13. One Door Opens

Getting Rael and Jameson settled into the new house in Beacon Hill didn't take all that long. Simeon, in his typical brilliant manner, called ahead to Martin the Butler and asked for a room to be readied, and supplies purchased. Thankfully, the two young men were already in between homes, and had been staying at a hotel in Cambridge while looking for a new place. Scylla took the morning to pack up their belongings, check them out of the hotel, and shuttle them over to Beacon Hill.

Jameson was feeling some aftereffects of the wolfsbane poisoning, and he went to bed without complaint as soon as they reached the townhouse in Beacon Hill. He made it up the stairs with slight grumbling after Angel offered to show him the small elevator tucked behind the grand staircase. Rael smiled at Angel and took the chance to explore with Martin showing him around the grand house. It was several stories of bedroom suites, libraries, studies, parlors, and living spaces, and the kitchen on the main floor was larger than the entire old apartment Angel lived in with his family before it got destroyed by a golem.

Angel had been awake for over twenty-four hours, and he was feeling it.

Thankfully, the house was warded already for sunlight, the move seamless the previous month—Angel found himself liking the new house quite a lot, without baggage or emotional weight to it like the old apartment carried. Angel had left the Mansion the day after the Massacre, the floors still tacky from blood, and within the week they were at the apartment, a third floor, three bedroom sandwiched between long-term residents above and below. The new townhouse was a monstrosity compared to the old apartment, but Angel was no longer the shell-shocked twenty-year-old who grabbed the literal first place he found empty when he searched online for apartments.

"Simeon, can you check on everyone for me? A quick text should be enough. I need a shower and some sleep," Angel said, running a hand through his hair, grimacing at the state of his hair after being caught in the dusty and sticky aftermath of an explosion.

Simeon dropped a kiss on his head. "Certainly, mo ghra," he said, pulling out his phone. "Head on up—I'll join you shortly."

It was well into midmorning—Simeon may not be beholden to the daylight lethargy younger vampires experienced, but it was still very late for the vampire.

"Thank you," Angel sighed out, and made his way upstairs.

All the main bedrooms were on the second floor, with rooms set aside for Daniel and Isaac if they wanted to stay over instead of returning home, and Eroch had his own room. Rael and Jameson were on the third floor in a guest suite. Angel paused outside the bedroom-turned-den, and pulled out his phone before he forgot.

Angel

Can you bring Eroch home for me, please?

A moment went by, then the three dots as the recipient answered.

Cian

I'll have him home in a moment.

The linen closet door a few feet down the hall groaned, stone grinding on stone, and in a heartbeat, it was a stone archway, which flashed intensely for a brief moment, then showed the interior of the sidhe temple.

Cian strode through the arch, carrying a sleepy dragon. The sidhe warrior carried Eroch with ease, even though the dragon was dramatically, drastically, gaining weight and growing in proportion.

Cian passed Angel and he followed into Eroch's room, the bed replaced by a huge basket full of pillows. The basin of the wooden basket was large enough to hold two full-grown men lying side by side, and it was hard as hell to find, but Angel spared no expense in making sure Eroch was comfortable and happy. He was gradually coming to realize he was a parent, and while his child was not human, children had needs that were universal.

Love, care, patience. Comfy beds.

Cian, with enviable ease, deposited the young dragon in his pillow nest, and took a moment to arrange his tail and wings into comfortable positions. Angel went to Eroch and knelt by his head, gently scratching the spots he knew itched the dragon, Eroch cracking one eye open before sighing and falling back asleep. Angel kissed the top of his head, and then stood, walking quietly from the room, Cian following.

In the hallway, Angel shut the door. "Thank you."

"You're most welcome."

Angel's mind was moving slowly, ready for sleep. Cian waited, sensing perhaps that Angel was struggling with a thought.

"Is it possible for doorways to remain in place when you're elsewhere?" Angel asked, hoping the question made sense.

Cian cocked his head to the side, hair shifting in a silken wave across his back and shoulder. A soft smile curled his perfect lips—Cian and Rory were remarkably beautiful. He didn't find them attractive, not like he did Simeon, but they were lovely to look at and admire.

"You want a safe means of travel, between your home and the Mansion."

Angel nodded, grateful Cian saw to the heart of the issue and he didn't need to spell it out. He was too tired for any mental gymnastics.

"Can we make that happen? I don't want to abuse the…nature of our relationship, especially since we're something like family now." Angel fumbled a bit, grimacing at his poor attempt at checking in with his prisoner slash in-law.

"You are kin, Angelus Salvatore," Cian declared easily, without any fumbling or unease. "And we are at war. To safeguard our family, I will install a hidden doorway in all domiciles of our kith and kin. Only those loved by you and I will know of them, and we shall reevaluate after this conflict has been won." Cian paused, head dipping a bit, as if in homage— "My people were driven to extinction for the very benefit you wish to use. It is no small matter, but for the love of Daniel and my twin, I will do so."

"Thank you, Cian."

Cian gave him an odd look, a mix of contemplation and confusion.

"What?"

"Even when you hold all the power, you still thank me."

"Why wouldn't I?" Angel replied, trying not to sound curt, and turned toward the stairs, sensing his mate approach through their bond.

Simeon came up the stairs, and Angel knew his mate heard the whole conversation. Simeon reached them, and slipped a strong arm around Angel's waist, encouraging him to lean on him for support.

Cian eyed Simeon in amusement but said nothing about the obvious doting. "I'll install the doors in out-of-the-way locations in each of your homes and glamour them to blend in with their surroundings. I'll leave this one here in the linen closet—I'll glamour it so the humans avoid it entirely. I don't need stray humans wandering around in the temple. I hardly need more pets at this time."

Cian left before Angel's tired mind could ask the sidhe warrior what he meant about more pets. What pets did he have already?

His mate was tired—while he was a vampire's mate, he was still mortal, and being awake for over twenty-four hours was enough to stagger anyone. Simeon caught up to Angel in the hallway outside their suite, and he and Angel were barely in the room before he swept his mate off his feet and gently kicked the door shut. The sitting room was the first room in their suite, full of chairs and settees, couches, all meant for comfort and company if they so wished, and a pillow nest in front of the fireplace for Eroch.

He carried Angel through the sitting room into their bedroom where a Juliet balcony overlooked the garden in the rear of the house, with tall glass doors warded to filter the sunlight pouring in as the sun rose higher toward midday.

He headed through to the bedroom with its king-size canopy bed, a callback to Simeon's earlier years, and into the bath.

The ensuite was huge, comparable in size to the bedroom, and Simeon was glad Angel finally gave in to temptation when he bought the townhouse, as the tub alone was priceless, in sheer size and luxury.

Angel made nary a peep, wavering from exhaustion, as Simeon set him gently on his feet and began stripping his mate, from shirt to jeans to underthings, and setting his boots aside to be put away later.

His mate gave him a grateful smile, and sighed happily when Simeon stripped as well before turning on the faucets for the tub, warm water spilling instantly into the polished marble and granite recessed tub. The bench the tub sat within was under a large window that overlooked the gardens as well, and was spelled for privacy in addition to the sunlight wards. Which Simeon appreciated—he was no possessive alpha wolf hovering over a mate, but he did have his protective streak, and nothing brought it out like Angel. People spying on Angel made Simeon very upset.

The tub filled quickly and Simeon helped Angel step into the water before joining his mate. He sat on one of the bench seats within the basin and pulled Angel into his lap. A delectable position, but Angel was radiating exhaustion and desire for sleep, and Simeon was no brute to bother his mate in such a state.

Angel laid his head on his shoulder and Simeon bathed his mate, letting Angel doze. Away came the scents of anger and smoke, blood and fear. Werewolf and wolfsbane. And dragon, though that scent was the least objectionable of them all. Eroch smelled of fire, spices, scales, and metal. Usually hot copper, but sometimes gold. A vague mishmash of scents akin to blood in many ways, and unique to the dragon, though as a fire mage the fledgling Isaac came close. Minus the scales and precious metals.

"Love you," Angel murmured as Simeon rubbed his back with a soapy sponge.

His silent heart thrilled to hear the words, even having heard them many times before. He never grew tired of Angel saying those words, and hoped he never would.

He woke slowly in Simeon's arms, a pleasant change that occurred once they moved to the new house. No longer woken by younger men clanging pans or talking loudly, Simeon and Angel got to make their own schedules, and Angel was sleeping the most in the late, late nights and early mornings, leaving his afternoon and evening free for all manner of things.

One of which was getting to kiss every inch of his mate and not worry about Isaac or Daniel barging in because the toaster oven broke or there was someone at the door looking to get tutored by Angel instead of going to his office.

Simeon was awake, of course. Too old to need to sleep during the day and too young to need to go dormant to survive eternity alone, Simeon was at the perfect age to have a semi-mortal human mate who liked sleeping late.

Angel kissed his way down the muscled column of Simeon's neck, nipping lightly at the pale white skin, avoiding the ancient tattoos with his teeth but making sure to press kisses on each one of them he came across. He liked kissing them—and Simeon liked it too.

"Such a delight you are," Simeon whispered harshly, fangs out and eyes glowing. A big hand cupped the back of his head, fingers carding through his hair, holding him in place. He pushed, gently but firmly, making Angel lap at the largest tattoo on his shoulder, one of old, old runes from even older ancestors of Simeon, etched into his skin as a mortal man some four centuries earlier. It was perfectly healed, the skin retaining the ink but healing the scarring caused in the needle-pricking process.

Simeon tasted delicious, muscles rock-hard under soft, smooth skin, cold on his tongue but warming the more he touched his mate. Simeon's body took the body heat from Angel and reflected it back, doubling it, warming them both.

Simeon knew Angel well and tossed back the blankets, cooling them both, Angel taking guidance from his mate on which tattoo to worship next. There were some scars left on Simeon—not as many as there had been as a mortal man, but a fair amount. It spoke of serious wounds earned in his mortal life, earned on the battlefield. Only the mortal wounding from his unwilling Turn was gone forever, healed in the transformation from human to sentient undead.

Angel never asked what that wounding was—he knew enough from what Simeon shared that his Turning was one of violence, grief, loss, and vengeance. It was how Constantine Batiste became such a huge part of Simeon's life, and led to their rise in power together, City Master and Elder. Considering how vampires killed, Angel could guess if pressed, but he made sure never to make Simeon feel he had to share that specific detail. And it was possible Angel was being overly protective, but then he loved Simeon, and he'd rather be cautious and careful than risk hurting his mate.

A hand cupping his ass made Angel smile wide, shifting so his legs spread farther apart and that hand had easier access. Angel resumed his kissing and licking, worshiping Simeon as he moved down his body, intent on his prize.

He felt Simeon along the bond, his Leannan anam, and sucked on the sensitive skin of the iliac crest of his hip, which his mate particularly enjoyed. Simeon was hard and leaking, Angel plastered to his side and partially on top, warming Simeon further. Knowing it was his body heat warming Simeon spurred all sorts of emotions—some feelings hard to describe, but foremost he liked taking care of Simeon—when his mate let him, at least.

Angel gently wrapped his hand around Simeon's hard cock, stroking from root to tip, thumb catching a pearly drop of precum from the tip. Simeon's moan had him replacing his hand with his mouth, and he sucked his mate down to the root, making Simeon buck once under him, an aborted motion that nearly threatened to send him flying, but Simeon caught himself. The hand in Angel's hair tightened, holding him in place as he set a slow pace, working diligently to apply as much loving attention to every inch of the thick, veiny cock in his mouth as he could, tongue massaging the underside.

He was rewarded by another spurt of precum, cool at first then deliciously hot, and he swallowed down the salty-sweet taste of Simeon, eyes falling closed.

"Leannan anam. Such a sweet mouth on you," Simeon said, voice harsh and rough with pleasure. The fingers in his hair gripped a fistful, the sudden pain almost too much, that feral edge of his mate coming out as his passion rose. Angel loved it, wanting more, and sucked harder, head bobbing up and down in determination to ruin his mate's typical cool reserve and leave him a mess.

Heavy balls grew tight and rose, Simeon tensing, claws marking the sheets, and Angel kept the pace even while moving just enough that Simeon, with his head up and watching, could see Angel reach for his own hard, aching cock and stroke in time with his mouth's movement. Lips wet and stretched wide, Angel knew he looked debauched and thrilled at the fire he saw burning in his mate's eyes, stroking and sucking harder.

Simeon coming in his mouth tipped Angel over the edge too and it was all he could do to live through it, only choking a little bit as Simeon came down his throat. Angel came in spurts across Simeon's leg and the bedding, a glorious mess. He greedily drank down every drop he could get from his mate, releasing Simeon only when the hand in his hair let him go.

Angel lay panting, sprawled over Simeon, relaxed, exhausted, and weirdly enough, feeling both ready to take on the world and able to curl up in a ball and sleep for a day or so. Sex usually knocked him out completely, but he was stressed to hell and back, so he let himself lie there in comfortable silence, more than okay with doing nothing but enjoying the moment with his mate.