Starlight(Pact Arcanum 4) by Arshad Ahsanuddin Read Free Book Online

out.
    Lorcan braced his arms against the desk and breathed deeply to calm himself. William’s words thundered in his mind. “Only now have I seen the love between you…” He exhaled forcefully, and shook himself. Then he picked up the wooden box and walked to the teleport gateway in the next room.
    He jumped back to the House Diluthical stronghold in Belfast and made a short secondary jump to their quarters. Letting himself into the suite, he noticed there was no one else there. He set the box down on the dining table and checked the other rooms. “Sean?” Then he noticed the note on the back of the door.
     
Ruarc,
Change of plans. Meet me at my house in San Francisco.
Love,
Sean.
 
    Lorcan was a little unsettled at the word “love,” so soon after William’s earlier pronouncement. But it was Rory’s turn this year to plan their anniversary celebration, so it was his privilege to be cryptic. He lifted the box again and walked back to the teleport gateway and interfaced with the Armistice teleport relay system, then jumped to the gateway in the house that had belonged to Rory and Takeshi, which Rory couldn’t bear to part with.
    He arrived in the semi-darkened living room. Sean was here. His scent was fresh, and Lorcan could hear the single heartbeat in the house. He set the gift box on the coffee table, and caught another scent. Roses. His vision sharpened as he drew more heavily on his vampire senses. A sprinkling of rose petals led from the teleport gateway into the front hallway, then up the central staircase. He followed the trail to the master bedroom, inhaling the heavy aroma as the flowers were crushed under his feet.
    He pushed open the door and stared at the king-sized bed, the covers turned down, lit by fairy lights of pure magic that flitted about the room along currents of air.
    “I thought maybe we’d stay in this year.”
    Lorcan snapped his head to face Rory, eyes wide, questions about to explode from his lips, then he swallowed hard as they were all forgotten.
    Rory smiled at him, his long red hair hanging loose over his shoulders, wearing a white silk gown, loosely belted in front.
    Beautiful.
    Lorcan found his voice. “Sean, what—”
    “I love you.”
    Lorcan was speechless again.
    “It’s strange. I felt the substance of the words so many times, expressed them in so many ways, that it never occurred to me to say them out loud.” Rory stepped closer and ran his fingertips over Lorcan’s right eyebrow, and down the side of his face, following the line of his cheekbones. “Do you love me, Ruarc?”
    A single word came to his lips instantly, the only one he could have made himself speak out loud. “Yes.”
    Rory’s smile was blinding in the shifting light. He leaned forward and kissed Lorcan hungrily. Lorcan responded immediately, reaching up to wrap his hand around the back of Rory’s head and pull him closer. Rory did the same, and in the back of his mind, Lorcan felt the smoothness of the Nightwalker’s soft leather half-gloves against his neck. Lorcan broke the kiss and took one step backward. “Wait.”
    Rory stepped backward as well, his face showing his hurt and confusion. “What is it?”
    Lorcan pointed at the black gloves. “Take those off.”
    Rory blinked and stared at his hands in surprise. “Why?”
    You don’t need to hide what you are from me,” whispered Lorcan, leaning in for another kiss. He closed his eyes as he felt the movement of Rory stripping the gloves off, then opened his eyes and stepped back.
    The room was starkly lit by the painful brightness of the Grace, casting every surface into sharp relief.
    Rory met his gaze with uncertainty. “And what am I?”
    Lorcan reached out and untied the belt of Rory’s robe, and slipped it off Rory’s shoulders, so that it fell to the floor in a soft rustle. Lorcan ran his eyes over every inch of Rory’s naked body before raising his gaze back to the Nightwalker’s face. He smiled, his fangs showing, and let