Tiptoeing around the room, he grabbed some clothes out of his bag and went into the bathroom to dress. When he glanced in the mirror, he had to laugh. Lucien had left a couple of hickeys on his neck. Since he’d showered in the early morning hour, he quickly dressed and brushed his teeth.
He sneaked out of the bathroom, but Lucien lifted his head. “Where are you going?” he whispered.
Gio kept his voice low, hoping not to wake Calder. “Grabbing coffee with Wiley before everyone meets for breakfast. We’ll get a table for everyone.”
“Come give me a kiss good-bye.”
He hurried to the bed and bent over to kiss Lucien, their lips lingering together. Then he kissed Lucien’s nose and straightened. “You guys can sleep longer, then meet us there.”
“Sounds good.” Lucien snuggled into Calder and closed his eyes.
Gio turned and rushed from the room. Once he hit the dining room, he spotted Wiley’s blond head at a large table against the wall. Wiley waved him over and he made his way around tables to him. His hair was mussed and his lips were puffy, but the smile on his face was huge and welcoming.
“Looks like you spent your night the same way I did,” Gio teased.
“Yeah, we’re pretty damn lucky, aren’t we?” Wiley pointed toward the coffee bar. “You’ll have to grab your own. They’ll start serving breakfast soon. Why’d we decide to come down here so early again?”
“Because we were high on caffeine and sugar last night,” Gio joked, but he turned serious suddenly. “I’m glad we did. I want to talk to you.”
“About?”
“Bonding to a Weaver.”
Wiley blew out a breath. “Well, you’ll definitely be needing some coffee, then. Sorry I don’t have any alcohol to add to it.”
“It’s a bit early for me anyway.” Gio walked to the coffee bar, filled a mug, and added some creamer. His stomach grumbled, so he snagged one of the muffins they had out next to the coffeepot and carried his items back to the table. He settled in next to Wiley.
“What do you want to know?” Wiley asked as he cradled his own mug between two hands. He wore a Captain America T-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans. There might have also been a hickey peeking out from the neckline. Maybe some beard burn on his chin as well. Wiley was well loved by his mate.
“How did you meet Baer?”
Wiley chuckled and set his mug down. “At a donut shop. Some pestilents attacked, and he shoved me behind a table right before he changed into an animal.” Wiley paused and rolled his eyes at some memory. “He mistakenly thought I was a Weaver because he felt connected to me. Naturally, he trotted me to their house, talking the whole time about being a Weaver.”
“He actually thought you were a Weaver?”
Wiley nodded. “He did. Have to say, I was pretty disappointed to find out I wasn’t. I write about superheroes. Being one would have been so awesome.”
“But you did get powers when you bonded with him? I mean, you do all those spells.”
“True, and I got a mate. I think it definitely worked out much better.” He picked up a napkin and began shredding it. “If you bond with Lucien and Calder, you’ll be able to do the spells, too. I think having any kind of magic makes that ability manifest, though I kind of wish I’d thought to try spells before to see if anyone could do them. Ooh, we could do that with you.”
Gio grinned and shook his head a little. “I think I’ll leave you to the spells. Is there anything else weird about being bonded?”
Wiley shrugged, then took another sip of his coffee. “I can sense his emotions and pretty much know where he is when I concentrate on it. When he’s an animal, I can pick up on his thoughts, though I think that’s more related to my specific gift.”
“That must be wild.” Gio took a bite of his blueberry muffin.
“It is. I’m living my dream basically, and having Baer as my husband…well, it humbles me. I never dreamed I’d have someone like him love me. I feel so lucky all the time.”
Their lives weren’t going to be all love and cuddles. The pestilents were out there, trying to destroy the Earth and kill humans. The only thing that stood between the pestilents and their ultimate goal was the Weavers. Six men who’d died time and time again all throughout history. Was Gio jumping into a love affair that was destined to last only a matter of weeks or months?
“But that love comes with a price, right?” Gio said softly. “With the pestilents?”
Wiley’s mood instantly turned somber, and he nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been around for a few really nasty fights. I’ve seen all of them beaten and bloody. I’ve woken from plenty of nightmares where I lost Baer, and I thought my heart was breaking.” He growled quietly and glared at Gio. “But what I’ve got makes all that worth it. They’re doing something great and I’m right there, protecting my mate. I’ll happily give my life to keep him safe. I’m sure it would be the same for you.”