deep lines digging into his brow as he glared at Fox. “Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.”
“It’s the truth.”
Winter closed the distance between them, grabbing his arms tightly. “You’ve not heard a word I’ve said the past few days. Your magic is not the only thing that makes you valuable. You are an amazing, wonderful person. You make me laugh. You make me feel like there’s more to me than just killing and death. You are strong and brave without ever casting a single spell. You risked your life for me in that vampire’s house. You had no idea if I was in there to protect you or not, but you did it anyway.”
“I trusted you. Believed in you.”
“And I can do anything because you believe in me.” Winter leaned close and brushed away Fox’s tears with his lips. “I’m dreading the day we finally take care of Damon,” Winter whispered roughly.
Fox jerked away enough to look up into Winter’s eyes. “What?”
“Because then you’ll be free to leave me. And even if all the ghosts come rushing back, I know my life is going to feel empty without you.”
Lunging at Winter, Fox tightly wrapped his arms around Winter’s neck. “I don’t want to leave you, but I don’t want to hurt you. If I give up my magic—”
“Not an option,” Winter interrupted, tightening his arms around Fox’s waist until he swore he felt ribs nearly crack. “I like you exactly how you are. I don’t want you to change anything. When this is over, I want to find a witch and fucking force her to teach you to use your magic. I know you’ll be the best witch ever because I believe in you, and it’s what you want.”
Fox’s heart swelled under Winter’s fierce words. He’d been sure the thing would never be put together again, but Winter wasn’t only picking up the pieces. He was gluing them back together with his fierce devotion.
“Please don’t let me hurt you. Don’t want to hurt your family,” he pleaded. He didn’t know what was right anymore.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then trust me when I say that you won’t hurt me. I know it.”
Fox could only nod his head. If he spoke, more sobs and other words he wasn’t quite ready to say would all come spilling out. He wasn’t going anywhere. So long as Winter wanted him, he was staying right in his arms.
“Will you come to bed with me? You’ve scared the shit out of me, and I need to hold you for a little while,” Winter murmured against his hair.
“Yes, please.”
Fox loosened his hold on Winter enough to let the vampire take his hand and lead him up the stairs. Once in the room again, Winter kissed him as he took off his clothes and put him in bed. They made love slowly this time. Winter kept him balanced on the edge, his skin covered in sweat and trembling, before letting him find release. Sated and sleepy, Fox smiled as Winter cleaned him up and tucked him beside Winter’s body.
As he drifted off, he clung to the thought that Winter believed in him, cared for him with or without his magic. That was enough. They’d find their answers together.
Chapter 22
“Are there any more grapes?”
Fox stretched and twisted, enjoying the way his bare chest shifted against Winter’s. They were naked on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, lazily eating grapes from a bowl. The last few days since the massacre at Luke’s house had undoubtedly been some of the best of his life. They’d spent most of that time cooped up in the loft, brainstorming ideas for how to deal with Damon. There were a few video calls with Bel and his other brothers, but mostly it was just the two of them.
And Fox loved it.
They talked endlessly. Fox might have traded a few private concerts for blowjob lessons, in which he figured he was the real winner regardless of who was blowing whom. They fell into an easy rhythm around the loft, sharing the cleaning and other random tasks.
Maybe he even teared up when Winter assigned him his own code to the loft security system, giving him the power to leave whenever he wanted.
Not that he wanted to. He wasn’t even tempted to step outside during the day. He would do nothing to endanger Winter’s life.
While they’d yet to come up with a solution to their Damon problem, Fox made his other goal in life Winter’s happiness. Not the hardest