~Achilles~
I somehow managed to have the best sleep of my life with Xander in my bed. I woke up feeling refreshed and at ease in a way that startled me. We'd moved positions overnight and were now facing one another on the bed. His eyes were closed but his mouth was open, half his face mashed against the pillow. In the morning light I saw what I'd done to his chest. There were small marks across his body and neck. Hickeys. Fuck, that was hot.
I really wanted him to be mine. It was like kissing him had opened the door for feelings I didn't even realize I was having. With Xander that close the wolf side was snapping at my heels, telling me to act, to lay claim, to make sure he knew he was mine.
I didn't want anyone else to have him and the possessiveness bothered me. Because Xander wasn't mine, we weren't in a relationship and he didn't owe me anything. My brain knew that, but the rest of me was just trying to catch up.
#
Xander ended up driving. "We'll just go the rest of the way." His pale yellow cable-knit sweater was oversized and made his skin look nice. Nice and kissable. Although, he was frowning and he'd been frowning all morning.
"Hey." I said, tapping my fingers on the dash. It was bright and early, with barely a cloud in the sky. "You can tell me if something's wrong."
He swallowed, merging onto the highway and sighing loudly. "I don't know why I said his name." He whispered. "So, so, so stupid."
"Corey?" I said. He flinched like I had hit him and I mentally kicked myself.
"We were together for four years." Xander touched his throat with one hand and manoeuvred the wheel with the other. "He's married now. They have a dog." His lips parted, and he breathed heavily before continuing. "I worry about the dog. Isn't that stupid? I don't think about him, not really. But sometimes, that's all I can think about. Are you going to do that to me, too?"
I waited, feeling that this was building towards something.
"I'm sorry I'm damaged goods." Xander's voice broke on a sob.
I was so shocked that it took me a beat to respond, and I watched, stunned, as large tears rolled down Xander's cheeks.
"Pull over to the shoulder." I said, waiting a few moments, as he drove to the side of the road with his his shoulders heaving. He turned off the engine and sat there hunched.
I got out of the passenger side and went into the back seat, directing Xander to follow me.
Once he came into the back I patted my thighs, "Lie down."
He gave me an incredulous look and I thought he was going to shoot me one of those witty responses but he laid his head down, staring up at me from my thighs.
"You have a lovely voice." I started, filing my hands through his hair. He'd unbraided he corn rows this morning, and filed his hands through his kinks until they turned into curls and I tried not to be too mystified by the process. "You're really smart." I continued while he looked confused. "I like your smile." I said, tracing out his mouth, watching his lips quirk upwards. "You look smaller when you're sleeping."
"What're you doing, silly?" Xander teased, giving me a small smile.
"I'm telling you all the things I know about you." I wiped away the tears on his cheeks. "I don't know a version of you that's stupid. I mean, maybe I haven't met that one yet but I don't think you have stupid in you. Right?"
"Most of the time." He said quietly, watching my face but mainly my mouth.
"I can't wait to listen to your music, to go to your concerts. I want to do that for you, to be there for you. Maybe I was drunk last night but I know what I want. I won't lie to you, I might fuck up and this will take some getting used to. I've wanted men before, obviously, but not like this and no one like you." I curled my fingers through his hair. "I'll take you on a proper date after this, promise."
Xander raised himself up off my thighs to give me a dizzying kiss that made me wish I had tinted windows so we could take things further. Then he pulled away from me, raising his hand to curve it over my cheek. "Thank you." He said and I knew he meant it.
#
Aya was a shock to be perfectly honest. Tall and slender, with a long complicated plait that went down to her waist. The woman was wearing a long shirt with a few stains on it, along with a pair of too large overalls. She looked like she was in her forties, but if she was a vampire I couldn't be sure. And she was stunning, fitted with a small face composed of high cheekbones and a mouth that naturally fell into a smile.
She had ushered us into her mansion of a house, telling Xander that the party was over but we were welcome to cake. She said that the house was a recent buy, with ten bedrooms and twelve bathrooms. It was modern and apparently environmentally friendly. Currently, her children and their families vacationed there during breaks and they'd all come together for her granddaughter's birthday party.
Eventually, she lead us into her office which had a large leather bound book on a dark wooden desk that took up the length of one wall. There was a Mac book set up there and it seemed like Aya had been looking at a photo album. She gestured for us to sit at two available chairs and she pulled up a swivel chair to sit in front of us and had proceeded to ask if Xander and I had slept together yet in much cruder terms.
Aya gave me a hard look, then turned to Xander. "Alexandre, this is the new boy you've stuck with? I haven't seen you since a few conclaves ago."
Xander laughed, tossing back his head and making his hickeys stand out more than they already did. "I see you haven't changed in how forward you are, Aya."
She gave Xander a wink. "I'm too old to beat around the bush, Xander. Your shifter friendâ"
"Achilles." I said.
"Oh. Greek. Interesting." Just like that she went back to ignoring me, and turned to Xander. "Remind me again, Alexandre, why are you here?"
I raised my arm, the bracelet glinting in tthe light.
Her lips flattened as her eyes shot back to me for the briefest of moments. "Ah, of course. The bracelet. Historically speaking, it's actually part of the vampire royalty set. Did you know vampires used to have royalty? It was given by the European nobility to an African hearth in maybeâ" she tapped her finger on the desk. "1900 as part of reconciliation efforts. But Xander knows all about that."
"Aya." Xander said in a sharp voice that sounded like a warning.
She blinked. "Oh. You haven't told him..."
"Told me what?" I said looking between the both of them.
Aya spoke past me, changing the subject. "This particular jewelry set found its way into the masses and it basically brings people together, usually romantically. Some people call it a soul mate indicator. But it doesn't give you a perfect match, because no one is really a perfect match for anyone else. But it's awfully close. The one thing thoughâ" she hesitated. "Something they used to do was to give two betrothed people each a set of the bracelet and then keep them together for an extended period of time to force a connection and that doesn't usually work well. It normally results in people who become codependent or entirely too possessive."Â Xander was looking entirely uncomfortable. But Aya only continued. "I'm not sure how this artifact could have ended up in Achilles' possession but if him wearing it attracts him to you, then I don't know what removing it would do. Maybe nothing changes, or, everything does."
Xander's voice sounded small. "Oh."
"But, before we try anything I'd like to show you two futures."
"I'm not really interested inâ"
Aya interrupted me. "I specialize in divination and right now you have two paths before you. I can't tell you how you end up there or why but there's a big choice coming up. One that the two of you will have to conquer together. Just take my hand."
She held out both her hands and Xander grabbed one quickly. I slowly took the other and as soon as she squeezed my vision blackened.
#
It was me at the same time that it wasn't. I felt like I was watching myself from the inside and out. I was just a passenger in my own body and I felt myself talking and moving in a way that I couldn't control.
It looked like Xander and I were together in a dressing room. My hair was gelled and styled, and I looked like I was dressed for a wedding. Xander was sitting sideways on my lap, arms thrown around around my neck. He was kissing my throat and then I realized he was drinking my blood. He finished with a kiss, licking away the pin pricks on my skin.
"You're not supposed to see me before the wedding." Xander said, nuzzling my cheek.
Wedding? The real me thought.
I laughed. "I can see you whenever I want to see you."
"It's bad luck." Xander said, fixing my tie and rearranging my hair.
I reached around Xander and squeezed his waist. "When we get home, we've got to christen the bedroom."
Xander shuddered, wetting his lips and nodding.
"And the living room, the backyard, the kitchen, basically everything."
Xander nodded but a bit absently, looking at me with wide eyes. "I'm sorry."
I cupped his cheeks. "Don't be sorry."
"A lot of your old pack didn't show up, and I know everything has been a lot. We don't have to get married." Xander's hands were holding the other my wrists in a light grip.
I shook my head. "We've been together for two years, we paid for the venue and everything else, and I want to get married to you. I want this with you and that's the most important thing." My voice caught. "It's okay if Anders doesn't show, so many other people are here and supportive. This is one of the most important days of my life and you're here, so it's fine. I love you."
Xander tilted his head up to kiss me on the forehead. "I love you, too, Achilles." He squirmed out of his seat on my lap and stood up, trying to straighten his suit. He went by the door, tossing a wave over his shoulder. "I'll catch you later, almost-husband."
My vision blackened again and I didn't even have time to think before I was watching another scene, both inside and out of it.
It was another moment between Xander and I except I noticed a certain tenseness. Xander was walking around my apartment and picking up his things, tossing them into a bag, in a frantic hurried manner.
I was yelling. "What are you doing?"
Xander snapped at me. "What does it look like I'm doing, Achilles? I'm packing my things. I can't do this anymore. I can't do it to myself and I can't do it with you."
I scrunched up my face in confusion. "Are you...Breaking up with me? I thought we were just taking a break."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Oh don't give me the puppy dog eyes, not today."
I grabbed Xander's hand, folding my fingers with his. "I canâ"
"I can't!" Xander was shaking his head, eyes looking glassy and full. "I can't wait for you to come out or to introduce me to your parents. Inviting me over to the super bowl function with your pack and having to pretend to be interested in foot ball was ridiculous. I'd rather watch the Tony's!" He held out his hand, counting out the digits. "I had a plan! Date for three months, get serious, get engaged after like a year and a half of dating, get married at around two years. It's been two years and you aren't even out! I can't hide myself for you."
"But, I love you, Xander. Isn't that the most important thing?" I knew for me this was begging.
"How much can you really love me if we're still in a secret relationship, huh?" Xander's voice dripped acid. "Maybe Corey slapped me around but at least I wasn't his dirty little secret." Xander stopped pushing things into his bag and he clutched his mouth. "Shit. Wait. I didn't mean that."
I pulled away from him. "I can't believe you just said that."
"I didn't mean it, Achilles."
"Yes. You. Did." I seethed. "You always mean what you say. I'm not Corey, I'll never be him
and I hate hearing his name. I hate the fact you see me as someone who could treat you the way he did. And you know what? I'm done. I want you but I don't want this. I can't be happy like this."
Xander was crying, rubbing at his face. "Okay. Fine. Okay." He picked up his bag and started to leave before hesitating at the door. His throat sounded clogged and he was still crying but he spoke anyways. "I tried for you, Achilles. I really did. I hope you can find happiness hiding yourself away."
#
A little longer than usual :(
Things are getting more complicated as you can see, but things are still unravelling.
Ah, I thought the car scene was cute. ð¥
What do you think is the critical choice the two boys have to make together?