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Eljin knew Zack could see his flaming cheeks, even in the dark. No one ever
called him beautiful or strong. His brothers were the beautiful ones, tall and muscular,
warriors and future leaders each and every one of them.
"We say leannan," Eljin whispered. "It's a Gaelic word meaning sweetheart or
concubine, like lover or partner."
"So that's what you've been calling me all this time?" Zack asked. "And the rest of
it, the other words? What were they?"
"Give me your life, your love, your forever, as I give you mine," Eljin said. "They
are just simple words from one lover to another."
Zack chuckled and shook his head. "Oh no, Eljin, you're not getting away with
that answer. Nothing is ever simple where you're concerned. Now tell me the rest of it.
What do those words mean?"
Eljin dropped his gaze. Zack would be so pissed when he found out what Eljin
did. He couldn't blame him. He would have been angry too. He just couldn't take
something from Zack without giving something back, even if it was a part of himself.
"Eljin?"
"They're words of commitment," Eljin whispered. "When we were together
before, at the research facility, I took something from you against your will. I couldn't
do that without giving something back so I gave you me."
"Gave you me? What does that mean?"
Eljin pushed away from Zack and took several steps back, rubbing his stomach.
He realized it was a nervous habit he'd developed but it gave him a connection to Zack,
even if it was a small one.
"In my world when one person says those words and commits to another, it's
forever. I promised you I'd never be with another, never love another, or give them a
part of myself." Eljin swallowed the lump in his throat. He could see Zack's shock in the
way his face paled. "Once it's done, it can't be undone."
"Damn, Eljin, what would you have done if we never saw each other again?"
Eljin shrugged then rubbed his hands up and down his arms when a sudden
cold feeling brushed over him. "I would have had that night." He moved his hands to
his stomach. "And our son."
"Oh, Eljin," Zack whispered.
Eljin gratefully walked into the arms Zack held out to him, shocked to be
standing where he was. He'd felt sure Zack would tell him to leave or laugh at him.
"Did you really commit yourself to me with a few words?" Zack's voice reflected
his disbelief.
"There was a little more than that involved. For the words to truly be effective I
have to take your blood." Eljin sighed. "I bit the inside of your cheek when I kissed you."
"Does that make me committed to you in the same way?"
"No," Eljin murmured, closing his eyes at the pain that statement caused him.
"Then don't you think we should fix that?"
Eljin's eyes popped open. He stared at Zack in shock until he saw the knife the
man held. His breath flew from his chest as he watched Zack draw the blade across the
palm of his hand. Then Zack held both his bleeding hand and the knife out to him.
"Will you let me take your blood?"
Eljin's hand trembled as he reached for the knife. "Zack, you know this can't be
undone once it's done. It's for life, forever. You won't be able to change your mind once
you do it."
Zack's hand covered his over the handle of the knife. "I don't want to change it,"
Zack said as he brought the blade across Eljin's palm.
Eljin winced, but the joy of the moment quickly overrode the pain. He could
barely breathe as Zack ran his tongue across the palm of his hand, licking away the
blood. Zack then lifted his head and clasped their hands together and their blood
mingled.
"Now, say the words, hummingbird, so that I can repeat them."
Eljin opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He swallowed then tried
again, this time looking deep into Zack's eyes. "Give me your life, your love, your
forever, as I give you mine."
"Give me your life, your love, your forever, as I give you mine." Zack echoed the
vow.
Before Eljin had been the only one making the commitment, this time they both
were. The bond was instantaneous, like a bold of lightening hitting each of them. Eljin
felt Zack in his mind, felt himself in Zack's. It was a heady feeling.
Zack shuddered. "Damn, Eljin, I can feel you."
"Yeah." Eljin felt drunk. His head felt woozy, his body languid. He would have
dropped to the floor if Zack hadn't been holding him up.
He'd dream of this, filled hour after hour fantasizing about this moment. He'd
wanted it more than he could ever remember wanting anything. To finally realize his
dream overwhelmed him. Tears clouded his eyes, and Eljin felt certain he couldn't
attribute them solely to being so emotionally overwrought from the pregnancy.
Zack. He whispered the word in his mind, using their mental link for the first
time since they were fully bonded. He looked up at him, letting the man see the tears of
joy in his eyes. My beautiful leannan.
"Eljin, I can hear you."
"Yes, it's one of the benefits of bonding. We can speak to each other in our minds.
It's a connection we won't ever share with another living being." Eljin chuckled and
glanced down at the movements under his shirt. "Except for maybe our son."
Zack's hand settled over his stomach, and the baby's movements instantly
ceased. "He can talk to me anytime he wants."
"And me?" Eljin leaned his face into the hand Zack cupped around the side of his
face.
"I demand it, hummingbird."
"Zack, not that I'm complaining because believe me I'm not, but why the sudden
change of attitude? Yesterday you were yelling at me, saying you weren't gay and men
didn't have babies. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"I'm not sure I have an answer for that, Eljin," Zack said. "Gunny told me about
you and the Aes Sídhe. I don't think I believed him until he started telling me about his
long lost lover, Roland. If a man like Gunny can admit he wants to be with a man then
so can I."
"Roland?" Eljin asked in confusion.
"Roland was Aes Sídhe, just like you. Gunny met him about twenty years ago in
Ireland. Apparently Roland was taken by the Unseelie Court and Gunny never forgot
him. He's spent his life trying to find him. That's why he knows so much about your
kind."
"Zack, my uncle's name is Roland. He was captured on your side of the veil
nearly twenty years ago. The Unseelie Court held him for almost two years before they
released him."
"Christ!" Zack stepped back, pushing a hand through his hair. "We need to tell
Gunny about this. I don't know if your Roland and Gunny's Roland are one and the
same but he needs to know."
"So, let's go tell him then," Eljin said. "If they are the same person then we need to
get the two of them back together. Roland has been alone for twenty years, never taking
a leannan. He never talked about it but I always knew something happened to him. I'd
like to see him happy."
Zack started for the door then suddenly stopped when an alarm started blaring.
Eljin glanced wildly around the room. What the hell? A cold, creepy feeling climbed up
his spine.
"Zack?"
"That's the alarm. Someone must have breeched Gunny's secure perimeter." Zack
held out his hand to Eljin. "Come on, we really need to go now."
Eljin grabbed Zack's hand, grateful Zack seemed calm and cool, and in control of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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