34. Sephen

Chapter 34

Sephen

I f Sephen's day got any better, he might explode into rainbows. He could hardly believe he had finally had his first kiss, let alone with his dream man, who was also his favorite author.

A knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. He called out for them to enter. It wasn't a surprise when Auslin appeared. "Did Kisano leave already?"

"He did." It was disappointing, but Sephen didn't regret anything.

"Did you talk?"

A blush colored Sephen's cheeks at the memory. "Yeah, we had a great talk."

Auslin sat beside Sephen on his bed. "I'm glad it went well."

"Better than well." Sephen's heart soared as he remembered how wonderful it felt to kiss Kisano.

"Based on your grin, I'm guessing you discovered Kisano reciprocates your crush?"

"I really didn't think it was possible, especially once I learned he was Reskin. And yet…" Sephen trailed off with a delighted squeal.

"What did he say about you realizing he was Reskin?" Auslin asked.

"Can you believe he thought we would be disappointed to find out he was Reskin?" Sephen's voice was full of disbelief. "In what Realm would I ever be disappointed in finding out someone as amazing as him was Reskin?"

"I'm glad you two talked, then."

Sephen couldn't stop himself from grinning. "We did more than just talk." Sephen's blush deepened. "Is it always like that, or was it only because it was my first time?"

Auslin blinked in surprise. "You had sex?"

The question made Sephen laugh. "Oh, I wish!" Auslin's eyebrows raised at his younger brother's reaction. "No, we only kissed, but it was amazing . It made me want things that would get me in trouble with some of the stuffier mages, though."

The latter comment drew a chuckle from Auslin. "You know I've never cared much for their opinions."

"I don't know why I'm so surprised by my reaction. The only good thing about being a mage without magic is having access to so many books in the temple's library."

"I certainly won't discourage you from being with Kisano," Auslin told his brother. "You're perfect for each other."

Sephen leaned back on his hands. "When we first met, it felt like I had known Kisano my whole life. Now that I know he's Reskin, it makes so much sense."

"Love happens quickly for some and slowly for others," Auslin explained. "There's nothing wrong with the two of you finding yours for each other so soon after meeting. It's obviously based on genuine feelings."

"But isn't it weird I would happily be his mate tomorrow if he asked? Not that he would , but you know what I mean."

"Are you seriously asking me if I think it's weird you would eagerly agree to live an eternal life with your dream man in an infinitely expanding library?" Auslin teased. "It would be weirder if you didn't want that."

Sephen laughed before turning serious. "But what if he doesn't want me the same way?"

"I don't think you have to worry about it."

"Or what if he only wants me because he's being swayed by my heat scent?" The thought pained Sephen. "He said he didn't want me to doubt his feelings as being a result of his biological reaction to it, but I find it so hard to believe."

Auslin smiled kindly at his brother. "Why are you doubting him?"

"Because it's too good to be true!"

"It's obvious Kisano's feelings for you are very real," Auslin said with a confidence that Sephen desperately wanted to believe. "You have the rest of your heat while you're here to think about what you want from him."

"I want him." Sephen felt the urge all the way to the core of his soul. "I want him in sexy ways I've only read about in books."

Thankfully, Auslin didn't laugh at Sephen. "Kisano almost certainly feels the same way."

The thought made a bubble of warmth rise inside Sephen. "I hope so."

"As Kizoshi always says, everything will work out how it's supposed to," Auslin assured his brother. "There's no one other than Kisano I would trust with your heart."

"The only person who would come close to measuring up would be Liros. But there's no way the Knowledge Power would ever be interested in me that way." Despite that, it still made Sephen giddy to know the deity approved of him. "It's enough to know he's aware I exist."

"Maybe someday you'll get to meet him, too."

Sephen's gaze turned dreamy. "Oh, could you imagine him co-authoring a book with Reskin because Liros is friends with Kizoshi? Maybe a book written by my two dream men isn't as far-fetched as I originally thought." Was it weird the idea excited Sephen intellectually and sexually? He could only imagine how embarrassed Kisano would be by Sephen's fantasy.

Auslin chuckled. "I never rule anything out when Kizoshi is involved."

"She really is nothing like I imagined. I assumed I'd be terrified of her, but instead, I want to hug her and listen to all her stories about Liros and Sophina, along with adorable ones about Kisano when they were growing up." It was perhaps the biggest shock of all.

Auslin's smile was full of fondness for the War Power. "There's no one quite like her. I'll forever be grateful she's on our side. If she didn't approve of us being with her brothers, I doubt we'd survive her wrath."

"It's so hard to picture her being that angry when she's so nice."

"Trust me, I've seen how she deals with the people she hates. You do not want to end up on her bad side. But I don't think we have anything to worry about. All she wants is for her brothers to be happy, and no one makes them happier than us, right?"

The thought filled Sephen with joy. "I sure hope so."

"On that note, I need to go take care of a few things." Auslin stood up from the bed. "I'll leave you to your reading."

"Thanks for checking on me." Sephen had lucked out to have the best older brother ever. It was still shocking to find out he was a half-Power, but it only made Auslin more remarkable in Sephen's eyes.

"That's what brothers are for." Auslin gave him a hug before leaving.

Left alone again, Sephen's thoughts returned to Kisano. Remembering their passionate kisses made Sephen's body flush with heat as his desire stirred. No wonder Auslin enjoyed being with shifters so much. It had been so sexy running his tongue against Kisano's fangs.

He ached for so much more than they had been allowed to do. In the privacy of his mind, the memories of being with Kisano played out into full-blown fantasies about what would have happened if they hadn't stopped at simple kisses. Imagining Kisano trailing his fangs against Sephen's skin made his cock harden.

The temple mages preached about the importance of living lives free of wants, but Sephen's entire life had been about pursuing the desire for more knowledge, especially through the philosophical teachings of Reskin and Liros. He wanted to own all the books, even though it contradicted their preaching about forgoing all forms of pleasure.

But now, Sephen craved a different desire. Kisano had awakened a lust which refused to abate in his absence. It drove Sephen to pull down his breeches so he could free his aching hardness. After a lifetime of being alone, he wasn't a stranger to touching himself. Normally, he fantasized about meeting his two idols. But now he knew Reskin was Kisano, it allowed him to put a face to his previous fantasies.

He jerked off as he pictured Kisano exploring his body. But Sephen wasn't content with kisses and touches alone. Although he had no experience in being intimate with anyone, Sephen could easily picture what it would be like if Kisano entered him to reach new heights of pleasure.

Sephen bit his lower lip to hold in the whimpers that wanted to escape him. He was probably breaking some rules of decorum by imagining Kisano making love to him, but he couldn't stop touching himself while fantasizing about arching under the shifter with breathy pleas for more.

His hand picked up the pace when he thought about Kisano stroking his cock while thrusting into him. He wondered what it would feel like to have the shifter come inside him. It triggered Sephen's climax, hitting him hard as he came with a muffled moan.

It probably was wrong to take such liberties with Kisano in his mental theatre, but Sephen couldn't feel guilty about something so amazing.