Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19) Read online

  “D’Vaire’s an anomaly still in the Council world. Most people don’t share a home with anyone beyond their race unless they have family who’ve mated outside it,” Aleksander said. “We were certainly isolated before Dra’Kaedan charged in.”

  “It’s a pity. I suppose I’m growing spoiled by the luxury of D’Vaire’s diversity despite its small size,” Kendrick remarked. “And I enjoy the challenge of trying to please all the different palates in the house while working with Noir.”

  “Do you think you may grow bored cooking for such a small crowd when you had plans for life in restaurants?” Worth asked.

  “Right now, I can’t imagine it, but there’s nothing that says I can’t open one. I can hire an executive chef and still be here with Noir. But I have to say, I don’t have any complaints living in this big magical bubble, and I’m not looking for anything beyond the house for now.”

  “We’re here for you if you want to look into doing that,” Aleksander assured him. “We can help with resources or contacts. Whatever you need.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and help Noir get lunch started.”

  Once Kendrick left the office, Worth grinned. “He practically skipped out of here. So lovely to see a man so in love with his mate. And with our exquisite and strong-hearted Noir.”

  “If there was ever going to be a queen of D’Vaire, she’s it,” Aleksander confessed.

  Brogan’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion. “There will be a queen of D’Vaire. High Queen D’Vaire or D’Vairedraconis, depending on her race. Your mate.”

  Surprised at himself for saying something so telling, Aleksander deflected immediately. “As I’m reminded constantly, I never leave the house, and the likelihood of another mate knocking on the door is slim to none. I might not ever find my other half.”

  Worth rolled his eyes dramatically. “I’ve all the faith in the world we’ll both find our mates. Don’t turn into a sad sack on me, Aleksander. My overly caffeinated self can’t handle it.”

  ∞∞∞

  “I still don’t understand why I’m going with you,” Rafferty complained, climbing out of the car. Neil peeled away from the curb so fast, Rafferty barely got the door closed before he took off.

  “I already explained it a million times, Paunchy, so leave off,” Sullivan retorted. They walked toward a sign for a magical teleportation area owned by the druidic company, Dérive.

  “Kendrick and I don’t know each other.”

  Sullivan glared but Rafferty stopped him on the sidewalk. “You aren’t there for Kendrick. I’m going to make nice with our brother while you find a way to get friendly with the High King. And try to not be yourself, okay?”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “Just that there. All you do is scowl, ask questions, and complain. Be nice. Be cordial. Pretend he’s a woman you want to seduce and get to know him.”

  “This is a stupid plan.”

  “I’m still the first duke, so watch your mouth. Rafferty, remain calm. All will be well, you’ll see. Make a new friend. Use the knowledge you’ve learned, and give our king an ally so our court can prosper. If you fail, you’re letting all of us down. Now come on, we need to get a move on.”

  Not sure how he was going to make an ally, but knowing he’d never refuse an order or do anything to embarrass Court Kestle or its king, Rafferty followed his brother up to the door and purposefully relaxed his facial muscles so he wasn’t glowering. They went up to a desk, and Sullivan spoke to the woman manning it while Rafferty gave himself a pep talk so he could manage the task already overwhelming him. A door swung open and a man a couple of inches shorter than Rafferty strode to them with a device in his hands.

  “Hello, Your Graces, I’m Filbert. If you’ll hand me your identification cards, I can take you to the Dérive station in Arizona.”

  “If you know who we are, why do you need our cards? Duke Sullivan just checked us in at the desk.”

  Sullivan elbowed Rafferty in the ribs as he handed Filbert his card.

  “We have to scan every person we teleport in case they don’t arrive at the correct destination when the spell is cast,” Filbert explained.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Sullivan asked.

  Filbert grinned. “Just a little druid humor. It’s for recordkeeping purposes only, I promise.”

  “Give him your card, Rafferty.”

  Yanking it from his wallet, Rafferty did as he was told. “Thanks,” he muttered once Filbert returned it.

  “I thought I heard somewhere that you druids all had plant names or something,” Sullivan said. “Isn’t that what you told me, Rafferty?”

  “Many modern druids, is what I read,” Rafferty explained quietly.

  “Follow me,” Filbert coaxed, and they walked into a large area with a slightly padded floor. “It’s a great tradition, and Filbert is a plant. It’s another name for the American hazelnut tree. Ready to go?”

  Sullivan gave the go-ahead, and Rafferty closed his eyes, as instructed, to experience his first-ever teleport. His mouth went numb as the ground beneath him vanished and in the few seconds it took for them to travel, his tongue became woolly. Lifting a hand to rub his now-aching stomach, he lifted his lashes.

  “I hope you enjoy Arizona. Here’s my card in case you’d like to request me specifically for future trips.”

  After pocketing it, Sullivan led them out of the Dérive building and next door to a rental car company. Rafferty’s queasiness wore off by the time Sullivan walked over with a set of keys.

  “You’re driving,” his brother told him.

  “Why me?”

  “Because I hate that everyone drives on the wrong side of the road. It’s making me crazy.”

  With a roll of his eyes, Rafferty followed Sullivan outside and once they located the correct vehicle, they got inside. The GPS was useless since D’Vaire was a protected sanctuary not on any available map, so they had to use Kendrick’s directions, which turned out to be simple.

  “This is it?” Sullivan asked when Rafferty rolled up to a large gate with a dragon head in the center. “I expected more.”

  “We’re at the top of a hill. You can’t see anything.”

  “Press the button so we can get inside.”

  After firming his mouth in irritation, Rafferty lowered the window and pressed the button on the security box.

  “Good afternoon,” a monotone voice responded within seconds. “How may I assist you today?”

  “Um…yes, hello. I am here with Duke Sullivan Kestledraconis. He’s expected by Kendrick.”

  “His Grace only stated that his brother Duke Sullivan was visiting.”

  “I’m his brother too. Duke Rafferty Kestledraconis.”

  “One moment, please.”

  Rafferty slumped against his seat. “I told you this was a stupid fucking idea, and you should’ve come alone.”

  “Paunchy, don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

  “And that teleporting made me feel sick.”

  “You’re just looking for reasons to go home.”

  The gate swung open. “Please drive to the house and park next to the garage. His Grace, Grand Duke Brogan D’Vairedraconis, will meet you at the door.”

  “Thank you.”

  Sullivan laughed as Rafferty put the car in gear and as they traveled first down, then to the left, an enormous house came into view. “I guess I spoke too soon. That’s a damn mansion.”

  Once Rafferty came to a stop, they got out, and a man strode out of the house. Probably five inches over six feet, he was intimidating, but the expression on his face was blank. “Your Graces, I believe Skeleton Lord Gavrael told you I’d be waiting for you, I’m Grand Duke Brogan. Please come inside. His Highness would like a word with you.”

  Rafferty shot a glare at his brother, who shoved him the second the Grand Duke turned his back on them. They trudged through the entrance, the house eerily silent as they went through
a hall with wooden floors. Brogan took a right and as he opened the door to an office, Rafferty’s dick went painfully hard. After he managed to step into the room, there was an exotically gorgeous man with silver rings around his pupils denoting that he was a king staring at him as though he were a ghost. There were ones of gold as well, he’d learned from the little reading he did on D’Vaire, but from this distance he could barely distinguish the two metallic colors breaking up the blue and black of the only bi-color dragon on the planet.

  The first thought to come to mind after he figured out that he was looking at his mate was confusion. Rafferty wasn’t gay…was he? Even at this exact moment, Rafferty could not say he was interested in having sex with the admittedly handsome man despite his raging hard-on. What was wrong with him? And what did it matter, anyway? There was no way he could ever be with a guy. His father would lose his mind, and his brothers would do the same. Rafferty had no idea what to do, but the decision was taken out of his hands.

  “Duke Rafferty, may I speak with you privately?” his mate stated, a muscle in his jaw flexing.

  Sullivan gave him a questioning glance, but there was nothing going on he could explain. And he could not ever refute an order of a king, so with his heart pounding but his cock finally softening, Rafferty followed the High King into an attached office, wondering how in the world he would ever fix this mess.

  Chapter 8

  After his first few panic attacks, Aleksander had mastered the practice of completely losing his shit while appearing outwardly composed. It was a skill he was grateful for as he walked into Worth’s office, hopefully with his mate trailing behind him. The man who was about to upend Aleksander’s life was an attractive dragon a good eight inches shorter than him. His dark hair was shaved to his scalp without any style and curiously, he had a rugged scar through his left eyebrow.

  Dragons and other large shifters didn’t usually have marks on their skin as their beast gifted them with superior healing for the reward of flying, which meant this man did not obey the call often. When the door snicked shut behind him, Aleksander faced the wary-eyed stranger who was wearing an outfit that appeared to be at war with itself. The dragon had on pants in a drab shade of maroon that awkwardly bared most of his brown socks. Even to someone style-challenged like Aleksander, it was clear that it clashed with his red shirt with the neon green stripes. Over the short-sleeved button-down was a sweater vest in an olive color.

  Aleksander smiled—at least his mate would never complain that he didn’t care about fashion. But the pleasantness of finding his other half was not enough to drown out his absolute terror of not only explaining himself but somehow managing to build a relationship, and those problems charged back to the forefront as they stared at each other.

  “We weren’t expecting anyone but Duke Sullivan, Your Grace,” Aleksander said and closed his eyes at his inanity. If he wanted the type of matebond that was so highly valued within the Council and his family, he was not off to the best start.

  “Your Highness, I apologize,” Rafferty responded in a deep, gravelly voice that curled Aleksander’s toes. The D’Vaire king would be happy to listen to him talk day and night. It was hard to hold on to fear when he was so pleased with Fate’s choice, which was rather ironic, since he’d been insisting for centuries that he didn’t want a mate at all. I guess it’s different when he walks through the door, Aleksander thought. “My brother insisted.”

  “I think in light of the circumstances, you can forgo the title business.”

  “What do you mean, Your Highness?”

  Lowering his head and staring into black eyes full of emotions he couldn’t read, Aleksander studied the handsome planes of his face as he contemplated how best to react. “You are my mate, Rafferty.”

  “I had a good friend who used to called me Rafe. She died some months ago, and I still miss her,” he said, then scowled, which made Aleksander’s belly flop in arousal. “I don’t know why I just told you that.”

  “Are you going to pretend that we aren’t mates?”

  “Are you sure we are?”

  “Yes, I am, Rafferty.”

  “I don’t think you understand, though. I can’t be gay.”

  “It’s okay, my family doesn’t know I am yet either. I have to tell them, though. At least the immediate members. We don’t have secrets in this house if we can help it. They aren’t going to take it well. I’ve kept it a secret a long time.”

  “My brother can’t find out.”

  “Kendrick? He hasn’t had any issue with the many gay men in the house.”

  “Not that one. I hardly know him. I mean Duke Sullivan. In fact, we should leave right away in case he figures it out. My family doesn’t have any tolerance.”

  “So, you’ve kept it a secret because you’re afraid of how they’ll react?”

  Rafferty rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. We don’t need to get into all this right now. Like you, I’m freaking out, and this is going to mean a lot of changes for us both.”

  “I think I should leave.”

  “You just got here.”

  His expression grew pained as he threw his arms out. “I don’t know what to do. I need to go.”

  “Give me your phone.”

  With a questioning glance, Rafferty dug into his pocket and fished out the device, which he handed to Aleksander. It only took a few moments for Aleksander to punch his contact information into Rafferty’s phone and put his mate’s into his. “Now we can text each other, okay?”

  “Can I leave now? I should go.”

  “What about Kendrick? Aren’t you here to visit him?”

  “Yeah, I guess. I mean, yes…Sullivan made me come.”

  It was odd that the more flustered Rafferty grew, the calmer Aleksander felt. The dragon in front of him had to figure out how to tell a family that had no tolerance that he was gay. For Aleksander, he had the same secret, but there was no real question of how the D’Vaires would react. There wasn’t a single person in his home who didn’t have the utmost respect for the diversity Fate enjoyed creating in her people.

  “Hey, it’s going to be okay. You don’t have to do anything right now or tell anyone about us. We’ll have to figure this out, but I can assure you that there is no reason to rush.”

  “I have absolutely no idea what to say to you.”

  “Go back to your hotel and take a deep breath. We won’t say anything to Sullivan. You two can enjoy hanging out with Kendrick until you head home. I meant what I said, Rafferty. I will not pressure you. I just need you to know that I’m going to tell my family who you truly are to me. In time, we’ll know if Fate was right about us.”

  Rafferty licked his lips, which Aleksander tried very hard not to notice, then bit his bottom one. There was tension in every line of his body, and Aleksander wanted to figure out a way to calm him, but they’d just met. With no idea what the right words were or if a relationship between them would eventually be possible, Aleksander was still pleased by the man in front of him. Only Fate knew if he was going to ever be more to him than a sexy voice and a handsome face. As if he could read the troubled thoughts plaguing Aleksander and wished to unsteady him further, Rafferty spun on one giant white sneaker and walked out of Worth’s office into his own.

  “That went well,” Aleksander muttered aloud to the empty room.

  ∞∞∞

  “Your Grace, slow down,” Sullivan gritted out as Rafferty dragged him out of the D’Vaire mansion. Not bothering to respond to his brother, Rafferty didn’t let go of his arm until the door slammed shut behind them and they were standing next to the rental car that had unknowingly tilted his life dramatically.

  “We have to go,” Rafferty said, yanking the keys from his pocket and promptly dropping them on the graveled driveway.

  “What in the bloody hell are you talking about? We’ve just arrived.”

  “Please Sully, I’ll explain.” Somehow, he managed to get t
he vehicle unlocked and with his heart beating hard enough that he feared it was knocking against his rib cage, Rafferty got inside. His brother wasn’t even in his seat when he got the car started and put it in gear.

  “Why did D’Vaire want to speak to you privately?” Sullivan demanded.

  Rafferty whipped the vehicle around the moment Sullivan had his seat belt fastened. His mind was not functioning properly, but Rafferty forced himself to take a deep breath. With no choice but to find a way to hide the truth about Aleksander, he quickly put together what he thought would be a plausible excuse. “When Kendrick found out that it was us two, he made it clear only you were issued an invitation.”

  “I already know he only invited me.”

  All the terror inside Rafferty morphed into anger. “I told you that I should’ve stayed home,” Rafferty yelled. When he got to the road, he hit the gas pedal hard. “I didn’t want to come, and Kendrick certainly doesn’t want me there. It was embarrassing to go in there. I’ve made a complete fool of myself.”

  Sullivan slammed his hands on the dashboard. “You need to slow the hell down. You’re going to get us both killed.”

  The red haze dissipated from his vision, and easing up slightly on the accelerator, Rafferty realized he had no idea where he was even going. “Are we going home or to the hotel?”

  “Is our mission complete? No. We’re going to the hotel. You need to turn up here.”

  “I want to go home.”

  “Why must you always whine about everything? You aren’t going home. Tell me what you and His Highness spoke of.”

  “He thought I should go,” Rafferty lied. “You need to check with Kendrick first before I can travel to D’Vaire.”

  “I don’t know him that well, you know that. How are you supposed to make friends with D’Vaire if Kendrick won’t let you through the door?”

  “I don’t know.” Rafferty was sure the last thing he wanted was to be friends with Aleksander.…Wasn’t it? Shaking his head in a vain effort to clear it, he pulled into the tiny hotel parking lot. Fate must’ve made some kind of mistake putting him with the D’Vaire High King. There was no way he could be with a man, and he was broken in the sexual attraction department. Wasn’t that a large part of a romantic relationship? They couldn’t even bind their souls without biting each other during intercourse.