Chapter Twenty-Seven
IT WASN’T EVEN midnight before Fyar excused himself from the party to rest a few hours before returning in the morning. Killian, naturally, went with him. He escorted the king to his quarters, and then was dismissed for the night.
Dragging his feet through the palace, Killian checked in on the night guard before making his way back to his room.
Closing the door behind him, Killian took his time toeing off his boots and stripping off his uniform jacket.
Rolling his shoulders and stretching his back to ease the tension from the hours of standing he’d endured.
The room was dark, only a few oil lamps were lit, leaving the edges of the room still cast in shadows. Just as he’d left it.
It took him an embarrassing amount of time to realize he wasn’t alone.
Killian jolted. “What the fuck, Kade? What are you doing just sitting in the dark?”
“Waiting.” Kade was on the sofa, arms crossed, glowering into the empty fireplace.
It was terrifying.
Killian had no idea what was happening, but something was clearly wrong. “Are you alright? I didn’t see you leave.”
“Really? I left same time you did, actually.”
“Just now?”
“No. No. I left the same time you did the first time.”
The silence in the room was deafening.
Killian didn’t blink. He didn’t move an inch. “The first time?”
Kade pushed to his feet and slowly turned to face Killian. His anger clear on his face. “Yes. The first time.”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Don’t lie to me. I saw you. I saw you!” Kade’s voice broke, he looked away, and the words tumbled out. “I-I thought we were finally, finally on the same page. That all you needed was a little more time. I was okay with waiting. I was okay. But now this? How could you, Killi?”
“Kade—” Killian took a step forward, hands outstretched because he couldn’t stand the sight of tears welling in Kade’s eyes.
Kade slapped Killian’s hands away. “Don’t fucking touch me! Don’t you dare. Not after what you did.”
Hurt, Killian pulled back. “What are you talking about, Kade? What did I do?”
“You know.”
“Clearly, I fucking don’t,” said Killian. His confusion and hurt causing his temper to flare.“Why don’t you fucking say what you want to say.”
“That’s rich, coming from you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You always avoid what’s really important. You never, ever just say what you mean. Always keeping secrets. Always hiding. Always a coward.” Kade shook his head, his face twisted. “I’m talking about when you snuck out to fuck your whore lieutenant.”
That threw Killian. “Don’t call him that.”
Kade scoffed, his mouth dropping open in absolute disbelief. “You’re joking. That’s what you—” He broke off, laughing dangerously. “If you didn’t want me to call him a whore, you shouldn’t treat him like one. Fucking him…and calling out my name? Disgusting work. Truly. You’re a fucking bastard.”
Killian felt like he’d just been stabbed, like Kade had slid a knife between his ribs and twisted. “What?”
“Yeah. Killi. I heard you.”
It was over. It was all over.
Killian was caught. He couldn’t talk his way out of this one.
Disgusting. Kade had said. Disgusting.
It was true. Killian couldn’t deny it. He had betrayed Kade’s trust the moment that he looked at him as anything other than a brother.
Disgusting.
It felt like he was dying, the way he despaired.
Killian had been naive to think he’d never get found out. That this wouldn’t be the reaction. He’d just hoped…
He’d just hoped.
Hanging his head in shame, Killian squeezed his eyes shut against the choking emotion that threatened to drown him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I—”
He heard Kade sigh.
Killian flinched at the cold touch of hands on his cheeks, the brush of Kade’s body stepping close, but Kade held him gently. Softly.
“You still don’t see it, do you? Or do you just not want to?” Kade asked, his voice thick. “Gods, you’re so fucking stupid. I guess I love that about you, too.”
Eyes flashing open, Killian’s world turned upside down for the second time that hour.
Kade nodded. “I wanted to tell you to wait. To wait for me like I was waiting for you. To talk to me. Just talk to me.” His face scrunched. “We were so close. So close.”
Killian had stopped breathing. “What are you saying?”
“I never thought of you as truly stupid until this moment. Do you truly not get it?”
“I can’t be wrong about this.”
Big amber eyes gazed up at Killian, warm and wet and terrified. A mirror of Killian’s own. “You’re not.”
Kade smiled, and then did the damndest thing, he leaned in and pressed soft lips against Killian’s.
It was a chaste thing, their first kiss, barely a brush. Hesitant and slow, much like the build up of what they were.
Killian whimpered embarrassingly.
Pulling back, Kade said, “I didn’t get that wrong, did I? That would be embarrassing.”
Killian laughed, breathless and awed. He was helpless not to. “Mortifying.” And then he pulled Kade back in.
Kissing Kade was everything that Killian had ever imagined and so much more.
They fit perfectly.
If Killian died right then and there, he’d die happy.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Killian wrapped his arms around Kade’s waist and hauled him closer, as if they weren’t already plastered together. He nuzzled into Kade’s neck, hiding. “Gods, I’m so in love with you.” To be able to say that out loud was a weight off of his chest.
“Took you long enough.”
Kade held Killian close and they stayed there for a long time.
“I hated it,” breathed Kade. “Seeing you with him. I’ll never forgive you for that.”
“Don’t.” Killian pulled back so he could look into Kade’s eyes. “Never forgive me.” A thought came to his mind. “How much did you see?”
Inhaling sharply, Kade’s eyes dropped to Killian’s lips. “Too much.”
“Dirty,” Killian teased with a wobbly grin. “Did you enjoy the show? How was my performance?”
Kade swallowed and Killian followed the movement down his throat with his fingertips. Dizzy with the knowledge that he was allowed to touch freely.
“You’re mine now,” Kade whispered, amber eyes blazing. “You don’t get to fuck whores when you’re mine.”
“I already said Loran’s not a whore.”
Kade shoved Killian away with an annoyed huff. Not in the mood for teasing.
Killian caught Kade and pulled him back in. He was elated. His smile was wicked, sharp canines on display. “I thought of you. Obviously.”
“Obviously.” Kade snapped his teeth. “Never again. Promise me.”
“Never.” It was the easiest promise Killian would ever keep.
Swallowing down Kade’s small sound of surprise, Killian groaned. They moved together. Kade’s lips were soft and plush and a bit hesitant, showing his inexperience.
There was a twinge in the back of Killian’s mind, a thought that negged him. He wondered who else had Kade in this way, got to feel him like this.
Aware of how hypocritical it was, Killian hated the very thought of it. He wanted to scream. He wanted names so he could hunt them down. Kill them.
Hands drifting over Kade’s waist, gripping onto his hips, Killian walked them backwards, guiding them through the room towards the bed.
“Wait. I have to change the…” Killian trailed off. The bed was pristine. Very much not how he’d left it, sheets crumpled and used from when he’d laid with Loran. He looked at Kade, confused.
“I had hopes,” said Kade simply.
Killian laughed, loud and free and happy.
Kade shivered under Killian’s wandering hands as he pressed open mouthed kisses along his neck and over his shoulder, nipping lightly at the skin he found there.
His fingers dug into the meat of Killian’s ass, sharp like talons, but the pain was welcomed.
It kept Killian grounded. Awake. Sure this wasn’t a dream.
“Off,” Kade demanded as he tugged impatiently at the hem of Killian’s tunic, and when that was gone, the laces of his trousers. Only pausing in his efforts to pull Killian down into hurried kisses. “Off.”
Kade was a dream, laid out naked on Killian’s bed. The low light cast shadows across the miles of pale skin on display, dotted with alluring freckles.
Killian wanted to worship each and every one. Map them with his tongue until he knew the way they connected like constellations across his skin.
Keeping a firm hold of Kade, Killian kept him pinned to the mattress as they kissed slowly. Leisurely. Taking their time to learn each other, despite the burning need that pulsed through them.
Killian licked into Kade’s parted lips, their tongues dancing. Kade stumbled sometimes, unsure, but he grew more confident, more greedy with each passing moment.
Killian loved it, and indulged it.
Bucking his hips in desperate search for friction, Kade whined. Killian ground his hips down hard.
Kade gasped. “Oh, fuck.”
Chuckling lightly, Killian paused and nuzzled against Kade’s jaw.
“Don’t laugh at me,” Kade whined, pressing his fists into his eyes. A pretty blush on his cheeks.
“I’m not.” Killian enjoyed the way that Kade’s muscles jumped under his skin as he began to kiss his way down the younger elf’s body.
“You are,” Kade let out shakily. His fists curled into the sheets as Killian nosed at the trimmed curls at the base of his cock.
The scent of Kade was so strong. It made Killian dizzy with want.
Looking up at Kade, Killian smirked. Holding eye contact, he licked a long stripe up Kade’s pretty cock and sucked wetly at the tip.
Kade’s skin was salty on his tongue.
Encouraging the younger elf to rest one of his legs on Killian’s shoulder, he pulled Kade further into him. Accepting him eagerly into his mouth until his pelvis was flush with Killian’s lips.
Toned thighs flexed under his hands as Killian began to move in earnest, taking Kade down his throat over and over again. Savoring the weight of him.
Kade cursed and moaned and threaded his fingers through Killian’s hair, clearly not caring about the strength he used as he tugged the dark strands.
Preening under Kade’s noises, Killian committed each one to memory, using them to learn what drove the younger elf wild. They were all the encouragement he needed.