“Saturn will be your contact for your assignment,” Lorenz decreed.

“He will not, I will,” Faunus declared.

Lorenz shook his head. “You are too close.”

“And Saturn is not?”

“You know he isn’t, brother,” Lorenz said quietly. “Not the way you are.”

It was now Faunus’s jaw where a muscle worked, before he looked down at Tedrey.

“Are you going to fuck him?”

“Faunus,” Tedrey murmured.

“You’re going to fuck him.”

“He will expect me to do so.”

At that, Faunus took hold of his throat, pulled Tedrey to him and claimed his mouth.

It was their first true kiss.

His tongue was as assertive as the way he used his cock.

He broke the kiss and scowled into Tedrey’s face. “You take him, you think of me.”

“It would be impossible not to,” Tedrey muttered dazedly.

“It best be, for when you come back to me…when, Teddy,” he stressed, “and I have even the barest suspicion it was not, I’m binding your cock and balls and playing with you for a week with no release.”

“Well, if the kiss didn’t work, which it did,” he quickly assured at the flash in Faunus’s eyes, “that will.”

Faunus continued scowling at him until he bent, bit Tedrey’s lower lip until he tasted blood, yanked his head to the side and bit his neck so hard Tedrey knew he broke the skin (and he liked both), then he released him and prowled way.

“He calls you Teddy?” Nyx asked. “Oh, mio piccolo buco, much must have happened tonight. Come. I’ll get wine. You must share it all.”

“I’m not sure he’s il tuo buco anymore, mia gazella,” Lorenz remarked.

“Oh, poo,” Nyx scoffed, moving toward Tedrey. She stopped at him, slapped him lightly on the cheek and asked softly, “You’ll always be mine, won’t you, caro?”

“I will always be yours, Nyx,” he replied, just as softly. “Always.”

Her eyes brightened with wet, but she looked away quickly and moved away the same, murmuring, “I shall get the wine.”

Tedrey turned back to Lorenz.

He had his arms crossed on his chest and his eyes locked to Tedrey.

“Maybe I’ll be significant yet,” Tedrey whispered and watched Lorenz’s handsome face gentle.

“You already were, but if you need this to understand that’s true, amico, then you must do it,” Lorenz replied.

“Do you trust me?” Tedrey asked.

With no hesitation, Lorenz answered, “Yes.”

Tedrey pressed his lips together.

These people had given him a lot since they’d saved him from The Rising.

But that was the most precious of all.

“Promise, standing in my home, looking right into my face, if you ever feel in danger, you will come to me immediately,” Lorenz demanded.

“I will…amico,” he agreed.

Tedrey then smiled.

His eyes full of disquiet, Lorenz did not smile back.