Chapter 17

Seventeen

" O h, no you don't!" Bryn snatched Everly's wrist before he could slide out of the bed. The sun had just begun to creep over the horizon but Bryn wasn't ready to rise yet. At least, not like that. He was hard and itching to bury his bone in Everly's slick behind before they faced the day and all the questions Merlin and Nox were bound to ask.

"I have to pee! For real this time," Everly promised when Bryn huffed out a dubious snort.

He released Everly and gave the base of his hard-on a squeeze. "Don't make me chase you."

"I won't!" Everly jumped onto the bed a few minutes later, pouncing on top of Bryn and making him laugh as they rolled.

They kissed as they kicked away the covers, giggling and winding each other up until Everly was on top, straddling Bryn. "Ride me to heaven and back, Ev," he whispered as he cradled his cheek.

Everly nodded and his smile was beatific as he reached behind him, wiggling until everything was lined up and taking Bryn to the hilt. His teeth dug into his lower lip and his eyes crossed as he set off at a slow, rocking bounce.

"You're so, so deep, Bryn," he panted dreamily. His head bobbled loosely, each hop punctuated with the sweetest moan as Everly rode Bryn's cock.

"That's right, baby. I'm so deep and you feel so good, so wet."

Bryn's shaft was wrapped in slick heat, the lush softness of Everly's core dripping and getting wetter with each sultry slide. His hands were planted on Bryn's sternum as his ass slap, slap, slapped and the beat got faster and faster. The room grew warmer as the sun spilled through the window and their strangled swears and gasps filled the air.

Time had practically stopped for Everly and their friends on this side of the veil, but it had been a hard night for Bryn and Arawn after the anti-Everly was defeated. They had searched the Nothing for any lost souls and the run to Annwn and back had been long. It had been Everly and this that had given Bryn a boost when he was tired. And he finally understood how Arawn had grown larger and even stronger over the last quarter of a decade.

Why hadn't Bryn guessed that it was Arawn's love for Fletcher making him stronger, when so much of their power came from their love for each other? That was why Arawn had encouraged Bryn to find his other soulmate, so he could start pulling his spectral weight if they ever had to face a serious challenger. They'd had a close call in the Nothing and had almost been outmatched, but Everly had shown everyone just how strong love could be in the face of crushing darkness.

"I love you so much, Ev," Bryn said, tracing his cheek and dragging a knuckle up Everly's erection. It twitched and precum flicked from the head as he shivered and hummed in delight. Every soft note a siren's song, captivating Bryn as Everly grew brighter and dewier above him.

"I love you, Bryn. I love you, I love you, I love you!" He was intoxicating, drugging Bryn as intense pleasure throbbed from his cock, radiating down his limbs and up his spine.

Bryn guided Everly's hand around his hard-on. "Touch yourself for me, Ev. I want to watch you fly."

"Fly!" Everly nodded as he stroked quickly, his hand a blur as he rode faster and faster. "Oh, Bryn! I'm—!" His head fell back, his chest heaving as cum spilled over his fist and Everly looked and sounded like an angel as he sang Bryn's name.

He pulled Bryn into ecstasy, blinded by glorious light as golden heat rolled from his core and cum pumped from his shaft, deep in Everly's ass. Bryn was delirious, kissing Everly and babbling his love and gratitude.

"Never, ever leave me, Ev. Say you'll stay with me," he whispered once they had caught their breath and their bodies had cooled. "I have a house not far from where I found you that first night. But we could get a place up here if you want to be closer to Nox and Merlin. It doesn't matter to me and Arawn. He has Fletcher and I've been a third wheel for a while now," he explained and gave Everly a moment to consider.

He nodded. "I'd like that. Nox and Merlin might need me in the future," he added with a sly smile.

"Not as much as I'll need you," Bryn teased, then chased Everly from the bed and into the shower.

They flirted and got off again before dressing and heading down to tell everyone their good news. Arawn was the most pleased, but there were cheers all around and Merlin insisted on opening champagne.

Fletcher cleared his throat and reached for Arawn's hand. "I've been thinking… It's almost time for me to retire," he noted with a lift of his brows at Arawn. He nodded, beaming at Fletcher, making him wince. "Can't see myself taking up golf, though. If you think you might have room for an old man on the team," he offered Merlin, Nox, and Nelson.

That got a hard snort out of Merlin. "You're still a lad by my standards and you are in curiously good shape for your age. I don't think that's an accident either," he said and Fletcher's eyes narrowed.

"What are you getting at?"

Merlin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Nelson and I aren't immortal the way the twins are, we'll begin to age if we stray too far from our heart and our purpose: Nox. I suspect the same might be true for you, Fletcher. You could live a very long, healthy, and happy life if you stay close to Arawn and Bryn."

Bryn traded stunned glances with Arawn and Fletcher. "Looks like we're stuck with him," Bryn said despite his incredible joy. The thought of eventually losing him and seeing how lonely Arawn would be without Fletcher had stopped Bryn from finding his own soulmate.

But fate had a very special mate in mind for Bryn and their family had grown dramatically in just a few short weeks. He was glad to be so wrong about Nox and Merlin and grateful to them for helping Bryn find his purpose.

"Everly and I were thinking we'd look for a place up here," Bryn said and the way Everly lit up and giggled told him they'd made the right decision. There was nothing for Everly back in Roanoke and they were both ready for a fresh start.

"Would you be interested in a charming brick and stone Tudor in Silver Spring?" Nox asked, giving Bryn an excited nudge. "It's on a gorgeous lot and almost hidden by trees, just around the corner from the Costas. I'd love to have someone I can trust there to keep an eye on Tony and his mom."

"That's just a few minutes from Bippity Boppity Books!" Merlin added.

Everly grabbed Bryn's hand, tugging urgently. "Can we go see it!"

"As soon as we can get the keys," Bryn replied, setting off cheers and whistles.

There was some shock at how quickly everything was happening, but Bryn didn't have any doubts or reservations. His soul belonged with Everly's as much as it belonged with Arawn's.

And Bryn knew that he and Everly had found their home when Nox tossed him the keys in the driveway.

"Celia's nephew and Tony's favorite cousin is the listing agent so we were able to borrow those for a private tour."

"It looks like a cottage from a fairy tale!" Everly whispered to Bryn as he unlocked the front door.

Bryn thought so too, with a garden in the front yard and plenty of trees for shade and privacy. Inside, the original floors, trim, and Deco bathrooms had been beautifully restored and in the back, there was a large deck and a shady yard with a hammock. The kitchen was perfect for cooking big meals with Arawn and Fletcher and there were plenty of parks and trails close by for running.

By far, Bryn's favorite feature and selling point was the study. It was already very close, but with a little paint, a few more shelves, and the right desk and sofa, Everly could have a replica of Nox's study. There, he could start a butterfly collection, learn more about witchcraft, and possibly write the air fryer guide he said he had dreamed of publishing.

He had too many offers to choose from as a veteran medic with a glowing resume, but Bryn was over the moon about a modest job at an occult bookstore. Under Howard's gentle care, Everly could thrive and excel. Like Howard, Everly was kind and patient and cherished learning. Neither were all that concerned with making money and the shop and its inventory were insured against just about anything Everly could manage.

Like Nox, Bryn felt obliged to look out for Howard and the Costas and was honored to be entrusted with their care and friendship. Bryn understood how much they meant to Nox and suspected that they had been asked to look out for him and Everly in return.

That was how a good god worked, Bryn was learning. Not with grand displays of power or acts of divinity or by leading a Hunt. It was through opening minds, touching hearts, and caring for the less fortunate and vulnerable. He was healing the community around him one friend, family, small business at a time while creating a gentle, loving army of caring, selfless warriors to spread his message.

And his message was so simple and so subtle that it was easy to miss, yet so universally appealing and desperately needed in all parts of the globe: let love win. The size of a person's bank account, where they lived, or how many followers they had—online or in the pews—didn't determine where their soul ended up in the afterlife.

Love, shared from one generation to the next as memories and cherished mementos, was what made you truly immortal. Legacies were built from acts of kindness, rippling from one neighbor's hand to another's, fortifying communities and providing hope in times of darkness, not iron fists. For who truly remembered the cruel and mourned their passing?

Great men were often praised for their gentler acts. But when a gentle man stood up, he was even greater. It was far easier to succumb to cynicism and hopelessness and to harden and turn bitter. Kindness, generosity, loyalty… Survival and success often stripped men of those "softer" instincts, but it took true grit and strength to remain gentle and embrace optimism.

That was Nox's definition of Purpose and it was so much more fulfilling than the naked hunger for glory and justice that had driven Bryn before he had come to Georgetown. Bryn had thought he was worthy before, but he had merely been expendable. He may have been devoted to the task he'd been given, but there were no stakes for Bryn and he had nothing of his own to fight for until he found Everly.

There was so much more to the world and life than ferrying souls and Bryn was finally living . He had turned his nose up at Nox and Merlin for loving their very typical lives. But that was where you learned true magick and found precious, wondrous things to protect and uphold. It was all well and good to do the right thing and protect the innocent, but it was posturing and empty virtue unless you actually loved the innocent and understood who you were doing the right thing for.

Bryn was shaking as he stood on the back deck, picturing barbecues with Arawn and Fletcher and evenings in the hammock stargazing with Everly. Not because he was scared of commitment or rushing and making a mistake, but because he was finally real. Bryn was no longer passing as a normal man with a full and typical life.

Before, his condo was a facade and his co-workers believed he was a workaholic and a fanatical runner. His doctor brothers were just another element of Bryn's human disguise. But now, Bryn had his own soulmate and they would have a home . He had a large family that made him stronger and happier .

If you would have told Bryn that he could be happy, he would have told you to grow up or fuck off because he had bigger and better things to worry about than his own happiness. But Bryn had also learned that an unhappy man like Huge Douchebag could be dangerous, and he could do unspeakable harm by exploiting the pain and anger of one very unhappy child.

As powerful as Everly's love and gentleness were, he still needed a family of strong protectors to guard him. That much good would always attract evil and offend the corrupt. The anti-Everly was gone, but there was no telling what Huge Douchebag was planning or what else he had created. And a being with as much good magick as Everly would always be a threat to him.

Nox wasn't done with Hugh Dùbhghlas either and Bryn suspected that was another reason he'd suggested the house in Silver Spring. Everly and Bryn would have their sylvan sanctuary on the outskirts of the Beltway, but they were still close to Nox and Bippity Boppity Books in case of an emergency.

"I think it's perfect! What do you think?" Everly said, sliding the patio door shut behind him and reaching for Bryn.

They held each other, taking in the quiet afternoon and the shady peace of their new home. "This is exactly what I want," Bryn stated as he wrapped an arm around Everly and tipped back his chin. He kissed him, cherishing the softness and warmth of Everly's lips and how perfect he felt in Bryn's arms. "This is what I've been hunting for my entire life, not glory. I thought I was answering my duty by seeking souls, but I was waiting for a changeling."