When Lucian meets Gil, he thinks he knows what Gil wants.
Lots of fairies come to the restaurant where he works in the mortal world to
catch a glimpse of the prince. And perhaps fuck him. But it soon becomes clear
Gil isn’t there because he knows Lucian is the son of the king of the fairies.
In fact, Gil doesn’t even know he’s a full-blooded fairie at all, and he
dismisses Lucian as crazy.
Lucian goes looking for answers, and the two men can’t
forget about each other. When the truth comes out, Gil’s entire world changes.
Lucian decides to help him through this and stand by his side, but not just
because Gil has no one else who would understand. Lucian feels drawn to Gil in
a way he can’t explain, and after centuries of casual relationships, Lucian
begins to think that forever with one person wouldn’t be so bad if he could
make Gil his.
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Excerpt:
Lucian hadn’t
worked the bar in a long time, but tonight was slow enough he didn’t mind. He
missed moving through the restaurant and talking about the menu and other
random things with the customers, but he’d be back to waiting tables the next
day. He smiled to himself as he wiped the bar down again. Neither of his
siblings understood why he wanted to live among mortals, much less why he
wanted a job. They both said they did and knew he loved it, but Lucian knew
they didn’t truly get it.
They had no idea
how much he hated the way others treated him because his father was king of the
fairies. They never had.
He loved both of
his siblings and didn’t think they took advantage of their status, but they
rarely let people forget who they were—as if any fairie could. Raven would be
the first to throw out the line, “We’ll see what my father has to say”, while
Erik had over the centuries said “Don’t you know who I am?” to countless
people.
Lucian frowned.
He’d been brooding for the past hour because there was a full-blooded fairie in
the bar drinking with some of his friends. He’d felt the man’s power the moment
he walked in, and the guy kept staring at him from across the room. Lucian
tried to keep a low profile, but sometimes fairies from Arundel found out where
he worked and lived. This guy, however, seemed to live among mortals. He’d been
talking and laughing with his friends about things that happened at work. Was
it a coincidence, or had he come to get a look at the king’s son? Lucian didn’t
know, so he kept an eye on the guy.
Before long, the
man rose and went to the bathroom, throwing Lucian a half-smile as he walked
by. When he came back a few minutes later, he stopped at the bar. “We place
food orders here, right?”
Lucian resisted
the urge to turn slightly toward the sign just to his right that said exactly
that. “Yes. It’s just appetizers in here, but we’ll bring it out to your
booth.”
“Yeah, that’s
cool. Can we get some mozzarella sticks and onion rings? Need to absorb a
little alcohol before we head out.”
“Sure. I’ll put
that in.”
“Thanks.” The guy
flashed him a brilliant smile and backed away slowly before rejoining his
friends.
Lucian put the
order in, but he grew suspicious. None of the guys were drunk, and even if they
were, the guy hadn’t had to explain why he wanted to order food. Had he been
trying to make small talk and flirt? Or was he just a chatty guy? Lucian eyed
him from across the room, and sure enough, one of his buddies leaned over and
whispered to him before glancing over at Lucian. They both grinned.
Lucian turned to
take a drink order from a couple that had just walked in and tried to focus on
his work. If this guy was telling people what he was—and what and who Lucian
was—there would be trouble. The council couldn’t watch every single fairie every
moment, but if this guy was blabbing to mortals, he’d get caught eventually. He
had to know that.
As the next few
minutes passed, the man looked over at Lucian twice as much as he had been
earlier. Lucian didn’t know what to do. He could defend himself well enough,
but he didn’t think this guy meant him any harm. He briefly wished he had his
grandmother’s ability to tap into the emotions of others.
When their food
came up, Lucian threw his gaze around, hoping one of the waitresses would take
it over to them. Both of the girls working the bar with him were with
customers. The man looked up and met his gaze, and Lucian knew he couldn’t
ignore a customer, especially with the guy’s order sitting a couple of feet
away from him. Lucian’s boss thought he was a rich kid who had grown tired of
the lifestyle—Lucian didn’t want him finding out the truth. He turned to bring
the food over, but by the time he’d placed it on the bar and started to walk
around to the other side, the man stood there, grinning at him again.
“I can get these.
No problem,” the guy said. But instead of picking up the two plates, he
extended his hand. “I’m Gil.”
“I’m Lucian.” He
shook Gil’s hand.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Of course you do.
It’s why you’re here.”
Gil hesitated, his
expression blanking a moment. “Um, okay.” He pointed. “I just meant you’ve got
a name tag on, and I’m observant.” He paused. “Especially when it comes to hot
guys.”
Lucian’s mouth
fell open, and he had no idea what to say. So, he ignored the comment. “It’s no
hassle to bring these over. We just have food orders placed at the bar to make
it easier to keep tabs straight.”
Gil smiled again.
“Maybe I wanna keep you all to myself.” He grabbed the plates and went back to
his table.
Lucian watched,
and now all of Gil’s friends were grinning at Gil and casting glances at
Lucian. Especially when it comes to hot
guys. The words echoed in Lucian’s head. So that was the game—this guy
wanted to fuck the prince.
Turning away,
Lucian sighed. It hadn’t been the first time and wouldn’t be the last. But did
Gil want to sleep with him just for the sake of it, or was he seeking some kind
of favor? Lucian hadn’t been with another man since he was much younger.
Fairies tended toward heterosexuality out of necessity, as their race wasn’t
very fertile, but same sex couplings and marriages weren’t forbidden. He’d
pursued only women while living in the mortal world, as up until recently being
perceived as gay had drawn far too much attention for someone who wanted to
stay under the radar.
Maybe I wanna keep you all to myself. Lucian
chanced a glance back at the table. Gil had silky black hair that was kind of
curly and wild, and his eyes were a deep brown. He had a nice smile, the kind
that lingered in the memory. Lucian hadn’t dated much lately, and he hadn’t had
a real relationship in decades. Getting involved with mortals proved too
complicated, and being with another fairie could be even worse, at least for
him. A pang of loneliness hit just then. His father and his sister had both
gotten married recently, and they both seemed so happy. Lucian wanted that kind
of happiness, but he’d never felt the kind of emotions he was so sure he was
supposed to feel with the right person. The women and men he’d desired the most
had never inspired deeper feelings, and the people he’d been emotionally
intimate with had never sparked any need beyond companionship. He didn’t think
of himself as a romantic, but was he?
Over the next
hour, two of Gil’s friends left, so it was just Gil and one other guy in their
booth by closing time. On weekends, the bar stayed open later, but since it was
Wednesday, it would be closing at eleven along with the restaurant. Lucian
expected Gil to stick around, but he left with his friend after paying his tab
and didn’t say anything else to Lucian.
That only left
Lucian even more confused. Had the guy just been having some fun with his
flirting? Maybe he’d been afraid of pushing it with the king’s son in the end,
losing his nerve. Lots of people came around just to check him out or talk to
him, simply to say they had. His family didn’t sequester themselves, but the
old ways died hard. Being of royal blood was still a big deal to the fairies.
Lucian got done
cleaning the bar pretty quickly, so he slipped into the restaurant to help flip
the chairs onto the tables and tidy up. An hour later, he left through the back
door and headed around the corner to his car.
Gil sat on the
sidewalk by the building, his legs crossed beneath him and a book in his hand.
He glanced up and smiled. “Hey.”
“Hi.” Lucian stopped
and looked down at him. “Do you need something from me?”
Gil tilted his
head. “When you put it like that, maybe I do.” He stood and slid the book into
his jacket pocket. “My friends teased me so much I got self-conscious, but as I
was leaving, something stopped me. I just wanted to get your number, but
maybe…”
Lucian didn’t
resist when Gil leaned in and kissed him. The man moaned and pushed Lucian
against the brick wall, the magic arcing between them. Lucian hadn’t kissed
another fairie in a long time, and his cock hardened in his pants. He could
already sense how amazing it would feel to be with this man, but he still
didn’t know Gil’s true agenda.
Gil rubbed against
him as he broke the kiss. “God almighty, and that was just a kiss.” Gil cupped
Lucian’s cheek. “Come home with me. I’m clean, I swear. I wanna see those gray
eyes widen as we fuck.”
“Why do you want
this?” Lucian asked.
Gil’s eyes had
darkened with lust, but confusion took over. “Why?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Because you’re
amazing. I’ve never seen eyes like yours, and your hair’s gorgeous, too.” He
ran one hand through the long red strands. “It looks even better down. I know
you have to keep it tied back in the restaurant, but it’s really beautiful.”
“You want to sleep
with me because you find me attractive?”
Gil blinked and
backed up. “Yeah. Why do you usually sleep with people?”
Lucian replied,
“Same reason, but we both know there’s more to it than that.”
Gil paused, his
face unreadable. “Like what?”
“My father.”
Gil’s eyebrows
went up. “Your father?”
“Yes, of course.”
“What about him?
Is he homophobic or something?”
Lucian frowned.
“How dare you. You know he isn’t.”
Gil backed up a
step. “Uh, I don’t know your father, so I don’t know jack about him. Or what he
has to do with us hooking up.”
Lucian tensed up
then. “Don’t give me that. Every fairie knows who my father is.” He hated to
push the issue, but there was no other explanation for this guy hanging around
for an hour waiting on him.
Now, Gil was the
one to tense up, a deep glare on his face. “Did you really just say fairie? You know, when you get hard when
a guy kisses you, maybe it’s time to stop with derogatory slurs.”
“Derogatory
slurs?”
“Yeah. It’s not
the 1970s anymore. Calling gay guys fairies? Really?”
Lucian couldn’t do
anything but stare. He tried to talk, but his tongue wouldn’t work.
Gil glanced around
warily. “Are you on something? I know food service involves weird hours and
some people do drugs and stuff, but—”
“I don’t do
drugs!” Lucian snapped, both insulted and confused.
“Then how about
making some sense here? What is your problem? You started staring at me the
moment I walked into the bar, and you sure as fuck kissed me back. I don’t get
you.”
“I was watching
you because you’re a full-blooded fairie, just like me. Asyan is my father, and
I don’t believe for one minute that you don’t know all of this.” Lucian pushed
his hair aside and dropped the glamour that hid his pointed ears.
Gil jumped back.
“Okay, what the fuck? Are you a role player or something?”
Lucian stepped
forward and looked at Gil’s ears, trying to see past the glamour. But something
was off. He reached out and touched Gil’s left ear, and something about it
didn’t feel quite right.
Gil backed away
even more. “I’m gonna go, all right? I’m sorry I was so aggressive. I just
thought you were handsome and assumed you were interested. My mistake, okay?”
He held up his hands as he began to back away.
“Why did you have
surgery to change your ears? Why don’t you use a glamour?”
Gil just stared at
him. “What in the hell are you talking about?” Suddenly he seemed angry, and he
came stalking forward, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. “Not that it’s
any of your business, but I was in a car wreck when I was three. Tore up both
of my ears and one side of my face. My dad had money for the best doctors, so
yeah, I’ve had plastic surgery. Several times over the years, as I grew. So
what?”
Lucian paused. Gil
didn’t seem to be lying. “Touch mine. I won’t touch you, I swear.”
“What?”
Taking a deep
breath, Lucian started over. “Touch them to see they’re real. My ears looked
normal a couple of hours ago, right?”
Gil shifted his
stance a bit. “Yeah.”
“So, touch my
ears.”
Gil made no move
for almost a minute, and then he reached one hand up and ran a single finger
over Lucian’s left ear. He tweaked the pointed tip and gripped the cartilage.
He gave a little tug even.
When Gil stepped
back, Lucian folded his ear forward. “See? No line, no make up.” He searched
Gil’s eyes as he put his hands on his hips and replayed their conversation in
his head. Gil had said he was clean. Such concerns were normal for mortals
hooking up, but not for fairies, who were immune to human diseases. “Why don’t
you know what you are?”
“What I am?” Gil
genuinely looked scared now, his eyes darting around and his lips forming a
grim line.
“You’re a fairie,
exactly like me, and you were born that way. Mortals who were Turned have a
slightly different feel to them. You were born a fairie, but … you really have
no idea.”
Gil recrossed his
arms, looking even more defensive now. “There’s no such thing as fairies,” he
said softly.
“Didn’t you feel
the power? The magic when we kissed?”
“I felt lust and
need, and it was the best kiss I’ve ever had, but you’re obviously crazy.” Gil
glanced around. “And I’m standing alone in an alley with you.”
Lucian looked
around as well. “It’s a parking lot, not an alley, and this part of town is
fine.” He pointed across the street. “And there are still plenty of people over
there at the Irish pub.”
“Still, you’re not
making sense. I don’t understand any of this anymore, so I’m gonna go.” Gil
turned to leave, walking with determined strides as he shoved his hands into
his jacket pockets.
“Wait, please.”
“Not happening.”
Lucian reached out
with his powers and made Gil stop in his tracks. He knew he’d get in trouble
with his father, but he didn’t care.
“What are you
doing to me?” Gil asked, his voice rising as he looked back over his shoulder.
“Showing you what
I can do. What you should be able to do.” He walked around Gil so they could
look at each other. “How am I doing this? Explain it.”
“Don’t give a fuck
how you’re doing it. Let me go.”
Lucian pressed his
lips together and released his hold, but he held his hands up to keep Gil from
walking away. “It’s not only that you think I’m good looking. You feel what I
am. That’s why you waited out here for me, even though you don’t realize it.”
Gil studied
Lucian’s raised hands and seemed to be sizing him up. “You’re scaring me. Let
me leave.”
“Kiss me again.”
Gil looked at
Lucian’s lips. “Not sure I want to do that anymore.”
“Kiss me, and I’ll
let you go.”
Gil’s gaze stayed
on his lips, and Lucian could see the interest there. Swallowing, Gil said,
“Okay.”
Lucian stepped
closer. “When we touch, our powers link. Surge. That’s why it felt so good.
You’re a full blood. Just focus on how this feels.”
Gil stood still as
Lucian leaned in and brushed their lips together. Then he responded and
returned the embrace. He trembled as Lucian kissed him more deeply, and the
passion overwhelmed Lucian. The kiss became hot and searching, and Gil pulled
Lucian closer. When they both stood breathless, Gil looked into his eyes, his
expression unreadable.
“You sure you’re
not an incubus?”
“No such thing.”
Gil laughed
without humor and backed up. “Okay. Fairies are real, but not incubus? I see.”
“I’ll talk to my
father. Find out who you are.”
Shaking his head,
Gil said, “I know who I am. A man who just fell in lust with a crazy person.”
He licked his lips. “The way you kiss, I think I’d believe you’re a god. But a
fairie? You’re too much, man. I’m going home.” He pushed past Lucian and walked
away.
“Will you come
back?”
Gil stopped and
looked back at him. “No.”
“That’s not true.”
Gil narrowed his
eyes. “That’s your opinion, and you certainly have some strange ones.” This
time, he kept walking and didn’t turn back.
Lucian got in his
car and sat there, thinking.
Care to explain yourself?
Lucian jumped when
his father’s voice echoed in his head. I
just met a full-blooded fairie who has no idea what he is. He’s been surgically
altered.
Asyan didn’t reply
right away. Eventually, a single statement came. Go see your grandmother tomorrow.
“All right,”
Lucian said out loud. He felt his connection to his father sever. Getting his
keys out, Lucian tried to clear his mind. As he drove home, he thought about
Gil. If he wanted to, he could find Gil, but he chose to wait. He could still
feel Gil’s lips on his, and worry began to set in. If Gil’s true nature was
being hidden, even from himself, he might be in danger. Lucian had never been
one to rush in to save the day like his brother Erik, but something about Gil
had him ready to do just that if he had to.
