Phoenix Found (Brothers of Fire #5)

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Perrin skipped through TV stations, unable to focus on anything. He didn’t want to watch sports, and he couldn’t be bothered starting a movie. He wanted to call Alice, but he wasn’t ready to hear what she had to say. Would she blame him or support him? It was telling that she hadn’t called or messaged him yet.

What he wanted was to be in his workshop. He should be organizing his tools to go to Oliver’s estate tomorrow. There’d be time for him to do that in the morning since he’d already packed his clothes.

He’d already responded to all the emails that were on his phone and delegated all castle repairs. Now he was passing the time until he could go to bed.

His phone rang, and he glanced at it on the sofa next to him. Oliver. For a moment, he considered ignoring it. But that wasn’t helpful, and he was in enough shit without creating more. Explaining why he was under house arrest was another problem .

As he answered the call, he remembered to use English, not French. “Hey.”

Talking to Oliver was at least giving him the opportunity to work on his English, which he didn’t use that often.

“I tried to come see you, but there are guards on your door, and they said that I wasn’t allowed. Is there something going on?”

Perrin bit back the groan. He considered making a joke about Oliver stalking him but thought better of it. “I had a fight with my father. It’s for my own protection.”

“Is this about your marriage?”

“Yeah.” Or lack of. “He doesn’t appreciate my alternative idea.”

“Are we still going to my estate, or has that been canceled?”

“We are going, so make sure you’re packed and ready. I’m surprised one of your brothers hasn’t confirmed the time we’re leaving yet.”

“I have no doubt that Kaine will secure the route or something and will tell us in the morning.” Oliver paused. “So I won’t be seeing you till tomorrow?”

“Correct. Unless you turn on the camera on your phone.” He shouldn’t be encouraging Oliver, but at the same time, he was having fun. He never did things like this, getting to know someone and what they enjoyed and how they liked to be kissed…to be kissing someone… He was enjoying this, and he didn’t want it to be over.

Oliver made a few noises, swore, and then the invitation to the video call flashed up on Perrin’s phone. He pressed the button and was greeted by Oliver’s face, peering at the phone.

“If you put it on speaker, you can prop it up against something so you don’t have to hold it.” Perrin proved the point by propping his phone up on the coffee table.

“Just a moment.” There was some rustling, and the phone spun around a few times before settling. “Like that?”

Perrin grinned. “Perfect. I hope your day was more exciting than mine and with less trouble.”

“Definitely less trouble, though not so exciting. The usual French lesson and magic lesson. But I also asked Quentin to help me look into the past.”

“Is that safe?” He didn’t want Oliver fucking himself up the way Everest had. Not that he had the details, only the gossip. Which was bad enough.

“Yes, very safe. It was weird to see myself much older, speaking a different language, doing stuff I don’t know how to do. Like a different version of myself, or a half-forgotten memory. I guess it is a memory… Like I said, super weird.”

Perrin imagined it would be weird to look at memories of forgotten lives, and he also understood the temptation. “Did you do it for a reason? Were you looking at your lost lives?”

“No. I don’t want to look at those lives. I’m not ready to see any of that. Would you want to remember if there was a high chance you’ve been mistreated?”

Mistreated was the mild version of what had probably happened, but if Oliver wasn’t ready to consider the darker possibilities, avoiding those lives was the smart thing. “No, but I’m not a phoenix, and you guys are different.”

“I went back to before then because I wanted to see a life when I was happy and confident…to prove to myself that I can do it.”

“I have no doubt that in a year or two, you’ll be speaking perfect French and acting as though you’ve lived here for centuries.”

Oliver pulled a face. “I know that’s meant to be a compliment. ”

Perrin smiled. “It was.”

“God, don’t tell anyone, but I’m not sure that I want to be here.” Perrin’s shock must’ve shown on his face because Oliver rushed to explain. “Not like that. I mean, I don’t think I can find myself surrounded by the expectation of who I’m supposed to be. That’s why I’m looking forward to going to the estate.”

“I’m looking forward to going, too.”

Oliver beamed as though the only reason Perrin wanted to go was so they could be together. They wouldn’t be alone, though. There’d be a security team and staff.

“You do realize a bunch of people will be with us? Most of them used to work at the king’s lodge, but with that undergoing serious repairs, most of them are being relocated to your estate.”

Some of them were already on site, getting the house ready and making sure there were supplies in the kitchen.

Oliver’s smile slipped. “It’s going to be just like the castle, only smaller?”

Perrin was missing something. “That depends on what you mean. It’s not a fortified defensive position. But it is full of history.”

“I mean, with all the formal stuff and rules.” He glanced away, his teeth raking over his lower lip. “Here, I feel as though it wouldn’t be right for one of us to stay over. I’m hoping that my estate…” he stared at Perrin through the camera with his eyebrows lifted.

Perrin was tempted to remind him that if he didn’t ask for it, he wouldn’t get it. “That’s because you’re part of the royal family.”

“Am I, though?” Oliver tilted his head. “Really?”

That was still up for debate. “You can make the rules at your estate. ”

Oliver pressed his lips together. “I don’t want to command you to sleep in my bedroom.”

It was not going to take a command for him to jump into bed with Oliver. “You only need to invite me. Will there be chatter? Probably, but you should expect that no matter who you sleep with. Everyone is curious about you.”

“Will your father say something?”

“I’m sure he knows I’m going to your estate. He will assume it’s to cool my heels and that I’m being punished.”

“Are you being punished?”

“No, I have the backing of the Coven.” Even though going to them in the first place was half the problem, despite the fact he’d told his father that’s what he intended.

“Are you okay? Is your hand okay from the other night?”

Perrin lifted his hand. “Hardly pink at all.”

“Because you shifted to heal.”

“I don’t shift.” And he wished Oliver hadn’t seen.

“But your hand changed.” Oliver’s dark eyebrows drew together.

“Most shifters can’t do a partial shift, and I am not changing between one form and another. I am a ghoul, no matter how I appear.” He wasn’t human, even though he wanted Oliver to see him as human, not a monster.

“Then what did you do in my bathroom?”

Perrin glanced at his leg propped up on the sofa. His calf throbbed, even though he’d healed the worst of the wounds as best as he could. If he were a shifter, he’d be fully healed.

“Part of my hunting form.” And he didn’t want to be talking about it. But it wasn’t something he could hide, and if Oliver was disgusted, Perrin would much rather it happened now. He didn’t want to fall for the phoenix, only for his heart to be ripped out of his chest and incinerated in front of him. “We call it stretching our skin, though obviously our bones also stretch. And when we stretch, we heal to a degree.”

“Will you be hunting?”

“I’m a scavenger. I avoid hunting, as it’s far too much effort.” He smiled and tried to make a joke out of his feeding habits. “One of the shifters on the security team will hunt.” If it was a deer, the body would be butchered, with the kitchen taking half to be hung in the larder and the rest placed far enough away from the house that no one might stumble on him eating. It was nicer if the body were left for a day or two before he feasted, but he wasn’t about to be fussy, as the hunger was rising.

The fight hadn’t helped, nor had the injuries.

“But you can hunt if you need to?”

“I can. But the castle buys whole sheep and cows anyway…so I take a portion of that.”

Oliver grinned. “But they all come without their hearts, which is why you like chicken hearts.”

“Correct. It’s easy to buy chicken hearts, but not so easy to buy a beef heart.”

“Have you ever…” Oliver’s tongue flicked out, and his gaze darted away.

Perrin guessed the question before Oliver finished asking. “No. I have never eaten a human…unless you count sucking dick.”

Which he didn’t because humans did that too.

He sighed, wanting Oliver to look at him again instead of thinking about what he put in his mouth. “It’s okay to be disgusted. I’m used to it.”

Most of the castle staff were very good at either ignoring what he was or hiding what they thought.

Oliver shook his head. “I’m not disgusted. I’m curious. I want to suck your dick. Does your dick always look human? ”

Perrin laughed. That wasn’t the question he’d been expecting. “Yes.”

Mostly. Less so in his hunting form. It should really be called scavenging form, but that doesn’t sound as nice.

“If I was there, you’d let me? Or do you not like that?”

Perrin swallowed. It wasn’t that he didn’t like receiving, but when he went out, he was more interested in getting. He liked the taste, and the feel of skin on his tongue, and the groans in his ear. Which made giving head sound a little wrong…

“I like it. And if you were here, I’d sit up and have you kneel between my legs.” And it was perfectly safe to talk about because Oliver was in a different part of the castle.

“If you open the window, I could fly in.”

His heartbeat quickened and his dick hardened at the idea. He’d forgotten that his lover had wings. The idea of Oliver shifting and sweeping into his room all hot after a shift was a little too tempting.

He’d slept with enough shifters to be aware that the shifting heat wasn’t only about shifting and that it was tied to lust. But Oliver didn’t have control over his shifts, and a phoenix sweeping through his window would be seen by too many people. The last thing he wanted was more security knocking at his door, demanding answers. Nor did he want his father or mother to see a phoenix arrive.

“You could, but you don’t want to draw attention,” he said carefully. Oliver pouted, and Perrin thought fast before Oliver did his own thing anyway. “If you wait until tomorrow, we can do whatever we want.”

Oliver didn’t seem convinced. And Perrin felt much the same way. Why was he talking Oliver out of this?

Because one of them had to use their common sense, and apparently that was him. Which meant they were fucked.

If Oliver was there, Perrin would make him keep his hands behind his back as he licked and sucked. He could already imagine Oliver’s lips stretched around his cock. And when he was done, he’d lay him on the coffee table and suck him dry.

“Get your pants off,” Perrin growled. He wouldn’t be able to taste him or touch him, but at least he’d be able to watch…which might be more torturous than not having him at all.

“Why?”

“Because you’re as hard as I am.”

Oliver blushed.

“We can do something about it together.” He pushed his pajama pants down a little as he ran his palm over his length.

Oliver leaned forward, lips parted. “You’re taking yours off too?”

“Yes.” Or at least he planned on pushing them down. He adjusted his position so he was more on his side and dragged the coffee table and phone closer.

Oliver stood, shoving off his jeans. His bare legs filled the screen, then he sat, long, ruddy cock jutting up and begging to be licked.

Well, shit. He’d better get his dick out.

He freed the head of his cock. He swept his thumb over the head, enjoying the way Oliver watched him. “Are you going to play along?”

His thumb kept moving, teasing more for Oliver’s benefit than his. He wasn’t used to being watched…to being seen.

Oliver jerked his gaze from Perrin’s cock to his face. “Are you going to show me the whole thing?”

He bit back the laugh that formed in his throat. “Yes.” He nudged his pants lower, revealing another inch.

Oliver bit his lip as a bead of pre-cum slid over the head of his dick.

“If I was there, I’d lick that up.” The memory of Oliver filling his mouth was recent enough that Perrin was sure he could taste him.

Oliver glanced down as if unsure what to do next.

Perrin wasn’t sure if he should tell him to swipe it up and lick his finger.

Before Perrin could speak, Oliver wrapped his fingers around his shaft and gave himself a slow stroke, using the pre-cum to slick his skin. “If you were here, you could kneel between my legs and lap it all up, drop by drop.” His cheeks darkened as he spoke. He drew in a breath and looked away. “I can’t believe I said that.”

He didn’t want Oliver to stop and think because then this would become weird. “If I were there, you wouldn’t be touching yourself. I’d keep you on edge for hours, leaking for me, begging for release.”

“With you licking me, I can guarantee I wouldn’t last hours.”

“Then I’ll have to lick you until you’re hard again.” Perrin shoved his hand into his pants to stroke himself. He wasn’t prepared for this. He had no lube or tissues to hand.

And he wasn’t used to doing this in front of another person.

For a heartbeat, all he wanted was Oliver in the room with him, pressed against him on the sofa. Legs tangled with no need to breathe and break the kiss.

“I want to be there.”

“I know you do, sweetheart.” Perrin bit his tongue. Stop more words from coming out.

“Pull your pants down, please.” Oliver’s hand moved faster. Maybe he hadn’t noticed Perrin’s slip. “I need to see you.”

He obeyed. At first glance, he seemed human. It was the second that usually raised questions, so it was easier to avoid them. Like this, he doubted Oliver would even notice.

“It looks thick. ”

“It is.” He had fucked a few guys who thought they couldn’t take it…they did. Colored condoms helped hide the obvious differences that a man who knew their way around a dick might question. “But I’m sure it will fit in your mouth and your ass with a bit of practice.”

Oliver grinned. “You do top.”

“I do both. But you know what I prefer.”

“Using your mouth.”

“Yeah.” And maybe that’s because he was a ghoul.

“How do you like to get off?” Oliver’s hand worked over the head of his now slick and shiny cock.

He wanted to lick it so bad.

“My hand when I’m sucking dick.” That was his usual way.

“Is that what you really like?”

Perrin’s hand paused. He took what he could and what wouldn’t give him away. “I’m not sure.” Which was a bit of a sad admission. “I like lots of things. I want to grind against you.”

“While I’m next to you?”

“Yeah, so I can watch you come.”

Oliver groaned and tipped his head back as he came, spilling over his hand.

“You are so hot when you come.” He worked his hand faster over his cock, twisting his grip as he reached the head and then tracing over one of the sensitive ridges. Fuck it. He took a chance. “Lick your fingers.”

Oliver kept his eyes closed but stuck two fingers in his mouth.

“Oh fuck, that’s it, sweetheart.” Perrin gave in, coming on his shirt. When he glanced at the screen, Oliver was watching him.

“I can’t wait to find out how different it is because right now, it looks human.” He was almost breathless.

“When you can say cock, you can do whatever you want with it.”

Oliver’s lips curved. “I will explore your cock in detail tomorrow.”

Then he killed the call.

Perrin closed his eyes and tipped his head back, giving himself a couple of minutes.

Tomorrow was too far away.

And he was too hungry for phoenix flesh.