“I won’t let him make a run for it.”
“We need him to be able to walk tonight.”
“I won’t break his legs either, Good Light.” Aodhan shot him a glare and then left with a huff.
Titus trusted that Aodhan wouldn’t actually permanently damage their man, but he dressed quickly anyway. Surprisingly enough, it was Calix who was the unpredictable one at the moment. There was no telling whether he would try to run now that they’d let him out of the house, or if he’d stay in line, knowing it was a pointless battle.
“What have I gotten myself into?” he murmured as he grabbed the box that held his red mask. One unruly bondmate was enough, but he’d had to go and find himself two. He wondered if his cousin would laugh at him if he found out.
Not that they’d spoken in years.
He had very little in the way of family, having left the Connect homeworld at only fourteen years old. That wasn’t unusual for their species. Ever since birth rates had lowered to dangerous levels, the considered age for relocating continued to drop. Sixteen had been the average age when he’d left, so he’d only been two years ahead of that, and he’d heard rumors that it was now fifteen.
His parents hadn’t given him a choice, shipping him off to a coed boarding school on the opposite side of the galaxy. The hope had been for him to find a suitable match while doing his studies, but he’d spent most of his focus on learning and preparing for medical school instead.
Every now and again, he was summoned back, but he only went if the invitation was by Imperial decree. He’d no doubt receive fewer of those as well, once word got out that he’d chosen a third who also couldn’t help continue their species.
The house was quiet as he exited, either a very good sign or a bad one. He kept his enigmatic expression in place when he stepped out onto the porch and saw Aodhan and Calix standing by the sleek black hover car they only took out on occasions like this. It was registered under an alias that couldn’t be linked back to them, though that was an extra precaution he didn’t really need, considering who he was.
Connects could get away with just about anything.
Calix’s gaze dropped to the mask in his hand as he approached.
“You don’t seem surprised,” Titus said.
“Kind of figured it was you that night,” he drawled. “Not many can affect people’s emotions, and I doubt you’d let Aodhan get away with hooking up with someone else.”
“I won’t let you get away with it either.” He cornered the detective against the side door of the car while Aodhan snickered and went to turn the vehicle on. “Fair warning, I’ll be pumping aphrodisiacs into the air at this party as well, after the main event. I heard you were propositioned the last time.”
“Just some woman,” Calix shrugged, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable. Still, he knew better than to ask Titus to step back.
Progress.
He captured Cal’s chin. “Tonight isn’t a game.”
“It’s a test. I’m aware.”
Every day that passed, the detective proved to him more and more that he’d botched his last case on purpose. Whether that was because he’d grown suspicious of Titus and Aodhan, orsimply because his heart hadn’t been in it, it didn’t really make a difference. How Calix felt about them was constantly changing.
“You’ll really behave?” Titus asked.
Calix scowled but still didn’t pull away or shove him back. “Connects are said to be experts at mental manipulation. I started keeping my eyes out for it after Troya told me what you are.”
“And?”
“I know what you’re trying to do—What you’re doing,” he corrected himself. “You’ve shown me Aodhan is obsessed with me and you’re the only one who can keep him from accidentally pushing things too far. You’ve made it clear you can be caring and nice so long as I stay in line. But, Titus? None of that proves to me you really want to take me as your Third.”
For the first time since they took him over a month ago, Calix sounded somewhat open to the idea.
Yes, definitely progress.
“Even if I changed my mind later on,” Titus replied, “the bond is unbreakable. Once we form it, I couldn’t get rid of you. Neither could Aodhan.”
“All that guarantees is I’ll spend the rest of my life trapped. There’s a difference, you know? A difference between being forced to stay with people who are stuck with me, and people who actually want me.”
“Are you asking for love, Calix?” He slid his hand across his jaw and rested it over his throat, feeling the steady thump of the other man’s pulse beneath his thumb.
“Can you even give me that?” Cal held his gaze without flinching. “Are you even capable?”