Love's Nudging Page 7

  “And you have it,” Zibon said, studying her like he was trying to sense it but couldn’t.

  “That is a very powerful gift you have,” she told him. “Be careful with it.”

  “I was going to call you and ask for his sanctuary when I found out his family and the council were coming for him, but his mate moved too fast and didn’t tell us all,” I explained, realizing he probably wondered why I hadn’t helped. “What else did they study?”

  “Your mother was very persuasive,” Grandmother explained.

  Bricius burst out laughing. “That’s one way to put it. The woman was more in tune with her gift than your empath here. Your mother was so damn good that she’d have even an ancient convinced or agreeing to something without even realizing what she was doing.”

  “You speak from experience?” I asked him.

  “No, but she tried,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “I agreed to check on you all on my own. To speak with them because I believed in their work.” He sighed, realizing this was hard for Grandmother. “Your mother would get people to ‘fess up if they had family who turned zakasac. People won’t admit it. Most report them as dead. Your parents believed what we’re seeing now would happen.”

  “They were spying and scouting for numbers as well as getting more information on gifts and our history as everyone keeps that secret,” Lance surmised. “Smart. Really smart.”

  “Yes, and what they found was alarming,” Grandmother told us. “People were so busy hiding the truth for fear of being shamed and blamed that we have let the enemy grow to numbers probably twice our own, maybe even more.” She squeezed my hand again. “So please understand that your parents loved you. They loved you so much they sought out Bricius to be your protector should they ever die.

  “They were terrified of what was to come and did everything they could to find more information so you would be safe. They fell into their research rabbit hole too often. Hindsight is easier than the present to see our mistakes. But they were not for one moment disappointed in you. They accepted you, loved you, and were very, very proud of you, Markham, just as I have always been.”

  I bobbed my head, tears burning in my eyes. She gave my hand another squeeze as Zibon hugged me. I grunted as all my friends started piling on me, Nate knocking us off my chair, and we went tumbling to the floor.

  “Sure, thanks, I needed a knee to the groin to make me feel better,” I drawled. “Get off of me, you idiots.”

  “Only if you promise not to hide anything from us again,” Wally said from the top. “We forgive you for doing it, but no more, Mark. We’re in this together, always have been, so no more hiding.”

  “No more hiding,” I agreed, relieved I did.

  And not just because they moved their huge bodies off of me.

  6 ~ Bricius

  “Just so he’s clear, you want him to lead next,” I clarified when Markham and his friends took their seats again.

  “Yes, but not for at least another few decades,” she told him firmly. “No matter how talented or wonderful, this is not the time for a change in leadership. He would be chum in the water with the war coming and politically to so many enemies.” She gave him a kind look. “If you do not want it, that is your choice, and I would never be mad at you for it. You do not have to decide today.”

  “Okay, not yet,” he whispered, his hands shaking as he rubbed his head.

  I shared a look with her, both of us realizing he was moments from either fainting or just breaking down, too much thrown at him for one day. He needed a moment to breathe and settle.

  “So how did the game go?” I teased him, blinking when his friends smirked at my friends… Who all looked anywhere but at me.

  “They’re rather bright and have been well trained to think outside the box,” Danek praised. “And this was their home turf. Let’s say ‘guerrilla warfare’ might be their specialty.”

  It was hard not to laugh as they outlined all of their plans and how many hits they’d landed. My friends were even amused, saying it was worth waking just for the game instead of the promised hunting Alastair had passed along until it reached us.

  “Oh dear,” Queen Fenna sighed when they finished. “I will warn the appropriate parties that Bricius might mate into our family.”

  “Grandmother!” Markham gasped, giving her a shocked look.

  She reached over and took his hand. “As long as he is willing to support your decision whichever way you choose, legendary Bricius or not, I will not object if you choose him.”

  “I don’t even know him,” he grumbled. “And this is a sudden shift.”

  She smiled gently at him. “He sees you, darling. His methods might be overbearing and heavy handed, but he sees you. He is making sure the boy who never got the attention he deserved and needed gets it now. You weren’t able to have friends as normal boys did, but now you do because they only saw you and not your linage and he just gave you the ultimate chance to play.

  “Not only that, he will challenge you, sending twelve of the most legendary warriors ever to be your opponent. And from what I saw in his expression, he’s quite pleased you were able to not only win, but declare complete victory. That is someone who will stand at your side and push you when our instincts tell us to run. Plus, I would never have to worry about your safety with him at your side.”

  “I really never thought you would allow me to be gay, and now you’re talking of mating me off to the oldest vampire,” he whispered, shaking his head.

  “‘Allow you?’ I am not an easy woman, and I hold our family to high standards, but I am not a bigot, Markham. I feel that judgement a bit harsh.” She blinked back tears when he opened his mouth but then closed it. “Yes, I did much else wrong, so I can understand how upset and fear are not rational. Know now it does not bother me in the slightest.”

  “Well, I owe you the prizes I promised,” I said as I stood, smiling at Markham. “If I can show you something more wonderous than you ever thought possible, will you spend your next full day off with me?”

  He studied me in that sexy way that made me want to have him look me over completely while I was naked. “I’ve seen more wonders than most would expect for my age because of the family I was born in. If you can get six of the twelve that played to agree it’s wonderous, I’ll give you a day.” He glanced at the queen. “How long are you sneaking out for?”

  “I’ll leave after I’m updated. Apparently I have someone in my security to behead.”

  He nodded and looked back at me, curiosity sparkling in his eyes. I went over to the piles of wood by the large fireplace in the cafeteria and picked up a dozen logs, bringing them to the table across from where they all sat. I put them down and then used my gift to turn them into gold.

  “Holy fuck me,” one of his friends breathed.

  “You’ve got the allusion gift,” London Aberdeen surmised.

  “No, he’s an alchemist,” Danek explained. “Anything solid he can change into anything from the periodic table that’s solid. Liquids to liquids and gas—”

  “I don’t fuck with,” I admitted. “Science was not always what it was, and the only time I did that was because we were very much going to die if I didn’t blow the place up, but I almost killed us that way, so I leave gases alone. Liquids mostly too. I have to have had contact with the substance, but it can’t be compounds, so like gems are out.”

  Markham slowly nodded. “As long as Jordan agrees. I don’t think he likes me.”

  “I like you very much,” Jordan called from across the cafeteria. “Worried for you and ripples of him courting someone is very different than disliking you.”

  “Fair enough,” he replied, shrugging when the others gave him a look. “If any one of you don’t think that was wonderous, I would smack you for lying.”

  “Yeah, no, that was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen,” Dimitri admitted as he went over and checked out the logs. His eyes went wide as he lifted one. “Wow, it’s even heavier. Of co
urse gold would be, but it was a light log so—”

  “It takes some getting used to, and he hates to do it in public,” Danek told them, shrugging when I shot him an unfriendly look. “He’s ridiculously smart, my friend. Someone like that would value honesty instead of the cool legend or whatever. He grew up around royalty and heads of state. He might be the one person who can see past the legend and see you.”

  “Yeah, we like him a lot,” Karel added, clearing his throat and looking away from Markham when he blushed. “And we understand the attraction. He is gorgeous.”

  I swallowed down boiling rage and counted to five before I opened my mouth. “I would like a word in private after lunch, please, Markham.”

  He did a double take when he glanced at me. “Thank you for defaulting to speak privately, especially in front of Grandmother, but it’s nothing. When we ambushed him in the morning, he accidentally dropped his towel, and London made a colorful comment to deflect our embarrassment.”

  “It was before coffee,” Karel added. “I said something about no matter how hot he was, no man was worth your wrath.”

  “The way you blush is so adorable for someone so tall,” Zibon cooed at his friend. “The strong silent type who hangs back is what all the boys love.”

  “Not helping,” Markham grumbled, elbowing his friend and standing.

  Bowie nodded. “You were really popular when we were on assignment in Colorado but then…”

  “What did you do there, Markham?” Queen Fenna asked when he looked guilty.

  “Someone recognized me,” Markham admitted. “Well, he thought I was a distant relation or bastard of Uncle. His gift was persuasion. It backfired. He started a bit of a stir to pressure me before I figured out how to use my gift, and I wasn’t all that polite when I handled the situation.”

  “Define that, please,” she drawled.

  “Grandmother, please do not ask me to,” he grumbled, moving his hand over his face. “I will tell Henrik if you wish, but I beg you to not make me answer that.”

  Understanding filled her eyes. “I understand. I’ll leave you to handle it with Henrik if there could be a problem.”

  “No, and we’ve had contact with that coven since to help train their security.”

  “Yes, but soon people might know who are you are,” she reminded him.

  He winced. “Um, Zibon, could you ask Alastair for a favor or seven for me?”

  “Seven?” Zibon teased. “My, my, and here I thought you were the purest of us all, but apparently that’s still Wally.”

  “Oi, that’s not okay to say in front of a grandma much less a queen,” Wally complained, thumping Zibon on the head.

  “How did I not know this? I was on assignment with you,” Bowie grumbled as we headed for food.

  “You were all mopey about Sam,” Mark hissed back. “I didn’t sleep with seven people on one assignment. I said I was rude.”

  “I heard the plans for the house you’re building here are finished and the order about to be put through,” I said to him, intentionally changing the topic. The relieved look he shot me warmed my heart, and I was glad I stepped in.

  He did need help at times, but I just had to remember to keep my overbearing ways under control. I tended to like women more than men and was too used to the age where they’d relied on men for everything as it was expected. Now things were different, and he was a man.

  A very, very, very attractive man that was kind and sweet and so smart and caring that I’d practically stalked him instead of checking out the camp. Well, I had come to check on him originally, but really, even I understood I went too far over the line.

  We spent lunch discussing the plans and then what was found in the trailer. No one else was involved on this side after the construction guys were interviewed. There was some confusion as to the trailer that showed up because everyone was calling in this team or bringing in people they knew. A lot of it was last minute confusion, but there needed to be a system in place.

  Something everyone agreed on so I was glad for that. Gaius took that responsibility since his residence would be the security for the subdivision. He and Falcon would gather the lists and verify everyone who was invited or there, people knowing to go through them from now on so they were on the same page. Smart and no one objected, which was nice.

  And so not like a normal coven, which they all seemed to appreciate.

  After lunch there was much to update Queen Fenna on. She was glad to be informed, but obviously the news was upsetting and she didn’t like it.

  “For all the complaining from councils that the remaining monarchies are practically dictatorships, even we have more checks and balances than they do,” she grumbled, rubbing her fingers between her eyebrows to relieve tension. “And this hunting ancients is insanity. Yes, some turn, but there are evil humans who are very young. Every family is bound to have one, and to hide it is—”

  “Has your family had any?” London asked, not always agreeing with his mother but clearly loyal to the Aberdeen name and their council position.

  “Three actually,” she replied easily. “And as my father taught me, I taught my children the warning signs, the potential pitfalls as being a ruler and having power is not easy. Sometimes it is a very slippery slope not to become the thing we once fought against when you spend so many years fighting against what you shouldn’t have to.”

  She gave me a very pointed look, and I nodded, accepting it. Power came with a great weight, and I’d experienced it many, many times. Experiencing centuries of people being stupid and lying or hurting others and sometimes you just wanted to force them to sit in the corner and behave.

  But then you were no better than the enemy. It was like the Americans who fought so hard for their freedom of speech when it was lies or hate. Everyone had to be able to have a voice or else it wasn’t truly free speech. However, that had a cost, and people needed to understand that better.

  And have clearer lines. From what I’d already learned of social media, I thought too much of it idiocy. Yes, freedom of speech was great, but they were private websites and companies. They could absolutely limit what was said or allowed just as they would in their corporate offices. If they wouldn’t let their employees say it, then they shouldn’t allow it on their website, which was their business.

  As someone who could just make them do it, sometimes it was hard to refrain from doing it. People weren’t mice to run what maze we decided as the stronger ones, or we were just as bad as the zakasacs.

  Markham took dinner privately with Queen Fenna, Henrik, and Zibon who seemed to be his closest friend of their group. Then again, there was also potential trouble with his family if they found out he was friends with Prince Markham, crowned prince of Denmark, and not just Mark.

  As glad I was that they reconciled, all I wanted was for her to leave and my next chance to crawl into his bed. I was impressed with how easily he could deflect—and not his gift—but his attitude and mood. We hadn’t done much, but for him to push it aside and act as if it hadn’t happened was pretty impressive for someone so young.

  Finally, finally, her plane left, all the castle staff and their families were settled at Morggyan’s residence, and Markham in his room. He was actually asleep when I slipped in, shocking me, but also understandable after the crazy day. I locked the door behind me again and undressed, sliding into bed with him. He turned towards me as he had the other nights, and I pulled his head to mine.

  He moaned and kissed me back, wrapping his large arms around me and cupping my ass so our bodies melded together.

  “I missed you,” I admitted, moving his hand to my cock as I touched him too. I got impatient and pushed down his pajama bottoms. “I want inside of you, and I want you inside of me, both so badly I don’t know which I want more.”

  “Fuck me,” he groaned as he squeezed my dick to the point of pleasurable pain. I hissed and moved my hand to his ass, letting my fingers glide between his cheeks. He flinched when I teased h
is hole and then froze.

  I glanced up at him when I felt him start to shake, frowning when his eyes looked wild. “What’s wrong?”

  “This isn’t a dream,” he whispered, blinking at me before removing his hand from me and shoving me harder than I would have thought possible. It wasn’t enough to send me flying, but I had to catch myself before I slid off the bed. I realized it was panic when I glanced back at his face.

  “Markham, what is the matter with you?”

  “With me?” he demanded, throwing back the covers and looking horrified when he found his state of undress. “What are you doing to me in my sleep?”

  I didn’t know how to answer. “Is this a game your generation plays?”

  “Is molesting people in their sleep yours?” he snapped, pulling up his pants and rolling to his feet. “Was it just tonight? Is that why I didn’t dream of you when you were gone? It wasn’t a dream?”

  “How much do you drink to sleep?” I asked, wincing when he reacted as if I slapped him.

  “I do not get drunk or even buzzed,” he seethed. “Five drinks for us is a glass of wine or two for a human. Fine, most don’t do it every night, but stop making me sound like some alcoholic. There are many nights I’ve not had a drink to sleep.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “How could you not tell I was sleeping? Were you drunk?”

  I crossed my arms in front of me in the shape of an X. “Enough of this. You were not sleeping those times. If you were today, I apologize. You were speaking to me and—”

  “Bricius, I have never consciously touched you,” he shouted. “What were you doing to me while I was sleeping?”

  “What is going on?” Lance yelled from the outer room. He yanked open the door and gave a shocked look when he found me there naked. He glanced away but didn’t leave. “Um, so you guys are like this, huh?”

  “No,” Markham answered.

  “Yes,” I said at the same time. I sighed when he shot me a hurt and angry look. “Markham, I know today was hard for you and you—”