LUKE

Luke opened his eyes, but the bright light forced them to close again. Groaning, he changed his sleeping position and pulled the covers over his bare shoulders as he tried settling back down. Every inch of Luke's muscles pounded, reminding him of the night before... the memories were flooding back in and now, he had to open his eyes to find Lord Cassian Alwyn naked. His hair had never looked more disheveled, and Luke's hands tingled remembering that this was completely his fault.

Cassian cradled his pillows when he slept, and Luke thought this new information might drive him crazy. Luke's crush needed to have breaks. Not torque.

Snapping upright, Luke let out a breath and as he quietly smacked his head over and over with his palms because kicking himself would probably wake Cassian up and Luke needed to have a nervous breakdown alone.

He down looked at Cassian again, Luke's heart, his sanity, and his body at war with each other. Luke knew this wasn't something they could pretend didn't happen because the proof was all over their bodies. With a small huff, Cassian turned, and Luke had a full view of Cassian's back. Covering his face, he took a deep breath before glancing at the shape of Cassian's wide shoulders narrowing to his hips. There were these little dimples above his bare-naked ass and Luke smacked himself in the head again.

Luke snapped around, reaching for something on the floor to cover himself, but he slipped and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor hard. With a curse, he scrambled up and unfortunately, the only thing he could grasp was a lavender dressing gown with feathered sleeves and Luke pondered drowning in the shower like a chicken in the rain.

Cassian snorted.

No. Actually.

Throwing himself off the balcony sounded much faster.

Turning slowly, Luke watched Cassian climb onto his elbows and stare up happily at him. "Hi." Luke crossed his arms, uncrossed them, and crossed again. He didn't know how to act. Didn't know how to be Luke, the Luke that slept with Cassian. He asked, feigning some level of composure, "What's up?"

"Take a breath, Luke," Cassian instructed, and Luke found himself doing so. "Talk to me. What's going through your brain right now?" He rubbed an eye, getting rid of a bit more sleep. "I'm a dragon. Not a mind reader."

"It's just..." Luke held a breath inside his chest, holding it tight before letting it trickle out slow. "I wasn't planning to ever..." Motioning between them, Luke hoped he wasn't further humiliating himself by blushing louder and redder than a firetruck siren. "I don't want to start something. I can't start a... thing."

He couldn't bring himself to say the word "relationship". It carried too much weight and meaning. If he said relationship, Luke would be doing something crazy like admitting he had feelings for Cassian, like he was trying to kill Cassian. He could feel the blood rushing from his face, his body going ice cold. If he could take these thoughts back, he would... but it was too late. The confession was in his head. In his heart.

Luke could've kept Cassian longer if he didn't fall in love with him.

"Luke," Cassian whispered so softly, "Luke. Relax." He scooted across the bed and thankfully the blanket still covered his groin. He held Luke's waist, bringing him in closer. This should make Luke more nervous, should make things worse, but Luke couldn't deny how much his tension eased. Cassian just made him feel so safe without having to do anything.

Cassian whispered, "Relax."

Brow furrowed, Luke's embarrassment burned to a crisp and left behind hot irritation. This dressing robe might melt off his bones. Luke asked, "Why are you so calm? This... this changes everything. It's a big deal—"

Shaking his head, Cassian smiled softly and rubbed Luke's sides. "It doesn't have to be a big deal. Have things changed? Yes, but it doesn't have to be a big deal."

"Wh-what do you mean? Do you just have sex with all of your enemies' grandsons or just the ones that are helping you investigate a stolen ring?"

Cassian snorted and his smile broadened into a full bright and shiny grin. Luke wanted to bottle it and wear it on a chain around his neck. "Luke," Cassian said, and Luke knew he was going to believe every word that fell out of this dragon's mouth. "We are both consenting adults who had a little fun last night. That's all. I don't want to sound narcissistic, but I've always thought I was a handsome guy." He kept talking and Luke tried to control himself so he wouldn't smile and look so goofy. "And I've already told you how attractive I think you are."

Luke rolled his eyes but didn't move out of Cassian's touch. Those fingertips were reminding him of that very good evening.

Shrugging a little, Cassian said, "We're always together. It was bound to happen."

"Hmm..." Luke's thoughts were racing, his good sense flying out the window.

"There's no harm in us having a little extra fun while we search for the ring. These are natural urges." Cassian shrugged, leaning a breath closer. "When you have an itch, you scratch it. We've scratched an itch, didn't we?"

Dammit. Cassian was so beautiful. Luke almost couldn't stand it.

"But... what do we do now?" Luke asked, feeling so lost while Cassian looked so sure.

"Whatever we want," Cassian said and the baby hairs on Luke's neck stood to attention. "Do you know what you want?"

Luke bit his bottom lip. Well. When asked like that, wearing nothing, and having a voice that touches so far deep into Luke's soul... Luke had an idea. But he couldn't be the one to start anything. Couldn't be the one to hold the torch.

"What..." the heat trickled back up Luke's face and he took a deep shaky breath. "What do you want?" Luke asked as he slid his hands over Cassian's cheeks, letting just the tips of his fingers feather down Cassian's necks.

Cassian raised his hands, undoing the knot at the front of the silk robe before he slid his arm around Luke's back. Luke dropped his arms, letting the robe fall to the floor.

"I want you," Cassian said, his fingers drifting up and down Luke's spine.

Luke smiled on the way to Cassian's lips. They might've already kissed for hours. Saw everything that could've been seen, but kissing Cassian still felt brand new. He strung his arms across Cassian's shoulders while Cassian crossed his arms around Luke's body. He let Cassian's tongue lead him around and Luke dutifully followed, losing himself once again in Cassian. He wanted to be melted down in Cassian's warmth and left to evaporate in the sun.

Cassian leaned back and when he fell back on the bed, Luke fell against him. Cassian ran his hands up Luke's back, one hand running through his hair as Luke cradled his face. Maybe this didn't have to be over. Maybe he could still have Cassian without claiming him, without putting his life in mortal danger.

#

Eventually, Luke and Cassian detached. Luke welcomed the break. His body literally couldn't take it anymore. Amazing that his sore body pounded while his lips were numb. He put on some clothes, but the fit of his T-shirt and sweatpants changed. Nothing was the same. Even the way Luke walked back into the living room. The air was different and the way the light touched his skin didn't feel the same. Now that he tasted Cassian, nothing else could taste the same.

This was getting pathetic. With a sigh, Luke shut the door behind him. Cassian was using the restroom and searching for a clean pair of clothes. They had avoided laundry for as long as possible, but they couldn't anymore. He'd at on the to-do list alongside opening the safe and keeping Cassian alive.

"Are you both done? Finally?" The Magic Mirror asked, appearing in the mirror above the mantelpiece. He was finding all of this as amusing as a stubbed toe.

Luke smiled awkwardly and shrugged a little. "Sorry, Mirror." He grabbed an armchair that had been pushed against the wall. The middle of the room was still empty apart from the safe as they tried to figure out the safe way to open it without destroying everything inside. He pulled it up in front of the mirror. "It was..."

"I know. I know." The Mirror shook his head, rolling his eyes up at the frame. "You seem to forget that I can see everything in this apartment—" Just like he said, the Mirror must've saw the look of abject horror in Luke's eyes because he clarified, "When I want to see it and I've had to endure you two staring at each other with sad puppy eyes since the second you arrived."

"Cassian... He does?"

"Cassian looks at you like he's going to stop the curse with his bare hands."

At the mention of the curse, Luke wilted. "Mirror... if I can ask, can the curse be broken?"

"All curses can be broken. You just have to know how."

It was what The Magic Mirror didn't say that was the loudest. He didn't know how to break it and neither did Luke or anyone. "Thank you," Luke said anyway when it dawned on him. Snapping his eyes up, Luke's brow narrowed at the Mirror. "Why are you talking to me like this? Why does it sound like you believe me? Like you know I am Luke Aster."

The Mirror looked away. "I..."

In a swirl of twinkling green smoke, the Mirror vanished, and his voice reappeared on the other side of the room. Luke twisted around, holding the back of the chair as he found the Mirror on the wall. The Mirror admitted, his eyes down, "I've been lying to you..."

"But you can't lie."

"I lied about that too."

Luke gaped but stayed on the chair. The Mirror didn't move so he'd get followed. He must've wanted space and now that he was talking, Luke didn't want to scare him. The Magic Mirror explained, "I didn't start off being a Magic Mirror. I was just a man and ended up here... somewhere along the way. I don't... I don't remember how but... Never mind. That's not important"

He finally met Luke's eyes again, his eyes glazed over with guilt. "Luke, there's no password to use me. I just didn't trust you but... I do believe you. We never got to meet before Iris passed. She didn't visit Paris that much and while I've loved this apartment, it's been quite lonely, and I have forgotten how to interact with people."

"What... What made you change your mind?"

"You remind me of Iris."

Tears trickled to the surface and that old sadness welled up in his throat. It had been a little while since the last time he ached for his grandmother.

The Mirror said, "You were as welcoming to me as she was all those years ago. You're a warm, welcoming person, Luke."

Luke shrugged and wiped the wetness from his eyes. "I get it from her and Astrid and my parents, when I still had them... but I don't know who I'd be without Zipper."

The bedroom door opened, and Cassian was frozen there for a moment. "What's going on?" Cassian hurried to Luke's side, there to wipe away all the tears Luke missed.

It made Luke chuckle a little. He laid his hand on top of Cassian's and said, "I'm okay. Just... just missing her."

The Mirror returned to the mantle. "If you meant what you said, um about finding me a new home, I'd like to come with you."

"Of course, you can."

"I don't know how to get you through customs," Cassian mumbled.

The Mirror said, "The code to the safe is 12-30-57."

"Of course! Astrid's birthday! I just didn't know the year!" Luke exclaimed and hurried to the safe. He immediately spun the code in and just like the Mirror said, it unlocked. The safe popped open. Luke looked up at Cassian, his eyes as wide as they could go and immediately, Cassian joined him on the floor. He pushed the door wide open, and Luke actually gasped. The safe was full of jewelry boxes. Luke never thought over a dozen jewelry boxes would bring so much surprise out of him.

Cassian's arm shot out and he grabbed a box, snapping it open to find a ring. Luke looked at him. Cassian's brow was furrowed, a mixture of fury and shock haunting his eyes. The ring inside was a silver band with a small tear-shaped diamond.

"The Fortress ring has a gold band with a blue sapphire," Cassian explained and Luke knew the job. He grabbed a box and Cassian did too. One after another, they opened ring boxes of all shapes, colors, and sizes. No sapphires. Luke found one diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires, but Luke knew that wasn't what Cassian meant.

Cassian cursed.

"What?" Luke asked. "What?"

"It's the box." Cassian plucked it from the bottom and this box was different from the rest. Everything else was plain dark velvet. This maroon box was trimmed with gold thread and on the top, it was monogram with C.B.A.

Cassian popped the box open.

Sitting on a bed of black silk was... nothing.

No one moved at first. Luke just stared at Cassian, watching him cycle through the grief of losing this ring all over again. This misery and confusion heated and boiled into pure anger. He dropped the box and started opening everything that remained, but deep down he must've known this was yet another failure. Luke picked up Cassian's ring box, running his finger across the initials, wondering what the "B" stood for.

Cassian opened the very last box and as if to mock them, they found a brooch instead. It was in the shape of a heart with white beads and a dangling red jewel in the middle. Cassian snapped the lid shut and tossed it behind him, shaking his head. "It's not here," he said what they were all thinking. The guilt pinched Luke's chest so tight he couldn't breathe.

"I'm sorry," Luke whispered.

#

CASSIAN

For the last twenty-four hours, Cassian Alwyn has been too busy living in bliss that he forgot all about the ring and the hunt for it. He could only handle one earth shattering, life altering thing at a time... and Luke had come first. When they woke that morning, he could feel Luke losing his mind with worry. The anxiety curdled the air and Luke looked at him like he was already on his death bed.

Cassian didn't want to lose him.

Not when they only just got together.

Most partners might want to hear how much Cassian liked them. How he was falling in love with Luke, but Cassian knew that would only make things worse for Luke, so he kept himself there for Luke. In whatever capacity that worked for him.

To find the ring box, but not the fortress ring struck Cassian like an insult. Like Iris was kicking him while he was already down.

"I'm sorry," Luke said, sadness soaking his words.

"You don't have to apologize to me..." Cassian said. He was on his knees, sitting in front of Luke with useless jewelry surrounding them. Dozens of rings in boxes another person might want to use for an engagement ring.

Cassian didn't want Luke to have to bear the weight of his mortality and the burden of Iris's mistakes. He didn't deserve either. Cassian touched Luke's face, dragging his thumb across Luke's cheek. He shook his head. "I'm tired of blaming you for something you didn't do. Honestly, I haven't blamed you for a long time. I just haven't said it. Iris stole my ring. Not you. It's wrong for me to hold that against you, so I'm the one who should apologize."

Luke wrapped his hand around Cassian's wrist. He scooted closer, looming higher as he met Cassian's lips with his own. The thrill of being kissed would never stop bringing the butterflies in Cassian's stomach. Cassian chuckled. "I should apologize more often."

"Don't." Luke cracked a smile, lingering so close. "Then, I know you don't mean it."

Cassian grinned and stood, taking Luke's hand, and leading him back into the bedroom. This apartment clearly didn't have the ring, but they weren't scheduled to hop on the next plane for another week. Cassian planned to enjoy every bit of Paris while he could. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Any guesses of what the "B" stands for? Lol. Updates will be wonky for this books while I'm writing Another Mate! I'm writing this for fun, so I really only work on it when it suits me 😗 I hope you enjoyed the chapter and Luke basically freaking out the whole time!

Did anyone suspect The Magic Mirror was liar? Are we surprised he wants to come along? When they found jewelry boxes, did anyone think for a SECOND the Fortress Ring would be there? Next stop is the U.K BUT we're going to make a pitstop at Wales to visit Cassian's home... who wants to meet a ghost named Mingus? 👻

If you like this book, please consider checking out my other books!