He greeted Adrian as usual.
Instead of immediately falling into their routine though, Adrian reached for the food and drink menu.
Lan straddled his lap, head tilting curiously as the menu was held up. “Are you hungry?” he asked, leaning on Adrian’s shoulder.
“I was thinking maybe you are.” He rested a gentle hand on Lan’s lower back, keeping him close as they perused the menu together. “There’s a large selection of desserts and your stomach always growls by the time I leave you.” Adrian pressed absent kisses to the crown of Lan’s head. “You’ve never had them, right?”
That was true. Lan couldn’t reasonably afford the food and drinks served at Clair de Lune. The chef never gave out free samples either, so he had only tasted a few morsels here and there with clients.
“What are your favorites?” Lan turned away from the menu, practically purring at the kisses and attention. “I wanna try those.”
Adrian chuckled. “Let’s just get one of everything and I’ll tell you which ones I like after you’ve tried them all.”
One of the few things that did translate from wolf culture was the attitude of powerful people. Lan knew not to question the wealth and grandeur tossed about by those who controlled it. Right now, he was being doted upon by a Night Child of all creatures. They had amassed so much wealth in their long existences that this much was barely a drop in the ocean.
When the server arrived with their orders, Lan set everything out on the coffee table. His mouth filled with saliva at the sights and smells. There were warm and cold desserts. Chocolates and parfaits. Cookies. Cakes.
A truly impressive display all around.
Adrian leaned forward where he sat on the couch, threading fingers in Lan’s hair as he crouched on the floor. “Where will you start, sweetheart?”
He reached for the porcelain plate of truffles. “This one. I tried it before with another client. Clarisse also shared a box of them from a bakery once. There were a bunch of designs and shades of chocolate! I liked the white ones—” Lan paused, surprising himself.
Since when have I had stories to tell?
It wasn’t much, but he could talk about things like eating sweets with coworkers. There were silly things that happened from time to time as well. Kind people like Liza berated him for his lack of pop culture knowledge but always happily filled him in. Clarisse patted his head and spoke in gentle tones whenever they were alone. Other employees praised, critiqued, and relied on him in varying measure.
Lan was living for the first time.
“You like the white ones?” Adrian’s voice brushed against his ear. “That’s good. My favorites are the dark ones.” He picked up the bitter truffle, popping it into his mouth.
“You can eat things other than blood?” Lan rubbed his face against Adrian’s knee.
“Just chocolate,” he admitted, plucking the white truffle off the plate. “Other things simply don’t have much of a taste.” Adrian pressed the truffle to Lan’s lips, smiling as he took it in, chewing and swallowing.
They worked through several more desserts with Adrian providing vague commentary from time to time. He explained that many of these were beyond his personal experience, but that he could attest to their popularity among Humans. Cheesecake and macaroons were very high on the list.
Lan wanted to ask about Adrian’s age. His origins. The story of his long life. Yet everything got strangled in his throat as he realized how awful it would be to pry when he couldn’t return the favor.
Once I can talk about myself, I’ll ask him all the things I want to know.
“You seem happy.”
Lan licked his lips, tasting fluffy cream. Tilting his head back, he saw Adrian watching him with those soft red eyes again. It was a look he had grown accustomed to as of late. Crawling up onto Adrian’s lap again, he kissed him. “Thank you.”
“Oh, doll,” he scolded playfully, “that’s not a kiss. Do I have to teach you every time?”
“Yeah,” Lan replied, grinning immediately. “Please teach me again.”
Adrian huffed a laugh, muttering something about cute wolves and puppy dog eyes before kissing him soundly.
***
When Adrian arrived home, it was nearly three in the morning.
Clarisse was usually hard on clients for staying longer than their allotted reservation and was especially strict recently; however, they didn’t seem to mind his presence. Perhaps they all knew his intentions were hardly deceitful or dangerous.
It was no secret that he spent extravagant amounts on Lan and Lan alone. The private tips also seemed to be well known. Adrian couldn’t stop himself when he thought about how a runaway wolf must be dealing with the expenses of Human society. Clair de Lune was reputable in many ways, but their wages were just as low as any other social club in the area.
Most importantly, Adrian enjoyed doting on someone. When was the last time someone so openly yearned for him? Even if Lan was still nervous to share his life and past, it was obvious on his face and in his actions that he was just as enamored as Adrian.
“You’ve been indulging, brother.”
He paused by the open parlor doors, catching sight of his beloved Ringleader all alone.
Kallum Kingsley lounged on the plush couch, a wine glass full of blood cradled between long fingers. Rather unusually, his clothing was disheveled. His tie was unfurled, and the buttons of his shirt were nearly all undone. Dark, messy hair curled around his face, framing maroon eyes and pale flesh.
Adrian smiled, entering the room and dropping onto the couch beside him. “It’s a worthy indulgence.” He lowered his head to Kallum’s lap and sighed. “You’ll be charmed when he finally comes to our side.”
“I’m sure I will.” He sounded thoroughly amused by the entire idea. It’s better than skeptical. “This wolf is named Lan, you said?”
Adrian hummed. “Why do you ask?”
He didn’t receive an answer. Instead, Kallum took another sip of his drink and then leaned down, their lips pressing together for a brief moment. “This wolf’s blood is quite diluted. I can barely smell it on your breath.”
Adrian licked his Ringleader’s parted lips, smiling at the sweet taste of blood. “He’s more puppy than wolf. More Human as well. Haven’t I said as much already?”
“You have. It simply surprises me each time it’s reconfirmed.” Kallum took a long drink, locking eyes with Adrian who now watched him hungrily.
Leaning up on his elbows, Adrian accepted the mouthful of blood. Their lips were lukewarm, but the hot rush of liquid life draining down his throat was enough to make his entire body stir. Adrian lapped at the line of blood trickling down Kallum’s chin. “Thanks for the meal.”
“You were looking sickly,” he replied, pecking the tip of Adrian’s nose. “Perhaps you ought to invite your wolf over for a change.”
After so many years with Kallum, it was easy to understand certain requests. Demands. This was one such case. He’s interested enough to force the situation.
“I’ll bring Lan next time he’s free.”
Kallum smiled curiously but otherwise simply nodded.
“How’s the Little Prince? Has he recovered from his cold?” Adrian took the remaining glass of blood offered to him and drained it quickly.
The expression on his Ringleader’s face softened. Something akin to amusement rounded the corners of his eyes and he chuckled. “Yes. According to the reports, his parents have revoked his outdoor activities though.”
“Being a child sounds difficult.”
“It does seem that way,” Kallum replied, head tilting up in thought. “Human children appear to run into accidents quite often as well. I’ve received more than five incident reports about him in the past month.”
Adrian barked a laugh. “I can’t recall my childhood, but I imagine this is very normal. Are you concerned for the Little Prince’s well-being?”
“He’s being guarded closely by Humans and Night Children alike.” Kallum shrugged, expression cooling. “I’d be shocked if anything managed to harm him. Well, of course, anything other than childish recklessness.”
It was difficult to really understand Kallum’s feelings on the topic of the Little Prince. Unlike receiving orders to do his bidding and following his whimsical lead, this conversation revealed a rare facet of his character. No one could tell him much about this peculiar bond with a Human.
For such a powerful creature, the Ringleader was now facing an incredulous situation. He was tied—mind, body, and soul—to a Human of all things. This phenomenon appeared in writings, but little else was known about the nature of it.
Adrian often delivered the Little Prince reports, so he was fully aware that the Ringleader cared enough to keep tabs on the boy. At the same time, he never went to observe him in person. It was clear he had chosen to keep some distance between their existences and rightfully so.
Despite all of this, Adrian felt that having this odd bond with a Human had softened something in Kallum. Most importantly, it made Adrian even more hopeful that a lone wolf would be wholly embraced as a member of Delirium.
“You should rest, brother.”
Adrian blinked. When had his eyes closed? Standing up, he yawned and stretched. “It seems so. You should rest soon, too.”
Kallum nodded, but his expression was far away. The fire continued to crackle before him, bathing his features in warm light and dark shadows. In these moments, Adrian wished he could see deeper into his Ringleader’s soul.
It must be cold as ice and brilliantly beautiful.
Comments (7)
See all