“Tengtold you to return?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “That's why you came back?”
“Hey, asshole!” I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “I was the one who decided to return and do whatever it took to get you back. Teng just helped me see that it was possible. And he gave me his blessing. That's what I needed, Vax. He released me so I could commit to you.”
“Oh.”
“Oh?” I snorted. “Now, who's the moron?”
“Still you.” He smirked. Then he frowned. “What was the important thing you stole from the Hulfrins?”
“I didn't steal it personally. And the crew didn't even know what they took. The thing was hidden in a bottle of brandy.”
“What thing? Get to it already.”
“Sheesh, have some patience, Mr. Curious.”
Vax chuckled. “You are perfect for me. You know, I'm normally a lighthearted man.”
“That's a load of crap.”
“No, it's the truth. I love to tease people. To play pranks. But then I met you, and everything became so serious. I mated you the first time we were together and then—”
“Fourth,” I said.
“What?”
“It was the fourth time we had sex that you started doing the wild coming thing.” I grinned. “See? I pay attention. I remember because it was after you asked me to go on tour with you, and I said no.”
Vax rolled his eyes and went to sit down on the bed again. He popped a piece of buttered bread into his mouth and chewed. I went to join him and grabbed a sea grape.
“You remember because I mentioned it earlier,” Vax said. “And it was our fifth session, but all of those sessions were part of our first time together,” Vax said.
“No, it was the fourth.”
“The fifth,” he said in a tone that said the argument was over. “I remember because, before that, I didn't want a mate.”
“Wait. What?” I growled.
“You heard me. I didn't want a mate. Maybe later in life. But I was having too much fun. I had just woken from a hibernation that had lasted centuries. I didn't want to bind myself to one man for eternity.”
“Well, fuck.”
“It's why I couldn't promise to not take other lovers. Like you, I wanted to be free.”
“That's a different kind of freedom.” I grimaced.
“But then the mating magic took me, and I claimed you. As soon as the magic burst between us, I felt how wondrous it was.” Vax took my hand and kissed it. “And I was grateful. I knew that no other man could satisfy me like you. None other could lift my heart and make it sing. It would be wonderful to be mated because my mate was you. I fell asleep in a state of bliss.” His expression dropped into annoyance. “And then I woke up to find that my mate had fled.”
“Because we had talked about staying together, and you told me you had twenty-six bed slaves! You said you couldn't be faithful to me.”
“I'm a king.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
Vax frowned. “What just happened? You're the one in the wrong. You ran from me, but I still saved you, protected you while you healed, and brought you home to my palace. Then, after I offered you everything, you rejected me again.”
“You said I'd be your consort. You didn't tell me I was your mate.”
“As I said earlier, I tried to.”
