Chapter Twenty-Two
Deke took Bryan to see Corryn, still unsure as to what they were doing here. Bryan had announced over breakfast that he wanted to come visit the Fae, but he wouldn’t tell Deke what he wanted done.
The little bell chimed as they went in, letting Corryn know they were here. The place was deserted, but for the Fae himself, and Corryn smiled at them, like he’d known they were coming.
“Why don’t you lock the door behind you so we won’t be disturbed before we’re finished,” Corryn suggested.
Bryan gave Deke a startled look, but turned the bolt, locking the door.
“It’s like he knew were coming,” Bryan murmured, echoing his thoughts.
“He’s Fae, he quite possibly did.”
“Come on, my chair is in the back.”
Deke put his arm around Bryan’s shoulders and they followed Corryn into the little room where they wouldn’t be seen from the street. Sitting, Corryn indicated the other chair and the padded bed. Deke chose the chair and tugged Bryan down on his lap. Bryan shifted once and he could almost hear the protest that Corryn was there and would see, but the thoughts faded before they could fully form.
One of Corryn’s eyebrows went up. “So, another Beteferoce brother has finally met his soul mate.”
Deke could feel the sudden heat coming from Bryan’s cheeks, but both he and Bryan nodded. “I think you knew it was going to happen.” He slid his hand to Bryan’s hip, where the tattoo burned beneath his fingers.
“Well, I hoped.” Corryn looked straight at him. “You aren’t going to hit me, are you?”
“It wasn’t in my plans, no.” He turned his attention to Bryan. “Mark punched him when he found out our crest had been tattooed onto Shae.”
“I remember hearing about that...”
They all sat for a moment, staring at each other, and Corryn finally broke the awkward silence. “So, what brings you here today.”
Bryan took a deep breath. “I want you to finish the tattoo.”
“Finish it?” Corryn asked, that delicate eyebrow going back up again.
“Yes. It has Deke’s family crest on it, but it doesn’t have his name.”
Joy flooded Deke at Bryan’s words. “You want my name added to the tattoo, baby?”
“I do. It belongs on me. I don’t belong to the family—I belong specifically to you. So, I have to have your name on me.”
“I can do that.” Corryn looked pleased at the request.
“Why didn’t you put it on me to start with?” Bryan asked. “You put Jake’s name on Shae, why not Deke’s on me?”
“I was following my instincts.”
“What does that mean?” Bryan demanded, asking the question Deke had been wondering himself.
“Something told me that you had to ask to have it tattooed on you, that the crest itself would be enough to begin to draw you together. I felt the rest of it had to come from within, not without.”
Bryan snorted softly. “I thought you might say something like that, but it doesn’t matter. What does is that the tattoo isn’t finished without it.”
I’m not finished without you.
Bryan shot him a look, then smiled and nodded. I feel the same way. I don’t understand any of this fates and destiny stuff, but I’m yours—that, I understand.
He hugged Bryan.
Bryan smiled, cuddling against him. “When we’re finished here, I want to go to the cabin. I want it to just be you and me with no interruptions.”
“Of course. Whatever you want, baby.”
“Just you. Only you.”
“I feel the same way.”
To his credit, Corryn only cleared his throat slightly instead of making gagging noises. Deke didn’t care either way. Bryan was his entire focus, his entire world.
“You have to pull your shirt up and your jeans down and get on the table.” Corryn patted the table, then began to pull out ink and the rest of his equipment.
Deke helped Bryan, lifting his boy onto the table and making sure nothing but a little bit of skin around the tattoo was showing. All that was his, nobody else was privileged enough to see.
“How are your brothers doing?” Corryn asked as he got himself and his tools set up.
“Jake is doing great. I haven’t seen the others in a while.” He knew Mark and Mike were the closest, but Deke worked outside the city. No one had seen Luke in decades. “We got together a couple years back for the solstice.” They always said they’d do it regularly, but somehow they were almost all too busy to break away.
“You all work too hard.”
“Not anymore.” He grinned at Bryan as he said it, and took his boy’s hand, standing with one hip leaning against the table.
Corryn snorted, but then turned to Bryan, all business. “Ready?”
Bryan nodded, and Corryn began.
As soon as Corryn touched ink to Bryan’s skin, his boy cried out, fingers clutching his.
“Baby?”
Bryan ground out an “I’m okay.” Intense.
He squeezed Bryan’s hand in return and rumbled softly, Bryan relaxing immediately.
Once it was applied, the new ink seemed to shimmer, like an ocean full of waves. Incredible. Not only was it his name, but the colors were him, magical and shiny, the color of the sea.
It didn’t take Corryn long at all to freehand his name into Bryan’s skin, and his boy’s eyes were glittering once Corryn was done.
“There. Now it’s right.” Corryn cleaned the tattoo and put away his tools while he and Bryan both checked the new ink out.
It was indeed his name and it did indeed look like it belonged right where it was. Now the tattoo was complete, the crest itself no longer simply black, but shimmering with the same colors as his name. It seemed alive.
“I’m going to go next door and grab a coffee and a donut. You guys stay as long as you need to—I’ll lock the door behind me.”
“Thank you.” His voice was thick, his need great. And he could smell that Bryan wanted him as badly.
“You’re welcome. Come back if you want more ink. You can tell Mark and Mike that I’ve tattooed their soul mates, as well.” Corryn sighed. “If they’re interested. They know where to find me.”
Goddess, Mark would never look for his soul mate again, ever. He’d been so devastated when he’d lost Garrett. It broke Deke’s heart that Mark had had this and then lost it. He could only imagine how devastating that would be; Deke had almost lost his soul mate through sheer idiocy.
Bryan stroked his chest, over his heart. I’m here, Deacon-meine, and I’m not going anywhere.
Bryan was. Right here with him, his name tattooed on the lovely skin.
“Are you happy?” Deke asked, tracing the tattoo, the tingling fiercer than ever. There was magic in this mark and it was stronger when he connected with it.
“I am, Deacon-meine.”
“You are.” Bending, he brought their mouths together so they could prove it again.