Fae Dominance (8 page)

“Oh, yeah, I could most definitely go for a drink right now.” I threw an arm over his shoulder and we headed to the bar.

Half an hour later and I was feeling the buzz.

What the hell was in this, I wondered. The drink that Robin had given me seemed mild enough but it kicked like a mule.

“Man, that packs one hell of a punch, mate,” I repeated aloud. “What is it?” I asked him.

“Fae wine,” Robin replied.

“I am sure you have heard of its effect on those that are not Fae?”

“Yeah, but I had never really believed the hype,” I laughed.

I had only had a couple of glasses but the edges were well and truly taken off. When we had entered the club, Robin had ordered for the both of us. The drinks he had requested had been sweet without the obvious hint of alcohol so I had not taken too much notice. I should have known better.

“I should really be upset but damn, man, I just can’t bring myself to care, not even one little fuck.” I laughed while throwing my arm around the smaller male and pulling him close. “Shall we have another?” I asked Robin while I drained the glass.

He looked at me with calculating eyes before he responded, “Are you sure you want to imbibe more wine, wolf? Fae drink has more effects than just a loss of inhibitions. It also increases ones hidden desires.”

“Sure, why not,” I shrugged. “I can control myself, faery. What about you?” I teased him. “Are you up to proving your legendary control,” I smirked. If anything, the Puck was renowned for his erratic and mischievous nature. Control often played little part in the stories told about him. “How do you feel about a wager, my Fae friend?”

Robin’s eyes lit up. The Fae at the heart of him could never resist a bet. I knew deep down this was a bad idea but the wine I had already drank loosened the tight restraints that usually bound me.

“Oh,” Robin drawled, “and what would that be, Kale? I warn you, that if we make a wager, I will hold you to it. To both the letter and the spirit of the stake, of which I will also have conditions.” His eyes turned deadly serious. “I compete to win, my wolf, and I jealously keep what I win. Do you wish to play with me?” Robin’s gaze hooded in heated promise with the last.

Damn, I should be wary of this. Trying to win any kind of wager against Oberon’s Puck was ridiculous. He was a born manipulator and had been doing it for millennia. The small part of my rational mind that still operated knew the likely hood of coming out on top was slim to none.

But I was so damn tired of always being in control. Fuck it, I just wanted to let go for once in my damned life. The silver mercury of Robin’s eyes met mine and held a strangely earnest anticipation. What the hell? If we were to be mates I had to trust the bastard, so why not now. At least it was only me and not Dia. This would be a good test run.

“Yeah,” I said gruffly. “I’m in, so let’s work out the details of this wager. I will be damned if I am stupid enough to make an open-ended wager with you even in jest. I’d say I’m man enough to handle anything you throw at me, Pucky,” I used one of Dia’s cheeky endearments for him.

His eyes narrowed at the jibe but he did not comment on it. Instead, a slow smile crossed his face.

“Very well, my wolf. Here is the wager. For one hour, we make merry, drink for drink. If at the end of that time you can stand and walk in a straight line from here to that door,” he motioned to the entrance we had come from half an hour ago. The dark ebony wood shone about sixty feet from where we sat. “Then you win. I also have to be able to walk the same straight line to the exit or I forfeit my victory.”

There was no way in hell an hour's worth of drinking would have me so under the table I couldn't walk soberly to those damned doors.

This seemed too easy, especially since he had to make it the same distance.

“What do you win if I can’t make it to those doors, Robin?” I asked.

A fission of worry slid down my spine as the wickedest smile I had ever seen spread across his face. It was one of those rare true smiles. My wolf perked up in interest. As far as he was concerned Robin was our mate, and therefore it could only be good news that such a glint was in his eyes. Me, I was not so sure.

“Oh, puppy, if I win its simple. You submit,” he purred.

The words froze me. They meant so much more than he was saying but I understood exactly what he was demanding. If I lost then he would dominate me, not just physically or mentally but sexually as well. I was not naïve, I knew where this was going. I realized that eventually we would come to this. I just never thought it would be so soon. I had to be honest with him. It was the only way to have a chance with this.

“I don’t know if I can,” I said hoarsely. My voice had lowered to nearly a whisper when I continued, “I can’t honestly say that even if I were to lose, that I could just submit. It is against my nature. I am willing to try,” I gestured between us. “But if I am pushed too hard I will push back,” I paused. “It is what I am, Robin.”

“I understand, Kale,” he nodded. “However, you will submit to me and one day willingly. For tonight if you lose, you will submit to the extent you are able. In addition, you will join me in the other half of the club to indulge in our baser pleasures. I also get to choose whether it's Heaven or Hell.”

I drew back aghast. He had told me about the lower levels of the club. Where every sexual deviance you could imagine went on. “I will never betray Dia,” I growled. The thought that he would, had my hackles rising and burning off the Fae wine. Above all the protection of our mate was paramount. The knowledge of her pain if she ever discovered any infidelities sent burning rage though me.

Realization dawned on Robin’s face and he held up a hand. “No, Kale. I would never betray our Dianthe. Never would I cheapen what we have with meaningless sex. I would never countenance fornication outside our mate bonds. We will enjoy the club together, you and I. Do you understand?”

My traitorous body began to tighten at the thought of Robin and me touching again. I swallowed thickly and took a moment before answering. I could feel the yellow bleeding into my eyes from my wolf. “If you win, I will submit to the best of my ability. As long as there is no interaction between others and ourselves. Our mate bond is sacrosanct,” I finished quietly.

“Agreed,” Robin said quickly. “The terms will stand as this. There will be no touching any other living being in any sexual way, excluding ourselves at any time no matter the situation. That does not include toys or props. They are free game.

"If you lose this bet then you will submit to me to the best of your capabilities, withholding nothing of yourself. You will be mine in all ways possible. You will not deny any request out of any false sense of masculinity, modesty, or misunderstanding. If you do not understand something that I request of you, ask me.” Robin dampened his lower lip with his tongue. “It would be my pleasure to teach you.

"I will in no way seek or cause harm to you, in fact, I will protect you and comfort you. You are mine and therefore and extension of myself. Do you agree?”

My eyebrow rose, he was so sure of himself.

“And if I win,” I drawled.

“In the unlikely event that you win,” he smirked. “I will take us back to London and we will work out our differences in another way.

"I think we are already on the path, it is just not moving as quickly as I would like. We would have to curb any disputes near Dianthe but it can be done. So, what do you say, Kale. Are you willing to take the bet?”

I looked him up and down. He was much more slender than I was. I probably had three or four stone on him. The way my metabolism ran, I would burn off the alcohol fast. Even with it being as strong as it was. There was always the unknown but I thought I had good odds. I took the plunge.

“We have a deal,” I held out my hand.

Robin grasped it tightly and a myriad of churning light surrounded us. Silence filled the room as heat rose in waves from our bodies. The laughter and raucous sounds of the club had died completely while every creature there stilled to watch the man that was foolish or brave enough to enter into a deal with the most feared Fae in their entire world.

Robin pulled me close to whisper in my ear.

“Then let us begin, my wolf. The night is young and it stretches out before us. There is much to do and I am eager to begin.”

He let me go and I sat back silently pondering what kind of insanity I had led myself into. Before I could question any more he turned from me and called over the hovering bartender.

“We need an impartial judge,” Robin informed him. “You are it. For the next hour you serve only us, do you understand?”

“Yes, my Lord,” the terrified Fae male stammered. “How may I serve you?”

“It is simple,” Robin drawled. “You will serve us drink for drink. The exact same for the duration of one hour. There will be no difference in the mixes. Exactly the same in each serving, then at the end of the hour my mate and I will attempt to walk to the main doors. If the wolf falters—I win, if I falter—he wins. Is that clear?”

I had to give it to the guy, he must have had one hell of a set of balls. As terrified as he was, he still asked for clarification.

“My Lord,” he said timidly. “And if you both falter or if neither of you do?”

Damn, I was feeling sorry for the male. He was nearly shaking in fear. The smell of it was clogging the air it was so thick. If he had not shown me, I would be wondering what the hell Robin did to be so feared by these people? Their fear was paralyzing.

Robin ran a long elegant finger across the top of his glass. “If neither of us falter the wolf wins, and if both of us…again the wolf wins. The only way I win is if only the wolf fails.” His eyes flashed in warning. “Fairly fails that is. If there are any unfair advantages given in the hopes of currying favor know that only my ire and wrath will be raised.”

The bartender bowed his head and murmured, “Of course, as you will it, my Lord.”

He then turned and pulled out an hourglass from the ether. Faerys and their freaky powers, I shook my head. “I will begin it when you both have your first drink, my Lord.” His shoulders straightened and he turned from us to make the requested drinks.

This was the strangest drinking contest I had ever taken part in, but I was in it to the finish. Laughter drew my attention back to Robin. “Excellent,” he exclaimed. “This will be one to tell the grandchildren, puppy, one day years from now.”

Robin’s mirth broke the silence and sound came back to the room. I was in shock though and sat there dumbly when the drinks were set before us. Grandchildren…my mind looped on that word. One day we would have grandchildren. That meant that first we would have children. A slow smile opened my lips and my sharpening teeth shone. I picked up the glass filler with luminescent blue liquid and raised it to Robin. “To us, my friend—to whatever this night brings and to the future you have just envisioned. May all of those dreams come true for all of us!”

Robin met my raised glass with a smile. “Indeed, Kale. That is a guaranteed outcome. I have seen it. To us,” his eyes gleamed as he raised his glass. “And to our mates and a future of laughter and joy.”

The bartender silently turned over the hourglass and sat it upon the marble bar top as we took our first swallow.

Chapter Seven

The last grains of sand trickled through the neck of the hourglass. Each tiny grain exaggerated into high definition detail by my wolf’s vision while I watched it fall to nestle with its brothers below.

Not long into our drinking contest my wolf came out to join us. I had no control over him at all. At first all I noticed was the increased vision, then my senses began to peak. In all honesty, at this stage I was surprised I was still human shaped.

“You’re fucking sexy as hell like this, you know?” Robin murmured against my ear. “So damn hot and feral,” he whispered. “You, my ferocious mate,” he paused, “you are so human but your beast is riding you hard, just beneath the surface. Damn, do you know how hard I want to ride you right now?”

A lopsided grin tilted the corners of Robin’s mouth. If I had not already swallowed, that last sip of wine would have been all over the poor bartender. As it was, he watched us with amazed horror.

My poor Robin looked more than a little drunk. I had to admit I did not feel to steady on my feet myself. I had to stifle a chuckle as Robin waxed poetic in front of the entranced crowd.

All the patrons of the club had stopped to watch us as we drank, laughed, and joked this past hour. I do not believe they had ever seen the almighty Puck behave in such a raucous way.

I sighed while he nibbled my chin but just rolled my eyes and listened as he carried on.

“From the moment I met you, puppy, I knew. So bloody proud and arrogant,” he purred. “When we stood in that office glaring at one another, I had planned to play with you then. Then Dianthe walked into that room.”

Molten silver swirled when our gazes met then. “She’s perfect, Kale.”

My brows lowered, that had sounded clear as a bell without a single slur.

“So fucking perfect,” he drawled. “That’s when I knew. She was ours and you were mine, we all belonged together…one happy little family. The trisky, trikly,” he frowned before carefully forming the words. “The tricky part was to get us all together into one happy unit.” He nodded his head decisively before continuing, “Did you know, my handsome wolf, that this whole monogamy thing is one of those new-fangled ideas?”

I snorted before answering, “Is it now? What do you consider new-fangled, Robin? Mate, marriage, and one to one relationships have been around for as long long time. I know you’re an old man, but I’m starting to wonder if you have had too much to drink?”

I was buzzing hard and felt so loose it wasn’t a sure bet I could make it to the door in a straight line. But I wasn’t too worried, Robin may not make it off his stool at this rate.

“Pftt,” he said in disgust. “Marriage, the thing that you know it as, is barely more than an infant. It was hardly more than four thousand years ago that people lived in family groups. Several strong males, a couple females, and their children. It was not until all this rubbish on succession came about that anyone even gave a damn. Then the contracts started! Not a Danu be damned inkling about love. Now that is only a few hundred years old,” he rambled. “Marriage for the sake of love, what nonsense.”