Eremis frowned when Cas told him Soran was downright crazy about Rowan. Someone should tell the poor guy that he’d end up getting hurt if he got too attached to the elf. Eremis believed Rowan lacked morals; he’d have sex with just about anyone willing to quench his fires of lust. He even let ME service him without flinching when I had to prostitute myself for drug money. Although Marz seemed as addicted to sex as Rowan was, Eremis had a feeling the ex-gang leader would have refused to get intimate with him. Unlike the elf, Marz would have probably tried to talk him into getting help for his drug problem instead of paying him for a quick blowjob. The ex-gang leader might be a sex fiend, but he appeared to have a heart as well, while Rowan cared only about satisfying his own needs at all times.
“Too bad everybody can’t be as happy as us, huh?”
The healer smiled at his lover’s words. For the first time in his life, Eremis WAS truly happy, and had Cas to thank for that. “In my opinion, Jeremy makes a better match for Rowan than does Soran does because they’re very similar. Both are only concerned with their own feelings and needs, and could care less about hurting anyone else. As long as they get what THEY happen to want, they’re happy.”
After swallowing down some stew, he praised Kato’s cooking then watched Alexander set up a target for archery practice. There wasn’t any real need to learn how to use a bow unless Cas planned to continue adventuring after the completion of this mission. Of course, Eremis intended to try to talk his lover out of such nonsense, but Cas had a stubborn streak a mile long. Once he set his mind on something, it became nearly impossible to change it.
He nodded a greeting to Soran and Rowan when they joined them by the campfire. Once again he felt sorry for the young blonde. How could he have been stupid enough to allow himself to develop feelings for a callous individual like Rowan? He hoped Soran would soon meet someone who’d be able to turn his mind and heart away from the elf. Kisa taught Eremis how it felt to love someone who only knew how to use others for their own benefit, and he could see the same thing happening between Rowan and Soran. The elf would use the youth until he got bored with him, and wouldn’t feel any remorse whatsoever for leading him on and eventually breaking his heart. “Maybe we can fix Soran up with one of those pretty Rover girls when we get back home,” he whispered to Cas.
*******
Soran still felt a bit queasy after eating the piece of dried venison, but before he could admit to that, Rowan kissed him with an unmistakable urgency. His nausea dissipated instantly, replaced by intense desire. Rowan’s ability to invoke such lust in him so quickly continued to amaze him. A few weeks ago he loathed sex; now he couldn’t seem to get enough of it.
They rolled around on the grass, tearing at each other’s clothing in a heated frenzy. The hard ground wasn’t as comfortable as a nice, bouncy mattress, but that didn’t matter at all. Rowan’s talented hands and mouth made Soran forget about his surroundings and their friends that sat in a clearing nearby. He moaned loudly a few times, his fingers digging into Rowan’s back as he neared the height of ecstasy. The elf’s mouth crushed against his, stifling the shout that tried to pour from his throat as they reached a climax together.
He hugged Rowan close while panting heavily. His cheeks reddened in embarrassment once he regained his senses and realized that someone might have overheard his moans of pleasure. A glance at Rowan’s smiling face made him see how silly it was to worry about such things. They dressed quickly then clasped hands before making their way to the campfire.
Cas met his eyes and grinned. “You got a leaf in your hair.”
Soran smirked while running his fingers through his hair then reached out to pluck away a tiny twig stuck in one of Rowan’s braids. As he helped himself to a bowl of stew he wondered why the hell Eremis kept staring at him so solemnly. Now that he thought about it, he rarely saw the healer smile. After washing down some stew with java, he tapped the demon boy’s arm. “Can I talk to you in private later?”
“Why not now?” Cas asked, jumping to his feet and earning a frown from Eremis.
Soran glanced from Rowan to Eremis. “We’ll be right back.” With a full mug of java in his hand, he followed Cas to the stream where they sat peering out at the water. “Since you’re my best friend AND blood brother, I wanted you to be the first to know that Rowan and I are officially a couple now. He’s really willing to try the relationship thing with me. I think it’ll work out as long as I have more patience with him and stop jumping to conclusions.”
He chewed his lower lip for a moment then took a sip of java. “Umm, I ahh, told him I love him, and he didn’t freak out on me.” When he saw the shocked look on Cas’ face he decided it was time to change the subject. “So, how are things going with Eremis? Is he still upset about us dragging him off on this mission? Is he doing okay with the drug thing? I mean, he’s not having any cravings or anything, right?”
While waiting for Cas to reply, he caught sight of Alex teaching Jeremy how to use a bow in the distance. He wished he could join in on the lesson because he loved learning new things but he wasn’t about to get anywhere near the otherworldly youth if he could help it. One snide comment from the jerk would be enough to provoke another fist fight between them. He decided he’d ask Rowan later if he could incorporate archery into his other lessons.
*******
Eremis wondered why Soran felt the need to talk to Cas in private. He watched them sit down together by the stream then turned his eyes to Rowan. “It’s very obvious that Soran likes you a lot. Maybe you should stop leading him on before he starts to develop deeper feelings for you. I know what it’s like to be used and tossed aside by someone you think you love with all your heart. You probably never experienced anything like that so trust me when I tell you it hurts like hell.”
He poured some sugar into his java then shrugged. “Why do you have to sink your claws into someone like Soran anyway? The kid seems to want a lasting relationship, not something based on sex alone. Hell, there’s plenty of people like Jeremy in the world who can keep you satisfied on the sexual front so why not stick to them?”
“I see you’ve decided not to leave on your own after all.”
Eremis looked up at the sound of the feminine voice and nodded at Darlanta.
She gave him a smile then sat down next to Rowan and brushed at some grass covering the knee of his pants. “It’s a shame we couldn’t enjoy dinner together, but perhaps you’d like to join me in my cabin for a snifter of brandy before you retire for the evening.”
********
Jeremy tossed his cigarette away when he saw Alex approach. He gave him an incredulous look once he heard he’d have to string his own bow and learn how to fletch arrows. Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy a pre strung bow and a bunch of arrows? He sighed when he heard his father’s words in his mind. Your generation is just plain lazy. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter. Well, the way Jeremy saw it, it was the older generation’s fault for inventing modern conveniences that made life easier. He was brought up on remote controls, microwave ovens, computers, and fast food restaurants so how could he not help but be a bit lazy about having to exert a little effort with something?
He watched Alex closely as he strung his bow then carefully followed his example. It felt pretty good to use his own hands to string the bow rather than have someone hand him a ready to use one. A smile crossed his lips while Alex demonstrated how to hold the thing and notch an arrow, and his eyes widened a bit when the youth launched an arrow right smack dab into the center of the bull’s eye. “Wow. Impressive.”
“Now then, Jeremy, you try hitting the target.”
Trying his best to mimic Alex’s earlier actions, he notched the arrow, and pulled back the string. The arrow flew wide, nicking the side of a tree before plopping to the ground. “Practice makes perfect, right, dude?” he quipped, grabbing another arrow. He turned slightly then released his grip on the string. The arrow sailed right over the heads of Soran and Cas, plunking in the water directly in front of them.
“Oops.” He hurriedly notched another arrow sending it into the side of the barn. “This is fun. Thanks to you Alex, I’m going to be a great archer in no time. By tomorrow I’ll be able to hit all those bull’s eyes with my eyes closed!”
