Page 11 of Twist of Fate

Perhaps he should demonstrate his strength to his mate? Yes, a show of his abilities would certainly win his Luke’s favor.

Unfortunately, Connal didn’t have time to perform his feat of strength. His mate slipped free once more and began moving through the crowd. Connal hurried to keep up, his long strides quickly covering the distance between them. A few humans bounced off of him as he moved, and after a particularly loud curse from a man wearing one of the confounded ties the King’s attaché wore, Luke glanced back at Connal.

“Watch where you’re walking asshole,” Luke snapped at the man. “Come on Connal the Bare.”

Connal smirked at the weakling human before moving to Luke’s side. “Connal of the Bairrfhionn.”

“Bear-fee-on.” His name rolled so perfectly off Luke’s tongue, even if the pronunciation wasn’t ideal. Luke smiled up at him, breaking all thoughts of his mate’s imperfections. “It’s much prettier when you say it.”

It would be perfect when Luke screamed it in the throes of passion, which was all that mattered. “You’ll learn,” Connal said.

“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

Why wouldn’t he be? As if there were anyone in the human realm who could compete against Connal for Luke’s affections. “I am.”

Luke grinned. “And an ego as well. You know, I think I like you Connal of the Bear-fee-on.”

Oh, Luke more than liked him. Connal returned Luke’s beautiful smile with one of his own. He couldn’t wait to share the news of his good fortunes with his brothers.

“And this is my exit.” Luke pulled his satchel from his back and tugged a small card and a pen from the front pocket. He wrote on the card before handing it to Connal. “I’ll be in town for a couple days. You should give me a call.”

“I—”

“See you later, Connal.” Luke slipped through the crowd of humans and out a sliding door, leaving the port of air.

Connal wanted to bellow his frustration into the crowd waiting to retrieve their confounding wheeled baggage. He couldn’t let his mate leave his side. Perhaps he should take drastic action and simply take his mate through a portal to the fae realm—and directly to Connal’s chambers. Once he’d claimed Luke as his own, this unanswered longing would surely lessen.

“Brother, what is amiss?”

The fact that Asterius managed to get to Connal’s side without Connal noticing showed the true extent of his distraction.

“I have found my mate.” Connal turned to his brother, only the strength of the Goddess keeping his panic at bay. “Yet he has exited the port of air. I cannot conceive a way to prevent the travesty without breaking the King’s command.”

Asterius looked appropriately stunned by the news. “There are eyes everywhere in this Goddess-forsaken place. Surely the King would make an exception for a mate.”

Connal’s palms itched to get closer to Luke, but he controlled his urges. The Consort’s words flooded his brain, reining him in even further.

Luke had no idea the magical world existed all around him. If he did, he’d have recognized Connal immediately as other. Connal stared out at the curb, watching as the bright yellow conveyances picked up the humans waiting. Luke had almost reached the front of the line.

“I can’t be parted from him, Asterius.”

Unfortunately, their primary mission demanded their attention. Zer appeared with a grim expression on his face. “We must go. There has been another flare.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Luke couldn’t help himself. He glanced over his shoulder before he slid into the taxi waiting at the curb. Yep. Connal still stood there staring at Luke like he’d stolen his favorite toy. Luke wanted to run back into the terminal, like one of those scenes from old movies, and leap into Connal’s arms.

Yeah, right.

Instead, he closed the door behind him then directed the taxi driver to the hotel where he had his reservation. He reached for the seatbelt and allowed the click of the buckle to signal the end of his thoughts of Connal.

“No problem.” The driver typed the address into his GPS before easing into traffic.

Luke swallowed hard, fighting the urge to look over his shoulder one last time. Hopefully, Connal would put his number to use. Maybe they could hook up later, and Luke could scratch the weirdness of this itch away.

Hell, Gomez was right. He did need to get laid. With a grin, Luke made a mental note to tell his friend he’d had the thought when they chatted later.

“You in town for business or pleasure?”