Page 85 of D'Vaire or Nothing
“Mavi, I can’t start my job by making demands or asking for special treatment. I have no reason for wanting to go to a different spot other than I don’t want to talk to people. That doesn’t make me sound like a pleasant employee.”
“Do you remember when we were little and Momma would ask us if we made new friends at school?”
“Yes, she’d get flustered if we told her we didn’t need friends because we had each other.”
“Maybe we should’ve made some damn friends so we’d be in a Tristis home right now scrubbing floors,” Mavizare muttered.
They sat in silence, both contemplating the future they had to face in a few minutes as Mavizare drove them to their destiny. Neither twin was naturally outgoing, and they preferred the comforts of their quiet home. But Seltivare also knew that he and Mavizare wanted mates. It was too bad they didn’t show up at the front door of their house instead of Seltivare’s entire life being thrown into chaos thanks to his mother’s fear that the twins would spend eternity alone.
Mavizare pulled into the employee lot, and they turned to each other wearing matching frowns.
“This sucks,” Mavizare said.
“Yes, let’s get it over with,” Seltivare replied.
With plenty of grumbled curses, the twins clambered out of the vehicle. But as they stepped closer to the resort, they slapped smiles on their faces and straightened their shoulders. Their parents had infused them with pride in themselves as employees, and they would not let the resort down despite their dislike of their current situation.
Right before they crossed the threshold into the vast building, Mavizare tugged Seltivare into his arms and squeezed him tightly.
“Have a good day. Text me on your breaks.”
“You too. Don’t go out to the car tonight by yourself. Wait for me.”
“It’ll be dark, I’m not going out there alone.”
“Good,” Seltivare said. He kissed his brother’s cheek, and they entered the resort. They waved goodbye and headed in opposite directions to start their workdays. Each member of the team had a locker, but Seltivare had yet to put anything in his, so he bypassed visiting it. Instead, he went to a room outside it where his supervisor was already waiting.
Along with the other people assigned to his shift, Seltivare was given a brief reminder of their tasks and the need to be professional. The resort wasn’t open to the public yet. Instead, the dragon Emperors had invited their large extended family, and everyone in the Council of Sorcery and Shifters was aware of the D’Vaire name.
There was a lone Draconis High Court, and it was ruled by the two High Kings D’Vaire. Their family was a network of some of the most illustrious names in the Council. And they would all be in the resort until Monday. Seltivare was terrified of offending any of them, so he intended to do his job as discreetlyas possible. His mother had encouraged him to be outgoing, but that was too bad.
The spades group was sent out to perform their tasks, and Seltivare was handling garbage cans first. Since their guests were checking in and hadn’t had time yet to dirty anything, let alone fill an entire trash receptacle, he grabbed a little broom and dustpan on his way to the casino so he could pick up any stray litter.
Hours passed as Seltivare kept his head low, mumbled greetings to people’s feet, and swept up imaginary debris from the gorgeous pattern on the casino carpet. His trips to the garden were taken with as much speed as possible, so he didn’t linger too long. There were so many beautiful creations, and Seltivare was enamored of flowers. But he wasn’t being paid to admire the work of famed the gardeners—Drindyr Duke Dravyn D’Vairedraconis and his mate and ruler of the Circle of Druids, Killian the Dwyer.
As his shift dragged on, Seltivare took another trip into the garden to check the trash cans. Nothing could’ve prepared him for what happened next. Elves lacked sexuality until Fate paired them, so Seltivare was at first appalled by his dick hardening in his sturdy work pants. But then the sweet-and-spicy clove-like scent of azaleas filled his senses.
His mate was nearby.
Seltivare stepped around a flowering tree and found a druid-jaguar hybrid in a suit standing there with his mouth slack. He was blond, and unlike Seltivare’s loose layers, the man’s tresses were tidy and combed away from his handsome face. Lured by the lovely smell and beauty of his other half, Seltivare stepped closer and noted his pale brown eyes had a circle of green at the edges.
They were roughly the same height at five-foot-seven, and Seltivare’s heart thudded in a rapid staccato as he wonderedif this man had some title he was supposed to recognize. His parents had told him to pay more attention to politics, but what did Seltivare care about that when there were flowers to be grown?
“Hello,” the hybrid offered softly.
“Hi.”
Another man charged into the garden. “Hey, Ashby, are you going to the bar with us?”
Seltivare’s eyes bugged. The Circle of Druids was the exception to Seltivare’s rule of skipping politics. Druids grew stuff and Seltivare did too, so he’d memorized everything he could about them. Ashby. A druid-jaguar hybrid. The man Fate had chosen for him was Bard Ashby D’Vaire, and he had been given his title by Killian the Dwyer.
“Go without me, Sorrel, I’ll catch up with you later,” Ashby said. There were two bards in the Circle of Druids, and Ashby had just declined an invitation from Bard Sorrel Valonia.
“Okay, see you soon,” Sorrel responded with a wave as he left the garden.
“Excuse me, Bard D’Vaire, I need to attend to my duties,” Seltivare said once he was alone with Ashby again.
“Please call me Ashby. What’s your name?”
