night – I dreamed of a home not unlike this one, where laughter rang around the hallways, where the rooms were warm and cozy, and the furnishings were perfect for snuggling.”
“I’m sure we can create that homely feeling in your coven, if you want that, babe.” Arvyn pressed his hands against the broad muscles in Kirill’s back. “Ra will probably be able to do most of the refurbishing with a wave of his godly hand.”
“My vampires won’t like it.” Kirill rested his head on Arvyn’s shoulder, his voice muffled. “A vampire is measured by three things – their age which in most cases determines their power level which is just as important. Then there’s their status within the coven – the higher up the ranks they are, the more ostentatious they become. And finally, they make a point of flouting the amount of wealth they’ve accumulated, which they show through fancy furnishings set in elaborately decorated rooms that always look like they could feature in a design magazine. Entire wardrobes of clothes are chosen and made – by exclusive designers of course – to either compliment or contrast with the furnishings they’ve chosen.”
“That’s going to make it difficult for me to fit in then,” Arvyn said with a chuckle. “I think I have about two hundred bucks to my name and some change. My clothes are bought in stores, chosen for comfort and durability, and the only thing I spend serious money on is my boots, purely and simply because I do a lot of walking. Many people find me too intimidating or weird looking to pick up when I’m hitchhiking.”
Kirill growled into his throat, and Arvyn wasn’t sure if he was upset at the idea of Arvyn hitchhiking, or his comments about not fitting into Kirill’s coven. But he didn’t get a chance to ask, as Cass was suddenly there beside them, grabbing their arms and dragging them apart.
“You can have your heart to heart later,” the demon snapped. “You do not keep the mate of Zeus waiting.”
/~/~/~/~/
Kirill knew he’d worried Arvyn with his apparent one eighty on his feelings about his coven, but with every inhale he took of the clean mountain air, Kirill could feel the rightness of the way he was thinking in his soul. This is a home a god and a wolf could enjoy, and by the fates, maybe one where I could finally relax too?
It had never been easy for Kirill to keep his position. Yes, he started his coven, and yes, he had the money, power, and status to keep it too. His age was a huge factor in his position, in that he was at least three hundred years older than anyone else in his coven. But even before meeting Arvyn, it’d never been easy for him to keep up the cool and aristocratic façade needed to keep the members of his coven in line.
But this wasn’t something he could discuss with Arvyn, not when a thin young man was watching him with icy eyes. “You upset my friend Ra,” the young man said bluntly.
This time Kirill had no qualms of how to greet an important person. “You must be Paulie, mate of Zeus,” he said with a brief bow. “Upsetting our third was never my intention. Unfortunately, due to Ra living on another realm, apologizing and even groveling is nigh impossible.”
“The bowing might stroke Zeus’s ego, but it does nothing for mine.” Paulie waved at a couple of chairs set around a huge outdoor fireplace that was glowing warmly. “Sit, sit, so I can get this issue worked out once and for all, and then we can eat.”
Kirill took the seat furthest from the fire, allowing his beloved to take the closer spot. If it was also a way of blocking Paulie from Arvyn, hopefully his proud alpha wouldn’t notice. “You have a very beautiful home,” he said once he’d sat down.
“It suits us.” Paulie leaned forward in his seat, his elbows on his knees, Cass and Wes standing on either side of his chair. “What the hell were you thinking?”
“I’m sorry,” Kirill tilted his head slightly. “Are we still talking about my snapping at Ra? Believe me, that was unintentional. I just couldn’t stand the thought of him disappearing when we’d only just met him and said the first thing that came into my head.”
“I’m referring to the crap in your coven, but yes, Ra too. When was the last time you acted on your instincts?”
Kirill had to stop