Page 21 of Basilisk

“Yes?”

“It’s worth it.”

Chapter Eleven

Bain

Bain called Alaric and told him he wouldn’t be going back to Clive’s until the morning, then he went home because he needed a good rest. But he couldn’t sleep, his mind reeling from what Xavier had told him. He’d never given thought to having a relationship. His kind, the basilisks, did form attachments but only long enough to raise a child to puberty. He’d never wanted to risk that sort of short-term relationship, and falling for a human had been out of the question because of his longevity.

Knowing that Clive was his soulmate changed everything. Absolutely everything. He could allow himself to actually care for a change. It would mean no more sleeping around, but that didn’t bother him at all. Because he’d have one special person who was just his and his alone.

He sure as hell was going to have to work on living neater, though. He hadn’t bothered to clean his apartment, just too tired to deal with it. But still, sleep would not come.

Around two in the morning, he gave up and drove back to Clive’s. When he knocked on the door, a surprised Alaric answered. The elf didn’t look like he’d been sleeping, his eyescompletely alert. Bain couldn’t help but smirk over the weird headband he wore over his shoulder-length black curls. “Did Xavier tell you to wear that here?” He pointed.

Alaric nodded. “Wouldn’t tell me why either, but he also warned me to keep my contacts in. Something about Clive I should know?”

If Xavier hadn’t told Alaric why, then it wasn’t his time to know about the special humans. Bain shook his head. “No. I think he’s being weird.”

“Not anything new there.” Alaric stepped aside to let him in. “I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

“Couldn’t sleep so I decided to go ahead and come back. What’s going on with your family?” Alaric had a huge family because elves did mate for life, and with their long lifespans, had as many children as they wanted. Alaric had twelve sisters and six brothers. Bain couldn’t imagine dealing with that size of a family.

“One of my brothers got himself into a mess, so we all got together to work on how to get him out of it.” He shrugged. “Bast isn’t known for his brains.”

Having met that particular brother, Bain agreed but he didn’t voice that aloud. Alaric might get annoyed with the many shenanigans his family got into, but he also loved them all fiercely. “Clive seem okay to you today?”

“Couldn’t tell you. He only came out long enough to meet me before he disappeared into his office. He’s still in there.”

“He is? That’s not like him.” Knowing Clive had spent so much time being afraid of him ripped into his soul. He needed Alaric to leave so he could go to him, but Clive surprised them both when he stormed into the living room.

“I heard you come in.” He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. “We need to talk, Bain.”

Alaric looked back and forth between them, eyebrows high on his forehead, before he shook his head. “I probably don’t want to know what this is about. I’ll head out. Let me know if you need me to relieve you again.”

“I will, thanks.”

Bain waited until he left, then approached his amazing human, awe still filling him over what Clive was going to be to him. “You’re right,” Bain said. “It’s time.”

“Yes, it’s most definitely time, but first, I’m making tea. It’s too late for me to mess with that new coffee pot you ordered. I’ll make you some plain black so you won’t have to pretend to like it like you did with the strawberry blend I made you.”

He wasn’t sure how he’d given that away, but he would definitely prefer the black tea. But Clive’s snippy tone was amusing as hell. It somehow eased the ache he’d had in his chest since that morning. He watched the accountant fill the infuser, waiting for him to start with the questions. He probably had quite a few of them. The longer Bain watched Clive bustle around the kitchen, the more amused he grew at Clive’s anger. It was obvious in his tense shoulders and the way he was slamming things around.

Bain wasn’t sure what overcame him then. He just couldn’t help himself. When Clive stopped moving and just stared at him, Bain walked to him and stared down into his pretty eyes, watching them flare wide with complete awareness. The anger slowly drained from Clive’s expression, and he closed his eyes.

“Clive, I’m sorry I scared you,” Bain whispered.

Clive’s eyes snapped open, but he didn’t speak. Varying emotions passed over his face, but then stopped on that awareness again. It was just so powerful, these feelings they seemed to share, and Bain could no longer hold himself back.

He waited to make sure this was going to be welcome, and when Clive’s gaze dropped to his lips, his own parting inanticipation, Bain leaned down and pressed his mouth to Clive’s. He didn’t use any tongue, just softly kissed him before pulling back. It was hard because Clive had very, very soft lips, ones that he wanted to feel firming up in a harder kiss. Made him want to nibble.

Clive, blinking up at him, slowly ran his tongue over his bottom lip as if he wanted every bit of Bain’s taste. “You kissed me.”

Bain grinned at Clive. “I did.”

“But you said…” He paused, brows furrowing. “Why?”

Bain backed him into the counter behind him. “I kissed you because I wanted to. Also because you wanted me to.”

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