Forging Ties (Ties, Book 3) | ✓

Chapter 11

When Hamish woke up early the next morning, Slone and Duran were still asleep, so he got up and wandered down the road back towards where the fae had been yesterday. They were still there, gathered around the naked woman who apparently served as a permanent fixture in the landscape.

"Hello," Hamish said as a couple of the fae moved around him in strange, jerky motions. "Got any free magical powers on offer this morning?"

It was difficult to tell if the fae had even heard him, as they continued their strange dance undeterred. That was okay. He hadn't really come here expecting anything. He'd just wanted to see them again.

He couldn't help but think of Simon, who had come home one day with a harrowed expression on his face and a wet and shaken young dog-boy in his arms, telling tales of death and rebirth. Beautiful, yet terrifying in its power.

It was hard to remember that as he watched them shiver and dance around. They didn't exactly exude an aura of great power.

He left before anyone caught him hanging around their naked woman and started to question how gay he actually was. He was fully and completely gay, thank you very much, and it wasn't his fault that they kept their naked women where he wanted to be. By the time he got back, Duran and Slone were awake.

"Are we ready to go?" Duran asked as he finished packing up their belongings.

Slone looked up from struggling with his shoelaces. "We're not gonna stick around and see about some free breakfast?"

"Oh, we could," Duran said, but it was clear from his tone that he wasn't enthusiastic about the idea.

"We still have food from home that won't keep much longer," Hamish pointed out. "I also got a lot of fruits and vegetables from them last night that I've packed into our bags. They've probably given us enough."

"More than, I reckon," Slone said. "All right. Let's get going, then."

The three of them started out walking side by side, but it wasn't long before Slone's restless nature got the best of him and he raced ahead, eager to explore on his own.

"So," Hamish said to Duran. "Any thoughts or feelings on what happened last night?"

Duran shrugged. "I've got no complaints."

"And I doubt you'd be getting any from anyone else," Hamish said. "You may have just changed the course of Roman's life, or at least the sex part of it. I think you opened his eyes to possibilities he hadn't given his full consideration."

A slight smile curved Duran's lips. "It was definitely his first time."

"Do you prefer to top?"

"Not really, but I do prefer to know I'm in control. I wanted to know if he'd do it. Or... not even necessarily that, because we're all allowed to have our own preferences. I wanted to see how he'd react to the suggestion."

"And did he surprise you?"

"Pleasantly."

"But you didn't want to stick around this morning."

Duran sighed. "I know this isn't fair, to them or to you, but groups of humans just make me uncomfortable. Even last night, I mean... I was okay with it, and I have no regrets, but there was a tension, a sense of uncertainty, that wouldn't have been there if the company was anything but a group of humans."

"That's easy enough to understand, Duran."

"I don't feel like that when you're the only human involved, but..." Duran looked away. "It feels bad to say, but when there are other humans involved, the fact that you are human contributes to that feeling."