“I’m not afraid,” he panted, though Adrissu could feel his pulse hammering from where his wrists touched his neck. “I feel like I should be, but I’m not afraid of you.”
“I know,” Adrissu rumbled, deep in his chest.
“You’ll keep me safe?” Braern asked, his voice rasping. Adrissu growled, his insides burning at the thought of anyone hurting his mate.
“Yes,” he answered, his voice filling the cavern.
“You’ll protect me?”
“Yes.”
“And I can—I can stay with you? As long as I want to?”
Adrissu rumbled again, wanting to press his face further into Braern, but knowing he would knock the elf over if he did.
“I am your home,” he said. “I will always be your home.”
Braern was silent, but he could feel him nodding against his skull, could feel tears dripping from his eyes onto his scales. More than anything, Adrissu wanted to kill whoever had put such fear into his mate. It made him think of when he had ripped apart the sailor that had taken Volkmar from him; and it was a small comfort to know that he would do the same to this cruel elf, who had kept Braern from him for so long.
“Okay,” Braern finally said, clearing his throat. “I’ve seen what I needed to see. We can go back.”
When they both emerged back in the tower, and Adrissu straightened from closing the trap door behind them, Braern grabbed him by the forearms, pulled him close, and kissed him.
Adrissu groaned against his mouth, every nerve in his body lighting up with fire. It was sudden and chaste, but consumed him entirely. Braern started to pull away, but Adrissu followed. The elf yielded to him, mouth opening against his tongue. The feel of him was new and strange—at the same time as familiar and easy as breathing. With one hand Adrissu held the back of Braern’s neck, and with the other he pressed against the small of his back, grinding their hips together as they kissed. He tasted floral, like pine and lavender, and the hard evidence of his desire pressed flush against Adrissu’s groin, making the elf gasp—
“W-Wait,” Braern stammered against his lips, and immediately Adrissu stilled. Braern leaned back, still in Adrissu’s arms, but with some space between their bodies now. He looked at him with dark eyes and flushed, swollen lips. “I... I don’t think I can do this yet.”
Adrissu blinked, forcing his racing heart to calm. “I... Alright. Of course. Whatever you want.”
“This is going to sound so stupid,” Braern groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. “I feel... guilty, doing this. With you.”
Adrissu had no idea how to respond. Itdidsound stupid, but he could not say as much. “I want you to be comfortable.”
“I am. I will be,” Braern said. “I... do want this. Just not yet. Not so soon.”
Adrissu nodded, and in one smooth motion, he loosened his hold around Braern and took a measured step back, separating them fully.
“In that case,” he said, clearing his throat and trying his best to ignore his cock that still ached for attention. “Lunch is ready for you.”
Braern blinked, then laughed, a genuine smile crossing his face. Any lingering frustration Adrissu might have had melted away entirely. He had waited a hundred years—what was a little more time? His mate washere, at his side, and that was all that mattered.
Chapter Twenty-Four
ThelongerBraernwasable to decompress, the more he seemed like the person Adrissu remembered. He was not exactly Ruan, nor was he entirely Volkmar, just as they had been different from each other; but more and more clearly, he could see the thread of personality that connected them: the streak of stubborn resilience that must have driven Braern to travel halfway across the world in the hope that his dreams had some root in reality. He was curious as Volkmar had been, with an elven sense of pride that somehow reminded him of Ruan, too.
For having spent the last hundred years alone, Adrissu thought he adapted rather well to the sudden presence of another in his home. Vesper was over the moon and most often stayed with Braern in his room, or slithering along behind him as he explored the tower. To his credit, Braern had no fear of the huge snake, and after adjusting to her presence, he seemed to enjoy her company nearly as much as she enjoyed his.
It all felt homey and cozy again, like things had finally gone back to how they were supposed to be. Of course, in those first weeks together, the quiet urge for vengeance was a tight ball in the pit of Adrissu’s stomach. He could ignore it most of the time, but never entirely. They had not discussed the issue of Lorsan: what they would do about him, or how they would respond if he did come looking for Braern. It seemed like the kind of topic that he shouldn’t bring up on his own, so Adrissu waited for Braern to discuss it with him.
Eventually, Braern did broach the topic, in a way. Adrissu had been at the school for most of the day, and he was tired when he arrived back at the tower; but Braern seemed eager to see him, grinning up from the book he was reading on the couch. Vesper was coiled over his legs—he shifted them gently to coax her down, and she uncoiled herself to drop down to the stone floor with a thud.
“Welcome home,” Braern said, standing up. Adrissu smiled back, surprised.
“You’re in a good mood,” he said, pulling off his winter cloak and hanging it by the door. Braern nodded, biting his lip, though the smile on his face lingered.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, stepping closer and letting his hands settle around Adrissu’s waist. “I... don’t want to wait anymore.”
“No?” Adrissu said, raising an eyebrow and hoping his slight smirk did not betray how quickly his heart had started to hammer in his chest.
