Page 93 of D'Vaire or Nothing
Chapter 4
Hours after his matebond ceremony, Ashby was still adjusting to the slightly annoying chain around his neck. But that was his lone complaint. Seltivare had remained at his side as they ate, laughed at the sulking Grand Warlock as Ashby devoured a cupcake, and discussed a variety of topics with the elf’s family.
To the delight of every D’Vaire present, Zolilara and Vateltir had expressed a great interest in the sanctuary. Once they’d learned there was a second sanctuary created specifically for elves, their excitement had grown. Ashby had immediately suggested a trip over to the large house guarded by a magical dome similar to the one currently above his head. In the morning, Seltivare’s entire family would be joining Ashby and several D’Vaires to tour the sanctuary.
Ashby was excited about the trip. But it paled in comparison to his enthusiasm for his current plans.
“Are you ready to go outside?” Ashby asked Seltivare.
Following the ceremony, Ashby had switched to jeans and Seltivare had been forced to go to his brother’s room to change into a less formal elven tunic and pants. Mavizare hadn’t known where to take his twin’s luggage, but Ashby had remedied that issue. Seltivare’s suitcase was now in the suite they shared.
“Yes, but I don’t know where our room is so I can put on my shoes,” Seltivare replied.
Swallowing thickly as he tried to clear his mind of exploring every inch of the beautiful elf with the slight frown on his elegant face, Ashby smiled and hoped it wasn’t too lecherous. “I’m barefoot. We’ll be fine. I can use some magic to get rid of any dirt if you’re worried about tracking it into the house.”
Seltivare grabbed the back door and swung it open. “Good, I’m not a fan of shoes.”
With a chuckle, Ashby followed his mate outside. The sorcerers had slightly illuminated the garden at his request, and Ashby was grateful. He’d diligently stretched his magic as much as possible through the years, but his well remained small. The garden was the opposite, and Ashby would’ve exhausted himself trying to keep it bright enough that Seltivare could explore to his heart’s content.
“Can we start with Dravyn and Killian’s garden?” Seltivare asked. “I want to save the best for last.”
The elf was so sweet that Ashby’s heart sighed with joy. It suited a man who smelled like sweet peas. “We call it Dravyn’s garden. Killian insists. I suppose it’s fair since Dravyn started it before they met.”
“Thanks for telling me; I don’t want to offend anyone by calling it the wrong thing.”
Wanting to share a bit of the magic of their matebond ceremony, Ashby held out his hand, and happiness bubbled through him when Seltivare immediately took it.
“Okay, the start of the garden is veggies,” Ashby explained as he led Seltivare to the plants that supplied food for the D’Vaires—especially those like Seltivare who required a diet of mostly fruits and vegetables.
“You’re my mate, so I want to be honest with you,” Seltivare said as they approached a grove of trees whichproduced delicious pears. “As an elf, it’d be easy, I guess, to grow things to provide meals for me and my family. But I love flowers. There are so many beautiful varieties, and I’d hoped someday to have a place where I could expand past drought-tolerant plants. A dream for tomorrow. Oh, and also on my list is to perhaps someday cultivate a new plant of my own. A hybrid.”
Ashby winked. “Like me. Okay, let’s skip all the fruits and veggies and get to the flowers Dravyn and Killian have created.”
“The lilies in our wreaths were extraordinary. They must have used magic to make the edge of the petals and stamens metallic?”
“Yes, that was Killian’s flare.” Ashby walked with Seltivare to the start of the flowering plants and concentrated on pushing his magic outward. The surrounding air grew charged, and the glorious harmony of Dravyn’s garden was loud enough to be heard by those not born as druids.
Seltivare grasped Ashby’s palm between both of his hands and squeezed enthusiastically. “I’ve read of this. The music of a garden crafted by devoted druids or exceptional gardeners like Dravyn. It’s so beautiful. Thank you for allowing me to hear it.”
“I wish I could let it play for you all night, but my magic will run out soon,” Ashby murmured.
“We can record it on my phone so I can listen whenever I want. Don’t exhaust yourself; I want to hear your garden most.”
Ending the spell, Ashby stared into a beautiful set of deep blue eyes. He wasn’t sure who moved first. But they shifted toward each other, and Ashby’s mouth landed on a set of soft lips. The romantic aroma of sweet peas filled Ashby’s senses. Ashby warned himself not to get carried away, but it was Seltivare who grasped Ashby’s hip.
The elf’s fingers dug into his jeans, and Ashby let go of his hand to gently tug Seltivare into his arms. Seltivare molded his frame to Ashby’s, and the hybrid’s dick perked up immediately.They were equal in height, and Seltivare’s lanky form was exquisite.
To Ashby’s surprise, Seltivare’s tongue snuck out. That delicate second of exploration relaxed Ashby. They weren’t moving too quickly for the elf. Desperate to taste him, Ashby licked his way into Seltivare’s mouth.
Someone moaned, and Ashby’s instincts demanded he find somewhere private to strip Seltivare. But it was far too soon for the virginal elf. With no small amount of regret, Ashby gentled his hold and ended the kiss.
Seltivare’s eyes were dilated, and in the low light, Ashby could barely make out the flush in his cheeks. It gave him the look of an elf well loved, even though Ashby was standing in a garden with his cock pressing into the zipper of his jeans. Ashby told himself to ignore the hardness pressing against him.
Up until they met less than a week ago, Seltivare had lacked sexuality, and the last thing Ashby wanted to do was overwhelm him.
“Maybe we should go to our room and honor every elven tradition and get our second hoop tonight,” Seltivare whispered huskily.
Ashby’s dick jerked as he imagined clutching Seltivare’s hips and sinking deep inside him. The lone way to get a second earring was through intercourse, but it wasn’t happening no matter how much Ashby desired it. They had a relationship to build, and Ashby didn’t want to get distracted by sex.
