When they were at least somewhat out of earshot and in the middle of the tall wildflowers and grasses, he got right up in Peter’s face.“You’re not going to talk me out of this.The only way you can ground me here is if you compel me, and it looks like Cloudtree has neighborly ambitions and would undo that so I can be super grateful.
“I’m coming, because if you get your Viking ass injured, you need my blood.I’m not delusional, okay?I know I’m not someone who can…tear off heads.Or pull out someone’s eyeball.My unique and singular talent in this relationship is being your fucking blood bag, and I’m going to do that, whether you like it or not, are we clear?”
Peter’s face was doing strange things Theo had never seen it do before.His eyes were stormy.Theo had read that often enough and had never really been able to make much of the descriptor, but a Viking vampire withfeelings, yeah, that got you stormy eyes.
Very slowly, exceedingly gently, Peter cupped Theo’s cheek.“Theodore—”
“Stop fucking saying that.”
“It’s your name.It’s a beautiful name.You are many things already.You will be many more in the future.You have never been and will never be my blood bag.If anyone should ever say that to you, they will answer to me.”Peter’s stormy eyes got stormier.“I love you.I love you so much.I wanted to wait to tell you, but you have to know.I love you, and if you can cherish the confession by staying here—”
“No.”Theo’s eyes were burning, but he wasnotgoing to let himself lose it.He wasnotgoing to read anything into this, and he wasnotgoing to call it or think of it as a confession of love, and he was going to do all of that while ignoring how he was feeling about it, which was confusing at best.
Theo stood there a moment longer.He was sure he should say something, but his mind was blank, and he was shivering.
Peter smiled at him.“Back to the path, dearest.The high grass is dangerous.There are ticks.”
Theo nodded.He wasn’t sure he’d be able to talk.
A few more steps brought them to a porch.The front door of Laurette’s house stood open, and with his hand on the small of Theo’s back, Peter ushered him through first.The interior was decked out in rich colors with pastel accents.One side of the hallway was all mirrors, and the flower wallpaper opposite matched a carpet so thick and fluffy that Theo wondered how it remained clean in this part of the house.
“Which way?”Theo said, then cleared his throat when his voice came out raw.
“I’ve not been here before, but let’s follow the voices.”Peter closed the door behind them, and with a gentle push let Theo know which way to move.
At first, Theo didn’t hear anything, but then he picked up the indistinct chatter that Peter, with his vampire hearing, had gotten all along, then metallic sounds.Meanwhile, he took in the rich plushness of the house.It wasn’t exactly like the Boudoir, but there was a similarity here, maybe just an alignment of tastes between Celeste and Laurette.
“There you are.”Laurette waved at them from the end of an oval dining table in a room with French doors opening to a back garden.“Swords and things, and a hooded cloak.”
Laurette indicated everything that was laid out on the table.Theo saw swords in scabbards of varying lengths, some curved and some straight, some broad and some needle fine.Even as Laurette presented his collection, Gertrude came back, a morning star in one hand.“Anyone?”she asked, looking at Theo.
“I think I’m good.”
She nodded.“I’ll go get you a screwdriver.”
“Screwdriver?”
She shrugged and opened her own coat.“Fresh out of hammers.”
Theo gasped.She had a bunch of them strapped to her, but that wasn’t the thing that got Theo.It was that she had a harness for all those hammers, and Theo wasn’t so sure she was into home improvement exclusively.The thing looked pretty custom made, almost like the swings at the Boudoir.
Laurette covered his mouth with a hand as he laughed.“Gertrude is always enthusiastic.Peter, a sword for you?”
Theo snorted.“You’re a Viking.Shouldn’t you go with an axe and a shield?”
Peter gave Theo a peck on the cheek.“I’m not a Viking, dearest.And yes, a sword will be fine.”
Laurette nodded.“Pick any one.Let’s sketch out a rough plan before we head to Faerie, then.”
Cloudtree frowned.“I had not wanted to return so soon, but it must be done.”
Well, he should’ve at least brought a shirt that fit, then,Theo thought, then cackled to himself.Of course, that attracted Peter’s concerned attention, but Theo glared at him before he could insinuate that Theo was too frail to come or suffering from a cold simply because his nose was still a bit clogged from very much not giving in to becoming emotional over a confession of love five minutes ago.
Fuck, that really happened.It’s not in the contract.I think I’m fucked.
Theo filed the thought away in his mind to examine at a later date.A much, much later date.
Chapter 18
