Unable to come up with a reply, Ward nodded and bid a hasty retreat. So far, this evening had produced one clear answer—Mathias was real. If only Ward had figured out how he truly felt about that.
Mathias was distracted. He’d come here with the best possible intentions, and more certain of himself than this morning. Saul had proven to be quite open-minded when Mathias had told him about Ward. He’d asked Mathias to make sure Ward understood the necessity of the secrecy of their world, but he’d also agreed to an eventual meeting between him and the pack. Still, he’d pulled Mathias aside and whispered a clear warning. “Make sure he’s ready for it, Mathias,” he’d said. “I don’t want unnecessary panic. I’m not sure how Shan would interpret that, and given Jessie’s condition...”
“Of course, Saul,” Mathias had said. “I completely understand. I won’t take any chances.”
And so Mathias had decided to take it slow and woo his mate the way humans did with their partners of choice. The flowers had been well received, so he considered that part of the plan a success—until Ward had said he’d go take a shower and Mathias’s cock went rock hard just at the image of his mate bathing.
It wasn’t hard to picture. Mathias was nothing if not imaginative. It came with the territory, with his legacy as a Sidhe. One of the first things he’d ever learned had been the importance of imagination, since magic was something fluid that followed the threads of a person’s mind, and to use it, Sidhe needed to be open-minded in a more literal way than Saul.
The end result was that he stood in Ward’s living room for longer than he himself would have ever admitted. He tried to suppress his arousal, but nope, it didn’t work. His cock strained against his zipper, demanding to be let out to play. He heard the shower running, and his wolf nudged him to join in.
Mathias reminded the treacherous member such a course of action would most likely be counterproductive. Instead, he decided to follow up on Ward’s invitation to view his paintings.
He realized all too well that it was not something Ward would have done lightly. It was akin to a Sidhe exposing their most intimate spell work, or Sidhe healers opening the doors to their herbalism labs. It was very much like looking into Ward’s heart, and for the moment, far more important than any carnal pursuit.
Nothing he knew prepared him for the shock he received when he saw the paintings. They were of him—as a wolf, and as a human. The details were incredible, each individual clump of fur lovingly depicted on the canvas with a skill that took his breath away. Mathias’s human body had received a similar treatment, and he shivered as he imagined his mate painting every line of his likeness, laboring over the portrait of his nude image.
The paintings had one thing in common—Mathias’s eyes, and the clear effort Ward had put into depicting them. Mathias never really paid much attention to his own eye color, and he couldn’t help but marvel at the way the gold of the wolf’s gaze almost seemed to glow.
He felt Ward before he heard him, and he turned just as his mate walked up to him. “What do you think?” Ward asked, leaning against the doorjamb. “Any good?”
“I think you flatter me, and I only wish I could do true justice to your talent.”
Ward arched a brow. “Come now, Mr. Girard. Don’t disappoint me with polite platitudes.”
Ward meant that, Mathias realized, which was probably why he’d used Mathias’s last name. “I am not an artist,” he replied, “but I have known many in my time. I know that polite platitudes are offensive when they are just that—but I assure you, I’m being completely honest. But since in this case, I am the model... I will say that what crossed my mind was that I had no idea my eyes looked like that.”
He smiled and looked back at the paintings. “It’s funny. I think artists see the world differently than most people do, in bright colors, in bright life. It reminds me of the Sidhe. For the Folk, everything is energy, and energy is life, color, and vibrant passion. Like your work.”
He faced his mate again and brushed his fingers over Ward’s cheek ever so slightly. A spark burst from his fingers, his magic reaching out to Ward without Mathias even willing it to. Ward’s breath caught and his eyes widened. His nostrils flared and the scent of his arousal filled the air, as heady and bright as the colors on the paintings.
Mathias could have leaned forward to kiss Ward. It would have been so easy. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and Ward didn’t seem inclined to deny it.
But chemistry was not enough, not for him, and not for Ward. He stepped out of the bedroom and simply took his mate’s hand. “Come. I think I caught a very appealing scent coming from the kitchen, and you did promise me a meal this morning.”
Ward laughed. “That I did. I hope it doesn’t disappoint.”
As Mathias followed his mate down the stairs, he knew that being patient with Ward wouldn’t be easy, but it would be right. Most of all, it was definitely worth it.