Page 3 of Mytho Investigations: Side Stories

Mason's touch was cautious, as though he wasn’t sure what he was allowed to do.

Vlash wasn’t sure, either. How far would he take this? How far did he want to go? It would’ve been safer to ignore Mason and leave him sitting on the chair by himself. Because now he was holding him close, he didn’t want to let him go. He wanted to drown in the liquor-fueled heat in the human’s eyes. That he wanted to be seen as a man was a weakness he could never admit to anyone.

Usually, he didn’t admit it even to himself.

He swallowed the snarl of annoyance that wanted to form. How had a human gotten beneath his armor so fast? “I won’t bite.”

Mason’s lips twitched. “I’m sure you know at least ten other ways to kill someone.”

Vlash laughed. That was the second time Mason had made him laugh. “Oh, I know more than ten.”

Mason’s eyes widened, and heat flared. “Want to show me?”

Mason thought he was joking. How cute. How human. Yet, he did want to show him. It had been over ten years since he’d been with anyone. At first, he’d been lost after the collapse. The death of his wife and daughter had consumed him. He’d only gone on because of his son and because the king and other mythos needed him.

By the time they were allowed to walk freely in the human city, he was back to being head archer, and he’d developed a loathing for humans, which was at odds with the way he held Mason. The way Mason watched him was enough for Vlash to forget himself. A luxury he didn’t have.

He wanted to grip the back of Mason’s head and kiss him. Would he respond or panic and push him away? He couldn’t deal with the latter. And there were too many people watching for the former.

He eased his hold, putting a few inches between them, already missing the feel of Mason’s body against his. “I’m going to get a bottle of mead and go back to my room.”

“Is that an invitation?”

Vlash considered Mason for a moment. “Only if you want it to be.”

If not, he’d drink alone.

CHAPTER 3

If human men in uniform were bad for his heart, an elf in leather decorated with knives was going to be a disaster.

But it was only one night.

He needed to get back out there and remember what it was like to tumble out of strange beds. He needed to remember how to date again, and while that wasn’t what this was, it was a good first step.

“I don’t even know your name.” Not that it mattered. When he was younger, there’d been times when he hadn’t bothered to ask.

The elf raised one fair eyebrow. “You don’t have that right. However, you may call me Vlash.”

Right, elves didn’t hand out their real names. “I’m Mason.”

“I know who you are.”

Mason stared.

Vlash smiled, something Mason suspected could be lethal, though at the moment, it was filled with warmth. Vlash stepped back, releasing his hold on Mason's hip.

“I’m going to grab the mead. You should wander out as if you’re going to the bathroom.”

It wasn’t an order, but if Mason didn’t leave the room as instructed, then this chance would be over. Vlash didn’t seem like the kind of man who asked twice. Jordan and Edra had already left. And when he glanced around, he didn’t see Sean or Troy either. No one would realize he was missing until morning when breakfast was served.

If he disappeared for a few hours, no one would question where he’d been. Did it matter if his friends asked when they’d suggested he should try to get lucky tonight?

He gave Vlash a tiny nod of agreement.

As he did that, he realized he was stepping not just off the path but he was ignoring the danger signs posted along the way. It was one thing to think about hooking up but another to do so.

Bud would hate that he was leaving the party with an elf. Mason heard the scorn in his ex’s voice and imagined the anger in his eyes. Bud hated all things mytho. He’d said terrible things about Jordan when his relationship with Edra became public, and while Mason hadn’t joined in, he hadn’t stood up for his friend, either. That was when he should’ve left, but it had taken a few more months.