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Although, he had a feeling Sindri might soon find himself on the wrong side of the male’s temper if he didn’t stop referring to him as a “ghost cat.”
The most important thing that had happened to him, of course, was meeting Erus. They had spent nearly every waking moment together since their introduction, and at night, he slept securely in his mate’s arms. As someone who valued privacy and solitude, he had thought the constant closeness would eventually lose its novelty and begin to suffocate him.
The reality was quite the opposite. The more time he spent with Erus, the harder it was to imagine a single moment without him, let alone the rest of his life. It shamed him to think he had initially considered them incompatible.
Erus wasn’t as cold or unfeeling as he had originally presumed. He just had a low tolerance for stupidity, and he damn sure didn’t suffer disrespect. Especially where it pertained to Orrin. Even a perceived slight was met with extreme prejudice.
And though he would never admit it out loud, Orrin kind of liked it. After all, a gorgeous, attentive god who wanted to protect and spoil him. How could he not be swayed by such sincerity?
Knowing Erus would go to any lengths for him, he had made a conscious effort not to abuse the privilege. He figured he got a pass on little things, like espresso from Rome. While it might be a big ask to anyone else, it legitimately took Erus minutes to fulfill the request.
He had, however, stopped teasing his mate by asking for more extravagant things. Even if he really wanted a unicorn.
The thing he probably loved most about being with Erus was the fact that he could be himself. He didn’t have to curate every word or monitor every minute expression. For once in his life, he could simply…be.
Unlike now.
Moonlight sparkled off the layer of magical ice that covered the south lawn, while hundreds of sparkling lights danced beneath the frosted surface. Large tables dressed in scarlet clothes and adorned with pillar candles and holly surrounded a circular dance floor. Smaller, twinkling lights spiraled around nearby trees, while an assortment of glittery ornaments hung from the bare branches.
It was spectacular, absolutely stunning, but Orrin couldn’t enjoy it. Not like everyone else. He had been a fool to think that he could attend one of the famed festivals and simply blend in with the crowd.
“Relax, asteraki.” Sidestepping to stand in front of him, Erus gathered the fur-lined hood of his robe and draped it carefully over his head. “You don’t owe them anything.”
A sweet sentiment, and also completely false. His time, attention, words, smiles, and even his breath didn’t belong to him. They were the property of the people.
His Guard stood a few paces behind him, alert but less intrusive than usual. Erus had finally agreed to let them do their jobs, if only to have more eyes constantly looking for danger.
Naturally, Tyr had taken offense, and the resulting argument had been heard throughout the hotel…and possibly in the valley.
Thankfully—and somewhat surprisingly—no one had died. They hadn’t even bled. Orrin considered that progress.
“Have I mentioned how breathtaking you look?”
He had. Twice. He was also ridiculously biased and thought Orrin looked beautiful in oversized sweats. So, there was that.
“You can’t even see what I’m wearing under his cloak.” Not that it was worth showing off anyway. Just a typical, boring suit. “You, on the other hand, look incredible.”
The burgundy tuxedo molded to every sculpted muscle and stretched tight across his perfect backside. The black dress shirt and white bowtie broke up the monochrome, highlighting his square jaw and sharp features.
“Hmm, that won’t do, will it?”
In the next instant, Orrin’s cloak had vanished, and instead of the simple black ensemble, he now wore a complementing, fitted tuxedo in pure white. The shirt beneath the jacket was the same purplish red as his mate’s suit, and the black bowtie had streaks of silver running through it.
Staring at his distorted reflection in the ice, he couldn’t stop the smile that stretched his lips. It was loud, ostentatious, and flagrantly inappropriate. His father would probably keel over if he saw him, and the mental image of the thought produced actually made him chuckle.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.” Gripping the lapel of Erus’ jacket, he pulled him close and rose up on his toes for a soft, chaste kiss. “Thank you.”
“Then, stop caring what other people think and just enjoy tonight.”
Easier said than done since his entire identity was wrapped up in his public image. Sweet baby faeries, his life would be so much better if he didn’t have to be Prince Orrin Nightstar.
And that gave him an idea. “Can you make me look different?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, can you make me look like someone else?”
