Itried to get through work. I honestly did. But every time I looked at a report or spoke with my executives, my mind would wander right back to Dustin. Was he having fun during his outing? What was he doing? How was he feeling? Was he buying me something? Was he buying himself anything?
The more I tried to focus, the more I realized how pointless and hopeless the endeavor had become. Truly. When one of my executives cleared her throat and gave me a knowing smile, I felt a surprising heat rush through my neck and cheeks, tinging my ears with what felt like flames. I rarely blushed, and never in front of anyone beneath me, whether in status or business.
“Mr. Ardal, if you aren’t going to pay attention, perhaps we should schedule this meeting for another time.”
The amusement in her voice at least told me she was not upset about my inattention. A glance around the table and the others wore similar expressions, amusement dancing in their eyes. I shook my head and glanced to my left, where the entire wall looked out onto the city through floor-to-ceiling windows.
“My apologies, Ms. Jenkins. I fear, however, that this will be the last meeting for at least a year.” I tore my eyes away from the afternoon sunshine that flooded in and met each of my executives’ eyes in turn. “I am taking a long vacation to spend with someone who means a great deal to me. As you all have shown yourselves to be quite good at your jobs, I will be leaving my companies in your capable hands.”
When the gasps died down, I gave them all one of my trademarked grins, the one that said I knew something they did not. “I have already had virtual meetings with the head offices and your superiors, but as you all will be bearing the brunt of the burden, I wanted to give you this time to voice any concerns, questions, or comments you may have, as I will only be accessible by a very few select persons from each company, and only for extreme emergencies. I sincerely hope those emergencies do not come to pass, as that will mean I did not set up my companies to be as self-sufficient as I had thought.”
The room went into stunned silence. I saw the confusion on some of their faces, consternation in others, and open curiosity on the rest. I rather liked those who had the curious natures, as they often had the brightest minds.
My mind began to wander again until one of my executives lifted his hand to draw my attention. “Yes, Mr. Walters?”
He cringed, but I could not figure out why until he said, “Are… are you selling the companies?”
The very thought made me chuckle, and I shook my head. “No. I rather dislike other people playing with my toys. I am a selfish man, Mr. Walters. Worry not.”
Fortunately, the rest of the meeting was both short and productive. My men and women managed to keep my mind engaged, and only once I reached my private office did my mind wander right back to Dustin.
Was he home yet? Would I arrive before him? Would he wish to leave me now that he has had a taste of freedom? I had no illusions that I could keep him once his change was complete, and that thought terrified me so thoroughly that I wished I had skipped lunch.
I barely made it into my limousine before I collapsed. My head thumped against the plush leather headrest, and I closed my eyes, glad for the reprieve as I had kept my eyes open to purposely dry them out so I would not be seen weeping in public. I had an image to maintain, and openly crying would damage it.
Though, as of yet, I had no real reason to cry. Dustin may just decide I was worth staying with. I could not know the boy’s mind, no matter how much I wished I could. And so far, he seemed to love me, to tolerate my eccentricities, and was capable of so much more than I gave him credit for. And those thoughts sustained me until I arrived home.
Immediately, I could tell Dustin had not arrived home ahead of me. My home felt empty, cold as I made my way toward the north parlor. Again, my thoughts strayed to Dustin. But this time, it was not as I had expected. The deep feeling of loneliness plagued me. The desperate need to try for a soulbond with him filled me, and I wanted nothing more than to bring up the subject, but I feared I would chase Dustin away. If he knew about the bond, would it terrify him? He already feared losing himself, losing his independence, losing what control he had. I had already stripped him of most of his control for his safety and now did my best to try and relinquish my control over him so he could find a bit more freedom.
But I wanted more. I wanted to bond with Dustin. The need was almost a physical hunger, a deep, uncontrollable drive to make him mine. As uncontrollable as it felt, I had to control it or fear losing him as soon as his transformation was complete.
Entering my parlor, I realized I had walked through my entire home on automatic pilot. I did not remember moving from the front entry to my parlor, but as soon as I entered my space, I sagged into my sofa and lit the stacked wood in the hearth with a spark of magic. How I missed the fire stones from my homeland. Wood created smoke, but our fire stones provided light, heat, and flames and never burned down. They only occasionally needed to be recharged with magic.
I suddenly wished I could show Dustin all the wonders from the home he and his line had been denied for untold generations. It was true that even though my son exiled me from my home, I could still visit without incurring much trouble. It would not be a death sentence or even an offense worthy of imprisonment. Technically, I could show Dustin some of the wonders. Take him to the Highdark to show him the jeweled splendor. Show him the cavernous Netherdark with its glowing towers and twinkling cavern ceiling that mimicked stars with the fungus and bioluminescent insects. Take him to the majestic Dragon Highlands to see the dragon broods and meet my cousins. We could visit the Twilight realm, where the sun never shone and the moon never graced the sky.
There were so many things I wanted to show him, to let him experience. But I wanted the soulbond more, and I still feared that the pain of returning home, even for a few days, would cripple me. Though, perhaps if I broached the subject with a trip to Kal’brath, it might not chase him away. Perhaps with him near me, it would lessen my pain.
If only I could get past my fear. If only I had treated Dustin differently from the beginning. Perhaps if I had given him choices instead of taking things upon myself without his direct input… But that was neither here nor there. I could not change the past. I could only change things going forward. I needed to ensure Dustin had choices in the future to make sure he could feel confident he had control over his future. I needed to pose things as questions and offers instead of demands.
And I was not delusional enough to think even this could not bite me in the ass.
Suddenly, all thoughts fled. The entire estate felt alive, as if the sun broke through dense cloud cover to fill the space with warmth and joy. I should not have been this in tune with Dustin, but I could feel his presence permeating my whole home.
Without thinking, I rushed out of my parlor as if I were a teenager with his first crush. Again, the hallways went by in a blur without recognition until I stopped in my tracks. Don stalked forward with Kevin close behind, carrying a very limp, very unconscious Dustin.
My heart fell through the floor, and I rushed over. “What has happened?”
Don slipped past me carrying bags from some big box store, but I focused on my beauty. Kevin grunted and shifted Dustin’s weight. “Let’s talk after I lay his heavy ass down, ’kay, Dad?”
My unease grew, but I stepped aside and followed Kevin through the halls and into Dustin’s bedroom. Between the two of us, we undressed him down to his underwear and tucked him into bed. Kevin kept quiet until I settled on the edge of the mattress, Dustin’s hand in my own, and settled across my lap. I held my son in a silent stare, waiting for him to speak.
He grunted and pulled over a chair. As soon as he sat, he said, “Kid started running a fever. Complained of a massive headache. He passed out in the car.” He shrugged. “His fever isn’t anywhere near as bad as it was at first.”
My stomach plummeted, and I pressed my hand to Dustin’s forehead. When we had first begun removing Dustin’s clothes, I had noticed he was overly warm, but I had figured it was because of his warm clothes. Now that I focused, Dustin’s face was flushed, and his skin burned.
“Have Beth bring in some ice, a few damp cloths, and a cup of ice water. I must get his fever down.”
Kevin stood but looked down at me. “Why don’t you just heal him with magic?”
He had a valid point, but I shook my head. “While I can help his symptoms magically, and I will, it would still take too long to bring down his fever. I will need to manually reduce his fever with cold compresses while I work on his other symptoms magically.”
My son headed for the door but paused again and turned. “What other symptoms does he have?”
“His entire body, all the way down to his DNA, is being rewritten,” I said after a sigh. “The migraine he complained about is only a part of the pain he will undergo. The rest he will have to deal with, but I can at least help with the pain and fever.”
Kevin nodded, and without another word, he left to fetch the things I asked for. And while he was gone, I stretched out beside my beauty. His face was so flushed, I feared for his safety. His skin was still so very hot, no matter what Kevin said, but if that was the case, that he was hotter before, I wondered what damage it might have caused.
So, with that in mind, I focused on healing any damage first before I would work on anything else. My magic leaped to me eagerly as if it missed being used. As I searched within him, I found that Dustin had very little damage. Most of it would have healed well on its own. Not only did this surprise me, but it showed that the amulet’s magic was working to control the damage it caused.
Just how did this artifact still have such power? I had thought it had gone defunct when it failed to work on so many of the potential candidates over the centuries. Why had it only worked on Dustin? Would it work on anyone else?
But one look into Dustin’s flushed face, and I had my answer. I did not want to use it ever again. Dustin was enough. My search was now over.
It also made me wonder if the amulet reacted to Dustin because we were meant to be soulmates. However, that just made me wish to try for a soulbond harder. Should I ask him? Should I give him that choice? What if he refused? What if he did not want to be bound to me in such a way?
My mind spun in thousands of different directions, and I closed my eyes against it until Kevin returned with a basin of cold water, some cloths, and a small bowl of crushed ice. From the moment Kevin set the items on the nightstand until we had Dustin’s fever under control, my mind remained blissfully blank.
And thank the Gods, as soon as Dustin started sweating his fever out, his consciousness rose from his faint into a regular sleep. Yes, it was fitful at best, but it was better than the awful state of unconsciousness he was in before.
I stroked the damp strands of his hair from his face and kissed his temple. Dustin groaned and curled into me, making my chest feel three sizes too small to contain my heart and lungs. Behind me, Kevin snorted. “Fucking cuddle-monster.” He chuckled, and I heard him shift. “I’ll leave you to it. If you need me, give me a call.”
“Thank you, my son.”
Once he was gone, I continued stroking Dustin. His hair, his back, the side of his thigh when he draped it as far over my hip as the blankets would allow. I loved these quiet moments, watching him sleep, feeling his warmth. Then it hit me that I did not just want to try soulbonding with Dustin. I wanted a life with him, to have the right to wake up and see his face beside me every morning, to fall asleep wrapped in his arms every night. I wanted him in my life, no matter if we could bond or not.
I wrapped him more snugly against my chest, breathed in the scent of his sweaty hair, and loved every second of it. I loved it ever more when he burrowed his face into the curve of my neck and released a contented sigh.
“My darling beauty,” I whispered into his ear. “Whatever shall I do with you?”
He groaned, and I felt the shift of his consciousness. “Preferably carry me to the nearest shower and turn the jets on full blast. I feel gross.”
Dustin burrowed even closer and sighed against my neck. I loved the way his eyelashes fluttered against my skin, tickling in the most pleasant ways. “You’ve sweated the bed and gotten me rather sticky, as well,” I murmured against his ear. “Why not shower together?”
He all but purred. “Sounds good. Just don’t ask for dick, okay? I’m too wiped out for that.”
I chuckled, barely recognizing my own voice as I nuzzled closer to his ear. “I could always top you this time…”
Dustin shivered and pressed a hot kiss to my neck. “You could.”
He then pulled away enough to look up into my eyes, and I was ensnared. His eyes looked more like liquid silver than they had before. The outer ring a dark, stormy color, while the inner iris looked bright and polished like a silver disk. His pupils were still abnormal, dilated from the transformation. He gave me a strange look. “What is it?”
I smiled to keep him from worrying. “Your eyes have changed a bit again. They look more like polished silver rather than mercury.”
“Huh.” Then he shook his head. “You got me off track.” His gaze became serious, and he activated his CommLink to show me seven tickets to some fair. “I got both of us tickets to the state fair and enough for five bodyguards. Can we go?” He gave me a silly grin and added, “Please?”
Kevin opened the door and stuck his head in. “Just so we’re clear, let it be known I think this is a terrible idea.”
I frowned and glanced over my shoulder at him. “Why would you say that?”
He shrugged. “Erastus saw Dustin buy the tickets. I told Dustin not to, but he bought them anyway.”
Dustin poked me in the side, making me squirm. “Erastus isn’t going to do anything. For one, it’s too public. We’ll have five security guards watching us like hawks, and that’s plenty. And Erastus could have done a lot of things today, but all he did was make an employee glow with pride like the summer sun and talk with me for a few minutes.” He pouted and dropped back down onto his pillow. “Besides, it’s on my birthday, and it would be fun. Real fun that we can share, Cass, that doesn’t include sex.”
“Oh! Your birthday!” I grinned and combed my fingers through his hair. Then I sobered. Was it true? Did all our fun together always end up including sex? Looking back on Dustin’s time with me, I had to concede that yes, it did. What did that say about me? Was I not fun to be around?
And then I realized that all the times we could have spent having fun, I had been in meetings, or working, or finalizing contracts, and my heart hurt. No wonder Dustin had been climbing the walls, and it was all my fault. He had nothing to do on his own, and when we were together, all we did was cuddle and fornicate.
With a sigh, I leaned our foreheads together. “We will go.”
“Shit. Dad…”
“You will ensure we are safe,” I murmured against Dustin’s cheek. “I will not deny Dustin a day of frivolity, especially not on his birthday. With five security guards and myself, Dustin will be perfectly safe. And since I’ll always be near him, it will be easy to keep a glamor on him to hide his ears and dull his eyes. There should be no problems at all.”
Kevin grumbled and shut the door. I grinned at my beauty like we were sharing a secret. “Let us go have that shower.”
