Page 6 of Searching for the Prince
“No date’s been set. I said I wouldn’t agree to anything until I’d spoken to you.” He pulled Gwil close, pressing their foreheads together. “I don’t want to marry him, but I don’t have a choice.”
Gwil cupped his jaw. “I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I love you too. Gwil. If I could prevent this, I would. I’d renounce my title and give up the fae realm for you, but that would leave my people at risk of war with the Elementa.”
“How? Because you refused a forced marriage?” Gwil seemed horrified.
“No, it’s more than the arrangement, they’ve somehow been made aware of the disappearance of the Stone of Ljin, and my perceived allegiance to the vampires rather than the fae. The marriage will be a sign of solidarity.”
Gwil let out a choked sob. “What will happen to us? I know I’m not considered important by your parents, but will they make you give me up?”
Hyax had thought Gwil might be incensed and angry, and he’d not expected this reaction. “You know the fae customs allow me to have others beside a spouse. They know how important you are to me. I will insist you’re given the title of Prince’s Beloved, so this isn’t whether I give you up, but whether you can stand to stay with me.”
“What? You think I want to leave you? Hyax, I love you, and I’d do anything to be with you. I know you don’t want to marry Metra, and I won’t let you face this alone.”
Hyax crashed their lips together. He loved this man, no one had ever come close to Gwil, and that he was thinking of Hyax rather than himself made his affection even stronger. Whatever happened he would find a way to keep Gwil at his side, and no one would mistake him for anything other than the most important person in Hyax’s world.
CHAPTER THREE
Gwil lay awake, his head pillowed on Hyax’s chest. The beating of Hyax’s heart comforting as he tried not to think about the bombshell his boyfriend had dropped. For all Hyax’s talk of his parents eventually accepting their relationship, he’d always doubted he would get to marry Hyax, and now his self-fulfilling prophecy was coming true. As it stood, they were in limbo, no date had been set and no contract terms for Hyax’s marriage to Metra agreed but given everything Hyax had explained about the politics involved it wouldn’t be long before the pieces were put into place. Lying here, curled up with Hyax, he let himself forget about everything else.
His mobile began to vibrate on the nightstand, he ignored it. If whatever the caller wanted was important, they’d leave a message or try later. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to clients about attics haunted by spectral squirrels, or poltergeists sabotaging gender reveal parties, both open cases he had no headspace for right now.
Hyax stirred as Gwil’s mobile began to vibrate for a second time. Gwil grabbed it to see who was calling and whether it could be ignored. He sat bolt upright as he saw the caller-ID, somehowhis phone recognising the number when Gwil was sure he’d never received a call from them before on these contact details.
He accepted the call. “Solivatus?”
“Gwil, long time no hear.”
Hyax stared at him and Gwil shook his head—he was none the wiser than Hyax at this point. He’d not heard directly from his sire in years, and that had corresponded with another situation with his love life. He wasn’t sure how to answer, he’d always had a deference to Solivatus, which was pretty common for vampires and their sires, and had no clue why he would be contacting him now.
“Is there something wrong?”
“A car is on its way. I’m at Flume’s, bring your fairy prince with you—I’ve a job for you both.”
The call disconnected before Gwil could answer and he stared at the screen of his mobile as if hoping it would reveal more secrets.
“What’s going on?” Hyax demanded.
“All I know is he’s sending a car to take us to Flume’s. He’s asked me to bring you, but if you’d rather not you can stay here, and I’ll handle it.”
Hyax threw back the duvet. “Like fuck would I let you go on your own. You’re in a vulnerable state at the moment, there’s no telling what Solivatus might demand of you.”
They’d only had the briefest of conversations about Gwil and his sire, the sexual thrill he’d experienced after being turned and the times they’d met since. Their encounters hadn’t been meaningless to Gwil, but they weren’t some great love affair. He wasn’t pining after Solivatus or feeling he’d been abandoned like some Austen-esque maiden.
“I’m not going to let him fuck me,” Gwil said as calmly as he could manage.
Hyax bristled. “From the little that you’ve told me, every time you’ve seen him, he’s had you on your back.”
Gwil bit down hard on his tongue and managed to stop the reply about him not being the one who was going to marry his ex. “I don’t appreciate what you’re insinuating. I’m with you, I’m not going to shag someone else.”
“You might not have that intent, but he might, and he could use his thrall.”
Hyax was being a twat, but he didn’t have time for his bullshit. “If fucking me was his end goal, I doubt he would have asked you to join us.”
Solivatus might have thought he stood a chance of a threesome with a pretty fae prince. He had a reputation for doing far more adventurous things than playing with more than one person at a time, but Gwil thought if Solivatus wanted to hook up he wouldn’t be shipping them out to Flume’s house for the pleasure.
Hyax huffed. “I’m sorry. I’m being an arsehole. Just everything with Metra, and now Solivatus turning up, all has me unsettled.”
