Page 19 of Becoming D'Vaire
“It’s a requirement for leaders like ourselves,” Vadimas said solemnly.
Delaney didn’t want to have a bad night despite Aloisa the Dwyer’s haughtiness. He fixed a bright smile on his face, which made Vadimas’s gaze instantly turn wary. “I have a solution.”
“Am I going to want to hear this?”
“No, but here it is: I could resign in the morning.”
“Keep it up, Del. I wasn’t chosen by Fate to lead the wizards. I can resign right now. You were the first ascended High Arcanist in the history of the Spectra Wizardry. That would automatically make you Prism Wizard,” Vadimas taunted.
Delaney leaned in toward him. “What do you say we both resign, and Idris can deal with being the Prism Wizard?”
“If you guys quit, I’ll kill you both,” Idris stated matter-of-factly. “I don’t even care if I get caught.”
“No worries, sweetheart. You won’t even need to lift a finger. I’ll shift and eat them both,” Mac told Idris as he stroked a hand down his cloaked back.
“If I had a crown and a title, I’d be out at stuff like this every night. I’d have people eating out of my hands and begging for my attention,” Duff threw in. “I’d have a huge house and like a dozen people in my bed.”
“Sounds awfully crowded,” Vadimas responded.
“You’re right, I’d need some space. They could line up around the bed and wait their turn with King Duff.”
“Well, kid…if you’re going to dream why not dream big, right?” Mac asked.
Duff grinned. “Exactly.”
Before anyone could comment further, Greggory lifted his head and made a strange sound in his throat. “What’s wrong, buddy?” Delaney asked. His familiar pushed off Mac’s shoulder and flapped his wings vigorously, then flew away.
“Del, summon Greggory, please,” Mac instructed as soon as he was out of sight.
“No,don’t,” Idris rushed out. “Roger found you. Maybe Greggory found Del’s mate.”
“Oh get real, Idris,” Duff retorted.
Delaney said nothing. He couldn’t. A feeling of bliss washed over him, and his cock jerked as the scent of roses mixed with raspberries filled his nose. He might not be able to see him, but somewhere in the crowded ballroom was his other half. Helplessly he glanced over at Idris, and his best friend read his face perfectly.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” he said just above a whisper. His bluish-purple gaze was full of wonder.
Not able to speak, Delaney nodded.
Mac’s smile was as gorgeous as the ones Idris and Vadimas wore. Duff was staring bug-eyed, but Delaney ignored him. “Well then, let’s go find him,” Mac said.
His feet refused to budge, so Delaney stood there as if he were stuck in quicksand. Vadimas held out a hand. “This is going to be wonderful. He’ll love you. Your mate’s going to be so proud to have you as his.”
For reasons he didn’t want to delve into, Delaney suddenly had tears threatening. He swallowed them down and slid his palm into Vadimas’s just as he had when he was four. “Are you sure?” he managed. “What if he doesn’t like me?”
“That’s simply not possible,” Vadimas assured him. “Come on now, he’s probably wondering why he’s being mauled by an overly affectionate dragon familiar. We need to rescue him.”
“Yeah, okay,” Delaney said as he tried not to think about all the reasons it was very possible his mate would detest everything he was and what he stood for. Fate decided to answer Idris’s request, so Delaney would walk forward into his future pretending he wasn’t scared shitless.
* * *
“Oh good, there’s your brother,” Irina said as they spotted Vampyr Lord Nikolai Volkov stepping out of the car in front of them. Like Grigori, he resembled their mother with blue eyes so pale they were nearly colorless, thick lashes, and high cheekbones. “Give him a hug, Grigori.”
Grigori chuckled as his older brother embraced him, then did the same to their parents. “Right, because it’s been what, since breakfast since I saw him last?”
“Mother’s still concerned her children will become rivals and spend all their time bickering,” Nikolai remarked.
“Call me ‘Mother’ again and you’ll find yourself in real trouble, mister.”
