Demon’s Test (Demon Mates #4)

Chapter Ten

It was the fourth day of their intense study binge, and Quirion was pleased with himself about Milo’s progress. He had known his man was smarter than everybody else and seeing his gorgeous, breathtaking brain at work was a joy in and of itself. Milo already had the History of the Elves on the Irish Isles down and they were now working on Biology, Seen from a Magical Perspective . Luckily, that book was more of an essay than actual science, which left them more time for the other two topics. Those consisted of several volumes, where it wouldn’t be as easy to skip.

At the moment they were taking a short break to sip some chai tea, extra spicy, because that was Milo’s go-to drink when he was studying. And of course, Quirion had learned to make it just the way Milo liked it.

“Uhm, Qui?”

The hint of worry in Milo’s voice dragged Quirion from admiring his back, his hair tousled because Milo tended to comb his hands through it when he was concentrating, and his gorgeous silhouette. Milo was looking out of the window, which meant whatever had put the worry in his tone was out there.

“What is it, min Liechtbrunn ?” The endearment was flowing from his lips more and more frequently.

“Am I squinting or is there a second toad in the moat?”

“What?” In an instant, Quirion was next to Milo. And yes, there was a second toad in the moat. It was approaching Mildred with slow, careful movements as if to not spook her. Or prevent her from eating the newcomer, who was considerably smaller and would have fit into her mouth. Was mouth the correct term? Perhaps gills, because she was water-dwelling? Or jaws, though that didn’t sound right either. A problem for another day! Focus on the present!

The new toad was now close enough for Mildred to end this unexpected visit once and for all, but all she did was close her eyes for a moment. The new toad made a croaking sound they could hear through the glass, then it maneuvered very carefully and very slowly around Mildred until it reached her back, where it proceeded to climb on her.

“I think it’s safe to say that, yes, Mildred is a girl, and that she’s having a lover over.” Milo’s tone was laced with amusement, which Quirion didn’t understand. He felt oddly angry about this…this male getting close to his Mildred.

“I think he’s not good enough for her. Look how drab his brown looks.”

Milo chuckled. “Yeah, his brown is pretty boring. Mildred doesn’t seem to mind, though.”

Fascinated, they watched the male clambering on Mildred’s back, where he then closed his front legs around her as far as he could reach. Mildred remained motionless for a moment, seemingly thinking this whole endeavor through. Quirion was starting to get his hopes up that she would get rid of the impertinent male on her back any second now—which would serve him right, who did he think he was, just coming out of nowhere, making advances on sweet, innocent Mildred—but then she hopped, a little awkwardly, forward, to the part of the moat she had been digging in. From the window, they could barely see what was going on and despite being weirdly angry on Mildred’s behalf, Quirion also didn’t want to invade her privacy. It was a difficult conundrum, one Milo solved by craning his neck and giving a running commentary.

“I think she’s started to lay her eggs. She just moved to the side, and I saw something like a string of beads between her hind legs. Guess she’s a lot like the toads on Earth. Sammy’s going to love hearing that. She’s moving around, no doubt trying to get the egg strings to cling to whatever debris or plants you have in the moat. Oh my, are there any plants in there? What are the tadpoles going to eat? We’ll have to look into that. Anyway, she’s moving around, and that stupid male is just sitting there, clinging to her like a limpet. Really, he’s just so useless.”

“I guess it’s too late trying to get rid of him?”

“Definitely. This is happening. Mildred is becoming a mom.”

“She’s too young!” Quirion just couldn’t see her as a parent.

“I hate to point this out, but we don’t really know how old she is. She was already here when you moved in, remember? Could be very well she’s in her prime to have little tadpoles. That male certainly seems to think so.”

“What does he know? He’s come out of nowhere, not knowing the situation, not even trying to get more closely acquainted with Mildred before…before…before tainting her!”

Milo chuckled and turned around, looking up at Quirion. “It’s okay, Qui. She’s a big girl.” He lifted his hand and gently stroked Quirion’s cheek.

Time seemed to stop.

Technically, Quirion knew this was impossible. Time could be slowed and sped up, under the right circumstances in the right environment by the right demon, but never ever could it be stopped. Magic might be able to create small bubbles in which a piece of time got trapped, but that was like scooping water from a river with a normal drinking glass—irrelevant in the greater picture and ultimately useless.

But something happened, something profound, because Milo’s touch ignited all kinds of things inside him, things that had been simmering for a long time now, things he had first tried to deny, then accepted without acting on them, and now they wanted out. Without thinking further about it, without his usual analyzing and probing and pondering, Quirion bent forward to press his lips to Milo’s sweet, sweet mouth.

Milo froze for the shortest of moments, then a sigh ghosted over his lips which then became pliant, inviting Quirion in. It wasn’t a moment of mad lust, no frantic kissing and fumbling to get rid of clothes, no mindless groping to satisfy a carnal urge. No, this was, like everything else about and with Milo, perfection. They calmly explored what this new sensation between them was, how it felt in their bodies, how it changed things between them. Slowly, carefully, Quirion put his arms around Milo, changing the parameters again, creating a new situation which Milo added to by snuggling against Quirion’s front, practically melting into him. It felt nice. More than nice. It felt right. Something Quirion knew in his bones. They kept on kissing, for how long, Quirion didn’t know. Time might not have stopped, but it certainly had lost its meaning. Finally, Milo leaned back a bit in his embrace.

“Uh, I guess it’s safe to say me wanting you isn’t one-sided.” There was a hint of red in his cheeks, complementing the deep color of his kiss-swollen lips.

“It never was. I just didn’t think I should act on it. I’m old and set in my ways. You’re young and more flexible.”

“Pfft, the way I see it, you’re so experienced in everything, how can you want someone like me?”

Quirion didn’t like the vulnerable tone in Milo’s voice. No, not at all.

“Milo, in case you haven’t noticed, you’re the only one I want. I can tolerate no one else in my inner sanctum, at least not for prolonged amounts of time. You, on the other hand, you I don’t want to let go.”

“Good to know, because I don’t want to go.”

They looked at each other, a deep understanding passing between them. Quirion nodded toward the couch on the far side of his study. Before he led Milo there, they glanced outside once more, only to see that the male toad had left. Mildred was sitting in her usual spot, though she was facing away from them, no doubt keeping an eye on her eggs.

“I still think he wasn’t right for her.” Quirion couldn’t suppress the words.

“Me neither, but he’s gone. We won’t have to deal with him anymore.”

“No, we won’t. What we do have to deal with is this.” Quirion gestured between them while sitting down with Milo. His man was letting him take the lead, as usual.

“And how do you propose we deal with this?” Milo lifted his eyebrows. He was trying his best to stay logical but the slight quiver in his voice told Quirion how important it was not to fuck this up.

“Like we’ve dealt with everything since we met. Together.”

The smile Quirion got in response made him wish he could keep Milo here in his library forever. “Now, let’s see what we’re dealing with.” He lifted the index finger of his left hand. His right hand was still holding Milo’s, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on the back. No way was he stopping with that. “I’m an old demon with an annoying family who loves books and science above all else. My charming little brothers claim I’m set in my ways and grumpy, though I prefer to describe myself as settled and not someone who suffers fools lightly, of which there are simply too many in this world.”

Milo giggled. His free hand rested on Quirion’s thigh, stroking up and down. “Well, compared to you I’m a very young man with one annoying mother. I love scientific books and researching biology, chemistry and nanotechnology. Sammy says I’m an old soul, though people have told me that simply means I’m boring. I’d say about myself that I’m focused and driven, ready to take on the scientific world.”

Quirion nodded. “I concur with that description. It might be prudent to add that I’m also not overly interested in the act of sex. Don’t get me wrong, I feel a very strong connection toward you and the idea of touching you, kissing you, stirs warm feelings inside of me. Though if you asked me to rank what I’d like to do with you, the first places would be cuddling on the sofa, studying with you in the same room, and simply feeding you. I do want physical contact, and lots of it, though sex itself is not on the forefront of my mind. It doesn’t mean I’m not completely enamored with you, which I am,” he hastened to add.

Milo nodded. “I get it, Qui. I do love cuddling with you as well. I’m not going to lie, sex with you is definitely on my list, but to me, it’s surely not the most important thing. Just being with you makes me happy.”

“You mean you would be okay with a schedule?” Quirion knew this wasn’t how most people had a sexual relationship. He was sure his brothers would claim that a schedule sucked the romance and spontaneity right out of it. For him though, the security of having it planned made the difference between an encounter he could enjoy and one that stressed him out because he hadn’t had the time to plan for it.

“A schedule would be great. I love being able to prepare myself.”

As it seemed, great minds did think alike. “Perfect. How about we schedule a sexual encounter for this evening, around, say, nine?”

“Sounds great.” Milo hesitated. It was clear there was something on his mind and Quirion thought he knew what it was. “What about—”

“The bite?”

“Yes. The bite.”

Quirion hadn’t thought so far ahead, the kiss having been spontaneous, after all. And didn’t this prove nicely how important schedules and careful planning were? He took a deep breath.

“We won’t be as pathetic as Dre and Sammy nor as dumb as Jon and Barion. We’re scientists, we follow facts and are not led by mushy, unproductive feelings.”

“Geez, Qui, you know exactly how to make a guy all hot and bothered.” Milo winked.

“Of course I do. I also know sarcasm, though I’d wish to point out that you’re probably the only guy who does get hot and bothered by my scientific talk.”

“As opposed to everybody else, who gets either intimidated or angry, depending on how well you hit your mark with them. You’re right though. That’s my love language.”

“See? Though if you do wish to postpone the bite or our first sexual encounter, we can do that.”

Milo looked down at their still joined hands. “You know what? You’re right. We’re scientists and if there’s a hypothesis we can test, we do it. Just tell me, do I smell good to you?”

Quirion smiled. Different from shifters and many other paranormals, demons didn’t know who their mates were and couldn’t discern them by something as easy as scent or aura or sound. No, demons had to bite. But scent could be a strong indicator, as it had been with Sammy and Dre, and his father Alerion and his two mates, though that had been easy because they were werewolves and, for them, the scent was a dead giveaway.

“Why do you think I accepted you in the first place?”

“Because Dre bulldozed you and used Sammy as his battering ram?”

“Well, that too, but it would have never lasted if your scent weren’t so damn pleasing to me.”

“I’m glad to hear that. How do I smell?”

“What do you think?” Quirion was curious.

“Old books and inkstones.” The answer came promptly and was absolutely accurate.

“You know me so well.”

“That I do. I’d call myself an expert in everything Quirion.” Milo bit his lower lip for a moment. “What do we do when it turns out I am your mate? And what do we do if not?”

“Whether you are my mate or not, I don’t see why we couldn’t or shouldn’t be together. If you’re not, it just means our time is shorter, which, admittedly, isn’t a pleasant thought.”

“And what if I am? Is that something you’d want? Spending the rest of eternity with me?” Again, Milo sounded vulnerable. Unsure.

Quirion stared at him with absolute confidence in his gaze. “There’s nothing I want more.”

Milo sighed in relief. “Then I guess we find out tonight at nine.”

Quirion bent down to give Milo another kiss. When they parted again, his man made a face and Quirion couldn’t withstand temptation. He bopped him on the nose. “We’d better get back to studying.”

“Yeah. That’s good, it will keep us occupied till nine.”

“Till eight. We need a little sustenance before we conduct the mate experiment.”

“You do say the nicest things.” Milo smiled.