21. Blaise

Toby and I weren't the only ones who'd realised the ramifications of our actions.

All the demons flipped instantly into protective mode, taking their mates into their arms and flying all of us back to The Closet.

River was bitching at Mori that he didn't need protection, which was true, as he'd proven earlier. Honestly, I kind of wished I'd had a camera to capture the look on everyone's faces as they'd realised just how powerful my twin was.

I'd never envied River for being more powerful than me. Don't get me wrong, I could still pack a punch, but it was nothing compared to what River was capable of.

No, I'd never envied him for that.

But the way Mori held him tighter in response to his protests before putting him on the bar and kissing his nose?

That, I envied him for.

While all the others were grabbing drinks, I followed Toby to the door that led to his flat. "Everyone has clicked then."

"Yep." Toby sighed as he climbed the stairs. "As soon as Hell realises we are effectively trapping all demons there, they will come after us, all guns blazing. It won't be just the Uprising to contend with, but every demon both topside and downstairs."

I couldn't help myself—I snorted. Then a small giggle escaped.

Toby stopped at his door, whirling to face me. "Is there something funny about having just kicked off a possible apocalypse?"

"Obviously not." I was probably going to pay for this sass later, but that sounded fun. "Anyway, we didn't kick it off, the Uprising did that by fucking around with the fault lines in the first place. If we hadn't intervened, it would've happened regardless."

"Hmm." Toby pursed his lips. "Then what were you laughing about?"

"All guns blazing?"

He shook his head cluelessly.

I pointed at myself with my thumbs, giving him a cheeky grin. "Well, give me a gun and we will also have all guns blaising."

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before giving a rueful chuckle. "I walked right into that one."

"Blame my parents for giving me and River stupid names."

Toby opened his door, leading the way in. "They are particularly pun-tastic. I assume that's where River gets his love of dad jokes from?"

"Yup." I sat on a stool. "I'm not quite as bad, but I could pun with the best of them before…"

I didn't need to answer, the sympathetic squeeze of Toby's hand on my neck telling me he understood. "I'm glad it's something you can do now. Were you close to your parents?"

A fond smile tugged at my lips. "Very. Dad was spontaneous and fun, always leading us off on new adventures, while Mum was the anchor who kept the ship steady."

"When did they die?"

I swallowed hard. "Sixty-eight years ago. Another clan attacked while River and I were overseas."

"I'm so sorry."

I nodded, brushing away a stray tear. "I've grieved them, but it's still hard, you know? I miss them."

I wish they could've met you.

"You're allowed to move on, but that doesn't mean you forget," Toby said gently, stroking my face. "That's the message I'm trying to get you to accept with Bailey. You don't need to pretend it never happened, but you do need to move on."

I could only repeat what I'd told him earlier. "I'm trying."

"I know." He pressed a kiss to the back of my knuckles. "And I want to hear more about your family later, but now we need to get downstairs before carnage breaks loose."

"Why did we come up here anyway?"

Toby disappeared into his bedroom, returning with a massive roll of paper under his arm. "To get this. It's a map showing every fault line."

I eyed it warily. "You think we're going to come out of this unscathed?"

Toby kissed my shoulder as he walked past. "We can try, Blaise. That's all we can ever do."

The plan was simple—to close all fault lines as fast as possible, in the hope that we'd complete the mission before Hell caught on.

Once Toby had extracted enough blood from Dagon, Dimitri, and Lucky, the vials and fault lines were distributed. Even Sebastian had popped back up, grabbing several vials and a list of locations.

Now, Toby and I were on his private jet. He'd volunteered to take nearer ones, arguing he could fly there. I'd then suggested they give me ones geographically close to him, so we could tackle two at a time.

His response to my suggestion had been…unexpected. He hadn't been pleased about me going with him. Hours had passed and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I was sat in one of the most luxurious airplane seats I'd ever experienced, yet I'd never been more uncomfortable.

"Okay," Toby said eventually. "Bedroom."

I raised a brow. "This thing has a bedroom?"

Toby smiled, but there was no amusement there. "What kind of private jet doesn't have a bedroom?"

I got to my feet and followed him down the short corridor. After Toby informed the sweet stewardess that we weren't to be disturbed, he locked the door and looked at me. "Strip."

I did as he instructed, trying to ignore the bobbing sensation as the plane hit a patch of turbulence. The knowledge that a plane crash wouldn't be enough to permanently kill either of us went a long way to preventing any anxiety, but never having had wings of my own, I couldn't say I was a fan of the sensation.

When I was naked, I looked at my Dom expectantly.

"On the bed. I want you on your back, hands behind your head."

I did as he asked, watching hungrily as Toby began to strip. My cock twitched against my leg as my blood rushed south.

"Now, we will be getting to your reward," Toby said, now fully naked. Oh fuck. With everything that'd happened in the meantime, I'd forgotten what he'd promised me earlier.

"Option two, you come with me. You don't have to participate, just be in the room. Then, when we get home, I'll tie you to my bed and ride you."

"But first, there's a couple of things I'd like us to discuss."

I scowled up at Master as he straddled my waist. "Discuss?"

"Yep." He leaned over me, his nipple temptingly close to my lips. I hadn't been given permission though, so I figured I'd better behave. "Lift your hands for me."

I didn't know where Toby had got the rope from, but from the deft way he was weaving it around my wrists, he knew what he was doing with it.

Of course he does. You're just one of countless subs, remember?

A sour taste filled my mouth. Yeah, I fucking remembered. It didn't mean I had to like it though.

Toby tugged on the ropes then glanced down at me. "Comfy?"

I pulled on them. There was no give, but they weren't tight enough to cause discomfort. "Yep."

"Good. They are flame retardant, so if you start to get…hot and bothered, they should hold. Obviously if you let go of all your power, they won't survive."

"Neither will the plane."

He booped my nose before sitting up. "Good point. You'd best keep control of it then, hadn't you?"

I rolled my eyes. I might let the sparks and flames fly sometimes, but I hadn't fully lost control in decades. "I'll be fine."

Toby's smirk turned wicked. "That's what you say now."

He hopped off, returning with two things in his hands—a bottle of lube and something that looked suspiciously like a prostate massager. "Before we get to the reward part, there's a few things we need to clear up. I'm going to use these to help me. Remember, you can safe-word at any time. Doing so won't affect you getting your reward."

"Okay…" My tone was suspicious as Toby lubed up my cock and the massager before putting it to one side.

Kneeling between my legs, he pushed on the insides of my thighs. "Spread them wide for me, pretty boy."

I did as he asked with a blush. As soon as I felt the slick of his tongue against my hole, that blush deepened.

Within moments, I was writhing on the bed, my arms straining against the ropes. In the back of my mind, I was careful to not use all my strength. The last thing I wanted was to ruin my master's ropes.

"There's a good boy." He pressed a final filthy kiss against my hole. "Let's get you prepped. Relax for me."

I gasped as his lubed fingers slid deep inside me, his mouth having eased his way. "Yes, Master."

All I could think as Toby worked me open and slid the toy inside, was how was this not part of the reward? It was stopping me fully relaxing into it. I'd been Toby's sub long enough to know there was generally a second intention behind things. The fact that he'd said we'd get to the reward part, meant he had something specific in mind.

I moaned, my feet scrabbling on the bed as the toy pressed against my prostate.

"Looks like we've got the right place," Master said, sitting on my stomach. His nimble fingers started to tease my nipples, twisting and flicking the small nubs until I was panting. "Colour?"

"Green," I moaned. "Please, Master."

Toby smirked, his hand going around my throat as he bent over to whisper in my ear. "As much as I love to hear you beg, there's something else I need to hear from you first."

A warning bell rang dimly in the back of my mind. "What?"

"Actually there're two things I need to know. Before we get to that, remind me what our contract is based on."

My heart sank. It didn't take a genius to see how beautifully Toby was setting me up, yet I had no choice but to walk straight into the trap. "Honesty and communication. Without those, we don't have trust. Trust is the most important thing in a Dom/sub contract."

"So bearing that in mind, what was it about the thought of me biting Lucky that was bothering you?"

I groaned. "It's stupid."

Toby flicked my nipple, making me hiss. "I'll decide what's stupid and what isn't, thank you very much."

Knowing this was going to end with me confessing one way or another, I decided to just get it over with. "I was…jealous."

Whatever he'd been expecting me to say, it wasn't that. His fingers froze in their teasing, his mouth opening in surprise. "Of Lucky? Why? He has two mates."

I tried to shift beneath Toby, but thanks to his weight on my stomach and the rope around my wrists, I didn't move an inch.

"It's not that." Well, it partly was, but not for the reason Toby thought. I was jealous of anyone with a mate at this point. "It was because I thought you were going to bite him."

Understanding shone in Toby's eyes. "And that would've upset you, because that isn't something I can share with you."

I avoided his gaze. "Told you it was stupid."

Toby's fingers tilted my chin until I was forced to look at him. "It's not stupid if it's how you feel. If the situation was reversed, I imagine I'd feel the same."

"Really?"

"Really," he said, eyes intense. "I don't like the idea of anyone else touching you, Blaise."

The moment stretched between us for a heartbeat. I had to know. I had to know if there was a chance of more. "While we're in contract?"

Toby's eyes flicked to the side as he cleared his throat. "Of course, what else could I have meant?"

I tried to ignore the slashing pain in my chest as his response shredded through the slim hope I'd been holding on to. Why, I had no idea. Toby had been clear throughout about what this was.

Wanting to move past this before I said something else stupid, I asked, "What was the second thing?"

"Oh." Toby shook himself before pasting on a smile. I'd seen enough of them to know it wasn't one of his real ones. "What was bothering you just before you came in here? You've been unusually quiet since the club."

Well there was no way I was telling him now, not after his reminder that this was just a contract to him. "Nothing was bothering me."

Toby's smile turned wolfish. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that, bratty boy. Now I can do this."

Leaning over, he grabbed a thin silver object. After examining it for a second, he flicked his brown eyes back to mine. "Hope you're ready, Blaise. No coming until I say."

He pushed a button on the remote and my eyes instantly rolled back in my head. "Fuuuuck."

The toy Toby had inserted was pulsing against my prostate.

"This is just the first setting, boy. Each time you refuse to tell me, I'll increase the speed. Think you can outlast it?"

No. "Yes."

Master flashed his sharpened canines. "I really fucking love a brat." The hand not holding the remote pinched my nipple. "I'll ask again. What was bothering you?"

"Nothing."

I made it through the next two levels, but as Toby upped it again, I knew I was going to lose. The toy was like a pneumatic drill now, my balls drawn up tight as my cock leaked against Toby's back. He rocked back against it, adding another layer of torture as he continued to tease my nipples.

"Fine," I cried eventually, my resolve crumbling. "I'll tell you."

The toy instantly stopped vibrating as Master waited for my answer.

It took a second for me to catch my breath enough. "You didn't want me to come with you."

"What?"

Once again, my response seemed to have completely thrown Toby. Swallowing down my embarrassment, I mumbled my way through my explanation. "Earlier, at the club, when I volunteered to come with you, you pulled a face. You didn't say anything, but it was obvious you didn't want me to come. You don't want to spend time with me. And that's fine. I guess I was just confused because the contract states we should spend time together, so I don't understand why you reacted that way."

I shouldn't have been using the contract as an excuse, but I couldn't be completely honest. Not without sending him running.

"Oh, Blaise." Toby ran his hand over my cheek. "It's not that I didn't want to spend time with you."

"Then what was it?" I stared up at him helplessly. His dark hair was hanging over his face, his beautiful eyes taunting me with promises of things he could never give me. "Help me out, Tobes. I'm kind of lost here."

"I'm sorry, boy." He leaned behind him, removing the toy. I let out a sigh of relief, the turn in conversation having erased all my lust. "I don't know what to say."

I stiffened beneath him. "Do I need to remind you of your own rules? The ones you made me quote back to you earlier?"

"Quiet, brat," he said firmly. "Don't forget who's in charge here."

Chastened, I ducked my chin. "Sorry, Master."

He tapped my chest idly as he thought. "It's not that I don't know what to say, but that I don't know how to say it."

If he hadn't just reprimanded me, I would've snarked that he should just come out with it.

With a sigh, he carded his fingers through his hair. "I guess…I guess I just don't like the idea of you getting hurt. These locations you're going to, you'll be going to alone. There could be demons, ghasts, and who knows what else."

"I might not be as powerful as River, but I'm capable of protecting myself, Tobes."

His hand snaked around my throat. "I didn't say you weren't. But you're mine to protect, Blaise. Mine."

That hope he'd shredded bloomed afresh in my chest at the possessiveness in his voice.

Then, just as fast, it was snuffed out.

"Don't forget that, Blaise. While we're in a contract, you're mine to worry about. To care for. To protect. That's why I didn't want you coming. You're going into dangerous situations and I want to make sure I'm holding up my end of the contract." He sighed. "But, on the other hand, you are an extremely capable man. This situation is something that needs all hands on deck. So, I trust that you can look after yourself and come back to me. Got it?"

The sour taste was back, erasing everything sweet we'd been building. "Got it."

"Now, let's get back to the reward portion." Toby smiled as he wriggled down between my thighs, but there was a strain there that had been missing before. My heart began to race. Had he picked up on my feelings? Was he thinking he might need to end the contract early?

The thought was more painful than any other I'd had about this man. He was the one who'd taught me how to fly and kept me in the air. Without him, I'd go crashing to the ground. I had to hide how I was feeling. What was more, I needed to learn how to fly on my own.

Because if there was one thing Toby had taught me, it was that I could be happy.

If I tried.