Chapter 5

Five

Moon

I pull a large, baggy, gray sweatshirt over my head before putting my headphones on. The cat ears were just too cute to resist. I’m really not in the mood to play anymore, but I know I can’t cancel. Echo will gloat. He’ll think it's because he makes me nervous. His making me nervous isn’t even on the list of things I need to worry about right now, though.

A knock on my door lets me know Echo is here for our gaming session, so I shout for him to come in, and turn to watch as he enters. I flick the game console on, and then the camera.

“This will be a quick sesh guys, I’m in serious need of a snack!” I say to the camera, lying through my teeth. I honestly just need to get this over with quickly. I mute the mike and glare over at Echo. "If you have a foot fetish, we aren't doing this," I announce, looking up to see him holding a basket.

"No fetish, but you do have cute toes." I'm sitting on my favorite gaming beanbag when he says this. I suppose I do have super cute toes.

"Toes are not cute," I say, just to argue with him. Looking up again, I watch as he sits on the floor in front of me.

"Why do you wear that mask?" I ask him, noticing he's changed it from earlier, as I start the game, still muted. Plain black now, no skull. "I thought maybe you only did it for the mystery, but you freaked when I touched you yesterday." I squint, wondering what he's hiding. "Lip piercings gone wrong?"

"No." He doesn't elaborate. Just starts pulling things out of his basket. I move, so he’s in the view of the camera.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "Wait!" I lean forward, "Do you ever take it off?"

"Nope. Unless I'm alone."

"So, if you're around other people, you keep it on at all times?"

"Yep."

"Always?"

"Yes." His tone is bored, and he's not looking at me. I lean forward even further, our faces inches apart.

"So, you've never kissed anyone! Are you a virgin? Oh my god, you are, aren't you!" I gasp, as his magenta eyes meet mine.

"No, Moon. I'm not a virgin. I've also kissed women before. Can we move on?" He sighs.

"No. How have you kissed anyone with a mask on? You just said you never take it off… was that a lie?" I frown. "Even if I close my eyes, I'll feel whatever it is you're hiding under there…"

He doesn’t respond, so I turn the mic back on and focus on the game. I falter, nearly falling into a pit of lava, when Echo removes one of my thigh-high socks. I take a deep breath and notice that my viewer count is rising with every passing second. Thirsty bastards.

When he warms the lotion between his large hands and then starts rubbing it into my skin, I get goosebumps everywhere he touches me.

“Heck, guys, I might fall asleep over here!” I tease, until his hands slowly work their way up my calves to my knee.

I keep playing, doing my best to focus, as he switches to my other leg. That’s when I can’t take any more because the slow way he peels off the stocking is just too much.

“Sorry guys! That’s all for today! I’ll hop on again tomorrow, oh, and good news! You’ll be able to watch me in the Elven games this year! Whoop! Wish me luck!” I cheer, before shutting everything down and turning to face Echo.

“So, when you kiss someone, do you like, have to like, keep the kiss quick? How does it work, so they don’t see what you’re hiding? When is the last time you kissed someone-”

“Fuck’s sake, Moon.” He throws his hand up, looking up at me. “If I'm kissing you, I promise, you won't be worried about what I'm hiding,” he growls, but I shake my head, leaning forward since he’s still kneeling in front of me.

"I'd be too busy trying to figure out-"

"Moon. Drop it. Unless you want me to prove you wrong?" He lifts a brow at me. Uh oh, is that another bet?

"Um." I pause, staring at the mask, curiosity overpowering my usual annoyance with him. "Fuck, that's tough. I really want to know what's under your mask, but if I kiss you, then you're gonna fall in love with me." I'm sort of kidding, sort of serious.

Echo chuckles, shaking his head at me. "Fine, but I don't trust you, so," he reaches into the basket and pulls out a blindfold. "Wear this, and I'll kiss you."

“I can just take it off.” I shrug, and he shakes his head.

“Only you can put it on, and only I can take it off.” He watches me with curious eyes.

“You’re not going to leave it on all day, are you?” I ask, and he winks.

“Guess you’ll just have to trust me if you want that kiss.”

“It’s not that I want a kiss exactly, but I do want to test my theory.”

“Put it on, Moon.” He nods to the black silk in my hands.

“Fine,” I concede, putting the blindfold on and waiting. He grips my hips, pushing me back against my bean bag, and pins both of my hands when he grips my wrists in one hand.

“You smell like strawberry cream,” he whispers, his warm breath fanning against my neck. A shiver runs across my skin, and I try to tug my hands free, so I can hold him, but he doesn’t let go.

“What are you-” My words are cut short by him kissing my shoulder gently, before biting it softly. I can feel the press of something against my skin but can't tell what.

His free hand cups the back of my neck, and I gasp as his lips meet mine. The kiss starts slow but quickly turns hungry when his tongue pushes between my lips, and I feel the metal bar of his tongue ring.

When he bites my bottom lip, tugging it between his teeth, I can’t hold in the moan. My legs move on their own, and I wrap them around his waist, pulling his body tighter to mine. I’ll admit I get a bit lost in the kiss. It’s been a long time since I’ve been touched like this. Echo might be my competitor, but he is seriously hot.

He releases my hands finally as his hand wraps around my waist, holding me tightly to him. I shamelessly grind against him, making him grunt in surprise. He’s hard, and I can feel how large he is.

He pulls away from my lips, dropping kisses to my neck again, and I push my fingers into his hair, holding him to me.

“Believe me now?” he whispers, as his tongue flicks out against my skin.

“Yep.” I nod my head quickly, he’s sufficiently proved me wrong.

“Then maybe you wanna let me go? You’re wrapped around me like a snake,” he chuckles, and I sigh heavily.

“Boo, lame.” I drop my legs, arms falling limply to my sides, my ass on the floor, and my back against the bean bag. When I feel him move away from me, I cross my arms over my chest, worked up worse than earlier after Lust stomped off.

Not only do I have no idea what he’s hiding, but I’m also now super turned on with no release in sight.

His dark chuckle further frustrates me, so I stick my tongue out at him.

“That was not fair. I couldn’t tell anything, and you got me all riled up!” I accuse, and he chuckles.

He tugs my blindfold off, and I pout, seeing his mask back in place. When I try to remove it with magic, he lifts a brow at me. I shrug.

“Had to try.”

“I can’t fuck you, Moon,” he says, sounding equally disappointed.

“Why not?” I ask, mostly curious at this point. “Scared you’ll fall in love with me?” I tease, wiggling my brows at him as I try to break the tension.

“Something like that.”

“I get it. I’m hard not to love.” I push his arm with my foot, and he falls back. I can’t help it, my eyes drop to the bulge in his pants. “At least I’m not the only one suffering,” I smirk. I know he wouldn’t actually fall in love with me by sleeping with me, but whatever his real reason is, he clearly doesn’t want to tell me.

“Boo!” a low, dark voice complains with a laugh, as a man appears beside us, scaring the ever-loving pixie-shit out of me.

“What the fuck!” I screech, picking up a controller and chucking it at his head. He catches it easily, and I squeal when Echo grabs me and pulls me against his body protectively.

“What do you want?” Echo demands, as he stands, lifting me with him, and takes a step away from the other man. That’s when his curved, pointed ears and brown eyes register in my brain. He’s the Elven Champion. Are those things tattooed? Woah. I didn’t notice the ear tats earlier.

“Crow?” I ask, because I recognize him, not because the terror has settled.

Echo goes still behind me, and I start to panic. Oh shit, have I said something wrong?

“Indeed.” He looks my body up and down, smirking. “Pity you two stopped. I was just getting into the show.” He winks, and I frown. The man is attractive, seriously handsome, for a battle-worn warrior. He and the Elven woman from yesterday are the only ones I’ve seen in person. And the cocky dude who tried to use his powers on me…

“I feel that. I didn’t want him to stop, either.” I shrug one shoulder, and Echo grips me tighter.

“Why are you here?” Echo asks again, and the Elf clears his throat.

“My name is Crow Blackblood, and I am the Champion of the last Elven games. I am here to formally invite you to participate in the Elven Tournament of Blood and join us for the Banquet of Roses in four days.” A blackish-red envelope appears in front of my face, and I blink, grabbing it from the air.

“Seriously?” I ask, wasting no time, as I rip the thing open. Sure enough, it’s an invitation to the banquet.

“As a charging Mungus.” He nods, and I frown.

“The fuck is a Mungus?” I ask, and he chuckles.

“Terrifying creatures. Never insult one. They’re deceptively sinister.” The Champion removes his coat, revealing his pale white skin that reminds me of moonlight, or that sparkly vampire from the Human realm. Just, sparkle free.

“Woah,” I whisper, letting out a low whistle. Echo pinches my side, and I grunt. “Ouch, you jerk,” I scold, elbowing him.

“Knock it off,” he scolds right back, and I roll my eyes.

“What?” I ask, pushing away from Echo. “It’s not like he doesn’t know what he looks like.” Crow drapes his jacket over my gaming chair and looks around my room.

“I’m aware of my allure. Oh, right,” he says, as if he’d forgotten something and only just remembered. “You’re invited as well. Those cards allow you to enter the banquet. Do not lose them unless you enjoy waiting in extremely long lines,” Crow says, as he starts walking around the room, his hands clasped behind his back. Echo pulls open an identical envelope.

“I didn’t enter,” he says, but the Champion chuckles.

“Think of it like a mandatory meeting. You don’t need to sign up, but you’re still required to attend. In this case, play.” Crow’s brown eyes flash a deep red as he scents the air. “Interesting,” he comments as he looks between Echo and me.

“What?” I ask, and the Champion looks behind me at Echo.

“I don’t think it’s my place to say, Pixie,” Crow says, glancing back at me. He’s barefoot, and the threadbare pants he wears hang off his hips in a way that should be illegal. So different from the man in all black from this morning, yet he’s the same person.

“Cryptic,” I grumble.

“Indeed. You must realize, you won’t be permitted to wear your mask in the Tournament, Arlo.” Crow turns back to Echo, and I frown again.

“Who the fuck is Arlo? His name is Echo…” I point out, turning to look over my shoulder. Echo’s usually vibrant magenta eyes look dull and filled with panic.

“I’m not playing,” he insists, but says nothing about the name confusion, but Crow chuckles.

“No? Very well. You may forfeit, but you will be at the first trial, and then forced to exile until the game's end, and you know how brutal exile is.”

“I thought playing was voluntary?” I ask, and Crow nods.

“In most cases.” He’s so casual about this, and it throws me off.

“But if Echo said no-”

“Arlo,” Crow corrects, and I shake my head.

“Echo…”

“No, little Pixie-”

“I'm a Witch, bro.” This time I cut him off, getting annoyed that he keeps calling me a Pixie.

“Are you? You’re quite small but vicious. Just like a Pixie.” The grin he flashes is so charming, I almost ignore all the other red flags. Almost. “As I was saying. Arlo here is hiding many secrets. Not just what’s under his mask.”

“Do you know what’s under there?” I ask.

“I do.” Crow grins again, and this time, it looks a bit… hungry. He flashes a pair of fangs, and I stare at them.

“Elves have fangs?” I actually know next to nothing about Elves and Fae. I don’t know much about any species if it wasn’t born in the Witching realm. Everyone is so hush, hush about their people.

“We do.”

“Why?”

“To make biting through your skin easier.” Again, his tone is so casual.

“Creepy,” I mutter, and he laughs.

“You’re brave, Pixie. Not many mortals are ballsy enough to call the Elven Champion creepy.” He takes a predatory step in my direction, and I yelp when Echo grabs me once more, and this time thrusts me behind him. “Yes, you two are the perfect addition to the Tournament. All those juicy secrets will no doubt come to light.” He says this as if he’s excited, but something in his eyes makes me think he’s… worried?

“Echo-”

“Arlo.”

“Stop that!” I snap at the Champion, swerving away from Echo, and storming up to the Elf.

“Stop what?”

“You know what! You’re pissing me off. I’ve known Echo for over a year! I’m the one who looked over his resume!” Yes, I hired my own nemesis, but at the time, I didn’t realize he would be such a solid threat. I have no regrets, though.

“Your Arlo has so many delicious secrets. Just like you do. We can make a deal if you prefer. I’ll keep all your secrets if you let me have a taste of your blood. I’ll even allow your Arlo to play with his mask on.”

“No fucking way!” Echo says for me, and I realize, he hasn’t tried to correct Crow on his name not being Arlo.

“He’s not just a Witch, is he?” I question, and Crow’s eyes light up with mischief.

“Not at all, Pixie.” The words are suggestive, as if he’s saying Echo isn’t a Witch, at all .

“Moon. Just call me Moon, please,” I say, and this time his eyes flash brightly, and I realize my mistake too late.

“Giving me your name, so soon?” he questions, as he wraps one arm around my waist, and pulls me tightly to him.

“You already knew my name!” I yelp, knowing it’s no use.

“Mmmm, yes, I do. But knowing your name, and you giving it to me freely, are not the same thing. Why do you think your friend hasn’t said one way or the other what his name is or isn’t?”

“Fuck, Moon!” Echo curses behind me, and I hear his fist smash against the wall, making the Champion chuckle.

“Woah, what the hell! What was that!” I scold, staring at the mess he made all over my floor.

“You have no fucking clue what you’ve just done,” Echo growls, and Crow’s laugh turns malicious.

“From one predator to another, maybe you should give your… friend… a little tutorial on our kind.”

“Our?!”

“Well, almost.” Crow winks, and my mouth falls open in shock. Then I’m screaming when his teeth sink into my flesh. I barely have time to process what’s happened when he’s pulling away. “Mmm, fucking delicious!” He releases me, wiping at the blood dripping down his face, dramatically. “You should taste her, Arlo. You’ll love it.” And just like that, the Elven prince is gone, and Echo is rushing to me faster than I can blink.

“Explain!” I snap, taking several steps away before he can grab me.

“I-I can’t, Moon. I just can’t. If I do, you’ll never speak to me again!”

“If you don’t, I’ll kick your ass, and THEN I’ll never speak to you again!” I charge him this time, slamming my body into him, and shoving him back until his ass hits my couch cushion, using magic to increase my strength. I climb on his lap, and before he can react, I tug his mask down.

“Holy shit,” I whisper, and Echo goes from shocked to furious to devastated in the span of three seconds. When he attempts to shove me off of him, I hang on for dear life.

“Elf…” I whisper. The intricate tattoo that spans from his clavicle up under his chin marks him as royalty. Elven royalty. I couldn’t see it before, since the mask he had worn covered his neck as well. The tusks, however, are not an Elven trait. “Orc…” I whisper, reaching up to touch one. They’re small, maybe only a few inches long. “Oh, ouch, sharp! You're an Elf and an Orc?” I ask, as I stare at the bloodied finger.

“Fucking hell, Moon? Why don’t you ever listen?” The look of sadness in his eyes makes my heart ache.

“I listen just fine, but you were clearly hiding something from me.”

“For good reason! You can’t- Moon!” Echo snaps, grabbing my wrist when I reach up to touch his tusks again.

“Jeez! What?” But he’s not listening to me. He’s staring at my blood as it drips down my finger. He does the last thing I expected when he sucks the digit between his lips and sucks, groaning. "Oh, fuck…” I moan when his tongue laps at my wound. Echo growls, flipping us, so he’s hovering above me.

“You’re reckless! So careless with your own life, Moon! Do you have any fucking clue what I could do to you? What that Elven bastard is going to do to you? How do you not know better than to give them your fucking name!” Echo scolds, as he grabs both my wrists and pins them above my head and settles himself between my spread legs.

His tusks are very distracting, and the mark of his Elven blood is just as eye-catching. No wonder he hides. He’s a hybrid. A royal hybrid at that.

“You have no fucking idea what I want to do to you, what you are to me, do you?” This snaps me out of my dazed stupor.

“Your competitor?” I ask, confused.

“My Promised. My Heart Bonded mate,” he whispers, and my mouth falls open.

“No!” I snap, shaking my head. “That is just insane. You’re confused. Mistaken… There’s no way!” I argue, but Echo shakes his head.

“I’ve tasted your blood. I know who you are to me. Even if I couldn’t feel it in my heart, with my entire being, I’d know by the taste of your blood. That, and your bonded mark…” His words trail off and I glare.

“What do you mean Bonded mark?” I ask, and he sighs.

“Fae and Elves get them when we find our Heart Bond, and the mark also appears on our Heart Bonded.” Echo leans back, grabs my arm, and shows me my forearm. A dull outline of a tree appears from my wrist to elbow, in the same swirling black as the marking that spans from Echo’s clavicle up to his chin.

“Holy fucking shit…” I stare at it, not sure what the hell I’m supposed to do or say now… “You sure?” I ask, just to double-check. Echo takes my hand, and pushes it to his chest, holding it over his heart. Over the Moon tattoo, which I’m now suspicious of.

“You don’t feel the connection? The draw to be closer to me?” Echo whispers, and I frown. I feel it. I’ve been feeling it, I just thought it was like a ‘You’re my rival, so I want to hate fuck you,” kind of thing. As we’ve already established, I have impulse control issues, and I’m also a horn dog.

The way his heart pounds under my touch, and the desperate look in his eyes, have me nodding. I don’t want him to think this is one-sided.

“What’s your name?” I ask, and for a moment he’s pale.

“Arlo. Elves don’t freely give their true name. I lied because of my nature, not because I was trying to hide from you. I don’t know how Crow knew…” Echo–or I guess Arlo, says, leaning back, and pulling me up with him.

“It feels different, hearing you say that, than it did when Crow said it,” I admit. “Like you’re more real now. Not hiding from me,” I say, hoping he understands what I mean.

“It should. Now that your mark appeared. I’ve had mine since I felt you, and then a year ago, when I realized it was you, it got darker. The pull to be close to you got stronger, but I didn’t want to complicate your life more, and you didn’t seem to have any idea who I was to you. So, I just kept it a secret.” Arlo drops his head, but I lift his chin, smiling softly.

“I’m glad I know now.”

“Me too.”