On Saturday night after dinner, Idris found himself sitting out on the deck. The sun was still high in the sky and just past where he sat, Cadlyr and Evlithar were taking their evening stroll. At Idris’s side was the man he cherished, and he turned to smile at him.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, sweetheart,” Mac replied, then leaned over to kiss him. “Any particular reason you felt like telling me that right now?”
“Nope, I just like saying it. I like knowing you’re in my heart and that I’m in yours.”
“Pretty incredible, right?”
Idris nodded with a great deal of enthusiasm. “Absolutely.”
“I never imagined you were here waiting for me when I filled out that incredibly long application.”
“I’m so glad you applied.”
“Me too,” Mac responded. He reached up and petted Roger. “And I’m grateful your familiar took it upon himself to hunt me down. I would’ve had to wait two more weeks to meet you, and you already know how I feel about that.”
“I’m just glad I asked Fate for you. Who knows how long it would have taken her to realize it if I hadn’t told her.”
“Well, she certainly wasn’t going to ignore one of the sorcerers she imbued with such power inside. Though, you guys didn’t sound so sure of yourself at that meeting earlier today.”
Idris scrunched up his nose. “Trying to execute a skeleton isn’t going to be easy. I still don’t even know where to start. His lifespan is eternal and although his immortality is not absolute like a sentinel or fallen knight, we lack any soft tissue to injure.”
“You guys will figure it out.”
“I’m just glad the Cwylld rock worked and that Carvallius is unconscious, but I wish he’d told the fallen knights more about where the others are. It’s tough knowing we’re all still in such danger.”
“I didn’t really expect the guy to talk, but I wish he had. Who knows how long our family will have to continue looking over our shoulders no matter where we go.”
“Yeah, it sucks.”
“You ready to go back inside?”
“Almost. I just wanted to thank you for coming with me to meet my parents.”
Mac’s jaw twitched. “They don’t deserve you.”
“I do wish they’d been nicer, but I’m glad I met them. Now I don’t have to wonder about my childhood or live out fantasies about how wonderful my life could’ve been if I hadn’t wound up at my grandfather’s house. I was destined to have a crappy childhood, but that’s okay because I’m happy now. I’m surrounded by people I love and who love me in return. I’m not greedy enough to ask for more and yet I have it. I was given tons of power, and now I can help the Spectra Wizardry. I won’t waste time thinking of them in the future, because they aren’t worth it.”
“Your positive outlook on life should be bottled and sold. It’s that incredible,” Mac said.
“I’m just glad to have you. Everything else is a bonus.”
“I don’t know—you were pretty excited when you told Aleksander to change your name to D’Vaire.”
Idris let out a chuckle. “Vioric to me is my past, and I love being a D’Vaire.”
“I like that I’m a part of your future.”
After getting to his feet and waiting for Mac to do the same, he wrapped his arms around his waist. “What about the present? Would you like to do something for me right now?”
“If you’ve got some fantasy about having sex out on the deck, it’ll need to wait until after everyone goes to bed. No one sees you naked but me.”
“Party pooper.”
Mac kissed his nose, then his mouth. “March yourself inside, young man.”
Idris pulled away with a laugh, and Mac took his hand. They left the warm, fragrant air behind them and as usual, walked into chaos. Since Idris loved his family, he reveled in the excited voices and animated faces of all the men and women hanging out in the living room just beyond the large kitchen. Because Mac was a brave and tenacious dragon, he waded into the chaos with Idris at his back. Idris offered a smile to the other D’Vaires as he grabbed a seat on one of the vacant sofas. Mac dropped down next to him and Idris snuggled close.
“Hey, Idris, did you want to go out tonight?” Duff asked. “I’m trying to talk Carter and Del into coming too.”
Delaney rolled his eyes. “I’m not going out.”
“You had a good time when we went out,” Duff argued. “You were dancing and there was at least one guy who wanted to have sex with you.”
“I’m not going. I hate that shitty music,” Carter said.
“It’s not shitty. It’s great,” Duff retorted.
“Sorry, Duff. I don’t want to go out tonight. I’m going to hang out with my mate and my family,” Idris said. “I think it’s great that you’ve found something you enjoy, and I’m happy when the people around me are having fun, but I think you should understand that we all have different likes and dislikes. Del isn’t into clubs, and Carter hates the music. It’s just not their thing. You said the last time you went you ran into some people who were there the first time, and they were friendly. Maybe you should see if they’re available and want to hang out with you at the club tonight.”
“I just want you guys to have fun,” Duff replied. “I was already planning on calling my friends. I wanted you guys to join us.”
“We have different ideas of fun. It’s as simple as that,” Delaney responded. “Like Idris, I’m glad you’ve found an avenue to enjoy yourself, but it doesn’t appeal to me.”
“I’d just like to point out one more time that a little sexual experience wouldn’t hurt you,” Duff stated.
“I’ve already decided I’m waiting for my mate. I shouldn’t have to justify that decision to you or anyone. As far as the club is concerned, I did enjoy myself, and I’ll go again at some point, but I don’t need it to be a regular thing,” Delaney said.
“I think you should ask Fate for your mate,” Idris suggested. “Look at me. I did it and Mac showed up ready to protect us. Fate hit every mark on my checklist too.”
Mac grinned and kissed Idris. “Yeah, I’m even not that stupid.”
“You bring up a good point,” Idris told Mac. “I had a brief list and I wasn’t greedy. I think Fate appreciated that and gave me above and beyond what I asked for.”
Delaney shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.” He lifted his head toward the ceiling. “Okay, Fate. I feel pretty stupid right now, but I’m going to ask you if you can bring me my mate. Let’s see, I’d like my mate to be a guy. He doesn’t have to be super gorgeous or anything. Uh…he doesn’t have to be a genius, but I’d prefer if he wasn’t an idiot. Like Idris, I don’t want to be with someone who isn’t nice. Thanks, Fate, for listening and if you could send him soon, I’d be grateful.”
“You forgot to tell her you want a dragon,” Idris whispered.
“I’m not particular. He doesn’t have to be a dragon. I like all kinds of different magickind and shifters. I’ll leave it up to her to decide,” Delaney replied.
“Okay, I guess I just assumed you wanted a dragon because of Greggory.”
“You know, I really think I was obsessed with dragons when I was younger because this is where I was meant to be. When I figured out I had no place to go, I was crazy excited about D’Vaire because it’s a dragon court. It hit me right then that I had Greggory because I belonged to D’Vaire. I turned out to be right. And it’s cool that the duke who protects us is the same color as Greggory. In my mind, it’s kind of a full circle thing,” Delaney explained.
Idris beamed at his best friend. “That’s really cool. I didn’t think about it like that. I always pictured you with a dragon shifter like me. Now I’m going to start imagining all kinds of options and see if I get it right when your mate shows up.”
“I thought your dragon-mate was going to be more indigo color,” Delaney confessed. “I was surprised he was a black one instead.”
“Fate’s smarter than all of us. I’m Idris’s dragon, but I am also the color of yours. Obviously, she intended for me to protect you both,” Mac said. “So, if I had to guess, I’d say your mate’s not someone involved in security or protection.”
“Doesn’t really narrow down the field much,” Delaney complained.
“Okay, Duff. Your turn,” Idris coaxed.
Duff raised his gaze upward. “Not ready for my mate but I’ll start my wish list. I want a woman, but wait until I’ve had time to sample some more.” He shrugged. “Or maybe a guy would be okay. I’m not sure. Perhaps you could give me one of each? In the meantime, send lots of both my way so I can get laid.”
“You trying to piss Fate off?” Carter asked.
Duff gave a negligent shrug. “It was Idris’s idea. Now it’s your turn.”
“Fine. I’m not ready, Fate. I’m too young, and I want time to figure out my life. I’ll get back to you when I am ready. Thanks,” Carter told the ceiling.
Idris chuckled and rested his head against Mac. He called out to the rest of the D’Vaires in the living room, “Who else needs to let Fate know they’re ready for their mate?”
Corwin, an Acwellan elf who’d arrived, thanks to Cadlyr, peered upward. “Oh, hey, Fate.…Remember me? Stuck in a cave for a thousand years? Still waiting for my mate. So, if you could help me out, I’d appreciate it. I’ll trust you with the details.”
Dra’Kaedan laughed. “Nice of you to trust her, Corwin. Okay, Dre’Kariston, you need yours, so go ahead and give her your list.”
“I think it’d make more sense for me to scry and see if she’ll answer me directly with a name the way she did for you.”
“Fine, let’s go,” Dra’Kaedan said.
“I don’t suppose it could hurt.” The pair left the room and Idris hoped Dre’Kariston’s magic would help him seek out his other half. Nothing was more profound in Idris’s young life than the man smiling at him with a happy little dragon familiar on his shoulder. Long ago Idris had put his trust in Fate, and there was no doubt she hadn’t let him down.
“You think it’ll work?” Mac asked.
“I don’t know, but I hope so.”
Idris set his lips on Mac’s and slid his tongue between them, deepening the kiss. The dragon shifter he loved lifted a hand to his cheek, then slid it into his hair. Moments such as this always ignited a fire inside of Idris that only Mac could quench. His life was full of gifts and he would spend all of eternity making sure Mac always knew how much he cared for him. It was the least he could do for the man who protected him, not only in deed, but right down to his soul.
He pulled away at the end of their caress and offered him a smile while he sent a message he wished would cross the veil. Idris had thanked Fate plenty, but he doubted he could ever truly express his gratitude to Lloyd and Bretta Stenetdraconis. He hoped their spirits could see his heart and know it was overflowing, thanks to the incredible man they’d raised. He turned his attention to his family, so he didn’t get too caught up in the idea of dragging him back to their room, but he promised himself he would make up for the lost time later.
Not able to resist the temptation, he pressed his mouth to Mac’s yet again—just because he could. “You’re the best part of my life.”
Mac winked and pulled him close. “And you, sweetheart, are the irresistible center of mine.”