Dalziel shrugged, then leaned his hands on the table where Gethin and Alec sat and glowered at him. “I do beg your pardon for my insensitivity,” he said with a sarcastic bite that had even Alec side-eying him, “but myjob,and yours, is ensuring the everyday welfare of supernaturals across the United Kingdom, not wiping the arses of every Tom, Dick and Harry that gets their kicks playing at supper and sex with an immortal.” His gaze narrowed and he seemed to be waiting for something.
Gethin held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, fair point, but I’m not immortal, so perhaps I feelanydeath more deeply than a vampire would. It doesn’t mean I’m not aware this is a disaster all round.” He shovelled in a forkful of cabbage, then had a sudden thought. “Is Sorley aware of the death?”
“Not yet. I need to question him. I presume the man was known to him, in the basest of ways, at least. Where is he?”
“No idea. He was being a twat, so I called him out on it and walked off. He’s probably sulking in his room.”
Dalziel’s amused snort was a surprising mood change. “He can sulk for days given half a chance. Well done, Hughes. The boy needs someone strong to call him on his bullshit.”
“And you don’t do that?”
The raised eyebrows were back. “Of course I do, but what I don’t do is then fuck his bad mood out of him. Which he hates, so it makes him more clingy, and even more sulky.” Dalziel sighed, and it seemed to echo around the library. “I love him dearly, but he will persist in this ridiculous belief that we would make each other happy as life partners. I swear on my mother’s grave, one of us would stake the other within half a century.”
Gethin wasn’t sure this was a suitable conversation with Alexander in the room. His discomfort must have shown on his face. He was aware of Dalziel attempting to ease the tension in the room, and it worked — slightly. He slathered gravy over a forkful of mashed potatoes and took a deep breath.
“Look, I appreciate you’re both vampires and know Sorley well, but he’s not here to defend himself, and I’m uncomfortable discussing him this way. Maybe vamps are more open about this kind of thing, but this is too personal for me.”
Alec chortled. “Of course you’re uncomfortable. You’re in love with him.”
“I am not!” The denial was instantaneous, but as the words left his mouth, Gethin knew them to be a lie. His shoulders slumped, the remainder of his meal forgotten. “I…might be slightly infatuated with him,” he admitted quietly. “He’s the most infuriating, fascinating, beautiful man I’ve ever met.” His heart hammered loud enough to be heard three counties away.I’ve admitted out loud I have feelings for a man!
He raised his gaze to meet two sets of intense, almost hopeful stares, but forced his tone to sound light and mocking. “He’s also a vampire with a seeming inability to keep it in his pants and the attention span of a toddler. I’ll work past it soon enough. Or I won’t need to, because as he’s so fond of reminding me, I’m a mere wolf and barely fit to lick his boots.” Alec grunted at that, so he amended the last sentence. “All right, he doesn’t say precisely that, but he’s not shy about dismissing shifters as a lesser species. It’s not exactly conducive to a lifetime of hearts and flowers.” He laughed self-deprecatingly and decided he would finish his meal after all. “There’s also the significant obstacle of my being mortal, and him…not.” He had to fight to swallow the last mouthful of beef; the thought of one day knowing the world would continue with Sorley in it when he had breathed his last was a painful one.
“So,” Alec looked thoughtful, “the disparity in your lifespans appears to be the main reason you shy away from the idea of a relationship with my dear friend? Am I correct?”
Dalziel pulled up a third chair and flipped it around to straddle it, resting his arms on the back. “Tell me, do you have genuine feelings for him? I admit I had assumed it was lust. To my knowledge you’re not out, and I would never expect you to make yourself vulnerable among your people, although we might need to discuss this before the Council meeting later.” At Gethin’s questioning glance, he continued, “The pair of you absolutely reek of attraction and sex. Your scents are so closely entangled I doubt anyone could be sure of whose is which. If we can’t find a way to dampen it, or you are unable to tone it down considerably, you may have to consider the meeting to be your official coming out, at least among those present.” He sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, his fangs raking over it in what seemed to Gethin to be an unconscious gesture. “Does Justin know?”
Gethin willed his racing pulse to slow down. “I don’t think so,” he said, “but to be honest, it’s been the last thing on my mind. Keeping Sorley safe, and finding the bastard who’s wreaking havoc on our world have been my priorities. I…I do like him, a lot, but I wasn’t planning on making any kind of announcement. This, whatever it is, has got a very definite end date, and while I’m big enough to take down any wolf that wants to make an issue of my sexuality” — he gulped — “it seems unnecessary to fight that battle unless it’s unavoidable. I don’t want to bring trouble to my pack for no reason.”
“Have you considered that coming out might do the opposite?” Dalziel’s hazel eyes were shrewd. “My son’s partner faced bigotry and potential expulsion from his own pack by coming out, but now he’s linked with Charley, and by default, me and the Council, his openness is bringing other young shifters out of the woodwork. There’s been a marked upturn in known LGBT+ wolves, and it’s only been a handful of months since Charley and Luc got together. The Council are delighted. You know how fluid the Fae are, as are most vampires. Witches have long ignored the constraints of heteronormativity too, and of course, Justin is very open-minded, one of the main reasons we wanted him on board.” He laid a cool hand over Gethin’s arm, and the shifter felt his clattering heart rate respond to the powerful calm emanating from the vampire. “I imagine it feels rather scary, but it might be the way to go. You’re an alpha, Gethin, and a well-respected member of both your own community and the Council.”
Gethin dropped his head into his hands. “This is a lot to think about. Coming out without a definite reason, without aperson,seems crazy, but maybe I should. Maybe my boy is right.” He could feel the attention of both vampires as if their gazes were boring literal holes into him. “Iolo, my eldest. He’s so scornful of shifter ways. Says the elders are dinosaurs and their policies ridiculous at best, cruel at worst. He says the young ones don’t care who fancies or loves who. Says they want to be free of fear and to be governed by alphas who promote equality for all.” He groaned softly. “He’s going to be so ashamed of me, being closeted for all these years.”
“Or proud of you for helping to overthrow the chains for him and others like him,” Alec countered equally quietly.
“You think my son is gay?”Gods. That hadn’t even occurred to him. Gethin sat up and registered the twin expressions of compassion on the vampires’ faces. He was uneasy that he felt worried about the prospect of Iolo not being straight. He really needed to get a handle on his own self-loathing, to banish this toxic way of assuming heterosexuality was to be preferred.
Alec waved a vague, lace-adorned hand. “Who knows? But if he is impassioned about the subject, you can be certain there are people he loves who are not heterosexual. That you, his father and his alpha, would stand up publicly for these folk, I think would make him very proud.”
“People are coming.” The wave of calm intensified. Dalziel smiled. “You are about to officially meet my son and his partner.”
20
SORLEY
Frustratedby Gethin’s harsh words and cold dismissal, it had taken a long run across most of Dalziel’s estate for Sorley to lose his feeling of despondency. He didn’t understand why the wolf was so pissed off. Shifters had been the natural enemies of vampires since the beginning of time. It wasn’t as if Sorley had been including Gethin in his observations. Gethin was different. He wasn’t like that pompous little twat Bradshaw, all coiled violence and oozing testosterone if anyone so much as breathed in the general direction of his baby-faced lover. He didn’t have that vague wet dog smell most wolves had either, regardless of whether they were in fur or skin. Gethin smelled good. Better than good. He smelled of desire and lust and comfort andhome.
Fuck. This wasn’t good at all. This was a disaster. Sorley stopped under cover of a huddle of fir trees near the gate to the old village, frowning as he reran the conversation he and Gethin had had before the wolf had stalked off. Hurt had rolled off him so thick and potent that even Sorley, who sometimes struggled with identifying the emotions of others, had had no trouble in recognising it.
Why had Gethin been so furious? So…pained? Could it be he—
No. That wasn’t possible, was it? Was there a chance, even a slight one, that Gethin might trulylikeSorley? But as soon as the idea floated into his brain again, he dismissed it. Hughes was using him as a convenient place to stick his dick. It staved off sexual frustration and felt good; that was all it could possibly be. They’d been through this on the beach the other night. Any hurt Gethin felt was from being treated as a sex aid, like he’d accused Sorley of doing. It wasn’t as if they’dchosento stay together. They were hampered by this lunatic who was intent on harming Sorley and anyone it appeared he’d shown even a modicum of affection to. His mind went instantly to Melody, and with it came a flare of panic about her well-being. He found Baxter’s number and dialled.
“God help me, Sorley, but your lack of faith in me is frankly insulting.”
“Hello to you too,” he rasped, his gratitude for her sassy greeting overwhelming. Evidently all was well. “Pardon me for giving a fuck about my friends.” He forced himself to take an unnecessary but calming breath. “I take it she’s there, and fine?”
Baxter made a noise of confirmation. “She’s in her studio. Apparently the situation has fired up her imagination and she’s feeling inspired. No, I am not interrupting her, so don’t ask.” Her tone softened. “She’s a nice girl. I can see why you like her.”
