Page 90 of Distinctly Daray
“I firmly expected Keegan to be more upset than you,” Phillip told a fuming Victor.
The cat shifter hopped to his feet and planted his hands on his hips. “This is totally unacceptable, and my kitty is pissed.”
Happy that he no longer had a secret from his mates and that his dragon had calmed thanks to Keegan’s return, Phillip dared to smile. “Perhaps we could offer a way to soothe your kitty’s rage?”
“Go get in bed, Spicy, and we’ll negotiate,” Victor retorted.
Keegan flew from the sofa so swiftly he nearly stumbled and dove onto the mattress. Throw pillows flew across the room thanks to his quick fingers.
“You’re both going to promise me you’ll stay safe,” Victor stated firmly.
“You have my vow I will protect myself and Keegan,” Phillip replied.
“Thank you. Now, take off your clothes.”
Phillip grinned and rose to do as Victor had ordered.
Chapter 30
It was rare for Victor to be filled with dread, but those days were usually associated with visits to the Antonovs, and today was no exception. This was no regular visit. He was in the car with Keegan and Phillip as he turned onto the residential street where his parents lived. Since it was Sunday, the entire Antonov family would be in attendance.
Victor wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse. Either the chaos would keep the attacks from getting too personal or the entire family would voice their opposition to his future matebond with two men. It was pessimistic for Victor to assume that he lacked their support, but they hadn’t given him any reason to believe they were suddenly accepting of homosexuality.
Which really begged the question of why Victor was putting himself—and, more importantly, the two men he loved—in their direct line of fire. His kitty wasn’t happy about it. From the moment he’d put on his shoes, the beast had been growling in his head. That was highly unusual for his cat, but Victor understood.
His instinct was to protect and defend. Victor was afraid his family would insult Keegan and Phillip, and that fear had bled over to his cat. Unlike Victor, who preferred to avoidconfrontation, his beast was ready to jump into anyone’s face if they dared hurt Phillip or Keegan’s feelings.
But for as long as Victor could remember, it’d been drummed into his head to honor and obey his parents. He supposed that was the lone reason he was entertaining the possibility that things could work out between his mates and his family. If Victor was any less loyal to the Antonovs, he probably would’ve cut ties with them decades ago.
Victor tapped the brake, and the car rolled to a stop in front of the modest home of the elder Antonovs. After turning the vehicle off, Victor sat motionless for a few precious seconds to gather his courage and to assure his cat that neither of their mates would be harmed.
“You have sufficiently prepared us to expect the worse,” Phillip stated softly, grabbing one of Victor’s hands and kissing his cheek.
“Yeah, Sparkles, we aren’t expecting them to break out the champagne and immediately toast our relationship,” Keegan added from the backseat.
“I can’t believe I’ve brought you both here,” Victor responded.
“Perhaps it is because, on some level, you still seek their approval,” Phillip suggested.
“I suppose I do. I guess I always have. But I’m old enough now to know it’s not likely that I’ll ever get it.”
“You said they honor Fate, and you’re their son. Maybe they’ll surprise you,” Keegan remarked.
Victor glanced in the rear-view mirror to see the shining optimism in Keegan’s big brown eyes. “I love you, Sunshine.”
“I love you too,” Keegan replied immediately.
“Today, I think we should all borrow Keegan’s sunniness and walk into the house with confidence. Things may not go well, but nothing will change the fact that we love each other.And next week we will stand in the memorial garden at D’Vaire to bind our blood,” Phillip said.
“Which means Victor will finally be immortal,” Keegan enthused.
Victor gasped, then laughed. “Oh, you guys, I forgot to tell you. I have a little secret. I’m already immortal.”
“How is that possible?” Phillip asked. “I have done extensive research on shifters, and few of them have immortality. Russian Blue cats are not among those that do.”
Amused, Victor smiled and turned to face both his mates. “You have to keep this confidential, but many years ago, Sorcery D’Vaire was unintentionally created when they banded together to help Idris complete his final project to gain his High Arcanist title. They found an old scroll written by ancient warlocks about a potion called Immortalis. While they told the Spectra Wizardry and the world it was impossible to craft it because there weren’t enough living warlocks, they figured out how to get around that problem. Each sorcerer involved—including Chand—sacrificed a tiny sliver of their souls to make it. I was approved to drink it. Not even the Antonovs know; I was asked not to tell them.”
High Arcanist Idris D’Vaire was one of the vastly accomplished wizards who made up a panel to advise and aid the rulers of the Spectra Wizardry. He was also one of the kindest people Victor knew. Ironically, Victor hadn’t known it at the time, but he’d been present at the start of the Immortalis project. He’d been asked by Chander to help Idris and others organize a private room in the Spectra Library. It was in that cluttered space that the scroll about the life-extending potion was discovered.
