Chapter 6 Saxon
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS had passed since I saw Danny, since he offered to be my sugar baby, and I agreed to be his sugar daddy.
We had not agreed to any sort of rules or structure, and we sure hadn’t signed a contract. The contract was the basis of a sugar daddy relationship. I didn’t allow anyone at my club to move forward without one. The contract kept the sugar baby safe. It gave him a system to rely on. Yet with Danny, I’d broken my own rule.
I wanted to give him some space, but the thought of him was affecting everything I did. We needed to meet, and to iron out the details of our arrangement. I didn’t want to leave him hanging. Because he didn’t want to come to the club, we’d have to do it elsewhere, preferably at a restaurant.
I had his number. All I needed to do was ask him out. I preferred to call, but Simon said that most people Danny’s age wanted a text instead. Or at least a warning that they were going to get a call. It made little sense to me, but I would respect it.
Not wanting to interrupt his classes, I waited until that evening. I’d just picked up my phone when I felt a familiar presence.
I concentrated, and zeroed in on Wilder, the mage who belonged to Gatlin’s pack. I found Wilder in the hallway outside the dining hall. Why was he here? Was he looking for a sugar baby? Did he want to hang out with other supernaturals? Or was he curious about me since I showed up on his pack land? Nevermind why, I would not single him out. Many of our patrons came here to be anonymous and as the owner of the club, I would obviously respect that.
Apparently Wilder didn”t mind, because he came toward me, smiling, hand outstretched. “Saxon. It”s good to see you again.”
“It”s good to see you as well. How are you enjoying the club? Would you like a drink?”
“No. I quit drinking a few months ago after I had some magic-infused wine.”
I chuckled. “Most of our drinks don”t contain much alcohol, and they”re not infused with spells or magic; we don”t want anyone”s judgment impaired, even a fraction.”
“Ah, that”s right. I think I remember reading that. In that case I”ll take a fake raspberry mojito.”
“An excellent choice. Our bartender has perfected the mocktail.” I texted the bartender to bring me two raspberry mojitos. While we waited, I studied Wilder. He looked non-threatening. Like a human college boy, but that was inaccurate. As a Fae, I could gauge his level of power and it was substantial. I reached out with my senses, and felt the ripples of magic surrounding him.
The bartender handed over our drinks. Wilder slipped him some folded cash as a tip, which was appreciated, but not necessary. I paid my staff very well.
Before Wilder spoke, I realized he was not here for his own amusement. “Speak,” I said. I used just the tiniest fraction of my power on him.
The smirk faded from his face. His chin jutted out. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
So he could resist me, just a bit.
“I know you’re here for a reason other than recreation,” I said. “Tell me before I toss you out.”
He took a slow sip of his drink. He had guts, that was for sure.
“Why did you help us?” he asked.
“Who?”
“You know who, unless you spend a lot of time rescuing Alpha wolf shifters from certain death. I”m here about Gatlin and his pack, and his omega mate.”
“Did Gatlin send you here?”
“No, you idiot, he trusts you.”
I was glad to hear that. “But you don”t.”
“No. I don”t, because I don”t know you.”
“No one trusts a Fae.”
“That’s not true. Gatlin trusts you.”
“Can you think of another example?”
“Look, don’t take it personally.”
I didn’t. I also didn’t need a twenty-something baby wizard telling me what to do. “Get to the point, mage,” I said. I wanted to call Danny.
“I already did. I asked you why you helped us. You can’t deny that Fae aren’t known for their altruism. It’s not an insult; it’s a fact. Fae don’t do charity. So why did you jump to help us?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation. But I’m going to give you one.” I drained my drink and handed it to a waiter who was passing by. “Come with me.”
He followed me to my office, where I closed the door behind us. Neither of us took a seat.
“You may find this hard to believe, but I don’t blindly follow whatever the Fae do.”
“But you’re their heir.”
“Listen to me. Because I’m only going to say this once.” The last thing I needed was the general public thinking I was a soft target. I would never be easy prey, but for now, Danny was in my life, and I didn’t want him at risk for any reason.
“Okay, okay. You don’t have to whammy me again.”
“Gatlin is my friend. He has been my friend for many years, and I would not abandon him to an unhinged mouth-breathing shifter.”
Wilder inclined his head and leaned against the wall, letting his weight rest there. “Okay.” He ran his hands through his hair. “If we’re speaking freely, then I’m going to unload.” He looked up. “Is this soundproof? No cameras? ”
“Of course, to both.”
“Right. You’re a bunch of paranoid fuckers.”
I lifted one eyebrow.
“So you’ve said you helped us out because my pack-Alpha is your friend. But now that you’ve helped, what do you want in exchange?” he asked.
“Is Gatlin concerned about owing me?”
“No. Of course he’s not. For a shifter with legendary strength, Gatlin is beyond na?ve. Half the time, he acts like he’s still living in the human world. If he had shown just the tiniest fraction of ruthlessness, then you wouldn’t have had to rescue him at all.”
But then I wouldn’t have met Danny. “I don’t mind rescuing him.” That was the truth. He was one of a handful of people I could say that about.
“Well, I do mind. I may seem laid back and easy-going — the shifters certainly think I’m an old-school hippie. But I do not like my pack in danger, and I do not want my pack-Alpha at risk. Especially not from a Fae.” He pointed at my desk. “You run an entire club based on an exchange of wealth, power and benefits. So don’t act all altruistic now.”
He had a point. A very fair one. In the past, I might have required some sort of repayment. But not now. Not with Danny involved. “Are you scared of me?”
“I’m not scared. I’m realistic. Listen, I come from a long line of pack-mages. We take our duty seriously. Gatlin won’t look out for himself, so I will.”
“I am not a threat to you, to your pack, or to Gatlin.”
“Then why are you still in contact with Danny?”
Normally, I wouldn’t give away any information about myself. But Wilder inhabited the same pack as one of Danny’s brothers.
Danny’s brothers would talk. As Gatlin”s mate, Haven was an important part of Wilder’s pack. If I didn’t mention my interest in Danny, then Wilder would be even more distrustful of me. “You know about that?”
“It’s my job to know.” He pointed at himself. “Hello, mage here. I’m not totally useless.”
I would never reveal the true nature of our relationship. That was up to Danny. “I asked Danny out.”
Wilder couldn’t hide the way his eyes widened, and it took him a few seconds to recover. “I haven’t seen him here.”
“And you won’t.”
He cocked one eyebrow. “So the owner of the Silver Moon Exchange has his very own sugar baby who won’t come to the club?”
The growl left my chest before I could cover it. “Mage, you are here because I’m allowing it. Don’t overstep.” My voice was a low rumble. “Danny’s business is his own.”
“Damn. No need to freak out.” He took a step back. “Wow. So you’re protective of Danny. Good to know.”
“Is that something you were concerned about?”
“Yes.”
Wilder had no reason to care about Danny. This must be coming from his pack-omega, Haven. Maybe Haven had asked him to check up on me. If that was true, then I welcomed the intrusion. “Ask me anything.”
“That was a one-eighty.”
“Take it or leave it.”
“If you want to date Danny, and your intentions are good, then that’s all I need to know.”
“They are nothing but good.”
“I’ll take your word for it, for now.”
I was mostly immune to his magic. It was a source of great frustration to most mages. That didn’t mean he couldn’t make my life unpleasant though.
“Stop.”
He stopped, even though I was careful not to influence him. “Why are you here? You could have come to my home.”
“You wouldn”t kill me with this crowd here.”
“If I wanted to kill you, I would. Crowd or not.” I wouldn’t be killing him. Danny would not approve. “Are you looking for a sugar baby?”
“I might be. One day.”
And then he was gone.
I wasn’t going to lie to myself. Wilder’s unexpected presence in my club had thrown me. The fact that he was checking up on me, and that I cared about the outcome was new to me.
I let my mind settle, and then finally I texted Danny. I would like to call you. Let me know what time works well for you.
I could hear my brother’s voice, echoing in my head. “Jeez, dude. You’re so freaking formal.” I really wasn’t though. Not compared to how I used to be.
Danny replied within seconds. I’m home now.
I called his phone, and he picked up immediately.
“Hello,” he said, but his voice cracked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Was the roommate-cousin already causing problems for him?
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Danny.” I couldn’t stop the harshness of my voice. I tried to soften it. “I’m coming to pick you up.”
He sniffed. “Okay.”
I raced to his apartment, ignoring all speed limits. When I got to him, he let his weight sag against me. He barely weighed anything at all. “What happened?” I asked as I guided him to my SUV.
I had little experience with humans. I greeted them at the club, but I didn’t understand their emotions. For all my abilities, I had no insight into what Danny might be thinking. “Did your cousin do something?”
“No. He’s slept almost non-stop. It was just my friends. My brothers, you know. They wanted some answers.”
“Family relationships can be trying.” Understatement.
He scrubbed at his face. “Yeah. They didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Where do you want to go?” I asked. He didn’t know. A restaurant seemed too public for his fragile emotions. The club wasn’t an option. “We can go to my house,” I said.
“Yes.” He leaned his head back against the seat rest. “That sounds nice.”
I drove to my place, taking care not to speed. Once we arrived, I once again guided him inside. He looked around, wide-eyed. “It’s really nice,” he said. “It’s not modern at all.”
I knew what he meant. I had a spacious house outside of Crestfire Hill, not far from the club. I had gone to great pains to make the interior decorator understand that I didn’t want sleek hard surfaces, or glass or steel. As a result, the house was warm and inviting, with exposed beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and rustic wooden floors.
It was too warm for the fireplace, but I hit a button and turned the indoor lanterns on. I’d always found their flickering golden light to be soothing.
He still looked utterly exhausted. I sat on the couch and tugged him down with me. I left a little space between us, but he quickly melted into my side. His scent was fainter than usual, but that same delightful scent of caramel apples filled my home.
I wanted to feel his slight weight on top of me, so I pulled him into my lap and kissed the top of his head. Too late I realized my mistake. My body knew I had an omega in my lap. My cock didn’t care that he was upset. I shifted him a little, but it was too late. He froze.
He’d felt my hard length rub up against his leg.
I started to lift him off my lap, but he gripped my arm.
“Saxon.”
“Yes?”
“I felt that,” he said.
Goddammit.