Chapter Four

 

 

Talli had four sets of eyes on him. The men were a couple of feet away, staring at him and Kele. One of them looked as angry as Laith. Talli deduced that the angry one was Wyatt, given that he looked remarkably like Laith, even down to the long blonde hair and blue eyes. The only difference was Wyatt had worry lines creasing his forehead and he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off Kele.

One of them wore a bathrobe and he coughed every few minutes. His eyes looked tired and his nose was red, as if he rubbed it raw. He had dark hair and pretty, brown eyes. He also had as delicate a bone structure as Talli did, which made him think perhaps one of his ancestors was a pooka.

The man reached out to touch Talli’s ears but Laith smacked his hand before he could get the chance. “Don’t touch him there. It makes him horny.”

Talli’s cheeks heated and he looked away. “I only get that way when you do it.”

The dark haired man reached out again and, again, Laith smacked his hand. “You’ll lose a hand, man. I’m serious.”

The man held out his hand to Talli instead. Talli looked at it and then at Laith. Laith didn’t offer any help at all. “What would you like me to do with your hand?”

The man chuckled and then coughed. “Just shake it.” Talli took his hand. Their palms meshed together. It felt odd and not something Talli liked doing. “I’m Sylvester, but all my friends call me Sly.”

“Talli.”

He held out his hand to Kele next. Kele just looked at it as if it were a strange thing. “No,” he said and folded his arms in front of his chest.

Sly gave him a confused look.

“That isn’t a custom in the Otherworld,” Kele said.

Wyatt said, “You’re not in the Otherworld.”

“If you keep scowling at me like that, I’ll go back. Just see if I won’t,” Kele argued, the last part sounding like a threat that Wyatt may not take seriously.

“I don’t care if you go. I want you too because then I won’t have to find the money to feed you,” Wyatt said.

“Oh, you’ll care. I’m your anam cara and you’ll beg me to stay.” Kele’s chin lifted.

Talli would have chuckled at Kele’s show of confidence but he was still a bit unnerved at being stared at as if he were on display.

Wyatt snorted. “I doubt that.”

Kele narrowed his eyes but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he unfolded his arms and scooted his chair closer to Talli’s. “I think you’re right, Talli. We need to go home. Dasan and Awan will be worried.”

Talli went to answer but shut his mouth when Colton pulled up a chair next to his and contemplated him for several seconds. “You’re cute, especially with the big ears.”

Talli bit his lip, not sure how to respond to Colton. “Thank you.”

“You don’t look that different then us.” Colton looked down Talli’s body. “What does the rest of you look like?”

“You’re not going to find out, asshole,” Laith growled out.

Colton chuckled and winked at Talli. “Yeah, I think all that soulmate crap you were talking about earlier, is really a thing. Never seen him like this before.”

“Shut up, Colton,” Laith said.

“You’re the worst Anome cara in the world, or whatever the fuck he keeps calling you.” When Colton stuck out his tongue at Laith, Talli chuckled.

“Anam cara, idiot.” Laith looked at Talli and asked, “Is that permanent? Like it’s a done deal now that we found each other.”

Talli could feel his face burning with embarrassment. “We’ll need to bond properly. After that, yes.”

Colton smirked at Laith. “What the fuck do you care. You’re like a serial monogamist anyway. I would think this just made you the happiest homo on the planet.”

“I just met him a few hours ago. Can I take him on a date at least?”

“I think if you go out to dinner with the dude people will notice his ears.”

“I know that. I was thinking more of making him dinner here and you buzzkills can leave for the night. That is, if he still wants to stay for a while. Wouldn’t blame him if he did want to go back home what with you people gawking at him as if he’s a two-headed dragon or something.”

Everyone looked at Laith as if he lost his mind. “Yeah, okay. This is fucking weird. Still can you just dial it down a little. You’re upsetting him.”

Kele nudged him and grinned.

Colton started laughing. “I knew it. You like him. You fall for guys way to easily, Laith.”

“Fuck you. At least I don’t sleep with every guy in this town.”

“Considering the town has a population of less than ten thousand people and not very many of them are gay men, that’s not actually a lot,” Colton said. Colton waved him away and changed the subject. “So you can really bring trees and shit like that to life?”

“Yes. All pookas can. We used to help human farms long ago but stopped that practice when Dadga created the door between our worlds. We can also take life away, if necessary.” When Colton moved away from him, he explained, “In plants only. I can’t hurt you.”

“So you can help us with our farm?” This question came from Wyatt

Talli looked at Laith and then away again. “I’ll help however I can, of course. I may not stay long though, depending on if Laith wants to soul bond with me.” Talli looked at Laith again. “I won’t stay if you don’t want me.”

Sly sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. “He thinks you’re his soulmate?”

“I thought we fucking established that already,” Laith said.

Sly frown at him and then coughed into his fist. “What the hell is your problem anyway? If I had a cute little dude like him, elf or not, I’d be all over him.” Sly’s voice sound strange to Talli, as if he were talking while plugging his nose.

“I am not an elf.” Talli knew he was frowning, which was probably rude, but he couldn’t help being offended.

“Whatever.” Sly sort of swayed on his feet for a second and Talli quickly stood. He grabbed on to Sly’s arm from across the table. “Laith,” Talli said, asking him to grab ahold of the man as he was the closest to him.

“Shit,” Laith muttered and grabbed Sly around the waist, steadying him.

Talli let Sly’s arm go, breathing a sigh of relief that the human didn’t fall over and injure himself. When Laith lifted Sly in his arms and carried him from the room, Talli followed close behind them, wanting to make sure Sly was okay.

Laith laid him on a long lounger, which already had bedding available for him. Laith sat down on the edge of the cushion. “You need anything?” He said softly.

“Naw, I’m good. Thanks,” Sly said and coughed suddenly.

Talli put a hand on Laith’s shoulder, leaning over him, to address Sly. “Are you sure? Would you like water?”

“Got a bottle right here,” Sly said, point a thumb behind him to a bottle sitting on a table.

Bottled water? What a strange custom. Instead if commenting on it, Talli said, “If you need something just let us know.”

Laith turned to look at him, giving him a strange look.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that you got real comfortable, real quick,” Laith explained.

“It is our way. You’re my soulmate. Comfort is a given where that’s concerned.”

“We just met.”

Talli straightened and then moved back when Laith stood. “I am aware of that fact, however it doesn’t matter.”

Laith turned to look at him. He started walking towards Talli, which was a bit unnerving given the scowl on his face. “It matters to me.”

“I don’t see why it should.”

Laith took another step towards him. “You don’t see…that is…”

“Don’t you understand the term soulmate? It means we share a—”

“I know what it means. What I don’t understand is how you can be so accepting of it?”

Talli wondered if Laith was aware that he was still walking toward him. Talli doubted it. Not when his words basically rejected him and his actions actively sought Talli out. That last fact was the one that kept Talli in the Upperworld at the moment. Well that and he wouldn’t leave without Kele, who had his own anam cara to court.

Talli was finding it very hard to court a human. Had Laith been Faery, and aware of the fact that he had a soulmate, they would have bonded the second they met.

“Not everyone finds their soulmate, Laith. You are very special to me. Of course, I accept you.” Talli’s back hit the wall, preventing him from going any further.

Laith came so close his body brushed up against Talli’s. Talli put a hand on Laith’s chest and waited to see what he would do. His breath fanned out across Talli’s face as he stood there studying him. What he was looking for, Talli didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he cared when his gaze turned heated and his weight pressed him against the wall further.

Laith braced himself with a hand on the wall next to Talli’s head. “You just accept it? After knowing me less than a day.”

“I know you.” Laith watched Talli’s mouth as he spoke. Talli’s heart pounded in his chest at the realization that Laith wanted a kiss. He just didn’t know how to take what he wanted and still maintain the distance he thought he needed.

“You think you know me.”

“I know I do. For instance, you’re very close to the three other humans in the dwelling. I could tell you have a bond just by the way you helped Sly. I have three people in my life that I’m bonded too in that way as well.”

“Anybody could guess that,” Laith whispered.

Talli could feel Laith’s hard cock, which made his heart speed up even more. “Um…okay…then I know you want to kiss me.”

The corners of Laith’s mouth turned up, giving Talli just a small smile.

“I know your farm is failing and you blame yourself. The thing I don’t understand is why.”

Laith put a finger over Talli’s lips, effectively shutting him up. “If we talk about the farm it’ll ruin the moment.”

Talli smiled and kissed the finger against his lips. Laith took his finger away. “So you acknowledge we’re having a moment, then?”

“Yeah.” Laith looked at his lips as he spoke the word.

Talli slid his hand up Laith’s chest to the nape of his neck, pulling him even closer. When their lips finally connected, something snapped into place for Talli. He stopped doubting that Laith would want him and just gave himself over to the moment.

Laith’s kiss was gentle in a way he hadn’t experienced before. It was as if they were cuddling together. That wonderful contentment that washed over him whenever someone held him close was the same feeling he got when Laith kissed him. It made him wonder if Laith liked to cuddle also. But then they were soulmates so he probably loved it as much as Talli did.

Talli was surprised that Laith didn’t turn the kiss into a demanding quest for more. That was the main thing that made Talli realized just how conflicted Laith truly was about their bonding.

Talli was the one that broke the kiss. He couldn’t let things go farther until Laith was sure of what he wanted. Backing off, was a good idea. Even as he thought that, he pulled Laith down and kissed him again. The whimper that slipped spoke of Talli’s need, but he couldn’t help it.

Laith ended the kiss the second time, pressing his forehead against Talli’s.

“What the hell, man? We’re not keeping them, Laith,” Wyatt said from somewhere in the room.

Laith shut his eyes. The tension in his brother’s words caused Laith’s shoulders to tense as well. It was as if Talli had watched Wyatt put one stone after another on top of Laith and then told him to hold it up.

Talli rubbed the back of Laith’s neck.

“Don’t talk about them like their fucking pets, Wyatt,” Laith said without opening his eyes or moving away from Talli.

Talli rubbed down Laith’s back.

“I know they’re not. I just want to make sure you know they’re not. We can’t have more mouths to feed.”

Laith sighed and then finally moved away from Talli, turning to look at Wyatt. “You don’t think I know that. You shove this failed farm down my throat every fucking day. I get it.” Laith took a step in Wyatt’s direction. “But don’t you dare use Talli as yet another reason to keep beating it over my head.”

Colton and Kele came into the room. For the first time since Talli met Colton, he looked subdued. His hands were in the pockets of his pants and he looked at the wood flooring underneath his feet.

“You’re not the one who takes care of the finances, Laith. You don’t see how much money we don’t have.”

“You constantly reminding me doesn’t change anything.”

“Maybe not but buying this farm was your idea.”

Laith looked as if Wyatt punched him in the face. Even Sly, who still lay on the lounger sucked in a breath at Wyatt’s words. Colton’s face turned red.

A silence fell over the whole room and for long seconds no one moved a muscle. Then Laith said, “I’ll be in the barn if anyone needs me.”