Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19) Page 8

  Hi, it’s Aleksander. Great to meet you today. Would you and your brother like to come over tomorrow? You’re welcome at any time.

  After reading the invitation part to his brother, Sullivan smiled. “Wonderful, tell him we’ll go. I’ve one as well from Kendrick saying nearly the same.”

  Rafferty sat there, stupidly staring at his screen, unsure of what to say.

  “Paunchy, don’t fuck this up. I told you to text him and build a friendship.”

  “I’m just trying to figure out how to respond.”

  “Try ‘Yes, thank you. We’ll be there at eleven.’ How hard is that?”

  “Fine.”

  Hello, Your Highness, it’s Rafferty. Thank you for your invitation. Duke Sullivan and I can be there at eleven if that’s acceptable.

  “What the hell are we going to do in this hotel for the rest of the night?” Sullivan demanded.

  “Turn on the television or something. Read a book.”

  “I bet they don’t even have the channels I like,” Sullivan muttered as he got comfortable and found the remote. “And I hate books.”

  Rafferty’s phone vibrated as he was removing his shoes. Glancing at the screen, he didn’t know what to think about Aleksander’s immediate response.

  None of that royalty business, remember? Eleven is perfect. I hope you can stay longer than you did today. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.

  “I know you got another text. You better answer him,” Sullivan warned.

  “Give me a minute to think. Why don’t you text Kendrick or find something to do?”

  “Your attitude is getting on my nerves.”

  Frowning, Rafferty went to the settings on his phone and switched it to silent so Sullivan wouldn’t crawl up his ass when he got something from Aleksander.

  I can stay longer. Duke Sullivan didn’t get a chance to talk to Kendrick. Your house is nice. Rafferty barely refrained from smacking himself in the head once he’d fired off the text. Although he’d seen hardly any of the inside of the mansion, “nice” was nowhere near the right word to describe the gorgeous place the High King ruled over.

  Thanks, we love it. Wait until you see Dravyn’s garden. He and his mate spend all their time making it flourish.

  It was such a foreign concept to Rafferty to think about gay couples happily living their lives that he could only shake his head. If Fate wanted two people to be together, then Rafe believed they should be, but he didn’t get to decide those things at Court Kestle. Are there many gay people at your house? Rafferty’s eyes widened when he saw the idiotic thing he’d sent. Please ignore that, it’s none of my business. I’m so sorry. I have no people skills. People tell me that constantly.

  I grew up with a homophobic father. I get that it seems strange to you. You don’t have to apologize. There’s nothing wrong with people who aren’t heterosexual. And to answer your question, we have several gay couples. They’re accepted the same way as our straight ones.

  I don’t have a problem with gay people.

  Aleksander sent a smiley face emoji, which Rafferty grinned stupidly at. I hope not, your mate’s gay. Lol!

  Rafferty had no idea how to deal with the sexuality issue. Although he didn’t want to offend Aleksander, he wasn’t able to pretend that everything was okay with the notion of them together either. It was something that would need to be worked out later, so he set it aside and tried to think of something polite to say. Your hair is nice.

  His text was so ridiculous, Rafferty threw his phone onto the bed in disgust and got up to use the restroom. After emptying his bladder, he washed his hands and found his brother with his face buried into his device when he reentered the space they were sharing. Sullivan also had the television on to some comedy Rafferty didn’t find amusing, with the volume up way too high.

  “You still talking to the High King?”

  “I guess. He’s nice.” Rafferty was positive that word was going to haunt him forever.

  “Be nice back.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “I’ve got Father caught up on things. He’s already struggling to handle everything without me.”

  It was difficult for Rafferty to believe that since his father didn’t do much besides order people around, but he kept that harsh criticism to himself. While Rafferty loved and respected his only parent, he liked to think he was also aware of his faults. “We can go home at any time.”

  “We’re going to D’Vaire tomorrow.”

  “I know,” Rafferty grumbled. Sitting back down, he reluctantly snatched his phone after Sullivan returned to his. There was a notification that he had a new text and much as he didn’t want to read it, he had no choice.

  Thanks, I used to hate it. There’s no way to dye the blue and I didn’t want to stand out. I’ve learned to take pride in being a freak. My cousin, Noirin, cuts it for me and we’re both unimaginative, I guess. I might have to borrow your style. It looks great on you.

  Aleksander’s hair drifted to nearly his shoulders and the entire underneath that peeked through the otherwise black strands was a rich navy. It was also stick-straight, which Rafferty envied since his was the opposite. Don’t shave it.

  If Rafferty had brought weapons on their trip, he would’ve used one to chop off his fingers to keep himself from ever sending another text again.

  Too late, I already asked Noir. She’s going to do it tonight.

  Not knowing if Aleksander was joking or not, Rafferty stared at his device until his eyes nearly crossed. Please don’t.

  No worries, I was only teasing. She’d refuse anyway, and Noir’s rather terrifying if I push her into losing her temper.

  It was an odd statement to Rafferty as the king he lived with had never bowed to anyone, but then he recalled the deference his father had once given Molly. Perhaps at the D’Vaire household, Noirin was their version of the woman Rafferty still missed dearly despite her rejection. As evening fell, Rafferty continued to text with Aleksander. They stayed on simple topics that mostly had to do with the crappy shows Rafferty was being forced to watch, and what he learned was that Aleksander appeared to be kind. It boded well for the idea of making him a friend and ally. If Rafferty managed to keep it together, he might make some progress on that task in the morning when they went to Aleksander’s home. Because he had no other choice, he simply ignored what Fate intended for them.

  ∞∞∞

  Aleksander stood out on his deck with his other half in another eye-searing outfit of mismatched reds and greens, and it was awkward. When Rafferty and his brother arrived, Aleksander had taken care to introduce both to the entire family. By the time they’d greeted the D’Vaires, Noirin and Kendrick had lunch set out to eat. Duke Sullivan had been bewildered by not only the entire D’Vaire clan eating together but that Aleksander had dukes scattered around the room instead of at his table. At the Kestle household, things were vastly different, and Aleksander wasn’t unduly surprised.

  His idea of having everyone in the same building wasn’t the norm for dragons, and neither was shucking the trappings of royalty the moment the door shut. But it was Aleksander’s preferred way to rule, and he would change that for no one. The conversation during their midday meal was polite, though Aleksander observed that Sullivan only spoke to other dragons—and unless it was a direct question, he only engaged with other dukes. Haughty and not particularly friendly, Sullivan wasn’t Aleksander’s priority, so he ignored him.

  As for the man who Fate had chosen for Aleksander, he hadn’t said a word while he sat across from him at one of the round slabs of wood to the side of the kitchen. Instead, he savored every bite of his meal. Rafferty was undoubtedly a foodie who liked to languish over good taste. Quite the opposite of Dra’Kaedan who was also silent whenever he had a fork in his hand, but that was because he was shoveling it in at the speed of light.

  Aleksander hadn’t missed the small smile that played around Rafferty’s mouth as he found something that pleased his palate, and he
was thrilled that the two talented D’Vaire chefs were impressing him. When he was finished, Rafferty had gazed longingly at the island where the buffet was set out, but Sullivan gave him a sharp look. With that scowl that drove Aleksander nuts plastered on his sexy face, Rafferty waited patiently for the entire group to finish.

  After taking his plate to the dishwasher, Aleksander had invited Rafferty outside while Sullivan visited with Kendrick. Now that they had some semblance of privacy, neither of them knew what to do about it. Time continued to stretch out uneasily, which made Aleksander nervous, so he just went with the first thing that popped into his head.

  “What do you say we shift and fly? You can see the entire land that way.”

  For a split second, there was excitement in his dark eyes; then a frown appeared. “I need to talk to Sullivan first.”

  “Before you can shift?”

  Rafferty waved a hand randomly in the air. “It’s a whole thing. Being a black dragon…well, it’s complicated. He’s just inside. Give me a minute.”

  Wondering what in the world he was talking about, Aleksander waited patiently until Rafferty re-appeared. “Well?”

  “It’s cool. Sullivan said it was better to do it here, actually.”

  “Are you going to explain that?”

  “I told you, it’s complicated. My dragon makes people uncomfortable, which I don’t enjoy. But it’s like Sullivan said, it’s a been a while for me and if I don’t, I might get sick again.”

  “Again?”

  “I get human shit like colds and flus regularly. Could you turn around or something?”

  “No need,” Aleksander told him and lifted an arm to point in the general direction of one of the additions they’d put on the house. “There’s a changing room over there. You can put your things in a cubby and shift right outside. As soon as I see your dragon, I’ll do the same, okay? And hey, I have a dragon that makes people uncomfortable too. I get it, but if you allowed your beast out frequently, you wouldn’t get sick.”

  “It’s just to the right?”

  Holding back his sigh, Aleksander nodded. Rafferty strolled to it, and Aleksander noticed for the first time the way he hunched slightly, as if he wanted to make himself appear smaller. Odd behavior for a below-average height dragon, and Aleksander wondered about his home life. Kendrick didn’t have positive things to say about them barring Sullivan, who he admittedly didn’t know that well.

  Barely down that train of thought, Aleksander spied a gorgeous black dragon trotting out from the other side of the changing room. His scales were more matte than shiny, which was unusual. The former emperor and current Reverent Knight, Drystan, was the only other dragon known to Aleksander that lacked a bright sheen. It was a testament to the diversity Fate gave them, he thought as Aleksander strode over his land.

  Inside the little space for shifting, Rafferty’s clothes were carefully folded in a slot nearly in the corner, Aleksander noted as he stripped to skin. Walking out into the warmth of the early afternoon heat, Aleksander took mere seconds to morph into the largest beast in dragonkind. The pain had dissipated after the initial year or so as his body finally acclimated to the extremeness. With a small run on sturdy legs, Aleksander took flight while Rafferty did the same a few feet away.

  Pleasure swept over him as he soared upward. Although he was always happy to be in the air, it was the first time both man and dragon enjoyed it with their mate. Aleksander let out a burst of fire in celebration, his long tail whipping upward so he could barrel roll in excitement as Rafferty responded with flames of his own. While their human counterparts were struggling to find their common ground, the instinctive natures of their dragons already understood what a gift they were to each other. It was for Aleksander a sign that this was going to work and that Fate hadn’t made a mistake with him and Rafferty.

  Chapter 11

  What’s your favorite food?

  Rafferty stared at his phone as he sat in his hotel room, and his entire body deflated at the question. Aware that he was fat and how strange that was in their culture, there were moments he wished it were different. Then mealtime rolled around, and he got lost in how much he loved to eat. While it was impossible to have the kind of relationship Aleksander appeared to want, Rafferty still found himself let down that the High King couldn’t seem to help broaching the topic of his weight.

  Why? What does it matter?

  Aleksander sent a shocked emoji and Rafferty supposed he might be a little sensitive about the topic of cuisine in general. I thought we could serve it here the next time you visit. What’s wrong?

  Since writing about how tight his pants always were wouldn’t make the best impression, Rafferty deflected. It didn’t matter what he ate at D’Vaire; it was all delicious and he wished for seconds at each meal he’d been privileged to eat, but Sullivan would never allow that. I like pretty much everything, but potatoes and every other carb are my weakness. I wish I could try more stuff but there weren’t many restaurants near our old court.

  Favorite way to eat potatoes?

  There are these crispy ones done in the oven with I think rosemary. Yum.

  Now I’m hungry.

  You started it.

  Rafferty wondered if he’d pushed it too far when Aleksander didn’t immediately reply but a minute later, he got a little picture of someone laughing so hard they fell out of their chair. No one in his life was as easy to talk to as Aleksander, even if they did most of it over text messages. When they got together in person it was awkward, but Rafferty had loved being able to shift in the middle of the afternoon with the sun out, and so had his dragon. It was nice to be with another beast who was weird like his, because he knew from the earnest expression on Aleksander’s face that he did understand Rafferty’s struggles. Even before Rafferty hit a century old and his black beast ruined everything, he’d felt like an outsider.

  Sullivan was Charlton’s unequivocal favorite, and he deferred to him in everything. Rafferty had long wanted to be a champion for his father, but it was his oldest brother he reported to most often. At D’Vaire, there didn’t seem to be a chain of command. The entire court was together at mealtimes, and if they had a question for Aleksander or his appointed dukes, they blurted it out. Trying to imagine a similar setup at Kestle, his mind blanked.

  You fall asleep or something? Come on, that gif was funny.

  Smiling at Aleksander, though he couldn’t see it, Rafferty wished they could simply be friends. The more he was learning about Aleksander, the more he liked him, but he was stuck in a quagmire. King Kestle wanted an ally—for what purposes Rafferty had no idea—and the last thing he wanted to do was use Aleksander. As for the High King, he never allowed a day to pass without reminding Rafferty that Fate had paired them. While she certainly had, even if Rafferty could find a way to grow his interest in sex with a partner, a male one would never work in his family.

  Not asleep, I just don’t know what to say. I told you I suck at peopling.

  I haven’t found that to be true at all.

  In this vacuum of technology, Rafferty decided he would stick with as much honesty and bravery as he could muster. We barely speak when we’re together.

  Okay, it’s awkward but that’s because we haven’t had enough time in the same room. You guys only stay for a meal, then leave shortly thereafter.

  Rafferty couldn’t even blame that on Sullivan—he was the one who would find an opportunity to tell his brother that they needed to leave. Three days at D’Vaire and without fail, he wound up saying something so senseless, he had to hightail it out the door. It was also the most he’d ever shifted in his life, but it was making things worse for him. His dragon fought terribly when he tried to go back to human form. Instinctual and apparently having no issue with homosexuality, his beast wanted Aleksander.

  I say stupid shit and have to go.

  You’ve never said one stupid thing to me. I wish you weren’t so hard on yourself.

  What was it about Aleksander that
made him feel better, and why could he see inside Rafferty so clearly despite their short acquaintance? One thing was for sure, Rafferty was already starting to value this tiny bud of a friendship they were building.

  I think you’re too nice sometimes.

  Do me a favor? Ask me if I’m offended or irritated before you go running back to that hotel? We’re never going to get beyond the awkwardness if we don’t talk the way we do on our phones.

  “Are you still texting with D’Vaire?” Sullivan demanded.

  “Yeah.”

  “Show me what you’re writing. I need to make sure you’re not fucking this up.”

  With agile fingers, Rafferty cleared his entire text exchange with Aleksander, which pissed him off. For reasons he didn’t understand, he wanted to keep those words between them so he could read them whenever he wanted, and it wasn’t any of Sullivan’s damn business what they discussed. “No.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You dragged me to Arizona to be friends with him. If you wanted to control the situation, you should’ve done it yourself. I can’t work on anything with him if you’re looking over my shoulder.”

  “I’m your superior.”

  “I’m not trying to fight with you, Sully. You could’ve easily handled this, but you decided to give the task to me. I don’t even know why.”

  “Because I don’t have time to be someone’s buddy, Paunchy. I have Father breathing down my neck, wondering when we’re coming home. He’s at the house trying to run a court without any help.”

  “Then let’s go home.”

  “Why can’t you understand how important it is for us to have allies?”

  “I text more with Aleksander than I speak to his face. I can do that in Virginia, Sully.”

  “You do have a point.”

  “We can come back in a couple of weeks. We’ll know better if I can stay friendly with D’Vaire, and we can be home doing what needs to be done.”