Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Wraith sat still and silent on the cushion, having just watched his husband storm out, Elias following.
Why had Konrad reacted so strongly to Umbra? She was just a friendly hellhound. She’d never hurt a single soul. Ever. She couldn’t! Still, Konrad had drawn his dagger on her.
Now Gerard had remained in the room. He stood by the wall, like some sort of guard on duty.
Is he watching me? Perhaps he was keeping an eye out in case Umbra returned. Gerard was the dragon warrior prince. Maybe Konrad had told him to keep tabs on Wraith’s movements.
For several moments, no one spoke. Then Gerard cleared his throat. “How are you finding your room?”
“I don’t have a room,” Wraith said, voice soft.
“You are staying with Konrad. Your belongings have been moved there.”
Was this some sort of test? Wraith fidgeted and took a breath. “That is Konrad’s room. Not mine. I would not enter it without his express permission.”
Gerard frowned. “I imagine Konrad expects you to sleep in his room.”
“He finds my presence …” Abhorrent. Repulsive. Loathsome. In the end Wraith just said, “He would not want me in his space.”
“But then where will you sleep?” Gerard asked.
“I’m not sure. Maybe in here. The cushions are comfortable.” Wraith patted one beside him.
Gerard’s brows furrowed as he looked over the room. “This is not a bedroom fit for the king consort of Draconia.”
Then Elias breezed in through the door, putting a stop to the conversation. Gerard’s demeanour and expression immediately brightened.
Elias placed a hand on his husband’s arm. “Can you fetch us some wine? I’m parched.”
“The servants can bring us some,” Gerard said.
Elias leaned up and placed a kiss on Gerard’s cheek. “But you bring the best wine.”
“What? What are you talking about? I never bring wine.”
Elias kept staring at him. Gerard’s one good eye studied Elias’s face. It felt like some sort of silent communication was happening between the two.
Then Gerard nodded. “All right. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Don’t forget to bring goblets!” Elias called out as he dropped down beside Wraith once more. “Now don’t you worry about Konrad.” He patted Wraith’s knee. “He can be such a grump at times. However, he is a good man beneath all that. But is it true?” He leaned towards Wraith.
Wraith really wasn’t used to people wanting to be this close to him.
“Is what true?” Wraith asked.
“Have you had sex with ghosts?” Elias dropped his voice to a whisper.
“I—” Wraith remembered Konrad’s reaction. The disgust and horror. His throat closed. He was about to lose the only friend he’d ever made in his entire life, and he’d only just gotten him!
Like a man about to be sentenced to death, Wraith nodded.
“Wow!” Elias exclaimed. “But how does that even happen?” There was no censure or revulsion in Elias’s tone. Just curiosity. Elias seemed very different to Konrad.
“Well, you know that I see ghosts,” Wraith said.
Elias nodded.
“Well, the first time it happened, I was about nineteen. This ghost had been in the Temple of the Veil for a while, but I’d never had anything to do with him. He just sort of was there, wandering around, passing through walls.”
Wraith could remember watching the tall, muscular spirit floating silently with a glare permanently on his face. He’d seemed so intimidating. Wraith had been too afraid to approach him to help him move on.
“Then one day, when I was going back to my room, he was at my door. He looked me up and down. He had this intense look in his eyes.” Wraith remembered the prickle of awareness that tingled along his skin. “Then he smiled and told me I was beautiful.”
“Well, that’s sweet.” Elias placed a hand on his chest.
Wraith ducked his head, a smile stretching his lips. “No one had ever called me beautiful before that moment.”
“Aw.”
Wraith hesitated. “Then he said he’d like to see me with less clothes on.”
Elias burst out laughing. “That’s less sweet and more forward. Was he handsome?”
“Very.” Wraith’s skin flushed. He could still remember those intense eyes watching him. “Anyway, he asked if he could watch me … do things whilst I was naked.”
Elias’s brows had risen so high. “And did you say yes?”
Wraith’s cheeks burned. He nodded. “Then whilst I touched myself, he would whisper to me.” He couldn’t believe he was telling someone this.
“What sort of things did he whisper?” Elias leaned even closer.
“He would tell me how lovely I was and so forth whilst I … did certain things.” The ghost had gone into a lot of detail on Wraith’s features and body parts, but Wraith could not bring himself to share that. “He told me what he’d like to do to me, and he instructed on what to do to myself.”
“But he couldn’t touch you, is that right?”
“Sometimes he could. It depends on how strong they are at the time. I’d feel a light, feathery touch on my skin.” Wraith paused. “Sometimes he would even put his hand on my— Anyway, he passed on soon after … well, after. But there were other ghosts.”
He’d felt mouths and tongues on his cock. He’d had ghosts who’d fingered and fucked him. The fingers, cocks, and touch varied in terms of firmness, but none had felt anywhere near as real as with Konrad.
“Wow.” Elias shook his head. “I thought I’d heard it all.” He paused. “And you enjoyed it, right?”
Wraith’s whole body was on fire. He nodded.
“You know that first ghost probably just wanted one last good fuck before passing on. And he got that with you.” Elias waggled his eyebrows.
Wraith laughed.
Gerard re-entered the room, carrying the wine and goblets. He poured the wine and handed it out. Then he sat beside Elias.
“Gerard needs to meet Umbra!” Elias declared. “You should call her back, Wraith!”