was curled up on the sofa.
“Uh.” Quin blinked. Christ, maybe he should have at least told his mum that he was going to live forever with his vampire boyfriend.
He just wasn’t sure how one approached such a conversation.
The idea of telling Sage was even worse.
His cousin was younger than him, but it wouldn’t be long before Sage appeared older than Quin.
The thought had him sitting down hard in the armchair.
Kit’s eyes widened with concern. “What’s wrong?”
Quin flapped a hand. “I’m fine. Processing.”
Kit came over and placed both hands on Quin’s shoulders. “I get it. Take as long as you need.” He turned to the others. “You should go back to mine, get ready for the sunrise. We need a moment.”
Quin didn’t notice the others leaving. He startled when Kit plonked himself down on his lap, arms winding around his neck. Quin buried his nose into Kit’s curls, inhaling his sweetly spiced scent. The familiarity comforted him.
“It was hard for me too, at first,” Kit said. Quin closed his eyes and listened. “I think especially as a twin, knowing that Nicola would age, and I wouldn’t. It was something I couldn’t comprehend for years. I don’t think I faced it until I found her Facebook account and saw her as an adult.”
Quin took a few shuddering breaths in and out, steadying himself. “I’m not regretting it one bit, in case you thought that.”
“It was fast—”
“No,” Quin said. “I mean, yes, it was fast. But I knew from the second I saw you. Actually, it was from when my beast smelled you, but I knew for certain when we caught sight of you.”
“So, it was love at first sniff?”
“Look, it’s the werewolf way, and I won’t be apologising for it.”
Kit laughed, vibrating against Quin’s chest. “You don’t need to.” He drew back, a small smile on his face. “I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather spend forever with.”
Quin gazed into Kit’s eyes, seeing only the truth in them. Maybe forever didn’t seem so long, after all.
Quin slept longer than he’d have liked but made it to Louie’s around midday. He heard Mabel racing down the hallway as he rang the doorbell. His face split into a grin as Louie opened the front door, Mabel slipping out and bounding towards him.
“Hey, girl. I missed you.” Contrary to his admittedly subpar training, she jumped up onto two legs and began licking at every inch of his exposed skin. It was a warm day, so he was in a loose T-shirt and shorts, which gave her plenty of target areas.
“Shit, that tickles,” he said as she caught the inside of his elbow.
“Oh, Miss Mabel, you’re just so excited to see your daddy, aren’t you?” Louie said.
Quin stifled a snort. “She sure is. Down, Mabel.” With a bit of cajoling, she followed the instruction.
“Back from your trip early?” Louie asked, handing over Mabel’s leash.
“Yep. Kit’s got a few friends over, so we’re going to take them out with her tonight.”
“And miss out on this lovely weather?”
“They like sleeping late.”
Louie’s smile didn’t falter. “Well, if you find yourself at a loose end during the day, let me know. Could grab a gin and tonic or something.”
A brief worry crossed Quin’s mind of how he shouldn’t hang out with other guys when in a relationship, but he realised it was a relic from his Lark days.
Kit was possessive, sure, but not to the extent that he’d stop him from making a friend.
He’d be proud of Quin for branching out from Mabel.
“You know what? I don’t have work for another couple of days. Let’s do it.”
“Yeah? There’s a nice dog-friendly pub about ten minutes from here. See you there at, say, three? They have a beer garden that gets the sun.”
“Sounds good. I’ll text you when I’m on my way.”
Chores took up the rest of Quin’s afternoon.
It flew by with Mabel at his side, distracting him at every moment.
True to his word, he met Louie at the pub, and they enjoyed a few hours of drinks.
Even Mabel got a puppuccino, sitting under their feet in the shade.
Quin learned a bit more about Louie, how he’d started his business by walking his elderly neighbour’s dog, and how it had grown from there.
By the time Quin returned to the house, he had a pleasant buzz from the alcohol and the beginnings of a definitely there and not-at-all imagined tan on his legs.
He made chicken for both his and Mabel’s dinner, shoving his own into a lettuce-lined crusty baguette and being liberal with the salt and mayo.
As night approached, Quin went up to the bedroom, undressing and slipping in beside Kit. The next thing he knew, he woke up to soft kisses trailing down his neck.
He hummed contentedly. “Now, if you could wake me up every day like that…”
“You’d get spoiled,” Kit said.
“Never. I’m far too down-to-earth and—ow,” he said as Kit tugged on one of his chest hairs.
“Shh.”
“Ow,” Quin repeated, as Kit did it again. “Christ, you little demon.”
“Vampire, not demon, remember?”
“Ha. Stop that,” Quin said, cracking an eye open to glare at Kit.
Kit sniffed. “You smell of beer.”
“Hmm? Oh, I had a few drinks with Louie this afternoon. You all right with that?”
The covers shifted as Kit sat up. “Do I have a reason I shouldn’t be?”
“Nah. Louie’s chill. What’s the plan for tonight, then?”
“The guys wanted to go to the beach.”
“I need another shower. Wanna come with?”