5. Dates

The memory of that day would be branded into my soul. Our first kiss. The thing that started it all.

I was packing my things, the stuff Chase had brought me from home to encourage me to wake up, and the couple of outfits he had thought to bring me since I’d woken, when Teárlach finally broached the subject.

Not Abrocaelum and the rejection there, but something much more pressing. Eventually, I’d ask him about it. There was a bigger elephant in the room that needed to be dealt with.

“With you going home…” He was quiet for so long, I didn’t think he could get the words out. I didn’t rush him, just like he never rushed me through any of the physical therapy exercises to rebuild my muscles, or when I struggled to get the words out, my exhaustion playing havoc with my focus. “When will I see you again?”

He had drifted closer to me, seemingly unable to stay away. I knew he was feeling this pull the same as I was. I reached out and snagged his hand. We had been careful not to touch skin to skin before, some sort of unspoken agreement not to cross a line. His skin was soft to the touch, warm and just so right. This felt more intimate than any kiss I’d ever had.

“There’s nothing to say you can’t come with me.”

“But I have a room here.” T frowned. The expression looked so odd on his perfect face. I could look at him all day and not get bored.

“You don’t have to sleep in it, if you don’t want to. Or not alone, at least.” I wondered if he would get my meaning. There was still a language barrier between us where he would misunderstand or not pick up on my more subtle flirting. I found it cute.

Finally, he seemed to understand. “I fear you cannot manage the stairs just yet. They are quite steep.”

A smile flitted across my face. Never had I had to work so hard with someone I wanted to sleep with, and I did want to sleep with T just as soon as my body caught up with my brain. “You could carry me. I assume elves are as strong as shifters,” I teased.

“Stronger.”

As if to demonstrate, T lifted me into his arms princess style. “Shall I carry you like this?”

Now he was getting it. I loved this banter we were falling into. It felt so natural to be playful with Teárlach.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as if it was the most normal thing in the world for me to do. His hair felt like silk against my fingers. I wanted to rest my face against his neck and breathe in his honey and jasmine scent. “I quite like it here.”

My words seemed to break the spell we were under.

Teárlach set me on my feet carefully, checked I had my balance, then stepped away from me, putting distance between us. “I fear it is not appropriate for me to feel as I do for you. We have only known each other for a handful of weeks. You are still recovering.”

This felt so incredibly wrong. Him denying our connection physically hurt, like the stinging of a slap.

“Do you believe in fate?”

He looked at me, an unreadable expression on his beautiful face. “I do. You know I do. What we have between us—“

“Feels like fate.” I reached for him, tangling a strand of his silver-blond hair in my fingers. Tugging on it lightly made him move a step closer. “I know we can’t be fated mates like alphas and omegas are, but… what I’m feeling can’t be ignored.”

Never in my life had I hated being a beta more. All I wanted was for T to be my fated, which was ridiculous because even if I had a different designation, they weren’t fated to other species. We weren’t compatible. It was impossible to have an elf for a mate.

A shifter and an elf couldn’t be a fated match.

“It does,” he agreed. There was another pause. He sighed. “Even if it is not.” Something complicated flitted across his face. His fist clenched and relaxed. “A connection like ours deserves to be explored, does it not?”

“It does,” I echoed.

Another step closer. The air between us became charged.

Teárlach closed the gap between us and leaned down to press his lips to mine in the sweetest first kiss that had ever existed. His lips were warm and smooth against my probably chapped ones. He used just the right amount of pressure for the right length of time. He pulled away, leaving me wanting more.

“We should do this properly,” he said stiffly, a faint blush covering his cheeks.

“Properly?” I asked. My fingers itched to touch my lips just to feel the echo of his kiss.

“We should court.”

“Court?”

T thought for a moment. “Date.” I felt the smile overtake my face. “Take things slowly,” he said warningly as he took me in.

“You are someone to be treasured, Axel.”

A month-long coma apparently meant I was no longer capable of looking after myself, my pack, or my siblings.

As the oldest child, I had prided myself on my ability to keep my siblings in line, alive in Chase’s case, and thriving. Yet, I was nowhere near getting the all clear from Aldrin, James, and the elf, ívarr. I had been home in my rooms for a week, awake for a couple of weeks before that and still everyone seemed to hover over me as if I was about to keel over at any moment! It was damn frustrating.

“I need to get out of here,” I muttered to myself from the safety of my rooms.

Someone knocked on my door.

Without thinking, I groaned. I heard the person chuckle in response and instantly recognized the sound and stood quickly. A dizzy spell nearly landed me back on my ass, so I eased back into my seat and called for Teárlach to enter.

“Are you well?” he asked, taking me in. I had no idea what he saw in me, but he frowned. “Perhaps this can wait for another day.”

“Please,” I begged, “don’t treat me like an invalid.”

Teárlach studied me for a moment, his head slightly cocked. “Alright,” he said slowly, as if going against his instincts. “Then perhaps you would like to get some fresh air with me? We could call it our first date, if you would like.”

“I’d like that a lot.”

When I stood, slower this time and without dizziness, Teárlach held out his arm for me. He did it in such a way it was… charming, not patronizing. It was one of our regular things. He’d done it a lot when I still lived with Dakota.

Each and every time he did it and I accepted, his eyes lit up with delight. When I took the offered arm and rested some of my weight on him, his smile shone so brightly and my heart gave a pang. He was so precious. I enjoyed giving him that small joy. Being closer to him was an added perk.

Together, we sauntered down the stairs towards the kitchens. “Why?” I asked before T cut me off.

“I thought we could have a picnic before it gets too cold to spend much time outside.”

The kitchens were their usual hive of activity, with Winter conducting in the center. He caught us entering and pointed to a basket set to the side. Without a word, he turned back to his tasks, and we were dismissed.

Outside, the air was just on the right side of chilly. The type of fresh air that made you feel rejuvenated and cooled you after some activity. Not that there was a chance of that. I just got the vibe that T was going to keep things strictly PG until he deemed me ready for more R rated shenanigans.

What would it take for him to believe I was ready to feel his touch, to kiss him again?

Frustratingly, we hadn’t kissed since that one epic kiss the day I’d left Dakota’s house. Though we had spent plenty of time together, we just hadn’t gone beyond simple hand-holding.

I wanted to scream at how blue my balls were.

Teárlach led us through the yard to the path that would take us into the forest. There was a well-trodden trail we followed until it came to a clearing.

The leaves had begun to turn, their colors a riot of reds, oranges, and golds. Most were still on their branches and the grass was mercifully dry as T spread the blanket and unpacked the basket.

“Come. Sit. You must be tired.”

I was, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know. Still, I think he caught it as he frowned. To wipe the expression away, I joined him on the blanket.

To change the subject, I asked the question that had been burning in my brain. “Why wouldn’t you let me come to Abrocaelum with you?”

He considered his words as he made a plate for me. The sandwiches were cut into perfect triangles, the fruit all looked juicy, but it could have been ashes he was offering me for all it appealed.

Abrocaelum had loomed between us since the visit to the factory and the tattoo T had put on Dakota. I’d seen the work and offered myself up, but T had declined, wanting to wait until I was stronger before getting inked.

Rejection had stung, and I’d felt it keenly. T had returned from his homeland quieter than I’d ever seen him. Something had happened he had refused to speak about.

“Truthfully? Some of the elves are not… particularly happy that our goddess asked us to assist you. There are…”

“Ones that see us as lesser?” I knew there were still fae that saw shifters as pets. I’d hoped the elves were better.

“Unfortunately, yes. Though they are few and far between,” he rushed to add, “however, I knew you were tired and feared it would make you more susceptible to becoming upset if you overheard something.”

“Okay,” I heard the doubt.

“I am not, and never will be, ashamed of being with you, Axel. You… I… there are no words to express how each second with you brings me unimaginable joy, even when we are doing something so mundane as walking through the woods.”

“And having a picnic?”

T grinned and took a bite of a juicy strawberry. “The fruit tastes so much sweeter because you are near.”

Another bite had the juices clinging to his plump lower lip. I leaned forward and brushed my thumb over it, collecting the sweetness. I licked my thumb. “Hmm, you’re right.”

Heat filled his gaze.

I tried not to smirk, though I was pretty sure I failed.

The air between us fizzled with electricity as T stared at my mouth.

My elf leaned into me and took my mouth in a heated kiss. Gone was the sweet way he’d kissed me before. This was a claiming.

Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him on top of me as I returned his kiss, darting my tongue into his mouth, tasting the remnants of the strawberry.

He was careful not to put all his weight on me as we made out for a while; the minutes stretching until it felt like time had stopped. Still, it felt too soon when he broke away.

A sound of protest left my lips, making Teárlach smile. “Oh, don’t worry Axel, I’m not done with you just yet.”

With a smirk that really worked for him, T kissed a path down my body, pushing my clothes up and out of the way to get at my heated skin. He nuzzled at my groin before meeting my eyes.

“May I?”

All I could do was nod. I couldn’t form a word with how much I wanted his touch, his mouth, anything, on my straining cock.

My wardrobe comprised of sweatpants because of the weight I’d lost, so he had easy access to my dick. It slapped against my stomach, red and rock hard, as Teárlach released me from them. Then he leaned down to lick along the length.

I let out a groan that was loud in the quiet of the clearing. My fingers reached into his long hair and gripped him as he sucked me down.

A possessive side of me reared up at how practiced he was at sucking cock. He took me into his throat and swallowed around me at the same time as he did something to my balls with his magic that had sparks shooting down my spine as my orgasm drew near.

“Close,” I warned as my fingers tangled further into his silky locks.

Teárlach doubled down on his sucking and massaging, lighting me up with pleasure. The very air around us seemed to spark with magic of the palest pink.

“Tee…” I groaned as I came down his throat. He swallowed it all with a blush and a smile. He truly was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, and here, in this moment, he belonged to me.

Gently, T tucked me back into my sweats and righted my clothes before lying next to me, his head on my chest.

“I could…”

“No, thank you. This is all I want,” he said as he snuggled closer.

I smoothed his hair and kissed his head. “Okay. If you’re sure.” I laughed, too fucked out to argue. My eyes closed of their own accord.

“What is it?” I felt him studying my face.

“Now I have to plan a better date than this.”