Page 31 of The Death God
“Shit. Sorry.” He reached for Gregory, who swayed lightly where he was crouching, only to snatch his hand back before he could make contact.
“You shouldn’t sleep down here.” Gregory searched his face then glanced at Zidane who lay in the exact same position as he had for the last two months. Did vampires get bedsores?
As Gregory stood, he held out his hand for Thanatos to take. He didn’t. Instead, he struggled to his feet, leaned against the cool stone wall, and shivered. He was cold and tired.
“Come on.” Gregory motioned at the door.
“Where are we going?” Thanatos didn’t think they had anywhere they needed to be. They’d gotten tuxedos. Maybe they needed to bring a gift. Was it the kind of party where you brought one? People often brought gifts in movies. “Do we need a gift?”
He looked over his shoulder at Gregory as they climbed the stairs. What did you get a werewolf?
“No, no gift.”
He nodded and stumbled on the next step. Before he had a chance to find his balance on his own, strong arms wrapped around his waist, and his back was pressed against Gregory’s chest.
“I wouldn’t have fallen.”
“Maybe not.” The words whispered over his ear, and Thanatos suppressed a shiver. When he tried to take a step forward, Gregory tightened his hold on him.
“Aren’t we going?” He ignored the way his heart sped up.
“We are.”
And yet they didn’t move.
Warm lips touched the skin behind his ear, and Thanatos jerked. “Gregory.”
“It’s practice.”
Thanatos snorted, but a fizzle of panic shot through him. He was trapped. Gregory’s arms were like shackles around him.
“No. Relax.”
Pulling in a quick breath that did nothing to calm him, he started to struggle. Gregory moved, so his arms weren’t around him, but placed his hands on Thanatos’ hips. It allowed his ribcage to expand. Gregory hadn’t restricted him in a way to make it hard for him to breathe, he was sure of it, but it was easier now when his arms weren’t encircling him.
“Better?” Gregory’s breath washed over the skin on his neck.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go. My room.”
Then he slapped Thanatos’ ass.
“Hey!” Thanatos glared at him over his shoulder, which made Gregory grin. “No slapping.”
“But it’s a lovely ass, and since I’m your boyfriend—”
“No, I’d never date someone who slapped my ass.”
Gregory chuckled. “But you are, my doll, you are.”
“Not doll. I can maybe live with the darlings and honeys, but not doll.”
“Deal. It doesn’t suit you anyway.”
Did it suit anyone to be called doll? Thanatos didn’t think so.
He walked past his room and headed for Gregory’s. He’d never been there and didn’t know what it looked like.
