Lothaire flashed his fangs. The king’s version of a smile? “I approve of your cunning. Which bounty will you retrieve?”
“There are several possibilities. Once Mirceo has fed and healed”—Cas directed a look of menace at Lothaire—“he and I will assess the bounties with other seasoned hunters.”
“Keep me informed.” Lothaire’s attention fell to his gagged and shackled prisoner. “Apologies, Kristoff. Apparently your faction had nothing to do with the Dacianos’ troubles. No hard feelings, brother.” Kristoff yelled behind his gag, thrashing. Unaffected, Lothaire said, “I assume we’re still on for our match this afternoon. I will even move your chess pieces while your broken fingers heal. Best keep your eye on your queen.” Lothaire took Elizabeth’s hand. About to trace her away, he paused to ask Mirceo, “Why is that demon still embracing you?”
Mirceo lifted his bruised chin. “He’s my mate.”
Lothaire’s red eyes widened and blazed. “I don’t care how valuable he is for us to use, I forbid such a union in my kingdom!” He slammed his free hand down on his throne’s armrest, disintegrating it. “Not on my watch! If you want that male, I’ll exile you.”
Sounding crazed, Mirceo said, “Then my mate and I are going to live in a dismal cave and hunt Wendigos for the rest of our lives.”
Cas shot him a side look. Pardon?
Mirceo muttered to him, “I realized I would rather that scenario with you than anything else without you.”
The queen snatched her hand away from Lothaire and glared at him. “What the hell is wrong with this match, Leo?” The angrier she got, the thicker her country accent grew. “They clearly care about each other.”
“Mirceo is my blood! And he dares to proclaim this male as his mate? Bringing this”—he gestured to Cas and Mirceo—“into my court?”
Cas clutched Mirceo’s frail form against him. He’d figured they would get pushback somewhere or sometime—simply because they possessed two dicks between them—but he hadn’t thought it would come from a three-millennia-old vampire.
Voice thrumming with fury, the queen told Lothaire, “You had better check yourself.”
Lothaire threw his hands up as if all the world had gone mad. “When Trehan mated a sorceress with demon blood, I tolerated the match, even encouraged it. But now Mirceo’s mate is a full-blooded demon? With horns! Will Viktor bring home a Wendigo? Stelian will surely mate a ghouless. When we find Kosmina, she’ll probably be knocked up with centaur foals. Lizvetta, there’s only so much I can STAND!”
“Wait,” Cas said, “you don’t care that I’m male?”
Lothaire blinked those creepy eyes. “Why the fuck would I care if you’re male?”
Then solely because I’m a demon?
The queen frowned. “For lordy sakes, I thought you’d be more tolerant since your queen was a human ‘peasant’ before you turned her into a vampire.”
Lothaire gazed down into her eyes, and his expression softened. “Ah, but you were different, my love. There is uncommon greatness in you.”
Her eyes went soft as well, and she gave a resigned sigh. “You’re digging yourself deeper than a mole.” She turned to Cas. “I’m Ellie, and I’m so happy to welcome you here to Dacia, Prince Caspion. I know you will protect Mirceo to the death and help bring back Mina. We officially recognize your union in front of all.” To Lothaire, she pointedly said, “Don’t we, Leo?”
Lothaire sneered to Cas, “We recognize this union.” With a sinister grin, the king added, “We also recognize that the demon probably won’t make it out of his upcoming mission alive. . . .”
THIRTY-SIX
Caspion drew Mirceo even closer, teleporting them to their villa.
“I have to be imagining this.” Mirceo was so weakened that his vision had blurred, his thoughts a snarl.
“I’m here.” The demon swept the backs of his fingers over Mirceo’s cheek to brush away a tear. “I will be as long as you let me.”
“You and Mina are the only things that matter to me. But I lost you both.”
“You’ve lost neither.” He cupped Mirceo’s face. “Heed my words: We are going to find Mina alive. I took her poster from the board, entering myself and my partner into that contract. Together he and I have never failed to claim a bounty.”
“You truly believe we can?”
“Yes. And when we bring her back here, perhaps Lothaire will view my presence as something other than an insult.”
Mirceo trusted Caspion. If the demon said they’d find Mina alive, then they would. The fears that had threatened to undo him began to recede to a manageable level.
“We’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. So you need to drink, leechling. You’re far too young to go without blood.”
“You’re not the latest in a long line,” Mirceo blurted out. “You’re the last. My last. My ever. I need you to know that I kept my fangs in my pants and my dick in my mouth.”
Caspion’s blond brows rose. “Okay, vampire, you really have to drink now.”
Mirceo frowned. “Am I making sense? Can’t seem to think.”
“We’ll talk about all this once you’ve recovered. Please feed.”
Mirceo swayed against him. “I might not keep it down.”
“You will, because your panic will be less. You’ve identified the cause of it, and we know what we face. You understand the road ahead, and you better believe we’ll prevail. But you need to drink to be strong for the job.” Caspion drew a claw over the side of his neck, then cupped the back of Mirceo’s head to press him to the bleeding slash.
Warm drops glistening against bronzed skin . . . Mirceo’s fangs went razor-sharp, but he needed to get these words out. “Why are you being so kind to me after what I did? I fucked up that morning. And I fucked up months ago when I manipulated you. I am so sorry for that.”
Caspion’s brows drew together. “I can’t regret what happened, because we’re fated. But I’ll kick your ass if you do something like that again. Now, drink.”
_______
Though the vampire panted with starvation, he somehow dragged his haunted eyes away from the blood. “I need to know that we’re bonded . . . that we will get back to where we were . . . the night you claimed me.”
“No, leechling. Because I feel even more for you than I did then. I godsdamned love you.” He thumped Mirceo on the ear. “Now, shut up and suck.”
Mirceo gave a strained laugh. But he did ease closer and pressed his mouth against Cas’s neck. Tentative licks followed.
“Bite, vampire.”
With a weak growl, Mirceo sank his fangs into ready and waiting flesh.
“That’s it, love.” Cas gazed at the ceiling as he healed his mate, solidifying their connection again. “Drink.”
As Mirceo sucked, his body began to fill out, his injuries mending.
“I’m strong for us,” Cas assured him. “Take as much as you need.”
Mirceo’s reedy heartbeat slowed and deepened. Soon it had synced with Caspion’s, one loud drum in their ears.