Page 46 of Bleeding for the Prince
Gwil opened his mouth several times. “I don’t know what to say. I knew your people loved you, but I’d never have thought your mum to be the radical type.”
“Her primary goal is what is best for her people.”
“I’m biased. But I agree with her that you’d make a brilliant king. You’ll probably want to cut back on the fighting with your husband in public, although I’d also say that was justified too.”
He laughed. Gwil was as shocked as he’d been about his mother’s suggestion, but like everything else, seemed to be taking it in his stride. “As you know, my husband situation is a temporary one. Hopefully as short as possible, and we’ll be divorced asap.”
“Penelope offered to walk me down the aisle, that is if you want me to be husband number two and we were to include vampire customs in the ceremony.”
“She did? That sounds all rather supportive for a woman who once sent me a fairy doll with its wings pulled off to warn me not to fuck over her brother.”
Gwil shrugged. “She does have strange ways of showing she cares. Technically, I don’t need anyone to walk me down an aisle, and she thought that you’d prefer her to do it than Solivatus.”
“Like fuck is your sire acting as if he is giving you to me.”
“I don’t think for a minute Solivatus would have even considered it, but I was taking it as a nice gesture from my sister, for a hypothetical event.”
He needed to address this imbalance. “I do owe you an apology about marrying Metra. I know you understand the position I was in, but I didn’t truly appreciate the importanceof marriage to you both as a vampire and from before you were turned. I wrongly assumed you’d understood that making you the Prince’s Beloved put you above a spouse in terms of seniority, and I didn’t appreciate that to non-fae it wouldn’t have the same message.”
“I’m not sure I was that aware of my own feelings towards a marriage either. Only afterwards did it sink in more.” He tapped his collar. “I do appreciate you giving me this. I know the significance, and I know you love me. I shouldn’t have acted out and accused you of settling.”
He picked up Gwil’s hand. “So, while one day, me being king of the Tasharick tribe is still a hypothetical event, you being my second husband through a marriage isn’t. I still want a fae bonding, and you will remain the Prince’s Beloved, but I would like us to have a traditional vampire marriage ceremony as well.”
“Oh, Hyax, I hadn’t thought that was something you’d be interested in. Are you sure? I wouldn’t expect the blood sharing.”
He hadn’t considered what he was letting himself into. “Blood sharing?”
“Yeah, usually part of the wedding night, the spouses have a little sip from each other.” He licked his lips. “I bet you taste sparkly. Never drank fae blood before.”
He found he wasn’t that appalled by the idea of Gwil drinking from him, as long as it wasn’t much. Some of the spells he’d read had an element of bloodletting, and he’d not dismissed those. “We can talk about it nearer to the time.”
Gwil pulled him close. “I love you, and I want to show you just how much.”
Hyax sank into the kiss, their argument forgotten.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“You know I’d rather have you with me, or me not have to go at all,” Hyax said, the residue of the toe-curling kiss he’d been enjoying still causing happy chemicals to dance in Gwil’s brain. Gwil had no interest in attending a boring dinner for the Elementa conferring honours on a few chosen dignitaries for spending a career toadying up to the royal family.
“I might have a bath. You go off to your party, and remember I’m here naked, and wet and slippery.”
“Fucker!”
“Maybe when you get back.”
Hyax stuck his middle finger up as he stepped into a portal, and Gwil blew him a kiss, laughing. He’d been teasing Hyax about him taking a bath, but after flicking through the TV channels, nothing caught his eye, and a soak while reading seemed like a great idea.
He levered himself off the sofa, and all hope of a quiet night disappeared as he heard a cry from the fireplace. “Fang Face!”
“Copperpipe, how nice of you to pop in unannounced,” he said, as Copperpipe rolled onto his rug.
“Doesn’t look like I’m interrupting anything. Is your pretty prince in?”
“No.”
“Hmm. Can you get him? I think he might understand what I have to say better than you.”
Copperpipe and Hyax hadn’t met in person, and Hyax had been happy to keep it that way. “What’s that meant to mean?”
