He opened the pastry box and tangled a hand in Dex’s short hair, pulling his head back. “Eat this.” Luc handed him a muffin.
Dex took it and had a bite. Damnation, he was so obedient.
He finished his muffin quietly, and Luc handed him another. Remembering the coffee, he levitated the latte over and grabbed the cup from the air. With a silent spell, he reheated it and handed it to Dex.
He had a sip. “Wow, it’s warm. Did you do that?”
Luc hummed, appreciating Dex’s sense of wonder. “Magic is great for little things.”
“Is it stupid that every time I see magic, I’m surprised all over again?”
His tone implied he thought it was stupid, so Luc set him straight. “Why would it be? All your life, you were told that magic was a fantasy. It’s only logical for a part of you to resist believing.”
“I hadn’t considered that.” He had another sip, shifting his position, his muscles going lax. “Can we stay like this for a while?”
Luc wrapped both arms around Dex. “Of course.”
They lapsed into silence as Dex finished eating and drinking his coffee. Luc didn’t mind. Holding him was enough for now.
When the food and coffee were done, trash levitated away, Dex wrapped an arm around Luc and tucked his face into the crook of his neck.
Luc had meant to fondle Dex, tease him until he was aroused, and suck another orgasm from him, though probably not through his blood. But as Dex cuddled closer, Luc’s chest tightened.
So much sadness was trapped in his petite form. Luc wished he could extract it, banish it, or otherwise destroy it. Anything toget rid of it. But Dex wasn’t being haunted by an enemy Luc could conquer with force. All he could do was be good for Dex, not hurt him, and help him on his journey.
And Dex seemed prepared to let him.
Luc’s mate found comfort in him. Snuggled him so sweetly. He accepted Luc’s soft side along with his domineering tendencies. Dex allowed Luc to be whole, not just a demon who fed on him and possessed him, but held his grieving heart.
Luc hadn’t had intimacy like this in thousands of years, if ever.
Damn his worn-out soul. Not bonding with Dex would break him. Why couldn’t there be a way to keep Dex without taking anything from him?
“What’s the deal with mates?” Dex asked after a while, jolting Luc out of his reverie.
It was as if Dex had read his mind, and Luc panicked. He hadn’t spoken out loud, had he? “What do you mean?”
“Ollie told me he’s bound to Dante and won’t die. He started going on about fate. Mates are some huge thing, aren’t they? It’s not just the demon word for partner.”
Luc was grateful they weren’t facing each other. Dex would read too much into his expression.
He held Dex firmly tucked against his neck, in case he had any ideas about peering at him. “Mates aren’t the same as human partners. They’re fated. All Eternal beings have a fated mate, or in the case of my polyamorous kin, more than one.”
“What does fated mean?” Dex sounded frustrated, and Luc almost smiled.
“That the couple is meant to be together. Destined to share a powerful, magical bond. We can’t see the future and don’t know who our mates are before we meet them, but we know they’re out there, that we’re meant for each other, and will never part once we come together.”
“So Ollie and Harper were destined by magic to be with Dante and Ash?”
Was that a hint of sadness in Dex’s voice? Luc hated it. He had to obliterate it, but wasn’t sure how. “Yes… Did Ollie or anyone tell you why I led the fall to Earth?”
Dex shook his head into Luc’s neck.
Luc rested his chin in Dex’s hair, securing both arms around him. “Finding your fated mate is political in the Eternal Realm, and many were denied theirs. I was denied mine more than once by my parents, who sat on the ruling council. It wasn’t right. Restricting love and regulating connection is wrong, so I decided to find my mate on Earth.”
“But you didn’t?” Dex asked hesitantly.
“No. None of the hundreds who fell with me did either.”
